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VULCAN SOFTWARE LIMITED in association with MARBLE EYES presents G E N E T I C S P E C I E S Amiga CDRom INSTALLING TO HARD DRIVE ------------------------ Genetic Species runs perfectly from the CD and does not require Hard Drive installation, but you will need to install various library files from the 'Install' directory depending on your individual computer set-up. GRAPHICS CARD OWNERS -------------------- If you have a Graphics Card you should install the RTG system. This will place various files in your libs directory on your hard drive and when initiating Genetic Species allow you to choose various screen modes from the RTG requester. AHI SOUND SUPPORT ----------------- Genetic Species utilises the AHI sound system allowing multiple channel and stereo sound effects (even without a Sound Card) this should be installed before starting Genetic Species. PICASSO 96 OWNERS ----------------- If you have a Picasso Graphics Board there is a full installation program which will place the needed libraries onto your hard drive. Having a Picasso board you will more than likely have the needed files so check that this is not an older version than your current one. CD MUSIC -------- Genetic Species contains superb CD Music which is played throughout the game, to get the best out of this Audio treat make sure your CDRom line outs are connected to a good stereo system and that the volume is high! Genetic Species also uses the Amigas Audio outputs for all in-game sound effects. FIRST IMPRESSIONS ----------------- When you have successfully installed the various library files you will then be able to run Genetic Species by double clicking on it's icon on the CD. First up is the Credit sequence, this is our chance to let you know who all the 'hard working people' are, who spent many sleepless nights to bring you Genetic Species. To skip the credit sequence simply press your LMB. Now sit back and marvel at the incredible 3D rendered intro animation, this sets the mood for what is about to follow and gives you an insight into the current situation in the Genetic Species world. You can terminate the intro animation by clicking any mouse button. Please note that the intro Animation does not utilise Graphics Cards. CONFIGURATION ------------- After the intro sequences the first thing you will see is the options screen. Using the arrow keys and the return key on the keyboard you can configure Genetic Species to best suit your Amiga's set-up. You have many options available that alter the way Genetic Species works. You can alter many elements from, screen size, sound set-up, detail level and control methods. Depending on your Amiga set-up you will soon find the right balance to make sure Genetic Species performs at the best possible speed and clarity for your system. If the frame rate is an important factor when choosing your settings, you can type `framecount` as a level code which will show the frame counter on the screen during play. Once happy with your preference setting you can save them to hard disk so the next time you play Genetic Species it will already be set-up to your desired configuration. When finished in the options Screen simply choose 'Disconnect' to start playing Genetic Species. CONFIGURATION SETTINGS IN DETAIL -------------------------------- Window Size Controls the size of the visible playing area, this setting has the greatest influence on game speed. Floor & Ceiling Detail Mapping The floor and ceiling detail level can be set to high, low or turned off completely, the low detail setting produces a 10-20% increase in speed over the high setting. Luminance Factor Is everything too bright in the darkness of your tomb or are those sun reflexes blotting out everything on the monitor? Boost or reduce brightness here. Audio On/Off If you wish to change AHI mode, you must turn off Audio, exit the menu, enter the Audio menu again, and turn on Audio. An AHI requester will pop up, allowing you to choose a new mode or different mixing frequencies. Note: Turning off Audio can also speed up the game by 8-20%. Channels Depending on the AHI mode used, up to 16 channels of sound effects are allowed. We recommend using the AHI mode "Paula: DMA 8 bit stereo" for best performance on Amigas lacking sound card, however you will be limited to 4 channels. Volume Boost the volume to balance Amiga Audio and CD music. Please note that extreme boosting may cause sound distortion. Player Control Here you may select your favourite key settings for controlling the BioShifter. Mouse Control Enable/Disable Mouse - Doesn't need explanation, does it? Sensitivity Factor Some mice are more sensitive than others, use this setting to control how fast the BioShifter turns when moving your mouse. Control Method Moving the mouse to the left will turn the BioShifter clockwise. If this doesn't seem logical to you, change this setting to invert the direction. Multitasking On/Off If you need to keep you operating system and programs running keep the switch on. Turning off multitasking will freeze all programs increasing the game speed by 3-4%. Turning it on will restore your system. Buffering Really mega-advanced setting for those GFX card users whose GFX card works best with single buffering. On AGA systems you should always use double buffering! GfxMode A feature for GFX card