THE DOX TO [ZARATHRUSTA] TYPED IN BY SCOOTER /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ [ZARATHRUSTA]...LOADING A500,A1000 AND A 2000, YOU ARE ADVISED TO DISCONNECT ALL HARDWARE FROM YOUR COMPUTER.INSERT KICKSTART IF REQUIRED.INSERT THE GAME DISK.THE GAME TAKES A FEW SECONDS TO LOAD. THE MISSION ----------- THE RESISTANCE IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH A MAJOR OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE EMPIRE,IN PREPARATION FOR THIS,THEY HAVE CAPTURED SEVERAL STARSHIPS, BUT THEY LACK THE ESSENTIAL POWER SOURCES FOR THESE FORMIDABLE CRAFT,KLYSTRON PODS. YOU HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONED BY THE RESISTANCE TI STEAL THESE PODS FROM THE EMPIRES STORAGE PLANETS. TO DO THIS,YOU MUST LOCATE THE POD,HOVER JUST ABOVE IT,ACIVATE YOUR SHIPS TRACTOR BEAM UNTIL THE POD HOOKS UP WITH YOUR SHIP AND THEN THRUST AWAY WITH THE POD.YOU MUST THEN CARRY THE POD AWAY FROM THE PLANET.YOU RECEIVE A BONUS AT THE END OF EACH SUCCESSFUL MISSION. THE PLANETS HAVE DIFFERENT GRAVITY RATES AND, AS YOU PROGRESS THROUGH THE GAME,SOME WILL HAVE `REVERSE` GRAVITY. GAMEPLAY -------- YOUR SHIP MATERIALISES ABOVE THE PLANET YOU ARE ABOUT TO EXPLORE,YOU MUST THEN NEGOTIATE THE DIFFERENT CAVES TRYING TO FIND THE KLYSTRON POD SOMEWHERE ON OR WITHIN THE PLANET. YOU HAVE 3 THINGS TO CONTROL WHILE FLYING YOUR SHIP. 1...ENGINE THRUSTERS 2...LEFT/RIGHT STEERING 3...TRACTOR BEAM [ENGINE THRUSTERS...] THESE PROPEL YOU SHIP IN THE DIRECTION THAT IT IS CURRENTLY FACING,THEY ARE YOUR MAIN DEFENCE AGAINST THE PLANETS GRAVITY HAT PULLS YOU TOWARDS ITS SURFACE. [LEFT/RIGHT STEERING] THIS ROTATES THE SHIP EITHER CLOCKWISE OR ANTI-CLOCKWISE,DETERMINING IN WHICH DIRECTION YOUR ENGINE THRUSTERS WILL THRUST YOU. [TRACTOR BEAM.......] THIS IS USED FOR COLLECTING THE KLYSTRON POD AND ALSO FOR COLLECTING EXTRA FUEL FOR YOUR ENGINE THRUSTERS. THE TRACTOR BEAM CAN ONLY BE ACTIVATED BY HOVERING JUST ABOVE THE OBJECT YOU WISH TO BEAM. ONCE THE KLYSTRON POD HAS BEEN LOCATED YOU MUST BEAM IT UP TO YOUR SHIP(EXPLAINED LATER)AND THEN TOW IT AWAY FROM THE PLANET WHERE YOUR MOTHER SHIP IS AWAITING TO COLLECT YOU AND THE POD AND TRANSPORT YOU TO THE NEXT PLANET IN YOUR CONQUEST. WEAPONS SYSTEMS --------------- [PLASMA BOLTS.........] THESE ARE YOUR MAIN FORM OF ATTACK,USED FOR MOST OF THE ACTIVITY IN THE GAME. [LASER SCANNING DEVICE] YOUR SHIP ALSO POSSESSES A POWERFUL LASER WHICH CANS THE CAVERN WALLS AND DESTROYS ALL ENEMIES. IT IS NORMALLY USED TO DESTROY A GROUP OF ABSTACLE TOGETHER BY ROTATING THE SHIP WHILST FIRING THE LASER.HOWEVER THIS WEAPON