                          ACTION SERVICE
                          ==============
                                                TYPED BY SHARD - N&B


Somewhere in Europe.........

A  top  secret  training  camp  where the cream of the crop from tha action
services  must  pass a day in order to prepare for top secret missions with
the famous cobra command.

Today   it  is  your  turn  to  volunteer  for  a  perilous  mission,  your
participation  and  your  role  in  the mission depends on your performance
here.

You  should  realize that after this ruthless selection, the mission itself
will not be a party but an adventure where you risk losing your life.

However there is still time to pack up your kit and return home.

ACTION SERVICE 1: STAGE COMMANDO
---------------------------------
 
The  game functions in three modes.  Each of these modes will be accessible
by pressing the relevant button on the control post (screen)

PLAY MODE

Your task consists of 4 imposing tests

The  PHYSICAL  route - Physical test where you must negotiate as quickly as
possible,  many  objects  (walls,  ditches,  barbed  wire, ladders) without
tripping over them as they litter your path.

You  must react in a split second to the orders from your leaders (pushups,
air  raid)  and attempt to escape from Rex the combat dog trained to thwart
your progress.

The  RISK  route where you have to show your skill in handling grenades and
bombs  also  avoiding mines and the FM rifles which sweep the floor.  After
that  it  is a question of how you can avoid Rex who is always on the loose
!!

The  Close  COMBAT  test.   Here  you come to meet your adversaries who are
giving  nothing  away.   Your pals are ready to take your place, should you
fail.   Here  you  have  to  put  up  with the rubber bullets, the exercise
grenades  and  the blows from your opponents kicks.  In order to neutralize
the  guards  and  bring  them  down,  all  methods  are permitted including
trickery and cheating !!

The COMBINATION route. A combination of the 3 previous tests

A first plus......

THE REPLAY MODE

The  training  camp  is  equipped  with  an ultra sophisticated video which
permits  you to follow your course on the screen at the command post and to
take note of even your tiniest faults.  Nothing escapes the critical eye of
the camera, as it ruthlessly notes your every move and gesture.

By  selecting  replay  mode  you  can  relive  your exploits on video.  The
functions  <slow>  and <pause> are particularly useful for you to see where
you  can  make  improvements.   Equally  you  can  watch  the route of your
adversaries to study their technique and take advantage of it.

A second plus.......

THE CONSTRUCTION MODE

COBRA SOFT has created a superb development tool to create ACTION SERVlCE -
the COMMANDO CONSTRUCTION SET

Thanks  to  this  you can create your own route and work freely on your own
figures.  Also you can set your own traps in the background of your choice.

As  you  can  now understand ACTION SERVICE is not just an arcade game with
simulation,  like  the others, but a fantastic game which will allow you to
express yourself in an action packed adventure

INSTRUCTIONS
------------

LOADING AND START UP

Atari  ST and Amiga:  Switch on the computer.  Insert game disk in drive A.
The program will load automatically.  After the presentation click the left
mouse button or press the space bar to continue loading.

PC and compatibles:  Switch on the computer and load DOS.  Insert game disk
in  drive  A.   Type  COBRA  and  press  RETURN.  Then follow the on screen
instructions.

COMMANDS

All commands can use either a joystick or a numerical keyboard

Correspondence keyboard/joystick 

8    Up
2    Down
4    Left
6    Right

5    Fire


Function keys on the screen Control post

                  1    2    3     4
                  5    6    7     8
           
                     L    C    R     

Click to continue loading after the presentation screen

Upon entering the game it automatically defaults to PLAY mode.

1 - PLAY MODE

In  the  game  you  make  your  choices on the control console (see diagram
above).   This  console  shows a pad of eight keys (each corresponding to a
screen).  a confirmation key (C) and the two left and right arrows (L+R)

To choose a function that corresponds to a screen above the console

- Position the cursor over one of the keys
- Click on it to <<press>> the key (an LED will light up)
- To  see  the other screen views corresponding to this function key click on
  the arrows until you see the screen that you want and once you have chosen,
  confirm in the same way as above.

NUMBER 1 - MISSION ORDERS showing the ten best scores

NUMBER 2 - LEAVE  GAME to quit the game (automatic saving of the mission
           order)

NUMBER 3 - CHANGE  THE NAME OF A PLAYER on the identity disc on screen 3
           Each of these identity discs corresponds to a player.

