** ONSLAUGHT ** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Violence - The exertion of force so as to injure or abuse... I have never really found any game quite like this. That word is the first word that I have thought of that almost totally defines this game. This documentation file will be covering the RELEASE version of Onslaught, not the beta test mode. The easiest way to determine between the release and the beta version is the title screen. The beta version shows (what looks like) a cheap Degas picture of a guy entering a castle bashing a guy's head in. The release version's title screen looks like an awesome Spectrum 512 pic showing a bunch of guys on horseback charging at you. I. The Main Menu (has 6 options which I'll cover in outline form) A.Start Game - Begins the game B.Define Keys - If you lack a joystick, the keyboard is your only other method of control. Most of you know how to work this. C.Easy/Hard Mode - This controls the total population of the enemy in 1 square of land(on the map). Toggling this option to Easy will result in the amount of the enemy doubling (and sometimes tripling). D.Tutor/Assist/Human Mode - This has mainly to do with your weapon selector bar during the "Physical confrontation" stages. E.Music On/Off -This controls whether or not the music which is made by the sound chips is playing (you should hear this with a Tweety Board). F.Game Credits - I'm glad they put this option in so we could see the team that brought us this fine game. II.The Game A.The Map- After hitting start, The Onslaught intermission will come on. I could never get tired of it. The only things that are important (at this point) on the screen at this point are things that occupy the upper 3/4ths of the screen. They will show (on the left) a picture of You with information about yourself. Most of these things aren't important except for your glory (score), amount of land you occupy, etc.. In the middle of the screen will be a large map. This game is about war and about conquering. It is your mission in this game to Take over all the land in GARGORE (the place where all of this wonderful game take place). You and all the land you occupy are represented by yellow squares. Your enemies (or conquerable lands) are represented by red squares. Water or lakes are represented by blue squares. There are two types of green area. I believe that they are both forest lands, except that I think there may be a possibility of the game letting you cross through one of the parts at a certain point of the game (I haven't gotten far enough). The Temples are represented by a square with a Red diamond in the center (look under Mental Confrontations for an explanation of these). The Oracle of Gargore (Important you must not be in tutor mode or Easy mode to go here) this place gives you hints on how to play. The Oracle is represented by a square with a Blue diamond in it. The left side of the screen is used (after moving the cursor on it) to tell you who (and what) the enemy army is, how many people are in it, etc... After you're done selecting which place you want to attack then hit the button and kill em. B.Physical Confrontations - This is the fun part,this is where you get to kill anything that moves. Once you start attacking an enemy's land you MUST KEEP MOVING TO THE RIGHT. DO NOT STOP RUNNING. When you first start the stage you will see a flag that represents your CULT. What you have to do is run to the right until you hit the flag that represents THEIR CULT. During this section, try to pick up as many weapons as possible here (I'll explain the weapons and different enemies at the end of the doc). Touch it and kill the remaining troops have, have then won you the first conflict. The enemy will then retreat to his castle. Then you mount your second front and invade the castle. Do the exact same thing and you'll then face the Enemy's leader. This will either be a Demon, Chief, (2 others I can't remember). This is a Mental Confrontation. C.Mental Confrontations - This is the odd part of the game. At the end of the level,or if you enter A Temple you will fight a god or a demon,or chief. However this fight takes place in your mind. On the border of the screen, there will be a small hand (please notice which finger is raised). The octopus thing floating is him. Nuke em'!! Move left and right and to move the hand around the border and hit the button to shoot him. There is no need for you to worry about where the fireballs you shoot go, as that when you hit the button the fireballs shoot at the thing's head where it is when you hit the button. You'll see what I mean. D.The Bottom of the Screen - I think it's easiest to describe if I start a the center of the bottom of the screen and work my way out. This is the best way to do this being that both sides of the bottom are symetric to each other. 