Computer Buyer 1996 December/DKMMSAMP.iso/games/AD_DEMO/ADREAD.TXT

Text File | 1996-08-13 | 21KB | 460 lines

Preview version: ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY  - Readme


This preview contains the second of over 20 chapters of the game
"ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY"


THE STORY SO FAR
"In the second decade of the 21st century man began to construct stations in
the deep sea in order to replenish the dwindling supply of raw materials.
Before long a veritable race started, involving all major cultures of the
earth. But even the enormous resources of the sea could not satisfy their
greed. In a series of wars, mankind destroyed any hope of sensible
communication and over time the basis for survival on the planet's surface.
When the earth had finally become uninhabitable, the last humans fled into the
depths, to shelter from the radioactivity that had killed all higher lifeforms
on the earth's surface. All that remained there was a desert, and the poorest
of the poor awaiting their inevitable demise - those that had not been able to
afford the entrance fee to the underwater world. Humanity then sank into a
long phase of darkness, devoid of any history. Meanwhile, a 40 m deep crust
formed on the water surface, consisting of dead organic tissue, the so-called
POM layer. And yet, once more, one last time, after centuries, mankind awoke
to new life, the only life in a dead world. This world is man's creation. And
he named it AQUA!"


THE GAME
That's where "ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY", the 3 D action game takes off. All
activity takes place under water. The human population lives in gigantic
cities under the sea. Amazingly, the old power blocks have reformed, more or
less unchanged, over the centuries. There are the waterlands of the democratic
Atlantic Federation, those of the Arabic Clansunion who invest their wealth
accumulated through commerce in the development of a marvelous architecture,
and the Russian-Japanese Shogunate, a type of monarchy. In addition a number
of anarchic societies have evolved - and of course there are pirates.

Between gigantic so-called jump stars ships commute, 500 meters long, at a
speed of 900 km/h . They belong to EnTrOx, a company that has a monopoly on
transportation and on the supply of breathing gas. Without it, the whole of
AQUA would cease to exist.

This is the year 2661, the year of the 600th anniversary of the Atlantic
Federation's ocean settlements. A seemingly small light in AQUA is the
mercenary EMERALD "Deadeye" FLINT. Once among the best pilots in AQUA, he's
been having a tough time ever since the power blocks established a more or
less stable peace. He's been keeping himself above water (so to speak) by
doing odd jobs here and there. But one of these jobs goes terribly wrong. A
female pirate he knows by the name of HONG LONG, attacks the sulfur transport
ship which FLINT is supposed to protect. The freighter is captured and FLINT
only just manages to save his skin.

This is the point at which YOU take over the role of EMERALD "Deadeye" FLINT.
The point at which you'll have to learn what it means to be a mercenary and to
earn a living by going into battle. It is also the point at which you are
still blissfully unaware that you are in the middle of what will turn out to
be the biggest adventure of your time. For, after centuries, the surface takes
revenge. You might as well believe that this enemy has NOTHING human about it
any more.

This is "ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY". A game which requires more than a good grip on
the joystick. You'll encounter more than 100 characters throughout the
underwater world of AQUA. Friends, foes and business partners. And you'll need
to find out which is which.

Clearly, the game is mainly a combat simulation. Battle through 60 missions,
displayed with one of the most sophisticated 3 D engines of our time, with a
resolution of 640 x 480 pixel (Hi res.) and 65,536 colors (High Color). In
your cockpit you are helped by a voxel representation of your environment,
intuitive instrument controls and information from your talking onboard
computer.

20-25 highly individually programmed combat units make sure that boredom
doesn't creep in.

And if you need a break, enjoy a little expedition to view the breathtaking
views of the AQUA underwater scenery. If the enemy will let you.


Installation instructions

Minimal configuration
486DX2/66 Local Bus with 16 MB RAM (for this Preview. For the final release,
8MB RAM will suffice), Double-speed CD-ROM, a commercially available sound
card and a good graphics card (with VESA-UNIVBE support). With this
configuration it is recommended to choose Half-line mode and flat shading
in the Options / VGFX menu within the game.

Recommended:
P90 PCI Bus, 16 MB RAM, SB16, Graphics card with 2MB VRAM, Quadspeed CD-ROM.
ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY supports CIRCLE SOUND (Dolby Surround compatible)

INSTALLATION UNDER WINDOWS 95
Insert the CD in your CD ROM drive and click on the appropriate drive letter
in "My Computer".

Double-click the application "INSTALL". This will install ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY
on your hard disk. You may of course choose where you wish it to be installed.

Then setup your soundcard. Follow the instructions of the setup program.

