PROTOSTAR: War on the Frontiers
VAS NOKHOUDIAN
Game Designer
Writer
Animator
Computer Artist
JOHN SHAW
TsAGE DEVELOPED BY
Robert E. Heitmon
Eric Hart
John Rettig
Chris Hoyt
John Crone
John Hamilton
JOHN HAMILTON
Lead Programmer
MlKE BOWMAN
2nd Programmer
BRYAN ELLIS
Lead Animator
Lead Computer Artist
DEENA KRUTAK
Animator
Computer Artist
KEN ALLEN
Sound Effects
Music Composer
ERIC HART
Main Theme Composer
Programmer
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Sol Ackerman
Becky Jarrett
Ron Hinders
Bryon Ackerman
Monica Longaker
Chris Jarrett
Pat Jarrett
PACKAGE ILLUSTRATIONS
John Show
USER’S MANUAL
Vas Nokhoudian
PACKAGE AND USER’S MANUAL
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Greg Steffen
Steffen Design Croup
ESTEVAN HAWKING
: HDC SPECIAL OPERATIONS
PROTOSTAR: WAR ON THE FRONTIER IS AN INTERACTIVE
game tailored for science fiction, action and role playing
enthusiasts. It is set far in the future, in a remote region of
our galaxy. This manual is a player’s guide. It also contains
the symbols you will need to bypass the copy protection.
We suggest that you read this manual as you are installing
the program.
24 HOUR HINT LINE
900.903.WAVE (92833]
A s y o u play PROTOSTAR: W a r o n t h e Frontier, y o u m a y e n c o u n t e r
puzzles that you consider too challenging. Don’t despair. Hints on
all Tsunami games are available 24 hours a day by calling
900.903.WAVE (9283). Calls to this number are NOT free. You will
be charged $.80 per minute for each call. Callers under 18 years of
age must have the permission of a parent or guardian to call this
number. Game hints are the sole responsibility of Tsunami Media,
Inc. and all contents are copyrighted by Tsunami Media, Inc. All
rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WELCOME
[3]
Vantu Aristocracy
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GETTlNG THIS SECTION OF THE MANUAL CONTAINS INSTRUCTIONS
STARTED on how to install the game and begin play.
Minimum System Required
IBM or 100% compatible
386 25Mhz or faster processor
MS-DOS Version 5.0 or greater
640KB memory with 590,000 bytes available
VGA adapter (MCGA not supported)
Hard disk with 7Mb available
Microsoft compatible mouse
3.5” high density disk drive
INSTALLlNG
THE
GAME
THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE ASSUMES THAT YOUR
computer is turned on and that you are entering commands
at the DOS prompt. If you are running MS-Windows or any
version of a DOS shell program, you must exit or quit out of
them and enter the install commands for PROTOSTAR from
the DOS prompt.
1) Remove your game disks from the box and insert the
disk labeled DISK 1 into a 3.5” floppy disk drive.
2) Type the letter of the drive (into which you inserted
DISK I) followed by a colon and press [ENTER]. For
example, if you inserted your disk into drive A, you
would type A: [ENTER].
3) Type INSTALL and press [ENTER ].
4) The Tsunami logo screen will appear, followed by a
prompt asking if you are ready to install PROTOSTAR.
Select OK or press [ENTER] to begin the installation
procedure. Select QUIT to exit the program without
installing the game.
5) A prompt will appear to confirm your sound card type.
Select OK or press [ENTER] if the indicated type is correct.
To change this configuration, choose CHANGE SELECTIONS
to enable the SOUND OPTIONS menu. Now select any
incorrect setting to see other available choices. Select
the new type of sound card. Select OK when you are
satisfied.
6) During the installation procedure, you will be prompted
for a game directory name. We recommend that you
select OK or press [ENTER] to choose the default PROTO
141
directory. Advanced users may wish to substitute a different
game directory name at the prompt. Select QUIT
to exit this procedure without installing the game.
7) Follow the prompts and insert game disks as directed.
The entire installation process will take about 6 minutes
to complete.
8) After installing PROTOSTAR, return your disks to the
safety of the game box.
INSTALLATION PLACES ALL GAME FILES INTO THE GAME
directory on your hard disk. The game directory is named
PROTO unless you specified a different name during the
installation procedure.
