Special Note:    This manual is displayed and printed at its best when the following fonts are installed in your Macintosh system:   9 and 12 point Monaco, and 12 and 18 point Palatino.

Copyright Notice

Copyright © 1987–1991 by Dave Scheifler
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the U.S.A.

This documentation and all associated software, artwork, product designs or design concepts are copyrighted with all rights reserved.

MegaCorp International, Inc.
251 West Central Street, Suite #182
Natick, Massachusetts  01760

Trademarks

The following are trademarks of MegaCorp International:  DoomsDay 2000, Zytt, JauntTroop, JauntTrooper, JauntTroop Commando, Kiddie Kommando Unit, Captain Hazard, and CyberCop, together with all prominent characters appearing within the DoomsDay 2000 product and the distinctive names and likenesses thereof.

Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

Disclaimers

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, incidents, and places of business either are the product of the author's vivid imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons or businesses, living or terminated, events, or locales is entirely and most assuredly coincidental.

The information in this document is subject to change without notification and does not represent a commitment on the part of MegaCorp International or Dave Scheifler.  The software described in this document is furnished under license agreement or nondisclosure agreement.  The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.  No part of this documentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express permission of MegaCorp International.  Refer to the License Agreement section of this document for further details.

Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................
4
Conventions .........................................
6
Kit Content
.........................................
7
System Requirements
.................................
8
Installation ........................................
9
Getting Started
.....................................
10
Character Attributes
................................
13
Actions
.............................................
17
Movement
............................................
18
Combat
..............................................
22
Inventory Management
................................
23
Using a Mouse
.......................................
25
Using the Keyboard
..................................
27
Saving Status
.......................................
28
Scoring
.............................................
28
About the Windows
...................................
29
Commands
............................................
35
Detailed Command Descriptions
.......................
37
Tailoring the game
.................................. 46
Okay, so how do I actually play this game???
........ 49
Words of Wisdom
..................................... 53
Product Restrictions
................................
57
Product Information & Reporting Problems
............
58
Update Policy
.......................................
59
License Agreement
...................................
60
Limited Guarantee
...................................
61

                             Welcome to DoomsDay 2000™

DoomsDay 2000 is a challenging science fiction action adventure game that takes place at the dawn of the 21st Century.  As you begin playing you will find that you are the last surviving member of an elite commando team with an ultra top secret mission that is vital to the future of all humanity.  To succeed you must venture into the depths of an abandoned underground Research and Development complex in a daring effort to complete that fateful mission.  Along the way you will battle alien horrors and wage deadly fire fights using sophisticated hightech weaponry and equipment.  Without a doubt this will be the toughest assignment you have ever known.  So gather your wits, and every ounce of skill and courage you can muster, for your own life and the lives of millions depend on you from this moment onward ...

When the game begins your commando character is created with a set of skills and attributes.  You strive to enhance these during the course of your mission as a way of improving your chances of survival.  While exploring, you may find equipment that will prove useful in combating enemies that block your way, and discover strange devices of unknown origin whose purpose may only become clear after careful testing and experimentation.

Unlike arcade style games, DoomsDay 2000 allows you to take all the time you need to plan your moves, but also provides fast paced action and excitement for days, weeks, and even months of play.  Each time a new game is started a new game world is created for you to explore, a world in which the equipment you found so useful during the last game may now be in very short supply or entirely nonexistent, thereby challenging both your ingenuity and creativity.  The topology of the game world changes, as do the inhabitants, making each new adventure just that, a new adventure!

DoomsDay 2000 can be a challenging game, particularly in Expert mode.  Regardless of the skill setting you decide to choose, be prepared to lose some characters while you are learning the basic strategies for staying alive and developing techniques for defeating the nastier forms of badguys running around loose in the game.  Be sure to read through the Words of Wisdom section for helpful suggestions on useful strategies that you should become familiar with before beginning your first game.  You may also find it useful to read the section Okay, so how do I actually play this game??? to get an idea of how to begin.

If you are eager to jump right into the game and not bother with the rest of this documentation, go straight to the Installation section and then over to Getting Started – although it would still be wise to take a brief look at the advice that is offered in Words of Wisdom.

Good luck!  You'll undoubtedly need it ...

