Psi 5 Trading Company

™

  You are about to command your ship through one of the great edge-of-your-seat adventures of the 35th Century. Summon your management skills and man the bridge. The physical and economic survival of the Psi 5 Trading Company is in your hands.

  You must first choose your cargo and course through the Parvin Frontier. Then select the best crew possible from a cast of human and nonhuman characters. As you take command of your space freighter on its perilous voyage, your challenge will be to command the mission by successfully managing your resources and allocating task assignments to your crew.

TO START THE GAME:

For Commodore 64/128:

1. Turn off your Commodore 64 or 128 and remove all cartridges.
2. Connect your joystick to port 2.
3. Turn on your Commodore 64 or 128, disk drive and monitor.
4. After the red "busy" light on the disk drive goes off, Insert the Psi 5 disk into the disk drive with the label side up and close the disk drive door.
5. Type: LOAD "*". 8. 1 and press RETURN.

For Apple II:

1. Insert the Psi 5 disk into the disk drive with the label side up and close the disk drive door.
2. Turn on your Apple Computer.

1. Insert your Psi 5 disk into the disk drive then:
   1. For cold start: turn on your IBM PC/PCjr or
   2. For warm start: press CNTRL, ALT, DEL simultaneously

TO PAUSE THE GAME:

For Commodore 64/128: Press the RUN STOP key.
For Apple II: Press the ESC key.
For IBM: Press the ESC key.

Press return or fire button to continue.

DEMO MODE:

The demo mode demonstrates a variety of game elements. This is initiated by:

1. Pressing the Commodore key (first keystroke at mission selection screen)
2. If no keystroke after mission selection screen has been displayed for approximately 1 minute.
3. During crew selection if no keystroke for several minutes.

CONTROLS:

  In general, all game options may be selected by using the joystick or keyboard. Using the joystick, move the highlighting or cursor to the appropriate place and press the fire button. You can also (optionally) make your selection from the keyboard by pressing the key corresponding to the first letter (or number) of the desired command.

  Note: The function keys on the Commodore or direction keys on the Apple act as joystick control:

Commodore	Joystick Equivalent	Apple	IBM(keys)
F1   =	fire button   =	↑	ENTER key
F5   =	move left   =	←	←
F7   =	move right   =	→	→

COURSE SELECTION:

  The display of possible courses will include their distance, cargo and reward/payment for completion. The larger rewards indicate greater risk, difficulty, danger and challenge in nature of your cargo. You must arrive at your destination within a reasonable length of time.

  To select your course, use the joystick and fire button (left = up, right = down) or enter the course number on the keyboard.

CREW SELECTION:

  In addition to the control console which you operate as captain, your space freighter has been retrofitted for five other departments scattered throughout its creaking hull. These are: Weapons, Scanning, Navigation, Engineering and Repair.

  You must carefully select your crew from thirty potential candidates-five groups of six individuals trained in each department specialty. These "assorted beings" consist of humanoids, aliens and vaccdroids, each with different backgrounds, skills, personalities and reactions under stress.

The six candidates for a department position will be displayed. To examine the resume for any individual, type the first letter of the character's name or move the joystick and select by pressing the fire button. Once selected, the candidate's resume will be displayed for your scrutiny. The two options presented at the bottom of the screen will be "Welcome (name) to the

Crew" or "Exit". The options may be selected by using the Joystick or typing W or E. "Welcome... " hires this person to fill the department position and the candidates for the next department will be displayed. "Exit" returns to the same department to allow you to examine the resumes of other candidates.

TO PLAY:

  After the last department crew member is selected, You will be prompted to remove the disk and flip it over to reinsert with the back side up. Then press the RETURN key or fire button to continue.

  Play takes place with you (the Captain) sitting at the communications console. The ship's view of space will be displayed on the left console screen and the communications screen on the right will display the department crew member with whom you are interacting at any given time. There will also be indicators on the console showing weapons, motion, speed and pending messages.

Note: A quick exit out of any department can be taken by pressing the CLR/HOME key for Commodore, += key for Apple, or HOME key for IBM. This can also be accomplished by pulling down on the joystick and pressing the fire button.

WEAPONS DEPARTMENT:

Status:	Display statistics of past performance (i.e., number of shots and kills). Through this you can learn how effective the weapons specialist (crew member) is with each weapon.
Display:	Show the activity list (assignments) for the weapons specialist to perform. The information includes the type of weapon, number of shots, target (indicated by scanning ID). priority and status of weapons/target.
Cancel:	Removes a weapons command from the list.
Rank:	Reprioritizes the weapons list.
Fire:	adds a command to the weapons list.

