Swoop FAQ
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Purpose
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      FAQ is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions.  This FAQ is an attempt to provide a comprehensive source of information about the game Swoop, and was created in response to questions that are frequently raised by our customers.  We hope you find it useful.

      If there are any questions you have about Swoop that are not answered in this FAQ, please get in touch with us so we can include them in future revisions.


Credits
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          Author: David Wareing, Andrew Welch, 
Contributors: "Cajun" David Richard, John Haley, Ed "DAMAGE" Ota, Gayle Haarr
    Thanks to: David Freitas

Copyright ©1995-6 by Ambrosia Software, Inc.


FAQ History
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FAQ Version: 1.0.6
         Created: 6/13/95
Last Revised: 3/11/96


Disclaimer
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      This document is provided as is, without any express or implied warranties.  While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this document, the author assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.


Contents
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*** Please read the Ambrosia FAQ for general Ambrosia-related questions ***

This FAQ answers the following questions:

GENERAL
  - What is Swoop?
  - What computer do I need in order to play Swoop?
  - Who makes Swoop and how can I get in touch with them?
  - Where can I obtain Swoop?
  - What is the latest version of Swoop?
  - How much does Swoop cost, and how do I pay for it?
  - Why should I register (pay for) Swoop?
  - My license code is invalid; what's wrong?
  - Will Swoop ever be ported to DOS?
  - Will there be future versions of Swoop?

GAME PLAY
  - What are the point values for the various baddies in Swoop?
  - I want to blow things up. (How do I get more weapons?)
  - What's the deal with this gold ball thingy?
  - How can I pause or abort a game?
  - When does the Bonus Multiplier appear?
  - What effect does the Bonus Multiplier have?
  - Is there any kind of an end to the game?
  - How can I cheat while playing Swoop?
  - Do you have any hints or tips for playing Swoop?

COMPATIBILITY
  - How do I play music from my CD while also playing Swoop?
  - Does Swoop let me use the Finder and other applications?
  - Does Swoop work on a PowerMac?  Is it PowerPC native?
  - Does Swoop work with System 7.5?
  - Why doesn't Swoop use the full screen on large monitors?
  - Why can't Swoop run on a 12" monitor?
  - Why does the sound occasionally break up?
  - Will Virtual Memory or RAM Doubler affect game play?

HISTORY
  - What language is Swoop written in?
  - Who did the artwork for Swoop?
  - Who did the music for Swoop?
  - When was Swoop first released?
  - How long did it take to create Swoop?
  - Why was Swoop written?


General
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[Q] - What is Swoop?

[A] - Swoop is a fast vertical shootemup arcade game for the Macintosh in which you battle 3D rendered aliens with a variety of powerful weapons. The gameplay is a combination of frantic rapid-fire activity and even more frantic dodging. Definitely not a game for wusses. No multimedia slideshow here baby!

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[Q] - What computer do I need in order to play Swoop?

[A] - Swoop works on any Macintosh with a monitor capable of displaying 256 colours or greys and at least 640x480 pixels (13 or 14" screen). A minimum of 2.3Mb of free memory is required but Swoop will effectively use any extra memory you can give it to provide you with better sound and music. Unlike many other new games out there today, Swoop will work just as happily on an '020 based Mac (such as an LC) as it does on a PowerMac.

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[Q] - Who makes Swoop and how can I get in touch with them?

[A] - Swoop is published as shareware by Ambrosia Software, Inc., a Macintosh-only, shareware-only company.  The game itself was written by David Wareing, a freelance Macintosh games programmer who lives in Adelaide, South Australia.  To get in touch with Ambrosia, you can use any of the following methods:

                        Ambrosia Software, Inc.
                        PO Box 23140
                        Rochester, NY 14692

                         Tel:  716.325.1910 (technical support)
                                  800.231.1816 (orders only)

                        Fax:  716.325.3665

     America Online:  AmbrosiaSW
          CompuServe:  74777,1147
                   eWorld:  AmbrosiaSW
                    GEnie:  AmbrosiaSW
                 Internet:  help@AmbrosiaSW.com (technical support)
                                  register@AmbrosiaSW.com (orders only)


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[Q] - Where can I obtain Swoop?

