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22 <img src="sflogo.png" alt="Starfighter">
24 <h1>Gameplay Manual</h1>
27 <h2>License Agreement</h2>
31 Copyright © 2003 Parallel Realities
32 Copyright © 2012 Guus Sliepen, Astrid S. de Wijn and others
33 Copyright © 2015 Julian Marchant
35 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
36 modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
37 as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3
38 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
40 This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
41 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
42 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
43 GNU General Public License for more details.
45 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
46 along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
51 <p>Project: Starfighter is an old school 2D shoot 'em up. In the
52 game you take on the role of a rebel pilot called Chris, who is
53 attempting to overthrow a military corporation called Weapco.
54 Weapco has seized control of the known universe and currently
55 rules it with an iron fist. Chris can no longer stand back and
56 watch as millions of people suffer and die. He steals an
57 experimental craft known as "Firefly" and begins his mission to
58 fight his way to Sol, freeing key systems along the way. The game
59 opens with Chris attempting to escape a Weapco patrol that has
67 <li>Arrow Keys - Highlight option</li>
68 <li>Control / Enter - Select menu option</li>
71 <p>Intermission Screen</p>
74 <li>Mouse or Arrow Keys - Move cursor</li>
75 <li>Left Mouse Button or Control / Enter - Selected option</li>
76 <li>Right Mouse Button or Space - Toggle planet orbit On / Off</li>
82 <li>Arrow Keys - Control Firefly</li>
83 <li>Ctrl - Fire primary weapon</li>
84 <li>Space - Fire secondary weapon</li>
85 <li>Shift - Toggle Primary Weapon Concentrate / Spread (see Weaponry)</li>
86 <li>P - Pause / Unpause</li>
87 <li>Escape - Flee (not possible until all primary missions completed)</li>
88 <li>Escape whilst paused - Quit to title screen</li>
91 <p>Joystick and Gamepad support</p>
94 <li>Stick or Hat - Same as Arrow Keys</li>
95 <li>Button 1 / 4 - Fire primary weapon / Select menu option</li>
96 <li>Button 2 / 3 - Fire secondary weapon / Select menu option</li>
97 <li>Button 6 / 8 / 9 - Toggle Primary Weapon Concentrate / Spread</li>
98 <li>Button 10 - Pause / Unpause</li>
99 <li>Button 5 / 7 - Flee (not possible until all primary missions completed)</li>
100 <li>Button 5 / 7 whilst paused - Quit to title screen</li>
103 <p>Note - Keys cannot be changed</p>
107 <p>When first starting Project: Starfighter you will see the text
108 scrolling introduction. You can either wait for this to finish or
109 you can skip it by pressing ctrl or space.</p>
111 <p>The title sequence will begin. Once the menu is shown (or you
112 opt to skip to it by pressing space or ctrl) you may select from
113 the options shown:</p>
116 <li>Start New Game</li>
118 <li>Continue Current Game*</li>
123 <p><i>* Will only be shown if there are saved games
127 <dt>Start New Game</dt>
128 <dd>This will start a new game.</dd>
131 <dd>This will bring up a list of currently available games to be
132 loaded, along with the planet that the game was saved in. This
133 option is only shown when there is at least one saved game
136 <dt>Continue Current Game</dt>
137 <dd>This will automatically load the most recently saved game. This
138 option is only shown when there is at least one saved game
142 <dd>This will show a list of game options. Options for sound, music
143 and an auto save slot can be changed. Music and Sound can be
144 switched to either On or Off. The Auto Save Slot allows the
145 player to select a save slot that will automatically be updated
146 when the player finishes a mission. This can be switched from
147 None to 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. When this option is set to a number,
148 that save slot will be used to save a game at the end of a
149 mission. Note that any currently existing game will be
150 automatically overwritten.</dd>
153 <dd>This will quit the game. Quitting is immediate, without prompting
154 (the game can also be quit at anytime by clicking the close
155 button of the window).</dd>
158 <h2>Loading and Saving Games</h2>
160 <p>Games can be loaded from the title screen. When there are
161 saved games available, the option "Load Game" will be shown.
