



                             
                                 
                                     

               The Sequel to the Game no one has ever heard of.



                            Player Documentation
                                   v2.00


                    First Release:  Sunday, April 5, 1998
                 v2.00 Release:  Wednesday, February 24, 1999   



INTRODUCTION

      First, there was plasma, and it was good.  Soon, the Plasma started
      to grow intelligent and form itself into shapes.  The first shapes
      to be formed were the Plasma Spheres.  Then came the Pulselings and
      the Sphereoids.  Before long, all had become populated with strange
      and varied objects made from plasma.  But not all were happy with
      the good.  The Red Spheres found it neccesary to recreate the world
      in their image.  They took the pulselings, the source of chaos in
      the world, and spread them randomly throughout.  Soon, the land fell
      from chaos into order, and it was the Red Spheres who came into
      power.  It was bad.  The Red Spheres tried to force all others into
      submission.  Some resisted, and were squished.  Except one.  A lone
      gray sphere was the only one remaining who could stand up to the
      onslaught of the Red Spheres.  But resistance alone was not enough.
      The only way restore the world to chaos was to collect all the
      Pulselings and return them to their homes.  It's all about collecting
      the Pulselings.  And so our story returns to the present, where you
      must guide our little hero to victory.



==============================================================================
CONTROLS

        Although only four buttons are used to control yourself, mastering
        those four buttons is a bit trickier than you may think.
               [Right Arrow] - Turn/Rotate Sphere
              & [Left Arrow]
                  [Up Arrow] - Accelerate
                [Down Arrow] - Brake
              [Z] or [Shift] - Run Mode (Speeds up arrow key actions)
                      [Ctrl] - Fire Weapon
                     [Q,W,E] - Select Ammo Type
                     [1...7] - Select Weapon
             [Right Bracket] - Select Item
            & [Left Bracket]
            [Alt] or [Enter] - Use Item
                      [Caps] - Auto Use Health Pack Item
                       [Tab] - Auto Use Jump Jets Item
                         [S] - Auto Use Speedy Bullets Item
                         [G] - Auto Use Growth Pill Item
                         [X] - Auto Drop Timed Mines
                         [C] - Auto Drop Proximity Mines
                         [V] - Auto Drop Starfire Mines
                         [R] - Toggle Rapid Fire
                         [F] - Toggle Tail Fin/Flight Wing
                         [P] - Pause
                         [T] - Talk (Multiplayer)
                     [Space] - Restart (After Death)
                       [Esc] - Quit to Menu
                        [F1] - Help
        Your Sphere is pointing in the direction that its glow is facing.
        Your fin sticks out the back.  When you rotate, you will start
        to turn in the direction as long as you have the fin active and
        aren't going too fast.  If you turn the fin off, you can rotate
        and fire in any direction, regardless of which way you are moving.
        However, it is much more difficult to control yourself in this mode.
        Whenever you start to loose control, don't forget about the brake.



==============================================================================
MENU COMMANDS

      When you escape to the menu in the middle of a game, it is paused
      and moved into the background.  To return to it, just press the
      [Esc] key again.  If you save your game, it only saves which level
      you are on and the equipment you had at the BEGINNING of the level.
      In other words, if you load a saved game, you will be restarted at
      the beginning of the level with the equipment you had when you first
      started it.  Saved games basically just record which level you have
      reached so far.

      There are three command line parameters:  NOSOUND and NOINTRO.  You
      place these after the name of the executable (PLASMA2) when you run
      the game.  (For example, PLASMA2 NOSOUND)  The option NOSOUND will
      disable the sound F/X in the game, and NOINTRO will disable the
      introduction animation.  But then, you could have probably figured
      that out.  :)  If your system is having trouble running the game,
      one or both of these options may help.

      You can also change the default IPX Socket number.  The default
      socket number is 0x869C.  To change the socket number, (in order
      to have more than one game on the same network) use the command
      line parameter SOCKET=XXXX where XXXX is the new socket number.
      (For example, PLASMA2 SOCKET=1010)  Remember, all players who are
      going to play on the socket need to have that parameter.



==============================================================================
THE WORLD

   You will probably soon find that the world in which Plasma Spheres
   exists is not normal by most standards.

