On-line Help

What’s in the Full Version (the one you have to buy)? 

3D Ultra: Lionel TrainTown is a fun little game that was developed at Dynamix, part of the Sierra Family. The game has been designed for the whole family. There are no guns; there’s no death or pillaging in the TrainTown universe. We hope this doesn’t offend anyone!

What you have is the demo to this larger product. We understand that you don’t want to drop $20 bucks on a lemon so we’re showing you just a little bit of our game. We hope you like it well enough to go out and buy the full version.

The full version has way more than our little demo. You can look forward to 72 fun and challenging train related jobs in seven wild and wacky worlds. TrainTown is designed for the whole family with six difficulty levels ranging from very easy to mind-bogglingly difficult. Kids will have fun in the Caboose Washer level, while rocket scientists and brain surgeons will enjoy the Whistle Blower level.

What is 3D Ultra? 
You might have heard about the award winning 3D Ultra Pinball series. Well we’re the same guys who made those games. 3D Ultra is a small group of programmers and artists who create all the 3D Ultra titles. There’s about 15 of us total and we make about three games a year. This September, along with Lionel TrainTown, you can look forward to Cool Pool and RC Racers. All of our games are specifically designed for family fun.

How to Install the Demo
We’ve tried to make the installation of our demo as simple as possible. This is not always easy. If you’re new to computers you may be a little intimated by all the jargon. Don’t be! Our installation process attempts to follow all the current standards so if you’re having trouble getting it to work call one of your computer geek friends. They should be able to walk you through it.

You should be able to simply download the demo then double click on it. It is designed to do the rest, just answer any questions it asks.

NOTE: you will need to have DirectX 6.1 installed before our demo will run. DirectX is a bunch of Microsoft libraries, which most games require. If you do not already have it, you can download it for free at WWW.MICROSOFT.COM

How to Play the Demo
Once the demo is successfully installed, you can play it by Clicking on Start, Programs, Sierra, and then 3D Ultra Lionel TrainTown Demo. A shortcut will also be installed onto your desktop for easy access.

The demo has three games: Pick Up Your Toys, Mind over Matter, & Sort of Tricky. From the main menu simply click on one of these three game buttons to play. Each of these games is designed to be replayable (we’ve really tried to give you some value for your download).

You can also view our website by clicking on the Web button. To view a short slide show explaining gameplay click on the Next button.

Controlling your Train
Before you can play the games you need to learn how to control your trains.

Selecting a Train  
Select a train by simply clicking on a car. Once a car is selected it will be highlighted within gold braces. The selected car will also appear in the lower right portion of the toolbar.
Moving a Train
If the selected car is connected to a locomotive, you can drive it around. There are two ways to drive a train around. You can use either the throttle in the middle of the toolbar or you can use your mouse and direct the train onscreen.
The Throttle 
Typically kids love the throttle. It is easy to understand what is happening. The throttle indicator shows the direction and speed of the selected car. Once a car is selected (and it is connected to a locomotive) simply click on the throttles blue or green regions. The number of arrows indicates the speed of the car.
Using the Mouse 
Controlling a car using the onscreen mouse is quicker but takes a little practice. Once a car is selected you can control it by simply clicking to the left or right of the car. Multiple clicks will speedup or slowdown the car. This technique is pretty standard with many types of games. Select the train, then tell it what direction to go.
Stopping a Train
There are three ways to stop a train:

1.	You can click on the red throttle position on the toolbar.
2.	You can click on the moving train (this technique requires a little practice). 
3.	You can press the spacebar on the keyboard.
Coupling Cars  
Often you will need to couple or uncouple two cars.

To couple two cars slowly bump them together. If your train is moving too quickly you will either receive a time penalty or you will crash the train. If you crash the train you will be required to start the job over.

To uncouple two cars you simple click between the two stationary cars. You cannot uncouple cars that are moving. Your mouse will change to an animating uncoupling icon to indicate you can disconnect the two cars.

Picking Up and Delivering Loads
In the game Pick Up Your Toys you are required to pickup loads and drop them off at the toybox. To load or unload a car, simply stop the car in the loading zone. The cargo will automatically load or unload.

Switching Track 
Occasionally you will need to switch the track to direct a train down a new line. To switch track simply click on the track intersection. Your mouse will turn into an icon of a switched track. If your train is too close to the switch the track arrow will turn red. This indicates the switch cannot be thrown.

Scrolling Around the TrainTown Worlds
The screen is not always large enough to show the entire TrainTown world. To view more of the world, simply move the mouse to the edge of the world. The screen will automatically scroll toward the mouse.

