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Xcel
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Document created by [email protected] on 2nd Jan 00 for
World of Spectrum: http://www.void.demon.nl/spectrum.html

Program Techniques Xcel
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Defy The Legend! - 48K ZX Spectrum
Distributed by Activision (U.K.) Ltd.
Manufactured in the U.K.

As the eons of time went past, all the knowledge that man had striven to gain
was lost, as the generations went past, only some lonely memories remained,
as Earth slowly returned back to its chaotic, almost twentieth century
values.
Some remembered the Nu-Earth colonies, others the great communication
networks, and some could even remember the great space liners. But all this
and more was gone. Leaving decaying societies, smashed computers, and silent
liners.
Very few remembered the once great pride of Mankind, a series of thirty
planets that protected their creators, named Sentinel Planets, they kept a
secure balance in the galaxy.
Over the years through, as their automated systems ran, their programs and
knowledge grew, until they gained a kind of consciousness. Internal damage
occurred, and the very computers that once protected and served Mankind,
acquired a taste for POWER. So the tide turned, and Mankind floundered,
failing to see the slow changes around it, depending too much on the
Sentinels for everything.
This is as it is now, a dormant society, tailor made to serve the very
machines they had created, in a dismal, almost religious, ritual of life.
The Sentinels are protected by various defence systems, very few details are
known, but terrible names, that strike fear, even into the bravest, are
heard in whispers, as people tell hearsay about the torments they deliver.
It is said that those that came first are the evil Tri-syncs who will relish
in devious suicide attacks, and weave strange shapes, others are never seen
by the living, like the tarrible bit-fighters, the Mirobs, and, worst of all,
the Iratas.
You, are not of this way, realising the enormity of the Sentinels' power you
steal an alien space ship of the Oceania Museum of Technology, having only a
few brief hours to convert the vessel's computers over to English, you set
out to track down and destroy all thirty Sentinel Planets.

Program Techniques Xcel
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To play Xcel, you may use any one of the following interfaces:
* ZX-Interface 2
* Cursor Joystick
* Kempston Joystick
* Keyboard
The main screen of the game displays the current planet revolving below you,
and around, on the ship's control panel, various "icons", which depict the
functions of the alien craft. These are called by pressing the appropriate
keys around the keyboard. The position of the "icons" roughly translates to
the position of the key you have to press.

The keys are: [Q] - Computer 1
[A] - Computer 2
[Caps Shift] - Status
[Z] - Map
[P] - Remote probe launch
[Enter] - Hyperspace
[Space] - Communication
[Symbol shift] - TV

To hold the game, press either Computer 1, or the "H" key.
When using the map, help, or Computer 2, the joystick changes your options,
fire to exit.
If an option is flashing, then the computer is indicating that it wants you
to call that option. For instance, if the communication square is flashing
then you have a communication which you have not yet read.
Computer 1 is your game control computer, it can provide help on any of the
options, save a current game to cassette or load a previous one.
Computer 2 is the alien library computer, it holds information about the
various planets you have been to.
The status option lets you know your current hit/miss ratio persentage and
your shield power. Score is based on a combination of your hit/miss
percentage and how many Sentinel Bases you have destroyed.
The map option allows you to roam around any one of the three hundred playing
areas in the game. Use the joystick to select the system number and the
planet in it, fire will exit.
Remote probe launch releases one of your five shuttles for an attack run on
the planet surface. You can shoot all the objects, except for the "trees",
your objective is just to get through. If there is a Sentinel Base on the
planet you will see it explode at the end of the playing area. If your
shuttle touches anything, it will be destroyed.
Hyperspace takes you from one planet to another.
The communication option will display any current communications you have.
The display option brings you back to the revolving world and information
screen, which although in alien, actually tells you about the planet below
you.
(c) 1985 Program Techniques. All rights reserved.