Technoids
Version 1.0 ©1993 by Robert Chancellor

SHAREWARE NOTICE
Technoids 1.0 is Shareware. If you use the game and find you like it, please honor the Sharware agreement by sending $10 to the address listed below. I will keep each registered user informed of new releases of Technoids, and occasionally send information about future products. I do envision a number of enhancements to Techmoids in the near future.

Robert Chancellor
963 Cedar St.
El Segundo, CA. 90245

About the Game
Technoids is a game designed for those who want a form of mindless entertainment. So many games today are extremely complex, requiring a great deal of concentration and planning. Sometimes it is nice to play a game that allows you to relax and recover from strenuous mental excersiceswe all go through. Technoids has been designed to fill this niche.

I hope you enjoy playing Technoids, and find it an enjoyable way to take a break.

Hardware and Software Requirements
Technoids 1.0 will operate on any Macintosh running System 6.05 or later. Color monitors are reccomended, but black and white is supported.

The Story
The year is 2095.  Technology has advanced to the stage where distant planetary exploration is possible. Having determined that all the planets in our solar system are incapable of supporting life, we look to an elite group called the Federation to provide us with other planets to inhabit.

The Federation is an organization containing representatives from every nation on Earth. Many planets have been explored by the Federation, but most have not been stable, or capable of supporting life. To make matters worse, we discovered that another intelligent life form exists beyond our solar system. This race, known as the Overlords, have the same goal in space as the Federation. To find an inhabitable planet on which to expand.

The Federation and Overlords nearly destroyed themselves about two years ago, fighting over a newly discovered planet. After much negotiation, it was decided that rather than destroying each other over the planet, and since this seemed the only inhabitable planet in the region, the land on the planet could be divided between the Federation and the Overlords. In order to determine how to divide the land, each side would construct a hi-tech battle suit to battle over the territory. Specific rules and specifications were laid out for the design, and the suits were constructed.

This is where you come in. You have been chosen to represent the Federation. You will place yourself inside this battle suit, also known as a "mech", and will battle the Overlord's warrior for each quadrant of land you desire.

There is one thing you should know. During the two years of bargaining between the Federation and the Overlords, the Overlords built a base on the planet, establishing a foothold for their people. The Overlords have no intention of sharing the land. They are intent on destroying the Earth people, and have built not one, but many mechs to accomplish this. Your orders are not only to claim land, but also to destroy the base on the planet, securing a desperately needed land mass for the people of the Federation.

The Rules
The rules are simple. You will be provided with a map of the planet surface you are battling for. The map is divided into sections called quadrants. Clicking on a quadrant will show you how much the Federation is willing to pay you for obtaining this quadrant. The closer to the Overlord's base, the more they are willing to pay. This is as it should be however, since the closer to the base you get, the tougher the mechs are you will have to fight.

Once you have chosen a quadrant you wish to claim, either click on the "Challenge" button below the map, or double-click on the quadrant. A combat display will appear showing you your mech and the Overlord's. You must completely destroy the opposing mech to claim the territory.

Winning the Game
To win the game, you must capture the Overlord's base at the lower-left corner of the map. The Overlord is much too powerful to defeat right away. You will have to capture less protected pieces of land at the start. You will be awarded credits for each quadrant you capture. These credits should be used to purchase advanced weaponry and better armor. Only when you have advanced your weaponry and armor, do you stand a chance of defeating the Overlord's base.

The Mech

Shields
Shields are a vital part of each mech created. They project a energy field around the mech with helps deflect damage, preventing the mech from actually taking damage. Each hit you receive from another mech will lower the strength of your shields. Once you shields have be lowered to zero, your mech will start taking damage. A fully charged shields can deflect 100 points of damage.

Some weapons have been engineered to get through the shields, doing damage to directly to the armor on the mech. Although these weapons are not quite as powerful as other types, they can be extremely dangerous when you mech has already taken armor damage.

Your shields are sustained by a generator onboard your mech. This generator will slowly repair damage sustained to the shields. For each round of combat, the shields will regenerate two points. If you can avoid being hit, your shields can actualy be brough back to full strength.

Armor
The armor is the composite metal your mech is made from. Once your shields reach zero, any damage done to your mech is taken from the armor. Once your armor reaches zero, your mech is destroyed.

Unlike shields, armor can not be repaired in combat.

Weapons
There are three categories of weapons in Technoids; laser weapons, missile weapons, and secret weapons. Laser weapons and missile weapons must be recharged before each use. Secret weapons will be discussed later in this document.

Laser weapons consist of energy beam weapons capable of disrupting the shields of the enemy. The possible laser weapons are: Laser Class 1 (starting weapon), Laser Class 2, Laser Class 3, Laser Class 4, Laser Class 5, and Laser Class 6. Experiment with each to learn how each one works.

Missile weapons consist of energy pulse weapons capable of great damage. Missile weapons do more damage than equivelant laser weapons, but take longer to recharge after each use. The possible missile weapons are: Missile Type 1 (starting weapon), Missile Type 2, Photon Bolt, and Plasma Bolt. Again, experiment with each to learn how each one works.

One more mode of attack is available. Punching. Punching uses the armor structure of the mech to smash the opposing mech. Although not as damaging as missiles, no shield can stop this form of attack. Any damage you do with a punch is applied directly to armor, making this a good weapon to use when the opposing mech is at the edge of destruction.

Secret Weapons
Secret weapons are so named because the Federation works very hard to prevent the Overlords people from spying on battle preparations. The Federation randomly places a weapon of choice on board your mech just hours before each fight. In order to ensure secrecy, and to prevent the Overlord from using such information to devise couter battle plans, even you do not know which weapon you have until you use it.

Secret Weapons can only be used once in each combat. They are generally more powerful than weapons you use during the majority of the game. Some do damage to the opponent while others can replinish lost shield energy. Some even bypass the shields of the opposing mech and do direct damage to the armor. They should be used at strategic points during the combat, when you need to turn the tides of combat.

Not all the secret weapons available to the Federation are known by the Overlord. Many are still closely held secrets.

Purchasing Additional Armor and Weapons
As you claim quadrants on the map, you will be rewarded credits by the Federation. These credits represent resources gained from claimed territory, and can be used to purchase more powerful armor and weapons. Simply select the option you desire from the "Mech" menu, and purchase the desired item.

Preferences
The Preference dialog allows you some control over how the game works. You may may select the rate at which combat messages are displayed, and you may also select the difficulty level of the game. The difficulty setting alters the amount of armor each opponent mech has.