Well, it looks as if you are a real gutsy type of person. After all, one would have to be to bear these instructions. Actually these instructions were written to help you get a jump start on things.
In addition, this will allow you to play the game as it should be played. Be nice to our program and our program will be nice to you. Ok Batman, to the point.
If you are new, we would like you to look at the demo before reading the instructions. The demo will give you a better feel for what you are about to read.
Apply and Login
When you first play Design Paradise you must apply for an account. After you apply, you may reenter the game at any time using the login screen. If you do not have an account, you must apply for one in order to play the game. Enter your first and last name, and age. In addition, enter your company name. It can be anything, but it's just more fun if you have a company name. Select your display mode and game mode, enter a password and you are all set.
Now, remember that Frames are for Web Browsers that can handle frames. If you can't handle frames, you won't see a thing, so select carefully. Graphics w/ Text is for browsers that can handle graphics, but not frames. This is for the older browsers out in the market today. Last but not least, is the text display. We have this for the great computer people who love Lynx. It works beautifully on a text display, not to mention the fast load times.
The game mode is how hard the game is. The game consists of three maps: Lihue, Princeville/Hanalei, Poipu/Koloa. You can choose to play on all three maps or begin with just one. Beginners should just choose one map, but the more experienced should definitely go the long route and have a ball with all three maps.
After you apply once, your account will be saved. If you ever want to leave, your game is automatically saved and you can return to play at any time. We did this because we realized, not everyone has the time to play a simulation continuously. Mind you, this game is addicting, so beware.
[Note: If you want to change your game mode, you will need to apply for a new account.]
Main Window
This is the window in which the main map is displayed. Any time you see "main map" mentioned, it refers to the map that displays the type of land and water that you are working with.
It is important to remember that the "x" coordinate goes horizontally and that the "y" coordinate goes vertically. Matching up the x and y coordinates selects a tile for development, represented by an icon. This icon could be a number of things ranging from land to a man made structure. The icons are explained further in the legend.
If you build something on the main map, you will first see an icon for construction. When construction is complete, an icon representing your development (hotel, mall, housing, etc.) will replace it.
When you start to rezone, the original tile is replaced with an icon. This icon is to remind you that you are currently rezoning that "tile". Upon completion of rezoning, the icon disappears and the "soil" tile (with new zone color designation) reappears. In the event you rezone in the same tile as one with a structure, the structure will be displayed.
In general, structures have priority over rezoning icons and rezoning icons have priority over land icons.
Console Window
This window consists of many buttons and links. These links are customized for your account. Below is a description of these buttons.
Zoning Map: This displays the current zoning of the map you are looking at. When you build something, it is important that you build in the correct zone. For example, you should build a Hotel on a tile zoned Tourism. Malls should be built on tiles zoned Commercial. This map enables you to look at the zoning your map has. In the event you need more of a certain type of zone, you may rezone. This map appears in your Main Window.
Main Map: This just displays the map with icons so you know the lay of the land. This is described in the Main Window.
Messages: Occasionally, you may want to look back at some of the messages from the previous turn or map. This will reprint all the messages in the Main Window.
Legend: There are many icons in Design Paradise. For the beginner, it is useful to have a legend displayed in the Bars Window. Just look for the icon in question and it tells you what it is.
Game Bulletin Board: Tactics are very important in this game. The game is more like a simulation, so when you play, you may find a certain technique scores you more points than others. Share these techniques or perhaps even find out about other people. Ask questions about the game and check back to see your replies. Someone will always be there to help.
High Score: Some people are a bit more competitive than others. If this is you, click on High Score. You will see a breakdown of the top ten players for each of the different game modes and criteria.
Bars Window
If you have graphics, this window will display a graph of your different industries. Use this as a graphical representation of how well you are doing.
There are four industries being monitored:
Below you will find a few fractions such as "25/200". They rate your industries. This is more accurate than the bars above. Why 200? Well since the SAT's didn't use the first 200 points, we figured we had to do something with them. Remember, "Waste not, want not."
Also displayed is your population in the figure "24/2403" or something like that. What this means is that you have 24 people living on your island, but have room for 2403. You will have more space and residents depending on your Residential Rating and the number of residential developments you have.
Your employment rate is also displayed in the form of "240/1403". This means that you have 240 people working but have 1403 total jobs to be filled. You will have more people employed and more available jobs depending on your Commercial, Agriculture and Tourism Ratings. The number of Commercial, Agriculture and Tourism developments will also affect the total number of available jobs.
Your money balance is the balance of your money (uh huh). You start off at ZERO (0). When you spend money, you go negative, but over time, you start to earn it back when you build more and more structures. If you break even, you will go back to positive and be well on your way to being the next billionaire. By the way, money is displayed in millions.
The score is an indicator of your development status. The more you build, the more points. The more balanced your growth, the higher your points. Basically, everything gives you points, the secret is finding out just what gives you more points. Hint, hint...Keep an eye on the BBS for tips in this area. We will be posting them regularly.
Happy points indicate how happy your residents are. Remember, Kauai is a very homey place and its residents want to preserve their lifestyle. Preserve the culture and the people preserve oops I mean support you. Here's a secret: Happy points mean high scores.
Ideal Population and Employment indicate the number of people that should live and work on the island. That is your goal. It is also very hard to reach. If you do reach it, you are amazing. This is just something to shoot for, and it also gives you HAPPY POINTS!
Change Window
Now, in real life, we have to make changes. Imagine wearing the same clothes for a week. Yuck! So we took the same philosophy into our game. We will go through the basics here.
First you need your coordinates to change something. Just do it "Battleship" style. Ok, everything is still cool.
In the "x" box, just give the numerical x value. Do the same for the y box. Then choose what you want to happen at that coordinate. When you are done, just push submit. You have no obligation to fill in all the blanks.
You may notice two buttons. One says submit and the other trial. Many of us humans can make mistakes. For instance build on water or some other silly thing. By doing a trial, you can see the future. This helps you play the game to the fullest. When you see what you like, then submit. What more could a person ask?
Vocabulary
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