Factus presents HOSTAGE GS from Mindscape Documentation brought to you by Commie Scum (the one and only) No, I am not doing this specifically for Factus .....SPECIAL ALERT..... ATTENTION ALL SPECIAL FORCES PERSONNEL: URGENT. HOSTAGE SITUATION. PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION. TERRORISTS HAVE STORMED OUR EMBASSY AND FORCED THEIR WAY PAST THE SECURITY GUARDS. AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF EMBASSY PERSONNEL ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE. THE TERRORISTS' DEMANDS ARE UNACCEPTABLE ARE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BROKEN DOWN. THESE TERRORISTS ARE HEAVILY ARMED AND CONSIDERED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. AS FAR AS WE CAN DETERMINE, THEY NOW CONTROL ALL THREE FLOORS OF THE BUILDING. A SIX-MEMBER ASSAULT FORCE TEAM MUST INFILTRATE THE EMBASSY, NEUTRALIZE THE TERRORISTS, AND RESCUE THE HOSTAGES BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT. THE GOVERNMENT IS COUNTING ON YOU TO AVERT A DISASTER OF INTERNATIONAL PROPORTIONS. GOOD LUCK! .....SPECIAL ALERT..... "You have your orders, Lieutenant. High-ranking diplomats are being held at gunpoint, and it's up to you and your men to get them out alive. As you prepare for the assault on the Embassy, take a moment to read through the enclosed Briefing Booklet (he means the rest of this file). It will familiarize you with the exact manuevers required of your team, and provides useful tips from a number of Assault Force veterans. First, make sure that all of your equipment is ready and in working order. Next, proceed to Command Headquarters, where you will direct this life-or-death operation." --- General Walter P. O'Donnell, Special Forces WHAT YOU NEED: o An Apple IIgs (You can have another computer if you don't mind not being able to play the game) o A total of 512K memory o Color monitor (A IIgs without color? What are they, kidding?) o Joystick (optional) LOADING INSTRUCTIONS: o Put the game in the drive and boot the damn thing! -- TACTICAL UNIT BRIEFING BOOKLET -- It is your responsibility, LIEUTENANT, to direct the 6-member Assault Force team in a daring rescue attempt. Your objective is to bring all the hostages to safety and neutralize any terrorists who open fire. Time is crucial, so you will also be judged on how quickly your men complete the operation. You are given the choice of five missions; each one allows you less time than the last. To succeed, you must rescue all the hostages without losing any men... and complete your mission before time runs out. After reading the message on your monitor, press the fire button (or fire key) to begin. YOUR RANK --------- You will be given the opportunity to attempt missions at three levels --- Lieutenant, Captain, and Commander. Once you have successfully completed the ASSAULT Mission as Captain, you will be promoted to the rank of COMMANDER. As Captain and Commander, you will attempt the same series of missions -- but against progressively fiercer opponents. With each promotion you will be given a secret access code that must be entered before you are allowed to select either the CAPTAIN or COMMANDER level. Unless you have been promoted, select LIEUTENANT by highlighting that option and pressing the fire button (or fire key). CHOOSING YOUR MISSION --------------------- Next, you must choose a mission from among the five shown. Missions are listed from easiest (TRAINING) to most difficult (ASSAULT) -- the harder the mission, the less time you have to complete it. o TRAINING (without hostages) o TARGET o ULTIMATUM o RESCUE o ASSAULT Move your control forward or back to highlight the mission you wish to choose, then press the fire button to select that mission. You will direct all operations from Command Headquarters. Surveillance cameras will allow you to see what is happening at all times, and you will be in constant contact with your men; their code names are DELTA, ECHO, MIKE, HOTEL, TANGO, and BRAVO. They are all skilled professionals, but will not act without your guidance. While you are directing one man, the others will remain in their current positions. --=: { STAGE 1 } :=-- THE MAP ------- After selecting a mission, your Command Console will display a map of the Embassy and the surrounding area. A message detailing your first operation will scroll across the screen; when you have read the message, press the fire button to continue. Note the three locations that are marked on the map with an "X." Your first assignment is to place the team's three marksmen (DELTA, ECHO, and MIKE) in these strategic locations across the street from the Embassy. Once inside the selected building, they will make their way to the roof and set up sniper positions to provide cover for the Direct Intervention Team. "Mad Dog" Mulligan, Assault Force Commander 1987 - 1988 "Don't be tempted to put two men at the same location -- you want snipers on all three sides of the building. For maximum coverage, only one man should be place at each target area. So what if the last guy takes a few hits -- that'll teach him to stay out of the line of fire next time..." PLACING YOUR MARKSMEN --------------------- To control each man in turn, press the corresponding function key: Delta: Z Echo: X Mike: C An image of the man you are directing will appear on the map in his current location. To begin the maneuver, press the ESC key. A surveillance camera shows your marksman in his current hiding place across the street from the Embassy. Time remaining is shown on the upper left side of the Console (the