MELTY BLOOD ONLINE MANUAL
2002/12/30 WATANABE PRODUCTION & TYPE-MOON
2004/05/19 REVOLVE TRANSLATIONS
Thank you for purchasing 'Melty Blood' from Watanabe Works and TYPE-MOON.
Please read these instructions before playing the game.
*This manual has been optimized for Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 with monitor resolution
of 1024x768. Revolve recommends a resolution of 1280x1024 for increased readability.
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~k_wata/
http://www.typemoon.com/
| OS |
: |
Compatible with AT computers running Windows 98/NT/ME/XP
(Not supported for use with NEC PC-98 and other 98 series computers, or
computers running Win95)
Requires DirectX 8.1 or later |
| CPU |
: |
Pentium II or Celeron 330Mhz or greater (recommend Pentium III 450Mhz
or greater) |
| Memory |
: |
64MB or greater (128MB or greater recommended) |
| VGA |
: |
Direct3D card or compatible with at least 640x480 resolution and 65536
colors.
For high speed, VRAM16MB. (Recommended:GeForce256 or better) |
| Sound |
: |
DirectSound or compatible (required) |
| Peripherals |
: |
4-button gamepad recommended
(Keyboards do not support simultaneous pressing of multiple keys) |
* Windows 95 is not supported. If you can install DirectX 8.1, you may be able
to play the game, but we cannot answer support questions concerning this environment.
* Voodoo3 and Banshee cards are not supported. The game may play on these cards
but textures will appear rough and garbage may appear on the sides of the screen.
Again, we cannot answer support questions concerning these cards.
* This game is not guaranteed to work under all computer configurations. We
continue to correct bugs when possible, but due to instability issues with Direct3D
and other known issues, you may experience problems including failure to start,
garbage appearing on screen, file errors, and drive read errors.
* This game is not guaranteed to have accurate sound on all types of sound cards.
| 3. Installation Instructions |
To play the game, you will need to install the program on your PC.
1. Insert the Melty Blood game CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. If you have autorun capability, the installation will begin automatically. If DirectX is not installed, it will install before the game installation begins.
3. If the installation does not begin automatically, navigate to your CD-ROM drive and open SETUP.EXE or StartUpApp.EXE
Wait until the program indicates that the installation is complete.
When the installation is complete, you may start the game by going to the Melty
Blood folder in your Start Menu.
*You will not need to use the CD to play the game after it has been installed.
Please put it in a safe place to prevent damage.
*To uninstall, please go to 'Add/Remove Programs' in the Control Panel.
When the game starts, you will normally see this screen. If it shows that your
hardware meets the specifications listed above, you may continue on. Certain
configurations of VRAM will cause the box to incorrectly list video cards as
being G400's. If you know that your video card is compatible with specifications
for this game, you may still continue.
*If you are playing the game in fullscreen mode and you switch to another application
with Alt-Tab, you may not be able to resume the game. If this happens, please
end the game by pressing ESC or by ending the MB process.
New to the game as of version 1.002 is the ability to change the color depth.
If your video card supports 32-bit textures, you can adjust the Color Depth
to 32bit. This will provide an enhanced look to the game by using a more robust
set of colors on the screen.
To assign different keys to the gamepad, select Pad1 config or Pad2 config respectively.
*You cannot change the keyboard configuration. (Because of their inability to
recognize simultaneous key presses, keyboards are not officially supported.)
When you are comfortable with the screen size and the gamepad configuration,
press OK to start the game!
The title screen will appear after the opening movie and demonstration.
You can select from several modes of play at this screen.
| Story Mode |
- |
Fight through scenarios to one of multiple endings. |
| Arcade Mode |
- |
Fight computer opponents one after another. |
| VS Mode |
- |
Fight one on one against your opponents. |
| Training Mode |
- |
Practice against the computer. |
| Option |
- |
Change the game settings here. |
| End Game |
- |
End the game and return to Windows. |
| 6. Configuration Settings |
Game settings can be changed at the Options screen.
