BBC DOCTOR WHO - DESTINY OF THE DOCTORS DOCTOR WHO CD-ROM HOTLINE: We hope you enjoy Destiny of the Doctors, and have many hours of fun playing it. If, however, you have any questions or concerns about the content, design or playability of the game, we would like to know. Please e-mail us at: doctorwho.cdrom@bbc.co.uk In this README you will find a section concerning frequently encountered problems, as well as various hints and tips. If having read this file you still have a problem and require further assistance you may call the BBC Multimedia UK Technical Support Line on 0181 308 6544. Please note the staff on the technical support line cannot enter into general discussions about the game so please direct non-technical comments to the above e-mail address. ON-LINE HELP: Please note that a concise summary of user controls is available by pressing the H key at any time during the game. PAUSING THE GAME: You can pause the game at any point by pressing the P key. SKIPPING VIDEO: Pressing SPACEBAR skips any video clip. Note that this applies to video clips held in the City of Thoughts and Monster Database as well as video clips which play in the main programme. FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS: 1 VIDEO BREAK-UP Destiny of the Doctors utilises DirectX for the playback of video. Your computer may not have the very latest graphics/video card drivers which enable smooth playback of video through DirectX. If you experience difficulties, please contact your graphics/video card supplier. 2 GENERAL PROGRAMME PERFORMANCE Although Destiny of the Doctors runs well on a wide range of P60 computers with 16MB RAM, you may encounter performance problems on some machines. Your first port of call should be to your hardware supplier to ensure that your computer is in good working order, supplied with the very latest graphics/video drivers and a full multimedia installation of Windows 95. Then make sure all programme settings (accessed from the Settings Screen when you start up the programme) are at minimum values. You should also make sure that during installation you opt for a full install of sound files to the hard disc. If you have not already opted for a full install, uninstall the programme and then re-install, selecting a full sound installation. Note that Destiny of the Doctors will not run smoothly on any machine fitted with a 486 processor. 3 SOUND BREAK-UP Destiny of the Doctors is designed to run on a computer fitted with a 100% SoundBlaster 16 compatible sound card. If you experience sound problems (such as clicks and noisy interruptions) please ensure that you have the very latest drivers available for your sound card. If in doubt, please contact your hardware supplier. 4 SCREEN FLASHES Destiny of the Doctors incorporates software which changes the screen resolution of your computer at various points in the programme, for example, before the playback of video. This may result in some screen disturbance on some machines; however, making sure you have installed the very latest graphics/video drivers will help. To minimise the effect, make sure you set the programme to run with the default resolution setting as displayed in the Setting Screen (certainly no higher than 640 X 480). 5 SCREEN FRAME RATE The Setting Screen enables you to customise the programme to match your machines capabilities. Please note however that simply because your machine can support resolutions of 640 X 480 and higher does not mean that the programme will run smoothly with such high settings. (You will need a machine operating at least 200mhz to achieve smooth playback at resolutions higher than 640 X 480). Generally, to ensure smooth gameplay, please ensure that you set the screen resolution to the default value or lower and do not exceed your machine's actual processor speed in the Settings Screen. Note also that the smoothness of playback is also affected by the size of the display window. You may wish to decrease the size of the display window using the minus key to ensure a satisfactory frame rate. 6 PROGRAMME FREEZE You may find that having started a game the programme freezes and that the problem can only be rectified by re-booting the computer. In this instance, please make sure that on restarting the game you select an alternative Screen Resolution from the Settings screen. If the problem persists, select a Screen Resolution of 640 X 480. This problem is related to graphics/video drivers. Please ensure that your PC is loaded with the very latest drivers. 7 COLOUR CHANGES On some machines over three years old you may notice unusual colour tints as you move from room to room in the TARDIS (for example, the corridors may appear with a pink hue). The problem may easily be rectified by setting your PC screen colour depth to 256 colours. If the problem persists, please ensure that your PC is loaded with the very latest graphics/display drivers. HINTS AND TIPS: 1 ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE DOCTOR - AND THE BRIGADIER Thank goodness you are not alone on your mission! Pay careful attention to the advice the Doctor gives you - especially his first hint regarding the radio transmitter. The radio transmitter is one of the most valuable objects at your disposal but be warned: guard it safely and never let it get into the Master's hands. 