USES A LOT OF FUEL SO USE WITH CARE. THE KLYSTRON PODS ----------------- THERE ARE 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF KLYSTRON PODS,ALL FOUND ATOP A TALL PLINTH SOMEWHERE ON THE SURFACE OF THE PLANET.THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS... [STANDARD......] THESE ARE PICKED UP BY THE SHIP WITH THE TRACTOR BEAM. IF THE BEAM IS ACTIVATED OVER THE POD IT RISES TOWARDS YOUR SHIP. THE POD IS COLLECTED WHEN IT COLLIDES WITH YOUR SHIP. THE POD IS THEN LOWERED ON A TOW ROPE FOR TOWING AWAY FROM THE PLANET. THE POD CAN ALSO BE COLLECTED BY SHOOTING AT IT AND CATCHING IT IN MID-AIR. [HYDROGEN PODS.] THESE ARE LIGHTER THAN AIR AND THEY FLOAT AGAINST THE FORCE OF GRAVITY TOARDS THE CEILING. ONCE CONNECTED TO THE SHIP,THE HYDROGEN FORCE WILL NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO LIFT BOTH THE SHIP AND THE POD. BOTH WILL FALL DOWN,BUT THE POD WILL FALL SLOWER THAN THE SHIP. [BASKET PODS...] SOME OF THE PODS ARE FOUND INSIDE ELECTRO-MAGNETIC `BASKETS`.THEY ARE PICKED UP IN THE NORMAL WAY BUT IF THE BASKET IS MOVED SUDDENLY OR JOLTED,THE POD MAY FALL OUT OF THE BASKET,DOWN TO THE PLANET SURFACE.YOU WILL THEN HAVE TO GO DOWN AND RE-COLLECT THE POD BY SHOOTING AT IT AND CATCHING IT IN MID-AIR INSIE THE BASKET. THE OBSTACLES ------------- THE EMPIRE HAVE SET UP SEVERAL DEFENCES WITHIN THE PLANET TO PROTECT THE KLYSTRON PODS THAT LIE WITHIN.THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS... [AUTOMATIC LIMPET GUNS] THESE ARE THE PLANETS MAIN DEFENCE SYSTEM.WHEN THE LIGHT FLASHES ON THEM AVOID THEM AS THEY ARE ABOUT TO FIRE IN THE DIRECTION THEY ARE CURRENTLY POINTING.THEY CAN BE DESTROYED BY PASMA BOLTS,LASER,SHIELD,POD BASKET OR BY SUICIDALLY CRASHING THE SHIP INTO THEM. [AUTOMATIC DOORS.......] THESE SHUT OFF CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CAVERNS AND CAN BE OPENED BY SHOOTING THE SWITCHES NEXT TO THEM,BUT BEWARE AS SOME DOORS CAN ONLY BE OPENED FROM ONE DIRECTION. AFTER BEING OPENED THEY WILL ALWAYS CLOSE AGAIN AFTER A SHORT PERIOD,SOME QUICKER THAN OTHERS. [JET THRUSTERS.........] RANDOMLY SHOOT A JET FLAME OUT FROM THE WALL KILLING ALL THAT IS CAUGHT IN IT. A LIGHT IS LIT UP JUST BEFORE THE FLAME IS FIRED SO YOU GET A SHORT WARNING.THEY CANNOT BE DESTROYED. [AIR VENTS.............] THESE ARE CONTINUALLY BLOWING OUT HOT AIR AND IF YOUR SHIP FLIES IN FRONT OF THEM IT WILL BE BLOWN OFF COURSE,POSSIBLY INTO A WALL.THEY CANNOT BE DESTROYED. [ELECTRO-MAGNETIC CORES] PULL YOUR SHIP TOWARDS THEM IF YOU GET TO CLOSE TO THEM, THEIR FORCE IS STRONGER THAN THAT OF GRAVITY.THEY CAN BE TURNED OFF IF