@database 000daa80-0 @master Skirmish.guide @node "Main" "Skirmish" @next "Requirements" @{bg shine}Dave and Den Present...@{bg back} ********** *@{bg shine}SKIRMISH@{bg back}* ********** PAL version (NTSC also available) (Version 1.1) - The @{"Dogfight" link "Dogfight" 0} Game - @{"* Requirements" link "Requirements" 0} @{"* Introduction" link "Introduction" 0} @{"* Loading Skirmish" link "Loading Skirmish" 0} @{"* Menus" link "Menus" 0} @{"* How To Play" link "How To Play" 0} @{"* Problems and Bugs" link "Problems and Bugs" 0} @{"* Support" link "Support" 0} @{"* Credits" link "Credits" 0} @{"* Legal" link "Legal" 0} Written in 1996 by David Johnson and Dennis Ng Copyright © 1996 Dave and Den Software - Amigas Rule - @endnode @node "Requirements" "Requirements" @next "Dogfight" @prev "Main" @{bg shine} @{bg back} @{b}@{bg shine}Requirements@{ub}@{bg back} Skirmish requires: * Amiga (Most systems OK, see below) * 4 joysticks and 4 player adapter for 8 player simultaneous gaming * Lots of friends * An empty house for the evening * Beer Skirmish has been tested on the following systems: Standard A1200 Standard A1200 with hard drive (Runs OK from HD) A1200 + Apollo 1240/24 8 meg, HD Standard A500 1MB (Although slows down with 6+ players) Er... we can't afford any more Amigas, so it would be greatly appreciated if someone could send us any Amigas that you don't happen to want. An A4000/060 would be nice. Failing that, contact us if Skirmish works or not on any system not listed above. Thanks. Version 1.1 - Had some problems when running on my new 040, due to it running too fast. Fixed them. (That's about all that's new for version 1.1 in fact) @endnode @node "Loading Skirmish" "Loading Skirmish" @next "Dogfight" @prev "Requirements" @{b}@{bg shine}Loading Skirmish@{ub}@{bg back} Skirmish can be loaded from hard drive or floppy. @{u}Hard Drive owners:@{uu} 1. Simply copy the SkirmishPAL drawer into the desired place. 2. Place the contents of the FONTS directory into your SYS:Fonts if you do not already have the Mob font. 2. Run Skirmish by double clicking on the game icon. @{u}Floppy owners:@{uu} 1. Copy all the files and drawers into the root directory of the disk. 2. Make a directory called "c" and copy the following files to it: Assign Setpatch (Find them on your Workbench disks) 3. Make a directory called "libs" and copy the following files to it: Mathtrans.library Diskfont.library (This is not necessary on Workbench 3.0+) 4. Open a shell and type c:install df0: 5. The game will now self-boot when inserted at boot prompt. @endnode @node "Dogfight" "Dogfight" @next "Introduction" @prev "Loading Skirmish" @{b}@{bg shine}Dogfight@{ub}@{bg back} Skirmish is a clone of the simple yet brilliant game dogfight. The original allowed two players to battle it out: each player controlling their plane and shooting the other one down new incarnations of the game saw four players but this is the ultimate with EIGHT players being able to play at once. Our inspiration came specifically from the version of Dogfight by Dan Rhodes. It's on the Aminet and it's excellent, so get it. @endnode @node "Introduction" "Introduction" @next "How To Play" @prev "Dogfight" @{b}@{bg shine}Introduction@{ub}@{bg back} Skirmish is a damn fine game for up to 8 players. Skirmish is based on the classic game Dogfight, which basically involves killing all the other players to win. Hooray. What an interesting introduction. Why is Skirmish better than the rest? * EIGHT players can play simultaneously. * Computer can control any number of players. * Configurable options. * League table. * Looks nicer. @endnode @node "How To Play" "How To Play" @next "Menus" @prev "Introduction" @{b}@{bg shine}How to Play@{ub}@{bg back} Once the league has been started, you will see all the planes lined up along the bottom. After a couple of seconds the game will start. Each player should press fire to take off. If fire is not pressed, your plane will blow up after some time if the limited launch time has been set from the menu. Once in the air, kill all the other players. Haha, that simple. Left on the joystick rotates your plane anticlockwise, right rotates it clockwise and stab the fire button (ouch) to kick butt. If you don't know your keys, check the name screen menu. If you fly out of the side of the screen, you reappear on the other side. However, you can crash into the top of the screen. Your score is shown underneath your launch pad. The number of points gained by shooting down a plane is dependent on what has been set in the settings screen. So is the number of points you lose when you get shot. As is the number of points you need to gain to win the round. Next to your launchpad is your colourbox, so you can identify your score whilst flying. Once the round has been won, the winner will be announced and the league table is shown. The next round can now begin, and this continues until the league ends. (This depends on the number of games needed to win the league as set on the settings screen.) @{u}Tips@{uu} * Experiment with the settings screen, see what works best for you. * If someone's about to win the league, get your mates to kill `em. * If you die quickly, get to the top of the screen. * If you get bored of shooting at each other, try synchronised plane formations. * Beer. @endnode @node "Menus" "Menus" @next "Support" @prev "How To Play" @{b}@{bg shine}Menus@{ub}@{bg back} @{"Name Screen Menu" link "Name Screen Menu" 0} @{"Settings Menu" link "Settings Menu" 0} @{"League Table Menu" link "League Table Menu" 0} @endnode @node "Support" "Support" @next "Credits" @prev "Menus" @{b}@{bg shine}Support@{ub}@{bg back} We are two students in full time education expecting no profit from our ventures. However, (you guessed it) if you appreciate Skirmish, please send us £5 in UK currency or the equivalent in US dollars, or deutschmarks. (We're also looking for `Knights of the Sky' but we can't find it in the shops anywhere.) When you register, please state if you want the Blitz 2 source code to be sent to you. If enough people send donations, we will consider writing an update which will feature: * Money and weapons * Better graphics (perhaps using AGA modes) * Different game modes: Tag, Knockout etc. Please give us: Your name Address [E-Mail Address] £5 sterling, or US dollars, German Deutschmarks, amount depending on current exchange rates. Your machine setup Your comments on the game and life in general Regarding money: English cheques are fine. English cash is fine. US cash is fine. German cash is fine. When sending cash (notes only), stick the money in a birthday card or something, so it can't be seen from outside the envelope. Please make cheques payable to David Johnson Our Address: E-Mail: Reilly@BTinternet.com Snail-Mail: (CODE) David Johnson 16 Wren Close Flitwick Bedfordshire ENGLAND MK45 1NA If you cannot afford or do not wish to pay £5, please contact us anyway to give us your thoughts on why you like or dislike Skirmish. Please also report any bugs. Our next project will be a remake of Space Taxi, and it'll be brill. Heh heh. If you don't support us, it don't matter cos we're going to support the Amiga forever. @endnode @node "Credits" "Credits" @next "Legal" @prev "Support" @{b}@{bg shine}Credits@{ub}@{bg back} @{b}Thanks to@{ub}: Acid Software for Blitz Basic 2 EA for abandoning the Amiga and for DP IV Teijo Kinnunen for Octamed Dan Rhodes for the brilliant Dogfight Amiga Technologies for rescuing the Amiga? @{b}And to Playtesters@{ub}: Simon `Kamikaze' Reilly Daniel Kwan Richard Ng Beccy `Crapster' Hancox Robert `I Gotta Thing On My Leg' Frost Chill `Haircut' HAhaha, the old ones never die Jane `Stuck on Rob's Leg' Moules Carina `Tuba' Lobley Becky `Pulled a bloke at Esquires, allegedly' Stobbs Paul `Paul' Thornhill Wiggy `Wig' Wigster Amelia `Daughter of Big, Important Bloke' Wright Ricky M @{b}Hello to@{ub}: Gibbo @endnode @node "Legal" "Legal" @next "Settings Menu" @prev "Credits" @{b}@{bg shine}Legal@{ub}@{bg back} This product is provided `as-is' and may be freely distributed provided that the archive and this document is remained intact. The authors are not liable to any damage or broken furniture which may arise from using this product. Skirmish may not be put onto a compilation or any CD collection or on a magazine cover disk without consent of the authors. Copyright © 1996 Dave and Den Software. If loss of friends occurs due to unnatural behaviour whilst playing Skirmish, we laugh in your face. (Dave and Den Software give permission for Skirmish to be placed onto an Aminet CD or Aminet CD Set) @endnode @node "Settings Menu" "Settings Menu" @next "League Table Menu" @prev "Legal" @{b}@{bg shine}Settings Menu@{ub}@{bg back} From here you can customise your game, altering: Points scored for a kill Points lost for dying Limited launch time? Points needed to win the round Number of games needed to win the league These are pretty self-explanatory. The defaults are alright but you can change them if you like. Click on `Done' to return to the Name Screen. @endnode @node "League Table Menu" "League Table Menu" @next "Name Screen Menu" @prev "Settings Menu" @{b}@{bg shine}League Table Menu@{ub}@{bg back} Not really a menu as such, but hey, who cares? Here, you can see the league table, who's winning and who's not. You can either play the next round or quit the league from here. @endnode @node "Name Screen Menu" "Name Screen Menu" @next "Problems and Bugs" @prev "League Table Menu" @{b}@{bg shine}Name Screen Menu@{ub}@{bg back} The first screen you will be presented with is this menu. At default, all the planes will be set to computer controlled, denoted by the orange C on the right hand side. This can be changed to player control by clicking on it. A tick means player control and a cross means the plane is absent all together. When a player is active and it says `Player 1' or whatever as the name on the left, this can be changed by clicking on it, and typing in the name on the keyboard. @{u}NOTE:@{uu} The controls can't be changed, so if you want to use the joyport, you must be the blue plane etc. From here, you may change the @{"settings" link "Settings Menu" 0}, start the league, or quit. @endnode @node "Problems and Bugs" "Problems and Bugs" @prev "Name Screen Menu" @{b}@{bg shine}Problems and Bugs@{ub}@{bg back} Q: When I start the game, I'm not in control of any planes. A: Are all the planes set to computer? Change this in the @{"name menu" link "Name Screen Menu" 0}. Q: The game doesn't run. A: Have you tried the @{"loading procedures" link "Loading Skirmish" 0}? Otherwise contact us. Q: The game slows down when there are lots of players. A: Maybe it's time to upgrade. Q: The game's crap. A: Oh hello, you're one of those people. Don't worry, the Ultra 64 will be out in a year or two, so you can spend 250 pounds on that and then 50 quid for each game. Those games will be better. Q: Where do I get a 4 player adapter from so I can get players 3 and 4 working? A: Scour the Aminet. Try the TurboHockey archive on the Aminet. Q: I can't even get Skirmish to run from MS-DOS. A: You're obviously getting a poor reception. Turn your computer so it faces east and keep your computer away from any gas appliances. Q: The computer players keep shooting me down. A: You are crap. Q: My mates keep shooting me down. A: Hit them. Or pull out their joystick when they're not looking. Or steal their beer. @{u}BUGS@{uu} * For some reason, when the game is run from Workbench, icons left out sometimes have a habit of moving. This is Blitz's fault. Please don't leave anything valuable out. (See @{"Legal" link "Legal" 0}) * It seems to go a bit jerky when there are only two planes on the screen. Shouldn't bother you cos the games crap with two players anyway. @endnode