Chuckles presents........
CATCH 23 ......typed for SEWER SOFTWARE. YOUR MISSION Intelligence reports and satellite pictures have confirmed the worst - enemy's CK23 orbital interceptor is operational. Able to take off and land like any conventional aircraft, the revolutionary CK23 is also able to escape the earth's gravitational pull and then achieve geo-stationary orbit in any specific location. There it can lie in wait, for weeks at a time, ready to blast back into the atmosphere at frightening speed to intercept and destroy enemy missiles or aircraft with its sophisticated missile and laser weaponry. The CK23 test development site is the most secret military complex on earth. Hidden somewhere on a mountainous and now deserted island, it is surrounded by deadly minefields, high voltage electric fences and surveillance cameras. The island itself is bristling with military activity, from armed foot patrols to roaming lethal armoured vehicles. It is your mission to explore the island and find the heart of the development complex. Once there you must steal the design of the CK23 and then set a time delay bomb in the nuclear reactor. The explosion which follows will devastate the entire island. At the start of the game, you have just been dropped by parachute. Where you actually land will depend on the prevailing wind. The time is 2200 hours. Sunrise is at 0600 hours. This gives you just eight hours to complete your mission. THE ISLAND The island is a small island some 400 miles from the nearest mainland. Despite this, it once supported a thriving community who made their living by fishing the well stocked local waters. This community however, has now been evacuated and the several scattered villages are virtually ghost towns. The island is mostly flat windswept heathland, but there is the occasional forest and marsh. There are also mysterious mountains. SHUTTLES Whilst the enemy were building the military complex, the villages were occupied by the civilian workforce. To assist in rapid transport, a shuttle network was built that criss-crossed the island. The shuttles run automatically from one location to another. By switching shuttles, it is possible to cover large distances quickly, but unfortunately your map shows only a few of the principle shuttle routes. It is not possible to leave a shuttle in transit. BUILDINGS The island contains a large variety of building types. Most of the buildings have been sealed by the military, but not all. It is still possible to enter and explore those which have been overlooked. Buildings that you can enter will have clearly visible doors. Once inside a building it will be possible for you to identify its contents. You may also find batteries for the mine detector, explosives for making bombs and spare ammunition clips. It is worth making a record of buildings which can be visited to obtain fresh supplies of these vital items. There are other things for you to discover about some of these buildings. MILITARY ACTIVITY The island is subjected to an unusually high level of military activity, a further indication of the military complex sensitivity. (a) Armoured Vehicle Patrol (AV) These AV have set patrol routes. They will not deviate from these routes unless they spot an intruder. Your image enhancer allows you to see armoured vehicles from a distance from which they are unable to see you. However, they move more quickly than you, and a close encounter is usually fatal. (b) Foot Patrol These are heavily armed and, like you they have been equipped with capable image enhancers. If you run into a foot patrol and they see you it is too late to think of running away. Being accurate and quick on the trigger is the only way you will survive the inevitable shoot out. MINEFIELDS The island has a number of areas which have been mined. You have been equipped with a mine detector which, if the batteries are not flat, will relay a signal to your head-up display. Any mines in your field of vision will be clearly visible to you. The enemy have used proximity mines. If you get too close to one, its effect will be swift and lethal. SIGHTLESS IMAGE ENHANCER (SIE) The parachute drop has been scheduled to coincide with a moonless night. You have been equipped with an advanced image enhancer which shows an accurate 3-D representation of your "world" as you move within it. The SIE also has a sophisticated head-up display which provides you with a constant update on your status and situation. _________________________________________________________________ | ZONE TIME PATROL | | | | | | | | | | | | | | VISION | | | | | | | | | _________________________________________________________________ | BULLETS | SCORE AND MESSAGE PANEL | | C | ___________________________________________________________ | BOMB | BOMBS | SPARE | BATTERY | O | | TIMERS | CARRIED | AMMUNITION | STATUS | M | ___________________________________________________________ P | | | A | | DANGEROMETER | S | | | S | _________________________________________________________________ (a) Zone The island has been divided into fourteen zones by the occupying military forces. (b) Time Your parachute drop has been timed for 2200 hours. (c) Patrol Warning If an armoured vehicle is nearby a condition GREEN warning sign will appear in this space. If the enemy spots you, this warning will become condition RED. As soon as the AV can get you in its sights, you will be destroyed. Your only hope is to try and run away. (d) Vision Displays a 3-D image of your field of vision. The range of the SIE is approximately 100 meters. You will not be able to see anything beyond that distance. There are a large number of things you may see but some objects you need to be able to recognise straight away are:- (i) Enemy Mines Only detectable if your batteries are not flat. (Looks like a pyramid with an antenna at the top.) (11) Shuttle Stops (Looks like a kite with a tail.) (111) Your Own Bombs (Looks like a pyramid.) (iv) Computer Terminal/transmitter (Looks like a UFO with two legs.) (v) Any Object in a Room (Looks like a square waste paper basket) (e) BOMBS You can carry a maximum of three bombs. Each bomb is made from explosives, a detonator and a timing device. You have an unlimited supply of detonators and timers, but to make replacement bombs you must find buildings which contain explosives used by the civilian workforce to quarry for building materials. You can use a bomb for a variety of purposes. i. To destroy buildings. ii. As a mine to destroy armoured vehicles. iii. To create a diversion. (f) Spare Gun Clips You can carry a maximum of three. With the one fitted to your rifle, this only gives you twenty available shots. Try to avoid being trigger happy, therefore. Spare gun clips can be found inside most buildings. (g) Mine Detector Battery Status If flat, your head-up display will not detect enemy mines. Spare batteries can be found in some buildings. (h) Compass Direction Indicators Displays the direction you are facing. Can also be used to lock onto the location from which radio transmissions are being made. The direction to the transmitter you have detected will be displayed in red. (i) Message Panel This displays text information, Your current score will also be displayed every time you add to it. DANGEROMETER This important panel displays a measure of the danger associated with your current location. If it is high, the likelihood of your encountering a foot patrol is also high. For example, if you set off a bomb in a particular area, soldiers are likely to rush to investigate what happened. Hence your Dangerometer will be high. However, if you are elusive, and keep a low profile, soldiers are less likely to patrol your immediate area. By strategic planning it is possible to reduce the danger in an area you need to go to, by leaving a time delay mine in an adjoining area. When this goes off, soldiers rushing to investigate this diversion will leave your area at a lower danger level. Keep a close eye on your Dangerometer and trying to discover what affects it, is of immense importance. THE RESISTANCE MOVEMENT As well as the civilian workforce, the enemy recruited a large number of technicians and scientists to help with the development of the CK23. Very few of these people were recruited willingly, most having been blackmailed, threatened or even kidnapped whilst attending a bogus conference. Unknown to the enemy, seventeen of these scientists organised themselves into a highly effective resistance movement, determined to sabotage the enemy's plans. Unfortunately they were discovered and were all evacuated. There whereabouts are not known. However, intelligence sources have discovered that each of the seventeen found a deserted building and turned it into their base. To enable them to communicate with each other in secret they installed a computer terminal and transmitter in each location. It is very unlikely they all met together, but nevertheless your sources indicate that they have devised a way to wreck the enemy's plans and that they were on the point of carrying this out when they were discovered. You have been provided with a brief description of sixteen of the seventeen scientists and this is attached. The identity of the seventeenth scientist remains a mystery. This information will help you recognise which hideout you have located should you come across a computer terminal/transmitter. Being able to correctly identify whose hideout you have discovered may be a matter of life and death. CONTROLS ACTION JOYSTICK KEYBOARD ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ FIRE FIRE ENTER Left or turn left Left Z Right or turn right Right X Up or move foreward Up P Down or move backwards Down L Turn left quickly Left with Fire Z with Enter Turn right quickly Right with Fire X with Enter Bomb Mode B Investigate Mode I Gun Mode (Automatic if soldiers appear) Move Mode (Default) SPACE ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ GAMEPLAY (a) Movement Although the island on which this game takes place is small, the distances involved for someone trying to investigate it on foot are very large. Every time you see the picture move towards or away from you represents one step. By using and mapping out shuttle routes it will be possible for you to cover larger distances more quickly. However, using a shuttle can be a hazardous undertaking. You cannot leave a shuttle until it reaches its destination, but it is a good idea to keep a watchful eye on the passing scenery. (b) Gun Mode If you can see an enemy soldier, he can see you. You will jump automatically into gun mode and it is up to you to be quicker and more accurate than the enemy. You can only kill an enemy soldier by hitting him in the chest. If you hit him anywhere else, he will be wounded but will still have time to shoot at you. (c) To Board a Shuttle Enter investigate mode. Move the cursor over the shuttle stop and press FIRE. (d) To Enter or Leave a Building Enter investigate mode. move the cursor over the door and press FIRE. (e) To Identify Anything Else Enter investigate mode. Move the cursor over whatever you wish to identify and press FIRE. (f) To Pick Up Spare Ammunition, Explosives or Batteries:- This will happen automatically if you happen to find them. (g) To Leave a Time Delay Bomb Press B to enter bomb mode. The timer of the bomb you are setting will flash. Set the timer using the keyboard numbers. Example: To set a bomb to go off in 2 minutes and 12 seconds type 0212. The bomb is dropped automatically when set and cannot be defused. Press space to quit option. (h) To Mine a Tank Stand in a position which you think is on a tank patrol route. (This can be dangerous.) Proceed as above, but set the timer for a fair length of time. The bomb will explode if a tank goes over it. (i) Computer Terminal-Transmitters These will be found in the hideouts of each of the scientists. To LOGON to the system network you must enter the correct password. Identifying whose hideout you are in will help you do this. If you LOGON correctly to exit systems type BYE. Once you are into the system, there are useful clues to be discovered, if you can crack them. Also, if you can communicate with any of the other transmitters your direction indicator will get a fix on that transmitter's location and continue to display it in red. Being able to understand and work with these terminals is vital to success. You are alone in the midst of a hostile enemy. If you can find the nerve centre of the scientists' computer network, you may be able to finish their mission. (j) SAVE GAME You can save the game to disk, but only from a safe house. If you find the word "safe" written on a wall, enter investigate mode and identify the lettering. Press S or L to Save game or Load game. MAP The map enclosed with the original instructions is intended as a guide only. Serious game players may wish to make their own larger map onto which they can plot shuttle routes, enemy patrol routes, minefields, buildings, marshes, forests, mountains, safe houses, etc. ADDENDUM TO INSTRUCTIONS Load / Save Instructions Save Game You may save your present game position to disk only from a SAFE house. After entering a building, if you see the word SAFE written on a wall, identify the lettering. The options (S)ave (L)oad (E)xit will appear. Pressing S will save your game position. Remove your game disk and insert a blank formatted disk into your drive. Press any key. If you have no previously saved games on the disk, you will see: 1/2/3/4/5/E(xit) The E will be highlighted in white. Press any number 1-5 and the game will save as that file number. If you have any previously saved games, their file numbers will be highlighted in white. You may save over old files but a BACKUP WILL NOT BE MADE. If the numbers 1-5 are all highlighted and you do not wish to overwrite these files, select E and repeat the above procedure with a new blank formatted disk. LOAD GAME Load is very similar to save. Identify SAFE, press L, insert disk and press any key. Any previously saved game file numbers will be highlighted in white. Press the number of your desired file and it will load. When you exit the Safe house, the game will be in the same position as you saved it; buildings, patrols, score, timers, etc. If you press a number not highlighted it will have no effect. EXIT If at any time an E appears as an option, you may exit that operation by pressing E. The ATARI ST screen is slightly different to that shown in the main instructions for the SIE. The top panel is VISION The next three panels show SCORE and MESSAGE, TIME, PATROL The next four, BOMB TIMERS, BOMBS CARRIED, SPARE AMMUNITION, BATTERY STATUS. The bottom two, BULLETS, DANGEROMETER. There are three boxes on the lower right, these are from top to bottom, COMPASS, NEXT TRANSMITTER COMPASS, ZONE. Chuckles. |