SPACE 1/SPACE - Library 1 - Volume 1.iso/games/497/dromepre/dromedoc.txt

Text File | 1991-08-05 | 14KB | 277 lines

                           ____________
               _____    __/ DROMEDARY: \__
            __/*  __\--|   THE PREVIEW! \_)
           (_____/ o/--|  _____    _____  |
            L______/---L (ooooo)  (ooooo) |
                        \_\ooo/____\ooo/__/
                           | |      | |
                           (O)      (O)
                           | |      | |
                          /___\    /___\
  COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

    This program and related material are:

                   Copyright 1991 Network 23 Software

    This program may be distributed free of charge so long as
  both text files are distributed with it and none of the files
  are altered in any way!  No money may be charged for this
  program.

  HISTORY:-------------------------------------------------------

     Zephr Industries was founded in the year 6291, dedicated
  to the production of Tranships, industrial spacecraft used
  to transport supplies to Moon and Mars colonies.  For many
  years, Zephr struggled against older, more profitable
  transportation services until 6548 and the development of
  the V E/D (Vortex Emanator/Disintegrator) which, for the
  first time, allowed for travel outside our rapidly shrink-
  ing solar system.  Zephr Industries took the lead in V E/D
  development and was soon the most massive, profitable
  corporation on the Three Worlds.  But bureaucracy took
  its toll and Zephr began looking for new ways to regain
  its dominance.
     Zephr's re-turning point came in 7401, when the first,
  true artificial intelligence (AI) software was developed by
  Network 23 Software, a division of Zephr Labs.  Seeing the
  tremendous potential of AI software integrated in Zephr's
  newly-designed Colonization Assist Unit, later to be re-
  named Dromedary, Zephr rushed in and gave the Dromes AI.
     The Dromedary is a multi-use mechanical construct used
  in various ways throughout the Three Worlds.  It walks on
  four legs and is supplied with AI.  Its most useful purpose
  is transportation of heavy equipment from site to site and
  regulation of equipment deemed dangerous or time-consuming
  for human involvement.
     Disaster was soon to strike.
     By 7403, the Three Worlds had expanded to over 45,000 as
  colonists by the millions set out with Dromes and supplies
  to conquer the galaxy.  Alien races had been discovered and
  trading/contact with them now constant.  Why this incredi-
  ble migration?
     Krys.
     First discovered on Agima in 7389, Krys soon became the
  rarest of all minerals, fetching as much as $17,000/ounce.
  Soon after, Krys was discovered on other planets, and even-
  tually, on every planet colonized thus far.  The curious
  fact still remains that Krys has not been found on any
  planet in our Sol system.  What makes Krys so rare is that,
  while it exists on seemingly every planet, quantities on
  each planet are very small.  The work required to extract
  Krys is incredibly time and labor intensive, but Krys fever
  had struck and everyone wanted in on the action.
     Disaster struck in 7431.  Because of the quick implemen-
  tation of AI into the Dromedary, they were unstable, too
  intelligent, and didn't like what was happening to them.
     The Agima Drome Massacre of 7431 caused such an uproar
  that Zephr almost went under then and there.  Zephr's
  savior was the legal department Zephr Industries had built
  up over the past 75 years.  Before the Drome Trials could
  see their day in court, Zephr Industries lawyers, using
  half-truths, inaccuracies, and research loosely based on
  fact, introduced the Artificial Intelligence Responsibility
  Act of 7431, which states that any act performed by a mech-
  anism equipped with AI is not the responsibility of the
  creators of that mechanism.  Zephr exerted its political
  influence and got the Act passed.  Zephr survived and pro-
  mised improved Dromes and rebates on Agima colony Dromes.
     Today, Zephr is the top leader in colonization,
  expanding its influence across the Milky Way.

  END HISTORY:---------------------------------------------------

  PRE-FLIGHT PRINTOUT FOR: _ZEPHR_COLONIZATION_CRAFT_______
                     DATE: _01/01/7438_____________________

              DESTINATION: _TSIRATA________________________
                   SYSTEM: _LEIMART-MAS____________________
      COLONIZATION RATING: _GOOD_(1)_______________________
          EXPLANATION (1): _TSIRATA_is_a_good_prospect,____
                           _but_an_indigenous_lifeform_____
                           _on_the_surface_makes_present___
                           _colonization_impossible._______
                           ___Earlier_colonization_attempts
                           _have_been_thwarted_by_the______
                           _skivit,_a_largish_rodent-like__
                           _creature_which_seems_to_thrive_
                           _on_hydraulic_cables_and_fluid._
                           ___Scientists_at_Zephr_believe__
                           _that_a_reduction_of_the_skivit_
                           _population_will_make_TSIRATA_a_
                           _good_prospect_(see_above)_for__
                           _colonization.__________________
                           ________________________________
          PURPOSE OF TRIP: _Reduction_of_skivit_population.
  END PRINTOUT---------------------------------------------------


  DROMEDARY: THE PREVIEW

    The Preview is a game for 1-4 players.  One player can play
  against themselves to better a previous score.  The goal is
  to catch the skivits as they open their mountainside doors
  by running over them.  Each skivit is worth $100.

  REQUIREMENTS FOR PLAY

    The Preview should run on all ST's and STE's.  Testing has
  not been done on the TT's.  If anyone finds out if The Preview
  runs on a TT, please let me know.  One joystick is required.
    The Preview can be run from a hard drive, just make sure all
  related files are in the same folder.

  TO PLAY

    Double-click on the DROMEPRE.PRG icon and the game will load.
    When the title screen appears, press the spacebar after a
  joystick is plugged in the joystick port.

