                          Fleet Operations Manual
             The manual for Rules of Engagement from Mindcraft


     This text file was also left computer unspecific for our comrades
          in the IBM scene (The Dream Team!) and Atari (EW! ICK!)


                                 programmed by
                               THOMAS R. CARBONE

                           art direction & graphics
                               MAURICE MOLYNEAUX

                                   music by
                                  DAVE GOVETT

                                music produced by
                       GEORGE ALISTAlR SANGER, THE FAT MAN

                               technical advisor
                                MARK R. BRADSHAW

                                   best boy
                                 JAMES SHELTON

                                  missions by
                                HAYWOOD NICHOLS
                               THOMAS R. CARBONE
                               MAURICE MOLYNEAUX
                                 JAMES SHELTON

                               manual written by
                               MAURICE MOLYNEAUX
                               THOMAS R. CARBONE

                                  designed by
                               THOMAS R. CARBONE
                               MAURICE MOLYNEAUX

                             TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Introduction
         Designer's Notes                              1
         About This Manual                             3
         Getting Started                               4
         IBM/Tandy                                     4
         Amiga                                         6
         Atari ST/TT                                   6
Part I:  A Shakedown Cruise
         About the Tutorials                           7
         Mouse Tutorial                                7
         Keyboard Tutorial                            17
Part II: The Story So Far...
         Historical Briefing                          27
         Coded Situation Orders                       29
         Intelligence Reports                         30

Part III: Mission Overview                            35

Part IV: The CCSI Interface
         Interface Basics                             46
         Controlling the CCSI                         47
         Button Symbol Table                          47
         A Sample Panel                               48

Part V: The Main Panels
         How to...                                    54
         100          MAIN MENU                       54
         101          GAME/MISSION                    55
         300          MASTER SHIP CONTROL             59
         301          NAVIGATION                      63
         302          COMMUNICATIONS                  81
         303          TACTICAL                        94
         401          SQUAD DEPLOYMENT               120
         304          DATA RETRIEVAL                 122
 
INTRODUCTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                                           
_____________________________________________
  
Part VI: Tactics
         Maneuvers                                   130
         Fire Control Techniques                     132
         Tactical Use of Asteroid Fields             133
         Damage Control and Outpost Repair/Resupply  135
         Tactical Use of Self-Destruction            136
         Surrender Tactics                           136
         Forming Battle Groups                       137
         Forming With the Flagship                   139
         Capturing Outposts                          140
         Dealing With Non-Objective Enemy Ships      141

Part VII: The Builder
         Overview                                    143
         202           Captains                      144
         203           Spacecraft Design             149
         204           Enemy Races                   153
         205           Solar Systems                 160
         206           Mission                       169

Part VIII: The Interlocking Game System              185

Appendixes

         I           All About Fleet Commanders      187
         II          Opposing Forces                 191
         III         FW Ship Stats & Parts List      196
         IV          Missile Types                   201
         V           Panel ID Numbers                202
         VI          Importing Commanders,           203
                     Captains, Systems, etc.
         VII         Mission Descriptions            205


                               INTRODUCTION
Designers Notes
Back in 1989, when work on our previous game, Breach 2, had just commenced,
we began thinking about writing a real-time spaceship combat game. Those of
you familiar with our previous games know of our Universe series and that
spaceship combat is not new to us.
 
What is new, however, is the initial approach. The Universe games were
created as massive contests that covered many different aspects of
spacecraft operation (mining, piracy, trading, planetary assault, and
transport). We wondered about taking an opposite approach. Supposing some of
these aspects of the Universe games were developed into full-fledged games
in their own right, playable on their own, and then suppose that these games
could also be linked together to form one huge game.
  
This is the concept behind the Interlocking Game System (IGS). A standard
specification was created and incorporated into what was then the current
project, Breach 2. Of course, once Breach 2 was released, IGS remained more
or less a concept, since there was no other game to link with.
  
Rules of Engagement is that missing link. Boarding enemy vessels and
assaulting alien outposts are the main ties to Breach 2. The games work
seemlessly, one loading the other, to create a single, integrated playing
experience. Of course, Breach 2 is not required to play Rules of Engagement,
as the latter has automatic squad combat routines built in. However, these
two games when combined represent our first step in creating the ultimate
space game.
 
Naturally, everyone asks about future IGS modules. We do plan more in the
future. Imagine having three, four, or more complete games working as one!
That is our dream, and you can help to make it happen. If you have any
suggestions, drop us a line. Let us know what adventures you would like us
to plot a course for.

Engage Hyperdrive!
Omnitrend Software, Inc.


                           SKID ROW page 1 
   
INTRODUCTION
 
Design Philosophy
Like most computer simulators, Rules of Engagement is a highly detailed and
fairly complex program. An ordinary aircraft flight simulator can easily
confuse the average gamer with its multitude of controls and options, and a
real-time starship simulation could easily become even more complex because
of the very nature of space and the laws of physics which apply. With fleets
of starships travelling at greater than half the speed of light, combat
zones with a diameter greater than 50 Earths, and an overall arena billions
of kilometers on a side, a game like ROE could become hopelessly unwieldy.
 
However, although we attempted to be as realistic as possible wherever we
could, our primary goal was to make an interesting and entertaining game.
Real starship commanders, when and if they actually appear on the scene,
will no doubt have to be highly trained: understanding doppler shifts and
time-dilation at speeds approaching that of light, and have a keen knowledge
of Newtonian mechanics. Obviously, this is a bit much to ask of the average
gamer. After all, who wants to calculate acceleration rates for orbital
injection around a planet or compensate for time slowing down as our ships
approached lightspeed?

Thus, certain "liberties" were taken with the game. There's no time dilation
as ships approach lightspeed, and your ships' sensors use a "HyperScanner"
field system in order to give you real-time updates on the positions of
targets in your vicinity. All this was done to keep the game playable.
 
In keeping with this simplification, it's logical to expect that, as
computers become more and more advanced, on such hypothetical starships a
commander would only have to tell the computer what he wanted and it would
do it. After all, at velocities approaching 300,000 kilometers per second
(lightspeed), human reflexes are thousands of times too slow to react to
changes and threats. In reflection of this, in ROE the player operates all 
aspects of the mission via a simple yet powerful computer interface. You
have a great deal of control, but all the mundane details-like taking care
that the antiproton to deuterium ratio in the engines is correct, and that
the ship stays at the right distance relative to a target while you're busy
firing the weapons-are handled automatically.

Even with this simplification, there's a lot to learn and understand. We've
tried to make many of the ship's functions fairly automatic, allowing you to
adjust various devices and settings when you become more familiar with them.
Our design goal was to produce a full-featured, realistic, entertaining and
easy to play game. We think we've succeeded. We hope you agree.
  
                              SKID ROW page 2

                               INTRODUCTION

About This Manual
In Omnitrend's "Universe" a potential Fleet Commander must first complete
four or more years at a military academy and then spend more years rising
through the ranks. The training received during this period is intensive, 
covering everything from diplomacy, discipline, and tactics to technology 
and astrophysics. The size of this manual should make it clear that we're 
not about to try to give you this background training. While realistic in 
many ways, Rules of Engagement is nowhere near as complex to play as a 
real starship would be to command and control.
  
This is not to say that you could just dive into the program and play the
game successfully without first reading at least portions of this manual. 
However, we also understand that most of you will not want to have to read
all of the relevant sections of the manual prior to playing the game the 
first time. So, to give you a general idea of how ROE is played, Part I 
(the tutorial) takes you through a very simple beginner mission with 
step-by-step instructions. In this way you'll get to play ROE right away 
and also get some familiarity with the program that will assist you in 
understanding the rest of the manual.
 
For those of you unfamiliar with other games in Omnitrend's "Universe," 
Part II updates "The Story So Far...", which fills you in on the 
background of the game, lists your overall operational orders and also 
contains intelligence reports on enemies, etc.

Part III describes your goals, objectives and resources, what missions are
and how they are played. Part IV documents the ROE interface
system (CCSI), describing the design features and general theory of 
operation. Part V continues in this vein, describing the controls and 
panels in the game itself, documenting each and every button, readout 
and display.
  
Part VI describes tactics, techniques and strategies that may be useful in
successfully completing your missions.

One of the most important features of ROE is that it allows you
to design and build missions yourself. Part VII documents the "builder" 
sections of the game and how the various editors are used to create new 
missions or edit existing ones. Part VIII documents the Interlocking 
Game System and how Breach 2 can be linked with ROE to make a larger game.
  
Finally, there are the Appendixes, which document technical details,
describe the supplied missions, etc.

                              SKID ROW page 3

Getting Started

(FOR ALL SYSTEMS)
  
Making Backup Disks
We suggest that you make back-up copies of all the game disks prior to
installation. In the event of an accident, you will be able to restore the
original disk(s) from your back-up copy.

Readme Files
If there is a README.TXT file on your game disk 1, it will contain 
important information and instructions that were not available at the 
time this manual was printed.
 
IBM/TANDY

System Requirements
IBM-PC, Tandy, or Compatible computer with at least 640K of memory, 2
floppy drives or a hard disk, MS-DOS (or PC-DOS) 3.0 or higher, and CGA, 
EGA, VGA, or Tandy compatible graphics. A Microsoft, Tandy, or compatible 
mouse is optional. AdLib, SoundBlaster, and Roland MT-32/LAPC-1 sound 
boards are supported. Extended memory (XMS) is supported.
 
Installing the Game Onto a Hard Disk
Your game is shipped on either four 360K 5.25" disks or two 720K 3.5" 
disks. Place disk 1 into either drive A or B. Type the letter of the 
drive containing disk followed by a colon (Example: A:) and press Enter.
Type ROESETUP and press Enter.

Installing the 5.25" Version Onto Floppy Disks
Your game is shipped on four 360K 5.25" disks. If your two floppy drives
are of different sizes (one 3.5" and the other 5.25"), it will be necessary
to copy some of the game disks onto disks of another size. When playing the
game, disks 1, 2 and 3 will be used in drive A. Disk 4 will always be used
in drive B. If drive A is 3.5", you will need to copy disks 1, 2 and 3 onto
3 3.5" disks. If drive B is 3.5", you will need to copy only disk 4 onto a
3.5" disk.
 
Once you have resolved any differences in the disk sizes, place game disk
1 in drive A. Type A: and press Enter. Type ROESETUP and press Enter.

                              SKID ROW page 4
 
Installing the 3.5" Version Onto Floppy Disks
Your game is shipped on two 720K 3.5" disks. If your two floppy drives are
of different sizes (one 3.5" and the other 5.25"), it will be necessary to 
copy some of the game disks onto disks of another size. When playing the 
game, disk 1 will be used in drive A and disk 2 will be used in drive B. 
If your drive A is a 1.2mb 5.25" drive, you will need to copy disk 1 onto 
a 1.2mb 5.25" disk. If drive B is a 1.2mb 5.25" drive, you will need to 
copy disk 2 onto a 1.2mb 5.25" disk. If either of your drives are 360K 
5.25", you will need to obtain the 5.25" version of the game.

Once you have resolved any differences in disk sizes, place disk 1 in 
drive A. Type A: and press Enter. Type ROESETUP and press Enter.
 
Running the Game
To play the game, type RULES and press Enter.
 
Memory Requirements
Rules of Engagement requires almost all of the memory on a 640K computer.
If you receive an error message indicating you do not have enough memory,
here is what you can do:
 
1) Be sure you are running the game from the DOS prompt. Running the game
from within a file manager (such as Windows or Deskmate) may not leave
enough memory for the program.
 
2) Check the device drivers loaded in your CONFlG.SYS file. This includes
RAM disks, disk caches, and sound drivers. You may need to remove some or
all of your drivers. You will need to leave the mouse driver installed in
order to use a mouse with the game.
 
3) Remove all TSR (terminate and stay resident) programs such as Sidekick.
 
4) If you still receive the memory error, you may need to remove your mouse
driver as well. Also, selecting the internal speaker as opposed to one of
the sound boards will use less memory. Using the CGA graphics mode will
also save on required memory.
 
                              SKID ROW page 5
 
GETTING STARTED

Using Extended Memory (XMS)
This game supports extended memory. In order for the game to use this
memory, you must have an extended memory driver present. HIMEM.SYS from
Microsoft and QEMM from Quarterdeck are examples of such drivers. Upon
running the game, a message will appear to indicate the game is using 
extended memory. The game will load data into this memory, reducing the 
amount of disk access and thus speeding up the game.
 
AMIGA
  
S System Requirements
K Any Amiga computer with at least 1 mb of memory.
I 
D Installing the Game
  Place game disk 1 into drive DF0: and open up its window. Double-click 
R on the ROESETUP icon.
O 
W Running the Game
  Double-click on the icon labeled RULES.
S 
K ATARI ST/TT
I 
D System Requirements
  Any Atari ST or TT computer with at least 1 mb of memory and one
R double-sided drive. Supports improved colors on the STe computers.
O 
W Installing the Game
  Since your game is shipped on double-sided disks, be sure that your 
S drive A is a double-sided drive. Place game disk 1 into drive A and open 
K up its window. Double-click on the ROESETUP icon.
I 
D Running the Game
  Double-click on the icon labeled RULES.
R 
O                               SKID ROW page 6
W PART I: A SHAKEDOWN CRUISE
  
S About the Tutorials
K For your first mission, we recommend that you follow this tutorial in 
I order to familiarize yourself with the game screens and controls. The 
D tutorial is divided into two separate sections for mouse and keyboard use.
  If you are working with a system with a mouse compatible with this program,
R follow the mouse tutorial. If not, follow the keyboard tutorial. Also 
O please refer to page 47 for a table of special symbols used on some game
W buttons.
  
S        NOTE:  If you can use a mouse, the keyboard commands are
K        still useful, as you can mix and match, using a combination of
I        mouse and keyboard action to play the game.
D 
  The mission "A Shakedown Cruise" is included for use with this tutorial
R only. It has a very simple objective, extremely weak opposition, and is
O not intended to provide any real challenge. Rather, it is designed to
W provide you with an introduction to Rules of Engagement and how it is
  played. We recommend that you follow these instructions very carefully.
S It may be difficult (or impossible) to successfully complete the mission
K if you don't.
I 
D Mouse Tutorial
  Start Rules of Engagement according to the instructions for your computer
R (see Getting Started section).
O 
W When the credit roll has ended (or you have bypassed it by pressing a key
  during the "chronology"), you will arrive in the game itself and be faced
S with a computer interface panel labeled "GAME/MISSION 101", over which
K is a green bar labeled "MAIN MENU 100". An animated Federated Worlds Armed
I Forces logo appears at screen center. Along the top and left side of the
D screen are a series of control buttons, all colored magenta/purple. The
  first thing you need to learn about controlling Rules of Engagement is
R that the only "buttons" you can click on are magenta or blue (blue=cyan in
O IBM CGA). "Highlighted" buttons are the active items. A highlighted
W magenta button turns white, and a blue button/item turns cyan (in CGA the
  cyan items highlight to white).
S 
K        NOTE: In this mouse tutorial all on-screen buttons are listed in
I        boldface, capital letters, as in: "Click on the FIRE button..."
D        Panel labels are listed in capitalized non-bold text.
  
R                               SKID ROW page 7
O 
W Ignore the buttons across the top of the screen and under the BUILDER
  bracket. In this tutorial we are concerned only with the buttons under the
S GAME and NEW GAME brackets.
K 
I        Mouse button note: Whenever the instructions tell you to "click"
D        the mouse it refers to the left mouse button. If use of the right
         mouse button is required you will be told to "click the right
R        mouse button".
O 
W As you portray the Fleet Commander in the game, your first step must be to
  create your alter-ego. Click on the button labeled FLEET CMDR under NEW
S GAME to create a new Fleet Commander. The animated logo is replaced by a
K large item selector listing all existing Fleet Commanders (this box is
I probably empty). At the bottom-right of the selector are four purple
D buttons, one of which is labeled CREATE. Click on it. A small yellow and
  green (white and cyan in CGA) "usurper" box will appear, asking "Are you
R sure you want to create a new Fleet Commander?" Click on YES to continue.
O 
W Following a brief "Please stand by..." message, a larger box appears, this
  one featuring a picture of a Fleet Commander and a field for his/her name.
S Click on the NAME button and a text editing frame with a thin cursor
K appears in the FLEETCMDR NAME field. Type in the name of your choice (up
I to 18 characters-you can use the Backspace key to edit) and then click your
D mouse anywhere on the screen (or press the Enter/Return key on your
  keyboard). Your character is now named. Before actually creating the
R character, you will probably want to decide what he/she looks like.
O Clicking on the NEXT button cycles through the various options for your
W character's appearance. Men and women of several ethnicities are available.
  
S When you've selected an appearance, click on the box's CREATE button. The
K CREATE COMMANDER box disappears and you will now see your new
I character listed in the item selector, with the word "available" appearing
D to the right of his/her name.
  
R Now it's time to create a game. Click on the CREATE button under the NEW
O GAME bracket at screen left (not the "CREATE" button at the bottom of the
W screen). The contents of the selector will change to list available missions
  and Fleet Commanders. You must select a mission and a character in order to
S start a new game. Click on the name of the mission A SHAKEDOWN CRUISE so
K that it is highlighted, and then click on the name of your Fleet Commander
I to highlight him/her. At the bottom-right of the selector is a MAKE GAME
D button. Click on it.
  
R                               SKID ROW page 8
O 
W A usurper box will appear. Click on EDIT NAME and a text editing frame and
  cursor will appear in the GAME NAME field. Using the keyboard, type the 
S name "Tutorial", then click the mouse anywhere on the screen (or press the
K Enter/Return key on your keyboard). Finally, you will want to select a 
I mission difficulty. Make sure that the blue BEGINNER button is highlighted. 
D If it is not, click on it. (You must be on beginner level to follow this 
  tutorial as written!) Now click on the DONE button. You are returned to
R the main screen.
O 
W Click on the EXISTING button under the GAMES bracket. The selector will now
  list all existing game files. Make certain that the game TUTORIAL is 
S highlighted (click on its name if not), and then click on the PLAY button
K at the bottom-right of the selector. A "Please stand by..." message will
I appear. After a few moments, the screen will go black and then return 
D with an image of space. The mission title and author's name appear over a
  picture of a Federated World's Dreadnought. A moment later, the game 
R screen will appear.
O 
W Across the top of the screen is a bar with a number 300 at the far left.
  This "300 bar" is the main menu of your ship's computer interface and is
S present at all times during the game. It contains the buttons for 
K switching between various panels, controls for setting the game's 
I time-passage speed, damage readouts and the elapsed mission time clock 
D (CHRONO).
  
R Below the 300 bar is the DATA RETRIEVAL panel (numbered 304). This is your
O ship's computer, where you can check on the condition of your fleet, and 
W get background information on your mission, status, and data about the 
  Captains on the ships under your command and the enemy you face.
S 
K The current data display before you is the FLEET STAT readout. It lists all 
I of the ships under your command and their last reported status. The first 
D ship listed, identified as F01 ,is your own flagship (the FWS Yury Gagarin),
  a Destroyer. The other ships are: F02, a Scout (the FWS Explorer), and F03,
R a Destroyer (the FWS Tau Ceti).
O 
W Along the right side of the screen are buttons which will change the data
  displayed on this panel. Click on the BRIEFING button under MISSION. A
S written briefing appears, describing exactly what you must do to 
K successfully complete your mission.
I 
D                               SKID ROW page 9
  
S When you've finished reading the briefing, click on the first icon (a 
K sextant) in the 300 bar at the top of the screen. This will move from the 
I DATA RETRIEVAL panel to the NAVIGATION controls. Your mission requires you
D to capture enemy vessel EO1 (a scout) and destroy enemy ship E02 (a 
  transport). Both the enemy ships and your own ships appear in the map which
R dominates most of the panel. Each ship is indicated by a small arrow and 
O an associated number. When you first view the map, you will see only the 
W ship symbols. At the top of the map area are a series of buttons, only two
  of which, FWS and ENS, will be highlighted. If you click on the others 
S (STR=stars, AFD=asteroid fields, WAY=waypoints, OUT=outposts, and 
K PLN=planets), the map will then display those items as well (if any). The
I only items you are concerned with in this mission are ships and
D waypoints. All ships are already selected for display, so click on the WAY
  button above the map to see the system's one waypoint.
R 
O When you first see the map you are in "mix" mode, which shows the entire
W system. To center on your own ship, click on the LOCK-ON button at the right
  end of the TELEMETRY controls. The map will change and center on your ship,
S showing an area 47 million kilometers in radius.
K 
I In order to capture the enemy Scout ship, you must first intercept it. At
D screen left is a selector which allows you to probe, chase or intercept 
  anything in the polar system. The highlighted (white bar) item in the 
R list below the buttons for these functions indicates the current item. 
O Below this selector are buttons for selecting what type of item you are 
W interested in probing, chasing, etc. The default is ENS, for "Enemy Ships",
  and your target vessel should be highlighted, as it is the first of the 
S two enemy ships in the sector. Click on the PROBE button, and the list of 
K enemy ships is replaced by a scanner readout of the enemy ship
I in question. You now have your prey identified, and it's time to move in.
D 
  Click on the CHASE button. The I.D. number of the enemy ship (E01) will
R appear in the small readout to the right of the INTRCPT button, and the
O small sextant icon alongside the HELM controls (lower-left corner of the
W screen) will flash, indicating that your ship is in autopilot mode. Your
  ship is now moving in on the target at full speed, and will automatically
S match course and speed when it has caught up with it.
K 
I                              SKID ROW page 10
D 
  
R It will take approximately 2 to 3 minutes of real-time to intercept the 
O target. In the meantime, you'll want to send your other ships after the 
W enemy Transport. Click on the dish-antenna icon (second button from the
  left) on the 300 bar. This will switch to the COMMUNICATIONS panel (302).
S On this panel, you need to specify the order to send and the ship to 
K receive it. At the left-center of the screen is a selector labeled ORDER.
I Click repeatedly on the button until the order "DESTROY ENEMY SHIP" appears
D as the highlighted (white bar) item in the list. Now, click on the blue 
  ACKNOWLEDGE button, highlighting it. This will tell the Captain(s) to whom
R you are sending the order to send an acknowledgment when the order has 
O been obeyed.
W 
  Note that the FWS Explorer (F02) is the highlighted item in the SHIP 
S selector just below the ORDER box. You will notice that both of these 
K selectors are now linked to the larger selector to the right, which now 
I lists every ENEMY SHIP, and that a bar now connects this selector to a send
D order box in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Click on TRANSPORT
  (E02) in the large selector to highlight it and specify it as the ship you
R want destroyed. To send the order to the FWS Explorer, click on the SEND ORD
O button. If you wait a few moments, you should receive a response from the 
W Explorer, complete with a visual of the Captain of the ship.
  
S Now you need to send the same order to the FWS Tau Ceti. The only thing you
K need to do is click on the + button at the left end of the SHIP selector, so
I that the Tau Ceti becomes the highlighted item there, and then click on 
D SEND ORD again. In a few seconds, the Captain of the Tau Ceti will also 
  respond.
R 
O While you're waiting to catch up with your target, you might as well take 
W some time to acquaint yourself with your opponents. Click on the Computer 
  Panel icon in the 300 bar (fourth from the left) to return to DATA 
S RETRIEVAL. When the panel pops up, click on the ENEMY button under DOCKET.
K The readout will now display an image of a member of the race/group you are
I opposing, and text describing them. Clicking on the up and down buttons to
D the left of the dossier text allows you to jump backwards and forwards 
  through the screens of information about the enemy (if any).
R 
O                              SKID ROW page 11
W 
  When you're finished researching your opponents, you might want to find 
S out about the Captains of the Explorer and Tau Ceti. Click on the FW 
K Captain button under DOCKET. The screen will now display information about
I the Captain of the ship currently highlighted in FLEET STAT mode, which 
D probably means the stats for your own character will appear. If this is the 
  case, click on the down button under the displayed Commander/Captain's name.
R After a moment you will see a picture of Captain Telifero Lawson, and his 
O dossier to the right. The dossier scrolls like the background information 
W on the enemy, with the up and down buttons. When you are done reading 
  Lawson's dossier, you can view that of the Captain of the Tau Ceti by 
S clicking again on the down button.
K 
I By now your ship should have closed in on the target vessel. Go back to
D NAVIGATION (sextant icon) and on the map you should see that your vessel 
  is now much closer to the enemy ship than when you started. In fact, the
R symbols representing your ship (F01) and the enemy (E01) may even be 
O overlapping. In any case, you'll probably want to zoom in for a tighter 
W view of the scene. Move the mouse pointer over the map area and, as you do,
  you'll notice that a set of brackets follow your movements. Using these 
S brackets frame an area which closely fits around your ship and the target,
K and then click the mouse. The area you framed will now jump up to fill the
I entire map. You can keep zooming in like this until you can clearly see the
D distance separating your ship from the target.
  
R        NOTE:  If you re-scale the map so much that the enemy ship
O        pops entirely out of view, you can back the zoom off by right-
W        clicking the mouse. Doing this will shrink the current map area
         to fit within the brackets. Left-clicking zooms in; right-clicking
S        zooms out.
K 
I By now you should be or almost be within range to combat the enemy vessel.
D Click on the Crosshair icon (3rd from the left) in the 300 bar to switch to
  the TACTICAL panel. Here is where you'll combat the enemy.
R 
O In a beginner level mission your ship's defensive energy shields are 
W automatically raised the moment another ship fires on you. However, since
  the enemy ships in this mission have no operational weapons systems, this
S will not happen. You can tell the status of the shields by looking at the
K defense subpanel to the lower right. If the SHIELDS button is highlighted
I and a green circle appears around the small picture of your ship there,
D then the shields are on. Clicking on the SHIELDS button toggles them on 
  and off. Just to get into the habit, raise the shields now.
R 
O                              SKID ROW page 12
W 
  Before going into combat you'll want to power up your Enhanced Beam
S Weapons (EBWs). At the top-center of the TACTICAL panel, directly under
K the WEAR label, is a power meter. A small arrowhead is at the left end 
I of the scale, and the power readout below it reads 000%, indicating that 
D the EBW power is off. Click on the arrowhead and, while holding the mouse
  button down, drag the arrowhead as far to the right of the scale as it 
R will go. When you release the mouse button the EBW power should be set 
O to 100%.
W 
  The enemy Scout in this mission has most of its systems severely crippled,
S but its shields are still partially intact. In order to capture the ship 
K you must board it, and in order to board it you need knock its shields and
I engines out entirely. To knock out the shields you'll want some very 
D precise weapons control. Click on the GET button just above the EBW power
  meter. The combat map will disappear, replaced by expanded weaponry 
R controls.  Note that the EBW FOCUS is currently set at NORM (normal). What
O you want to do is click on PIN, for pinpoint firing, allowing you to 
W target specific systems. Now move down to the PINPOINT EBW SET box. The
  default system to target is the communications system (COMM). Click on the
S SHLD button; you now have the shields targeted.
K 
I Click on the highlighted GET button to deselect it and restore the map
D display, then click on COMBAT ZONE to display a view with a radius of 
  500,000 kilometers. This is the maximum effective combat range of your
R ship's weapons, and the approximate range of your target.
O 
W At the center-left of the screen are a set of TARGET controls. Your target,
  Scout E01 appears in the selector bar. Click on ACQUIRE. The I.D. number of
S the target is fed into target slot A, and, as long as the A button is 
K highlighted, your computer will attempt to keep the weapons pointing in the
I direction of that target. As you can see, the targeting scope (the "viewer"
D towards the upper-left of the panel) immediately turns to find and lock 
  onto the target. When a lock is achieved a flashing ACQUISITION indicator
R appears at the bottom of the targeting scope along with an image of the 
O target starship.
W 
  Before you start firing, check the range to the target, listed as the 
S number to the  right of the R: at the top of the targeting scope. If the 
K number there is greater than 550,000 you are out of effective firing range.
I Wait until the range is approximately 550,000 kilometers, and the enemy 
D ship symbol appears in the map display, before firing.
  
R                              SKID ROW page 13
O 
W At this point, you'll want to attack. To fire the EBWs, click on the upper
  of the two FIRE buttons to the right of the targeting scope, making certain
S that the ACQUISITION indicator is present (if you fire while there is no 
K acquisition, you'll hit nothing). Each time you fire the EBW power level 
I drops, and you have to wait for the EBW power meter to build up before you
D can fire again, otherwise you'll be hitting the target with very little 
  energy. (The second FIRE button is for firing missiles. However since your
R ship is carrying no missiles in this mission, clicking on it will have no
O result.)
W 
  Directly to the left of the tactical icon are a set of six readouts, which
S represent your computer's estimation of the damage the enemy ship's systems
K have sustained (do not confuse these with the similar damage readouts for
I your own ship, which appear in the 300 bar). Each time you fire, glance at
D the tiny red bar to the right of the S (shields) meter there. When the bar
  alongside the S readout vanishes completely, then the enemy ship's shields
R have been completely disabled (this could require as few as 3 or as many 
O as 9 full-power EBW hits to accomplish).
W 
  When the enemy's shields have been destroyed, click on GET and then move
S the highlighter on PINPOINT EBW SET to DRIVE. Click on GET again to restore
K the map, then continue firing on the enemy ship until red bar next to the D
I vanishes completely, indicating that the enemy drive systems are completely
D destroyed (this should require between 5 and 10 full-power EBW hits).
  
R You are now ready to board the enemy vessel. The ATTITUDE controls in the
O lower left-hand corner of the screen now come into play. These controls are
W normally used to set your range to the target, your position relative to it,
  and which shield you want to keep towards it. In boarding situations you use
S it to bring your starship within boarding range, which is from 0 to 5000 
K kilometers. Using the mouse, drag the yellow arrowhead next to the RANGE 
I meter all the way to the bottom of the scale, and then click on the POSIT 
D button just to the right of the ATTITUDE control box. Your ship will now 
  take up a position alongside the enemy vessel. Wait until the R: readout 
R in the targeting scope is under 5000 and then click on the BOARD to 
O initiate the boarding sequence.
W 
  As soon as the SQUAD DEPLOYMENT (401) panel appears, you'll want to
S pause the game. Click on the pause button (11) towards the right end of the
K 300 bar. When the button is lit up, all action on the screen should freeze,
I including the numbers under the BOARDING CHRONO readout, but the screen 
D should remain intact (if the screen clears to black, you did not set the 
  game for beginner level). Clicking on this button again unpauses - but 
R you'll want to read the following section before allowing the game to 
O continue.
W 
                               SKID ROW page 14
S 
K Boarding an Enemy Vessel
I 
D Your Fleet Commander character now becomes a Squad Leader and leads a
  group of marines (members of the Federated Worlds Special Forces--or
R FWSF) in boarding the enemy vessel. The squad is transported to the enemy
O vessel and must attempt to wrest control of a specified percentage of 
W systems away from the opposing crew.
  
S        NOTE:  If you have Breach 2 and use the IGS system, it is in
K        boarding situations where Breach 2 will be loaded. In some
I        missions, such as this one, no Breach 2 scenarios have been
D        linked to a ship or outpost, so in this particular mission Breach
         2 will not be loaded.
R 
O The SQUAD DEPLOYMENT panel shows an image of a FWSF marine in full
W combat gear to the left, and an image of the opposing force type to the 
  right. The name of your commander, and his/her squad-level statistics 
S appear, as does the name of the enemy race/force and the rank of their
K Captain. At the center of the display is a SYSTEMS CONTROL meter, which 
I shows how much of the enemy ship's systems you control and how much is
D controlled by the enemy. A horizontal marker indicates the level of control
  you must reach in order to be victorious. When the meter for FWSF reaches
R that marker, you have won control of the alien ship. As your meter 
O increases the meter for your opponents decreases, and vice-versa.
W 
  You have no actual control over the boarding sequence, other than choosing
S to abort it by clicking on the WITHDRAW/UNDOCK button. As this mission is
K very easy you'll have little trouble wresting control of the enemy ship 
I from your opponents. In fact, the BOARDING CHRONO will probably never even
D reach 5 minutes before you are victorious.
  
R To see all this happen unpause the game and let the fighting continue.
O 
W When you have seized control of the ship a usurper box appears telling you
  that "The boarding action was successful." Click on OK on this box to 
S return to your own flagship.
K 
I                              SKID ROW page 15
D 
  Completing the Mission
R 
O In the time it took you to complete this task, the other ships under your
W command should have intercepted and attacked Enemy Transport E02. Chances
  are they've sent reports to you while you were busy fighting the Scout. 
S Look at the Communications icon in the 300 bar. To the right of the antenna
K symbol is a two digit number, which lists the number of messages "waiting"
I for you. There should be at least two, maybe as many as six, waiting. Click
D on the icon to go to COMMUNICATIONS. The last message received is the one 
  displayed at the top of the list and sender's picture is the one shown. 
R Pressing the down button allows you to scroll back through the messages. 
O Chances are by now that the other ships have destroyed their target.
W 
  With two of your three mission objectives met, all that's left for you to 
S do is get your ships to Waypoint 1, as specified in your mission briefing.
K To see which mission objectives have been met, click on the Computer Panel
I icon (fourth from left) to return to DATA RETRIEVAL and click on the 
D OBJECTIVES button. All mission objectives will be displayed, with a check
  mark preceding all of those that have been met.
R 
O Switch back to COMMUNICATIONS. On the ORDER selector, click on right until
W the order "Proceed to Waypoint" appears as the highlighted item in the 
  list. Note that the large selector to the right now lists all waypoints (in
S this case, one: XO1). Since you want to send the order to both the Explorer
K and Tau Ceti, just click on the ALL button to give the order to both ships
I rather than sending them individual orders. If you wait a few moments you
D should receive acknowledgments from both ships.
  
R Finally, switch back to the NAVIGATION panel (sextant icon) and click on
O the WAY button at the bottom of the AUTOPILOT box. A list of waypoints 
W appears, again with only one item listed/highlighted. Click on the INTRCPT
  button to make for it. Your ship will now proceed at full power towards 
S Waypoint 1. It will take a few minutes of game-time (under 3) to reach the
K Waypoint. Since game time is equal to real time, this may take longer than
I you want. To make time pass more quickly, click with the right-most mouse
D button on the >> time-accelerator button above the CHRONO readout in the 
  300 bar. Right-clicking on this button causes the acceleration to jump from
R 1 x REALTIME (no acceleration) to 32 x REALTIME, which means 32 seconds of
O game time will pass for each second of real-time which passes. If you watch
W the CHRONO readout you'll notice that just over a minute of game-time 
  passes every two seconds. In a matter of moments, your ship and its 
S companions will reach the Waypoint and the mission will end. A box will
K appear notifying you, "Your mission has been completed."
I 
D                              SKID ROW page 16
    (we got lazy after this point...there are no more page #'s given!)
R
O When you click on this box's OK button, the screen clears and a computer
W evaluation of your performance is displayed. Pressing any key returns
  you to the navigation screen.
S 
K At this point, the mission clock is frozen, and all activity is ceased. It
I is at this point you could switch from panel to panel, examining the final
D mission status before leaving the mission. When you are finished, click on
  the disk icon button in the 300 bar. This will exit the mission and save
R your Fleet Commander's stats.
O 
W Congratulations! You have just completed your first mission as commander of
  a Federated Worlds force!
S 
K Keyboard Tutorial
I 
D Start Rules of Engagement according to the instructions for your computer
  (see Getting Started section).
R 
O When the credit roll has ended (or you have bypassed it by pressing a key
W during the "chronology"), you will arrive in the game itself and be faced
  with a computer interface panel labeled "GAME/MISSION 101", over which is a
S green bar labeled "MAIN MENU 100". An animated Federated Worlds Armed
K Forces logo appears at screen center. Along the top and left side of the
I screen are a series of control buttons, all colored magenta/purple. The
D first thing you need to learn about magenta or blue (blue=cyan in IBM CGA).
  "Highlighted" buttons are the active controlling Rules of Engagement is
R that the only "buttons" you can use are Items. A highlighted magenta button
O turns white, and a blue button/item turns cyan (in CGA the cyan items
W highlight to white).
  
S        NOTE:  In this keyboard tutorial all on-screen buttons are listed
K        in italicized, capital letters, as in: FIRE. Keyboard keys are
I        listed in boldface, as in: "Press X to..." Panel labels are listed
D        in capitalized non-bold text.
  
R        NOTE ON THE NUMERIC KEYPAD: The Num-Lock function
O        on PC keyboards is disabled by Rules of Engagement so that
W        users with smaller keyboards can use the cursor functions on
         the keypad. When a number key in indicated by the instructions,
S        press the key on the main keyboard, not the numeric pad.
K 
I Each and every game button has a keyboard equivalent. But with only a few
D exceptions (see page 47), the keyboard equivalents are listed right on the
  screen.  Look at the INFO button at the top of the screen. There is a small
R line, or overscore, above the letter 'I' on the button. This overscore
O indicates what key to press on your computer keyboard to activate the
W on-screen button. Look at the other magenta buttons on the screen and
  you'll see similar overscored letters (or function key numbers). When you
S press the equivalent key for a button the button will either highlight or
K flash (depending on its function). Ignore the buttons across the top of the
I screen and under the BUILDER bracket. In this tutorial we are concerned
D only with the buttons under the GAME and NEW GAME brackets.
  
R As you portray the Fleet Commander in the game, your first step must be to
O create your alter-ego. Press F to activate the button labeled FLEET CMDR
W under NEW GAME to create a new Fleet Commander. The animated logo is
  replaced by a large item selector listing all existing Fleet Commanders
S (this box is probably empty). At the bottom-right side of the selector are
K four purple buttons, one of which is labeled CREATE. Press C to activate
I it. A small yellow and green (white and cyan in CGA) "usurper" box will
D appear, asking "Are you sure you want to create a new Fleet Commander?"
  "Press Y to continue." Following a brief "Please stand by..." message, a
R larger box appears, this one featuring a picture of a Fleet Commander and a
O field for his/her name. Press N and a text editing frame with a thin cursor
W appears in the FLEET CMDR NAME fold. Type in the name of your choice (up to
  18 characters you can use the Backspace key to edit) and then press
S Enter/Return on your keyboard. Your character is now named.  Before
K actually creating the character, you will probably want to decide what
I he/she looks like. Pressing the X button cycles through the various options
D for your character's appearance. Men and women of several ethnicities are
  available.
R 
O When you've selected an appearance, press C. The CREATE COMMANDER
W box disappears and you will now see your new character listed in the item
  selector, with the word "available" appearing to the right of his/her name.
S 
K Now it's time to create a game. Press T to activate the CREATE button under
I the NEW GAME bracket at screen left. The contents of the selector will
D change to list available missions and Fleet Commanders. You must select a
  mission and a character in order to start a new game. Use UP and DOWN keys
R to move the highlighter for MISSION to A SHAKEDOWN CRUISE, and use the LEFT
O and RIGHT keys to move the highlighter for FLEET CMDR to the name of your
W Fleet Commander. Press G to make a new game.
  
S A usurper box will appear. Press N to activate EDIT NAME and a text editing
K frame and cursor will appear in the GAME NAME field. Using the keyboard,
I type the name "Tutorial", then press Enter/Return. Finally, you will want
D to select a mission difficulty. Make sure that the blue BEGINNER button is
  highlighted. If it is not, press B. (You must be on beginner level to
R follow this tutorial as written!) Now press D for DONE. You are returned to
O the main screen.
W 
  Press X to activate the EXISTING button under the GAMES bracket. The
S selector will now list all existing game files.  Make certain that the game
K TUTORIAL is highlighted (press $ to get the highlighter on its name if
I not), and then press P to PLAY the game. A "Please stand by..." message
D will appear. After a few moments, the screen will go black and then return
  with an image of space. The mission title and author's name appear over a
R picture of a Federated World's Dreadnought. A moment later, the game screen
O will appear.
W 
  Across the top of the screen is a bar with a number 300 at the far left.
S This "300 bar" is the main menu of your ship's computer interface and is
K present at all times during the game. It contains the buttons for switching
I between various panels, controls for setting the game's time-passage speed,
D damage readouts and the elapsed mission time clock (CHRONO).
  