-Action Part-
| Difficulty |
- |
How hard the game will be. 1 is the easiest; as the numbers increase,
so does the difficulty. |
| Number of
victories |
- |
How many times you must defeat an opponent to win the battle. This
can be set between 1 and 3.
Changing this setting does not affect Story Mode. The number of victories
required will vary between 1 and 3 depending on the scenario you are playing.
|
| Background |
- |
If this is set to 'Simple' then the background picture that appears during
the fight will be changed to a single picture, which will decrease the load
on the computer. It is recommended that you keep the background on the default
setting. Changing to 'simple' will not cause any drastic improvements in
game performance, and will not allow you play the game with lower hardware
specifications than normally required. |
-Novel Part-
| Retries |
- |
Set how many times you will be able to retry Story Mode after game over. |
| Message speed |
- |
Set the speed at which the text in Story Mode appears. |
-Volume Adjust-
Adjust the volume of Background Music and Sound Effects.
Default
Return all settings to default configuration.
Return to Title
Leave the Option Screen and return to the Title Screen.
One lever and four buttons control your character in the game. The buttons are,
in order, weak, medium, and strong attacks, and seal (guard). Combining movement
and buttons produce special attacks, similar to other fighting games.
*About the keyboard
This game was not designed for keyboard control. Because the hardware does not
recognize simultaneous button presses, it is not dependable for use with this
game. However, the following keys may be used as an alternate means of controlling
the character.
Player 1 - N M , . for buttons 1 - 4, cursor keys for movement.
Player 2 - Z X C V for buttons 1 - 4, F G H T for movement. (left, down, right, up)
Again, keyboard control is not supported for this game.
Keystrokes will be accepted simultaneously with input from the pad, which may cause errors.
Also, the keyboard configuration cannot be changed.
Rules of the game
To win, use a variety of fighting techniques to reduce your opponent's life bar to zero.
Some different techniques are listed below.
·Seal (button 4)
Using this, it is possible to deflect your opponent's normal attacks. When you block an attack with the seal, you will be able to counter attack quickly. Adjusting to your opponent's attacks and timing your seal is the key to victory.
·Vital Source (blue gauge at the top of the screen)
This gauge measures your character's stamina. It will decrease as your character takes damage or uses special moves.
When this gauge is depleted you will become 'Hazed.' In this state you will take more damage and can be knocked down easily. This state will end after a certain amount of time.
-Like most fighting games, there is no 'perfect strategy.'
About Story
Mode
In story mode you create the story as you play. Play several times to enjoy all the possibilities of the world of Tsukihime.
The outcome of your battles may lead to different scenarios and a new story. Sometimes you will even make decisions outside of battle that affect the story. There may even be times when you sympathize with your opponent and will want to lose the fight on purpose. Finding the true ending to the story will require you to overcome many obstacles and persevere, but please try hard!
Sion Eltnam Atlasia
Etherlite - Air ... 
Etherlite - Ground ...
Warning Shot ...
Slide - Air ... (in air)
Black Barrel (replica) ...
Arcueid Brunestud
Disturbing! ...
Noisy! ...
Slow! ... 
Let's Go! ...
Dreams Become Reality (Marvel Phantasm) ...
Ciel
Black Key ...
Aerial Black Key ... (In air)
Hiero ...
Seventh Scripture ...
Akiha Tohno
Hatched Bird ...
(Aerial possible)
Burnt Beast ...
(Aerial possible)
Pierced Moon ...
Red Season, Red Leaves (Promise Under the Maple) ...
Red Master Prison of Hair (One-Handed Origami) ...
Hisui
Dusting ...
Sisters' Bond (Basic Style) ...
(Special) Tag Out ...
Dark Jade Fist ...
Kohaku
Secret Sword Draw ...
Magical Amber Missile ...
