** ONSLAUGHT **
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Violence - The exertion of force so as to injure or abuse...

I have never really found any game quite like this. That word is the first
word that I have thought of that almost totally defines this game.

This documentation file will be covering the RELEASE version of Onslaught,
not the beta test mode. The easiest way to determine between the release and
the beta version is the title screen. The beta version shows (what looks
like) a cheap Degas picture of a guy entering a castle bashing a guy's head
in. The release version's title screen looks like an awesome Spectrum 512
pic showing a bunch of guys on horseback charging at you.

I. The Main Menu (has 6 options which I'll cover in outline form)

A.Start Game - Begins the game
B.Define Keys - If you lack a joystick, the keyboard is your only other
method of control. Most of you know how to work this.
C.Easy/Hard Mode - This controls the total population of the enemy in 1
square of land(on the map). Toggling this option to Easy will result in
the amount of the enemy doubling (and sometimes tripling).
D.Tutor/Assist/Human Mode - This has mainly to do with your weapon selector
bar during the "Physical confrontation" stages.
E.Music On/Off -This controls whether or not the music which is made by the
sound chips is playing (you should hear this with a Tweety Board).
F.Game Credits - I'm glad they put this option in so we could see the team
that brought us this fine game.

II.The Game

A.The Map- After hitting start, The Onslaught intermission will come on.
I could never get tired of it. The only things that are important (at this
point) on the screen at this point are things that occupy the upper 3/4ths of
the screen. They will show (on the left) a picture of You with information
about yourself. Most of these things aren't important except for your glory
(score), amount of land you occupy, etc.. In the middle of the screen will
be a large map. This game is about war and about conquering. It is your
mission in this game to Take over all the land in GARGORE (the place where
all of this wonderful game take place). You and all the land you occupy are
represented by yellow squares. Your enemies (or conquerable lands) are
represented by red squares. Water or lakes are represented by blue squares.
There are two types of green area. I believe that they are both forest
lands, except that I think there may be a possibility of the game letting you
cross through one of the parts at a certain point of the game (I haven't
gotten far enough). The Temples are represented by a square with a Red
diamond in the center (look under Mental Confrontations for an explanation of
these). The Oracle of Gargore (Important you must not be in tutor mode or
Easy mode to go here) this place gives you hints on how to play. The Oracle
is represented by a square with a Blue diamond in it. The left side of the
screen is used (after moving the cursor on it) to tell you who (and what) the
enemy army is, how many people are in it, etc... After you're done selecting
which place you want to attack then hit the button and kill em.

B.Physical Confrontations - This is the fun part,this is where you get to
kill anything that moves. Once you start attacking an enemy's land you MUST
KEEP MOVING TO THE RIGHT. DO NOT STOP RUNNING. When you first start the
stage you will see a flag that represents your CULT. What you have to do is
run to the right until you hit the flag that represents THEIR CULT. During
this section, try to pick up as many weapons as possible here (I'll explain
the weapons and different enemies at the end of the doc). Touch it and kill
the remaining troops have, have then won you the first conflict. The enemy
will then retreat to his castle. Then you mount your second front and invade
the castle. Do the exact same thing and you'll then face the Enemy's leader.
This will either be a Demon, Chief, (2 others I can't remember). This is a
Mental Confrontation.

C.Mental Confrontations - This is the odd part of the game. At the end of
the level,or if you enter A Temple you will fight a god or a demon,or chief.
However this fight takes place in your mind. On the border of the screen,
there will be a small hand (please notice which finger is raised). The
octopus thing floating is him. Nuke em'!! Move left and right and to move
the hand around the border and hit the button to shoot him. There is no need
for you to worry about where the fireballs you shoot go, as that when you hit
the button the fireballs shoot at the thing's head where it is when you hit
the button. You'll see what I mean.

