FULL DOCUMENTATION TO RUFFIAN / XPLOSIVE SOFTWARE



XPLOSIVE SOFTWARE HAVE WON THE 1996 AWARD FOR THE WORST MANUAL!

Fuck me, these guys need an elementary course in English. I think a 7
year old can type better than this. Some of their sentences don't even
make sense! Literally!



THE PLOT

The witch doctor has sent Ruffian on a mission. He must search vast
levels for pixies trapped in carnivourous plants. Then using only
seeds collected from fruits along the way, spit the seeds at the
trapped pixies to set them free, before they are digested. When all
the pixies are saved, Ruffian must quickly find the secret exit by
following a trail of helping hands left by the pixies. To help Ruffian
on his journey, the witch doctor has left many spells and potions,
some of which are essential for Ruffian to progress.



LOADING

Switch on your Amiga and insert Ruffian disk 1 into the internal
drive. Ruffian is played with a joystick pugged into the joystick
port.

BEFORE PLAY COMMENCES

From the main intro screen, screen select with the joystick:-

OPTIONS

ENTER PASSWORD

To access later levels of the game. Each level password is given on
its completion

VIEW HIGHSCORES

For an update on the highscores

SPEED

To vary Ruffians speed, between 4 and 8 pixels per frame

INERTIA

To vary Ruffians inertia, low or normal.

HELPING HANDS

Select either on/off. Helping hands assist in either 2 ways. Moving
helping hands direct Ruffian to the last few pixies on the level. Then
stationary helping hands are placed in a trail around a level (when
all pixies are saved) to help direct REuffian to the exit.

DIFFICULTY

To alter Ruffians resistance between easy, normal and hard. Easy mode
decreases Ruffians energy by 1% per frame, with four helping hands at
the end of the level. Normal decreases energy by 2% with two helping
hands. Hard decreases energy at 4% with one helping hand.

MAIN MENU

To return to the main screen.

START

To begin the game.

JOYSTICK CONTROL

Push up to jump, or climb if on a ladder. Left/right, to move left or
right. Down, pull down then release for big jump (ater J potion picked
up), or down if on a ladder.

RUFFIANS MOST USEFUL FEATURE

To spit at any angle press and hold the fire button, move the joystick
left/rigth to position his head, then release the fire button to spit
the pip.

KEYBOARD CONTROL

To restart the game press the ESC key.

DISPLAY DURING THE GAME

The number of pips remaining is shown in the bottom left hand side of
the screen. Any number of pips can be collected, but the maximum
number displayed on screen is 99. Ruffians power level is shown at the
bottom of screen in the middle. Ruffians maximum power level is 100%.
The time remaining is shown in the bottom right hand side of the
screen. The number of lives remaining is displayed when Ruffian
explodes each time he loses a lfe. When Ruffian loses all his lives he
has 2 continues, each continue is worth 2 lives. When 9 or less pixies
remain on any one level, the number of pixies to be saved is displayed
on screen, where the last pixie was rescued before floating off the
screen.

END OF LEVEL DISPLAY

Shows fruits collected, time remaining, number of pixies saved etc.
and converts the numbers into a score when fire is pressed.

DISK ACCESS

When the pixies are saved and the exit found th elevel is completed.
When requested, place the required disk in the internal drive and
press the joystick fire button.

POTION BOTTLES

There are up to 17 different potions that can be found around a level.
Each one has a helpful effect and are as follows:

(E) Increases energy by 10% (max 100%)
(J) Allows Ruffian to do a big jump (for the whole level). Pull down
on joystick then release for a big jump. Onlyt a small part of
any level (apart from level one) can be completed without it.
(S) Increases Ruffians speed by 1 pixel per frame for the whole
level, up to eight pixels per frame.
(W) Enters whirlwind mode, where Ruffian travels at full speed
killing baddies in his path.
(P) Changes pips to more powerful spinning stars and changes the
effect on some baddies. The pip carries on through baddies to
kill others. If two big pip potions are found the pips will home
in on moving baddies.
(T) Gives one minute of extra time.
(L) Gives one extra life.
(50) Gives 50 extra pips
(10) Gives 10 extra pips.
(R) Makes Ruffian fire a spray of pips rapidly.
(Q) Quakes the screen to kill all baddies.
(N) Nukes all baddies on the screen in a brilliant flash of light.
(I) Makes Ruffian invincible for a few seconds.
(F) Freezes all baddies for a few seconds
(C) Icon brings on a flying carpet for Ruffian to fly to any part of
a level for 30 seconds or until he lands. Smiling pixie icon when
found lifts Ruffian back onto any branch he just fell or jumped
off when the stick is pushed up while falling. The exit icon if
found, takes Ruffian to the exit when all the pixies are saved.

GAME TIPS

To spit at any angle press and hold fire button, move the joystick
left/right to position his head, then release the fire button to spit
the pip.

Each level is completed in two stages:Free all the pixies within a
reasonable time limit. Then find the exit of the level within a much
shorter time limit, following a trail of helping hands left by the
pixies.

Stationary hanging monkeys when hit will fall onto seesaws below them,
springing Ruffian high into the air if he is positioned correctly on
the other side of the seesaw. This feature is needed for example to
reach the exit at the end of level 2.

Helping hands direct Ruffian to the last few pixies to be saved on any
one level, and then leave a trail to the exit.

Whenever Ruffian runs out of pips he will be given 1 pip after 3
seconds.

Levels 1&2 have no big jump (J) potion, in all other levels (except
the 2 bonus levels) you can only progress so far unless you find it.

Pixies become more difficult to hit as Ruffian progresses through the
game. To free them Ruffian must bounce pips off walls.

Docs Typed by iGGY 2ND OF JUNE 1996