The Fool's Errand manual
- The Fool's Errand
- manual
THE FOOL'S ERRAND
PLAYING THE FOOL'S ERRAND
This game comes with an animated introduction called the Prologue. This
is used to introduce the main characters in The Fool's Errand and begin
the story. It is designed to be viewed prior to playing the game itself.
A second animated sequence, called the Finale, can be viewed upon
completion of the game (but not before). It serves both as a reward for
finishing the game and depicts the resolution of the story in the game.
STARTING THE GAME: When prompted for the Workbench disk, insert the
Game Disk into the internal drive. The game will begin to load and
then display the line
Do you want to see the Prologue? (Y/N).
Type Y if you want to see the Prologue, of N if you
want to go directly to the game. If you choose to view the Prologue,
you will be prompted to insert the Show Disk, and when the prologue
is complete you will be prompted to insert the Game Disk and the game
will begin.
You can also choose to view the Prologue separately by inserting the
Show Disk when prompted for the Workbench disk, and then from the
CLI prompt, type
Prologue
and the Prologue will be shown.
VIEWING THE FINALE: After you have completed the game, you will go
directly to the Finale. You will be prompted to insert the Show Disk
into any disk drive, and the Finale will be shown. If you have
previously completed the game and wish to view the Finale again,
insert the Show Disk when prompted for the Workbench disk. From the
CLI prompt, type
Finale
and the animated Finale will be shown.
FLOPPY DISK USERS: You should make backup copies of the master disks
before playing the game. The Game Disk must always be write-enabled
(that is, the tab in the corner of the disk should be closed). This
allows you to save games on the disk as well as allowing the proper
file modification when you finish the game that indicates that the
Finale can be viewed. If you are running the game on a machine with
512K of memory, please disconnect the external drives before playing.
This frees up enough memory for the game to run. Since the game is
played using only one disk at a time, this should not create a
problem.
INSTALLING THE FOOL'S ERRAND ON A HARD DISK: Start up the Workbench
on your hard disk as you would normally. Then start the Amiga's
Command Line Interface and insert the Game Disk into any drive. At
the CLI prompt, type
[df0:]
Execute FEinstall [dh0:] Fools
where [df0:] is the floppy drive the Game Disk is in and [dh0:] is the
hard drive on which you will install the game. The install program
will create a drawer named 'Fools' on the hard disk dh0: and copy all
of the necessary game files into it. You will then be given the
information you need to add to the 'Startup-Sequence' file to allow the
game to be played from the hard disk. Please refer to your Amiga
manual for instructions on how to modify the 'Startup-Sequence' file.
To play the game from the hard disk, open up the 'Fools' drawer and
double-click on the 'Errand' file icon.
THE CODE WHEEL
The game starts up with a Code Wheel screen, displaying 3 cards and a
question preceeded by a symbol. Click on any 3 or 5 symbols,
depending on the question with the mouse. Your selection will always
be correct, you will then begin the game. Cracked by SKID ROW.
GAME PLAY
Move the arrow cursor to the menu bar then press and hold the left
button to drop the menu down. By sliding up or down the menu and
releasing the button when your choice is highlighted, you will be
taken to that part of the story. When the story scroll is showing,
clicking once on the ? button at the bottom of the scroll will take
you to the puzzle. Or, hold down the Ctrl key while selecting a menu
item and you will be sent directly to the associated puzzle.
To move you through the story one page at a time, place your
cursor near the bottom of the scroll and click when its shape has
changed to an up or down arrow to move backwards or forwards,
respectively.
INSTRUCTIONS MENUS
When in a puzzle, a menu with the name of the puzzle appears to the
right of the -V- menu, and gives you directions for playing the
current puzzle (see page 9 in the manual). Once you have read the
instructions, let go of the button to play the puzzle.
FILE OPERATIONS
The File menu is discussed in the manual (pp. 4-5) and we will just
go over some of the Amiga specific information for clarity here. The
A refers to the Open-Amiga key to the right of the space bar on your
keyboard.
New (A-N). Starts a new game with no puzzles solved. It is an
untitled game until you decide to save it.
Load (A-L). Selecting this item will bring up a directory list from
which you can choose a previously saved game to open. Use the arrows
to scroll down the list until the game you wish to open is highlighted,
then press Enter to load the game. In order to move up to higher
subdirectories, highlight the listing .. and press Enter. To
go to lower subdirectories, highlight the directory listing and
press Enter.
Save (A-S). This will save you current game onto your disk or
hard drive. You can save all of your games on a separate, formatted
disk. Just place the formatted disk in the active or chosen drive,
click on the DRIVE button to log onto the drive, and then save your
game.
Save As (A-A). This option allows you to save your current game
either with a changed name or onto a new disk.
Death - A shadow falls over the ancient land of Tarot.
The Moon It's people grow eccentric and forgetful.
High Priestess
The Hierophant - Hidden enchantments prevent safe passage
Wheel of Fortune along the familiar paths.
Temperance
The Chariot
The Tower
The Devil
The Empress - The four kingdoms are on the verge of war.
Judgement
The Emperor
The Hermit - Only the magic of the Sun's Map
The Sun
The Hermit - The magic of the Sun's Mundo matches his treachery.
The Hanged Man
The Lovers
The Magician
Justice
The Fool - And this map is held by a wandering fool who hopes to find the
fourteen lost treasures of the land.
THE FILE MENU
The File Menu provides game playing functions as described below. When
you start "The Fool's Errand," a new untitled game is automatically
created.
TO START A NEW GAME
select 'New' from the File Menu and a directory will appear. Type
a name into the 'Name of New Game?' box. Specify which drive you
wish to save to, then select the 'Save' option.