R Below the 300 bar is the DATA RETRIEVAL panel (numbered 304). This is your
O ship's computer, where you can check on the condition of your fleet, and
W get background information on your mission, status, and data about the
  Captains on the ships under your command and the enemy you face.
S 
K      NOTE:  You may notice that there are no keyboard equivalents listed
I             on these icons. Each button on the 300 bar is assigned a
D             function key, and they are numbered sequentially, left to
              right. The first icon is F1, the second F2, and so on.
R 
O The current data display before you is the FLEET STAT readout. It lists all
W of the ships under your command and their last reported status. The first
  ship listed, identified as F01, is your own flagship (the FWS Yury
S Gagarin), a Destroyer. The other ships are: F02, a Scout (the FWS
K Explorer), and F03, a Destroyer (the FWS Tau Ceti).
I 
D Along the right side of the screen are buttons which will change the data
  played on this panel.  Press B to access the BRIEFING button under MISSION.
R A written briefing appears, describing exactly what you must do to
O successfully complete your mission.
W 
  When you've finished reading the briefing, press F1 to activate the first
S icon (a sextant) in the 300 bar at the top of the screen. This will move
K from the DATA Retrieval panel to the NAVIGATION controls. Your mission
I requires you to capture enemy vessel E01 (a scout) and destroy enemy ship
D E02 (a transport). Both the enemy ships and your own ships appear in the
  map which dominates most of the panel. Each ship is indicated by a small
R arrow and an associated number. When you first view the map, you will see
O only the ship symbols. At the top of the map area are a series of buttons,
W only two of which, FWS and ENS, will be highlighted. If you press the
  associated letter for the others (S=STR/stars, D=AFD/asteroid fields,
S Y=WAY/waypoints, O=OUT/outposts, and L=PLN/planets), the map will then
K display those items as well (if any). The only items you are concerned with
I in this mission are ships and waypoints. All ships are already selected for
D display, so press Y to view the system's one waypoint.
  
R When you first see the map you are in mix mode, which shows the entire
O system. To center on your own ship, press K to LOCK-ON with the TELEMETRY
W controls. The map will change and center on your ship, showing an area
  47 million kilometers in radius.
S 
K In order to capture the enemy Scout ship, you must first intercept it. At
I screen left is a selector which allows you to probe, chase or intercept
D anything in the solar system. The highlighted (white bar) item in the list
  below the buttons for these functions indicates the current item. Below
R this selector are buttons for selecting what type of item you are
O interested in probing, chasing, etc. The default is ENS, for "Enemy Ships",
W and your target vessel should be highlighted, as it is the first of the two
  enemy ships in the sector. Press B to activate the PROBE button, and the
S list of enemy ships is replaced by a scanner readout of the enemy ship in
K question. You now have your prey identified, and it's time to move in.
I 
D Press C to initiate a CHASE. The I.D. number of the enemy ship (E01) will
  appear in the small readout to the right of the INTRCPT button, and the
R small sextant icon alongside the HELM controls (lower-left corner of the
O screen) will flash, indicating that your ship is in autopilot mode. Your
W ship is now moving in on the target at full speed, and will automatically
  match course and speed when it has caught up with it.
S 
K It will take approximately 2 to 3 minutes of real-time to intercept the
I target. In the meantime, you'll want to send your other ships after the
D enemy Transport.  Press F2 to activate the dish-antenna icon on the 300
  bar. This will switch to the COMMUNICATIONS panel (302). On this panel, you
R need to specify the order to send and the ship to receive it. At the
O left-center of the screen is a selector labeled ORDER. Press the $key
W repeatedly until the order "DESTROY ENEMY SHIP" appears as the highlighted
  (white bar) item in the list. Now press K to highlight the ACKNOWLEDGE
S button. This will tell the Captain(s) to whom you are sending the order to
K send an acknowledgment when the order has been obeyed.
I 
D Note that the FWS Explorer (F02) is the highlighted item in the Ship
  selector just below the ORDER box. You will notice that both of these
R selectors are now linked to the larger selector to the right, which now
O lists every ENEMY SHIP, and that a bar now connects this selector to a send
W order box in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Use the Home and End
  keys to move the highlighter up and down until it rests on TRANSPORT (E02)
S in the large selector, specifying it as the ship you want destroyed. To
K send the order to the FWS Explorer, press S to activate the SEND ORD
I button. If you wait a few moments, you should receive a response from the
D Explorer, complete with a visual of the Captain of the ship.
  
R Now you need to send the same order to the FWS Tau Ceti. The only thing you
O need to do is press the + key so that the Tau Ceti becomes the highlighted
W item in the SHIP selector, and then press S again to send the order. In a
  few seconds, the Captain of the Tau Ceti will also respond.
S 
K While you're waiting to catch up with your target, you might as well take
I some time to acquaint yourself with your opponents. Press F4 to activate
D the Computer Panel icon in the 300 bar (fourth from the left) and return to
  DATA RETRIEVAL. When the panel pops up, press E to access ENEMY data under
R DOCKET. The readout will now display an image of a member of the race/group
O you are opposing, and text describing them.  Pressing the PageUp and
W PageDown keys allows you to jump backwards and forwards through the
  screens of information about the enemy (if any).
S 
K When you're finished researching your opponents, you might want to find out
I about the Captains of the Explorer and Tau Ceti. Press C to access the FW
D Captain data under DOCKET. The screen will now display information about
  the Captain of the ship currently highlighted in FLEET STAT mode, which
R probably means the stats for your own character will appear. If this is the
O case, just press the DOWN key. After a moment you will see a picture of
W Captain Telifero Lawson, and his dossier to the right. The dossier scrolls
  just like the background information on the enemy, using the PageUp and
S PageDown keys. When you are done reading Lawson's dossier, you can view
K that of the Captain of the Tau Ceti by pressing DOWN again.
I 
D By now your ship should have closed in on the target vessel. Go back to
  NAVIGATION (press F1 for the sextant icon) and on the map you should see
R that your vessel is now much closer to the enemy ship than when you
O started. In fact, the symbols representing your ship (F01) and the enemy
W (E01) may even be overlapping.
  
S By now you should be or almost be within range to combat the enemy vessel.
K Press F3 to activate the Crosshair icon in the 300 bar, thus switching to
I the TACTICAL panel. Here is where you'll combat the enemy.
D 
  In a beginner level mission your ship's defensive energy shields are
R automatically raised the moment another ship fires on you. However, since
O the enemy ships in this mission have no operational weapons systems, this
W will not happen. You can tell the status of the shields by looking at the
  defense subpanel to the lower right. If the SHIELDS button is highlighted
S and a green circle appears around the small picture of your ship there,
K then the shields are on. Pressing S toggles the shields on and off. Just to
I get into the habit, raise the shields now.
D 
  Before going into combat you'll want to power up your Enhanced Beam
R Weapons (EBWs). At the top-center of the TACTICAL panel, directly under the
O WEAR label, is a power meter. A small arrowhead is at the left end of the
W scale, and the power readout below it reads 000%, indicating that the EBW
  power is off.  Press the End key on your keyboard, and you'll notice that
S the RIGHT button below the meter will become highlighted and the arrowhead
K will move towards the right end of the scale. When the EBW power reading is
I at 100%, press the End key again.
D 
  The enemy Scout in this mission has most of its systems severely crippled,
R but its shields are still partially intact. In order to capture the ship
O you must board it, and in order to board it you need to knock its shields
W and engines out entirely. To knock out the shields you'll want some very
  precise weapons control. Press G to toggle on the GET button above the EBW
S power meter. The combat map will disappear, replaced by expanded weaponry
K controls. Note that the EBW FOCUS is currently set at NORM (normal). What
I you want to do is press N, for PIN, or 'pinpoint' firing. This allows you
D to target specific systems. Now look at the PINPOINT EBW SET box. The
  default system to target is the communications system (COMM). Press the
R plus (+) four times until the blue SHLD label is highlighted; you now have
O the shields targeted.
W 
  Press G again to deactivate GET mode and restore the map display, then
S press Z to switch the map to COMBAT ZONE, which displays a view with a
K radius of 500,000 kilometers. This is the maximum effective combat range of
I your ship's weapons, and the approximate range of your target.
D 
  At the center-left of the screen are a set of TARGET controls. Your target,
R Scout E01 appears in the selector bar. Press Q to ACQUIRE the ship. The
O I.D. number of the target is fed into target slot A, and, as long as the A
W button is highlighted, your computer will attempt to keep the weapons
  pointing in the direction of that target. As you can see, the targeting
S scope (the "viewer" towards the upper-left of the panel) immediately turns
K to find and lock onto the target. When a lock is achieved a flashing
I ACQUISITION indicator appears at the bottom of the targeting scope along
D with an image of the target starship.
  
R Before you start firing, check the range to the target, listed as the
O number to the right of the R: at the top of the targeting scope. If the
W number there is greater than 550,000 you are out of effective firing range.
  Wait until the range is approximately 550,000 kilometers, and the enemy
S ship symbol appears in the map display, before firing.
K 
I At this point, you'll want to attack. To fire the EBWs, press the F9 key,
D which triggers the upper of the two FIRE buttons to the right of the
  targeting scope making certain that the ACQUISITION indicator is present
R (if you fire while there is no acquisition, you'll hit nothing). Each time
O you fire the EBW power level drops, and you have to wait for the EBW power
W meter to build up before you can fire again, otherwise you'll be hitting
  the target with very little energy.
S 
K (The second FIRE button, F10, is for firing missiles. However since your
I ship is carrying no missiles in this mission, pressing it will have no
D result.)
  
R Directly to the left of the tactical icon are a set of six readouts, which
O represent your computer's estimation of the damage the enemy ship's systems
W have sustained (do not confuse these with the similar damage readouts for
  your own ship, which appear in the 300 bar). Each time you fire, glance at
S the tiny red bar to the right of the S (shields) meter there. When the bar
K alongside the S readout vanishes completely, then the enemy ship's shields
I have been completely disabled (this could require as few as 3 or as many as
D 9 full-power EBW hits to accomplish).
  
R When the enemy's shields have been destroyed, press G to GET the extended
O weapons controls. Use the plus key to move the highlighter on PINPOINT EBW
W SET to DRIVE. Press G again to restore the map, then continue firing on the
  enemy ship until the red bar next to the D vanishes completely, indicating
S that the enemy drive systems are completely destroyed (this should require
K between 5 and 10 full-power EBW hits).
I 
D You are now ready to board the enemy vessel. The ATTITUDE controls in the
  lower left-hand corner of the screen now come into play. These controls are
R normally used to set your range to the target, your position relative to
O it, and which shield you want to keep towards it. In boarding situations
W you use it to bring your starship within boarding range, which is from 0 to
  5000 kilometers. Press the 0 (zero) key, which will make the yellow
S arrowhead next the RANGE move down. When it has reached the bottom of the
K scale, press 0 again. Now press I to activate Posit button just to the
I right of the ATTITUDE control box. Your ship will now take up a position
D alongside the enemy vessel. Wait until the R: readout in the targeting
  scope is under 5000 and then press R (for BOARD) to initiate the boarding
R sequence. As soon as the SQUAD DEPLOYMENT (401) panel appears, you'll want
O to pause the game. Pressing F7 activates the pause button (11) towards the
W right end of the 300 bar. When the button is lit up, all action on the
  screen should freeze, including the numbers under the BOARDING CHRONO
S readout, but the screen should remain intact (if the screen clears to
K black, you did not set the game for beginner level). Pressing F7 again
I unpauses but you'll want to read the following section before allowing the
D game to continue.
  
R Boarding an Enemy Vessel
O 
W Your Fleet Commander character now becomes a Squad Leader and leads a
  group of marines in boarding the enemy vessel. The squad is transported to
S the enemy vessel and must attempt to wrest control of a specified
K percentage of systems away from the opposing crew.
I 
D      NOTE:  If you have Breach 2 and use the IGS system, it is in
              boarding situations where Breach 2 will be loaded. In some
R             missions, such as this one, no Breach 2 scenarios have been
O             linked to a ship or outpost, so in this particular mission
W             Breach 2 will not be loaded.
  
S The SQUAD DEPLOYMENT panel shows an image of a FWSF marine in full combat
K gear to the left, and an image of the opposing force type to the right. The
I name of your commander, and his/her squad-level statistics appear, as does
D the name of the enemy race/force and the rank of their Captain. At the
  center of the display is a SYSTEMS CONTROL meter, which shows how much of
R the enemy ship's systems you control and how much is controlled by the
O enemy. A horizontal marker indicates the level of control you must reach in
W order to be victorious. When the meter for FWSF reaches that marker, you
  have won control of the alien ship. As your meter increases the meter for
S your opponents decreases, and vice-versa.
K 
I You have no actual control over the boarding sequence, other than choosing
D to abort it by pressing W to activate the WITHDRAW/UNDOCK button. As this
  mission is very easy you'll have little trouble wresting control of the
R enemy ship from your opponents. In fact, the BOARDING CHRONO will probably
O never even reach 5 minutes before you are victorious.
W 
  To see all this happen unpause the game and let the fighting continue.
S 
K When you have seized control of the ship a usurper box appears telling you
I that "The boarding action was successful." Press O for OK on this box to
D return to your own flagship.
  
R Completing the Mission
O 
W In the time it took you to complete this task, the other ships under your
  command should have intercepted and attacked Enemy Transport E02. Chances
S are they've sent reports while you were busy fighting the Scout.  Look at
K the Communications icon in the 300 bar. To the right of the antenna symbol
I is a two-digit number, which lists the number of messages "waiting" for
D you. There should be at least two, maybe as many as six, waiting. Press F2
  to go to COMMUNICATIONS. The last message received is the one displayed at
R the top of the list and sender's picture is the one shown. Pressing the
O LEFT key allows you to scroll back through the messages. It's quite likely
W that the other ships have destroyed their target by now.
  
S With two of your three mission objectives met, all that's left for you to
K do is get your ships to Waypoint 1, as specified in your mission briefing.
I To see which mission objectives have been met, press F4 to return to DATA
D RETRIEVAL and then press O to activate the OBJECTIVES button. All mission
  objectives will be displayed, with a checkmark preceding all of those that
R have been met.
O 
W Use F2 to switch back to COMMUNICATIONS. Press RIGHT until the order
  "Proceed to Waypoint" appears as the highlighted item in the ORDERS list.
S Note that the large selector to the right now lists all waypoints (in this
K case, one: X01). Since you want to send the order to both the Explorer and
I Tau Ceti, just press L (for ALL) to give the order to both ships rather
D than sending them individual orders. If you wait a few moments you should
  receive acknowledgments from both ships.
R 
O Finally, use F1 to switch back to the NAVIGATION panel, and press W to
W highlight the WAY button at the bottom of the Autopilot box. A list of
  waypoints appears, again with only one item listed/highlighted. Press I to
S INTRCPT (intercept) it. Your ship will now proceed at full power towards
K Waypoint 1. It will take a few minutes of game-time (under 3) to reach the
I Waypoint. Since game-time is equal to real time, this may take longer than
D you want. To make time pass more quickly, hold down a Shift key while
  pressing the F5 key, calling the time-accelerator button >> above the
R CHRONO readout in the 300 bar. Pressing Shift-F8 causes the acceleration to
O jump from 1 x REALTIME (no acceleration) to 32 x REALTIME, which means 32
W seconds of game time will pass for each second of real-time which passes.
  If you watch the CHRONO readout you'll notice that just over a minute of
S game-time passes every two seconds. In a matter of moments, your ship and
K its companions will reach the Waypoint and the mission will end. A box will
I appear notifying you, "Your mission has been completed." Press O to OK
D this. The screen clears and a computer evaluation of your performance is
  displayed. Pressing any key returns you to the navigation screen.
R 
O At this point, the mission clock is frozen, and all activity is ceased. It
W is at this point you could switch from panel to panel, examining the final
  mission status before leaving the mission. When you are finished, press F5
S to activate the disk icon button in the 300 bar. This will exit the mission
K and save your Fleet Commander's stats.
I 
D Congratulations! You have just completed your first mission as commander of
  a Federated Worlds force!
R 
O                          PART II: THE STORY SO FAR
W 
  Historical Briefing
S 
K The First Stellar Expansion began on May 10th, 2029, with the first
I practical demonstration of the hyperdrive field effect. The test was
D carried out in Building Number 4 of Area 117 of the Franklin Laboratories
  test range (a converted Army Ammunition Plant) at Hawthorne, Nevada, in
R what was then the United States of America. Five years later, that
O country's National Aeronautics and Space Administration deployed the
W unmanned vehicles Odysseus I & II to test the practicality of hyperdrive as
  a method of interplanetary and interstellar travel. Odysseus I successfully
S engaged hyperdrive, but its field effect was greater than anticipated, and
K resulted in the destruction of both the probe and the Space Tug which had
I launched it. Odysseus II was launched two months later, and its hyperdrive
D activated only when it had left the vicinity of Earth and Luna. Odysseus II
  returned to Earth orbit three weeks later, having successfully
R "hyperjumped" to the Oort Cloud at the perimeter of the Sol system, taken
O readings and photos, and then returned.
W 
  In 2040, only 11 years after the hyperdrive field was first tested and
S seven years after the Odysseus probes, the first practical starship, the
K USSC Gerardus Mercator, with its crew of seven, made a successful jump of
I over two lightyears through hyperspace. Less than 100 years after that
D first manned jump, the colonies of Earth consisted of 8 planets and over 18
  billion inhabitants, scattered across several solar systems in the
R "neighborhood" of Sol/Earth, and were known as the Home Cluster.
O 
W Hyperspace proved to be rather curious. It was totally devoid of energy or
  matter, yet spacecraft could operate normally within its bounds. A trip
S through it (a hyperjump) would take, regardless of the actual distance in
K "normal" space, 6.8433 Earth days. There were, however, two limitations to
I its use. One was the enormous amount of energy required to enter
D hyperspace. The other was the so-called "Mass Limit", which, stated simply,
  placed a severe limit on the size of spacecraft that could enter
R hyperspace.
O 
W By the early 2100's the starships, powered by mass-conversion, were
  strained severely just to travel from one end of the Home Cluster to the
S opposite end, and three ships were lost when the strain overloaded their
K systems. The energy/fuel requirements for jumps beyond the Home Cluster
I demanded starships larger than the Mass Limit permitted. Because of this
D fact, and that all of the Home Cluster colonies remained dependant on Earth
  for support, the experts were predicting an end to the Expansion. As usual,
R the experts were wrong.
O 
W In 2105, a team of scientists, traveling through the far reaches of the Tau
  Ceti solar system, were shocked when they discovered a huge alien artifact
S drifting Through space. Entire scientific communities came to study the
K artifact and, several years later, the purpose of the great object was
I discovered. It was a hyperspace booster, a device with the capability to
D "push" spacecraft (and other objects) not tens but thousands of lightyears
  through hyperspace. Since the booster itself did not enter hyperspace (it
R was calculated to exceed the Mass limit by a factor of over 7,453), a ship
O right up to the Mass Limit could travel enormous distances using virtually
W no power.
  
S Years of research continued. Why had the Charon, the "gatekeepers" as the
K scientists dubbed them, abandoned a working booster? Where had they gone?
I The scientists were unable to say. The booster contained a mapping system
D depicting millions of the galaxy's stars, but few of them had been
  specifically marked by the Charon.
R 
O Eventually, elements of the Charon's control system were deciphered and
W trial boosts began. They proved the booster to be fully functional and the
  technicians' knowledge of the control system was deemed adequate to allow
S regular use. The Second Expansion was underway.
K 
I Your home is in a cluster of stars known as the Local Group. For years the
D Local Group had been receiving Development Assistance packages from the
  Home Cluster, to assist them in constructing new colonies and providing
R updates to their technology. Fifty years ago, the shipments stopped coming.
O Officially, the word was there hadn't been any indication that they would
W stop. The next ten years were known as The Great Panic, a period of
  interstellar war and piracy that nearly destroyed human civilization in the
S Local Group. Fortunately, at the peak of hostilities, a hyperspace booster
K was discovered inside the Local Group. The knowledge that two-way
I communication with the Home Cluster might be established acted to calm the
D Local Group. A monumental plan was put into action to move the booster,
  entirely at sublight speeds, into orbit around Cetus Amicus. But, during
R the twenty-plus years the move required, the Local Group gain fell into
O turmoil, this time to emerge divided into two mutually hostile governments:
W the Federated Worlds (FW) and the United Democratic Planets (UDP).
  
S Following years of instability and chaos, the FW and UDP ceased hostilities
K and formed an overreaching governmental agency known as the Local Group
I Unification Organization, which was to oversee the slow re-unification of
D the two nations.
  
R Several years after the re-unification process began, the hyperspace
O booster at Cetus Amicus was certified as operational. The Federated Worlds,
W eager to reestablish contact with the Home Cluster, dispatched the FWS
  Union, under the command of Captain Alex G. Seward, to use the booster and
S travel to Tau Ceti III the location of the Home Cluster's hyperspace
K booster. Captain Seward completed his mission, overcoming a saboteur and
I xenophobic locals, and uncovered the truth about the discontinuance of
D Development Assistance packages to the Local Group. Seward's report of his
  findings, sent back to the Local Group via the Tau Ceti booster, led to an
R investigation by the Federated Worlds Special Forces' Intelligence Division
O (FWSF- ID). It was discovered that a conspiracy had been going on for those
W fifty years of non-contact, involving high-level officials in not only the
  Home Cluster, but also in both the FW and UDP, many of whom were currently
S serving on the Local Group Unification Organization's high council (NOTE:
K specific details are CLASSIFIED at this time). Some of the investigation's
I findings were leaked, and this caused the Unification Organization to
D collapse. With both UDP and FW governments implicated in the conspiracy,
  both sides grew mistrustful and hostile. Following several military
R incidents, the UDP declared war on the Federated Worlds.
O 
W This is the situation which exists today.
  
S 
K Coded Situation Orders
I 
D NAVCOM ENCODED TRANSMISSION CODED LEVEL: ARCHER ABLE ONE
  
R TO:  FWAF Task Force Commander   Code Number Te56 Ra8790u
O 
W FM:  Admiral V. Bresheliah, Marine Operations, H9 Axia
  
S RE:  OPERATION BLINDING LIGHT
K 
I MG:  You have been selected to command the FWAF Third Fleet. In this
D capacity your responsibility will be to lead missions as part of Operation
  Blinding Light ("Operation Blinder" to the FWSF Marine squads your fleet
R may deploy), a large-scale Fleet operation composed of a series of missions
O in numerous solar systems.  In each mission you will take command of the
W flagship of a selected task force and lead the vessels of that force in
  accomplishing the goals of the mission.
S 
K 'Your missions will be varied, ranging from escorting supply transports to
I seek-and-destroy strikes in hostile systems. Although many missions may be
D straightforward ship to ship combat in deep space, in others your task
  force may be required to capture enemy ships and/or outposts.  In such
R circumstances, you will deploy squads of FWSF Marines for boarding, rescue
O and control operations against the selected targets.
W 
  It is important for you to remember that often you will be commanding not
S just one ship, but entire groups of ships. Each of those ships has a
K captain who, just like you, has his own responsibilities, strengths and
I weaknesses. You must try to gain an understanding of those captains and
D their abilities in order to make the most effective use of them.
  
R Good luck,
O Adm. Vikotor Bresheliah, FLFETOPS, FtA.
W 
  END TRANSMISSION
S 
K 
I Intelligence Reports
D 
  The UDP
R 
O In 2348 the United Democratic Planets (UDP) was formed, chiefly to avoid
W coming under the regulations of the Federated Worlds (established three
  years earlier), which the UDP founders felt provided for far too much
S individual liberty. UDP allied governments, as a whole, exert a great deal
K more influence on the day-to-day lives of the citizenry than Federated
I Worlds governments. The UDP has developed into a steadily increasing
D threat to the stability of the Local Group and declared war on the
  Federated Worlds (FW) in early 2374. In that time the UDP has undertaken
R both overt and covert operations aimed at the destruction of the FW.
O                                                   
W The UDP military has no special name or designation. They are simply UDP
  Forces. In terms of technology, the UDP tends to be roughly on-par with the
S FW, although some of their equipment is slightly less sophisticated.
K 
I Their soldiers are, on the whole, excellent, although in recent years a few
D "cracks" have appeared in the loyalty of the rank and file. Beware of
  letting this type of information lessen your opinion of them, as an
R experienced UDP starship commander is not to be taken lightly. They are
O formidable.
W 
  Member and allied worlds of the UDP consist of: Arbest, Aureilse, Bahnir,
S Baliolsol, Benison, Fevvel, Grotto, Miga Kambut, Milokarr, Myl, Rouvchorra,
K Schrelos, Sirrial, and Stowe. The UDP has outposts in many systems, and
I several important allies, including the "Aliens" and several species of
D "Mute".
  
R Aliens
O 
W A generic term for creatures of unknown origin. The "Aliens" we refer to
  today are strange beings, apparently sapient, which have developed as an
S increasing threat to the Federated Worlds in recent years. They are tall,
K bipedal creatures with no arms and squat bodies. Their single-eyed and
I beaked head is held high above the body by a powerful snakelike neck. Their
D exact origin in unknown, but their ability to withstand, unprotected,
  environments ranging from hellish to vacuum, has led many scientists to
R speculate that they originated either from a planet humans would categorize
O as uninhabitable or were genetic engineering experiments. Little is known
W about the Aliens except that they communicate using electromagnetic energy
  and infrared light, that they almost all seem to possess the ability to
S attack with a psionic stun, and that their nervous systems have the
K peculiar capability of building up an odd energetic charge which can then
I be released through the creatures' "eye", resulting in a deadly beam.
D 
  Interestingly, although the Aliens are hostile to FW forces, they seem to
R have struck up some kind of relationship with the UDP and some other
O factions and races hostile to the FW, including the recently discovered and
W highly dangerous Cybers, whose ships they have been detected on. Aliens are
  sometimes found controlling ships of their own, attacking any FW forces
S they encounter. All FW attempts at communication with the Aliens have been
K failures.
I 
D Muties
  
R "Mutie" is a common Local Group colloquialism for "mutant", and is most
O commonly used in reference to proto-sapient beings originating on Tuoles
W Laicr'mok - a planet in the LG-MD8 system, at the very perimeter of the
  Local Group.  There are numerous varieties of muties, although the most
S common are the "Beta Muties" (Mutai Laicr'mok Beta), disgusting, leg less
K beings that move around on motorized treads.
I 
D Several varieties of muties have been trained by the UDP to act as
  everything from servants to combat forces. They range in threat potential
R from the pathetic to the formidable, so caution is advised.         
O                                                       
W "Mutie" is also a popular insult amongst adolescents.
  
S The Entymions
K 
I The first known contact between FW and Entymion forces was when a fleet of
D Entymion ships was detected in 2346 by the 'Demon's Lair' outpost in the
  Deimos star system.  The Entymions have been tentatively identified as
R originating outside of the Local Group. However, while this would seem to
O imply that they possess an advanced form of hyperspace travel or a
W hyperspace booster, neither appears to be the case. In fact, all evidence
  seems to point to the Entymions lacking even conventional hyperspace
S engines! The Entymions apparently travel entirely at sublight velocities.
K They appear to be long-lived and very patient creatures, who don't seem to
I mind spending thirty or more years on each leg of a journey. That is not to
D say, however, that the Entymions have no interest in hyperspace technology.
  Intelligence reports indicate that they have been known to ask numerous
R questions about the Cetus Amicus hyperspace booster.
O 
W Creatures of vast, cool intellect, they are surprisingly good fighters and
  have never been seen to back-down in combat. Strangely enough, they treat
S each encounter between their kind and the Federated Worlds as if it were
K the first, leading some xenosociologists to speculate that the Entymions
I have no concept of war, hostilities, or even "grudges" as we know them. As
D a result, no state of war exists between the Federated Worlds and the
  Entymions, although a number of conflicts have taken place.
R 
O Priority One Report: Cybers
W 
  In recent months a new hostile force has been encountered in the Local
S Group. They are humanoid beings who have been extensively modified with
K biotechnical implants to become biomechanical beings commonly referred to
I as "Cybers". Although encounters have been few, the Cybers have, in every
D reported instance, been hostile to any and all governments and life forms,
  usually destroying the unfortunate few whom they have come face to face
R with. The single exception to this hostility are Aliens, which have
O reportedly been detected on Cyber vessels. The nature of this relationship
W is unknown.
  
S Cybers are extremely dangerous opponents, and it is better strategy to run
K than fight when confronted by them. All of their ships we have encountered
I thus far are equivalent to dreadnought class vessels, and very powerful.
D The Cybers themselves are cunning opponents, quick to respond, aggressive
  in the extreme, and uncompromising.
R 
O No one knows where the Cybers come from or what they want. However,
W intelligence reports indicate that they apparently have an extremely small
  presence in the Local Group: perhaps only a few dozen ships, and no known
S bases (except those of other races which they raid). No Cyber body has yet
K been captured so it has been thus far impossible to determine if they are
I modified humans of common descent to those on the Local Group and Home
D Cluster, which some biologists speculate must be the case. The two
  prevailing theories about the Cybers origin are:
R 
O     1.  They were a splinter colony in the Local Group who for some reason
W         chose to modify themselves biomechanically and have only recently
          made themselves known.
S 
K     2.  They are from "outside" the Local Group and arrived here either by
I         accident (unlikely) or through some kind of hyperspace booster.
D 
  
R Local Group Starchart - Updated
O 
W For the past century and a half the Local Group's boundaries were
  established its a rectangular volume of space 48 lightyears "wide" (X
S axis), 33 lightyears 'deep" (Y axis) and 34 Lightyears "high" (Z axis), for
K a total volume of 50,490 cubic Lightyears. In 2369, Tim Markarian, Dean of
I Astrophysics at Axia Polytech, proposed extending the Local Group's
D boundaries to encompass a cube 60x60x60 lightyears, centered on the star
  Hope. This new definition more than quadrupled the volume of the Local
R Group to 216,000 cubic lightyears, and added 27 new stars, bringing the
O total to 47. Not all of the 27 new stars have yet been visited, and so far
W only one of those few that have been visited has been identified as having
  a habitable planet (specifically, the red dwarf star LG-MD8, around which
S orbits the unsavory planet called Tuoles Laicr'mok garbage dump of the UDP
K and the home of the "Muties").
I 
D It is unlikely that most missions will stray beyond the established
  pre-2369 Local Group star systems, but for your future reference, and in
R the unlikely event that you are required to command a task force to some
O previously unexplored system, the newly updated map is not provided here.
W 
  
S 
K                         PART III: MISSION OVERVIEW
I 
D What the Game Is
  
R Having gotten your first sample of Rules of Engagement through the
O tutorial, you now have some idea of what the game is about and how it is
W played. This section provides brief descriptions about key aspects of the
  game, allowing you to form a better mental picture of the nature of your
S objectives in the game, the opposition your face, and what resources are
K available to you and your opponents.
I 
D 
  You as the Fleet Commander
R 
O Rules of Engagement is a role-playing game in which you take on the role of
W a Fleet Commander deployed to lead Federated Worlds forces in specific
  missions against enemy or rebel forces. Your overall objective is to
S advance your Fleet Commander.  This is accomplished by successfully
K completing missions, which raises the total score for the Commander. When
I certain scores are reached, the Commander is promoted.
D 
      NOTE: For detailed information about Fleet Commanders, see Appendix I.
R 
O 
W The Concept of the Mission
  
S A mission is a single, specific military operation. Each time you play a
K game you are engaged in a particular mission. In Rules of Engagement there
I are no broad "campaigns" of linked operations. Each mission stands on its
D own.
  
R In the mission you take the helm of the flagship of a group of Federated
O Worlds starships. The force under your command can consist of as few as one
W ship, and up into entire armadas of vessels.
  
S 
K Mission Locales
I 
D Each mission takes place in a particular solar system (also: star system),
  containing between one and two stars, and various numbers or planets,
R asteroid fields, outposts and waypoints. The system map is 4 x 4 billion
O kilometers, with an overall map area of 16 quintillion square kilometers.
W All game action takes place on a two-dimensional plane through the center
  of the system. You cannot collide with objects in the system, as they are
S treated as if just below the plane your ships, and the enemy, are on. Thus,
K when your ship appears to be flying through the sun or a planet, it is
I actually passing over it.
D 
  You cannot leave the system. Your ship's navigational subsystem has an
R inhibitor which will prevent your vessel from leaving the system map and
O venturing into the void of interstellar space.
W 
  A few things to know about the systems:
S 
K     The size and class of the star(s) in the system can effect your
I     communications systems. The hotter the star, the more interference
D     it creates. Furthermore, the closer you are to the star, the higher
      the interference.
R 
O     Asteroid fields are no menace to navigation, however, the more dense
W     an asteroid field is, the more difficult it is to scan outside it.
  
S     A ship caught in a dense asteroid field is at a disadvantage because
K     it may be effectively sensor-blind while opposing ships outside of
I     the field are probably still be able to see it.
D 
      Planets have no affect on your ship (although they may harbor
R     outposts).
O 
W 
  Time-Limits & Real-Time Missions
S 
K Some missions have time limits built in, forcing you to complete the
I mission within a certain time-frame. If you do not meet all of the
D objectives within a particular mission's time limit, you will have failed
  to successfully complete the mission, and the game will end.
R 
O The CHRONO readout in the 300 bar at the top of all of the game screens
W displays a continually updated mission clock, registering how many hours,
  minutes and seconds have passed since the mission began. The total mission
S lime remaining can be seen under the Objectives display on the DATA
K RETRIEVAL panel.
I 
D Unlike Omnitrend's Breach 2, in which time passes in 30 second "rounds",
  almost everything that happens in Rules of Engagement occurs in real-time.
R One second of time in the "real" world equals one second of game-time,
O which means, if you don't pay attention, you could suddenly find yourself
W having less than five minutes in which to get your ships to a point in
  space that would take ten minutes to reach at, maximum velocity, and thus
S lose the mission.
K 
I 
D E=MC^2. It's the Law
  
R According to Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, no object in normal
O space can accelerate beyond the speed of light roughly 300,000 kilometers
W per second.  In the Universe games this limitation is circumvented by use
  of "hyperspace' engines, which allow ships to pop out of normal space in
S one location and, 6.8 days later, emerge at a location many lightyears
K away. However, hyperspace travel is impractical within a solar system (who
I wants to take 6.8 days to cross a distance you could travel in hours?), and
D thus all ships are trapped by the "lightspeed barrier".
  
R At maximum, the fastest ships in the game can reach 99% of lightspeed. All
O missiles travel at 99.9999% lightspeed. Enhanced Beam Weapons and commu-
W nications signals, being energy, can travel at lightspeed, but no faster.
  
S Now, 300,000 kilometers per second might sound fast (and it is), but it's
K still not infinitely fast, something you'll pick up on soon enough when you
I realize that it can take 3.7 hours for a message at that velocity to cross
D a 4 billion kilometer axis of the solar system map!
  
R The lightspeed limitation returns the "fog of war" aspect to space combat
O that most computer games and simulations seem to ignore. Simply put, you
W can't flash all over the map instantaneously, nor yell for help and expect
  the cavalry to come running right away.
S 
K 
I Captains
D 
  You have direct control of only the mission's flagship. All other ships
R under your command have their own Captains, whom you must manage and
O deploy. Using your ship's communications system, you can send orders to
W these Captains, instructing them to undertake various actions.
  
S One thing that is very important to understand is that each Captain has a
K distinct personality which will affect how he or she acts and responds to
I your orders. Some will attempt to meet mission objectives without awaiting
D orders from you, others won't budge without a direct order. Some will
  follow your orders to the letter, others won't listen to you at all. Some
R are clever tacticians, others have the IQ of a black hole. Some are so
O loyal that they will blow themselves to bits on your order, while others
W just don't give a damn about you, orders, or the Federated Worlds, and will
  surrender to hostile forces at the drop of a hat.
S 
K As a result, one of the most important aspects of a mission is to decide
I which Captain is right for what job. This is done by reviewing each
D Captain's docket, which can be accessed via your flagship's Data Retrieval
  system.
R 
O 
W Communications
  
S The Communications system is one of the six primary systems of your ship.
K Through it you deploy your forces and keep tabs on them. This system keeps
I track of messages received, and contains a list of orders which you can
D send to the Captains under your command. You can direct Captains to
  particular targets or patrols, or even contact the enemy and order them to
R surrender.
O 
W 
  Battle Groups
S 
K Deploying Captains individually can be time-consuming, particularly when
I you want several of them to do the same thing - like defend an outpost or
D attack a specific ship. This problem is alleviated by the formation of
  Battle Groups, in which two or more ships undertake actions as a unit.
R Battle Groups are formed by ordering one Captain to form a group, and then
O instructing other ships to join the group. Once the Group is formed, all of
W the ships in the group will act on whatever the Group Captain does, with
  the net result being that you can control many ships by sending orders to
S only one.
K 
I Naturally, this is not a perfect system, as, again, the personalities of
D given Captains come into play. Some Captains rebel against authority, and
  still others won't take orders from Captains who have less experience than
R they do. As a result, forming Battle Groups often requires even more
O attention to the personalities of the Captains than normal.
W 
  
S Enemies
K 
I In each mission you will find yourself facing a specific enemy force
D composed of a particular faction or race. Like a Captain under your
  command, these enemies have "group traits" which affect their actions and
R reactions. A particular enemy might be very aggressive, and would be more
O likely to attack your forces or outposts than less aggressive creatures.
W They might be exceptionally clever tacticians, but also possess poor
  diplomatic skills, thus making it unlikely they could convince neutral
S outposts to help them.
K 
I As with your Captains, a docket of information about your opponents is
D available from your DATA RETRIEVAL system.
  
R 
O Federated Worlds Ships (FWS)
W 
  All of the vessels under your command are ships of the Federated Worlds.
S There are six classes of ships, each potentially more powerful than the
K last (depending on how they are equipped and armed). The starship classes
I are: Transport, Scout, Destroyer, Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser, and Dreadnought. 
D In optimal configuration, Dreadnoughts are the most powerful ships in the
  fleet, and Transports the weakest. However, since some large warships are
R equipped with less than the best parts, sometimes a Dreadnought can end up
O being less capable than a Cruiser.
W 
  For detailed information on Federated Worlds ships, see Appendix III.
S 
K 
I Enemy Ships
D 
  Enemy forces have access to ships comparable to those in your forces'
R inventory.  They conform to the same six categories: Transport, Scout,
O Destroyer, Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser, and Dreadnought.
W 
  
S Navigation
K 
I Another of your ship's six key systems. Most navigation is a fully
D automatic process, although manual control is possible. Through your ship's
  navigational system you can keep track of objects and ships in the system,
R and with the touch of a button probe, intercept, or chase any one of them.
O 
W 
  Combat
S 
K This involves two or more opposed ships moving within one million
I kilometers and firing on each other. All ships are armed with a form of EBW
D (Enhanced Beam Weapon), and some may also carry varying numbers and types
  of missiles.
R 
O Ships are protected by defensive energy shields, which minimize damage from
W hostile fire. However, the shield system can itself be damaged and
  destroyed, and even the best shields are not 100% effective at preventing
S damage. Failure to raise the shields in combat is a sure way to invite
K destruction.
I 
D Ships are "destroyed" when all six of their primary systems have been
  rendered totally inoperative and irreparable.
R 
O 
W Damage
  
S Every ship has six primary systems, each of which can sustain damage.
K Undamaged systems work with 100% effectiveness. As a system is damaged,
I the functions related to that system begin to fail, until eventually the
D related functions become inoperable. A system that is at 0% operational
  capacity is considered destroyed and cannot be repaired. Damage is
R sustained in combat with hostile forces, the one exception being when
O communications equipment sustains damage when you push the system to its
W limits.
  
S If a system is at least partially operational, it can be repaired. However,
K the more damaged a system is, the longer it takes for your ship's damage
I control teams to deal with the problems. Using the Damage Control settings
D on your ship's DATA RETRIEVAL panel, you can distribute your repair
  personnel to priority systems.  Furthermore, docking with an outpost may be
R helpful, as many outposts are capable of fixing your systems more quickly
O and completely than your own crew.
W 
  Partially damaged systems lose functionality as follows:
S 
K Communications      Reduced comm range and interference tolerance
I                     Reduced sensor range
D                     Possible loss of sensor probe operation
  
R Computer            Loss of information on Data Retrieval displays
O 
W Life Support        If below 50%, crew will begin to suffocate
  
S Shields             Reduced shield recharging rate
K 
I Weapons             Reduced EBW power
D 
  Drives              Reduced maximum speed and acceleration
R 
O 
W Boarding
  
S Some missions may require you to capture an enemy vessel. To capture a
K vessel you must board it and seize control of a certain percentage of
I critical systems. To board an enemy ship you must first destroy its shield
D and drive systems, and then move your ship within 5,000 kilometers range.
  
