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The Project 64 etext of the ~Tau Ceti manual~, converted to etext by
Darran Carey <darran@ned.dem.csiro.au>.

TAUCET10.TXT, November 1997, etext #321#

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       TAU CETI

      Written by
     John  Twiddy

     INSTRUCTIONS

   Original Concept
      Pete Cooke

  CRL GROUP PLC 1986
      CBM 64/128



TAU CETI

The story begins in 2047 with the invention of the Interstellar drive.
Using hydrogen scoops mankind could collect fuel from the thin spread
of hydrogen between the stars. This made it possible for the
exploration and colonisation of nearby systems.

In 2050 the first wave of colonists left Earth for four nearby G type
stars, Alpha Centauri, Tau Ceti, Van Maanen's Star and Beta Hydri.
Seven months later the first wave of colonists arrived at Tau Ceti and
began to build a civilisation on the third planet, an inhospitable
desert world with very little life. For over 90 years the colony grew
and prospered. The Cetans built over 30 cities across the planet and a
strong trade based on mining, robot technology and hydroponics.

Then, in 2150 disaster struck this and one other of mankind's four
growing colonies. A vicious plague, Encke's syndrome swept across the
planet. Once contracted the disease was invariably fatal and as it
swept from city to city the few remaining colonists finally admitted
defeat and fled, leaving the planet to the robot maintenance systems.

Two years passed and on Earth a cure for the disease was found and
links between the two remaining colonies, Alpha Centauri and Beta
Hydri, were resumed. About this time all radio contact was lost with
the automatic systems remaining on Tau Ceti III as a massive meteor
smashed into the planet.

As the remaining starbases recovered from the loss it was decided to
recolonise Tau Ceti and Van Maanen's Star. In 2164 the first
expedition left for Tau Ceti. A single ramscoop entered the system and
safely landed on the planet's surface. Minutes later, a mayday message
was received, followed by total silence. Experts decided that the
robots, so skillfully designed by the first colonists, had run amok
after the meteor impact. After seven years, and the successful
recolonisation of Van Maanen's Star, a second expedition was
organised. The only way to stop the defence systems without destroying
the remaining buildings was to send in an armed ground-skimmer to shut
down the massive Fusion reactor in the planet's capital city,
Centralis. A single pilot might be able to succeed where fifty would
surely fail, and like a fool, you volunteered!!!



CONTROLLING THE SKIMMER

The gal-corp armed skimmer is a powerful and dangerous craft and
challenging even for the most experienced pilots. The skimmer is
equipped with....

A single mounted ruby laser

Defensive shields

Eight (8) heat seeking missiles + targeting system

Eight Anti missile missiles (AMM's)

Eight starlight flares

Infra-red night sights

A hoffman 360 degree scanner and 4-way selectable viewscreen to
avoid blind spots

Planetary compass and computer ADF (automatic direction finding)
beacons

A JCN command computer (guaranteed fully debugged for normal use).



On loading the program you will be presented with a view of the
skimmer's instrument panel. The screen is divided into three areas.
The large window on the left is your viewscreen, below that is a long
blue area. This is your contact with the skimmer's powerful inbuilt
computer. Finally on the right of the screen are five information
windows. At the top is a compass and real-time clock along with a
message showing the view selected, the city you are in and the ship's
flight state. Below that is the scanner, and below that three more
smaller windows. The first gives the pilot's name and the skimmer's
complement of missiles/AMM's and flares. The second shows speed,
shield energy, fuel remaining, laser temperature and height and the
third displays 2 ADF's: the upper one locked onto the city and the
lower onto the nearest Jump Pad.

The skimmer operates in two modes, flight mode and ground mode. In
flight mode control of the program is via single keys or a joystick.
In ground mode you are in direct communication with the crafts
computer via the computer window. On loading the program will go
into a demo sequence. To stop the demo press BREAK.

The commands available are given below along with a short
description.

