PLATOON You are a raw young recruit in a Platoon of five, deep in enemy territory. Unprepared for the challenges that lie ahead, realisation dawns that you must not only survive the physical ordeals but retain your sanity amidst the horrors and injustices of war. As the game progresses, you must overcome the hostilities in the different environments presented to you and ultimately survive with your sanity and morale intact. There are six sections in this experience, each presenting you with a more arduous problem. There will be casualties, as in any war, but the first casualty of that naive young soldier will be his innocence. CASSETTE 1. Place the cassette in your recorder, ensuring that it is fully rewound. 2. Ensure that the MIC socket is disconnected and that the volume and tone controls are set to the appropriate levels. 3. If the computer is a Spectrum 48K or Spectrum+ then load as follows. Type LOAD""(ENTER). Note there is no space between the two quotes. The " is obtained by pressing the SYMBOL SHIFT and P keys simultaneously. 4. Press PLAY on your recorder and the game will load automatically. If you have any problems try adjusting the volume and tone controls and consulting Chapter 6 of the Spectrum manual. 5. If the computer is a Spectrum 128K then follow the loading instructions on-screen or in the accompanying manual. NOTE 48K ONLY Due to the enormous amount of code involved in Platoon the game loads in 3 parts which are played consecutively. (You will only be able to load the next section upon completion of your current one.) The game sections are as follows: Load 1 - Jungle 1 and Village Load 2 - Tunnel Network and Bunker Load 3 - Jungle 2 and Foxhole Side A of the tape includes common data which is loaded into memory and then loads 1, 2 and 3 successively on top of the data. Should you lose (on sections 2 or 3) and have to restart it is not necessary to load in the common data again; just turn over the tape to Side B and load in the first section (to do this rewind Side B and load in sections as before). [This information is also carried in the on-screen prompts, which should be followed at all times.] NOTE: 128K loads the complete game from Side A only. SPECTRUM +3 Set up system and switch on as described in your instruction manual. Insert disk and press ENTER to choose 'LOADER' option. This program will then load automatically. GENERAL CONTROLS Compatible with Kempston, Sinclair and Cursor joysticks. Usual joystick options for UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT and FIRE. NOTE: The key for throwing grenades is redefinable for both joystick and keyboard options. In stages 1 and 2 only, the key for calling up the status panel is also redefinable as above. SECTION 1 AND 2: JUNGLE AND VILLAGE You must lead your Platoon deep into the depths of the Vietnamese jungle and ultimately the village. Once there, you will search the huts for useful objects and ultimately find a trap door in one of the huts that will lead you to an underground network of tunnels. The jungle contains many perils, such as armed patrols, booby trapped trip wires, assassins in trees and concealed "hides" where deadly snipers lie in wait. During your trek stay vigilant for a box of explosives left by a previous platoon, as this must be collected before reaching the bridge, which must be blown up to prevent a large patrol following your platoon (and effectively wiping you all out). To destroy the bridge you must have the aforementioned TNT. When you cross it the explosive will be automatically planted. Food, ammunition and medical supplies left by enemy guerillas can be picked up and used. For best results, spread supplies equally between the soldiers in your Platoon. List of objectives in this section: 1. Find explosives. 2. Find bridge. 3. Place explosives on bridge. 4. Find village. 5. Search huts for a torch and map. 6. Find trap door. CONTROLS You control one man at a time using your joystick. UP - JUMP/WALK UP/ENTER HUT/EXAMINE OBJECT LEFT - WALK LEFT RIGHT - WALK RIGHT DOWN - DUCK/WALK DOWN/LEAVE HUT FIRE - SHOOT SPACE - THROW GRENADE NOTE: Whether you jump or walk up when pressing UP on the joystick is determined by whether there is an exit above you or not. The same rule applies for pressing down. The EXAMINE OBJECT facility is only available when inside a hut and in front of the required object. STATUS AND SCORING MORALE: This is a collective indication as to the state of your Platoon. Morale decreases every time one of your platoon is wounded and when an unarmed Vietnamese villager is shot. When the morale is at zero then your platoon is considered inactive and the game is over. Morale can be increased by collecting food and medical supplies. HITS: Every time one of the platoon is wounded, he will collect a HIT. When he as collected four HITS then he will die, signified on the status panel as "retired in action". When all five members of the platoon are dead, the game is over. AMMUNITION: Number of grenades left, and