ACTION SERVICE ============== TYPED BY SHARD - N&B Somewhere in Europe......... A top secret training camp where the cream of the crop from tha action services must pass a day in order to prepare for top secret missions with the famous cobra command. Today it is your turn to volunteer for a perilous mission, your participation and your role in the mission depends on your performance here. You should realize that after this ruthless selection, the mission itself will not be a party but an adventure where you risk losing your life. However there is still time to pack up your kit and return home. ACTION SERVICE 1: STAGE COMMANDO --------------------------------- The game functions in three modes. Each of these modes will be accessible by pressing the relevant button on the control post (screen) PLAY MODE Your task consists of 4 imposing tests The PHYSICAL route - Physical test where you must negotiate as quickly as possible, many objects (walls, ditches, barbed wire, ladders) without tripping over them as they litter your path. You must react in a split second to the orders from your leaders (pushups, air raid) and attempt to escape from Rex the combat dog trained to thwart your progress. The RISK route where you have to show your skill in handling grenades and bombs also avoiding mines and the FM rifles which sweep the floor. After that it is a question of how you can avoid Rex who is always on the loose !! The Close COMBAT test. Here you come to meet your adversaries who are giving nothing away. Your pals are ready to take your place, should you fail. Here you have to put up with the rubber bullets, the exercise grenades and the blows from your opponents kicks. In order to neutralize the guards and bring them down, all methods are permitted including trickery and cheating !! The COMBINATION route. A combination of the 3 previous tests A first plus...... THE REPLAY MODE The training camp is equipped with an ultra sophisticated video which permits you to follow your course on the screen at the command post and to take note of even your tiniest faults. Nothing escapes the critical eye of the camera, as it ruthlessly notes your every move and gesture. By selecting replay mode you can relive your exploits on video. The functions and are particularly useful for you to see where you can make improvements. Equally you can watch the route of your adversaries to study their technique and take advantage of it. A second plus....... THE CONSTRUCTION MODE COBRA SOFT has created a superb development tool to create ACTION SERVlCE - the COMMANDO CONSTRUCTION SET Thanks to this you can create your own route and work freely on your own figures. Also you can set your own traps in the background of your choice. As you can now understand ACTION SERVICE is not just an arcade game with simulation, like the others, but a fantastic game which will allow you to express yourself in an action packed adventure INSTRUCTIONS ------------ LOADING AND START UP Atari ST and Amiga: Switch on the computer. Insert game disk in drive A. The program will load automatically. After the presentation click the left mouse button or press the space bar to continue loading. PC and compatibles: Switch on the computer and load DOS. Insert game disk in drive A. Type COBRA and press RETURN. Then follow the on screen instructions. COMMANDS All commands can use either a joystick or a numerical keyboard Correspondence keyboard/joystick 8 Up 2 Down 4 Left 6 Right 5 Fire Function keys on the screen Control post 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 L C R Click to continue loading after the presentation screen Upon entering the game it automatically defaults to PLAY mode. 1 - PLAY MODE In the game you make your choices on the control console (see diagram above). This console shows a pad of eight keys (each corresponding to a screen). a confirmation key (C) and the two left and right arrows (L+R) To choose a function that corresponds to a screen above the console - Position the cursor over one of the keys - Click on it to <> the key (an LED will light up) - To see the other screen views corresponding to this function key click on the arrows until you see the screen that you want and once you have chosen, confirm in the same way as above. NUMBER 1 - MISSION ORDERS showing the ten best scores NUMBER 2 - LEAVE GAME to quit the game (automatic saving of the mission order) NUMBER 