Conventions

Listed below are definitions for various symbols and abbreviations used throughout this document.

click                       Press the mouse button.

double–click
       The mouse button is clicked twice rapidly.  The speed at which the mouse button must be clicked twice and be recognized as a "double–click" is governed by the setting of the standard Mouse Control Panel function.

click–and–hold   Depress the mouse button and keep it depressed while performing a function.

Option–                The OPTION key on the keyboard; held depressed while striking another key.

Option–click        The OPTION key on the keyboard is held depressed while clicking the mouse button.

Control–              The CONTROL key on the keyboard is held depressed while striking another key.

Command–        The COMMAND key on the keyboard is held depressed while striking another key.

ESC                       Press the ESC key on the keyboard.

TAB                      Press the TAB key on the keyboard; typically issued as the first keystroke in a multiple keystroke command.

RETURN            Press the RETURN key.

CANCEL             Press any one of the following keyboard keys:  CLEAR,  Control–z, Command–., or ESC.  For mouse usage, click on the CANCEL button.

SPACE                 Press the SPACE bar.

Kit Content

Your DoomsDay 2000 demonstration kit contains the materials listed below:

  •  Envelope with four (4) diskettes – the diskettes contain the software component and are labled Disk #1, through Disk #4.  Be sure that you have read and understood the License Agreement before opening the envelope; breaking the seal indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions of the license agreement.

  •  Installation Guide – this hardcopy document (supplied only for mail orders) provides instruction on how to install the game.

  •  DoomsDay 2000 player's guide – this manual provides information on how to play the game, a License Agreement, and a Limited Guarantee statement.  It is an online file contained on one of the diskettes.  Double-click on the file to open it for reading or printing.

  •  Product Order Form – if you are interested in purchasing the complete game, please supply the information requested on the form, and return it with a personal check, according to the instructions provided.  The form is supplied as a hardcopy document for mail orders, and as an online file for kits obtained from service bureaus – double-click on the file to open it for reading or printing.

If you find that any of the materials are missing upon delivery, please immediately notify MegaCorp International and the missing items will be provided free of charge.  Inquiries concerning the availability, and purchase prices, of replacement materials can be made as described under Product Information & Reporting Problems.

System Requirements

SYSTEM USAGE:

DoomsDay 2000 is compatible with version 6.0.3 or later of the Macintosh operating system, including System 7.0, and has been verified to run correctly on the following Apple Macintosh systems:  Plus, SE, SE/30, Classic, LC, II, IIx, IIcx, IIsi, IIci, IIfx, and the Portable.

The game is self configuring and will properly recognize the standard Apple monitor screen sizes for the 9", 12", and 13" monochrome and color displays, as well as the Portrait monitor.  Larger screen sizes are handled as per the 13" monitors, and further customization is left to the user; see the Tailoring section for further details.  Colors and greyscales are mapped to 1–bit, 4–bit, or 8–bit palettes as appropriate, and 32–bit QuickDraw is utilized if available.

DISK USAGE:

DoomsDay 2000 requires the use of a hard disk.  Approximately 2.4 megabytes of disk space are needed for the basic installation files, or 3.2 megabytes for the extended installation files (basic, plus sound files).  Thereafter, each saved game, and each copy of a saved game, needs up to 1.5 megabytes of additional disk space.  Newly started games will typically take less than 1.5 megabytes, and will increase in size as you play.

MEMORY USAGE:

The recommended application memory size for DoomsDay 2000 is 2 megabytes.  The game is shipped with this as its default.

On systems in which memory is in short supply, a lesser amount can be utilized during many instances of playing the game.  For monochrome displays, DoomsDay 2000 expects a minimum of 1200 kilobytes (1.2 meg) of memory for its own use.  For color displays, a minimum of 1600 kilobytes (1.6 meg) is expected.  Setting the memory size to less than 1200 kilobytes for monochrome systems, or less than 1600 kilobytes for color systems, is not recommended.  With these reduced memory sizes, available memory may become exhausted while playing.  If this occurs, you should Save and Exit upon receipt of such a message, then adjust the memory size to a higher value, before resuming play.

Note that the memory usage statistics given here are in addition to the memory requirements for the Macintosh operating system; i.e. your system must have sufficient memory to contain both the game and the operating system.

See the section on Tailoring the Game for more about tailoring memory.

