Starglider
© 1987 Rainbird

Instructions

	Welcome to the Airborne Ground Attack Vehicle, the latest and most
revolutionary of the new range of two-seater fighter craft designed and
manufactured by Draziw Industries, Novenias leading armaments company for
the past eight hundred years.

ENTERING THE AGAV

  1) If the AGAV plasma drive is in operation, press the switch marked OPEN
     CANOPY. (There is a switch on both sides of the craft)

  2) Climb onto the wing and stand as far forward as possible close to the
     auxilary oxygen port.

  3) Lower yourself into pilot's seat.

  4) Close the canopy by pressing the small green button to your immediate
     left (marked CLOSE CANOPY).

AGAV INSTRUMENT PANEL

  A - Local Area Scanner

	This hexagonal screen displays the position of all objects within
	range. The scanner can detect density and movement accurately.

  B - Energy Level

	This instrument (right side top of lower panel) shows how much
        energy the AGAV has stored for its Plasma Drive Unit. Advisable to
	keep the energy level above 15%

  C - Shield Status

	The Molecular Neutralising Force-Shields should NEVER be allowed to
	drop below 10%. (left side top of lower panel). Shields are re-
	plenished when the craft is repaired in the maintenance silo. The
	shields are at the weakest around the undercarriage. Never allow
	the craft to scrape the ground.

  D - Laser Cell Status.

	All four Sapphire II laser units are fed from laser cells. If it
	drains completly, your craft can't fire laser bolts (just below
	shield status display on left). The laser cell can be refulled at
	any Novenian airbase silo equipped with a PosiLok recharger.

  E - Altitude Meter

	The altitude meter shows your current height. (bottom left vertical
	bar). If the craft gets below a safe level (5%), the meter will
	flash rapidly and emit a sonic warning.

  F - Velocity Indicator

	The velocity indicator displays the current speed (bottom right
	vertical bar).

  G & H - Bank Level Indicators

	These twin indicators ( either side of center hexagonal display)
	shows the level of the craft's banking. The AGAV can bank 45 degrees
	and both indicators read the same unless a wing is damaged.

  I & J - Plasma Drive Status Display

	These waveform displays (either side of center hexagonal display, but
	above bank level indicators) indicate various internal values of
	the Plasma Drive.

  K - Sector Display

	The Novenian landscape is divided into 10,000 sectors on a 100 x 100
	matrix. The sector indicator (below center hex display) will show
	the current X, Y position.

  L - Missile Indicator

	The missile indicator shows the number of missiles currently on 
	board. (on left side to right of altitude meter). Can only have
	two missiles at a time.

  M - Heading Display

	Heading shown at top of screen.

CONTROLS

	MOUSE CONTROL - Moving mouse towards you increases altitude
	and moving it forward decreases altitude. Left and right banks
	the craft. Left button fires lasers, right button accelerates
	while moving mouse forward, and decelerates craft when mouse is
	pulled back towards you.

	JOYSTICK - Pulling back or down increases altitude. Pushing forward
	or up, decreases altitude. Left and right banks craft. Button while
	stick centered fires lasers. Button accelerates craft when pushed up
	or forward, and declerates craft when pulled back or down.

	KEYS - L key launches missiles
	       ESC key aborts game
	       DEL key pauses game
	       Space bar fires lasers

FLYING THE AGAV

  Taking Off

	Pull back on the control shoe to increase altitute.
	Increase thrust and accelerate forward.

LANDING THE AGAV

	The AGAV is fitted with all-terrain landing pads, enabling you to
	land on any surface, including hot lava. To land, bring your craft
	to level flight, and decelerate until you are in hover mode at zero
	velocity. Push forward until you touch down.
____________________________

WEAPONRY STSTEMS

	The AGAV's main weapon is the Sapphire II quadpulse laser system.
	The laser is powered from a cell in the nose-cone. Two laser cannons
	are situated under each wing.

	The AGAV has two laser sight operation modes: Fixed Sights ensures
	that the sight is always in the center of the screen, requiring the
	AGAV to be directly in line with the target: whereas Floating Sights
	allows the sights to move freely about the screen in the direction
	of the control shoe movement.

	The laser fire button can be fired rapidly. The Saphire II has an
	armour piercing factor of 0.45 - powerful enough to destroy a target
	with only six hits. The lase has a capacity of 250 laser pulses and
	can be recharged by a Posilok station at any airbase or silo.

	As a desperate measure, and provided your shields are sufficently
	intact, you can ram the enemy. For this to be sucessful, the enemy 
	should have little or no shield.

TELEVISION GUIDANCE SYSTEM

	The craft is fitted with remote control television guided cameras
	on guided missiles. They are launched with the L key. Once the
	camera has been launched you van guide it using the normal AGAV
	controls

DOCKING & MAINENANCE PROCEDURE

	During a flight, if you need to refuel the plasma drive, lasers, or
	shields, you should establish a datalink with the nearest airbase
	and follow docking procedures.

	The Alliance silos are vast underground chambers with a sloping
	entrance building at the ground level. The entrance hatch to the
	silo is marked by a laser strobe which is easily detected by the
	craft.

	The docking procedure is as follows:

	1) Establish a datalink with the silo. The silo will rotate to face
	   you, and then stop. Manual flight into the silo is necessary as
	   the silo is too small for a tractor beam.

	2) Slowly guide the AGAV through the doors to the silo. Keep the
	   AGAV central at all times, as hitting the door or wall could
	   damage the craft.

	3) Once inside the silo, your enhanced vision system should alter
	   display so only revelant sections of the silo are visible.

	4) If you need to collect special armaments alert engineer and he
	   will supply equipment. He deposits equipment at a collection
	   point in center of silo.

   	5) When the equipment is ready, fly toward center of silo where an
	   AGRO unit will lock it in place.

	6) To refuel your laser cell, fly towards the end of the silo, and
	   slow down to an almost stationary speed.

	7) Allign centered with the PosiLok Refueling Point, and fly forward
	   until you lock into position. When your laser cell is refueled,
	   the force shields will be replenished, and any damage will be
	   repaired by Droids.

	8) To LAUNCH from Silo, wait until the ARGO unit has started up the
	   Plasma drive. When the drive reaches full power, press the button
	   on the consol marked LAUNCH FROM SILO.

NOTES:

	As I recall from playing the game several years ago, the craft could
	be recharged but not repaired by absorbing power while flying if you
	cruised over huge energy power beacons. Power goes from one tower to
	another. You had to align craft exactly and fly along energy beam 
	between two towers.. I recall that it was a risky venture because
        you had to be close and not hit the towers.