             FULL DOCUMENTATION TO RUFFIAN / XPLOSIVE SOFTWARE



    XPLOSIVE SOFTWARE HAVE WON THE 1996 AWARD FOR THE WORST MANUAL!

    Fuck me, these guys need an elementary course in English. I think a  7
    year old can type better than this. Some of their sentences don't even
    make sense! Literally!



    THE PLOT

    The witch doctor has sent Ruffian on a mission. He  must  search  vast
    levels  for  pixies  trapped  in  carnivourous plants. Then using only
    seeds collected from fruits along the  way,  spit  the  seeds  at  the
    trapped  pixies  to  set them free, before they are digested. When all
    the pixies are saved, Ruffian must quickly find  the  secret  exit  by
    following a trail of helping hands left by the pixies. To help Ruffian
    on his journey, the witch doctor has left  many  spells  and  potions,
    some of which are essential for Ruffian to progress.



    LOADING

    Switch  on  your  Amiga  and  insert  Ruffian disk 1 into the internal
    drive. Ruffian is played with a  joystick  pugged  into  the  joystick
    port.

    BEFORE PLAY COMMENCES

    From the main intro screen, screen select with the joystick:-

    OPTIONS

    ENTER PASSWORD

    To access later levels of the game. Each level password  is  given  on
    its completion

    VIEW HIGHSCORES

    For an update on the highscores

    SPEED

    To vary Ruffians speed, between 4 and 8 pixels per frame

    INERTIA

    To vary Ruffians inertia, low or normal.

    HELPING HANDS

    Select either on/off. Helping hands assist in either  2  ways.  Moving
    helping hands direct Ruffian to the last few pixies on the level. Then
    stationary helping hands are placed in a trail around  a  level  (when
    all pixies are saved) to help direct REuffian to the exit.

    DIFFICULTY

    To alter Ruffians resistance between easy, normal and hard. Easy  mode
    decreases  Ruffians energy by 1% per frame, with four helping hands at
    the end of the level. Normal decreases energy by 2% with  two  helping
    hands. Hard decreases energy at 4% with one helping hand.

    MAIN MENU

    To return to the main screen.

    START

    To begin the game.

    JOYSTICK CONTROL

    Push up to jump, or climb if on a ladder. Left/right, to move left  or
    right. Down, pull down then release for big jump (ater J potion picked
    up), or down if on a ladder.

    RUFFIANS MOST USEFUL FEATURE

    To spit at any angle press and hold the fire button, move the joystick
    left/rigth  to position his head, then release the fire button to spit
    the pip.

    KEYBOARD CONTROL

    To restart the game press the ESC key.

    DISPLAY DURING THE GAME

    The number of pips remaining is shown in the bottom left hand side  of
    the  screen.  Any  number  of  pips  can be collected, but the maximum
    number displayed on screen is 99. Ruffians power level is shown at the
    bottom  of screen in the middle. Ruffians maximum power level is 100%.
    The time remaining is shown in the  bottom  right  hand  side  of  the
    screen.  The  number  of  lives  remaining  is  displayed when Ruffian
    explodes each time he loses a lfe. When Ruffian loses all his lives he
    has 2 continues, each continue is worth 2 lives. When 9 or less pixies
    remain on any one level, the number of pixies to be saved is displayed
    on  screen,  where  the last pixie was rescued before floating off the
    screen.

    END OF LEVEL DISPLAY

    Shows fruits collected, time remaining, number of  pixies  saved  etc.
    and converts the numbers into a score when fire is pressed.

    DISK ACCESS

    When the pixies are saved and the exit found th elevel  is  completed.
    When  requested,  place  the  required  disk in the internal drive and
    press the joystick fire button.

    POTION BOTTLES

    There are up to 17 different potions that can be found around a level.
    Each one has a helpful effect and are as follows:

    (E)  Increases energy by 10% (max 100%)
    (J)  Allows Ruffian to do a big jump (for the whole level). Pull down
         on joystick then release for a big jump. Onlyt a small part of
         any level (apart from level one) can be completed without it.
    (S)  Increases Ruffians speed by 1 pixel per frame for the whole
         level, up to eight pixels per frame.
    (W)  Enters whirlwind mode, where Ruffian travels at full speed
         killing baddies in his path.
    (P)  Changes pips to more powerful spinning stars and changes the
         effect on some baddies. The pip carries on through baddies to
         kill others. If two big pip potions are found the pips will home
         in on moving baddies.
    (T)  Gives one minute of extra time.
    (L)  Gives one extra life.
    (50) Gives 50 extra pips
    (10) Gives 10 extra pips.
    (R)  Makes Ruffian fire a spray of pips rapidly.
    (Q)  Quakes the screen to kill all baddies.
    (N)  Nukes all baddies on the screen in a brilliant flash of light.
    (I)  Makes Ruffian invincible for a few seconds.
    (F)  Freezes all baddies for a few seconds
    (C)  Icon brings on a flying carpet for Ruffian to fly to any part of
         a level for 30 seconds or until he lands. Smiling pixie icon when
         found lifts Ruffian back onto any branch he just fell or jumped
         off when the stick is pushed up while falling. The exit icon if
         found, takes Ruffian to the exit when all the pixies are saved.

    GAME TIPS

    To spit at any angle press and hold fire  button,  move  the  joystick
    left/right  to position his head, then release the fire button to spit
    the pip.

    Each level is completed in two stages:Free all  the  pixies  within  a
    reasonable  time  limit. Then find the exit of the level within a much
    shorter time limit, following a trail of helping  hands  left  by  the
    pixies.

    Stationary hanging monkeys when hit will fall onto seesaws below them,
    springing Ruffian high into the air if he is positioned  correctly  on
    the  other  side  of the seesaw. This feature is needed for example to
    reach the exit at the end of level 2.

    Helping hands direct Ruffian to the last few pixies to be saved on any
    one level, and then leave a trail to the exit.

    Whenever  Ruffian  runs  out  of  pips  he will be given 1 pip after 3
    seconds.

    Levels 1&2 have no big jump (J) potion, in all  other  levels  (except
    the 2 bonus levels) you can only progress so far unless you find it.

    Pixies  become more difficult to hit as Ruffian progresses through the
    game. To free them Ruffian must bounce pips off walls.

    Docs Typed by iGGY 2ND OF JUNE 1996