Xerix
By Brendan Reville
Game Documentation
Version 1.1
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Contents
Overview
System Requirements
Files
Getting Started
Configuration and Hard Disk Installation
The Story
Playing the Game
Credits and Acknowledgments
About the Author
Free Registration
Contacting the Author
Programmers' Information
Revision History
Disclaimer
Copyright Notice
Trademarks and Registered Trademarks
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Overview
Xerix is an arcade-style "shoot 'em up" game set in the
future. You must guide a space ship through a strange world of two
different levels and destroy or avoid the many enemy obstacles in
this place. Xerix features 256 colour VGA/MCGA graphics and sound
card support. Other features include multi-level/rate scrolling,
Expanded and Extended memory support, and the support of various
input devices.
The game is public domain, and may be freely and legally
copied in its original, unmodified form.
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System Requirements
Required: IBM AT (80286) or higher: '386/i486; or compatible
MS-DOS
VGA or MCGA video display
Hard disk or floppy disk with 500k bytes free
Recommended:
10 Mhz or faster processor speed
Hard disk
Supported: (optional)
Adlib sound card
Sound Blaster sound card
Microsoft Mouse or compatible mouse
Joystick
EMS (Expanded) memory
XMS (Extended) memory
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Files
The following files are part of the Xerix package. All files,
apart from XERIX.CFG, last on the list, should be on the disk or in
the archive which you acquired the game on:
XERIX .DOC This file - the game documentation.
XERIXREG.DOC The registration form.
XINSTALL.EXE The installation/configuration program.
XERIX .EXE The Xerix game program.
XERIX_GM.DAT A game data file.
XERIX_A0.DAT A game data file.
XERIX_A1.DAT A game level data file.
XERIX_A2.DAT A game level data file.
XERIX .CFG Default game settings file.
(Created by XINSTALL - not on
original disk/archive)
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Getting Started
To run Xerix, make sure you're on the same disk drive and in
the same directory as the game. To configure the game for your
computer initially, type XINSTALL to run the install program. If
you know that the game is already configured for your system, you
can simply type XERIX to begin the game.
Xerix Install - XINSTALL
From the main menu of the install program you can choose to
configure the default game settings, install Xerix to a hard disk,
or return to DOS.
Configuring the default game settings
Choosing 1 on the Xerix Install main menu takes you into the
default game setting configuration menus, which allow you to
configure Xerix for your computer. These settings will be saved in
the file XERIX.CFG in the current disk/directory, or on the
destination disk/directory if a hard disk installation is
performed, unless a problem in the hard disk installation occurs.
Firstly, you can choose whether Xerix runs with full 256
colour graphics, or with 64 grey-scale graphics if you prefer. The
grey-scale graphics will work with a full-colour monitor.
Next, you can choose the sound device Xerix will use.
The following options are available:
No sound:
The game is silent. The sound effects can also be
turned off during the game.
Adlib sound:
Using the original Adlib sound card's FM music and
sound effect capabilities.
Sound Blaster sound:
Using the FM music and sound effect capabilities of
the Adlib as well as digitised sound samples.
If you choose the Sound Blaster as the sound device
there will be two additional menus, in which you choose
the base memory address and interrupt number for the
card. For both menus, Auto Scan should work. If the
game locks up while loading or gives a Sound Blaster
initialisation error message, XINSTALL should be run
again and the Sound Blaster base memory address should be
specified. If the game still doesn't work, the interrupt
number should be specified as it is set up on your Sound
Blaster card.
IBM PC internal speaker:
Used for music and sound effects.
The next menu allows you to choose what memory the game uses.
Choosing conventional memory limits the game to using only the
basic 640k bytes of RAM, at most, of memory installed in your
computer. Choosing either EMS or XMS allows the game to utilise
the memory in your computer set up as either Expanded or Extended
memory.
The use of EMS (Expanded) memory requires an Expanded Memory
Manager (EMM) that conforms to the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded
Memory Specification (LIM-EMS) version 3.2 or later. The use of
XMS (Extended) memory requires an external driver that conforms to
the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft/AST eXtended Memory Specification (XMS)
version 2.0 or later, such as HIMEM.SYS.
The use of Expanded or Extended memory make subsequent
loadings of levels faster. Their use still requires adequate free
conventional memory.
