💾 Archived View for mirrors.apple2.org.za › archive › www.textfiles.com › apple › DOCUMENTATION › hp… captured on 2024-08-19 at 03:09:58.
⬅️ Previous capture (2023-01-29)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
***********************
* *
* HALLEY'S PROJECT *
* *
* Cracked By: The Atom*
* Docs by:The Hitman *
* Dist.by: D.I.S.C. *
* Thanx to: *
* The Hitman & *
* Dragonlady *
* *
***********************
To: Specially Selected Star Pilots
From: P.L.A.N.E.T.
Re: Halley Project
By now, you should have listened to (or read the transcript of) the coded transmission from P.L.A.N.E.T. We are pleased that you have accepted the challenge to attempt to qualify for The Halley Project. Pilots, this is no ordinary challenge, but you are not ordinary pilots. No mere neophyte could hope to fulfill these requirements.
The 10 training missions you are about to begin will test even the best of you. If you demonstrate the skill,knowledge, and cunning necessary to succeed, you will be invited to join the final challenge, The Halley Project. Its as simple as that.
Your briefing consists of the classified files listed below. You will find them all in this dossier, your Mission Technical Reference Guide. Read them carefully. They are designed to help you qualify for the Halley Project. These top secret files and the Flight Instructions Reference Card include basic technical operating instructions for your spaceship and offer some advice for locating and landing on planets. But you will need to summon all yOur flying skill knowledge of the Solar System to complete all your training missions.
Following are brief discriptions of each top-secret file:
Qualification Procedures for The Halley Project- a quick overview of the training missions and the scope of the project.
Starting the Missions: Powering Up-how to get going on your first mission.
The Control Panel-describes the equipment on your spaceship control panel and explains how to use this equipment to reach your destinations.
Navigating and Landing-explains how to use the program's Radar Screen and the Simple Star Map to locate posititions of plants and moons; provide step-by-step procedures for landing on planets and moons.
Qualification Procedures for The Halley Project
You begin your quest to qualify for The Halley Project without rank. To join The Halley Project, you must master 10 ranks, from Raven to Starbird. To advance a rank, you must fly te appropriate course, or mission, between specified bodies of the Solar System, landing on each planet or moon as you are directed.
As you begin each mission, you will be given instructions on the screen. Due to the sensitive nature of this information, you will not have access to specific instructions until you qualify for a specific mission. To further protect the secrecy of the missions, the instructions are often given as clues. You have to figure out where to go. To unravel the clue, you May need to do a little research on your own before you sojourn in the Solar System. for example, you might be told to land on a moon that has an atmosphere. Unless you can determine which moons fit this discription and then maneuver yourself there, The Halley Project isn't for you. Note: Due to limitations in microcomputer technology, not all the moons of Jupiter and Saturn could be represented properly in the program. You will not be asked to travel to those moons that have not been included.
Keep in mind that each planet and moon revolves around the sun. Thus each has a "Dark Side"- the side that seems invisible because it's facing away from the sun. Do not fear the dark side. Sometimes you may find your landing clearance on that side. See the Navigating and Landing file for additional information. Each mission begins and ends at the secret training installation located on Halley's Comet. Successful completion of a mission moves you to the next rank.
You will be timed and the fastest four times will be recorded. Those with the fastest times will have the satisfaction of knowing they are the most qualified pilots in the galaxy. However, you don't have to be among the four fastest times to qualify for The Halley Project. Remember only the best will endure P.L.A.N.E.T.'s tests to become part of The Halley Project. You must advance through the ranks in the order listed below.
1. Raven 6. Swift
2. Shrike 7. Nighthawk
3. Vulture 8. Falcon
4. Darter 9. Eagle
5. Condor 10. Starbird
Complete each mission in order. You cannot attempt the Nighthawk's mission, for example, until you have completed all the missions before it. You can redo missions as often as you like to improve your times. Listed below are some challenge times worth flying for:
Mission Time (in minutes and seconds)
1. Raven 3:00
2. Shrike 4:30
3. Vulture 8:00
4. Darter 9:00
5. Condor 9:00
6. Swift 15:00
7. Nighthawk 10:00
8. Falcon 15:00
9. Eagle 20:00
10. Starbird 20:00
You qualify for The Halley Project by completing the 10 missions listed above. When you finish the Starbird mission, you'll be given a secret code number. Fill out the RFC (Registration for Certification) included with this dossier. The RFC must arrive at P.L.A.N.E.T. headquarters by December 31, 1985, if you want P.L.A.N.E.T. to compare your performance with that of other pilots. Give your secret code number and give the name you used during your P.L.A.N.E.T. missions. If those credentials match the ones that P.L.A.N.E.T. secretly assigned to you, you will receive official certififcation that you have qualified to participate in The Halley Project. Information about the most exacting mission of all, The Halley Project itself, will be sent to you at a later date.