To start playing the game, you must make the game directory
the current directory. For example, if you selected the
default PROTO directory, then you would type CD PROTO
[ENTER] at the C:\ prompt. Next, type PROTO [ENTER]. The title
screens will appear, then the game will begin.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
YOUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVES IN PROTOSTAR ARE TO
establish relations with the local sentients, then rally them
to your cause. In the process you will frequent Outposts,
meet lively characters, explore distant worlds, visit alien
cities, and engage in both stellar and surface combat.
There is no time limit for completing PROTOSTAR, but
financial management is crucial to the success of your mission.
Your funds will pay for vessel maintenance, trade capital,
crew salaries and, most importantly, the support of
defense forces in the home Sector.
Characters in PROTOSTAR feature believable intelligence.
Each follows an agenda based upon attitude and objectives.
You directly affect the behavior of other characters through
your actions and conversations. There are few ways to
‘spoil’ the game, so feel free to experiment.
PLAYING
PROTOSTAR
[5]
Kaynik Anarchy
This interactive adventure is presented in the first person
perspective. You see the surroundings of your character as if
you are looking out through their eyes. The streamlined
interface enables you to simply CHOOSE subjects that you
wish to interact with, and DESCRIBE those that you wish to
learn more about.
A MOUSE IS RECOMMENDED FOR PLAYING PROTOSTAR.
In this manual the term LEFT SELECT means clicking the left
mouse button on a two (or more) button mouse. RIGHT
SELECT is accomplished by clicking the rightmost button on
a two or three button mouse. HOT KEYS are available for performing
most game functions. These are detailed on the
enclosed PROTOSTAR Quick Reference Card.
Three interaction ICONS appear across the top of the screen
when you move the cursor into that region. The TSUNAMI
WAVE ICON on the far left is for accessing Game Utilities.
The remaining two icons may be selected to alternate
between CHOOSE and DESCRIBE interaction. The game pauses
while the Interaction Icons are on screen.
CHOOSE
SELECT THE CHOOSE ICON TO ENABLE THIS MODE, OR
with a two button mouse, you may RIGHT SELECT until your
cursor appears as a pointing hand. Place this Hand Cursor
over any screen subject that you wish to interact with, then
LEFT SELECT to CHOOSE it. If the subject is designed for interaction,
then it will respond. For example, CHOOSE doors to
open them, CHOOSE buttons to press them. Character
Dialogue is cleared when you LEFT SELECT with either CHOOSE
or DESCRIBE.
DESCRIBE
EITHER SELECT THE DESCRIBE ICON OR RIGHT SELECT TO
enable this mode. Your cursor will appear as a Question
Mark pointer. Place this cursor over a screen subject, then
LEFT SELECT to DESCRIBE it. Your character will offer a personal
observation about the subject. These descriptions are useful
for becoming familiar with the PROTOSTAR universe.
GAME UTILITIES
SELECT THE TSUNAMI WAVE ICON TO ENABLE A MENU
of Game Utilities. These are SAVE, RESTORE, RESTART, SOUNDS,
and EXIT GAME.
SAUE
YOU MAY SAVE THE CURRENT GAME CONDITIONS, THEN
RESTORE them when you desire. You are allowed to SAVE up
to ten games. Select a slot to store your SAVE game, then
enter a description of up to 22 characters. If you select a
slot where you have already saved, then the previous data
will be replaced by your current SAVE. We suggest that you
SAVE the game following any significant progress and before
you EXIT GAME.
RESTORE
SELECT A GAME TO RESTORE FROM THE MENU OF PREVIOUSLY
saved games. The current conditions will be replaced with
those of the restored game, so be certain to SAVE any settings
that you do not wish to lose,
RESTART
YOU MAY BEGIN PLAYING PROTOSTAR FROM THE VERY
start. This option is useful if you do not have any saved
games of significant value.
SOUND
THIS FUNCTION ENABLES YOU TO CHANGE SOUND
cards and select the volume at which music is played. Set
the volume to the MIN setting to turn sound off. These settings
will be in effect each time you begin play.
You should never select a music or sample card that is not
installed in your computer. The results would be unpredictable.
If you make an incorrect selection, you must return to the
SOUND option and reselect the appropriate music or sample card
from available options.
EXIT GAME
REMEMBER TO SAVE BEFORE YOU EXIT GAME IF YOU
have made substantial progress
Skeetch Empire Human Alliance
........................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OUTPOSTS NEWFRONT HAS ESTABLISHED THREE OUTPOSTS ON THE
frontier. Each Outvost offers equivalent services. These are
available through- the Com-Terminal, Exchange Center,
Biotech Center, Frontier Craft, and the Lounge. A central
junction links all Outpost facilities.
