*********

Welcome to Project 64!

The goal of Project 64 is to preserve Commodore 64 related documents
in electronic text format that might otherwise cease to exist with the
rapid advancement of computer technology and declining interest in 8-
bit computers on the part of the general population.

Extensive efforts were made to preserve the contents of the original
document.  However, certain portions, such as diagrams, program
listings, and indexes may have been either altered or sacrificed due
to the limitations of plain vanilla text.  Diagrams may have been
eliminated where ASCII-art was not feasible.  Program listings may be
missing display codes where substitutions were not possible.  Tables
of contents and indexes may have been changed from page number
references to section number references. Please accept our apologies
for these limitations, alterations, and possible omissions.

Document names are limited to the 8.3 file convention of DOS. The
first characters of the file name are an abbreviation of the original
document name. The version number of the etext follows next. After
that a letter may appear to indicate the particular source of the
document. Finally, the document is given a .TXT extension.

The author(s) of the original document and members of Project 64 make
no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this material
for any purpose.  This etext is provided "as-is".  Please refer to the
warantee of the original document, if any, that may included in this
etext.  No other warantees, express or implied, are made to you as to
the etext or any medium it may be on.  Neither the author(s) nor the
members of Project 64 will assume liability for damages either from
the direct or indirect use of this etext or from the distribution of
or modification to this etext. Therefore if you read this document or
use the information herein you do so at your own risk.

*********

The Project 64 etext of the ~Project Firestart manual~, converted to
etext by <neodark@usa.net>.

PFIRES10.TXT, April 1998, etext #342#

*********

P R O J E C T   F I R E S T A R T    By Dynamix 1988
----------------------------------------------------

       Programming: Darek Lukaszuk
                    Paul Bowman
                    Rich Rayl

   Sound and Music: Alan McKean

     Game graphics: John Burton

  Spaceship design: Damon Slye

    Package design: Lance Anderson/Triad

   Package illustr: Barry Jackson

Associate producer: Roland Kippenhan



PROJECT FIRESTART...

began on February 13, 2066, aboard the research ship Prometheus.
Financed by the System Science Foundation (SSF), an agency of the
United System States (USS), the project's goal was to produce a
strong, durable laborers capable of helping Belters mine titanium and
iridium on selected moons and asteroids.

Althought first generation genetic reshaping is extremely hazardous,
it was allowed because the genetics involved were required to follow
strict safeguards guaranteeing tight control over the experiment's
end product.

But the Prometheus no longer responds. The safeguards must have been
breached. If they have, Firestart is out of control. The SSF has
assigned you to clean up the mess.


GETTING STARTED

1. Place the boot disk (disk 0) face up in the disk drive.

2. Turn on your computer and type LOAD"EA",8,1.

3. After the game loads, you'll see background information about the
   game be briefed on your mission. If you have trouble loading the
   game, disconnect any peripherals from the back of the disk drive
   (i.e., the fast loader, second disk drive, or printer) and try
   loading again.

4. Follow the onscreen instructions to either review the introduction
   or begin play.

5. Switch disk whenever the computer prompts you to.

(Note for C128 users: Be sure your computer is in C64 mode.)


JOYSTICK INSTRUCTIONS

Plug in your joystick in port 2. The joystick controls which direction
you move and aim your laser; just move the joystick in the direction
you want to travel or shoot. Press the joystick button to fire your
laser.

When you see text questions at the bottom of the screen (such as "Open
Door?", "Use Elevator?", etc.) use the joystick to highlight your
choice and then press the joystick button to take the action.


KEYBOARD COMMANDS

You can give four commands through the keyboard. Press the first
letter of a command to gain access to it.

C        Change Weapons. This command lets you change weapons (if you
	 are carrying more than one) when the weapon you have been
	 carrying is low on power, has no power left, or when you want
	 to switch to a more powerful weapon.

D        Disk Commands. Use this command to call up the Disk Command
	 screen and gain access to the FORMAT, SAVE, LOAD or RESTART
	 Disk commands.

FORMAT   Lets you FORMAT a disk in preparation for using the SAVE
	 command (see below). Note: You can use the SAVE command only
	 if you have a formatted disk. To FORMAT a disk, remove all
	 disks from the diskdrive.  Use the joystick to move the
	 onscreen arrow over the FORMAT command and then click your
	 joystick button.

SAVE     Lets you SAVE the game at any point. To SAVE a game, use your
	 joystick to move the onscreen arrow over the SAVE command and
	 press your joy- stick button. A message will appear asking
	 you to "Please Choose Game Number". Below this message there
	 will be five boxes numbered 1-5. Use your joystick to move
	 the onscreen arrow over the number you wish to save the game
	 under and click your joystick button. For example, if you
	 SAVE a game and click on box 1, that game will be saved as
	 game 1.  Only one game can be saved in a box.

LOAD     Lets you access SAVED games. When you use the LOAD command, a
	 message will appear asking you to "Please Choose Game
	 Number". Below the message there will be five boxes numbered
	 1-5. Use your joystick to move the onscreen arrow over the
	 number of the saved game you wish to play and then click your
	 joystick button. Follow the onscreen prompts to load disks.


RESTART  Returns you to the point when you first entered the
	 Prometheus and RESTARTS the game.


NOTES

* You can't carry more than two lasers.

* Lasers are effective against only one target at a time.

* You can't simultaneously move and fire a laser.

* You can't drop or replace a laser until it's drained of all energy.

* You have to find a medical attention if you want to regain lost
  health points. If you ignore a wound, it won't get any worse, but it
  won't get any better, either.


TIPS

* Check out all dead bodies, even the bloody, torn up, mangled,
  disgusting gross ones. Some of the dear departed may have useful
  items on them.  Investigate all rooms thoroughly, too. To examine a
  body or a section of a room, walk up next to it as close as you can.
  Your computer will tell you if there are any interesting objects
  present. You have to look for weapons and security passes, they
  aren't going to jump out at you.

* Monsters, on the other hand, are going to jump out at you, so carry
  as many weapons as you can and try to keep a fully charged weapon
  near at hand. A Hero's best friend is his particle beam.

* Find the radio and stay in touch with homebase. They miss you. And
  if you don't maintain communication, they may miss you entirely.

* Find the ship's computer access points. You can get useful
  information through the computer that you can't get anywhere else.


THE END AND AFTERWARDS

When the game has reached it's finale, the "THE END" screen appears,
and you feel the game has come to an unsatisfactory conclusion (such
as you suffocated in the airless vacuum of space or met some other
fate just as hideous), there are two things you can do. Either turn
off your computer and reboot, or press D and follow the onscreen
prompts to restart the game.

*********

End Project 64 etext Project Firestart manual.

*********
