The Best of Select: Games 4

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ The Best of Select: Games 4 / CD_1.iso / games / eldscro / readme.asc < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1994-02-17 | 15KB | 328 lines

THE ELDER SCROLLS: ARENA DEMO Welcome to the world of Tamriel, known by its inhabitants as the Arena. This demo is barely a glimpse at what awaits you in the Elder Scrolls: over four hundred towns, twelve million square kilometers of cities and wilderness, and more fortresses, dungeons, and crypts than we can count. Choosing any single location to showcase the game was very difficult indeed as it is so large and diverse in its offerings. So we invented one, a dungeon filled with some of our favorite cryptdwellers. But you should see what we left out ... there is only so much we could squeeze onto one disk. We also invented a character for you to play, a 10th level Spellsword of above average attributes, all chain armor, an unbreakable ebony longsword, and a respectable spellbook. The Elder Scrolls: Arena will be coming to your local computer entertainment store in February 1994. Visit your local retailer or order your copy direct by contacting Bethesda Softworks at: (301) 963-2000, fax (301) 926-8010, or 1370 Piccard Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Please read the follow section on playing Arena, then type "arena" to enter the crypt, or "install" first to configure the demo to your soundcard. May your sword be sharp and your spells close at hand, for your adventure begins here ... **************************************************************************** How to Play The Elder Scrolls: Arena **************************************************************************** On-Screen Buttons There are many options that you can invoke while exploring the world of Tamriel. To the right of your character's face are two rows of buttons. The button and the action it represents are explained in the following list: Mouse GENERAL CONTROLS Left clicking while cursor is an arrow will move you in the direction of the arrow. The further the arrow is from the center of the screen, the faster you will move. Left clicking an object while the cursor is an 'X' interacts with it, the interaction depends upon whether you are in 'talk', 'cast', or 'attack' mode. (see below) Right clicking while left mouse button is depressed will cause you to jump. Right clicking an object while cursor is an 'X' identifies it, if it is not generic. Crossed Swords icon - ATTACK Clicking this will draw your weapon and put you in attack mode. From here holding down the left mouse button moves you in the same direction as the arrow. Holding down the right mouse button and moving the mouse swings your weapon. You may still jump using the 'J' key. Shift+J will do a standing long jump. Clicking this icon again will sheath your weapon. Sunburst icon - CAST Cast a spell. Left clicking the icon will cause your spellbook to appear. You may pick the spell you wish to cast, and the target of that spell. To save time in recasting the same spell, you can right click the icon again. If you have the spell points, you will cast the last chosen spell again. Fingers picking gold icon - STEAL Steal something. When this icon is clicked a prompt will come up asking, "Target?". Pick the target on the screen. If it is a person, there will be an attempt to pickpocket him or her. If it is a barrier, such as a chest or door, an attempt will be made to unlock it. Hand grabbing icon - USE Use something. When this icon is clicked an inventory of usable magic items will come up. Pick the item you wish to use and then follow any onscreen prompts that may arise, such as "Target?" for a ring spell. Note: Only from the 3D walk-around menu can you use an item. If you want to use a healing potion, you must use it from here, as you will be unable to use it from the character sheet. Snake-staff icon - PLAYER STATUS Player Status. Clicking this icon will pause the game and show your current status, and other items such as the date and time of day, or any reputational issues that may affect your status at your current location. Other information on this pop up will be your current condition, health, spells that are currently affecting you, and spells that are currently active. Parchment with lines icon - LOGBOOK This icon represents the 'Logbook', a journal of your travels. This feature is deactivated for the demo. Campfire icon - CAMP Camp icon. Left clicking this icon will cause you to rest. During rest you will slowly regain lost hit points, spell points, and fatigue. You may camp anywhere outside a city's walls. You may not camp inside a city unless you have purchased or snuck into a room in a tavern and are currently inside the tavern where you have that room. The amount you heal per hour of rest is greatly affected by where you sleep. The nicer the accommodation (ie...expensive), the more you will heal per hour. Automap icon - AUTOMAP / CONTINENTAL MAP Left clicking Map icon: Left clicking this icon will bring up your automap parchment, upon which will be inscribed all the places you have currently visited. Pay close attention to this map, it may be the only thing to provide you clues when searching for something. You can make notes on the map by left clicking the map where you wish to place the note and then typing. Hit 'Enter' to get back the pen or right click the mouse button. You can erase notes by clicking the line you wish to erase and then hitting the 'ESC' key. Left clicking the compass points on the automap will scroll the map so you can see a larger area. Left clicking the center of the compass will center the map on your location. As a note, any locations that are marked automatically by the automap, (ie not by you) will be left of the first character in the sentence. Therefore an inn that is marked on your automap will be to the left of the first character in its name. Right clicking Map icon: Right clicking the Automap icon in the game will bring up the Continental Map, from which you can travel to other cities, towns, or villages. This feature is deactivated in the demo. ESC key - SETUP MENU Setup menu. This will pause the game and bring up an option menu from which you will be able to do the following: 1) Play saved game - Loads a game from a save list. Deactivated in the demo. 2) Save game - Save the current game. Deactivated in the demo. 3) Detail - Helpful for speeding up gameplay on slower machines. Adjust the detail level to minimum to maximize the speed. 