the SENTINEL The object of the game is to absorb the Sentinel and replace him as ruler of the landscape. Once achieved, you may hyperspace into a new world to begin the struggle afresh. Once you have loaded the game, the title screen will be displayed. Press any key and you will be asked to input a landscape number 0000 to 9999. After you have entered the landscape number and hit return, you will be prompted for an 8 digit secret entry code unless you chose landscape 0000 which does not require an entry code. After a short delay, you will be shown an aerial view of the selected landscape which shows the relative positions of the Sentinel (the one standing on the tower) and the sentries, if any. Pressing any key will take you onto the landscape’s surface. The Sentinel and sentries will be inactive until you expend or absorb energy. This allows you to have a look around and plan your assault on the Sentinel. Once activated, the Sentinel and sentries slowly rotate, scanning the landscape for squares which contain more than 1 unit of energy. If they can clearly see such a square, the Sentinel/sentry will reduce the energy to 1 unit by absorbing 1 unit at a time and creating a tree randomly on the landscape. Therefore a robot becomes a boulder and a boulder becomes a tree. You absorb things and create things by turning on your sights and centering them on the square surface below the object to be absorbed/created. Boulders, however, act as an extension of the square surface, and the sights should be aimed at the side of the boulder. Boulders can be stacked and have things placed on top of them. The amount of energy you have is shown at the top left of the screen in the form of Robots, Boulders and tree icons. A coloured (non-blue) robot is worth 15 energy units. To move around the landscape, you must create a robot and then, with the sights still on, press the transfer key. You will now be in the new robot facing your old robot which you may absorb. The indicator on the top right of the screen is the scan warning. If a Sentinel/sentry spots you, this indicator will be filled with specks. You have about 5 seconds to move out of view before your energy is drained 1 point at a time. Once all of your energy is drained, then you are absorbed and the game ends. The total amount of energy in a landscape remains constant, so if a unit of your energy is absorbed, a tree will be randomly placed on the landscape. If the Scan warning indicator is only half filled with specks, this means that the Sentinel/sentry can see you, but cannot see the square that you are standing on: so it cannot absorb your energy. In this situation, it looks for a tree near to you and transforms it into a Meanie. The Meanies’ job is to flush you out, which it does by forcing you to Hyperspace. The Meanie rotates quickly, making a low clicking sound, until it can see you. You will then Hyperspace to a new location. Hyperspacing uses 3 units of energy, because it creates a new robot in a random position and automatically transfers you to it, leaving your old robot behind. You are likely to end up at the same height or lower, but never on your original square. If you hyperspace with less than three units of energy, you are destroyed. Once the Sentinel has been absorbed, you can no longer absorb energy, although you can still create objects and transfer to other robots. Once you Hyperspace, while standing on the Sentinel’s tower, you will be given the 8 digit entry code for a new landscape. The landscape that you are given = Present landscape + Energy left after the Hyperspace. KEY SUMMARY CPC SPEC CPC SPEC Pan Left S S Hyperspace H H Pan Right D D U-Turn U U Pan Up L K Absorb A A Pan Down </, M Transfer T T Create Tree T T Quit 1 1 Create Boulder B B Pause 0 0 Create Robot R R Unpause 9 9 Sights on/off SPACE ENERGY VALUES Tree 1 Sentry 4 Boulder 2 Sentinel 4 Robot 3 Meanie 1 LOADING INSTRUCTIONS SPECTRUM Type LOAD”” Press the ENTER key and then press the PLAY button on your recorder. AMSTRAD Cassette CPC 6128,664 and CPC 464 with disc. Hold down SHIFT and press the @ key. Enter TAPE then press RETURN. Now follow the CPC 646 cassette loading instructions. CPC 464 cassette loading Hold down CTRL and press the small ENTER key. Press the PLAY button on your recorder. Disc Enter RUN“DISC” and press RETURN. Program design by Geoff Crammond Amstrad version programmed by Geoff Crammond Spectrum version programmed by Software Creations Cover illustration by David Rowe GUARANTEE COPYRIGHT NOTICE If this program is faulty and fails to Copyright subsists in all Firebird load, please return it to the address Software, documentation and artwork. below and it will be replaced free of All rights reserved. No part of this charge and postage refunded. This software may be copied, transmitted in offer does not affect your statutory any form or by any means. This consumer rights. software is sold on the condition that it shall not be hired out without the No part of this book may be reproduced express permission of the publisher. by any means without the prior consent of the copyright holder. The only Firebird is a Registered Trade Mark of exceptions are as provided for by the British Telecommunications plc. Copyright (photocopying) Act or for the purpose of review. © British Telecommunications plc. 1986 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ADDENDUM Correction to the Key Summary The transfer key listed in the second column of the key summary currently reads T for the Amstrad and Spectrum version. This should read Q as the transfer key. Correction to the Amstrad disc loading Instruction The load instruction for Amstrad disc currently reads Enter RUN “DISC” and press RETURN. This should read Enter RUN “SENTINEL” and press RETURN.