Then calibrate your joystick. If necessary, you can play ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY
without a joystick. In this case, use the arrow keys as controls and space for
FIRE. We strongly recommend the use of a joystick.


INSTALLATION UNDER DOS
Insert the CD in your CD ROM drive and type:

"[drive letter]:" [Enter]. Example: D:[ENTER]

Then type: "Install" [Enter].

This will install ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY on your hard drive. Of course, you can
choose where exactly you wish it to be installed.

Then setup your soundcard. Follow the instructions of the setup program.

Then calibrate your joystick by using the CALIBRATE program from the main
directory. If necessary, you can play ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY without a joystick.
In this case, use the arrow keys as controls and space for FIRE.

Should you experience any problem, call our technical hotline on:
US: [phone]-7934
UK and Europe [phone]-090
Germany: [phone]-8888


THE DIALOG ENGINE
-----------------

Initially, you are in Magellan, a station in the Argentinean Basin, taking a
call from PERRY LASALLE, the secretary of your boss, EL TOPO, whose sulfur
transport ship you have managed to lose. Clearly, this conversation is less
than amicable and you may wish to go and relax in the crew room (by clicking
on the appropriate building). There you might have a little chat with whoever
is around. JUST CLICK ON THE NAME ABOVE THE PERSON.

For the dialogs, the utterance of your partner appears at the top. Below it
there are one or more possible responses from which you can select. CAUTION:
WITH  MOST OF THE PEOPLE YOU CAN TALK ONLY ONCE. SO BE CAREFUL. WHAT YOU SAY.
AN INSULT IN THE WRONG PLACE MAY LOSE YOU AN ORDER, BUT POLITENESS CAN BE
FOOLISH, TOO. As a rule, it is not possible, as in most adventures, to simply
experiment with all responses till you find the correct one. You've got to use
your brain. On the other hand there are no one-way streets from which you
cannot find an exit. Unless that is, you really get everyone mad.

When you leave the crew room, EL TOPO calls you, ordering you to accompany his
secretary to his fortress, the ASYLUM. But first you've got to go and get him
from another station, the VESPUCCI. So, go to the dock, open it, and select
VESPUCCI on the TASKBOARD. On your arrival there, go and look for LASALLE.
First check out the hangar. You won't find LASALLE there, but instead will
bump into CROSSHEAD. If you have previously had the pleasure of talking to
LINDA KRULL, CROSSHEAD won't mind having a chat.

Then proceed to the crew room where you'll meet LASALLE and tell him about
your order. Then return to the dock. Instead of taking off straight away, make
sure you equip your ship properly.

To do this, you'll need to have a word with the guy from personnel. Tell him
you wish to equip your ship, and he'll let you have a look around the weapons
store.

THE INTERCOM
In Dialog mode you will see the Intercom in the left bottom corner. The
TASKBOARD contains a summary of the missions you have been given, and tips you
have received.

Moreover, you can enter game options (e.g. the half-line mode which will allow
the 3 D engine to work on a DX2/66), you can save your game positions and view
a sea map of your current environment. The Intercom is the device that enables
your superiors to get in contact with you when you are needed.


THE WEAPONS STORE
-----------------

Before each battle, make sure your ship is properly equipped. This requires
cash of course, cash that you've got to earn by carrying out missions. For the
purposes of this PREVIEW version we are giving you plenty of CREDITS (that's
the currency in AQUA). So go get what your heart desires!

In the center to the left of the weapons screen you'll see a 3D representation
of your ship. Sure, it's a bit tatty, but this is only the beginning of your
adventure. Click twice on the two circular arrows.

This will give you a view of the weapons on board. It's quite good stuff for
the beginning. Maybe you wanna have a better gun? Click on the word "gun"
(on your boat). Now click on the hand with the up-arrow. You just sold your old
gun. Now choose the one named "Vendetta 2". A click on the question market shows
you the penetration of it. It's not very powerful, but you have to earn better
weapons.

Torpedoes and guns may have two different values of penetration. "KIN" means
kinetic penetration, "EMS" means electromagnetic shock.

When you are satisfied with the equipment or your money ran out, click on the
cross at the top left of the window frame. This takes you back to the dock.
Have no fear, you'll be glad you upgraded your weapons while on your way to
TOPO'S ASYLUM.


THE BATTLE ENGINE
-----------------

After a short while (loading!) the cockpit of your ship will appear. To get a
better range of vision, press "Q". This will activate your active sonar, which
allows you to detect potential enemies at a greater distance, while risking
detection yourself. Use the joystick to change direction and the "A" and "Y"
keys for moving forward and backward. Releasing the keys will decelerate. To
maintain a constant cruising speed use "S" and "X", "C" will deactivate
cruising.

