Battlecruiser 3000AD
v1.00, 5 August 2003
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3 0 0 0 A D
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Battlecruiser 3000AD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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CONTENTS
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1. Preface
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- 1.1 Credits and Legal
- 1.2 Version
- 1.3 Notes
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2. Introduction
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- 2.1 What is the game?
- 2.2 Who developed Battlecruiser 3000AD?
- 2.3 What are the minimum requirements?
- 2.4 What different versions are there? How can I tell what version I have?
- 2.5 Where can I get the game, patches and manual?
- 2.6 Why so many versions? Did it really take ten years to develop? Tell me
some history...
- 2.7 What about the flame war?
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3. Tutorial
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- 3.1 Introduction
- 3.2 Interface familiarisation
- 3.3 Basic navigation and flight
- 3.4 Logistics
- 3.5 Basic combat
- 3.6 Fleet operations
- 3.7 Shuttles and cargo
- 3.8 Trading
- 3.9 Planetary operations
- 3.10 Station capture
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4. Gameplay
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4.1 Flight
- 4.1.1 Is there a map showing all flux field links?
- 4.1.2 Are there any hidden planets?
- 4.1.3 Can I automatically plot a route via flux fields?
- 4.1.4 Why am I stuck in space? How do I leave nullspace?
- 4.1.5 How much fuel is used by hyperspace jumps?
- 4.1.6 I ran out of fuel and have lost control of my ship. What can I do?
- 4.1.7 Do afterburners and retrorockets use extra fuel?
- 4.1.8 How do I orbit a planet? What's ORBSCAN?
- 4.1.9 Can I stop my autopilot bumping into other ships?
4.2 Space Operations
- 4.2.1 Why can't I manually aim turrets upwards?
- 4.2.2 Can I completely destroy stations and ODSs?
- 4.2.3 What does the Minelay order do?
- 4.2.4 Do AI ships break the speed limit?
- 4.2.5 Can I capture enemy ships? Can I beam troops onto them?
- 4.2.6 Why does Fleet Command and Control not work?
- 4.2.7 When using Fleet Command and Control I ordered a ship to return to a
station. Why can I not re-launch it?
4.3 Crew and Support Craft
- 4.3.1 How can I stop intruders stealing shuttles and interceptors?
- 4.3.2 What does the airlock do?
- 4.3.3 How do I raise crew AI level?
- 4.3.4 Why don't my crew stay off-duty when I tell them to rest?
- 4.3.5 Why won't my crew leave the galley?
- 4.3.6 Why don't the deploy and collect orders work when issued from the
Tactical Launch Menu?
- 4.3.7 Why does my shuttle not deploy the ATV?
- 4.3.8 How do I replace a destroyed mining drone?
- 4.3.9 Can I buy a new ship?
- 4.3.10 How do I recover a support craft that is so damaged it cannot move?
- 4.3.11 Why do support craft not recharge?
- 4.3.12 How do I switch between interceptor pilot seats?
4.4 Cargo and Trade
- 4.4.1 How do I find things in Debris Fields?
- 4.4.2 Can I sell or hide illegal items?
- 4.4.3 How are trade prices calculated?
- 4.4.4 How do I steal cargo or artifacts?
- 4.4.5 Can I unload all my mining drones whilst in station?
4.5 Planetary Operations
- 4.5.1 Why do my Battlecruiser's sensors not work correctly close to the
surface?
- 4.5.2 Where are the starbases?
- 4.5.3 Can I dock at starbases?
- 4.5.4 How can I move a waypoint which has been placed below ground?
- 4.5.5 Why don't my OTS weapons hit?
- 4.5.6 How can I assure I make planet-fall on the light side of the planet?
4.6 Other
- 4.6.1 Can I communicate with other races?
- 4.6.2 Why does the game start on the 4th April?
- 4.6.3 Can violations be cleared?
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5. Techniques and Strategies
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- 5.1 Fast flight
- 5.2 Remote piloting
- 5.3 Battlecruiser or Interceptors...?
- 5.4 Battlecruiser combat
- 5.5 Destroying capital ships
- 5.6 Interceptor combat
- 5.7 Starstation attack
- 5.8 Ground attack
- 5.9 Mining
- 5.10 Trading
- 5.11 Salvage
- 5.12 Crew
- 5.13 Advancing time
- 5.14 Upgrades
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6. Advanced Campaign
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6.1 Introduction
- 6.1.1 Terminology and campaign structure
- 6.1.2 Objectives and rewards
- 6.1.3 Artifacts and upgrades
- 6.1.4 The AI problem
- 6.1.5 General notes
6.2 TOD1 M1/5 - Diplomatic Escort (Majoris)
- 6.2.1 Overview
- 6.2.2 Events
- 6.2.3 Artifact: Hyperion Subspace Device
- 6.2.4 Strategy
6.3 TOD1 M2/5 - Diplomatic Security (Majoris)
- 6.3.1 Overview
- 6.3.2 Events
- 6.3.3 Strategy
6.4 TOD1 M3/5 - Diplomatic Escort (Majoris)
- 6.4.1 Overview
- 6.4.2 Events
- 6.4.3 Strategy
6.5 TOD1 M4/5 - Operation Hostile Takeover (Zerin)
- 6.5.1 Overview
- 6.5.2 Events
- 6.5.3 Strategy
- 6.5.4 Fleet Command and Control
6.6 TOD1 M5/5 - Operation Grab (DaisyMae)
- 6.5.1 Overview
- 6.5.2 Events
- 6.5.3 Strategy
- 6.5.4 Artifact: Tacyon Anagram Shield
- 6.5.5 Artifact: Celestial Orb
6.7 TOD2 M1/5 - Tactical Operation (Empirian Raiders)
- 6.7.1 Overview
- 6.7.2 Events
- 6.7.3 Strategy
6.8 TOD2 M2/5 - Evacuation (Starball)
- 6.8.1 Overview
- 6.8.2 Events
- 6.8.3 Strategy
- 6.8.4 Why does the Vagrant not appear?