SCANNING DEPARTMENT:

  The general function is to identify and keep track of other vehicles in space.

Status:

Assigns ID letter to a new object in space and adds it to the end of the list. As time progresses. more of the following information is gathered regarding a target: Blinking Activity Character o)) blinking symbol appears if this object is being examined. (o) blinking bullseye appears if Weapons Department has outstanding orders for this target. the class (of people) type (friend or foe) locked on to continue tracking (L) position of object in space (P. O.)

NAVIGATION DEPARTMENT:

  In this department, the crew member can fly a specific course/speed and control evasive maneuvering.

Status:	This displays course description which includes shortest path, medium deviation to port/starboard, and full port/starboard circumvention. It also shows estimated time of arrival (ETA), risk factor, requested speed, current speed and evasive maneuvering. INF (Information) scanner must be operational for RSK (Risk) column to operate. For RETA (relative estimated time of arrival):      - means early.      + means late.
Display:	Shows prioritized list of possible courses.
Cancel:	Eliminates evasive maneuvering.
Rank:	Selects course,
Accel:	Sets speed and allows selection of standard or evasive maneuvering.

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT:

  This department is responsible for managing and allocating power oriented devices that can be controlled. Different sections of the ship can be shut down to conserve energy (i.e., the port shields can be turned off it the pirates are on the starboard side). Defensive weapons such as shields require a set amount of energy just to be turned on (in operation). They can deflect an enemy shot

Status:	This displays the Device ID, a description of it, and its enabled state. The device types include shields, weapons, Information Scanner and two batteries.
Display:	Show classes of power, power drain, level of activation (yes, no, partial).
Rank:	Prioritizes devices in relationship to available power and thus determines which devices are on, partially on (subject to "Brown Outs") and off. As an example, if in Navigation the speed requested = 5 but the current speed = 4. it is because the engines are only partially on (at a lower priority on the list).
Cancel and Enable:	Unlike corresponding commands in other departments which act upon the "Display" list, these cancel or enable devices on the status list. This will cause a corresponding change of status to RqC (Request cancel) or RqE (Request enable) for pending requests.

REPAIR DEPARTMENT:

  This department is responsible for repairing damaged devices on the ship. There are three forms of damage to a device:

1. It can still operate (at a higher power consumption),
2. The damage can be repaired.
3. The device is destroyed/dead and cannot be repaired.

  The repair person is assisted by a number of robodroids. When one of them is re-allocated or completes a task, they won't be immediately available. It will take some time for them to return to the department, get tools, assignments and instructions before they can begin their next task. The robodroids can have the following status:

1. Active - available to work.
2. Damaged - will become an item to be repaired.
3. Dead - Can never be reactivated.

Looting Note: If your ship is helpless (where engines, shields and weapons are not functioning), the pirates can board your vessel and start looting. You will slowly lose your cargo until one of the above items is repaired.

Status:

The first number on the first line indicates the number of robodroids ready for assignment. The second number indicates total robodroids available, although some may be broken, in transit, or working on a job. This lists up to the first 16 items to be repaired and includes ID, description, ETR (estimated time of repair) and items being worked on currently (indicated by *). A blinking check mark (√) appears before the item ID if a repair order has been given to fix the device.

TO RESTART:

  Selecting the QUIT function from the main rnenu allows you to restart the game with the existing course and crew selection.

SUGGESTED TRAINING MISSION:

  As an introduction to the game to gain familiarity with the functions and better understand the interrelationship between departments, try the following procedure for your first mission.

1. Select the ENGINEERING department and prioritize the ships power classes to shields, weapons, charge shield battery, scanners. engines. and charge emergency battery using DISPLAY and several RANK commands.
2. Select the NAVIGATION department and accelerate the ship to speed 1 using the ACCELERATE command.
3. Select the SCANNING department and get a status report by using the STATUS command.
4. Watch scanning status until the first unknown vehicle is detected.
5. Select NAVIGATION and use ACCELERATE to stop the ship.
6. Select SCANNING and use EXAMINE to get detailed information on the first vehicle.
7. Use scanning DISPLAY to watch for class of vehicle, damage, and suggested weapon to be filled in.
8. Do a STATUS command.
9. Select WEAPONS and FIRE AT-WILL at the target using the suggested weapon.
10. Experiment with STATUS and DISPLAY functions within both the SCANNING and WEAPONS departments.
11. After the target is destroyed, repeat steps 2 through 7 and remember: use the run/stop key to pause the game so you can catch your breath and gather your thoughts. To continue playing, any key will start up the game,

