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TASS TIMES
in TONETOWN (TM)
THE BOOK
Tass Times in Tonetown was created by Interplay Productions.
Designed by Brainwave Creations.
Produced by Pam Levins.
Directed by Brian Fargo.
Graphics by Todd Canasta and Curt Toumanian.
Music and sound effects by Dave Warhol and Russell Lieblich.
Programming by William Heineman, Steve Nielsen, Jay Patel, and
Troy P. Worrell.
Special thanks to R. S. F. Lehrberg.
Tonetown Times by Paula Polley. Tass Times in Tonetown: The Book by
Steven Young.
LET'S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER
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Activision, Inc.
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COPYING PROHIBITED
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(C) 1986 Activision, Inc. All rights reserved.
Amiga, Kickstart, and Workbench are trademarks of Commodore-Amiga, Ltd.
Apple is a registered trademark and Macintosh is a trademark of
Apple Computer, Inc.
Atari is a registered trademark and ST is a trademark of Atari Corp.
Commodore 64 and 128 are trademarks of Commodore Electronics, Ltd.
IBM is a registered trademark and IBM PC and PCjr are trademarks of
International Business Machines Corp.
Tandy is a registered trademark of Tandy Corp.
CONTENTS
Are You Tass? Are You Tone? 1
Let the Tass Times Roll 2
Tonetown Travel, Tonetown Talk 4
Evil Lurks 10
If You're Called Out of Town 11
Function Key Shortcuts 12
Getting the Lowdown in Tonetown 13
ARE YOU TASS? ARE YOU TONE?
Are You Tass? Are You Tone?
Somebody's vanished -- through a hoop -- into the unknown.
Or have you been here before, under a triangular moon?
Do you wear a Troppo look or is it Jonboi Waltune?
Sleuth out the cabin. The clues may unjar you.
Where the Dogwonder leads leaping -- will you follow?
The mystery unravels in a different dimension,
But your guide by your side is none other than "The Legend."
Tonetown is hometown if you're ultra plus chic.
In need of some styling? Just visit the 'Tique.
Bangle up some hooplets, lay down some picks,
Jump on a jumpsuit, then to Freddie's for kicks.
But wait -- read the Times -- enigma on enigma.
The truth? Wrapped in darkness. Something to dig for.
And evil lurks -- snarly, underworldly-wise,
Three ways times three ways he plots your demise.
So get to unriddling, stop fiddling around.
If you're here as a tourist, Tonetown's not your town --
If you loop through the hoop, you must loop it alone.
Are You Tass? Are You Tone?
LET THE TASS TIMES ROLL
Here's how to load Tass Times in Tonetown into your computer.
Amiga (TM) Computers
1. Turn on your computer and monitor.
2. When so instructed, insert the Kickstart (TM) (version 1.1)
diskette in your disk drive.
3. When instructed to insert the Workbench (TM) diskette in
your disk drive, insert the Tass Times diskette.
Apple (R) II Series Computers
1. If you have one, connect a joystick or mouse to your
computer.
2. Insert the Tass Times diskette in your disk drive, label
side up.
3. Turn on your computer and monitor.
4. When instructed to do so, remove the diskette from your disk
drive and re-insert it, label side down, then press RETURN.
Apple Macintosh (TM) Computers
1. Insert the Tass Times diskette in your disk drive, label
side up.
2. Turn on your computer.
Atari (R) ST (TM) Computers
1. Turn on your computer and monitor.
2. Insert the Tass Times diskette number 1 in disk drive A,
label side up. If you have two disk drives, insert diskette
number 2 in drive B. Open (click twice on) file drawer A.
3. After the diskette loads, click twice on TASS.PRG.
4. If you have only one drive, exchange diskette number 2 for
number 1 when instructed to do so.
Commodore 64 (TM) and 128 (TM) Computers
1. Plug a joystick into port 2 of your computer.
2. Turn on your computer, disk drive, and monitor or TV.
3. If you have a Commodore 128, type GO64 and press RETURN.
When the prompt ARE YOU SURE? appears, type Y and press
RETURN.
4. Insert the Tass Times diskette in your disk drive, label
side up. Type LOAD "*",8,1 and press RETURN.
5. When instructed to do so, remove the diskette from your disk
drive and re-insert it, label side down, then press RETURN.
IBM (R) PC (TM), PCjr (TM), Tandy (R) 1000, and Compatible Computers
1. Connect a joystick or mouse, if you have one, to your
computer.
2. Insert the Tass Times diskette in your disk drive and turn
on (or reset) your computer and TV or monitor.
Following the title and credit screens, press any key to start the game
If you're resuming the adventure at some point where you left off
previously, see "Saving and Loading the Adventure" on page 11.
TONETOWN TRAVEL,
TONETOWN TALK
To travel, talk to people, and solve the mystery in Tass Times, you use
your computer keyboard and -- if you have one -- a joystick or mouse to
enter commands.