6.9 TOD2 M3/5 - Hostage Rescue (Pixan)
- 6.9.1 Overview
- 6.9.2 Events
- 6.9.3 Strategy
6.10 TOD2 M4/5 - Operation Star Strike (Sygan)
- 6.10.1 Overview
- 6.10.2 Events
- 6.10.3 Why didn't I get Fleet Command and Control?
- 6.10.4 Strategy
6.11 TOD2 M5/5 - Operation Ghosthunt (Reingard)
- 6.11.1 Overview
- 6.11.2 Events
- 6.11.3 Strategy
- 6.11.4 Artifact: Enhanced Nav Module
6.12 TOD3 M1/5 - Planetary Strike (Moon)
- 6.12.1 Overview
- 6.12.2 Events
- 6.12.3 Strategy
6.13 TOD3 M2/5 - Search and Destroy (Covert Fleet)
- 6.13.1 Overview
- 6.13.2 Events
- 6.13.3 Strategy
- 6.13.4 Artifact: Karanian Mark IV Reactor
6.14 TOD3 M3/5 - Tactical Strike (Antis)
- 6.14.1 Overview
- 6.14.2 Events
- 6.14.3 Strategy
- 6.14.4 Artifact: Trans-Matrix Cloaking Device
6.15 TOD3 M4/5 - Defense Shield (Starpath)
- 6.15.1 Overview
- 6.15.2 Events
- 6.15.3 Strategy
6.16 TOD3 M5/5 - Tactical Escort (Falkerie)
- 6.16.1 Overview
- 6.16.2 Events
- 6.16.3 Strategy
- 6.16.4 Artifact: Phased Array Ion Disruptor
- 6.16.5 Artifact: Just Another Cyborg
6.17 TOD4 M1/1 - Tactical Strike (Gammulan)
- 6.17.1 Overview
- 6.17.2 Events
- 6.17.3 Strategy
- 6.17.4 Artifacts: RANDOM and RANDOM Decoder
- 6.17.5 What now?
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7. Xtreme Carnage
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- 7.1 Introduction
- 7.2 Level 1: Fighter Intercept
- 7.3 Level 2: Fighter Intercept
- 7.4 Level 3: Transport Attack
- 7.5 Level 4: Cruiser Strike
- 7.6 Level 5: Deep Strike
- 7.7 Level 6: Tactical Support
- 7.8 Level 7: Tactical Strike
- 7.9 Level 8: Fleet Intercept
- 7.10 Level 9: Command Intercept
- 7.11 Level 10: Final Conflict
- 7.12 Bonus Level
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8. Editing and Cheating
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- 8.1 How do I cheat?
- 8.2 How do I install custom scripts?
- 8.3 What's the GBS?
- 8.4 Got any GBS tips?
- 8.5 Can I play without enemies?
- 8.6 Can I play as an Insurgent? Are there other ACMs?
- 8.7 Can I change the player's ship type?
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9. Technical Issues
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- 9.1 Have you got any tips getting BC3K to run under Windows ME, 2000 or XP?
- 9.2 Why does the freeware version ask for the CD? Why is it running in debug
mode?
- 9.3 Why does the freeware version installer try to install the game to the
wrong hard drive?
- 9.4 After installing the game all I see is a black screen. What's the
problem?
- 9.5 Why does BC3K start to run slowly or suffer frame rate reduction at
certain points in the game?
- 9.6 Why does the game crash on or after saving, particularly during the ACM?
- 9.7 Can I change the resolution?
- 9.8 What does CRTL+A do? Why can't I speed up the game?
- 9.9 Why can't I find bases on planets?
- 9.10 Why do my crew get stuck on decks?
- 9.11 I ordered my shuttle to tow my battlecruiser and now the battlecruiser
has disappeared. Why?
- 9.12 How do I backup or copy a save game?
