Brataccas - Manual

READ ME FIRST
INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Brataccas the first Interactive Video. This product will work on
the Atari 520ST, the Commodore 512K Amiga and the Apple 512K Fat Mac. The
sticker on the front of the package indicates which you have purchased.

QUICK LOADING INSTRUCTIONS

To participate immediately in the Interactive Video, please follow these
instructions:
If you have difficulty at any stage, please refer to inside Brataccas for
more detailed instructions.

1.  Set up your computer but leave the power off.
2.  Insert the disk into your main or internal disk drive (Amiga owners
Kickstart first).
3.  You can now turn your system on.
4.  Brataccas will load automatically.
5.  The title screen will load, you should then wait for the main program
to load and the message "PRESS ANY KEY" to appear, if you do so, the main
program will load and run automatically.
6.  You can now control the hero Kyne, with the mouse on your computer and
begin your journey into Brataccas.

 BRATACCAS INSTRUCTIONS
ALL WORKS
OF
TASTE

Must bear a price in proportion to the skill, taste, time, expense and risk
attending their invention and manufacture.
These things called dear are, when justly estimated, the cheapest. 
John Ruskin

CONTENTS

Inside Brataccas..........................Page 3
User Instructions........................Page 14

THE STORY SO FAR

You are now Kyne, Kyne is our hero.

Kyne is a fugitive, a man with a price on his head. Framed for a deed he
did not commit; that dreadful felony genetic fraud -- 'The Crime Against
Humanity'.  He is now hunted by authority and underworld alike.

Kyne was a government scientist, a genetic engineer. A brilliant and creative
worker, he developed a process for the creation of a superbeing.  Naively,
Kyne hoped his creation would be put to work for the benefit of mankind but
predictably it was not to be so.  The government in their infinite wisdom
had decided that a race of killing machines, an army of domination and death,
was an apt use for such technology.

Faced with such a prospect, Kyne stopped work and refusing to reveal details
of his research when into hiding, choosing to forsake his career rather than
work on a project so repugnant to his morals.

The government issued a warrant for Kyne's arrest claiming that he was plotting
to sell these genetic techniques to the underworld, thus making him guilty
of crimes against the human race. Instructing security forces throughout the
Earth system, to find him at all costs, the government declared him dangerous
-- wanted dead or alive.

Meanwhile, the underworld's interest was aroused.  As a fugitive he might be
persuaded to work for them; his skills had many diabolical uses and if he did
not submit, they could always sell his corpse to the authorities.  And so the
forces of lawlessness joined in the search.

Kyne, forced to flee from Earth, now knew that he must clear his name and expose
the government -- the alternative was to face a life of hiding, living with the
fear of death or imprisonment.  He knew that somewhere evidence must exist and
all of his searches led to one place, a small mining asteroid i the outer
Solar System.....Brataccas!!!

You are Kyne, but can you survive the Brataccas experience...

THE PLACE CALLED BRATACCAS

Brataccas is a self-contained world.  The first of the outer asteroid to be
colonized; it was initially used extensively as a forward base for exploration.
As the years passed, Brataccas became a favorite haunt of asteroid miners, the
only place where it was possible to break the tedium of their humdrum existence.

Prosperity bred corruption and lawlessness. Organized crime moved in.  Brataccas
became a shadow world; a dangerous place to venture into; a center of duplicity
and double-dealing. An ideal cover for the activities of the corrupt government
officials who are Kyne's persecutors.

The human race moved onward toward the stars. Brataccas now ostracized, had become
a self governing unit. A place of legend. Your only destination.

The incandescent clouds of the teleport fade; you are now on Brataccas. You have
little knowledge of your mission. You know only that you stand tried and convicted
in absence, of a crime you did not commit -- 'The Crime Against Humanity'. You
only hope is that somewhere within the depths of Brataccas lies proof of your
innocence.

But what is it? Where is it? You can only guess.