R Boarding is normally a fully automatic process, however, if you have Breach
O 2, the Interlocking Game System allows Rules of Engagement to lock into
W that game and utilize it for such ship boarding sequences (see "Part VIII:
  The Interlocking Game System").
S 
K 
I Outposts
D 
  Outposts are bases. They can be planet-bound facilities or free- floating
R space stations. Each outpost has two levels of sophistication of interest
O to starship commanders, related to the outpost's ability to repair
W starships and re-supply their missile stocks. The higher the
  sophistication, the more help the outpost can provide.
S 
K Outposts can have one of three alliances: to you, the enemy, or neutral.
I 
D 
  Friendly
R 
O (FW) outposts will come to your aid if your dock with them, enemy outposts
W will aid enemy ships, and neutral outposts may or may not help either side
  (depending on the diplomatic skill of the ship commander wishing to dock).
S 
K If an outpost is hostile, the only option you have is to capture it. If a
I neutral outpost denies you docking permission, you may also attempt to
D capture it.  Capturing an outpost involves a procedure similar to that used
  in capturing an enemy ship, except that only the outpost's shields must be
R disabled before boarding, and your ship must move within 1,000 kilometers.
O Naturally, enemy forces can attempt to capture neutral or Federated Worlds
W outposts as well, and will probably attempt to retake their own facilities
  that you have occupied.
S 
K Capturing a particular enemy outpost may actually be set as an objective
I for a particular mission.
D 
  As with boarding an enemy ship, if you have Breach 2, the Interlocking Game
R System allows Rules of Engagement to lock into that game and utilize it for
O such outpost boarding sequences (see Part VIII of this manual).
W 
  
S Mission Briefing
K 
I Each mission contains a briefing that you can review at any time by
D accessing your ship's DATA RETRIEVAL panel. The briefing will detail the
  background of the mission, and may also contain hints on how to deal with
R the enemies and avoid potential pitfalls.
O 
W 
  Objectives
S 
K One or more objectives will have to be met in order to complete a given
I mission. The objectives for a given mission are available for review at any
D time on your ship's DATA RETRIEVAL panel. Those objectives that are checked
  off have been met. A complete list of possible objectives follows:
R 
O All Ships to Waypoint 1 - All surviving FW ships must reach Waypoint 1
W (X01). If more than one objective is required, this is always the last one
  that must be met, as it represents the final destination of all your
S forces.
K 
I Ship n to Waypoint n - You must safely guide the specified ship to the
D specified waypoint.
  
R One Ship to Each Waypoint - Your Fleet must "control" strategic points in
O space. One FW ship must be located at each waypoint in the system in order
W for the mission to end successfully.
  
S      NOTE: Any one of the preceding three waypoint-related objectives maybe
K            in a given mission, but only one. You can't very well have one
I            ship at each waypoint and also get all ships to the first
D            waypoint, can you?
  
R Capture Outpost n - At the end of the mission the specified outpost
O (-outpost ID) must be under the control of your forces.
W 
  Capture Enemy Ship n - Your forces must disable and then board/capture the
S specified enemy ship (-enemy ship ID). Since ships cannot be recaptured by
K the enemy (they are rendered dead when boarded),this can be done at any
I time during the mission.
D 
  Neutralize n% of Enemy Fleet - Your forces must successfully neutralize
R (either capture or destroy) the specified percentage (n = percentage) of
O enemy ships in the system.
W 
  Control n % of Outposts - At the end of the mission your forces must
S simultaneously control the specified percentage (n = percentage) of
K outposts in the system in which the mission takes place.
I 
D It sometimes gets tricky trying to figure out in which order to carry out
  these objectives, but the simplest approach is to deal with those that
R cannot be changed by enemy actions first (like destroying ships) and then
O deal with "final position" objectives last (like moving ships to particular
W waypoints).
  
S As stated earlier, some missions also have a time limit. If a time limit is
K set, when the limit is reached, the mission will end. Therefore, it is
I important to fulfill the mission objectives before this limit is reached.
D 
  
R Skill Levels
O 
W There are three skill levels you can play, Beginner, Intermediate, and
  Advanced. The differences are as follows:
S 
K Beginner
I      - Missiles and EBW's from FW ships never miss (unless fired outside
D         of correct range or jammed).
       - Enemy missiles and EBW's do only 50% normal damage.
R      - FW ships have unlimited visibility of enemy ships.
O      - When pausing game, screen does not blank.
W      - Shields raise automatically when hit.
  
S Intermediate
K      - Missiles and EBW's from FW ships are subject to the normal weapons'
I         accuracy.
D      - Enemy missiles and EBW's do only 75% normal damage.
       - Enemy ships are only detectable when within sensor range of an FW
R         ship.
O      - When pausing game, the screen blacks out.
W      - Shields must be raised manually.
  
S Advanced
K     Same as Intermediate, except:
I      - Enemy missiles and EBW's do normal damage.
D 
  If you successfully played the same mission at both Beginner and Advanced
R levels, and took identical action with identical results in both games, you
O would notice that you received a lower score for the Beginner game. This is
W done to balance for the many advantages gained in playing the Beginner
  level, which is easier than an Intermediate game and much easier than
S playing a game at Advanced level.
K 
I 
D Saving a Game in Progress
  
R You have the ability to save a game at any time simply by activating the
O disk icon in the game's 300 bar. This means that you can stop playing at
W any point and resume the game later.
  
S In fact, when using the IGS you can save the game from within Breach 2, and
K when you tell Rules of Engagement to resume the game it automatically
I returns you to your position within Breach 2! (See Part VIII of this manual
D for more details on the IGS.)
  
R 
O Ending a Game
W 
  A game will end when:
S      - all of the mission objectives are met (win)
K      - an objective you were meant to capture is destroyed (lose)
I      - your flagship is destroyed (lose)
D      - your Fleet Commander is killed in a boarding action (lose)
       - you end a game by quitting and deleting it (lose)
R      - your flagship surrenders to enemy forces (lose)
O 
W If you win a game, your Fleet Commander's statistics will be updated. If
  you lose the game, the game file is erased and the Fleet Commander stats
S will be updated to reflect the loss.
K 
I Note that after winning or losing a mission, a mission summary will appear.
D After reading this summary, pressing any key will return you to the last
  game panel you were operating. The mission clock will be frozen, and all
R activity will have ceased. This allows you to examine the final positions
O and status of your ships, read any unread communications, and examine any
W other data in any of the game panels. Once you have finished, activate the
  disk icon button to exit the mission and save your Fleet Commander's stats.
S 
K 
I Playing With Other IGS Products
D 
  The Interlocking Game System is a unique method of allowing separate games
R to combine with one another to form one huge game. Rules of Engagement is
O able to load Omnitrend's previous IGS game, Breach 2, as if the two were
W one large game. It is possible that in future Rules of Engagement may be
  able to load or be loaded by other IGS modules, meaning that your role
S playing character (the Fleet Commander in the case of Rules of Engagement)
K can adventure through many games.
I 
D Currently, Rules of Engagement is an IGS controlling module, which loads
  non-controlling modules (like Breach 2). Check with your dealer or contact
R Mindcraft for information on other IGS games.
O 
W      NOTE:  A detailed description of the IGS system can be found
              in part VIII of this manual.
S 
K 
I Creating Your Own Missions
D 
  You can create new missions or modify existing ones by using the various
R 'builder' panels accessible from the Rules of Engagement GAME/MISSION
O menu. Part VII of this manual documents the builder panels and their use.
W 
  
S Where to Go from Here
K 
I By now you are probably wondering when you will be able to play a game
D other than the tutorial mission. well, now that you have an overview of
  various aspects of Rules of Engagement, it's time to go on to the specifics
R of playing and controlling the game. The next section of this manual ("Part
O IV: The CCSI Interface") documents the game's interface, describing not
W only how to operate it, but the most efficient way in which to use it.
  Following that, "Part V: The Main Panels" documents each of the actual game
S panels, giving you button-by-button and function-by-function information. 
K Finally, "Part VI: Tactics" documents tactics, strategies, and playing tips
I which will help you learn the game and successfully complete missions.
D 
  
R 
O                         PART IV: THE CCSI INTERFACE
W 
  Command and Control - Overview
S 
K During the brief peace that existed during the period of the Local Group
I Unification Organization (2368-2374 CE [Common Era]), the Federated Worlds
D Armed Forces (FWAF) suffered from a number of critical budget cutbacks
  which seriously affected the operational readiness of Federated Worlds
R defenses. Many starships were decommissioned, and a large percentage of
O FWAF combat personnel were discharged or retired. During this period, the
W only major new military expenditures were related to refitting key
  starships with new systems. One major program undertaken by the FWAF during
S this period was the complete overhaul of the computer and control systems
K of all combat-ready starships. This was done to keep up with the latest
I innovations in related technology. Several years earlier, (2364CE) a
D contract was awarded to the Intelligence Corporation to develop a new
  Command & Control Systems Interface (CCSI) which would become the standard
R on all Federated Worlds starships. The final specification produced by
O Intelligence was then incorporated into all CCSI related computer system
W produced for the FWAF - including those produced by manufacturers other
  than Intelligence.
S 
K Past experience had taught the FWAF that simplification of CCSI systems was
I of vital importance. The old CCSI standard had worked very well, but over
D many years its deficiencies had become increasingly apparent. What the FWAF
  sought was a fully integrated system in which the data displays and
R controls were one and the same. Furthermore, it specified that the overall
O number of controls be reduced. Intelligence's design reflects these
W concerns.
  
S 
K Interface Basics
I 
D When you sit down in front of a CCSI panel for the first time you are
  struck by the simplicity of it. Gone are the rows of data displays, buttons
R and keyboard banks. In their place is a single glassy panel, on which is
O displayed a digital representation of a control board. This is a
W touch-screen which is operated by pressing on the display's simulated
  "buttons" and touching or "dragging" other controls.  Since the controls
S are part of the display rather than separate equipment, the system can mix
K information displays with the controls themselves, allowing the user to
I keep his/her/its eyes focused on the data at all times.  This cuts down on
D response time, and, since related controls can be displayed with
  mode-specific information, there is less chance of confusion over which
R controls relate to what function.
O 
W Furthermore, in the interest of preventing confusion over distinct and
  unrelated functions, the CCSI displays only related controls at any one
S time. If you are accessing communications functions, the navigational
K controls are not displayed. Likewise, if you are reading the docket of one
I of the Captains under your command, the weaponry systems are not shown.
D 
  
R Controlling the CCSI
O 
W The FWAF computer systems work with multifunction touch-sensitive displays.
  Chances are your actual personal computer isn't this sophisticated, so you
S must operate the interface using a mouse and/or keyboard. Control of the
K CCSI panels is covered in this section, with operational details for both
I mouse and keyboard users. "Pressing" a button in the lingo of these
D instructions means to click on it with the mouse or press the keyboard
  equivalent.
R 
O 
W Button Symbol Table
  
S Key equivalents are listed on most buttons as the overscored letter or
K symbol. In some cases the button symbols themselves represent keys. The
I following is a list of button symbols and their keyboard equivalents:
D 
               SYMBOL        KEYBOARD EQUIVALENT
R 
O              0 to 9        number keys (on the main keyboard)
W              F1 to F10     function keys
               +             + (plus) key
S              -             - (minus) key
K              LEFT          left-arrow key (cursor pad)
I              RIGHT         right-arrow key (cursor pad)
D              UP            up-arrow key (cursor pad)
               DOWN          down-arrow key (cursor pad)
R              7 (PAD)       Home key
O              1 (PAD)       End key
W              9 (PAD)       PageUp key
               3 (PAD)       PageDown key
S 
K      NOTE: When the manual refers to the PageUp, PageDown, Home, and End
I            "buttons" or "controls", the on-screen representation of the
D            button will contain the symbols displayed in the table above.
  
R 
O A Sample Panel
W 
  Each CCSI panel is made up of several distinct "parts", some or all of
S which may change as you access different systems.
K  
I 
D PANELS & PANEL NUMBERS
  
R A "panel" in CCSI terms is a large group of related controls, such as
O controls associated with Data Retrieval or equipping starships.  Groups of
W related sub-functions within a panel are known as "sub-panels".
  
S Each and every panel display has an identifying number. These numbers are
K always three-digit values. The first digit in the number tells you
I something about the panel you are working with. For instance, all shipboard
D CCSI panels are of the 300 series, meaning that the number of any such
  panel will begin with a 3, as with Navigation being panel 301 and Tactical
R being panel 303.
O 
W Panel series are as follows:
  
S              000 series     Usurper boxes
K              100 series     Game/Mission
I              200 series     Mission Builder
D              300 series     Ship CCSI
               400 series     FWSF Marine deployment
R 
O 
W MASTER CONTROL BAR
  
S This bar contains those controls and displays common to all related panels.
K For example, the Master Control Bar on a starship panel contains the
I mission clock and all of the controls necessary to access various systems.
D This bar is always present, while separate control panels displayed below
  it can and do change. Master Control Bars are always green (cyan in CGA),
R although control buttons and displays within it can be other colors.
O 
W 
  ACTION BUTTONS
S 
K Action buttons are controls which do something. Activating one has an imme-
I diate result, such as changing a mode or firing a missile. They represent
D "buttons" of the type you "press/touch". Using an action button as simple
  as clicking on it with the mouse or pressing the equivalent key on your
R computer keyboard.
O 
W Action buttons are easily identified because they are always rectangular
  and magenta in color. The bright color indicates that these are controls
S rather than a inactive part of the display.
K 
I There are two types of action buttons. The first is the "trigger" type,
D which activates a particular function and then deactivates it. Trigger
  buttons will "flash" white a few times when pressed and then return to
R their normal color. The second type of action button is the "switch" type,
O which, when pressed, remains active until another function deactivates it
W or it is selected again to toggle it "off".  When such a switch is "on" it
  remains white to indicate its status.
S 
K A few examples are in order. A FIRE button is a "trigger" type, firing a
I weapon and then stopping. On the other hand, an ACQUIRE button which locks
D the weapons system onto a target or a GET button that calls up another
  display is a "switch".
R 
O In some cases, such as when two or more action buttons call up wholly
W different displays, only one button may be active/highlighted at any one
  time. In other cases, such as when choosing what to display on a map, many
S related action buttons can be active at the same time.
K 
I 
D SELECTION BUTTONS
  
R Selection buttons differ from action buttons in that selection buttons
O don't actually do anything in of themselves. They are used to make a choice
W from a selection of two or more items which will be acted on by associated
  action buttons. For example, on a starship's Tactical panel there is a Beam
S Width control with three selection buttons (wide beam, normal beam, and
K pinpoint fire).  The act of selecting any one of these buttons does nothing
I by itself, as you are simply telling the CCSI which option you wish to use
D when you next press the diction button (FIRE).
  
R Selection Buttons are always blue in color and a highlighted item is
O displayed as a lighter blue (cyan and white in CGA). In all cases selection
W buttons can be clicked on using the mouse. When using the keyboard in a few
  modes it is necessary to use the arrow keys or related "scroll" action
S buttons to highlight the selection (notably on standard item selectors [see
K below] and on two sub-menus in the Tactical panel).
I 
D Generally, when in clusters of two or more related selections, only one
  selection button may be active/highlighted at any one time.
R 
O 
W STANDARD SELECTOR
  
S When you are offered a list of items to choose from, the usual way of
K presenting the list is through a standard selector. The selector features
I numerous selector buttons, each of which can contain an item (all items are
D listed alphabetically). The current selection is whichever item is
  highlighted. To select an item with the mouse, you merely click on it. To
R select an item with the keyboard, simply press the UP and DOWN keys to move
O the highlighter bar to the item you want. In the case of side-by-side
W selector lists, you must use the LEFT and RIGHT keys to move through the
  right-hand list.
S 
K (Furthermore, on your ship's communications panel, scrolling the
I highlighted item on the standard selector is accomplished by use of the
D Home and End keys.)
  
R If a list contains more items than can be displayed at one time, you can
O press on the "page-forward" and "page-back" buttons alongside the list.
W Keyboard users will have to press the keyboard equivalent listed on these
  buttons (it varies from panel to panel).
S 
K As with all selection buttons, simply highlighting an item out of the list
I will not do anything until you press a related action button.
D 
  
R SCROLLER SELECTOR
O 
W In some places, the standard selector becomes impractical because of
  limited display space. In such cases, a "scroller" selector is employed,
S which works somewhat differently from the standard selector. A scroller
K selector usually lists only three items at any one time, with the second
I item being automatically highlighted. By pressing on the scroll-up and
D scroll-down action buttons (or pressing their key equivalents), the list of
  items will scroll, allowing you to place any item in the list on the
R highlighted bar. The highlighted item is the choice to be acted on by
O associated action buttons.
W 
  You cannot "click" on any item in a scroller selector, as there are no
S "buttons" to pick. The scroller list is gray with a white highlight instead
K of the usual selection button colors of blue with a light-blue highlighter
I (cyan and white in CGA).
D 
  Scroller sectors sometimes have related action buttons in a bar just above
R and/or below the selector itself.
O 
W (On the Tactical panel there is a miniature version of the scroller
  selector which lists only one item at a time.)
S 
K 
I THERMOMETER SCALE
D 
  These are used to set values that require a wide possible range or fine-
R adjustments of a value. The scale bar represents the potential range of the
O value, and the small arrowhead parallel to the scale indicates the current
W value's position along the scale. These scales are used throughout the
  program, for everything from setting map view radii to adjusting the power
S level of your weapons.
K 
I To operate such meters, simply move the arrowhead pointer along the scale
D until the desired value appears (either parallel to the scale or in a value
  readout nearby). To adjust the setting with the mouse, click and hold the
R mouse button on the arrowhead and drag the arrowhead along the scale. To
O adjust the value with the keyboard, press the indicated 'move' key once to
W start the arrowhead moving, and press the key again to stop it.
  
S These keys start moving the arrowhead slowly, but the longer the arrowhead
K moves the faster it goes. This acceleration makes it possible to move
I across large ranges quickly, but can make fine-positioning problematic. To
D avoid this when making small adjustments, quickly tap the arrowhead move
  keys on and off, which will not give the arrowhead time to accelerate.
R 
O      NOTE: In many cases, these scales are rather 'coarse', and
W            fine positioning using the mouse is impossible. Mouse users
             can use the keyboard commands to fine-tune their settings on
S            such scales.
K 
I 
D VALUE READOUT
  
R Several types of these readouts are seen on CCSI panels. Their purpose is
O to list information about settings or related controls.
W 
  For example, a value readout alongside a thermometer scale for setting EBW
S power would display the percentage of hitting power selected (000% to
K 100%) or, one alongside CHASE an INTERCEPT controls would identify the
I item you are pursuing.
D 
  The most common value readouts are small boxes, pinkish-orange in color
R (cyan in CGA), which are usually just large enough to hold the values to be
O displayed. The second type or value readout simply displays white numbers
W on black backgrounds.
  
S 
K STATUS METERS
I 
D A status meter is a bar that, when at maximum length, indicates that the
  item in question is at 100%. As the bar shrinks, it indicates the current
R percentage.  Such bars are used in the Master Control Bar to indicate the
O approximate operational capability of each of your ship's six primary
W systems.  Similar readouts appear on the Tactical panel to show you the
  operational capability of the systems of targeted ships and outposts, and
S one is used to show the power-up status of the EBWs.
K 
I 
D USURPER BOXES
  
R Occasionally, when you access a particular mode or function a yellow and
O green bordered (cyan and white in CGA) subpanel will pop up. This is known
W as a "usurper" box because it usurps control from whatever panel you are
  working with. When a usurper box is present you cannot work with any
S controls outside of the usurper's own. You must send the usurper box away
K (usually by operating a CANCEL, ABORT, DONE, or OK button) before you can
I again work with other controls.
D 
  Usurper boxes are most commonly used for alert messages and warnings.
R Other time then act as sub-menus, providing extra options to those
O displayed on the main panel you are working with.
W 
  If a usurper box features no action buttons (magenta), such as when the
S "One moment please..." messages appear, then the box is under system
K control and will automatically disappear when the computer is ready to
I proceed.
D 
  Usurper boxes are easy to identify because they tend to pop up in the
R middle of the screen, and are bordered primarily in yellow with a green bar
O across the top.  The green bar will contain a three-digit panel number,
W always starting with 0 (zero), as with 001 or 015.
  
S 
K TEXT EDITING FIELDS
I 
D There isn't much need for typing in Rules of Engagement, but occasionally
  you are required to enter a name for a game, mission, character, etc. In
R these situations, you will be confronted with a text editing field. To type
O in the field you must activate the associated action button (like NAME,
W EDIT NAME or such), which will result in the appearance of a thin
  rectangular frame in the text field, inside which is a slim vertical
S cursor. Each text editing field can hold up to 18 characters of text. You
K can use the Backspace key on your computer keyboard to delete existing
I text. The cursor and delete keys have no effect. Most common alpha-numeric
D keys can be used in such fields. All text will appear in uppercase
  (capital) letters.
R 
O To exit a text editing field, simply click your mouse anywhere on the
W screen, or press the Enter/Return key on your keyboard.
  
S      NOTE: The large "dossier" type text fields in the builder panels
K            work differently, and are documented in Part VII of this manual.
I 
D 
  
R                           PART V: THE MAIN PANELS
O 
W How to...
  
S This section explains each and every panel in the game, with the exception
K of the builder panels (see Part VII). Each panel's purpose and functioning
I is detailed.
D 
  Screen buttons are listed in uppercase bold text, with the key equivalent
R listed, in parenthesis, immediately following the button text, as in: "use
O BUTTON (B) to..."
W 
  Please note that many options will bring up alert messages, such as "are
S you sure you want to delete...", and the usurper boxes bearing these
K messages are not always noted in the text because, as a rule, what to do
I when one appears is fairly self-evident.
D 
  Each panel is listed by number and name. Operation of the controls on these
R panels are as described in "Part IV: The CCSI Interface", unless otherwise
O noted.
W 
  This is a Master Control Bar which appears only on the starting menu screen
S of the game (Panel 101).  It contains only three controls, all action
K buttons (magenta); they are as follows:
I 
D HELP (F1)
       This button brings up an enlarged version of the standard usurper
R      message box (001) which briefly explains how to create and start a
O      game. The only button on this box is an OK (O) control to exit.
W 
  INFO (I)
S      This calls up usurper box 000, which lists the game's copyright
K      information and credits. There are two buttons in this box, the first,
I      MORE (M), cycles to the next page of credits, and the second, DONE
D      (D), exits the box. The last page of credits features only the DONE
       button.
R 
O QUIT (Q)
W      This quits the program. When you select it, you are asked if you
       really want to leave the game, and your options are YES (Y) and
S      NO (N).
K 
I 
D This menu dominates the majority of the game's opening screen, and provides
  access to all aspects of Rules of Engagement. From here you can create and
R edit Fleet Commanders, start games, and access the mission
O builders/editors. Along the left side of the panel are eight action buttons
W divided into three categories. The categories are:
  
S GAMES
K      Options related to existing (saved) game files.
I 
D NEW GAME
       Options related to the making of new games files and the creation and
R      handling of Fleet Commander characters.
O 
W BUILDER
       Options under this are related to mission elements and accessing the
S      mission builder panels.
K 
I Initially, none of the action buttons in these categories are activated,
D and a large FWAF logo dominates the screen. When any of the 101 panel
  action buttons are used, this logo disappears (and will not reappear unless
R you play and exit a game or restart the program.)
O 
W Only one of these eight buttons can be active at one time.
  
S When any of these action buttons are selected, a large selector, listing
K all items related to that mode, becomes "linked" to that button. Operation
I of this selector is like all standard selectors; click the mouse on, or use
D UP and DOWN to highlight, the item you want to act upon. Use the PageUp and
  PageDown buttons to page through long listings.
R 
O At the bottom-right of the selector are action buttons representing the
W options related to the current items listed. Most of these selector buttons
  will act on the item highlighted, although a few (notably "create" and
S "make" buttons) will add new items to the listing rather than acting on the
K selected one.
I 
D Following is a description of each of the buttons and the category they
  fall into:
R 
O EXISTING (X)
W      This button is the only item under the GAMES bracket.  When
       highlighted, this button brings up a listing of all existing game
S      files. These include games newly created and not yet started, as well
K      as games saved in progress. Each game is listed by the name you gave
I      it, and the mission being played is displayed to the right of the
D      game name.
  
R      You have two options in this mode. The first option, DELETE (D),
O      removes whatever existing game file is highlighted in the list. When a
W      game is deleted, the Fleet Commander used in that game is removed
       from the game file, placed back on the "available" list, and the game 
S      itself is erased.
K 
I      The second option, PLAY (P), loads the highlighted game file and
D      begins game play (jumping directly to panel 304 if the game has not
       been previously played and saved in another mode).
R 
O 
W FLEET CMDR (F)
       When highlighted, this button brings up a listing of all existing
S      Fleet Commanders, listing their names and status. A commander whose
K      name is followed by "AVAILABLE" is ready to use in a new game. If the
I      name is followed by a "N/A" (Not Available) flag, the Commander is
D      involved in an existing game and cannot be used in a new game or
       deleted until the game he/she is involved in is completed or deleted.
R 
O      There are four possible actions you can take with regard to the Fleet
W      Commander listing, the controls for which are all clustered at the    
       bottom-right of the selector.
S 
K CONVERT (V) will read all Breach 2 Squad Leaders in the user-selectable
I      directory and convert them to Rules of Engagement Fleet Commander
D      characters (see Appendix VI for details on operating this feature).
  
R DELETE (D) will remove the selected Commander from the list permanently.
O      You will prompted "Are you sure...?" before the deletion is carried
W      out. If you attempt to delete a Commander that is currently involved
       in an existing game, you will be notified: "That Fleet Commander is
S      currently commanding a game. You must delete the game first."
K 
I EXAMINE (E) calls up a box which lists information about the selected
D      commander, including, name, rank, vital statistics, and commendations.
      
R 
O CREATE (C) does not act on the highlighted item; it creates a new Fleet
W      Commander.  When you answer YES (Y) to the "Are you sure...?" prompt,
       usurper box 009 appears, in which you name your character and select
S      his/her appearance.
K 
I 
D 009 OPERATION
  
R Selecting NAME (N) on this box causes a text editing frame and cursor to
O appear in the FLEET CMDR NAME field, where you can type in a name up to 18
W characters in length (see "Part IV: The CCSI - Interface" for details on
  text editing fields).  When you have completed the name, click the mouse
S anywhere on the screen or press Enter/Return on your keyboard.
K 
I Selecting NEXT (X) cycles through the six different options for Fleet
D Commander appearance. When both the name and appearance are to your liking,
  selecting CREATE (C) on the box will exit to 101 and add your new character
R to the Commander listing. If you decide you don't want a new Commander.
O ABORT (O) will exit without creating a character.
W 
  CREATE (T)
S      This splits the large selector horizontally and lists all existing
K      missions and Fleet Commanders so that you can create a new game file.
I      To create a game, highlight the name of the mission your want to play
D      in the first column and the name of the Commander you wish to use in
       the second column.
R 
O      KEYBOARD NOTE: In the second column of the selector in this mode, use
W      the LEFT and RIGHT keys on your keyboard to move the highlighter up
       and down the Commander list, and the indicated + and - keys to page
S      through the listing (if there are more than 15 selections).
K 
I      Once you have selected a mission and a Commander, activating MAKE
D      GAME (G) will open a small dialog box (010) in which you must name
       the game and select a difficulty level.
R 
O 
W 010 OPERATION
         
S The EDIT NAME (N) button allows you to enter/edit the game name (see Part
K IV for details on text editing fields). When you have completed the name,
I click the mouse anywhere on the screen or press Enter/Return on your
D keyboard. Three blue selector buttons provide choices for game difficulty.
  The difficulty button highlighted when you use DONE (D) to make the game
R file sets the difficulty level. BEGINNER (B), INTERMEDIATE (I), and
O ADVANCED (V). (See Skill Levels in Part III of this manual for details on
W mission difficulties and how they affect playing the game and the Fleet
  Commander character's score).
S 
K 
I BUILDER BRACKET
D 
  The remainder of the buttons on panel 101 are related to the BUILDER
R section of the program, which allows you to edit existing missions and
O mission elements or create new ones. The actual functioning of the panels
W called by each of these buttons is documented in Part VII of this manual.
  However, in brief, here is what each button will list and allow you to
S access:
K 
I CAPTAINS (A)
D 
  FW Captains - the commanders of ships in missions.
R 
O SHIPS(S)
W 
  FW starships, commanded by either the Fleet Commander or a FW Captain.
S 
K RACES (R)
I 
D Enemy forces/alien races, who are your opponents in missions.
  
R SYSTEMS (S)
O 
W The solar systems in which missions take place.
  
S MISSIONS (M)
K 
I The missions you undertake when playing the game.
D 
  When any builder button is active, the selector lists all items of that
R type. The selector options for all builder items are identical:
O 
W DELETE (D)    Delete the highlighted item in the current list.
  
S EDIT (E)      Enter the selected builder panel and edit the highlighted
K               item in the current list.
I 
D CREATE (C)    Enter the selected builder panel and create a new item to be
                placed in the current list.
R 
O This is a Master Control Bar which appears above all of the in-game
W starship control panels (301-304). It contains several important readouts
  and the controls which provide access to all other panel modes.
S 
K The 300 bar contains five large action buttons and three smaller ones, each
I of which contains an icon. Of the five large buttons, only one of the first
D four can highlighted at any one time. The fifth large button (containing
  the disk icon) and three small ones to the far right are of the trigger
R switch type, activating and immediately deactivating themselves.
O 
W      KEYBOARD NOTE: The action buttons in the 300 bar do not
       have key equivalents listed on-button, however, they do all
S      have keyboard equivalents. Each button is triggered by a
K      function key, starting with F1 and ending with F8. The left most
I      button is F1,the second is F2, and so on.
D 
  Starting at the left end of the bar and moving to the right, the five large
R icons are:
O 
W SEXTANT (F1)
  
S When highlighted, this button brings up your ship's NAVIGATION panel (301),
K from which you can steer your ship, probe items in the vicinity, and
I consider your strategy.
D 
  ANTENNA (F2)
R 
O When highlighted, this button brings up your ship's COMMUNICATIONS panel.
W Immediately to the right of the icon, but still in the button, is a
  two-digit number which will usually read "00". This readout displays the
S total number of messages, tip to a maximum of 99, received by the Comm
K system since you last accessed it if at all). When you access the
I COMMUNICATION panel, this number resets to 00.
D 
  CROSSHAlR (F3)
R 
O When highlighted, this button brings up the TACTICAL (303) panel, which
W includes all weapons and defensive systems controls, and from which you
  launch all attacks and fight all battles.
S 
K CCSI PANEL (F4)
I 
D When highlighted, this button brings up the DATA RETRIEVAL (304) panel in
  whatever mode it was last in (there are eight sub-modes). See the
R description of panel 304 for details.
O 
W DISK(F5)
  
S This icon is a trigger button which allows you to save the game and exit
K the mission.
I 
D When activated during a mission, it brings up a usurper box which asks, "Do
  you want to save your current game position?", with the options being: YES
R (Y) saves the game as it stands and exits to panel 101, so you can resume
O later where you left off; NO (N) exits to 101 without saving the current
W position, so that when you restart the game it will resume at the beginning
  of the mission or at the last place you did save the position; CANCEL (C)
S aborts the exit routine and returns immediately to the game.
K 
I When activated after the successful or unsuccessful completion of a
D mission, it will exit the mission and update your Fleet Commander's stats
  accordingly.
R 
O 
W SYSTEM STATUS METERS
  
S Immediately to the right of the DISK button is a small readout featuring
K six letters, above each of which is a thin bar/meter. These represent the
I status of each of your ship's six primary systems. If the status meter for
D a system reaches the top of the 300 bar, that system is 100% operational.
  Each time a system sustains an additional 10% of damage, the meter's height
R slips a notch. Once a meter is completely depleted, the system in question
O is 0% operational, and technically "destroyed". (See "Part VI: Tactics" for
W details on system damage and damage control.) Below each meter is a letter
  identifying the system represented by that particular meter. The list of
S letters read "CPLSWD" and stands for:
K 
I              C       Communications
D              P       comPuter
               L       Life support
R              S       Shields
O              W       Weapons
W              D       Drive/propulsion
  
S 
K CHRONO
I 
D The readout under this label is the ship's "mission chronometer", a clock
  which shows the elapsed mission time in the following format:
R 
O                     HOURS:Minutes:SECONDS.
W 
  This clock is always running unless the game is paused or you have accessed
S a panel with its own clock (such as 401 MARINE DEPLOYMENT when boarding
K an outpost or ship). The default is for the clock to run at realtime speed,
I with one second of gametime equaling one second of realtime. This can be
D changed by using the slowtime and speedtime controls << and >> described
  below. (The CHRONO readout may freeze momentarily when you switch panels or
R modes. This is done so that you are not out of control of the mission
O during the time your personal computer is busy loading graphics or other
W data.)
  
S Time X n
K This readout shows the current rate of gametime versus realtime passage,
I with n representing the multiplication factor of gametime. Gametime
D defaults to realtime (x1), where one second of gametime equals one second
  of realtime. At almost any time this can be changed, up or down, doubled to
R two (x2), four (x4), eight (x8), sixteen (x16), and finally thirty-two
O times realtime (x32) (where each second of realtime equals 32 seconds of
W game time).
  
S The TIME X n factor is controlled by the three small action buttons
K immediately above the TIME X readout. They are described next.
I 
D << (F6)
  
R This button is a trigger which, when activated, immediately divides the
O current gametime multiplication factor in half. For example, if the
W gametime setting is at x8 before you activate the << button, it will read
  x4 after you have activated it.  The minimum gametime rate is x1.
S 
K Rightclicking on << (Shift-F6) immediately jumps the speed back to realtime
I (x1) regardless of the current rate.
D 
  || (F7)
R 
O This button toggles the PAUSE mode on and off. When highlighted, it freezes
W the game and chronometer, as well as disables all other buttons and
  controls.
S      
K      NOTE:  In actual combat, you would not be able to stop time in
I             the heat of battle and leisurely weigh your options. Thus, at
D             Intermediate and Advanced difficulty, pausing the game results
              in the screen being cleared of everything but the 300 bar.
R             At Beginner difficulty the screen is not cleared when the game
O             is paused.
W 
  >> (F8)
S 
K This button is a trigger which, when activated, immediately doubles the
I current gametime multiplication factor. For example, if the gametime
D setting is at x8 before you activate the >> button, it will read x16 after
  you have activated it. The maximum gametime rate is x32, where 32 seconds
R of gametime pass for every second of realtime. Right-clicking on >>
O (Shift-F8) immediately jumps the speed to maximum (x32) regardless of the
W current rate.
  
S This panel relates specifically to maneuvering your ship and studying the
K "field of battle". The panel is dominated by a map display, which fills the
I center and right end of the panel. To the far left are three banks of
D controls, related to: what telemetry is being displayed on the map;
  computer controlled autopilot navigation; and manual helm control.
R 
O 
W TELEMETRY
  
S This selects from which FW ship, if any, the sensor data displayed by the
K map comes. As each ship has a limited scanning range, the ability to
I display sensor information from any of your ships is of great strategic
D value as it allows you to "see" more than your ship's own sensors can.
  Furthermore, use of it allows you to see what any ship in your fleet is up
R to at any given moment.
O 
W The ship whose telemetry information is displayed is selected by using a
  scroller selector and an associated LOCK-OK (K) action button. Use the
S PageUp and PageDown buttons to scroll the list until the ship you want
K information from appears highlighted, and then activate LOCK-ON to have the
I map display that ship"s sensor information.
D 
  Just above the TELEMETRY controls is a small action button labeled MIX (X).
R The purpose of this button is to "mix" all received telemetry with the
O overall solar system map to produce a single "overview". Activating MIX
W causes any Lock-Ons to be disengaged and an entire solar system map to be
  displayed, allowing you to see where all of your forces are relative to the
S system's sun(s), planets, outposts, asteroid fields and waypoints. The mix
K mode map defaults to full-system view with a radius of 2 billion
I kilometers. The scale of the zoom can be changed using the map-scale
D controls (see the MAP description for details).
  
R Mix mode is useful for overall strategic planning, but it has some limits;
O particularly, it displays the locations of all known items in the system,
W but unknown items, such as enemy ships that are not in sensor range of any
  of your FW forces, are not displayed.
S 
K      NOTE:  If you are playing a game at beginner level, the map can always
I             display the current position of enemy ships, in sensor range
D             or not. This only works on beginner missions!
  
R 
O AUTOPILOT
W 
  The controls in this bank comprise your ship's autopilot and strategic
S scanners. The purpose of this bank is to allow you to pick targets, get
K information about them via scanning/probing, and move towards them. Above
I this bank's scroller selector is a value display and buttons which will act
D on the highlighted item in the selector. Below this bank's selector are a
  set of seven buttons which change what type of item is listed in the
R selector. All AUTOPILOT buttons and readouts dire listed as follows.
O 
W 
  PROBE (B)                                             
S 
K Scans the item highlighted in the AUTOPILOT scroller selector and provides
I information about it. When you probe each of the following subjects
D (selected using the buttons at the bottom of the AUTOPILOT controls), the
  indicated information is displayed:
R 
O 
W        STAR         Name, I.D. number, type and radius.
         ASTEROID     I.D. number and density.
S        WAYPOINT     I.D. number and range at time of probe.
K        OUTPOST      Name, I.D. number, alliance, status and
I                     sophistication.
D        PLANET       Name, I.D. number, type and radius.
         FW SHIP      Name, I.D. number, class, range and status
R                     (if destroyed)
O        ENEMY        I.D. Number, class, range and status.
W 
  When PROBE has been activated the scroller selector is replaced by the
S probe data, and the PROBE button itself changes to a NAV (V) button, which
K will restore the scroller selector to its normal status.
I 
D 
  CHASE (C) and INTRCPT (I)
R 
O These buttons activate the autopilot system, which immediately sets
W course to pursue the currently highlighted item in the Autopilot
  selector or the item currently being probed.
S 
K Only one of these two buttons can be activated at one time.
I 
D In CHASE mode, your ship will proceed at full-power until it approaches
  the target, and will then match velocity with it at a specified range
R 500,000 from starships, etc.). The chase mode is best used when
O pursuing moving targets, such as FW and enemy ships.
W 
  In INTRCPT mode, your ship will proceed at full-power until it ap-
S proaches the target, and will then slow to a complete stop within a
K specified range of it (500 kilometers from outposts, etc.). Once the
I interception has been completed, your ship remains stopped and will not
D automatically adjust its position if the target moves. The intercept
  function is most useful when pursuing (relatively) stationary targets,
R such as outposts, planets and asteroid fields.
O 
W The act of chasing or intercepting a particular target can be overridden
  or altered by activating any of the controls which affect the ship's
S heading and velocity, such as using the controls on HELM or the
K tactical maneuvering controls on the TACTICAL (303) panel.
I 
D Specific AUTOPILOT overrides work as follows:
  
R      - In chase mode, selecting CHASE again with a different subject
O        selected will change the course and target.
W      - In chase mode, activating INTRCPT (l) will alter the autopilot
         settings to intercept and stop relative to the current target or
S        a newly selected one.
K      - In intercept mode, selecting INTRCPT again with a different
I        subject selected will change the course and target.
D      - In intercept mode selecting CHASE will alter the autopilot set-
         tings to keep up active pursuit of the current target or a newly
R        selected one.
O      - In either mode, switching to manual helm control by using the
W        MANUAL (M), GET (G) or HALT (H) buttons on the HELM
         panel(see the HELM description below).
S      - Activating one of the tactical maneuvering controls on the
K        TACTICAL panel (303) will override any Autopilot or HELM
I        settings until you restore control to the NAVIGATION panel.
D 
  
R THE CHASE/INTERCEPT TARGET I.D.
O 
W This value display appears immediately to the right of the INTRCPT
  button. Its function is to list the I.D. number of the item
S last/currently being chased or intercepted. If either the CHASE or
K INTRCPT buttons are highlighted, the value in this readout indicates the
I current subject being pursued.
D 
  If the crosshair/tactical icon on the HELM is flashing (it will be
R static white in CGA), the CHASE and INTRCPT buttons will be off, however
O the I.D. readout still indicates the last subject being pursued,
W although the pursuit has been overridden by the tactical maneuvering
  controls. Disengaging the tactical maneuver in this case is accomplished
S either by using CHASE or INTRCPT to go after the same or a new target,
K activating manual helm control (see MANUAL, GET or HALT below),
I or by using the TACTICAL panel's small sextant button on the TACTIC
D control subset (see the section on panel 303 TACTICAL for details).
  