[A] - The latest version of Swoop is always available in the Ambrosia Software, Inc. forums on the following services:

      ¥ America Online:  While you are signed on AOL, choose Keyword... from the GO TO menu, type AMBROSIA and hit the return key.

      ¥ eWorld:  While you are signed on eWorld, choose Go to Shortcut... from the PLACES menu, type AMBROSIA and hit the return key.

      ¥ CompuServe:  While you are signed on CompuServe, use GO word AMBROSIA to reach the Mac Vender D area, where Ambrosia Software, maintains a forum.

      ¥ Internet: Visit our web site at http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/ or our ftp site at ftp://ftp.AmbrosiaSW.com/

      Because our focus is distributing software electronically, we do not send our products out on disk.  If you do not have access to any of the aforementioned digital watering holes, you can still obtain our products however.

      We've made arrangements with the PD/Shareware distributor EDUCORP so that they carry the full line of up-to-date Ambrosia products.  To order an Ambrosia Software, Inc. product sent to you on disk, please call EDUCORP at 800.843.9497.

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[Q] - What is the latest version of Swoop?

[A] - The current version of Swoop is 1.0.2, dated 11 Mar 96.

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[Q] - How much does Swoop cost, and how do I pay for it?

[A] - Swoop costs $15 US funds.  Swoop has an integrated registration system that allows you to easily register it a number of ways: cash/check/money order/credit card via US mail, credit card via fax, or credit card via eMail.  Simply launch Swoop, and click on the Register... button in the splash screen that appears.  You'll be painlessly lead through the registration system.

      If you have access to the World Wide Web, you can register electronically via our web site.  Simply point your browser at http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/ then click on the Online Registration icon.  You'll be led through a quick and easy registration process.

      Ambrosia Software, Inc. also has a toll free order line.  If you wish to purchase Swoop, you can use your Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express credit card and call 800.231.1816.  If you are calling outside the US/Canada region, or need technical assistance, please call 716.325.1910.  We will process your order right over the phone, and give you a license code immediately.

      After we have processed your registration, you will receive a license code that you enter to complete the registration process.  This code removes the shareware notices and personalizes your copy of the product.

      To enter your license code, simply double-click on the Register Swoop application, and follow the instructions that are presented to you.  To enter your license code, click on the Enter Code button, and make sure you enter all of the license information exactly as it is shown.  That's all there is to it.

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[Q] - Why should I register (pay for) Swoop?

[A] - We're attempting to offer high quality products at a low price, on a "try before you buy basis."  Supporting us by registering Swoop -- assuming you like the game -- is the only way you can ensure that we will continue to produce more high quality software distributed as shareware. 

      Beyond that, you will receive a license code that removes the shareware notices and personalizes Swoop with your name, giving you a legal copy of Swoop on your Macintosh.

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[Q] - My license code is invalid; what's wrong?

[A] - The license code you were sent is based on your name as you gave it to us when you registered.  Make sure that you are entering your name exactly as it appears on your registration confirmation.  If you still have a problem with your license code not working, please get in contact with us and we will take care of the situation for you.

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[Q] - Will Swoop ever be ported to DOS?

[A] - Satan will be seen skating to work before Swoop makes it to the PeeCee. We were thinking of including a special DOS emulation mode in the Mac version of Swoop but we figured the Mac crowd wouldn't like a 320x200 display nor the compatibility problems. [evil grin]

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[Q] - Will there be future versions of Swoop?

[A] - We consider Swoop a "done" work.  We will of course continue to maintain the game by fixing bugs and adding ancillary features, but short of a sequel, we will not be making changes to the basic game itself.

      Note: we are not announcing that there will be a sequel to Swoop, just that it is a possibility.

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Game Play
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[Q] - What are the point values for the various baddies in Swoop?

[A] - Aliens in the main formation:

      Flagship (yellow)                120 points
      Escort (red)                     100 points
      Grunt (blue)                      80 points
      Grunt (green)                     60 points

      Aliens in flight:

      Flagship (yellow)                300 points
      Escort (red)                     200 points
      Grunt (blue)                     160 points
      Grunt (green)                    120 points
      Shadow Swooper (green glow)      250 points

      Shooting down a Flagship in flight with its Escorts will gain you big points depending upon the order in which you kill the Escorts. The big prize is 800 points for killing 2 Escorts before the Flagship. Killing any other Flagship with at least 1 Escort is worth 400 points.

