The Starship Commander's Tactical Battle Simulator (C) Copyright 1993 William D. Hause Mosquito Hawk Software ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º On-Line Help º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ On-Line Help: On-Line Help may be accessed from almost any place in the Tactical Battle Simulator (TBS). To access the On-Line Help system press Alt-H. The TBS on-line help system is context sensitive and will try to give you help specific to the feature you are currently trying to use. For example if you are setting the sound options and press Alt-H, the on-line help system will tell you how to set the sound options. Once the on-line help system is activated you may use the keys shown at the bottom of the help screen to find information on other topics you may be interested in. If you wish to access information on how to better command a starship then you should select "Notes & Tips" from the pull down menus. The on-line help system tells you how to use the Tactical Battle Simulator program, not how to be a great commander. Getting Started: The TBS is designed to be intuitive to use. The best way to learn to use the TBS is to jump right in with the first scenario. After you become familiar with the game, browse through the on-line help manual to learn the intricacies of the game which will enable you to win. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ User Interface & Game Features ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Game Controls: The TBS offers full mouse support, however it can also be easily played without a mouse. All control buttons have corresponding key commands which are displayed in yellow on the buttons. To access the pulldown menus press the key or click on the red menu button with the mouse. There are a few commands which can only be accessed by using Hot keys on the computer keyboard. These special key commands are described below. - The Escape key is used to activate the pull-down menus. Alt-H - Press 'H' while holding down the key to access on-line help. - Press 'Q' to exit the TBS. <5> - Press '5' on the numeric keypad to center the map on the currently selected unit. Back - Press the Backspace key to move back one unit. Space - Press the space bar to select the next unit. - Transfer control of the currently selected unit to the computer. - Take back control of the currently selected unit from the Computer. - Transfer control of all friendly units to the computer. - Take back control of all friendly units from the computer. Alt-V - Toggle Velocity Vectors/Direction Arrows ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º PULL-DOWN MENUS º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ To activate the Pull-Down Menus press the key. Use the arrow keys to navigate the menus. Press when you have made your selection or press to exit the menus without making a selection. You may also use your mouse to access the menus by clicking on the red "Menus" button at the top of the center column in the main screen. Menu Key Equivalents (Hot Keys): Some features may be accessed using the keyboard or the pull-down menu. Pull-Down menu choices with hot keys associated with them are displayed with the corresponding hot key next to it. For example: "Quick Save" may be selected from the pull down menu or it may be executed by pressing "Alt-S". ÄÄÄÄÄ Descriptions of all the menu choices are given below ÄÄÄÄÄ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ INFO ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ - Help: This brings up the on-line help system. - History: Gives the historical background for the TBS. - Notes & Tips: Tells how to be a great starship commander. - How To Order: Product ordering information. - About: Describes the TBS ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ GAME ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ New Game: The "New Game" screen allows you to select the next scenario you wish to play. Use the arrow keys or the mouse to select scenarios. Choose "Accept" to run the currently highlighted scenario. "Prev" and "Next" move from one scenario set to the next (if you have more than one scenario set). "Toggle Alliance" allows you to switch sides. Save Game: To save your current game, select "Save Game" from the pull down menus. If you wish replace an old saved game with your current game then use the arrow keys or the mouse to select the box with the name of the old game and press "ENTER". If you wish to save your game under a new name then select a save game box and type in the name you wish your current game to be saved under. A maximum of six games may be saved at any one time. Load Game: Select "Load Game" from the pull down menus. Use the arrow keys or mouse to select the box with the previously saved game to load. Quick Load: Select this menu choice or press to load the most recently saved instance of the current scenario. Quick Save: Saves the current game under its current save name. Quick Exit: Select this menu choice or press to make a quick exit from the game when the BOSS walks in. You may do a "Quick Exit" from any point in the game by pressing Alt-X. When you do a quick exit the following things happen: 1) The screen of your computer is blanked. 2) Your game is saved in a special file which will be loaded automatically the next time you run the TBS, thus allowing you to continue you game exactly where you left of when you performed the Quick Exit. 3) The TBS exits to DOS. 4) The "Exit Command" (described below) is immediately executed, automatically starting whatever program or application you are supposed to be working on. The purpose of the Quick Exit feature is obvious: When your Boss comes in to check on you, you hit Alt-X to do a Quick Exit. Your screen will blank, your game will be saved, and the program you are supposed to be working on will automatically be loaded and run all in a matter of seconds. Thus concealing, from your boss, the fact that you are using the TBS at work. When your boss leaves you may then restart the TBS where you left off. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Settings ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Sound Options: To turn the sounds and music on and off select "Sound Options" from the pull-down menus. Use the arrow keys or mouse to set the sound and music options. The choices you make here will be saved to disk so that next time you start up the TBS, the sounds and music settings will be unchanged. Range Circles: Range circles are circles which appear around ships, drones, and other units in the game to indicate ranges. There are three types of range circles. The types of range circles are active detection range circles, passive detection range circles and transporter range circles. The green circles are transporter range circles. These range circles always have a radius of 5Pc (Maximum transporter range). Their purpose is not only to tell you if transporters are in range of a given unit but also to give you a scale of reference for the current zoom level. The dark red range circles are passive detection range circles. These range circles have a radius equal to the units current passive detection distance. If an enemy ship is within the red range circle for one of your ships then he can detect your ship via passive sensors. If the enemy ship is outside of your red detection range circles then that enemy ship can not detect your ship using passive sensors. The dark cyan range circles are active detection range circles. These range circles have a radius equal to the units active detection distance. Large units can be detected by enemy active sensors at a greater range than small units. If an enemy ship is within the cyan range circle for one of your ships then he can detect your ship if he uses his active sensors. If the enemy ship is outside of your cyan detection range circle then that enemy ship can not detect your ship using active sensors. DO NOT GET CONFUSED! An active or passive range circle around your ship tells you how far away an enemy unit can detect YOUR ship. Not how far away you can detect and enemy ship. Detection ranges vary with the size of the ship and the amount of power is expending. The user may choose to have range circles displayed for all detected units, or he may choose to have them displayed for only the currently selected unit. To change the current range circle setting select "Range Circles" from the pull down menus under "Settings". Use the space bar to toggle the settings and press "Esc" to exit the Range Circle dialog box. Velocity Vectors: Toggle between Velocity Vectors and Direction Arrows. A velocity vector is a line drawn away from a unit in its direction of travel. The length of the line indicates the units speed. Direction Arrows are always the same length and point in the general direction in which the unit is moving. Exit Command: The Exit Command is the command which will be executed immediately after quitting the TBS via the "Quick Exit" feature (Alt-X see Quick Exit above). The Exit Command may be a DOS command, a program name or a batch file. To enter the Exit Command, select "Exit Command" from the pull-down menus. If you want to execute a command longer than 14 characters, or if you want to execute several command then you should put them in a batch file (see your DOS manual.) Your Exit Command will be saved from one game to the next so you don't have to re-enter it every time you use the TBS. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ MISC ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ DOS Shell: Temporarily leaves the TBS and puts you at the DOS prompt. Type "EXIT" to return to your game where you left off. Weapon Graphs: To view the Weapon Graphs, select "Weapon Graphs" from the pull-down menus. The "weapon graphs display" shows graphs of how the weapons perform as a function of distance from the target. The first graph shows the percent chance of a hit for each of the four types of weapons at varying distances from their targets. The second graph shows how the strength of each weapon changes as the distance from the target changes. The third graph shows (graph #1) x (graph #2). This graph shows you how each weapon performs relative to the other weapons at a given distance. e.g. At a range of one tenth of a parsec, the Antimatter Torpedo does more damage (on average) than the Electron Torpedo does. At a distance of one parsec, however, the Electron Torpedo does more damage (on average) than the Antimatter torpedo does. As you can see, from the third graph, the Disintegrator Beam is a relatively poor weapon and the Neutron Torpedo performs best at all ranges. Keep in mind however that the Neutron Torpedo only kills people, it doesn't damage ships and equipment. Legend: The legend explains what the symbols and lines on the map represent. Galactic Map: This is a territorial map of the galaxy. Some scenario descriptions refer to this map when describing where the scenario takes place. Mission: Select "Mission" from the pull-down menus when you wish to review what your mission is. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º PUSH BUTTONS º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ The buttons which are display at the bottom of the main game screen are described below. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Identify Unit ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Unit Identification is done by clicking on the Identify Unit button with the mouse, or by pressing "I" on the keyboard. If the unit being identified is "Friendly" then all of the displayed information will be accurate and reliable. If the unit is an enemy unit then some of the information displayed will be accurate, some will be an estimate, and some will be unknown. If you have an active sensor lock on the target unit then more information will be know about it. If you only have a "passive detection" then less will be know about the target. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º EMPIRE ³ CLASS ³ DESIGNATION ³ ALLIANCE º ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÁÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĺ º TYPE ³ SPEED ³ HEADING ³ XCoord ³ YCoord ³ BTTL-PTS ³ MASS ³ %DAMAGE º ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÂÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĺ º POWER ³ CREW ³ SHIELDS ³ DRONES ³ DISINT ³ TORPS ³ DETECT º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍ»ÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÉÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ º TRACTOR TARGET º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Below is a list of the information displayed about the unit being identified. The "STATUS" column indicates the reliability of the information. A Status of "Given" means that the information is directly obtainable from the sensor readings and the information is reliable and accurate. A Status of "Estimate" means the information was estimated from the other sensor readings. The DERIVATION column explains what the estimate was based on. ------------ PASSIVE DETECTION INFO -------------- INFORMATION STATUS DERIVATION Speed (Given) Unit name (Given) Heading (Given) Position (Given) Detection Range (Given) Total Power (estimate) from (Detection Range) Mass (estimate) from (Total Power Output) Movement Power (estimate) from (Mass & Speed) Shield Power (estimate) from (Total Power - Movement Power) Shield Strength (estimate) from (Shield Power & Mass) Crew Size (estimate) from (Mass) Empire (unknown) Class (unknown) Alliance (unknown) Type (unknown) Value (unknown) Damage % (unknown) Drones (unknown) Disintegrators (unknown) Torpedoes (unknown) Tractor Target (unknown) ------------ ACTIVE DETECTION INFO -------------- INFORMATION STATUS DERIVATION Speed (Given) Unit name (Given) Heading (Given) Position (Given) Detection Range (Given) Total Power (estimate) from (Detection Range) Mass (Known) from (Intel Records & sensor Current Mass) Movement Power (Known) from (Mass & Speed) Shield Power (estimate) from (Total Power - Movement Power) Shield Strength (estimate) from (Shield Power & Mass) Crew Size (estimate) from (Intel Records) Damage % (estimate) from (Normal Power Output & Current Power Detected) Empire (Known) Class (Known) Alliance (Known) Type (Known) Value (Known) Drones (Known) from (Current mass of unit, Drones Remaining) Disintegrators (Known) from (Intel Normal Number of Disintegrators) Torpedoes (Known) from (Intel Normal Number of Torpedoes) Tractor Target (unknown) ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Power Allocation ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ To allocate power for a unit, first select the unit by clicking on it or by pressing the space bar. Then click on the "Power Allocation" button or press the "P" key. (Power allocation can only be done for friendly units.) To increase the power allocated to a system, first select the system using the left or right arrow keys. Press the up arrow to increase the power and the down arrow to decrease the power. You may also adjust the power by clicking on the arrows with the mouse. Each system is capable of handling an amount of power equal to the amount of power which the ship is capable of producing. Weapons must be charged to the level indicated in the "Energy Required" box before they can be used. When a weapon reaches that level then the "Charged and Ready" count is incremented and the next weapon of that type begins charging. The "Energy Level" box displays the charge level of the weapon currently charging. When all of the weapons of a given type are fully charged, the power allocated to those weapons will be automatically redistributed to the shields and movement in the same proportions that it is currently distributed to shields and movement. After these weapons are fired, the same amount of power that was originally allocated to the weapons will be reallocated to the weapons. This power will be taken from the shields and movement power. (If power allocation levels are modified between the time of charging weapons and firing them, then no power will be reallocated back to the weapons after they are fired.) Shields, Tractor Beam, Damping Field and Movement do not need to be charged. Their level is determined by the amount of power allocated to them at any given time. Damping Field: The damping field has the effect of reducing the distance at which your ship can be detected by passive sensors. It takes 5 units of power allocated to the damping field to cancel out the warp disturbances cause by 1 unit of power allocated to other systems. If you put enough power into the damping field you can make your ship completely invisible to enemy passive sensors. This would not leave much power for the rest of the ship's systems however. The damping field has no effect on enemy active sensors. Batteries: To use energy stored in a ship's batteries, simply over allocate the ships power. The extra power will be drained from the batteries. e.g. If the "Power Remaining" is -3, then 3 units of energy will be drained from the ships batteries each second. When the batteries run out of energy then the power will have to be reallocated in such a way that the power remaining is not less than 0 units. If the "Power Remaining" is 5, then the battery energy would increase by 5 units each second. When the ships batteries become fully charged then the extra 5 units of energy will have to be allocated to the ships systems. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Rename Unit ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Select the "Rename Unit" button if you wish to give the currently selected unit a new Identification Call Sign. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Weapons Lockon ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Weapons may be fired at any unfriendly unit which you have detected. To attack an enemy unit you must first select the ship you wish to attack with. The attacking unit is assumed to be the currently selected unit displayed in the red information panel in the main battle screen. Next select the "Weapons Lock-on" button. The weapons lock-on control panel displays the name of the attacker, the name of the target unit, the range to the target, the number of weapons available, and the number of weapons locked onto the currently displayed target. Press the bar to change the target from one enemy unit to the next. The currently selected target will appear in yellow on the TBS maps. Your attacking unit will appear in white on the TBS maps. Use the arrow keys or the mouse to allocate weapons to the target. Press to fire the allocated weapons at their selected targets. Target Selection: To select a target unit for the tractor beam, the navigator, or weapons, do the following. Press the bar to change the target from one unit to the next. The currently selected target will appear in yellow on the TBS maps. Your targeting unit will appear in white on the TBS maps. Press when the target of your choice is selected. You may also click on the target with the mouse. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Damage Report ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Click on the "Damage Report" button or press "D" to get a damage report on the currently selected unit. Damage reports are only available for friendly units. Systems with a Green Light next to them are operational. Systems with a red light next to them are damaged. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Course Plotting ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ To lay in a new course for an unit you must first select the unit using the space bar or the mouse. The unit's name, type, empire, and battle point value appear in the red information box below the zoom slide bar. Next select the "Plot Course" button. The currently selected unit will have its course displayed in white. The other friendly units will have their courses displayed in gray. To add new legs to the course you may either click on the map using the mouse or press "L" and then use the arrow keys to change the position of the next point in the course. Press the to add the point to the end of the course. You may not plot courses for units which are not under your command such as enemy ships. Stationary units such as star bases are also ineligible for course plotting. If the currently selected unit is ineligible for course plotting then the "Plot Course" menu choice will be dimmed out and you will not be able to select it from the pull-down menus. If you wish to clear the course for the currently selected unit press "C" and the course will be erased. To accept the currently displayed course and leave the course editor, press "A". ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Modify Settings ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ The "Modify Settings" dialog box is used to set the computer control level for the selected unit. It also allows you to set the navigation method, sensor status, and tractor beam target. The computer is capable controlling four different aspects of a unit. The computer can control power allocation, navigation, weapons, and sensors. (See Computer Control) A unit can be ordered to follow a path which you enter. It can be ordered to intercept a target or it can be ordered to hold station on a target. When holding station a unit will try to maintain its current position relative to the unit on which it is holding station. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Launch Drone ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Select the "Launch Drone" button to launch a drone from the currently selected unit. For more INFO on drones see Drones in the glossary. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Transporters ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ There are two reasons for transporting crew. The first is to move squads to another friendly unit to speed repairs, reinforce their crew, or evacuate a ship. The second reason to transport crew is to try to capture an enemy unit. When crew are transported to a friendly unit they simply add to the crew of the friendly ship. When squads are transported to an enemy unit they fight for control of that unit. If they are successful then you gain control of the enemy unit. To transport crew, you must have your active sensors turned on, be within transporter range (green range circle 5Pc), and you transporters must be operational. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Markers ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Markers allow you to mark a location on the map. Select the "Add Marker" button to set a new marker. Choose "Kill Marker" to delete the currently selected marker. Use the "Next Marker" button to select the next marker. When setting a marker you can enter a short description for the marker such as "Last known position of enemy unit." ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Victory Status ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Select the "Victory Status" button to see how you are doing in a scenario. When one side reaches 100% then the scenario is over. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º COMPUTER CONTROL º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Control of any unit can be turned over to the computer. The computer will then control that unit for you. The computer will use the same AI routines to control your units that it uses to control enemy units. If you give the computer control of all your units then the game will play against itself. To give the computer total control of a single unit, simply make that unit the currently selected unit and press the F1 function key. To regain control of the currently selected unit press the F2 function key. To give the computer total control of all your units press the F3 function key. To regain control of all of your units press the F4 function key. Partial Computer Control: You have the option of giving the computer partial control of a unit while still maintaining control of some of the unit's systems. For example: You could have the computer handle power allocation but you could still control the unit's weapons. To do this select the Modify Settings buttons at the bottom of the main view screen. Under Computer Control you will see four system categories. Power Allocation Weapons Control Navigation Tract-Sens-Trans Use these to give the computer control over some systems and still retain control over the systems which you don't want the computer to control for you. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º OTHER FEATURES º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Range & Bearing: To determine the range and bearing from one point on the map to another. Click on the starting point on the map and then click on the ending point on the map. The range and bearing from the first point to the next will appear in the message bar at the bottom of the screen. This is the one feature which is only available to users with a mouse. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º SHIP CLASSES º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ TBS uses several class designations to describe starships. Below is a list of the ship classes going from the smallest ship class (the Light Frigate or Corvette) to the largest (the Battleship). While there is overlap in the size of ships in adjacent classes, the class is determined primarily by size. DNs (Drones) SBs (Star bases) CVs (Drone Carriers) and MRCHs (Merchant ships) however are classified more by function than by size. DN - Drone: Drones are unmanned, unarmed probe vessels used for scouting. A drone may also be used as a weapon by colliding it with an enemy vessel. No vessel can withstand a hit from a drone. FFL - Corvette or Light Frigate: Small fast attack craft. FF - Frigate: Small fast attack craft. DD - Destroyer CL - Light Cruiser CC - Cruiser CA - Heavy Cruiser: The mainstay of most galactic navies. BC - Battle Cruiser: Fast heavy cruiser. BB - Battleship: The largest, most powerful type of warship. CV - Drone Carrier: Ship designed to carry and service a large number of drones. MRCH- Merchant ship: Unarmed, Independently owned trading vessel. OP - Outpost: Small military facility. Outposts are used to provide early warning of enemy invasion. Outposts are sometimes used to provide protection for obscure un-threatened star systems. BS - Base Station: Medium sized military facility, usually responsible for defending a planetary system. SB - Star base: Large military facility, usually built on a planet or a large asteroid. Star bases are located at each empires home world and at several highly populated star systems. NOTE: None of the four empires produce units of all classes. Only the Andromedans produce CVs for example. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º GLOSSARY º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Active Sensors: Active sensors use space warp technology to permeate space in search of enemy units. Large enemy units can be detected by active sensors at greater distances than smaller enemy units. Active sensors cause huge space warp disturbances and make it possible for enemy units to passively detect your ship from very far away. Andromeda: Andromeda is one of the two human empires. The National Federation is the other one. Antimatter Torpedo: The antimatter torpedo is the main weapon used by Barbarizard starships. The antimatter torpedo does less damage as the distance from the target increases and the probability of hitting the target decreases with distance. (See Weapons Graphs in the pull-down menu.) Barbarizard: The Barbarizards are a powerful, brutal enemy of the Andromedan and National Federation Empires. Disintegrator: Old style weapon. Fires a energy beam at the target. All four empires have disintegrator weapon technology and all four empires use it. Disintegrators are the weakest type of weapon and they are also the least energy efficient. Disintegrators always hit their target and are therefor good for shooting down enemy drones. Drone: Drones are unmanned, unarmed probe vessels used for scouting. A drone may also be used as a weapon by colliding it with an enemy vessel. No vessel can withstand a hit from a drone. Electron Torpedo: The electron torpedo is the main weapon used by National Federation starships. The electron torpedo will always do 600 points of damage to its target if it hits. The probability of hitting the target decreases with distance. (See Weapons Graphs in the pull-down menu.) PARSEC (Pc): A unit of distance equal to the distance to a star whose stellar parallax is one second of arc. 1 Parsec = 3.26 light years or 3.03 x 10 E13 kilometers. One parsec is 206,000 times the distance from the Sun to the Earth. Map Window: The TBS has two map windows. Each map window can be moved around and zoomed in and out. The map window with the yellow border is the currently selected map window. Switch windows by pressing the key. Use the arrow keys to move the map. Use the "+" and "-" keys to zoom