Games PC SINGLES-FLIRT UP YOUR LIFE User Manual

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System Requirements 3

Tutorial 4

How to Play! 8

Controlling the "Camera" 9

Time, Money and More 11

Needs and such 12

The Week by Week Calender 18

The Beach House 19

Basic Game Strategies 19

Credits 20

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Minimum

Microsoft® Windows® 98SE/Me/2000/XP
Pentium® 1GHz or equivalent
256MB RAM
32MB DirectX 8.1 compatible 3D graphics card
Soundcard
700MB free hard disk space

Recommended

Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP
Pentium® 1.5GHz or equivalent
512MB RAM
64MB DirectX 8.1 compatible 3D graphics card
Soundcard
700MB free hard disk space

Optimum

Microsoft® Windows® XP
Pentium® 2GHz or equivalent
512MB RAM
128MB DirectX 9 compatible 3D graphics card
Soundcard
700MB free hard disk space

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EPILEPSY WARNING

Some people are prone to epileptic fits or the loss of consciousness as a result of being

To play Singles, click on the Singles start icon that was created on your desktop

exposed to strobing light sources. These people may have attacks while watching

during the installation procedure.

television or playing computer games. Fits can happen to people who have no previous
history of epilepsy. If you or your family has any history of epilepsy it is advised that you
contact your doctor before playing. If you suffer from any of the following symptoms:
disturbed vision, eye or muscle spasm, fainting, disorientation, convulsions or other
uncoordinated movements, you should immediately stop playing the game and contact
your doctor.

Safety Procedures

• Sit an appropriate distance from the monitor, ideally as far away as the wires will allow.

• Use a small monitor.

• Avoid playing the game if you are tired.

• Make sure the room is adequately lit.

• Take a 10-15 minute break every hour of playing.

The screenshot shows the main menu. It always opens at the start of the
program. When you play Singles for the first time, please click on "New Game".
Now you have the choice between the tutorial, a standard game and a free
game. As a newcomer to Singles, you should click on "Tutorial".

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Now select your two singles: Here you decide which two of the available
characters you would like to move in together. For simplicity's sake we'll just call
them Mike and Linda in this manual – although everything applies to all the other
characters as well.

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SINGLES – THE STORY

The buzz of the big city still attracts people from far away, like our two singles
Mike and Linda. Both are new to the city, but have a promising job awaiting
them. All they need now is a suitable flat.

Actually, that's not strictly true. Mike has already found the flat of his dreams.
Unfortunately, it's a bit too expensive for him, so he's looking for a roommate.
After all, it can't be that complicated to share a flat, now can it?

Fate would have it that Linda is the first to read the flyers Mike has put up. And
Linda is fully aware of the advantages of a shared flat: for one, the rent is cheap,
then there's the fact that the rent is cheap - and above all, the rent is cheap.
Okay, so it's not the most varied list, but few lists are more convincing!
So Linda takes a look at the flat – and our story begins...

THE FIRST STEPS

In the tutorial you are given tips to ease yourself into the game. At the
beginning Linda walks through the door and meets Mike. Simply follow the
conversation and the tips for using the controls. Mike will eventually invite
you to have a look around the flat on your own.

The question marks indicate interesting spots where you can learn
something that might be useful for you as a Singles beginner. Simply send
Linda to the locations marked with question marks, and read the dialogues.
Once you have seen enough, have Linda sit down with Mike at the table to
complete the first part of the tutorial.

As soon as you agree to move in, the proper game starts. Fortunately, you
and your singles have a whole weekend to get used to the new set-up. The
working week starts at nine o'clock on Monday morning.

A few tips for the start:

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You can control not only Linda but also Mike. Can you see the circle in the
top right hand corner, which shows the image of the character currently
activated (up to now this has been Linda)? Click on the small button below it
– the focus of your attention will change to Mike.

At the bottom you can see a number of green/red indicators. They are called
"hunger", "fun", etc. You will notice that seven of these indicators ("needs")
change in the course of time, with the red portion increasing. It doesn't take
a genius to guess: Red is bad, green is good! Your basic job is therefore
above all to keep these indicators as far as possible in the green for both
Mike and Linda. Remember that only the needs of the currently activated

character are displayed. So if you want to take care of Linda’s needs, you
need to "jump" to Linda first, using the button in the top right-hand corner. You
already know (from the tutorial) how to influence the indicators: Use the
assorted objects in the flat to find out the consequences of various actions.
You could also let your singles talk to each other, e.g., if you are currently
playing Mike, try to click on Linda to see which options are available here. As
long as you manage to keep all indicators in the green, everything is fine.
Your two singles are happy and in a good mood.

Once you have got used to the new set-up, you might want to unpack the
boxes in the hall. How about dedicating some of Sunday to this activity?
Clicking on one of the boxes to unpack it activates a new section of the
tutorial. It will show you how to place furniture. As a special exception, the
content of the boxes is free of charge. You must satisfy all other wishes at
your own costs using a mail order catalog. Can you see the big round control
element containing many buttons in the bottom left-hand corner? Click on the
"flat" button (it looks like a stylized house) to enter the catalog. If you wish,
you could browse around a little to see what options there are. You will see
that you can not only buy new objects but also redecorate and even
completely do up and extend your flat. To leave the catalog, click on the
"needs" button. It might take a moment to integrate all the new furniture that
you may have purchased during the catalog phase into the game.

The singles will set about fulfilling their most urgent needs without your input
if you leave them standing around. So there's no reason to worry if one of your
singles suddenly sets off to plunder the fridge. You can sometimes simply lean
back and watch your two bods. However, it's always better to take care of your
singles. Moreover, Mike and Linda’s relationship won't develop on its own.
Any independent activities are immediately broken off whenever you take
over control and issue your own commands again. If you don't want your
singles to act of their own accord (we call this "Artificial Intelligence", "AI" for
short), you can deactivate this function. To do so, use the button that looks a
bit like a cogwheel (access the main menu, click "Options", deactivate
"Autonomous characters"). But be careful: From now on, you really have to
take care of everything yourself!

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