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Text File | 1990-09-07 | 25KB | 430 lines

Proudly Present LOOM Getting Started NOTE: We recommend that you first make a backup copy of all disks and put the originals in a safe place. The disks are not copy-protected, so to copy them, just follow the instructions that came with your computer. You can play Loom from either a hard disk drive or a floppy disk drive. Keyboard Controls To spin drafts using the keyboard, you can use either of the following set of keys or click the mouse on the appropriate notes on the distaff: Q W E R T Y U I or C D E F G A B [shift]C Note: these keys correspond to the tonal positions of the distaff on the screen. Function and Command Keys F5 Save or Load a Game (only when the cursor is visible.) ESC Bypass a Cut-Scene F8 Restart a Game SPACE Pause the Game F6 Sound Control (one press disables music but retains sound effects. second press disables all sounds. third press restores all sounds.) > Faster [shift] period < Slower [shift] comma ALT i Reposition Instantly ALT j joystick on n.o. note: I'm not sure if this works on the ST version as these docs are from IBM ALT x / Exit Game CTL c CTL v Version Number Save/Load Instructions If you are playing from floppy disks (and not a hard drive), you will need a blank, formatted disk BEFORE you start to play. This disk will become you Save/Load disk. If you are playing Loom from a hard disk, your games will be saved in the directory with the game files. Press F5 when you want to save or load a game. If you are playing from floppy disks, you will be asked to insert your Save/Load game disk. Once the Save/Load screen is displayed, you can move the cursor and click on either SAVE, LOAD or PLAY.The SAVE/LOAD option will not be available during the opening sequence. TO SAVE: Click on the SAVE option. The current list of saved games will be displayed in slots along the left side of the screen. Select a slot by pointing the cursor to it and clicking. Now you will be able to type a new name for that slot or use the backspace key to change the existing name. Pressing ENTER will reactivate the cursor. Click the cursor on OK to save the game, or CANCEL if you have changed you mind and do not wish to save it. TO LOAD: Click on the LOAD option. The current list of saved games will be displayed in slots along the left side of the screen. Select a slot by pointing the cursor to it and clicking. Click the cursor on OK to load the game, or CANCEL if you have changed you mind and do not wish to load it. Note: Loading a previously saved game will cause you to lose the game you are currently playing. SAVE/LOAD is disabled during cut-scenes (whenever the cursor disappears from the screen). About Loom In Loom, you play the role of Boffin Threadbare, a young boy coming of age in a fantasy world on the brink of apocalypse. Wielding a legacy of magical knowledge, you will set out across a landscape filled with beauty, danger and excitement, making new friends, solving mysteries, and growing in experience and power as you weave your way toward a destiny of overwhelming consequence. Loom is unlike traditional "adventure games" in many ways. Its goal is to let you participate in the unfolding of a rich, thought-provoking fantasy. It is neither a role-playing game (although it incorporates elements of role-playing), nor a collection of brainteasers. Its simple mysteries are designed to engage your imagination and draw you deeper into the story, not to frustrate you or increase the amount of time it takes to finish. You can never be stranded while playing Loom. We've gone to great lengths to insure that you will never find yourself in a situation from which you cannot escape. If you're not sure how to proceed, remember: the knowledge you need to continue the story is always available somewhere nearby. You don't need to save and restore your game frequently to insure success (although you can if you want to). Don't be afraid to experiment. Nothing in the game can "kill" you. If you're really stumped, ask a friend for help. Sooner or later, the answers will reveal themselves! Most important of all, Loom is designed to be completed, not played halfway through and then thrown on a shelf and forgotten. We spent a lot of time and effort creating these disks. We want you to enjoy them all! Listen to the audio drama! The Dolby Stereo cassette tape included in your Loom package will tell you everything you need to know to play the role of Bobbin and to enter his world. Listening to this tape before you start the game will help you to enjoy the story to its fullest. You'll also gain a clearer understanding of how Bobbin can weave magic to affect his environment. Read the Book of Patterns! It contains important information about the magical powers you will soon command. Read the rest of this manual! Loom looks and plays like no other adventure game. Take the time to learn how to make the most of its unique design. This is you role... You direct the actions of Bobbin Threadbare, an inexperienced member of the Guild of Weavers. At the beginning of the story, Bobbin doesn't know very much about the power of the Weavers or