There is no help at hand. The asteroid inhabitants understand only bribery,
corruption and opportunism. You are in danger; you must get moving; your only
way forward is down the lift and out of the arrival bays.

But what will you find beyond the sliding door? Brataccas....a world of mystery
and surprise.

The framed picture of an ABP patrol craft hanging on the wall reminds you that
the Asteroid Belt Police are never far away. You must keep moving....whilst you
stand still other characters in this world are living their day. Whether you
like it or not the world of Brataccas grinds on.....

There is only one way forward.....

MEET THE INHABITANTS

There is a cast of characters in Brataccas, approximately 60 in all, although
some of these characters are clones, in appearance, they are not identical in
personality.

YOU -- OUR HERO

Your name is KYNE. Your dress is alien. Forced to wear the cumbersome helmet of
the newly arrived earthman on Brataccas, who is as yet unaclimatized to the
peculiar semi-pressurized atmosphere.  Armed only wit a simple sword (for
percussive energy-based weapons are banned to protect the atmospheric integrity
of the Brataccas environment) you are free to do as you wish and go where you will.
Initially, to almost all the other characters you are an unknown quantity and your
presence on the asteroid is a secret; it is upto you when you choose to reveal
your identity, you will be asked......

THE SNITCHES

Gossip is their trade and their habitate is the bars and entertainment areas.
Each is instantly recognizable as an individual. Learn this well for some are
friendly, some are not. For a list of those who will/will not, might/might not,
do/do not, have/have not betray/betrayed/about to betray you would you now
please turn to page 27.  (Typist note:  Page 27 of the instruction book is
printed "This Page Intentionally Left Blank".)

THE BAR OWNERS

They remain behind their respective bars and serve drinks and gossip all day.
They will readily take information from snitches and sell/pass it on to the
police or henchmen when it suits them. One of them knows your true identity
from your earth days....make sure he does not recognize you when there are
other people about. To find out which barman this is, please turn to page 27
of this booklet.  (Typist note:  Again, this page of the instruction book was
intentionally left blank.)

THE POLICE

All Asteroid Belt Police (ABP) look alike.  They all carry swords and are
generally nasty. They don't seems to like anybody or anything. Their leader
is Commander Stopp.  They are never corrupt...are they?, they therefore are
very, very unlikely to respond to bribery.

COMMANDER STOPP

Horribly disfigured in a space laser fight.  He now finds it necessary to move
around the asteroid in his custom built 'hoverdish'. With his red beard and
bald head he is an obvious character.  He is the chief of police, he is also
the man who....

THE GUARD DROIDS

The droids are mechanical robots which hover about.  Their only task is to
protect the official areas of the asteroid.  They will seek out intruders and
check that such intruders are carrying valid passes.  They will destroy anybody
who is trespassing.  If a droid is killed in action another will be sent to
take over that droid's duties.

THE BUREAUCRATS  The next five characters perform official duties.

Asteroid Administrator          He administers the asteroid
Police Dispatcher               He dispatches the police
Droid  Dispatcher               He dispatches the droids
Comms Controller                He controls the comms
Tannoy Operator                 He operates the tannoys

Illuminating stuff eh....A further explanation of their duties and what will
happen if you kill them is contained on page 27 of this booklet.
(Typist note:  Page 27 is blank).

THE HENCHMEN

They are the servants of the evil Kol Worpt. They can be seen going about
their business of collecting information and protection money or simply enjoying
themselves in the bars. They have their informers.  They are probably as good
as you are at sword fighting so do not challenge them lightly. When one of them,
easily identifiable from the table on page 27 (again, blank), has collected his
protection money from 'the person giving it to him' he will take it to 'the
person he is taking it to', he does this on a fairly regular basis (BIG HINT).

LASH

Lash is Kol Worpt's hired assassin. He is a creature of habit. His habit is
killing people. He is easily identifiable by his green skin and reptilian
appearance.  His speech also is sssssssslurred. He isssss by any measssssure
a sssslimey character. This hissssing is normally heard just before you die.
He is an expert swordsman and should be challenged only when you feel lucky.
You should also bear in mind that his alien skin is as tough as the blade of
your sword, so fighting him is pointless, just run for cover.

