Bedlam ------ Your home galaxy has been invaded by alien colonists hoping to claim all inhabited worlds as their own. Unacceptable! You have been given the ultimate responsibility of protecting your galactic neighbors from the invaders. Blasting the aliens with the amazing anti-molecular cannon transports them thousands of light years away where they cause no further bedlam. But beware, the invaders will be increasingly ruthless. The future of the galaxy rests on your shoulders. Good luck! Controls -------- Joystick: Rotates your cannon. Button 1: Fast Rotate. Button 2: Zap. Removes all aliens in a pattern. Only one zap per pattern. Button 3: Fast Rotate. Button 4: Fire. Game Play --------- As the game begins, you find yourself at the center of the first galactic sector. From the far corners of the sector, the alien colonists begin their attack moving directly toward your position. Rotate the direction of the cannon by using the joystick. For faster rotation, press button 3 [or 1] and move the joystick at the same time. As the aliens come within range, fire with button 4. If it becomes impossible to maintain a controlled defense, you are allowed to ZAP all the aliens at once by pressing button 2. However, you are only allowed to use the Zap ONE time in each sector. After you have cleared a sector of alien invaders, you will be immediately transported to a different part of the galaxy. Each new sector will be more challenging, with increasingly aggressive aliens. Cannons ------- You are provided with three anti-molecular cannons per game and unlimited ammunition. One extra cannon will be earned for every 10,000 points you score. Although you may earn a large number of extra cannons, the greatest number that will be displayed at the bottom of the screen will be eight, any number over eight will still be available for use. Direct Hits ----------- Your cannon will be destroyed whenever an alien is allowed to make direct contact. After a hit, you will be returned to the same galactic sector where you must eliminate the remaining aliens before advancing to the next sector. Galactic Sectors ---------------- The shape and challenge of each sector will change during the game. As you progress to more difficult levels in the game, sectors will rotate, shrink, and pulsate. Alien Types and Characteristics ------------------------------- Escort Ships- [Eight-pointed stars] These alien ships surround the colonists' space armada and will be present in each sector. Escort ships will approach your cannon directly without pausing. Astral Defenders- [Six-sided split figure] Special star ships in the invaders' armada that direct the defense activities of the aliens. They will approach your cannon only when it's pointed in another direction and you are vulnerable to attack. Droids- [Plus signs] Deadly unmanned star ships that have been programmed by the aliens to seek out and destroy any force unfriendly to the colonists. The Destroyer Droids will circle your cannon waiting to destroy you at your most vulnerable moment. Colonist Transports- [Four-pointed stars] These star ships hold the civilian colonists. Because of their powerful shield, they can never be directly blasted out of our galaxy, but you do gain points each time you score a direct hit. Direct hits force the Transports back to the farthest reaches of each sector, but they will return. These ships remain in each sector until all other ships are removed. Scoring ------- Points are awarded for blasting aliens in the galactic sector as follows: Alien Type Points ---------------------------------------- Escort Ships 75 Astral Defenders 100 Destroyer Droids 150 Colonist Transports 175 z_morganrw@ccsvax.sfasu.edu