3 - CHANGE THE NAME OF A PLAYER on the identity disc on screen 3 Each of these identity discs corresponds to a player. When button 3 is selected, you choose one of the identity discs with the help of the arrows L or R and you erase the current name on the label by clicking on C. You can then put the new name using the ordinary keyboard and finish your input by pressing ENTER or RETURN NUMBER 4 - CHOOSE AND CARRY OUT ROUTE. Button 4 is selected, you can choose one of several routes with the aid of arrows L or R and confirm your selection using C Note: Only routes 1-4 will qualify for the mission. Route 5 is reserved for a route made in construction mode. NUMBER 5 - LOADING AND SAVING OF SCORE 5 is selected. You selected a disk with the aid of the arrows L or R and confirm by pressing C. The high score of the player is displayed and then saved or loaded under the name of the player. If there is a file with the same name, it will be erased by saving the new score. NUMBER 6 - LOADING AND SAVING OF A REPLAY (see REPLAY mode) Select a name on the trap. NUMBER 7 - CHECKING SCORES achieved by a player in all the games NUMBER 8 - CHECKING SCORES of the current game (displayed on screen 4). You can see the scores of the 5 best players in that game. THE SCORES For good management of these scores insert a new formatted disk in the drive as soon as the game is loaded. This disk will receive scores and replays. There are 3 types of scores: the usual score, the high score and the HALL OF FAME score. The actions (route, scores, loading, saving) always apply to the player whose name appears on the identity disc that can be seen. MOVING THE GAME FIGURE All actions of the game can be controlled using a joystick or a numeric keypad with the same correspondences as for the use of the console Pressing ESC abandons the route There are several command levels depending on your position: Starting position: STANDING 8 Throw a Grenade 2 Kneel Down on One Knee 4 Dive, Lying Position 6 Run 5 or Fire button: FIRE (only in the routes 3-5) Each of these four levels has its specific commands: 6 RUN When you press 6 (or move joystick right) while standing, the figure begins to run. In this level pressing 6 and 5 (pressing the fire button and moving joystick right) simultaneously will cause following actions JUMP over a low object or GRIP hold on a ladder (4/6 to progress, keeping 5 pressed) or GRIP hold on a cable or GET OVER a wall (release 5 to descend) 5 FIRE 2 Put Gun Away 4 Half Turn 6 Half Turn 8 THROW A GRENADE (only if you pick one up) or take CLOSE COMBAT position 8 Dodging Walking Backwards 2 Dodging on Knees 4 To Kick 6 To Punch 5 Leave Combat Position 4 DIVE, LYING POSITION 8 Pushup 2 Pushup 4 Crawl 6 Crawl 5 Get Back Up Onto Knees (or FIRE button) To crawl or to do 10 pushups, press the corresponding keys alternately (move joystick in the corresponding directions alternately) 2 KNEEL DOWN ON ONE KNEE 6 pick up a grenade and pull pin or take and put explosives in a box or set a charge 2 to lie down flat on the stomach 5 or fire button: get up again (standing position) 2 - REPLAY MODE Replay mode is selected by clicking on the slot marked VCR on the video tape recorder. This mode allows you to see a replay of the last route that a player executed or a replay that you load with the option LOAD REPLAY After launching the replay the varied functions are available with the joystick or the numeric keypad by: 8 Fast Motion 2 Slow Motion 6 Fast Forward 5 Pause on a Picture (or FIRE button) ESC End of Replay If you dont give any commands you get normal play. Note: ONLY ONE REPLAY REMAINS IN MEMORY, EVERY NEW REPLAY ERASES THE PREVIOUS. IF YOU WANT TO SAVE A ROUTE, SAVE IT AT THE END OF THIS ROUTE. IF IT IS A SCENARIO YOU CREATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION SET, LOAD THIS SCENARIO BEFORE LOADING THE CORRESPONDING REPLAY. 