   The primary objective of Plasma Spheres II is to collect the required
   number of pulselings and find the level exit.  Pulselings are usually
   scattered throughout the course and appear as small, sky blue spheres.
   As you collect them, your count will go up.  Once you collect enough,
   you will hear a snap and the screen will flash.  It is now time to
   find the exit.  The exit appears as a green cone with a light rotating
   around it.  Once you have all the necessary spheres, all you need to
   do is move on top of the exit and you are rocketed away to the next
   level.  Read on below for more detailed descriptions of things you will
   find in the world of Plasma Spheres.



==============================================================================
WEAPONS & AMMO

         Dual Shot - The first weapon you will most likely find.
                     Allows you to shoot two balls of plasma at
                     a time in the forward direction.
         Tricannon - Much like the dual shot, except it allows you to
                     to fire three balls of plasma at a time.
          Starfire - Shoots out in four directions at ninety degree
                     offsets to each other.
        Rapid Fire - Increases the rate at which you fire.  Toggled on
                     and off by pressing R key.  It appears as a V6
                     engine.
          Trispray - Shoots a spray of three spreading shots forward.
        Pentaspray - Shoots a spray of five spreading shots.
         Mr. Happy - Exists.  (In theory)
       Purple Ammo - The weakest type of ammo.  Appears as a purple
                     pile of rotating balls.
        Green Ammo - More powerful than purple ammo, but not as common.
          Red Ammo - The most powerful type of ammo, but also the rarest.
   


==============================================================================
CREATURES

   Rotary Turret
         A gray platform with a blue turret.  These items spin around
         slowly firing of shots as they go.  More dangerous in large
         numbers or from elevated positions.
   Random Rotary Turret
         The yellow counterpart of the Rotary Turret, these guys shoot
         out randomly in every direction.
   Seeking Rotary Turret
         The unfriendly red counterpart of the Rotary Turret, these guys
         will seek you out and shoot at you with undying tenacity.
   Blue Sphereoid of Annoyance
         A wobbling blue ball, this creatures serves mainly to bounce you
         around a little.
   Red Sphereoid of Irritance
         Behaves much the same as his blue brother, the except red
         sphereoid will burn you if you come into contact with it.
   The Red Sphere
         What happens when a Sphere goes bad.  Violent, swift, and enduring,
         the Red Sphere is an opponent to be taken very seriously.

         All other creatures are up to you to discover and figure out
         on your own.



==============================================================================
ITEMS

        Pulselings - You need to collect these to complete a level.  Each
                     time you pick one up, the counters on the right of
                     the screen will be updated.  They appear as small,
                     pulsing sky blue balls.
    The Level Exit - Once you have collected the required number of
                     pulselings, come here to exit the level.  The exit
                     is a green cone with a spinning light.
            Hearts - The spinning red hearts will restore some of your
                     health.
              Keys - Keys appear as rotating red, green, blue and purple
                     diamonds.  They are used to open the corresponding
                     colored doors which appear as white tiles with flat
                     diamonds on them.
      Health Packs - Found less frequently than hearts, these are items
                     that you can use at your own leisure.  When used,
                     they will restore your health to full.
             Mines - Coming in three versions, mines detonate and cause
                     damage to anything that is in range.  Timed mines
                     will detonate after a specific time elapses and
                     proximity and starfire mines will detonate when a
                     player or a sphereoid comes to close to them.
         Eagle Eye - Gives you a bird's eye view of the surrounding area
                     for a period of time.
         Jump Jets - This item will give you a burst of speed vertically
                     into the air, allowing you to jump over obsticals or
                     enemies.
    Defense Turret - This pink version of the rotary turret will fight
                     on your side.
    Speedy Bullets - Doubles the rate at which your ammo moves for a set
                     period of time.
     Invincibility - Appearing as a rotating sky blue sphere, this will
                     make you immune to taking damage for a set period
                     of time.
       Flight Wing - Allows you to fly.  It can also be toggled on and off,
                     but you must have first obtained the tail fin before
                     it will work.  Once enabled, as you pick up speed you
                     will start to lift up into the sky.  Your altitude is
                     controlled by your speed.  Going fast will cause you
                     to climb, whereas going slow will cause you to dive.
                     If you are too heavily damaged, your flight wing will
                     cease to opperate.
       Growth Pill - Causes you to grow in size.  You will be slower moving
                     and won't be able to fit in smaller areas, but you
                     will have four times as much health, shoot faster, and
                     will be able to climb over higher objects.
   Cloaking Device - (Multiplayer)  Allows you to remain completely hidden
                     from your opponent until you fire your weapon.  Note
                     that you can use any items without disturbing the
                     cloak.



