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- Welcome to the Demo version of Metal Marines!
-
- This file is provided to help you get started playing the game. If you have
- already installed the program, you may skip past the next section.
-
- RUNNING THE GAME
-
- The install program will create a new group for your Program Manager called
- Metal Marines, and will create a new program item inside it. Double click
- on the Metal Marines icon to start the game.
-
- You will see a brief introduction which you can either watch and enjoy or
- interrupt by selecting the game icon on the icon bar (the game icon looks
- like a small file folder). The game menu has a selection titled Start Game
- (the F4 key is a shortcut to starting a game if you do not wish to use the
- game menu).
-
- When you start a game you will be given the opportunity to enter you name
- in the Player Information dialog. When you have entered your name push
- enter or click on the CLOSE button to move on to the Connections dialog.
- Simply press enter on this dialog (or click on Continue). This is where you
- will be able to set up serial and modem connections to play head-to-head
- against a friend in the up and coming release of Metal Marines!
-
- Next comes the Alliances dialog. This is where you can set up alliances or
- enemies with the players who are available, but for now since there is only
- the computer opponent, press Enter (or click Continue) to move on to the
- game!
-
- At this point the game will actually start. A window will open for your
- island (territory), and another for your opponent's. You can use the mouse
- to move the view of either island with the scroll bars or by clicking
- inside the island view, holding down the left mouse button, and dragging
- the island view around. Experiment with moving around your island and your
- opponent's for a few minutes to familiarize yourself with how this works.
-
- You will notice a small window with three Headquarters units inside. You
- will need to build these three bases before you can attack your opponent,
- so find some good, flat spots on your island to build them before he is
- able to do the same! To build a base, click on it and hold the left button
- down, then drag the base over to where you want to build it, then release
- the mouse button. If you have selected a legal location, the base will
- construct for you.
-
- Once you have built your bases, the window will fill with the units you can
- build during game play. There is an Anti-Aircraft missile, which looks like
- a gold tube; a missile launcher; a Metal Marine hanger (which you can build
- in the demo but not yet use); an armored gun pod bunker; a mine field,
- which looks like a grassy area with mines on it; an antimatter ICBM; an
- energy plant, which looks like a nuclear reactor; a factory, which looks
- like a military warehouse; a headquarters, which is a hexagon shaped
- building; and a radar installation. Two additional units appear, one of
- which looks like a small farm and one which looks like a base, but these
- are not yet implemented. They are camouflage units to help you fool your
- enemy!
-
- Energy Plants: Build these to accumulate energy faster. It takes a certain
- amount of energy to launch those missiles! Watch you Energy meter on the
- Tactical View where your sergeants will talk to you.
-
- Headquarters: Build these to accumulate money faster. Each unit has a cost
- to construct, from missiles which cost $10M to build to ICBMs which cost
- $255M to build.
-
- Factories: These units cause construction to occur faster. Useful when you
- really need to build things quickly!
-
- When you are ready to attack, find a missile unit with a missile on it,
- then position your enemy's view so you can see what you want to target.
- Attacks are done in the same drag-and-drop style as building; simply click
- on the missile and hold the left mouse button down, drag over to your
- target, and release. Your missile's flight will send back reconnaissance
- which will allow you to see parts of your enemy's island that you don't
- know about yet. Watch out! His AA might knock your missile down!
-
- Your ultimate goal is to destroy your enemy's bases while fending off his
- attacks on yours. There are three levels of varying difficulty in the demo,
- so have fun!
-
- --------------------------------------------
- Demo System Requirements
-
- 386 Processor, 33 MHz or better
- 8 MB of RAM or more highly recommended
- Hard Disk with 8 MB of free space
- SVGA 256-color graphics (640x480 or better)
- Windows-compatible mouse
-
- Supports:
- Windows MIDI music system
- Windows compatible digital audio system
-