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[Q] - I want to blow things up. (How do I get more weapons?)

[A] - Shoot down Flagships while they are in flight to recieve an extra weapon, which will be picked at random. Only 4 weapons can be held in reserve at any one time. Each weapon (apart from your standard bullets) has a time limit. When that limit approaches, a warning countdown will flash at the bottom of the screen and then your weapon will revert to standard bullets.

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[Q] - What's the deal with this gold ball thingy?

[A] - Every so often, at random, the "Cage" will appear. This is a spherical gold cage containing a small ball. The Cage is heavily shielded, and gets progressively harder to kill as you complete waves. But, it can be destroyed! And believe me bucko, it's well worth it. The ball will fall out of the Cage and if you capture the ball with the ship you will receive a reward - either big points or an extra ship.

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[Q] - How can I pause or abort a game of Swoop?

[A] - The Caps Lock key pauses Swoop while you are in the middle of a game, allowing you to take a breather or switch out to another application if you desire.  To resume a game after you've paused it, simply depress the Caps Lock key.

      The ESC (escape) key aborts the game you're playing. This is not a "quit" key, but an "end the game because the pizza's here" key. It is only operational when you are playing the game.

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[Q] - When does the Bonus Multiplier appear?

[A] - The Bonus Multiplier (a white number attached to an alien) can appear every wave. The time of its arrival is calculated before the wave starts and if you wait around long enough, it will show up. Of course, you may be dead before then...  [cackle]

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[Q] - What effect does the Bonus Multiplier have?

[A] - It is key to getting those big high scores. When you shoot down an alien with a white number superimposed over it, a corresponding symbol (e.g. x3) will appear next to your score at the bottom of the screen. The point value of everything you shoot down will now be multiplied by the symbol. The multiplier effect will also work its magic on your accuracy bonus at the end of each wave. The sad part is that the multiplier is lost after each wave or when the ship is destroyed.

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[Q] - Is there any kind of an end to the game?

[A] - No.  Swoop just continues to get harder and harder as you proceed through the game.  There are as many waves in Swoop as you can handle, and then some.

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[Q] - How can I cheat while playing Swoop?

[A] - To access the "cheat mode," hit the 'W' key at the main screen.  A dialog box will appear that allows you to choose the starting wave (from wave 1 to 10). You won't be able to get a high score if you use this "cheat mode," but it is a good way to practice.

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[Q] - Do you have any hints or tips for playing Swoop?

[A] - Ah, young grasshopper seeks enlightenment. You have come to the right place. Use some of these hints to gain good karma or to beat the pants off of your brother's high scores:

      ¥ Learn how each alien moves. Despite initial appearances, each bug
         flies in pretty strict patterns. The problem is that there are
         quite a number of patterns. But once you get the hang of them,
         you will be able to second-guess most bug movements. Most bugs
         will swoop down to a certain level and will then break off into
         one of three directions - left, straight down or right.

      ¥ Stay away from the borders - the Swoopers just love to come
         swinging back in from nowhere.

      ¥ Choose your weapons carefully. Certain weapons are good in certain
         situations and some are just overkill or not very effective in
         others. If you have a x4 Bonus Multiplier and there are currently
         two sets of Flagships swooping down, a Spider is looking you
         over, and the Bomber is approaching, then activating the Nuke is
         highly recommended. Activating something like twin-shot bullets
         is not.

      ¥ Use your weapons - don't fall to "Pacman Syndrome" where you get
         killed because you were holding back your weapons (or Power
         Pellets in Pacman) for "special occasions". There's nothing worse
         than being destroyed when you have 4 Nukes in the armory...

      ¥ Keep that Bonus Multiplier safe. If your ship is destroyed then
         you also lose the multiplier. Bad news huh? So if you've got a x5
         multiplier, you'd better protect your ship with every weapon you
         have. 