==============================================================================
TERRAIN

         Ice - A slick, white surface.  Once you touch ice, you cannot
               accelerate until after you slide off the other side.
       Water - A blue, swirling surface.  Once you are in the water, you
               will be swished around in every direction.
        Lava - Red and glowing, lava will slowly drain your health so
               long as you remain on it.
      Finish - Some multiplayer courses are races.  (There are about 12
        Line   or so in the 40-60 range)  All players start behind the
               finish line and must complete five laps to win.  If you
               die on a lap, you must start that lap over.



==============================================================================
GAME OPTIONS

       Draw Distance - Affects the distance (on the horizontal plane)
                       that you can see.  Lowering this value may
                       increase performance on slower machines.
                       Defaults to maximum distance.
     Joystick Active - Turns the joystick on or off.  Joystick must be
                       calibrated after being turned on for the first
                       time.  (See below)
  Calibrate Joystick - Configures your joystick for use with PS2.  This
                       must be done the first time you use your joystick.
                       If you have problems with your joystick, such as
                       your sphere won't stop rotating, you may need to
                       calibrate again more slowly.



==============================================================================
MULTIPLAYER GAMES

      Multiplayer games are currently given three selections for the
      connection type.  The first choice, Null-Modem connections, require
      a null-modem cable to connect the two computers that will be playing
      and thus can only support a two-player game.  It is recommended that
      you play at AT LEAST 19200 BAUD.  The second choice, Modem Connection,
      allows two computers with modems to connect over the phone lines.
      One computer is the designated dialer and the other is the designated
      answerer.  Which player is going to do which task should be decided
      before attempting to make the connection.  Finally, IPX Network games
      require a LAN that supports the IPX Protocol.  (Windows 95 Networking
      installs an IPX-Compatible protocol by default.)  IPX Network games
      can support up to four players and are the fastest, cleanest, and most
      reliable type of connection.  The player who starts the game will have
      a few options for game play.  All others should select Join Game.
            SELECT LEVEL - Choose which level to play in your multiplayer
                           game.  Levels 25 through 30 are designed
                           specifically for multiplayer play, but you can
                           play on any level.
            WEAPON LEVEL - Designates how powerful the weapons in the game
                           will be.  Seven indicates all weapons are
                           available, whereas a one indicates that not even
                           the Dual Shot can be found.
            GAME TYPE    - Select from either Deathmatch of Pulseling Hunt.
                           Deathmatches are an all out, kill or be killed
                           competition.  A Puleseling Hunt is similar, but
                           if a player manages to collect the required
                           number of pulselings, they receive a prize...
      If you are getting a 55555555 RECEIVED message, that means that there
      is already a game in progress on this socket.  New options and play
      modes are planned for future releases.  Also, I am hoping to get the
      game working over the Internet.

      Once a multiplayer game begins, it will not end until all the
      players quit out.  If you are killed, just press [Space] to be
      "reborn" in the level.  You can press [T] to type in a message that
      will be transmitted to all players.  Single player levels are
      modified slightly from when they are played in single player mode.
      Some items are removed, whereas you may see other things that weren't
      there originally ...



