How to Play PHASER PATROL STARPATH TM CORPORATION (formerly ARCADIA CORPORATION) How to Use the Starpath TM Supercharger * Set up your Atari Video Computer System (or any similar game system that takes Video Computer System game cartridges) according to manufacturer instructions. Use joystick controllers. * Make sure power switch is OFF, and insert the Starpath Supercharger with label up. Be careful not to force it or to insert it crookedly. * Connect the plug on the end of the Supercharger cable to the earphone jack of any cassette recorder/player.* (This jack may also be labeled "monitor," "mon.," "ear," or "output.") * For best results, keep the cassette player at least a few inches away from the TV set. * Turn the power switch of the game ON. The TV screen should read "REWIND TAPE, PRESS PLAY." If not, turn the power off and check to be sure the system is properly hooked up and the Supercharger is fully inserted. * Insert Side A of PHASER PATROL. Side A of the cassette is the quick load side; Side B is the standard load side. Some cassette players may not load reliably on the quick load side. If so, flip the tape over and use Side B. * If you use a large cassette deck with a phone type earphone plug you may purchase an adaptor at most electronics specialty stores. * Set volume and tone controls near high or maximum. * Press REWIND and wait until the tape stops moving. Now press PLAY. * In a few moments, you will hear the sounds of the game loading and see colored panels fill the screen. A moment later "STOP TAPE" will appear, and you'll be ready to play PHASER PATROL: If you have trouble... * If the tape player makes a screeching noise, you have not plugged the Supercharger cable into the earphone jack. * If the tape doesn't move, check the batteries in the cassette player. * Rewind the tape completely and try again. * Try Side B of the game cassette if Side A won't load properly. Set volume and tone controls at high or maximum. * Move the cassette player farther from the TV set and try again. Phaser Patrol TM Your mission: Fly your interstellar interceptor like you never flew before... because only you stand between the Dracon armada and their cruel objective. The situation: Serious trouble. The Human Federation has been caught napping. While pretending to sign a peace treaty, the devious Dracons have launched a surprise attack. And they've virtually captured the Federation's farm galaxy. Victory seems so close the Dracons can practically smell it with their hideous nostrils. One lone defender stands between them and control of the human food supply. You. About your enemy: You wouldn't want to have lunch with a Dracon. They're not nice to look at, and they're very hostile. They live by raiding peaceful planets, stealing everything they can, and taking no prisoners. To make matters worse, they are absolutely fearless. The Dracon armada: They're tough. Each Dracon fighter is armed with lethal photon torpedoes. You've got shields, but a direct hit can disable them. And a series of direct hits could reduce you to space dust. Getting started Phaser Patrol has lots of unique features, and you should get to know them before attempting to play the game. One special feature is Phaser Patrol two screens. Sector Map Screen The Sector Map enables you to warp-hop from one location in the galaxy to another. It also lets you know what to expect when you arrive in certain sectors. Call the Sector Map by switching the LEFT DIFFICULTY SWITCH to the "B" position. You'll always begin the game in an empty sector. The symbols in other sectors have various meanings. ######### #### # # ## ## # # ######## ######### ## ## #### Empty Sector Friendly Starbase #### ######## ###### ## ## #### # # # # ###### # ## # # # # # # # ## ## ## ## ######## Dracon-Occupied Sector Contents Sector Unknown Navigating Sector-To-Sector Your Long Range Scanner tells you the contents of the sectors above, below, and to the sides of your ship. Additionally, once you've visited a sector, it's current contents appear on the Sector Map for the duration of the game. Sector Map Screen * The flashing sector symbol indicates your current position. * The solid white sector symbol indicates your destination. Choose different destinations by moving the white symbol from sector to sector with your joystick. * When you're ready to warp-hop to a new sector, simply press the red button on the joystick. This engages hyperdrive and sends your