Here is the complete deformated user manual. This shows automatically first run then with the F1 key.
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AsteroidsDx
Shockman
August 2010
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Controls
Z or cursor UP...................Thrust
X.........................................Teleport
cursor Down.....................Shield
C or Space ......................Shoot
Cursor Left and Right.....Rotate
Joypad supported. button1-thrust, button2-jump, button3-shoot, button4-shield
5 - Insert coin
1 - Start game
Keypad - - Turn on cheat mode
Keypad * - Turn off cheat mode
F1 - Read the manual (This page)
F2 - Operator menu
F9 - Screenshot
P - Pause
Esc - Exit game
-Operator menu. Here you can select to use the bezel or not, and to use one of two backdrops or no backdrop. Here is also where you clear the high scores, select a difficulty level, and other options. These settings are saved to an .ini file automatically that will be created if non existent.
-Owners manual. This document. This will show at first boot then be set to not show again until it is either called on by pressind the F1 key, or be set to show at start again in the operator menu.
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Game
-Three difficulty levels. Easy, that has slower asteroids, and fewer UFO attacks. Normal, with medium speed and more UFOs, and Hard, which has the fastest asteroids and more UFO attacks. Note that Changing the difficulty level will clear the high score table.
-Coin Play or Free Play, selectable from the operator menu. If set to free play (default) press the start button (1 key). If free play is off you will have to add a coin (5 key).
-Shots wrap around screen, or not, selectable from the operator menu.
-Bezel. The bezel is an option set in the operator menu (F2). The bezel is simi-transparent, you can see the objects through it.
-Backdrops. You can select to use either of two backdrops, or to not use a backdrop in the operator menu.
-Top 10 High Score table. Maintained and saved until cleared. Clear the high score table in the operator menu.
-Points
Large Asteroids.......20
Medium Asteroid.....50
Small Asteroids........100
Large UFO...............200
Small UFO................1000
MotherShip................50
Double Drones..........100
Single Drones............200
-Bonus
There is a 500 point bonus each time you destroy all 6 drones with the laser pulse.
-Extra Ships at 10,000 , 20,000 , 30,000 , 40,000 , 50,000 , 60,000 , and 70,000 points.
-Cheat. Cheat mode throws out a lot of the rules to make the game much easier. You will not have a shot count, so you can have more laser bursts on the screen. It turns off the shield counter so you can use the shields any number of times. You can also fire through the shields and collect the drone bonus. You will not be able to enter your score into the high score table if you use this mode. You can turn this mode on by using the keypad- key at the attract screen before the start of the game, or any time during the game. You can turn it off (keypad*)at the attract mode screen or during a game. It will not turn it's self off after a game. Note that if you turn it off during a game, you still will not be able to enter your score into the high score table. If you turn it off in attract mode you will reset the game to be able to use the high score table again (next game). Using this mode does not change the difficulty level settings. You can use this mode at any difficulty settings. Cheat mode is not saved with game settings. Each time the game is re-booted, cheat mode will be off.
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Story
In short, war. Earthlings discovered long ago, a mineral inside the asteroids in the belt that surrounds it's system, that is though unrenewable, one ton can supply all the earths power needs for 1 week. Mining operations begun in 2179. In the year 2190, an unkown alien race begun raiding the operation. For a while both races mined the belt with little incident. Seven years later a mothership from the aliens home world arrived and destroyed the entire earth fleet of mining ships. War was declared in 2197 and new mining ships were equiped with dual purpose lasers. This improvement in the lasers made them not only an effective offensive weapon, but improved mining opperations 600%. Now large asteroids could be broken down in one shot, and small asteroids vaporized, which provided a gas that could be collected that was used to give the mining ships both shields, and limited warp capability. Now new mining ships that are also effective fighters could be on the seen in minutes instead of weeks. You are a fighter, but many more is needed and the minerals and gas is needed to build them. Earths defenses keep the aliens from there, but you are vulnerable in the belt. Your primary objective is to mine and collect the gas, so your mission is to vaporize the asteroids. Your secondary objective is to eliminate targets of oppertunity in the belt.
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Asteroids
Asteroids are classified by size, and there are three classifications. Large, Medium, and Small. Small asteroids are the only ones of use, as they can be mined for mineral, and vaporized to release the gas. Shooting a large asteroid creates two medium asteroids. Shooting a medium asteroid creates two small asteroids. Shooting a small asteroid vaporizes it.
Fighter/Miner ship
-Laser
The ship is equiped with a dual purpose laser, limited shielding, limited warp jump capability, and an escape transporter. You start with 3 ships, but if you can hold out long enough, more will arive for you to use. You can have up to 4 laser pulses in flight at any one time. You can not fire your laser while you are shielded, except for the shield you get when you respawn into a new ship.
-Shields
The ship has shields. Each ship has the power to use the shields three times for each opperation (wave). A shield will last about 4 seconds. The shields are repulsive. You will bounce off anything you make contact with while they are engaged. Only the first shield on a newly spawned ship can be fired through.
-Warp jump
The ship has limited warp capability. It can be used any number of times, but it's unpredictable. It's range is very limited, and it's vector random. There is a chance that you will end up inside an asteroid, in contact with a ufo, or just outside the visible area of space. Therefore it is recommended only in the most hopeless of situations. You can not jump with shields up.
UFOs
There have been two different UFOs encounterd. A large one, which main purpose is to mine asteroids, and a smaller one that is mainly a fighter. Collision with either, without shields up will destroy both ships. The UFOs are more aggressive than when your father was mining asteroids. Abandoning the hit and run tactics of old, they will pursue you until they are dead, or your ship is.
-Large UFO
The large UFO will follow you, usually shooting randomly, but if a mothership is around one it will shoot to open it about 1 out of 4 of it's shots. If a mothership is not around, about 1 of 4 shots will be towards your ship. You will encounter large UFOs starting on wave 2.
-Small UFO
The small UFO will follow you, and aims every shot it takes towards your ship. You will encounter small UFOs starting on wave 3.
Mothership
The mothership is a cube, that is made up from 6 drones that are attached in pairs. It stays on the path it is on until hit by a laser burst from a UFO or your ship. The UFOs will target this ship to release the drones. This ship will show up on each wave, when there are few asteroids left. The Mothership can only be broken with laser fire from your ship, or a UFO.
-Double drones
Slow, these doubles will seek you out. Contact is fatal to an unshielded ship. When struck by a laser pulse, from your ship or a UFO, they will break into two single drones. They will not collide with an asteroid.
-Drones
Fast, these singles will persue you. Contact is fatal to an unshielded ship. They will not collide with asteroids. You will get a bonus (500) each time you destroy all 6 drones using your laser pulse for each one and not use a shield. You will hear a sound to let you know a bonus was given.
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Credits
ATARI
The makers of Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe, of which this game is based.
The Dude
Some of his extension elements were used.
YoYo Games
For Game Maker, and hosting the games.
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