R If the manual helm controls (MANUAL, GET and HALT) are used, the
O autopilot is disengaged and the TARGET I.D. is cleared.
W 
  
S THE AUTOPILOT SELECTOR & BUTTONS
K 
I The AUTOPILOT selector works like all scroller selectors. This
D particular one displays I.D. numbers and names for seven different
  categories of lists, selected by the action buttons along the bottom of
R the selector.  Only one of these buttons can be active at any one time.
O 
W The buttons are:
  
S              STR (S)       Lists all stars (max of 2) in the system.
K              AFD (A)       Lists all asteroid fields in the system.
I              WAY (W)       Lists all waypoints in the system.
D              OUT (O)       Lists all outposts in the system.
               PLN (P)       Lists all planets in the system.
R              FWS (F)       Lists all FW starships in the system.
O              ENS (N)       Lists all enemy ships in sensor range of FW
W                            ships (in beginner mode all enemy ship are
                             listed).
S 
K 
I HELM
D 
  This bank of controls allows you to steer your ship, "manually" setting a
R course and velocity. This subpanel contains six action buttons, two
O navigational control status indicators, draggable "dial" and velocity meter
W controls, and several value readouts. The bank's MANUAL button must be
  active before most of these controls will do anything.
S 
K This is a sextant indicator light. The actual icon will remain black
I unless the Autopilot controls are active. If an AUTOPILOT mode is
D active, the icon will flash on and off to indicate that navigation
  control is currently under the autopilot (in CGA the icon turns white
R and does not flash).
O 
W This is a crosshair indicator light. The actual icon will remain black
  unless the TACTIC controls on the TACTICAL panel (303) are active.
S If the TACTIC controls are in use, this icon will flash on and off to
K indicate that navigation control is currently overridden by the tactical
I system (in CGA the icon turns white and does not flash).
D 
  
R MANUAL (M)
O 
W This action button activates manual helm control, making your ship take
  up the course and speed set using the Heading Dial and the Velocity
S Meter (see below). If the Autopilot controls ate active (noted by the
K flashing small sextant light), MANUAL shuts them off and takes control.
I If the TACTIC controls are active (noted by the flashing crosshair
D light), MANUAL takes control from them.
  
R You can manually change course or speed at any time by tweaking the
O controls in this section and activating MANUAL.
W 
  OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW: To utilize manual control you must set course and
S speed using the Heading Dial and Velocity meter and make sure that the
K MANUAL (M) (manual helm control) button has been activated.  Using the
I chase and intercept, or halt and tactical maneuvering controls, turns
D manual helm control off.
  
R The manual helm control mode is also automatically activated when the GET
O and HALT buttons are used (see below).
W 
  
S THE HEADING DIAL
K 
I This dial represents a heading in degrees, set relative to the "plane of
D the ecliptic" of the current solar system. Headings can be from 000 to
  359 degrees, allowing your ship to move in any direction on the map.
R Heading 000 is due "north" on the dial and map, heading 090 is due
O "east", 180 is due "south", and 270 is due "west".
W 
  The following is a breakdown of the elements of the Heading Dial.
S 
K   Current Heading Readout
I 
D      This displays the current heading of your ship. The value in this
       readout changes to reflect your ship's course changes. The
R      Current Heading Readout is not specifically linked to the
O      manual helm controls, and reflects the ship's heading whether
W      navigation is under autopilot, manual, or tactical control.
  
S   Desired Heading Readout
K 
I      This displays the desired heading you want your ship to take
D      when under manual helm control. The value displayed here is
       determined by the position of the Desired Heading Cursor (see
R      next item) on the outside of the Dial. When you set a new
O      desired heading this readout will change instantly to reflect it.
W      If MANUAL is activated, the Current Heading Readout (see
       above) will begin to change to match the desired heading as
S      your ship takes up the new course.
K 
I   Desired Heading Cursor
D 
       This operates much like the arrowhead pointer on a standard
R      "thermometer scale" (see "Part IV: The CCSI Interface"),
O      except that rather than going from one end of a straight scale to
W      another, this pointer circles a dial - encountering no start and end
       points. The position of the cursor on the outside of the dial
S      indicates your desired heading in degrees. The actual numerical value
K      of the heading is displayed in the Desired Heading Readout
I      (see above).
D 
       There are two ways to change the desired heading: dragging the
R      pointer, or using the Turn Clockwise and Turn Counter-Clockwise
O      controls (see below).
W 
       To drag the pointer you must have a compatible mouse. Click the left
S      mouse button on the pointer, and, while holding the button down,
K      "drag" the pointer around the dial to the desired position.  As you
I      move the pointer, the Desired Heading Readout will change to reflect
D      the new setting. When you release the mouse button, the pointer will
       stay where you left it.
R 
O   Turn Clockwise
W 
       This function is activated by the + button, and its purpose is to move
S      the Desired Heading Cursor around the Heading Dial in a clockwise
K      direction. When you activate the + button by clicking on it with the
I      mouse, it stays on only as long as you hold the mouse button down. If
D      using the keyboard, the button stays "on" and the pointer moves
       clockwise until you press another key.
R 
O   Turn Counter-Clockwise
W 
       This function is activated by the $ button, and its purpose is to
S      move the Desired Heading Cursor around the Heading Dial in a
K      counter-clockwise direction.
I 
D      When you activate the $ button by clicking on it with the mouse,
       it stays "on" only as long as you hold the mouse button down.
R      If using the keyboard, the button stays on and the pointer
O      moves counter-clockwise until you press another key.
W 
       NOTE: If the Velocity Meter (see below) is set to .000c your ship
S            will not be moving and your new Desired Heading setting won't
K            make a heck of a lot of difference.
I 
D 
  VELOCITY METER
R 
O This portion of the helm is where you can adjust your velocity for manual
W helm control situations. There are a number of items associated with the
  Velocity Meter.
S 
K VELOCITY NOTE: All velocities in Rules of Engagement are presented as
I metric values on scale where the number 1 equals the speed of light (c).
D Thus, a velocity of .75 equals 75% of lightspeed.
  
R Maximum Potential Velocity Readout
O 
W The symbol here is an arrow pointing at a "stop" line, which indicates that
  the number to the right of the symbol is your ship's maximum potential
S velocity. The maximum velocity is determined by the type of engines your
K ship carries. Smaller ships are limited in the size and power of engine
I types they can be equipped with.
D 
  This readout always represents the maximum velocity at which your ship
R could travel if the drive systems were undamaged. If the drive has
O sustained damage, you will not be able to reach this maximum until the
W drive is repaired.
  
S Velocity Range Scale
K 
I This is an "angled" version of the standard "thermometer" scale (see Part
D IV). It represents the potential velocity range of your vessel, going from
  "halted" (no velocity) at the bottom left, to your vessel's top velocity at
R the upper-right (the numeric value is displayed in the Maximum Potential
O Velocity Readout to the left). The position of the Desired Velocity Pointer
W (see next item) on this scale indicates the manual helm control velocity.
  
S Desired Velocity Pointer
K 
I This pointer is similar to pointers on standard "thermometer" scales (see
D Part IV). Its position along the Velocity Range Scale determines the
  desired velocity you want your ship to use when under manual helm control.
R 
O There are two ways to change the desired velocity; dragging the pointer up
W and down the sale using a mouse, or using the Increase and Decrease
  Velocity buttons (see below).
S 
K To drag the pointer you must have a compatible mouse. Click the left mouse
I button on the pointer, and, while holding the button down, "drag" the
D pointer up and down the scale to the desired position. When you release the
  mouse button, the pointer will stay where you left it and, if the MANUAL
R button is active, your ship will immediately begin making velocity
O adjustments. If in manual mode, you can see the velocity change happening
W by watching the Current Velocity Readout (see below).
  
S Increase Velocity Button
K 
I This function is activated by the UP button, and its purpose is to move the
D Desired Velocity Pointer up the Velocity Range Scale. When you activate the
  UP button by clicking on it with the mouse, it stays "on" only as long as
R you hold the mouse button down. If using the keyboard, the button stays
O "on" and the pointer attempts to move up the meter until you press another
W key.
  
S Decrease Velocity Button
K 
I This function is activated by the DOWN button, and its purpose is to move
D the Desired Velocity PointerDown the Velocity Range Scale. When you
  activate the DOWN button by clicking on it with the mouse, it stays "on"
R only as long as you hold the mouse button down. If using the keyboard, the
O button stays "on" and the pointer attempts to move down the meter until you
W press another key.
  
S Current Velocity Readout
K 
I This readout, appearing in a frame below the Desired Velocity Meter shows a
D continuously updated readout of your ship's current velocity. Under manual
  control or in intercept mode, the value will level off at a particular
R number. In chase or tactical maneuvering modes, the value will fluctuate as
O your 'ship automatically adjusts its position relative to targets.
W 
  
S HALT (H)
K 
I This button is of the trigger type, and causes your ship to execute a
D full-power breaking manuever and come to a complete stop (relative to the
  current solar system). Activating HALT automatically switches on manual
R helm control (MANUAL will be highlighted) and moves the Desired Velocity
O Pointer to 000. HALT overrides all chase, intercept, manual helm and
W tactical maneuvering controls.
  
S 
K GET (G)
I 
D This button is of the trigger type, and its function is to copy the current
  navigation settings into the HELM box and switch to manual helm control.
R The heading and velocity of your ship at the moment you trigger GET is set
O on the heading dial and velocity scales, regardless of whether
W navigational control is under autopilot (chase or intercept) or tactical
  control.
S 
K See Maneuvers in Part VI of this manual for examples of using this control
I in a mission.
D 
  
R THE MAP
O 
W This large display is used primarily for planning strategy and determining
  manual helm control settings. It displays either the telemetry data from
S the last ship selected using the LOCK-ON (K) button, or a "system overview"
K map if MIX (X) is active.
I 
D The view scale of the map is adjustable, allowing you to see large views
  for planning strategy or closing in to tighter zooms for viewing action in
R detail.
O 
W The map is made up of four elements: the map view itself; the item
  selection buttons; the view radius controls; and the horizontal and
S vertical coordinate scales.
K 
I The following is a breakdown of the elements of the map elements.
D 
  Map Display Area
R 
O This is where the actual map is displayed. The map is a square area the
W exact center and size of which is variable depending on a ship's position
  and sensor ability.
S 
K The map display can present views ranging from a minimum radius of 75
I kilometers to a maximum of 2 billion kilometers (the radius can be adjusted
D using the View Radius Controls, see below), although the 2 billion
  kilometer radius is available only in "mix" mode (see above).
R 
O View Radius Controls
W 
  These are along the map's left side, and their purpose is to allow you to
S adjust the map's "zoom" level to show varying volumes of space.
K 
I There are only three actual controls, all of which mouse users will
D probably have little use for (see Mouse Map Radius Control below).
  
R First and foremost is the zoom scale, which is simply a thermometer scale
O the full height of the map. This scale represents no "set" range, rather,
W the range it represents varies depending on the source of the telemetry. In
  mix mode it presents a range from 2 billion (top of the scale) to 75
S (bottom) kilometers. When Locked-Onto a ship, it represents a range from
K that ship's sensor-maximum (top) to 75 kilometers (bottom).
I 
D Alongside the zoom scale is a radius indicator an arrowhead type
  pointer which indicates where in the potential "zoom" range your view
R is currently set. If the arrowhead is halfway down the scale, your are
O currently viewing an area only half as large as potentially possible
W from the current telemetry source.
  
S The radius indicator is actually a control, and mouse users can "drag"
K it up and down the scale to adjust the view radius.
I 
D Keyboard users need to use the increase radius (+) and decrease radius (-)
  buttons at the top and bottom of the zoom scale. The + button causes the
R radius indicator to move up the scale, widening the view. Likewise, the (-)
O button causes the radius indicator to move down the scale, shrinking the
W view radius. As is typical with thermometer type scales, the (+) and (-)
  buttons activate an "accelerating movement" routine; the longer the button
S is active, the faster the radius indicator will move (see Part IV for
K details on Thermometer Scales and their operation).
I 
D Keyboard users must simply activate the buttons and then press any key when
  they wish to stop the radius indicator's motion. Mouse users who want to
R use these buttons must simply hold down the left mouse button for as long
O as they want the arrowhead to move.
W 
  Mouse Map Radius Control
S 
K If you are playing the game with a mouse, it is the easiest way to adjust
I the map radius. If you move the mouse pointer over the map itself, you'll
D see that a set of four "brackets" appear, framing an area of the map. As
  you move the mouse pointer you can adjust the size of the area framed.
R Clicking the left mouse button causes the map to instantly zoom in to show
O only the area you "framed". The VIEW RADIUS readout changes to reflect the
W radius of the area currently displayed. You can use this method of scaling
  in over and over again. The only time you can't zoom in on the map any more
S is when the view radius reaches 75 kilometers.
K 
I Backing "out" from a zoom involves the same technique, except that you use
D the right mouse button. When you right-click the mouse, the map changes
  its zoom level so that the area you were viewing when you clicked now fits
R inside the brackets. In effect, right-clicking does the reverse of
O left-clicking. Left-clicking blows up the area in the brackets to fill the
W map display, while right clicking shrinks the image filling the map to fit
  within the area defined by the brackets.
S 
K Horizontal & Vertical Coordinate Scales
I 
D These scales represents the entire "width" and "height" of the solar system
  map, from -2 billion to +2 billion. The mark at the middle of either scale
R represents coordinate 0, the center of the system on that axis. The
O arrowhead pointers which appear alongside each of these scales shows you
W where the current centered object is within the system. The specific
  coordinate the arrowheads point to are listed as the HORZ COORD: and VERT
S COORD: readouts.
K 
I      NOTE: These Coordinate Scales are readouts only, and you
D            cannot manually adjust the map center. Remember, the map
             center is always either a ship (Lock-On mode) or the system
R            center (mix mode).
O 
W Once you learn how the coordinate system works, such as that a # horizontal
  coordinate is to the right of system center and a - vertical coordinate is
S below the system center (on the map), then you can tell where a given ship
K is simply by Locking-Onto it and checking its coordinates. A ship with a
I horizontal coordinate of -2,000,000 (-2 million) and a vertical coordinate
D of 3,000,500,000 (3 billion, 500 million) would be just left of the
  system's center and 75% of the way towards the "south" end of the map from
R the system's center.
O 
W 
  ITEM SELECTION BUTTONS
S 
K Across the top of the map is one value readout, and eight action
I buttons. All but one of the buttons are used to select what items will
D appear in the map display.
  
R LOCK-ON I.D. READOUT
O 
W Between the MIX and PRJ buttons is a value redout which displays the
  identification number of the ship currently Locked-On to using the 
S TELEMETRY controls. This I.D. number will always be for a Federated World
K ship (F01 - F99).
I 
D If the MIX button is activated, this readout will display the word "MIX" to
  let you know that no single ship's telemetry is the source of the current
R map display.
O 
W PRJ (J)
  
S Immediately to the right of MIX and the LOCK-ON I.D. READOUT is the PRJ
K button, which toggles the "project course" mode on and off. When PRJ is
I active, an animated "blip" is drawn moving outward from the FW ship
D currently Locked-Onto as the telemetry source. This "blip" is used to show
  that vessel's current heading. The vessel whose course is being projected
R appears at the center of the map, and its I.D. number appears in the
O LOCK-ON I.D. READOUT (see above).
W 
  If MIX is active no projected course will be displayed, since no particular
S ship is the subject of a "mix" display.
K 
I 
D VIEW-ITEM SELECTOR BUTTONS
  
R The remaining seven buttons along the top of the map allow you to select
O which items you want the map to display at any given time. This is done to
W permit you to selectively display data relevant to your current operations.
  For instance, when tracking down enemy ships, you may not want solar system
S items (like planets, etc.) cluttering up the view.
K 
I These buttons are:
D 
  STR (R)      Displays all stars (max of 2) in the system.
R AFD (D)      Displays all asteroid fields in the system.
O WAY (Y)      Displays all waypoints in the system.
W OUT (U)      Displays all outposts in the system.
  PLN (L)      Displays all planets in the system.
S FWS (S)      Displays all FW starships in the system.
K ENS (E)      Displays all enemy ships in sensor range of
I 
D FW ships (in beginner mode all enemy ship are listed).
  
R The view-item buttons are not exclusive, and you can have none, all, or any
O combination of them active at any one time; such as having OUT, ENS and FWS
W switched on.
  
S 
K READING THE MAP
I 
D The map display is fairly easy to "read" and understand. Each type of item
  is identified by a symbol and always accompanied by an identification
R number. For instance, Federated Worlds starships are displayed as small
O green (white in CGA) vector symbols (arrows). The following chart shows the
W I.D. numbers, symbols and colors used for each type of item displayed on
  the map.
S 
K A few notes on map symbology:
I   - The vector/arrows representing ships are rather simple indicators of a
D     ship's actual heading. The vectors can point in one of eight
      directions, corresponding to headings of 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225,
R     270, and 3l5 degrees.  Actual headings can be any number between 0 and
O     359, so the vectors represent only "approximate" headings, not actual
W     ones.
  
S   - When a ship has been captured or destroyed, the symbol for it changes
K     from a vector to a small circle.
I 
D   - Planets appear as small filled circles until the map display zooms in
      tightly enough so that the planet's actual size can be accurately
R     reflected by an octagonal outline.
O 
W   - If several items are very close together on the map, sometimes the
      symbol or I.D. number for each may become obscured by those of other
S     items. This can be dealt with by changing the map's scale or by
K     choosing not to show certain items through use of the View Selection
I     Buttons (see above).
D 
  Furthermore, each system has a definite "border" which is exactly 2 billion
R kilometers out from the system center.  The map displays this "border" as a
O solid line, and your ship cannot cross it.  Built-in inhibitors prevent
W your ship from leaving the system and racing into empty interstellar space.
  The entire border can be seen in mix mode.
S 
K 
I SENSOR RANGE LIMITATIONS
D 
  Normally, the map displays the telemetry of the ship currently Locked-Onto
R (see TELEMETRY). Ships do not have infinite scanning range, and as a
O consequence when Locked-Onto a ship the map will display an area only as
W large as that ship's sensors can scan. In mix mode the map can display a
  view up to 2 billion kilometers in radius, but when viewing telemetry from
S a Destroyer equipped with the best equipment it can carry, the view is
K limited to 47 million kilometers in radius, about 1/43rd (2.35%) the map's
I maximum view radius (equivalent to an area representing a mere 5.5% of the
D map area). In mix mode sensor range limitations do not come into play
  insofar as the solar system components and your ships go, as you always
R know where they are. It is enemy forces that are the wildcard, and which
O are not displayed unless they happen to he within sensor range of one of
W your ships. Again, in beginner skill level games the location of all enemy
  ships can be determined at any time, as sensor range limits are disabled in
S beginner level.
K 
I 302 COMMUNICATIONS
D 
  This is the very heart of your feet command. It is from where you dispatch
R orders to and receive reports from the captains under your command.
O 
W The COMMUNICATIONS panel is one of the easiest to operate, having very
  simple controls. As you can see, it consists of three scroller selectors,
S one standard selector, and a handful of buttons and readouts. The panel is
K divided into two parts: the upper third is the Received Message section,
I and the lower two-thirds is the Dispatch Order section.
D 
  
R QUICK OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW
O 
W The COMMUNICATIONS PANEL has a number of options, but sending orders and
  reading received messages is fairly simple. Here's a quick reference for
S operating the panel:
K 
I To check to see if you have any waiting messages:
D    
  1.  From any panel other than COMMUNICATIONS, look
R     at the dish-antenna button on the 300 bar at the top of
O     the screen. If the number to the right of the icon is
W     greater than 00, then you have waiting messages. Use
      the icon to go to COMMUNICATIONS.
S 
K To review waiting messages:
I  
D 1.  Make sure you are on 302 COMMUNICATIONS.
  2.  The most recently received message will appear on the
R     highlighted line under the RECEIV MSG DISP label,
O     and a visual of the sender will appear to the right.
W 3.  To see previous messages, use the RIGHT to scroll back,
      highlighting each message and displaying its visual.
S     You can also use LEFT to go forward through the list.
K 
I To send an order to a single ship:
D 
  1.  If transmitting to an FW ship, make certain that FWS
R     (F) is highlighted under ORDER. If transmitting to an
O     enemy ship, highlight ENM (N).
W 2.  Use the LEFT and RIGHT buttons to highlight an order under
      ORDER.
S 3.  If the order you have selected requires you to pick an
K     item in the standard selector (bottom-right), highlight
I     the item in question using the mouse or by moving the
D     highlighter with the Home and End buttons.
  4.  Use the - and + buttons under SHIP to highlight the
R     name of the ship to which you want to send the order.
O 5.  Activate SEND ORDER (S).
W 
  To send an order to all ships of a given type:
S 
K 1.  If transmitting to an FW ship, make certain that FWS
I     (F) is highlighted under ORDER. If transmitting to an
D     enemy ship, highlight ENM (N).
  2.  Use the LEFT and RIGHT buttons to highlight an order under
R     ORDER.
O 3.  If the order you have selected requires you to pick an
W     item in the standard selector (bottom-right), highlight
      the item in question using the mouse or by moving the
S     highlighter with the Home and End buttons.
K 4.  Activate ALL (L).
I 
D 
  PANEL BREAKDOWN
R 
O The following is a breakdown of all of the sections, readouts and controls
W of panel 302 COMMUNICATIONS.
  
S This section is used to view the messages you have received. A scroller
K selector allows you to move through the messages, and a Vidcomm display
I shows you an image of the Captain, or enemy, who sent it.
D 
  The left end of this section consists of the scroller selector with which
R you can scan all messages (if any) received by your ship. As each message
O is received, it is placed at the "top" of the list, and pushes all other
W messages "down". The most recently received message is always at the top of
  the list.
S 
K Whenever you move to the COMMUNICATIONS panel from another, or if you
I receive a message while already in COMMUNICATIONS, the list is
D automatically set to the top so that you can immediately see the last
  message received.
R 
O SCROLL FORWARD/NEXT MESSAGE BUTTON
W 
  Activating this button UP will scroll up one item through the list of
S received messages, going from the message you are currently viewing to the
K next one received. If you are viewing the last message received, this
I button will have no effect.
D 
  SCROLL BACKWARD/PREVIOUS MESSAGE BUTTON
R 
O Activating this button DOWN will scroll down one item through the list of
W received messages, going from the message you are currently viewing to the
  previous one received. If you are viewing the first message received, this
S button will have no effect.
K 
I MESSAGE ORIGINATOR I.D.
D 
  This displays the I.D. number of the originator of the message on that
R line.
O 
W MESSAGE DISPLAY
  
S This displays the actual text of the messages. The highlighted line (top)
K is the currently selected message, the "visual" for which is displayed in
I the Vidcomm display to the far right.
D 
  MESSAGE TIMESTAMP DISPLAY
R 
O To the right of each message is it's timestamp, specifically, the time on
W the mission clock (CHRONO) when the message was transmitted, not the time
  when you received it.  Because of this, it is possible for messages to seem
S out of order because a message recently received from a very distant ship
K would have an earlier time stamp than a previously received message sent
I from a nearby ship.
D 
  BOOST BUTTON
R 
O The BOOST (B) button is a toggle which, when activated, overrides the
W power-level safety on your ship's communications circuits, so that the
  incoming signal strength is increased by from 1 to 15 points (depending on
S what communications system your ship carries). Using it carries a penalty,
K however, as it continually strains and damages your communications system.
I If you need it, it is recommended that you turn it on only when absolutely
D necessary (see next item).
  
R INCOMING & TRANSMIT SIGNAL STRENGTH METERS
O 
W To the immediate right of BOOST are the vertical "thermometer" scales, R
  and T. The left scale (R) shows you the strength of received/incoming
S signals. The strength of the last message received is indicated by the
K small green pointer (cyan in CGA) to the left of the scale. If a message is
I too weak to be received, or is blocked by system interference, a "MESSAGE
D GARBLED" alert appears in the MESSAGE DISPLAY, in which case you might want
  to use BOOST (see above) to try to enhance incoming signals so that you can
R read them.
O 
W The right scale (T) displays two pieces of related information. The red
  horizontal line indicates the estimated minimum level the outgoing signals'
S strength must reach in order to be properly received, and the cyan pointer
K shows the current actual signal strength of your communications system. If
I the pointer is above the line, then your transmitter is powerful enough to
D reach other ships in the system. If it is below the line, your transmitter
  is too weak to be received. If your transmissions are too weak to be
R received normally, as a last-ditch effort, you can use the EMERG PWR button
O to boost your transmitter strength (see EMERGENCY POWER BUTTON below).
W 
  VlDCOMM DISPLAY
S 
K Your vessel's communications equipment is of the classic Vidcomm variety,
I and in this portion of the panel a video "snapshot" of the sender of the
D currently highlighted message is displayed. This video image allows you to
  quickly identify the message's origin.
R 
O The Vidcomm display may sometime display varying amounts of static. The
W static is a result of the distance between ships and the level of stellar
  interference encountered by the ship transmitting the message (see next
S item).
K 
I INTERFERENCE METER
D 
  Stars are not simply light and heat sources for planets, they are vast
R thermonuclear reactors, radiating tremendous amounts of energy.
O Furthermore, stars are not all alike. Their size can vary tremendously, as
W can their chemical composition. There are six primary classes into which
  stars can fall, each identified by a letter; they are: B, A, F, G, K, and
S M. B class is the hottest star type, and M is the coolest. Hotter stars
K release more energy, and hence generate more energetic interference than
I coolers ones. (You can check the class of any stars in the current system
D by using PROBE on the 301 NAVIGATION panel.)
  
R Why is it important to know about star types? The more interference a star
O or stars generate, the more likely it is that your transmissions may be
W blocked. The INTERFER meter is a "thermometer" type scale representing the
  current level of interference generated by stellar bodies (stars) in the
S system. The yellow pointer (white in CGA) indicates the current
K interference level, and the red line represents the point at which the
I interference will impede transmissions. As long as the pointer is below the
D line, interference should not be a problem. If it is above the line, you
  may have problems transmitting orders.
R 
O If the arrowhead is below the line, then your transmissions may be blocked
W by the interference and a "BLOCKED" message will appear in the SENT readout
  at the bottom-left of the panel (see TRANSMITTER CHRONO below). Stellar
S interference is greater the closer you are to a star, so you can attempt to
K minimize its effects by navigating away from any stars. If the interference
I is still too great, you can attempt to use the EMERGENCY POWER BUTTON (next
D item).
  
R EMERGENCY POWER BUTTON
O 
W The EMERG PWR (E) button is a toggle which, when activated, overrides the
  power-level safety on your ship's transmitter, so that when you send a
S message, the signal strength is increased by 28 points. Emergency Power is
K used when the interference levels are so high that they impede
I transmissions from your ship (see above). When EMERG PWR is active, the
D communications system sustains six percentage points of damage every time
  you transmit an order.
R 
O The bulk of the COMMUNICATIONS panel is taken up by the controls you use
W for selecting and sending orders. To the left are two selectors, the first
  is used 10 select an order, and the second is for picking which ship to
S send the order to.  For some orders all you have to do is pick the order
K and ship, and then activate SEND ORD or ALL to transmit the order. For
I other orders, such as ATTACK ENEMY SHIP, the standard selector to the right
D becomes active, and you must specify another selection - such as which
  enemy ship to attack.
R 
O TO WHOM BUTTONS
W 
  These are toggle action buttons, one of which is always highlighted. If FWS
S (F) is selected, then the orders in the ORDER list below are those you can
K send to FW ships. If ENM (N) is selected, the orders that appear in the
I ORDER list are those you send to hostile spacecraft.
D 
  The SHIP selector is also affected by which of these buttons is
R highlighted. When FWS is highlighted, the SHIP selector lists FW ships, and
O when ENM is highlighted, it lists enemy ships.
W 
  ACKNOWLEDGE TOGGLE
S 
K ACKNOWLEDGE (K) is a selection button which lets you set whether or not you
I wish an "acknowledge order" flag to be transmitted with each message. If
D ACKNOWLEDGE is off, Captains may or may not send messages when they carry
  out orders. If it is on, you are telling them that you want them to
R acknowledge your orders and report on the status of their action as they
O carry those orders out. As always, some Captains may not respond to this.
W 
  PREVIOUS ORDER
S 
K The LEFT button scrolls up through the ORDER list to the order previous to
I the currently highlighted one (if any).
D 
  NEXT ORDER
R 
O The RIGHT button scrolls down through the ORDER list to the order
W immediately following the currently highlighted one (if any).
  
S ORDER LIST
K 
I This scroller selector allows you to scroll through the orders for the type
D of ship selected with the To Whom buttons. Three orders can be seen at any
  one time, and the one on the highlighted (white) line is the currently
R selected order. The list is scrolled using the LEFT and RIGHT buttons (see
O above).
W 
  A listing and description of all orders appears at the end of the section
S on the COMMUNICATIONS panel.
K 
I PREVIOUS SHIP
D 
  The - button scrolls up through the SHIP list to the ship previous to the
R currently highlighted one (if any).
O 
W NEXT SHIP
  
S The + button scrolls down through the SHIP list to the ship previous to the
K currently highlighted one (if any).
I 
D SHIP I.D.
  
R These fields list the I.D. numbers for the ships listed in the SHIP list to
O the right.
W 
  SHIP LIST
S 
K This scroller selector allows you to scroll through the list of ships of
I the type selected using the To Whom buttons (above). Three ship names can
D be seen at any one time, and the one on the highlighted (white) line is the
  currently selected order. The list is scrolled using the - and + buttons
R (see above).
O 
W If FWS is highlighted as the To Whom button, the names of all FW ships in
  the system can be scrolled through. If ENM is highlighted as the To Whom
S button, all enemy ships currently within sensor range of your forces will
K be listed (in beginner level missions all enemy ships will be listed).
I 
D REPORT STATUS TOGGLE
  
R This action button, ALL SHIPS REP STAT TO fi (A), is a toggle, which, when
O flipped on, automatically sends an order to all FW ships under your
W command, instructing their computers to transmit status reports to your
  ship's computer once every minute. The data transmitted by the ships
S appears on the Fleet STAT mode of panel 304 (see 304 DATA RETRIEVAL for
K details).
I 
D When you toggle this button off another order is sent, instructing all
  ships to discontinue sending minutely update reports.
R 
O Why would you possibly want this off? If your ships are constantly sending
W messages to you, the steady stream of transmissions makes it easier for
  enemy ships to track them down.
S 
K TRANSMITTER CHRONO
I 
D There are three time readouts displayed here. Any time you send a message
  to a single ship the readouts here are updated and tell you:
R 
O SENT     The time when you sent the last order.  It
W          reports "BLOCKED" if stellar interference is
           too strong and blocks your transmissions.
S 
K RECEIVE  The estimated time when the selected ship will
I          receive the last transmitted order.
D 
  EST ACK  The earliest time you could possibly expect an
R          acknowledgement message to the last transmitted
O          order (assuming the ACKNOWLEDGE toggle is on -
W          see above).
  
S SEND ORDER BUTTONS
K 
I There are two action buttons here, SEND ORD (S) and ALL (L). SEND ORD sends
D the currently highlighted order in the ORDER list to the ship highlighted
  in the SHIP list. It sends the order only to that ship, via a directional,
R coded transmission. On the other hand, ALL sends the currently highlighted
O order to every ship (of the type selected using the To Whom buttons) in the
W system.
  
S LIST HELP BUTTON
K 
I This is for keyboard users. The scroller selectors on this panel utilize
D the arrow keys that would normally be used to scroll a standard selector,
  like the one below this button. So, the standard selector on this panel
R uses the Home and End buttons to scroll the highlighter along the listing
O in the selector (if any). Because it's easy to forget these keys, LIST HELP
W (H) is provided. If you forget which keys to use, activating LIST HELP
  causes a box to appear, with a message reminding you of which keys move the
S highlighter.
K 
I SUBJECT I.D.
D 
  These list the I.D. numbers for all items currently listed in the selector.
R 
O SUBJECT NAME
W 
  This is a standard selector, which operates as any other standard selector
S (see Part IV).
K 
I KEYBOARD NOTE: Because the arrow keys are used elsewhere on this panel, to
D scroll the highlighter bar on this selector use the Home and End keys.
  
R What the selector lists, if anything, is not under direct player
O control.  Depending on the order highlighted, this selector may or may
W not display related items for your to chose. For example, the order
  "PATROL PLANETS" tells a ships to fly around the planets in the system,
S but does not name specific planets, and therefore the selector contains
K no selections. However, the order "CAPTURE OUTPOST" requires you to
I specify a target for the ships(s) you are commanding, and thus in this
D case the selector lists all outposts in the system.
  
R PREVIOUS PAGE
O 
W The PageUp button jumps to the previous "page" of items in the selector
  (if any).
S 
K NEXT PAGE
I 
D The PageDown button jumps to the next or following "page" of items in the
  selector (if any).
R 
O Orders
W 
  The following is a listing of all orders available on the COMMUNICATIONS
S panel. The first 16 are for Federated Worlds ships only, and the remaining
K two are for sending to enemy ships. As always, the personalities of the
I Captains and enemies will determine whether or not they will follow the
D orders you send.
  
R MANEUVER AT WILL
O 
W Instructs Captain of the FW vessels(s) in question to do whatever they
  think is appropriate. As this is an essential "blank check" order, you
S should carefully review the dockets of any Captains before sending this
K order (dockets are available on panel 304 DATA RETRIEVAL).
I 
D HOLD POSITION
  
R Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to come to an immediate
O stop and take no action without further orders.
W 
  FORM WITH Flagship
S 
K Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to follow the flagship
I (your ship) wherever it goes. This order merely instructs the ships to
D follow you, and the Captains of those vessels may or may not engage in the
  actions your ship undertakes.
R 
O RESUPPLY AT OUTPOST
W 
  Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to proceed to and
S resupply at the Outpost highlighted in the standard selector. If the
K outpost is FW, the ship will have no trouble getting supplies and repairs. 
I If it is a neutral outpost, the Captain's diplomacy is needed to negotiate
D for supplies, etc.  If you order a Captain to resupply at an enemy Outpost,
  he/she will have to capture it first, and therefore it is the same order as
R CAPTURE OUTPOST when the subject is held by the enemy.  (The allegiance of
O any Outpost can be determined by probing it from 301 NAVIGATION.)
W 
  CAPTURE OUTPOST
S 
K Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to proceed to, attack,
I and then attempt to board and capture the Outpost highlighted in the
D standard selector. You can capture both enemy and neutral outposts, though
  it's easier to first try asking (RESUPPLY AT OUTPOST) a neutral Outpost
R before using hostilities. If the outpost is FW, there is no reason to
O attempt to capture it. (The allegiance of any Outpost can be determined by
W probing it from 301 NAVIGATION.)
  
S Enemy ships can capture Outposts as well, so you may find yourself having
K to order one of your ships to retake an FW Outpost seized by the enemy.
I 
D CAPTURE ENEMY SHIP
  
R Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to intercept, attack,
O and then attempt to board and capture the enemy ship highlighted in the
W standard selector.
  
S DESTROY ENEMY SHIP
K 
I Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to intercept, attack,
D and then attempt to destroy the enemy ship highlighted in the standard
  selector.
R 
O PROCEED TO WAYPOINT
W 
  Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to proceed to the
S Waypoint highlighted in the standard selector.
K 
I PATROL OUTPOSTS
D 
  Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to move from Outpost to
R Outpost within the system, much like a guard or sentry.
O 
W PATROL PLANETS
  
S Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question move from planet to
K planet within the system. Used to initiate a "search pattern" or sentry
I action by the selected ships.
D 
  REPORT STATUS
R 
O This order is similar to the ALL SHIPS REP STAT TO ff button (see above),
W but instructs only the selected ship to send a single update message. As
  with ALL SHIPS REP...,the report goes not to the Communications panel, but
S to 304 DATA RETRIEVAL.
K 
I FORM BATTLE GROUP
D 
  Instructs the Captain of the vessel in question to form a Battle Group and
R take charge as the Group Leader. All ships instructed to join that Battle
O Group then come under the immediate command of the Group Leader's Captain.
W This gives a great deal of authority to the Captain in question, so make
  sure you've picked the right Captain for the job.
S 
K JOIN BATTLE GROUP
I 
D Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to intercept, follow,
  and otherwise follow the orders of the Captain of the ship designated the
R Group Leader of the Battle Group currently highlighted in the standard
O selector. Battle Groups are always identified by an I.D. starting with G,
W as in G01 or G12.
  
S DISBAND FROM BATTLE GROUP
K 
I Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to disengage from the
D Battle Group currently highlighted in the standard selector, and to no
  longer follow the orders of the Captain of that Group.
R 
O ACTIVATE SELF-DESTRUCT
W 
  Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to proceed to
S immediately arm and initiate the DESTRUCT function on their vessel. If the
K Captain obeys, 15 seconds after receiving the order, the ship(s) in
I question will explode. Make sure your own, or any other FW ships or enemy
D targets to be captured, are not in the vicinity. Any vessel within 4
  million kilometers of a self-destructing starship will be instantly
R destroyed, and those under 100 million kilometers range risk severe damage
O or destruction.
W 
  SURRENDER TO ENEMY SHIP
S 
K Instructs the Captain of the vessel(s) in question to proceed surrender to
I the enemy ship currently highlighted in the standard selector. Since your
D score and performance is ranked depending on many factors, including FW
  casualties, in many cases it's better to instruct a doomed ship to
R surrender rather than be destroyed, for at least the crew then has a chance
O for survival. Of course, whether or not the enemy accepts the surrender is
W an entirely different matter.
  
S The following orders are sent only to enemy ships:
K 
I SURRENDER TO FW FORCES
D 
  Instructs the captain of the enemy vessel(s) in question to surrender to
R one of the FW ships in the system.
O 
W THE FW Flagship SURRENDERS
  
S If you issue this order you yourself are offering to surrender your ship to
K the selected enemy ship. This is used only to avoid the complete
I destruction of your vessel, which would result in a lower score than
D surrendering.  Of course, whether or not the enemy accepts your surrender
  is an entirely different matter.
R 
O 
W 303 TACTICAL
  
S As the name implies, this panel is from where you undertake most tactical
K action.  All combat and defense related activities are carried out from
I this panel, including ship to ship combat, docking with friendly outposts
D and boarding hostile ships and outposts.
  
R The TACTICAL panel is, by far, the most complex one you will work with. In
O some instances you may be faced with as many as 56 buttons at one time, in
W addition to thermometer and dial type scales, etc. The reason for this
  complexity is the vast number of actions that must be available from the
S TACTICAL panel.  You can lock onto targets, undertake tactical manuevers,
K set your desired position and range from a target, toggle defensive systems
I on and off, study the combat area, dock, pick weapons settings... and, of
D course, the most important thing, fire on enemy ships.
  
R Actually, this panel is composed seven interrelated subpanels, not all of
O which can be seen at the same time.  They are:
W 
  Target Sys     Targeting scope and lock-on controls
S Weap Set       Fire and weaponry setting controls
K Tactical Map   A combat map
I Attitude Set   Sets your position and range to a target
D Tactic         Tactical manuevers and actions
  Defense Subsys Defensive system controls and readouts
R Destruct       Self-destruct control
O      
W Operational Overview
  
S Tactical is most commonly used for combat and combat related actions.
K Before you can combat a ship you must lock it into the TARGET system. Once
I a target is locked in, you can, if within firing range, attack it using
D Enhanced Beam Weapons (EBW) or missiles (if your ship is carrying any). The
  EBW strength and beam-width is selectable, as are which types of missiles
R you choose to fire (if your ship is stocked with two or more types).
O 
W Navigational control of your ship in combat can either be left to the 301
  NAVIGATION panel or overridden using one of the TACTIC buttons, which allow
S you to take up certain positions relative to the current target, evade,
K escape, board or dock with it. The ATTITUDE controls allow you to set the
I actual position and range that you want relative to a target when using
D some of the TACTIC modes.
  
R The DEFENSE subsystem allows you to raise and lower your ship's defensive
O shields as well as toggle on Anti-Missile CounterMeasures (AMCM).
W 
  In a situation where your ship is severely crippled and there is no way to
S avoid destruction at the hands of your enemy, the DESTRUCT option allows
K you to destroy your own ship before they get the chance, and, in some
I cases, allows you to take some of the enemy ships out with you.
D 
  Damage sustained by your own ship is displayed, as always, in the 300 bar
R at the top of the screen.
O 
W This section of TACTICAL occupies the upper-left quarter of the panel, and
  consists of a Target Damage  Meter, Targeting Scope, Target Readouts, and
S Target Selection Controls.
K 
I This subpanel is operated by first selecting a target by using the Target
D Selection Controls, awaiting a target acquisition, and then executing
  firing/docking/boarding actions (using other subpanels) when within the
R correct range.
O 
W Breakdown of the Target Sys subpanel is as follows:
  
S TARGET DAMAGE READOUTS
K 
I Immediately to the right of the TACTICAL panel label are small readouts:
D six letters, to the right of each of which is a small bar/meter.  These
  represent the status of each of the currently targeted ship's six primary
R systems. If the status meter for a system is complete/full, that system is
O 100% operational. Each time a system sustains an additional 10% of damage,
W the meter's length slips a notch. Once a meter is completely depleted, the
  system in question is 0% operational, and technically "destroyed".
S 
K      NOTE: A ship may repair damaged systems, but once a system is 0%
I            operational (destroyed), it cannot be repaired without the
D            help of a sufficiently sophisticated outpost.
  