rounds of ammunition left. These can be increased by collecting ammunition left around. SCORE: This is increased by removing enemy soldiers, collecting useful objects and destroying the bridge as well as any traps. A large bonus is obtained when this section is completed, depending on the number of active members of the platoon left. HINTS AND TIPS * Watch out for the enemy jumping out of the trees above you, or appearing out of trapped doors near your feet - a well placed grenade will destroy the latter. * When a member of your platoon is seriously injured (i.e. two or more hits), transfer control to another soldier to ensure as many as possible of your platoon survive. * When you are about to pick up food or medical supplies, transfer to the member of your platoon most in need of them. * It is recommended that you map out this section in order to complete it. SECTION 3: TUNNEL NEWORK Leaving the rest of the platoon in the village, you volunteer to go down the trap door, whereupon you find yourself in an underground tunnel system. You already have a torch and a map to enable you to find your way around, as shown on the right hand side of the screen, and your position is indicated by an arrow pointing in the direction you are facing. Beware - the tunnels are densely populated with guerillas who must be shot on sight. They usually appear from around the corners, but some of them have a sneaky habit of swimming through the waters of the tunnel and springing up in front of you...and that knife isn't for decoration! The tunnel also contains a number of rooms in which you may find valuable items, such as Red Cross boxes (to heal one of your "HITS") and ammunition. It is also essential that you find two boxes of flares and a compass for the next section (when you enter a room you may be confronted by a guerilla, or one of the boxes may be booby-trapped). CONTROLS You control your movements and that of the crosshair (gunsight) with your joystick. There are three control modes: UP - (A) Walk forward/(B & C) Move crosshair up LEFT - (A) Rotate left/(B & C) Move crosshair left RIGHT - (A) Rotate right/(B & C) Move crosshair right DOWN - (B & C) Move crosshair down FIRE - (A & B) Shoot/(C) Examine object CONTROL MODE A Moving through the tunnels. When an enemy soldier appears, control changes to Mode B. CONTROL MODE B Moving the crosshair in the tunnels. Move it over your target and press FIRE. If you score a hit, control will revert back to Mode A. CONTROL MODE C When you enter a room, move the crosshair and press FIRE to examine objects. If needed they are automatically taken. To leave the room, press FIRE with the crosshair over the exit icon (bottom right). STATUS AND SCORING MORALE: This is a collective indication as to the state of your Platoon. Morale decreases every time you are wounded. When the morale is at zero, then your platoon is considered inactive and the game is over. Morale can be increased by collecting food and medical supplies. HITS: Every time you are wounded you will collect a HIT. When you have collected four HITS then you will die, and the game is over. AMMUNITION: Rounds of ammunition left. SCORE: This is increased with every successful encounter with Viet Cong, upon finding useful objects and finding the exit. HINTS AND TIPS * There are no villages in this section so everyone is assumed to be an enemy. * Search all rooms and remember where booby-trapped boxes are. SECTION 4: THE BUNKER Upon finding the exit in the tunnel system you find yourself in a foxhole. Night has fallen. You are tired and doubtful of the terrain and position of the enemy, so you decide to rest in the foxhole until confirmation comes through from base camp. Unfortunately, a group of guerillas suspect your location and will have no hesitation in attacking. You have your machine gun and a supply of flares to light up the night sky in order to see the enemy silhouetted against the horizon, but be prudent - supplies are limited, as is the time of illumination. You must ensure that you do shoot each man you see, as your own muzzle flash will give away your position and anyone who is left standing will find it easy to locate and kill you. CONTROLS The joystick moves the gunsight. A flare is released by placing the gun sight over the flare gun (bottom right) and pressing FIRE. UP - MOVE CROSSHAIR UP DOWN - MOVE CROSSHAIR DOWN LEFT - MOVE CROSSHAIR LEFT RIGHT - MOVE CROSSHAIR RIGHT FIRE - SHOOT STATUS AND SCORING MORALE: This is a collective indication as to the state of your platoon. Morale decreases every time you are wounded. When the morale is at zero, then your platoon is considered inactive and the game is over. HITS: Every time you are wounded, you will collect a HIT. When you have collected four HITS then you will die, and the game is over. AMMUNITION: Rounds of ammunition left. Number of flares left. SCORE: Your score is increased by shooting attackers. HINTS AND TIPS * Shoot attackers immediately. * Conserve ammunition and flares