162 Selecting this will show a list of available games to be loaded.
163 Select a game from the list to load, you will then be taken to
164 the Intermission screen. To go back, selected Back to Main
167 <p>Games can be saved in two ways. The first way is to save a
168 game on the Intermission screen. Move the cursor to the Save Game
169 icon and select it. You will see a list of five game slots that
170 can be used to save a game to. Click one of these and then click
171 the "Save" button to save the game. The second way is to use the
172 Auto Save function. This will automatically save your game after
173 you have successfully completed a mission. To make use of this
174 feature you must choose a save slot that you wish to auto save
175 into. This can be done on the title screen in the options section
176 or on the intermission screen at the options section.</p>
178 <h2>Getting Missions</h2>
180 <p>In each System, the player can get missions by going to the
181 Comms section of the Intermission screen. Here allies will inform
182 you of tasks that need to be performed and what planet these
183 tasks apply to. Once the player has decided which task they will
184 perform, they must go to the corresponding planet in the system
185 (see Moving Around for more details). Once stationed at the
186 planet click "Start Mission" to proceed to the mission briefing
187 screen. The "Start Mission" icon will not be shown if the mission
188 of the planet has been completed.</p>
190 <h2>Mission Briefing</h2>
192 <p>Before the beginning of each mission you will be presented
193 with a mission briefing screen. This will outline the mission's
194 primary and (if any) secondary objectives. It will also inform
195 you of mission restrictions, such as time limits. Once you have
196 read this, press ctrl or space to continue</p>
198 <h2>Completing Missions</h2>
200 <p>Each mission in the game has one or more objectives tied to
201 it. These objectives are either Primary or Secondary objectives.
202 In order to complete the mission, the player must complete all
203 the primary mission objectives. For example, when the game begins
204 Chris is fleeing a WEAPCO patrol. The primary objective for this
205 mission is to destroy all the enemy fighters. Once this is
206 achieved the Firefly will leave the sector and the mission will
207 be marked as a success.</p>
209 <p>One thing to note is that some missions will have both Primary
210 and Secondary objectives. In this case, the Firefly does not
211 leave the sector if all primary mission objectives are complete
212 and secondary objectives remain. The player may then attempt to
213 complete remaining secondary objectives or press Escape to leave
214 the sector. Secondary objectives are optional.</p>
216 <p>During the mission you will see messages appearing at the
217 bottom of the screen. These messages can be related to items that
218 you pick up, as well as mission related information.</p>
221 <li><font color="#FFFFFF">White messages</font> are standard for picking up items such as cash and power ups.</li>
222 <li><font color="#00FF00">Green messages</font> signify successful completion of mission objectives.</li>
223 <li><font color="#00FFFF">Light Blue messages</font> give further details about Primary mission requirements.</li>
224 <li><font color="#FF0000">Red messages</font> indicate mission failures, warnings and wing mate ejections.</li>
225 <li><font color="#FFFF00">Yellow messages</font> give further details about Secondary mission requirements.</li>
228 <h2>The Target Arrow</h2>
230 <p><img src="arrowNorthEast.png" align="left" alt="Target Arrow">
231 The Target Arrow can be used to locate enemies and point you in
232 the direction that the enemy craft is. You can toggle the Target
233 Arrow between three mode by pressing "T" on the keyboard: Off,
234 Mission target only, and All targets. This arrow is very useful
235 for finding enemies that are evasive (such as transports) on
236 missions that require you to destroy all present craft. Simply
237 follow the arrows to find the enemy. The arrows will not be
238 displayed when you are within the immediate vacinity of the
239 target. On certain missions (such as Bosses) the mission target
240 arrow will initially point towards a certain target that is part
241 of the mission objective. The target's current remaining shield
