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COMMUNICATIONS
“Of course, a contract like this is a great honour...
One could hardly hope to conceal the fact that companies are made or
broken as a result of transactions like this one.”
Spokesperson, on behalf of the InStar Aureole-Raking Corporation.
“
So they send these ships off into space, looking for new deposits of ores and
fuels...
But did anyone ever stop to think that we wouldn’t need to look for
new deposits of anything if corporations like InStar stopped
wasting all our ores by building space stations and then using
all our fuel to fire them into space?”
Tamalarine Hue (spokesperson for the NHSPOF), addressing a rally of
millions only moments before his assassination.
“Fellows in hope...
I give you InStar Corporation’s (Aureole-Raking)
Urania Station...
The ICARUS.
May she be blessed, as may all those who sail in her.”
Corporate Promotional Tape, played during formal unveiling of the
ICARUS station.
“We have isolated strains of previously unidentified motions in all
areas of the CoronaSpread.
Potentially very unstable...
Early research led to the release of some sort of energy which attacks the nervous
system.
Please advise...”
Captain D. Luvey, ICARUS station.
“We can’t tell you what we’ve found. All we know is that we have
something here...
We can’t pass up the opportunity to explore new avenues, especially with things
the way they are now.”
Hastily issued press statement on behalf of Our Beloved New Hegemony.
“ICARUS.
Continue research.
Be advised, we have dispatched a team of specialists to
assist with problem caused by radiation.”
Message from New Hegemony to ICARUS Station, beamed live across
the media webs of six systems - viewed by billions.
“ICARUS.
Continue with present agenda.
Be advised, you are to be hindered. We want to know
more about radiation.
Do not fail us.”
Message beamed at ICARUS, specific destination and origin unknown intercepted by the NHSPOF. Later confiscated.
“When they have worn all of their earth
away, then and only then, shall they truly turn to
their skies...”
Taken from the Duach Dah Me Yar (Marlith DustDowners
Edition), Book IV, Verse XXVIII,
line numbers may vary.
THE STORY SO FAR…
On the verges of stable space the universe continues to form, rolling out to fill the
void like a liquid. A thin black frozen liquid carrying on its tides the promise of new
worlds and the possibility for minds, which in aeons to come, may think as we think.
And yet out here where nothing should yet exist, beyond the faint hopes of potential,
we found Xexor.
There had been sceptics and I had been among them. But now as I truly see it with my own eyes - even I must consider that this tiny ‘A’ type
star could truly be our last, brightest hope; and that despite all our efforts
to
understand
the
universe
there
are
still
phenomena which defy expectation.
The mystery of Xexor’s existence had been a short lived
debate. Xexor is here, it is bright and it is healthy and
(according to all stellar surveillance reports) it is
teeming with the Kenyon fields which have become the
Hegemony’s main power resource since the depletion of
all
other
fuels.
In
a
matter
of
mere decades, scientists had stopped asking each other
why the star was here and had begun asking instead how
best to mine this most valuable and sought after energy.
To this end the Council of the Collective enlisted their most brilliant minds and the
massive deep space corporation, InStar, to design and construct the most ambitious
corona raking station to date. The result was the ICARUS, the largest self-regulating
craft ever launched into space and my present destination.
The reports failed to shed much light on the details of my mission.
It seems the crew of the ICARUS are threatened by the risk of some kind of radiation
contamination. An illness which attacks the memory and accelerates cell decay.
According to the report, this effect is believed to be occurring as a direct
result
of
the
station’s
handling of Kenyon cultures far in excess of any previously
encountered magnitude.
The Icarus is raking deeper than any station has ever been
able to mine before. And it’s uncovering things we haven’t
even begun to comprehend…
STARTING THE GAME
Sentient can be played on your PC using either Windows ‘95 or DOS.
WINDOWS ‘95
When the Sentient disc is inserted, the game will automatically start the autorun program. This will allow
you to select whether to install the Microsoft Direct X run-time libraries, install Sentient, or exit. Should the
autorun not work then follow the instructions below to install the game.
1. From Windows 95 Start Bar, Select Run.
2. Type x:\setup, where x is the drive letter of your CD-ROM (eg. d:\setup)
3. Click on OK.
4. When the Windows Setup program starts, you will be given the choice of playing Sentient
directly from the CD, Installing Sentient to your hard drive, or Installing the Microsoft
Direct X drivers. If you do not have them installed already or are unsure, please
install the Direct X drivers first.
