        CUBEMASTER
    
    Welcome to CubeMaster, an action packed shoot'em up with a good deal of
    strategy as well.  This document gives information you'll need to know
    that isn't self-explanatory from within the game itself.
    
    1.  Our Contract
    You and I have an agreement.
    
    For my end I worked the better part of ten months (on and off but there
    was quite a lot "on" I can tell you) on CubeMaster making it a good
    balanced and fun game.  CubeMaster is my first game attempt and while
    other games for the Amiga may be more flashy in some respects
    CubeMaster should earn high marks for playability and entertainment
    value.  This is what I wanted to achieve.
    
    For your end of the agreement you should not distribute CubeMaster to
    others nor receive it yourself from another person through illegal
    means.  This isn't a threat.  It's an agreement.  It's a trust.
    
    As long as we can continue to pay the salaries of ASDG's employees and
    keep our computers dry by putting a roof over them, we'll bust our
    buns to provide you with quality products and service.  Piracy makes it
    very hard for companies like ASDG to continue their efforts and should
    those efforts cease, the very best of what makes the Amiga personal
    computer so dynamic (the creativity, quality and caring by small
    businesses such as ASDG) shall cease as well.
    
    2.  Machine Requirements CubeMaster will operate on any Amiga
    personal computer with a minimum of 512K of chip memory and version 1.2
    of Kickstart.  A joystick is strongly recommended but is not required.  
    Sound plays a large part of CubeMaster so make sure your Amiga is
    hooked up to a set of speakers.
    
    3.  Machine Set Up and Multitasking
    
    If you are using a joystick, connect it to the secondary mouse port. 
    CubeMaster multitasks cleanly and can be started from the WorkBench or
    the CLI. The game also handles external memory correctly as well.
    
    On a 512 machine CubeMaster will take up most of the available memory
    so while multitasking is possible it won't be practical.
    
    On machines with more than 512K CubeMaster can easily be multitasked
    with other programs.  In fact, clicking on a screen other than
    CubeMaster will put CubeMaster into pause mode (except when you click
    on the title screen in which case the CubeMaster game selection screen
    suddenly jumps out at you)
    
    4.  The CubeMaster Distribution Disk
    The CubeMaster distribution disk contains the CubeMaster game as well
    as the files the game requires to run.  The CubeMaster game itself is
    in the root directory of the floppy and is visible from the Workbench.
    
    Also visible from the Workbench is the CMScore drawer (or directory). 
    This drawer contains three files which constitute CubeMaster's scoring
    facility.
    
    CM
    Le	velScores is the machine readable form of the best times through
    each of the 100 levels of CubeMaster.  If this file is missing it will
    be recreated automatically.  This file is not visible from the
    Workbench.
    
    CM
    TopTen is the machine readable form of the ten best point scores that
    have even been reached (so far) for complete games.  If this file is
    missing it will be recreated automatically.  This file is not visible
    from the Workbench.
    
    ScoreReport is the human readable condensation of both the above files. 
    This file is visible from the Workbench and can be read by double
    clicking on its icon.
    
    The CMTitle directory contains the title screen for CubeMaster.  It was
    done by Gred Tsadillas and is copyrighted material and NOT in the
    public domain. The title screen must be present for the game to
    operate.  The CMTitle directory is not visible from the Workbench.
    
    The CMSound directory contains the sounds needed for CubeMaster.  These
    sounds were done by me and were a lot of work indeed.  These sounds are
    NOT public domain and are copyrighted material a well.
    
    The Coockoo clock sound provided by Rick Rae and The Fabulous Sound
    Effects was recorded live in the control room of WEVA Radio. 
    Thank you Rick, I wanted to use more but there just wasn't room.
    
    All sound files MUST be present for the game to operate.
    
    The Credits program visible from the Workbench in the root directory of
    the CubeMaster disk will play a pre-recorded message thanking various
    people for their contribution to the development of CubeMaster. 
    Starting up Credits simultaneously with another CubeMaster program is
    not suggested since the files involved are quite large and will cause a
    long delay in loading.
    
    The CopyProtection program visible from the Workbench in the root
    directory of the CubeMaster disk will play a pre-recorded message from
    people who work at ASDG Incorporated thanking you for not taking away
    their livelihood.  As with Credits, wait for this program to complete
    before starting another since thrashing on the floppies will age you
    before your time.
    
    5.  Setting Up CubeMaster on Hard Disk
    For CubeMaster to work it must know where to find the files it needs. 
    The startup-sequence on the CubeMaster distribution disk contains the
    following lines:
    
    assign CMSound:  CubeMaster:CMSound
    assign CMScore:  CubeMaster:CMScore
    assign CMTitle:  CubeMaster:CMTitle
    
    To install CubeMaster on a hard disk copy all CubeMaster files to your
    hard disk using whatever organization you prefer (the easiest is to use
    the three directory organization I've used).
    
