__________________________________________________________ | | | | | ****** ******* ******* ******* * ******* | | * * * * * * * * | | * * * * * * * * | | ****** ******* * * * ******* | | * * * * * * * * | | * * * * * * * * | | ****** * * * * ******* ******* | | | | | | ******* ******* ****** ******* | | * * * * * * | | * * * * * * | | * ******* ****** ******* | | * * * * * * | | * * * * * * | | ******* * * * * ******* | | | | | | | | Copyright 1991 by David Jameson | | | | | | | | *AGA Fix By PMN* | |__________________________________________________________| The game works from either workbench or CLI, and requires about 200K to run. Battle Cars is a one or two player game played inside an arena, with each player being equipped with an armour plated car and a big gun (an M61 20mm cannon). You start off with 4000 rounds of ammunition which lasts for about 40 seconds of continuous firing, but is more than adequate for the task in hand. The aim of the game is simple - destroy all of the armour on any side of your opponent's car. The cars are armoured on the front, back, left and right; hitting anywhere else on your opponent's car (e.g. the wheels) won't do any damage. There are two buildings in the arena to make driving more fun, although crashing into them (or into the walls) doesn't damage your car. Before playing the game, you will have to select your TV type (NTSC or PAL). Choose NTSC if you have an american amiga, otherwise choose PAL. ONE PLAYER GAME --------------- In one player mode, you battle against a computer controlled car. The computer will follow a set course around the arena, and will not fire at you. This might sound a bit too easy until you realise that you only have a limited amount of time in which to destroy the computer car. Both the computer's armour and yours (which won't go down) is displayed at the bottom right of the screen (yours in red, the computer's in blue). In each of the three levels - easy, medium and hard - the computer car will drive a different course, the level determining its speed and agility; at hard level it drives as fast as possible around the course. There is limited collision detection on the one player version, allowing you to pass right through the computer car, although hitting the walls and buildings still makes you bounce off in the opposite direction. The computer car does not cheat in any way i.e. it has the same turn rates, acceleration etc. TWO PLAYER GAME --------------- This is where the fun really starts! You play head to head against another human player via a null modem cable, battling it out in the arena. As in the one player game, both players' armour is shown at the bottom right of the display (yours in red, your opponents' in blue). An extra in the two player version is the RAMPLATES option. If this option is set, your opponent will lose armour if you hit him with the front of your car. If a head-on collision occurs, both cars will lose armour. If you are travelling very fast towards your opponent's car, you could pass right through it without colliding, especially if you are travelling towards each other. N.B. The RAMPLATES option is only selected on one computer and then passed to the other computer. Unlike the one player game, there is no time limit; the winner is simply the first to totally deplete the other person's armour on one side of their car. DATALINK -------- To play the two player game you must have two computers and a NULL MODEM serial cable. Make sure that both computers are switched off and connect the cable to the serial port of both computers. Then boot up the program and select "TWO PLAYER GAME" on both computers. If the program seems to slow down sometimes (or even stop), this could be because of transmission errors, although this shouldn't happen unless there is a very bad connection in your cable. Null modem cables can be bought in some computer shops or can be easily made from some wire and two connectors: 7 ____________________________________________________ 7 2 _______________________ ___________________________ 2 \/ 3 _______________________/\___________________________ 3 Connect pin 7 to pin 7, pin 2 to pin 3 and pin 3 to pin 2. The connectors are 25-way female D-connectors. HINTS AND TIPS -------------- 1 - In the one player game, try and follow the computer car around the course as closely as possible. 2 - Don't waste ammo by shooting across to the other side of the arena - you are very likely to miss. 3 - In a two player game, drive as fast as possible to keep out of your opponent's gunsight. 4 - Hitting walls is a good way to change direction. MOTOR DUEL ---------- Since the release of this program, a sequel to the game has been released as licenceware. "Motor Duel" has a larger playing area than the original game with different tracks to choose from as well as more realistic car handling, guided missiles and more! At present there is only a PAL version of the game which can be bought in the U.K. for 3.50 pounds sterling from PD libraries which are members of the Central Licenceware Register (try NBS or Valley PD). FINALLY... ---------- No part of this program may be sold commercially, although you are encouraged to copy it as long as the program is not altered in any way and this instruction file is distributed along with the game. Please send any comments, bug reports etc. to :- Email: ae553@yfn.ysu.edu (internet) Snail mail: David Jameson, 14 Glenview Avenue, Belfast, BT5 7LZ, Northern Ireland.