Each screen of the adventure is arranged like the one shown here, with a
few slight variations on some computers. The elements shown are
explained in detail in the following pages.
For saving and loading games in progress (the words Save and Load do not
appear on all computers).
Command icons:
{diagram of the screen}
[top line]: Command line
[text under scene]: The story
[box in upper right corner]: Inventory box.
[arrows below]: Compass (UP and DN not on all computers)
[RETURN]: Equivalent to pressing RETURN on the keyboard
(not on all computers)
[mouth]: Talk to
[hand holding object]: Get
[hand with picks]: Buy
[hand releasing object]: Drop
[people talking]: Tell me about
[glove marked KO]: Hit
[man opening door]: Enter
[eye]: Look at
If you have a joystick or mouse: In the information that follows, "click
on" means "place the cursor over the object or icon on the screen and
press the joystick or mouse button" (the left mouse button on Atari ST
and Amiga computers). Also, if the word Return appears on your screen,
you may click on it as an equivalent to pressing RETURN (or Enter) on
your keyboard.
Because of the many types of mouse and joystick available, it's
impossible to describe the exact use of each type in Tass Times. The
descriptions that follow are based on the most commonly used types. If
yours differ, a quick test of your joystick or mouse with Tass Times
should give you a good idea of how to use it in Tonetown.
If you don't have a joystick or mouse, read the information in this book
for joystick and mouse operations anyway. It may offer you some valuable
clues -- or at least some ideas for getting at some valuable clues.
When you're using the keyboard, whatever you type appears on the command
line on the screen.
To erase or "edit" part or all of a command line, use the Delete,
Backspace, or horizontal arrow keys, depending on which computer you're
using.
End every command you type in by pressing RETURN (on your keyboard it
may be labeled Return or Enter). If you have a joystick or mouse and the
word Return appears on your screen, you may also click on the word to
end your command.
Remember that the key words in your command are the verbs, nouns, and
prepositions -- for example, TALK TO MAN or CLIMB UP LADDER.
When you combine more than one action in a single command -- for
example, CLIMB UP LADDER AND TALK TO CREATURE -- keep in mind that the
actions will be performed separately, not simultaneously. In other
words, if you climb the ladder and the creature pushes you off, you may
not get a chance to talk to him -- ever.
If you type in a command and don't get any action, try using different
words to express what you want to do. Especially when you're around the
people of Tonetown, you'll find that they can be a little finicky about
certain matters of style and etiquette.
You can use the function keys on your computer as "shortcuts" on a few
important commands; see page 12.
GETTING AROUND TOWN
With a joystick or mouse, you can move in any direction simply by
clicking on the corresponding point of the on-screen compass: North,
South, East, and West. If you want to climb up something or descend, you
can click on UP and DN if these appear on your compass.
With the keyboard, you can type the first letter of the direction you
want to go, then press RETURN.
On Amiga, Atari ST, IBM, Tandy, and compatible computers, you can also
use the directional arrow keys -- up, down, right, and left -- to move
north, south, east, and west, respectively.
If you like, you can make one long move over several directions by
typing in a series of directions, separating them with periods, before
pressing RETURN. For example, you might type N.E.N. to move north, then
east, then north again. During such a series of moves, you won't miss --
or avoid -- whatever might happen to you while moving in any one of the
specified directions.
If you want to climb up something or descend, and UP and DN do not
appear on your compass, you must type what you want to do from the
keyboard.
THE TALK OF THE TOWN
AND OTHER TASS PASTIMES
With a joystick or mouse, you can use the command icons to talk to
characters and perform other common actions. Simply click on the icon
for the action you want to perform. In some cases you can then click on
the object or person you want to act on or talk to; in other cases you
may find that you have to type in the name of the object or person from
the keyboard, then press RETURN.
If you don't have a joystick or mouse, read the following information
about the icons anyway. Each one stands for an action verb that you'll
probably want to use often in your commands (see "Function Key
Shortcuts" on page 12). Also, the various ways the icons can be used may
give you some ideas for making your trip to Tonetown more tass.
Here are some tips and special notes on using the icons.
[hand holding object] Get. Use this to place items that you want or
think you may need in your inventory. For example, there are clues to be
gathered, special items that may come in handy later on, and things that
will help you "fit in" in Tonetown.
In some cases you can click on the Get icon, then click on the thing you
want in the scene on the screen; in other cases you may find that you
have to type the name of the object from the keyboard -- for example,
when the object is not visible on the screen. And of course there may be
some things that you just can't take with you.
One special use of the Get icon: you can click on it twice to collect
everything in a scene. Typing GET ALL from the keyboard will also do the
trick.
[hand releasing object]: Drop. The opposite of the Get icon, this
removes items from your inventory. Just as with the Get icon, you may be
able to click on the item you want to remove, or you may have to type
its name from the keyboard; and you can click twice on the Drop icon (or
type DROP ALL from the keyboard) to remove everything from your
inventory.