(Aerial possible)
Difficult Childhood ...
Sisters' Bond (Wind Style) ...
(Special) Tag Out ...
China Kohaku / Low Blow ...
Shiki Tohno
Flash Draw - Slice ...
Eight Thousand Years
Seven Nights
One Wind
Flash Draw - Eightfold Slice ...
Flash Run - Six Rabbits ...
Seventeen Pieces ...
Answers to common game questions can be found here. Be sure to check here before
sending us your problem.
Q0 I experience several problems
First, make sure you are running the correct operating system. Performance can't be guaranteed on operating systems other than specified above. Also, the game will not perform correctly if you are trying to run Windows on a Macintosh. Use only Windows 98 or NT operating systems.
Q1 The game does not start
Verify again that your computer meets the hardware and OS requirements. Have you changed your hardware recently? Turn the computer all the way off and back on again. Reinstall the game and DirectX. If none of this works, consider reinstalling your OS or having the computer examined by a qualified technician.
We cannot support problems relating to hardware. If the game once worked normally but now has stopped working, consider any changes that you may have recently made to software or hardware.
Q2 The game moves very slowly
Lack of VRAM, poor drawing speed, and insufficient CPU power are the three causes
of this problem. If your computer meets the hardware requirements, try terminating
any other programs you have running, then restart the game. Antivirus and other
background programs can cause the speed of the game to drop.
The framerate has been known to drop considerably on some video cards. This seems
to be an individual video card problem, so we cannot advise which ones may experience
this. Just a warning.
Be aware that when the characters are moving quickly and are using special attacks, the load on the computer increases and speed may drop.
Q3 Background music stops or breaks up
This means that your hardware is not transferring the music data fast enough. Try terminating any programs that may be accessing your hard drive, or try running the game on a faster machine.
Q4 The game hangs up during play
Make sure your hardware meets 3DMark 2000 and 2001 standards. Hang ups are usually caused by too great a load on the hardware.
Try exiting back to Windows and restarting the game. If this fails, restart the computer.
Q5 There are lines running through the characters
Try updating your video driver. Visit the manufacturer's website for the latest
drivers.
Q6 The picture is too big
This may be a video driver issue as well. If updating the driver does not work, your video card may not be compatible with this game.
Q7 The characters speak before the fight, but the fight does not begin.
This is actually a sound issue. The game is waiting for additional audio data which it is not receiving. Try restarting the computer.
Q8 What's all this 'Tsukihime' stuff?
Tsukihime is a visual novel game made by TYPE-MOON. Melty Blood is the first mainstream game based on Tsukihime. If you are not familiar with Tsukihime, you may have some trouble understanding the story of Melty Blood. But you can still enjoy the gameplay, and if you are interested in learning more about the world of Tsukihime, we encourage you to buy all our other games!)
Q9 In Story Mode, I see 'Program No6 Error'?
That's part of the story. It's not an actual game problem.
Q10 Who are the voice actors for the characters?
The names of the voice actors are now included with Melty Blood as of version
1.100 when you finish the game in any one of the different modes. Please check
the ending credits to view the list.
Q11 Damage doesn't seem to register at the beginning of the fight
This is intentional, to prevent players from getting attacked before they are fully ready.
If you still experience problems after reading this manual, please check the Watanabe
Works homepage. Updated patches and troubleshooting tips will be listed here.
Please check these places, as well as your hardware and gamepad connections before
attempting to contact us regarding your problems. We cannot reply promptly to
issues, and you may be able to find a solution faster by simply checking over
your computer or looking at the troubleshooting sections of the homepage or the
manual. When sending us your problems, make sure you list your hardware configuration,
the circumstances under which you experience this problem, and any other relevant
details. We're not psychic so if you don't send us the information, we won't know
it.
Please e-mail your questions directly to TYPE-MOON. The TYPE-MOON bulletin board is not a place for support questions and we will not answer any support questions posted there.