2 FINDING THE GREAT DIVIDE When you first arrive in the TARDIS at a chosen incarnation of Doctor, you will find the TARDIS in a state of severe trauma. The ship's spatial orientation will change at will and the location of the Great Divide may at first seem elusive. The TARDIS is in fact making every effort to keep you from finding the Great Divide - out of fear that you might rush to save the Doctor too eagerly and so come to an early demise. However, for all its qualities the TARDIS is not particularly quick-witted. Try doubling back on yourself and re-entering the doorway you have just passed through. 3 KEY CONTROLS IN THE CHALLENGES The Master will invent challenges to satisfy his egotistical whim. In some instances he will provide the Graak with a vehicle appropriate for the challenge setting. For instance, in the underground zone he will provide you with a tube train. These vehicles are all driven using the arrow keys and SHIFT provides acceleration. However, you will find that not all the Graak's usual controls are effective in the vehicles. In particular, Page Up and Page Down - which are usually used to look up and down respectively - have no effect on the control of space ships. Nevertheless, A and Z are used to control altitude so you will not find yourself without adequate control of your craft. 4 CHALLENGE OBJECTIVES Your aim in any challenge is to find the imprisoned Doctor. This is never easily achieved and it may take you some time just to work out what's going on! By the Laws of Absolute of Siralos nobody - not even the Doctor - can divulge the secrets of victory in the Determinant. Having said that, the odd hint is permissible: Challenge 1 - Toybox: Seek and find - keep your eyes open for bottomless pits Challenge 2 - Tube: Cut up and slam on the brakes Challenge 3 - Space: Don't be afraid of using your weaponry - you're outside the TARDIS Challenge 4 - Brain: More pits and a Raston Warrior for good measure Challenge 5 - Joust: Just keep plugging away and listen to the Doctor Challenge 6 - Ice Caverns: One star for each incarnation of Doctor Challenge 7 - Countryside: Beware on-coming traffic 5 DON'T FORGET In addition to the cursor keys which you use to navigate you can: -pick objects up either by running into them or touching them using the mouse -activate/action objects using the SPACEBAR -access your inventory of objects using the TAB key -access the City of Thoughts and Monster Database by clicking on the entry screens 6 THE GRID OF STONES: The Master may give you a riddle to solve at the Great Divide to which the solution is a word. When you return - hopefully having solved the riddle - you will be presented with a grid of floating and rotating stones, each with a letter on every face. To cross the Grid you will need to step only on those letters which make up the word. For instance, if the solution to the riddle were 'Quark' you would be able to step (in any order) on the letters A K Q R and U. Note: If you are making good progress, the Master may decide to make crossing the Grid of Stones even more difficult! The stones may oscillate up and down as if they were on the surface of a turbulent sea. In this case you MUST jump towards stones which are lower than the stone from which you jump. 7 SELECT A SYMBOL WITH CARE... Once you have selected a symbol at the Great Divide, the Master compels you to complete the task he has set... Many of these tasks are hazardous and you may feel inclined to return to the Console Room and travel to another incarnation of Doctor. This is strictly forbidden. In fact you will find that the Master disables time travel capabilities during quests. 8 GETTING TRAPPED BEHIND DOORS BY MONSTERS You may find yourself, at some stage, trapped by a monster behind a door or in some other confined space. In some cases there is no way out and the Graak may die. Re-starting from your last save point you should adopt an alternative strategy to complete your quest. 9 FALLING OUT OF THE TARDIS ENVIRONMENT The dimensionally-transcendental nature of the TARDIS sometimes results in discontinuities in the space-time continuum. In such cases you may find yourself able to move outside the interior spaces of the TARDIS into the void. Take great care to re-enter the normal environment - as soon as possible - via the rupture point. Failure to do so may result in permanent exile to the void, and ultimately, Graak death. DESTINY OF THE DOCTORS - BOOKLET TEXT Minimum system requirements The Destiny of the Doctors CD-ROM requires the following minimum system to work correctly: A Multimedia PC with Pentium (or equivalent) 60MHz processor (90 MHz recommended) and 16MB of RAM Double-speed CD-ROM drive (Quad-speed recommended) 16-bit (64K) colour display SoundBlaster 16-bit (or 100% compatible) audio card Suitable loudspeakers or headphones Mouse or other pointing device Windows 95 At least 50 MB of free hard disk space Uninstalling Destiny of the Doctors