game clock runs slower than real time); the name of the active man is shown on the upper right. Terrorists sweep the area with spotlights, looking for Assault Force team members. Once the man you are directing leaves his hiding place, he runs the risk of being caught in the spotlights. If they spot him, the terrorists will immediately open fire and he will have to move quickly to avoid being gunned down. (Your marksmen are vulnerable when out in the open, since they have no protection and are not able to fire back.) The marksmen can drop, roll, duck into doorways, or dive through windows to avoid the gunfire. - CONTROLS - STANDING UP Hide Hide ^^ Hide \ / Run left <- oo -> Run right / \ Roll left || Roll right Drop LYING DOWN Stand up ^ Crawl left <- o -> Crawl right To PAUSE the game, press the "P" key; press any other key to resume play. Move the joystick left, right, or back to leave your hiding place. If your man is lying down and does not crawl in either direction, he will automatically stand back up. If you do not move your man, he will automatically hide in the nearest location after a few seconds. If one of your marksmen is gunned down on the street, you must return to the map and select another man (by pressing his function key). When your last man is in position, you are given the option of starting over or proceeding to the next stage. NOTE: If all three marksmen have been killed, you MUST start over. --=: { STAGE 2 } :=-- THE ROOF -------- Once your marksmen are in place, a helicopter will carry the three-member Direct Intervention Team (HOTEL, TANGO, and BRAVO) to the roof of the Embassy. Once your men are on the roof, the Console screen will display a map of the Embassy and the surrounding buildings. An "X" shows the position of each man on the roof, as well as the locations of the men stationed across the street. The "X" of the active man is shown in red; the others are shown in white. The name of the man currently under control is shown on the upper left side of the Console. You may switch to a different team member at any time simply by pres- sing the corresponding key: Delta: Z Hotel: V Echo : X Tango: B Mike : C Bravo: N A control panel on the right side of the Console shows the time remaining and the names of the surviving team members. If one of the team members is in immediate danger, his name will begin to flash. In this case, you should switch to that man and take whatever action is necessary to prevent him from being killed. USING YOUR MARKSMEN ------------------- By selecting one of the marksmen across the street from the Embassy, you can survey the side of the Embassy in his field of vision. To view the Embassy from the vantage point of a marksman, select that man and press ESC. The Con- sole screen will show your marksman on the left, and a view of the Embassy as seen through his gunsight on the right. Move the joystick to move the gunsight around the screen (keyboard users should press the corresponding direction keys). When the gunsight is within range of a window, a dot will appear in the middle of the cross hairs. To shoot, press the fire button while the dot is visible. Press the ESC key to return to the map screen, or activate another man by pressing his function key. R.J. Richter, Assault Force Captain 1980 - 1984 "Think twice before you order a marksman to shoot -- the person in his gunsight may be a hostage, or even one of his own team. Be sure to scope out the situation using a man on the inside before you make your move." RAPPELLING ---------- The Direct Intervention Team (HOTEL, TANGO, and BRAVO) must gain access to the Embassy by positioning themselves on the edge of the roof, rappelling down the side, and breaking in through a window. To select one of these men, press the corresponding key. Next, you must position your man on the edge of the roof. Press the fire button to cycle through the available positions. When you have selected a position, press the ESC key to view the man as he prepares for his descent. Follow the instructions below to direct your man as he descends from the roof. - CONTROLS - Climb up ^ Stop <- o -> Descend PUSH AWAY: Fire button First, press fire to have your man push away from the wall. (The longer you hold down the fire button, the further he will push himself away from the wall when the button is released.) Let go of the fire button and quickly move the joystick right to have the man begin his descent; move the joystick left to stop his descent. If your man descends too far and ends up below the first floor windows, you can have him climb up the rope by pushing the joystick for- ward. (To perform these maneuvers with a keyboard, simply press the correspon- ding keys.) BREAKING A WINDOW ----------------- As he approaches a window, your man must stop his descent quickly and at- tempt to break the glass with his feet. (NOTE: Even if a window has already been broken by one of your men, the next man must still "break" through it.) Once the window is broken, your man will automatically enter the building. Watch out for terrorists inside the Embassy, who can shoot your men through the windows! "Gunner" McGraw, Assault Force Lieutenant 1977 - 1980 "To hit a window with enough force to break it, you have to push as far away from the building as possible. Also, it's a lot safer to de- scend in a series of short jumps. If you get moving too quickly, you may not be able to stop in time and you'll hit the sidewalk like a ton of bricks -- I lost a couple of rookies that way..." --=: { STAGE 3 } :=-- INSIDE THE EMBASSY ------------------ Once inside the Embassy, a view of the room your man is in is displayed on the right side of the Console. Above this screen is the name of the man cur- rently being controlled. A control panel on the left shows the time remaining, amd surviving team members. If one of the team members is in immediate danger, his name will begin to flash. In this case, you should switch to that man and take whatever action is necessary to prevent him from being killed. A mini- map is shown in the center of the control panel. THE MINI-MAP ------------ The mini-map shows the rooms and hallways of the floor that your man is on. By noting where he came in, you will be able to pinpont his location on the map and then follow his progress as he moves from room to room. The floor num- ber is shown in the lower right corner of the map. Use the stairways on the east side of the building to move to a different floor; the stairs to a higher floor are marked with an up-arrow, the stairs to a lower floor with a down- arrow. Additional Mini-Map Clues: As LIEUTENANT, you are given additional clues on the mini-map that show you the location of your men as well as that of the terrorists and hostages. The man you are directing is indicated by a small red arrow; other men are indi- cated by red dots; terrorists are indicated by yellow dots, hostages by white dots. As CAPTAIN, you will see terrorists and hostages ONLY WHILE YOU ARE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH THEM. Richard M. Lawrence, Assault Force Commander 1969 - 1977 "Pay attention to your surroundings and try to learn the layout of the Embassy like the back of your hand. Take advantage of the extra clues on the mini-map -- once you're promoted, you won't have that luxury anymore..." - CONTROLS - Forward ^ Turn left < - o - > Turn right | Turn around FIRE: Fire button MOVEMENT -------- Move your man forward and turn left or right by moving the joystick in the corresponding direction. To turn completely around, pull the joystick back. Inside a room, your movements will always place you WITH YOUR BACK TO A WALL (or doorway), facing the center of the room. Move the joystick left to face left; move the joystick to face right. Push the joystick forward to move for- ward through a doorway. If you move forward toward a wall, you will automat- ically turn around so that your back is to the wall. If you are in a doorway, pull the joystick back to turn completely around; if your back is to a wall, you will not be able to turn around. Commie Scum, Hostage GS expert 1990 - ? "Steering yourself through hallways is a lot easier, but maneuvering around in rooms is a bit tricky and will take a little getting used to. But don't worry; it'll come to you in no time. After all, if you're smart enough to own an Apple IIgs personal computer, don't you think you'd be able to figure out some silly game controls?" TERRORISTS ---------- When you encounter a terrorist, be prepard to kill... or be killed! Press the fire button to shoot. (You have unlimited ammunition.) While the fire but- ton is pressed, move the joystick left or right to move your weapon in the corresponding direction. Pull the joystick back to shoot higher, and push it forward to shoot lower. (These are like the controls to an airplane, right?) Terrorists move quickly from room to room, and may hide behind other ter- rorists or a hostage. Hostages will only move if they are accompanied by a team member or a terrorist; if you see a hostage moving, you can be sure that there is a terrorist behind him! If a terrorist is guarding a hostage, you must try to kill the terrorist without harming the hostage. Vincent "Hit Man" Perelli, Assault Force Captain 1983 - 1986 "If you're in a room with a terrorist, you won't be able to move to the same side of the room as the terrorist. If a terrorist is behind a door, you won't be able to go through that door until he moves away." RESCUING THE HOSTAGES --------------------- The hostages are scattered throughout the Embassy, and can be alone or guarded by terrorists. When you meet face-to-face with a hostage, he will auto- matically follow you (as long as another hostage is not already following you). In order to secure the hostages you must move them all, one by one, to the small room in the upper right corner of the third floor (the room without any windows). Once you lead a hostage into this room, he will remain there and will not follow you out. As a Lieutenant, you will be able to locate the hostages and terrorists easily by using the clues on the mini-map. As a Captain or Commander, you will have to search each floor room by room to find all the hostages. Once you have placed hostages in the corner room on the third floor, keep an eye on the stairways -- terrorists may go after them while you are searching other floors. DON'T FORGET THAT YOU CAN CONTROL ANY (SURVIVING) TEAM MEMBER SIMPLY BY PRESSING THE KEY FOR THAT MAN -- SUCCESS DEPENDS ON YOUR ABILITY TO CO- ORDINATE THE EFFORTS OF THE ENTIRE TEAM. --=: { STAGE 4 } :=- (Actually, there is no real Stage 4 in the game, but the manual has a section entitled "Stage 4". Go figure!) THE OUTCOME ----------- When your men have secured all the hostages, or killed all the terrorists (or if all three members of your Direct Intervention Team have been wiped out), the final screen will appear. Press the fire button to get an assessment of your performance. Your mission is a success if you manage to kill all of the terrorists or regroup all of the hostages in the third-floor room, without losing any of your men.