THE DREADNAUGHT FACTOR

 BY ACTIVISION

 by Tom Loughry

 ON DEVASTATING DREADNAUGHTS: A GUIDE

 OVERVIEW: Dreadnaughts dwarf stars. They are huge. They are rude,
 intruding where they are least wanted. Dreadnaughts can destroy
 fleets, planets, solar systems and entire galaxies.

 OBJECTIVE: DISABLE AND DESTROY ALL DREADNAUGHTS. Failure will
 result in the negation of this galaxy.
 Your mission ends when you destroy the entire Dreadnaught convoy,
 when any Dreadnaught reaches the Stargate with at least one
 missile silo intact, or when all Novary Hyperfighters have been
 destroyed.

 IGNITION
 *Insert cartridge. Turn power on.
 *To select one of seven missions:
 Atari Home Computers: Press Game Select until the number of the
 desired mission appears onscreen.
 5200: Press Reset on left controller. Press 1-7 on controller pad.
 *To begin:
 Atari Home Computers: Press Start on console, then push Joystick
 forward or press the firing button.
 5200: Press Start on left controller, then press any side button.
 *Turn power off before removing the cartridge.

 HYPERFIGHTING BASICS
 Piloting:
 *To accelerate: Push Joystick forward.
 *To decelerate: Pull back on Joystick.
 Weaponry:
 Atari Home Computers: Press Joystick button to fire laser bolts.
 To drop strontium bombs, press Joystick button three times.
 5200: Press either top side Joystick button to drop strontium
 bombs.
 Press either bottom side Joystick button to fire laser bolts.
 Hyperfighter Reserves Status: You will begin each mission with
 10 Novary Hyperfighters. While fighting missions 1-4, 2 additional
 Hyperfighters will be added to your squadron for each Dreadnaught
 you destroy. Receive 4 additional Hyperfighters for each Dreadnaught
 destroyed on missions 5-7.

 CLASSIFIED PRIORITY ONE
 What follows represents all existing intelligence on the Dreadnaught.
 Read it carefully.
 STATUS SCREEN. Consult your status screen before takeoff. Your Novary
 Hyperfighter appears at the Stargate. Behind you are reserve
 Hyperfighters, lined up in attack sequence in front of the Galactic
 Unstable Energy Field.
 At the top of the status screen you will see the total number of
 Dreadnaughts destroyed on this mission, the outline of the
 Dreadnaught you will attack, and that Dreadnaught's distance from the
 Stargate, as measured in parsecs.

 PLAN OF ASSAULT
 Launch your Novary Hyperfighter from the Ground Zero Stargate.
 Proceed on course for the Dreadnaught. Bomb or strafe Dreadnaught
 targets. Once beyond the Dreadnaught, you will return to the Stargate
 and prepare for another attack pass. The Dreadnaught advances on the
 Stargate when an attack pass is completed.
 SCORING DIRECT HITS. You earn points for destroying each Dreadnaught
 target and prematurely detonating in-flight tracking missiles
 launched from the Dreadnaught. Score bonus points for each
 Dreadnaught you destroy.
 STRONTIUM BOMBS destroy the following targets for these point values:
 Energy Vent                      20
 Engine                           25
 Silo                             50
 LASER BOLTS destroy the following Dreadnaught weapons for these point
 awards:
 WEAPON                        POINTS
 Small Cannon                    1
 Large Cannon                    5
 Drone Launcher                  5
 Tower                           5
 Queen Launcher                 10
 Bridge                         10
 BOMBING PRIORITIES
 *Destroy all BRIDGES to reduce Dreadnaught firing rate by 50 percent.
 *Destroy each ENGINE to slow the Dreadnaught's approach velocity.
 *SILOS house anti-matter missiles which can detonate the Unstable
 Energy Field. Destroy them.
 *In order to destroy a Dreadnaught, bomb all ENERGY VENTS.

 MISSION VARIATIONS
 Game Level         Difficulty     Number of Dreadnaughts
 1                    Basic                  1
 2                    Novice                 1
 3                 Intermediate              2
 4                  Challenge                5
 5                  Advanced                10
 6                   Expert                 15
 7                   YGTBK^                100
 ^You've Got To Be Kidding
 *Rate of fire increases as level of mission advances.

 JOIN THE ACTIVISION "DREADNAUGHT DESTROYER" CLUB
 Defeat the entire fleet of Dreadnaughts on mission level 4 or
 higher and  you will earn galactic acclaim, a place in stellar
 history, and a membership in the prestigious "Dreadnaught Destroyer"
 Club.Send us a picture of your TV screen and we'll mail you the
 Dreadnaught Destroyer emblem, along with our heartfelt thanks.
 Be sure to write "The Dreadnaught Factor" on the bottom left corner
 of the envelope.

 TACTICAL TIPS FROM THE TOP
 Tips from Tom Loughry, designer of The Dreadnaught Factor, and
 Eric Nickell, adaptor of this version.
 "Keep track of the Dreadnaught's distance from the Stargate. As
 it gets closer, it's a good idea to slow down its velocity by
 bombing the engines. If it gets really close, destroy all the
 missile silos. That way, the Unstable Energy Field is safe
 even if the Dreadnaught reaches the Stargate. Unless you lose
 all your Hyperfighters, that is.
 "Destroy those Dreadnaught weapons which give you the most
 difficulty. But keep in mind that the only way to destroy a
 Dreadnaught is by bombing all its energy vents. Don't waste
 time or attack passes trying to destroy every target.
 "Let us hear from you between missions. We'd like that. May
 the grace of God be with you."

 END

 Typed by Robert "Ferg" Ferguson (wombat2@ix.netcom.com)

 for Atari Gaming Headquarters