how to use it. As he encounters and masters increasingly challenging situations, Bobbin becomes a more proficient Weaver. If this is your first computer adventure game, be prepared for an entertaining challenge. Be patient, even if it takes a while to figure out some of the puzzles. If you get stuck, you might need to solve another puzzle first or discover a musical pattern. But hang in there and use you imagination, and you will guide Bobbin to understand the mysteries of the Loom! We've included the Book of Patterns to help you learn the magical patterns that have been created by Weavers over the millennia. As Bobbin explores the world around him, certain actions on his part cause musical nots, or threads, to be played. Pay attention to these threads- they will always occur in a series of four, which the Weavers call a draft. As the Book of Patterns points out, each draft has its own unique effect, and discovering the purpose for each draft is the secret to success in the world of Loom. As Bobbin finds new drafts, write down the individual threads (each draft has four) for future reference. Be sure to use a pencil when writing drafts in the Book of Patterns! Each time you start a new game, the threads of each draft may be different. Playing the Game After the opening title sequence and introduction, you will see Bobbin standing high atop a rocky peak overlooking the island of Loom. You begin directing his actions when he finishes talking and turns to face you. The screen is divided into the following sections: 1) The Animation Window is the largest part of the screen. The animated action takes place there. It shows the "camera's-eye view" of the room or location where Bobbin is. 2) The Distaff, the magic staff of the Elders, is represented graphically below the Animation Window. The distaff is essential to Bobbin's success, as it allow him to spin the drafts which affect the world around him in different ways. Remember, Bobbin must first find the distaff for it to appear on the lower part of the screen! 3) The Icon Box is in the lower right corner of the screen. When the cursor touches an object on the screen that can be used in some way, this box will display an icon representing that object (except when Bobbin is already standing next to an object). To move Bobbin around, move your cursor into the Animation Window, point it where you want him to go, and click. If you point to an open door and click, Bobbin will walk through it. To examine or "use" an object, point to the object and double-click, or click on the object's icon in the Icon Box. Some objects will produce the sound of a draft (or part of a draft) when activated in this way. Bobbin must be standing next to an object in order to examine it or spin a draft on it. You'll know when he's standing next to an object when its name appears under the icon in the Icon Box. You can deselect the object in the Icon Box by pressing the ESC key. To spin a draft, point and click on each note on the distaff in the proper sequence. For example, if you hear a series of four musical sounds in the game, like C D E C, you should first write the sequence in the Book of Patterns. next to the corresponding draft description. Then, you can try the draft yourself by clicking on an object on the screen, waiting for Bobbin to stand next to it, and repeating the same four notes on the distaff. Note: If you wish to stop spinning a draft while in the process of spinning it, you can press ESC. "Cut-scenes are short, animated sequences - like scenes from a movie - which provide clues and information about the characters (like when Bobbin is greeted by the message nymph). While you are viewing a cut-scene, you do not direct the action and the cursor will disappear from the screen. Things to Try of the Island of Loom Touch the leaf on the tree next to which Bobbin is standing in the beginning of the game. (You can "touch" the leaf by moving the cursor over and double-clicking.) Walk to the Sanctuary of the Elders, at the far left end of the village. Inside you will find three tapestries which Bobbin can tell you about. You will also find the Elders in a heated discussion, and the Loom. Pickup the distaff which was dropped by the Elder Atropos. You must have this object to complete the game. Open the swan's egg into which Hetchel was transformed. Double-click on the egg to hear the Draft of Opening. Then, using the distaff, spin the draft on the egg yourself. Walk to Hetchel's tent, at the far right end of the village. Here you will find a flask with dye in it and a bye pot full of boiling dye. Using each of these objects will produce interesting and educational effects. (Be sure to have a pencil handy!) The Book of Patterns E C E D Opening - This fundamental draft is traditionally the first - - - - one taught to novice spellweavers. Once mastered, it may be spun into tarpaulins, theater curtains, or any covering that must be whisked aside on command. Dyeing - This draft was perfected by the dye chemists of the - - - - Woonsocket Chapter, who slaved for hours over steaming pots to satisfy the Clerics' appetite for colorful vestures. Originally woven into all types of fabric, the