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- Created By Lee Blum
- Studio-Blum.com/Cult
-
- FREEWARE
-
- Version 2.03 (Multilingual)
- Now fully featured in 13
- languages!
-
- Cult is FREE. Give it to all your friends and upload it onto websites
- and web archives, but please only distribute the complete, unmodified
- archive. Contact the author for information on distributing Cult on
- CD-ROM and other media.
-
- CONTENTS
-
- Story of the Cult project.......1
- New features in version 2.03....2
- Installation & UnInstallation...3
- Getting Started.................4
- System requirements.............5
- Game Story......................6
- Game Tips & Hints...............7
- Troubleshooting.................8
- Version History.................9
- Credits........................10
- Copyright information..........11
-
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 1. STORY OF THE CULT PROJECT
-
- It all started in 1997. I just wanted to make one of those old school
- adventure games, opposed to the flood of Quake-style shoot-them-ups.
-
- Low tech graphics and a good story were my weapon.
- Living in the Middle East, I knew right away that the whole idea in Cult
- should be a non-violent solution to a very delicate situation. As violence
- was necessary in order to beat any other game at that time, in Cult you had
- to use negotiations and trade in order to reach a peaceful solution.
- ...Oh, and one more thing - Cult was free.
-
- So it really succeeded and hundreds of thousands have already played Cult,
- but it started to look a bit outdated with its 8-bit graphics and sound.
-
- On December 1999 I started working on Cult version 2, and in ten months it
- was ready. This total revision include much better graphics (but it's still
- ain't Descent Freespace, as one Beta tester said), excellent music by Jeremy
- Robson, solutions to most of the bugs, and the best thing about it - the
- multilingual feature makes Cult available in TEN languages!
-
- As Cult is FREEWARE, all the people who have worked on it worked for free,
- contributing their time, effort and good will. They have all volunteered
- by contacting me through Cult's website, starting from Kevin Anderson
- with his excellent proofreading work and great ideas and advice, and later
- on with Vincent Bertrand and his translation of Cult to French. It continued
- with all the rest of the translators that did a splendid job. I wish to
- thank all of them for their work and friendship (they are credited at the
- bottom of this file). I'd also like to thank all the great Beta testers that
- helped me fix all the known bugs in Cult.
-
- By making the second version on one year of international effort, I found a
- host of warm and diligent people, willing to work hard for a common goal.
-
- But the job is never done, and version 2.03 now includes three more
- languages: Swedish, Czech and Turkish (Thanks to Christer, Daniel, and
- Metin!). If you speak a language that Cult is not featured in, contact me
- and join our team!
-
- Making Cult v2 was a team effort. I hope you'll enjoy the result!
-
- Sincerely yours,
- Lee Blum,
- Author of Cult.
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 2. NEW FEATURES IN VERSION 2.03
-
- Version 2.03 (January, 2001)
- - Three more languages added: Swedish, Czech and Turkish!
-
- Version 2.0 (October 1, 2000)
- - New 24-bit Graphics!
- - New Original Background Music!
- - New Full Screen or Windowed option!
- - Better movement controls!
- - 'File-Access error 75' abolished!
- - Cheat Codes are available for health restoration, tips, and more!
- - Full map of the game is available at the website, for those who get
- stuck and desperately need a hint!
- - Cult is multilingual! Included full versions in English, French, Chinese,
- German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew and Italian!
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 3. INSTALLATION & UNINSTALLATION
-
- INSTALLATION
- -> Unzip Cult.zip to a temporary directory.
- -> Run 'Setup.exe'.
- -> Select a directory and click on the computer picture to install.
- -> Open the Windows Start menu.
- -> Run the program by selecting "Cult" from the "Programs" submenu.
-
- UNINSTALLATION
- -> Run Cult, delete all saved game files and exit.
- -> Double-click on "My Computer" on the desktop.
- -> Double-click on "Control Panel".
- -> Double-click on "Add/Remove Programs".
- -> Select "Cult" from the list of programs.
- -> Click on the "Add/Remove" button.
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 4. GETTING STARTED
-
- This section is for people unfamiliar with adventure games. It contains
- some spoilers, so if you want to fully enjoy the adventure, try to solve it
- all by yourself!
-
- Technically, to get started, run Cult from the Start menu.
- Select your language, and the screen mode you prefer - full screen or
- windowed mode.
- Welcome to Cult! *In order to play, use only your keyboard!*
- Use the arrow keys to navigate through the game's main menu, and hit
- <Enter> when 'Story' or 'Help' is selected to learn more about the game.
- Select 'Start a new game', and you'll find yourself at the beginning of your
- adventure, right on the grounds of the villa that the Cult has barricaded
- itself in. Many people don't realize that at this point they can explore the
- garden outside the villa by walking east or west (north is 'up') from this
- first screen. As you walk around, get the blue key from the Gardener's cabin
- on the north bank of the canal and flip all the switches (those red
- circles). Now enter the building. Talk to the Cult members a couple of times
- until they open the room to D'shaque. Go to the eastern part of the garden
- and enter his room from outside the building.
