3D Star Fighter Pilot Demo Manual
Created by Alan Barton
Date : 10th December 2001

Introduction:
Before I go into the details of how to play 3D Star Fighter Pilot, I just want to briefly explain what the game is, and what it is not.

3D Star Fighter Pilot is an arcade game, but it is not a space flight sim style game and it does not try to be. What the game tries (and I hope succeeds?) to be, is a good fun arcade game, people can (I hope), play many times, over and over again, and each time the game is played, it will play slightly differently. I really like the early 1980s style arcade shoot-em-up games. So 3D Star Fighter Pilot (I will call it SFP from now on), does aim to be an arcade game, in many ways, still like the early 1980s games. But the enemies in SFP replace the preset flight patterns of those early games, with a more complex form of AI which adapts to the player's actions, and the movements of the other enemies. (It uses flocking behaviour AI). So every game will play slightly differently. In a sense, its like the idea of AI Bots in all the modern first person shoot-em-ups, but in this case, its a space arcade game.

Anyway, that's my introduction. :)

How To Play:
The game is played by duelling with one or more enemies at a time, until you can complete a sector of space, (one level). There are 31 sectors in the full game, but the test demo only has one small test sector with 8 enemies in it, of three different types. (There are 21 types (or species) of enemy fighters (and creatures), and hundreds of enemies in total to fight in the full game). The full game starts at sector 30 which is the outer limits of the enemy teritory. You will need to fight your way to sector zero, which is the home of the enemy.

Please note, the full game comes with a full manual detailing all aspects of the game.

Controls and Control Options:
The game is controlled by the on screen menu until you get into the flying around main part of the game, then its controlled from the keys at the bottom of the Palm. The controls used can be found in the Config screen, when you then enter the Config Keys screen.

You can change a key (on the Config Keys screen) by pressing one of the on screen 'action' buttons on the left hand side of the screen. When one of these 'action' buttons is selected, you can then press the key you want at the bottom of your Palm. (Also, when one of the action buttons is highlighted, the six letters at the top of the screen (drawn in the layout of the keys at the bottom of the Palm), change into buttons. So you can alternatively select one of these on screen buttons, (if you prefer this method of selecting which key on the Palm controls which action). When you change an action key which was already used on another action button, then this key letter is removed from the old action and a cross is put in its place to remind you that this action also needs to be setup. The OK button will only appear with all actions are setup. (So if any action has a cross by it, the OK button vanishes until all these crosses are changed to key letters). If you press the Cancel button at any time, this will restore all your old key layout as if you had not entered the Config Keys screen.

Please note, the menu button in the flying around main part of the game acts as a pause game button and allows you to go back to the Start screen to see the Config screen or the Highscore screen or even just start a new game. Also, when you are part way through a game, another button will appear on the Start screen which is Continue Game, which is how you get back into your existing game.

The game also provides you with a choice of three different control methods for controlling the forward and reverse velocity of your spacecraft. The control options can be altered at any time in the game by entering the Config screen. The option is the Control: popup list. The three popup options in the list are as follows, (Standard, Linear and Decay). Each option only affects the way forward / backward key presses control the speed (rocket power output?) of the spacecraft.

Standard option:This is the simplest to use control method of forward or backwards key presses control movement and the spacecraft comes to rest as soon as you release the keys. (This control option is designed for the beginner to use, as it's very easy to bring the spacecraft under control simply by releasing the controls and letting it stop moving).

Linear option:
This allows forward/backward keys to increase or decrease the current speed of the spacecraft. This method does give a greater degree of control over the spacecraft speed. This option also allows a hands free way of maintaining a certain speed. (This option is intended for more experienced players to use, but beginners can give it a try, if they wish?).

Decay option:
This option is like a cross between the Standard method and the Linear method. The decay option allows you to tap the reverse direction of the forward/backward keys you were pressing and the spacecraft will switch to a 'velocity decay', which brings the spacecraft to a stop automatically. When the key direction is reversed, if you wish to make this a permanent direction change, then double tap in that direction. Also, speeding up is as easy as the Linear option, as its just pressing forward quickly again. But slowing down (but not stopping), requires you to "catch" the speed you want, as the spacecraft slows down. This is done by pressing the forward key at the correct time as it slows down. The Linear method is probably the easier method to use, its just the Decay method is easier to stop the spacecraft moving if you prefer to play the game this way?. (This option is intended for more experienced players, but again, beginners are welcome to try it, if they wish?).

