Swordfight at Midnight



More like a simulation than a game, Swordfight at Midnight presents you with a duel to the death between two swordsmen  play against a friend or against the computer.

Not a program whose possibilities will be exhausted in a day or even a week. What it has in common with arcade space games is a demand for quick reactions to attack but it adds to this necessary ingredient subtletys of skill and tactics that will open up endless new ways of approaching the duel.



An important aid to learning these skills is a "playback" facility which enables you to watch the game that has just taken place and spot your errors.



Loading Swordfight at Midnight

Instructions on how to load a program into the ZX Spectrum are given in the Spectrum manual.



Once the tape recorder is connected and the volume level is set type LOAD "" CODE and press ENTER. Start the cassette recorder.



The program will RUN itself. Instructions for playing the game will be found overleaf.



If you encounter any problems in loading the program adjust the volume level on your cassette recorder and check Spectrum manual.



(C) Sunshine 1983

All rights are reserved and will be rigorously protected by the Publishers. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this cassette and software is strictly prohibited. Tokens in the program code enable unauthorised copies to be detected.



"Swordfight" is a machine code game which simulates an old fashioned duel. The fight is graphically represented on the screen. The figures advance and retreat, cut, thrust and parry with the aim of defeating each other. You can pit your skill either against another player or against the computer. You become more skillful with practice against the computer (at different levels of difficulty) and you can learn from your mistakes  which may be fatal by watching replays of the action (at different speeds).



You defend yourself with the parry

The move is designed to save you from injury. When you are parrying your opponent cannot hurt you. Unless you decide to cut or thrust you will always be in the parry position.



You attack by thrusting and cutting

But you must chose the right moment. You won't harm an opponent who is parrying  you'll just waste your energy and the opponent will get the upper hand. You'll do much more damage though if you advance while you're thrusting.



You can also cut at your opponent

To cut you have to draw your sword back to the prepare position, and then thrust. You don't have to be advancing to inflict most damage, so the cut can be used at close quarters, or even in retreat. However you're most likely to be wounded while you're preparing to cut at your opponent.



To survive you must meet all your opponent's cuts and thrusts with a parry, which will also "heal" some of your wounds. In attack you must tempt your enemy to advance and then thrust quickly forcing your advantage by cutting at close quarters. You may retire temporarily to parry and take stock of your situation.



Swordfight is a game that will become ever more subtle as you play it. Practise against the computer at lower levels it will make mistakes  try to spot them and watch replays to discover your own mistakes.



Also available from Sunshine

Cruising on Broadway  a machine code chase game

Blind Alley  a game of tactics and quick thinking

Androids  a nightmarish maze populated by vicious robots  can you find the exit?

Galaxy Attack  a three part arcade/adventure space fantasy.



Swordfight was written for the ZX Spectrum by Mark Harman



Sunshine Books

Hobhouse Court 19 Whitcomb Street London WC2 7HF Tel: 01-930 3266

