AZTARAC ATTRACT MODE Upon power-up, the Aztarac game will pause for a second or so during the initial power-up RAM test (see below), and then enter the attract mode. The title page of the attract mode consists of a large circle with the name "Aztarac" written across it, expanding and contracting rhythmically while three groups of "electrons" whirl about it. A copyright message appears in a smaller white circle in the lower right of the display. The large circle containing the name of the game oscillates in size at a gradually increasing speed until it reaches a frantic rate, at which point it explodes. As the explosion proceeds, a moving star field begins to fade in the background. The explosion eventually scintillates away to invisibility while the star field comes up to full brightness, at which point the legend "4031 A.D." fades into view in large purple letters in the center of the screen. This then fades away, and, with the star field still moving past, a series of words begins to scroll past, saying: "A THOUSAND YEARS OF INTERSTELLAR PEACE HAS COME TO AN END." At this point, a rotating yellow starbase composed of four pulsating diamonds enters the screen from the upper right and begins to move toward the lower left. When the starbase is about a third of the way down the screen, the scrolling words continue with: "TERRAN STARBASES ARE UNDER ATTACK BY ALIEN ROBOT DRONES" -- a phalanx of pulsating green drones comes into view here -- " FROM BEYOND THE SWAN NEBULA." The green drones eventually exit the screen to the lower left and the scrolling words sum up with: "YOUR MISSION AS STARSHIP COMMANDER IS:", and as these letters scroll off the top of the screen, the phrase "DEFEND THE STARBASES!" is hammered out, teletype-style, in flashing letters at screen center. Once this phrase has been typed out, it remains in place for a short time, flashing brightly in letters that grow and shrink in sync with their color pulsation's, to emphasize to the viewer that this is the object of the game. Now the display changes to a "condensing" starbase in preparation for a short sample of game play action. The player's ship is shown coming out of the center of the starbase and attacking a phalanx of drone ships toward the upper right. The phalanx is moving toward the starbase, and the player's ship is unable to destroy them all before some of them reach it, so one of the player's starbase "lobes" is destroyed, along with the remaining members of the phalanx. Then the player's ship moves off toward the lower left to successfully intercept and destroy another phalanx, then to the upper left with the same result, and finally to the lower right with the same result once again. It then moves back into the center of the starbase and point values of 1000, 2500, and 5000 are shown for each of the three remaining starbase lobes, respectively. The effect of this sample play action sequence is to demonstrate most of the elementary aspects of the game: the smooth, fluid motion of the player's ship; the ability to rotate and shoot the laser in any direction, independent of the direction of motion of the ship; the fact that enemy ships move toward the base at all times, and that points are lost by allowing them to reach it; the fact that the enemy ships will shoot back under certain circumstances (it is left to the player to figure out what these circumstances are); and the necessity of returning to the center of the base when all enemy ships are gone in order to collect bonus points for each of the base lobes saved. Demonstrations of the radar and the use of pods are omitted, since these are intended to be of interest only to the more advanced player. Now the screen displays the high-score page, showing the top three players' initials and scores under little "medallions" labeled GOLD, SILVER, and BRONZE. Large pulsating letters proclaim that these are the "ALL TIME CHAMPIONS", while three sets of arcs spin rapidly about the rim of the display, the medallions resonate, and the players' initials rhythmically throb. After several seconds of this, the display returns to the title page and the cycle repeats. Throughout the above, the score(s) achieved in the preceding game (or, 0, at power-up) continue to be displayed in the upper left corner of the screen, and the previous power and energy indicators remain in view at the lower left and right, respectively. Either "INSERT COIN" or "FREE PLAY" appears in the upper right corner, depending on whether or not the game has been placed in free-play mode. At any time during the attract mode, an onlooker may hit the radar button to move directly to the high-score page, or may pull the joystick trigger to move directly to the