R Alongside each meter is a letter identifying the system represented by that
O particular meter. The list of letters read "CPLSWD" and stand for:
W 
  C     Communications
S P     comPuter
K L     Life support
I S     Shields
D W     Weapons
  D     Drive/propulsion
R 
O TARGETING SCOPE
W 
  This consists of a "viewer" which displays computer simulations of targets
S as well as target and targeting related information. Targets are displayed
K as computer generated images which do not change size as their range
I alters, although the viewing angle of target vessels will change to reflect
D that ship's current heading.
  
R In addition to target visuals, there are a number of readouts displayed
O within the scope. They are as follows:
W 
       Target Position
S 
K The readout which appears to the right of the T: flag shows the currently
I selected target's position in degrees (0 to 359), relative to your ship's
D position in the solar system. The value 0 (zero) is always due "north" on
  the system map.
R 
O      Weap Sys Bearing
W 
  The readout which appears to the right of the B: flag displays the current
S bearing of your ship's weapon system in degrees (0 to 359), relative to
K your ship's position in the solar system.
I 
D The EBW projectors and missile launchers are directional, and can be
  rotated in any direction. And the value alongside the B: flag will change
R as your weapons system constantly attempts to keep the selected target, if
O any, centered.
W 
  For a lock to be achieved on the currently selected target, the readout
S here must match that of the Target Position readout (T:, see above).
K 
I If no targets have yet been locked into the Targets A-D selectors (see
D below), then the Weap Sys Bearing will read 0 (zero).
  
R      Range
O 
W The readout which appears to the right of the R: flag displays the
  currently selected target's range from your vessel in kilometers. Range is
S very important to know, because if you are beyond particular distances,
K certain actions are futile. For instance, a target ship that is under
I 550,000 kilometers away is considered within the effective firing range of
D EBWs, while missile ranges may be considerably less.
  
R The operational range of each range-restricted system or function is
O explained in the section on its operation. However, for quick reference,
W the following is the effective maximum range of each of listed items. You
  should be under the specified range to use that item or system:
S 
K       Item/System          Maximum Range
I       EBW                  550,000 km *
D       Missiles             variable **
        Board ship/outpost   5,000 km
R       Dock w/outpost       1,000 km
O 
W      * - Actual EBW maximum range is 3 million kilometers, However,
           as it takes ten seconds for a beam to cross that distance,
S          and ships rarely stand still for you to shoot at, the
K          effective combat range for EBW fire is considered to be
I          just over half a million kilometers.
D 
  
R     ** - Dependent upon a given missile type's fueled flying time
O          and the course and velocity of the target (see Missile
W          Selection Buttons (Full) under Weap Set, below).

S 
K      H.A.l./Horizontal Attitude Indicator
I 
D This is simply a horizontal gauge which displays "tick marks" on a line
  which are used to visually indicate when your weapon system is turning to
R maintain a bearing on a target. The space between each "tick" on the scale
O represents 10 degrees of bearing.
W 
       Current Target I.D.
S 
K The I.D. number of the currently selected target is displayed on both the
I left and right ends of the bottom of the Targeting Scope. The target can be
D an enemy ship, and FW ship, or an outpost.
  
R The I.D. displayed here will be identical to that displayed alongside the
O Current Target Switch (see Target A-D below).
W 
       Acquisition Indicator
S 
K When the currently selected target (see Target A-D, below) is at the center
I of the Targeting Scope and the Target Position (T:) and WeapSys Bearing
D (B:) readouts match, this flashing indicator bar will appear at the bottom
  of the Targeting Scope, between the Current Target I.D. Readouts.
R 
O The bar contains cycling colored "blips" (no cycling in CGA) and an
W "ACQUISITION" message. When this bar is present, your targeting system has
  achieved a lock on the current target, and you may fire your weapons (see
S Weap Set below).
K 
I If you fire when the Acquisition Indicator is not present you will probably
D not hit your target as EBWs will be fired at nothing and missiles have no
  targets specified.
R 
O 
W TARGETS A-D
  
S This section consists of four action buttons, A, B, C, and D, (keyboard
K users simply press the indicated letters) which represent target "slots". 
I Each slot can contain the I.D. of a given ship or outpost, identified by
D the small readout at the right edge of each button. The current target is
  selected by and whichever button is highlighted. Therefore, you can have
R four targets locked-in, one per slot, and switch back and forth between
O them as you like.
W 
  Whenever you highlight one of these buttons, the targeting system
S immediately swings around to get a lock on the specified item.
K 
I Most tactical actions and maneuvers are taken relative to whichever target
D is currently locked in. For instance, if you activated the POSIT function
  (see TACTIC section below), your ship would take up a position relative to
R the currently selected target. If you then changed from target A to target
O B, your ship would then attempt to take up a similar position relative to
W target B.
  
S To enter a target into one of the slots, highlight the selected button,
K make sure the desired target is displayed in the Target Selection Controls
I (see below), and then use the ACQUIRE button (below) to lock it in. The
D computer will automatically enter the I.D. for the specified target into
  the specified target slot.
R 
O 
W TARGET SELECTION CONTROLS
  
S These controls are used to select targets for the Target AD slots. A
K single-line scroller selector and related action buttons is used to pick
I and lock in targets.
D 
       OUT (U), ENS (E), and FWS (F)
R 
O These three action buttons are used to select what types of items will be
W displayed in the associated scroller selector. OUT selects outposts, ENS
  selects enemy ships (it is the default setting when you start the game),
S and FWS selects your own ships (you cannot select your own ship, however).
K Only one of the three buttons can be highlighted at any one time.
I 
D      ACQUIRE (Q)
  
R Activating this trigger action button causes the I.D. of the item currently
O displayed in the scroller selector to be locked into the currently
W highlighted "slot" (A-D), replacing whatever I.D. was already there, if
  any.
S 
K      (PageUp)
I 
D Scrolls the scroller selector back to the previous item in the current
  list, if any.
R 
O      (PageDown)
W 
  Scrolls the scroller selector to the next item in the current list, if any.
S 
K 
I I.D. READOUT AND SCROLLER SELECTOR
D 
  This is a standard scroller selector with a standard I.D. readout. The only
R difference between it and those seen on other panels is that this one
O displays only a single item at any given time. In essence, it simply
W displays only the highlighted item in the list, rather than the highlighted
  item and those immediately preceding and following it.
S 
K AUTO (T)
I 
D This is a toggle action button. When activated, it causes your ship's
  computer to automatically switch to the closest of the targets currently in
R the Target A-D slots. For example, if you had targets in all four slots,
O had target A selected, but target C was the closest to you, when you
W activated AUTO the highlighted target button would automatically be changed
  from A to C. If, while AUTO was activated, another of the selected targets
S were to become the closest in range, the selected target would again
K change.  Toggling AUTO off (unhighlighted) switches this mode off, and the
I system will no longer automatically lock onto the closest of the locked in
D targets.
  
R Manually activating one of the Target A-D buttons deactivates the AUTO
O mode.
W 
  WEAP SET
S 
K These controls are related to firing of your ship's weapons and adjusting
I their settings.
D 
  There are two "modes" to this subpanel, set by use of the GET (G) button at
R the top of the controls.  When GET is not highlighted, the TACTICAL MAP
O (see below) is displayed to the right, and only the fire buttons, EBW power
W meter, and missile selector buttons and readouts are accessible. But, when
  GET is activated, the TACTICAL MAP disappears, revealing the full set of
S weaponry controls, including EBW beam-width and pinpoint targeting
K controls; full missile selector buttons are displayed, with missile labels
I fully visible.
D 
  FIRE EBW (F9)
R 
O This is a trigger type action button which, when activated, fires the
W Enhanced Beam Weapons at the current target. The beam travels at 1 c
  (lightspeed) and has a maximum strike range of 3 million (3,000,000,000)
S kilometers (although your chances of hitting a moving target at ranges
K greater than 550,000 kilometers are slim). The force of the beam is
I determined by the EBW CHARGE METER and the EBW POWER SELECT controls (see
D following items).
  
R EBW CHARGE METER
O 
W This meter shows the charge status of the EBW batteries. If the meter's bar
  is full then 100% power is available. If the bar is partially full, then
S lesser percentages are available. The system recharges at a steady rate
K (variable depending on a given ship's equipment and damage the system has
I sustained), so if you wait, the power climbs.
D 
  EBW POWER SELECT
R 
O The actual percentage of potential EBW "hit" power your wish to use is
W selected with these controls. The position of the arrowhead pointer along
  the EBW CHARGE METER sets the percentage of EBW power you wish to apply
S when firing. The numerical value of this strength is displayed in the
K small readout immediately below the EBW CHARGE METER.
I 
D The arrowhead may be moved in one of two ways.  Players with compatible
  mice can simply drag the arrowhead along the scale, releasing it when it is
R where they wish it to be. Keyboard users can use the Home and End keys to
O move the arrowhead along the scale to the left and right respectively. As
W with most thermometer type scales, pressing Home or End switches on a
  "move pointer" mode which remains "on" until you press another key.
S 
K In some circumstances you may find that the arrowhead cannot be moved to
I the top of the scale, or that during or after battle, that it has slipped
D down the scale and cannot be moved back up it. This is an indication that
  the weaponry system has sustained damage, and that the EBW beam projectors
R are incapable of firing at power levels greater than those the arrowhead
O can be moved to. In such a case, the only way to restore full EBW power is
W repair the weaponry system (see DAMAGE CONTROL under 304 DATA RETRIEVAL in
  this section on the manual and also the sections pertaining to system
S damage in " Part VI: Tactics").
K 
I FIRE MISSILE (F10)
D 
  This is a trigger action button, and activating it causes your weapons
R system to attempt to fire one missile of the currently selected type at the
O current target. If no missiles of the selected type are present, no missile
W will fire. Each time you press FIRE another missile launch is attempted. 
  Thus, if you have lots of missiles in stock, you can launch a veritable
S salvo at the selected target.
K 
I MISSILE INVENTORY READOUTS
D 
  These numbers appear to the right of the missile selection buttons-labels,
R and indicate the current stock of the indicated class of missile.  If the
O readout displays 00, then no missiles of the indicated type are present.
W 
  Missiles can be restocked by docking with outposts.  The more sophisticated
S the supply capabilities of an outpost, the greater range of missiles they
K supply. However, remember than not every ship can carry all types of
I missiles. The type of weaponry system a given ship carries determines the
D types and number of missiles the ship can carry.
  
R MISSILE SELECTION BUTTONS (MINI)
O 
W There are eight of these selection buttons, one for each type of missile. 
  Only one button can be highlighted at any given time, and which ever one is
S selected is the type of missile currently chosen for firing. To highlight a
K missile type, either click the mouse on the desired button or press the
I associated number (1 through 9) on your keyboard.
D 
  In this mode only a small portion of each button is visible. See MISSILE
R SELECTION BUTTONS (FULL) below for descriptions of each missile type.
O 
W EBW FOCUS SELECTORS
  
S There are three selection buttons here, only one of which can be active at
K any one time. The active button determines the beam-width/focus of your
I ship's EBW fire.
D 
  WIDE (W)  Spreads the beam widely, making it easier to hit evasive
R           targets. However, although your chance of achieving
O           a hit increases on wide beam setting, because the beam
W           is "fanned out" the hit strength is diminished.
  
S NORM (O)  Sets the beam to normal width.
K 
I PIN (N)   Sets the beam to pinpoint width. In this mode your odds
D           of hitting an evasive target drop, however, this is made
            up for in that you can pinpoint specific systems of the
R           target, and the power of the EBW will be directed against
O           that system alone (see PINPOINT FIRE SELECTOR below).
W 
  PINPOINT FIRE SELECTOR
S 
K If the EBW FOCUS is set to pinpoint fire, specific systems of the target
I can be singled out for EBW attack. This selector box allows you to specify
D which system to hit when using pinpoint fire. The box displays an image of
  the current target (if any), linked to selector buttons representing its
R six primary systems. Whichever of the system buttons is highlighted
O represents the subject of any pinpoint EBW fire.
W 
  Mouse users need only click on the label for the system they wish to
S target. Keyboard users can use the + and - keys to move the highlighter up
K and down the list.
I 
D      NOTE: The highlighted system in this box will not have any
             effect on EBW fire with normal or wide beam settings.
R 
O MISSILE SELECTION BUTTONS (FULL)
W 
  There are eight of these selection buttons, one for each type of missile. 
S Only one button can be highlighted at any given time, and which ever one is
K selected is the type of missile currently chosen for firing. To highlight a
I missile type, either click the mouse on the desired button or press the
D associated number (1 through 8) on your keyboard.
  
R In brief, the missile types are as follows:
O 
W   Button    Missile       Type              Purpose
    1         PN PRT SRB    Pritchard SRB     Damages shields
S   2         MELB FU8      Melbourne FU8     General damage
K   3         GIAPRLI FU9   Giaperelli FU9    General damage
I   4         FRA LAB FE    Franklin Lab FE   Anti-Personnel
D   5         WODEN FE      Woden FE          Anti-Personnel
    6         THIOD P/PD    Thiodyne P/PD     Damages drives
R   7         WOD NOVA      Woden Nova        General damage
O   8         ILIYA NOVA    Iliya Nova        General damage
W 
  Details on missile types, their uses, range, etc., can be found in 
S Appendix IV.
K 
I 
D TACTICAL MAP
  
R This is a simplified and miniaturized version of the map display on 301
O NAVIGATION, and works identically to that map. The only differences are as
W follows:
  
S Only potential targets (enemy and FW ships, and outposts) can be displayed.
K 
I The map view is limited to your vessel's sensor range, with no telemetry
D from other ships or "mix" modes available.
  
R No course project mode.
O 
W EBW and missile fire and "hits" are displayed on the map.
  
S There are six buttons and one thermometer scale related to the map. They
K are as follows:
I 
D COMBAT ZONE (Z)   When activated this recalibrates the map radius controls
                    so that the maximum map radius is 500,000 kilometers
R                   instead of your ships' maximum sensor range, allowing for
O                   easier zoom adjustments in combat.
W 
  Any or all of the following three can be highlighted at any time.
S 
K OUT (O)           When highlighted, the map displays outposts.
I ENS (N)           When highlighted, the map displays enemy ships.
D FWS (W)           When highlighted, the map displays FW ships.
  
R Mouse users can, as on 301, move the mouse over the map, frame and area,
O and click the left button to zoom in and the right button to zoom out. They
W can also drag the arrowhead below the scale at the bottom of the map to
  adjust the view radius.
S 
K Keyboard users must adjust the zoom radius by using the + and - keys, which
I are equivalent to the increase and decrease map radius buttons bracketing
D the RADIUS: readout.
  
R See the section on 301 NAVIGATION for more details of working with map
O displays.
W 
  ATTITUDE SET
S 
K This subpanel consists of controls which allows you to set your desired
I attitude relative to a target when using one of the tactical maneuvering
D controls (see below).
  
R THE ANGLE DIAL
O 
W The position of the flagship icon at the perimeter of the dial represents a
  position, in degrees, set relative to a target vessel or outpost (the
S dial's center). The angle can be from 000 to 359 degrees.
K 
I The dial can represent two different things.  If you select the "shado"
D maneuver (see Tactic below), the top of the dial represents the "bow" or
  "front" of the target vessel, and the position of the ship icon at the rim
R of the dial represents your ship's desired position relative to the
O direction the target is facing. On the other hand, if you select the
W "position" (POSIT) maneuver, the top of the dial represents the top of the
  map, and the position of the ship icon at the rim of the dial represents
S your ship's desired position relative to the target's position in space,
K not relative to the target's heading.
I 
D The following is a breakdown of the elements of the Angle Dial.
  
R Desired Angle Readout
O 
W This displays the desired angle you want your ship to take in a shado or
  positioning maneuver. The value displayed here is determined by the
S position of the Desired Heading Cursor (see next item) on the outside of
K the Dial. When you set a new desired heading this readout will change
I instantly to reflect it. If MANUAL is activated, the Current Heading
D Readout (see above) will begin to change to match the desired heading as
  your ship takes up the new course.
R 
O Desired Angle Indicator (Flagship Icon)
W 
  This operates identically to the Desired Heading Indicator on the HELM
S portion of 301 NAVIGATION. The icon represents your current flagship, and
K its position around the dial is important, however, the way the icon itself
I is pointing (always up) is not of any concern.
D 
  The position of the icon on the outside of the dial indicates your desired
R angle in degrees. The actual numerical value of the heading is displayed
O in the Desired Angle Readout (see above).
W 
  There are two ways to change the desired angle: dragging the pointer with
S the mouse, or using the Turn Clockwise and Turn Counter-Clockwise controls
K (see below).
I 
D To drag the pointer, you must have a compatible mouse. Click the left mouse
  button on the pointer, and, while holding the button down, "drag" the
R pointer around the dial to the desired position. As you move the pointer,
O the Desired Angle Readout will change to reflect the new setting. When you
W release the mouse button, the pointer will stay where you left it.
  
S Turn Clockwise
K 
I This function is activated by the RIGHT button, and its purpose is to move
D the Desired Angle Indicator around the Heading Dial in a clockwise
  direction. When you activate the RIGHT button by clicking on it with the
R mouse, it stays "on" only as long as you hold the mouse button down. If
O using the keyboard, the button stays "on" and the icon moves clockwise
W until you press another key.
  
S Turn Counter-Clockwise
K 
I This function is activated by the LEFT button, and its purpose is to move
D the Desired Angle Indicator around the Heading Dial in a counter-clockwise
  direction. When you activate the LEFT button by clicking on it with the
R mouse, it stays "on" only as long as you hold the mouse button down. If
O using the keyboard, the button stays "on" and the icon moves
W counter-clockwise until you press another key.
  
S      NOTE: If neither the SHADO or POSIT buttons are activated (see
K            Tactic below), the settings in the ATTITUDE box won't have
I            any effect.
D 
  
R RANGE CONTROLS
O 
W This portion of the ATTITUDE box is where you can adjust your range for
  shado or positioning maneuvers. There are a number of items associated with
S setting the range.
K 
I Tactical Range Scale
D 
  This is a standard "thermometer" scale (see Part IV). It represents the
R potential tactical range of your vessel relative to a target. The scale
O represents ranges of between 0 (bottom of scale) and 500,000 (top of scale)
W kilometers. The position of the Desired Range Pointer alongside the scale
  determines range setting.
S 
K Desired Range Pointer
I 
D This pointer is similar to pointers on standard "thermometer" scales (see
  Part IV). Its position along the Velocity Range Scale determines the
R desired velocity you want your ship to use when under manual helm control.
O 
W There are two ways to change the desired velocity; dragging the pointer up
  and down the sale using a mouse, or using the Increase and Decrease
S Velocity buttons (see below).
K 
I To drag the pointer you must have a compatible a mouse. Click the left
D mouse button on the pointer, and, while holding the button down, "drag" the
  pointer up and down the scale to the desired position. When you release the
R mouse button, the pointer will stay where you left it and, if the MANUAL
O button is active, your ship will immediately begin making velocity
W adjustments. If in manual mode, you can see the velocity change happening
  by watching the Current Velocity Readout (see below).
S 
K Increase Range Button
I 
D This function is activated by the 9 button, and its purpose is to move the
  Desired Range Pointer up the Tactical Range Scale. When you activate the 9
R button by clicking on it with the mouse, it stays "on" only as long as you
O hold the mouse button down. If using the keyboard, the button stays "on"
W and the pointer attempts to move up the meter until you press another key.
  
S Decrease Range Button
K 
I This function is activated by the 0 button, and its purpose is to move the
D Desired Range Pointer down the Tactical Range Scale. When you activate the
  0 button by clicking on it with the mouse, it stays "on" only as long as
R you hold the mouse button down. If using the keyboard, the button stays
O "on" and the pointer attempts to move down the meter until you press
W another key.
  
S Desired Range Readout
K 
I This readout displays the numeric value of your ship's desired range.
D 
  
R FACE SHIELDS
O 
W This final section of ATTITUDE allows you to specify which of your ship's
  four shields you wish to try to keep towards the current target. This is
S very useful, particularly when some of your ship's shields have been
K seriously depleted or destroyed (see DEFENSE SUBSYSTEM below), and you wish
I to keep your strongest defenses towards the enemy.
D 
  The arrow pointing towards the word TARG indicates the direction of the
R target, and the number below the arrow indicates which shield you wish
O to keep towards that target. The default is shield 1, the bow shield, but
W you may, by using the next shield and previous shield buttons, the UP and
  DOWN keys, turn any shield towards the target.
S 
K As with all of the setting under ATTITUDE this is only a "desired" shield
I facing. As your ship manuevers to maintain position, course, etc., it is
D not always possible to keep a particular shield oriented towards the
  target.
R 
O TACTIC
W 
  At any given time there are seven action buttons in this bank. Six are
S consistently present, and the seventh varies depending on the current
K target and its status. Each of the following, when activated, will remain
I active until another button in the bank is activated, or when navigational
D control is usurped via the 301 NAVIGATION panel. Only one of the buttons
  can be active at any one time.
R 
O SHADO (H)   Initiates a "shadowing" maneuver, where your ship will
W             attempt to take up the range and position set in the
              Attitude Set subpanel relative to the current target. The
S             angle will be set relative to the targets bow, which
K             always represents 0 (zero) to the shado mode. Therefore,
I             if the ANGLE is set at 180, your ship will constantly
D             attempt to remain behind the target no matter which
              way it faces on the map. Because your ship must try
R             to maintain an angle relative to potentially turning and
O             moving targets, it is much more difficult to achieve and
W             maintain target acquisition in SHADO mode than it is in
              POSIT mode (see below).
S 
K POSIT (I)   Initiates a "positioning" maneuver, where your ship will
I             attempt to take up the range and position set in the
D             Attitude Set subpanel relative to the current target. The
              angle will be set relative to the map, where "up" always
R             represents 0 (zero) to the position mode. Therefore, if
O             the ANGLE is set at 180, your ship will constantly
W             attempt to remain "due south" of the target on the map.
  
S ESCAP (P)   Initiates an "emergency escape maneuver" in which
K             your ship determines the heading of the current target
I             and immediately thrusts at full power in the opposite
D             direction (180 degrees different from the target) in an
              attempt to reach and maintain a "safe" distance from
R             the target: 900,000 kilometers or greater.
O 
W HALT (L)    Causes your ship to immediately perform a full power
              breaking manuever, coming to a complete halt relative
S             to the current solar system.
K 
I EVADE (V)   Initiates an evasive action sequence. In such a mode,
D             your ship proceeds at high thrust and randomly changes
              course every few seconds. This manuever is used to
R             shake missile fire or try to avoid having enemy ships
O             get and keep you in their gunsights.
W 
  BOARD (R)   This button appears if the target is an enemy ship,
S             enemy outpost or a Neutral outpost that has refused
K             you permission to dock.
I 
D DOCK (K)    This button appears in the place of BOARD if the
              current target is a friendly or neutral outpost, or an
R             outpost that has been seized by FW forces. Activating
O             it when your ship is under 1,000 kilometers range from
W             the outpost causes you ship to halt and a docking
              sequence to be initiated (see Docking Control below).
S 
K      (Y)    This button, when highlighted, hands navigational controls
I             back to the 301 NAVIGATION panel, in whichever mode it was
D             last set prior to been overridden by the TACTIC maneuvers.
  
R 
O Defense Subsys/303-B DEFENSE
W 
  This subpanel provides control over both your ship's primary defensive
S systems, and information on hits taken and the status of your shields.
K 
I 
D MISSILE DEFENSE CONTROLS/AMCM
  
R There are two Anti-Missile CounterMeasure (AMCM) options available, JAM (J)
O and BEAM (M). Both can be active at the same time, if you wish.
W 
  JAM uses special transmitters to confuse the guidance systems of incoming
S missiles. When a missile falls within the "sphere of influence of the
K jammer, it should lose track of the target (you), and will most likely pass
I by without exploding. When the missile clears the jamming range, it may
D very well double-back and try again and again until it either gets lucky
  and hits you or runs out of fuel.
R 
O The one drawback to having jamming on is that the energy used for it is
W tapped from the shield generators, and thus the regeneration/recharge rate
  of the shields is lowered, meaning it takes hit shields longer than normal
S to build back up.
K 
I BEAM, on the other hand, bleeds power from your EBW charging system for use
D by automated defensive EBW batteries which attempt to shoot-down incoming
  missiles. The BEAM mode's primary disadvantage in combat is that it
R prevents your main EBW system from recharging as quickly as normal,
O hindering your combat firepower.
W 
  LAST ATTACK READOUT
S 
K This readout displays information about the last attack on your ship. At
I the top, a value readout displays the I.D. of the last ship that fired on
D you and got a "hit". Below that a text display explains what happened, such
  as informing you that your ship was:
R 
O      HIT BY EBW
W      NORMAL.
       ON SHIELD 1
S 
K The example tells you that the enemy hit shield number 1 with a normal
I width EBW beam. Likewise, if your are hit by a missile, the enemy missile
D type number (see Appendix IV) is displayed along with the number of the
  shield hit. If you are hit with the shields down, or hit on an inoperative
R shield, the message will be similar, but instead of saying "ON SHIELD n" it
O will say "THRU SHIELD n", indicating which shield location the fire passed
W through.
  
S SHIELD STATUS DISPLAY
K 
I This display contains a symbol of your flagship. If the shields are on
D (raised), a green "bubble" will encircle the ship. There are actually four
  shields, each composing one quarter of the defensive sphere. The number of
R each shield is displayed next to its quarter of the bubble.
O 
W When your ship takes a hit with the shields up, the impact is shown on the
  affected shield and that shield flashes (a corresponding power loss is
S reflected on the shield strength meters; see below).
K 
I If any of the four shields are completely depleted of energy, the section
D of the bubble representing it will disappear until such time as it can
  regenerate/rebuild power (see the SHIELD STRENGTH METERS below).
R 
O SHIELD CONTROL
W 
  This action button toggles the shields on and off. When the button is
S highlighted, the shields will be raised (if the shield system is
K functional).  If the button is magenta/unhighlighted, the shields are off.
I 
D Always make certain that your ship's shields are raised prior to engaging
  an enemy vessel. The same "hit" on identical shielded and unshielded ships
R will have drastically different results, with the unshielded ship
O sustaining far more damage than the shielded one.
W 
  In beginner level games, the shields are raised automatically when you are
S fired upon.
K 
I SHIELD STRENGTH METERS
D 
  There are four numbered meters here, each linked to a specific shield. The
R meters represent the strength of a given shield. Whenever a shield takes a
O "hit", the height of that shields' meter drops, and there is a
W corresponding loss of power, which takes time to build back up. Weak
  shields are less effective at preventing damage than strong shields, so
S it's a wise idea to keep your eyes on these indicators and try to keep the
K strongest shields towards the enemy (see FACE SHIELDS above).
I 
D DESTRUCT
  
R If your ship sustains so much damage that it cannot move or complete its
O mission, or if it is about to be destroyed by hostile ships, you can "take
W yourself out" of the game by self-destructing your flagship.
  
S To use the self-destruct you must be on the 303 TACTICAL panel and the GET
K (G) button at the top of the panel must be highlighted, thus providing
I access to the full weaponry settings and, of course, the DESTRUCT subpanel.
D 
  There is but one button on this subpanel, an action button labeled EXECUTE
R (X). If you activate it, a usurper box asking "Are you sure you want to
O activate the self-destruct * system?" appears. If you answer affirmatively,
W the usurper disappears and the surface of the CCSI panel will slowly slide
  open, revealing the self-destruct controls.
S 
K Operation is extremely simple, but not one-step. To activate the destruct
I sequence you must press/highlight all four numbered buttons at the top-left
D of the destruct controls (1,2,3, and 4). The striped panel will then pop
  open, and if you click on the PULL (P) tag hanging from the arming level,
R the lever will be thrown and a 15 second countdown will start.
O 
W To halt the destruct sequence, use the ABORT (A) button at any time prior
  to the destruct sequence countdown reaching 5 seconds.
S 
K 5 seconds is critical, because the destruct system works by creating a
I feedback loop in the drive and power systems of your ship. It takes ten
D seconds for this power feedback to reach critical level, and, once this
  level has been achieved, the imminent explosion cannot be aborted.
R 
O When a starship self-destructs, the energy released will destroy any ships
W within 4 million kilometers range, and those between 4 and 100 million
  kilometers risk damage ranging from minor to critical. If you time your
S destruction just right, you might take some of the enemy ships out with
K you. Just watch out for your own ships!
I 
D DOCKING CONTROL
  
R When you successfully dock with an outpost (see DOCK under Tactic above),
O the ATTITUDE subpanel is replaced by a docking status display: DOCK.  When
W docked with an outpost, the outpost's technicians will attempt to repair
  whatever system you have highlighted under REPAIR and restock any missiles
S that your ship is capable of carrying that the outpost carries.
K 
I 
D There are only a handful of controls on this subpanel. To the left are six
  selection buttons, each representing one of your ship's primary systems.
R The highlighted item is the one the outpost's technicians will attempt to
O help you repair. To change systems, click on the appropriate button or use
W the UP and DOWN buttons to move the highlighter from system to system.
  
S When you are ready to disengage from the docking maneuver, use the UNDOCK
K (K) button.
I 
D The repair and resupply sophistication of the outpost are displayed below
  the OUTPOST visual. The higher the numbers, the more sophisticated the
R outpost is.
O 
W To the lower right end of the DOCK box are two STATUS readouts. The
  readouts to the right of the repair sophistication value tells you the
S status of repair on the currently highlighted system and the status of
K missile resupply. The readout for repair will be one of the following.
I 
D   UNDERWAY  Repairs are in progress
    COMPLETE  The system was undamaged or repairs completed
R   TOO SOPH  The system is too sophisticated for the outpost to work on
O 
W When one system is completely repaired, move the highlighter to another
  damaged system to have it repaired.
S 
K The STATUS readout for supply tells you when loading of missiles will be
I complete. The time readout there tells you the mission time when resupply
D will be finished. When the outpost has fully restocked your missiles to the
  best of its ability, a COMPLETE message appears.
R 
O While you are docked the tactical maneuvering controls and both fire
W buttons are disabled (because firing your weapons within docking range of
  an outpost is very dangerous). While the DOCK panel is present, you can
S switch targets, relock all target slots, adjust weapons settings, etc., but
K you cannot maneuver or fire.
I 
D If you switch to 301 NAVIGATION and set a course while docked with an
  outpost the docking is automatically aborted.
R 
O If you break off a docking manuever before repairs and resupply are
W completed, you may end up with unfinished repairs and only a percentage of
  the total number of missiles the outpost could have provided (if any).
S 
K Boarding / 401 SQUAD DEPLOYMENT
I 
D When you have knocked out an enemy ship's shields and drive systems and
  moved within 5000 kilometers range, you can board the ship. When you have
R knocked out an enemy or neutral outpost's shields and moved within 1000
O kilometers range, you can board the outpost.
W 
  If you have Breach 2, the IGS system may load and run that game, if an
S appropriate scenario has been linked. If Breach 2 is not installed, or no
K linked scenario is located, then panel 401 SQUAD DEPLOYMENT appears.
I 
D The SQUAD DEPLOYMENT panel reports on the boarding action status. It
  displays an image of a FWSF marine in full combat gear to the left, and an
R image of a member of the opposing forces to the right. The name of your
O Fleet Commander (now acting as a Squad Leader), and his/her squad-level
W statistics appear, as does the name of the enemy race/force and the rank of
  their Captain.  The higher the rank of the enemy Captain, the better
S leadership the enemy will have, and the tougher they will be to beat.
K 
I At the center of the display is a Systems Control meter, which shows how
D much of the enemy ship's systems you control and how much is controlled by
  the enemy. A horizontal marker indicates the level of control you must
R reach in order to be victorious. When the meter for FWSF reaches that
O marker, you have won control of the alien ship. As your meter increases the
W meter for your opponents decreases, and vice-versa.
  
S Under the image of the FWSF Marine and the enemy are a set of icons
K representing the forces in combat. The health of each is indicated by their
I color.  The more red that shows, the more seriously injured the combatant.
D When a combatant's status meter is entirely red, he/she is dead and the
  icon is removed.  On each side, one icon is separated from the rest. The
R separate figure on the FWSF side is the health of your Fleet
O Commander/Squad Leader. The separate figure on the enemy side is the enemy
W Captain. If the enemy Captain dies, his forces will be less organized and
  easier to beat. If your Fleet Commander dies the game ends.
S 
K You have no actual control over the boarding sequence.  What you must do is
I keep your eyes on the percentage of systems you control, and weigh the
D health of your squad against that of the enemy forces. If your squad is
  badly injured and the enemy is not, or if your Fleet Commander is in danger
R of dying, or if you cannot seem to make any progress in gaining control of
O the enemy ship's systems, it would probably be a good idea to abort the
W boarding. You can abort by using the WITHDRAW/UNDOCK (W) action button.
  
S 
K 304 DATA RETRIEVAL
I 
D Although every control panel on your flagship is a technically part of the
  computer access system, it is on DATA RETRIEVAL that you actually consult
R the computers directly for various types of information. This panel has
O eight different modes, each called up by one of the action buttons at
W screen right. When you first begin a mission you arrive initially on DATA
  RETRIEVAL in Fleet STAT mode (see below). Whenever you return to 304 from
S another panel, it reappears in the mode you last left it in.
K 
I The eight data modes are as follows, and are accessible by activating the
D indicated action buttons. The highlighted button indicates the current
  mode.
R 
O FLEET STAT (F)
W 
  Lists all FW ships (your ship, the flagship, is usually at the top of the
S list). You can see the stats for up to 16 ships at any one time. And, while
K its rare that you'll play missions with more than this number of ships, if
I more than that number are present, using the PageUp and PageDown buttons
D allow you to see all of them.
  
R This mode is designed to allow you to get a quick overview of your fleet.
O However, this information here is based upon status reports sent to your
W computer by each ship under your command, and those ships do not
  automatically report. Once the mission begins, if you want status reports
S you'll either have to periodically issue "REPORT STATUS" orders to certain
K or all ships, or activate the ALL SHIPS REP STAT... function, which orders
I each ship to send a status report once every minute (both accomplished via
D 302 COMMUNICATIONS).
  
R There are seven readout categories for each ship in FLEET STAT mode. They
O are:
W 
  SHIP
S 
K Lists, on small action buttons, the mission I.D. number of each vessel. One
I ship's I.D. will always be highlighted. This indicates which ship or
D Captain will be the default if you switch to SHIP STAT or FW CAPTAIN (see
  below). To move the highlighter, either click the mouse on another ship's
R I.D. number or activate the UP and DOWN keys to move the highlighter from
O button to button. If you return to FLEET STAT from SHIP STAT the
W highlighter will be on the ship last viewed in that mode. Likewise,
  returning to FLEET STAT from FW CAPTAIN causes the highlighter to be on the
S ship commander by the last Captain viewed in that mode.
K 
I TIME
D 
  Lists the time when the indicated ship last transmitted a status report to
R you.
O 
W HEADING
  
S Lists the heading/course of the indicated ship as of its last transmitted
K status report.
I 
D VELOCITY
  
R Lists the velocity of the indicated ship as of its last transmitted status
O report.
W 
  GROUP
S 
K If the indicated ship is a member of a Battle Group, the number of the
I Group (01 to 99) is displayed under this heading.  Group Leaders are
D indicated by highlighted (white) Group numbers.
  
R SYS DMG STAT
O 
W Lists the operational capacity for each ship's systems, from communications
  to weapons.
S 
K SHIP STATUS
I 
D Lists the action being undertaken by the indicated ship as of its last
  transmitted status report (i.e.- "HOLDING FOR ORDERS"). Your own ship's
R status will always read "FLAGSHIP".
O 
W SHIP STAT (S) 
  
S Allows you to review detailed information about each ship in your fleet,
K one at a time, and allows you to see their status.  The UP and DOWN buttons
I alongside the ship name (SHIP) allows you cycle through all ships.  When
D you enter this mode the default ship to be displayed is the ship whose I.D.
  is currently highlighted on FLEET STAT.
R 
O While much of the information displayed in this mode is identical to that
W displayed in Fleet STAT mode, there is additional data provided in SHIP
  STAT mode that is not displayed elsewhere. Remember, the information
S displayed in this mode is only as recent as the last update report. If the
K ship has not reported its status in a while (see SINCE UPDATE below), the
I information may not be accurate!
D 
  ID
R 
O Lists the mission I.D. number of the currently displayed vessel.
W 
  SHIP
S 
K Displays the full name of the currently displayed vessel.
I 
D SHIP STATUS
  
R There are five readouts under this heading. The first is the actual SHIP
O STATUS readout for the selected vessel, and lists the action being
W undertaken by the indicated ship as of its last transmitted status report
  (i.e.- "HOLDING FOR ORDERS"). If you are displaying information about your
S own ship, this readout displays "Flagship".
K 
I There are four additional readouts under this heading:
D 
  SINCE UPDATE
R 
O Lists the time, via a running "clock", that has passed since the indicated
W ship last transmitted a status report to you. If you are displaying
  information about your own ship, this readout displays a time of
S "00:00:00", since your ship doesn't bother sending status reports to
K itself.
I 
D HEADING
  
R Lists the heading/course of the indicated ship as of its last transmitted
O status report.
W 
  VELOCITY
S 
K Lists the velocity of the indicated ship as of its last transmitted status
I report.
D 
  GROUP
R 
O If the indicated ship is a member of a Battle Group, the number of the
W Group (G01 to G99) is displayed under this heading. Group Leaders are
  indicated by highlighted (white) Group numbers.
S 
K CREW
I 
D Displays the percentages of the currently selected ship's crew that are
  active, injured, or dead. The greater the number of injured and dead, the
R less likely a given ship will be able to deal with repairing damage.
O 
W MISSILE INVENTORY
  
S Lists how many of each type of missile the listed ship was carrying at the
K time of the last update. The numbers are listed to the left of the missile
I labels. Missiles in stock are displayed with green labels, and those
D exhausted/not carried have red labels (cyan and magenta in CGA).
  
R To the left side of the display is the indicated ship's technical data
O display, which lists parts, system damage, and ship type.
W 
  % OPERATIONAL
S 
K Lists the operational capacity for each of the selected ship's systems
I (labels are to the right), from communications to weapons.
D 
  PRT
R 
O This readout displays the part number for the indicated system of the
W currently selected ship. This information is provided so that you can size
  up the capabilities of your ships against enemy ships by comparing their
S system statistics. (The stats for ships and parts are listed in
K Appendix III.)
I 
D SYSTEM
  
R Labels the six primary systems of the selected ship.
O 
W At the bottom of this display is a diagram of the selected ship, displaying
  its physical form and identifying its class (Transport, Scout, Destroyer,
S Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser or Dreadnought).
K 
I DAMG CONT (D)
D 
  Brings up the DAMAGE CONTROL panel for your flagship (and only your
R flagship).  This lists the operational capacity of each system and allows
O you to distribute percentages of your total repair capacity to each
W system, allowing you to prioritize your repair efforts.
  