     

    7

12. Select ENGINEERING and turn some shields off using STATUS and CANCEL.
13. Select WEAPONS and FIRE one shot at a target, This will make them mad, even if they are normally friendly.
14. Select REPAIR and get a STATUS report. Observe entries being added as hostile targets shoot at your ship.
15. ASSIGN one robodroid each to fix several items. Flip back and forth between STATUS and DISPLAY.
16. When you have had enough, select ENGINEERING and use STATUS and several ENABLE commands to turn the shields back on.
17. Complete the repairs, start the ship moving. experiment, and enjoy!

Galactic Greetings,   Playing the role of Captain on a space freighter full of unknown people, enemies, and equipment can be intimidating. The best way to become familiar and successful is to imagine yourself actually as the captain and put yourself in the game.   Your duties as captain require you to investigate and monitor the different crew members and departments often. Working too long in one department, while ignoring some others can lead to your downfall. A wise strategy is to load up your repair, scanning, and weapons officers with several tasks. This will insure they will stay productive while you are busy elsewhere; One powerful capability of the ship's computer is to monitor one department's STATUS or DISPLAY while giving commands in another.   Here are some playing hints on a department basis: Weapons: Confirm targets to be hostile (foes) or known enemies before shooting normally peaceful ships. Scanning: Examine any new targets as quickly as possible. Navigation: Be sure to monitor the RISK column on the STATUS report. Change course to avoid overwhelming odds, but not as often to delay reaching your destination. Engineering: Pick power priorities to match your strategy. Consider turning off (CANCEL) power to individual items to increase your power management options. Repair: Be sure to fix mission critical components as soon as possible (such as cargo support devices, life support systems, and power reactors). Fix other items as to best serve your strategy. If damage seems out of your control, it is often wise to stop the ship, divert power to shields and weapons, and fight between repairs.

  Mike Lorenzen is the designer of GOLF for Atari VCS And Atari TEXT EDITOR (MEDIT) for Atari 400/800. He also co-designed Atari's CIRCUS for the VCS and HOME FILING MASTER for Atari 400/800. Mike also designed Activision's OINK for Atari VCS and adapted Activision's PITFALL II for Atari 400/800 and 5200.

   Well here we are in the 35th century. Although technology has advanced by a great deal, man (or alien biological lifeforms as the case may be) is still dominate in the man/machine relationship. Biological thinking is still far superior in most cases to the most advanced mechanical mind. Rapid advances are being made in the mechanical mind, especially with a new approach in VACCdroid technology. These VACCdroids are showing very promising results when they are trained and focused on one specialty.
  Planets have joined their neighbors to form super-governments. There are several rather large superpowers (The Alliance, the Federation, and the Coop to name a few). These superpowers are not in competition with one another, but instead provide local government services while cooperating together. The majority are pretty much in agreement that society and its rules are needed for peaceful coexistence and peace of mind.
  Some things never change, there always seem to be opposing forces of good and evil. The hard core evil types usually avoid punishment by living on the edges of the known universe. The universe is still thought to be endless and without bounds. The superpowers provide police services that are reasonably effective in the populated areas. The universe is large enough to make 100 percent policing impossible due to cost and manpower. As new colonies explore and expand the edges of the known universe they are subject to a high risk from the hard core element. These colonies generally must take or make their own protection and become self sufficient to help guarantee their survival.
  One such colony consists of a bunch of mining entrepreneurs that have made a financial success in the newly charted PARVIN FRONTIER. There has always seemed to be a correlation between violence and unprotected wealth. The PARVIN colonists were cautious enough to purchase and maintain sufficient local defense mechanisms to protect their investments and lifestyles. However, being mostly miners, they soon found they underestimated their ability to become self sufficient. They have found themselves quite dependent on importing supplies from the outside. As the news of their wealth and weakness has spread, their situation has attracted the evil element from all over the universe.
  The colonists’ survival depends on courageous freighter pilots successfully getting their cargo through to them. The most risky cargo is of perishable nature. Being on the fringe of known universe limits the time a freight ship has in getting this kind of cargo through. Freight ships carrying perishable cargo must use most of their power to maintain fast speed and use direct routes to cut down the time. The space pirates know this and often wait on these direct trade routes. Luckily the pirates are still greedy enough to act independently and have not formed their own alliance. Their ultimate goal is twofold: They want to prevent any cargo from reaching the PARVIN colonists as well as capturing as much cargo as they can for their own survival. An interesting note

