DIABLO

			     Introduction

DIABLO is a unique game that is challenging to the limits of the player. 
It requires strategic planning, quick thinking and dexterity under
pressure.

The DIABLO screen represents a horizontal plane made up of 119 dynamically
movable panels originally holding two pieces of track each...a total of 238
pieces of track in all.  The ball advances at a constant speed continually
during play (speed increases with each level).  There is one unused black
panel which allows the player to manipulate the other panels.  Each time
the ball traverses a piece of track, that track is removed from the screen.

DIABLO starts out easy with lots of track and a slow rolling ball.  As play
continues with decreasing pieces of track it becomes more difficult until
"wrap around" goes into effect.  The available tracks are then more
accessible, but difficulty increases as the number of pieces of track
continues to decrease.  With each level of play, the ball goes faster and
"wrap around" is harder to attain.

The object of the game is to accumulate the highest score by keeping the
ball from rolling off the track until the last piece of track is removed, at
which time bonus pints are added to the score.  The highest score per
session is also shown on the screen.  The ball is kept from falling off by
linking together continuous pieces of track.  Initially the ball must stay
within the red border of the playfield.  Details are explained in the
instructions that follow.

                       Make a Back-Up Of The Original Disk

It is recommended that you first make a back-up of the original DIABLO
Program diskette received by you and store the original in a safe place
away from heat and magnetic sources.  Before making a back-up, it is safest
to slide the "write-protect" slider (located in the corner of the disk) so
that you can see through the hole.  This will insure that the disk cannot
be accidentally erased.

                          Register Your Purchase

Each DIABLO Program is identified with a serial number.  You may make as
many back-up copies as you wish for your own use.  The serial number is for
identification and tracing of the distribution route and for registration
purposes.  You should return the enclosed registration card so that you can
be advised of updates to the program or replacement in case of damage.

Should you accidentally erase or damage your original, return it to the
address on the registration card and it will be replaced under the
conditions of the warranty.

                         Starting The "DIABLO" Program

Double click on the "DIABLO" icon when it appears on the screen.  When the
music starts, adjust the volume of the music with the volume control of the
monitor (turning off the music is explained under "MUSIC ICON (toggle)"
below).  The playfield is in the center of the screen.  The left side of
the screen will show the status of the game (score, etc.).  The bottom of
the screen keeps the player's current score and the high score per session.
 The right side of the screen contains options for the game.  These are
detailed in the following sections of these instructions.  We suggest you
read the instructions before beginning play.

The disk may be removed after the game has been loaded (however, you should
have a disk in the drive in case you wish to LOAD or SAVE a game during
play; LOAD and SAVE are explained below).

                         Manipulating The Track Panels

The playfield consists of 119 panels with two tracks per panel (238 pieces
of track in all).  There is one blank (missing) panel.  Panels that are
adjacent to the blank will slide into the blank space when the mouse
pointer is placed over them and the left mouse button is clicked.  The
player will see that this results in rearranging the continuity of the
track.  Using this method, a continuous section of track may be extended to
keep the ever advancing ball from rolling off.

Only panels in the same row or the same column as the blank panel will
move.

If the panel containing the ball is moved, the ball will move along with
the panel.

Multiple panels may be moved as long as they are in the same row or same
column as the blank panel.

To ILLUSTRATE THIS, click on the box containing the word "NEW".  When the
ball appears, click on the panel containing the ball (while it is still in
the same column as the blank panel); all of the panels will move down. 
Then click several panels below the one just clicked on and the panels will
move back up.  Note the different configurations of track that these moves
create.

                         The Playfield Border

When the playfield first appears, the border will be red.  Track that
touches this border terminates there.  Should the ball roll to the red
border, the ball will fall off and be lost.

After a specified number of track pieces have been removed from the
playfield, this border will turn green.  The number that must be removed is
dependent on the level of play (see "WRAP COUNT" later in these
instructions).  When the border is green, the ball will "wrap around" to
the track on the opposite border, dynamically increasing the possibilities
of track combinations.  There must be track in the panel on the opposite
side of the playfield to receive the ball or the ball will fall off.

                           Scoring

The player's score is increased by ten points for each piece of track
removed.  Bonus points are added each time all of the pieces of track are
removed (see BONUS SCORE, below).  The bottom of the screen shows the
player's current score (YOUR SCORE) and the high score per session of play.

                  Options During Play (Right Side of Screen)

The right side of the screen shows options that may be used to start or
during a game of DIABLO. They are selected by a single click of the left
mouse button.  The options are:
	
	NEW

	This option will reset the scores and present a new configuration
of DIABLO for play. (See LOAD and SAVE for multi-player competitive play).

	A box will appear for you to select the type of games (SERIES or
RANDOM) that you wish to play (see LEVEL later in these instructions).

It takes several seconds for the game and graphics to reset, during which
time a title box appears.

Each player begins a NEW game with three balls (the one on the playfield
and two shown under "EXTRA BALLS".  The game is over when all balls have
been lost.

