Hellgate

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|                                   | (C) SmartSOFT |                  |\
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|                                        '888                          ||
| --------------------------------- '88. .88P ------------------------ ||
| - BY DAVID WALTERS --------------  "88888'  ------------------------ ||
\======================================================================\'

                   Copyright SmartSOFT software, 1996-8

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Email:  dswalters@dial.pipex.com
URL:    http://ds.dial.pipex.com/town/close/xom85/

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    0...    PLEASE READ THE FILE "README.TXT" FOR
            LOADING AND INSTALLATION INFORMATION.

    1...    The Story so far...
    2...    The Object of the game
    3...    Using the HELLGATE menus
    4...    Controlling the action
    5...    On Screen status information
    6...    Power Ups
    7...    Firepower and ammunition
    8...    Secret places
    9...    An eternity of crime fighting
   10...    Completing an area
   11...    Episode map
   12...    Credits

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                          _____________________
                         | THE STORY SO FAR... |
                          =====================
It is the year 2196. You are a special operative based on the planet
Neptune which was terraformed almost twenty years ago. Your current
mission is to investigate the recent increase in crime in Neptune's
largest city, Metroville. All clues point to the large warehouse
complex on the edge of the city.

You set off at once to investigate....


                         ________________________
                        | THE OBJECT OF THE GAME |
                         ========================
Welcome to HELLGATE, a fully 3D, first-person perspective, action packed
shoot-em 'up where you are the toughest special agent ever to fight
crime. Your mission is to blast your way through a robot-infested Neptune
colony in hopes of saving humanity from these evil criminal forces.


                        __________________________
                       | USING THE HELLGATE MENUS |
                        ==========================
When you start HELLGATE, a title screen will appear asking you to enter
your name. This is your user name and it will be what HELLGATE uses to
distinguish you from the other users. If HELLGATE has no record of your
name then it will ask you if you are sure you want to create a new user
file (if you are playing from a disk, make sure that it is write-enabled)

When you have entered your name, you are presented with a view of your
special-issue wrist computer with it's menu system. Simply select an
option by clicking on it with the mouse pointer.

If you're already playing a game then pressing the  key will bring
you back to this menu. Many of these functions can also be activated in
game by pressing a function key, thus by-passing the menu altogether.
To return to your game again press the  key once more.

NEW GAME
--------
If you wan't to begin a new game from the beginning, select this option.
A sub-menu will then appear asking you to select a difficulty level.
Each difficulty level differs in the speed and toughness of the enemies
you'll encounter.

    Dead Easy:  This is meant for little children, and your gran.
    Well 'ard:  Most people will find this is the best skill level to
                choose once they have had some experience with the game.
    SUICIDE:    Beware the SUICIDE level of difficulty, it is definitely
                not suitable for inexperienced game players.

You will then be able to select an episode to play, if you've registered.
Move the blinking white square with the mouse, and press the mouse button
to select. If you are playing the unregistered demo, then click the mouse
button to select Episode One.

LOADING AND SAVING YOUR GAME (F2 and F3)
----------------------------------------
You can save your game at any time during play. To save the game choose
the option from the menu or press F2 in-game. Your game is then saved so
that you can return to exactly the same point at another time.
NOTE: only ONE save game is available for each user name.

To load a game, simply select the option from the menu or press F3 during
the game. The game is then restored to the place where you saved last.
This option isn't visible if you haven't yet saved a game.

MUSIC
-----
This option toggles the IN-GAME music on or off. Note that only STE
machines have music. Sorry - but it was unavoidable.

TITLE SCREEN
------------
If this option is chosen, you are asked for conformation, if you answer
YES then the current game is aborted and you are taken back to the title
screen so a new player can then type in their name.


                         ________________________
                        | CONTROLLING THE ACTION |
                         ========================
The only way you can move around the levels of HELLGATE is with the
mouse, however the keyboard does have it's uses, you can select between
your weapons, and use some of the menu options without having to leave
the action.

MOUSE CONTROLS
--------------
                   WALK FORWARD                  LEFT MOUSE BUTTON
                        ^                        -----------------
                        |                         Fire Selected Weapon
          TURN LEFT  <-- -->  TURN RIGHT
                        |                        RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON
                        v                        ------------------
                  WALK BACKWARDS                  Hold to Sidestep

Don't worry if, at first, you tend to find yourself shooting walls while
the monsters put the hurt on you - soon it will be you causing the pain!

KEYBOARD COMMANDS AND SHORTCUTS
-------------------------------
        SPACE...OPEN / UNLOCK DOOR    P.......PAUSE
        ESC.....MENU                  F1......TOGGLE MUSIC
        F2......SAVE GAME             F3......LOAD GAME

WEAPON SELECTION (Main keyboard only)
-------------------------------------
        1.....PISTOL                  2.....SHOTGUN
        3.....CHAINGUN                4.....RIFLE
        5.....ROCKET LAUNCHER --- (Full Game only)


                      ______________________________
                     | ON SCREEN STATUS INFORMATION |
                      ==============================
During the game, HELLGATE will display a bar at the bottom of the screen,
showing information about your current status. Ignore it at your own
risk!    From left to right it reads:

AMMO: In nice big numbers, this shows you the number of shots you've got
left in your current weapon.

