Brataccas - Manual READ ME FIRST INTRODUCTION Welcome to Brataccas the first Interactive Video. This product will work on the Atari 520ST, the Commodore 512K Amiga and the Apple 512K Fat Mac. The sticker on the front of the package indicates which you have purchased. QUICK LOADING INSTRUCTIONS To participate immediately in the Interactive Video, please follow these instructions: If you have difficulty at any stage, please refer to inside Brataccas for more detailed instructions. 1. Set up your computer but leave the power off. 2. Insert the disk into your main or internal disk drive (Amiga owners Kickstart first). 3. You can now turn your system on. 4. Brataccas will load automatically. 5. The title screen will load, you should then wait for the main program to load and the message "PRESS ANY KEY" to appear, if you do so, the main program will load and run automatically. 6. You can now control the hero Kyne, with the mouse on your computer and begin your journey into Brataccas. BRATACCAS INSTRUCTIONS ALL WORKS OF TASTE Must bear a price in proportion to the skill, taste, time, expense and risk attending their invention and manufacture. These things called dear are, when justly estimated, the cheapest. John Ruskin CONTENTS Inside Brataccas..........................Page 3 User Instructions........................Page 14 THE STORY SO FAR You are now Kyne, Kyne is our hero. Kyne is a fugitive, a man with a price on his head. Framed for a deed he did not commit; that dreadful felony genetic fraud -- 'The Crime Against Humanity'. He is now hunted by authority and underworld alike. Kyne was a government scientist, a genetic engineer. A brilliant and creative worker, he developed a process for the creation of a superbeing. Naively, Kyne hoped his creation would be put to work for the benefit of mankind but predictably it was not to be so. The government in their infinite wisdom had decided that a race of killing machines, an army of domination and death, was an apt use for such technology. Faced with such a prospect, Kyne stopped work and refusing to reveal details of his research when into hiding, choosing to forsake his career rather than work on a project so repugnant to his morals. The government issued a warrant for Kyne's arrest claiming that he was plotting to sell these genetic techniques to the underworld, thus making him guilty of crimes against the human race. Instructing security forces throughout the Earth system, to find him at all costs, the government declared him dangerous -- wanted dead or alive. Meanwhile, the underworld's interest was aroused. As a fugitive he might be persuaded to work for them; his skills had many diabolical uses and if he did not submit, they could always sell his corpse to the authorities. And so the forces of lawlessness joined in the search. Kyne, forced to flee from Earth, now knew that he must clear his name and expose the government -- the alternative was to face a life of hiding, living with the fear of death or imprisonment. He knew that somewhere evidence must exist and all of his searches led to one place, a small mining asteroid i the outer Solar System.....Brataccas!!! You are Kyne, but can you survive the Brataccas experience... THE PLACE CALLED BRATACCAS Brataccas is a self-contained world. The first of the outer asteroid to be colonized; it was initially used extensively as a forward base for exploration. As the years passed, Brataccas became a favorite haunt of asteroid miners, the only place where it was possible to break the tedium of their humdrum existence. Prosperity bred corruption and lawlessness. Organized crime moved in. Brataccas became a shadow world; a dangerous place to venture into; a center of duplicity and double-dealing. An ideal cover for the activities of the corrupt government officials who are Kyne's persecutors. The human race moved onward toward the stars. Brataccas now ostracized, had become a self governing unit. A place of legend. Your only destination. The incandescent clouds of the teleport fade; you are now on Brataccas. You have little knowledge of your mission. You know only that you stand tried and convicted in absence, of a crime you did not commit -- 'The Crime Against Humanity'. You only hope is that somewhere within the depths of Brataccas lies proof of your innocence. But what is it? Where is it? You can only guess. There is no help at hand. The asteroid inhabitants understand only bribery, corruption and opportunism. You are in danger; you must get moving; your only way forward is down the lift and out of the arrival bays. But what will you find beyond the sliding door? Brataccas....a world of mystery and surprise. The framed picture of an ABP patrol craft hanging on the wall reminds you that the Asteroid Belt Police are never far away. You must keep moving....whilst you stand still other characters in this world are living their day. Whether you like it or not the world of Brataccas grinds on..... There is only one way forward..... MEET THE INHABITANTS There is a cast of characters in Brataccas, approximately 60 in all, although some of these characters are clones, in appearance, they are not identical in personality. YOU -- OUR HERO Your name is KYNE. Your dress is alien. Forced to wear the cumbersome helmet of the newly arrived earthman on Brataccas, who is as yet unaclimatized to the peculiar semi-pressurized atmosphere. Armed only wit a simple sword (for percussive energy-based weapons are banned to protect the atmospheric integrity of the Brataccas