Ubisoft Assassin's Creed II User Manual

WARNING

CONTENTS

READ BEFORE PLAYING

A very small percentage of individuals may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights. Exposure to certain patterns or backgrounds on a computer screen, or while playing video games, may induce an epileptic seizure in these individuals. Certain conditions may induce previously undetected epileptic symptoms even in persons who have no history of prior seizures or epilepsy.

If you, or anyone in your family, have an epileptic condition, consult your physician prior to playing. If you experience any of the following symptoms while playing a video or computer game -- dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement, or convulsions -IMMEDIATELY discontinue use and consult your physician before resuming play.

Getting started >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 04 Characters >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 06 Animus User Manual >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 07

1. Controls >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 07

2. HUD >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 15

3. Gameplay Loop >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 17

4. Menus >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 21

5. Uplay™ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>23 Technical Support >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 26 Warranty >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 27

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GETTING STARTED

INSTALLATION

Installing Assassin’s Creed™ II

To install Assassin’s Creed™ II, follow these simple steps:

1. Insert the Assassin’s Creed™ II Installation DVD into your DVD-ROM drive. The Autorun menu should appear. If it does not, browse to your DVD drive and double-click on the Autorun.exe file.

2. Click the Install button. The installation wizard will walk you through the setup

and installation process for the game.

3. After installing the game, select Ubisoft/Assassin’s Creed™ II/Play Assassin’s

Creed™ II from your Start menu or double-click the Assassin’s Creed™ II shortcut on your desktop (if you selected to have one created during installation). On Vista, you’ll find the shortcut in the Game Explorer. Doing either of these starts the game.

Uninstalling Assassin’s Creed™II

To uninstall Assassin’s Creed™ II, follow these simple steps:

1. Insert the Assassin’s Creed™ II Installation DVD into your DVD-ROM drive. The Autorun menu should appear.

2. When the Autorun menu appears, click on the Uninstall button. This will

automatically uninstall all components of Assassin’s Creed™ II.

09/17/12

To: Undisclosed [ENCRYPTED] Subject: The Plan Attachments: map.png; Animus Control & Feedback (Updated).txt

This is the day we’ve been preparing for. Earlier this week, Vidic recovered the genetic memory of Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad from Subject 17, Desmond Miles. As you already know, Altaïr was a 12th-century Syrian Assassin; he lived through the betrayal of Al Mualim, along with the assassinations of several prominent Templar crusaders.

Vidic discovered that Al Mualim used one of the five known Apple artifacts to enslave the Assassin order, and forced his way through Desmond’s memories until he recovered the map (included in attachment). He knows the locations of the Pieces of Eden and now the Templars intend to kill Desmond. I’ve been trying to stall them, but I’ve run out of options. We must act now.

I assume you set up the planned facilities and should have received the final batch of Animus schematics I sent through the courier in December. It’s time to try our machine on Desmond. If this works, he’ll be one of the most powerful men alive by the time we’re done. I’ve attached Desmond’s profile (ignore his attitude, you’ll like him once you get to know him – I promise), his Italian ancestor Ezio Auditore’s bio, and the latest list of Animus controls and feedback. Desmond has already acclimatised to them, so please try to use these as the basis for your control scheme. I’ve also included potential modifications/upgrades from Abstergo’s research that we can steal for our Animus. You should be able to have this all up and working by the time we get there, right?

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If all goes well, by the time Vidic decrypts this email, Desmond and I will be on our way to you. If you don’t hear from me within 12 hours, pack up everything and run. See you soon (I hope),

Lucy Stillman

CHARACTERS

ANIMUS USER MANUAL

DESMOND MILES

Age: 25 Weight: 12 stone 2 lbs. Height: 6’ Blood Type: A+ Nationality: American

Psychological Traits: Independent, introverted and defensive. Desmond has

trouble trusting others. His parents were incredibly overprotective, essentially imprisoning him within their community, swearing that it was for his own good. He has spent the past nine years avoiding large cities, hiding from civilisation. He guards his thoughts and emotions behind a wall of cynicism.

EZIO AUDITORE

Age: 17 Weight: 11 stone 11 lbs. Height: 6’ Nationality: Florentine Year: 1476

Personal History: Although there’s a lot of information about Ezio’s

father, Giovanni, who was a high profile Florentine banker and a political advisor to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the only info I can find on Ezio is that he was once apprenticed to Giovanni Tornabuoni, the great Florentine banker.