As you'll see, your inventory is just like any piece of luggage: it
can't hold everything. When your cup runneth over and you want to add
something to it, you'll have to drop something first.
[glove marked KO]: Hit. When nothing but force will do, click on this to
strike a blow -- to another character or to an object -- then click on
the poor creature or thing you want to hit or type its name from the
keyboard.
[eye]: Look at. Click on this for a detailed description of someone or
something that interests you, then click on the object of your interest
or type its name from the keyboard.
One special use of the Look icon: you can click on it twice for a
description of the entire scene on the screen.
[mouth]: Talk to. Use this icon to start a conversation with somebody,
then click on the person you want to talk to or type his or her name
from the keyboard -- if you know it. Some Tonetownians are particular
about being addressed by name. So get to know who's who. The local
newspaper is a good source of information.
[hand with money]: Buy. Yes, there are things to buy in Tonetown, even
though the coin of the realm may seem a bit strange to you. Use this
icon in the usual way: click on it, then click on the object you want to
buy or type its name from the keyboard. Anything you buy goes into your
inventory.
[people talking]: Tell me about. Once you're involved in a conversation
with someone, you can ask him or her to tell you about -- well, anything
or anybody you see (or have seen) on the screen. Although of course
Tonetownians are just like most folks in at least one respect: not
everybody knows everything about everything and everybody.
[man opening door]: Enter. Click on this to go through a door, into a
building, or wherever you want to go -- if you're sure you want to go
there, that is -- then specify where "there" is by clicking on it or
typing its name from the keyboard.
TALKING TO PEOPLE WITH THE KEYBOARD. Again, Tonetownians can be very
particular about being addressed by name. If you want to have a pleasant
(and informative) conversation with someone, you must start your
statements with the name of the person you're talking to -- for example,
CHAZ TELL ME ABOUT THE BOOK.
EVIL LURKS
Not everything that goes down in Tonetown is totally tass. In fact,
there's a good chance -- make that several good chances -- that you'll
find yourself pushing up the moonflowerets before you have a chance to
say "Jamac's Salon." In which case you'll have to start all over again.
You may not be able to avoid taking a fall or two or nine, but you can
avoid the frustration of having to start over every time. When you sense
danger, type QUICKSAVE and press RETURN before making another move. This
will store your progress so far. If you then meet your demise, type Y,
then type QUICKLOAD and press RETURN to resume play where you were when
you got dusted.
You can make a QUICKSAVE and QUICKLOAD even quicker -- see
"Function Key Shortcuts" on page 12.
IF YOU'RE CALLED OUT OF TOWN
If you wish to stop play while in the middle, you can save your progress
so that you can pick up where you left off at a later time. You can save
at least eight separate games on most systems, assigning each one a
number.
The words Save and Load appear automatically in the upper-left portion
of the screen in Commodore 64/128, Apple II, and Macintosh versions.
Simply use your mouse, joystick, or keyboard to carry out the command.
Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC/PCjr, and Tandy 1000 users must first place the
cursor above the picture.
TO SAVE A GAME WITH A JOYSTICK OR MOUSE, click on the word Save with the
joystick or mouse button (the right mouse button on Amiga and Atari ST
computers) and hold the button down. Holding the button down, use the
joystick or mouse to "pull down" the Save menu and highlight a game
number for the game to be saved, then release the button.
TO SAVE A GAME WITH THE KEYBOARD, type SAVE GAME and press RETURN, then
follow the instructions on the screen for assigning a number to the game
you're saving.
TO LOAD A GAME WITH THE JOYSTICK OR MOUSE, click on the word Load with
the joystick or mouse button (the right mouse button on Amiga and Atari
ST computers) and hold the button down. Holding the button down, use the
joystick or mouse to "pull down" the Load menu and highlight a game
number for the game to be loaded, then release the button.
TO LOAD A GAME WITH THE KEYBOARD, type LOAD GAME and press RETURN, then
follow the instructions on the screen for specifying the number of the
game you want to load.
FUNCTION KEY SHORTCUTS
If your computer has function keys, you can use them as handy shortcut
to several common commands.
Amiga, Atari ST, IBM, Tandy, and compatible computers have 10 function
keys; if you have a PCjr, you must hold down the Fn key while pressing
the corresponding number key, 1-10. With Apple II computers, you must
hold down the SHIFT key while pressing the corresponding number key,
1-9. Commodore 64 and 128 computers feature function keys 1-8. The
Macintosh does not have function keys.
FUNCTION KEY COMMAND
1 Save game
2 Load game
3 Repeat last command
4 Tell me about
5 Drop
6 Get all
7 QUICKSAVE
8 QUICKLOAD
9 Talk to
10 Look at
GETTING THE LOWDOWN IN TONETOWN
To solve the mystery -- and have an ultra-tass time while
you're at it -- take some tips from the great investigative
reporters, canine and otherwise.