S As with SHIP STAT mode, the operational percentage and part number for each
K system is displayed.
I 
D Under REPAIR CREW DISTRIBUTION are a series of six "thermometer" type
  scales, each of which can potentially be set from 000% (extreme right) to
R 100% (extreme left). However, the only way to set any given meter to 100%
O is to set all others to 000%, this is because the sum total of the values
W of all six meters cannot exceed 100%. For example, if all six systems are
  set at 016%, there will be 4% left over (AVAILABLE), because 16% x 6 = 96%
S and 100% - 96% = 4%.
K 
I The AVAILABLE readout displays the total percentage of damage control
D personnel currently unassigned. If this value read 000% you'll have to
  lower one or more of the meters before you can add any personnel to a given
R system.
O 
W The default settings for this mode are for each system of your ship to have
  16% of the repair crews assigned to them, with 4% left available.
S 
K Operation of this panel is simple.  Mouse users need only to "drag" the
I arrowheads under each scale to set their values. Keyboard users use the +
D and - buttons/keys to move the arrowhead of the currently selected system
  left and right. The currently selected system is indicated by ifs label, a
R selection button, being highlighted. To change if, press the number (1 to
O 6) of the system you wish to adjust the percentage of.
W 
  Finally, at the bottom of the screen is an extremely large action button,
S the DISTRESS SIGNAL (F10). This is a switch type action button which, when
K activated, sends out a message requesting immediate assistance from other
I ships in your fleet. This is to be used only in the most dire of
D circumstances, or when you need help and your communications system is so
  severely damaged that you can't send orders.
R 
O FW CAPTAIN (C)
W 
  This gives you the docket for each Captain, allowing you to read his/her
S docket and see what he/she looks like.
K 
I When you enter this mode, the ship Captain of the ship I.D. currently
D highlighted on FLEET STAT, or the ship currently displayed in SHIP STAT, is
  the default Captain to be displayed. The + and - buttons above the image of
R the Captain can be used to cycle to different Captains.
O 
W      NOTE: Whichever Captain is currently displayed when you switch
             to another mode is the one whose ship will be selected when
S            you next go to FLEET STAT or SHIP STAT mode.
K 
I The docket is displayed immediately to the right of the Captain's picture.
D The message "-END OF FILE-" appears at the bottom of the docket. If you
  cannot see this message, then there is more of the docket to read. Use the
R PageUp and PageDown buttons to move through various "pages" of the docket.
O 
W ENEMY (E) 
  
S This provides you with the docket for the forces opposing you in the
K current mission, allowing you to read the docket on them and see an example
I of what they look like.
D 
  The docket is displayed to the right of the enemies' picture.  The message
R -END OF FILE-" appears at the bottom of the docket. If you cannot see this
O message, then there is more of the docket to read. Use the PageUp and
W PageDown buttons to move through various "pages" of the docket.
  
S BRIEFING (B)
K 
I This simply displays the mission briefing, which summarizes your mission
D objectives and often provides useful strategic and tactical information.
  
R OBJECTIVES (O)
O 
W Lists objectives which must be satisfied to successfully complete the
  mission. Those preceded by a checkmark have been met.
S 
K At the top of the panel is a MISSION TIME display which shows the ELAPSED
I mission time and the REMAINING time you have in which to meet all of the
D mission objectives. All objectives must be met before the remaining time
  elapses else the mission will fail.
R 
O      NOTE: If you are in a mission without a time limit, the readout
W            following REMAINING will read "NO LIMIT".
  
S Refer to Objectives in Part III of this manual for a complete description
K of each mission objective.
I 
D      NOTE: In some cases you may see what appear to be two mutually
             exclusive and conflicting orders in the same list of
R            objectives. For example, you might be instructed to capture
O            a particular enemy ship and neutralize 100% of the enemy
W            fleet. How can you do both? Well, "neutralizing" a ship can
             be accomplished by capturing it. In such a case, you should
S            interpret the orders as saying "capture this particular vessel
K            and eliminate all others as you see fit."
I 
D EVALUATE (V)
  
R Produces a computer evaluation of your mission performance thus far. It
O includes the following statistics:
W 
        - If your ship successfully completed the mission objectives
S       - Total elapsed mission time
K       - Number of FW ships which survived the operation
I       - Number of FW ships destroyed during the mission
D       - Number of surviving FW ships damaged at the mission end
        - Number of FW ships that surrendered
R       - Number of Enemy ships destroyed
O       - Number of Enemy ships captured
W       - Number of Enemy ships operational at the mission end
        - Number of Enemy outposts captured by FWSF marines
S       - Percentages of FW personnel surviving, killed and injured
K          during the mission
I       - Performance index/mission score
D 
  When a mission ends, successfully completed or not, a final mission
R evaluation is displayed.
O 
W 
  
S                              PART VI: TACTICS
K 
I Knowing how to control your ship's systems is one thing, but understanding
D how to use those systems in tactical situations is something completely
  different. This section discusses various tactics and how they can be used
R in a mission.
O 
W MANEUVERS
  
S Maneuvering your flagship is relatively easy, since all computations are
K performed by the on-board computers. Maneuvering controls are located on
I the NAVIGATION (301) and TACTICAL (303) panels. The operation of these
D controls is described in "Part V: The Main Panels".
  
R      NOTE: The on-board computer is limited in its ability to alter
O            your ship's heading and velocity dependent on the type of
W            (and damage level) of your drive system. There will be
             situations where a target has a more powerful drive system,
S            effectively preventing you from being able to position your
K            ship where you want.
I 
D The following is a description of each maneuver and' its tactical and
  strategic value.
R 
O INTERCEPT (Panel 301, Button INTRCPT)
W 
  This maneuver will set the ship's autopilot to intercept an object or
S waypoint. The autopilot will adjust course and velocity so that the ship's
K velocity will be 0 upon interception. This is useful for approaching
I stationary targets such as planets and outposts. When targeting moving
D objects (such as enemy ships), the object will usually appear to move away
  upon being intercepted. This is due to the fact that your ship will be
R stopped upon intercept while the target object is still moving.
O 
W CHASE (Panel 301, Button CHASE)
  
S This maneuver is similar to intercept, but will approach the target object
K and hold at a range of 500,000 kilometers. If the target is moving, the
I autopilot will attempt to hold this distance directly behind the object.
D This, in effect, is chasing the object. This is useful for following an
  enemy ship just at the edge of weapons range.
R 
O SHADOW (Panel 303, Button SHADO)
W 
  This maneuver is similar to chase, but allows you to select the distance
S and bearing you want to be from the target.  Using the angle and range
K attitude controls on the TACTICAL panel (303), you can adjust these
I parameters.  For  instance, if you want to position off the starboard
D (right) side of the target, set the angle to 90.  To position directly in
  front of the target, set the angle to 0.
R 
O POSITION (Panel 303, Button POSIT)
W 
  The position maneuver is identical to shadow with the exception of how the
S angle setting is interpreted. Assuming that the angle is set to 180, shadow
K would try and keep your ship directly behind the target. Position would,
I however, try and keep your ship to the "south" of the target, regardless of
D the target's heading.  Refer to the adjacent figure for an example of
  shadowing and positioning.
R 
O ESCAPE (Panel 303, Button ESCAP)
W 
  The escape maneuver is used to put some distance between your flagship and
S the current target. Escape will attempt to move your ship to, and maintain,
K a safe distance (900,000 kilometers) from the target. The computer will
I adjust your beading so that, at the beginning of the maneuver, you are
D travelling in the opposite direction as the target. This will make the
  escape as quick as possible.  Remember that the ability to escape depends
R on your ship's drive being more powerful than that of the target.
O 
W HALT (Panel 303, Button HALT)
  
S Halt, the simplest maneuver, will simply stop your ship dead in space.  It
K automatically switches manual helm control on.
I 
D EVADE (Panel 303, Button EVADE)
  
R This maneuver will cause your ship to zig-zag at maximum acceleration in
O order to evade incoming EBW and missile fire. The usefulness of this
W maneuver depends on the strength of your drive system. A weak or damaged
  drive will not he able to out-maneuver the incoming fire.
S 
K DOCK (Panel 303, Button DOCK)
I 
D The dock button will appear when you have selected an FW outpost, neutral
  outpost, or enemy outpost that has been captured. You must be within 1,000
R kilometers of the target. Docking with an outpost will allow you to repair
O and resupply your ship.
W 
  BOARD (Panel 303, Button BOARD)
S 
K The board button will appear when you have selected an enemy outpost or
I enemy ship. You must be within 5,000 kilometers in order to board the
D target. You will need to board ships and outposts in order to capture them.
  
R Fire Control Techniques
O 
W Key to the successful completion of most missions is your ability to combat
  enemy ships and Outposts. The following are hints and suggestions you can
S use when engaging the enemy.
K 
I 1) Try to knock out critical enemy systems first.  The drives and
D    weapons system should be the primary targets. Knocking these out
     first will make the destruction of the other systems easier. Use the
R    appropriate missiles in addition to pinpoint EBW fire to target these
O    systems.
W 
  2) To make missile hits more damaging, lower your EBW power to
S    around 50% so that you can fire rapidly. Pinpoint the shields and hit
K    repeatedly. This will have the effect of weakening the shields,
I    making them less resistant to missile attacks.
D 
  3) Pinpoint fire works well only with ships that cannot outmaneuver
R    you. If you find maintaining a target lock is difficult, use the
O    normal beam width. If you still don't get enough hits, switch to wide
W    beam.
  
S 4) Choose your maneuvers based on the strength of your drive system
K    relative to that of the enemy. Some maneuvers, such as escape,
I    work only when you have the superior drive capability. To determine
D    the strength of the enemy drive, use your probe (from panel 301) to
     determine the class of ship you are fighting. Then refer to Appendix
R    III and look up the maximum velocity and acceleration for the drive
O    system that is used on that class of enemy ship. Compare these
W    values to the values for the drive on your ship (values for the parts
     can also be found in Appendix III). If you do not know which drive
S    system you have on board your ship, you can look up the part number
K    by using SHIP STAT on the Data Retrieval (304) Panel.
I 
D 5) Make frequent use of the facing control. Try to keep orienting the
     strongest shield towards the enemy. Remember, though, that the
R    autopilot may not always be able to orient that shield to your
O    liking.  Maneuvering the ship requires that the ship rotate in
W    various directions. The autopilot will, however, do its best. When in
     the Halt maneuver, the ship will not be under power so the autopilot
S    will always be able to orient the selected shield.
K 
I 6) When the enemy has the superior drive capability, you may be better
D    off to select the Halt maneuver. Otherwise, your ship may simply
     spin around trying to keep up with the enemy ship. This may prevent
R    you from being able to achieve a target acquisition to fire your
O    weapons.
W 
  Tactical Use of Asteroid Fields
S 
K Asteroid fields can be both a hindrance and a help. When a ship is within
I one, it risks being partially sensor-blinded by the numerous rocky objects
D surrounding it, which generate confusing "echoes" and distort hyperscanner
  field readings.  The denser the asteroid field, the less sensor visibility
R a ship within it is likely to have. Because of this, it's not a good idea
O to chase an enemy ship into a dense asteroid field, as it could evade you
W while in the field, or even emerge in clear space before you do, and have
  the advantage of being able to see - and target - you before you can see
S it.
K 
I On the other hand, there are several ways in which you can use asteroid
D fields to, your advantage.
  
R 1) Lure an enemy ship into approaching you by passing through an
O    asteroid field. If you see an enemy ship approaching you, and you are
W    near an asteroid field, set a course (using the manual helm control)
     that will allow you to "skim" the outside of the field on the side
S    opposite of the approaching enemy. Once the field is full between you
K    and the enemy, move towards the field until you are almost at its edge,
I    and then halt. If the enemy makes a beeline for you, he will pass right
D    through the asteroids and, if the field is sufficiently dense, will be
     unable to get a fix on you until he clears the field. Meanwhile, since
R    you're not in the midst of the rubble, you'll be able to see him
O    approaching and fire EBWs several times long before he can see you.
W    Your EBWs have a maximum "hit" range of 3 million kilometers, and,
     while in normal combat firing at targets over 550,000 kilometers away
S    is wasteful, in this circumstance it's worth trying. since the enemy
K    will probably be flying straight through the field, you have a greater
I    chance of getting a hit at extreme range.
D 
  2) Lead a pursuing enemy through a dense asteroid field. As with the
R    previous technique, if your drive is powerful enough, you'll clear the
O    other side of the field before your opponent does, and you can halt
W    your ship and nail the enemy a few times before he emerges and can lock
     onto you.
S 
K    To do this, go to Panel 301 and set the autopilot intercept the
I    desired asteroid field. Your ship will make directly for the center.
D    Once you are on course and at full speed, use the GET (G) function (see
     301 Navigation in Part V) to copy the current course and velocity into
R    the manual controls. Your ship will now fly into the asteroid field,
O    through its heart, and out the other side. Once you emerge on the far
W    side, you may, if the enemy has followed, be able to get a few shots in
     on him before he can lock onto you.
S 
K 3) Hide and seek. Large, dense asteroid fields are good places to "hide"
I    if you're in desperate need of a breather. If the center of the field
D    is so far "in" that an enemy's sensors cannot detect you from outside
     the field, you can sit tight and lick your wounds, somewhat safer than
R    normal from enemy attack. To do this, locate a very large, dense field
O    and intercept it. Your ship will stop at its center.
W 
  To check an asteroid field's density, probe it from the NAVIGATION panel
S (301). The higher the density, the more sensor problems it will cause.
K 
I Doubling Back Through an Asteroid Field
D 
  Another trick you can pull with a ship pursuing you through an asteroid
R field is to wait until you think the enemy is in the field with you and
O then suddenly change course. If the field is dense enough, the enemy
W ships(s) might miss your course change and lose track of you. Turning at a
  90 degree angle to your current heading is one course change you might try.
S 
K Damage Control and Outpost Repair/Resupply
I 
D Your ship's crew includes repair personnel capable of repairing any of the
  six systems on your ship. The crew cannot, however, repair a system that
R has been completely destroyed. A system is considered completely destroyed
O once its damage status reaches zero. At this point, the only place to
W repair the destroyed part is at an outpost.
  
S You distribute your repair crew to the six systems using the damage control
K panel (304). A specific percentage of the crew is allocated to each system
I using the slider controls. You may change the distribution at any time. You
D should distribute a higher percentage to the systems you deem most
  critical. Repair crews assigned to undamaged systems will sit idle until
R the part needs repair.  Each part on your ship has a sophistication level.
O The higher this number, the more sophisticated the part. Sophistication
W levels for your parts can be found in Appendix III. Your crew can repair a
  part of any level of sophistication, however the lower level parts will be
S repaired much more quickly than higher level ones. In addition, the more
K damage a part sustains, the longer it will take to repair.
I 
D Outposts can repair your parts even more quickly, but they are limited by
  their sophistication level, in which parts they can work with. By using a
R probe on the outpost, you can ascertain its repair level. This level is the
O maximum sophistication part that they can repair. Outposts can also repair
W destroyed parts.  Outposts are also your only source for resupply of
  missiles. Missiles, like system parts, have sophistication levels. Each
S outpost has a supply sophistication level.  This level means the outpost
K has missiles up to, but not beyond, that sophistication. The sophistication
I level of each missile type is listed in Appendix IV.
D 
  After docking with an outpost, a resupply procedure will automatically be
R initiated. The outpost will reload your ship with its maximum compliment of
O Missile up to the supply sophistication. Resupply of missiles takes 5
W minutes for free-floating, and 15 minutes for planetary based outposts.
  Resupply at the planetary based outposts take longer since it is necessary
S for them to launch a supply shuttle into orbit that will rendezvous with
K your ship.
I 
D Tactical Use of Self-Destruction
  
R Your flagship is armed with a detonation system that will destroy the ship
O on your command. This is useful should you encounter a no-win situation.
W Detonating your ship will initiate a blast that will instantly destroy any
  ships within 4 million kilometers range, and those between 4 and 100
S million kilometers risk damage ranging from minor to critical.
K 
I Although your Fleet Commander character will be killed, you may be able to
D complete the mission by using this tactic. For instance, if the only
  remaining victory condition is to destroy an enemy ship with which you are
R engaged in battle, the resulting explosion may destroy him for you.
O 
W Keep in mind that you can also order your other ships to self-destruct.
  Self-destruction is, however, the ultimate sacrifice a ship captain can
S make, so play close attention to whom you are making this request.  Check
K the docket available on 304) of the Captain first to see if he/she is
I likely to obey this order.
D 
  CAUTION!  Make certain that vital mission objectives are not within
R dangerous proximity of a ship about to self-destruct. For instance, if you
O intend to blow your own ship to atoms, try to get some distance between
W your ship and those you want spared. Likewise, you can order ships that are
  near a ship you wish to destruct to go somewhere "safe".
S 
K Surrender Tactics
I 
D Both enemy ships and Federated World ships may surrender to the opposing
  forces. Using the communications system, you can order any or all of your
R ships to surrender. You can also send a message to any enemy ship,
O surrendering your own flagship. Once the flagship has surrendered, the
W mission is lost. A surrender will in many cases be your only alternative to
  self-destruction or destruction at the hands of the enemy.
S 
K The enemy may or may not accept your surrender. That depends a large part
I on whom you are fighting. In addition, the enemy will be more susceptible
D to your ~surrendering if a large percentage of your feet has already
  surrendered. The enemy dossier may contain information you can use to
R determine how likely it is they will accept your surrender.
O 
W The enemy may also surrender to you or one of your fleet ships. You can
  also send messages to enemy ships requesting their surrender. Again, the
S personality of the enemy plays a large part in their likelihood of
K surrendering to you.
I 
D Forming Battle Groups
  
R In many missions you will have several objectives to meet. In some cases
O you may be required to tend to all of them quickly, and will find that
W there isn't time to lead your forces in all required actions. Naturally,
  you can order various ships to take care of certain tasks, but in
S situations where two or more ships may be required to meet a particular
K objective, it is sometimes best to form a Battle Group.
I 
D A Battle Group is a grouping of ships, the Captain of one of which you have
  assigned to act as the Group Leader. The Group Leader then has authority to
R give orders to other ships in the Group and instruct them in what to do.
O This is particularly handy in situations where there will be a significant
W communications delay between your flagship and other ships in your fleet.
  
S The best choice for a Group Leader is a ship whose Captain is loyal,
K experienced, stable and ingenious (amongst other things). The reasons? 
I First, disloyal Captains are more likely to surrender to hostile forces,
D Secondly, some Captains do not take orders well from captains with less
  experience than they themselves have, so the more experienced the Captain
R you selected as Group Leader is, the less likely he is to have problems
O with "renegade" or disobedient Captains under his command. Third, a stable,
W non-temperamental Captain is less likely to take rash action that could
  risk lives unnecessarily. In light of this, choosing Captains to act as
S Group Leaders is not a decision to take lightly, and choosing which ships
K to assign under that Group Leader is important as well, so read their
I dockets carefully (panel 304).
D 
       NOTE: The right Captains may not have the right ships for the job.
R            You also have to take into account the relative strengths of
O            the vessels commanded by those Captains you wish to assign to
W            Battle Groups.
  
S To form a Battle Group, go to COMMUNICATIONS (302) and send the order
K "FORM BATTLE GROUP" to the ship you have selected as a Group Leader (you
I cannot send it to ALL ships). If ACKNOWLEDGE is on, the Captain of that
D ship will acknowledge the order when (and if) he/she forms the group. If
  not, the next time the ship sends you a status report (send the order
R "REPORT STATUS" or activate the ALL SHIPS REP STAT TO button), its group
O status will be reported. The Group Leader must notify you that it has
W formed a group in one of these fashions before you can assign other ships
  to join that group.
S 
K      NOTE: A ship selected as a Group Leader will, on some readouts, have
I            its normal Ship I.D. replaced by a Group I.D. Thus, if you
D            assigned ship F07 to form the first Battle Group, its I.D.
             would be changed to G01.
R 
O Once the Group Leader has acknowledged the Group formation (you will
W receive the message "FORMING BATTLE GROUP Gn" (where n is the Group number;
  00-99). You can then send the order "JOIN BATTLE GROUP" to the ships you
S wish (if you send the order to ALL ships, all ships but your own and the
K selected Group Leader will join the Group).  Ships obeying the order will,
I if the ACKNOWLEDGE flag is on (see 302 Communications in Part V), respond
D "JOINING WITH GROUP G n".
  
R Deploying Battle Groups
O 
W Once a Battle Group has been formed, all you need to do to deploy it is to
  send an order to the Group Leader. If you order the Group Leader to destroy
S a particular enemy vessel, the entire Group will follow the order (as
K always, this depends on the Captain leading the Group and those under
I his/her command).
D 
  It is important to issue orders only to the Group Leader, because sending a
R specific order to a ship or ships within a Group will cause them to
O automatically disband from the Group ("REPORT STATUS" is the only order
W that you can send to a Battle Group "follower" that will not cause that
  ship to disband).
S 
K As you issue orders to the Group Leader, the ships led by it will, if
I ACKNOWLEDGE was on when you sent the last order to the Group Leader,
D "GROUPED WITH G n" to let you know they are following the actions of the
  Leader.
R 
O Disbanding Battle Groups
W 
  When you wish to break up a particular Battle Group, send the order
S "DISBAND FROM BATTLE GROUP" to the Group Leader.
K 
I To have individual ships leave a Battle Group without disbanding the entire
D Group, send the "DISBAND..." order to the specific ships you want to break
  free from the group, or send those ships specific orders to do other things
R (such as MANEUVER AT WILL", "DESTROY ENEMY SHIP", etc.).
O 
W You can break up all existing Battle Groups by issuing the "DISBAND..."
  order to ALL ships. This order will affect all Groups, but will not affect
S ships ordered to form with your flagship (see following section).
K 
I Forming with the Flagship
D 
  In addition to ordering a Captain to form a Battle Group and instructing
R ships to join that Group, you can order the ships under your command to
O form the equivalent of a Battle Group with your own ship acting as the
W Group Leader. Send the order "FORM WITH Flagship" to those ships you want
  to lead. If the Captains of those ships obey the order (as always, whether
S they do or not depends on their personalities), their ships will follow
K yours and do what you do.  If you set a specific course, they will follow
I it.
D 
       NOTE: This order does not form an "official" Battle Group, and your
R            flagship will not be assigned a G (Group) designator on the
O            map displays.
W 
  The "FORM WITH FLAGSHIP" order is really just an instruction for ships to
S follow you. If you attack an enemy ship while other ships are grouped with
K you, the Captains of those ships may not join the attack until you issue an
I attack order.
D 
  Hints On Keeping Your Battle Group Together
R 
O When a Battle Group is formed, the ships in it follow the lead of the Group
W Leader. The danger in such formations is that not all ships have the same
  maximum velocity. It is possible for the ship leading the Group to
S outdistance one or more of the Group members when moving towards a target.
K This is potentially dangerous, because it can lead to your forces being
I widely scattered, resulting in some ships of the Group encountering the
D enemy prior to others. If you intend to work from a strength-in-numbers
  posture, you do not want to spread your Battle Group out. The problem here
R is that the autopilot modes, such as chase and intercept (panel 301), set
O your ship on a full-power course for the selected target. Velocity in such
W modes is controlled by the ship's computer. Ideally, you want to set course
  for the target and then maintain a velocity which will allow even the
S slowest ships in your Battle Group to keep pace.
K 
I This need can be met through use of the manual helm control on the NAVIGA-
D TION (301) panel. Using the autopilot controls, you would set out to chase
  or intercept a given target. Once the desired heading has been set,
R activate the GET (G) button on the HELM subpanel, which switches to manual
O control while maintaining the heading and velocity set by the autopilot
W mode. After GET has copied these values into the manual helm control, you
  can make appropriate adjustments to your velocity to ensure that all of the
S ships formed with you can keep up. In this way you don't end up scattering
K your forces.
I 
D The drawback to this approach is that it doesn't work well on nearby
  fast-moving or distant moving targets, since, in manual mode, your ship
R does not automatically correct course to compensate for moving targets. To
O solve this logistical problem you will either need to manually adjust your
W heading, or switch back to an autopilot mode for a moment and then use GET
  again to pick up the new heading. In either case, you will want to do this
S periodically in order to avoid wasting a great deal of time.
K 
I Disbanding a Flagship Formation
D 
  As with any other Battle Group, ships that are formed with your flagship
R can be disbanded from your "group" by issuing other orders to those ships.
O Sending the order "DISBAND FROM BATTLE GROUP" to ships formed with your
W flagship is equivalent to a "MANEUVER AT WILL" order.
  
S Capturing Outposts
K 
I In some missions you my be required to capture one or more enemy outposts.
D Even if you are not compelled to take over such outposts, in some
  circumstances you may find it to your advantage to seize strategically
R placed enemy or neutral outposts. Enemy ships cannot get resupplied or
O repaired at outposts controlled by your forces, so it makes strategic sense
W to capture outposts your enemies could seek assistance from. Naturally, the
  enemy won't just sit still for this. They may very well try to capture such
S outposts themselves, or even go after established FW outposts to try to cut
K off your supply and repair lifeline.  If you have two or more outposts as
I potential "capture" targets, the one you pick to go after first should be
D determined by balancing which is of greatest value to the enemy
  (sophistication) against their positions relative to enemy ships.
R 
O HINT: If you have to choose between two nearby and similarly sophisticated
W outposts, one free-floating and the other planet-locked, capture the
  free-floating one first. It takes longer for ships to resupply at
S planet-locked outposts, so enemy ships who attempt to resupply their
K missiles while you're occupied won't get the jump on your forces as
I quickly.
D 
  Capturing an outpost is accomplished from the TACTICAL panel (304). You
R must knock out the outpost's shields and then board it. If the boarding
O action is successful, the outpost is yours. Following a successful outpost
W capture, your marines will repair the outpost's shields to hold off enemy
  ships. Likewise, if you abandon a capture attempt, the outpost personnel
S will themselves repair their shield systems.
K 
I Dealing With Non-Objective Enemy Ships
D 
  In some missions your orders may require you to capture or destroy specific
R enemy ships, etc.,that leave other enemy ships essentially "non-objective"
O items. In such circumstances, destroying such ships is a complete waste of
W time. Your only concern with such ships is the threat they pose to your
  ships and outposts. Therefore, the best way to eliminate such threats, if
S you get the chance, is to disable them. For example, if confronted by a
K non-objective ship that threatens your forces, concentrate your attack on
I knocking out the ship's drive system. If you completely destroy the ship's
D drive, it will be forever unable to maneuver and effectively "neutralized".
  You can therefore leave it for later.
R 
O Crippling Enemy Ships
W 
  In some cases, you may need to deal with some pressing problem (like
S assisting a ship or outpost in danger) while in the act of fighting an
K objective enemy vessel (one you must capture or destroy). In such cases a
I useful tactic is to attempt to cripple the ship in question in such a way
D that it is temporarily rendered "lame".  For example, if you severely
  damage the target's drive, chances are you might be able to go and take
R care of other business and return to finish the target before it can repair
O the damage or reach an outpost. Likewise, a ship threatening an outpost
W could be dealt with by damaging its weapons system. If it can't fire, it
  can't penetrate the outpost's defenses, and thus, the outpost is spared...
S for the time being. Also, if your attention is required elsewhere, you
K could cripple the current target, then order another ship to "finish" it
I while you go off about more urgent business.
D 
  Keeping an Enemy from Calling for Help
R 
O If you are in a system with at least one hot star (such as a class F, A, or
W B) and can ambush an enemy ship nearby such a star, the interference
  generated by the star will keep him (and, alas, you) from being able to
S call for help from his fellows.  To determine the type of a system's
K star(s), probe it from the NAVIGATION panel (301).  A small temperature
I scale appears alongside the star graphic, and the taller this scale is, the
D hotter the star. The hotter the star, the more communications interference
  it will cause. Also, the closer a ship is to star, the greater the
R interference, so catching an enemy nearby a cooler star may have the same
O effect as being farther from a hotter star.
W 
  
S STANDARD TEMPERATURE RANGES FOR EACH STAR CLASS
K 
I  Type   Color         Temperature (celsius)
D 
   B      White/bluish  25,0000 C
R  A      White         11 ,0000 C
O  F      Yellowish     75000 C
W  G      Yellow        53000 C to 58000 C
   K      Orange        40000 C to 49000 C
S  M      Red           30000 C to 34000 C
K 
I 
D 
                             PART VII: THE BUILDER
R 
O Overview
W 
  This section explains each and every panel in the builder sections of the
S game. Each panel's purpose and functioning is detailed. Screen buttons are
K listed in uppercase bold text, with the key equivalent listed, in
I parenthesis, immediately following the button text, as in: "...use BUTTON
D (B) to...
  
R Please note that many options will bring up alert messages, such as "are
O you sure you want to delete...", and the usurper boxes bearing these
W messages are not always noted in the text because, as a rule, what to do
  when one appears is fairly self-evident.
S 
K Each panel is listed by number and name. Operation of the controls on these
I panels are as described in Part IV, unless otherwise noted.
D 
  Operational Overview
R 
O There are five builder panels. The first four are used to create individual
W elements that can be used in many missions. The fifth builder panel is
  where elements created with the other four are assembled to create
S missions. To wit: you create FW Captains, then your create ships for the
K Captains, next you create an opponent/enemy, and then you create a solar
I system in which they will clash.  Finally, you assemble all the parts, set
D objectives, and you have a mission.  Access to each of the builder panels
  is via the 101 GAME/MISSION panel (see Part V of this manual for details).
R 
O The Upper Bar
W 
  Each of the 5 builder panels all share a common bar at the top of the
S screen. In addition to the current builder panel number and label, this bar
K always contains the following controls:
I 
D ADD (Fa)
  
R Activating this button will cause the current item being edited (be it a
O ship Captain, solar system, mission, etc.) to be saved as a new item.
W For instance, you would activate this button prior to using SAVE (below)
  if you have edited an existing item and want to save the changes (but
S retain the original).
K 
I SAVE (Fa)
D 
  This button will save the current item and exit the panel, returning you
R to the main panel (101).
O 
W CANCEL (Fa)
  
S This button will cancel any changes you have made and exit the panel
K without saving, returning you to the main panel (101).
I 
D NEW (Fa)
  
R This button will cause the settings of the selected builder panel to be
O reset to their default "create" settings. This allows-you to create a
W new item and begin editing it without having to exit to 101 and use the
  create function for that panel.
S 
K Since the item currently in the builder panel will be cleared when NEW is
I used, you will be allowed to first save any unsaved changes to the current
D item.
  
R 202 CAPTAINS
O 
W This section of the builder allows you to create, edit, and delete
  Federated Worlds ship Captains. This panel operates in two modes, one
S allowing you to edit the personality traits, the other allowing you to
K edit the dossier. Initially, this panel will be in the "traits" mode.
I 
D Just below the upper bar is a bar containing a text field for the Captain's
  name, a button for editing the name, and controls for switching between
R traits and dossier mode. These controls are as follows:
O 
W NAME (N)
  
S This is a toggle action button. When activated, a text editing frame and
K cursor appears, allowing you to enter/edit the Captain's name. (See Part IV
I for details on working with text editing fields.)
D 
  DOSSIER (D) and TRAITS (T)
R 
O Only one of these two buttons can be active at one time. In dossier mode,
W the lower portion of the screen is occupied by the Captain's dossier
  editor. In traits mode (the default), the lower portion of the screen is
S filled with the Captain's personality traits editor. Switching modes has no
K effect on anything entered or edited in either mode, so you can feel free
I to go back and forth between them without fear of losing your work.
D 
  TRAITS MODE
R 
O When the TRAITS button is highlighted, the lower portion of the screen is
W occupied by the PERSONALITY TRAITS editor. This consists of ten
  thermometer type scales, each used to set a particular trait (see Part IV
S for details on the operation of thermometer scales).
K 
I Each trait can range from 00 to 99, and the current setting is always
D displayed in the related value readouts to the left of the scales. To
  adjust a trait, simply move the arrowhead pointer below the selected
R scale. Moving the arrowhead to the right increases the value; moving it to
O the left decreases the value. The value changes while the arrowhead.
W 
  Keyboard users will note that the same buttons (- and +) are used for all
S ten scales, and might be confused as to how you pick which trait you wish
K to edit. The label for each trait is a selection button. The scale next to
I the currently highlighted label is the one the - and + buttons will affect.
D To change traits, simply press the indicated key to highlight the trait
  that you wish to edit. Mouse users will note that each time they click/drag
R an arrowhead, that arrowhead lights up, and the highlighted label changes
O to reflect the current trait being edited.
W 
  It is the combination of the values of each of these traits which determine
S the personality of a Captain. The ten traits are as follows and affect the
K indicated aspects of the Captain:
I 
D      AGGRESSIVENESS (A)
  
R The higher this factor, the less likely the Captain will accept a surrender
O or negotiation. A high factor also means the Captain may seek to destroy
W the enemy more that the mission objective require.
  
S      BRAVERY (B)
K 
I The higher this factor, the more likely it is the Captain will engage in
D risky situations.
  
R      DIPLOMACY (P)
O 
W The higher the factor, the better the Captain is at negotiating with
  neutral outposts for repair and resupply.
S 
K      EXPERIENCE (E)
I 
D The higher this factor, the more experience the Captain has had in combat.
  More experience means the Captain is better at whatever tactics are known
R by him/her.  Tactics known are determined by ingenuity.
O 
W      HUMILITY (H)
  
S The higher this factor, the better able the Captain is at taking orders
K from lesser experienced Captains.
I 
D      INGENUITY (I)
  
R The higher this factor, the more sophisticated battle tactics the Captain
O knows.
W 
       LEADERSHIP (L)
S 
K The higher the factor, the better the Captain is at controlling his group.
I 
D      LOYALTY (Y)
  
R Low loyalty means the Captain is liable to surrender easily. A low factor
O will also mean that he is less likely to take risks to complete the
W mission.
  
S      STAMINA (S)
K 
I Low stamina means the Captain is likely to make errors during a prolonged
D battle.
  
R      TEMPERAMENT (M)
O 
W The lower the factor, the less stable the Captain. This would cause the
  Captain to make errors under pressure.
S 
K 
I SELECTING AN APPEARANCE
D 
  To the left of the trait editing scales is an image of a "generic" Captain
R which alters somewhat as you change certain traits. Directly above that is
O a small set of controls labeled FACE, which consists of two action buttons
W and a small display. These controls allow you to select a "look" for each
  Captain. There are 24 different faces available: 16 men and 8 women. Use
S the RIGHT to go to the next face, and the LEFT to go back to the previous
K one.
I 
D Whichever face is shown in this display when you save the Captain
  determines the face and sex of that character during game play only. The
R full-figure image of the captain on the screen will not change.
O 
W 
  DOSSIER MODE
S 
K The text in the CAPTAIN'S DOSSIER is what will appear in a mission when a
I player reads the docket for the Captain.
D 
  When the DOSSIER button is highlighted, the lower portion of the screen is
R occupied by the CAPTAIN'S DOSSIER editor. This consists of nothing more
O than an extremely large text field into which the text for the Captain's
W dossier is entered/edited.
  
S Since the dossier editors for the CAPTAINS and ENEMY RACES and the mission
K briefing editor of the MISSION BUILDER (206) are all virtually identical,
I documentation on the operation of the editor is covered at the end of this
D part, under the heading Supplement: Dossier/Briefing Editors. Refer to that
  section for details on using the dossier editor.
R 
O 
W WRITING A CAPTAIN'S DOSSIER
  
S Admittedly, you can write just about anything you like, but, ideally, the
K function of the dossier is to give the player a "personality sketch" of the
I character, useful for determining that Captain's strengths, weaknesses, and
D potential uses and dangers. Therefore, the best way to write a dossier is
  to, through the text, give some clues as to the Captain's personality
R without spelling out each trait numerically (ie., - "his LOYALTY is low at
O 34").
W 
  As an example, the following is the dossier for Captain Denial Mabuso
S (included with the game), followed by her actual traits. Notice how the
K text manages to give string hints as to what these traits are without
I actually listing them off.
D 
        BORN:  2346 CE
R       SERIAL NUMBER: SF3641 - BR1 1697
O 
W Captain Mabuso is the daughter of Renita Mabuso, Defense Minister of
  Imperial Beurn. As the child of a high-ranking government official, she is
S well aware of the "pomp before progress" stance of the Mellus
K Administration ruling Beurn. As a result, she has developed an intense
I disdain for bureaucracy, and thus is something of a "maverick", rejecting
D authority she considers incompetent.
  
R This hotheaded, rebellious nature is tolerated primarily because Mabuso is
O one of the most brilliant tacticians ever to serve the FW. She is the only
W academy graduate to ace the "Leslie Maru" endurance test, and has been
  known to achieve minor miracles under the most extreme pressure.
S 
K Now her actual stats/traits:
I 
D       AGGRESSIVENESS 64
        BRAVERY        70
R       DIPLOMACY      34
O       EXPERIENCE     52
W       HUMILITY       25
        INGENUITY      99
S       LEADERSHIP     44
K       LOYALTY        67
I       STAMINA        88
D       TEMPERAMENT    26
  
R A few final notes on writing a dossier that is "correct" for the Omnitrend
O "Universe". If you're creating your own worlds, the following is not so
W important.
  
S Our "convention" for Captains is to begin with the BORN: and SERIAL NUMBER:
K fields on the first two lines, leave the next line blank, and then write
I the rest of the dossier in paragraph form (see above example).
D 
  The BORN: value can be easily determined. The "war" that is declared in the
R game's opening sequence begins/began in 2374 CE (Common Era). You can
O assume your mission will take place sometime after that. Figure out your
W Captain's age at the time war was declared, subtract it from 2374, and you
  have your BORN: date.
S 
K FWAF serial numbers always begin with SF, and always contain letters and
I numbers in the precise configurations as in this example serial number:
D SF3641-BR1 1697. In other words, the 'SF', four digits, a hyphen, two
  letters, and a final six digits.
R 
O 
W 203 SPACECRAFT DESIGN
  
S This section of the builder allows you to create, edit, and delete
K Federated  Worlds and allied starships. Construction is simplicity itself:
I you select the ship class, pick the parts, name the vessel, and save it.
D Spacedocks should have it so easy!
  
R 
O SHIP SELECTION
W 
  The upper third of the panel is occupied by the ship selector. At the
S center is an image of a ship flanked by + and - buttons, which allow you to
K cycle through the ship classes. There are six ships classes. From weakest
I (militarily) to strongest, they are:
D 
        TRANSPORT
R       SCOUT
O       DESTROYER
W       CRUISER
        HEAVY CRUISER
S       DREADNOUGHT
K 
I When you first enter the panel or use NEW (F4), the default ship type is a
D SCOUT.
  
R To the left of the ship display are MAX SYS SIZE and STAT readouts. Under
O MAX SYS SIZE are labels for each of the ship's six primary systems, and the
W number displayed in the value readout to the right of each label is the
  maximum "size" of each system the currently selected ship class can carry.
S If any select part for a system has a size that is larger than the number
K indicated, a TOO BIG warning will appear under STAT.
I 
D      NOTE: You will not be allowed to save the current ship if any
             TOO BIG warnings appear.
R 
O If any TOO BIG warnings appear, you'll either have to change the ship class
W to a larger ship to accommodate the systems you have specified, or select
  smaller parts for the indicated systems. If, after selecting parts that fit
S the current ship class, you change the ship to a lower/smaller class, one
K or more of the selected parts may not fit.
I 
D 
  SHIP NAME
R 
O To the right is a field labeled SHIP NAME. It consists of a standard text
W editing field and one button, NAME (N), which activates the text editing
  mode. See Part IV for details on the operation of text editing fields.
S 
K You will not be able to save the current ship if no name has been entered
I for it.
D 
  
R PARTS SELECTORS
O 
W The majority of the panel is dominated by the parts selectors, which allow
  you to equip each ship from an inventory of numerous part. To the left are
S six parts selectors. Using the arrow buttons there you select the
K combination of parts you want. To the bottom-right of the screen is a
I CURRENT PART STAT DISPLAY, which displays the stats of the last part you
D selected.
  
R 
O THE SELECTORS
W 
  These are used to select which parts you wish to use for each of the ship's
S six primary systems. Each part selector consists of a label (selection
K button), and a part display, bracketed on either side by previous part and
I next part action buttons (LEFT and RIGHT). To change a part, all you need
D to do is use the arrow buttons to move forward or backward through the
  selections.
R 
O Keyboard users will note that the same buttons are used for all six
W selectors, and might be confused as to how you pick which system you wish
  to edit. The label for each system is a selection button. The scale next to
S the currently highlighted label is the one the LEFT and RIGHT buttons will
K affect. To switch parts to edit, simply press the indicated key to
I highlight the part that you wish to edit. Mouse users will note that each
D time they click one of the arrow buttons, the highlighted label changes to
  reflect the part being edited.
R 
O The six system types and selectors are as follows:
W 
  COMMUNICATIONS (C)    Picks the communications system you
S                       want to equip your ship with.  There are
K                       3 models to choose from.
I 
D COMPUTER (M)          Picks the computer system you want
                        to equip your ship with. There are 4
R                       models to choose from.
O 
W DRIVE (D)             Picks the drive system you want to
                        equip your ship with.  There are 5
S                       models to choose from.
K 
I LIFE SUPPORT (L)      Picks the communications system you
D                       want to equip your ship with. There are
                        3 models to choose from.
R 
O 
W SHIELDS (S)           Picks the defensive shield system you
                        want to equip your ship with.  There are
S                       5 models to choose from.
K 
I WEAPONS (W)           Picks the offensive weapons system
D                       you want to equip your ship with. There
                        are 5 models to choose from.
R 
O 
W CURRENT PART STAT DISPLAY
  
S This box is directly below the SHIP NAME box and right of the PARTS
K SELECTORS, to which it is linked by a bracket featuring a moving tab which
I links the STAT DISPLAY to whatever part has been selected last. Its job is
D to provide you with the statistical information for the last selected part.
  