    Then, to run CubeMaster make sure you've executed assigns similar to
    the ones above (only modified to suit the location on hard disk where
    the files actually reside).
    
    6.  Game Startup
    Upon entry into CubeMaster the title screen will be displayed.  When
    the sound of bouncing CubeDrones starts you know CubeMaster is finished
    loading.
    
    CubeMaster will alternate between the Selection Screen and the title
    screen about once every 10 to 11 seconds.  Pressing any key while the
    title screen is being shown will bring the Selection Screen to front.
    
    There are lots of things which can go wrong in starting up CubeMaster. 
    For example, there may not be enough memory for the game.  I have tried
    to check for every eventuality and should some kind of fault be found I
    have tried to present understandable and accurate error reports.  For
    example, if there is not enough memory available CubeMaster will tell
    you so and exit cleanly.  If a file was not available, CubeMaster will
    tell you so and again, exit cleanly.
    
    7.  Selection Screen
    The Selection Screen is fairly self-explaining.  From here F6 through
    F10 and the E key are enabled.
    
    E will cause CubeMaster to exit after writing out its score files.
    
    F10 will cause CubeMaster to write out an updated copy of the
    ScoreReport file in case you want to see it NOW (recall that CubeMaster
    multitasks!) F9 allows you to select the starting level of play.  This
    can be any interger number from 1 to 100.  However, if you don't start
    from the beginning (level 1) your top ten score will not be recorded
    but your best time score will.
    
    F8 allows you to select your name for scoring purposes.  Be crazy.  If
    you don't select your own name your score files will become peopled
    with the Unknown CubeMaster.  Who is the Unknown CubeMaster anyway.
    
    F7 enters you into a practice screen where you can learn to fly your
    Manned Mobility Unit.  Just to make things more interesting some of the
    Bad Guys are enabled though your shields will not become weakened by
    them.
    
    F6 starts your CubeMaster run at the level you're specified (level 1,
    the beginning, if you didn't use F9 to alter your starting level).
    
    8.  Controlling The CubeMaster
    Remember that you are in zero gravity.  Once you start travelling in  a
    direction it will require an equal force in the other direction to stop
    you.
    
    Your controls are:
    Forward Joystick (or the up arrows on the keyboard) activates your
    forward rockets.  You will be propelled in whatever direction the
    CubeMaster happe ns to be facing.
    
    Backward Joystick (or the down arrow on the keyboard) activates your
    retro rockets.  You will be propelled against whatever direction the
    CubeMaster happens to be facing.
    
    Right Joystick (or the right arrow on the keyboard) activates your
    clockwise attitude rockets.  You will rotate clockwise.
    
    Left Joystick (or the right arrow on the keyboard) activates your
    counter clockwise attitude rockets.  You will rotate counter clockwise.
    
    Joystick Button (or the space bar) will activate your particle cannon. 
    Sometimes you will be in Equal Mass Reaction mode.  When in this mode
    when you shoot forwards, you go backwards.  Makes things quite tricky.
    
    You also have a brake (the B key or the "B" gadget).  Using the brake
    will cost you time so use it with discretion.
    
    The P gadget or the P key will pause CubeMaster.  Being in the Manned
    Mobility Unit for too long can become uncomfortable.  If you know what
    I mean.  When the game is in progress you can use the F1 key to
    increase the volume of the sounds or the F2 to decrease the volume.  Or
    you can frob the volume knob on your stereo.
    
    Remember that you are in zero gravity. Once you start travelling in a
    direction it will require an equal force in the other direction to stop
    you.  (I said this before didn't I?)
    
    Interactions between you and the CubeDrones or the Bad Guys are modeled
    on real world physics so controlling the CubeMaster in the real game is
    not as easy as it is on the practice screen (where there are no
    CubeDrones).
    
    9.  The CubeDrones
    There are two sizes of CubeDrone.  Big and Little.  Break the big
    CubeDrones into little ones.  Break the little ones into space dust. 
    There are also seven different colored CubeDrones each having different
    properties.  Large CubeDrones  have "more" of the special property than
    small ones of the same color.
    
    When "Reincarnation" is on (which it usually is) small CubeDrones if
    not destroyed quickly enough will revert to large CubeDrones which must
    be broke down all over again.
    
    CubeDrones also change colors on their own if you don't shoot them
    quickly enough.  Sometimes this is to your advantage.  Sometimes not. 
    It is a sign of a maturing CubeMaster when you know which is which.
    
    Green CubeDrones are the only exception to the color changing rule. 
    This, coupled with the fact that Green CubeDrones requir multiple hits
    of the particle cannon make them extremely frustrating to deal with. 
    You'll usually find your last CubeDrone left if a Greenie.  On the
    balance, bouncing into a Greenie does not do you any damage.
    
    Yellow CubeDrones are a real drag.  Touching them will cause all your
    controls to become mixed up for some period of time.  You know when
    you've been confused when the coockoo clock chimes.  Yellows do not
    cause shield damage.  Destroying a Yellow CubeDrone will decrease the
    amount of time you are confused.
    