DOS
5. Insert the CD. Select the drive that you want to install Sentient to.
6. Type INSTALL
7. The Sentient installer will start and you will be given the choice of
installing Sentient directly to your hard disk or setting up the Sound
Drivers. Select the Install option first. You will not be able to set up
the sound drivers until the game is installed on your hard disk.
INSTALLATION TYPES
Minimum
Installs only the executable. Will consume around 2Mb.
Medium
Installs the executable and the data files required to run
Sentient. This option will consume around 160Mb.
Installs everything including the movies.
This option requires around 410Mb.
Maximum
It is recommended that you install a medium installation. This will install all of the
executable files and data file to your hard disk. Because Sentient is such a vast game, it
cannot load everything it needs into memory at the beginning… therefore it must read certain data from
the installation directory every now and then. This can result in a slight stutter in the game while the game
accesses your CD drive. This can be minimised by installing the files to your hard disk, where access time
is very much reduced.
GRAPHICS CARDS AND DIRECT 3D
For assistance on graphics card support and Direct 3D please refer to the readme. file located in
the software.
CONTROLS
DEFAULT CONTROLS ONLY
Cursor keys
Page Dn
Page Up
S
H
Enter
Space
Walk
Look Down
Look Up
Adjust facial expression (Sad)
Adjust facial expression (Happy)
Select/Talk/OK
Access/Open door/Skip single movies
<
Sidestep left/Previous map room
>
Sidestep right/Next map room/IInventory/Previous menu
esc
Cancel/Skip Movie Sequences
C
Cursor
P
Pause
Left Arrow Previous Menu Item
Right Arrow Next Menu Item
USING THE MOUSE
Under DOS and Windows, it is possible to use the mouse for
certain actions.
ICON/ACTION/DESCRIPTION
When the game is in cursor mode (see the section marked “THE
CURSOR”), the mouse can be used to move the hand icon around the
screen. If the item / object you wish to use is off the screen, then holding
down the right mouse button will allow you to look around until you can
locate the item / object you want to select. You can select the item using
the left button.
When the game is not in cursor mode, you can still use the mouse to select
menu items using the left button. (see the section marked “HOW TO TALK TO
THE CREW”). By using the right button on a menu item, you can go back to the
previous menu. You can also use the mouse to talk to people and open doors, just by left
clicking on them.
Holding down the right button allows the player to look around the scene without changing the
direction of movement .i.e. the player can continue walking in one direction while looking in another.
You may also find it useful to have a note book and pencil handy.
The in-game menu can only be activated while the game is in Pause mode. To do so press Return.
MENU CONTROLS
Use the Cursor keys to move the highlighting effect and press Enter to select. Use the Left Arrow
to back up one screen anywhere within the menu system. Use the esc key to cancel any
menu choices.
THE MENUS
MAIN MENU Use the Cursor keys to move the highlighting effect and press Enter to select.
START GAME Begins a new game
LOAD GAME Leads into the LOAD GAME menu
AUDIO
Leads into the AUDIO menu
CONTROL
Leads into the CONTROL menu
main menu
DIFFICULTY Leads into the DIFFICULTY menu
EXIT
Quits the game entirely.
LOAD/SAVE GAME MENU
Use the cursor keys to select which of the icons you require down the
left hand side of the screen. Use the Enter key to select that icon. If the
icon has a red cross through it, it cannot be selected.
LOAD
To load a previously saved game, use the cursor keys to move down to the
arrow icons. Using the Enter key on these icons will move the
highlight down through the text entries on the right. Once you have the
entry you require, use the cursor keys to move back up to the load icon and hit Enter.
SAVE
To save your current position in the game, use the same technique as loading. Select the entry on the right
hand side of the screen. If this entry already has a saved game, the new game position will over-write the
old one. Only ten different positions can be saved in Sentient.
AUDIO MENU
Use the Cursor keys to highlight your chosen option. The following audio effects can then be adjusted by
using the Cursor keys to move the marker left and right along a sliding scale.
BACKGROUND EFFECTS
•
SPOT EFFECTS
•
FILM SEQUENCE.
Once you are happy with your choices, press the ESC key to return to the main menu.