Installation

Follow these steps to install the DoomsDay 2000 demonstration kit.

  •  Create a new folder and name it DoomsDay 2000.

  •  Insert the disk labeled "Disk #1" and copy all of its files to the folder; eject the disk.

  •  Insert the disk labeled "Disk #2" and copy all of its files to the folder; eject the disk.

  •  Insert the disk labeled "Disk #3" and copy all of its files to the folder; eject the disk.

  •  If you do not want sounds:  Stop Here!

  •  If you want sounds:  insert the disk labeled "Disk #4" and copy its file to the folder; eject the disk.

  •  All done!

If you choose to not install the sound file, you may simply copy that file into your DoomsDay 2000 game folder at a later date without having to repeat the entire installation procedure.  Similarly, you may later remove the sound file to free up the disk space it was using.

Getting Started

NEW GAMES:

Starting a new game is straightforward.  Double–click on the DoomsDay 2000 file.  Then from the FILE menubar entry, select NEW to begin a new game.  After a brief period of game initialization, you will be asked to accept or reject a specific character based on whether you like the attribute values being shown.  If you accept, you play that character.  If you reject that character, another set of attributes are then generated and you are once again queried for acceptance – this process continues until you select a character to play.
 
For players unfamiliar with DoomsDay 2000 it is suggested that characters be declined until one is offered with a dexterity (DEX) in the range of 16 to 18, with a constitution (CON) of at least 12, and a strength (STR) of at least 10.  By emphasizing dexterity in this way, you will tend to increase your initial chances of survival.  You can ensure that these minimums are generated automatically by setting the Difficulty Level to Beginner; refer to the section Tailoring the Game for details.  Refer to the Character Attributes section for further details on character attributes and their contributing advantages.

You are then given the option to specify a name for the character you have selected.  The default name "Captain Hazard" is used if you decline this opportunity.

STOPPING PLAY:

Select SAVE AND EXIT from the FILE menubar item when you wish to stop playing and have your character saved away for later play.  It will be saved to a file and a folder with the same name as your character.  Select ABORT from the FILE menubar item to leave a game without saving the current character.

SAVING WHILE PLAYING:

If you wish to save your current character to disk without exiting play, select SAVE from the FILE menubar item.  This updates your game file and game folder with your character status.  To save a copy of your character to a different file or location, select SAVE A COPY AS from the FILE menubar item.  Note:  you receive penalty points for using these two commands; refer to the sections on Scoring, and Saving Status, for further details.

RESUMING EXISTING GAMES:

There are two ways to resume playing an existing character.  The first is to double–click on the file containing the saved character.  DoomsDay 2000 will then place you at the point where you previously exited.  The second way is to double–click on DoomsDay 2000, then from the FILE menubar option select OPEN to identify the desired character file.

Characters are saved in files that have the same names as the characters themselves.  For example, Captain Hazard is saved in a file named "Captain Hazard", with additional character information being stored in a companion folder named "Captain Hazard.files".

INTERACTING WITH THE GAME:

Interaction with the game world of DoomsDay 2000 is accomplished by issuing commands.  Both keyboard and mouse oriented command requests are supported to provide a level of interaction that best suits your personal gaming style and preferences.  The collection of commands is extensive to enhance your ability to flexibly react to the changing environment and situations in the game world, yet only a small subset need be learned to begin playing the game effectively.  Refer to Using the Mouse, and Using the Keyboard, for further information on those styles of play.

You do not need to know all of the commands by heart.  Just familiarize yourself with the following: REST, INSPECT, LOOK, GET, DROP, THROW, OPEN, CLOSE, WIELD, and EXCHANGE, together with how to do basic movement; see Command Descriptions and Movement for details.  Use the pulldown Help facility on the menubar, or refer to this player's guide, to review the other available commands as you discover new things you would like to try.  Since this is not an arcade style game, time won't pass if you stop for a while.  You can study the documentation as often and for as long as you like without game time elapsing.

The one essential command is REST (click the Rest button, or press 'p' for "pause to rest" when using keyboard oriented commands).  This command has your character rest in place until fully healed from recent injuries ... or until something of interest happens that causes you to wake up again before you have finished healing.  However, resting to heal may not be permitted in certain special instances; for example, when you are poisoned.

See the section on About the Windows for descriptions of the various windows, their content, and special interactions.