Welcome to 9 -- The Last Resort Demonstration version for PCs with Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 You receive a mysterious package in the mail... An enigmatic relative, your distant Uncle Thurston, has bequeathed his entire estate to you... The centerpiece of his holdings was his famed resort, originally built to inspire the artistic natures of musicians and other creative types... but that was long ago. The inexorable passing of time has taken its toll, and the place has decayed to a shadow of its former glory. Of course, there were rumors of strange goings-on - supernatural, perhaps ? - but no one could say for sure what had happened, only that it most certainly haunted your uncle to the brink of insanity... And now you are entrusted with the care of the Last Resort... and you realize you've inherited not just a deteriorating mansion, but also your family's twisted legacy... SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Minimum Hardware : 80486 processor running at 66 mHz ; Soundblaster (or compatible) sound card ; 8MB free RAM ; 12" display (640x480 pixels) capable of displaying 256 colors ; double-speed CD-ROM drive (and appropriate drivers). For improved performance : PC with Pentium processor ; 10MB or more free RAM ; quad-speed CD-ROM drive, high-quality headphones or external speakers. Software : Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 ; QuickTime for Windows (tm) 2.1. IMPORTANT: Windows 3.1.1 Users Performance will be greatly improved if you enable the SMARTdrive driver in MS-DOS. This will cache frequently accessed media from the CD-ROM onto your hard drive. To enable SMARTdrive: 1. Start your computer in MS-DOS. 2. At the C:\ prompt, type "edit AUTOEXEC.BAT" and press RETURN. 3. In the text editor window, search for a line starting with: C:\SMARTDRV 4a. If this line exists, make sure there is no "/U" option following the statement. If there is, delete it, choose Save from the File menu, then choose Exit from the same menu to return to the MS-DOS command prompt. 4b. If the line doesn't exist, add the following line to the end of the command list: C:\SMARTDRV /X Choose Save from the File menu, then choose Exit from the same menu to return to the MS-DOS command prompt. 5. Restart your computer by pressing Control-Alt-Delete. RUNNING THE DEMO 1. Make sure you have an appropriate system configuration (see above). For best results, quit any other open applications and turn off or disable any unnecessary drivers, such as for a network. 2. Start your computer and insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive. 3. Using the File Manager, locate the CD drive, double-click the file "NineDemo.exe"... and prepare to experience the enigmatic world of Thurston Last and 9... For optimal performance, you can also copy the entire demo directory to your hard drive. This will take up approximately 110 MB. PLAYING THE DEMO Experiencing 9 is very intuitive. When you move the mouse, the cursor will change to indicate an area of interest or exploration. Moving Around Basics You move by clicking the mouse where you would like to go. If you want to move forward, click straight ahead. If you want to turn left or right, click on the left or right border of the screen. Details Use the navigation cursors to help indicate where you can go. A forward arrow indicates that clicking will allow you to move forward ; left and right arrows indicate that clicking will let you turn in the corresponding direction. In some locations, it may also be possible to look up (up arrow) or down (down arrow). Sometimes, if you are very close to an object, you can move backwards by moving the cursor to the side of the object or away from the main area of interest. When the cursor changes to a backward arrow, clicking will move you away from the object. Manipulating Objects Basics If you want to examine, use, or pick up an object, just click on it, or click and drag it in the same way you would manipulate a real object. Some objects are portable ; click to pick them up or put them down. Details Use the cursors to help indicate objects of interest. For instance, it is possible to move levers and other objects by dragging them. If an object is draggable your cursor will change to a grabbing hand. If an object has a button or key to press, the cursor will change to a pointing finger. Some objects may picked up for closer examination or may have other special significance. When you see the "9" cursor, clicking the mouse will let you access the object. If the object can be examined, it will be brought closer to you. When you are finished with it, you can click to the side to return the object to its place. As you explore, you will also encounter portable objects that can be picked up and moved from one location to another. When you are carrying a portable object, the cursors will be modified to include a small red dot. The dot indicates that you are currently carrying something. To see what object you are carrying, press the space bar. Also, when you are carrying an object, the object will automatically appear when the pointer is over an area where portable objects can be picked up or put down (such as a desk drawer). You can click to place the object in the designated area. Not all objects can be placed in all locations. You can only carry one object at a time - if you are already carrying something and encounter a new object, clicking will cause the objects to switch places (the object you were holding will placed in the designated area, and the object that was there will now be in your possession). Some objects are more valuable than others ; consequently, it can be unwise to leave some objects out of your possession or in an unprotected location. When a portable object is returned to its "correct" location, the object will lock into place and can no longer be removed. Keyboard Controls While playing the 9 demo, you can use the following keyboard controls. Key Result [ Turns the volume down. ] Turns the volume up. Alt Temporarily shows you which object you are currently carrying, if any. Ctrl T Toggles 9's transition style between "faster" and "best-quality" (slower). Normally, 9 uses the "best-quality" transition style. To improve performance on slower machines, change the transition style to "faster". Ctrl Q Quits the 9 demo... and returns you to the real world. I WANT IT The full version of 9 will be available in mid-1996 from GT Interactive, for Macintosh computers, PCs running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, and appropriate compatibles. For more information, contact GT Interactive toll-free at : 1-800-610-GTIS Visit the enigmatic world of 9 on GT Interactive's web site : http : //www. gtinteractive. com CREDITS 9 is a production of Tribeca Interactive. © 1996 Tribeca Interactive, all rights reserved. Apple, Macintosh, Power Macintosh, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. QuickTime and QuickTime for Windows is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. 9 is "Made with Macromedia. " Director © 1994 Macromedia, Inc.