When  button  3  is selected, you choose one of the identity discs with the
help of the arrows

L  or  R and you erase the current name on the label by clicking on C.  You
can then put the new name using the ordinary keyboard and finish your input
by pressing ENTER or RETURN

NUMBER 4 - CHOOSE  AND  CARRY  OUT ROUTE.  Button 4 is selected, you can
           choose one of several routes with the aid of  arrows L or R  and 
           confirm your selection using C

Note:   Only  routes 1-4 will qualify for the mission.  Route 5 is reserved
for a route made in construction mode.

NUMBER 5 - LOADING AND SAVING OF SCORE
5  is  selected.  You selected a disk with the aid of the arrows L or R and
confirm  by pressing C.  The high score of the player is displayed and then
saved  or loaded under the name of the player.  If there is a file with the
same name, it will be erased by saving the new score.

NUMBER 6 - LOADING AND SAVING OF A REPLAY (see REPLAY mode) Select a name on
the trap.

NUMBER 7 - CHECKING SCORES achieved by a player in all the games

NUMBER 8 - CHECKING  SCORES of the current game (displayed on screen 4).
You can see the scores of the 5 best players in that game.

THE SCORES

For  good  management  of  these  scores insert a new formatted disk in the
drive  as  soon  as  the game is loaded.  This disk will receive scores and
replays.

There  are 3 types of scores:  the usual score, the high score and the HALL
OF FAME score.

The  actions  (route,  scores,  loading, saving) always apply to the player
whose name appears on the identity disc that can be seen.

MOVING THE GAME FIGURE

All  actions  of  the  game can be controlled using a joystick or a numeric
keypad with the same correspondences as for the use of the console

Pressing ESC abandons the route

There are several command levels depending on your position:

Starting position: STANDING

8    Throw a Grenade
2    Kneel Down on One Knee
4    Dive, Lying Position
6    Run

5 or Fire button: FIRE (only in the routes 3-5)

Each of these four levels has its specific commands:

6 RUN

When you press 6 (or move joystick right) while standing, the figure begins
to run.

In  this  level  pressing  6  and  5  (pressing  the fire button and moving
joystick right) simultaneously will cause following actions

JUMP over a low object
or GRIP hold on a ladder (4/6 to progress, keeping 5 pressed)
or GRIP hold on a cable
or GET OVER a wall
(release 5 to descend)

5     FIRE
2     Put Gun Away
4     Half Turn
6     Half Turn

8  THROW A GRENADE (only if you pick one up) or take CLOSE COMBAT position

8     Dodging Walking Backwards
2     Dodging on Knees
4     To Kick
6     To Punch
5     Leave Combat Position

4  DIVE, LYING POSITION

8     Pushup
2     Pushup
4     Crawl
6     Crawl
5     Get Back Up Onto Knees (or FIRE button)

To  crawl  or  to  do  10 pushups, press the corresponding keys alternately
(move joystick in the corresponding directions alternately)

2  KNEEL DOWN ON ONE KNEE

6 pick up a grenade and pull pin or take and put explosives in a box or set
  a charge

2 to lie down flat on the stomach

5 or fire button: get up again (standing position)

2 - REPLAY MODE

Replay  mode  is  selected  by clicking on the slot marked VCR on the video
tape recorder.

This  mode  allows  you  to  see  a  replay of the last route that a player
executed or a replay that you load with the option LOAD REPLAY

After  launching  the  replay  the  varied functions are available with the
joystick or the numeric keypad by:

8     Fast Motion
2     Slow Motion
6     Fast Forward
5     Pause on a Picture (or FIRE button)
ESC   End of Replay

If you dont give any commands you get normal play.

Note:   ONLY  ONE  REPLAY  REMAINS  IN  MEMORY, EVERY NEW REPLAY ERASES THE
PREVIOUS.  IF YOU WANT TO SAVE A ROUTE, SAVE IT AT THE END OF THIS ROUTE.

IF  IT  IS  A  SCENARIO  YOU  CREATED  WITH THE CONSTRUCTION SET, LOAD THIS
SCENARIO BEFORE LOADING THE CORRESPONDING REPLAY.
 
3 - CONSTRUCTION MODE

The  construction  mode is selected on the console by clicking on EDIT.  It
is then possible to use the various functions on the construction set.

