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=                                 SAVE NEW YORK                               =
*                                 COMMODORE 64                                *
=                             FAQ / STRATEGY GUIDE                            =
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Author: Sashanan
Date: 29 November 2005
Version: 1.0

DISCLAIMER
This document is a copyright of Peter "Sashanan" Butter, 2005. All
rights reserved.

You are granted permission to make copies of this FAQ (electronical or
physical) for your own, personal use. Furthermore, non-commercial, freely
accessible websites are allowed to upload a copy of this FAQ as long as it is
posted in its full, original form (including this disclaimer) and credited
to Sashanan.

You are not authorized to upload this FAQ to a commercial website and/or
charge for its viewing, or make money off it in any other imaginable way,
without my explicit written permission. Furthermore, you are not allowed to
edit this guide in any way, use it as a basis for your own guide, or post it
without giving proper credit. This is considered plagiarism.

This FAQ is protected by international copyright laws and failure to
comply with the terms in this disclaimer will result in legal prosecution.


=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

[1] Introduction
[2] Overview
[2.1] Basics
[2.2] Controls
[2.3] Scoring
[2.4] 1 player vs. 2 players
[3] Strategies
[3.1] General strategy
[3.2] 2 player games
[4] Revision history
[5] Final words


===============================================================================
[1] INTRODUCTION
===============================================================================

In “Save New York”, New York has fallen under attack by vicious giant alien
birds, and the only one available to defend its citizens is you – and, assuming
you convinced a friend to take up the joystick as well, one partner. Your goal
is to fly a jet and shoot down the alien invaders as they appear, before they
can cause too much damage to the skyscrapers and the innocent people inside.
But, as you’ll find, this is frequently easier than it sounds. With only a
little room to move around, taking out the birds without crashing into them or
the buildings is a daunting task, and the added firepower that a second player
provides you only narrowly offsets the risks of colliding or shooting each
other down.

This FAQ is intended to help you improve your game by providing both the bare
facts – controls, game mechanics, differences between the levels – and
strategies both for solitary and team play. For an overview of the basics,
check chapter 2; if you’re already familiar with the game, go ahead and skip to
chapter 3.


===============================================================================
[2] OVERVIEW
===============================================================================

This chapter contains an overview of Save New York and all its elements; the
basics of gameplay, the controls (simple as though they are), the way points
are scored and the differences between the default 1 player game or a 2 player
co-op.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2.1] BASICS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

All action in Save New York takes place on a single, non-scrolling screen.
About two thirds of this screen is the surface of New York and the sky above
it. Six skyscrapers of random height and width are placed on the surface as the
game starts. On the left and right edges of the screen are the landing pads for
each player.

The bottom third of the screen is the subway, consisting of two train lines and
twisty passages in between. In later levels of the game, hatchling enemies may
hide here, and players can venture below ground to hunt them down by landing
their fighter.

When the first level starts, a monstrous alien bird will appear somewhere in
the sky, flying in from the left, right or top of the screen, then move around
randomly until it reaches one of the skyscrapers. There, it will proceed to
tear part of the building apart to get at the tasty humans inside. When a bird
is killed or leaves the screen (before or after having its meal), a new one
will replace it. In subsequent levels, two or three birds may appear at once
and you will have your hands full.

From level two on, birds may also occasionally drop eggs, from which hatchlings
appear if they reach the ground. A hatchling may then either flee below ground,
where it won’t do much of anything, or roam the surface and nibble at the base
of each skyscraper. This is particularly dangerous as it can cause the entire
building to collapse at once.

Your fighter needs fuel, and refuels are provided periodically by a blue plane
appearing on the left or right of the screen, high up, and dropping a fuel
package for you to collect.

You start the game off with 3 lives (each) and gain a bonus life for every 1000
points you score. Fighters are lost as you crash into obstacles - the birds,
their eggs or hatchlings, the refuelling plane, the buildings themselves, or in
two player games, your ally. You will also lose your fighter if you run out of
fuel, and you can also lose a life if you get killed in the subway by getting
run over by a train or wandering into a hatchling enemy.