==============================================================================
CREDITS

Programming, Graphics, Level Design,                            Matthew Bush
Sound F/X

Crash Testing (Not at all alphabetical)                             Jay Mayo
                                                                  Chris Bush
                                                                  Eric Baker
                                                               Alex Restrepo
                                                                Mike Bradica
                                                                Dave Bateman
                                                                    Tim Bush

VESA Hi-Res Graphics Routines Provided By
                                                        Donald E. Vandenbeld



==============================================================================
REGISTRATION

        Welcome to the wonderful world of Shareware.  I'm sure a lot
        of you have already heard of this useful subject, but for those
        who have not, I will let you in on it.  Shareware is a method
        for distributing software that allows just about anyone with
        the ability to create software and a modem a way to sell their
        software to a hungry market on a try before you buy basis.
        The customer downloads the program off of a local bulletin
        board, off the Internet or simply gets it from a friend.  This
        version of the program is usually limited in some way, thus
        encouraging the user to send in the registration fee via mail
        to the author in order to get the full version.  Thus providing
        a simple and exceptionally cost effective method of distributing
        software.  (Nothing beats word of mouth)

        Now for the Plasma Spheres II specifics.  By registering
        Plasma Spheres II you get the full version which includes:
                - No limits on the number of items you can carry.
                - No limits on the amount of ammo you can have.
                - Full access to the level editor.
        You can get all of this, plus the great feeling of registering
        a shareware product, for just $25!  You will receive your 
        registration code in the mail usually about a week after
        sending it.  You can even indicate that you wish to have it
        E-mailed to you for faster service.  Just send your $25 in U.S.
        funds (no cash please!) to the address shown in the order form.

        Please see ORDER.TXT for details or press P to print it out now.



==============================================================================
CONTACTING THE AUTHOR

I am glad to take all questions, comments, and suggestions.  You can contact
me at the following locations:
     Home: abnormelm@hotmail.com
     Work: edd4mon9@idt.net
I also have a web page, which is currently the official Plasma Spheres II
distribution sight.  Check here for the lastest releases.
     Web: http://home.att.net/~tlboviedo
When all else fails, I have an e-mail account at school (The University of
Central Florida) which I never check, but may have to start doing so.. :)
     School: mab40666@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
Odds are, future releases of this game won't just have bug fixes, but they
will have new features and possibly (you didn't hear me say this) new
multiplayer levels.  I guess what I'm saying is that I'm a bit of an 
perfectionist, and will no doubt have a desire to release new versions of
the game--so it should be worth while to check up on the newest version
every once and a while.  :)



==============================================================================
TIPS AND TRICKS

      - Use the brake.  A lot.  Until you learn good control, you will
        need it.  Even after you learn good control, you'll need it.
        You can increase the brake's effect by hold down shift.
      - Be smarter than your enemies.  Most enemies have relatively
        simple logic and can be outsmarted using the layout of the
        level.  (e.g. Out maneuver sphereoids to make them fall off
        cliffs)
      - Practice death from above.  If you are ever on higher ground,
        spray everyone below you.
      - Save hearts.  If you are close to full health, picking up a heart
        is a waste of most of its potential.
      - Learn to be conservative--you don't need to use tricannon rapid
        fire on a blue sphereoid.
      - Know who your threats are.  Kill the red turret before you kill
        the blue sphereoid.
      - Kill first, ask questions later.  The more time you spend setting
        up that shot on a Red Turret, the more time he has to line up on
        you.
      - Note that you don't always have to be moving in the direction you
        are firing...
      - Always remember, there are people who have beaten the level.  It
        is possible.  <EG>



==============================================================================
QUOTES AND OTHER SUCH IRRELEVENT THINGS

- "But what if you're just a brain in a vat?"
- "It is my objective to hurt the player."
- "What are you trying to say?"
- "Codum ergo sum"
- "Woo hoo!  Score one point for the programmer!"
- "What game is complete without some fungus?"
- "Spew hot plasma!"
- "Its pixel-perfect!"
- "No longer bug ... feature."
- "Cool ... hmm."
- "But its OUR mall."
- "Yes, have some."
- "Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere
  in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."  --Calvin
- "C programmers do it with a pointer."
- "I have successfully managed to out maneuver myself."
- "Today's show has been brought to you by the numbers N and O."
- Plasma Spheres II consists of 27 files, totaling over 8700 lines of
  code, which is approximately 162 printed pages.
- Work on Plasma Spheres II began on 1/29/98 at 12:39am.
- "Someone is hit by a train every 12 seconds ... and that man is Jub Jub!"
- "You're still here?  Its over.  Go home!"


-= END =-

(C) Copyright 1999, Matthew Bush