The Toolbar
At the bottom of the job screen is a toolbar, which has been designed to help players complete the jobs. This toolbar contains several tabs, a throttle, clock, whistle, and display area.
Options Tab 
Clicking on the option tab will show a group of six option buttons. The bottom three buttons—Restart Job, End Job, & Quit Game—allow you to interrupt the current job.
Pause
The Pause option button suspends the current job. The clock and all activities stop. This option is particularly useful when the dinner is ready or the phone rings. 
Briefing
The Briefing option button will replay the short narrated description of the current job. If you’re unsure how to play a job, you might click on this button to replay the instructions.
Preference
The Preference option button is used to setup your demo the way you want to play. Turn the music, voice, or SFXs on or off.
Restart Job
Use the Restart Job option button to start the current job over. However, using this button will treat the current job as a loss, which will effect your overall statistics in an undesirable way. And nobody wants that!
End Job
If you’d rather not finish the current job but still want to play our demo, use the End Job option button. Note: using this button will treat the current job as a loss.
Quit Game
So you’re ready to exit our demo. Use the Quit Game option button, however be aware, your current job will be considered a loss.

Info Tab 
The information tab is used to display all sorts of messages about the current job. In the demo, however, the only message shown will be instructions on playing the current job. So, if you’re ever not sure how to play the job, try reading the message in the display window below the Info Tab.
Map Tab 
TrainTown jobs are sometimes pretty elaborate. We included a small map that will help you get around the world easier. Click on the Map Tab to display a small outline of the job in the display window below the tab.
Zooming In & Out
You can zoom in on the map using the button with the plus sign on it. You can zoom out using the minus sign. 
Icon Button
You can turn the load icons of the cars off using the button with an ‘I’ on it.
Play Screen
You can move the play screen around quickly by simply clicking inside the map’s display area. The play screen will automatically center on the new location.

The Throttle
The throttle is discussed in the Controlling Your Trains section of this help. The toolbar throttle is one of two ways to control the train. By simply clicking on the throttle the selected locomotive will move in the direction and speed of the throttle position.
The Arrows
The arrows on the throttle indicated the speed of the train. A single arrow indicates the train will move slowly. A triple arrow moves the train at top speeds.
The Colors
The colors of the throttle indicate the direction the train will travel. Blue will direct the train to the left, while green directs it right.
Stopping a Train
The center red position will stop the selected train. You may also stop the train by clicking directly on the moving train, or by pressing the space bar.

The Clock
Pay extra special attention to the clock. In the three demo jobs the clock always counts down. However in the full version the clock can count either up (elapsed time) or down (time remaining). Uncle Tim, the narrator, will warn you when the clock is at 30 seconds. You’ll want to finish your job quickly. If the clock ever runs out, the current job will be considered a loss.

Game Rules
We’ve tried to make the three demo jobs fun, varied, and replayable. The first job—Pick Up Your Toys—is really designed for kids. It shouldn’t be too hard for anyone. The second job—Mind over Matter—is a fun memory game that everyone should enjoy. And the third job—Sort of Tricky—is for those who like a little challenge.
Pick Up Your Toys 
In Pick Up Your Toys the object of the game is to load the two flatcars with the five loads of cargo and deliver them to the toybox before time runs out.
•	To load flatcars simply stop the car on the yellow and black loading zone.
•	To deliver loads stop the car in the zone near the toybox.
•	Sometimes you’ll need to switch track. Simply click on the switch to redirect the train.
Mind over Matter 
Mind over Matter is a memory game. You’ll need to match every pair of loads.
•	Click on a car to reveal its load, then click on another car to find its match.
•	If the two loads are a match, they will remain visible.
•	If the loads do not match, the first load will disappear.
•	Match all the cars.
•	Try not to guess too much and try to complete the job as quickly as possible.
Sort of Tricky 
Sort of Tricky is an anagram game.
•	A word is displayed above a zone.
•	The letters that make up the word are spread around the layout in random order.
•	Your job is to sort the letters and spell the word in the zone.
•	Once you’ve spelt the word uncouple the locomotive and drive it away from the zone.
•	Remember DO NOT GO TOO FAST when coupling two cars together.
•	Two cars must be completely stopped before you can uncouple them.

Statistics
For those of you who really like a little competition, we’ve included some statistic tracking in the demo. We’re keeping track of each of the three jobs and each of the three difficulty levels. After you complete a job, a small statistics display will be shown. On it you will see how you did compared to the best, worst, & average. You may also view these stats using the Scores menu on the menu bar.

You can easily reset the stats for any difficulty level of any game by clicking on the cancel button of the stats display.

For more technical help…
Refer to the README.WRI file.