COM-TERMINAL
YOU MAY REVIEW ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CONTACT
Director Hawking at the Corn-Terminal. Game developments
and general information are broadcast in the
ANNOUNCEMENTS. These are organized by Stardate. You will
learn of conditions in the home Sector when you CONTACT
Hawking, and have the opportunity to transfer funds in
support of the Human defense forces.
EXCHANGE CENTER
NEWFRONT PURCHASES LIFEFORMS, PRODUCTS AND
materials through the Exchange Center. Newfront prices do
not fluctuate.
BIOTECH CENTER
CREW MEMBERS THAT ARE DISABLED DURING COMBAT
are placed in cryogenic suspension. These characters may
be revived in the Biotech Center through EMERGENCY
TREATMENT, at a cost of 5000 credits for each procedure. The
game ends if your character is disabled. A detailed analysis
of any registered lifeform is available through the BIOTECH
LIBRARY.
FRONTIER CRAFT
THE PREMIERE ENGINEERING FACILITIES IN THE SECTOR.
Systems may be purchased for, transferred between and
sold from your vessels using Frontier Craft services. Highly
rated systems will greatly improve the effectiveness of your
Starship and Explorer.
THE LOUNGE
AN IDEAL PLACE TO ESCAPE THE PRESSURES OF SAVING
Humanity. Your leisure pursuits may be shared by others.
TRADE CENTERS ARE ACCESSED WITHIN CITIES ON THE
surface of planets. You may barter for goods and converse
idly with the merchants that operate these establishments.
A Mobile Exchange Center will assist you in conducting
TRADE
business.
CENTERS
AND
You must CHOOSE THE APPROACH that you will use for barter- BARTERING
ing when you first enter a Trade Center. The effect of each
technique varies with each alien species. You may CHANGE
APPROACH at any time thereafter.
Merchants represent the interests of their species. Like
yourself, they want to benefit from the goods that they
PURCHASE and SELL. Merchants are pleased when they make
a profit, disappointed when they take a loss, and lose
patience when you push too hard.
There is an opportunity to generate substantial income
through bartering. You may conduct this activity with
Starship Commanders by selecting the TRADE TOPIC during
conversation.
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THE STARSHIP ACCOMMODATES A LARGE PORTION OF
game activity. You should become familiar with its features STARSHIP
at the earliest opportunity. VESSEL
STARDATE: Your Stardate display shows HOUR:DAY:YEAR.
The rate at which Game Time advances varies according to
current location and activity. Time progresses fastest during
REGIONAL T RAVEL and HYPERPATH T UNNEL.
LOCATION: The REGIONAL coordinates of your Starship
within Thule Sector.
FUEL: All vessels in the game are fueled by Stabilium.
Monitor your fuel level with care.
TACTICAL DISPLAY: An immediate tactical breakdown of
the subject most directly in front of your ship, within an
encounter.
RADAR: In an encounter, your vessel is represented by the
static BLUE ICON at the center of the Auxiliary Viewer. Any
additional ICONS depict the relative position of other subjects.
Icons that are dimmer than the BLUE ICON are below
your Starship, while those that are brighter are above your
vessel.
STATUS GAUGES: The orange indicators show the condition
of the characters operating the seven Stations.
Disabled crew members are removed to cryogenic suspension.
The blue-grey indicators show the condition of the
Stations themselves. Your Starship is destroyed when it
loses Command.
Starship operations are directed from Command,
Navigation, Contact, Science, Tactical, Engineering, and
Biotech Stations. With the exception of Command,
CHOOSING the button for any Station will enable a menu of
functions. Some functions are available only under certain
conditions.
The effectiveness of a function is determined by the SKILL of
the character assigned to the Station. At the start of the
game, your character is inexperienced in the operation of
Newfront vessels. You should seek out and employ crew
members to assist you. CHARACTER SKILLS gradually increase
coinciding with Station assignment.
COMMAND
THIS IS YOUR CHARACTER’S STATION. IT IS THE CENTER
of Starship operations. All Station functions are directed
from Command.
NAVIGATION
FUNCTIONS INVOLVING STARSHIP MOVEMENT ARE
controlled through Navigation. The three modes of travel
in PROTOSTAR are HYPERPATH TUNNEL, REGIONAL TRAVEL
and MANEUVERING within an encounter.