KOL WORPT

A truly evil being. Easily identifiable in his white suit beautifully cut around
his gross frame.  This small bald arch villan will stop at nothing to keep
his secrets safe.  You are advised though to allow him to live for he alone
does not have the information you need.  For details of the other person/persons
holding information please turn to page 27 of this  booklet (Typist note: 
The guys that wrote this booklet are real funny, everyone knows that page
27 is blank).

THE ENVIRONMENT AND OBJECTS

It is possible to pick up/put down the passes, bottles, money bags, electro
bombs, and the evidence. You will find these objects on tables and shelves
around the asteroid. Very rarely will you find them on the floor.  Try dropping
something in front of other characters.  You may carry multiple objects.
Scattered around Brataccas you will find many strange objects and devices
such as:

Switches. They can be used to turn other objects such as lifts, cameras,
tannoys and video screens on and off.  You can therefore exercise a degree
of control over the communications and working of the asteroid.  Turning
these things on and off is a crime so do not get caught.

Cameras.  Committing murder is one things, doing it on video is another.
You never know who might be watching as images are sent to the police
throughout the asteroid.

Tannoys.  If you want to know what the police are up to just listen to the
official(?) tannoys.

Video Screens.  Keep an eye on these.  Playing space invaders is all very
will but watch out for the news flashes.

Pass.  Extremely useful if you want to stay alive. And avoid....

Electro Bombs.  Very, very useful if you want to stay alive. They give out
a massive pulse of electro magnetic radiation when activated by contact
with electronic circuitry.

Money Bags.  The root of all evil, they can be traded, it pays (pun) to
remember where they are.


Scrolls.  They are.......well, thats for you to discover.

The evidence!!!!!  What is the evidence?

CONTROL AND INTERACTION

On the screen your window into the world is represented as a room.  This room
will have entrances, exits, lift shafts, wall, etc., all of which you will
find have 'normal' properties.  That means that if you walk across a lift
shaft you will fall down it, walk into a wall and you will bounce off, walk
into a door (these are automatic for convenience and just to make the coding
more difficult, we like it that way) and it will open and you can pass
through.  Just to make things easy (and even easier to program, we like it
more this way) we make the passing through a door a complete event, you
cannot stop half way through. This technique of 'implied action' i.e. once
you have decided to do something such as pick an object up, go through a door,
stab somebody, etc., then from your input up to the conclusion of that action
is controlled (most of the time (we like it anyway)) by the program.

When you meet a character in a room he will either ignore you or you may enter
a 'situation'.  In a situation, and heavily dependent on the circumstances
prevalent at the time one of the following may occur:

Whilst you may not be involved in a normal conversation, you may observe
others talking. Watch them closely because many tips and snippets of information
can be acquired here.  They may well be discussing you and your mission.

A multiple choice conversation is where your choice of response to a question
will effect the immediate and future flow of the game. These multiple choice
sessions normally start when the character interacting with you asks a question
and you Kyne responds 'MMMMM....SHALL I....', at this point all activity freezes
until you have made your choice, so as not to prejudice you in the time taken
to choose your reply.  What happens then is that the bubble you are speaking
will cycle round the possible responses including a number of valid replies
and 'SAY NOTHING'. For example a multiple choice conversation between you and
a Snitch might be:

    Snitch to Kyne:  "WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING?"
    Screen Freezes
    Kyne:            "MMMM.....SHALL I....."
    Cycle Start      "ASK FOR INFORMATION?"
                     "ASK ABOUT EVIDENCE?"
                     "ASK WHERE CAN I GET A DRINK AROUND HERE?"
    Cycle End        "SAY NOTHING"

When the option you require is showing you press the left mouse button, the
game then restart and the consequences of your choice will be acted out.

