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Text File | 1998-02-19 | 20KB | 498 lines

DIE BY THE SWORD DEMO(TM) README.TXT - 02/16/98 The computer game industry is still relatively new and continues to evolve. It's been proven that developing the most innovative games that bring you hours of enjoyment is something that is done best by a group of individuals with vision and focus. Tantrum was formed to meet those objectives. A select group of people was hand-picked and put to the challenge. I am very proud that Tantrum is able to bring to you Die By The Sword. Enjoy! Brian Fargo Interplay Productions Die By The Sword is the beginning of a new generation of games and technology. Once you play and become accustomed to the greater control of your character, you will never be able to go back to the old technology that limits your control. The physics* based modeling technology created by Treyarch called VSIM is huge leap forward for games, bringing with it new techniques of gameplay that were not possible before. This technology is just in it's infancy and we haven't begun to scratch the surface of it's possibilities. Imagine someday hooking your whole body up to an input device and having the character in the game react exactly as you do. While it's been attempted before, it's never really been possible to do it as accurately as we can with VSIM. And while you may not want to play a game where you have to hook your body up to an input device, VSIM is not bound to any restrictions that would prevent this. There is a lot to VSIM. You will have never played anything like it before, so it will take some practice. You should definitely start with the tutorial. As you play, you will learn new techniques. You will develop your own unique play style that will be different than all other players. The increased control requires more practice than other games before it. Take your time. Look through the control tutorial and try some of the more sophisticated moves. Once you master it, you'll never go back. The VSIM technology is really the future of animation and character control. Die By The Sword will become a classic and forever known as the game that set the standard. Alan Pavlish Tantrum As this is a demo and still represents work in progress, please email us at Tantrum@Interplay.com with any problems or suggestion you may have. A. System Requirements B. Installing The Game C. Control Tutorial D. Game Controls E. Troubleshooting F. Customer Service Information G. Software Use Limitations and Limited License H. Copyright Information A. System Requirements ====================== Die by the Sword requires the following minimum system configuration: Windows95 --------- - Pentium 100 - 16 megabytes RAM - Mouse - 35 megabytes free hard disk space. 55MB with the Instructor's Voice Demo - Supports DirectX compliant Video Cards w/2MB memory. - Sound Blaster or 100% compatible sound cards. - DirectX 5 Recommended ----------- - Pentium 166 or faster CPU - 32 megabytes of RAM - 3DFX 3D video accelerator card B. Installing The Game ====================== Please make sure your system has the most current version of DirectX installed. Die By The Sword requires DirectX 5.0. If you don't have the most current version of DirectX, please go to www.microsoft.com/msdownload/dx5/sdk5.0. 1. To install the game, unzip DBTSDEMO.ZIP to a new directory and call it DBTSDEMO. 2. Once all the files have been extracted, simply go to the DBTSDEMO directory and double click on the DBTS_DEMO.EXE to run the demo. IMPORTANT!!!! DBTSVOICE.ZIP IS NOW AVAILABLE!!! To get the Instructor's voice in the tutorial, you MUST download DBTSVOICE.ZIP!!! Once you download this DBTSVOICE.ZIP, extract the two files to your DBTSDEMO directory. When it asks if you want to overwrite the DBTS_DEMO.EXE and the SOUNDS.ATD, click yes. When you do this and run DBTS_DEMO.EXE, you will be able to hear the voice of your instructor guide you through the Tutorial in all it's audio splendor. C. Control Tutorial =================== Control Tutorial Step 0 - Intro Step 1 - Movement Step 2 - Attack Basics 1 Step 3 - Attack Basics 2 Step 4 - Defense Step 5 - Special Attacks Step 6 - Advanced Controls - VSIM Step 7 - To Mouse or not to Mouse Step 8 - Know thine Enemies! Step 9 - Arena 'n' Tips Step 10 - End Tutorial --------------------------Step Zero - Intro----------------------------- The first thing you will notice in Die By The Sword is that the control types are very unique compared to most games out on the battle field. Here are a few steps that will help you adjust to the controls. Don't worry, you'll be out there stomping Orc ass soon enough. The default control