-
- Now you're on your own!
-
- If you get stuck, you can browse through the tips and hints section of this
- readme, visit the Cult website at http://Studio-Blum.com/Cult/, or email me
- at Cult@Studio-Blum.com.
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 5. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-
- - Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / NT
- - 486+ processor
- - 4MB free disk space
- - 16-bit / 32-bit color depth
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 6. GAME STORY
-
- " Hi there.
-
- My name is Zack Bon, and I'm a cop.
-
- I've been a member of the special operations unit for three years, and now
- I feel that I'm ready for my first solo operation.
- Two weeks ago, about one hundred people who identify themselves as the
- 'Cult of the Stars' barricaded themselves in a villa two kilometers away
- from town.
-
- We know they have guns and ammunition, but we don't know what for.
- Because the cult members have refused to talk, there haven't been any
- negotiations.
-
- Until now.
-
- Two days ago I decided to go into the villa. I convinced my superior
- officer to go along with my plan. After contacting the cult leader, he
- allowed me to enter on two conditions - I must carry no weapons, and the
- leader's chamber is off-limits. I agreed.
-
- My goal is to work out this situation in peaceful ways. I can contact my
- captain at any time with a state of the art MicroCommunicator that the
- cult members don't know I have on me.
-
- This is the last chance to save whoever is in that villa,
- and the worst part is - we know there are children inside. "
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 7. GAME TIPS & HINTS
-
- For new and updated tips visit Cult's website @ http://Studio-Blum.com/Cult/
-
- --
- Q:á I can't do anything! How can I take objects? Where is the Blue key?
- - OR -
- I got to a point where I flipped a few switches and got the Bible.
- Now what???
- A:á You didn't notice that you have the option to explore the garden outside
- the villa. Assuming North is 'up', walk one screen south from the screen
- that you start the game at, then walk between the bushes one screen east
- or west. Now you're in the garden! (The garden is big, make sure you
- explore everything and don't forget to go back inside the building)
- --
- Q: Where is the Brown Key?!
- A: It is hiding on the edge of a body of water. Look closely...
- --
- Q: Where is Nejara (who the letter is addressed to)?
- A: Nejara is one screen south of the screen you got the green key
- from. (It extends from a vertical corridor in the most eastern part of
- the building).
- --
- Q: How do I open Nejara's room?
- A: The two switches to Nejara's room are one screen south to Nejara.
- --
- Q:áI can't reach the sign in the southwestern room of the villa becuase of
- the chemicals.
- A:áThe sign is a distraction. It reads 'No Smoking'.
- --
- Q:áHow do I get the bone for the dog?
- - OR -
- How do I open the door for the Women's Bathroom?
- A: The bone is in the women's bathroom. The switch that opens that room is
- in a room one screen north of the bathroom.
- --
- Q:áWhere is the switch that opens the little room with the wristwatch?
- A: The switch is located one screen east to the wristwatch, in the room with
- all the pillows and acid.
- --
- Q: Where is the swich to the room with all of the pillows and acid?
- A: It is in the social club.
- --
- Q:áWhere is the switch that opens the Library?
- A: The switch is one screen north of the library, in the most south-eastern
- room on the screen.
- --
- Q: How do I open one of the FIVE DOORS?
- A: Look for the tips on the website at http://Studio-Blum.com/Cult/
- --
- Q: I have a low health status!
- A: Try to walk around the chemicals or at least not right on top
- of them, but on their edges. This way you won't get hurt so much.
- If you really need health and have no medical kit in sight, type
- 'ZackIsBack' while playing and watch the miracle!
- --
- Didn't find what you were looking for? For an updated tips section,
- visit the website at http://Studio-Blum.com/Cult/
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 8. TROUBLESHOOTING
-
- Thanks to your E-mails regarding previous versions, I managed to answer
- most, if not all, of the technical questions that may arise when trying
- to run the game.
-
- --
- Q: My computer freezes when I run Cult or close Cult in Full-Screen mode.
- A: If this happens, wait a minute or so and sometimes the program will
- unfreeze by itself. If nothing happens, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and wait
- a few seconds. This will normally unlock the program. If that doesn't
- help, sorry - you have to reset your computer. If the problem persists,
- you ought to play Cult in Windowed mode.
- --
- Q: Zack moves really fast when I use the arrow keys.
- A: Press F4 while playing the game.
- --
- Q: When I run Cult I get "Can't load (or register) custom control
- picclp32.ocx".
- A: From the "Start" menu, select "Run..." and type
- "c:\windows\system\regsvr32 picclp32.ocx".
- --
- Q: A window pops up when I start Cult and says that I should change my
- Settings to small fonts.
- A: The solution is simple, although a bit long. You have to change the
- Windows system font set to "Small Fonts" in the display options in order
- to run Cult. Right-Click your Desktop. Then click
- 'Properties' > 'Settings' > 'Advanced' > 'General' > 'Font Size:'
- and select 'Small Fonts' from the drop-down menu.
- --
- Q: During installation I am asked to "Abort, Retry or Ignore" when one of
- the files is copied.
