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Text File | 1997-06-18 | 26KB | 645 lines

Last Offence (Demonstration Version) Text-Only Manual ---------------------------------------------------- This demonstration version is a 1 level preview, featuring the main elements to be found in the full game. IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANY PART OF THIS DEMONSTRATION SOFTWARE THEN DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT MODUS SOFTWARE, WE WILL BE PLEASED TO HELP. PLEASE READ ALL OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST. The full version of Last Offence can be obtained from Modus Software for £30. Modus Software PO BOX 3148 Cumbernauld Glasgow G67 2YB Tel.: (01236) 722202 Email: modus@digibank.demon.co.uk Please make cheques or postal orders payable to "Modus Software". Full Game Features: ------------------- The following list details the key main features of the final game: * *** 416 by 288 pixels playing area in 16 colours for Arm 2, 250, 3 users. * *** 416 by 576 pixels playing area in 16 colours for RISC PC or SVGA monitor users. * *** Two 16 colour simulated playfields giving multi-directional parallax scrolling. * *** 165 frames of digitized character animation for the players sprite * *** Over 350 frames of animation used for the enemy graphics * *** Selectable ARTWORKS rendering of static graphics screens in: 256 colours 32,000 colours 16 million colours * *** 8 channels of sound - 4 tracks of music and 4 chanels of high quality sampled sound effects * Drag-and-drop support playing of your own favourite music modules * 4 worlds to play each consisting of HUGE levels * MASSIVE end of world animated guardians * Constant fast and furious gameplay * VERY fast sprite plotting and accurate collision detection * Highly intelligent enemy generation and control * Large variety of quality sampled sound effects * Range of weaponry to collect and use * Hard drive installable * Acorn Desktop compliant * Highly compressed data, for fast loading, and saving of disc space * Highly configurable (and saveable) game options including: * Definable keys & joystick compatibility * 8 difficulty levels * Music and sound FX ON/OFF, volume and quality settings * Background layer graphics ON/OFF (For slower machines) * Minimum foreground graphics plot (For slower machines) Credits ------- Designed & Programmed by: William James Docherty Solomon Paul Sammy Graphics: Anthony Johnston William James Docherty Music: Stuart Malcolm QTM player: Stephen Harrison Artworks Render modules: ArtWorks is a trademark of Computer Concepts Ltd. The ArtWorks Render modules are copyright Computer Concepts Ltd and cannot be incorporated in any application without the permission of Computer Concepts. Contact: Computer Concepts Ltd, Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 6EX, Tel: (01442) 351000, Fax: (01442) 351010 Notice ------ This manual, and the software described in this manual, are under copyright. All rights are reserved. It is an offence to make copies, in any form or on any media, of this program or documentation for any purpose other than for the purchaser's own personal use. Modus Software makes no warranties, conditions or representations express or implied, with respect to this manual, its quality, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure that the information given is correct, Modus Software cannot accept any liability for any loss or damage caused by the use of this program or the information in this manual. Modus Software makes certain limited warranties with respect to this software and the media for the software. In no event shall Modus Software be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages. Modus Software reserve the right to make improvements to the product described in this file at any time and without notice. Loading Instructions -------------------- Getting Started --------------- To load Last Offence simply double click on the !LO_Demo application on Disc 1. This will install Last Offence on the icon bar of your desktop. The game can then be accessed by pressing the left mouse button on the application's icon. You may then be prompted to change discs at various stages during loading. Memory problems --------------- Last Offence has been designed to be used on any 32 bit 2MB+ Acorn machine equipped with Risc OS 3 or better; and has been extensively tested on a variety of machine configurations. However many users will have their own machine configuration setup- where for example, they auto-load applications, set large font caches, etc. If when you attempt to load the game, and the computer tells you that there is insufficient memory, please try the following: * Quit all other applications. From the Task Manager (press left mouse button on bottom right icon on icon bar) temporarily reallocate memory by setting the following to their lowest values: Font cache, System sprites, RAM disc & Module area. Retry loading. * If the program installs to the Desktop Icon Bar, but does not succeed later when trying to play the actual game, then please try the following steps. From the games "Config" option, ensure the following settings, and re-try: Sound section: Sound FX OFF Music OFF Graphics section: Screen Display Mode 15 Display both layers OFF Maximum Graphics ON (Does not affect memory useage) Monitor Type Single-Height * If the above fails: stop all unnecessary applications & modules from auto-loading, turn the computer off then on again and repeat the above process. Refer to Acorn's RISC OS User Guide for more details on how to minimise memory requirements. The Scenario ------------ It is the near future. A gang of interplanetary gangsters have embarrassed the law enforcement agencies for months, stealing jewels, computer modules and rare elements. Intelligence sources suggest that these items are required to manufacture a weapon of unknown range and power. Recently they have stolen parts of a new