type that you begin with is Arcade. You should * stay with the Arcade control type until you are well versed in the ways of slaughtering your opponents. It is suggested to learn these skills in the arena. -------------------------Step One - Movement--------------------------- Ok, before you can start the action, you will first need to learn how to move around a bit. You'll want to learn how keep the baddies off of you. Remember, the farther they are from you, the less likely they are to hurt you. How do* you do this? You run. Ok, it's* not so heroic, but until you learn to swing that steel you carry, you're dog food. Plus, it is a great boon if you plan to be a nimble fighter. The movement controls are: W = Forward S = Backwards D = Turn Right A = Turn Left Because the camera is always in a state of motion, keep in mind that pressing right will always turn your character to HIS right, and pressing left will always turn your character to HIS left. -------------------------Step Two - Attack Basics 1-------------------- Drill time! Now to start off on the right foot, forget everything and concentrate on the keypad #5 attack button. This is your express ticket to hacksville. It is a mid swipe that will back off your opponents while shredding them to pieces. Just point your guy in the right direction and* keep hitting it. Piece of cake. This would be a good time to jump in the game and get a general feel of the game before you go on. ----------------------Step Three - Attack Basics 2--------------------- Back already? All right, here is a bit more to whet your blade with. You will want to note that in Arcade mode, Keypad buttons #4, #5, and #6 are normal attacks. In your next fight take a bit of time concentrating on just dodging and learning the arena. This will get you familiar with the terrain and help you get out of bad situations. Now that you are familiar with the Keypad #5 attack, sometimes affectionately referred to as the "weed whacker", it's time to use some more swings. Keypad #4 & Keypad #6 are a good start. Keypad #6 = HEAD SWIPE. This attack is good for cleaving enemies'* heads from their shoulders. Keypad #4 = OVERHEAD CHOP. This attack is good for chopping at fallen enemies. Again, it's a good time to take what you have learned to the arena. Pound what you have learned into their skulls for a bit. --------------------------Step Four - Defense-------------------------- Quick learner eh? In Arcade mode, keypad buttons #1, #2, and #3 are your main defensive postures. These will put your sword in a position to deflect low, mid, and high attacks. These won't stop all attacks, mind you, but they do up your chances of deflecting all sorts of damage. These defenses are especially good for when you are trapped and just need to bust through the enemies' lines. ----------------------Step Five - Special Attacks---------------------- The big guns. All right, lets shred some meat. Special attacks are very powerful, but are harder to hit with. The trick is to learn what each does, then find the situations they are best used in. Mixing these attacks with the normal attacks(especially the mid swipe!!!) are your best bet when you wade into the fray. In Arcade mode, buttons Insert, Home, Page Up, are your special attacks. This is an excellent time to rush into the arena and show off your new toys... -------------------Step Six - Advanced Controls - Keyboard VSIM----------- Keyboard VSIM is a whole different control type than Arcade. Since Keyboard VSIM is not the default control type, you will need to change the control type during a game by accessing the options menu and switching to Keyboard VSIM. This is how Keyboard VSIM controls are broken down. Think of the arrow keys on your keypad as directions that your sword arm can go. Hold the up arrow, your sword arm goes up. Hold the down arrow, and your arm goes down. Let go of the arrow keys and your arm returns to neutral. To make a complete swing you will need to hold a direction, lets say right, then when you are ready, press and hold the opposite direction, in this case left, to follow through with the swing. For instance: Mid Swipe = Hold Keypad #6(right) then release it and immediately press and hold Keypad #4(left). This would have resulted in a swing from right to left. From this position, you can then release and immediately press and hold Keypad #6(right) again returning the blade to the original position. The mid swipe is probably the most basic swing that you will run across. But since this style is inherently free to innovation and improvisation wicked moves like a flipping head strike or a side dash into a turning leg lopper are totally possible! Experiment! Go