TO OPEN A PREVIOUSLY SAVED GAME
select 'Open' from the File Menu and a directory will appear. Specify
which drive you wish to use, choose a saved game, then select the
'Open' option.
TO SAVE THE CURRENT GAME
select 'Save' from the File Menu. Be sure to save your game often.
TO SAVE THE CURRENT GAME WITH ANOTHER NAME
select 'Save As' in the File Menu and a directory will appear. Type
the new name in the 'New Name?' box. Specify which drive you wish
to save to, then select the 'Save' option.
TO TURN THE SOUND ON AND OFF
select 'Sound' in the File Menu. A checkmark next to the 'Sound'
option means the sound is on, no checkmark means it is off.
TO RECEIVE A PROGRESS REPORT OF YOUR GAME
select 'About Fools's Errand' from the File Menu.
TO QUIT THE GAME
select 'Quit' from the File Menu.
By the way, you cannot "die" in The Fool's Errand, so wherever you go,
there you are.
PRINTING THE STORY
For most of the game, the 'Print Story' option is in gray and cannot
be used.
Once you have restored the Sun's Map, the 'Print Story' option can be
used.
Before you print the story, however, make sure that your printer is set
up and ready.
Then select 'Print Story' and take a break. The story is very long.
THE STORY IS VITAL TO SOLVING THE GAME.
It chronicles the adventures of the fool as he wanders throughout the
land.
It provides a description of the land, necessary to restore the Sun's
Map.
It gives important clues to the names of the fourteen lost treasures.
The story has 80 parts. the - I - II - III - IV - V - menus show the
names of all 80 parts in the order that they will appear in the story.
At the beginning of the game, however, only 21 parts are available to
be read.
If a name is in black, then that part of the story is visible on the
scroll.
If a name is in gray, then that part of the story is hidden by an
enchantment and does not yet appear on the scroll.
To scroll through the story, use the commands shown on your System
Information Sheet.
Another way to move through the story is to use the - I - II - III - IV -
V - menus.
Just select a name and the scroll will jump to that part of the story.
The name of the story is displayed at the bottom of the scroll. Some
story parts are more than one scroll long.
THE ENCHANTMENTS
An enchantment is a magical barrier that prevents you from traveling to
the hidden parts of the land.
Once an enchantment is overcome, a new part of the story is revealed and
a new piece is added to the Sun's Map.
If there is a symbol next to a story name in the - I - II - III - IV - V -
menus, then there is a hidden enchantment at this location in the scroll.
You can move to an enchantment in one of two ways.
Scroll to that part of the story and select the button which appears
at the bottom of the scroll, or hold down the Ctrl key as you select that
name from the menu.
When you enter an enchantment, a new menu appears to the right of the
- I - II - III - IV - V - menus.
This menu usually includes a set of instructions, telling you how to
solve that particular enchantment.
Yet some instructions are vague.
And a few have no instructions at all.
The Fool's Errand is a game of discovery. All you need to solve the many
enchantments is contained within the game. And sometimes, just figuring
out what to do is part of the puzzle.
Whenever you solve an enchantment, the ? button on the scroll changes to
a * button.
Selecting it allows you to view the solved enchantment. In a few cases,
the enchantment can be played over again, but it is optional. No
additional clues will appear.
To leave an enchantment select 'Return to Scroll' from its menu and
you will return to that enchantment's part of the story.
Or, from the - I - II - III - IV - V - menus, select any story name in
black and the scroll will jump to that part of the story. Or hold down
the Ctrl key (or Option key, please see your System Information Sheet
for details) and select a story name with a symbol next to it. You will
be transported to the new enchantment.
STRATEGY
The Fool's Errand offers a challenge like no other.
Interwined in a tale of fantasy and enchantment lurks a hidden puzzle -
to help the fool name the fourteen lost treasures of the land. To
accomplish this, you must reveal the complete story of the fool's
adventures and restore the Sun's Map. And to do this, you must
overcome all of the many enchantments blocking your way.
When the game begins, there are 21 parts of the story already visible
on the scroll. Before you do anything else, read this story from
beginning to end. It provides all the background for the game.
The very first part of the story, the Sun, contains the Sun's Map. The
Sun's Map is vital to the game, but it too is enchanted and most of its
pieces are missing.
Solving the enchantments in any order you wish. If one seems too
difficult, move on to another. There may be clues waiting elsewhere.
Whenever you solve an enchantment, you will be rewarded with another
part of the story and another piece of the Sun's Map.
Each piece of the map represents an episode from the fool's adventures.
To restore the map, all the pieces must be arranged so that the completed
map represents a correct view of the land.
The map has a single path. It is a continuous line, having only one
starting point and one ending point.
Each piece can be identified by its symbols, letters, or numbers. The
trick is to determine which piece goes with which part of the story.
Some pieces are easier to identify than others.
The path on the completed map should pass through the pieces in the
same order as their corresponding story names in the menus.
It may be a good idea to work on the map as you go rather than wait
to the very end.
It may be a good idea to work on the map as you go rather than wait
to the very end.
Once you restored the Sun's Map, be sure to read its menu, for there
will be new instructions.
To discover the names of the fourteen treasures, study both the story
and the map very carefully. Between the two is all the information
you need to solve the game. All colored or highlighted text in the
story is important.
Everything on the Sun's Map is important.
Look for relationships between the characters and events in the story
and their counterparts on the Sun's Map.
Seek the hints hidden within The Book of Thoth.
Use your imagination. Try anything and everything.
All clues are used only once.
End.