CONTROL MENU
SPEECH BUBBLE CONFIRMATION
Turns the on-screen speech bubble confirmation on and off. Use the left and right Cursor keys to switch
between the two choices. When the speech bubble confirmation is on and you have finished reading the
speech bubble, you must press Enter to confirm that you have read it.
CONTROL CONFIGURATION
Each of the keys in Sentient is re-definable by the user. Using the cursor keys, move the highlight down
through the list of controls, until you reach the one you want to change. Hit Enter to change the key. At this
point, the key definition will transform into a rotating bar. During this time, any key that you press will be
stored as the key that will perform the selected action. If you redefine the basic movement or
cancel keys, remember that you will have to use these new key to move around the menus
and options screens.
DIFFICULTY MENU
Use the Cursor keys to highlight your chosen option. The areas listed below
can then be scaled in terms of difficulty. Use the Cursor keys to move the
marker along a sliding scale. You may adjust the difficulty level in terms of
the ship’s handling, the rate of spread for the
radiation disease and finally for the attitude of the Icarus staff towards
Garrit Sherova. When you have made your choices press
the ESC key to return to the MAIN MENU.
difficulty menu
audio menu
save menu
PLAYING THE GAME
You are in control of Garrit Sherova from the moment the intro. sequences end and the game begins.
Garrit can be manoeuvred forwards, backwards, left and right with the Cursor keys. While on the move the
amount of turn is gentle which lends a fluid, realistic feel to his walk. When Garrit is stationary the Cursor
keys can be used for quick turns on the spot. Use the Page up and Page down keys to look up and down.
THE CURSOR
Press the C key to bring the cursor up on screen. Move the cursor around using the Cursor keys and you
will soon notice that any areas of interest on the screen are outlined by a green box. When the green box is
on screen, press the Enter key and a menu will appear in the top left of the screen that tells you what the
object is. Use the Cursor keys to move the highlighting effect through the menu. When you have
constructed your choice press Enter to confirm and implement it.
CARRYING OBJECTS AROUND
MOOD
Each piece of speech that you construct can be given a tone of voice. The small picture of Garrit that appears
in the bottom left of the screen is the indicator of mood. After you have selected your sentence construction,
(but before pressing Enter to confirm) use the H and S keys (Happy and Sad) to scroll through the full range
of Sherova’s facial expressions. When you have reached the appropriate mood press Enter to finally confirm
your speech item and Sherova will deliver the speech item according to the mood selected.
engineering
next room
next octant
You can talk with every character in the game. It is essential that you do
otherwise you’ll never find out how to complete the game. It is advisable
to return and talk to characters again during the course of a game, as they
may have some new information for you. When you are standing near to
a crew member you can start a conversation by pressing Enter. You will be
shown a text menu with multiple choices which you can highlight by using
the Cursor keys. Press Enter to confirm the speech item of your choice. You
will find that this leads to further text menus. When you have constructed the
sentence of your choice press Enter to confirm and Sherova will speak. To move
around the menu you can use the Cursor keys. For example, if you decide that you
don’t want to “ask a question”, but want to “make a statement” you can use the left or
right Cursor keys. These allow you to easily move around the text menu screens.
current corridor ring
HOW TO TALK TO THE CREW
research
All objects that you pick up are stored in the inventory. To access the
inventory press the I key. To use an object you need to go into the
inventory and pick an object by using the Cursor keys to highlight the choices
and then pressing Enter to confirm. You will then be given a choice of things
to do with that object: Use, or Use on etc…
NUMBERING SYSTEM
There are four decks on the Icarus. These are Geodome, Auxillary, Research and Engineering. The decks
are divided into OCTANTS and RINGS. In order to navigate the corridors successfully you must learn this
system.
geoesic
PILLARS
The pillars at the intersections have 8 numbers on them. To read the numbers correctly you need to be
standing straight in front of them (see diagram). From there you can see 2 numbers divided by the deck
symbol/icon. This indicates the rooms you can find down those corridors to your left and right, and the deck
you are currently on. Also outside each room there is half a pillar that indicates what is to your left and right
and as you approach gives you the room number.