YOU CAN LOCATE THE GENERATOR THAT POWERS THEM AND DESTROY IT. [PNEUMATIC-BARRIERS....] THESE BLOCK CORRIDORS AND ARE OPENED BY SHOOTING THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL COLUMN SO THAT IT IS PUSHED DOWN.WHEN SHOT DOWN,THEY WILL STAY DOWN FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE BEING PNEUMATICALLY PUMPED UP AGAIN. [RAMRODS...............] THESE ARE SCREW THREADED RODS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY SCREWED AND UNSCREWED FROM THE WALL,CAUSING A MOVING OBSTRUCTION IN THE CAVERNS. THEY CANNOT BE DESTROYED OR DISABLED. [LASER-PULSERS.........] THESE ARE FIRED AT RANDOM ACROSS THE CAVERNS,CREATING A WALL FOR A SECOND. TIMING HAS TO BE USED TO ENSURE THAT YOU DONT COLLIDE WITH THESE DEADLY LASERS. [LIMPET DROIDS.........] THESE ARE SPHERICAL ANDROIDS THAT BOUNCE AROUND THE SURFACE OF THE CAVERNS. IF YOU GET TO CLOSE TO THEM,THEY JUMP UP CLAMPING ON EITHER YOU SHIP OR THE KLYSTRON POD(IF YOU ARE CARRYING ONE AT THE TIME)THIS CAUSES THE SHIP TO EITHER BECOME A LOT HEAVIER WHICH IN TURN AFFECTS THE CONTROLS,MAKING YOUR JOB HARDER. IF CARRYING A BASKET POD THE DROID WILL CAUSE THE POD TO FALL FROM THE BASKET. LIMPET DROIDS CAN BE SHAKEN OFF BY ROTATING THE SHIP QUICKLY AND THRUSTING IN A CIRCLE CAUSING A CENTRIFUGAL FORCE THROWING OFF THE DROID. WHEN THEY ATTACH TO THE POD,IT MUST BE ROTATED AROUND THE SHIP TO SHAKE IT OFF. LIMPET DROIDS CAN BE HEARD BOUNCING WHEN THEY ARE NEARBY. [CONTROL DE-ACTIVATING- SWITCHES..............] THESE TAKE THE FORM OF A PAIR OF SWITCHES THAT CREATE AN INVISIBLE FIELD WHEN YOU PASS BETWEEN THEM.THIS FEILD DEACTIVATES YOUR CONTROLS FOR A SECOND SO YOU HAVE TO AIM YOUR SHIP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BEFORE FLYING BETWEN THESE SWITCHES. [ELEVATORS.............] ELEVATORS CONSTANTLY GO UP AND DOWN SHAFTS WITHIN THE CAVERNS. AT THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT THEY SLOW DOWN TO ALLOW YOUR SHIP TO ENTER,HOWEVER,BEWARE SOME ELEVATORS TRAVEL FASTER THAN YOUR SHIP CAN FLY. [POD-SPLITTERS.........] THESE ARE CONNECTED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF SOME OF THE VERTICAL TUNNELS. WHEN YOU FLY BETWEEN THEM CRRYING A POD,ONE PULLS THE POD AND THE OTHER PULLS YOUR SHIP.THIS RESULTS IN THE TOW ROPE BEING STRETCHED.AFTERWARDS THE ROPE WILL SLOWLY SHRINK BACK TO NORMAL.HOWEVER,WHLE YOU HAVE A LONGER ROPE IT BECOMES HARDER TO TOW THE SHIP THROUGH SMALLER GAPS. THE FASTER YOU FLY BETWEEN THE POD SPLITTERS THE LESS YOUR ROPE WILL BE STRETCHED. [GRAVITY IMPULSES......] WHEN ACTIVATED THESE PULL YOUR SHIPS TOWARDS THEM.YOU WILL