HELP
Lists commands as below

LAUNCH
Normally ground mode is only active when you are docked. Launch
will send the skimmer out onto the planets surface and activate
flight mode.

MAP
The computer will display a map of the planet showing information
about the cities. Use Left, Right, Up and Down keys to move the
cursor over the map and Fire to select a function.

RODS
This will allow you to assemble cooling rods found throughout
your mission.

REACTOR
When docked with the Main Central Reactor on Centralis will give
you access to the reactor room.

LOOK
Shows a view inside the building. Also any objects of use there.

WAIT
Waits 5 Earth minutes (about 1/12 of a Cetan "spin").

STATUS
Gives a damage and progress report (also available in flight).

EQUIP
Allows access to a building's repair, refuelling and rearming
facilities (if any).

NAME
Use at the start of the game to give the computer a pilot's name.

PAD
An on-screen note pad. Allows you to make notes of progress etc.

NEW PAD
Selects a fresh page in the note pad.

SAVE
Saves games to tape.

LOAD
Loads a game from tape.

KEYS
Allows you to totally redefine the single key commands in flight
mode.

QUIT
Abandons a game.

SCORE
Gives a rating of your progress so far.

PAUSE
Freezes the game (fire restarts).

SIGHTS ON

SIGHTS OFF

To start the game type LAUNCH (and press ENTER).

Your skimmer will leave the safety of the lander and venture on the
surface of the planet.

Exploration of the planet is carried out in FLIGHT MODE. When first
loaded the following keys are used (but you may redefine any or all
of these for your own preferences/Kempston or cursor joysticks
etc.).

Left....                       Z
Right....                      X
Increase thrust                ;
Decrease thrust                /
Fire laser                   Space
Fire missiles                  M
Fire flare                     F
Fire AMM                       A
Change view                    V
Scanner                        S
Status report                  R
Infra red on/off               I
Increase height                :
Decrease height                .
Jump (if near jump pad)        J
Land                           L
Pause (Fire restarts)          <-



A MESSAGE FROM GAL-CORP CENTRAL
TAU CETI III GENRAL INFORMATION

The planet's day.
-----------------

Tau Ceti III has a very short day, approximately equal to one
Earth hour. The Cetans call this period a "SPIN" and group 16
spins to a "DAY". As the planet has no moon you will need to use
the Infra-red equipment to see anything after sunset.

Docking on the planet.
----------------------

Many of the buildings on the planet's surface are equipped with
DFP's latest model energy screened airlock, recognisable by the
characteristic flickering pattern, and your craft will allow you
to dock with these buildings if you wait for the airlock to open
to full aperture and fly in SLOWLY!

Once inside a building the computer will return you to ground mode
giving you full access to any facilities available.

Navigation on CETI III.
-----------------------

The planet has the now standard system of JUMP PADS to allow easy
transport from one city to the next. Unforunately the pads are of
the old non-programmable 'Super Traveller' type and each pad is
mapped to a single destination. Luckily your ship's computer has a
complete map of the jump network, to jump from one city to the next
simply find the correct jump pad (they are found at the NORTH,
SOUTH, EAST and WEST ends of the city) and press J.

Gal-corp recommends caution on exit from a jump as reports indicate
that small 'sand hoppers', a native life-form, tend to cluster
around the feeder pipes of jump pads and lives have been lost in
the past due to collisions.

Defence estimates.
------------------

It is known that many of the cities will be defended by late-model
robot hunters marks I, II and III, sophisticated and well armed
hunter-killers and reports indicate that land-based guardian
crawlers and heavily armoured fortresses may be found in larger
cities. Radar scans also detect the presence of proximity mines.
An identification chart for know robot defences is given at the
end of this report...

[Identification chart pictures omitted]


FINALLY A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRWOMAN

Please try to avoid wanton destruction of unarmed buildings.
Gal-corp central do want to COLONISE this world after you've
finished with it and each undamaged dwelling will save millions
on next years budget!!

GOOD LUCK

Message ends.

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End Project 64 etext Tau Ceti manual.

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