Here are a number of general tips and hints:

* ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY is not a flight simulator, though there are some
similarities. The most important difference is that a boat moves much more
sluggishly than a plane. If you go into a curve at high speed, your boat is
going to drift sideways for a while, before moving in the new direction.
Moreover, a boat is subject to underwater currents which can occasionally be
very strong. Torpedoes too, can be affected.

* The best way to achieve a quick turn while moving forward is to put the
rudder to the side and press "Y".

* Currents are signaled by a current symbol which appears in the cockpit
window. When it starts blinking you are in a strong current which is affecting
your ship. Observe the air bubbles to ascertain where the current is coming
from.

* Check your depth. The upper water layers are polluted by nuclear waste, down
to about 100 m depth. If you notice a radioactivity symbol, make sure you
dive.

* In the center at the bottom you see a representation of your vicinity. You
are the yellow band. Green bands are friendly units, red bands are known
enemies. Amber areas are buildings. Strong currents will be shown as a blue
area.

* In the center at the top you have the weapons monitor. This gives you an
idea about your weapons. For details, check the table "Keyboard assignment".

* When you've targeted an enemy, press "L" for "Lock" (or the second button on
your joystick). This will lock your target systems to the enemy and direct the
firing mechanism. Remote controlled torpedoes "know" what the target is,
remember your onboard cannon can only fire straight ahead. Be careful to
always shoot towards the red crosshairs. This is your reference point, since
some time will elapse before your weapons can reach the target.

* The rest of the displays do not need much explanation, or their description
would go beyond the scope of this short introduction. We should mention one
other display; it indicates the energy level of the onboard cannon (the
vertical band on the right). Its energy is enough for a few short, extremely
quick rounds, after which it needs re-charging. A short pause will re-charge
the battery.


KEYBOARD ASSIGNMENT IN COMBAT
-----------------------------

ESC    Quit program
F1    Status of the fixed cannon on monitor / Toggle weapon status
F2    Status of the torpedo magazine on monitor / Toggle weapon status
F3         Status turret cannon 1 (if mounted) / Toggle weapon status
F4      Status turret cannon 2 (if mounted) / Toggle weapon status
F5    Command to turret cannon 1: Attack my target
F6    Command to turret cannon 1: Fire simultaneously with me
F7    Command to turret cannon 1: Locate targets and attack independently
F8    Command to turret cannon 1: No further action (default)
F9    Command to turret cannon 2: Attack my target
F10    Command to turret cannon 2: Fire simultaneously with me
F11    Command to turret cannon 2: Locate targets and attack independently
F12    Command to turret cannon 2: No further action (default)
a    Accelerate. Remains activated while key is depressed
z    Decelerate. Remains activated while key is depressed
s    Increase speed by 10km/h
x    Decrease speed by 10km/h
q    Active sonar on/off
i    Display armor state in monitor
r    Change radar range (circular displays bottom left and right)
f    Activate free control
g    Activate ground control
h    show help screen
j    Activate ceiling control
l    Lock object in target range
y    Autopilot menu
p    Pause function
u    Turret cannons selection/commands
c    Stop boat at once
n    Select next way point
o    Capture screen to 24bit TGA picture (about 1MB in size!!!!)
ALT    Fire torpedo
SPACE   Fire onboard cannon
RETURN    Select next torpedo

CRSC-UP            Ship control, nose down
CRSC-DOWN    Ship control, nose up
CRSC-LEFT    Ship control, left turn
CRSC-RIGHT    Ship control, right turn

JOYSTICK ASSIGNMENT IN COMBAT (for Logitech's WingMan EXTREME)
--------------------------------------------------------------

STICK-UP        Ship control, nose down
STICK-DOWN    Ship control, nose up
STICK-LEFT    Ship control, left turn
STICK-RIGHT    Ship control, right turn

Trigger     Fire onboard cannon
Button2        Lock object in target range
Button3        Fire torpedo
Button4        Select next torpedo


Features (ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY)
-------------------------------

A) Game
--------
 - ARCHIMEDEAN DYNASTY takes place in a densely packed and immensely
 fascinating underwater world in the not too distant future.

 - This underwater world, by the name of AQUA, is populated by various groups
 and power blocks, inspired by existing political and religious groups.
 - The geological aspects of the world's oceans were carefully researched and
 integrated into the scenarios. This includes, for example, natural resources,
 geological features (hot springs off the Galapagos islands - hot vents),
 currents (Gulf of Mexico), ocean depths, structure of the ocean floor,
 seaquake areas, shelves and continental slopes.