PalmGamePad Support:
3D Star Fighter Pilot has built in, direct support for the PalmGamePad. All you need to use it, is have your normal two programs installed on the Palm. (These programs are currently called GamePad.prc and GamePadDriver.prc. These programs come with your PalmGamePad). The controls are set as follows (and cannot be redefined).
Pad Up = Forwards
Pad Down = Backwards
Pad Left = Left rotation
Pad Right = Right rotation
Pad any other buttons = Fire button

If you do not own a PalmGamePad, but would be interested in finding out more about them, their web site is as follows, www.palmgamepad.com

Weapon Introduction:
Your spacecraft can hold two weapons at once. Its primary weapon and the secondary weapon. You start the game with only the secondary weapon. This is a some what weak and mainly defensive weapon, which you carry mainly just for emergencies, when the primary weapon runs out of ammunition (ammo). The primary weapon can be upgraded, but the secondary weapon cannot, but you can (and need to) still add to its ammo supply. When you have any primary weapon ammo, then the fire button will shoot this weapon until you run out. (You will not be able to use the secondary weapon until you run out of primary ammo). (Also, all total ammo allowed to be held at once is limited to a maximum of 99 shots).

Please note that to be successful in the game, you will need to seek out and use some of the primary weapons against the enemies as just relying on the secondary weapon is difficult. (The secondary is only really for emergencies when you run out of primary ammo).

The primary weapon is upgraded by flying over a pickup. The pickups are (purple) pulsating/flashing circles with things inside them. The way the pickups work, is if you fly over the same type of primary weapon pickup twice, then the second time onwards, it will add to your ammo supply. But, if you were to fly over a different weapon to the current type of primary weapon, then you loose your old primary weapon and all its accumulated ammo.

Also, some types of the enemies can pickup your pickups and use them against you. :) (So you have a choice, loose your current weapon and all its ammo, or risk leaving a good pickup for one of the enemies to maybe find and use against you. :)

Also, all enemies can take the health pickups, to help restore their own health level. The health pickup is the white cross in the (purple) pulsating/flashing circle.

Also, even if an enemy does not take a pickup, when it flies over the pickup, it can knock it off into space and you loose it. Some fast enemies can hit the pickups so hard and fast that you cannot catch the pickup.

Weapon Types and how to uses them:
There are four types of weapons in the demo, out of seven weapon types in the full game. The demo has the secondary weapon and three primary weapons. The secondary weapon and two of the primary weapons are mostly obvious. The wide (and if you have a colour machine, its green) weapon (looks like a wide arrow head), is the weaker of the two normal acting primary weapons. The narrow pointed (and red coloured) weapon is faster, carries more mass (so it knocks the enemies away more), and its more destructive.

The 3rd primary weapon type in the demo, is the charge up sort. Once you have the weapon, just hold down fire and it builds up energy. When this is fully charged, its very powerful, at least against the weaker enemies in the demo, but it means you cannot fight back while charging it. (Its the meteor shaped weapon in the pickup circle).

The small fire ball in the pulsating/flashing pickup is the secondary weapon ammo. Picking it up, does not affect the current primary weapon.

Miscellaneous Information:
Difficulty setting. Please note, the demo version of the game only has one preset difficulty setting. (Which has been set at an easy setting to allow everyone to see more of the demo. There are 5 difficulty settings in the full game).

Enemy spacecraft. The enemies in the demo are some of the more obvious and easier ones to learn to defeat, so I don't think I need to explain them?. And anyway, its more fun meeting new alien fighters for the first time. :)

Automatic game save feature. The game will automatically save your current position in the game as you exit the game. The auto-save game feature saves everything about your current game and even saves what screen you are on in the Start menu screens.

HotSync. Please note, you cannot use HotSync while in the game. If you wish to HotSync information to and from your Palm while in the game, simply exit the game (and it will automatically save its current position in the game), then once outside the game, you are free to use HotSync in the normal way.

Support Information:
If you have any questions or technical problems (or if you find any bugs?), then the 3DAGames support help page can be found at : www.3dagames.com/support/index.html

Alternatively, if you would prefer, you can email the 3DAGames support help line at : support@3dagames.com

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