You are a new recruit to SBDA, an elite group of bomb defusing experts. SBDA is an anti-terrorism organization, which deals with urban bombings in the US. Your job is well-paying and fairly cushy. Until now...
On February 18, 1999, at 8:00 AM, bombs explode simultaneously in 17 banks across the nation. At 8:00 PM that day, 11 retail stores go up in flames. SBDA is called into action. No one knows what will happen. You expect to be assigned to unimportant jobs at first, but who knows where you'll be when this ends...
On February 19, 7 SBDA officers lose their lives. From their radio messages, it is clear that cutting the wires on any of these bombs will set them off. Whoever is setting these certainly knows what they are doing. For over a week, none of the bombs found are defused. The technicians of the country are frantically attempting to find any way to stop these bombs. 124 more buildings, from fast food restaurants to corporate headquarters are destroyed.
It takes until the 27th for a possible defusion method to be developed. By studying two dud bombs found in parking garages, it is found that the bombs contain a tiny onboard computer which monitors the current passing through all wires. This computer can be overloaded by passing a strong current through several contacts. But both of the bombs require different current levels to overload. These bombs' creator obviously saw this coming, and designed them to resist it. But, working through the night, SBDA techs are able to develop a prototype defuser, called the XCEDS (Expiramental Computerized Explosive Disarmament System,) using a laptop computer, miniature electric generator, a set of electrodes, and newly developed software.
On the 28th, 6 bombs are defused with the new system. However, on the same day, 2 SBDA officers are killed. The system works, but still requires a human operator, and that human operator makes or breaks the system. And this is where the world stands when you are sent to your first mission, a bomb found at a Detroit McDonalds...
System Requirements
- 1.5 Megabytes of free hard drive space, 4 MB recommended
- 800k of free RAM (350k with no music)
- 256 color monitor, thousands of colors for best quality
- 640x480 resolution
Note: Sound does not play on PowerBook 5300cs, and possibly other PowerBooks
Setting Up
After opening the program, and watching the introduction, a window will appear with two buttons. The 'simulator' button takes you to the SBDA simulator, to practice your skills before going to the big time. The 'mission' button, goes to your next mission in the scenario pictured in the introduction.
Setting Up simulator Mode
After click the 'simulator' button, a window with more buttons and numbers should appear. In the upper left is the number of circuits in the bomb. This can be adjusted with the buttons above and below it. During the game, you will have to find the correct strength to send through each circuit, so the higher this number, the harder. This number can be from 3 to 8.
To the right of this is the amount of time you will have to defuse the bomb, in minutes and seconds. Each digit of this number can be adjusted with the buttons above and below it. This number can be from 0:30 to 9:59.
At the bottom of the window is a four-digit difficulty number. This cannot be manually adjusted. The difficulty is a measure of how hard the settings you have selected will be, with 100 being an 'average' difficulty.
The 'OK' button will lock in your settings and take you to the game, while the 'Abort button will take you back to the first window.
Setting Up mission Mode
Clicking the 'mission' button will take you to a window with colums of lights and blank spaces. Each blank space is an empty save slot (a place to store an officer.) To choose a slot, press the up or down arrows until the light next to the desired slot is green. The press Return. Another window will appear, asking for a name for the officer. Enter whatever you want (Bob, Joe Jones, Trash Compactor) and press Return again. That name will now be on the list, and the number next to it will have changed to 1 to indicate that officer is on level 1.
To delete an officer, turn the light next to it green with the up and down arrows and press delete. Press yes in the resulting window to delete the officer. Be careful, this is permanent.
To start the game, select any officer you have created (with the up and down arrows) and press return. Click the 'Abort' button to return to the first window.
Once you have selected an officer, a small window with information on your current level will appear. The 'Software Type' is a statistic not available in simulator mode. Each type of software has it's own number of circuits and 'sensitivity.' This will be explained later.
Playing the Game
The Game Windows
At the top right is a window with between 3 and 8 numbers in it. It also contains 8 lights. This is where you enter in guesses at the strength combination that will defuse the bomb. The way to enter these guesses will be explained later.
Under this window is another window with a timer, in minutes and seconds. This is how long you have left until the bomb explodes. If it reaches 0, you lose.
The window under this is more complicated. This window shows the status of your system. The top reading is your capacitor status. You cannot enter a guess unless this reads 'Ready' and the Green light is on. The middle section of this window is only active while the charge is being sent, after a guess. It shows what your system is doing. The bottom section contains, first, a reading in plain english of what your system is doing, and second, two boxes marked S and C. The function of these will be explained later.
Finally, on the left is your trusty BobCo™ Pad. Here, all of your guesses are written down. There are also two columns marked S and C at the right side of this window, but these will be explained in a minute.
Gameplay
Entering a guess is, in a way, similar to selecting a save slot. First, select a circuit to change using the left and right arrows. When the green light under the circuit you want to change is lit, use the up and down arrows to change the number. Also, you can simply type the number you want from the numeric keypad, once you have selected the desired circuit. When you have entered in your complete guess, press return.