Should a character wish to fight with you he will normally say something
aggressive like "COME HERE YOU **** ****" whilst drawing his sword. The more
observant amongst you will probably realize that this character is hostile.
The less observant of you will shortly die.  Remember that for all offensive
actions there are equal and opposite defensive actions.  It is very useful to
try and learn in what sequence the opposition might string his action together,
you may spot an opportunity to attack (VERY BIG HINT).  Remember all characters
have different levels of combat skills and therefore all have different
aggressive styles (VERY VERY BIG HINT).

You may get yourself arrested or taken somewhere (BIG HINT). This will mean
that you the player will lose control and you will be taken to a destination.
The exact mechanics of this arrest will be determined by previous game play:
If you have previously been arrested and escaped you will be 'wanted' therefore
no questions will be asked other than 'Do you wish to resist arrest or submit?'.
If you are a known killer the police may not bother trying to arrest you buy
kill you on sight.
IF (WANTED &&! = DEAD (SUSPECT)--{
         ARREST (SUSPECT, JAIL_LOCATION);
}
Sorry wrong terminal!!

You may also find yourself challenged along the lines of "DO YOU HAVE...."
or "ARE YOU CARRYING....." It is wise not to lie as characters will be able
to see what you are carrying and will react to a false reply.

GENERAL POINT

You will see from the previous examples that there are numerous opportunities
for the characters to observe what is going on and have their experience
enhanced.  This can be done from conversation, from action or from location.
With the benefit of this experience the characters behavior will change and
when next encountered he will react accordingly.

THE FIRST QUEST

Play it and see.  You may learn what your quest is.  Obviously the answer
is on page 27 for those of you who cannot wait.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG

Everything.

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH

We consider this product to be a life simulation therefore we consider
staying alive to be a fundamental requirement and condition of participation.

SCORE AND LIVES

There are none. How many lives do you want anyway. There are worse things
than death on Brataccas.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Now it's your chance to participate in the world of Brataccas. By pressing
any key on the keyboard Brataccas proper will load and you can now control
Kyne with the mouse.

On each machine, one key enables you to load the options menu at any time,
on the Amiga it is the Help Key.  Within this document whenever we refer
to the option key, it is this key on your system.

By pressing the option key on the keyboard, the Main Options screen will
load within several seconds, and you will be able to select the main
options described below.  At this point you may choose how to continue,
by pressing the appropriate function or number key as shown on the screen.
This is the method of making a choice on this screen and all subsequent
option screens.

MAIN OPTIONS

Use the following function keys on the Amiga for:

F1 to reenter the world of Brataccas
F2 to save the current state of Brataccas
F3 to load a saved state of Brataccas
F4 to start Brataccas afresh
F5 to enter Movie Mode
F6 to choose the control device

At any time on the other option screens, you may return to the Main Options
menu by pressing the option key (Amiga HELP).

F1: Reenter Brataccas Option

The use of the F1 key at this stage will take you back into the world
of Brataccas to the same position at which you left it. At any stage in
Brataccas you may use the option key to get back to the Main Option screen.
This also allows you to pause the software.

F2:  Save the Current Game Option

If for any reason you wish to temporarily cease participation (like sleep
or a wish to maintain an advantageous position) you may at any time save
to disk the current state of Brataccas. You will need a separate disk on
which to save the state of Brataccas. On the Amiga it need not be specially
formatted as Brataccas handles this automatically and it may be used several
times over.  However this disk may only be used with Brataccas, as the
format is incompatible with your machines standard operating system, and
all existing information on this disk will be destroyed. This disk must
not be write protected when used.

Upon selecting the F2 key from the Main Options menu, you will be faced
with a new screen asking you to choose which file you wish to save the
current state onto.  You may save up to 5 different states of participation
on one disk.  Remove your Brataccas disk and insert the disk onto which
you wish to save.  To save a state press the appropriate key (F1 through
F5 on the Amiga). The current state of Brataccas will then be saved.
You will need to replace the Brataccas disk when requested.