The Final Challenge
Being accepted as a participent in the Halley Project, the final challenge, is impressive. But the mysterious Halley Project itself also awaits. Hidden within the program is the key to the final challenge, but details won't be divulged....yet. To learn about The Halley's Project's final challenge, complete all 10 missions, and return the enclosed Registration for Certification form. The RFC must arrive at P.L.A.N.E.T. headquarters by December 31,1985, if you want P.L.A.N.E.T. to compare your performance with that of other pilots. Then keep your eyes and ears open for the Final Challenge. P.L.A.N.E.T. will find you!
STARTING THE MISSIONS!
1. Load disk...duh?
2. After the title pages, you will see a roster screen use the joystick to selct a blank line. Press the joystick button. Then type in a name you want to use as a pilot and press RETURN.
3. Choose the mission you want to fly by using the joystick to move the asterisk in front of that mission. Press the joystick button.(Remember you must begin by flying the Raven mission, you can repeat missions to improve your times but you must do them in order.
4. Read the directions on the screen that tell you what your destination is. It will be a planet or moon.
5. Use the radar screen to determine where your destination is and how to get there.
6. Navigate your way there and then land on your destination. Once you've landed, proceed according to the instructions on the screen. Press B to blast off for your next destination.
The Control Panel
During each mission, you're seated at the control panel of your spaceship, somewhere in our Solar System. From your viewing screen, you see constellations, stars, planets, and moons just as they appear in space. Objects in space are vey far away from each other. To help you reach your destinations, your ship is equipped with some special devices.
A. Viewing Screen- you can observe all the space around you through the viewing screen. Follow the steps on the Flight instructions Reference Card to change your field of vision to see different views. It's usually a good idea to come to a complete stop before changing your field of vision.
B. Direction Pointer- This device shows which direction you are moving. For example, when you are moving toward a planet or moon shown on your viewing screen, the pointer will be up at the top of the dial. When you are moving away from an object, the pointer will be at the bottom of the dial. Thus, it is possible to be looking at a planet but be moving away from it.
C. Planet/Moon Finder- The marked area in the center of the viewing screen is your Planet/Moon finder. The four marked corners will light up when a planet or moon comes in range. The sun is always visible through the finder.
D. Planet/Moon indicator- As you approach an object and it becomes clearer, its name and your distance from it will appear here.
E. Power Meter- Your ship has 2 power levels, low and high. High is best for traveling great distances. It gives the engines more power. Low gives you more control and is helpful when maneuvering for a landing. To select a power level, press L for Low and H for High.
F. Speed- Keep a careful watch on your speed. It is vey easy to fly by a planet or moon if you are going to fast. When your speed reaches 250,000 km/s(kilometers per second), you will hear warning sounds. At 300,000 km/s, the speed of light, you jump to hyperspace. In hyperspace, you travel at many times the speed of light.
G. Timer- The timer keeps track of the time it takes you to fly each mission. The timer does not run when you are not moving.
Using the Control Panel
To move in a direction, push the joystick in that direction. The longer you hold the joystick in that direction, the faster you will go. (Pilots using something other than a joystick should consult the Flight Instructions Reference Card.)
To go into hyperspace, increase your speed to 300,000 km/s (the speed of light). A warning buzzer will sound when your speed reaches 250,000 km/s to let you know you're approaching Hyperspace. Once in hyperspace, your distance traveled is reported in millions of kilometers.
To slow down or stop, press the SPACE BAR. If you are in Hyperspace, pressing the SPACE BAR brings you to an immediate stop. If you are traveling at a speed less than 300,000 km/s, each press of the SPACE BAR cuts your speed in half.
To change your field of vision, hold the joystick button down while you move the joystick to the right or left. Note: this will not change the direction in which you are moving. You may find it easier to come to a stop first before changing your field of vision.
To select your power level, press H for high power or L for Low Power.
To engage the automatic landing system, press A on the keyboard. You can land only when the Planet/Moon finder is blinking or beeping.
To Blast off from a planet or moon, press B on the keyboard.
to see the Radar Screen, press R on the keyboard.
Using the Radar Screen
Your ship always stays at the center of the screen.
To zoom in, push forward on the joystick. When you zoom in, you see an enlarged view of the small region of space near your ship. You may not see all the planets on the scruen at the same time.
To zoom out, pull back on the joystick. When you zoom out, you see an overview of the whole Solar System.
To return to the Control Panel, press R on the keyboard.
Navigating and Landing
Space is a big place, and it's easy to get lost. Who knows how many amateur pilots are stranded somewhere in space because they never learned to navigate using their radar and0the constellations on the simple star map? Who knows how many are in eternal holding patterns because they never learned landing procedures? Don't let these disasters happen to you.
Navigating
Your radar screen is an essential instrument for navigating through the Solar System. Use them to help you go from one destination to the next.
Radar- Press R to see the radar screen. Step-by-step instructions for navigating by radar follow. Let's assume that you have just started a mission and that your destination is Earth.
1. At the beginning of each mission, a message appears on the screen telling you your destination. The message may specify the destination or it may give you a clue. If necessary, do some research to decipher a mission clue. In this example, your goal is to find and land on Earth.