3 - CONSTRUCTION MODE The construction mode is selected on the console by clicking on EDIT. It is then possible to use the various functions on the construction set. A screen play consists of 256 views each of which holds 4 planes: - a decoration - a background item (optional) - the person - a foreground item (optional) and the ability to set a trap The creation of one view consists of the following phases: I. Place the decorations: click on the option LANDSCAPE and then choose one from those suggested. II. Choose and place an object in the background (optional): the option ITEMS must be activated. A - Select ITEM BACK by clicking B - Choose an object among those suggested (pass onto another set by clicking on one of the 2 arrows in the item window) C - Horizontally position the object by clicking on one of 7 squares marked with X to move the item left or right D - Vertically position the object by clicking a vertical graduation to move the item up or down B, C, D can be done in any order III. By clicking on the option MAN you position the height of the soldier by vertical graduation to go up or down in relation to the floor (optional: by default the floor coincides with the lower Decoration) Use ON to make the soldier appear, OFF to make him disappear IV. Choose and place an object in the foreground (optional): the option ITEMS must be used A - Select the option ITEM FRONT Options B, C, D same as before (The operations I, II, III and IV can be done in any order) V. Set a trap (optional) by clicking on option TRAPS. The window is replaced with one for traps where it will be possible to choose a trap corresponding to a number that will appear above the view you`re working on Every trap has a specific type Type A: depending on a foreground item Type B: depending on a background item Type C: not dependent on an item HOW TO SET A TRAP This operation is by far the most delicate and the interest of the game depends on it Traps fall into 2 categories whether they are bound to an object or not. For example, trap No 1 JUMP / FALL can only apply to certain objects (low wall, sandbag) corresponding to the decoration to explain the fall. On the other hand the type DO 10 PUSHUPS or CLOSE COMBAT are independent of the presence of items in the decoration - it does not matter where they are put, but for obvious reasons it is not ideal to put them in the middle of the lake. We suggest that you read the following clues in order for your scenario to be more enjoyable. In order that you are free to give rain to your creative mind, no test will be made on the traps that you set (The screen play GAG shows a few examples of what you can get) 1 JUMP/FALL: associate with small items of type sandbag, low wall, jerrycan, ammo box, (Type A or B) 2 JUMP/SLIP: associate with items barrel knocked over, or damaged barrel (Type A or B) 3 JUMP OVER WALL: associated with high wall item (Type A or B) 4 DOG START: the dog appears after you pass on the trap 5 CRAWL: associated with items such as barbed wire, drain pipe... all which should be in the foreground (Type B preferably) 6 Do 10 PUSHUPS: (almost) anywhere (Type C) 7 AIR RAID: (almost) anywhere (Type C) 8 MINE: Only associated with mines. Put the item in the background (Type A) 9 GRENADE: only associated with grenades which must be in the foreground (Type A) 10 DROWN: only when there is a lake and in the abscence of a pontoon (Type C) 11 SET CHARGE: associated with the decoration object, armoured door, (Type C) 12 GET CHARGE: allociate with little box; this object must be in the foreground and situated at a reasonable distance before the door (Type B) 13 SHOOTER: (almost) anywhere; the adversary appears after you pass the trap (Type C) 14 REAR ATTACK: (almost) anywhere; the adversary appears after you pass the trap (Type C) 15 HIGH BURST: (almost) anywhere (Type C) 16 LOW BURST: (almost) anywhere (Type C) 17 CLOSE COMBAT: (almost) anywhere: the adversary appears after you pass the trap (Type C) 18 SENTRY back: (almost) anywhere: the adversary appears after you pass the trap (Type C) 19 GRENADE COMBAT: put this trap before trap grenade; the adversary appears after you passed the trap (Type C) 20 SWIM: (Type C) VI. OPTION REPEAT The last order selected is present in the window of option REPEAT: by clicking on REPEAT you effect this order view by view VII. DISK As soon as your scenario is edited, you can save the game to disk by clicking on the option DISK. With this same option, you can modify already existing scenarios after loading them VIII. END To leave the construction mode and go to play your scenario IX. RESET Erases a scenario To develop good scenarios, we advise you to get used to the play option and to take time to examine the replays to understand the whole function of the concept of ACTION SERVICE 1 Then you can examine and modify the whole screen play DEMO by loading it with the DISK option of the construction mode.