4) Sound - Allows you to increase or decrease sound effects. 5) Music - Allows you to increase or decrease the volume of the music. 6) Drop to DOS - Drops out of the game and into the world of DOS. 7) Continue - Exits back to Arena. Character portrait - CHARACTER SHEET Clicking your name/face along the bottom row in the game will bring up your Character sheet, from which many options are available. This is deactivated in the demo. MOUSE CONTROLS The mouse is your direct interface to the world of Arena. You will use it to define actions or choices while exploring the land. As you look at the screen, you will notice that the mouse cursor can change into one of 10 cursors, either an arrow, a sword, or an 'X'. When the mouse is an arrow and the left mouse button is depressed, you will walk in the direction designated by that arrow cursor. The further towards the edge of your screen the arrow gets, the faster you will walk. When the arrow is a sword, it is used to pick or click icons on the walkaround menu. When the arrow is an 'X', whatever is under the 'X' will be interacted with, depending upon what mode you are in. For further explanations, see The 'X' below. Jumping is accomplished by clicking the right mouse button while the left mouse button is being depressed. If you are standing still at the time you will jump straight up. If you are running you will do a running broad jump. The distance you can jump is determined by your Strength, and the Speed at which you were running. Since characters with a higher Speed rating can run faster, they will also be able to jump farther. The 'X' Placing your 'X' cursor on a monster or door and right clicking will identify the monster or store. Therefore, placing the cursor on an equipment store's door and right clicking will display the equipment store's name, and will inscribe that name onto your automap for future reference. While the cursor is an 'X' you can manipulate your environment: Placing the 'X' on another person and clicking your left mouse button will allow you to talk to them, pickpocket them, or cast a spell at them, depending upon what mode your cursor is in. (Normal, Steal, Cast) Placing the 'X' on a door or chest will display your assessment of the lock, or allow you to try and unlock it, depending upon what mode your are in. (Normal, Steal) Placing the 'X' on treasure and left clicking will give you a picklist of the treasure available for you to pick up. Consult the previous section on Onscreen buttons to get a detailed description of how each is accomplished. KEYBOARD Note: Mouse is required for game and demo to operate correctly. ESC Setup menu Up arrow Walk forward F1 Character Sheet Dn arrow Walk backward F8 Compass on/off toggle Left arrow Turn left A Attack - weapon draw/sheath toggle Right arrow Turn right C Cast CTRL + arrow Run forward, run backward, J Jump SHIFT + J Jump forward from standstill M Automap P Pick/Steal R Rest, Camp option S Status of character U Use F3 Change damage mode Notes: + Requirements to run the demo and game are: 386/25 MHz, DOS 5.0+, 4 MB RAM (2MB EMS), VGA graphics card, Mouse (100% Microsoft(TM) compatible) + Game requires 25 MB free Hard Drive space + Due to memory restrictions, there are limits on the types of treasure found in this demo. You will not find any weapons, armor, or magic items. Rest assured, however, they are to be found in the game. + There are three different modes to show that you have been hit. To cycle through these modes, press F3. They are: - Normal Roll - This is the default mode, screen shakes slightly - Severe Roll - Screen shakes violently, may be disorienting on faster machines - Cross Hatch - Screen flashes red **************************************************************************** The Elder Scrolls: Arena **************************************************************************** TES: Arena is the first chapter in one of the most all-encompassing CRPGs ever created. Arena heralds a new level of CRPG interactivity and depth. +12 million square kilometers +18 unique character of world to explore! classes! +150,000 word story! +Full character generation! +Full screen, first person, 360 +Over 400 cities, towns, degree rotational movement! and villages! +Create thousands of spells! +Over 2,500 magical items! +Both interior and exterior +Accurate date, time, exploration! location and weather depiction! +Complete automap with notation +Quests from escorting a villager capabilities! to rescuing the Emperor himself! The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the next generation in CRPG entertainment. Recent press quotes include: "TES: Arena gets back to the roots of the rich, sophisticated, role-playing experiences without losing the technological pyrotechnics of its competitors ... If TES: Arena captures the imagination of other gamers as it has mine, it may well be the game that establishes the new formula in CRPG's." - Johnny Wilson, Editor, Computer Gaming World "TES: Arena surpasses all other role-playing games in depth and realism! A must buy for RPG fans!" - Russ Ceccola, Assoc. Editor, Electronic Games Magazine "Pushing the edge of the envelope in light-sourcing and 3-D technology ... [Arena's] attention to character generation and story may be the most careful design work since Roe Adams III consulted with Lord British on Ultima IV." - Computer Gaming World "A landmark work! You owe it to yourself to get The Elder Scrolls: Arena!" - Michael O'Brien, PC Games Plus We hope you enjoy the demo. - The Bethesda Team BETHESDA SOFTWORKS, 1370 Piccard Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 Tel: (301) 926-8300 Fax: (301) 926-8010