. .
HYPERPATH TUNNELS are used to transverse great distances,
such as between solar systems. This mode is accessed from
the Sector Map. HYPERPATH TRAVEL consumes a considerable
amount of time and fuel.
REGIONAL TRAVEL occurs within a spherical domain that
encompasses one Sector coordinate. This mode is activated
when you reach a HYPERPATH destination, cease
MANEUVERING, DEPART an Outpost, or EXIT ORBIT. To travel
within a Region, simply Choose a location within the
sphere. You will encounter other vessels when your STARSHIP
ICON touches a green SQUARE ICON. Your Starship will enter
orbit of any other Icons that you CHOOSE as a destination.
MANEUVERING begins when you CHOOSE the blue Control
Pad on the bridge of your Starship. Move your cursor to a
location on the Pad which best reflects your desired direction
of travel within three dimensional space. For example,
move the cursor to the upper right corner to travel up and
right, move the cursor to the center to travel straight
ahead. Select with the EXIT CURSOR to cease MANEUVERING.
You can not return to REGIONAL TRAVEL until all other subjects
you may have encountered are beyond the range of
your Radar.
NAVIGATION FUNCTIONS
SECTOR MAP: Activates a map showing current location
and all possible destinations within the Sector. You may
plot a HYPERPATH COURSE for long distance travel.
EXIT ORBIT: Discontinue orbital pattern and return to
REGIONAL TRAVEL.
DOCKING PROFILE: This function may be used to
access an Outpost from orbit. In an encounter, you may
DOCK with any vessel that has surrendered or that has no
active crew members. You may ACQUIRE CARGO and ship
systems from these vessels using the corresponding
Engineering function.
DEPARTURE PROFILE: Used to launch from an Outpost
and return to REGIONAL TRAVEL. This function is also selected
to detach from a vessel with which you have DOCKED.
CONTACT SCIENCE
ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATlONS ARE
directed through Contact. You may also review personnel
files and assign duties from this Station.
A CLEVER COMMANDER WILL UTILIZE THE DATA FROM
scientific scans to forward their objectives.
CONTACT FUNCTIONS
INITIATE CONTACT: Use this function to hail vessels
within a” encounter. Keep in mind that other
Commanders operate under their own agenda, and will
choose how long they wish to converse.
INTERCOM: You may speak with any character aboard
your ship that is not disabled. Value the advice of those
who serve with you.
VIEW PERSONNEL: Your computer updates a current
description, condition summary and SKILLS assessment for
each character aboard your Starship.
STATION ASSIGNMENT: Use this function to place a
crew member in control of a Station. The performance of
a vessel relies upon the SKILLS of those crew members
assigned to its Stations. Any Station that is unassigned
defaults to the control of your character.
SURRENDER: The least appealing option, yet this may
be the only method to spare your Starship and crew.
Most hostile opponents will seize cargo from your vessel
when you SURRENDER. The reaction of other sentients
may be less extreme or more ruthless. Both your weapons
and defenses must be inactive for this function to be available.
SCIENCE FUNCTIONS
SUBJECTIVE SCAN: You may SCAN subjects while in
orbit or from within an encounter. Planetary data indicates
what you can expect to find when you LAUNCH to
the surface. The home Sector benefits from any
Unknown planets that you SCAN and REGISTER. Data
regarding vessels that you encounter can be used to your
tactical advantage.
SURFACE SCAN: The topographical SCAN of a planet
from orbit. This data appears as a map, and is accompanied
by a” ALTIMETER. You may CHOOSE and LAUNCH to a
landing destination.
Your Explorer can not land on planets with a gravity
greater than 8.0g.
TACTICAL
ALL NEWFRONT VESSELS ARE EOUIPPED TO CONTEND
with hostile entities. Use force judiciously, as news of conflict
spreads rapidly among factions.
TACTICAL FUNCTIONS
ARM/DISARM WEAPONS: Other vessels will view active
weapons as a combative posture. Your Starship is
equipped with a Wave Gun, Accel Cannon and Pursuit
Pods at the start of the game. CHOOSE the Control Pad to
enter MANEUVER MODE, then RIGHT SELECT to toggle
between weapons cursors. LEFT SELECT with a cursor to
fire the corresponding weapon.