HEALTH: You start out at 100%, but it won't stay there for long. At 0%
it's time to start over. Try a bit harder next time.

FACE:   This is your mug. If you are injured, then you will begin to look
like a raw steak. Use it to quickly gauge how you are doing.

KEY:    If you have collected a  keycard, then it will be shown on the
status bar to the bottom right of your face. If you open a locked door,
then your key will be removed and you will need to find another one.
NOTE: you can only carry one key at a time.

ARMOUR: Your armour helps you out for as long as it lasts by reducing the
strength of incoming shots. Keep an eye on it though, because when it's
gone, you might be too.


                               ___________
                              | POWER UPS |
                               ===========
There are many power-ups lying around the levels of HELLGATE, they are
all pretty handy, and will often help to save your skin. To pick up an
object, just walk into it, It's as simple as that. You're a smart agent,
and you won't pick it up unless you need it.

MEDI-PACKS
----------
These boxes of bandages, antitoxins and booster enzymes all help to make
you feel much better. [ +15% Health ]

ARMOUR
------
Once you have collected this light-weight kevlar body armour, the force
of all incoming attacks are reduced - until it runs out!. [ +50% Armour ]

INVULNERABILITY    -*    -*    -*    REGISTERED VERSION ONLY
---------------
While it lasts, this artefact of unknown origin will render you immune to
all damage. Pretty useful, except that your screen will turn white as a
punishment for being so tough! [ Duration 15 Seconds ]

WEAPONS
-------
You are blessed with five means of carnage in HELLGATE and each one has
it's place in your arsenal of destruction. See below for their
descriptions.


                        _________________________
                       | FIREPOWER AND AMMUNTION |
                        =========================
PISTOL
------
This is the standard issue sidearm given to all agents. As you would
expect from anything as basic as this, it isn't very powerful. The pistol
comes equipped with fifty rounds of ammunition and it should buy you some
time to find a better weapon.

SHOTGUN
-------
This is more like it, a decent gun! This smooth-bore combat shotgun fires
a massive low-velocity shell which fragments in flight into a hail of
sharp metal. The shotgun comes loaded with sixteen caseless shells.

CHAINGUN
--------
This is a self-loading chain fed machine-gun. It has six separate barrels
which are rotated by a motor, allowing the weapon to spit out a hail of
bullets which can easily tear a man-sized target apart and throw it
several metres. The chaingun comes with thirty rounds of ammo.

RIFLE
-----
This high-velocity rifle was designed for long-distance sniping, But that
doesn't mean it isn't any good at point-blank range though! The rifle comes
loaded with ten armour piercing rounds.

ROCKET LAUNCHER    -*    -*    -*    REGISTERED VERSION ONLY
---------------
This is a small hand-held rocket launcher that fires individual self-
propelled missles with devastating effect. Although you can only carry a
few, each one is deadly. The rocket launcher comes equipped with two
missles.

AMMUNITION
----------
Ammunition is gained by collecting a weapon that you already have, so
don't ignore them. Unfortunatly though, each of the different weapons
uses different types of ammunition. When you try to fire an empty gun,
HELLGATE will automatically switch to the next best one for you.


                             _______________
                            | SECRET PLACES |
                             ===============
Through-out the levels of HELLGATE, there  are  many secret areas. Most
of them are indicated by clues, so don't waste your time pressing space
on every wall -- the best players know where to look. Finding the secret
areas is not essential to complete a level, but it helps!


                     _______________________________
                    | AN ETERNITY OF CRIME FIGHTING |
                     ===============================
If you are killed, then you can choose to load your last saved game or
to restart the current level at the beginning again with only your pistol
and some bullets. You have no "lives" limit so you can keep restarting
the level as many times as you are killed. The entire level is restarted
from scratch though, and any enemies that you had killed previously all
return again in the same place, just like you do. SO SAVE REGULARLY!


                           ____________________
                          | COMPLETING AN AREA |
                           ====================
At the end of each level in HELLGATE  there is an exit. When you reach
it, press  and you will be wisked away to an achievments screen
which tallies your ratio of kills and rooms visited, along with your
completion time.


                              _____________
                             | EPISODE MAP |
                              =============
Between levels you are shown a map of the episode you are currently
playing in. Your position is marked on it by a big arrow. The current
skill level is also displayed at the bottom of the screen. The last level
of each episode contains a boss. Be warned, it will take all of your
skill and courage to defeat them.....


                        _____________________________
                       | CREDITS - THE HELLGATE TEAM |
                        =============================

                Programming             DAVID WALTERS

                Graphics                DAVID WALTERS and IAN WALTERS

                Music                   MAD MAX

                Design                  DAVID WALTERS, MATTHEW KVASNIK
                                        and IAN WALTERS

                Levels                  DAVID WALTERS and IAN WALTERS

                Testing                 DAVID WALTERS, MATTHEW KVASNIK,
                                        IAN WALTERS, BRENDAN McQUILLAN

			Special Thanks				MARTIN MILNER and JOE CONNOR.


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