owners; with this switch you may force Genetic Species to bypass RTG, utilising AGA. It has no effect on AGA only systems. Language Options Choose your favourite language here, thanks to the A.T.O. CD Music On/Off If your CD-ROM drive misbehaves, try turning off the CD music. Ammo Display On/Off Are those awesome transparent ammo counters and health bars annoying you? Turn them off here. Difficulty Normal/Easy This setting controls the damage factor of the game. Chicken players will choose the easy setting and real hard nut people should choose Normal. BACKGROUND HISTORY ------------------ Since the beginning of the 21st century, Multi and Trans-National corporations had been gaining power. By the end of the century, global security, commerce and science were in the hands of a few hundred people. Industrial complexes and research stations had been established in space and on the moon, where research would never be impeded by environmental or ethical concerns. Due to rife competition and security of research, all employees of the corporations were implanted with artificial control mechanisms to ensure complete loyalty. Competing freely, conflicts among the corporations frequently sparked local wars, fought anywhere in the Solar system, including Earth. As a result the rest of the human race was held hostage. As the 22nd century began, an underground alliance had been established among countries which were secretly seeking to undermine corporate power. This alliance was known as the Counter Force Alliance (C.F.A.) yet their strength was inadequate in the face of corporate power, and nothing could be accomplished until something tipped the balance of power. This happened in 2208. PRESENT DAY (C.F.A. Internal Memo) ---------------------- Apparently the Nepentian Research Labs on the far side of the Magnus Crater was seized by an unknown force. Observations suggested intense ground battles within the vicinity of the base, involving at least three corporations. Two days ago the battles seemed to diminish, yet we have been unable to identify which corporation came out victorious, if any. Throughout the day we have tracked military shuttles shipping troops and cargo from the remaining lunar facility, the Cantex Supply Station. Sources have informed us that the destination was the Atlas Mining Asteroid orbiting the moon. Atlas Mining Asteroid --------------------- The Atlas Mining Asteroid is currently being converted into a regular space fortress armed with high energy space weapons. Whatever purpose this conversion serves is unknown but we suspect it might become a threat to Earth. The recent alliance between the remaining military corporations, the Nepentian Defence Triad and Lantaz Milsec, (to whom the destroyed lunar bases belonged) suggests knowledge of an impending disaster. Yesterday, 2 out of 3 lunar military bases were vaporised in what looked like accidents involving stockpiled nuclear weapons but we suspect they were self-destruct actions aimed at an unknown enemy aggressor. We desperately need information on the current situation! Begin C.F.A. Transmission ------------------------- For some years, within the many corporation complexes, we have been planting prototypes of the 'BioShifter'. This mobile device is capable of taking control of Humans, Cyborgs and Droids through their electronic implants. We have just activated of one of the BioShifters within the Cantex Supply Station, where the bulk of the troops and supplies are being launched into space. Lets hope we get the information we need. End Transmission BIOSHIFTER INITIALISATION ------------------------- You are the first BioShifter to be activated in the Cantex Supply Station. Once your mounted cameras are activated the distorted image clarifies to present your environment as a 3D 'first person' perspective view. MISSION OBJECTIVES ------------------ The plot progression of Genetic Species is Bilinear, this means that you will have to accomplish various missions before you can progress to later levels, the way you go about accomplishing your missions is entirely up to you. Pay close attention to your mission briefings and be alert at all times and take nothing for granted. YOUR SURROUNDINGS ----------------- The 3D environment is presented in glorious texture mapped and light sourced style instantly allowing you to get a real feel for your surroundings. The levels in Genetic Species are broken down into further platforms and each platform is connected by lift terminals which you can access freely. This design is very useful for leaving entire sections quickly in the case of level destruction or in situations where enemy numbers are outrageously out of balance. FURNITURE & PROPS ----------------- Throughout the levels you will come across many interactive Furnishings such as Doors and Cupboards which can be opened and closed, although some need to be unlocked first by means of 'switches or key cards'. Computer Terminals can be found at various stages in the levels which allows control over the In-Game configurations. There are also hidden BioShifters which are only visible to you and have been planted by the C.F.A. Activate them (by walking over them) and they will record your current position. This is really useful if you find yourself `dead` as you will now be allowed to restart from the last recorded position. As well as secret passages and many other architectural oddities there will be various items and objects ranging from exploding barrels, to energy vortex's, some should be left well alone where others like the Vortex's can be entered to allow re-topping of energy levels. Most other items can either be operated, picked up or destroyed but act wisely as many items can help your missions immensely. CHARACTERS ---------- There are many interesting and frightening enemies within Genetic Species ranging from Engineers to Face huggers, each enemy is unique and has his or her own abilities, weaknesses and weapons, each posing a different threat. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ----------------------- This text has been written to give the player of Genetic Species an insight into the Artificial Intelligence Structures and resistance's of enemy units to allow a proper and a more balanced challenge. Many hours have been spent to develop the AI structures which define the personality and behaviour of the creatures in different situations. When initialising a level all enemies are set to a `Prowl` mode as a default, in this mode the enemies wander freely around the level area, searching for intruders. If the player makes any kind of noise, like firing a weapon within hearing range, the enemy will notice and while calculating the easiest route to the origin of the noise and move closer to investigate. Generally, doors are not a problem to enemies, as long as they can be opened and/or unlocked by the current enemy type. When the player is in combat, some enemies tend to shout for help and thereby draw all security units from a variant radius into the battle field, unless the security units are already in `Guard` mode. When the player appears in the enemy's line of view, the enemy will decide what to do considering levels of aggression, health, damage taken, amount of friends available and the distance to the player. Unless the enemy is mortally wounded or just a plain coward, he will go into `Attack` mode where his purpose is to get within range of you and kill you. If you escape out of sight and don't make any noise, the enemy will continue to follow you in the direction it last physically saw you were heading in. It creates a visual reference (known as a patch) to your last visible position. This `patch` might change position whilst the enemy is hunting you down, but when it reaches a dead-end it will start backtracking to the original position of the `patch` and then branch out in other areas to see if it can track you down further. Occasionally the enemy might decide to retreat, panicking and running away in the opposite direction of your location, it might be a good idea to terminate fleeing enemies as they tend to gossip about your location to other enemy comrades. However you should be aware that the enemies will attack you violently if they have no alternative route away from you. Keep this in mind before chasing the refugee into a dead-end. As mentioned before some units are guarding important areas of the game. They have a completely different behaviour list, which make them very loyal to their post. However it is possible to set off alarms, which will distract them and make them move away from their assignment but they are always very aggressive when you invade their space. ENEMY INFORMATION ----------------- Security Soldier An ordinary corporation security soldier wearing a light ergo suit which is capable of resisting a few direct hits. Security soldiers prowl the corridors of the base, gunning down intruders with their .44 pistols and they never stop to ask questions first. Their implants are of a low grade and they are vulnerable to probe attacks. Security Officer High rank Security Officers are tougher, quicker and meaner than ordinary soldiers. They wear upgraded ergo suits and carry the .44 automatic gun. Their implants are simplistic to preserve human intelligence and initiative. Important rooms are often only accessible to Security Officers. Cyber Scout The echelon of the automated defence forces. Hovering a few feet above the ground they are a deadly foe in deserted corridors due to their speed. The little human flesh and brain that remains is hidden within a steel case. Their implants are protected by extra circuitry, making it difficult to take them over without killing them. Face Hugger This genetically engineered creature has no official name. We believe it is a new prototype war-unit escaped from some laboratory, and apparently capable of breeding without artificial support. Being the perfect base invader it is extremely fast and its spitting of acid creates a very dangerous entity. They have no implants but their genetic control mechanisms are very vulnerable to entity takeovers. Engineer Otherwise know as the `Dirt Rats`, The Engineers keep the bases running, they wear no armour and their implants are primitive, but simply spotting an intruder is enough to bring them to a blood frenzy. If you get too close, he will try to chop you to pieces with his fire axe, show him mercy and kill him. Engineers are also needed to access some systems. Commander The commanding officer of the base is the toughest and most dangerous human you will come across. He throws lethal grenades at intruders. Some restricted areas are only accessible by the commander or someone carrying a commander access