Psychological Traits: Charismatic, competitive, a womaniser and an adventurer.

Lucy – I’ve replaced all mentions of the name Altaïr with Ezio and updated the device name to Animus 2.0, to make things a little easier on your end.

1. CONTROLS

Move Forward

Move Backward

Move Left

Move Right

High Profile

Weapon Hand

Head

Empty Hand

Legs

Throwing Knives

Hidden Blade

Sword

Fists

Weapon Wheel

Pan Camera Up

Pan Camera Down

Pan Camera Left

Pan Camera Right

Target Lock

Contextual Camera

Centre Camera

Map

Pause

First person Camera

Right Mouse Button

Left Mouse Button

Left Shift key

Space Bar

Arrow up

Arrow down

Arrow left

Arrow right

Tab

Esc

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1.1 Animus control

The Animus 2.0 allows you to control Ezio through a combination of standard and contextual buttons. Standard buttons always perform the same action. For example, pressing the Q key always selects the Weapon Wheel. Conversely, the action resulting from a contextual button press will change depending on the context the ancestor is currently in. For example, the Space Bar can make Ezio sprint, jump, dodge or run up a wall, depending on the context.

1.2 General

1.2.1 Move

Move Ezio by using the movement keys [W, A, S and D]. Pressing W or S moves Ezio forward or backward. Pressing A or D makes Ezio turn to the left or to the right.

1.2.2 Look

Using the mouse, you can look around Ezio’s environment. Pressing the C key recentres the camera on his back.

1.2.3 Target and Lock On

The Animus 2.0 displays specific visual effects on certain citizens with whom you can interact. By pressing the F key, Ezio’s attention focuses on the selected citizen, and he is then locked onto that citizen. When locked, Ezio can speak, kill and accomplish other actions. Use the F key to enter Fight mode. Once you are in Fight mode, targeting will switch automatically to the nearest enemy. When you want to exit Fight mode, press the F key again to unlock and run away.

Lucy – Make sure the player can also exit fight mode by running away (right mouse button + Space Bar); unlocking takes way too much work.

1.2.4 Weapon Wheel and Quick Inventory

Weapon Wheel: Holding the Q key brings up the Weapon Wheel. You can select the

weapon you want to equip by moving the mouse. Quick Inventory: Using the quick inventory, the keys [1,2,3,4] select the weapon.

Pressing a second time unsheathes the weapon.

1.2.5 Contextual Camera

In some specific situations, a contextual camera is available to give you another view of the situation. Pressing the T key when visible changes the camera angle.

1.2.6 Map

Press the Tab key to display a map of the area. The Animus 2.0 is able to fill in a basic outline of the area from historical data, but details about the area will have to be filled in by you. You should climb to the top of landmarks and scan the view to become synchronised with Ezio’s memory of the area. This will allow the Animus

2.0 to fill the map with specific memory objectives and other details stored in your genetic memory.

Lucy – An improvement over the Animus 1.0 map, but synchronisation is still required.

1.3 Contextual

1.3.1 Puppeteer Concept

The Animus 2.0 allows you to control Ezio like a puppet. Each body part is linked to a key or button: the E key is the Head key, the left mouse button is the Weapon Hand button, the Left Shift key is the Empty Hand key and the Space Bar is the Legs key. In the top right corner, the heads-up display (HUD) shows each key’s functionality. You will notice that the functionality changes depending on the context.

1.3.2 High and Low Profile Concept

As with the Animus 1.0, it is possible to change the intensity with which Ezio performs each action. By default, your ancestor will be in Low Profile, but his state can be changed to High Profile by pressing and holding the right mouse button. This is like stepping on the accelerator! In Low Profile, Ezio’s actions are inconspicuous and more socially acceptable. Fast and powerful assassin moves are available in High Profile.

1.4 Actions

1.4.1 On ground

Low profile

Space Bar: Steal: Allows Ezio to steal from NPCs for money. Left Shift Key: Gentle Push: Press and hold the Empty Hand key to perform a

gentle push. A gentle push is a socially acceptable way to move people out of Ezio’s way.

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+ 9 hidden pages