Keyboard Control

You can control your CyberPod using only the keyboard. To do so, use the
numeric keypad. (Make sure Num Lock is on.) [8] accelerates you in a forward
direction, [2] starts you moving backwards, [4] and [6] turn left and right,
respectively, [7] and [9] turn while accelerating, and [1] and [3] turn
while backing up. Note that [8] and [2] are accelerators; you do not need to
hold them down to keep moving. To stop your pod, press [5].The [Spacebar]
and [0] fire your main weapon. To jump, use [J].


Problems

If you have a problem that is not covered by anything in the documentation,
you have a few options. If you get as far as the CyberStrike chamber, you
can request help there from a Simutronics representative or a CyberStrike
Operator (CyberOp). If neither is readily available, please leave a Feedback
message for Simutronics at the CyberStrike menu at GEnie's Page 1380. We
will reply as soon as possible. If you can't even get to the chamber,
contact MicroProse Customer Service.

To abort the logon script, press [Escape]. If a problem crops up while
logging on, the script may not stop on its own. You may need to abort it
yourself. To change your logon script, edit the file logon.scr. You might
require a special procedure to log on; this is how you would modofy the
default script. If there is no menu bar, make sure that the Easy Menu option
in the Settings window is on. If this option is not on, the menu bar and
[F1] will not work to log you on. Press [Alt]-[S] to open the Settings
window. If the wrong buttons appear on the menu bar, you may need to change
your modem set-up.

CyberStrike uses the modem's Carrier Detect line to determine whether you
are on- or off-line. Two different sets of buttons are displayed depending
on this status. Some modems are configured so that the Carrier Detect line
is always on, while some others have the Detect status reversed. If this is
the case with your modem, then CyberStrike will not work correctly until you
re-set the modem's Carrier Detect setting. See your modem manual for
instructions. If your modem demands special initialization commands, you can
edit the init.cs file to include them. This file contains a set of startup
commands that are executed immediately when you run CyberStrike. The default
file contains a line of characters that resynchronizes the CyberStrike Front
End with its Back End. After this sequence, you can place any modem commands
that your modem might need, including any Carrier Detect status commands (as
mentioned above).

If your joystick isn't working right, several things could be wrong. As soon
as you enter a CyberCity, CyberStrike calibrates the joystick. To calibrate
the center properly, you must keep your stick centered until your CyberPod
lands. Then, "swirl" the stick to calibrate its range of movement. If you
still have problems:

    (1) the joystick was calibrated incorrectly. Return to the chamber
        and re-enter the game to recalibrate.

    (2) the joystick is plugged into a game port that is not adjusting
        for the speed of your computer. The only solutions for this are
        adjusting the settings on your game card or getting one more suited
        to the speed of your machine.

    (3) if you have a non-DMA-based sound card (Direct Memory Access),
        then the digital sound is interfering with the joystick timing. To
        fix this, you can (a) use a different sound card; (b) unplug your
        joystick and use keyboard controls; or (c) disable the game sound.


To reverse the joystick, press [Shift]-[E]. Left becomes right and right
left. You can use [Shift]-[E] to toggle between the two settings. Note that
the keyboard controls are also reversed. If your joystick is overreactive,
you can adjust its "dead zone". The area in the center of the stick's
movement area is considered the "no action" area, and movement there is
ignored by the game. By default, this dead zone is 10 percent of the
movement circle. To adjust the dead zone, press [#] ([Shift]-[3]). The
percentage will cycle in 5 percent increments up to 35 percent, then back to
5 percent. If a slow frame rate affects your aim, you can turn on the Fine
Turn mode by pressing [/]. The turning range will be reduced so that you can
better fine-tune your aim. Pressing [/] again turns this off.


Network Gremlins

CyberStrike communicates via a "packet-switching" system. What this means to
you is that occasional delays can cause other CyberPods to appear to be in
places where they are not. The three most common effects of this sort of
delay and inaccuracy are:

 Warping:    This is when a pod seems to be in one place, then suddenly
             "teleports" somewhere else, possibly even changing direction.
             Though a warp may change the tactical situation (unfairly), at
             least this problem will affect every player equally.

 Delays:     Communication delays are caused by several factors. The network
             as a whole may be slowed by high traffic, some part of the
             software might be processing too slowly, or your local node may
             be nearing its maximum bandwidth. The game administrators will
             report serious and repeated delays to the appropriate engineers
             at GEnie. You should not bother to report minor network
             slowdowns, as there is only so much that can be done in this
             type of environment.

 Disconnect: Sometimes, you will be disconnected from the network
             unexpectedly. When this happens, log back into CyberStrike as
             quickly as possible. If you return within 10 minutes, then type
             /resume, the game will make its best effort to return you to
             the game you were playing (if there is room). Your score,
             multiplier, and modules will normally be intact (depending on
             the most recent automatic status save). Note that this feature
             will not work if the disconnect occurs in the middle of a fight
             you are about to lose. Thus, hanging up to avoid an inevitable
             death will not work.