    Each shot you fire from your particle cannon causes heat to build up
    within it.  If the cannon gets too hot, you can't fire until it cools
    down.  Touching Brown CubeDrones will elevate the temperature of your
    particle cannon making it more likely that your cannon will fail. 
    Destroying a Brownine will serve  to cool your cannon so plan your
    shots well.  Brown CubeDrones do not affect your shields.
    
    Blue CubeDrones are perhaps the most dangerous in that touching them
    reduces your ability to defend yourself.  Touching a Blue has a large
    probability of causing the number of particles your particle cannon can
    control to be reduced.  You can only have five particles in flight at
    one time.  Touching a Blue might decrease this to four.  Then to three. 
    And then  Destroying a Blue CubeDrone increases your maximum number of
    particles in flight at one time.  So if you're low, hope for Blues.
    
    Light Grey CubeDrones will sap your shield strength if you touch them. 
    Shields gone, you're gone.  However they don't zap you as badly as Red
    CubeDrones.  Light Grey CubeDrones turn into different colored Drones
    when you hit them.  All reincarnated CubeDrones start out as Light
    Grey.
    
    Red CubeDrones will deplete your shields quicker than you'll care to
    experience.  They're also different from the other CubeDrones in one
    other important way.  That is, when other colored large CubeDrones are
    destroyed they spawn four small CubeDrones.  When a large Red CubeDrone
    is destroyed it spawns eight small CubeDrones.  Balance this against
    the fact that destroying Red CubeDrones is the only way to replenish
    your shields.
    
    And last but not least, your friend, the Dark Grey CubeDrone.  Bouncing
    into the Dark Grey CubeDrone will have no effect on your shields.  
    That's nice.  Destroying a Dark Grey CubeDrone grants you the Halo of
    Displacement.  That's really nice.  The Halo of Displacement shifts the
    atoms in your body just enough to allow CubeDrones to pass right
    through you.  The Halo doesn't last forever though so watch out.  Also,
    missiles launched by the Bad Guys are tuned to your atomic frequency no
    matter what state your atoms are in.
    
    10.  The Bad Guys
    As if just navigating your CubeMaster around wasn't hard enough there
    are some pretty nasty Bad Guys which come out from time to time. 
    They'll introduce themselves to you, I'm sure.
    
    Some Bad Guys will follow you around.  Others will waltz around on
    their own accord.  Some will fire CubeMaster seeking missiles while
    others may themselves be CubeMaster seeking missiles.  Touching a Bad
    Guy is never good for your health.  They are known to paralyze unlucky
    CubeMasters for extended periods of time or toss them around like rag
    dolls.  Not fun.
    
    11.  Other Little Details
    Each screen has an introduction screen.  Read it.  It will tell you
    what modes are present during the next level of play. Reincarnation and
    Equal Mass Reaction have been explained before.  Sequential mode is a
    nearly impossible situation in which you won't be allowed to destroy a
    large CubeDrone until all small CubeDrones have been destroyed.  When
    you start out with a few large CubeDrones this mode becomes quite
    difficult.  Thankfully, it's rare.
    
    By the way, leaving a large CubeDrone alone long enough will result in
    the miracle of birth.  It's not pretty.
    
    Particles fired by your particle cannon degrade over distance.  Some
    screens start you off with better grade particles (which last longer)
    than other screens.
    
    12.  Your Instruments
    The Blue Instrument on the bottom of your screen is an LED meter
    counting the maximum number of particles you can have in flight at
    once.  This is easy to remember since Blue CubeDrones are the ones
    which affect your particle count.
    
    The Brown Instrument is an LED meter indicating cannon heat.  The
    hotter your cannon the higher the meter until it starts turning red,
    then you can't fire at all.  This is easy to remember since Brown
    CubeDrones affect cannon heat.
    
    The Red Instrument is your life.  It indicates the level of your
    shields.  When this gives out, so do you.
    
    Your total score will be displayed at all times.  As well as the score
    you will be awarded at the end of the present screen.  CubeMaster
    calculates the difficulty of each screen and presents a "best" score
    which counts down every second.  The longer it takes for you to
    complete the screen the lower your score will be (even if negative).
    
    The present level number will be displayed.  Some say CubeMaster keeps
    time on a screen by screen basis for scoring purposes, though.
    
    13.  Scoring
    Hitting a large CubeDrone adds a little to your score.
    Hitting a small CubeDrone adds more to your score.
    Destroying a Bad Guy adds a lot more to your score.
    Finishing a level may add or subtract from your score (depending on how
    long it took you to complete the level).
    
    Total Score at the end of the game may win you a place in the TopTen
    score history.   Your time through each level, however, is compared
    against the best time through the level by another player.  Beating
    records is important.
    
    14.  Get Out There, Your Fans are Waiting!.