point at which "DEFEND THE STARBASES" is hammered out. GAME PLAY When a game credit is present and no game is currently underway, the display will show the words "WELCOME ABOARD COMMANDER" in flashing shifting red/purple colors, along with a flashing red/yellow "PRESS START ONE" message. If more than one credit is present, the additional words "OR START TWO" will flash beneath this. When the player presses START ONE, the unit displays a flashing ATTENTION ALL UNITS message, and, after a second or two of this, "STARBASE CAPRICORN UNDER ATTACK" appears, to the accompaniment of frantic-beeping at various pitches. Then the display shows Starbase Capricorn "condensing" and the play begins. The object of the game is simply to "defend the starbases", i.e., to prevent any of the alien robot drone ships from making contact with any of the starbase "lobes" (each of the four sections of a starbase is called a "lobe"). To accomplish this, the player may destroy the drones by shooting them or colliding with them, or he may find that certain drones cannot harm the starbase and may be let go. The play centers around preservation of the starbases, terminating when all four lobes of a given starbase are captured, so the player has unlimited "lives" and may allow his ship to be destroyed as much as he likes, as long as he preserves at least one base lobe under each "sign" or zone. Points are awarded for each drone ship destroyed (see below for specific point values). Bonus points are also given for each base lobe left once all enemy ships are gone. The "Condition" field appearing at the upper right of the display indicates both whether or not any enemy ships remain and whether, if any do remain, they constitute a threat to the player's survival. Condition RED indicates that enemy ships exist and that the number of remaining phalanxes of them is sufficient to destroy all of the player's remaining base lobes if they are left unmolested. Condition YELLOW indicates that drone ships exist but that the number of phalanxes of them is less than the number of remaining base lobes, so that the player need not fear losing the game on the current round but may still destroy drone ships for more points if he so desires. Condition GREEN indicates that no more enemy ships exist -- from the moment when this condition goes into effect, the player has about 20 seconds to get back to the center of the starbase to collect his bonus points. 1000 points are awarded for the first base lobe preserved, 2500 for the second, and 5000 for the third. If all four lobes are preserved at a given stage, 20000 bonus points are awarded, along with a bonus power pod and a bonus energy pod, and the player skips a stage. This gives intermediate and advanced players both the incentive and the means to play quickly through the signs they have already mastered. Each starbase up until Starbase Virgo has either a power pod or an energy pod orbiting it. These may be picked up by running the ship across them at any time. Picking up a power pod increases the speed of the player's ship, while picking up an energy pod increases the rate at which it fires when the trigger is held on. Experienced players will always want to pick up these pods, since they hold the key to penetration of the later stages. Inexperienced players will ordinarily not pick them up, either because they cannot find them (the use of the radar is almost indispensable to this) or because they cannot yet handle the increased speed conferred by the power pods (the energy pods are always desirable, independent of skill level). The radar may be used at any time to see over long distances. It works like a conventional WW2 radar, sweeping around in a circle and blipping at the appropriate distance from the center each time the beam sweeps across something. The rate of rotation of the radar beam is a function of the sign the player is under -- in Capricorn and Aquarius the beam is at it's slowest; for Pisces, Aries, and Taurus it speeds up a little; in Gemini, Cancer, and Leo it is faster yet, and so on. Each time the player activates the radar the beam flips its direction of rotation -- this feature allows the beam to be swept back and forth rapidly over an object of interest as the player approaches it, so that when he gets close enough to it to see it directly he will be in position to deal with it appropriately. Everything except the stars show up in the radar: the starbase lobes, the pods, and all enemy phalanxes. Turning on the radar interferes with neither moving nor shooting (for both the player and the drones!). There are six different kinds of drone ships altogether, and ten basic phalanx formation shapes. Under the first