Nucleon for Windows

Introduction

Welcome to the world of nuclear power! You just can't throw on a radiation suit and expect to start tossing plutonium around. First, you must train using a unique simulator that allows you to handle critical situations where fuel cells are on the verge of going critical and causing a meltdown.

How to Play Nucleon

The Game Menu

The Options Menu

The Help Menu


The Game Menu

NEW GAME

Starts a new game from the beginning of the first level.

ABORT GAME

Abort current game without exiting the program.

EXIT

Leaves the program, aborting any game in progress.


The Options Menu

BACKGROUND MUSIC

Used to enable and disable the playing of background music during the program.

ADJUST MUSIC VOLUME

Used to raise or lower the volume of background music. Some MIDI devices do not support this function. Please keep in mind that volume changes are only supported on Sound Blaster Pro or higher and devices that are 100% Sound Blaster Pro compatible. Although Adlib and Sound Blaster devices support the playing of MIDI, volume changes are not supported.

SHOW HIGH SCORES

Used to view and/or reset the high scores list.

SHOW RISING SCORES

Used to hide/view the rising score graphics that are displayed when fuel cells are destroyed. On many systems, these graphics can result in slower game play and hiding these graphics may result in much faster playing speeds. (Besides, some folks may just not want to look at them.)


The Help Menu

HELP WITH NUCLEON

Allows the viewing of this help text.

ABOUT NUCLEON FOR WINDOWS

Allows the viewing of information about the creative talents behind this progam, the program's warranty information and information about Softdisk Publishing. Among this information is technical support phone numbers, mailing addresses and other products and services Softdisk offers.


Seed Cell

You start each level holding a seed cell. Throw it into the pile, and it will return as the type of cell it hits.


Fuel Cells

These are what you are trying to get rid of before the reactor reaches critical mass.


Directional Arrow

The directional arrow aids you in lining up throws by pointing to the column or row of the nuclear pile that will be hit.


Blocker

The blocker is a runaway nuclear reaction that impedes the cells you throw. When a cell strikes the blocker, it is sent caroming in the opposite direction. This can be dangerous in circumstances when the cell has destroyed some cells and is returning to you. If it hits the blocker and bounces back into the pile, it will again pick up the next cell it hits leaving you with a cell you didn't expect. This can also work to your advantage because you can get to buried cells and scores continue to double every time a new cell is picked up.


Status Area

Everything you ever wanted to know about what is going on in Nucleon (and probably more) can be seen in the status area to the right of the window. Digital displays indicate the highest score ever achieved, your current score, the current level (or simulation as we like to call them), the time left in the simulation and the total number of fuel cells destroyed since the start of the game.

At the top (right below the logo) is a series of lights (I like to call them diodes) that light up in response to how many cells you destroy in one throw (5 cells, 5 lights and so on). It even leaves one light on until you throw again.

The high score and current score have lights of their own that light up in response to how high their values are. The six lights represent the 1s, 10s, 100s, 1000s, 10000s, and 100000s place.

The simulation, time and cells destroyed areas have gauges with pointers to indicate their current values.

Although functional, everything mentioned so far is mainly cosmetic. The percentage of level completed lights can be very helpful. These lights are on both sides of the cells destroyed gauges and light up in response to how many cells that have been destroyed in a single simulation. When all of them are lit up, you know you have destroyed enough cells to reset your time back to 120 seconds for the next simulation.


Scoring

Nucleon for Windows awards points for every fuel cell destoyed. To destroy a fuel cell, you must throw an identical cell into it. The first cell destroyed awards you 10 points, but point values increase with the number of cells destroyed one throw. Points increase as follow:

10 ... 20 ... 50 ... 100 ... 200 ... 400 ... 800 ... 1600 ... 3200 ... 6400

For example, you throw a cell and it destroys four other cells before returning to you, you will be awarded 10, 20, 50 and 100 points for a total of 180 points.

In addition, points are awarded for succesfully finishing a simulation (level). To do this you must remove at least 80% of the fuel cells in the pile. You are awarded the current level in points for every second remaining on the Time to Meltdown timer when a simulation is completed succesfully. For example if you succesfully finish simulation 5 with 25 seconds remaining, you are awarded 5 times 25 or 125 points.

If you manage to remove all fuel cells, you will also be awarded a special Mega Bonus. This awards 2 times the current level for each cell you have destroyed in the game so far. For example, if you have destroyed 400 fuel cells and finish simulation 10 with no cells remaining in the pile, you will be awarded a Mega Bonus of 400 times 10 or 4000 points!


How to Play Nucleon

The object of nucleon is to prevent a nuclear meltdown (during a simulation of course) as part of a training exercise required for a possible promotion to Nuclear Technician. The computer shows a group of fuel cells that form a nuclear pile. These cells have various designs on them, and you are responsible for destroying them. If too many of them remain when time expires, a meltdown will occur and your chances of being promoted will be reduced to radioactive sludge.

During the simulation, you can only do three things: move up, move down and throw the fuel cell you are holding at the pile. When you throw a fuel cell, it will move left until it hits the pile, the wall or the angled ceiling. If it hits the angled ceiling, it will then start moving down until it hits the pile or the floor of the reactor. Whenever a cell hits a floor or wall, it will return to you unaltered. If it hits the pile and strikes a fuel cell with a differing symbol, it will also return unaltered. To help you out, an arrow will show you where a thrown cell will hit the pile.

The real action comes when a thrown cell strikes a cell with an identical symbol. The struck cell will be destroyed and the cell will continue moving until it hits a wall or a cell with a differing symbol. If a wall is struck, the cell returns unaltered. If a differing cell is struck, that cell is destroyed but the thrown cell returns to you as that differing cell.

You start each level with what is known as a Seed Cell. When it collides with any other type of fuel cell, it will destroy that cell, become that type of cell, then return to you.

When no moves remain, you progress to the next and more difficult simulation. If you have cleared 90% or more of the cells in the pile, your time is reset to 120 seconds. Otherwise, the timer stays at its current value.

Eventually, time will expire and the meltdown will occur, but, hopefully, you'll have amassed enough points to get your promotion.

The status of your game and the current level is shown by the gauges, digital displays and diodes of the status area to the right of the window. A quick glance here every so often will keep you apprised of how you are doing.

Before and after each level, prompts appear showing a timer or bonuses. You can exit these quickly by hitting the up arrow, down arrow or space key. We suggest that you use the 10 seconds before each level starts to map out your first several moves, though.

Finally, a blocker will come out when 60 seconds or less remains on the timer. These runaway reactions move quickly and can cause trouble, so become familiar with avoiding them or using them to your advantage.