by sending flares up regularly and removing each attacker with a short, well placed burst of gun fire - not a long, inaccurate barrage. SECTION 5: THE JUNGLE Having survived a harrowing and sleepless night, you go in search of Sergeant Elias - your platoon leader. However, you meet Sergeant Barnes who informs you that Elias is dead, killed in combat. Shortly after however, you see from a distance that Elias is in fact alive and being relentlessly pursued by guerillas. In front of your very eyes you see your Sergeant mowed down in a hail of gun fire and at that moment a little bit more of your innocence and sanity is eroded. Pondering on the information given to you by Sergeant Barnes you realise that in fact he is indirectly responsible for the death of Elias by not aiding him. Before you can collect your thoughts more thoroughly you hear a crackle come over the radio - a transmission from the General. An air strike is planned for precisely 10:00 hours. That means that the section of the jungle you are in is to be napalmed in two minutes, as it is crawling with guerillas. That just about gives you time to reach a safe area, and take cover from the airborne onslaught. You have been given the compass bearings of a particular safe area and you must make your way there immediately. GAME PLAY The compass (top right) indicates the direction that you are facing. Always head in a northerly direction. Each screen depicts a view of a portion of the jungle you are in. Run to the top of each area, avoiding the Viet Cong fire, snipers and any other hazards, such as barbed wire and half buried mines. There are several routes through the jungle; some will enable you to make your destination in time, while others will not. CONTROLS Using the joystick move your man around the obstacles, avoiding enemy fire. Take a left or right turn at the top of each area. LEFT - MOVE LEFT RIGHT - MOVE RIGHT UP - MOVE UP THE SCREEN DOWN - MOVE BACK DOWN THE SCREEN FIRE - SHOOT HINTS AND TIPS * Find out which is the quickest route and use it every time. Keep moving, as enemy fire is directed straight at you. * In order to make good time certain screens will have to be rushed. Other, more difficult screens, may be negotiated after you have cleared the way of all visible attackers. SECTION 6: THE FOXHOLE Having reached the area you were told was safe, you find that Sergeant Barnes is in a foxhole. He realised your suspicions about him and Sergeant Elias, and sees this as an ideal opportunity to eliminate you without witnesses or any other evidence. Ensconced in his foxhole, he fires his machine gun and throws grenades at you. With the air strike imminent and vengeance for the unfortunate Sergeant Elias playing on your mind you realise there is only one sensible course of action. You must remove Barnes from the bunker in order to avoid the napalm. The cover that is afforded Barnes makes machine gun fire rather ineffective, leaving you with the only option of a frontal assault with your grenades. You must, in fact, score five direct hits with your grenades into the foxhole. You will find the box of grenades at the start of the screen and these must be picked up immediately. CONTROLS LEFT - MOVE LEFT RIGHT - MOVE RIGHT UP - MOVE UP SCREEN DOWN - MOVE BACK DOWN THE SCREEN FIRE - THROW GRENADE STATUS AND SCORING Your score is increased with each successful hit on Barnes' foxhole, and with his final destruction should you last that long! HINTS AND TIPS * Keep moving for reasons already discussed. * Pick up your grenades immediately. This computer game is packed with fun and excitement - many, many hours of programming work have been put in to ensure the maximum playing experience. To get the most from this title please read the instructions carefully and follow the screen prompts - that way you'll be sure that none of the action is missed! Its program code and graphic representation are the copyright of Ocean Software Limited and may not be reproduced, stored, hired or broadcast in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Ocean Software Limited. All rights reserved worldwide. This software product has been carefully developed and manufactured to the highest quality standards. Please read carefully the instructions for loading. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY IN RUNNING THE PROGRAM, AND BELIEVE THAT THE PRODUCT IS DEFECTIVE, PLEASE RETURN IT DIRECT TO: MR. YATES, OCEAN SOFTWARE LIMITED, 6 CENTRAL STREET, MANCHESTER M2 5NS. Our quality control department will test the product and supply an immediate replacement if we find a fault. If we cannot find a fault the product will be returned to you at no charge. Please note that this does not affect your statutory rights. Game Design by Ocean Software Limited. © 1988 Ocean Software Limited. © 1987 Hemdale Film Corporation. All rights reserved. TRACKS OF MY TEARS by Smokey Robinson. Licensed from B.M.G. Records (U.K.) Limited. ® Motown Record Corporation. SPECTRUM Conversion by Choice Software.