Incredible Shrinking Sphere Typed by Belgarath Objective The planet Sangfalmadore is the Sphere Corp's battle training area, also called the DEATH RUN. Colonel-in-Chief Matt Ridley, a frustrated desk bound officer of the Corps Elite, decide to test his skills behind the controls of a FIGHTER SPHERE and attempt to complete the DEATH RUN. Ridley couldn't handle it! His Fighter Sphere has been disabled by ASSASSIN SPHERES and he's now stranded somewhere within the RUN. Your task aboard a FIGHTER SPHERE is to find a route through the traps and assassins of DEATH RUN and locate Ridley. This will enable an automatic Shuttle Sphere rescue. Sounds easy, but can YOU handle it? Loading ISS 1. Set-up your Computer System as detailed in the instruction booklets that accompany your Computer, and connect to your TV or monitor. Ensure that any cartridges or peripherals (such as disk drives, printers, etc.) are disconnected from your computer. Failure to do so may cause loading difficulties. 2. If you are using an ATARI ST computer with the DISKETTE ISS... a) Connect your disk drive to your Computer (if your computer features a built-in disk drive you will not need to do this). b) Insert the ISS diskette "A" into disk drive A, label side up. c) Switch your TV/monitor, Computer and disk drive ON. d) When prompted by the Computer insert DISKETTE "B" into disk drive A,] label side up. 3. If you are using a COMMODORE AMIGA computer with the DISKETTE ISS... a) Insert the ISS diskette into disk drive DF0, label side up. b) Switch your TV/monitor and computer on. Joystick And Keyboard Control Notes... 1) Atari ST users may use any compatible joystick plugged into port 1. 2) Commodore Amiga users may use any compatible joystick plugged into port 1. Controls Atari ST And Amiga Joystick and TV or Colour Monitor Required. The game uses JOYSTICK ONLY for fighter sphere control, the joystick plugs into port 1. The direction of the joystick movement can be selected as normal North or Isometric north according to preference. This option is only given on first loading of the game. Keyboard Pause F10 (Toggle pause on Atari ST) Unpause F9 (Amiga only) Quit Escape key Space BAR Exit Ammo Dump Placement Screen How to Play - No Frills! For those who don't like reading long instructions before playing! Placing Ammunition Dumps At the beginning of the game, or on reaching a new level, the player has the option of placing ammo dumps almost anywhere within the current level. There are four PLATE maps to each level, you can install up to 4 ammunition dumps on EMPTY tiles throughout the level. 1. Move joystick UP/DOWN to CHOOSE PLATE and press FIRE or use the keyboard as mentioned. 2. A cursor appears over the mini map for that PLATE. Move cursor to required position over an unoccupied tile and press FIRE to place AMMO DUMPS. The letter "A" will appear on the map if you have chosen an allowable tile. You also have the option of deleting a dump by pressing fire over a placed dump). 3. Place cursor on any SIDE EDGE of the PLATE MAP and press FIRE to return to the CHOOSE PLATE option. 4. PRESS SPACE to EXIT into DEATH RUN at any time. You can now attempt to play ISS. GOOD LUCK, without reading the rest of the instructions you'll need it! How To Play Better The Training Area The PLATES within the training arena are in tiers, four deep. The plates consist of numerous TECTONIC TILES, these effect your FIGHTER SPHERE control. Fighter sphere also effect tiles, most tiles have their own timer, once a fighter sphere passes over one, a countdown begins before the tile changes into deadly FIGHTER SPHERE VAPOURISER! So don't hang around and remember the deeper the level the faster the TIMERS! There are few exceptions, one is Wall-Supporting Tiles these don't change, so on some PLATES 'hugging' the walls could be your only chance of survival. Fighter Sphere The INCREDIBLE SHRINKING SPHERE or fighter sphere, armed with a 70mm Cannon is able, with the help of tiles, to alter its Molecular Structure. Fighter Sphere MASS, VOLUME and VELOCITY is affected by contact with the various TECTONIC TILES, Sphere velocity is also affected by the sphere's Mass, the heavier you are the slower your acceleration. The ability to negotiate the hazards of DEATH RUN depend upon skilled control of this weapon. Watch out for the sphere's momentum, learn how to 'contain' the inertia! Tectonic Tile Effects On the title screen move Joystick (not fire), or touch direction key to start a demo summary of the tectonic tiles. Tile Name Tectonic Effect Ismo Assassin Generators Avoid them, they manufacture Assassin Spheres - Deadly! Speed Traps Alter Sphere speed, not always wanted! Decrease Mass Decrease Sphere's Mass or weight. A LIGHTER sphere is able to traverse damaged tiles and prevent ramp collapse - increases sphere's manoeuvrability! Increase Mass Increase Sphere's Mass or weight. If HEAVY avoid damaged tiles - high mass and speed needed for opening MOVING WALLS - sphere less responsive! Increase Volume Increase sphere's size or volume. Sphere navi- gation more difficult through narrow channels. Decrease Volume Decrease sphere's size or volume. Easier to navigate narrow channels, sometimes essential! Mass, Volume or Inertia This is a CHANCE, anything may change! Risky but can be worth it to short-cut the RUN. Chaotic Bounce Sphere repelled at speed! Shields Provides short-term photon protection, from the Assassin Spheres, essential if you want to survive! Sphere glows and hums when shield is active. The shield's humming sound changes just before it dissipates! Remember where shield icons are placed and keep top- ping up! Revolver If caught your sphere will start to spin at increasing speed. Once top speed is reached your score will reduce! PRESS FIRE to be released. Ammunition Supply Dump Once the route through a plate is learnt use less or NO DUMPS for increased bonus! Dumps have infinite supplies of ammo! A higher bonus is awarded for placement on deeper plates - Plate four deepest. Reward Easy score increase toward extra lives! Don't be too greedy, remember the TIMER! Penalty An easy way to lose score! Black Holes These provide access to deeper plates within a level. They have no TIMERS. White Holes These provide access UP through the plates in a level. No TIMERS. Exit This is the exit to the next LEVEL. If a life is lost you will return to the start of the current level. Binary Rebound Booster Rebound at full speed in opposite entry direc- tion. On deeper levels this tile is needed to gain enough speed to open MOVING WALLS! Generally this tile is trouble! Prison If you pass too close you will be caught and the sphere will be immobilised for a time. This could mean death! Damaged Tile If you are too heavy, damaged tiles will col- lapse changing into Fighter Sphere Vapourisers. Deadly! Ramp On deeper levels the only route to a level EXIT is via the RAMPS. These allows the sphere to JUMP the walls. The ramps need to be approached at speed and the sphere must not be too HEAVY if the RAMP isn't to collapse! Short-Cut These are the MOVING WALLS. These sections of the walls can be pushed open if at high speed and mass. Using these walls could be your only way to complete a level! Control Panel The control panel on the bottom of the screen shows the sphere's SPEED, AMMUNITION and MASS or weight in addition to your SCORE. Speed is shown on the left hand side of the screen, weight on the right. The bigger the sphere is in the control panel the heavier you are! The sphere's VOLUME is shown by your FIGHTER SPHERE changing size on the screen. Score Bonus points are awarded for ammo dumps placed on deeper plates, the less ammo dumps you use also increases the bonus. Points are awarded for the destruction of assassin or the DEATH SNAKE on the deeper levels. Completion of a level gives big bonuses, on GAME COMPLETION there is the option of playing on with a new scenario and your present score is retained, however, you may find things a little more fraught on this new mission! New spheres are given every 50,000 points. Upto a maximum of 7 spheres can be held in reserve. Typed by Belgarath