supercomputer. It is your job to ensure that this is their Last Offence. The four ring leaders responsible have gone to ground in their home territory, surrounded by hordes of gang members, equipped with the latest in lethal defensive weaponry. Your tasks are: to defeat the evil criminals, destroy their key equipment, retrieve stolen items and neutralise the gang leaders. Extreme force has been authorised! You have been armed with the SLA Assault Rifle, one of the new generation of ‘morphic’ weapons able to utilise any ammunition and interface with rogue computer cores. Extra abilities will be learned by the SLA if the correct software modules are found and uploaded. Good Luck! Introduction ------------ Upon loading Last Offence there are various configuration options which are selectable from the game desktop menu. These are accessed by pressing Menu (the middle mouse button) on the application icon. However, you can start a game straight away by simply pressing the left mouse button on the application icon or from the New Game desktop menu option. From here you will then be presented with the main game option screen. See Game Main Menu for details. Clicking on the gun icon will start the game. Icon Bar Options ---------------- This section describes the options that are available from Last Offence's desktop menu. This can be obtained by pressing the Menu button over Last Offence's icon on the icon bar. Info ---- Outlines the application's purpose, version number and other miscellaneous information. New Game -------- This starts the game afresh, as if it had just loaded from disc. Config ------ Customises Last Offence in a variety of ways. See the section Configuration for more details. Save Game --------- Disabled in the demonstration version. Quit ---- Quits the application. Game Main Menu -------------- Clicking on the Last Offence icon from the icon bar will start the game. The Main Menu screen has the appearance of a computer terminal with several icons appearing along the bottom of the display. These icons represent, from left to right; Return To Desktop, Display Highscores, Play Game and Save/Load game. The latter icon has two sections- the green arrow pointing to the disc represents the Save Game option, whilst the purple arrow pointing away from the disc is the Load Game option. The current save game filename is also shown. The Save Game option is disabled in the demonstration version. Return To Desktop ----------------- Simply exits the game and returns to the desktop. This can also be activated by clicking with the Adjust mouse button on the Main Menu. Highscores ---------- Displays the current highscores. Press any key whilst viewing the highscores to exit. Play Game --------- Play Last Offence. First a picture of the villain controlling the current world is displayed, along with some background information. After that a more detailed mission brief is given. Pressing any key during this section will skip to the game itself - beware, you may miss important information. Save/Load Game -------------- This enambles you to quickly save/load to a previously selected directory without having to return to the desktop. The Save Game option is disabled in the demonstration version. The Game Screen --------------- There are a number of icons that appear across the top of the game screen. These are: Number of lives left, (Indicated by a gold statue icon) Number of items still to destroy, (Indicated by an explosion icon) Number of items still to collect, (Indicated by an old purse icon) Number of smart bombs available, (Indicated by a bomb icon if you have one) Hover time available, (Indicated by a hoverboard icon if you have one) On the far right of the screen your characters health is depicted graphically by the use of a face icon, which turns into a skull as your character sustains damage. Additional icons will appear when certain items are collected throughout the game, namely: Keycards ------- There are three colours of keycard. These activate colour coded switches. To activate a switch, first collect the relevant card, stand in front of the switch and press the action key. Switches vary in shape throughout the game. Note that some switches do not need a keycard to operate. As you collect coloured keycards, a representative icon will appear on screen. Map --- If you find a map during play, an icon will appear across the top of the screen. In order to enter/exit the map facility press F3. See the section entitled Map for more details. Hoverboard ---------- Collecting the hoverboard allows you to fly around the screen for a limited period, shown via the icons at the top of the screen. Once a hoverboard is activated it remains so until its fuel/time runs out. The hoverboard can only be activated from the standing position, or when you are falling (particularly useful if its from a great height). The hoverboard is activated by the "H" key by default. Smart bombs (Nukes) ------------------- Picking up this object gives the ability to destroy all enemies on and off the screen at once. Activated by pressing the "N" key by default. Game Collectables ----------------- There are various objects that can be collected throughout the levels of the game to aid you, including the following: Weapon Powerups ---------------- There are various power-up cartridges for your SLA rifle, to be collected throughout the levels of the game. Note that power-ups for the rifle can only enhance its capabilities (up to a maximum). There are basically 2 types of wepons power-up: Stream shot power-ups ---------------------- These power-ups increase the number of streams of projectiles your rifle can fire, giving you a wider spread of fire. There are 3 grades of "shot-rate" power-ups, which are simply added to your rifles capabilities when the power-up is collected. These power-ups last for the entire duration of the level being played. Strength of shot power-ups -------------------------- When one of these power-ups