VENTURE ARCTIC

© 2007 Pocketwatch Games

 

 

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

=================================

1 GHz Processor or higher

512MB RAM

Windows XP/Vista or Mac OSX 10.3 and later

3D Video Card with 64 MB RAM

 

 

CHEATS, HINTS, AND TIPS

=================================

Visit our community webpage to discuss Venture Arctic, read about strategies, and get cheats.  Expansions and product updates are also announced on the forums.

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE POCKETWATCH GAMES COMMUNITY

 

 

TROUBLE SHOOTING

=================================

This program has been tested extensively to make sure it will operate correctly for all users. If you run into problems with system crashes, error messages or other incorrect behavior, we suggest you first try one of the following:

 

1) Improve performance by setting the game to a lower resolution and turning off Animal Shadows and Bloom in the “Video” portion of the options menu.

 

2) Upgrade your computers video and sound card drivers. This can be done by identifying the type of video and sound card your computer is using, and finding the manufacturer's web site.

 

3) Visit the community webpage at www.pocketwatchgames.com/forums to see if there are any product updates.  If you problem has not been resolved, please use this form to send us a support request and we will attempt to resolve your issue as quickly as possible.

 

HOW TO PLAY VENTURE ARCTIC

=================================

Bring the Arctic to life by creating epic ecosystems of predators and prey!  Unlock animals, environments, and hidden content as you progress through each level.

 

THE BASICS

·         Click and drag the RIGHT mouse button to move around the world.

·         Use the scroll wheel on your mouse to move up and down.

·         Move the mouse to the bottom of the screen to show the tool palette.

·         Complete your goals to progress to the next level.

·         Collect the spirits of animals in the winter

 

SPIRIT POINTS

You can collect spirits of departed animals in the winter.  You can spend your spirit points on:

·         Using tools out-of-season

·         Creating new animals

·         Unlocking new tools, animals or legends

 

TIPS

·         Sometimes there are frozen animals in the environment.  Once you have unlocked a species, you can thaw out these frozen specimens with the sun tool.

·         If you are having trouble finding an animal, scroll through the animals on the palette to the species you are looking for.  The minimap will show a red dot where the animals are.

·         Make sure you have plenty of prey for your predators to eat.

·         You can lead certain species of animals to different places on the map by planting food in a path.

 

KEYBOARD

=================================

The following is a list of game functions that can be performed with the keyboard.

 

Move forwards

W or up arrow

Move left

A or left arrow.

Move backwards

S or down arrow

Move right

D or right arrow

Change Elevation

R and F

Turn Camera

Q and E

Pause Game

Escape

Change Advisor

Space, Z, and X

 

 

TOOLS

=================================

Tools can be used for free when they are in season.  When they are out of season, they cost spirit to use them.

 

Tool

Description

Season

Pregnancy

Click on an adult animal to make it pregnant.  Click and hold to increase its litter size.

Spring

Berries

Click on land where you want to grow a shrub.  Many animals will eat the tasty berries.

 

Migrate

Click and hold on an animal, then drag the mouse where you want them to go.  Continue to hold the button to keep moving the animal.

 

Sun

Melt snow to grow grass with the sun tool.  You can also melt sea ice.  The sun tool will also improve the health of a sick animal.

Summer

Kelp

Click in deep water to make kelp grow.  Schools of fish hide in kelp, allowing their numbers to swell.

 

Shelter

Click on land to grow a tree.  Birds perch on trees and small animals dig under them for protection.

 

Sickness

Click and hold this tool on an animal to make it sick.  If you continue to hold the button, the animal will eventually die.

Autumn

Plankton

Click and drag this tool in deep water to grow plankton.  Many oceanic animals eat plankton as their primary food source.

 

Wind

Click and drag this tool to change the direction of the wind and currents.  Animals can smell food from far away if the smells blow across their paths.

 

Snow

Spread snow on brown, cracked earth to soften it up so grass can grow.  You can also use snow to cover the ocean in ice.

Winter

Urchins

Click and hold this tool in shallow water to grow urchins.  Urchins are a nutritous treat for many animals.

 

Flock

Click and hold this tool on an animal to make other animals of the same species flock to this one.  Useful for moving large groups of animals around.

 

 

ANIMALS

=================================

Every animal is assosciated with a different season.  When an animal dies, you can collect a spirit that you can use on out-of-season tools, to buy new animals, or to unlock items in the lock shop.

