This file is provided to help you get started playing the game. If you have already installed the program, you may skip past the next section.
INSTALLING THE GAME
To install the Demo Metal Marines game, choose DONE. You will be given an opportunity to specify where the game will be installed, or you can simply use the default (which is C:\METAL). The setup program will verify that enough space is available on your drive (currently about 8 megabytes is required for the install), and then the program will be copied onto your hard disk.
RUNNING THE GAME
The install program will create a new group for your Program Manager called Metal Marines, and will create a new program item inside it. Double click on the Metal Marines icon to start the game.
You will see a brief introduction which you can either watch and enjoy or interrupt by selecting the game icon on the icon bar (the game icon looks like a small file folder). The game menu has a selection titled Start Game (the F4 key is a shortcut to starting a game if you do not wish to use the game menu).
When you start a game you will be given the opportunity to enter you name in the Player Information dialog. When you have entered your name push enter or click on the CLOSE button to move on to the Connections dialog. Simply press enter on this dialog (or click on Continue). This is where you will be able to set up serial and modem connections to play head-to-head against a friend in the up and coming release of Metal Marines!
Next comes the Alliances dialog. This is where you can set up alliances or enemies with the players who are available, but for now since there is only the computer opponent, press Enter (or click Continue) to move on to the game!
At this point the game will actually start. A window will open for your island (territory), and another for your opponent's. You can use the mouse to move the view of either island with the scroll bars or by clicking inside the island view, holding down the left mouse button, and dragging the island view around. Experiment with moving around your island and your opponent's for a few minutes to familiarize yourself with how this works.
You will notice a small window with three Headquarters units inside. You will need to build these three bases before you can attack your opponent, so find some good, flat spots on your island to build them before he is able to do the same! To build a base, click on it and hold the left button down, then drag the base over to where you want to build it, then release the mouse button. If you have selected a legal location, the base will construct for you.
Once you have built your bases, the window will fill with the units you can build during game play. There is an Anti-Aircraft missile, which looks like a gold tube; a missile launcher; a Metal Marine hanger (which you can build in the demo but not yet use); an armored gun pod bunker; a mine field, which looks like a grassy area with mines on it; an antimatter ICBM; an energy plant, which looks like a nuclear reactor; a factory, which looks like a military warehouse; a headquarters, which is a hexagon shaped building; and a radar installation. Two additional units appear, one of which looks like a small farm and one which looks like a base, but these are not yet implemented. They are camouflage units to help you fool your enemy!
Energy Plants: Build these to accumulate energy faster. It takes a certain amount of energy to launch those missiles! Watch you Energy meter on the Tactical View where your sergeants will talk to you.
Headquarters: Build these to accumulate money faster. Each unit has a cost to construct, from missiles which cost $10M to build to ICBMs which cost $255M to build.
Factories: These units cause construction to occur faster. Useful when you really need to build things quickly!
When you are ready to attack, find a missile unit with a missile on it, then position your enemy's view so you can see what you want to target. Attacks are done in the same drag-and-drop style as building; simply click on the missile and hold the left mouse button down, drag over to your target, and release. Your missile's flight will send back reconnaissance which will allow you to see parts of your enemy's island that you don't know about yet. Watch out! His AA might knock your missile down!
Your ultimate goal is to destroy your enemy's bases while fending off his attacks on yours. There are three levels of varying difficulty in the demo, so have fun!