card. Zombie Zombies are the victims of evil Genetic experiments. Dragging their rotting limbs along, they are slow but also hard to kill. Silenced guns are not very powerful but zombies will happily keep shooting at you forever. Their implants have difficulty controlling the damaged brains and taking them over is often the easiest way to give them eternal peace. Gel Man Little know information on this abdominal creature but the Gel Man is another genetic creation designed for environments with extreme pressures. Mantis Little is know about these creatures. They seem to boast some kind of Psi-weapon. Mechanoid Strong defensive units carrying lethal flechette guns. 90% of their bodies have been mechanised and armoured to take a phenomenal amount of damage. Their implants are strong, and a PPD attack without stunning will leave them severely damaged. Notice that they are limited to warfare and cannot handle delicate objects such as keycards or small weapons. Scientist The science personnel of the laboratories. They wear no armour and carry weak weapons. Their implants are not designed to repulse a probe attack so they can easily be taken over. Some areas are only accessible to scientists. StormTrooper Aggressive commando troopers, specially trained to locate and kill intruders. The standard weapon is the laser rifle which they will happily use to snipe on you. Their armour is light to allow maximum mobility and their implants are medium grade. Chameleon Soldier The skin of the chameleon man has been altered to camouflage the body. This works best when he is standing still, only when shooting and getting hit will the camouflage field disrupt to show the puny human inside. The high speed assault rifle carried by chameleon soldiers is too dangerous to ignore, so don't. The implants will yield to persistent attacks. Wolfhead This biped killing machine is one of the most dangerous units around. Mounted on the left arm is a rocket launcher. You guessed it, Rocket launchers are bad for your health. Some units come with a Vulcan minigun instead. The controlling implants of this unit will only disable if stunned. Space Pilot When not piloting space ships, the pilots are in an understandably bad mood. The Space Pilot carries a grenade launcher which fires stun grenades capable of putting even the biggest brute to sleep. The clumsy space suit puts some restraint on his mobility, but protects against vacuum and probe attacks. Battle Cyborg Battle Cyborgs are enhanced, heavily armoured humans capable of high speed. They carry flame throwers for toasting enemies. Due to the exposed upper body, the implants are weak compared to the durability of the body. BIOSHIFTER SHIFTER CONTROL -------------------------- Being a mobile BioShifter, you have the ability to travel in any direction, Forwards, Backwards, Sideways and Rotating, you can also walk, run, look behind you, operate equipment and terminals, open doors, pickup objects and fire weapons. PORTABLE PROBE DEVICE (P.P.D.) ------------------------------ The BioShifter has an in-built Portable Probe Device (P.P.D.) which can be used for two distinct purposes. The first function is to enable you to see what the future holds. The minute you have launched the probe you will then see 'what it sees' through the use of an in-built micro camera (The Third Eye). You can steer the P.P.D. as it journeys forwards by using the arrow keys to guide it around corners and down corridors (this is very useful if you are running low on stamina and want to know what is up ahead). The probe will only last for around 5 seconds before transmission is terminated or will cease to function prematurely if it hits a wall or door. Please note that while you are controlling the P.P.D. your un-defended host body is vulnerable to enemy attacks. P.P.D. USED FOR ENTITY TAKE OVER -------------------------------- The second function of the P.P.D. is the most important and an integral element for success in your missions. If you have previously Stunned a character (See Stunning) then you can guide the probe straight into that stunned 'Character'. If successful then your Bio programs will initiate a Cerebral Cortex intrusion through the Entities Identification implant and your life force will absorb into that 'Character' allowing you to 'control' and to become that 'Character' for the duration of your life. The sequence is fast and violent but once successful you should be able to catch a glimpse of your former hosts body falling to the floor as your perspective changes. Taking over other characters is vital to some missions, for example you might have to become an Engineer to operate a particular piece of machinery or perhaps a Scientist to gain access to secured Scientific labs or even a Face Hugger to allow fast 'close to floor' escape from a scary situation. PICKING UP OBJECTS & WEAPONS ---------------------------- You have the ability to hold up to 3 items (objects or weapons) which can be accessed during play by pressing the appropriate function keys F1, F2 or F3. Your default weapon always resides in the F1 position. Whenever you run over an item (that can be picked up) it will automatically fill one of your empty slots, if all slots are filled and you wish to exchange one of your current items for a newly found item, then simply stand over the newly found item and press either F2 or F3 