Plazmoids! by Visionary Games
Plazmoids! v1.63
 User's Manual

Contents:

Installation
Game Concepts And Goals
Game Screen
Controls
Capturing Plazmoids
Equipment And Upgrade Bonuses
Weapons
Powerup Bonuses
Damages System
Space Bodies And Objects
Registering Game


Installation [back to contents]

Minimal requirements are:
To install the game into RAM or expansion card, use Install Tool for the following files:
Plazmoids!-1.63.prc
MathLib.prc
PlzmData.pdb
PlzmMusic.pdb
PlzmSounds.pdb

Generally it is done by double clicking on file icons.
Game Concepts And Goals [back to contents]

You are in control of a spacecraft that scours the universe for plazmoids – valuable energy resources. You goal is to gather them to your homebase which is in the bottom of the screen. To do this, you employ the use of a magnetic beam that allows you to capture and draw one or several plazmoids.
Since you are not alone in space, get ready to fight for plazmoids. Numerous enemy ships will stand on your way, each with its own features and behaviour. Some of them are able to capture plazmoids. Usually, once an enemy ship took a plazmoid, you will have to defeat it to take it back. Besides, destroying enemies reveals various kinds of bonuses.
You have to refuel at the homebase from time to time. Fuel consumption depends on your speed: the faster you thrust, the quicker you burn fuel.
Your homebase is everything to you - it is your fortress, your fuel station, the place where plazmoids are stored, and, finally, it is the only safe place where you cannot be attacked (nor can you attack anyone though). Use the base to take a rest and plot your next move.
To complete a sector (game level) you must collect and deliver to the homebase all the plazmoids on screen. You score in the end of each sector, for both plazmoids and bonuses collected and enemy ships destroyed. Each 1000 points result in an additional life. But hurry up – you get penalty for delay!
You can publish your scores to the web. To do it, tap the button "Export” in the high scores window, synchronize your handheld - the code will be automatically copied to your Palm Desktop Memo, - and input it in the High Scores section at our website http://www.visgames.com along with your name. Mind that only one score may be published, which is the highest of your scores. You will also receive a “rank” that symbolizes your skill level.
Game Screen [back to contents]

Game Screen
Controls [back to contents]


There is a variety of control methods and styles available in the game, and it is entirely up to you which of them to choose. All controls may be assigned to touchscreen, hard buttons, 5-Way Navigator, or Tapwave Zodiac analog controller and trigger keys. Not only you may define different controls for each action but even combine and mix them for your convenience.
Please note that the touchscreen navigation mode is set by default when you first run the game. When you use this mode, the speed of the ship depends on how far you tap from the ship.
There is also a break button that helps to stop and hold position (useful within the base area if you want to make a pause).

Capturing Plazmoids [back to contents]


The number of plazmoids collected and left to collect are indicated by blocks in the plazmoids progress bar at the toolbar.
Plazmoids are captured automatically as you approach them, it is done with the use of your magnetic beam. Catching and transporting plazmoids is the key and the most difficult (and interesting too!) aspect of the game. Plazmoids have their own momentum and speed, so controlling them requires choosing the right direction in order to reduce their own momentum and impart the right direction to them. The more powerful your magnetic beam is, the easier it is done, and the greater is its range and the size of plazmoids to capture. If the size of a plazmoid exceeds your magnetic beam power, you should crack it with your weapon.
Don't worry if you cannot easily capture and transport plazmoids in the beginning. Controlling plazmoids is something that takes a little practice but is quickly mastered. Once you have learned to control your ship you can use the laws of momentum to your advantage.


Equipment And Upgrade Bonuses [back to contents]


Your spacecraft carries 4 types of upgradeable equipment:

Equipment
Description

Magnetic Beam		 Defines the beam power, range, and the size of plazmoids you can capture

Primary weapon
slot		 Defines the quantity of weapons you can carry in the primary weapon slot

Fuel tank
 Defines the capacity of your fuel tank


Special weapon
slot

 Defines the special weapon level


You start with the 1st level of all types of equipment, but may later upgrade them by getting the corresponding upgrade bonuses (upgrades) that appear after you destroy an enemy ship. The equipment levels are shown by the indicators at the toolbar.

Weapons [back to contents]

Your weapon arsenal consists of 4 primary weapons and the special weapon.

Primary weapon: There are 4 kinds of primary weapon in the game, varying in firing speed, reloading speed, and range:

Weapon

Firing speed

Reloading Speed

Range


Cannon

slow

slow

low


Torpedo

slow but accelerating
during the flight

slow

highest – entire screen


Sonic wave

high

high

medium


Laser

highest – instant

medium

highest – entire screen


However, only one weapon may be mounted at a time. The currently mounted weapon is indicated by the icon in the right corner of the toolbar. Tapping this icon switches weapon - the current weapon is replaced by the preceding one. For instance, if the most powerful of your weapons is sonic wave, the changing order is the following: torpedo, cannon, and then again sonic wave.
The circle behind the weapon icon indicates the weapon status: green - ready to fire, red – reloading. When you get bonus , you obtain a new weapon which is immediately mounted as your current primary weapon.


Special weapon: The special weapon is a kind of bomb that fires in all directions affecting entire screen. The damaging action depends on the power level:

Power level

Damaging action

1

Fires series of bullets in all directions

2

Inflicts one hit to all enemy ships on screen

3

Destroys all enemy ships on screen except the invulnerable ones


The special weapon is disposable, what means that you use it only once. After charging it, you start collecting its power levels all over again. This is done by getting the upgrade bonus .

Powerup Bonuses [back to contents]


Powerup bonuses (powerups) are items that give you special abilities for some time. Similar to upgrades, powerups appear after you defeat an enemy ship. They are:

Powerup

Description

Super Weapon		 Boosts your current weapon

Super Magnet
 Boosts your magnetic beam

Super Shield
 Invulnerability

Fire Madness
 Your ship inflicts damage to enemies by touching them

Ghost Mode 		Your ship becomes unsubstantial, giving you the ability to fly through all objects on screen including enemies

Powerups action does not last long. When active, Super Weapon, Super Magnet, and Super Shield are indicated by corresponding mini-icons by your ship. When Fire Madness is active, your ship is surrounded by a fire ring. The Ghost Mode powerup makes your ship transparent.
Damages System [back to contents]

When you are shot by enemy fire, hit by an enemy itself or comet or mine, you get one hit, and your current life icon changes from gray to yellow or from yellow to red. After taking three hits you lose a life, and along with it - the latest equipment and weapon bonuses you had picked before (if any). One of them instantly appears back on screen. You start from the homebase and are invulnerable during few seconds (ship blinking).

The game is over after you have lost all your lives. You can obtain additional lives through getting bonus , but not more than 4.
Space Bodies And Objects [back to contents]

Space is a dangerous place full of various objects, both of natural and artificial origin. Some of them simply prevent your ship from moving, others may be really harmful:
Object
 Action


Meteor

 A simple rock, absolutely harmless


Asteroid

 A bigger rock, but also harmless


Comet

 A burning rock, inflicts one hit when touched


Robots
mine

 When touched, explodes inflicting one hit


Aliens
mine

 Biological substance harmful to your ship engine – temporarily slows you down

Registering Game [back to contents]


Please note that this game is shareware and requires a license key to unlock its full functionality. We also support FREE adware registration via Mobileplay.com, see details using the link below.

Trial version has the following restrictions:

To register your copy of the game please use the following link: http://www.visgames.com/plazmoids


Enjoy playing Plazmoids!

http://www.visgames.com | E-mail: info@visgames.com