Graveyard

INSTRUCTIONS

                                  Spiral Mile Software Presents
		                  -----------------------------
		                            GRAVEYARD
			                    ---------
		                       (C) M.P.Lord 1994
		                       -----------------

Files
-----

	Please distribute this software as widely as possible,but the
following files must be kept together :

a:\spiral_m.ile\		readme.1st

			data\		dat1.bin
					samsh.bin
					dat1.dat
					dat2.dat

			for\		backscr1.neo
					backscr2.neo
					backscr3.neo
					flens.dat
					for1.dat
					for2.dat
					for3.dat
					for12.dat

			games\		graveyrd.prg
					hoogdemo.prg

The Important Bit I (for me anyway!)
------------------------------------

	Writing games such as this (and especially HOOG,of which there
is an exclusive demo supplied with this game) is an extremely time
consuming process,and being the sole author of my games I have to
write the code,draw the graphics and create the samples etc. all by
myself.The ST commercial software market is dying,and independent
coders are now beginning to supply games of high quality to meet the
demands of game-playing enthusiasts.
	This game is SHAREWARE,meaning that although you have obtained
this game for nothing,you are asked(politely!) to send a small donation
of around £5(or anything up to/over etc.) to register your copy and
support the author(me),so encouraging me to write more games for you.
	Without the authors,there would be no games.
	Why chuck £25 quid away on something that has been rushed off
on a production line,when you can save £20 on a game that has been
lovingly crafted from fine Brazillian Pine Wood(?)
	You know what I mean.
	I have programmed the Atari ST for 10 years,and I am now
satisfied that I can write high quality games,such as HOOG which is my
latest offering.
	HOOG boasts smooth full-colour parallax scrolling (as in XENON II),
over 50 colours on screen at any one time,and addictive gameplay(says my
team of playtesters).It has taken me 3 years of continual modification of
gameplay and presentation to get it right,and now I can offer it to you.

The Important Bit II
--------------------

	What's in it for you if you send me œ5?
	Well,you have GRAVEYARD,but without donations the SHAREWARE
scheme will not work,therefore authors will not want to waste there
time writing games for you to play,with no return.
	If you send me œ5,I will return to you the complete 15-level
version of HOOG,and if you so request I will send complete source code
plus support files(graphics) for HOOG,so that you can see how my games
are written.
	I would imagine there would be a fair amount of interest in
how I managed full colour parallax scrolling at speed(not that I have
a big head;the point is that I want people to learn how to write games
for themselves.)
	Included in the source code are sprite routines(extremely fast),
joystick handling routines,sample routines for three-channel sampled sound
and more,all there for use in your own games.

	I am currently near to completing DROID II(original eh?),the
sequel to DROID published in ST FORMAT issue 37,which promises to be the
ultimate platform blaster,with extremely loud three channel sampled sound
effects(if you turn the volume up!) and huge explosions,shrapnel and
devastation.The sort of thing you play in a dark room(NO!,not that sort
of thing!)
	I feel a bit of intelligence has crept into this game - it's
quite disturbing!

	So,get it right - people like me are here for you.Give me the
support and I will give you what you deserve.You will be hearing about
DROID II very soon.I don't want to have to shelve it for lack of interest.

		<<< Please support the SHAREWARE scheme!! >>>

GRAVEYARD - The Description
---------------------------
	Mindless blasting of anything that gets in the way,with
rather loud three-channel sampled sound (as long as you turn the
volume up,which is probably the best way to enjoy this).

Instructions (as simple as possible for those who need it)
----------------------------------------------------------
	Control the ship by rotating it left or right and
thrust by pushing forward on the joystick.Remember you're in space
and you will keep going in the same direction until you turn round
and thrust the other way!.The fire button fires the ship's missiles.
	Shoot the large asteroids to break them up into medium-size
then small-size asteroids.Destroying the smallest asteroids releases
blue crystals.Pick up the crystals to gain smart bombs,and fire the smart
bombs by pulling down on the joystick(Pulling down on the joystick
does not act as a brake).Smart bombs only destroy what can be seen on
the screen.
	Your ship's energy level is shown in the energy bar(E)
on the far right of the screen.Next in is the hull stress bar(H),
indicating when you are travelling too fast.When this reaches
maximum,your ship will explode(not before you are warned by the
angelic,sing-song,even rather catchy siren(not after,that would be
daft)).
	Next in from the hull stress bar is the time bar(T).
When time runs out,the enemy ship from hell arrives on the scene,
announcing its arrival which some sort of metallic death-cry.

	(Actually you should have heard me invent that sample;
Laughing into a microphone while sitting in a small room by myself
with the door closed would probably seem a bit odd to say the least!)

	To progress to the next sector you must destroy it,preferably by
using your smart bombs,but you might get away with dodging and shooting
at it(you'll have to if you've no smarts!)

	The radar display indicates where various objects are in
the sector:

	Central white dot -		Your ship
	Grey dots -			Asteroids
	Yellow dots -			Minor enemy craft
	Red dots -			Enemy homing missiles
	Flashing white dots -		Crystals
	Large flashing white/red dot -	Enemy ship from hell!
	Black dot -			A small black space in space.
					There's a lot of it.

	Simple as that.

	Be warned though,because the sectors become progressively
harder,as the enemy ship from hell gets particularly evil!

Note1 - You may notice that the voice of the enemy ship from hell
	is automatically provided for your entertainment,but due
	to the laws of censorship the player's voice is not.
	I'm sure you'll do your best.

Note2 -	Hope you like it!!

BOOK / MAGAZINE REVIEWS (1)

Atari World · August, 1995Rating: 6 Worlds