HARDLY NOTICE THE EFFECT WHEN THEY ARE ON THEIR OWN,BUT WHEN IN A GROUP THEY CAN MAKE YOUR SHIP VERY HARD TO CONTROL.BEFORE BEING ACTIVATED AN INDICATOR LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE AS A WARNING. GRAVITY IMPULSES CAN BE TEMPORARILY DEACTIVATED BY SHOOTING AT THEM. OTHER FEATURES -------------- [THE PLANETS REACTOR..] EACH PLANET HAS A REACTOR ROVIDING POWER FOR THE LIMPET GUNS AND OTHER DEFENCES,SHOOTING THE REACTOR WILL DAMAGE IT,AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FROZEN UNTIL THE DAMAGE CAN BE REPAIRED.THE MORE DAMAGE DONE THE LONGER THIS WILL TAKE. WHEN THE REACTOR IS SHOT THE WHOLE PLANET WILL FLASH RED.THE HARDER THE HIT THE FASTER THE PLANET WILL FLASH. IF REPEATEDLY SHOT THE REACTOR WILL BCOME CRITICALLY DAMAGED,YOU THEN HAVE A LIMITED TIME TO ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET WITH THE POD.IF YOU MANAGE TO DO THIS YOU WILL RECEIVE 10,000 POINTS, IF YOU MANAGE TO SCAPE WITHOUT THE POD A LIFE WILL BE LOST AND YOU RECEIVE NO BONUS BUT STILL ESCAPE TO THE NEXT PLANET. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PLANET THE WALLS WILL START EXPLODING FOLLOWED BY TOTAL MELTDOWN. [FUEL TANKS............] TO COLLECT FUEL,HOVER JUS ABOVE A FUEL TANK AND ACTIVATE THE TRACTOR BEAM. [REVERSE GRAVITY.......] ON LATER LEVELS OF THE GAME THE GRAVITY IS REVERSED PULLING YOUR SHIP UPARDS RATHER THANDOWN,CAUSING A WHOLE NEW SET OF PROBLEMS. [CAVERN DWELLER........] THERE ARE CREATURES THAT CRAWL OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE,APPEAR FOR A FEW SECONDS,THEN CRAWL BACK BENEATH THE SURFACE.WHEN SHOT THEY ARE PARALYSED FOR A SHORT WHILE. DUE TO THE CREATURES SUBSTANTIAL LIFE FORCE YOU ARE THEN ABLE TO FLY DOWN CLOSE TO THE CREATURE AND ACTIVATE THE TRACTOR BEAM ON IT,WHEN BEAMED YOU GAIN AN EXTRA LIFE. AFTER SUCKING THE LIFE-FORCE FROM THE CREATURE IT DIES,BECOMING ANOTHER OBSTACLE ON THE LANDSCAPE(SO MAKE SURE YOU DONT KILL ONE OF THEM IN A TIGHT SPACE). CONTROLS -------- THE JOYSTICK DEFAULT CONTROLS ARE.... JOYSTICK ACTION.....UP -------- THRUST DOWN ------ ACTIVATE TRACTOR BEAM LEFT ------ ROTATE SHIP ANTI-CLOCKWISE RIGHT------ ROTATE SHIP CLOCKWISE FIRE ------ FIRE LASERS THE DEFAULT KEYBOARD CONTROLS ARE AS FOLLOWS.... KEYBOARD ACTION.....A---------- ROTATE SHIP ANTI-CLOCKWISE S---------- ROTATE SHIP CLOCKWISE SPACE------ ACTIVATE TRACTOR BEAM RIGHT SHIFT THRUST ENTER------ FIRE LASERS ALT-------- LASER SCANNING WEAPON P---------- PAUSE GAME O---------- UNPAUSE GAME ESC-------- QUIT GAME THERE ARE ALSO REDFINE KEYS OPTION ON THE TITLE SCREEN ACTIVATED BY PRESSING F10