WAVE GUN
The Wave Gun is slow to recharge between shots. The
large surface area of its projectiles increases the chance
of hitting a target, and it inflicts heavy damage.
[13]
ACCEL CANNON
Accel Cannon reload fastest, but inflict the least
amount of damage per burst. These are best used when
there is little chance of missing a target.
PURSUIT POD
A Pursuit Pod will target the closest opponent and
chase it until impact. Only one of these projectiles may
be active at a time. Pursuit Pods inflict the greatest
amount of damage, but consume 10 cubic meters of
fuel each shot.
ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE DEFENSES: Your first action
in any combat should be to ACTIVATE your defenses.
Energy Shields reduce the damage inflicted by Accel
Cannon, while Dampening Fields protect against Wave
Gun. There is no defense for Pursuit Pods. Your Starship
consumes fuel at twice the normal rate during REGIONAL
TRAVEL while your defenses are active.
ENGINEERING
The heart of any vessel. Your Starship is maintained, its
systems are arranged, and your cargo is managed through
Engineering.
ENGINEERING FUNCTIONS
DIRECT REPAIRS: A Mechanic Drone patrols your
Starship, performing arbitrary repairs. You may DIRECT
this Drone to service any one Station until it is fully
restored. The Drone then resumes random repairs.
TRANSFER SYSTEM: You can move vessel systems
between your Starship, Explorer and cargo section. You
may equip your craft for optimum performance using
this function. The destinations for some systems may
be limited.
1141
CARGO MANIFEST: You may review the quantity and
type of goods aboard your Starship. CHOOSE any manifest
entry that you wish to JETTISON. The modular cargo
section transfers to your Explorer when you LAUNCH to
a planet.
ACQUIRE CARGO: You may ACQUIRE cargo and systems
from any Starship with which your vessel is currently
docked.
RETRIEVE CARGO: Starships that are destroyed are
transformed into a mass of fused debris. You may dispatch
a Cargo Drone to RETRIEVE worthwhile materials
from the debris in an encounter.
BIOTECN
Medical services and biological data are accessed through
the Biotech Station.
BIOTECN FUNCTIONS
DIRECT TREATMENT: Injured characters aboard your
Starship that are assigned to a Station receive arbitrary
treatment from a Medical Drone. You may DIRECT the
Drone to service any one character until they are fully
healed. The Drone then resumes random treatment.
BIOSCAN: This lifeform recognition SCAN may be performed
from orbit or within an encounter. Unregistered
lifeforms will appear as Unknown.
LIFEFORM ANALYSIS: You may examine any lifeform in
your cargo section. Biological data and an audio analysis
are presented. The home Sector benefits from any
Unknown lifeforms that you REGISTER.
[15]
......................
EXPLORER THE EXPLORER IS USED FOR ACTIVITY ON THE SURFACE
VESSEL of planets. Your primary objectives include GATHERING
materials and lifeforms, and trading within alien cities.
Interaction aboard this vessel is conducted as if you are in a
continual encounter.
Explorer functions and layout are derived from the Starship
bridge, with some peripheral differences. Your crew members
and cargo section are transferred to the Explorer when
you LAUNCH to a planet.
Location shows the latitude and longitude position of your
Explorer.
Both vessels and surface subjects register on the Tactical
Display.
RADAR: Cities, lifeforms and materials are now represented
on the Radar. They may also be indicated on your Main
Viewer. When one of these subjects passes below your
Explorer, the BLUE ICON representing your vessel on the
Radar is encircled by an ALERT RING.
GATHER
While MANEUVERING, LEFT SELECT with the GATHER CURSOR to
collect a lifeform or material as it passes below you.
THERMOGAUGE: Measures surface temperature. Your
Explorer can withstand most any environment.
ALTIMETER: Indicates distance from the surface floor. The
altitudes to which your Explorer will ascend and descend
are limited. Lifeforms and cities are more abundant at
lower altitudes. Materials are concentrated at higher altitudes.
PARTICLE GUN
Your Explorer is equipped with a Particle Gun. Though
this is the sole armament, it inflicts heavy damage and
resets at a good rate.
EXPLORER FUNCTIONS
Starship functions that are not available on the Explorer
include SECTOR MAP, EXIT ORBIT, SURFACE SCAN, and
RETRIEVE CARGO. Options that are accessible only from the
Explorer are APPROACH SITE and RETURN TO ORBIT.