- A: Press "Ignore" - It won't cause any problems. It just means that you
- already have the file in question.
- --
- Q: I don't have the file msvcirt.dll.
- A: Email me at Cult@Studio-Blum.com and I'll send the file to you directly.
- --
- Q: When Zack moves left he disappears!
- A: This problem occurs on some ATI cards. Try to run the game in both Full-
- Screen and Windowed mode. Plus try to change the screen's Color Depth
- using the Display options of the Windows Control Panel.
- --
- Didn't find what you've been looking for? For updated troubleshooting,
- visit the website at http://Studio-Blum.com/Cult/
- --
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 9. VERSION HISTORY
-
- Version 2.03 (January, 2001)
- - Three more languages added: Swedish, Czech and Turkish!
-
- Version 2.0 (October 1, 2000)
- - New 24-bit Graphics!
- - New Original Background Music!
- - New Full Screen or Windowed option!
- - Better movement controls!
- - 'File-Access error 75' abolished!
- - Cheat Codes are available for health restoration, tips, and more!
- - Full map of the game is available at the website, for those who get
- stuck and desperately need a hint!
- - Cult is multilingual! Included full versions in English, French, Chinese,
- German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew and Italian!
-
- Version 1.24 (July 1, 1999)
- - Fixed a few typos.
- - Fixed a pixel glitch that occured in some computers.
- - Updated Troubleshooting and Tips in the ReadMe file.
-
- Version 1.23 (July 20, 1998)
- - All the game scripts were proofread by Kevin Anderson.
- - Simultaneous release of Cult 1.23 Hebrew version.
- - Opening screen renewed.
- - Change of plot in two major issues along the story line.
- - Music and Sound Effects can be toggled on/off.
- - Faster animation due to character graphical change.
- - Fixed problem - First sentence in microcommunicator didn't show up if
- space was pressed.
- - Fixed problem - Zack was going through walls on some occasions
- requiring the game to be loaded or restarted.
- - Fixed problem - Zack could get stuck in the storage room requiring the
- game to be restarted.
- - Troubleshooting updated with two new technical problems.
-
- Version 1.22 (May 3, 1998)
- - Added troubleshooting for common technical errors.
- - Wall blocking problem fixed.
- - Zack's STEPS dimmed.
- - Ending music is always played.
- - Map fixed (Storage room).
-
- Version 1.21 (April 1, 1998)
- - A minor bug caused a fatal error... fixed.
- - Even faster animation.
- - Web site is up!
-
- Version 1.2
- - Cult is now freeware!
- - Better graphic procedures now produce faster animation and page loading.
-
- Version 1.1
- - Fixed errors in map file that resulted in "Input past end of file"
- message.
- - Fixed bug at the ending sequence. (Game ends even though the player didn't
- complete all tasks.)
- - Fixed grammar and spelling mistakes.
-
- Version 1.0
- - After five months of hard work, "Cult" is finally compiled and ready to
- go!
- - Temporary web site is up!
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 10. CREDITS
-
- A GAME by
- Lee Blum
- ORIGINAL MUSIC
- Jeremy Robson
- ENGLISH PROOFREADING
- Kevin Anderson
-
- INTERNATIONAL VERSIONS
- FRENCH
- Vincent Bertrand
- CHINESE
- Zhai Yuefeng
- DUTCH
- Hetty Minkjan <minkjan.bommel@planet.nl>
- GERMAN
- Ronny Otto <Gamezworld.de>
- ITALIAN
- Caroline Havemann
- HEBREW
- Lee Blum <Lee@Studio-Blum.com>
- PORTUGUESE
- Sergio Leser <sleser@ig.com.br>
- SPANISH
- Sergio Ramirez <sg2359@yahoo.com>
- RUSSIAN
- Evgeny Bychkov
- SWEDISH
- Christer Alfredsson <christer.johan.alfredsson@telia.com>
- CZECH
- Daniel Reznicek <albertcatfilm.textovky.cz>
- TURKISH
- Metin Selcuk <mselcuk@iname.com>
-
- BETA TESTERS
- Rob Mackenzie, Roger Martin, Andy Howard, Jing Zhao,
- Marvin G. Wise Jr., Audrey Beck, Casey King, Peter Holvenstot,
- Patrick Muesken, Andrew Lenahan, Thomas Zeller, Jon Hansson,
- Peter Douthwright, Ryunosuke Berglund, Jack Johansen.
-
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- 11. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
-
- 1998, 1999, 2000 (C) All Rights Reserved to Lee Blum
-
- "Cult" in its distributed version can be copied freely.
- However, the game files must not be changed, hacked, or decompiled in any
- manner. This software is copyrighted. Therefore, the graphics, music, plot,
- or any other part of the game must not be copied or duplicated by any
- method. The author must be noted of mass distribution of the game by
- CD-ROMs, diskettes, or any other distribution not through the Internet.
- The game must be distributed in its original full version with all the game
- files, unmodified. Not following these rules is a clear violation of the
- law. This software is provided "as is" and the author will not be held
- responsible in any way for any damage that it may cause.
-