ship to the sector occupied by the white symbol. * If Dracon fighters occupy the sector, you'll see the Dracon symbol appear. If you choose not to fight at this time, you can simply warp-hop to a different sector. * Some players may choose to warp-hop around the Sector Map until all sector contents are revealed. * Note that each warp-hop uses energy (more about energy depletion later). You can see how much energy any proposed warp-hop will use by consulting the computer display. Visiting a Starbase The Starbases can bail you out when you get in trouble. Starbases have reserve supplies of fuel and spare parts. When you're low on energy or damaged, simply warp-hop to a Starbase sector and wait. Soon your energy will be replenished and your damage repaired. Time for Action To get from the Sector Map to Combat Action, flip the LEFT DIFFICULTY SWITCH to the "A" position. The Instrument Panel At the bottom of the screen, in both Sector Map and Combat Action modes, is a unique computer display. This display gives you the vital information you'll need to outfight the Dracons. CONDITION ALERT RADAR SCREEN CONDITION ALERT INDICATOR SHIELD STATUS | INDICATOR | | COMPUTER STATUS | MISSION CLOCK | ######|#######|###|##############|####|###############|######## # | #======|==# S #= ====| =l|l #=========# | # # #=========# C #= # # ===l#=========# # # #=|=======# L #= ===== =l== #=========# # # #=|===|===# T #= E=8723 100 #=========# # #############|S H|E I L D S ###|D E S T|R O Y E D ############# | | | | | | | MESSAGE ENERGY | LONG RANGE | DISPLAY RESERVE | SCANNER STATUS | WARP-HOP ENERGY TORPEDO STATUS COST * Condition Alert Indicator. Keep your eye on this warning light. "Red" means Dracons in your sector. "Yellow" means you're running low on energy. "Green" means an empty sector. "Multicolor Flow" means you're in the midst of a warp-hop. * Shield Status. Advises you of the condition of your force shields. * Computer Status. Advises you of your radar map, rangefinder, and torpedo tracking condition. * Long Range Scanner Status. Advises you of your sector scan capability. * Torpedo Status. Lets you know if you can effectively fight back against the Dracons. * Radar Screen. Shows the location of Dracon attackers both in and outside your viewer. * Mission Clock. Indicates elapsed time, critical to earning a high rank upon mission completion (more on this later). * Energy Reserve. Keep your eye on your energy indicator! Run too low and you'll be unable to get to a Starbase for refueling. * Warp-Hop Energy Cost. Shows you how much energy you'll use on any proposed sector-to-sector travel. * Message Display. Gives you important messages concerning damage control, combat performances, etc. Damage Status Summary Device Green Yellow Red Shields Fully Middle Shields Operational Section Destroyed Down Computer Fully Radar Map Torpedo Operational and Tracking Rangefinder Down Down Long Range Fully Intermittent Sector Scan Scanners Operational Sector Scan Down Torpedoes Fully Won't Won't Fire Operational Explode Combat Action * Torpedo Sight. Lets you lock your phaser torpedoes on target. Fire as soon as the sight changes color and your torpedo will chase the Dracon... and destroy it. If you fire without lock-on, your chance of a hit is reduced. * Rangefinder. Advises you how far away the enemy ships are. The lower the number, the closer the attacker. Using the Controls * Joystick. Use the LEFT JOYSTICK only. Pull back, and the ship climbs. Push forward, it dives. Move left or right and the ship will too. * Color - B/W Switch. Controls the Shields. COLOR turns Shields on. B/W turns them off. * Left Difficulty Switch. Controls the screen mode. "A" gives you Combat Action. "B" gives you the Sector Map. * Right Difficulty Switch. Adjusts the challenge level before starting the game. "A" is more difficult. "B" is where you should start. * Game Reset Switch. Starts a new game at any time. * Game Select Switch. Isn't used in Phaser Patrol. Becoming a Champ Phaser Patrol rewards the player who destroys the Dracon armada quickly and efficiently. At the end of each game, you are awarded a Rank and Level. The highest ranking is Hero, Level A. The lowest is Greenhorn, Level D. In order of achievement: HERO (highest) ACE PILOT GREENHORN (lowest) Scoring is as follows: * Destroy a Dracon fighter, go up 3/8 Level. * Use 100 units of energy, lose 1/8 Level. * Use up a space/hour (one movement of the second-lowest clock