

                        ---- COSMIC INVADERS v0.1 ----

	       http://www.monkeyblah.com/games/cosmic_invaders/



 * INTRODUCTION
 
 Cosmic Invaders is a game in which you take on the role as defender of the
 Earth, protecting it from an invading force from beyond the outer reaches of
 the known cosmos. With the Earth's air forces quickly disposed of by the
 invaders, it falls to the remaining ground defenses to hold off the alien
 marauders and save the day.
 
 
 * GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
 
 The game is based around placing turrets and other fortifications to keep
 the steadily advancing aliens from making ground contact.
 
 Alien forces will arrive from the top of the screen in waves and make their
 way down to the bottom of the screen. Whenever an invader makes successful
 ground contact, a life point will be deducted from the life bar in the lower
 left of the screen. When your 25 lives are all used up, you lose. Further,
 the invaders grow progressively tougher as more waves arrive.
 
 At your disposal is three kinds of defensive structures: Laser turrets,
 missile batteries, and spark towers. All defenses you can place will manage
 their basic operations automatically once placed, firing at the invaders at
 periodic intervals. Each of the three types have their own strengths and
 weaknesses.
 
 To construct a defensive structure, click one of the green construction
 buttons in the lower right of the screen, then choose a place on the ground
 where you want the structure to sit. Defenses may not overlap with each
 other; if it appears red-tinted while placing, you must find a different
 place to put it. Right-click anywhere on the screen to stop constructing.
 
 Placing a structure is not free. Below your life bar is displayed how many
 resources you currently have at your disposal. Each tower has a cost
 associated with it, which is displayed when you hover your mouse over its
 construction button. Defeating aliens awards you with fresh resources that
 can be used to build more defenses.
 
 A structure, once placed, can be manipulated by selecting it. You can press
 the right mouse button at any time to deselect whatever you have selected.
 With a structure selected, you can upgrade it, making it stronger, or sell
 it to recover the space it occupies and a fraction of the money spent to
 build it. A row of buttons appears in the lower right of your screen,
 replacing the construction buttons, when a structure is selected.
 The upgrades available vary from structure to structure, and many can be
 upgraded several times over for increased effect.
 
 
 * DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES
 
  1. Laser Turret
     The laser turret is the simplest of the base defenses available to you.
     These turrets simply fire straight upwards periodically, dealing a modest
     amount of damage to any invader it hits. They are, however, cheap and
     occupy little vertical space.
     
     Upgrades:
       - Rapid Reload: Increases the turret's firing frequency.
       - Viper Pack: Fits the turret with a small missile pack, allowing it
                     to fire small seeking missiles.

  2. Missile Battery
     The missile battery is heavier and more expensive than the laser turret,
     but can be devastating. This structure fires seeking missiles that home
     in on an invader and attempts to strike it directly, though its turning
     radius and speed means it can sometimes miss. Once the missile finds its
     target, it detonates, dealing damage not only to its primary target but
     to any nearby invaders as well. After a certain amount of time, the
     missile will explode on its own, regardless of whether it has struck a
     target or not, still dealing damage to anything nearby.
     
     Upgrades:
      - Rapid Reload: Increases the battery's firing frequency.
      - Shrapnel Blast: Increases the missiles' splash damage radius.
      - Twin Missiles: Fits the battery with an additional firing unit,
                       allowing it to fire two missiles per round.
     
  3. Spark Tower
     The spark tower is a defensive structure specialized at warding off
     invaders that have managed to slip past the other defenses and stray
     close to the ground. Periodically, a powerful arc of electricity will
     fire from its tip against anything within a close radius around the
     tower. Sadly, its range is rather limited, but when it hits, it hits
     harder than any other structure.
     
     Upgrades:
      - Electrostatic Potential: Increases the damage dealt by the arc.


* ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
  Cosmic Invaders was written and all graphics used were drawn by Swedish
  computer scientist and game designer Peter C O Johansson. The first version
  was quite literally created in one weekend, and was later improved slightly
  to result in the version now made available.
  
  It is not yet complete, though, and many more features are planned as the
  creator works more on the game. Check back at the website periodically to
  see if a new version is available.
  
  http://www.monkeyblah.com/games/cosmic_invaders/


 * VERSION HISTORY
 
  0.1 - July 2007
    * First public release.