F3: Load a Previously Saved Game Option

This option allows you to reestablish an old state of Brataccas that has
previously been saved with the save game option. Select F3 from the
options menu. You load a file in the same manner as you save a file.
Remove the Brataccas disk and insert your save disk. Now press the
appropriate key to load your saved game. E.g., if you saved your old
game under F4 then press F4 to reload it.  The software will also tell
you if that file is not used and nothing will be loaded. Once loaded
remove your save disk and reinsert the Brataccas disk. You may then return
to Brataccas in the state loaded.

F4: Start a New Game Afresh Option

By pressing F4 you will reset the state of Brataccas and reenter the
world afresh. It will take a few seconds for it t load off disk.

F5: Toggle Movie Mode Option

Pressing F5 will toggle the software in and out of Movie Mode. This
will run constantly until the Option Key is pressed, in which case you
will be returned to the Main Option menu. You may then press F5 again,
to toggle back to normal playing mode. Movie mode puts Kyne under
computer control and allows you to set back and watch him do the
hard work.

F6: Set Control Mode Option

Pressing F6 will allow you to choose whether to control Kyne with the
mouse or keyboard. It will also allow you to choose which keys work
in which direction, to suit your own personal requirements.  Any key
may be used in each option (except the option key and function keys).
The default settings are Z for left, X for right, O for up, K for down
and the space bar for action. If you make an error selecting your keys
go back to the main menu and repeat the process.

HOW TO CONTROL KYNE

You are now ready to control Kyne and take a truly active part in the
world of Brataccas.

Because of the wide range of possible movements, control appears to
be more complex in Brataccas than in a conventional product. However,
there is no need to feel daunted by this; every movement works on
the basis of IMPLIED ACTION.

IMPLIED ACTION means that the computer will interpret all moves in a
logical manner, i.e., you imply a movement to the computer rather than
give specific instructions. As a participant in Brataccas, you will
come to realize that this logical interpretation allows you to control
the hero Kyne in an intuitive way.

As Kyne appears on screen, he will walk, run, jump, pass through a
doorway and fight with his sword exactly how and when you want him to.
True, you might need a certain degree of practice and experience before
you have completely mastered your control techniques.

The best way to become skilled in Brataccas control is by practice.
Nevertheless one or two examples and explanations here will point you
in the right direction.

There are four basic stances Kyne will be in:

FACING FORWARD where Kyne appears to be looking at you.
FACING LEFT
FACING RIGHT
FACING AWAY where Kyne has his back to you.

There are also two modes of action Kyne will adopt:

NORMAL which allows normal movement such as walking and running.
ACTION which allows combat movement with your sword if it is drawn.

In Brataccas there are several methods of control: the keyboard,
the standard mouse supplied with your computer. The control device
is selected from the Main Options screen; the default is the mouse.

With each control movement there are four basic terms to describe their
use. These are single movement; emphasized movement; action; and double
action. (Note that these terms are used throughout this User Guide).
We will now describe some combinations of these movements. You may wish
to try each to see which you find the easiest.

MOUSE CONTROL OF KYNE

SINGLE MOVEMENT represents the standard manner of mouse movement --
across a surface in left and right, and up and down directions. This
allows Kyne to walk and jump, the down direction allows you to pick
up objects off the shelves and tables.

EMPHASIZED MOVEMENT is the same as single movement but with the addition
of holding down the right side mouse button on the mouse. This allows
Kyne to run, turn around, walk through doorways, and proceed with other
more decisive movements.

DOUBLE ACTION involves holding down the right and left side buttons on
the Amiga mouse. If you hold down both buttons and push the mouse up
Kyne will draw his sword. If you hold down both buttons and pull the
mouse down, Kyne will put away his sword.  Double Action motions left
and right control the more vicious fighting actions.