APPROACH SITE: CHOOSE this function from the
Navigation menu to land at a city which is below your
Explorer. You will immediately enter into a Trade Center.
RETURN TO ORBIT: You may RETURN to your orbiting
Starship using this Navigation function. The Explorer
travels on an ion stream during this procedure, so neither
fuel nor an Engineering Station are required.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE FOLLOWING ARE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS
that we hope you never have. There may be a file on DISK PROBLEMS
1 called READ.ME which will contain any updated infor- AND
mation made available after this manual was printed. If you
do not find the solution to your problem in this manual or SOLUTIONS
the READ.ME file, then refer to the ADDITIONAL HELP
section.
P: The installation procedure crashes.
S: If this problem occurs while the TSUNAMI TITLE SCREEN
is active and the on-screen cursor is visible, then there
is most likely a conflict between our Auto Detect
Software and the hardware installed in your computer.
To install PROTOSTAR without activating our Auto
Detect Software, make the DRIVE where DISK 1 is located
the current DRIVE, then type the following command at
the prompt:
INSTALL /A [ENTER]
Kaynik Anarchy
This will disable the Auto Detect Software that checks
for existing Sound Devices, then commence installation.
When the Sound Device prompt appears, you may
select from a much larger list of options.
P: The program does not load correctly.
S: If this problem occurs, there are a few things that you can
check before calling TSUNAMI for assistance. First, make
certain that your system meets or exceeds the Minimum
Requirements listed in this manual. Next, check that
your system is plugged in and that all connections are
secure. Finally, review the installation instructions in this
manual to be certain that you followed them correctly.
P: How do I make 590,000 bytes of memory available?
S: Be certain that your system is running MS-DOS Version
5.0 or better, and physically contains at least 640Kb
memory. You can check your DOS Version number by
typing VER [ENTER] at the DOS prompt. Running CHKDSK
[ENTER] at the DOS prompt will tell you how much total
memory is installed in your system, as well as how
much is available for use.
‘The last two lines given by CHKDSK are the ones you want
to look at. The total bytes memory line tells you the
amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) physically
installed in your system. This number must be 640,000
bytes or greater. If it is less than 640,000 bytes, then you
must install additional memory in your computer.
Check the documentation which came with your
machine to determine the proper memory type and
installation procedure.
The bytes free line indicates the amount of RAM available
for use. This number must be 590,000 bytes or greater. If
it is less than 590,000 bytes, then you can install HlMEM,
which is included as part of your MS-DOS Version 5.0
software. Refer to Chapter 12, Optimizing Your System:
Making More Memory Available in your DOS manual for
the proper installation procedures.
P: Even after installing HIMEM, I don’t have 590,000
bytes free.
S: Since PROTOSTAR requires 590,000 bytes free RAM, you
must free up memory by removing some of the programs
(called Terminate and Stay Resident programs TSRs for
short) which are loaded by DOS each time that you start
your machine. Refer to Chapter 12, Optimizing Your
System: Making More Memory Available Freeing
Conventional Memory in your DOS manual for the
proper procedures to remove these programs.
You may also want to start your computer by loading
DOS from an original DOS system disk or a PROTOSTAR
Start-Up Disk. This method of starting your computer
ensures that no additional programs are loaded into your
RAM. Refer to the section entitled Creating a PROTOSTAR
Start-Up Disk to review that option.
P: The screen is divided into numerous small images.
S : Some models of STB VGA Cards have a bug in the BIOS.
If you are using an STB VGA Card (Powergraph for
example), then you may request a BIOS upgrade from
STB by calling (214) 234-8750 (9:00AM 5:00PM CST).
The BIOS upgrade that you need is identified as Revision
1.92, and is dated 2-19-93. You must state that this BIOS
upgrade fixes problems with a TSUNAMI product when
you call STB.
P: My mouse is active on only one half of the screen.
S : If you are using a Genius mouse, find out if your mouse
driver software is outdated. It must be compatible with
Microsoft Mouse Driver Version 6.0 or greater. You can
contact the Genius company or most software dealers
for an upgrade or further information.
P: I have MS-Windows and a Pro Audio Spectrum 16.
Sometimes when ‘play PROTOSTAR, the volume
level is too soft even when volume is set to maximum.
S: If you are using your Pro Audio Spectrum 16 during a
MS-Windows session and you enter directly into
PROTOSTAR, you may experience some problems.