A screen play consists of 256 views each of which holds 4 planes:

- a decoration
- a background item (optional)
- the person
- a foreground item (optional)
and the ability to set a trap

The creation of one view consists of the following phases:

I.   Place  the decorations:  click on the option LANDSCAPE and then choose
     one from those suggested.

II.  Choose  and place an object in the background (optional):  the option
     ITEMS must be activated.

A - Select ITEM BACK by clicking

B - Choose  an  object  among  those  suggested (pass onto another set by
    clicking on one of the 2 arrows in the item window)

C - Horizontally position the object by clicking on one of 7 squares marked
    with X to move the item left or right

D - Vertically  position  the object by clicking a vertical graduation to
    move the item up or down

B, C, D can be done in any order

III.   By clicking on the option MAN you position the height of the soldier
by vertical graduation to go up or down in relation to the floor (optional:
by default the floor coincides with the lower Decoration)

Use ON to make the soldier appear, OFF to make him disappear

IV.   Choose  and place an object in the foreground (optional):  the option
ITEMS must be used

A - Select the option ITEM FRONT

Options B, C, D same as before

(The operations I, II, III and IV can be done in any order)

V. Set a trap (optional) by clicking on option TRAPS.

The  window  is  replaced  with  one for traps where it will be possible to
choose  a  trap  corresponding  to a number that will appear above the view
you`re working on

Every trap has a specific type

Type A: depending on a foreground item
Type B: depending on a background item
Type C: not dependent on an item

HOW TO SET A TRAP

This  operation  is  by  far the most delicate and the interest of the game
depends on it

Traps  fall  into  2 categories whether they are bound to an object or not.
For  example,  trap No 1 JUMP / FALL can only apply to certain objects (low
wall, sandbag) corresponding to the decoration to explain the fall.

On the other hand the type DO 10 PUSHUPS or CLOSE COMBAT are independent of
the presence of items in the decoration - it does not matter where they are
put,  but  for obvious reasons it is not ideal to put them in the middle of
the lake.

We  suggest that you read the following clues in order for your scenario to
be  more  enjoyable.   In  order  that  you  are  free to give rain to your
creative  mind,  no test will be made on the traps that you set (The screen
play GAG shows a few examples of what you can get)

1  JUMP/FALL:   associate  with  small  items  of  type  sandbag, low wall,
   jerrycan, ammo box, (Type A or B)

2  JUMP/SLIP:   associate with items barrel knocked over, or damaged barrel
   (Type A or B)

3  JUMP OVER WALL: associated with high wall item (Type A or B)

4  DOG START: the dog appears after you pass on the trap

5  CRAWL:   associated  with  items such as barbed wire, drain pipe...  all
   which should be in the foreground (Type B preferably)

6  Do 10 PUSHUPS: (almost) anywhere (Type C)

7  AIR RAID: (almost) anywhere (Type C)

8  MINE: Only associated with mines. Put the item in the background (Type A)

9  GRENADE:   only associated with grenades which must be in the foreground
   (Type A)

10 DROWN:  only when there is a lake and in the abscence of a pontoon (Type
   C)

11 SET CHARGE:  associated with the decoration object, armoured door, (Type
   C)

12 GET  CHARGE:   allociate  with  little  box; this object must be in the
   foreground and situated at a reasonable distance before the door (Type B)

13 SHOOTER:   (almost)  anywhere; the adversary appears after you pass the
   trap (Type C)

14 REAR  ATTACK:   (almost) anywhere; the adversary appears after you pass
   the trap (Type C)

15 HIGH BURST: (almost) anywhere (Type C)

16 LOW BURST: (almost) anywhere (Type C)

17 CLOSE COMBAT:  (almost) anywhere:  the adversary appears after you pass
   the trap (Type C)

18 SENTRY  back:  (almost) anywhere:  the adversary appears after you pass
   the trap (Type C)

19 GRENADE  COMBAT:   put  this  trap  before  trap grenade; the adversary
   appears after you passed the trap (Type C)

20 SWIM: (Type C)

VI. OPTION REPEAT

The  last  order  selected  is  present in the window of option REPEAT:  by
clicking on REPEAT you effect this order view by view

VII. DISK

As  soon  as  your  scenario  is  edited,  you can save the game to disk by
clicking on the option DISK.

With  this  same  option,  you  can modify already existing scenarios after
loading them

VIII. END

To leave the construction mode and go to play your scenario

IX. RESET

Erases a scenario

To develop good scenarios, we advise you to get used to the play option and
to take time to examine the replays to understand the whole function of the
concept of ACTION SERVICE 1

Then  you  can  examine and modify the whole screen play DEMO by loading it
with the DISK option of the construction mode.