242 is also displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the
245 <h2>Moving Around Systems</h2>
247 <p>To play a mission in Starfighter you must be stationed at the
248 relevant planet. To get to the planet you require, you will need
249 to click on the planet whilst viewing it on the Show System
250 section of the Intermission screen. Travelling between planets
251 can be dangerous, but luckily Spirit is a peaceful place and
252 there are no chances of interceptions, so travel is
255 <p>Other systems are not as friendly and whilst travelling to a
256 new destination the player runs the risk of being intercepted by
257 a WEAPCO patrol. After Spirit the player will select a planet to
258 travel to by clicking on it with the mouse. "Destination",
259 followed by the planet's name will appear in the bottom right
260 hand corner of the screen. A new icon labelled "Go To
261 Destination" will also appear. Clicking this icon will make the
262 player travel to the destination planet.</p>
264 <p>Travelling to new planets is represented at the bottom of the
265 screen by the two planets (the one being travelled from and the
266 one being travelled to). A red bar will fill up as the journey
267 progresses. The speed the bar fills up will vary occurring to how
268 far away the planets are from one another. At any point during
269 this time the planet can be intercepted (see Interceptions). Once
270 the red bar has filled up completely the journey will be
271 completed and you will be stationed that the new planet.</p>
273 <h2>Interceptions</h2>
275 <p>Interceptions can take place whilst travelling between two
276 planets within a system. When the player is intercepted they will
277 go directly into a mission-like scenario. The objective of this
278 interception is to clear all attacking forces. Once this is done,
279 the player will be free to leave.</p>
281 <p>Interceptions also serve other purposes - Sometimes the WEAPCO
282 patrol may have slave transports with them. One of the objectives
283 of a later system is to rescue a certain amount of slaves. This
284 is only possible during interceptions.</p>
286 <p>One important thing to remember is that any damage the player
287 receives during an interception will NOT be repaired until they
288 have reached the destination planet. Therefore if the player is
289 heavily damaged during one interception that damage will still be
290 present if they are attacked again. This can make interceptions
293 <h2>Weaponry and Upgrades</h2>
295 <p>During the course of the game you will receive money. Money is
296 gained from destroying enemy craft and picking up cash spheres in
297 game (please be aware that due to the nature of the game cash is
298 not earned for destroying ships during Interceptions).</p>
300 <p>Money can be used to upgrade the Firefly and purchase
301 additional ammunition for weapons. Items can be purchased from a
302 shop on the Intermission screen.</p>
305 <dt>Temporary Upgrades</dt>
308 Temporary upgrades are used to boost the Firefly's ability to
309 be powered up. For example, at the start of the game the
310 Firefly can only be powered up to fire two plasma bolts are
311 once. By purchasing an upgrade for the Firefly, you can allow
312 for power ups to enable you to fire a maximum of up to five
313 plasma bolts at once. Note that this only affects power ups and
314 these will still be ammunition limited. To upgrade your default
315 weapon, you will need permanent power ups (see below).
318 <dt>Permanent Upgrades</dt>
321 These power ups are more expensive than temporary upgrades, but
322 are permanent. Whereas a temporary upgrade requires you to make
323 use of power ups on an ammunition limited base, permanent power
324 ups are not limited. This is highly useful when facing heavily
325 shielded and tough opponents, with no means of getting plasma
326 ammo or transports in sight! When you power up your permanent
327 weapon, your powered up weapon level will also be automatically
328 upgraded if it is less powerful than your new current power up
329 level.When the Firefly's Primary Weapon has been upgraded to
330 its maximum output (3 plasma cannons) the player can toggle the
331 output type by pressing Shift. The output type can either be
332 Concentrate (the default firing type) or Spread. Various
333 situations can call for varying the output type.