After exiting MS-Windows simply reboot your computer
by simultaneously pressing [CTRL]+[ALT]+[DELETE]. After
returning to the DOS prompt, start PROTOSTAR as you
normally would.
P: I have a Pro Audio Spectrum and the INSTALL
program doesn’t show it as an option.
S: We support the Pro Audio Spectrum in its Sound Blaster
compatibility mode. You should select the Sound
Blaster instead. If there is not a Sound Blaster option
shown in the install program, you should ensue
that your config.sys file contains the following line,
or its equivalent:
,...........................
IF YOU EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM REGARDING PROTOSTAR ADDITIONAL
HELP
which you cannot solve, our Tsunami Technical Support
Department is available by calling 209.683.WAVE (9283)
during regular business hours M-F (8:00AM to 5:00PM PST).
Please have at hand as much of the following information
about your computer as possible:
> Brand and model of your computer.
> DOS Version (type VER [ENTER] at the DOS prompt).
> Brand of any memory managers installed.
> Free memory available (type CHKDSK [ENTER] at the DOS
prompt and record values).
> Contents of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
files.
..and if applicable...
> Brand of your sound card.
> Brand and model of your video card.
> Mouse brand and Version number of your mouse
driver software (this information is displayed during
computer start-up).
PLEASE NOTE: NO GAME HINTS WILL BE PROVIDED
THROUGH OUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT LINES.
For GAME HINTS, dial our 24 HOUR HINT LINE:
900.903.WAVE [9283]
TO CREATE A PROTOSTAR START-UP DISK, INSERT A BLANK
3.5” or 5.25” floppy disk (depending on the size of your drive) into
CREATING A
DRIVE A. Enter the following commands at the DOS prompt: PROTOSTAR
c: [ENTER] START-UP
FORMAT A: /S [ENTER] DISK
You will be prompted to “Insert new diskette for drive A: and
press ENTER when ready...” Simply verify that the disk in
DRIVE A is your PROTOSTAR Start-Up Disk and press [ENTER].
After formatting is complete, you will see the prompt
“Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?”
Again, simply press [ENTER].
The next prompt you will see is “Format another (Y/N)?”
Press [N][ENTER] to continue.
Next, you will need to copy your mouse driver onto the
disk. To do so, change to the directory where your
MOUSE.COM file is located (usually the MOUSE directory) by
typing the following commands at the DOS prompt:
c: [ENTER]
CD \MOUSE [ENTER]
If your MOUSE.COM file is located in a directory other
than MOUSE, you should substitute the correct directory
name in the above command line. After changing to the
directory which contains your mouse driver, type the following
command:
COPY MOUSE.COM A:MOUSE.COM [ENTER]
If your mouse driver is named something other than
MOUSE.COM (MSCMOUSE.COM for example), you should
substitute the name of your mouse driver in the above
command line.
You will also need to copy one of your DOS files onto the
disk. To do so, change to the directory where your DOS files
are located (usually the DOS directory) by typing the following
command at the DOS prompt:
CD \DOS [ENTER ]
If your DOS files are located in a directory other than DOS,
you should substitute your directory name in the above
command line. After changing to the directory which contains
your DOS files, type the following command:
COPY HIMEM.SYS A: [ENTER]
Finally, at the DOS prompt, switch to your GAME DIRECTORY
directory by entering the following command:
CD \PROTO [ENTER ]
After switching to your game directory, enter the following
commands:
COPY AUTOEXEC.PS A:AUTOEXEC.BAT [ENTER]
COPY CONFIG.PS A:CONFIG.SYS [ENTER]
This completes the creation of your PROTOSTAR Start-Up Disk.
Ghebraant Collective
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AFTER CREATING YOUR PROTOSTAR START-UP DISK,
insert the disk into DRIVE A then reboot your computer by USING
simultaneously pressing [CTRL]+[ALT]+[DELETE]. Enter the fol- YOUR
lowing commands at the DOS prompt: PROTOSTAR
c: [ENTER]
CD \PROTO [E N T E R] START-UP
DISK
Tsunami Media, Inc. will replace any defective disk(s) at no
charge during your first 90 days of ownership. Please send us DISK
the defective disk(s) accompanied by a brief note explaining WARRANTY
the problem and a copy of your dated, signed sales slip. Be
sure to include your name, phone number with area code
and a valid U.S. Postal Service address complete with ZIP
code. After 90 days there will be a $15 service charge for
replacement of your complete set of disks.