wild with it and you may be supprised with what can be done. ----------------------Step Seven - To Mouse or not to Mouse------------ So you have opted to follow the dark side. Very well. Since Mouse VSIM is not the default control type, you will need to change the control type during a game by accessing the options menu and switching to Mouse VSIM. In a few respects the Mouse VSIM control type is very much like the Keyboard VSIM type. Basically the mouse controls your sword arm. This is a very difficult control type to learn and adapt to, though some mousers may prefer this to the keyboard. Just keep in mind, that even when the camera moves to an odd angle, moving the mouse up and right will always move your characters arm up and right of your character. A high level mouser "in theory" may have a higher chance at total reaction fighting. Meeting this person in a dark alley is not recommended ---------------------Step Eight - Know thine Enemies!------------------ Know their strength and weaknesses. Kobolds are the lowest of the low. If you can land a hit that is. Their main defense is dodging. Orc's will be no problem once you get a hang of the basics. Though they do get harder as you progress. You will find that their axe is a damn good weapon for hacking off limbs. Get in their face and dodge alot. ---------------------Step Nine - Arena 'n' Tips------------------------ Know your battle field! In some circumstances, where you fight is as important as what you fight. Use the area to your advantage. For instance, if you are fighting against two opponents, slam your ass against a wall to avoid one of* 'em creeping up and bashing you from behind. Use higher elevation to gain more power from a leaping attack. Leap over obstacles to avoid enemies. If there are two or more opponents, do as the Wolf does, separate one from the pack and tear it to shreds. Also, keep a mental note of this one: Your weapon is always a weapon. In most games your weapon is merely a piece of art unless you are swinging it. This is not the case here. Think about it. 3 foot of sharpened steel. True you need a bit of force to actually make it cut, but if someone were to run into a stationary sword, they'd get cut. So if you are wondering why you died for trying to jump onto a skeletons head, it's probably because you landed on his sword that was aimed at a very bad place. A mob of enemies is sometimes a blessing in disguise. As mentioned above a weapon is always active, therefore in their bloodlust to get at you, they stand a good chance of killing each other by running into each others weapons. -----------------------Step Ten - End Tutorial------------------------- It will take practice to master the knowledge you have been given. Until then... Live by the Sword... Die by the Sword. D. Game Controls ================ Keyboard Layout (Arcade Setting) -------------------------------- Movement -------- A = Turn Left D = Turn Right W = Move Forward S = Move Backward Lunge = Press any Move or Step twice Q = Step Left E = Step Right Spacebar = Jump Flip = Press Spacebar twice Caps Lock = Crouch C = Climb F9 = Pause Game ESC = Exit Demo Attack (Numeric Keypad) ------ 1 = Block 2 = Block 3 = Block 4 = Overhead Attack 5 = Waist Slash 6 = Shoulder Slash Insert = Special Attack #1 Home = Special Attack #2 Page Up = Special Attack #3 Delete = Special Attack #4 F3 = Toggle Health Bar - = Compass + = Bodily Damage Indicator / = Sheath Sword * = Action Key (pull lever, pick up item) (note: sword must be sheathed) Camera Controls --------------- T = Normal View G = Observation Mode B = First Person View F = Zoom In R = Zoom Out Microsoft Sidewinder Gamepad ---------------------------- Up Arrow = Move Forward Down Arrow = Move Backward Right Arrow = Turn Right Left Arrow = Turn Left A = Overhead Attack B = Waist Slash C = Shoulder Slash X = Block, Push Twice For Special Attack #1 Y = Block, Push Twice For Special Attack #2 Z = Block, Push Twice For Special Attack #3 Lunge = Press UP or Down Arrow Key Twice Rear Right Button = Use with LEFT or RIGHT ARROW button to Strafe Rear Left Button = Jump, hold to crouch, and push twice to flip E. Troubleshooting ================== 1. Hercules Stingray 128 Video Card -------------------------------- This video card has the Voodoo Rush Chipset. Compatibility issuses with this particular card were not fully resolved at the time of this demo release. This will be resolved for the release of the full version of Die By The Sword. The save games will appear black if you attempt to restore them.(normally the games appear graphically as a small screen shot of the area of the level where the save occurred. 