MEDWAY BOYS & IKARI PRESENT DAMOCLES (By NOVAGEN) ALL DOCS, AS EVER, TYPED BY THE ONE AND ONLY... _____ ___ _______ _____ _____ | | | | / \ |\ | | | | | | | |_____| | | | | | \ | | | | | | | | |-----| |-----| | \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | \| | |_____| | | | _____ _____ _____ | | | | | | \ | | | | | | | | | | |_____| | | | | | | \ | | |______ |_____| | \ |_____/ Game Load Instructions ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ DAMOCLES is fully memory resident and you can remove your game disk pnce loading has been completed. AMIGA : Consider identifying a blank disk, which need not be formatted, for the gamesave option. Connect joytsick through Port 2. Switch on disk drive, monitor and computer. On the call for the WORKBENCH, insert your Damocles disk in Drive 0 for the game to autoload. ATARI ST : Buy an AMIGA Game Description ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Damocles is a game of exploration and discovery in which you are a 21st century soldier of fortune - a mercenary. Your fight, should you choose to take on the challenge, is against the forces of nature. Your objective, in any event, is to gain a fortune in return for your endeavour. You have been invited by the State President to thge planet Eris for work that offers a rich reward, if you succeed. The comet Damocles, in its present trajectory, is on a collision course with Eris and will destroy the planet. You will be asked to prevent this catastrophe. When those origionally charged with finding a solution were seen to be failing, the President called for your assistance. unfortunately, you were unexpetedly delayed en-route and now, on your arrival, there are only a few hours remaining before the comet hits! And so the game begins - with you having landed at Eris Capital City Spaceport. Your car awaits. The key, which you need to pick up, is in the spaceport building. Board the car and drive along the exit road. the State Office is the first building along this road that you can see. For a full briefing, walk in. It's up to you. In Damocles, you choose the action! Gameplay ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ In Damocles, the player is never 'killed'. Your ability to play the game never ends, even if the comet hits Eris or, through your own doing something worse happens! Although you could conceivably be left with nothing to play with - or you could posses everything worth playing for, you choose your end of game. Playfield ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ The Damocles playfield is the Gamma solar system of nine planets and their nineteen moons in orbit around the star Dialis. All of the planets and moons are accessible to you by flying to them in a suitbable spacecraft. Some have seas and islands, others are barren but are cratered or have features, some are featureless and there are two gas giants on which you are not able to land. Transport ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ You arrive in the game able to walk from your interstellar craft, which is not refitted for further flight. A car awaits you, which you can only use after you have collected the key from the spaceport building. All transport in the game requires you to be holding its matching key for you to be able to use the vehicle. (There is one exception with the 'Quit' option - see later). There are three different types of craft : 1. Cars and other ground based vehicles. 2. Aircraft, which are restricted to the planet or moon that they are on. 3. A number of spacecraft for interplanetary flight. All craft have varying capabilities, some are good, some not so good. Objects ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Your interaction with the game is principally through the objects that are to be found. Many of these have a use. You can pick up and hold objects to relocate or use at any time by taking these into your inventory. You can generally hold up to a maximum of ten objects at a time. Please note that there is no limit to the number of objects that you can drop in any one place but an excessive concentration of objects will significantly slow down the game graphics. Clues ŻŻŻŻŻ Following from the 'State Office' briefing, there is a straight forard 'trail' that leads to a solution, for which you are suitably rewarded. It is rewarding to play and affords a useful insight and experience of some of the gameplay available, but occupies only about 20% of the full gameplay installed. There are a number of interlinked ways to varying solutions and remembering that your objective is to maximise your fortune, the experienced player will want to investigate these other options. Exploration ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ The Damocles playfield is vast. You can of course explore everywhere, and might eventually find all that