indicator), lose 1/8 Level. * Destroy all the Dracons, go up 1 Rank. * Destroy all the Dracons in Difficulty "B," go up 1 Level. Conserving Energy Using the minimum amount of energy to complete your mission is the key to becoming a Hero, Level A. But every time you waste motion, you lose energy... * Fire a Torpedo. Use 15 units of energy. * Warp-Hop Between Sectors. Use up to 900 units of energy. * Get Hit by Dracon Fire. Use 100 units of energy with Shields ON, 200 units with Shields OFF. * Keep Shields On. And use energy at a faster rate. Working up to Hero, Level A * One way to earn points is to conserve energy. And a good way to conserve energy is to visit your starbases only when absolutely necessary. But be careful! When your ship is heavily damaged, you stand a much higher chance of being destroyed. * Before you warp-hop into an unknown sector, figure out your escape route. If attacked and damaged, you'll be ready to switch into Sector Map mode and retreat into a predetermined safe sector. * For top ranking, minimize the length of your "Warp-Hops." Clear out one nearby sector after another. Try to arrive near your Starbase when you anticipate the need to replenish energy. * Use your Shields only when you need them. Shields consume energy, so turn them off when no Dracon fighters are near enough to pose a threat. Combat Action Playfield * Make good use of the Rangefinder. Your Phaser Torpedoes are deadly at a longer range than the Dracon weapons. Attack them while they are still far away and you'll take fewer damaging hits. * Fire only when you're sure to score a hit. Use your Torpedo Sight to ensure that you'll get the Dracon with one shot. The Supercharger TM Game Previews To get a sneak preview of other great Starpath games, follow these simple instructions: * When loading PHASER PATROL, be sure to push the STOP button on your cassette player as soon as the TV screen fills with colored panels and the "STOP TAPE" message appears. * Don't rewind the tape. When you're ready for a preview, flick the power switch on the game system OFF, then ON again. * The TV screen should read "REWIND TAPE, PRESS PLAY" Don't rewind the tape. Simply press PLAY As soon as the "STOP TAPE" message appears, press STOP. * You'll see a "self-play" preview of one exciting Starpath' game. You can't actually play it (so don't bother pressing any more switches), but you can appreciate the great graphics and game action. * To see the next game preview, simply repeat the above instructions. When no more games appear, you have seen all the previews on your cassette. Changing Games To load another Starpath game: * Flick the power switch OFF, then ON again. * Rewind and replace the cassette with another Starpath game cassette. * Rewind the tape, then press PLAY. To Remove The Supercharger: * Turn the power switch OFF. * Gently remove the Supercharger. Limited 90 Day Warranty STARPATH SUPERCHARGER and PHASER PATROL STARPATH CORP. warrants to the original purchaser of this STARPATH product that it will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for ninety days from the date of purchase. If this product is discovered to be defective within the warranty period, return to place of purchase for replacement. This warranty is limited to electronic and mechanical parts within the product. It is not applicable to normal wear and tear and is not applicable and shall be void if the defect has arisen through, or the product shows signs of, misuse, excessive wear, modlflcabons, or tampering. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER EXPRESSED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTA- TIONS. ANY APPLICABLE IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, ARE LIMITED TO A PERIOD OF NINETY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE. STARPATH IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM BREACH OF ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES ON THIS PRODUCT Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the limitations or exclusions set forth may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. Repair Service Should your SUPERCHARGER require service after the ninety day limited warranty period, a charge of $15 will be assessed to restore it to full working condition. Send the SUPERCHARGER' unit, shipping prepaid, to: STARPATH SERVICE CENTER P.O. Box 209 Santa Clara, CA 95050. -------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------