sign, Capricorn, only the simplest of each appears, the so-called "Dumb" drone ships, in the "Very Small Rectangle" formation. Only four such phalanxes appear, and they all move in very slowly from initial positions very close to the starbase, making this starbase a very easy one to defend. One additional drone ship type and one additional phalanx formation type, more or less, is added in each subsequent sign, and the number and speeds of the phalanxes also increase gradually as the signs progress. The six drone ship types are as follows: l. Type: Dumb Visual: Triangular, pulsating green (green radar blip) Arms: Ordinary projectiles, slow Tracking: Barrel straight forward no response to player Points: 20 2. Type: Rocket Visual: Pentagonal, undulating orange (orange radar blip) Arms: Ordinary projectiles, medium speed Tracking: Forward 160 degrees, slow response Points: 35 3. Type: Nasty Visual: Octagonal, rotating blue/red (purple radar blip) Arms: Ordinary projectiles, fast Tracking: Full 360 degrees, fast response Points: 60 4. Type: Dumb Class II Visual: Triangular, pulsating purple (blue radar blip) Arms: Smart projectiles, slow Tracking: Barrel straight forward, no response to player Points: 25 5. Type: Rocket Class II Visual: Pentagonal, sparkling yellow (yellow radar blip) Arms: Smart projectiles, medium speed Tracking: Forward 160 degrees, fast response Points: 40 6. Type: Nasty Class II Visual: Octagonal, whirling yellow/blue (white radar blip) Arms: Smart projectiles, fast Tracking: Full 360 degrees, instantaneous response Points: 80 The nine phalanx types are as follows: l. Very Small Rectangle, 3x4 2. Small Rectangle, 3x6 3. Rectangle, 4x8 4. Very Small Delta, a triangular formation with 10 ships in a bowling-pin-type pattern 5. Small Delta, like Very-Small Delta except with a fifth row of 5 ships 6. Delta, a large V-shaped formation containing 30 ships 7. Glob, a 6x6 formation with missing corners 8. Glob Escort, 8 ships in a large circle 9. Dagger, a dagger-shaped formation of 32 ships 10. Dagger Kicker, a 2x4 rectangular kicker on the Dagger The distribution of phalanxes by sign, then, is as follows: 1. Capricorn 4 Very Small Rectangles of Dumb ships 2. Aquarius 2 Very Small Rectangles of Dumb ships 1 Very Small Delta of Dumb ships 2 Very Small Deltas of Rocket ships 3. Pisces 1 Small Rectangle of Dumb ships 1 Very Small Delta of Rocket ships 1 Very Small Rectangle of Rocket ships 1 Small Rectangle of Rocket ships 1 Very Small Delta of Nasty ships 4. Aries 1 Small Delta of Dumb ships 1 Small Rectangle of Rocket ships 2 Small Deltas of Rocket ships 2 Very Small Deltas of Nasty ships 5. Taurus 1 Small Rectangle of Dumb ships 1 Glob of Dumb ships, escorted by 1 Glob Escort of Nasty ships 1 Small Rectangle of Rocket ships 1 Small Delta of Rocket ships 1 Small Rectangle of Nasty ships 1 Sma11 Rectangle of Class II Dumb ships 6. Gemini 1 Dagger of Dumb ships 1 Dagger of Rocket ships 1 Glob of Rocket ships, escorted by 1 Glob Escort of Nasty ships 1 Dagger of Nasty ships 1 Small Rectangle of Class II Dumb ships 1 Glob of Class II Dumb ships 1 Small Rectangle of Class II Rocket ships 7.Cancer 1 Dagger of Dumb ships, with 1 Dagger Kicker of Class II Nasty ships 1 Rectangle of Rocket ships 1 Rectangle of Nasty ships 1 Very Small Delta of Nasty ships, escorted by 1 Glob Escort of Class II Rocket ships 1 Dagger of Class II Dumb ships 1 Small Delta of Class II Nasty ships 8. Leo 1 Delta of Dumb ships 1 Delta of Rocket ships 2 Deltas of Nasty ships 1 Delta of Class II Dumb ships 1 Delta of Class II Rocket ships 2 Deltas of Class II Nasty ships 9. Virgo 1 Rectangle of Dumb Ships 1 Delta of Dumb ships 1 Dagger of Rocket ships 1 Delta of Rocket ships, combined with 1 Small Delta of Class II Nasty ships 1 Very Small Rectangle of Nasty ships 1 Rectangle of Class II Dumb ships 1 Dagger of Class II Rocket ships, with 1 Dagger Kicker of Nasty ships 1 Dagger of Class II Nasty ships 10. Libra 9 Globs of Nasty ships (all in a row!) 11. Scorpio 1 Very Small Rectangle of Dumb ships 1 Very Small Rectangle of Rocket ships 1 Rectangle of Nasty ships 1 Delta of Nasty ships, combined with 1 Small Delta of Class II Nasty ships 1 Delta of Class II Dumb ships 1 Dagger of Class II Dumb ships 1 Glob of Class II Rocket ships 1 Dagger of Class II Rocket ships 1 Rectangle of Class II Nasty ships 12. Sagittarius 1 Rectangle of Dumb ships 1 Glob of Dumb ships, escorted by 1 Glob Escort of Class II Nasty ships 1 Dagger of Rocket ships, with 1 Dagger Kicker of Class II Nasty ships 1 Delta of Nasty ships, combined with 1 Small Delta of Class II Nasty ships 1 Delta of Class II Rocket ships, combined with 1 Small Delta of Nasty ships 1 Dagger of Class II Nasty ships