NUMBERS
Each number is made up of 3 digits: the first is the RING you are on; the second is
the OCTANT the room is in; and the third is the room. As well as numbers you will
also find Symbols. These symbols indicate: Teleports, Dead Ends and
Intersections. These appear instead of the room number.
other symbols
(found in ‘Next Room’
position on signs)
You will find various Suzie screens dotted about the station which can be
accessed to give you information on: crew members; station plans; and
the state of machinery aboard the station. It can also provide access to
the Hegemonic Encyclopaedia.
junction
dead end
(arrow points away)
THE SUZIE SCREENS
STATION PLANS
lift
To access the station plans you must stand in front of a Suzie screen and
press Space. This will display a screen with a variety of options. Use the
Cursor keys to move the highlighting effect over the Station Plans option and
press
Enter to confirm. Use the Cursor keys to move the highlighting effect over
current deck
the deck you wish to see and press Enter to confirm. You will now see a holographic
map of the floor you want. You can now highlight the rooms one by one using the < and
> keys. Press Enter to confirm. Information about the room will now appear on the Suzie
screen. Once the map is activated you can move around the room. To turn the map so you are
facing it, press Enter. To go back one page to the deck list you should press the I key. To quit press the
esc key.
DATABASE ACCESS
This contains information on the crew, machines and the history surrounding the New Hegemony. To access
the information follow the same process as above using the Cursor keys to move the highlighting effect over
the Database Access option. Press Enter to confirm. To go back one page press the I key. To quit press the
esc key.
NOTE: When you highlight a subject you will find some words in a different colour. This means that you can
access them by just selecting them.
ICARUS MACHINES
The Icarus is a fully functioning, self-regulating space station. The machines and other systems on the ship
perform their functions along with the crew members. Things break down, lose power, short
circuit etc. and are repaired. As the game progresses and your standing among the crew grows, you can
monitor the ships workings and, should you choose to do so, take part in its maintenance. Good work will
mean the ship will remain in a stable orbit, bad work may cause the orbit to decay rapidly. However, should
you choose to have no input into the workings of the station it will manage itself.
To access information on the status of any of the machines you must follow the same instructions as
above. The boxes indicate machines and the colour signifies its condition.
BLUE -fully working. RED - not working. BROWN - machine is working but cannot be used because
another machine in the line is broken.
The lines between the machines indicate the network of inter-machine dependency.
POWER PRIORITY
All the machines on board the Icarus gain their power from the central energy grid. Again, as your standing
among the crew increases, you can prioritise these. For instance, should you wish to ensure that the
thrusters are the last things to be affected by a power shortage, hold down Enter and use the Cursor keys
to move the thruster node to the top of the list.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Of course, this isn’t the only route into the game.
Feel free to experiment - you never know what might turn up.
Once the game begins you will find yourself in the docking bay of the Icarus. Press the C key. This will
bring the cursor up on screen. Move the cursor around using the Cursor keys and you will soon notice that
any areas of interest on the screen are outlined by a green box. Press the Enter key and a menu will
appear in the top left of the screen that tells you what the object is. Use the Cursor keys to move the
highlighting effect through the menu. When you have constructed your choice press Enter to confirm and
implement it. Firstly, you must find the Radiation suit to protect yourself from the
radiation. You must now help the injured engineer Karjenum by using your first aid kit on him. He will give
you a shield activation key in return. Use the key on the shield activation panel. Follow Karjenum through
the door into the airlock. You will meet two guards there who will stun you. You now fall unconscious and
when you wake up you will be in quarantine.
Camik and Drum will ask you who you are. Tell them. Camik will leave. Talk to Karjenum while waiting for
Dania Luvey who will give you your orders and a pass to access the rest of the deck. She will tell you to
seek out Malichek and to retrieve a radiation report. This can be found in the medical radiation lab on
Research Deck 2 (see map below). Return it to her in the matter analysis lab Research Deck 2. She will
then ask for the Kenyon report. This is found in the astronomy lab on Research Deck 2. Return it to her in
the matter analysis lab on Research Deck 2 and accompany her to the Star lab.
The rest is up to you.