is collected, the strength of your rifles projectiles is increased. Note that as weapons increase in power, so does their rate of fire. "Strength" shot power-ups last for a limited period depending on how much shooting you are doing, when a strength level runs out your weapon is down-graded a level. The Map Facility ---------------- In various levels (most of them) you will be able to collect a map at some point to aid you in your travels. Once a map has been collected a map symbol will appear at the top right hand corner of your screen. This map is valid only for the current level. The map should be used constructively in identifying areas which have not been visited, and/or contain items pertinent to the success of your mission, either in the form of target mission objectives, or in collecting power-ups, health and extra lives. This is particularly important in the latter levels were they are MASSIVE in terms of size. To enter the map mode simply press the function key "F3". When using the map, your current position is indicated by a bouncing arrow. To scroll the map, use your currently selected character control keys. Pressing the fire button will toggle the display between the Tactical and Scaled maps. To exit the map facility press the function key "F3" again. Scaled Display -------------- This is simply a scaled view of the current level, using this map gives a more recognisable display of your surroundings. Tactical Display ---------------- The tactical display shows various level components in different colours for easier identification. Solid blocks (Walls, etc) Dark blue Decorative blocks Medium blue Ladders / Airshafts Light blue Mission destroyable objects Medium Brown Overhang sections (to climb across) Light orange Blocks causing instant death Light green Items that are collectable Cream Teleporters Yellow Switches Light Grey Control Keys ------------ The following list shows the default key settings for the control of the main character. The following keys ARE redefinable: Operation Default key --------- ----------- Run left Z Run right X Jump up “ Duck down / Shoot weapon RETURN Action SPACE (Use for: teleporter, switches, airshafts) Smart Bomb (Nuke) N (Once collected - kills all active enemies) Activate Hoverboard H (Once collected - active for around 10 seconds) Crawl From the ducking position hold down and press left or right. Slide attack Whilst running press down. Standing turn Whilst standing, press the opposite key to the way you are facing. Running turn Whilst running, press and HOLD the opposite key to the direction of travel. Standing shoot Press and HOLD the fire key. Up/Down ladders Press up/down at the top/bottom of a ladder. Climb on overhang Jump up, to grab hold; then move left or right. You will automatically fall off if you reach the end of an overhang section. Alternatively press the down key. Actions DEFAULT KEY - SPACE ------- ------------------- Teleporter Stand in front of telporter and press Action Each level has a different teleportation device. To operate, stand in front of the teleport and press the action key. You will re-appear elsewhere. Teleporters do not necessarily operate in pairs - ie after teleporting from device A to device B, using B may not return you to A. Switches Stand in front of switch and press Action You must have the correct key requiredto activate a door, indicated by colour on the switch: NONE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE. Switches are used to control the opening/closing/removal of various objects that either restrict your progress or kill you. Airshaft Stand at top/bottom of airshaft and press Action You will then be automatically transported to top/bottom. The following keys are NOT redefinable: Operation Key -------- --- Pause game F1 Press to toggle Pause/Unpause Display map F2 Note that you must find it first during the game Scroll the map with your current character control keys. Pressing Fire will toggle Tactical/Scaled map displays Press F3 again to exit the map. Move Icons F3 Move the game icons down the display- on some TVs the top of the display is cropped. Suicide F9 Electrocute character (restarts the level at last significant point) Total Death F12 Kills the character off completely, and ends the current game. Configuration ------------- Last Offence can be configured to suit user's preferences and the capabilities of the machine being used. Generally we trade game speed against features- so slow ARM2 machines should not be able to play music and special effects and use parallax effects. All configurable options are set by using the Menu mouse button on the Last Offence icon on the iconbar. Choosing Save Config will save the current settings to disc. Keys ---- The game control can be altered by using this option. Simply press the key you wish to use when the caret (the flashing I) is in the associated part of the dialogue box. Clicking Defaults will restore the default keys, whilst Cancel will undo any changes you made. Sound ----- This dialogue box lets the user set the music and sound effects options. Clicking on the Music option turns on both the in-game and introduction music. Similarly, clicking the Fx option turns toggles the sound effects during the game. Volume sets the loudness for both sound and music. Users can also select the sound quality of the effects and music. Low plays the music at a sample speed of 64µs, Medium at 48µs, and High at 32µs. The higher the quality, the more processor time used, and the slower the game will run. Last Offence supports the playing of any !QTMTrack (STmodule,Stracker,etc) music modules whilst playing the game. Simply drag-and-drop the your favourite music module onto the Last Offence icon. Note that your music modules directory path will not be saved when you use the "Save Config" option. Floppy disc users may be asked to insert their music disc during loading of the game. Note there are memory limitations. Gfx Features ------------ This section controls how many graphical features are active during the game. As usual, clicking Defaults will restore the default settings, whilst clicking Cancel will undo any changes. There are three sections. Screen Display -------------- This sets the mode used when displaying the static, non-game screens. Mode 28 is 640x480 in 256 colours and Mode 15 is 640x256 in 256 colours. Choosing Automatic will let Last Offense decide for itself the best mode your hardware can use. Risc PCs should use this option- machines equipment with VRAM will use 32 thousand or 16 million colours. Selecting Mode 15 will speed up operation of Last Offence since static screens do not need to be rendered. Selecting the Buffer Gfx options will make Last Offence speed up the static screens by saving the rendered Artworks pictures to disc. Note that each screen will need to be rendered at least once. This option is only really useful on machines equipped with a hard drive, although it will work on floppy systems. If no space is available then Last Offence will continue to render static screens as normal. Note that a different set of files are saved for each screen mode. Clicking on Clean Disc will delete all these files. (But not the standard Mode 15 ones.) StrongARM owners are recommended to turn off the buffering system, since the SA is faster at rendering Artworks files than reading from harddrive! Game Appearance --------------- Setting Display Both Layers will turn on the parallax effects. Turning off this will substantially speed up the operation of the game. Similarly, selecting Maximum Graphics will make Last Offence show all graphic detail; unselecting will stop Last Offence displaying un-needed graphics. Note however that if the parallax option is turned off (so that only one layer of gfx is being used) then the Maximum Graphics option can be turned ON, with no effect on the memory or speed of execution. Monitor Type ------------ Due to the nature of modern monitors it is very difficult to guarantee that Last Offence will work on all monitor types. Thus we have defined several different game modes to cover a wide range of monitors. Users using an Archimedes with a modulator and standard TV should choose TV, users with standard Acorn monitors should choose Single Height. Multi Sync user may need to choose Letter Box. Experiment. Double-height leaves a blank line between each game screen; clicking Interlace will fill in these lines. Note that this slows down the display. Risc PC deal with monitors differently and thus several options are grayed out and cannot be selected. If your monitor does not work with any of these options, see Advanced Configuration. Difficulty ---------- This lets the user change the difficulty of the game. There are seven settings. Clicking Up makes the game harder, down easier. Intro ----- This determines how often the introduction screens are displayed. Never Show indicates that the introduction sequence should never be seen again. Display Once lets the introduction be seen once for each game session. Display Always forces Last Offence to display the sequence each time the iconbar icon is clicked to return to the game. The demonstration version has no intro. Advanced Configuration ---------------------- For advanced users, Last Offence can be tuned to give even better performance. Risc PC ------- Due to the highly configurable nature of the Risc PC's video hardware, it is very difficult to guarantee that Last Offence's display routines will work on every monitor type. To overcome 90% of the problems, we have implemented two versions of the game; 50Hz and 100Hz versions. The 100Hz version is slowed to play at 50Hz, but they will work on monitors that can handle this vertical frequency. If neither of the two defined game modes will work with your monitor, then you can use one of the mode definitions programs (such as !CustomRPC or !MakeModes) to create your own modes. You need to create a mode that is: * 416 wide by 288 high in 16 colours * 416 wide by 576 high in 16 colours Hints and Tips on Gameplay -------------------------- * Firstly try to ensure you have configured the game to best suit your Acorn machine. The default settings are the ones we deem most useful, but combinations are obviously possible. The game should run fast and smooth on any Acorn machine. * If you find a map for a level USE IT!, later levels are MASSIVE, and the use of a map can save running around aimlessly. Certain sections containing power-ups may only be visible via the map if they require, for instance, the use of a hoverboard to get to it. * If an option exists in the direction of travel, do not procceed too far in the one direction without first examining the alternative route. If available use the map to check level sub-sections. Alternatively, try to remember that an alternative route was available so that if you become stuck later, you can examine previous sections. It is possible to complete levels by missing out chunks which may contain extra lives, mission objectives, etc. * Look out for walls that can be destroyed, they can often lead to sections were power-ups can be found. * When playing maximum view is given to the direction you are facing in, do not forget to turn round and check who or what is coming up behind you. * Check your surroundings for overhang sections that can be used to climb across to other parts of the level. * Do not use the run and slide attack, or run and turn actions when you are running towards an edge. You will fall off, and serious injury may occur, or worse, death. * Shoot all enemies as they appear to keep them at bay, leaving a section to build up its forces is a mistake (Unless you have all weapons power-ups and can take them all out with a couple of quick bursts, which is highly satisfying!) * Do not misuse the hoverboard if you collect one, there will more than likely be a point to having it nearby. Good luck, we hope you enjoy this demo - MODUS SOFTWARE.