 

Animal

Description

Spirit Season

Arctic Hare

The arctic hare survives by camoflaging itself in the snow.  It is extremely fast for its size, which helps it to escape its many predators.

Spring

 

Narwhal

The narwhal is a unique marine mammal that feeds mostly on cod. Their major predators are polar bears and orcas.

 

Arctic Fox

Arctic foxes often will scavenge food from carcasses, but they will occassionally hunt smaller mammals such as the hare and lemming.  Arctic foxes have more young per litter than any mammal in the world.

 

Atlantic Salmon

During the atlantic salmon's adult phase, they spend their time in the ocean mainly feeding on smaller fish.

 

Walrus

Walruses are large, mean marine mammals that eat mostly shellfish and plankton.  Their tusks are formidible weapons: they have been known to kill seals and can defend themselves from polar bears.

 

 

Caribou

Huge herds of caribou follow their annual migrations through the Arctic tundra.  Caribou survive the cold winters by huddling close to one another and foraging grasses.

Summer

 

Atlantic Puffin

The atlantic puffin nests on rocky shorelines and feeds on fish. They are not particularly strong fliers, so they often encounter difficulty when trying to take off from the water.

 

Harp Seal

The harp seal is both predator and prey.  Polar bears and orcas kill and eat seals for their high fat content, but seals are also fierce hunters of smaller fish and plankton.

 

Orca

The orca is one of the most powerful predators in the sea. They are highly intelligent and while they typically dine on fish and smaller marine mammals, they have been observed while hunting much larger than themselves.

 

Greenland Shark

The mysterious greenland shark resides in deep waters and mostly eats fish, though it will scavenge off of larger carcasses as well. Most are blind and rely on their keen sense of smell. Their meat is poisonous, and thus inedible to most animals.

 

 

Common Raven

The common raven is an extremely intelligent bird that is capable of eating almost anything it can find.  It will scavenge kills, eat berries, and even occassionally team up to kill other mammals.

Autumn

 

Jellyfish

The lion's mane jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish. These ancient creatures eat both plankton and small fish, and their populations go through boom and bust cycles.

 

Collared Lemming

Lemming populations go through incredible boom and bust cycles. Scientists still haven't discovered what makes their numbers drop almost to extinction before resurging to feed predators like owls and wolverines.

 

Musk Ox

The musk ox is a very hearty mammal, surviving the cold winters of the arctic by huddling close to others.  Musk oxen can defend themselves from predators by sticking together and displaying their powerful horns.

 

Wolverine

The wolverine is possibly the most powerful mammal for its size in the world.  They mostly subsist on scavenged or stolen kills, but have been known to surprise unsuspecting prey as well.

 

 

Arctic Wolf

The arctic wolf is a pack hunter.  A lone wolf will scavenge what it can find, but a pack can take down larger mammals such as caribou and musk ox.

Winter

 

Arctic Cod

Arctic cod are found in massive schools throughout the arctic every year.  Many animals dine on these small fish, so they survive based upon their large numbers.

 

 

Polar Bear

The polar bear is a ferocious predator that is at home in both the land and the water.  The main source its diet is seal meat, but polar bears have strong stomachs and can eat almost anything they find.

 

Snowy Owl

The snowy owl is a fearsome hunter of arctic rodents.  It will even kill other birds in mid-flight.  The size of the snowy owl populations is directly related the health of the lemming and hare populations.

 

Bowhead Whale

The huge bowhead whale filters plankton through their balleen. They can break through surface ice in order to breathe.

 

 

 

           

 

 

CREDITS – POCKETWATCH GAMES

=================================

Executive Producer

Andy Schatz

Game Design

 

Engineering

 

Art Direction

 

 

 

Senior Technical Artist

Donnie Bugden

Animation

 

2D Design

 

Web Engineering

 

 

 

Character Art

Nate Clowar

 

 

Environmental Art

Adam deGrandis

 

 

Audio Direction

John Seguin 

 

 

Concept Art

Ryan Peterson

 

 

Writer, Cultural Expert

Beth A. Dillon

 

 

Writer, Animal Expert

Katie Schatz

 

 

Quality Assurance

Audrie Abernathy

  

 

ABOUT POCKETWATCH GAMES

=================================

Pocketwatch Games, LLC is dedicated to making entertaining, rewarding, educational experiences that encourage players to explore and discover the intricacies of real-world issues and locations.  To check out upcoming projects or to be a part of the Pocketwatch Games community, visit www.pocketwatchgames.com.