to make the exchange. You can also get information on your active object or weapon by pressing and holding down the help key on the keyboard. WEAPONS ------- The weapon arsenal in Genetic Species is one of the most brutal any Amiga game has ever seen, ranging from Electric drills, Grenade launchers to Rocket Launchers, you will never be helpless when faced against incredible odds. When you take over certain characters you automatically have access to their weapon but many weapons are also littered around the locations. Bare in mind that the ability to use certain weapons is only allowed by certain characters so be careful to choose wisely when taking over another entity. WEAPONS IN DETAIL ----------------- There are many weapons available in Genetic Species but here is a brief list of the most common ones. MINI GUN Ammotype: BULLETS Mounted - Extreme Shot Rate - Noisy 44 PISTOL Ammotype: SLUGS Medium Shot Rate - Standard Issue - Much Ammo - Noisy FLECHETTE Ammotype: METAL SLIVERS Medium Range - High Lethality - High Shot Rate - Little Ammo TAZER Ammotype: ELECTRIC CHARGES Plentiful Ammo - Low Range - Stun Capability - Silent FLAME THROWER Ammotype: GASOLINE Mounted - Medium Velocity - Low Range - Lots Of Ammo FIRE AXE Close Combat - Unlimited Use SILENCED PISTOL Ammotype: SLUGS Much Ammo - Silent LASER MINE Ammotype: EXPLOSIVES Manual Deployment - Extreme Lethal - Movement Sensor STUN LAUNCHER Ammotype: STUN GRENADES Minimal Shot Rate - Low Velocity - Low Range - Stun Capability LASER RIFLE Ammotype: PHOTONS Instant Hit - Medium Range - Long Reload Time PLASMA GUN Ammotype: PLASMA BOLTS Medium Velocity - Medium Shot Rate INDUSTRIAL DRILL Ammotype: Nuclear Driven Battery Close Combat - The Most Deadly Weapon ROCKET LAUNCHER Ammotype: EXPLOSIVES Mounted - High Lethality - Little Ammo ASSAULT RIFLE Ammotype: BULLETS High Shot Rate - High Velocity HAND GRENADE Ammotype: GRENADES Slow Shot Rate - High Lethality AMMUNITION ---------- The blood of a Weapon! You'll soon learn that no matter how good a weapon is, it is useless without ammunition. Ammunition can be collected throughout the levels but conserve your need for wasting it as there's nothing worse than being caught in a corridor with 6 fully armed Droids approaching with only one bullet left! Best use it on yourself! :) Some weapons (like the Fire Axe) have unlimited Ammunition. STUNNING CHARACTERS ------------------- There are special Stun weapons available, these give off sharp concentrated electric energy bursts or stun smoke and when used properly will stun almost all living entities. Sometimes the stunned Entities appearance turns a frosty blue colour as their cells temporarily solidify but in all successful stuns the character remains motionless, although the stunned state is only temporary it should give you enough time to launch the P.P.D. for take-over or at least run away. Some smaller weapons can also stun characters but are not so reliable. PORTABLE MAP ------------ To help you keep track of your virtual location you are also equipped with a portable map device, this can be activated or deactivated by a press of a button and also scaled to fill all your display or part of your display. There is also the ability to set the luminance controls so it can be dimmed into your view to allow continuous play whilst map reading. However the maps should only be used as a rough guide to your location as the data may be somewhat outdated and not reveal all secret locations. HINTS AND TIPS -------------- You never know what can happen in Genetic Species, some puzzles are devious and not everything should be destroyed or blown away, look out for secret passage ways and rooms and always make sure you are the correct character for the task ahead. Good Luck! DEFAULT KEYBOARD CONTROLS ------------------------- Arrow Left - Rotate Left Arrow Right - Rotate Right Arrow Up - Walk Forwards Arrow Down - Walk Backwards < - Side Step Left > - Side Step Right Side Stepping can also be achieved by holding down the Right Amiga Key whilst pressing the Left and Right Arrow Keys. Space Bar - Operate Doors, Switches, Terminals & Lifts Right Alt - Fire Your Weapon Right Shift - Run (Must use arrow keys) Help - Will give you information on the active Weapon. Del - Portable Probe Device Initiation Esc - Force the BioShifter to eject from the host body. BackSlash - Look Behind you (eeek!) Caps Lock - Toggle Map Display Numeric '+' - Enlarge Map Numeric '-' - Shrink Map Ctrl and '+' - Increase Map Luminance Ctrl and '-' - Decrease Map Luminance F1 to F3 - Choose Weapon or Object you are carrying. Esc and ~ - Quick Exit MOUSE CONTROL ------------- If you have chosen the mouse as your primary input device then you can rotate a full 360 degrees by moving the mouse left and right. The Mouse Buttons available (RMB, MMB, LMB) are 100% customisable and can be set for either, firing, walking, running or strafe etc. Note: all keys can also be used when using the Mouse. FINALLY ------- We hope you enjoy Genetic Species as much as we have enjoyed making it. To keep up to date with future enhancements and information, please visit the Vulcan Website www.vulcan.co.uk and the Genetic Species Developers Page www.marble-eyes.dk LOOK OUT FOR THE GENETIC SPECIES LEVEL CREATOR CDRom COMING SOON Genetic Species CDRom copyright 1998 Vulcan Software Ltd & Marble Eyes. All rights Reserved.