336 <dt>Secondary Weapons</dt>
339 As well as primary weapons and temporary upgrades, the Firefly
340 is also capable of using a secondary weapon. At the start of
341 the game this is a rocket launcher. Like the other weapons in
342 the game this can be upgraded by purchasing a new weapon from
343 the shop. At the start of the game, a Double Rocket Launcher
344 and Micro Rocket Launcher are available for purchase. Secondary
345 weapons are used in the same way the rocket launcher is used
346 (Space to fire). However the Laser Cannon and Charge Cannon
347 work differently.Neither the Charge Cannon or the Laser Cannon
348 are ammunition limited (unlike the other rocket based weapons).
349 The Charge Cannon works by the player holding down the Space
350 bar and releasing it. A meter at the bottom of the screen shows
351 how much charge has been built up. The Laser Cannon works by
352 the player holding down the Space bar to fire a stream of laser
353 fire. It is prone to overheating and must be allowed to cool
358 <p>Certain weapons and upgrades will not be available to you
359 until later in the game, so remember to save your money for
362 <h2>Item Spheres</h2>
364 <p>When an enemy craft is destroyed they will sometimes release
365 ammo and cash spheres. Certain enemy craft will release power up
366 spheres that can give your weapon a temporary boost. The
367 following are spheres that can be picked up during missions:</p>
369 <table summary="Description of all item spheres.">
371 <td><img src="dollar.png" alt="Cash"></td>
372 <td><b>Cash</b> - Provides you with an additional cash bonus.</td>
376 <td><img src="rocket.png" alt="Plasma Ammo"></td>
377 <td><b>Plasma Ammo</b> - Increases your current plasma ammo.</td>
381 <td><img src="rocketAmmo.png" alt="Rocket Ammo"></td>
382 <td><b>Rocket Ammo</b> - Increases your current rocket ammo.</td>
386 <td><img src="heart.png" alt="Shield Sphere"></td>
387 <td><b>Shield Sphere</b> - Replenishes your shield reserves.</td>
391 <td><img src="plasmaDamage.png" alt="Plasma Power"></td>
392 <td><b>Plasma Power</b> - Boosts your plasma power.</td>
396 <td><img src="plasmaAmmo.png" alt="Plasma Output"></td>
397 <td><b>Plasma Ouput</b> - Boosts the amount of plasma shots you can fire.</td>
401 <td><img src="plasmaRate.png" alt="Plasma Coolor"></td>
402 <td><b>Plasma Cooler</b> - Increases your plasma firing rate.</td>
406 <td><img src="superCharge.png" alt="Super Charge"></td>
407 <td><b>Super Charge</b> - Five way spread, massive power and cooling (rare).</td>
413 <p>During the course of the game mini cut scenes will be shown
414 after certain missions. These scenes serve to extend the plot of
415 the game and provide the player with gameplay tips. If you wish
416 to skip a cut scene press Escape. It is advised that you only
417 skip cut scenes if you have already seen them.</p>
419 <h2>Ending the Game</h2>
421 <p>The game is over when the Firefly's shield units are reduced
422 to 0 (zero), or a Primary Mission objective is failed. At this
423 point, you will see the Game Over screen. To continue, press Ctrl
424 or Space. You will then be taken back to the title screen. In
425 certain missions the game will end if Sid Wilson is killed.</p>
429 <p>Parallel Realities started off writing games on the Amiga
430 using AMOS and then, later, Blitz Basic 2. Games written included
431 the BOTSS Trilogy and most notably TANX Squadron. TANX Squadron
432 was awarded Amiga Format's contributor prize of the month in the
433 summer of 1999. Project: Starfighter originally started life on
434 the Amiga but was never completed. Development began again for
435 Linux in 2002 with this being our first C program. The game
436 matured quickly from the initial ideas and this is the finished
437 product. We do hope you enjoy playing it.</p>
439 <p>Project: Starfighter<br>
440 Copyright © 2003 Parallel Realities<br>
441 Copyright © 2012 Guus Sliepen, Astrid S. de Wijn and
444 <p>Created using the <a href="http://www.libsdl.org">SDL
447 <p align="right"><a href="http://starfighter.nongnu.org">http://starfighter.nongnu.org</a></p>