  CHARACTER SELECTION

    This is the first screen.  All possible character selections
  are in the upper left section of the screen.  The upper right
  section holds background information on each character, inclu-
  ding the money each character starts off with.  The green box
  surrounding the center character is controlled by the joystick.
  As the joystick is moved to other characters, an animated
  version appears in the center box and their info is displayed.
    You will see the Humanoid character is for beginners and
  starts off with an extra $200.  The Slimoid character is for
  expert characters and starts off with $200 less.
    To choose your character, hold the joystick so the box sur-
  rounds your choice and press the joystick button.  The box
  will move down to the next window and surround the red color.

  CHOOSING A COLOR

    Move the joystick left and right to select a color, pressing
  the joystick button as before.  The color you choose will
  disappear and a colored box will surround the animated charac-
  ter.  The box now moves to the controller selection window.

  CHOOSING A CONTROLLER

    This game will eventually use two or more joysticks, but
  problems at the last second made this impossible.  To simplify
  things, all players will use the same joystick.  The controller
  selection box is screened out and you will skip this section.

  WHAT TO DO NOW

    The box now surrounds the word NEXT.  If you have chosen the
  player and color to your satisfaction and more than one person
  is playing, choosing NEXT will move the box back to the
  Character Selection window and the next player can now choose
  their player and color.  If only one person is playing or all
  players have made their choices, select LOGGED.  This will end
  player selection and the game will continue.
    If a mistake in selection has been made at any time, select
  ERROR and the selection screen will reset.  Return the joy-
  stick to the first player and have everyone make their select-
  tions again.

  SUMMARY SCREEN

    After player selections have been made, a summary screen
  will appear.  Characters will be ranked in order of net worth
  from top to bottom, surrounded by their color.  In case of
  ties, the player who made their player selection first will
  be placed higher up, but this will not determine the winner.
    If this is the first summary screen, the information box in
  the upper right will tell you to choose a game length from
  the window below.  Use the joystick to select a game length.
    Above the information box is the current turn, indicated by
  the month.  It will read "0" the first time because play
  hasn't started yet.
    When everyone has seen their net worth statements, press the
  joystick button once for each player to continue.

  THE MAP

    The largest part of the screen is the map.  The settlement is
  in the center of the map.  A river flows north and south.
  Mountains dot the landscape.  When a skivit appears, a yellow
  light will shine from the mountain.  Your goal is to run over
  the skivit to collect $100 for each one caught.  The river and
  mountains slow you down, avoid them if you can.
    The top right edge of the screen holds status information: the
  current turn, the number of skivits caught, the number of times
  the skivit has appeared, the ratio of shows to catches, and how
  many catches are needed to be in first place.
    Below the status information is the O2 Supply bar.  The sur-
  face of Tsirata does not have enough oxygen to support any
  known race, so O2 suits must be worn.  When play begins, a bar
  in your player color will appear and will shrink as you hunt
  the skivit.  When O2 runs out, the turn is over.
    The bottom of the screen holds the message bar.  At the be-
  ginning of each turn, one of two things will appear here.
  There is a chance of a random event happening that will affect
  the player's monetary status.  If a player event does not
  occur, a message will tell you to press the joystick button to
  begin.  The color of the messages will be that of the player
  who's turn it is.

  PLAYING THE GAME

    When the button is pressed, the player will appear in the
  center of the map.  Because of the map scale, each character
  will be represented by a small humanoid figure wearing an O2
  suit in the color of your choice.  Search the mountains for
  an open door with a yellow light.  Each time the skivit opens
  his door, the light will appear and a tiny sound will go off.
  Use this sound and light to help you locate the skivit.  There
  is no way to tell how long the door will remain open.
    When your oxygen runs out, you are instantly teleported back
  to the settlement and the next player will have a shot at skivit
  hunting.  Computer players will not hunt skivits.  They don't
  have the AI extensions necessary.

  SUMMARY SCREEN, AGAIN

    When all players have had their chance hunting skivits, the
  summary screen appears again, showing the current status based
  on caught skivits.  The turn that just finished is shown at
  the top right of the screen.  Press the joystick button once for
  each player to continue to the next month.

  THAT'S IT MAN!  GAME OVER!

    After the last turn, the end summary screen will be displayed,
  proclaiming the Grand Poohbah of the settlement!  If there was a
  tie, no player will become Grand Poohbah.
    At the bottom right of the screen, you have two choices to make
  with your joystick.  You can quit the game or play again.  At any
  point during play, you can quickly drop back to the desktop by
  hitting CONTROL-C.

  THE WAITING BEGINS...

    Admittedly, this game is not much to play.  You won't be coming
  back to it again and again, and that's understandable.  This is
  only meant to be a taste of things to come.  I thank you for
  looking at this program, and I would REALLY appreciate your
  comments.  Hopefully, the near future will bring a full-fledged
  version of Dromedary to your hot little hands with all the perks
  and enhancements you desire!
    I am not expecting any money for this small venture, although
  countless hours have been put into it already.  But, if you are
  so inclined, a $5 donation will be gladly accepted, and will make
  you eligible for a discount on Dromedary when it is offically
  released.
    Please send all comments, ideas, and critisizms (remember the
  shareware clause for this program (README.1ST file) to me on
  GEnie (R.MARTIN22 is the address) or write a letter to:
              Network 23 Software
              7 Sarah Avenue
              Springfield, IL  62703

    Again, thank you for your time.  I look forward to hearing from
  you!!!  Additional thanks to my wife Cynthia, who helped with
  testing and debugging, and Jon (FictionMan) Budil for various
  input of a helpful nature.

  Live And Direct,
  Rod Martin, Network 23 Software