As soon as you embark on a mission, you will immediately see a huge white sphere filling the viewing screen of your ship. That is Halley's Comet, and your ship is always moving away from the comet as the mission begins. As you get farther away, the comet will look smaller and smaller. The tail will become visible. Keep moving away from the comet until you are 500,000 km away. That will give you a good look at it. You'll need to know what it looks like because you will have to return to the secret training installation there many times during your interplanetary travels.
2. Now begin braking your ship. You brake by pressing the SPACE BAR. Each time you press the SPACE BAR, your speed is cut in half. Try to bring the ship to a complete stop (0km) when it is, say, 600,000 km away from the comet. Then press R to check the radar screen. Find your current position.
You are always the X in the middle of the circle. Halley's Comet is the flashing dot that, depending on your position, may or may not be visible. Remember that each mission begins at Halley's Comet. So if you go right to the Radar screen at the beginning of the mission, Halley's comet will also be at or near the center of the screen.
Note: Each time you use the program, your exact distance from Earth and your orientation will vary. Remember that all planets and Halley's Comet are constantly rvolving around the sun.
The sun is the largest and brightest dot in the circle. It is truly one of the universe's hot spots. To hot even for star pilots. That's one place you don't want to go. The other dots are the planets. The names of the constellations are located around the outside of the circle. The number at the bottom of the screen indicates the distance, in millions of kilometers, from you to the edge of the circle.
3. Locate your destination planet. In this case, you are looking for Earth.(If your destinationis a moon, locate the planet that the moon orbits.) To identify a planet, start from the sun and count out toward the edge of the circle. Earth is the third planet away from the sun. Only Mercury and Venus is closer.
4. If at first you don't see anything helpful on the ra`ar screen, zoom out by pulling the joystick backward.
5. If at first the planets appear tightly bunched on the radar screen, zoom in for a closer look by pushing the joystick forward.
6. Once you find your destination, pull the joystick back until your destination is on the edge of the circle. For this demonstration, pull the joystick back now until Earth is on the edge of the circle. Check the distance scale on the bottom of the screen. That number(in millions of kilometers) is the planet's distance from you.
Your distance from Earth wi,l vary each time you run the program. For example, when you check the Radar Screen, you might find that Earth is 470 million kilometers away from you in the direction of Scorpio. The next time you use the program and try to go to Earth, you might find that Earth is 370 million kilometers away in the direction of Sagittarius.
7. Notice where"your destination is in relation to the constellations shown around the circle. To use the example above, you might find that Earth is 470 million kilometers away in the direction of Scorpio. Once you have lined up Earth with a constellation, try to locate the constellation.
Landing
Landing on a planet or moon takes skill and practice. This is where the true star pilots get to show their stuff. Let's continue to assume that for now that you are going to land on Earth.
Using Hyperspace-When your destination is Far Away If you have followed along so far, you have your bearings. You have used your Radar screen to line up Earth with one of the constellations. You know you are X millions of kilometers away from earth in the direction of one of the constellations. For example, you might be 470 million kilometers away from Earth in the direction of Scorpio. Through your viewing screen, the constellation is visible. You are ready for your flight.
1. Make sure you are at a complete stop. That way you will be cetain to follow a straight course once you jump to Hyperspace.
2. Set your power to high by pressing H on the keyboard. Move your ship directly ahead-toward the constellation that you've lined up in your Viewing screen-by pushing the joystick straight forward. Your ship will begin accelerating.
3. Increase your speed. A warning will sound when you reach 250,000 km/s. When you hit 300,000 km/s you will jump to Hyperspace, in Hyperspace you move quickly, traveling many millions of kilometers per second. The distance you travel in hyperspace is displayed on your viewing screen. Remember that the distance indicated on your Radar Screen is the distance between you and your destination, in this case Earth.
4. When in hyperspace, bake early because otherwise you will end up going farther then you planned.
Orbiting and Landing-when your destination is close
1. When you are within sight of a planet or moon, the planet/moon finder will light up and you will see the name of the body and your distance from it in the Planet/Moon indicator. If you have gotten this far, Earth should be in view. Center Earth in the planet/moon finder and move toward it.(it would be best to do this at low power.)
2. Move to within 100,000 km of the planet. You will hear a rhythmic sound to remind you that you are within 100,000 km. Use the brakes to keep your speed unde control.
3. Now locate a landing area and move to low gear, asnd begin to orbit the planet. The palnet/moon finder will flash and beep when you find a landing area. As you approach landing, be patient. Sometimes it takes alot of orbiting before finding a landing area. don't steer directly at a planet because if you get too close you might crash!
If you crash, it delays your mission, you will be assessed a time penalty, five minutes will be added to your time for that mission.
Two exceptions to this, are Halley's Comet and the Sun. Because we arw not at liberty to to disclose the exact location of the training installation on Halley's comet, we don't expect you to find a specific landing area there. You need only fly into the Comet; P.L.A.N.E.T will ensure that you return safely to the base, don't land on sun.