      ¥ Shoot for accuracy. You receive 20000 points if you manage to kill
         off all formation aliens in a wave without missing a single shot!
         Each shot that you miss could cost you thansands of points, so
         don't fire indiscriminately with the machine gun on the early
         waves. The best news is that the Bonus Multiplier also applies to
         the accuracy bonus.  Do the math!

      ¥ Spiders become progressively more heavily shielded as the waves
         increase. Shields and Orbital Shields (the spinning red balls) 
         will take the Spider out quite nicely and the Cloak will allow
         you to pass through the Spider with nil problemos.

      ¥ Try to take out the Bomber as soon as you hear the warning klaxon
         sound. It only takes a few shots and it sure beats dodging 
         particle bombs.

      ¥ Be careful with the Orbital Shields (the red spinning balls). 
         They can be a great defensive and offensive weapon but good
         timing is needed to ensure that the bad guys don't slip in
         between the gaps.

      ¥ On higher waves, start thinking more about survival than points.    
         Clear away the bulk of the main formation with wide-area weapons
         and then work on the Swoopers with shields and guerilla tactics.
         Develop a "weapon swap" strategy where you use 2 weapons in a
         wave to get 2 weapons by killing the Flagships in flight.

      ¥ Flagship (and their Escort's) shielding can become pretty heavy
         in the later waves. The shields also regenerate when the alien
         reforms into the main formation at the top of the screen. Hold
         down on the fire key when underneath the shielded alien at close 
         range to inflict the most damage. This reduces your chances of
         a costly miss. But make sure you get out of there in time if
         the alien doesn't look like dying any time soon.

      ¥ If Flagships are left on their own at the end of the wave, they
         will eventually disappear after a few passes and the wave will
         end.

      ¥ The Bonus Multiplier and Cage, while being great for your score
         line, are distractions. If it comes down to choosing between big
         points and killing the Spider, always go for the Spider. 

      ¥ Get out of the way of any Shadow Swoopers. These are the black 
         Swoopers with the green glow. They can toss bombs left and right
         and will restrict your movements if you get in the way.

      ¥ In later waves, the Swoopers can develop new attack patterns. In
         particular, the Escorts will start dive bombing. This may seem
         fairly harmless at first but they can be quite hard to pick off
         when you are using standard bullets. But much harder are the top
         row of Blue Grunts. These guys can dive bomb and then swoop back
         under your ship. Very nasty! Their movements are very deceptive
         so you will need to keep a constant watch on these guys. Note
         well: when a Blue Grunt divebombs, it will loop back under the
         scorebar and reappear on the *same* side that the swooper was
         facing as it descended.

      ¥ When using the Orbital Shields, time your ship movements carefully
         to wipe out strings of alien swoopers. These shields can also
         be used to kill submarining Blue Swoopers as they loop under your
         ship.

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Compatability
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[Q] - Does Swoop let me use the Finder and other applications?

[A] - It certainly does. To switch out to other applications (including the Finder) you just need to show the Menu bar. You can do this at the main menu screen (the one with the scrolling text) by hitting the Space key. While the menubar is displayed, the scrolling will stop for speed reasons. Hitting the key again will hide the menubar and resume the scrolling. You can use the menu bar during the game itself by pausing the game (press the Caps Lock key down).

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[Q] - How do I play music from my CD while also playing Swoop?

[A] - You need to run your CD application (such as the Apple CD Audio Player) as usual. Hit "play". Then start the Swoop application. Show the menu bar at the main menu screen by hitting the space key. Select the "Music..." option from the "Options" menu. Select "silence" and hit OK. Start a game of Swoop. The CD music will continue while the game plays. Note well: if you "program" the CD track selection or randomise it (shuffle play) then the CD music will stop when the end of a track is reached. This is because the CD application needs some CPU time to do a little bit of work and Swoop is not giving up that time for speed reasons. So, either just start a CD on normal play, or pause Swoop for a second or two when the music stops - this will give the CD application a little time to do it's job properly.

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[Q] - Does Swoop work on a PowerMac?  Is it PowerPC native?

[A] - Swoop works just fine on all PowerMacs. There would be little benefit in having a native version of the game because the speed under emulation is just fine, but a native version is always an option if needed in the future or if I feel like trying my hand at PPC conversions.

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[Q] - Does Swoop work with System 7.5?

