VENTURE 1.1, Shareware version by Richard Foley DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------ The VENTURE system provides a complete environment for designing, building and playing point-of-view, graphic adventure games for Windows. The games produced by this system are based around the concept of rooms. A VENTURE game consists of a series of connected rooms, on many different levels. These rooms can contain doors, creatures, sounds, objects, ladders and other items that produce obstacles or puzzles for the player to overcome. VENTURE produces two types of adventure games, treasure gathering and destination. A treasure gathering game is like the original, classic Adventure game. The player has to explore the rooms, gathering all the treasures and returning them to a specific room. The game is won when all the treasures have been gathered. A destination or goal type of game is one where the player has to rescue someone or reach a certain destination. The game is won when the player gets to the destination room. During game play, the player uses the Play Screen. This screen provides the player with a view into the room in the direction he or she is facing. There are 8 possible direction views in a room, corresponding to compass directions. To play the game, the player turns around in the room to view different directions, picks up and uses objects, talks with and/or fights with creatures, opens doors, jumps over abysses and moves from room to room. In Design mode, the user designs and builds a game using the various game design components. The components include: the rooms and their layout, the objects and their attributes, the creatures and their attributes, scripts for the creatures so they can talk to the player, decor items, various level options including random creature attacks and object thefts and the game setup options. All the design components are viewed in context as they are designed. Included with VENTURE are two complete adventure games built with the VENTURE system. The first, 'The Caverns of Makalu', is a traditional treasure gathering game that takes place in underground caverns and has creatures such as dragons, wizards and orcs. The second, 'Starbase Varga', is a destination type game set in space with aliens and robots. These two games demonstrate the variety of adventures that can be built with the VENTURE system. SHAREWARE VERSION --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Design module in this shareware version is a demo version. All of the design screens and functions are available except for printing and saving game designs. Also, there is no on-line help for the Design module. This demo version of the Design module is included so you can try it out and see if you like building adventures. If you want to build large adventure games, you can buy the registered version of VENTURE and receive the full Design module. In the registered version you can build and distribute adventures with a limit of 500 rooms and 50 levels. A complete on-line help system, a printed manual and all design print functions, including maps, are also included. INSTALLATION ------------------------------------------------------------------- Before installing VENTURE, make sure your PC system meets the following requirements: Hardware - CPU: 80386 or 80486 based IBM PC compatible; 80486 recommended. File Storage: The VENTURE program files and initial data files require 3 meg hard disk space. Memory: 4 meg RAM minimum, 8 meg recommended. Graphics Adapter and Monitor: Any Windows supported display (VGA recommended). Mouse: Required. Printer: Any Windows supported printer. Operating System Software - PC OS: This program requires Windows 3.1 or higher If VENT11.ZIP has not already been unzipped, unzip it into a temporary directory. If Windows is not currently active, start Windows by typing WIN and pressing ENTER. From the Program Manager, select FILE and then RUN. Type the drive and directory you unzipped VENT11.ZIP in and then \SETUP.EXE and select OK. (EX: c:\download\vent11\setup.exe) Follow the prompts on the screen to complete the installation. The only option you can select is the directory to install the program in. The default is C:\VENTURE, but you can type over this to select any drive/path you want to install it in. At the end of the install process, a program group and icon for VENTURE will be added to your Program Manager. To run VENTURE, just double-click the VENTURE icon. NOTE: VENTURE is large program that makes extensive use of graphics. To ensure the fastest running and fewest memory errors, close all other Windows applications before running VENTURE. INSTALL FILES --------------------------------------------------------------------- The VENTURE install copies many files to your PC's hard disk. The files copied and the directories they are copied to are listed here. DIRECTORY: (root):\Windows VSETUP.EXE VENTURE install program (DO NOT run this, it must be run by SETUP.EXE) DIRECTORY: (root):\Windows\System VER.DLL Install DLL SETUPKIT.DLL " VBRUN300.DLL DLL required to run Visual Basic program COMMDLG.DLL Application DLL MMSYSTEM.DLL " THREED.VBX Visual Basic resource file SPIN .VBX " CMDIALOG.VBX " GAUGE.VBX " (NOTE: Many or all of the above files may already be on your PC. If so, the SETUP program will only install the copy that came with VENTURE if it is a newer version.) DIRECTORY: (root):\VENTURE VENTURE.EXE The VENTURE program VENTURE.HLP The VENTURE on-line help file FILES.EXC List of game files that came with VENTURE, excluded from game list generation MAKALU.WAG 'Caverns of Makalu' game design file VARGA.WAG 'Starbase Varga' game design file *.BMP Graphics files for Makalu and Varga *.WAV Sound files for Makalu and Varga After using VENTURE, two other types of files could be in the VENTURE directory: .LST files and .SAV files. LST files are the lists of BMP and WAV files that are needed by a game design. SAV files are saved games. They can be restored to continue a game in progress. The VENTURE install makes no changes to any Windows .INI files or to CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. VENTURE also has no .INI file of it's own. The only change to the above files that might be needed is adding the VENTURE directory to the PATH statement, but VENTURE will run fine without adding it. UN-INSTALLING VENTURE -------------------------------------------------------------------- To remove VENTURE from your system, delete all the files from the VENTURE directory and then remove the VENTURE directory. If you have stored any VENTURE game files or BMP or WAV files in a different directory, you will have to delete them from there. Then delete the VENTURE program group and icon from the Program Manager. The DLLs and VBXs listed above, in the Windows\System directory, may also be deleted, but only if no other program is using them. DLL and VBX files are shared resources that may be used by many programs. If you are sure no other program uses it, you can delete the file. But, if you are not sure, do not delete it. REGISTRATION ------------------------------------------------------------------ VENTURE is a shareware product. If you enjoy this product and decide to keep using it you should become a registered user. The registration fee is $25.00 plus 3.50 shipping and handling. Please send your registration fee to: Richard Foley 17 Morning Glen Lane Newark, DE 19711 For your registration fee you will receive a registered version of VENTURE with a 500 room, 50 level Design module, a complete on-line Design help system and all design print functions, including maps. You will also receive a complete printed manual. This shareware version of VENTURE can be freely copied and distributed. The registered version of VENTURE cannot be distributed in any way. Thank you for using VENTURE and for supporting shareware. (To print this ordering information, open and print the ORDERFRM.TXT document that was unzipped from VENT11.ZIP.)