R For example, when you first create a new ship (from 101), when you arrive
O on 203 the highlighted system is communications, and the parts displayed
W there is the first part in the list. The CURRENT PART STAT DISPLAY
  identifies it as a THUKE XX, which is capable of sustaining 4 points of
S damage before it fails, has a sophistication level of 33, and a size of 2.
K If you then advanced to the next part for the communications system the
I stats would change to reflect it (a Giaperelli Marconi II). If you were to
D switch to editing parts for another system, the stats for the current part
  listed under whatever system you moved to would appear in this box.
R 
O In brief, the more sophisticated a part, the more effective it is, but the
W harder it is to repair, and the less chance you'll have of finding an
  outpost than can repair or replace it. The larger the size of a part the
S fewer ship classes it will fit into.
K 
I At the top of the CURRENT PART STAT DISPLAY is the logo of the company that
D manufactures the currently selected part. Below that is the company name,
  and below that is the part name. Finally, the bottom three lines list
R damage points, sophistication and size of the part.
O 
W      NOTE: Technical details about all FW ship classes, parts, and
             enemy ship classes and parts are covered in Appendix III.
S            You can consult it to determine how various ship and part
K            combination stack up against those of opposing forces.
I 
D 
  SHIP BUILDING HINTS
R 
O Although there are a limited number of possible combinations of ships and
W parts, there are enough so that you can create a group of ships with widely
  varying capabilities.
S 
K It's important to remember that the Heavy Cruiser class vessels can only be
I commanded by Fleet Commanders with a rank of at least 1st Lieutenant, and
D the Dreadnoughts by those with a rank of at least Commander. Thus, if
  you're making missions to be played by less "experienced" player
R characters, you shouldn't make tons of top-end ships (although you can
O always assign a Captain to command such ships in a mission).
W 
  When naming ships that operate within the established Omnitrend "universe",
S always precede all Federated Worlds Armed Forces ship names with an FWS, as
K in FWS YURY GAGARIN or FW STERESHKOVA. Privately or corporately owned
I transports and scouts can also be added, and such ships should not have
D an FWS prefix.
  
R 
O SAVING SHIPS
W 
  When you save a ship it is added to the current ship list. If, when you
S try to save a ship, any part is too big for the current ship class, and/or
K the ship has no name, you will be warned and returned to the ship builder.
I 
D If you create (having used CREATE from 101 or NEW from this panel) anew
  ship with a name identical to an existing one, the existing one is not
R overwritten.
O 
W 
  204 ENEMY RACES
S 
K This section of the builder allows you to create, edit, and delete enemy
I races. This panel operates in three modes, on allowing you to the
D personality traits, a second allowing you to design the "look" of the
  creatures, and a third allowing you to edit the dossier. Initially, this
R panel will be in the "traits" mode.
O 
W The actual operation of this panel is identical to that for FW Captains
  with the exception of the addition of the PHYS FORM mode.
S 
K Just below the upper bar is a bar containing a text field for the race's
I name, a button for editing the name, and controls for switching between
D traits and dossier mode. These controls are as follows:
  
R NAME (N)
O 
W This is a toggle action button. When activated, a text editing frame and
  cursor appears, allowing you to enter/edit the race's name. (See Part IV
S for details on working with text editing fields.)
K 
I PHYS FORM (Y), DOSSIER (D) and TRAITS (T)
D 
  Only one of these buttons can be active at one time. In phys form mode, the
R lower portion of the screen is occupied by a "body construction" panel. In
O dossier mode, the lower portion of the screen is occupied by the races's
W dossier editor.  In traits mode (the default), the lower portion of the
  screen is filled with the race's personality traits editor. Switching modes
S has no effect on anything entered or edited in either mode, so you can feel
K free to go back and forth between them without fear of losing your work.
I 
D TRAITS MODE
  
R The default mode.  When the TRAITS button is highlighted, the lower portion
O of the screen is occupied by the PERSONALITY TRAITS editor. This consists
W of ten thermometer type scales, each used to set a particular trait (see
  Part IV for details on the operation of thermometer scales).
S 
K Each trait can range from 00 to 99, and the current setting is always
I displayed in the related value readouts to the left of the scales. To
D adjust a trait, simply move the arrowhead pointer below the selected scale.
  Moving the arrowhead to the right increases the value; moving it to the
R left decreases the value. The value changes while the arrowhead.
O 
W Keyboard users will note that the same buttons (- and +) are used for all
  ten scales, and might be confused as to how you pick which trait you wish
S to edit. The label for each trait is a selection button. The scale next to
K the currently highlighted label is the one the - and + buttons will affect.
I To change traits, simply press the desired key to highlight the trait that
D you wish to edit.
  
R Mouse users will note that each time they click/drag an arrowhead, that
O arrowhead lights up, and the highlighted label changes to reflect the
W current trait being edited.
  
S It is the combination of the values of each of these traits which determine
K the personality of a race. The ten traits are as follows and affect the
I indicated aspects of the race:
D 
       AGGRESSIVENESS (A)
R 
O The higher this factor, the less likely the race will accept a surrender. A
W high factor also means that they will be more violent.
  
S      BRAVERY (B)
K 
I The higher this factor, the more likely it is the race will engage in risky
D situations.
  
R      DIPLOMACY (P)
O 
W The higher the factor, the better the race is at negotiating with neutral
  outposts for repair and resupply.
S 
K      EXPERIENCE (E)
I 
D The higher this factor, the more experience the race has in combat. More
  experience means the race is better at whatever tactics are known by them.
R Tactics known are determined by ingenuity.
O 
W      HUMILITY (H)
  
S The higher this factor, the better able the race is at taking orders from
K those of lesser experience.
I 
D      INGENUITY (I)
  
R The higher this factor, the more sophisticated battle tactics the race
O knows.
W 
       LEADERSHIP (L)
S 
K The higher the factor, the better the race is at controlling groups of
I ships.
D 
       LOYALTY (Y)
R 
O Low loyalty means the race is liable to surrender easily.
W 
       STAMINA (S)
S 
K Low stamina means the race is likely to make errors during a prolonged
I battle.
D 
       TEMPERAMENT (M)
R 
O The lower the factor, the less stable the race. This would cause them to
W make errors under pressure.
  
S PHYS FORM MODE
K 
I When the PHYS FORM (Y) button is highlighted, the lower portion of the
D screen is occupied by a special "construction panel" which allows you to
  assemble physical forms for aliens out of a series of parts.  To the right
R are four parts selectors. Using the arrow buttons there you select the
O combination of parts you want. To the bottom-left of the screen is a
W pigment selector (disabled in CGA), with a bright border around the color
  you select.  When you have picked the parts you like and the color you
S want, using the ASSEMBLE (S) button puts together your choices and produces
K a full alien.
I 
D THE PARTS SELECTOR
  
R This is used to select which parts you wish to use for the race. There are
O four body part categories, and almost any combination of parts are possible
W (there are a few restrictions). Each part selector consists of a label
  (selection button), and a part display, bracketed on either side by
S previous part and next part action buttons ( LEFT and RIGHT). To change a
K part, all you need to do is use the arrow buttons to move forward or
I backward through the selections.
D 
  Keyboard users will note that the same buttons are used for all four
R selectors, and might be confused as to how you pick which part you wish to
O edit. The label for each body part is a selection button. The scale next to
W the currently highlighted label is the one the LEFT and RIGHT buttons will
  affect. To switch parts to edit, simply press the indicated key to
S highlight the part that you wish to edit. Mouse users will note that each
K time they click one of the arrow buttons, the highlighted label changes to
I reflect the part being edited.
D 
  The four part types and selectors are as follows:
R 
O HEAD (H)    Picks the type of head you want the race to have. There
W             are 41 different heads to choose from, or you can
              decide these aliens have no head at all. (The last head
S             looks like that of the creature on the Breach 2 box.)
K 
I TORSO (O)   Picks the type of main body you want the race to have.
D             There are 13 torsos to choose from.  You cannot
              choose not to have a torso, as the race has to have at
R             least one part. Body number 11 is snakelike and used
O             to construct the Aliens seen in Breach 2; if you select
W             it, any arms you selected will not appear when the race
              is assembled because the body has no "shoulders" to
S             which to attach arms.
K 
I LEGS (L)    Picks the type of legs you want the race to have. There
D             are 13 sets of legs to choose from, or you can decide
              these aliens have no legs at all.
R 
O             Of the 11 set of legs (11 presses of the + or, 3 presses
W             of the from the "blank" or "no legs" option), only one leg
              is fully visible, and the other leg is only partly there.
S             These legs are used to construct the Aliens seen in Breach 2
K             and designed specifically to work with body 11 (see above).
I             If you select these legs, when you assemble the race, body
D             11 will be used regardless of which body you selected, and,
              since body 11 does not permit arms, any arms you selected
R             will also not appear because body 11 has no "shoulders" to
O             which to attach them.
W 
  ARMS (A)    Picks the type of arm you want the race to have. There are
S             11 arm types to choose from, or you can decide that these
K             aliens have no upper limbs.
I 
D THE PIGMENT SELECTOR
  
R This occupies the lower-left corner of the PHYS FORM display. (It is
O disabled in CGA). This portion of the panel simply consists of eight
W selection buttons, although you wouldn't necessarily realize that's what
  they are by looking at them. Unlike regular selection buttons which are
S blue (cyan in CGA), each of the eight selection buttons here are different
K colors. The currently selected color is indicated by a white frame around
I the button. When you select another color button (either by clicking on it
D or pressing the number for a color), the white frame moves to it.
  
R Whatever color you have selected when you use ASSEMBLE (S) is the "skin
O pigment" you have chosen for the race. The sections of the body parts which
W appear pink/light-red in the parts selector will be recolored to match your
  choice, but other colors will not (like those featuring silvery mechanical
S parts, etc.).
K 
I THE ASSEMBLY BOX
D 
  This appears above the pigment selector and to the left of the part
R selector. It consists of a display and a single button: ASSEMBLE (S).
O When you use ASSEMBLE the parts and pigment currently selected are put
W together to generate complete physical form for the race you are working
  on. If, following assembly, you are not happy with the results, simply edit
S your part and/or color selections and then use ASSEMBLE again. you can do
K this as many times as you like.
I 
D 700,000+ POSSIBILITIES
  
R Given all of the part and color options available, the PHYS FORM editor can
O potentially generate up to 733,744 possible variations of enemy forms!
W 
  PRE-MADE ENEMY FORMS
S 
K Included with the game are a set of special graphics which feature pre-
I made enemy images which are not affected by the PHYS FORM mode. For
D example, while a UDP Officer is clearly human, creating a naked man with
  the PHYS FORM editor hardly results in an "official" looking UDP Officer.
R Thus, a picture of a uniformed UDP Officer, as well as other potential
O enemies, have been included with the program.
W 
  To access these graphics, all you have to do is type a very specific name
S into the NAME field. The graphic will not appear on panel 204 (you'll see
K whatever form was last assembled from PHYS FORM mode), but the appropriate
I image will appear when playing a mission (on the communications and enemy
D docket displays). Remember, you must type the name exactly as indicated.
  
R Name                Description
O 
W UDP OFFICER         A UDP Officer
  FWSF MARINES        A (renegade) FWSF Marine
S FWRP                FW Reserve (outpost crew) Personnel
K 
I DOSSIER MODE
D 
  The text in the ENEMY DOSSIER is what will appear in a mission when a
R player reads the docket for the race.
O 
W When the DOSSIER button is highlighted, the lower portion of the screen is
  occupied by the ENEMY DOSSIER editor. This consists of nothing more than
S an extremely large text field into which the text for the race's dossier is
K entered/edited.
I 
D Since the dossier editors for the CAPTAINS and ENEMY RACES and the mission
  briefing editor of the MISSION BUILDER (206) are all virtually identical,
R documentation on the operation of the editor is covered at the end of this
O part, under the heading Supplement: Dossier/Briefing Editors. Refer to that
W section for details on using the dossier editor.
  
S KEYBOARD NOTE: Since keypresses in dossier mode are interpreted as text
K entry into the dossier, to use any of the normal screen buttons in dossier
I mode, hold down the Alternate key on your keyboard while pressing the
D indicated letter, such as pressing Alt+T to switch back to traits mode. The
  Alternate key is not necessary when using the function keys for buttons on
R the Upper Bar.
O 
W 
  
S                            PART VII: THE BUILDER
K 
I WRITING A RACE'S DOSSIER
D 
  Admittedly, you can write just about anything you like, but, ideally, the
R function of the dossier is to give the player some background information
O on the opposing forces, useful for determining their strengths and
W weaknesses. Therefore, the best way to write a dossier is to, through the
  text, give some clues as to the race's traits without spelling out each
M aspect numerically (ie - "their stamina is very high at 92").
I 
C A few final notes on writing an enemy dossier that is "correct" for the
T Omnitrend "Universe". If you're creating your own worlds, the following is
L not so important.  Our "convention" for races is to begin with the RACE:
A and ORIGIN: fields on the first two lines, leave the next line blank, and
N then write the rest of the dossier in paragraph form.
T
E       RACE:     MUTAI LAICR'MOK BETA
C       ORIGIN:   TUOLES LAICR'MOK, SYSTEM LG-MD8: (30, -27, -6)
U
H
T 205 SOLAR SYSTEMS
L
I Every battle requires a battleground, and in Rules of Engagement
  battlegrounds are solar systems. Sorry, we don't allow fighting in the
S vast emptiness between stars.
T
A The solar system builder is fairly simple, and has few requirements. Each
R system has a map area 4 x 4 billion kilometers square, and all items for
K that system must fit within that space.  Secondly, all solar systems must
  have at least one star/sun. 
T
H Beyond that, you can place 1 additional sun, and anywhere from 0 to 99 of
E the following: planets (3 classes), asteroid fields, and outposts (3
  types). It's entirely your choice.
C
O
R THE MAP
S
A The map display on this panel works virtually identically to the map on the
I navigation panel in the game proper (see 301 Navigation in Part V for
R operational details), with a few minor additions. First of all, the view
  radius is not limited by any sort of sensor range restrictions as in a
S mission, so you can alter the view from 2 billion to 75 kilometers in
K radius.
I 
D The horizontal and vertical coordinate pointers along the bottom and right
  edges of the map can be moved manually, allowing you to change the view
R center. The arrowheads there can either be dragged using the mouse, or
O moved by activating the UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT buttons on-screen or their
W equivalent keys.
  
S Zooming in and out using the mouse is identical to on other maps. keyboard
K users must use the + and - buttons to change the view radius.
I 
D Furthermore, additional off-map controls can be used to alter the view
  center and radius (see MAGNIFICATION and SET VIEW CENTER below).
R 
O EDIT SYSTEM
W 
  To the right of the map are three banks of controls. The uppermost is the
S most important, for the controls in it are used for creating and editing
K system components. Under EDIT SYSTEM are selection buttons used to pick the
I type of item to act on, and action buttons used to act on the selected item
D type.
  
R Of the selection buttons, only one can be highlighted at one time. A small
O movable "tab" links the highlighted button to a bracket which connects it
W to the action buttons immediately to the right. The selection buttons are:
  
S STAR (S)    When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to
K             create, edit, relocate or delete stars in the system.
I 
D PLANET (P)  When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to
              create, edit, relocate or delete planets in the system.
R 
O ASTEROID (A) When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to create,
W             edit, relocate or delete asteroid fields in the system.
  
G OUTPOST (O) When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to
R             create, edit, relocate or delete outposts in the system.
E
E The action buttons are to the right of the selection buttons. They are:
T
S CREATE (C)  Brings up a usurper box which is used to create a new
              star, planet, asteroid field or outpost.
C
R EDIT (E)    Produces a selector with which you pick which specific
Y             item of the type selected you wish to edit. Once the
S             item has been picked, a usurper box appears, which is
T             used to edit the selected item.
A
L RELOCATE (R) Produces a selector with which you pick which specific
              item of the type selected you wish to relocate. Once the
T             item has been picked, the map display switches into
H             "locate" mode (see below), allowing you to alter the
G             system location of the item.

T DELETE (D)  Produces a selector with which you pick which specific
D             item of the type selected you wish to delete.
T
  VIEW FIELD
Q
T This subpanel consists of three items: two action buttons and a miniature
X representation of the map. The first action button is MIN (N), and
  activating it causes the map radius to be set to minimum radius (75
T kilometers). The second button is MAX (M), which sets the map radius to
R maximum radius (2 billion kilometers).
S
I The miniature map is used to show the size and location of the current map
  view relative to the full system map. A square frame within the mini map
F indicates the current map area. If you reduce the view area of the large
L map, the framed area will shrink. And, if you alter the view center, the
T frame will move off-center as well.

S SET VIEW CENTER
N
I The four action buttons here are used to quickly center the map view on
P specific items within the system. Activating any of the buttons causes a
E selector to appear, with which you identify the specific item of the
R indicated type to center on. Highlight the item on the selector and then
  use its CENTER (N) button. This causes the map's horizontal and vertical
F centering coordinates to be altered to center on the selected item. The
R name of the item will appear at the top of the main map.
E
D The centering options are:
D
Y       STAR (T)      Center on a star
        PLANET (L)    Center on a planet
B       ASTEROID (I)  Center on an asteroid field
U       OUTPOST (U)   Center on an outpost
L
L
D THE INFO BUTTON
O
G Between the VIEW FIELD subpanel and the main map is a single action button:
  INFO (F). Activating INFO results in an information usurper box appearing,
S listing data about the item the map display is currently centered on (if
C any). The name currently centered item will appear at the top of the main
O map.
O
P If you manually move the view center off of an item, the last centered item
E remains listed at the top of the map and the subject of INFO until you
X re-center on another item.

C This feature is a quick way to check on the stats of an item without having
O to enter an editing mode. Use the SET VIEW CENTER controls to center on the
M object you want and then use INFO to "scan" it.
P
A
N CREATING/EDITING STARS
Y
  When you first create a new solar system, there is always one star already
C present. This star has the I.D. 501 and defaults to a M type (red) star
O with a radius of 696,000 kilometers. You can edit the stats of this star
R (name, type, and radius), but you cannot delete it unless there is another
P sun in the system.
O
R To create or edit a star, go to EDIT SYSTEM, highlight STAR (S) and then
A use either the CREATE (C) or EDIT (E) button. A usurper panel appears, on
L which you can enter the name of the star (a standard text editing field),
  select its class (highlight one of the six class labels under STAR TYPE),
A and even adjust its radius (using a thermometer scale at the bottom of the
N box). Once the star's stats are to your liking, use the LOCATE (L) button
D to exit the box and go into map's locate mode to place the star (see LOCATE
E MODE below).
V
E Star Limit
R
O There is a limit of two stars per system. This is realistic because,
N while many stars come in clusters, it is rare (outside of the center of
  a galaxy) to find more than two within 4 billion kilometers of each
I other.
N
C Star Names

S When you first create a new system, the default star has an I.D. (501),
K but no name. The name of the first star will be the name of the system,
I so choose carefully.
D 
  If you create a star, you are always creating the second star (502) in
R the system, and its default name will be the name of the first star
O (501) followed by a space and the letter B, as in "Alpha Centaur B". If
W the first star's name is already 17 or 18 characters long (the limit),
  the last two characters are replaced by the space and B. Naturally, you
S can edit this name to be anything you want.
K 
I Star Sizes
D 
  The default size for a star is a 696,000 kilometer radius, the size of
R Earth's sun. You can actually adjust this radius from a bottom end limit
O of 5,000 kilometers to a top end limit of 300 million kilometers. The
W sizes of stars indicate their "class", ranging from Neutron Stars
  through Supergiants.  As you adjust the radius, the readout under STAR
S CLASSIFICATION in 002 tells you what class the star is.
K 
I Class                  Radius in Kilometers
D 
  SUPERGIANTS            100,000,000 to 300,000,000
R GIANTS                 10,000,000 to 99,999,999
O MAIN SEQUENCE          50,000 to 9,999,999
W WHITE DWARF            10,000 to 49,999
  NEUTRON STARS          5,000 to 9,999
S 
K HINT: Stars with habitable planets would most likely be those
I       of Main Sequence size.
D 
  Star Types
R 
O There are six star classes in Rules of Engagement, ranging in
W color/chemical composition and temperature. The hotter a star, the more
  communications related interference it generates.  Remember this when
S creating your systems and missions. (The temperature of a star and a ship's
K proximity to it determine the interference levels.)
I 
D       Type       Color           Temperature (Celsius)
  
R       B          White/bluish    25,000 C
O       A          White           11,000 C
W       F          Yellowish       7,5000  C
        G          Yellow          5,300 C to 5,800 C
S       K          Orange          4,000 C to 4,900 C
K       M          Red             3,000 C to 3,400 C
I 
D HINT: Stars capable of supporting habitable planets would most
        likely be classes F, G, and K.
R 
O 
W CREATING/EDITING PLANETS
  
S When you first create a new solar system, there are no planets present.
K Each planet has an I.D. starting with the letter P, as in P02.
I 
D To create a planet, go to EDIT SYSTEM, highlight PLANET (P) and then use
  either the CREATE (C) or EDIT (E) button. A usurper panel appears, on which
R you can enter the name of the planet (a standard text editing field),
O select its class (highlight one of the three labels under PLANET TYPE), and
W even adjust its radius (using a thermometer scale at the bottom of the
  box). Once the planet's stats are to your liking, use the LOCATE (L) button
S to exit the box and go into the map's locate mode to place the planet (see
K LOCATE MODE below).
I 
D Planet Limit
  
R You can have anywhere from 0 to 99 planets in a system.
O 
W Planet Names
  
S When you first create a new planet, the default name is "MAGRATHEA".
K You can edit this and change it to whatever you like.
I 
D Planet Sizes
  
R The default size for a planet is a 7,000 kilometer radius, roughly the
O size of the Earth. You can actually adjust this radius from a bottom end
W limit of 100 kilometers to a top end limit of 200,000 kilometers.
  
S HINT: Realistically, habitable planets should have a radius no
K       greater than 7,800 and no less than 6,100 kilometers.
I 
D Planet Types
  
R There are three planet types in Rules of Engagement:
O 
W      Type       Classes    Realistic Sizes (radius in km)
  
S      Gaseous     A-C       20,000 to 200,000
K      Airless     D-J       100 to 20,000
I      Habitable   K-N       7,800 to 6,100
D 
  Gaseous planets are those which are composed primarily of light gasses,
R such as hydrogen and helium. They tend to be very large, with no tangible
O surfaces. Examples of gaseous planets in our own solar system are Jupiter,
W Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
  
S Airless planets are rocky worlds with atmospheres that are either
K nonexistent or unbreathable. Examples of airless planets in our own solar
I system are Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, and many of the moons of the
D gaseous outer planets.
  
R Habitable planets are those with a breathable atmosphere. Human habitable
O planets require water, and acceptable surface gravity.
W 
  
S CREATING/EDITING ASTEROID FIELDS
K 
I When you first create a new solar system, there are no asteroid fields
D present. Each field has an I.D. starting with the letter A, as in AO1. To
  create or edit an asteroid field, go to EDIT SYSTEM, highlight Outpost (P)
R and then use the CREATE (C) or EDIT (E) buttons. A usurper panel appears,
O on which you can adjust the field's density (using the thermometer scale at
W the bottom of the box).  The denser the field, the more sensor blockage it
  will cause to ships within it.
S 
K Once the field's density is to your liking, use the LOCATE (L) button to
I exit the box and go into the map's locate mode to place and set the size of
D the field (see LOCATE MODE below).
  
R HINT: When calling this box using EDIT (E), two arrow buttons flank the
O       field I.D., allowing you to scroll through all of the different
W       fields you've created and adjusted their densities without having
        to call the edit function many, many times.
S 
K 
I CREATING/EDITING OUTPOSTS
D 
  When you first create a new solar system, there are no outposts present.
R Each outpost has an I.D. starting with the letter T, as in T02.
O 
W To create or edit an outpost, go to EDIT SYSTEM, highlight Outpost (R) and
  then use either the CREATE (C) or EDIT (E) buttons. A usurper panel
S appears, on which you can enter the name of the outpost (a standard text
K editing field), select its type (highlight one of the three labels under
I outpost TYPE), and adjust its supply and repair sophistication (using the
D two thermometer scales at the bottom of the box). Once the outpost's stats
  are to your liking, use the LOCATE (L) button to exit the CREATE Outpost
R box and go into the map's LOCATE MODE to place the outpost (see LOCATE MODE
O below).
W 
  Outpost Limit
S 
K You can have anywhere from 0 to 99 outposts in a system.
I 
D Outpost Names
  
R When you first create a new outpost, the default name is "TANTALUS". You
O can edit this and change it to whatever you like.
W 
  Outpost Sophistication
S 
K The default sophistication levels for any outpost's supply and repair
I factors is 50. You can adjust this factor from a bottom end limit of 0
D to a top end limit of 99. The more sophisticated the outpost, the better
  equipped it is to help starships.
R 
O Outpost Types
W 
  There are three outpost types in Rules of Engagement: FW, Enemy/UDP and
S Neutral.
K 
I FW outposts are those which are allied with the FW or under FW control.
D They will allow your forces to dock without hesitation and do their best to
  resupply and repair you.
R 
O UDP/Enemy outposts are those controlled by hostile forces. They will not
W allow your forces to dock with them, but will allow your enemies to dock
  and receive assistance. FW forces can, of course, attempt to board and
S seize control of such outposts.
K 
I Neutral outposts are those which are not allied with either you or the
D enemy forces. They may nor may not allow a given ship to dock (dependant on
  that the diplomatic ability of the ship's captain).  In extreme emergencies
R FW forces can, of course, attempt to board and seize control of such
O outposts.
W 
  Outpost Locations
S 
K Outposts can either be free-floating or planet-locked. A Free-floating
I outpost is a space station, while a planet-locked outpost rests on the
D surface of or in the atmosphere of a planet. To make an outpost free
  floating, locate it outside of the boundaries of any planets. To make it
R planet-locked, place it within the bounds of a planet.
O 
W      HINT: It takes ships longer to resupply at planet-locked
             outposts than from free-floating ones.
S 
K 
I RELOCATING STARS, PLANETS, ASTEROID FIELDS, AND OUTPOSTS
D 
  When you select RELOCATE (R), a selector box appears allowing you to
R specify which item of the selected type you wish to relocate. Highlight
O your selection and use LOCATE (L). You will jump immediately into locate
W mode, details of which follow.
  
S LOCATE MODE
K 
I In this mode the EDIT SYSTEM buttons vanish and are replaced by DONE (D)
D and ABORT (A) buttons. At map center, a small crosshair appears, showing
  the current location of the object to be located. You can move this
R crosshair anywhere on the map by either holding down a Shift key while
O clicking the mouse or by holding down a Shift key while pressing and
W holding one of the arrow keys on the keyboard.
  
S      NOTE: Asteroid fields are placed by locating two opposite corners
K            of a rectangular area defining the field. With the mouse this
I            is accomplished by Shift-clicking to set the first corner of
D            the rectangle, and then Shift-clicking again to set the
             opposite corner.
R 
O With the keyboard this is accomplished by using the Shift and arrow keys to
W set the first corner, and using the following keys to position to opposite
  corner:
S 
K      Home       moves the end corner to the left
I      End        moves the end corner to the right
D      PageUp     moves the end corner to the up
       PageDown   moves the end corner to the down
R 
O Using a Shift-arrow key combination after a field area has been drawn
W erases the current field area and sets a new starting point.
  
S In locate mode all of the usual map, map centering, and map zoom controls
K work normally, allowing you to change the view radius, center, etc., which
I choosing the location for your object.
D 
  When the crosshair is placed correctly, use the DONE (D) button to exit
R LOCATE MODE and lock-down the selected item. If you decide you don't want
O to do this after all, ABORT (A) will exit LOCATE mode without making any
W changes to the map. (If you are relocating an existing object, it will not
  be moved; if you were placing a newly created item, it's creation will be
S aborted and it will not appear at all.)
K 
I 
D SAVING A SOLAR SYSTEM
  
R There are no special conditions for saving a solar system, as the editor
O will not allow you to remove the only condition this builder requires: that
W you have at least one star.
  
S 
K 206 MISSION 
I 
D The mission builder allows you to edit and create missions for the game. It
  is the same mission builder used to create the missions included with the
R game.
O 
W Missions are made up of the following components:
  
S       1) A single solar system in which the battle takes place
K       2) One or more Federated Worlds ships and captains
I       3) An Enemy Race to battle against
D       4) Some (or possibly no) enemy ships
        5) Some (or possibly no) waypoints
R 
O The first three mission components are created and stored separately from
W the missions (they will be referred to as "external components"). This
  allows you to maintain a "library" of ships, ship captains, solar systems,
S and enemy races so that you do not need to create them each time you make a
K mission. Before creating or editing a mission, you should create and/or
I edit the external components. The external components are copied and stored
D in the mission file. This is done so that if you wish to trade missions
  with someone, you need only send the mission file and not all the external
R components.
O 
W Should you make a change to an external component, the change will not be
  made in any missions that use the component. You will need to edit the
S mission and reread the component. Procedures for re-reading these
K components will be described later.
I 
D The mission builder provides for the creation and editing of the remaining
  mission components; enemy ships and waypoints. These are "internal
R components" and are unique to the mission.
O 
W 
  ENTERING THE PANEL
S 
K If you entered the panel by selecting CREATE from the main panel, you will
I first be required to select the solar system in which the mission takes
D place. You will be able to change this system later, but a solar system is
  always required to begin a new mission.
R 
O 
W THE MAP
  
S You will notice that the mission builder panel is similar to the solar
K system builder panel (205). The map works almost identically. The
I difference is in the centering control (see SET VIEW CENTER below).
D 
  
R EDIT MISSION
O 
W To the right of the map are three banks of controls. The uppermost is the
  most important, for the controls in it are used for creating and editing
S mission components. Under EDIT MISSION are selection buttons used to pick
K the type of item to act on, and action buttons used to act on the selected
I item type. Below these are a group of four buttons used to edit other
D mission information. These four buttons will be described later.
  
R 
O Of the selection buttons, only one can be highlighted at one time. A small
W movable "tab" links the highlighted button to a bracket which connects it
  to the action buttons immediately to the right. The selection buttons are:
S 
K FW FLEET (F)   When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to load
I                (from a library), edit, relocate or remove Federated
D                Worlds ships in the mission.
  
R ENEMY (Y)      When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to
O                create, edit, relocate or delete enemy ships in the
W                mission.
  
S WAYPOINT (W)   When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to
K                create, edit, relocate or delete waypoints in the mission.
I 
D IGS (G)        When highlighted, the action buttons allow you to
                 specify Breach 2 scenarios that are linked to outpost
R                and enemy ships.
O 
W The action buttons are to the right of the selection buttons. There are two
  sets of action buttons. The first is for FW FLEET, ENEMY, and WAYPOINT.
S They are:
K 
I ADD (A)        Brings up a usurper box which is used to add a new FW
D                ship, enemy ship, or waypoint.
  
R EDIT (E)       Produces a selector with which you pick which specific
O                item of the type selected you wish to edit. Once the
W                item has been picked, a usurper box appears, which is
                 used to edit the selected item.
S 
K RELOCATE (R)   Produces a selector with which you pick which specific
I                item of the type selected you wish to relocate. Once the
D                item has been picked, the map display switches into
                 "locate" mode (see below), allowing you to alter the
R                system location of the item.
O 
W DELETE (L)     Produces a selector with which you pick which specific
                 item of the type selected you wish to delete.
S 
K The second set is only for IGS. They are:
I 
D OUTPOST -> BREACH 2 (O)   Brings up a usurper box which is used to link
                            a Breach 2 scenario to an outpost.
R 
O ENEMY -> BREACH 2 (E)     Brings up a usurper box which is used to link
W                           a Breach 2 scenario to an enemy ship.
  
S 
K VIEW FIELD
I 
D This subpanel consists of three items: two action buttons and a miniature
  representation of the map. The first action button is MIN (N), and
R activating it causes the map radius to be set to minimum radius (75
O kilometers). The second button is MAX (M), which sets the map radius to
W maximum radius (2 billion kilometers). The miniature map is used to show
  the size and location of the current map view relative to the full system
S map. A square frame within the mini map indicates the current map area. If
K you reduce the view area of the large map, the framed area will shrink.
I And, if you alter the view center, the frame will move off-center as well.
D 
  SET VIEW CENTER
R 
O The SET VIEW CENTER (T) button here is used to quickly center the map view
W on specific items within the solar system. Activating this button will
  bring up subpanel 011.  This subpanel contains buttons for all the map
S elements. Activating any of these buttons causes a selector to appear, with
K which you identify the specific item of the indicated type to center on.
I Highlight the item on the selector and then use its CENTER (N) button. This
D causes the map's horizontal and vertical centering coordinates to be
  altered to center on the selected item. The name of the item will appear at
R the top of the main map.
O 
W The centering options are:
  
S       FW SHIP (F)     Center on a Federated Worlds ship
K       ENEMY SHIP (E)  Center on an enemy ship
I       WAYPOINT (W)    Center on a waypoint
D       STAR (T)        Center on a star
        PLANET (L)      Center on a planet
R       ASTEROID (I)    Center on an asteroid field
O       OUTPOST (U)     Center on an outpost
W       ABORT (A)       Abort the centering command
  
S THE INFO BUTTON
K 
I Between the VIEW FIELD subpanel and the main map is a single action button:
D INFO (I). Activating INFO results in an information usurper box appearing,
  listing data about the item the map display is currently centered on (if
R any). The name currently centered item will appear at the top of the main
O map.
W 
  If you manually move the view center off of an item, the last centered item
S remains listed at the top of the map and the subject of INFO until you
K re-center on another item.
I 
D This feature is a quick way to check on the stats of an item without having
  to enter an editing mode. Use the SET VIEW CENTER controls to center on the
R object you want and then use INFO to "scan" it.
O 
W MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS
  
S Four other buttons, grouped below the edit mission controls, allow for the
K editing of the remaining mission information.
I 
D NAME/DIFF (D)
  
R Activating this button will bring up subpanel 014, allowing you to set the
O name and author of the mission, difficulty level, and solar system used in
W the mission.
  
S The EDIT (E) button allows you to edit the mission name. The mission name
K is the name displayed on the main game panel (101). This name should
I appear similar to a military operation codename. The NAME (A) button allows
D you to edit the author's name. The author's name will appear when a mission
  is played.
R 
O The mission difficulty is your estimation of the difficulty in completing
W the mission.  Note that by convention, missions should be rates assuming
  the game is played on the advanced level.
S 
K The CHANGE SYSTEM (C) button will bring up a usurper box allowing you to
I select a new solar system or re-load the existing one. You would want to
D re-load the same solar system if you were to make changes to the system in
  the solar system builder.
R 
O When you are finished editing, select DONE (D) to save the changes.
W 
  RACE (C)
S 
K Activating this button will bring up a selector box allowing you to select
I or change the enemy race in the mission. Before saving a mission, you will
D need to make this selection.
  
R At the top of the selector box, the currently selected enemy race will
O appear. If no race has yet been selected, "NONE" will appear.
W 
  There are three buttons at the bottom of the selector box. CANCEL (C) will
S remove the selector and no change will result. EXAMINE (E) will bring up
K subpanel 006 allowing you to view the personality traits and dossier of the
I currently highlighted race. DONE (D) will remove the selector box, making
D the currently highlighted race the enemy race used in the mission.
  
R Note that subpanel 006 that appears on selecting EXAMINE has a few controls
O of its own. When it initially appears, the personality traits will be
W displayed. By activating the DOSSIER (O) button, the dossier for the race
  will be displayed.  You can scroll the dossier up and down using the up and
S down arrow buttons.  When displaying the dossier, activating the TRAITS (T)
K button will return you to the traits display. Selecting DONE (D) will
I remove the subpanel and return you to the selector box.
D 
  SET VICTORY (S)
R 
O Activating this button will bring up subpanel 012, allowing you to edit the
W victory conditions for the mission. For a description of each of the
  victory conditions, see Part III of the manual under "Objectives".
S 
K This subpanel lists the eight mission victory conditions. Each of the
I conditions can be turned on or off by activating the appropriate ON (O) or
D OFF (F) button in the toggle column. A check mark will appear to the right
  of these buttons (in the active column) if the condition is on.
R 
O When playing from the keyboard, you will first need to select the victory
W condition by pressing the appropriate number key (1-8). The edit column
  will display the currently selected condition. Some victory conditions have
S additional data that must be entered. These are as follows:
K 
I CONDITION 2   For this condition, you must select both a ship and a
D               waypoint. The + and - buttons are used to select the
                ship, and the UP and DOWN buttons are used to select the
R               waypoint. You must first add the ships and waypoints,
O               since these controls will scroll through only the existing
W               items. If you later remove a ship or a waypoint that
                relates to this victory condition, the condition will
S               automatically be turned off.
K 
I               If you are using a keyboard, you must select victory
D               condition 2 (by pressing 2) before using the +, -,
                UP and DOWN.
R 
O CONDITION 4   For this condition, you must first select an outpost
W               using the UP and DOWN buttons.
  
S               If you are using a keyboard, you must select victory
K               condition 4 (by pressing the number 4) before pressing
I               the UP and DOWN keys.
D 
  CONDITION 5   For this condition, you must select an enemy ship using
R               the UP and DOWN buttons.
O 
W               If you are using a keyboard, you must select victory
                condition 5 (by pressing the number 5) before pressing
S               the UP and DOWN keys.
K 
I CONDITION 6   For this condition, you must select a percentage of the
D               enemy fleet to neutralize. Activate the SET % (S)
                button and an edit field will appear around the current
R               percentage. Backspace over the old percentage and
O               enter a new one. Press the enter key when done.
W 
  CONDITION 7   For this condition, you must select a percentage of the
S               outposts to control. Activate the SET % (E) button and
K               an edit field will appear around the current percentage.
I               Backspace over the old percentage and enter a new
D               one. Press the enter key when done.
  
R CONDITION 8   For this condition, you must enter a time limit in hours
O               and minutes. Activate the HOURS (H) button and an
W               edit field will appear around the current hour value.
                Backspace over the old value and enter a new one.
S               Press the enter key when done. Activating the MINS
K               (M) button will similarly allow you to edit the minutes
I               value.
D 
  When you have finished editing the victory conditions, activate the DONE
R (D) button to save the changes. Activating the ABORT (A) button will abort
O all changes you have made.
W 
  BRIEFING (B)
S 
K Activating this button will bring up subpanel 015 allowing you to edit the
I mission briefing. The editing controls work the same as the editing
D controls in the captain and enemy race dossier panels. Operation of these
  controls is covered at the end of Part VII, under the heading Supplement:
R Dossier/Briefing Editors. Refer to that section for details on using the
O mission briefing editor.
W 
  KEYBOARD NOTE: Since keypresses in the editor mode are interpreted as text
S entry into the mission briefing, to use any of the normal screen buttons in
K the editor mode, hold down the Alternate key on your keyboard while
I pressing the indicated letter, such as pressing Alt #I to switch back into
D insert mode.
  
R ADDING FW FLEET SHIPS
O 
W When you first create a new mission, there are no FW ships present. Each FW
  ship has an I.D. starting with the letter F, as in F02.
S 
K To add an FW ship, activate the FW FLEET (F) button, and then use the ADD
I (A) button. A selector box will appear, allowing you to select both a ship
D and a captain. The left-hand column will display the list of ships in your
  library.
R 
O Preceding each ship name is a two letter code indicating the class of the
W ship. The codes are:
  
S       TR     Transport
K       SC     Scout
I       DE     Destroyer
D       CR     Cruiser
        HV     Heavy Cruiser
R       DR     Dreadnought
O 
W The right-hand column displays your library of ship captains. These two
  lists can be scrolled up and down by using the buttons on either side of
S the names. The PageUp and PageDown buttons will scroll the ship list, and
K the + and - buttons will scroll the captains list.
I 
D Select both a ship and a captain by pointing to the name and clicking the
  mouse.  From the keyboard you can use the UP and DOWN keys to select the
R ship, and use the LEFT and RIGHT keys to select the captain. Note that by
O selecting the Fleet Commander as the ship captain, you are in effect
W selecting the flagship for the mission. This is the ship that the player
  will be commanding. Since there can only be one flagship in each mission,
S you can only select the fleet commander for one ship in each mission.
K 
I Below each list are buttons for examining the currently selected item.
D Activating EXAMINE SHIP (S) will bring up a box (007) displaying
  information on the selected ship.  The ship name, class, and parts manifest
R are all shown. Activating DONE (D) will remove this box.
O 
W EXAMINE CAPTAIN (C) will bring up a box (006) displaying information on the
  currently selected captain. Initially, the personality traits will be
S displayed.  Activating the DOSSIER (O) button will display the dossier. The
K dossier can be scrolled using the UP and DOWN keys. Activating DONE (D)
I will remove this box.
D 
  Once you have selected the ship and captain, use the EDIT/LOCATE (E) button
R to continue with the process. Activating the ABORT (A) button instead will
O abort the process of adding a ship. If you have continued the process, a
W new box (007) will appear allowing you to edit the damage status of the
  ship. This allows you to have the ship begin the mission with some damage
S already sustained. Each system will begin at 100% operational. Reducing
K each value will cause each system to be damaged that amount. Reducing the
I value to zero means the system is destroyed. The only way the player will
D be able to repair a destroyed system is at an appropriate outpost.
  