applicability of the Dyeing draft has diminished over the course of centuries. Now it works only on wool. Summoning - Chiefly spun by the Elders in those rare - - - - instances when a member's physical presence is required in the Sanctuary. The draft may be perceived by its recipient in many different ways. It most often takes the form of a small, luminous spheroid, referred to in children's stories as a "messenger nymph". Tongues - The Pattern of Tongues was first spun into the - - - - dinner placemats at the 423rd Conclave of the Guilds, held at Elstree in 7610. For the first time, the Guild delegates could understand each other's speeches. This innovation was widely praised until an Undertake was overheard insulting a Florist. Both Guilds were plunged into a bloody war lasting five hundred years. Silence - Silence was hailed as a welcome relief for first- - - - - time parents and dwellers in college dormitories. Unfortunately, our Guildmasters are too often hired to spin these threads in situations of doubtful appropriateness. The worst offender is the Guild of Conductors, whose members frequently impost a draft of Silence over their audience before a concert. Emptying - The contents of almost any filled container may be - - - - instantly unravelled with this handy draft. Before its development c. 4200, the streams of Woonsocket ran green with the discarded dyes of the chemists. Avoid the temptation to spin Emptying upon lakes or clouds; its range is deliberately limited to prevent catastrophes such as the Double Deluge of 4204 (for which the Guild admits no responsibility). Unmaking - Novices are often impatient to acquire the - - - - undeniably dramatic ability to Unmake physical objects. Luckily, these volatile threads lie well beyond the grasp of all but the most mature spellweavers. Entire armies can and have been disembodied by the transawesome power of Unmaking. Let us hope we are never again called upon to demonstrate our craft in this manner. Extinguishing - Open flames are easily smothered with the - - - - draft of Extinguishing. It untangles the threads of oxygen and fuel within a conflagration almost instantly, with few if any side effects any very little smoke. The Guild of Firefighters awarded us with their 6222 Plaque of Distinction for the development of this safe, fast-acting treatment. Sharpening - Scissors, pins and knitting needles are the - - - - usual benefactors of this simple draft. In ancient times, however, warriors often submitted their blades to our Guildmembers for treatment. A formal protest by the Blacksmiths resulted in the Wetstone Bridge Treaty of 7550, which specifically prohibits the use of the Sharpening draft on weapons of war. Blessing - Also known as "Casino's Bane". Blessed items - - - - acquire a charmed state of probability which manifests itself as "good luck" to laymen. Use of this draft outside the Guild is restricted by the Emerick Agreement of 5858, which coincidentally supplies our treasury with an ample endowment from the Order of Statisticians. Straw into Gold - When times are lean, the Elders may invoke - - - - this draft to generate extra revenue. Its use is strictly regulated by the Treasurer of the Guild to prevent inflation. Other Guilds, ignorant in the ways of spellweaving, have concocted a variety of outlandish fairy tales involving this rather elementary weave. Temblor - Temblor was discovered by a reckless (and now very - - - - dead) spellweaver who directed the threads of Rending upon a thought-to-be-dormant volcano. Eagerly sought after by the Guild of Seismologists, this extremely dangerous draft is included here only for reference; its spinning has been forbidden by the Guild since 7331. Rending - The inventors of this innocent draft could not have - - - - imagined how badly it would be abused. The Guild of Embalmers originally licensed the draft for tearing rags into long strips. When the Embalmers were disbanded in 6529, a legal battle awarded the rights to the Guild of Career Politicians, who employed it to shred documents. The secret wandered from one unscrupulous Guild to another until it ended up among the Assassins, whose uses for Rending are too horrible to describe. Night Vision - The threads of this distinctive and beautiful - - - - draft are extrapolated from the song of nocturnal birds. At one time, Night Vision was prized by the Guild of Miners, whose legendary underground realm was chiefly illuminated by luminous tapestries bearing our Seal. Tragically, demand fell off after the Great Earthquake of 7331. Healing - In Volume 19 of her Brief History of the Guild of - - - - Weavers (Guild Press, 5620), Third Elder Lazykate documents the way bandages were treated with Healing as early as 1716. The four threads have evolved far beyond their original form. They can now be spun into virtually anything which needs rejuvenation, with the notable exception of the spellweaver's own body. Shrinkage - Many fabrics contract when exposed to moisture or - - - - heat. In studying this phenomenon, the ancient Weavers isolated the threads that cause this natural Shrinkage, and soon developed a draft to weave the effect into any material object. Be