Destiny of the Doctors can be uninstalled by selecting the uninstall icon or program listing. Please note that files relating to your save points (Time Winders) are NOT removed from your hard disc when the programme is uninstalled. These files are held in a directory which by default is: C:\Program Files\BBC\Dod\savegame. The files themselves have the extension .DOD and can be removed manually. System configuration Please ensure that you run Destiny of the Doctors with your display set to 8-bit (256) or 16-bit (64k) colour, and that you are using the latest drivers available from your hardware supplier. If you need to change any settings, refer to the documentation for Windows 95 and for your particular system. Doctor Who - Destiny of the Doctors: First Play On starting up the program, you will be presented with an Options screen. From this screen you should select Settings. This gives you the opportunity to tailor Destiny of the Doctors to your computer's specification. There are four settings that you can change from the default values: Graphics, Screen Resolutions, Sound System, Performance. If your computer's specification does not exceed the minimum system requirements described above, you should not change the default settings. If your PC is equipped with at least 32MB of RAM you may wish to set the Textures and Sound setting to enhanced. You may wish to experiment with the various screen resolutions available at the Settings Screen. However in most cases, the higher the Screen Resolution, the less smooth the action in the game. You may also wish to experiment with the Video setting which by default will play in a window. Note however that video may not play smoothly at the Full Screen setting on some machines. The default mouse setting is Software. By selecting Hardware Mouse you will control the 'Graak finger' rather than simple cross-hairs. However, if you experience problems controlling the 'Graak finger' (for example, some 'blockiness') you should revert to the Software Mouse. Having confirmed your settings, if it is the first time you have played Destiny of the Doctors, you should choose New Game from the Options screen. On subsequent occasions, you will be able to restart the action from a save point. Also note that should you fail during a particular stage of the game, you can restart the action from the beginning of your last saved level, without delay, by selecting Replay. When you first play Destiny of the Doctors, following an introductory sequence, you will find yourself in the Console Room of the fourth incarnation of Doctor. You will then have the opportunity to set the TARDIS to travel through time to another time frame - and another incarnation of Doctor. To do this, you will need to explore the functions on the Console. Having selected a Doctor, you can activate the TARDIS to take you to the corresponding time frame. This may take a minute or so, depending on your computer's specification. Soon you will find yourself back in the Console Room, but in your chosen time frame. To progress further you will need to explore the TARDIS - but be warned: the ship is in a state of trauma. You will find that rooms within the TARDIS realign their spatial orientation at will... Doctor Who - Destiny of the Doctors: The Story The game is set in the orbit of the planet Siralos, one of the Seven Thousand Wonders of the Galaxy. Siralos is composed entirely of malleable psychic energy, which has been hijacked by the Master, allowing him to physically merge his TARDIS with the Doctor's. Using the energy of Siralos, the Master has captured the first seven incarnations of the Doctor, scooping them out of their own time streams and placing their semiconscious forms at the far end of a vast combat arena known as the Determinant. You are the Graak, an energy-dependent, amorphous plasma matrix with telepathic links to the Doctor. It is your mission to release each incarnation of the Doctor, one at a time, via intelligent gameplay, physical and mental dexterity, and some working knowledge of Doctor Who mythology. People not familiar with the mythology shouldn't worry - everything you need to know is easily accessed via the in-game Monster Database (located in the Master's TARDIS) or the Doctor's TARDIS Log, also known as the City of Thoughts (accessible from the Doctor's Console Room). But be warned, your energy is not limitless and will deplete at various rates depending on your status; slowly when you are at rest - or quite rapidly when you are facing monsters or using either the Monster Database or City of Thoughts. You will encounter ten of the Doctor's most fearsome enemies, all of which interact with you and respond to your movements with intelligent behaviour and, where appropriate, speech. You have to find ways to disable them without losing too much energy. You play the Graak from a first-person perspective - in other words, you see the action as the Graak sees it. As the Graak, you possess a full range of directional moves and views. The Graak can also briefly transfer his energy into any of the security cameras inside the TARDIS, so he gets a