there is to find. However, this approach is not recommended: for example, there are over sixteen million individually numbered but identical pyramids on Midas. Even the most ardent adventurer would find a simple search somewhat tedious. In exploring, look for differences. Certainly significant buildings are worth a look inside, but also a structure that may be commonplace elsewhere, if sited individually, could also be interesting. Similarly, one pink building among many of the same type in green would have a purpose. Trading ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ An important part of the gameplay is the value of many of the objects that you can find. You must sell an object to be credited with its value. This can be accomplished at any of the Trading Posts thta you can find that do not already have an object for sale in the window. You can of course buy the displayed item, it you can afford it. the price is shown on the wall panel. Where you can sell, the money shown on the panel is that offered at these premises for the object currently selected in your inventory. Drop the object and leave the room for the transaction to be complete. Time ŻŻŻŻ Your panel clock is tuned to the time countdown to the Damocles' impact with Eris. If Eris continues to exist when this clock reaches zero, you'll have succeeded. Your space travel around the system is at speeds near to the speed of light. Very quick and convenient for you, but note the rapid decay of your Eris based time clock! Compared to the speeds that you can attain, the planet and moon rotations and even the comet, appear to move at a leisurely pace. But beware! This can be misleading. The comet is moving relentlessly on. In-Flight Effects ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ In space flight, an ecliptic plane lock operates to encourage your flight to remain within the plane of the system. During rapid space flight, Benson, your in helmet PC, affords a playable view by compensating for the effects of acceleration and for relativistic distortion. Similarly to provide you with simple flight controls, in space your engine speed and direction are regulated to take account of gravitational fields and appropriate deceleration is applied for you to enter above the planets and moons. Above their surfaces, you will move faster at high altitudes. A red panel light shows ground proximity. Controls ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Bensons Panel ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ See later. Communication ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ With Benson in communication mode, you may be asked to, respond. This is indicated by a question mark (?) following text. Press "O" to respond "OK" - "YES", otherwise NO is assumed. Walking ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Walking is initiated by use of the joystick as shown: Joystick Forward : Move Forward " Forward Right : " Forward Right " Forward Left : " Forward Left " Right : Turn Right " Left : " Left " Backward : Move Backward " Backward Right : " Backward Right " Backward Left : " Backward Left You are able to RUN by pressing 'R'. To return to walking pace, press 'R' again. A white panel light indicates 'run' mode. Transport ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ To BOARD a vehicle or craft, walk near to it and press 'B'. To LEAVE parked transport (to walk away) press 'L'. POWER forward is selected by pressing a number key on the main keyboard (not the Keypad) from 1 through 9 with 0=max. For reverse, select a Function Key F1-F10. For fine adjustment to selected speed, press keypad ')' or '(' keys. To stop, or hover in flight press . GROUND VEHICLES are steered by the joystick as shown: Joystick Right : Turn Right " Left : " Left AIRCRAFT need sufficiemt speed to take off. Landing too heavily will result in a crash! On the ground they behave as ground vehicles (above) but are controlled for direction in flight as shown: Joystick Forward : Dive " Forward Right : " Right " Forward Left : " Left " Right : Turn Right " Left : " Left " Backward : Climb " Backward Right : " Right " Backward Left : " Left SPACECRAFT are flown as for aircraft, but can attain escape velocity. to activate escape sequence, in flight, press . Elevators ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Elevators (lifts) in buildings are generally indicated by a floor number being shown. Stand centrally and select a floor number on main keyboard keys 1-9, 'B' for a basement and 'G' to return to ground level. If number selected does not exist as a floor number, the lift will not operate. Objects and Inventory ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ All object and inventory controls are though the Keypad and the cursor control keys. To pick up an object, stand near to it and press the . Provided you have