(NOTE: For multi-player competitive play, you can save a game configuration
as soon as a new game begins and then reload it again for the next player
to attempt to beat the previous score.  Using this method, each player
starts with the same board and level of difficulty.  Or you may have each
player begin with a new game, allowing the random arrangement of the board
to be a factor of fate).

	LOAD

	You may reload a previously saved game.  This game will begin at
exactly the same configuration of the board and score as when it was saved.
 See the "note" for multi-player competitive play explained under "NEW"
above.

You will be presented with a box showing the names of existing files. 
Double-click on the file of your choice.

	SAVE

	You may SAVE a game at any time during play.  The board will be
blanked and you will be presented a box to specify a filename to identify
the type of file.  The current game will resume after the SAVE is
completed.

It is recommended that you use a unique filename and include some way of
consistent identification for it so the name identifies the file on the
diskette.  We suggest using the player's initials, the date, and an
extension of "DBL" in a manner similar to this:

	JD0703.DBL (John Doe's DIABLO game on July 3rd)

If you use the name of an existing file, the game data will replace any
existing data under that filename.  You will be warned if a filename
already exists.

SAVE should be used, instead of PAUSE, when the player expects a long delay
before restarting.  Or it may be used for multi-player competitive play
explained under "NEW" above.

	PAUSE

	The player may PAUSE a game at any time during play.  Clicking on
this box will blank the playfield and highlight the PAUSE box.  Clicking on
the PAUSE box again will resume the game.  This is useful for temporary
interruptions such as telephone calls and the like.

	QUIT

	Click on this to quit the DIABLO game entirely and return to your
previous task.

	MUSIC ICON (toggle)

	Click on this to mute the music.  The other sounds will still be
heard.  Turn the volume off if you do not wish any sound.  Click on the
music icon to resume the sound.

	HYPER-BALL ICON (toggle)

	Click this on to speed the ball up.  This is useful when a long
section of track is established and the player wishes to clear some tracks
that are in the way of further track manipulation.  Click on the HYPER-BALL
icon again to return the ball speed to normal for the current level of
play.

Use this feature with discretion as it greatly affects the strategy of
play. (See "STRATEGY HINTS" later in these instructions.)

                Status Items (Left Side Of Screen)

The left side of the screen contains items that pertain to the status and
scoring potential of the current game.  These are:

	LEVEL

	Each time a player clears all of the track from the playfield he
will advance to the next level of play, and the playfield will reset to a
different configuration.  You may specify a consistent series (for
competitive play or to try to beat your previous attempts) or take your
chances with random ("luck of the draw") configurations.

You choose the type of game (SERIES of RANDOM) when you start a new game by
clicking on NEW.

	SERIES LEVEL

	A standard game will generate a consistent series of playfields and
competitive play will result in each player getting a specific
configuration, followed by the next in the series.  Series Level 1 is an
easy configuration and increases in difficulty with each level.

	RANDOM LEVEL

	Each playfield is randomly drawn and its degree of difficulty will
be "luck of the draw".  Sometimes the player will get several easy
configurations in a row or several difficult configurations in a row. 
Generally they will be mixed in their level of difficulty.

WRAP COUNT

This counts down the number of pieces of track that must be removed before
"wrap around" begins.  At level 1 (either SERIES or RANDOM) it will be 50
and increase by fifteen for each additional level of play.  When WRAP
COUNT reaches zero, the border turns green and "wrap around" begins.  "Wrap
around" allows the ball to roll through a border and come back in the
opposite border if there is a piece of track to receive it.

BONUS SCORE

This starts at 1500 for each level of play.  It decreases by one for each
change of the position of the panels.  When a playfield is cleared of all
panels, the value that remains is added to the player's score.  Thus,
clearing the playfield of all pieces in fewer moves results in a higher
score.

EXTRA BALLS

An extra ball is added for each 5000 points accumulated.

An extra ball is added for each level of play attained.

                          Strategy Hints

1. Stay as far ahead of the ball as possible so that you have time to
manipulate the fewer and fewer panels as the game progresses.  Spend any
waiting time planning better arrangements of track; try not to use the
HYPER-BALL option unless you are very far ahead of the ball.

2. Try to keep the blank panels (after the tracks are removed) toward the
center of the screen and group the remaining pieces of track together into
one area (preferably the bottom or left side of the playfield) so you can
work the remaining pieces of track into longer sections.

3. View the easy time that you have when there are lots of pieces of track
as an allotment to plan and arrange for the difficulty that will come when
you are down to the last pieces.

4. Strive to reduce all panels to single pieces of track (you cannot clear
two pieces from one panel at the same time) and then clear those single
pieces systematically.

5. When a ball is lost, the next ball will appear when a piece of track is
found in a search starting at the center of the top row, left to right, top
to bottom.  The ball will travel downward if possible or from the left. 
Use this hint to your advantage.  If you are destined to lose a ball
(because there is not enough time to move pieces of track to the disaster
area), anticipate where the next ball will appear and arrange to continue
from there.

6. Relax, have fun, enjoy DIABLO!

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         DOCS PROVIDED BY  -+*+-THE SOUTHERN STAR-+*+- for M.A.A.D.                                                               
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