1. The center - There are 2 guys that look like you, 1 is blue and one is orange. The Blue one represents your mental health, the Orange one represents your physical health. When you are hurt,the colour goes out of the the person in the way you were hit. When your physical energy is gone you explode,when your mental energy is gone you lose the battle with the demon, etc.. that you were fighting. Moving outward.. The black things with flags stuck in them. During play you will notice these filling up with blue every now and then. When this fills with blue it means that you've let some people by you, this means that they can progress back behind you and fight your army. If enough get through, then you are overrun, and you must retreat. Moving outward.. The two battle axes, these will drip blood whenever something happens to the enemy. In a nutshell if you blow up an enemy with a bomb, then the axe drips blood. ...Oh Damnation,I almost forgot.. 2.The Weapon selection bar is located at the bottom of the screen. You may carry up to 8 weapons at one time and switch at your leisure (or if Tutor or Assist mode, the computer's leisure). To activate a weapon, select it like described in the section "Control", Or hit the " F-key" that corresponds to it. All weapons will be described in full at the end of the doc. Oh.. If you get a weapon that you think will serve no purpose, then select it and then hit F10. This will jettison the weapon out of you. E. Control - Just standard joystick control, except when changing weapons. If you are in control of a weapon and you would like to be in control of the one to the left of it (on the weapon selection bar) pull down and then to the left in one motion and Viola.. you did it. Also, to pick objects up pull down while standing over them. F.The Fuzzy Bits (weapons/Misc) - Alright, here we go, a list of the weapons and what they look like, some of the monsters and characteristics, and then a list of the scrolls, their colour, and their effects. Lastly, some hints.. - Normal Mace (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a mace in it) This is the typical, average weapon. You start with this. - Destruct-O-Mace (Silver Shield with a mace in it) This may be also titled the 1 hit mace, all you have to do is hit anything once and poof,they're gone. - Grenades/Bombs (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a Sphere in it) Activating this and hitting the button throws a grenade, this will go about 2 inches the explode. Causing anything with it's explosion range to die or explode. This can cause some nasty chain reactions. - Mini-Crossbow (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a small pick in it) This is a rapid fire gun that shoots small arrows. This is not a very powerful weapon, but it's speed makes up for that. - Heavy Crossbow (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a large pick in it) This shoots a large arrow that is very powerful. It goes through 2 soldiers (that aren't wearing armor). This is one of the best. - Blue Gods (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a blue head in it) This shoots a blue head from you, it is like a homing missile. It locks in on any enemy and goes for him. You get 4 heads per/shield. These disappear after a certain amount of time. - White Gods (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a white head in it) This shoots a white head from you, it is also like a homing missile,but after a certain period of time it stops, enlarges, screams, and sends fireballs in 8 directions. These don't hurt you so don't worry. The SCROLLS, purely magical objects. Very valuable however... Green Scroll - Causes every enemy on the screen to explode. White Scroll - Causes every enemy on the screen to freeze. Although they can't move,they can still throw spears, etc.. Gold Scroll - Causes a white god(expanded,screamin') to appear above your head and explode (fireballs,etc...) Red Scroll - Restores some of your lost physical energy. Blue Scroll - Restores some of your lost mental energy. Black/Grey Scroll - Select this scroll and hit the button, you will lose all your other weapons, except in return you will have 8 gold/green scrolls. ** HINTS..... 1. If your trapped between 2 soldiers running at you in opposite directions (in front and behind) then jump over the one running at you in front then turn around and nuke the one behind you. 2. Gargore at the time has no ruler, all the cults are fighting for control of the land. Think before you move on the map stage. Also, if you're not sure, wait.. It will say "Time passes in Gargore". After this, you'll see where all the other cults are going and what they're going after. Also, waiting restores half your physical and mental energy. 3. Become familiar with and learn to recognize the different cults' attack styles. Watch out for the ones with the guys that just walk toward you wearing cloaks. They are the first combustible people and will explode on contact... with anything (ie arrows,etc..) End........