environment) you are free to do as you wish and go where you will. Initially, to almost all the other characters you are an unknown quantity and your presence on the asteroid is a secret; it is upto you when you choose to reveal your identity, you will be asked...... THE SNITCHES Gossip is their trade and their habitate is the bars and entertainment areas. Each is instantly recognizable as an individual. Learn this well for some are friendly, some are not. For a list of those who will/will not, might/might not, do/do not, have/have not betray/betrayed/about to betray you would you now please turn to page 27. (Typist note: Page 27 of the instruction book is printed "This Page Intentionally Left Blank".) THE BAR OWNERS They remain behind their respective bars and serve drinks and gossip all day. They will readily take information from snitches and sell/pass it on to the police or henchmen when it suits them. One of them knows your true identity from your earth days....make sure he does not recognize you when there are other people about. To find out which barman this is, please turn to page 27 of this booklet. (Typist note: Again, this page of the instruction book was intentionally left blank.) THE POLICE All Asteroid Belt Police (ABP) look alike. They all carry swords and are generally nasty. They don't seems to like anybody or anything. Their leader is Commander Stopp. They are never corrupt...are they?, they therefore are very, very unlikely to respond to bribery. COMMANDER STOPP Horribly disfigured in a space laser fight. He now finds it necessary to move around the asteroid in his custom built 'hoverdish'. With his red beard and bald head he is an obvious character. He is the chief of police, he is also the man who.... THE GUARD DROIDS The droids are mechanical robots which hover about. Their only task is to protect the official areas of the asteroid. They will seek out intruders and check that such intruders are carrying valid passes. They will destroy anybody who is trespassing. If a droid is killed in action another will be sent to take over that droid's duties. THE BUREAUCRATS The next five characters perform official duties. Asteroid Administrator He administers the asteroid Police Dispatcher He dispatches the police Droid Dispatcher He dispatches the droids Comms Controller He controls the comms Tannoy Operator He operates the tannoys Illuminating stuff eh....A further explanation of their duties and what will happen if you kill them is contained on page 27 of this booklet. (Typist note: Page 27 is blank). THE HENCHMEN They are the servants of the evil Kol Worpt. They can be seen going about their business of collecting information and protection money or simply enjoying themselves in the bars. They have their informers. They are probably as good as you are at sword fighting so do not challenge them lightly. When one of them, easily identifiable from the table on page 27 (again, blank), has collected his protection money from 'the person giving it to him' he will take it to 'the person he is taking it to', he does this on a fairly regular basis (BIG HINT). LASH Lash is Kol Worpt's hired assassin. He is a creature of habit. His habit is killing people. He is easily identifiable by his green skin and reptilian appearance. His speech also is sssssssslurred. He isssss by any measssssure a sssslimey character. This hissssing is normally heard just before you die. He is an expert swordsman and should be challenged only when you feel lucky. You should also bear in mind that his alien skin is as tough as the blade of your sword, so fighting him is pointless, just run for cover. KOL WORPT A truly evil being. Easily identifiable in his white suit beautifully cut around his gross frame. This small bald arch villan will stop at nothing to keep his secrets safe. You are advised though to allow him to live for he alone does not have the information you need. For details of the other person/persons holding information please turn to page 27 of this booklet (Typist note: The guys that wrote this booklet are real funny, everyone knows that page 27 is blank). THE ENVIRONMENT AND OBJECTS It is possible to pick up/put down the passes, bottles, money bags, electro bombs, and the evidence. You will find these objects on tables and shelves around the asteroid. Very rarely will you find them on the floor. Try dropping something in front of other characters. You may carry multiple objects. Scattered around Brataccas you will find many strange objects and devices such as: Switches. They can be used to turn other objects such as lifts, cameras, tannoys and video screens on and off. You can therefore exercise a degree of control over the communications and working of the asteroid. Turning these things on and off is a crime so do not get caught. Cameras. Committing murder is one things, doing it on video is another. You never know who might be watching as images are sent to the police throughout the asteroid. Tannoys. If you want to know what the police are up to just listen to the official(?) tannoys. Video Screens. Keep an eye on these. Playing space invaders is all very will but watch out for the news flashes. Pass. Extremely useful if you want to stay alive. And avoid.... Electro Bombs. Very, very useful if you want to stay alive. They give out a massive pulse of electro magnetic radiation when activated by contact with electronic circuitry. Money Bags. The root of all evil, they can be traded, it pays (pun) to remember where they are. Scrolls. They