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| HYPERSPACE INVADERS ZERO by Jan "Atomhead" Robbe |
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HI and welcome to HI0!
Go here to read about updates, the latest news, ...: http://hi.entity.be

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// FAQ YOURSELF! //
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(1) How do I play?
(2) My computer seems to be too slow for this game
(3) What's this adaptive difficulty thing about? Why are there "only" 5 levels in Soulgrinder Mode?
(4) Wuh? Souls?
(5) How do I reset my progress?
(6) How do I unlock the other games?
(7) Who is Atomhead? How can I download my bonus Atomhead EP?
(8) I'm a multimedia artist too! How do I get my stuff on Entity Netlabel or Medialab?
(9) I have a MAC, can I play too?
(10) My question is not listed here. Where do I go with my problem?

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(1) How do I play?
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Playing any of the 3 HI0 games should be pretty straightforward. Granted, the Soulgrinder mode is probably a little hard for unexperienced players.
Either way they're all meant to be "easy to learn, hard to master".

Control scheme:

	// TITLESCREEN
		F1: quick help

	// RETRO MODE (1P)
		left/right arrows (joypad left/right): 		Move left or right
		up arrow, space or enter (joypad button 1): 	Fire

	// RETRO MODE (2P)
	    player 1:
		q/a/d (joypad 1 left/right): 			Move left or right
		z (joypad 1 button 1): 				Fire

	    player 2:
		left/right arrows (joypad 2 left/right): 	Move left or right
		up arrow, space or enter (joypad 2 button 1): 	Fire

	// SOULGRINDER MODE:
		left/right arrows (joypad 1 left/right):	Move left or right

	// SPACETROOPER MODE:
		left/right arrows (joypad 1 left/right):	Move left or right
		up arrow, space or enter (joypad button 1): 	Fire


I strongly recommend using a joypad (a cheap Logitec or an XBOX controller would do the trick). It's more fun.
There are also volume controls on joypad buttons 5-8.

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(2) My computer seems to be too slow for this game
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There is a "CPU mode" option in the game which lets you cycle through various CPU modes. Press "B" at any time for this.
The adjusts the number of particles being spawned, the amount of motion blur, and other heavy processes.
"7" is the highest gfx quality setting, "0" virtually removes every fancy effect.
"7" also enables V-Sync (avoids a phenomenon called "tearing", but is for high performance pc's only).

It's perfectly possible that your pc can handle the Retro and Spacetrooper Mode on highest setting, but not Soulgrinder Mode.
Obviously that's because Soulgrinder Mode is a much more cpu-heavy game. Just adjust using "B" to your needs.


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(3) What's this adaptive difficulty thing about? Why are there only 5 levels in Soulgrinder Mode?
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First off, Soulgrinder is a 3 minute game. It remembers your progress (your highscore) and "skill" (which you earn by surviving Training Mode waves - MAX = 16).

The whole system is based on milestones. If you reach to a certain skill level or score, you will respectively upgrade your hyperspaceship (in both modes) and
increase the difficulty (in Soulgrinder Mode).


/------------------------------------------\ /-------------------------------------\
| Soulgrinder Score	| Difficulty Level | | Training (Skill)	| Firepower	   |
-------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------
| 	1.000.000 	| 	1	   | | 		2	| 	+1	   |
| 	1.500.000 	| 	2	   | | 		4	| 	+2	   |
| 	3.000.000 	| 	3	   | | 		8	| 	+3	   |
| 	5.000.000 	| 	4	   | | 	       12	| 	+4	   |
|      10.000.000 	| 	5	   | |         16	| 	+5	   |
\------------------------------------------/ \-------------------------------------/

"Soulgrinder mode" has 5 levels which are more hectic as you score higher.
"Training mode" has 100+ levels which (procedurally) become more hectic and upgrade your firepower as you gain more skill.

Simply put: Once you reach a score of 1.000.000 (or other milestone scores), the game will spawn a LOT more (and some new) enemies.
This you will have to counter by training your skill level, thus upgrading your firepower.

Furthermore, you can only face the big boss (not the weird white flying thing) if you collected enough souls in the first 4 levels.


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(4) Wuh? Souls?
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Yes, the light-blue rotating things that fall from the sky when an invader disintegrates are souls.
In hyperspace, they are deadly, but since you're a Soulgrinder, you actually benefit (upgrade your firepower) from collecting them. It all makes sense. Sure it does.

!!!!IMPORTANT!!!!! do NOTHING at all to automagically attract souls in Soulgrinder mode. DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE!


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(5) How do I reset my progress?
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It depends on what you want to reset.
For RETRO, SOULGRINDER and SPACETROOPER mode, pressing "C" will clear your highscore (for SOULGRINDER mode that also means the difficulty level will be reset to 0).
For TRAINING MODE, pressing "C" will clear your SKILL level, resetting your firepower to 0. This will also reset your TRAINING MODE starting level to 0 (tutorial).


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(6) How do I unlock the other games?
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You can unlock the RETRO modes by getting an "adequate" highscore in Soulgrinder.
Then you can unlock Space Trooper mode by scoring like a pro in RETRO 1P.


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(7) Who is Atomhead? How can I download my bonus Atomhead EP?
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That would be me, Jan Robbe. Atomhead is usually an audio project but at the time of making HI0 I hadn't come up with a company name so I went with that.
Since I'm up for doing some more software developments in the future (thinking of audiovisual games, applications, ...).

http://www.entity.be/undacova -> homepage
http://www.soundcloud.com/janrobbe -> more up to date tracks & previews

My future works are also bound to be made available through the Entity Medialab website.
Entity is a platform that supports digital (most notably audio or multimedia) experiments of all kinds. Since 2003. Better have a look!

http://www.entity.be -> the portal
http://www.entity.be/medialab -> the media outlet
http://www.entity.be/entity -> the netlabel (tons of free music here!)

To get to the bonus EP, simply start the game, press "F1" (or "button 2" on your joypad) to see the help screen, and then press "D" to download the EP.
If you're connected to the internet, the file should then be downloading in the background (it's hiding behind the game window, you're free to exit the game
at this point).

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(8) I'm a multimedia artist too! How do I get my stuff on Entity Netlabel or Medialab?
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To apply, tell me what it is you do, exactly what your project is, preferably with an example. (janrobbe@gmail.com)
If your project is of no relation to "the general Entity ideology" (yes, that means you have to find out what Entity is FIRST), there's a good chance that I'll
be ignoring you. I really can't/won't answer to everyone, so please don't take it the wrong way.
If I'm interested to work with you, you will know.


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(9) I have a MAC, can I play too?
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If this game enables me to buy GM Studio (due to be released at the end of 2011), then yes, it's possible that there will be a port for MAC users.
In the meanwhile, Bootcamp is an alternate solution.


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(10) My question is not listed here. Where do I go with my problem?
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First, Google it. If that didn't get you anywhere, you can test your luck through janrobbe@gmail.com



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// GREETINGS! //
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...go out to... (in no particular order)

ps
Andreas Widen
Carsten Waechter
Tom De Langhe
Cas Van Nieuwenhuyse
BPzeBanshee
LeonMillan
everyone at IndieCity
everyone at the SHMUPS and GM forum
...YOU OFCOURSE!! (thanks for keeping me alive!)