Each level lasts until a certain number of birds has been defeated – 10 in the
first level, a somewhat random (and higher) number on subsequent levels. When a
level ends, bonus points are awarded based on how many buildings remain
standing, and the next level will start with more aggressive and numerous
enemies. The game ends either when you lose all your fighters or you clear all
seven levels.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2.2] CONTROLS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

At the start of the game (and whenever you lose a life), your fighter appears
on either landing pad; whichever one’s available, or chosen randomly if both
are. You can take off by lightly tapping the joystick up. Once in the air, your
plane can be steered in eight different directions, and will always be moving
slowly. You can speed up by holding the joystick in the desired direction, but
you cannot stop.

While in the air, you fire your cannon by pressing the fire button. You can
have only one shot on the screen at a time. Fuel is consumed at double normal
rate while the fire button is down – the result is that fighting costs more
fuel than flying around normally.

You can land your plane on either landing pad simply by moving down toward it.
Once landed, your plane is safe. You can either take off again when desired, or
move your pilot into the subway tunnels by pushing the joystick in the desired
direction. Controls are the same down there, and you can fire your pistol with
the fire button.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2.3] SCORING
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

For every bird you destroy with your cannon, you earn 20 points. If you destroy
an egg dropped by a bird while it is in mid-air, it is worth 50 points; if you
destroy a hatchling from the air, you get 90 points. Destroying a hatchling
underground while out of your plane is worth 80 points.

At the end of each level, you get 10 bonus points for each four windows that
are still intact on the skyscrapers; at the base of the buildings, four windows
tends to equal one floor, but the tops may be more narrow than that. Overall,
even if you manage to keep all the buildings in good shape, don’t expect to get
more than maybe 300 points in bonus at the end of a level; not really a big
concern. This is probably one reason why Save New York players tend to fight
each other in deathmatches or deliberately destroy buildings; there’s certainly
not much incentive to do otherwise from a score perspective.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2.4] 1 PLAYER VS. 2 PLAYERS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If 2 players are chosen at the startup screen, the white plane is controlled by
the joystick in port 1 and the blue one by the joystick in port 2. The playing
field and the number of enemies remains the same, and you should have a much
easier time stopping the alien invasion; in theory. In practice, the limited
airspace and cannon shots flying everywhere will result in a decent number of
friendly fire kills, some accidental, some not so, and brutal retaliation from
your co-player afterwards. Anybody who’s played Save New York with a friend can
attest to this. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.


===============================================================================
[3] STRATEGIES
===============================================================================

Familiar with the basics? This chapter describes strategies to follow, first
generic ones that will work for either solo or team play, then a separate
chapter with a few pointers specific to 2 player games.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[3.1] GENERAL STRATEGY
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- To conserve fuel, don’t just hold down the fire button. Your fuel consumption
doubles if you do, regardless of how many shots you get off. Since you can only
have one shot on screen at a time anyway, tap the fire button lightly for each
shot.

- Only fly at top speed (by keeping the joystick pressed in a direction) if you
have to avoid an incoming enemy. Otherwise, always stick to the low speed (by
only tapping the stick to change directions). You have little room to work with
as it is.

- Aim to kill. Especially if an enemy is close, missing a shot can mean you
won’t have time for another shot. Birds will not *actively* try to ram you, but
the limited room on the screen will result in plenty of accidental collisions
if you do not get your shots on target. Some games require you to mash the fire
button; others require you to make your shots count. Save New York falls
squarely in the latter category.

- Don’t hug the top of the screen if you can help it; birds appear here and
could ram you before you can shoot them or move away. On the same token, don’t
linger on the left or right edges of the screen high up, or you could be taken
by surprise by the blue fuel plane.

- Watch your fuel. If it falls below 700 or so, make sure to pick up the fuel
dropped by the blue plane. If it falls below 400, actively start clearing a
path for the blue plane so it can arrive safely. Especially in the later
levels, with three birds roaming the skies, the blue plane often collides with
one before it can drop its fuel – you want to try and prevent that from
happening. Every fuel unit you pick up adds 400 to your total, up to the
maximum of 999.

- The first level has only one bird at a time and no hatchlings. Levels two and
three have two birds and eggs can now be dropped, more frequently in level
three than two. From level four on, there are three birds at once and egg
chances are the highest. There will still only be one hatchling at a time,
never two; and whenever an egg or hatchling is in play, there will be one bird
less in the air to compensate.