different perspective of a room. Both the Doctor's TARDIS and the Master's TARDIS feature a variety of different environments, where you may find objects the Master sends you to retrieve, puzzles that need to be solved, and power rods to replenish your own energy. Confronting you on your quests will be the various alien menaces that the Master has captured, such as Daleks, Cybermen, and Autons. Often the puzzles you need to solve will involve defeating these monsters - so keep your wits about you - To learn their weaknesses (and strengths) use the Master's Monster Database - he's made useful notes on all of his 'pets'. The corridors also contain psychic links - glowing energy matrices that enable you to communicate telepathically with 'your' Doctor. Listen to him, and take careful note of what he says. You can also locate a radio set to get in touch with the Brigadier back at UNIT HQ on Earth - he is one of Earth's most experienced monster-fighters, and has more than a few useful tips to impart. Oh, and listen carefully to the Master's instructions and comments as well - but remember: he's never been the most trustworthy of fellows... The Determinant is the vast arena created from the Master's imagination using the power of Siralos. He has built it to provide himself with amusement, and to taunt the Graak with a series of fiendish challenges. To enter the Determinant, you first have to cross the Great Divide - and this isn't possible until you've solved whatever task the Master has previously set for you. If you would like to dive straight into a challenge without completing a quest you can do so by selecting the 'blast' symbol at the Great Divide, but be warned: the energy cost of taking this short cut can be very costly. When you select a symbol the Master will give you a clue. This clue takes the form of a riddle or instruction, accompanied by a note. Study this note carefully, scribbling down anything you think might be important. It could save you life... Once within the Determinant, you are compelled to face the Master in a challenge appropriate to the particular Doctor you've chosen to rescue. This could be anything from a joust against a Sontaran to a chase around the Celestial Toyroom with the Quarks; from an underground train ride with an Abominable Snowman to a battle against a Raston Warrior Robot inside the Doctor's brain... Should you win, the Master will release the incarnation of the Doctor - then you can set the TARDIS to another time frame, and so try to free another incarnation of the Doctor. However, should you fail, the Doctor will be lost to all times past and future. He will never have even existed... To wholly release the Doctor you must free all seven past incarnations - and cope with any final twists the Master may have lined up for you... Doctor Who - Destiny of the Doctors: Gameplay Controls Use the four arrow (cursor) keys for simple navigation Use A to jump up and Z to crouch down Page Up and Page Down to look up and down respectively SHIFT + forward and backward arrows increases speed CTRL + left and right arrows enables you to strafe F1 moves the Graak's energy into a room surveillance camera F2 shows you which incarnations of Doctor you have released SPACE BAR will fire or otherwise activate or place an object To pick an object up, walk into it, or click on it with the mouse/pointer TAB to browse your inventory CTRL + TAB to browse backwards through your inventory SHIFT + TAB to remove an item from your inventory Note that objects carried in the inventory do result in an energy drain over time. Picking up an object you already possess, such as a fire extinguisher, does not give you two fire extinguishers, but does add to the life of the original. ESC is used to exit the game at any point. Please note that a concise summary of user controls is available by pressing the H key at any time during the game. You can pause the game at any point by pressing the P key. Pressing SPACEBAR skips any video clip. Note that this applies to video clips held in the City of Thoughts and Monster Database as well as video clips which play in the main programme. Doors automatically open as you approach them, unless the zones behind them are closed off to you at that point in the game. In that case, the doors can be distinguished at some distance by a difference in their appearance. Note that you can increase and decrease the area of screen dedicated to the Graak's view using the MINUS and EQUALS keys. You will, however, notice a decrease in screen refresh rate with larger screen areas which may make game-play difficult. Saving your game - Time Winders To save the Graak's progress as you proceed, there is a Time Winder located close by at the start of each quest. By activating a Time Winder, you save your progress and, should you die, you will be able to restart the game at any Time Winder save point. The Time Winder creates a Time Dam, stopping the action while you anchor your achievement. If you choose not to select a Time Winder, it will disappear after a short time. When you restart the game, you can select any of your Time Winder save points. END