inventory capacity available, its name will be shown on your inventory display panel. To review names of objects held, toggle the or . To drop an object, select its name to be shown in the inventory display panel and press the . Where an object has a player controllable use, it can be activated if it shown selected in the inventory display window and the is pressed. An auxillary central 'use panel' will scroll on giving instructions to operate the object via the keypad keys. This use panel will remain activated unless the object is dropped, or an alternative object is activated. Combat ŻŻŻŻŻŻ Craft have a defensive missile capability. In general play, you do not have an enemy, but if you provoke an attack, this is relentless. Unless you can destroy the enemy ship, it will ultimately find you and home in for the kill. Depress the joystick 'fire' button missile. Quit Situation ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ In all events, bar one untenable situation, you can extricate yourself from any difficulty (eg. the loss of a craft) by quitting. You will be re-located near to Dialis in a craft (that does not require a key). Press key. Benson response : 'F1=SAVE F2=LOAD F3=QUIT OTHER=RETURN TO GAME' Press FUNCTION KEY F10 SAVE GAME FACILITY  ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Important ENSURE THAT YOUR DAMOCLES GAME DISK (WHICH SHOULD IN ANY EVENT ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ ALWAYS BE WRITE-PROTECTED) IS REMOVED FROM DRIVE. NOTE THAT A SAVE WILL WRITE TO ANY ENABLED DISK AND WILL CORRUPT EXISITING DOS FILES. USE ONLY A 'SAVES' DSIK THAT YOU IDENTIFY ACCORDINGLY. You can svae out a current gameplay status to pick up later from where you left off. At any point in the game: Insert your 'saves' disk, write enabled. Press Benson response : 'F1=SAVE F2=LOAD F3=QUIT OTHER=RETURN TO GAME' Press Function Key F1 Benson response : 'SAVE NUMBER 0-9' Press a single number to identify the file. Benson response : 'PRESS RETURN WHEN READY' Press - Any other key to abort. TO RELOAD GAMESAVE ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ At any point in the game, to re-load a previously saved gameplay: insert your 'saves' disk in drive. Press Benson response : 'F1=SAVE F2=LOAD F3=QUIT OTHER=RETURN TO GAME' Press Function Key F2 Benson response : 'LOAD NUMBER 0-9' Press required file number Benson response : 'PRESS RETURN WHEN READY' Press - Any other key to abort. 'MERCENARY' GAMESAVES ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ If you have a winning gamesave from 'Mercenary - Escape from Targ' that is in the same computer format, this can be loaded into Damocles. Your inventory holdings will then reflect your previous inventory, and the author will know a thing or two about you. You can only load your Mercenary Save before your Damocles gameplay is commenced. On arrival at Capital City Spaceport, BEFORE you pick up the car key: Follow the re-load gamesave procedure as above but instead of selecting F2, press Function Key F3 for an 'Escape From Targ' save and F4 for a 'Second City' save. [NOW SEE PICTURE FILE < CONTROL.PANEL.PIC > ] BENSON'S PANEL 1. Benson text messages NAVIGATION: ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 2. In Space - Name of nearest body Otherwise current location 3. Vehicle Speed 4. In Space - Gamma System co-ordinates XX:YY:ZZ Otherwise, Planet/Moon co-ordinates 999:999 5. Near City, or land base, co-ordinates +/-99:+/-99 (RED = -) 6. In Space - Distance to nearest body Otherwise, Altitude in metres 7. In flight elevation from horizontal 8. Compass INVENTORY: ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 9. Inventory capacity available gauage 10. Inventory selection window 11. Cash held (Intergalactic Credits) PANEL LIGHTS: ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 12. Ground proximity warning 13. Attack warning 14. 'Run' mode selected CLOCK: ŻŻŻŻŻŻ 15. Time to predicted Damocles impact AUXILIARY PANEL: ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 16. Control panel for an object currently in use T: (Outside) temperature P: (Outside) pressure KEYBOARD SUMMARY ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ K=KEYPAD C=CURSOR F=FUNCTION O Answer 'OK - YES' R Toggles Run/Walk B Board Vehicle L Leave Vehicle UP ARROW C Pick up object DOWN ARROW C Drop object LEFT/RIGHT ARROW C Select inventory item K To reveal control panel. For controllable object selected from inventory IN ELEVATOR 1 - 9 Select floor level B Select basement G Return to ground floor IN VEHICLE 1 - 9 Select forward power 0 Max. forward power F1-F10 Select reverse power ) ( K Fine adjust power Stop power Then select option key: F1 Save current gameplay F2 Re-load a gamesave F10 Quit current situation To pause game ** YES --- ITS PHANTOM LORD AGAIN .... BACK AFTER A LONG LONG BREAK ** ** SEE YA LATER **