in and out. Marker: A marker is used to mark a position on the map such as the last know position of an enemy unit. Message Bar: The message bar at the bottom of the main screen is used to display messages and information. A beep will occur when an important new message is displayed. mPc: milli-parsec (One one-thousandth of a parsec). Starships using a space warp drive measure their speed in mPc/second. National Federation: The National Federation is the larger of the two human empires. It is currently operating in close alliance with the Andromedan empire to defeat the Barbarizards and control the Vikonian menace. Neutron Torpedo: The neutron torpedo is the main weapon used by Vikonian starships. The amount of damage a neutron torpedo does decreases with distance as does the probability of hitting the target. The neutron torpedo was developed by the Vikonians to help them capture ships undamaged. The neutron torpedo is unique in that it kills crew but does not damage the enemy ship. (See Weapons Graphs in the pull-down menu.) Passive Sensors: Passive sensors simply detect space warp disturbances presumably caused by enemy units. The anti-mater generators and hyperchronic batteries used by all starships to produce power and store energy, cause space warp disturbances and therefor make the unit detectable to other units using passive sensors. Platform: "Platform" is the term used to refer to a type of unit. e.g. The National Federation Command Cruiser is a platform. Star Base: A star base is the largest type of unit. A star base is very expensive. Star bases are usually used to protect valuable planets with large populations. TBS: Tactical Battle Simulator (i.e. This game.) Unit: Any object in the game (e.g. a ship, drone, or a base etc.) Pull-down Menu: The pull-down menu is activated by clicking the mouse on the red menu button at the top of the screen or by pressing the key. SIC: Self Integrity Check virus protection - When you run the TBS, it performs a self integrity check, making it impossible for any computer virus (past, present or future) to infect it. Vikonian: The Vikonians are not technically at war with any of the other empires however they frequently rob Human run ships. The Vikonians are trying to expand their empire and hope to someday rule (or own) the universe. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º DISCLAIMER º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Mosquito Hawk Software and I, William D. Hause hereby disclaim all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. I will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if I or an agent of mine has been advised of the possibility of such damages. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Quick Reference º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Esc - The Escape key is used to activate the pull-down menus. Alt-H - Press H' while holding down the Alt key to access the on-line help system. Q - Press Q to exit the TBS. 5 - Press 5 on the numeric keypad to center the map on the currently selected unit. Backspace - Press the Backspace key to move back one unit. Space - Press the space bar to select the next unit. F1 - Transfer control of the currently selected unit to the computer. F2 - Take back control of the currently selected unit from the computer. F3 - Transfer control of all friendly units to the computer. F4 - Tack back control of all friendly units from the computer. Alt-V - Toggle Velocity Vectors/Direction Arrows Alt-S - Saves game under its current game name. This overwrites your last game saved under this name. Alt-L - Loads your most recently saved game. Alt-D - Access the DOS Shell without quitting you game. Type Exit at the DOS Prompt to return to your game. Alt-X - Quick Exit your current game. When Alt-X is pressed, your game is saved under a special name and the game immediately exits to DOS. Whatever command you have specified as you Exit Command is then executed. Next time you run the TBS it will reload your game at the point where you left off. (See Exit Command for more information.) ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º How To Order º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ To order The Starship Commander's Tactical Battle Simulator, print out the file called "ORDERFRM.TXT", fill it out, and send it in. If you don't have a printer then simply send the information requested below. The Starship Commander's Tactical Battle Simulator was acquired from: [ ] friend [ ] user group [ ] free BBS [ ] disk vendor [ ] pay BBS [ ] other Name of vendor, BBS, etc.:_____________________________________ SEND TO: WILLIAM D. HAUSE 3600 OAK HILL BRYAN TX 77802 To order by phone, call me at home: (409) 846-3093 (VISA & MasterCard accepted) Description Price Total +-----------------------------------------------------+--------+-------+ | The Starship Commander's Tactical Battle Simulator | | | | (Non-Shareware Version) | $24.95 | | | & 10 New Scenarios (Scenario Set #1) | | | +-----------------------------------------------------+--------+-------+ | Scenario Maker / Ship Designer Program | $19.95 | | | (Non-Shareware Tactical Battle Simulator Required) | | | +-----------------------------------------------------+--------+-------+ | 10 More New Scenarios (Scenario Set #2) | $12.95 | | | (Non-Shareware Tactical Battle Simulator Required) | | | +-----------------------------------------------------+--------+-------+ SHIPPING & HANDLING | $5.00 | +-------+ Total | | +-------+ Make checks payable to: William D. Hause (U.S. funds only) Specify Disk Size: ___ 5.25" (1.2M) ___ 3.5" (720K) Payment: _____ Check (U.S. funds only) _____ VISA _____ MasterCard Card Number: _______ _______ _______ _______ Expiration Date: _______ Name: _________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________________