are.......well, thats for you to discover. The evidence!!!!! What is the evidence? CONTROL AND INTERACTION On the screen your window into the world is represented as a room. This room will have entrances, exits, lift shafts, wall, etc., all of which you will find have 'normal' properties. That means that if you walk across a lift shaft you will fall down it, walk into a wall and you will bounce off, walk into a door (these are automatic for convenience and just to make the coding more difficult, we like it that way) and it will open and you can pass through. Just to make things easy (and even easier to program, we like it more this way) we make the passing through a door a complete event, you cannot stop half way through. This technique of 'implied action' i.e. once you have decided to do something such as pick an object up, go through a door, stab somebody, etc., then from your input up to the conclusion of that action is controlled (most of the time (we like it anyway)) by the program. When you meet a character in a room he will either ignore you or you may enter a 'situation'. In a situation, and heavily dependent on the circumstances prevalent at the time one of the following may occur: Whilst you may not be involved in a normal conversation, you may observe others talking. Watch them closely because many tips and snippets of information can be acquired here. They may well be discussing you and your mission. A multiple choice conversation is where your choice of response to a question will effect the immediate and future flow of the game. These multiple choice sessions normally start when the character interacting with you asks a question and you Kyne responds 'MMMMM....SHALL I....', at this point all activity freezes until you have made your choice, so as not to prejudice you in the time taken to choose your reply. What happens then is that the bubble you are speaking will cycle round the possible responses including a number of valid replies and 'SAY NOTHING'. For example a multiple choice conversation between you and a Snitch might be: Snitch to Kyne: "WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING?" Screen Freezes Kyne: "MMMM.....SHALL I....." Cycle Start "ASK FOR INFORMATION?" "ASK ABOUT EVIDENCE?" "ASK WHERE CAN I GET A DRINK AROUND HERE?" Cycle End "SAY NOTHING" When the option you require is showing you press the left mouse button, the game then restart and the consequences of your choice will be acted out. Should a character wish to fight with you he will normally say something aggressive like "COME HERE YOU **** ****" whilst drawing his sword. The more observant amongst you will probably realize that this character is hostile. The less observant of you will shortly die. Remember that for all offensive actions there are equal and opposite defensive actions. It is very useful to try and learn in what sequence the opposition might string his action together, you may spot an opportunity to attack (VERY BIG HINT). Remember all characters have different levels of combat skills and therefore all have different aggressive styles (VERY VERY BIG HINT). You may get yourself arrested or taken somewhere (BIG HINT). This will mean that you the player will lose control and you will be taken to a destination. The exact mechanics of this arrest will be determined by previous game play: If you have previously been arrested and escaped you will be 'wanted' therefore no questions will be asked other than 'Do you wish to resist arrest or submit?'. If you are a known killer the police may not bother trying to arrest you buy kill you on sight. IF (WANTED &&! = DEAD (SUSPECT)--{ ARREST (SUSPECT, JAIL_LOCATION); } Sorry wrong terminal!! You may also find yourself challenged along the lines of "DO YOU HAVE...." or "ARE YOU CARRYING....." It is wise not to lie as characters will be able to see what you are carrying and will react to a false reply. GENERAL POINT You will see from the previous examples that there are numerous opportunities for the characters to observe what is going on and have their experience enhanced. This can be done from conversation, from action or from location. With the benefit of this experience the characters behavior will change and when next encountered he will react accordingly. THE FIRST QUEST Play it and see. You may learn what your quest is. Obviously the answer is on page 27 for those of you who cannot wait. WHAT CAN GO WRONG Everything. IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH We consider this product to be a life simulation therefore we consider staying alive to be a fundamental requirement and condition of participation. SCORE AND LIVES There are none. How many lives do you want anyway. There are worse things than death on Brataccas. HOW TO PARTICIPATE Now it's your chance to participate in the world of Brataccas. By pressing any key on the keyboard Brataccas proper will load and you can now control Kyne with the mouse. On each machine, one key enables you to load the options menu at any time, on the Amiga it is the Help Key. Within this document whenever we refer to the option key, it is this key on your system. By pressing the option key on the keyboard, the Main Options screen will load within several seconds, and you will be able to select the main options described below. At this point you may choose how to continue, by pressing the appropriate function or number key as shown on the screen. This is the method of making a choice on this screen and all subsequent option screens. MAIN OPTIONS