RESEARCH DECK 2
Icarus Station: Research Two (Medical Research Centre and Quarantine)
111:
Research security store
142:
Kenyon drift tubes
263:
121:
Medical analysis lab
243:
Crew quarters
264:
Kenyon drift tubes
122:
Matter Analysis lab
244:
Research vending
181:
Crew quarters
223:
Sickbay
151:
Pharmacy
182:
Mid. energy kenyon collection
224:
Mass spectrum analysis
161:
Crew quarters
283:
Partical Analysis and ancilliary
141:
Medical radiation lab
162:
Low energy kenyon collection
284:
Astronomy lab
Crew quarters
IN GAME MENU
Press the P key at any time to pause the game and then press Enter to bring up the in-game menu. You
will then be able to make your selection from the following menu choices. Use the Cursor keys to highlight
an option, press Enter to confirm.
CONTINUE
Returns to the game
LOAD GAME Takes you to the Load Game Screen where you may load a game as described in
section LOAD/SAVE GAME MENU.
SAVE GAME Takes you to the Save Game Screen where you may save a game as described in section
LOAD/SAVE GAME MENU.
OPTIONS
Takes you to the Video Options screen (Windows Only). You can then choose which of the
available video modes to run the game in. This menu also allows the user to choose
whether movies are on or off, or configure the control inertia model.
At any time, ESC will return you to the previous menu.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Below are some common problems that you may come across while
playing Sentient. The answers should provide you with the information
necessary to get yourself out of trouble.
WHAT DO I DO IF I DIDN’T QUITE GET THE MESSAGE FROM A NON-PLAYER CHARACTER?
If you follow him and “ASK A QUESTION” then “WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?” he will give you a brief
summary of what you should do next. Or you may choose to use the “SAY AGAIN” option from this list.
HOW DO I FIND A SPECIFIC NON-PLAYER CHARACTER?
You should ask another non-player character “WHERE DO I FIND...” and then the name of the non-player
character you want to find. He will tell you to the best of his knowledge where to find your non-player
character. You can also ask the non- player character to lead you to the non-player character you need to
see.
I’VE BEEN TOLD TO GO TO THE ASTRONOMY LAB, HOW DO I FIND OUT WHERE IT IS?
There are 2 ways of finding your way to specific rooms quickly. You can either ask an non-player character
where the room is, or you can “GIVE A COMMAND” and the non-player character will lead you to it.
I’VE SAVED A GAME AND CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT I DID LAST OR WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO
DO NOW.
Use a notebook and pencil to keep track of information you receive during the game because you will be
receiving information all the time.
CREDITS
PROGRAMMING
ART
PR
Russell Kay
Richard Swinfen
David Cowan
Stuart Capewell
Mark Green
Paul Hodge
Mathew Hendry
Christopher Harrison
Scott Neill
Lloyd Sutton
Paul Houlders
Carl Dalton
Murti Schofield
Paul Higgins
Mark Blewitt
ALSO CONTRIBUTED
MANUAL and PACKAGING DESIGN
Peter Dyke
ADDITIONAL SOUND
Beverley Bright
Alistair McNally
Geoff Clowes
Chris Brown
Jerry Oldrieve
Tracey Clarke
Christian Furr
Colin Dempsey
James Robinson
Barrie Gunning
Debi Behr
MUSIC AND EFFECTS
ADDITIONAL ARTWORK
Mark Ireland
Geoff Gunning
Gregor Maltman
PROGRAMMING
Oli Wright
Tree
Craig Grounsell
Matthew Gabriel
Colin Burges
QA MANAGER
Kevin Turner
QA DEPARTMENT
Alpha
Paul Tweedle
Tony Cross
Dean Ashley
Beta
PRODUCTION
Dean Ashley
Robert Sutton
Craig Stevenson
Julian Hicks
Kenny Everett
Ian Metcalfe
Rob Nicholson
Master
Marvin James
Edward Hay
CHESTER STUDIO
Ron Harris
Dilys Rowlands
ALSO CONTRIBUTED
Paul Frewin
Sam Brown
John Gibson
Ralph Ferneyhough
Paul Tebbutt
John McMurray
Steve Davies
Huw Thomas
Ian Metcalfe
Rik Ede
PRODUCER
Richard Biltcliffe
MANUAL and PACKAGING TEXT
WITH THANKS TO
Sarah Harris
Dino and Rocky
the Orange
CREATIVE DESIGN
Wayne Parsons
Pompeii Studios
PRODUCT MANAGER
Sue Campbell
LIVERPOOL
Ian Hetherington
Jonathan Ellis
Adrian Parr
Andrew Parsons
Dawn Hickman
Plus Everyone in the company for
their faith, support and hard work.
- JGH.