wary in its use! Open spun, the Shrinkage threads can never be unwoven. Desire - The draft of Desire has its origins in the primitive - - - - days of our community, when it was used to lure unsuspecting passersby into Guild shops. When spun upon a creature or person, it warps the threads around the spellweaver so that he or she resembles whatever thing the victim desires most. The illusion is quite fragile and impossible to maintain for more than a few moments. Waterproofing - The 5992 expedition of Fifth Elder - - - - Spindleshank to the rain forests of Lesser Uxbridge yielded this very practical draft, which shields any fabric from the effects of moisture. The Poison Galoshes Panic of 6003 almost resulted in a permanent ban on Waterproofing, until it was revealed that magazine test reports had been rigged by the Guild of Umbrella Openers. Reflection - This draft was commissioned by the Guild of - - - - Dancers to expedite costume changes for their 500th anniversary performance of the classic ballet Olema. When properly invoked, the spellweaver immediately assumes the appearance of the being the draft is spun upon, and vise versa. The four threads are based upon the mating grunt of the slit-throated chameleon. Terror - This draft reweaves the spellweaver's appearance - - - - into a form drawn from the deepest anxieties of the being the threads are spun upon. In effect, it turns you into the thing the recipient fears most. Terror works only on sentient beings, but its potency more than makes up for this limitation. It is approved for limited therapeutic use by the Guild of Psychotherapists. Folding - Archaeological evidence suggests that Folding was - - - - never supposed to be spun upon the fabric of space. Instead, its inventors seem to have been more concerned with the management of laundry! No faster or more convenient way has been found to move a spellweaver from one place to another. Caution must be exercised when Folding a section of space already Folded by another spellweaver. Careless spinning can create an uninhabitable "wrinkle" zone, such as the Gainsborough Blind Spot. Invisibility - When spun upon a person or group, Invisibility - - - - frays the focus of their vision, rendering the spellweaver quite difficult to see. The provenance of this draft is uncertain. It seems to have been acquired (under questionable circumstances) from the Guild of Shepherds, whose genius in the art of stealth is probably unrivaled. Confusion - The reason why this unusual draft developed is - - - - lost in time. Revisionists claim that it was spun into the cheaper fabrics sold at Guild shops in an attempt to undermine the confidence of bargain hunters. Whatever its origin, Confusion's potency has not diminished over time. One spin leaves a victim helplessly bewildered until the spellweaver is safely out of sight. Shaping - Only a handful of Weavers possess the concentration - - - - necessary to Shape a material substance. The threads of the draft must be spun with unusual single-mindedness before the Pattern will yield. Even then, a successfully Shaped object may revert to its original form if the draft is not rewoven periodically. Twisting - The origins of this ancient draft are lost in - - - - history. The earliest references to it are woven into the foremost hem of the Long Tapestry, beside threads depicting the manipulation of flax and yarn by hand. Tradition has it that the four notes were derived from the rhythmic squeak of First Elder Swellfax's own spindle. Warmth - What Weaver has never been wrapped in the cozy - - - - threads of a Warmth draft? Second only to Aphrodesia in popularity (they are often sold together), Warmth has been a staple of our Guild for much of our recorded history. Even a thin gauze coverlet feels as substantial as a Penumbrian quilt after a single application. Aphrodesia - The Guild's quick rise to prosperity and - - - - influence was due in very large part to the success of this best-seller. Fabrics woven with threads of Aphrodesia are guaranteed to soften the heart of even the most indifferent love interest. Only the Elders are privileged to know the true origin of the draft. Rumors of a secret affair between Second Elder Twillfast and a member of the Guild of Organists are malicious and completely unfounded. Sleep - It would be difficult to find a pillow, baby bonnet - - - - or sleeping bag that has not been imbued with the soothing properties of this popular draft. The Guild of Nannies requires its use in all household fabrics, and the Anesthesiologists have approved an industrial-strength version as an alternative to chloroform. C'F G C Transcendence - Few indeed are the Weavers who have - - - - successfully spun this, the most subtle and mysterious expression of our art. Transcendence dissolves the ties that bind our threads into the Pattern, elevating mind and body to an undefined state of existence. Transcended beings are said to assume the form of birds, constellations, or even sunspots. Because corporal punishment is forbidden in our Guild, Transcendence is occasionally used as a means of humane banishment, but only for the most unforgivable infractions of the the Rules.