Welcome to the Demo version of Metal Marines!

This file is provided to help you get started playing the game. If you have
already installed the program, you may skip past the next section.

RUNNING THE GAME

The install program will create a new group for your Program Manager called
Metal Marines, and will create a new program item inside it. Double click
on the Metal Marines icon to start the game.

You will see a brief introduction which you can either watch and enjoy or
interrupt by selecting the game icon on the icon bar (the game icon looks
like a small file folder). The game menu has a selection titled Start Game
(the F4 key is a shortcut to starting a game if you do not wish to use the
game menu).

When you start a game you will be given the opportunity to enter you name
in the Player Information dialog. When you have entered your name push
enter or click on the CLOSE button to move on to the Connections dialog.
Simply press enter on this dialog (or click on Continue). This is where you
will be able to set up serial and modem connections to play head-to-head
against a friend in the up and coming release of Metal Marines!

Next comes the Alliances dialog. This is where you can set up alliances or
enemies with the players who are available, but for now since there is only
the computer opponent, press Enter (or click Continue) to move on to the
game!

At this point the game will actually start. A window will open for your
island (territory), and another for your opponent's. You can use the mouse
to move the view of either island with the scroll bars or by clicking
inside the island view, holding down the left mouse button, and dragging
the island view around. Experiment with moving around your island and your
opponent's for a few minutes to familiarize yourself with how this works.

You will notice a small window with three Headquarters units inside. You
will need to build these three bases before you can attack your opponent,
so find some good, flat spots on your island to build them before he is
able to do the same! To build a base, click on it and hold the left button
down, then drag the base over to where you want to build it, then release
the mouse button. If you have selected a legal location, the base will
construct for you.

Once you have built your bases, the window will fill with the units you can
build during game play. There is an Anti-Aircraft missile, which looks like
a gold tube; a missile launcher; a Metal Marine hanger (which you can build
in the demo but not yet use); an armored gun pod bunker; a mine field,
which looks like a grassy area with mines on it; an antimatter ICBM; an
energy plant, which looks like a nuclear reactor; a factory, which looks
like a military warehouse; a headquarters, which is a hexagon shaped
building; and a radar installation. Two additional units appear, one of
which looks like a small farm and one which looks like a base, but these
are not yet implemented. They are camouflage units to help you fool your
enemy!

Energy Plants: Build these to accumulate energy faster. It takes a certain
amount of energy to launch those missiles! Watch you Energy meter on the
Tactical View where your sergeants will talk to you.

Headquarters: Build these to accumulate money faster. Each unit has a cost
to construct, from missiles which cost $10M to build to ICBMs which cost
$255M to build.

Factories: These units cause construction to occur faster. Useful when you
really need to build things quickly!

When you are ready to attack, find a missile unit with a missile on it,
then position your enemy's view so you can see what you want to target.
Attacks are done in the same drag-and-drop style as building; simply click
on the missile and hold the left mouse button down, drag over to your
target, and release. Your missile's flight will send back reconnaissance
which will allow you to see parts of your enemy's island that you don't
know about yet. Watch out! His AA might knock your missile down!

Your ultimate goal is to destroy your enemy's bases while fending off his
attacks on yours. There are three levels of varying difficulty in the demo,
so have fun!

--------------------------------------------
Demo System Requirements

386 Processor, 33 MHz or better
8 MB of RAM or more highly recommended
Hard Disk with 8 MB of free space
SVGA 256-color graphics (640x480 or better)
Windows-compatible mouse

Supports:
Windows MIDI music system
Windows compatible digital audio system
