README File for Heli-Jeep - by PLBM Games
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
File Upated:  January 17, 2004


Registration information located at the bottom of this file.

You can register at:  http://www.plbm.com

Cheat Mode is Alt-F3 (registered version only).


System Requirements:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program requires an IBM PC or compatible with at least VGA.

In general, faster systems will run the program more efficiently.

If the game is running too slow, press F4 to toggle on and off
frame dropping, which will improve performance on slower systems.


Sound Blaster Notes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program contains routines to play digital sound on a Sound
Blaster or compatible card.  However, this program does NOT
contain autodetection routines.  This program relies upon the
BLASTER= variable being set appropriately in your environment.
If the BLASTER= variable is set incorrectly, the program may
crash.  If the BLASTER= variable is absent the program will
NOT attempt to use Sound Blaster sound.

Additionally you will need to have free EMS memory to hear
all digital sounds (they're too big to fit in conventional
memory).  The sounds deemed "most important" to game play
will be loaded into conventional memory on a first-come, first-
served basis.  To hear ALL sounds you will need enough EMS
free to fit the file HEJSFX.DBO.  Check free EMS with the
MEM command under DOS.


Primary Controls:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heli:
~~~~~
Cursor up/down/left/right:  fly the helicopter
Space/Ctrl:  fire your guns/missiles

Jeep:
~~~~~
Cursor up:  jump into the air
Cursor left/right:  speed up/slow down the jeep
Space/Ctrl:  fire your guns/missiles

Alternate keys:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A,Z,K,L also function as Up/Down/Left/Right, respectively.


Additional Keys:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[P] - pause the game ([P] or enter to restart)
[Ctrl-J] - calibrate joystick
[F1] - Review this file (HELP)
[F2] - Display high score chart
[Alt-F3] - Enable cheat mode (registered version only)
[F4] - Toggle frame dropping (for slower computers only)
[F5] - Toggle sound on/off
[F10] - Quit game, go to menu
[ESC] - Quit game, go to DOS


Scoring
~~~~~~~
Points are added to the score in Heli-Jeep for destroying
various enemies and achieving certain goals.  Some score values
are listed below:

	Large boulder				  25
	Ground-buster Aircraft		  55
	Flying Saucer				  85
	Vertical Rocket				 125
	Mine						(invincible?)
	Bunker						(invincible????)
	AA Gun						 100
	Hovercraft					 250
	Machinegun tower			 ???
	Enemy Helicopter			 275
	Enemy Fuel Tank				 ???

	<there are lots of other alien types, including secret ones
	 and bizarre combinations of two or more aliens!!!>

Additional points may be scored by rapidly completing the level.
Note that the further forward you operate, the faster the ground
scrolls by, and hence the better your completion time.

Each level has a "par" time associated with it, and you receive
100 points for every second sooner than par that you complete the
level.


Play Notes:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Your goal is to patrol the planets in both a jeep and a helicopter.
You will encounter enemy units that you must destroy, and obstacles
that you need to either avoid or destroy.

The jeep has more "hit points" than the helicopter and can therefore
sustain more damage before blowing up.

If you are playing two player simultaneously, the helicopter can
help the jeep clear obstacles ahead on the ground, and the jeep
can help the helicopter clear enemy units out of the skies.


Powerups
~~~~~~~~
From time to time (depending on how well you are playing), your
mission support team will attempt to air-drop random powerups to
assist you in your progress.  You can recover them by touching
them with either the jeep or the helicopter.  The powerup briefing
screen describes what each of those powerups do for you.  At the
beginning and end of each wave you will be shown how many of each
powerup you still have available.


Random Mode Play:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you register Heli-Jeep, you can play Random Mode Play by
selecting it from the main menu.  In this mode you get an endless
different variety of missions, rather than the "campaign" missions
that are pre-defined.  You may of course still play the "campaign"
missions in the registered version of Heli-Jeep.

Random play may tend to feature a "themed" enemy type on each
different level, to give a certain flavor or bias to each of
the randomly-generated levels.  Order today to play Random Mode!

Random play also offers various degrees of initial starting
difficulty, from EASY on up to INSANE!!


Internet Support:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact support@plbm.com for support via email.  You may also check
the following site for upgrades:

		http://www.plbm.com


Credits:
~~~~~~~~
Heli-Jeep was created by Kurt W. Dekker exclusively for
PLBM Games, at http://www.plbm.com

Heli-Jeep is Copyright (c) 2004 PLBM Games and Kurt W. Dekker.

Portions of this program written while at sea on the SS Independence,
operated by American Hawaii Cruises, around the islands of Hawaii.  :)


Acknowledgements:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warmest Mahalo to MJM and the entire Kuliwai crew over in Paradise for
their kindest Aloha and great ideas that went into this game.

Thanks you very much SLB for your wonderful support through this
fast-paced, fast-tracked project.  I love you sweetie!

Special thanks to RA and BP for letting PLBM use their hangar offices
for inspiration on yet another helicopter-featuring game, as well
as for digitized sound recorded from their JetRanger helicopter N803SM,
piloted on short final by Jean Bonatti.

And of course I must mention the distractions afforded by the
Microprose "Shandalar Magic: The Gathering" game and by the superb
weather along the coast of Newport Beach and Corona Del Mar during
the summer of 1998 (and indeed other times!).  Without them this game
would have been done sooner, but it wouldn't have been as great!

And last but not least, thanks to AB for the pretty SGI explosions.


Ordering Information:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order the full version of this game, send $9.95 registration fee
plus your email address to:

	PLBM Games                                   <sales@plbm.com>
	PO Box 10342                                 <http://www.plbm.com>
	Costa Mesa, CA  92627
	USA
    
You may also visit our website and order online with a credit card.

Include your name, address, phone number and email to ensure rapid
delivery.

All orders are fulfilled VIA EMAIL ONLY - NO DISKETTE WILL BE SENT!
<EOF>