Use the following function keys on the Amiga for: F1 to reenter the world of Brataccas F2 to save the current state of Brataccas F3 to load a saved state of Brataccas F4 to start Brataccas afresh F5 to enter Movie Mode F6 to choose the control device At any time on the other option screens, you may return to the Main Options menu by pressing the option key (Amiga HELP). F1: Reenter Brataccas Option The use of the F1 key at this stage will take you back into the world of Brataccas to the same position at which you left it. At any stage in Brataccas you may use the option key to get back to the Main Option screen. This also allows you to pause the software. F2: Save the Current Game Option If for any reason you wish to temporarily cease participation (like sleep or a wish to maintain an advantageous position) you may at any time save to disk the current state of Brataccas. You will need a separate disk on which to save the state of Brataccas. On the Amiga it need not be specially formatted as Brataccas handles this automatically and it may be used several times over. However this disk may only be used with Brataccas, as the format is incompatible with your machines standard operating system, and all existing information on this disk will be destroyed. This disk must not be write protected when used. Upon selecting the F2 key from the Main Options menu, you will be faced with a new screen asking you to choose which file you wish to save the current state onto. You may save up to 5 different states of participation on one disk. Remove your Brataccas disk and insert the disk onto which you wish to save. To save a state press the appropriate key (F1 through F5 on the Amiga). The current state of Brataccas will then be saved. You will need to replace the Brataccas disk when requested. F3: Load a Previously Saved Game Option This option allows you to reestablish an old state of Brataccas that has previously been saved with the save game option. Select F3 from the options menu. You load a file in the same manner as you save a file. Remove the Brataccas disk and insert your save disk. Now press the appropriate key to load your saved game. E.g., if you saved your old game under F4 then press F4 to reload it. The software will also tell you if that file is not used and nothing will be loaded. Once loaded remove your save disk and reinsert the Brataccas disk. You may then return to Brataccas in the state loaded. F4: Start a New Game Afresh Option By pressing F4 you will reset the state of Brataccas and reenter the world afresh. It will take a few seconds for it t load off disk. F5: Toggle Movie Mode Option Pressing F5 will toggle the software in and out of Movie Mode. This will run constantly until the Option Key is pressed, in which case you will be returned to the Main Option menu. You may then press F5 again, to toggle back to normal playing mode. Movie mode puts Kyne under computer control and allows you to set back and watch him do the hard work. F6: Set Control Mode Option Pressing F6 will allow you to choose whether to control Kyne with the mouse or keyboard. It will also allow you to choose which keys work in which direction, to suit your own personal requirements. Any key may be used in each option (except the option key and function keys). The default settings are Z for left, X for right, O for up, K for down and the space bar for action. If you make an error selecting your keys go back to the main menu and repeat the process. HOW TO CONTROL KYNE You are now ready to control Kyne and take a truly active part in the world of Brataccas. Because of the wide range of possible movements, control appears to be more complex in Brataccas than in a conventional product. However, there is no need to feel daunted by this; every movement works on the basis of IMPLIED ACTION. IMPLIED ACTION means that the computer will interpret all moves in a logical manner, i.e., you imply a movement to the computer rather than give specific instructions. As a participant in Brataccas, you will come to realize that this logical interpretation allows you to control the hero Kyne in an intuitive way. As Kyne appears on screen, he will walk, run, jump, pass through a doorway and fight with his sword exactly how and when you want him to. True, you might need a certain degree of practice and experience before you have completely mastered your control techniques. The best way to become skilled in Brataccas control is by practice. Nevertheless one or two examples and explanations here will point you in the right direction. There are four basic stances Kyne will be in: FACING FORWARD where Kyne appears to be looking at you. FACING LEFT FACING RIGHT FACING AWAY where Kyne has his back to you. There are also two modes of action Kyne will adopt: NORMAL which allows normal movement such as walking and running. ACTION which allows combat movement with your sword if it is drawn. In Brataccas there are several methods of control: the keyboard, the standard mouse supplied with your computer. The control device is selected from the Main Options screen; the default is the mouse. With each control movement there are four basic terms to describe their use. These are single movement; emphasized movement; action; and double action. (Note that these terms are used throughout this User Guide). We will now describe some combinations of these movements. You may wish to try each to see which you find the easiest. MOUSE CONTROL OF KYNE SINGLE MOVEMENT represents the standard manner of mouse movement -- across a surface in left and right, and up and down directions. This allows Kyne to walk and jump, the down direction allows you to pick up objects off the shelves and tables. EMPHASIZED MOVEMENT is the same as single movement but with the addition of holding down the right side mouse button on the mouse. This allows Kyne to run, turn around, walk through doorways, and proceed with other more decisive movements. DOUBLE ACTION involves holding down the right and left side buttons on the Amiga mouse. If you hold down both buttons and push the mouse up Kyne will draw his sword. If you hold down both buttons and pull the mouse down, Kyne will put away his sword. Double Action motions left and right control the more vicious fighting actions. KEYBOARD CONTROL OF KYNE SINGLE MOVEMENT represents simple keyboard actions -- pressing Z for left, X for right, O for up and K for down (these are the default settings, use the main options screen to modify them). This allows Kyne to walk and jump. Note that these keys may be changed to the ones of your choice from the Main Options screen. Pressing down will pick up objects off the shelves and tables in Brataccas. EMPHASIZED MOVEMENT is the same a single movement but instead of a single press, a rapid double press and release is used. This allows Kyne to run turn around, walk through doorways and proceed with other more decisive movements. Emphasized movement down will pick up objects off the floor. ACTION CONTROL involves the pressing of the action key (usually space bar). This stops Kyne when walking or running and allows him to stand still. Holding down the action key puts Kyne into ACTION mode -- allowing right arm combat movement with the sword with the up, down, left and right keys. Action also selects the option you want when the multiple choice thought-bubbles appear (See Controlling Kyne's Thoughts later). DOUBLE ACTION cannot be used with the keyboard as it can with the mouse. Instead, to draw the sword use an emphasized movement up with the action key held down, and to put the sword away use an emphasized move down with the action key held down (the space bar is the default action key). Below are some examples of how Kyne move in a particular stance with a particular control movement: Facing right state Single movement right Walks right Single movement up Jumps right Emphasized left Turns and faces away Facing away state Single movement left Turns and walks left Emphasized movement up Walks through center doorway or into a switch Facing left state Emphasized left Runs left Double action up Draws sword Action up Parries with sword Action right Retreats right with sword Action on its own Stops Kyne The important point to remember is: IMPLIED ACTION works on the basis which is both logical and natural. Therefore the actual memorizing the movement details is far less important than practicing and following your instincts as to control. CONTROLLING KYNE'S THOUGHTS At certain times during the course of using Brataccas you will need to control Kyne's thoughts as he comes across various situations. This is done by using the multiple-choice thought-bubbles. The software automatically shows the thought-bubbles with the options appearing within it. When a thought-bubble appears, the world of Brataccas will freeze and you will have as much time as you require to make your choice. An example of the use of thought-bubbles is when carrying multiple objects, selecting which object to put down. The thought-bubble appears and a question such as "MMMM, SHALL I..." is displayed. Within the thought-bubble the options then appear one after another. At the end of the list the first option reappears and the sequence repeats as before. To make your choice of which action you wish Kyne to perform, press the left mouse button when the option you require is visible. One of the options displayed allows you to get out of this situation without performing any action; this is signified by the bubble displaying "do nothing" or a similar message. Kyne then performs the action appropriate to your choice. Brataccas then continues. The bubble showing your choice will be displayed for a short time. Remember that you can take as much time as you wish; everything else In Brataccas is frozen while you make your decision. CONTROL SWITCHES One additional feature which we will reveal at this stage are the various control switches around Brataccas. These can be toggeled on and off by walking into them as if they were central doors. We will leave you to discover their various functions....more details Inside Brataccas. FINALLY INTO BRATACCAS If you have just loaded Brataccas, you will see Kyne standing in the teleport in the upper left hand corner of the Arrivals Bay. At this point you can take control of Kyne and begin your exploration of Brataccas. We recommend at this stage that you experiment with your overall control of Kyne. Beware! Your presence will already have been detected. The World of Brataccas never ceases to move. It does not really matter whether you have fully digested the information in this booklet. Your ability to control Kyne (and your awareness of prevailing conditions!) will improve each time you participate in Brataccas. There will come a time when you do not have to think about control; it will come so naturally that you can devote your entire attention to surviving and participating. After a while, Kyne will not be a mere character on screen. YOU will be come Kyne -- his thoughts and problems will be your own.