This game is produced by members of Watanabe Works and TYPE-MOON.
All rights reserved by both groups. Please do not duplicate or distribute without
authorization.
We do not encourage widespread distribution of modified versions of levels or characters.
Further rights and restrictions can be found on the TYPE-MOON homepage. Please
read them carefully to prevent violations.
Thanks for supporting Watanabe Works' project. It's been a long and difficult time.
Many obstacles stood in our way, but at last Melty is finished. It's not perfect,
but we hope you'll enjoy it.
All of you who posted on the homepage waiting for the release know how long it
took and how many problems we had to deal with. Not just our own problems, but
the problems of working together with another group, TYPE-MOON, the changes both
our groups experienced, problems getting the game produced and distributed. By
the time you add them all up it's a pretty big pile. We want to apologize for
sometimes losing sight of why we started all this, of getting caught up in the
grind and not being able to stick to our planned schedules, of not getting the
trial versions out there.
The finished product is here because of your encouragement and criticism on the quality of animation and the balance in the fighting system.
We received wonderful cooperation from TYPE-MOON in providing us with material
from Tsukihime. Their original characters are what make the game. Thank you guys.
This has been a great learning experience for us. We hope to use what we've learned
in making this game to making even better ones in the future.
About the story part. Thanks to Nasu, Takeuchi, Kate, and everyone at TYPE-MOON
for dealing with the problems of creating and packing in the engine for the story
mode with an obsolete scripter. Of course your work was much easier in the second
half, thanks to my help! Nasu especially had a tough time. He worked with some
of the funny scenarios, and as the number one Tsukihime fan, he was afraid we
were turning the story into a joke. Only Watanabe Works knew the whole story!
I'm sure he's okay now.
About the fighting part. There are pros and cons to the fighting system we used,
but we are very proud of it. The animation is very fluid, and we did away almost
completely with stiff blocking. Blocking is an important part of the game, but
aggressiveness is still rewarded.
After coming up with the initial ideas, the fighting system was the biggest part of our work. But it was also the most enjoyable, because our work was mostly "Hit him! Go back, no, forward! Use a special attack!" Of course we were finding out the limits of the game engine.
There's no system that everyone can agree upon as the best, so we wanted to make
one that even beginners like us could use just by fumbling with the buttons. We
also wanted to make sure that the Arc and Ciel fights would look as good as everyone
was anticipating. The system may seem watered down, and fighting game experts
may look down on it, but the idea is to have an enjoyable game with fights that
look good, like MSH.
What about the ultimate moves? It's difficult to use the ultimate moves in the
beginning of the game, but that was the idea. You fight carefully with weak attacks
in the beginning, but in the later rounds you can attack with stronger and stronger
moves. If your opponent is weakened, you can use your best moves like instant-death
attacks for a great finish.
In the future.
Well, we have a homepage and everything, but actually, after Melty, there probably
won't be a 'Watanabe Works' anymore. To be honest we had to come up with a name
in a hurry and just picked that one at random. We actually first used that name
about ten years ago. It's sad to leave it after so long, but it's had some bad
associations as well as some good ones. The next name we use will probably be
permanent. We don't know yet who we'll be or what we'll do, but we've found that
our way of doing things is a good one, and we're going to keep on going. Being
a part of this group has helped each of us and we've never felt we had to compromise
our ideas for someone else's.
Additional characters for GOF and a possible sequel? During RBO we found that the time between announcing the game and final production was the busiest time, so we'll keep that to ourselves for now.
We had a good time working with TYPE-MOON on MB, but both our groups will probably be too busy with our own projects to work together again in the near future. Not to say it won't ever happen again.
Oh well. This note is too long already.
End.
Takeuchi. Nasu. Everyone thanks you so much for your help.
I'm sure we were a headache for you, but it was nice working with you. Good luck on future projects.
2002/12/30 Watanabe Works
2004/05/19 Revolve Translations