[A] - Yes, Swoop works just fine with System 7.5.  The "Before you install" program will tell you that Swoop "may not work with System 7.5," but it is incorrect.

      The way the "Before you install" program works is as follows: there is an internal database of programs known to work with System 7.5, and an internal database of programs known not to work with System 7.5.  If any program is not listed in either database, the "Before you install" program errs on the side of caution and tells you that the program "may not work with System 7.5."

     Rest assured, Swoop works just fine under System 7.5.  It was written on Sys 7.5 equipped Macs and extensively tested on them.

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[Q] - Why doesn't Swoop use the full screen on large monitors?

[A] - Some people have asked that Swoop take advantage of screens larger than the standard Apple 14" monitor.  Swoop already does: it centers the game window on such larger screens, and puts a border around the game play area.

      If Swoop expanded to fill the entire size of a large-screen monitor, game play would be altered radically because it would be much easier to play the game with a larger game play area.  In short: though it could be done, it won't be done because we want game play to be consistent no matter what machine you play Swoop on.

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[Q] - Why can't Swoop run on a 12" monitor?

[A] - Swoop was designed with 13/14" screens in mind (that's 640x480 pixels). I wanted to write a full screen game for the majority of Macs out there and didn't want to limit the game for those Macs by reducing the window size. 

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[Q] - Why does the sound occasionally break up?

[A] - Virtual Memory (or products such as RAM Doubler) is used. See the next question for more info.

OR, Certain video cards may cause the sound to break up during fades.  This is because all video card drivers turn off interrupts while they are changing color table entries, and some video cards do not handle color table changes in an optimal manner.  Since interrupts are off while the video card is changing color table entries, the Sound Manager cannot service the sound chip quickly enough, and the sound breaks up.

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[Q] - Will Virtual Memory or RAM Doubler affect game play?

[A] - If you have virtual memory turned on, it may slow down Swoop's game play.  Symptoms may include jerky animation, stuttered sound and music, long wait times between waves or different screens and an overall lethargy in response times.

This is unavoidable; the only solution is to turn virtual memory off before playing Swoop. This includes products such as RAM Doubler which implement their own Virtual Memory schemes. These schemes do not actually double your RAM at all. They cheat and the price you pay for it is poorer performance. While VM or RAM Doubler are doing their thang, they gobble up CPU time and other resources, leaving an arcade game like Swoop to stall. Framerates drop and the sound cuts out because the sound hardware isn't being fed with data properly. We recommend that you do not use any VM while playing Swoop unless you have plenty of real RAM and/or a fast Mac.

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History
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[Q] - What language is Swoop written in?

[A] - Swoop was written in Symantec's THINK C. (No, that's not a glowing endorsement of TC. :)  It uses the Ambrosia Blit Tool for fast sprite drawing, the Sound Tool for very fast 22khz 4 channel sound and the Registration Tool for easy customer registration.

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[Q] - Who did the artwork for Swoop?

[A] - David Wareing (dwareing@adelaide.on.net) did the interface design and sprites. David Thorne, a talented graphic designer (also from Adelaide, South Australia), did the Swoop logo artwork. Mark Conge created the ship sprite animations and other pieces.

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[Q] - Who did the music for Swoop?

[A] - Geoffrey Peters (geoff@apanix.apana.org.au), crafted the Techno soundtrack. The 'Flight of the Parrots' soundtrack was used from the Killer Tracks CD collection. Ambrosia crafted the "dom dum" soundtrack. :-)

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[Q] - When was Swoop first released?

[A] - Swoop was released at the beginning of May, 1995.

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[Q] - How long did it take to create Swoop?

[A] - Hard to say really, but all up it was probably around 16 months from the gleam in my eye 'til the day it shipped. The game evolved quite markedly from the original design, mostly due to the diligence of the Ambrosia crew and some wonderful testers and co-conspirators.

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[Q] - Why was Swoop written?

[A] - I (David) grew up with Galaxian, Missile Command, Tempest and a few zillion other arcade games. I used to dream of owning my own machine. Swoop was created in order to put a high quality game from the early '80s vertical shootemup genre on the Mac. It's dedicated to all those other kids who used to wish that they'd grow up to own a video arcade in their bedroom.

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End
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