The final menu allows you to choose the input device used to
control the game: either keyboard, mouse or joystick. A Microsoft
compatible mouse driver must be installed before running the game
if it is configured to use the mouse. A joystick must be connected
to Game Port 1 and centred when the game is loading if it is to be
used. The keyboard may also be used in combination with these
other input devices.
Hard Disk Installation
This option from the Xerix Install program's main menu will
copy the game into a subdirectory on your hard disk, as long as it
has enough free space for the game. The hard disk install option
will ask for the destination drive's letter, from C to F, then
check for adequate available space on the destination drive. If
there is enough space, the directory \XERIX will be created and the
game copied into that directory.
To run the game after installing it onto a hard disk, make
that drive the current drive by typing its letter followed by a
colon. For example "C:" (without the quotes).
Then make the current directory \XERIX by typing "CD \XERIX"
(again without the quotes).
To run the game, type "XERIX".
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The Story
Some time in the near future...
A massive, alien structure hurtles from deep space towards the
earth. Several days after first being discovered by a space-
tracking station in the desert of Egypt, two-thirds of the
population of Los Angeles and its surrounding area are killed by a
strange radiation. The radiation's source is tracked to the alien
structure.
Panic sets in on the earth in the hours that follow. People
don't know what to do or where to go. The governments of the
world, combined through the United World Council, try desperately
to find a solution to this problem.
The World Council sent up one small unmanned space-craft to
examine the alien structure at close range. Upon approaching the
structure, a large panel in its otherwise impenetrable wall opened.
The space-craft entered and reported a strange environment, an open
space, but nothing like the world of Earth. A fast-moving object
destroyed the space-craft shortly after it had entered, but the
object's speed was estimated to be at a rate which a human might be
able to respond to - either destroying with weapons or dodging.
You have been chosen to pilot a second earth-sent space-craft.
The project has been codenamed XERIX: the eXtended Enemy Response
and Infiltration eXperiment. Your mission is to destroy the alien
structure. How you will do so is not known. Your mission is a
difficult one, indeed seemingly impossible, but is of the greatest
importance. The earth's fate is in your hands. You must succeed.
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Playing the game
In the following instructions, "fire" refers to the space bar
and can also refer to either of the buttons on the joystick and
mouse.
Title Screen
To exit the title screen, hit fire. A text sequence (see
below) displaying the game's credits will begin when the title
screen is exited for the first time. After this, the title screen
will only displayed after the game is "won" or after the ESC key is
hit during a game (see below). It will be skipped after games in
which the player "loses".
The title screen will also fade off when the title music has
finished playing.
Hitting Control (Ctrl) and Q simultaneously will quit the
game. The title screen will fade off the and the program will exit
to DOS.
Text Sequences
At various times in the game, namely, the credits, before a
level and after a game, a text sequence will begin unless skipped
(see below).
To skip one of these text sequences, hit fire. The sequence
cannot be skipped for the first half second of running, to avoid
accidentally skipping a sequence. For Sound Blaster users, an
audio sample will be played when the text sequence begins to fade
off, either when skipped or when finished.
Hit P to pause a text sequence, and P again to unpause it.
Hitting Control (Ctrl) and Q simultaneously will quit the
game. The screen will fade off and the program will exit to DOS.
Controlling the space-craft
To control the space-craft with the keyboard, hit the
directional key on the numeric or arrow keypad in the direction
that you wish the ship to go in. The space-craft can also move
diagonally by hitting two directional keys at once, or by using a
"diagonal" key on the numeric keypad.
With the joystick, simply move the stick in the direction
which you want the space-craft to travel in.
When using the mouse, an on-screen pointer will appear. The
ship will always travel towards this pointer, "chasing" it. The
ship will cease "chasing" the mouse pointer once it reaches it, so
that you may control the ship with the keyboard as long as you
don't move the mouse pointer after the ship has reached it.
To shoot, hit fire. Rapidly hitting fire will cause the
space-craft to shoot more quickly than simply holding in fire.
Shots can not pass through the red remains of an alien.
You will have, initially, three "lives." Each "life" is
another attempt to continue in the current game, starting on the
screen where you got out. You will be given an additional bonus
life if you finish a level.