KEYBOARD CONTROL OF KYNE

SINGLE MOVEMENT represents simple keyboard actions -- pressing Z for
left, X for right, O for up and K for down (these are the default
settings, use the main options screen to modify them). This allows Kyne
to walk and jump. Note that these keys may be changed to the ones of
your choice from the Main Options screen.  Pressing down will pick up
objects off the shelves and tables in Brataccas.

EMPHASIZED MOVEMENT is the same a single movement but instead of a
single press, a rapid double press and release is used. This allows
Kyne to run turn around, walk through doorways and proceed with other
more decisive movements.  Emphasized movement down will pick up
objects off the floor.

ACTION CONTROL involves the pressing of the action key (usually space
bar). This stops Kyne when walking or running and allows him to stand
still.  Holding down the action key puts Kyne into ACTION mode --
allowing right arm combat movement with the sword with the up, down,
left and right keys. Action also selects the option you want when
the multiple choice thought-bubbles appear (See Controlling Kyne's
Thoughts later).

DOUBLE ACTION cannot be used with the keyboard as it can with the
mouse. Instead, to draw the sword use an emphasized movement up with
the action key held down, and to put the sword away use an emphasized
move down with the action key held down (the space bar is the default
action key).

Below are some examples of how Kyne move in a particular stance with
a particular control movement:

   Facing right state
       Single movement right            Walks right
       Single movement up               Jumps right
       Emphasized left                  Turns and faces away

   Facing away state
       Single movement left             Turns and walks left
       Emphasized movement up           Walks through center
                                        doorway or into a switch

  Facing left state
       Emphasized left                  Runs left
       Double action up                 Draws sword
       Action up                        Parries with sword
       Action right                     Retreats right with
                                        sword
       Action on its own                Stops Kyne

The important point to remember is:
IMPLIED ACTION works on the basis which is both logical and natural.
Therefore the actual memorizing the movement details is far less
important than practicing and following your instincts as to control.

CONTROLLING KYNE'S THOUGHTS

At certain times during the course of using Brataccas you will need
to control Kyne's thoughts as he comes across various situations.
This is done by using the multiple-choice thought-bubbles. The software
automatically shows the thought-bubbles with the options appearing
within it.  When a thought-bubble appears, the world of Brataccas
will freeze and you will have as much time as you require to make
your choice.  An example of the use of thought-bubbles is when carrying
multiple objects, selecting which object to put down.

The thought-bubble appears and a question such as "MMMM, SHALL I..."
is displayed. Within the thought-bubble the options then appear one
after another. At the end of the list the first option reappears and
the sequence repeats as before. To make your choice of which action
you wish Kyne to perform, press the left mouse button when the option
you require is visible. One of the options displayed allows you to
get out of this situation without performing any action; this is
signified by the bubble displaying "do nothing" or a similar message.

Kyne then performs the action appropriate to your choice.  Brataccas
then continues. The bubble showing your choice will be displayed for
a short time.

Remember that you can take as much time as you wish; everything else
In Brataccas is frozen while you make your decision.

CONTROL SWITCHES

One additional feature which we will reveal at this stage are the
various control switches around Brataccas. These can be toggeled
on and off by walking into them as if they were central doors.

We will leave you to discover their various functions....more details
Inside Brataccas.

FINALLY INTO BRATACCAS

If you have just loaded Brataccas, you will see Kyne standing in
the teleport in the upper left hand corner of the Arrivals Bay.
At this point you can take control of Kyne and begin your exploration
of Brataccas.  We recommend at this stage that you experiment with
your overall control of Kyne. Beware! Your presence will already have
been detected. The World of Brataccas never ceases to move.

It does not really matter whether you have fully digested the information
in this booklet. Your ability to control Kyne (and your awareness of
prevailing conditions!) will improve each time you participate in Brataccas.
There will come a time when you do not have to think about control;
it will come so naturally that you can devote your entire attention to
surviving and participating.

After a while, Kyne will not be a mere character on screen. YOU will
be come Kyne -- his thoughts and problems will be your own.