Mouse
The easiest way to move around in Willy's world is with the mouse. The right mouse button SELECTS an action to take or an object to use. The left button OPERATES it. Clicking with the right mouse button usually toggles between the look icon (magnifying glass) and the normal cursor arrow. If the cursor is over an active region of the screen (such as an exit hotspot), the select function will toggle between the hotspot icon (in this case an exit sign) and the look icon. You can pick up an object by using the OPERATE function (left-clicking). If Willy is holding a object, the SELECT function is not active. Using the OPERATE function on Willy will normally bring up the inventory screen.
Keyboard
The main keys to remember in Willy Beamish are the SPACE BAR, the ENTER key and the TAB key. The enter key SELECTS an action to take or an object to use. The SPACE BAR (or numeric 5 on the keypad) OPERATES it. The TAB key moves the cursor between active screen areas (with SHIFT-TAB moving in the opposite direction). The numeric keys 1-4 and 6-9 on the keypad are used to move the cursor around the screen. Pressing the ENTER key (SELECT function) repeatedly usually toggles between the look icon (magnifying glass) and the normal cursor arrow. If the cursor is over an active region of the screen (such as an exit hotspot), the select function (ENTER key) will toggle between the hotspot icon (in this case an exit sign) and the look icon. You can pick up an object by using the OPERATE function (SPACE BAR). If Willy is holding a object, the SELECT function is not active. Using the OPERATE function on Willy will normally bring up the inventory screen.
Hot keys
ESC or F10: VCR menu
CTRL-C: Clear textbox in Save Game Menu
ALT-D or CTRL-D: Mouse on/off
ALT-M or CTRL-M: Music on/off
ALT-P or CTRL-P: Pause game
ALT-Q or CTRL-Q or CTRL-ESC: Quit game
ALT-R or CTRL-R or F9: Restart game
ALT-S or CTRL-S: Sound on/off
F2: all sound and music on/off
F5: Save game
F7: Restore game
Icons
Exit icon: The normal cursor will change into an exit sign when it is over a door, hallway, or other means of leaving a scene. Use the OPERATE function on an exit icon to leave a scene. If you want to know where an exit leads, use the look icon on it.
Look icon: The magnifying glass allows you to obtain information about objects in Willy's world. Use the SELECT function to activate the magnifying glass and the OPERATE function on the object you want to inspect. If the magnifying glass is transparent, you can examine the object, including non-interactive environment. In some scenes the look icon will bring up an enlarged view of the object you examine.
Talk bubble: When Willy encounters someone he can have a conversation with, the normal cursor icon will change into a talk bubble when moved over that character. Use the OPERATE function on the talk bubble to engage in a conversation.
Wait icon: the wait icon - a watch - indicates that the DGDS system is in the process of accessing information, temporarily disabling you from conducting any action.
Arrow cursors: When the normal arrow cursor changes into a different type of arrow, Willy can pick up or take action on the object the cursor is over. Buttons, levers, dials, controls and certain objects are used this way.
Inventory icon: this icon, a small portrait of Willy, is only visible when you are first-person perspective. Using the OPERATE function on this icon will open Willy's inventory screen.
Crosshair: The crosshair target icon indicates that Willy can throw an object at or to another character. Use the SELECT function to toggle to the cross-hair and ise the OPERATE function in targeting mode to use it.
Character interaction
Willy Beamish can have conversations with the people who inhabit his world or drop/use objects from his inventory on them to see what effect it will have. Willy can talk to a person if the normal cursor turns into a talk bubble icon when it is moved over them. Then the OPERATE command will bring up a dialog box. Most dialog boxes in Willy are advanced using the OPERATE command. However in most non-interactive sequences the boxes are advanced by a timer. Using the OPERATE function during non-interactive scenes speeds up dialog.
Some dialog boxes provide you with more than one response. To select a dialog choice, move the cursor icon over the selection you want (the current choice will be highlighted) and use the OPERATE function. Remember that characters are affected by the passage of time and they remember what you've said to them. This frequently affects how they respond to you.
Object use / inventory
Willy needs to manipulate objects in order to solve puzzles and progress though the game. At different times, Willy must give objects to other characters, use objects on other characters, or combine different objects and use them together. Sometimes Willy will even need to use objects on himself in order to successfully complete a puzzle.
To make Willy pick up an object, you need to move the normal cursor arrow over the object you wish him to grab and use the OPERATE function. The object will then turn into an object icon. You can drop the object by using the OPERATE function again. Dropping an object on Willy normally puts it into his inventory. However if Willy needs to use a particular object in the current scene, he will pick it up and use it (when it is dropped on him).
If you drop an object where it can't be used it will fall to the bottom of the screen. Objects dropped in a scene are automatically picked up and returned to Willy's inventory when you leave the scene.
In some scenes Willy needs to throw an object to or at another character. When Willy can throw an object he is holding, a crosshair icon will appear over the character he may throw the object to or at. You can look at objects in a scene by any time you are in an interactive portion of the game by using the LOOK icon (magnifying glass).
Any object Willy picks up is stored in his inventory. To access Willy inventory screen, use the OPERATE function when the cursor is over Willy.
From the inventory screen, you can pick up, drop, look at or combine objects. If there are more objects in inventory than may be viewed on the screen at one time, arrow buttons will be visible at the bottom of the inventory screen. Use the OPERATE function to scroll the inventory widow sideways.
At the top of the inventory screen there is a clock and two buttons labeled ">>" and ">". Clicking the ">>" will advance game time by one hour while clicking ">" advances game time by one minute. Note that time advancement is not available in Carbuncle school.
To take an object out of inventory, simply pick it up and move it out of the inventory window, or select it and click the "drop" button and "exit" button to close the inventory window.
There are some objects Willy can manipulate which can not be put into his inventory. This may be because they are too heavy, bulky or are firmly affixed to something else. Willy can only use this type of object in the current scene.
The trouble meter
While there are many ways to loose the game by one wrong action, Willy can also lose over time because of his general behavior. Going too late to bed, forgetting to feed or walk the dog, getting home late, being late for dinner and so forth, all contribute to his trouble meter going up. When the trouble meter hits the top, he'll be sent off to military school to learn some discipline. See the text walkthrough for more information on what will increase the trouble meter.
The VCR menu
Pressing the Esc key will bring up the VCR menu
Save game: press the upper left button to save the game.
Load game: press the left button, second from the top to save the game.
Restart game: press the left button, third from the top to restart the game.
Quit game: press the stop sign at the bottom left to quit the game.
Information: press the question mark at the bottom left and use the icon on any control in the VCR menu to obtain information on what the button does.
Sound on/off: press the BAM icon to enable or disable sound.
Music on/off: press the music note to enable or disable music.
In-game help: press the right button, second from the top to access the in-game help menu.
Credits: press the Dynamix logo to see the game credits.
Play: click the Play button at the bottom right to continue playing where you last left off.