R If using a mouse, you can operate either the slider controls or the + and -
O buttons to set the damage level. From the keyboard, first select the system
W you want to set (using the buttons to the left of the damage level amount),
  then use the + and - keys to adjust the damage level.
S 
K Activating the ARMAMENTS (A) button will display the initial missile
I quantity on board the ship. The ship will begin with no missiles. Missiles
D can be added by pressing the UP and DOWN buttons. When using a keyboard,
  first select the missile type you wish to change by activating the
R appropriate button (use keys 1 thru 8).  Next, use the UP and DOWN keys to
O change the missile quantity. You will be limited in the quantity of each
W type of missile that can be loaded according to the weapons system on the
  ship. Refer to Appendix Ill under the weapons system parts list for the
S maximum quantities.
K 
I After the damage and armaments are set, use the LOCATE (O) button to exit
D the box and go into the map's locate mode to place the ship within the
  solar system (see LOCATE MODE below). Activating the ABORT (B) button
R instead will abort the addition of the ship.
O 
W EDITING FW FLEET SHIPS
  
S To edit an existing FW ship, activate the FW FLEET (F) button, and then use
K the EDIT (E) button. A selector box will appear, allowing you to select the
I ship you wish to edit. The left-hand column will display the list of ships
D already in the mission.
  
R The right-hand column displays the captain currently assigned to the ship.
O The ship list can be scrolled up and down by using the buttons to the left
W of the ship ID. Select the ship you wish to edit by pointing to the name
  and clicking the mouse. From the keyboard you can use the UP and DOWN keys.
S 
K Below the right-hand list is the CHANGE CAPTAIN (C) button. Activating this
I button will cause the selector box to change into a mode allowing you to
D select a different (or re-load the existing) captain for the selected ship.
  This works similar to the selector box for adding a ship, except the
R left-hand column will only display the selected ship.
O 
W Note that the ship that is assigned the Fleet Commander will act as the
  flagship for the mission. This is the ship that the player will be
S commanding. Only one ship can be assigned the Fleet Commander.
K 
I Once you have selected the ship, use the EDIT (E) button to edit the damage
D and armament, or the RELOCATE (R) button to relocate the ship. Activating
  the ABORT (A) button instead will abort the editing process.
R 
O If you have selected EDIT, the damage and armament edit box will appear.
W This box will operate the same as it does in adding a new ship.
  
S If you selected the RELOCATE button, the map will go into the locate mode,
K allowing you to reposition the ship.
I 
D 
  ADDING ENEMY SHIPS
R 
O When you first create a new mission, there are no enemy ships present. Each
W enemy ship has an I.D. starting with the letter E, as in E02.
  
S To add an enemy ship, activate the ENEMY (E) button, and then use the ADD
K (A) button. A selector box will appear, allowing you to select both a ship
I and a captain. The left-hand column will display the list of enemy ship
D classes.
  
R The right hand column displays a list of ranks for the ship captain. These
O two lists can be scrolled up and down by using the buttons on either side
W of the names.  The PageUp and PageDown buttons will scroll the ship list,
  and the + and - buttons will scroll the captains list.
S 
K By making the two selections, you are picking the class of the enemy ship,
I and the rank of the ship's captain. If you pick a captain with a higher
D rank, he will be more experienced at commanding the ship and crew.
  
R Select both a ship class and a captain rank by pointing to the name and
O clicking the mouse. From the keyboard you can use the UP and DOWN keys to
W select the ship class, and the LEFT and RIGHT keys to select the rank.
  
S Once you have made your selections, use the EDIT/LOCATE (E) button to
K continue with the process. Activating the ABORT (A) button instead will
I abort the process of adding a ship.
D 
  If you have continued the process, a new box (007) will appear allowing you
R to edit lit the damage status of the ship. This allows you to have the ship
O begin the mission with some damage already sustained. Each system will
W begin at 100% operational.  Reducing each value will cause each system to
  be damaged that amount.  Reducing the value to zero means the system is
S destroyed. The only way the enemy will be able to repair a destroyed system
K is at an appropriate outpost.
I 
D If using a mouse, you can operate either the slider controls or the + and -
  buttons to set the damage level. From the keyboard, first select the system
R you want to set (using the buttons to the left of the damage level amount),
O then use the + and - keys to adjust the damage level.
W 
  Activating the ARMAMENTS (A) button will display the initial missile
S quantity on board the ship. The ship will begin with no missiles. Missiles
K can be added by pressing the UP and DOWN buttons.  When using a keyboard,
I first select the missile type you wish to change by activating the
D appropriate button (use keys 1 thru 8).  Next, use the UP and DOWN keys to
  change the missile quantity. You will be limited in the quantity of each
R type of missile that can be loaded according to the weapons system on the
O ship. Refer to Appendix II under the weapons system parts list for the
W maximum quantities.
  
S After the damage and armaments are set, use the LOCATE (O) button to exit
K the box and go into the map's locate mode to place the enemy ship within
I the solar system (see LOCATE MODE below). Activating the ABORT (B) button
D instead will abort the addition of the ship.
  
R EDITING ENEMY SHIPS
O 
W To edit an existing enemy ship, activate the ENEMY (Y) button, and then use
  the EDIT (E) button. A selector box will appear, allowing you to select the
S ship you wish to edit. The left-hand column will display the list of enemy
K ships already in the mission.
I 
D The right-hand column displays the rank of the captain currently assigned
  to the ship. The ship list can be scrolled up and down by using the buttons
R to the left of the ship ID. Select the ship you wish to edit by pointing to
O the name and clicking the mouse. From the keyboard you can use the UP and
W DOWN keys.
  
S Below the right-hand list is the CHANGE CAPTAIN (C) button. Activating this
K button will cause the selector box to change into a mode allowing you to
I select a different rank for the captain of the selected ship. This works
D similar to the selector box for adding a ship, except the left-hand column
  will only display the selected ship.
R 
O Once you have selected the ship, use the EDIT (E) button to edit the damage
W and armament, or the RELOCATE (R) button to relocate the ship. Activating
  the ABORT (A) button instead will abort the editing process.
S 
K If you have selected EDIT, the damage and armament edit box will appear.
I This box will operate the same as it does in adding a new ship. If you
D selected the RELOCATE button, the map will go into the locate mode,
  allowing you to reposition the ship.
R 
O ADDING WAYPOINTS
W 
  When you first create a new mission, there are no waypoints present. Each
S waypoint has an I.D. starting with the letter X, as in X02.
K 
I To add a waypoint, activate the WAYPOINT (W) button, and then use the ADD
D (A) button. The map will go into the locate mode to allow you to position
  the waypoint within the solar system (see LOCATE MODE below).
R 
O RELOCATING SHIPS AND WAYPOINTS
W 
  When you select RELOCATE (R), a selector box appears allowing you to
S specify which item of the selected type you wish to relocate. Highlight
K your selection and use LOCATE (L). You will jump immediately into locate
I mode, details of which follow.
D 
  LOCATE MODE
R 
O In this mode the EDIT MISSION buttons vanish and are replaced by DONE (D)
W and ABORT (A) buttons. At map center, a small crosshair appears, showing
  the current location of the object to be located. You can move this
S crosshair anywhere on the map by either holding down a Shift key while
K clicking the mouse or by holding down a Shift key while pressing and
I holding one of the arrow keys on the keyboard.
D 
  In locate mode all of the usual map, map centering, and map zoom controls
R work normally, allowing you to change the view radius, center, etc., which
O choosing the location for your object.
W 
  When the crosshair is placed correctly, use the DONE (D) button to exit
S LOCATE MODE and lock-down the selected item. If you decide you don't want
K to do this after all, ABORT (A) will exit LOCATE mode without making any
I changes to the map. (If you are relocating an existing object, it will not
D be moved; if you were placing a newly created item, it's creation will be
  aborted and it will not appear at all.)
R 
O SAVING A MISSION
W 
  Before you can save a mission, you must first give it a name, select an
S enemy race, and add at least one FW ship with the Fleet Commander as the
K captain (the flagship). If you try to save a mission before specifying one
I of these elements, you will receive a warning message and be returned to
D the editor.
  
R SUPPLEMENT:   DOSSIER/BRIEFING EDITORS
O 
W The dossier editors for the CAPTAINS (Panel 202) and ENEMY RACES (Panel
  204) and the mission briefing editor of the MISSION BUILDER (Panel 206) are
S all virtually identical, documentation on the operation of the editor is
K covered in this subsection.
I 
D THE EDITOR
  
R The editor consists of a field some 15 lines tall and approximately 70
O characters wide. We say "approximately" because all of the text in Rules of
W Engagement is proportionally spaced. This means that, unlike standard
  computer text, each character does not take up exactly the same amount of
S space as all others. Thus, an I requires only half the space of an A and
K one third the space of an M.
I 
D Like the smaller text editing fields seen in Rules of Engagement, a small
  cursor appears wherever you are currently typing. Unlike those fields, the
R Enter-Return key on your keyboard does not exit the text editing mode, nor
O does clicking the mouse. As long as the DOSSIER button is active, all
W normal keyboard input is interpreted as text editing.
  
S KEYBOARD NOTE: Since keypresses in dossier mode are interpreted as text
K entry into the dossier, to use any of the normal screen buttons in this
I mode, hold down the Alternate key on your keyboard while pressing the
D indicated letter, such as pressing Alt + T to switch back to traits mode.
  The alternate key is not necessary when using the function keys for buttons
R on the Upper Bar.
O 
W MOUSE NOTE: Clicking the mouse on existing dossier/briefing text jumps the
  text editing cursor to that location. If you click where no text has been
S typed, the cursor will not jump to that location.
K 
I There are two text editing modes, overtype and insert. The default setting
D when you first enter panel 202 is for overtype mode. The current mode is
  determined by the status of the two buttons to the right of the dossier
R text field. Only one of them can be active at any one time.
O 
W INSERT (Alt + I)
  
S If this is highlighted, when you move the cursor into the midst of existing
K text and begin typing, text in inserted at the cursor position, pushing
I existing text to the right. If the end of the existing text being "pushed"
D hits the physical end/limit of the dossier text field, the last "word" (a
  group of characters with no spaces within) will be deleted. To prevent the
R loss of the end of your dossier you will have to delete some existing text
O first, move the cursor to another location, or switch to overtype mode
W (below).
  
S OVER (Alt + O)
K 
I If this is highlighted, when you move the cursor into the midst of existing
D text and begin typing, the text you type replaces existing text,
  overwriting it.
R 
O Finally, in the MISSION BRIEFING editor (015) there is a DONE (Alt + D)
W button below the insert and overtype mode controls. This button is used to
  exit to the MISSION panel (206).
S 
K Additional notes on text editor operation:
I 
D The arrow/cursor keys can send the text editing cursor up, down, left or
  right. The only limitation is that you cannot cursor out into "blank" space
R where no characters or spaces have been typed.
O 
W Word-wrap is automatic. If the word you are typing reaches the end of the
  current line and will not fit, it is automatically "wrapped" around to the
S next line.
K 
I Enter/Return puts a "hard-Return" at the end of the current line and forces
D the cursor to the next line down.
  
R The Backspace key deletes text to the left of the-cursor.
O 
W The Delete key does nothing.
  
S The numbers and decimal point/period on the numeric keypad are not usable
K (although the 2,4,6 and 8 keys are used as cursor keys).
I 
D The text which appears in this editor is purely uppercase, thus the status
  of the Shift and CapsLock keys have no effect on the case of letters.
R 
O Although most standard characters and punctuation are supported, the
W following symbols are unavailable:
  
S    @ # $ ^ & = | < > { }
K 
I There is no provision for importing external text files as dossiers.
D 
  While the proportionally spaced text makes the dossier nicer looking, its
R main drawback is that it forces the program to do lots of recalculations
O every time a character is inserted or deleted, as it must do a lot of
W redrawing. Therefore, the dossier editor can get quite sluggish if you're
  backspacing or inserting text in a fairly "full" dossier.
S 
K Because of the proportional spacing, the maximum number of characters
I possible in a single dossier is variable.
D 
  
R 
O                   PART VIII: THE INTERLOCKING GAME SYSTEM
W 
  Overview
S 
K The Interlocking Game System (herein referred to as IGS) is an innovative
I new approach to computer games. IGS Games are capable of working with one
D another, appearing to the player to be a single game.
  
R Rules of Engagement (hereafter referred to as Rules) is an IGS controlling
O module.  It is, in effect, the starting point for your characters.  Rules
W will automatically load and run other IGS games when the game conditions
  warrant.
S 
K Requirements
I 
D The only special requirement to run the IGS system is a hard drive.
  Unfortunately, running such a complex and intertwined system as IGS just
R does not work smoothly on a floppy based system.
O 
W Breach 2
  
S As of this writing, the game Breach 2 is the other game in the IGS series.
K You will need Breach 2 version 2.0 or higher (the version number is shown
I on the title screen of the game). When installing Rules, you will have the
D option of installing the IGS links. This procedure requires your original
  Breach 2 disks and will actually copy Breach 2 into the same directory of
R your hard disk that contains Rules.
O 
W Some Rules missions contain "WIGS Links", meaning that there is at least
  one enemy ship or outpost that is linked to a Breach 2 scenario (included
S with the mission). When attempting to board the ship or outpost, the game
K will bypass the normal boarding screen (panel 401) and instead, load
I Breach 2 and the scenario. No additional interaction is required on your
D part!  Your Fleet Commander will act as the Squad Leader for the mission.
  All experience gained in the mission is transferred back to Rules and saved
R in your Fleet Commander's record.
O 
W The scenario can be saved in progress if you desire. Once you resume the
  mission, Rules will automatically reload Breach 2 and resume the scenario.
S When the scenario is complete, you will return to Rules right where you
K left off.
I 
D The Future
  
R More IGS modules are planned in the future. Under consideration are modules
O to simulate planetary assaults, and a module permitting you to explore and
W colonize uncharted space.
  
S 
K 
I                   APPENDIX I: ALL ABOUT FLEET COMMANDERS
D 
  Fleet Commander characters are created by you, the user, and act as your
R alter-ego in the game.  You can create as many Fleet Commanders as you
O like, although playing consistently with one or two will probably increase
W the rate at which promotions are achieved.
  
S      NOTE: If your Feet Commander is killed in a mission the character
K            is not erased from the disk. The mission is simply
I            logged as a "mission loss" in the character's stats.
D 
  Your overall objective is to advance your Fleet Commander. This is
R accomplished by successfully completing missions, which raises the total
O score for the Commander. When certain scores are reached, the Commander is
W promoted (see Scores below).
  
S Moving up through the ranks is very important.  Fleet Commanders who have
K not reached particular ranks will not be allowed to command missions where
I the flagship is a large warship.  For instance, in order to command a heavy
D cruiser class flagship, your Fleet Commander must have a rank of at least
  1st Lieutenant.
R 
O Following is a listing of flagship classes and the minimum rank a Fleet
W Commander must have in order to assume command.
  
S       Flagship Class      Minimum Rank
K       Transport           Ensign
I       Scout               Ensign
D       Destroyer           Ensign
        Cruiser             Ensign
R       Heavy Cruiser       1st Lieutenant
O       Dreadnought         Commander
W 
  When a game has been started, the Fleet Commander chosen for the game is
S removed from the "available" list, and his/her name is followed by a N/A
K (Not-Available) flag.  Until the game in question is completed or deleted,
I that Commander will not be usable. This is to prevent the character from
D being used in multiple games at the same time, which would cause problems
  when, the character completed the missions. After all, how could anyone
R command two Flagships in two different locales at the same time?!
O 
W Creating Commanders and Importing Others
  
S From the GAME/MISSION 101 panel you can create, examine and delete Fleet
K Commanders characters (this is covered in detail in Part V of this manual),
I as well as import Breach 2 Squad Leaders as Commanders (covered in Appendix
D VI). All Fleet Commanders are stored in a file called RULES.CMD. It is
  possible to import other RULES.CMD files and add the Commanders in that
R file to your own list. See Appendix VI for details on how to import .CMD
O files.
W 
  WARNING!  Deleting or overwriting the RULES.CMD file erases all Fleet
S           Commanders you have created.
K 
I Character Stats
D 
  Each Fleet Commander has his/her own set of statistics.  There are two
R categories of stats for each Commander, 'Mission' and 'Squad Level'.
O Mission stats are related to the commander's performance in Rules of
W Engagement missions. Mission stats are:
  
S SCORE
K 
I Each mission attempted results in a score, which is added to the total
D score from all missions attempted by the Commander.
  
R ATTEMPTED
O 
W The total number of missions the Commander has attempted so far.
  
S BATTLE TIME
K 
I The total time the Commander has spent in missions; listed in hours.
D 
  VICTORIES
R 
O The total number of missions the Commander has successfully completed.
W 
  LOSSES
S 
K The total number of missions the Commander has failed to complete.
I 
D SHIPS LOST
  
R The total number of Federated Worlds starships lost in battle in missions
O commanded by the Commander.
W 
  KILLS
S 
K The total number of enemy vessels captured/destroyed in missions led by the
I Commander.
D 
  The Squad Level stats relate to the boarding of enemy ships and Outposts.
R The first six stats (encumbrance, base moves, bonus moves, accuracy,
O cracking, and detecting) come into play only if the Interlocking Game
W System (IGS) is used to access Breach 2 when boarding enemy ships and
  Outposts. These stats relate specifically to Breach 2 action and have no
S effect in Rules of Engagement itself. (See Part VIII of this manual for
K more information about IGS and Breach 2.) The remaining six Squad Level
I stats are affected by both Breach 2 and the built-in marine-combat routines
D of Rules of Engagement. These stats are:
  
R SQUAD BATTLES
O 
W The total number of squad battles the Commander has attempted thus far.
  
S SQUAD VICTORIES
K 
I The total number of successful squad battles the Commander has led thus
D far.
  
R SQUAD LOSSES
O 
W The total number of unsuccessful squad battles the Commander has led
  thus far.
S 
K SQUAD TIME
I 
D The total time (in minutes) the Commander has spent leading squads.
  
R SQUAD LEVEL KILLS
O 
W The total number of enemies killed by the Commander (himself) in squad
  missions thus far.
S 
K MARINES LOST
I 
D The total number of FWSF marines under the Commander who were killed in
  squad battles thus far.
R 
O Score
W 
  At the end of each mission the Commander receives a mission score, which
S is appended to the character's total score.
K 
I The mission score is based upon mission performance. For instance,
D sustaining crew casualties, damage, and destruction of Federated Worlds
  ships, and enemy takeovers of FW Outposts all have negative effects on the
R mission score. On the other hand, if the Commander's forces destroy enemy
O ships, or capture enemy ships and Outposts, the score is effected
W positively.
  
S      HINT: Capturing enemy vessels yields more points than simply
K            destroying them.
I 
D Promotions
  
R A Fleet Commander is promoted in rank when his/her score reaches certain
O levels. Promotions are based on score.
W 
       Rank               Minimum Score
S 
K      Ensign                   0
I      2nd Lieutenant         150
D      1st Lieutenant         300
       Lieutenant Commander   500
R      Commander              800
O      Captain              1,100
W      Commodore            1,800
       Rear Admiral         2,700
S      Vice Admiral         3,400
K      Admiral              4,100
I      Fleet Admiral        5,000
D 
  Commendations
R 
O In addition to being promoted through the ranks, your Fleet Commanders can
W also receive commendations for their actions. There are six medals that can
  be awarded, and any commander can have multiples of each. The medals are
S displayed when you examine a Fleet Commander from either the GAME/MISSION
K panel or when you check the Commander's docket from DATA RETRIEVAL within
I the game. Medals are as listed below and awarded in the circumstances
D following.
  
R FW CROSS
O 
W Awarded when, in a single mission, at least 3 enemy Outposts or 8 enemy
  ships are captured or destroyed.
S 
K DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
I 
D Awarded once every 40 enemy ships losses.
  
R PURPLE HEART
O 
W Awarded when, upon returning from a mission, the Fleet Commander's ship
  suffered more than 50% crew loss.
S 
K DISTINGUISHED CAREER CLUSTER
I 
D Awarded every 20 victorious missions.
  
R FW MEDAL OF HONOR
O 
W Awarded for every 500 points of score.
  
S 
K 
I                        APPENDIX II: OPPOSING FORCES
D            (were pictures here. You want them, go BUY the game!)
  
R UDP/Enemy Fleet Ship List
O 
W      Part           Numbers
       Communication    1
S      Drives           1
K      Life             1
I      Shields          1
D      Computer         1
       Weapons          1
R 
O Class:   Transport        Crew Compliment: 26
W Length:  390 Meters       Manufacturer:    Dorner-Chapman
  Beam:    247 Meters       Classification:  Goods and Passenger Transport
S Draught: 196 Meters
K 
I      Part           Numbers
D      Communication    1
       Computer         2
R      Drives           2
O      Life             1
W      Shields          1
       Weapons          2
S 
K Class:   Scout            Crew Compliment: 53
I Length:  125 Meters       Manufacturer:    Vaccusys
D Beam:    41 Meters        Classification:  Research and Exploration
  Draught: 40 Meters
R 
O      Part           Numbers
W      Communication    2
       Computer         1
S      Drives           2
K      Life             2
I      Shields          2
D      Weapons          3
  
R Class:   Destroyer        Crew Compliment: 79
O Length:  125 Meters       Manufacturer:    DuBois Autoengineering Company
W Beam:    50 Meters        Classification:  Warship
  Draught: 49 Meters
S 
K      Part           Numbers
I      Communication    2
D      Computer         3
       Drives           3
R      Life             2
O      Shields          3
W      Weapons          4
  
S Class:   Cruiser          Crew Compliment: 84
K Length:  143 Meters       Manufacturer:    GordCon Aero-Astro
I Beam:    54 Meters        Classification:  Warship
D Draught: 67 Meters
  
R 
O      Part           Numbers
W      Communication  Unknown
       Computer         4
S      Drives           4
K      Life             2
I      Shields          4
D      Weapons          4
  
R Class:   Heavy Cruiser    Crew Compliment: Unknown
O Length:  206 Meters       Manufacturer:    Vaccusys/GordCon Aero-Astro
W Beam:    137 Meters       Classification:  Warship
  Draught: 82 Meters
S 
K      Part           Numbers
I      Communication    3
D      Computer       Unknown
       Drives           5
R      Life           Unknown
O      Shields          5
W      Weapons          5
  
S Class:   Dreadnought      Crew Compliment: Unknown
K Length:  338 Meters       Manufacturer:    Classified
I Beam:    140 Meters       Classification:  Warship
D Draught: 125 Meters
  
R 
O Enemy Parts Lists
W 
  The following are lists of parts for the six different system on board the
S ships.
K 
I      NOTE: The following information is listed for each part in
D            each system. Most systems have other information that
             will be described in each section.
R 
O DP's   Damage points the system can incur.
W        The more DP's, the stronger the part.
  Soph   Sophistication level of the part.
S Size   The size factor of each part.
K 
I Life Support System Parts List
D 
  #    Type              DP's    Soph   Size
R 
O 1    Enemy Type 1       6      33      1
W 2    Enemy Type 2      14      56      3
  3    Enemy Type 3      25      95      4
S 
K 
I Communications System Parts List
D 
  #    Type             OP's  Soph  Size  Max Inf  Base Sig  Scan Radius
R 
O 1    Enemy Type 1      5     35    1      22       38          39
W 2    Enemy Type 2      6     56    3      51       62         153
  3    Enemy Type 3     18     90    5      95       97         230
S 
K Notes:
I 
D "Max Inf" is the maximum interference level that the part can experience
  and still transmit.
R 
O "Base Sig" is the base signal strength. The higher number indicates a
W stronger transmitter.
  
S "Scan Radius" is the maximum range of the scanner in millions of
K kilometers.
I 
D Computer System Parts List
  
R #    Type           OP's    Soph   Size
O 
W 1    Enemy Type 1    5       39     5
  2    Enemy Type 2   12       42     6
S 3    Enemy Type 3   21       76     8
K 4    Enemy Type 4   34       98     4
I 
D Shield System Parts List
  
R DP Blockage
O #    Type             DP's   Soph   Size   1   2   3   4
W 
  1    Enemy Type 1     15      63      3    2   2   2   2
S 2    Enemy Type 2     21      68      6    9   8   8   6
K 3    Enemy Type 3     26      72     11   15  12  12   8
I 4    Enemy Type 4     41      85     12   18  15  15  12
D 5    Enemy Type 5     53      98     14   32  24  24  11
  
R Notes:
O 
W "DP Blockage" is the number of damage points that will be blocked by each
  of the 4 shields.
S 
K Drive System Parts List
I 
D #    Type            DP's   Soph   Size   Max velocity  Acceleration
  
R 1    Enemy Type 1     6      73     1       0.42           0.013
O 2    Enemy Type 2     9      76     5       0.64           0.047
W 3    Enemy Type 3    21      83     4       0.87           0.089
  4    Enemy Type 4    32      86     8       0.92           0.103
S 5    Enemy Type 5    43      94    11       0.98           0.093
K 
I Notes:
D 
  "Max Velocity" is listed as a percentage of light-speed.
R 
O "Acceleration" is listed in units of light-speed per second per second
W 
  Weapons System Parts List
S 
K Maximum Missiles
I 
D #    Type           DP's  Soph  Size   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8  EBW
  
R 1    Enemy Type l    4     42     2    5   1   1   0   0   0   0   0   13
O 2    Enemy Type 2   12     49     6    4   3   1   2   0   0   0   0   15
W 3    Enemy Type 3   22     63    13    6   6   2   4   2   0   0   0   21
  4    Enemy Type 4   37     79     8   10  10   8   9   3   2   2   0   32
S 5    Enemy Type 5   43     90    11   14  10  12  12   8   3   3   2   41
K 
I Notes:
D 
  "Maximum Missiles" lists the maximum number of each type of missile that
R can be carried.
O 
W "EBW" lists the damage points inflicted by the EBW at 100% power.
  
S 
K 
I                  APPENDIX III: FW SHIP STATS & PARTS LISTS
D 
  FW Ship List
R 
O 
W      Maximum Sizes for Parts
       Communication    2
S      Computer         5
K      Drives           2
I      Life             2
D      Shields          4
       Weapons          3
R 
O Class:   Transport        Crew Compliment: 38
W Length:  450 Meters       Manufacturer:    DuBois Autoengineering Company
  Beam:    173 Meters       Classification:  Goods and Passenger Transport
S Draught: 173 Meters
K 
I      Maximum Sizes for Parts
D      Communication    3
       Computer         6
R      Drives           4
O      Life             2
W      Shields          8
       Weapons          8
S 
K Class:   Scout            Crew Compliment: 61
I Length:  108 Meters       Manufacturer:    YopCo Astronautics Division
D Beam:    39 Meters        Classification:  Research and Exploration
  Draught: 39 Meters
R 
O      Maximum Sizes for Parts
W      Communications   4
       Computer         6
S      Drives           7
K      Life             3
I      Shields         11 
D      Weapons          8
  
R Class:   Destroyer        Crew Compliment: 67
O Length:  170 Meters       Manufacturer:    YopCo Astronautics Division
W Beam:    55 Meters        Classification:  Search and Destroy
  Draught: 49 Meters
S 
K      Maximum Sizes for Parts
I      Communication    5
D      Computer         7
       Drives          14
R      Life             3
O      Shields         16
W      Weapons          9
  
S Class:   Cruiser          Crew Compliment: 91
K Length:  225 Meters       Manufacturer:    Woden
I Beam:    115 Meters       Classification:  Exploration and Defense
D Draught: 52 Meters
  
R      Maximum Sizes for Parts
O      Communication    5
W      Computer        12
       Drives          14
S      Life             4
K      Shields         18
I      Weapons         10
D 
  Class:   Heavy Cruiser    Crew Compliment: 109
R Length:  250 Meters       Manufacturer:    Woden
O Beam:    130 Meters       Classification:  Warship
W Draught: 52 Meters
  
S      Maximum Sizes for Parts
K      Communication    8
I      Computer        13
D      Drives          16
       Life             5
R      Shields         20
O      Weapons         11
W 
  Class:   Dreadnought      Crew Compliment: 134
S Length:  303 Meters       Manufacturer:    Classified
K Beam:    141 Meters       Classification:  Warship
I Draught: 81 Meters
D 
  FW Parts Lists
R 
O The following are lists of parts for the six different system on board the
W ships.
  
S      NOTE: The following information is listed for each part in each
K            system. Most systems have other information that will be
I            described in each section.
D 
  DP's   Damage points the system can incur. The more DP's, the
R        stronger the part.
O Soph   Sophistication level of the part.
W Size   The size factor of each part.
  
S Life Support System Parts List
K 
I #    Type                        DP's   Soph  Size
D 
  1    Yopcompany Cli-Mate 3        8      45     2
R 2    Gas Technology AF #4        12      78     3
O 3    Franklin Lab Zonemaster     21      94     4
W 
  
S Communications System Parts List
K 
I #    Type                  DP's  Soph  Size Max Inf  Base Sig  Scan Radius
D 
  1    Thuke XX               4     33     2     20        47        47
R 2    Giaperelli Marconi II 11     60     5     57        73       137
O 3    Psion WF2l64          24     94     7     92        99       203
W 
  Notes:
S 
K "Max Inf" is the maximum interference level that the part can experience
I and still transmit.
D 
  "Base Sig" is the base signal strength. The higher number indicates a
R stronger transmitter.
O 
W "Scan Radius" is the maximum range of the scanner in millions of
  kilometers.
S 
K Computer System Parts List
I 
D #    Type                        DP's    Soph   Size
  
R 1    Alkis 22/3                  13       45      5
O 2    Gedinex Mica                 7       58      5
W 3    Intellect 500               17       81      7
  4    Intelligence Engine Mark 2  29       97     10
S 
K Shield System Parts List
I DP Blockage
D #    Type                       DP's  Soph  Size    1   2   3   4
  
R 1    Hinto/KotoCo DF1           18     70     4     3   3   3   2
O 2    Voltac Group Gen 9         18     62     8     9   5   5   4
W 3    Deflect Technologies M/20  28     67    10    12  10  10  12
  4    Franklin Lab Lodi          38     81    15    19   8   8  18
S 5    Woden Plate ++             49     97    16    25  17  17  25
K 
I Notes:
D 
  "DP Blockage" is the number of damage points that will be blocked by each
R of the 4 shields.
O 
W 
  Drive System Parts List
S 
K #    Type               DP's      Soph   Size  Max velocity   Acceleration
I 
D 1    Rynox BTB           5         71      2      0.47           0.011
  2    Vromus 830/2       14         79      4      0.68           0.050
R 3    Hinto/Koto Co 2    25         84      5      0.85           0.092
O 4    AthikTech 100-32   32         89     12      0.90           0.067
W 5    Franklin Lab Oyabe 41         98     12      0.99           0.101
  
S Notes:
K 
I "Max Velocity" is listed as a percentage of light-speed.
D 
  "Acceleration" is listed in units of light-speed per second per second.
R 
O Weapons System Parts List
W 
  Maximum Missiles
S #    Type                 DP's Soph  Size   1   2   3  4  5  6  7  8  EBW
K 
I 1    Zeus Penetrator Mk2   9    46     3    3   3   1  0  0  0  0   0   11
D 2    Sunstorm HF4         15    56     7    3   3   2  2  0  0  0   0   21
  3    Sunstorm HF5         24    67     9    5   5   4  4  3  0  1   0  321
R 4    Woden EBW ++         34    78     9    8   8   6  6  6  4  5   0   36
O 5    Woden Arma IX        45    92    11   12  12  14  8  9  9  S   2   44
W 
  Notes:
S 
K "Maximum Missiles" lists the maximum number of each type of missile that
I can be carried.
D 
  "EBW" lists the damage points inflicted by the EBW at 100% power.
R 
O 
W 
                          APPENDIX IV: MISSILE TYPES
S 
K Federated Worlds Armed Forces Missile Types
I 
D #   Name              Soph  Damage  Accur  Accel  Range   Description
  
R 1   PN Pritchard SBR   39    n/a      78   0.040   8.00   Damages shields
O                                                           up to 5 dp
W 2   Melbourne FU8      43     42      92   0.068  27.50   General damage
  3   Giaperelli Fu9     49     64      84   0.098  13.00   General damage
S 4   Franklin Lab FE    54    n/a      80   0.058  26.50   Anti-Personnel
K 5   Woden FE           63    n/a      86   0.190   9.50   Anti-Personnel
I 6   Thiodyne P/PO      78     96      71   0.164  13.00   Targets drive
D                                                           system
  7   Woden Nova         87    122      62   0.184  12.00   General damage
R 8   Iliya Nova         95    148      46   0.226   5.00   General damage
O 
W UDP / Enemy Missile Types
  
S #    Name             Soph  Damage  Accur  Accel  Range   Description
K 
I 1    Type 1            32     52      81   0.032   9.80   General damage
D 2    Type 2            48    n/a      69   0.064  19.20   Anti-Personnel
  3    Type 3            51    n/a      72   0.106  25.30   Damages shields up
R                                                           to 5 dp
O 4    Type 4            59     84      87   0.098  29.50   General Damage
W 5    Type 5            65    n/a      91   0.158  10.50   Anti-Personnel
  6    Type 6            71     74      79   0.170   8.30   Targets weapon
S                                                           system
K 7    Type 7            73     84      75   0.174  15.20   Targets drive
I                                                           systems
D 8    Type 8            92    142      58   0.214   7.40   General damage
  
R Notes:
O 
W Accuracy is measured in percentage chance of hit.
  
S Acceleration is measured in light-speed per second per second.
K 
I Ranges given are in the duration of fuel aboard (measured in seconds).
D 
  
R 
O                        APPENDIX V: PANEL ID NUMBERS
W 
  The following is a listing of every panel, subpanel and usurper box in
S Rules of Engagement.  When a 000 series usurper box's description is
K followed by a number in parentheses, as in (202), that number indicates the
I panel number the usurper is linked to.
D 
  000   Program Info box (100).
R 001   Standard alert box (any).
O 002   Create/Edit Star/Planet/Outpost box (205).
W 003   Create/Edit Asteroid Field box (205).
  004   Centered Item Info box (205/206).
S 005   Add/Edit/Remove Ship selector (206).
K 006   Examine Captain/Enemy Docket box (206).
I 007   FW & Enemy Ship damage/armament editor/list (206).
D 008   Fleet Commander Info (101).
  009   Create Fleet Commander box  (101).
R 010   Name Game/Set Difficulty box (101).
O       Also Select/Edit Path for Importing Breach 2 Squad Leaders (101).
W 011   Center view box (206).
  012   Set Objectives/Victory Conditions box (206).
S 013   Item selector (205/206).
K 014   Mission & Author Name, Difficulty, Change System box (206).
I 015   Mission Briefing (206).
D 100   MAIN MENU bar          Help, Game Info, and Quit controls.
  101   GAME/MISSION           Access to game sections.
R 202   CAPTAINS               FW Captain creator/editor.
O 203   SHIPS                  FW Ship creator/editor.
W 204   ENEMY                  Enemy race/force creator/editor.
  205   SOLAR SYSTEM           System editor/creator.
S 206   MISSION                Mission editor/creator.
K 300   MASTER CONTROL         Main flagship controls, icons to access
I                              all main panels, and save-game controls;
D                              chronometer and time passage controls.
  301   NAVIGATION             Flagship's navigation controls.
R 302   COMMUNICATIONS         Flagship's communication system.
O 303   TACTICAL               Flagship's weaponry, defense, and
W                              tactical maneuvering controls.
  304   DATA RETRIEVAL         Flagship's computer, accessing fleet and
S                              ship status, damage control, captain and
K                              enemy dockets, mission briefing,
I                              objectives and evaluation.
D 401   MARINE DEPLOYMENT      Marine boarding status (303).
  
R 
O 
W         APPENDIX VI: IMPORTING COMMANDERS, CAPTAINS, SYSTEMS, ETC.
  
S Converting Breach 2 Squad Leaders
K 
I If you own a copy of Breach 2, you can convert your existing Squad Leaders
D into Rules of Engagement Fleet Commanders. From the main game panel (101),
  select FLEET CMDR. The list of existing Fleet Commanders will appear, along
R with a bar of button selections. Activate the CONVERT (V) button. A usurper
O box will appear (010), allowing you to enter the path name where your
W Breach 2 Squad Leaders exist.
  
S If you are playing on floppy disks, you will (prior to running Rules of
K Engagement) want to copy the Squad Leaders to your data disk (disk 4 for
I 5.25" players, disk 2 for 3.5" players) to prevent having to swap disks.
D 
       NOTE: Breach 2 Squad Leaders are stored in files with the file
R            extension .B2L; ie - NAME.B2L.
O 
W Use EDIT PATH (P) if you wish to alter the path to another directory. A
  text editing frame and cursor (see Text Editing Fields in Part IV for
S details on operation) appears around the current pathname, allowing you to
K alter it. If you are satisfied with the current path, or finished editing
I the pathname and wish to continue with the importing action, use the DONE
D (D) button. If you have second thoughts, press ABORT (A) to return to panel
  101.
R 
O For each Squad Leader found in the selected path, a "Create Fleet
W Commander" box (009) will appear, allowing you to modify the name and
  select the appearance of the Fleet Commander (see Part V for details on the
S operation of the "Create Fleet Commander" box).
K 
I At any time during the importation process you may use the ABORT (A) button
D on the 009 box to stop importing Squad Leaders. If you do this, the process
  will be aborted, and the currently displayed Breach 2 Squad Leader and all
R others not already converted will not be added to your Fleet Commander
O list.
W 
  Transferring Builder Items
S 
K All of the builder elements (Fleet Commanders, Captains, Enemies, Ships,
I Solar Systems, and Missions) are stored in separate data files. With the
D exception of missions, all items of a single type are combined into one
  data file. These file names are as follows:
R 
O       RULES.CMD     Fleet Commanders
W       RULES.CAP     Ship Captains
        RULES.EMY     Enemy Races
S       RULES.FLT     Fleet Ships
K       RULES.SOL     Solar Systems
I 
D Missions are stored in separate files with the file extension .MIS.
  
R Rules of Engagement provides a way you can add builder items from a
O friend's game, or items you download from a modem. Upon running the game,
W the program will look for files named XFER.CMD, XFER.CAP, XFER.EMY,
  XFER.FLT, and XFER.SOL. If it finds one or more of these files, it will
S merge the contents of the file with the main data file of the same type 
K (ie - merging XFER.CAP with the current RULES.CAP). The "XFER" file will
I then be deleted.
D 
  For instance, suppose you want to give a copy of your enemy races file to a
R friend of yours who also owns a copy of the game. Make a copy of your
O RULES.EMY file, renaming it XFER.EMY. Send the file to him and have him
W copy it onto his disk that contains his copy of RULES.EMY. When he runs the
  program, your enemy races will be merged with his.
S 
K Note that duplicate entries in any of the data files will result if both
I the "RULES" and "XFER" files contain the same item. This will not cause any
D problem with the game, but you may want to delete such duplicate entries.
  
R CAUTION!  Just because two items have the same name does not mean they are
O identical. Examine each item before deleting it. Two alien races are both
W called Martians and two ships are both named Shalmanseer could actually be
  quite dissimilar. In other cases, the items are virtually identical, but
S one has been edited slightly. In such cases, we recommend editing one of
K the duplicate items to change its name, simply to avoid confusion. In cases
I where there items are exact duplicates, it's best to delete one of them.
D 
  Since missions are stored in separate files, you do not need to follow this
R procedure to transfer missions. Simply copy the new MS files onto your disk
O containing your original mission files (disk 4 for 5.25" players, disk 2
W for 3.5" players, or your hard disk directory containing the game).
  
S  Btw, there may be mistakes; it took us long enough to edit it as much as
K             we did! Just be glad that we did this much for you!
I 
D
 
R 
O                               Mictlantecuhtli/Skid Row-Amiga
W

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