- When a bird drops an egg, consider letting it reach the ground rather than
shoot it. If you time your shot such that it will hit the hatchling coming from
the egg a split second after the egg hits the ground, that’s just as sure a
kill, and 90 points instead of 50.

- When playing a single player game, don’t bother going after the hatchling if
it goes underground. It takes time to hunt it down, the birds will maul the
buildings in the meantime, and besides, having a hatchling underground isn’t so
bad. The number of birds is reduced by one while the hatchling is around,
making the skies easier to clear. You can deal with the hatchling if and when
he comes above ground.

- Some players prefer to partially or completely destroy the buildings to have
more room to fly around and engage the enemy in. From a score perspective, this
makes sense as the bonus for keeping the buildings intact is minimal anyway. Of
course, from a moral perspective, it’s slightly questionable to kill the ones
you’re supposed to protect...


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[3.2] 2 PLAYER GAMES
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- Assign firing zones to each player; one stays high, the other low (or as low
as the skyline will permit). Neither player is to stray onto the other’s
altitude without reason. This will prevent most friendly fire kills. Similarly,
it helps for one player to remain near the left of the screen and the other
near the right. Very few birds will be able to get through, and there’s no risk
of colliding with each other this way.

- The player at the top will get more kills. Switch these roles from time to
time (for example, at the start of each new level) to keep the points
distribution somewhat equal; this is important because bonus lives are directly
tied to your points.

- If your partner gets killed, check your fire until his new plane is in
position. Last thing he needs is for you to blow yet another of his fighters
out of the sky because you mistook it for an enemy.

- Fuel should go to whichever player needs it most at the time. Don’t hog fuel
you don’t need while your partner is about to run out. Or at least, don’t do so
accidentally.

- With two players, assigning one to go down into the subway to kill the
hatchling if he appears is a viable tactic. If you’re the one, descend
carefully (you may want to wait until a train is on screen so you can’t be
surprised by one) and engage the hatchling from as far out as possible. The
only way he can beat you is by running into you, so distance works to your
advantage. Be aware that the hatchling can move through walls and will always
dodge the trains successfully. Also, don’t forget that you still consume fuel
underground (albeit at a slower pace) so make sure you have enough before you
head down there.


===============================================================================
[4] REVISION HISTORY
===============================================================================

v1.0: (29 Nov '05) First version of the FAQ.

I have no content updates planned for this guide – it covers the extent of my
knowledge of Save New York. I welcome reader input and suggestions for further
updates, though.


===============================================================================
[5] FINAL WORDS
===============================================================================

ABOUT THIS FAQ
My childhood memories are colored by many Commodore 64 games that are primitive
by today’s standards and perhaps the appeal they once held is impossible to
explain to somebody who does not have the benefit of nostalgia. Save New York,
however, is one of those games that doesn’t require any kind of explanation. I
am positive anybody can pick up the joystick (or ideally, two joysticks) for
this one, play a bit, and soon degenerate into shooting at the skyscrapers and
each other. I know that’s what things usually came down to when I was playing
it with my sister, so many years ago. For me, writing this guide was a fun
brief trip down nostalgia lane – for you, hopefully, it will either serve the
same purpose, or even be of actual help. Either way, it’s another guide for the
collection.

For questions, comments, suggestions, praise and criticism, please contact the
author, Sashanan, at [email protected]. This e-mail address is for FAQ
feedback only. Whatever you wish to share about this document or Save New York,
chances are I'll want to hear it. Any serious mail will be answered.

If you wish to do anything with this FAQ except for just reading it, check
the Disclaimer section at the top of the FAQ to find out what you can and
can't do. When in doubt, you can always mail me.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks for this guide go to my sister Ineke, for the many times we’ve played
this game in our youth – I even forgive her for all the times she blew me out
of the sky, many of which I suspect weren’t as accidental as she claimed.
Thanks also to lisanne, who may not realize it, but directly inspired me to
write this document a day before I did.

This document is a copyright of Peter "Sashanan" Butter, 2005. All
rights reserved. Disclaimer at top of document.

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