2. Pentium Pro ------------- If you press Alt-Tab while running the demo on a Pentium Pro(tm) it will sometimes quit the game to the desktop. Once you've done this however, you won't be able to restore the game and return to the Die By The Sword Demo. Simply restart the demo and don't hit "Alt-Tab" unless you intend on quitting. Other multi-tasking problems may be present also on a Pentium Pro(tm) 3. Alt-Tab ----------- If you Alt-Tab with a 3DFX system you may cause the demo to crash. F. Customer Service Information =============================== Please try to have your system information available and be near your computer if at all possible. Interplay Technical Support is available 24 hours a day through our Automated Technical Support Line with a Technical Representative available during regular business hours. Interplay Customer Support may be reached: in the United States -------------------- Interplay Productions Interplay Web Page:http://www.interplay.com attn: Customer Service internet e-mail: support@interplay.com 16815 Von Karman Ave. FTP sites: ftp1.interplay.com Irvine, CA 92606 or ftp.interplay.com tel: (714) 553.6678 Interplay BBS: (714) 252.2822 fax: (714) 252.2820 or Telnet to: bbs.interplay.com attn: Customer Service America Online: email to "IPTECH" CompuServe: GO GAMBPUB or email "76702,1342" Prodigy: email to "PLAY99B" in the UK and Europe -------------------- Customer Support Interplay Productions, Ltd. Harleyford Manor Harleyford Henley Road Marlow Buckinghamshire SL7 2DX ENGLAND tel: +44 (0) 1628 423723 fax: +44 (0) 1628 487752 Email: Europe@interplay.com G. Software Use Limitations and Limited License =============================================== This special preview version of DIE BY THE SWORD DEMO (the "Software") is intended solely for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use. You may not decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the Software, except as permitted by law. Interplay Productions and Treyarch Invention retain all rights and title in the Software including all intellectual property rights embodied therein and derivatives thereof. You are granted a revocable, nonassignable limited license to create derivative works of this Software solely for your own personal noncommercial home entertainment use and may publicly display such derivative works to the extent specifically authorized by Interplay in writing. A copy of this authorization, if any, will be provided on InterplayÆs World Wide Web site, located at http://www.interplay.com, or by contacting the legal department Interplay Productions in the US at +(714) 553-6655. The Software, including, without limitation, all code, data structures, characters, images, sounds, text, screens, game play, derivative works and all other elements of the Software may not be copied (except as provided below), resold, rented, leased, distributed (electronically or otherwise), used on pay-per-play, coin-op or other for-charge basis, or for any commercial purpose. You may make copies of the Software for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use and to give to friends and acquaintances on a no cost noncommercial basis. This limited right to copy the Software expressly excludes any copying or distribution of the Software on a commercial basis, including, without limitation, bundling the product with any other product or service and any give away of the Software in connection with another product or service. Any permissions granted herein are provided on a temporary basis and can be withdrawn by Interplay Productions at any time. All rights not expressly granted are reserved. Acceptance of License Terms. By downloading or acquiring and then retaining this Software, you assent to the terms and restrictions of this limited license. If you acquired the Software and do not accept the terms of this limited license, you must return the Software together with all packaging, manuals and other material contained therein to the store where you acquired the Software for a full refund and if you downloaded the Software, you must delete it. H. Copyright Information ======================== DIE BY THE SWORD DEMO(and DIE BY THE SWORD): (c) 1998 by Treyarch Invention. All rights reserved. Portions (c) 1998 Interplay Productions. All rights reserved. Die By The Sword, Interplay, the Interplay Logo, the Tantrum logo and "By Gamers. For Gamers." are trademarks of Interplay Productions. The Treyarch logo is a trademark of Treyarch Invention. Windows(r) 95 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Exclusively licensed and distributed by Interplay Productions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.