============================================================================ Fantasy Shoot-'em-up Supported by DM-System 2 for MSX2 and for fMSX ** Morning Star ** 　　　　　　　　　　　　　( Version for Evaluation ) (C) GW's-Workshop 1997 ============================================================================ Thank you for downloading our Morning Star. We would like you to go through this document before your use of this software. 0) Foreword This work was made an as aspiring work to learn about DM-SYSTEM 2, an expansion BASIC produced by GIGAMIX. Since the author is, in fact, not much bright about the inner specification of the system, there is a possibility this software includes unexpected bugs. We would solemnly beg you who downloaded and played this "Evaluation Version" to cooperate through your execution calibration and bug spotting. 1) How to Boot # Real MSX (msmsx10.lzh) Firstly, decompress the archive (which is compressed in LZH format). Run autoexec.bas which you will find as one of the originated files. You can run these files on MSX2/MSX2+ or later equipped with FM music and with VRAM 128KB or more. If you are using MSX turboR, you may execute the files in either R800 or Z80 mode. # fMSX (msfmsx10.lzh) Firstly, decompress the archive (which is compressed in LZH format). Please boot the originated file ms100.dsk by regarding it as inserted in drivea, referring to the operation procedure of your fMSX. The execution was confirmed on fMSX for Windows 1.5w02 by Tokuyama of Hokkaido University, and on fMSX-DOS 1.6b1 by Marcel de Kogel. If you find the wrong execution on any other fMSX platforms, please report to the author about "the type of your fMSX" and "malfunction symptoms" through the address noted below, however to much of your inconvenience. Also, since this software relies on DM-SYSTEM 2, some fMSX internal structure might cause a wrong execution. Please be warned prior. 2) How to Operate Use keyboard or joystick (connected to port 1, use trigger B to fire) to operate. The game starts by pressing SPACE or a trigger in opening stage. Player (you) are the knight standing on stone slab balcony in bottom of the screen. You can move him horizontally using cursor keys or joysticks. The star-shaped steel ball rotating clockwise around the player is his weapon and also a title for this software - the Morning Star. By pressing SPACE key or a trigger, the morning star would be released. The released morning star would bounce off walls and enemies, and would not stop its flight unless the player catch it. Also, the morning star held and being swung around can be used to destroy fireballs (see below) which approach the castle wall. This is the game to defend the castle by holding back the on-charging enemy battalions. There are city walls beneath the player's foot. City walls are made up by 6 blocks, with 2 points of durability each. If enemy fireballs or your morning star hits these, their durability would decrease and cracks open. If fireballs or a morning star hits into the breached walls, the castle would catch fire and thus game will be over. Needless to say, the game over also occurs when all players are lost due to enemy attacks. 3) About Enemy Characters a. Gargoyles (30 points when offshore / 100 points during attack) They look like bats at first sight, but they are gargoyles. Please assume them as they are (smile). 16 of them appear in each stages, and they primarily move by a formation of 4 files x 4 ranks, but as times passes by they will begin moving zigzag in irregular manners while discharging fireballs. Common stages will be over by annihilating these gargoyles, and bonus points will be added depending on the number of unharmed city walls. b. Fireballs (10 points) These weapons are employed by all enemies. They destroy the walls behind the player, and also burns the player himself to death of course. You can ignore fireballs which hit the walls to right and left since they would disappear leaving no effect at all. c. Crystals (300 points) Troublesome characters which would appear at probability of 1/2 whenever you kill a gargoyle in formation flight status. They themselves do not move at all. There are three kinds of crystals including Silent Crystals (green) which do nothing by their own other being obstacles, Fire Crystals (red) which repeatedly fire fireballs and Gravity Crystals which attract the morning star and change its course. You have no need to pay effort to destroy them since they will dissipate when a stage is over. d. Dragons (500 to 6000 points) Enemy bosses which appear on stage 3 and every 4 stages thereafter (like in Galaga's 'Challenging Stage's). In those Dragon stages you should fight one-on-one. While they emit fireballs in singular basis, they also fire breath to set players ablaze to death. You can defeat Dragons by hitting on their heads with your morning star 8 times in stage 3 and 16 times in following stages. After defeating a Dragon the points would be added according to the number of remaining city walls, and they will be recover fully. Dragons have three skin colors range, by this doesn't affect their nature. 4) Copyright and Conditions upon Use of this Software The author insists his copyright on the files which constitute this software, except on those necessary for DM-SYSTEM2. Also, the users of this software is obliged to bear the duty to report their reviews and bug information to the author and development staffs. We kindly request our users to give a message to the following address for at least once. Also, by denoting your e-mail address or similar destinations for contact purpose, we shall make a notice to you in times of version ups and similar occasions. Please send to; E-mail Address : ghost@nodus.ne.jp Under; Subject: morningstar If you are using our fMSX version, make sure to give us clear note about the kind of fMSX (OS environment, your machine, version and others) you rely on. 5) Condition over Distribution and Related Matters Due to the nature of this software being "Evaluation Version", please do NOT condemn the acts similar to re-distribution nor re-uploading. However, this prohibition does not apply when the author gives special permission to. [CAUTION] The author nor the distributor would take no responsibility whatsoever on any troubles which are caused due to use of this software. Please be reminded. # History Aug. 31, 1997　Revision of Evaluation Version (Ver1.01) # Dragon being displayed with wrong color is corrected. # To avoid the symptom that the player being hit repeatedly by a dragon breath, player's initial appearance position was amended. # The technique to send the morning star into enemy formation position before their appearance, which was possible in any stages other than 1st and those stages following Dragon stages was unabled. * This technique is enabled by deleting line 410 of ms.prg # Small adjustment with sounds and messages display positions. Aug. 28, 1997　Disclosure of Evaluation Version (Ver 1.0) Morning Star (Version for Net Distribution and Evaluation) ver1.01 (C) GW's-Workshop 1997 "DM-SYSTEM2" licensed to GIGAMIX "MGSDRV" licensed to Ain * English translation by Takamichi (takatemp@i.bekkoame.or.jp)