Think of your guess as one number. For instance, if you guessed:
Circuit 1: 1
Circuit 2: 1
Circuit 3: 4
Circuit 4: 5
Circuit 5: 3
You should think of the guess as 11453. This will help you understand the rest of the manual.
Each bomb has one, and only one, solution. The solution is the combination of strengths from each circuit. So the solution might be 11111 or 54321 or 54512 or anything else. Each bomb has a different number of circuits, so a 3-circuit bomb's solution could be 145, but not 1234.
Also, some bombs in the mission game have higher 'sensitivity,' meaning each circuit can have more than 5 strengths. So, a sensitivity-7 bomb could have the solution 57162. You are not told what any bomb's sensitivity is, but it is always 5 in the 'simulator' game, and always at least 5 in the 'mission' game. The computer will not allow you to guess higher than a bomb's sensitivity, so testing to see what it can not hurt you.
You cannot enter a guess unless your capacitors are charged. This happens automatically, and takes about half a second per circuit you sent a pulse to. So, it takes 4 seconds to charge after sending the pulse 12345432, but only two seconds for 1234. You can view your capacitors' status in the status window. If the green light is lit, they are ready. When you enter a guess, it will take your computer about four seconds to send the pulse, detect the feedback, and calculate the results. After that, numbers should appear next to the S and C near the bottom of the status window. The number next to the S is how many pulses of the correct strength were delivered. These were not neccesarily delivered to the correct circuit. Next to the C is how many circuits recieved the correct jolt. Example: If the solution was 54321, and you guessed 12345, S would show 5, but C would only show 1, because only 3 was delivered to the correct circuit.
Also, your guess, and its S and C values, will be recorded on your trusty pad. In order to win, you must deliver the correct pulse to every circuit. This means C needs to equal the number of circuits in the bomb. Remember, every guess takes up to 7 seconds, including charge time for your capacitors and time for the computer to send and calculate the pulse. You cannot guess while the computer is charging the capacitors or sending another pulse. To quit at any time, press command-Q. This will also work on the setup screens.
Who to Contact
Send all questions, comments, bug reports, etc. to tg_webmast@geocities.com
Our website is at http://tg.webjump.com
If you are sending a bug report, please include your computer type, amount of RAM, system number (7, 7.5, 8, 8.1, 8.5, etc,) where you got Overload, and Overload's version number,.
Registration
Until you register, you will not be able to access the mission game. Registration is a simple 2-step process -
1. Run Overload and choose "About Overload" from the Apple Menu. Write down the "Registration Code" at the bottom of the window.
2. Send us an e-mail at tg_webmast@geocities.com, telling us that you are registering. Include the "Registration Code" number in the message.
3. Send $5, cash or check, along with your name (optional), e-mail address, and any questions or comments to
Overload Registration
PO Box 90973
Pasadena, CA 91105
4. You will be e-mailed a code (different from the "Registration Code.") Once you get this code, run the program "Registrator" that should be in the Overload folder and enter it. After that, you are the proud shareware-supporting owner of the full version of Overload!
If you do not think Overload is worth the registration cost, tell us what would make it better (instead of sending $5), and we will give you the code! Any SERIOUS suggestion (not "make it better," "give me money," etc.) will be accepted.
Note: Don't forget to e-mail us when you register! If you don't, your registration may not be received! Also, you must send the "Registration Code" with the e-mail or we cannot process your registration.
Credits
Programming - Zach Withers
Graphics - Zach Withers, Andrew Pullin, David Withers
Music and Sound - Zach Withers
Concept and Design - Zach Withers
Special Thanks to: David Withers
Programmed in FutureBasic by Andrew Gariepy
Sounds made with SoundEffects by Alberto Ricci and SoundApp by Norman Franke
Graphics made with TrueSpace, Photoshop, and DeskPaint
Pentagon photo from DefenseLink (www.defenselink.mil)
McDonald's photo from McDonalds Franchise Services (www.mcdonalds.com)
All other photos from PhotoDisk CDs
Legal
Overload is provided with no warranty of any kind. Zach Withers or TechnoGeeks Software cannot be held responsible for any damages caused by or related to Overload.
Version History
Version 1.0.0 -
- Initial Release
Version 1.0.1 -
- Added "About Overload" box
- Updated Registrator and changed registration system (Registered users of Overload 1.0.0 are still registered, but no more 1.0.0 registrations will be accepted.)
Version 1.0.2 -
- Fixed bug when repeating simulator games
- Fixed Command-period quit bug
- Fixed PowerBook 5300cs sound bug
- Fixed errors in and updated instructions
- Fixed Registrator bug
Version 1.0.3 -
- Updated TechnoGeeks Logo
- Fixed bug which corrupted on the pad after flipping pages
- Fixed 'permanently disabled file menu' bug
- Fixed 'holes in the background' bug
- Clicks while 'unregistered copy' message is showing are no longer processed
- Fixed Registrator memory, now needs 100k, not 2 MB