DISK LOADING PROBLEMS (Commodore 64/128 users)

BRAND OF DISK DRIVE: At present, Accolade’s C64 product line only supports Commodore disk drives (i.e. 1541 & 1571). We cannot guarantee compatibility with other brands. We have a built-in “fast-loader” that can load programs over 10 times faster than a normal 1541 load. This, along with protection software, requires the internals of the disk drive to be very close to what a Commodore disk drive looks like.

PERSONAL COMMENT ON SOFTWARE PIRACY.

   We are often tempted to rationalize that possessing and using a software product we did not pay for is not hurting anyone. We use excuses like:

• it cost too much.
• I wanted to play it first before I decide to buy it.
• I do not think I will use it enough to justify paying for it.
• I cannot afford it.
• I did not know it was stolen property.
• It does not matter if I use it, I am only one person.

Thank you, Mike Lorenzen Accolade Inc.

• Be sure you are playing course (destination) #1.
• Set your goal at survival, ignoring time.
• Use NAVIGATION to select directional course D or E.
• Use NAVIGATION to accelerate to speed 1 with evasive maneuvering.
• if more than a couple of ships show in SCAN. STATUS stop the ship.
• If more than a few repairs show in REP. STATUS stop the ship.
• Pick crew members for SCAN., WEAP., & REP. whose resumes state self- motivation.
• Always use the weapon that the weapons officer’s resume said was best.
• Use ENG. RANK commands to allocate power to ships devices in the following order: B,A,F,C,D,E
• Assign 3 robodroids to each repair item.
• Assign repairs in the following order: life supports first, cargo stabilizers & environments second, power reactors third, etc.

Ship power classes:

A Shields Class	Fore, Port, Starboard, & Aft shields
B Weapons Class	Missiles, Blasters, Cannons, & Thermos
C Engines Class	Engine One, Engine Two
D Scanners Class	Scanning & Navigation (Info) scanners
E Charge Emerg Batt	Ships emergency power source
F Charge Shield Batt	Ships defensive shield power supply

   The shields:are a purely defensive way of protecting the Psi-5 ship and its cargo. The shields take tremendous power and require a lot of attention to keep them useful. The good news is that the shields can deflect a large percentage of enemy shots which would normally cause damage. For a shield to be useful, it has to be enabled, in good repair, have enough power to run, and there must be a sufficient charge in the shield battery to fully deflect the blow. The shield can become partially damaged (shown on the ships console as a red colored bar instead of white), If this happens, it will draw more power to operate, causing less power to be available for other ship systems (use ENG DISPLAY during game to see affect). If the shield battery becomes fully discharged, the shields are completely useless. If your shield battery becomes fully discharged you might as well turn off the shields (by ENG RANK or ENG CANCEL) until you can get a charge back up. It is a good idea to RANK the batteries high on the list when just starting out or when things are peaceful. When the batteries become fully charged (99 units) RANK them to the bottom of the list.
   By using ENG STATUS followed by CANCEL and ENABLE commands you can turn off and on the different ship systems. This will allow the captain greater flexibility in his power assignment strategy. An example of this is only desiring to use the Weapons officer’s best weapon, but to have it always available. This can be accomplished by RANKing B (weapons systems) to PRIority 1 and using CANCEL to disable the other three weapon systems.

• I lost control because I took on too many enemies. (should have stopped to fight and paid more attention to NAV RISK)
• My weapons did not work because I ranked them too low on ENGINEERING DISPLAY.
• My Navigator died because I did not see that his life support was broken.
• I was looted and lost all my cargo because both power reactors were broken and I tried to fix one with a long repair time when the other one just needed a little work.
• I lost all my cargo because I did not notice that the cargo stabilizer required repair (missed message, did not see it on REPAIR STATUS, and did not notice cargo percentage decreasing on SCANNING STATUS).
• I stopped to fight it out, but should have “put the pedal to the metal” because I was almost at my destination (according to NAV STATUS DISTANCE).