Other keys during the action sequence
ESC Escape
The escape key will end the current game. The screen
will fade off and the game will return to the title
sequence.
ENTER/
RETURN Skip
By hitting the ENTER/RETURN key while the screen fades
off slowly, either after hitting ESC, dying (by losing
all your lives) or winning the game, the losing sequence,
if it was to be played, will be skipped and a new game
begun immediately.
Ctrl-Q Quit
By hitting the Control (Ctrl) and Q keys down
simultaneously, the screen will fade off and the program
will exit to DOS.
T Toggle
By hitting the T key the outer scrolling regions will be
Toggled (switched) on or off. Users of slower computers
may wish to turn off these additional scrolling regions
at the top and bottom edges of the screen to speed the
game up.
S Sound
By hitting the S key the game Sound effects will be
toggled (switched) on or off.
The aim of the game is simple: make it through the game while
dodging or destroying the alien space-craft and "bombs" which spray
from certain objects on the screen. Then destroy the end of level
alien, a type of guardian of the alien ship, to advance to the next
level. It isn't easy, but sharp skills and fast reflexes will
serve you well.
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Credits
Design, Programming, Artwork, and Music by
Brendan Reville
Design contributions:
Marc Armansin and Michael Reville
Additional game testing:
Justin Reville and Michael Reville
Documentation:
Brendan Reville
Further Acknowledgments
The following helped, to various degrees, with the development
of the game, and deserve a word of thanks.
John Creasey
Paul Meiners
Tony Cook
Eric Poulsen
- for assisting in the development of the keyboard
reading routines (MultiKey).
Rhys Weekley
- for helping with the Adlib testing.
David Evans
- for the public domain program VGA Paint, used to create
the game artwork.
John M. Coon
- for the shareware Sound Blaster composer program
Compoz, used to create the game's FM music.
Mum, Dad, Justin and Michael
- my family, for all their interest, patience and
support.
And to all my friends at school and on the Bulletin Boards,
for their encouragement and interest: thank you.
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About the Author
Brendan Reville is a 15 year old student living in Sydney,
Australia. He enjoys ice-skating, basketball, tennis and swimming,
and plays the clarinet. Favourite writers include Philip K. Dick,
William Gibson and Barbara Hambly. He began programming while
around the age of 10, in BASIC, before moving onto C at the age of
13, and is now teaching himself Assembler. Xerix is his first
major production, and was contributed to the public domain as an
appreciation for the medium.
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Free Registration
This game is free, however, it is requested that the
registration form contained in the file XERIXREG.DOC is filled out
and returned to the author at the address given or sent by
electronic mail as described below. Registration is free, except
for the necessary postage, and is not required, but appreciated.
Consult your DOS manual for information on printing a file.
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Contacting the Author
The author can be contacted at the following postal address:
Brendan Reville
PO Box 304
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Australia
For users with a modem, the author can also be contacted via
GTNet electronic mail available through any GTPower Bulletin Board
System worldwide. Send a Private message to Brendan Reville at The
Poet's Dilemna, netmail address 302/000.
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Programmers' Information
Xerix was programmed in Microsoft C 6.0. Also used in the
development of the product were Creative Labs' Sound Blaster
Developer Kit and Ted Gruber Software's Fastgraph routines.
The author is happy to discuss areas of the game's programming
with other programmers, and can be contacted by the methods given
above.
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Revision History
September 1992 - version 1.0
Original release
September 1992 - version 1.1
"Lives" added
Title screen not displayed after every game
Documentation improved and updated
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Disclaimer
The author, Brendan Reville, and any other persons referred to
in this documentation or in the computer program "Xerix" accept no
responsibility for any loss of time, money or productivity, or
damage to any person(s) or computer hardware or software, as a
result of using the program "Xerix", even if the above mentioned
had knowledge or had been notified of the possibilities of such
events.
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Xerix - Program, Data and Documentation
(C) Copyright Brendan Reville 1992
All Rights Reserved.
MCMXCII
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Trademarks and Registered Trademarks
Adlib is a registered trademark of Adlib Inc.
Fastgraph is a trademark of Ted Gruber Software.
IBM, IBM PC/AT, are registered trademarks of International Business
Machines, Inc.
Microsoft, Microsoft Mouse and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
All other brand and product names mentioned in this document are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
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