D.The Bottom of the Screen - I think it's easiest to describe if I start a
the center of the bottom of the screen and work my way out. This is the best
way to do this being that both sides of the bottom are symetric to each
other.
1. The center - There are 2 guys that look like you, 1 is blue and one is
orange. The Blue one represents your mental health, the Orange one
represents your physical health. When you are hurt,the colour goes
out of the the person in the way you were hit. When your physical
energy is gone you explode,when your mental energy is gone you lose
the battle with the demon, etc.. that you were fighting. Moving
outward.. The black things with flags stuck in them. During play
you will notice these filling up with blue every now and then. When
this fills with blue it means that you've let some people by you, this
means that they can progress back behind you and fight your army. If
enough get through, then you are overrun, and you must retreat.
Moving outward.. The two battle axes, these will drip blood whenever
something happens to the enemy. In a nutshell if you blow up an enemy
with a bomb, then the axe drips blood.
...Oh Damnation,I almost forgot..

2.The Weapon selection bar is located at the bottom of the screen. You
may carry up to 8 weapons at one time and switch at your leisure (or if
Tutor or Assist mode, the computer's leisure). To activate a weapon,
select it like described in the section "Control", Or hit the " F-key"
that corresponds to it. All weapons will be described in full at the
end of the doc. Oh.. If you get a weapon that you think will serve no
purpose, then select it and then hit F10. This will jettison the
weapon out of you.

E. Control - Just standard joystick control, except when changing weapons.
If you are in control of a weapon and you would like to be in control of the
one to the left of it (on the weapon selection bar) pull down and then to the
left in one motion and Viola.. you did it. Also, to pick objects up pull
down while standing over them.

F.The Fuzzy Bits (weapons/Misc) - Alright, here we go, a list of the
weapons and what they look like, some of the monsters and characteristics,
and then a list of the scrolls, their colour, and their effects. Lastly,
some hints..

- Normal Mace (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a mace in it)
This is the typical, average weapon. You start with this.

- Destruct-O-Mace (Silver Shield with a mace in it)
This may be also titled the 1 hit mace, all you have to do is hit anything
once and poof,they're gone.

- Grenades/Bombs (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a Sphere in it)
Activating this and hitting the button throws a grenade, this will go about
2 inches the explode. Causing anything with it's explosion range to die or
explode. This can cause some nasty chain reactions.

- Mini-Crossbow (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a small pick in it)
This is a rapid fire gun that shoots small arrows. This is not a very
powerful weapon, but it's speed makes up for that.

- Heavy Crossbow (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a large pick in it)
This shoots a large arrow that is very powerful. It goes through 2
soldiers (that aren't wearing armor). This is one of the best.

- Blue Gods (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a blue head in it)
This shoots a blue head from you, it is like a homing missile. It locks in
on any enemy and goes for him. You get 4 heads per/shield. These
disappear after a certain amount of time.

- White Gods (Brownish/Orangish Shield with a white head in it)
This shoots a white head from you, it is also like a homing missile,but
after a certain period of time it stops, enlarges, screams, and sends
fireballs in 8 directions. These don't hurt you so don't worry.

The SCROLLS, purely magical objects. Very valuable however...

Green Scroll - Causes every enemy on the screen to explode.

White Scroll - Causes every enemy on the screen to freeze. Although they
can't move,they can still throw spears, etc..

Gold Scroll - Causes a white god(expanded,screamin') to appear above your
head and explode (fireballs,etc...)

Red Scroll - Restores some of your lost physical energy.

Blue Scroll - Restores some of your lost mental energy.

Black/Grey Scroll - Select this scroll and hit the button, you will lose all
your other weapons, except in return you will have 8 gold/green scrolls.

** HINTS.....


1. If your trapped between 2 soldiers running at you in opposite directions
(in front and behind) then jump over the one running at you in front then
turn around and nuke the one behind you.

2. Gargore at the time has no ruler, all the cults are fighting for control
of the land. Think before you move on the map stage. Also, if you're not
sure, wait.. It will say "Time passes in Gargore". After this, you'll see
where all the other cults are going and what they're going after. Also,
waiting restores half your physical and mental energy.

3. Become familiar with and learn to recognize the different cults' attack
styles. Watch out for the ones with the guys that just walk toward you
wearing cloaks. They are the first combustible people and will explode on
contact... with anything (ie arrows,etc..)

End........