Frequently asked questions

Sword Dream frequently asked questions

Q: I downloaded Blacktower and Brotherhood and was unable to get either to work, the program gave me an error of 210. If you could give me any insight into what this means...

A: It really means what you the alert box says. You are using an older version of the application. You need v2.1 to play those newer scenarios (at a guess, you are probably using v2.0).

The latest version is available from Info-Mac, UMich, and here

Q: I am not being able to exit the tutorial to play the real game. Every time I try, it goes right back to the tutorial. Can you help me??

A: In the first 3D room you see in the tutorial there are two doors. You should enter the south one to exit the tutorial. The southern back door, out of the tutorial, will only open when you have a character in the roster, equipped with the full range of weapons and items you find in the tutorial.

Q: It does not run. When I even just click on the Dream DB application it doesn't work. The exact thing that it says is: "The document 'Dream DB' couldn't be opened because the application 'Dream DB' could not be found. Could not find a translationextension with the appropriate translators."

A: You should NOT click, nor double click, on the Dream DB. Leave it alone. Just launch the scenario you'd like to play, or the Sword Dream 3D application itself.

Q: What upcoming scenarios are there becides the ones on the web page?

A: I know of a few developers who are working on scenarios, but won't commit to a shipping date or won't allow me to put their name and e-mail address on the WWW page - so, there are no more promises so far.

Q: I'd like to know why you charge so much for Sword Dream. I mean, for the scenarios and et cetera. I'm also sort of confused. According to the manual, what I understood is this:

$20 to $40 - ScenarioMaker + registration code

$40 or up - ScenarioMaker + scenarios + registration code

A: Sorry for the confusion. The truth can be summed up as follows.

Any amount of money, even one dollar, will register all software (Dream 3D, ScenarioMaker, MisterMonsterMaker, and all of our scenarios), and entitle you to receive a registration code.
We suggest you pay $20 - our estimate of the software's worth.
Should you pay $40 or more, we'd send you a CD-ROM with the latest version of everything, in three languages, and all of the related stuff (icons, documentation, unreleased and pre-release tools, etc).

Q: I downloaded Sword Dream 3D, and I really liked the introduction section. It's one of the most user-friendly approaches I've seen. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to try the actual game. When I exit the introduction area, I'm sent back to the 3D room where I first started the introduction. Then I go to look for another door besides the exit that brings me back through the introduction cycle.

I find another door (it's past some wooden frame that's attached to thewall), but when I enter it I get a message about "quitting" the game, and that I can't move onto another section or something without being registered. I don't want to enter another section, I just want to play the normal game (not the introduction sequence) to see if I like it.

A: "Scenario", not section. There's no "normal" game in Dream. The application is an engine, and it executes adventures (the "scenarios") for you. Browse this site for a better explanation.

the introduction finishes there. You are then supposed to open a new, real scenario, and play it (the game should offer to open it for you, and that's the strange part). I suggest you try "Heroes of the Black Tower" version 1.0.1, available from here

Q: I've noticed problems concerning weight, and the amount carried. If my capacity is 1000, i should be able to carry 1000 without problems (is the unit in pounds, kilograms?). However, for a character with limit 1000, he gets overburdened at about 850.

A: It's supposed to be a feature - and it's pounds. The original idea was: if you carry up to, but not more, than 85% of your weight allowance everything is OK. From 85% to 100% you are overburdened, and you move with difficulty. If you carry more then you can't move during fightings. Tests proved that the latter rule was too harsh, so I relaxed it in 1.0.2 - now if you carry more than 100% of your WA you find yourself unable to move 50% of the times.

Q: I think this game is great! However, there are a few bugs in it I have noticed. I am running this on an old SE/30, with the normal 14" screen, and it doesn't seem to handle this size well. When I try to check the character sheet, or help, it continues out of view off of the screen. As does the "About Sword Dream" from the Apple menu.

A: Sorry, the SE/30 has a 10", not 14", embedded screen. Sword Dream 1.7 requires at least a 12" screen (512 by 384 pixels) to run. Sword Dream 3D and later requires a 13" screen (640 by 480 pixels).

Q: If I leave all the money in the bank and some persons in an Inn, I still find them there even if I change to a new scenario. Is this ok?

A: With the bank, it is supposed to work that way. With the inn it isn't, but it's possible to make it so if the scenario designer so wishes. The Dream engine memorizes the numeric ID of the inn-place, so if you create another inn in another scenario with the same ID...

Q: Would you please tell me why you named it Sword Dream? I have a few ideas, but I am quite curious.

A: Uhm, well. Many reasons, none of them more significant than the others - and I'm not even certain I remember them all.

It has always been my dream to create an original game; and I've always dreamed that someone created a really modular role playing game.
On the other hand, just "Dream" is ambiguous. As disc editor for a Mac magazine, I've come to deeply dislike software which title doesn't give you a glimpse of what the software's supposed to do
The Italian title is "Sogni & Spade" (and the Italian title came first). Shortened, it's S&S, which reminds me a bit of D&D, a role playing game which I like a lot.

FAQ for scenario developers

Q: Is there any way to modify the resources created with MisterMonsterMaker 3D?

A: Yes, using ResEdit. E-mail me and I'll send a copy of the templates you'll need - it's a small file. Just keep it open while opening the scenario in ResEdit.

Q: Do I need permission to create a scenario and distribute it as shareware?

A: None whatsoever!

Q: When I am in MMM and try to open a scenario, none are available. My guess is that MMM is looking for a different type/creator code than the scenarios really have. I have three scenarios from you and one that I am building, and none appear in the directory dialog. Please help me to resolve this, as I am anxious to create my own world! I love your game, with all its potential, and am very gratefull to you for providing it!

A: You are using an obsolete version of MMM - the one I created when Sword Dream was still 2D. The current version is online here

Q: I have two 3D rendering programs, Ray Dream Studio and Fractal Design Detailer, but I don't know how to export the models and images into Dream 3D

A: Sorry, you can't. A 3D game needs a very fast renderer, and to do this you compromise everything else - including compatibility with standard applications. Everything to be used inside a 3D scenario must be created with either MMM or SM3D (except the icons, textures and pictures, of course).

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