 - Engulfed in a dense and thrilling background story with more than 100
 different characters, scattered around the entire deep sea world, the player
 takes on the role of a mercenary of AQUA.

 - In order to affirm their position in AQUA, players must acquaint themselves
 with the existing structures and power struggles, the various relevant and
 irrelevant places and personalities, thus enabling them to accept missions,
 to develop their skills and to penetrate further and further into the story
 of AQUA.

 - The player becomes totally absorbed in the game world, thanks to the
 detailed, atmospheric graphic representation of 60 different underwater
 stations as well as freighters and cruisers with a variety of rooms and
 people.

 - The story which the player experiences and develops is accompanied by
 approx. 30 film sequences with full environmental sound effects and speech.

 - The missions the player accepts lead to real-time missions which are
 represented by means of sophisticated 3 D techniques. This part of the game
 is an optimal mixture of simulation and action (physical simulation of the
 motion of all swimming and drifting objects, action-oriented missions, full
 stereo sound, HI-Color (64535 colors), HI-Res., rendered 3 D objects, etc.).
 (see Technical data below).


B) Game characteristics
-----------------------

1)       Game
1.1)    STORY
    - 4 power blocks
    - approx. 60 different underwater stations
    - approx. 130 rooms with sound and dialogues
    - approx. 100 characters throughout AQUA
    - approx. 30 story films with full sound
    - approx. 60 flight arrivals from stations

1.2)    3D MISSIONS
    - approx. 60 vector graphics missions
    - approx. 26 3D torpedoes (rendered, illuminated)
    - approx. 30 3D ships (rendered, illuminated)
    - approx. 10 3D weapon types (rendered, illuminated)
    - approx. 20 explosion types
    - approx. 30 3D buildings (small, medium, gigantic)
    - approx. 5 big battle ships
    - Mines, buoys, alga, plants, bubbles....etc.
    - 4 player ships (with realistic cockpits)
    - external views
    - camera views

C) Technical data
-------------------

1)    DESKTOP

1.1)    MASSIVE Animation CODEC

Performance data of the compression procedure for representing video data
for the minimal configuration (486/66, double-speed CD ROM):

- 10 frames per second at 640x240 svga with simultaneous replay of stereo
  digital audio data with 8bit / 22kHz

1.2) MASSIVE GUI
  - HI-Color / Hires - windowing system / (640x480 pixel / 65536 colors)

1.3) MASSIVE Dialog Engine
  - Character linking through messaging system
  - Dialog branching depending on user input

2)    REAL-TIME MISSIONS

2.1)    MASSIVE 3D Engine

Currently implemented features:
 - HI-Color / Hires - vector graphics system (640x480 pixels / 65536 colors)
 - different shading models (none, flat, gouraud)
 - Half-line-/ Full-line-display (half-line-mode / full-line-mode)
 - any number of light sources
 - any number of (diffuse) shadows
 - Depth shading
 - Polygon depth sorting

Envisaged for the final release:
 - Perspective correction of polygon textures (distortion-free textures)
 - Error-free depth sorting
 - Speed increase (yes, we will do that !!)

2.2) MASSIVE AI Engine
 - Motion simulation of enemy objects on the basis of the laws of physics
 - Current effects
 - Influence of mass
 - Current fields exist
 - visual, passive and active location systems

ENJOY!

BLUE BYTE

LEGAL:

SOFTWARE USE, LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE
This special preview version of Archimedean Dynasty (the "Software") is
intended solely for your personal noncommercial home entertainement use.  You
may not decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the Software, except as
permitted by law. Blue Byte Software GmbH retain all rights and title in the
Software including all intellectual property rights embodied therein and
derivatives thereof. You are granted a revocable, nonassignable limited
license to create derivative  works on this Software solely for your own
personal noncommercial home entertainment use and may publicly display such
derivative works to the extent specifically authorized by Blue Byte in
writing. A copy of this authorization, if any, will be provided on Blue Byte's
WWW site. The Software, including, without limitation, all code, data
structures, characters, images, sounds, text, screens, game play, derivative
works and all other elements of the Software may not be copied (except as
provided below), resold, rented, leased, distributed (electronically or
otherwise), used on a pay-per-play coin-op or other for-charge basis, or for
any commercial purpose.  You may make copies of the Software for your personal
noncommercial home entertainment use and to give to friends or acquaintances
on a no cost noncommercial basis.  This limted right to  copy the Software
expressley excludes any copying or distribution of the Software on a
commercial basis, including without limitation, bundling the product with any
other product or service and any give away of the Software in connection with
another product or service.  Any permissions granted herein are provided on a
temporary basis and can be withdrawn by Blue Byte at any time.  All rights not
expressly granted are reserved.