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Appendices
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- A. Acronyms
- B. Hidden Flux Field Links
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1. PREFACE
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1.1 Credits and Legal
This FAQ was written by Tim Howgego (also known as timski), copyright 2002-
2003, unless otherwise stated. Errors and suggestions related to the content
of this document should be reported to tim (at) capsu (dot) org. Please put
"BC3K" somewhere in the email subject field. This FAQ draws on material posted
on usenet (primarily comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic and alt.games.bc3000ad ),
the official site http://www.bc3000ad.com/ , fan sites including
http://cowzilla.com/bcweb/ , http://www.geocities.com/solarstriker/ and
several others that are no longer online, and many of the gaming sites that
have carried editorials on the game over the years - contributors are noted
with the relevant text.
You may copy and repost this FAQ, but the content of the document, including
the credits, must remain unchanged. Informing the author that you are hosting
it is appreciated, but not mandatory. Ensuring you host the most recent
version is also appreciated, but not mandatory. Intending hosts should be
aware that very little has ever been written about BC3K that didn't upset
someone - this is "a game" like no other. Battlecruiser 3000AD copyright 1989-
2000 3000AD, Inc. All rights reserved. 3000AD, Battlecruiser 3000AD,
Battlecruiser 3020AD, Battlecruiser Millennium, GALCOM, Galactic Command,
Xtreme Carnage, VRnGine, ACM, AILOG, SCI-LINK, game characters and associated
logos are the copyright properties of 3000AD, Inc. 3000AD, Battlecruiser
3000AD, GALCOM, Xtreme Carnage and associated logos are the trademark
properties of 3000AD, Inc. Other trademarks and copyright are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders. This is not an official FAQ. It is
not endorsed or authorised by the game's developer or publishers. The author
is not affiliated to the game's developer or publishers.
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1.2 Version
This is version 1.00, 5 August 2003. I have had this text half-written for
what seems like a lifetime. Much like the game, this FAQ will never be truly
finished. The tutorial and walkthroughs should be complete. I think the most
commonly asked questions are answered, but inevitably a few grey areas remain.
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1.3 Notes
This FAQ is written for Battlecruiser 3000AD v2.09. This is the final version
of "Battlecruiser 3000AD" (BC3K, sometimes Battlecruiser Legacy), and
represents three years worth of patching from the first release. This FAQ does
not cover Battlecruiser-anything-else (Millennium, Generations, Online, the
other online, 3020AD, Redemption, 3030AD, 3050AD, Battlecruiser Commander,
Strike Pak, Skirmish Pak, Battle Zone, Tactical Engagement, Tactical Command,
Project ABC, etc - at the time of writing only the first one exists as a
stand-alone title - all the others were ideas, working titles, or test code).
Earlier versions of Battlecruiser 3000AD are similar to v2.09, but with
important differences. Early releases (Take Two's North America 1996 v1.0 and
GameTek's European 1997 v1.01C4) were regarded by some as unplayable, missed
certain features, and were poorly documented. Later releases prior to v2.08
(the early 1998 free v1.01D7C and Interplay's late 1998 United States re-
release v2.0) are playable, but omit a few features. This FAQ does not aim to
repeat information given in the documentation accompanying v2.08/9 in the form
it is originally given, and does not aim to fill the large gaps in the release
documentation. Similarly it does not address questions related to the plethora
of bugs and missing features in the earlier versions. Although certain
information may be of use to anyone playing an earlier version, I strongly
recommend you download current documentation, patches, and/or the entire game,
and play with that instead.
BC3K was (is) possibly the most complex thing ever conceived as a computer
game. It attempted to create a hybrid of multiple 1980s and 90s space
combat/sim/strategy game styles - open-ended Elite, mission/pilot orientated
Wing Commander and similar, capital ship-level Privateer, strategic Carrier
Command, strategic ground battles, first person shooter, roleplay... That mix
of play-styles, learning curve "that makes the North Slope of Everest look
like a bunny hill" (Dean Gordon, writing for GamesDomain), and an "un-manual"
(Tom Liam McDonald, writing for GameSpot) left many hard-core gamers lost. As
Chuck Smith comments: "You might also like playing the 'game' within the game:
trying to figure out how to play." It attempted to generate the kind of
persistent universe that a decade later is technologically difficult. Much of
its alleged underlying technology was questioned by some writers. For example
its much-hyped "Neural Net" AI was brought into question by Tom Liam McDonald
and Keith Zabalaoui's article, "The Neural Net that Wasn't - The Quest for
Artifical Intelligence in Battlecruiser 3000 AD" published in Boot magazine,
March 1997. While BC3K contains a campaign (storyline/mission) mode, this does
not meld seamlessly with the persistent universe in the way most players
expect. Global events occur regardless of how the player performs their
missions. To quote the v2.0 3rd edition manual: "Nothing you do affects the
grand scheme of things nor does the world revolve around your existence." All
these factors were frustrated (something of an understatement) by the fact
that upon release the game did not work.
Aside from its initial un-play-ability, the design of BC3K (and more recently
the Battlecruiser series as a whole) continues to spark debate. In the eyes of
many, there is no game here at all: BC3K is simply a universe simulation
devoid of gameplay. Some are critical of how the features are implemented - to
quote CNET Gamecenter (upon awarding BC3K the title 2nd Worst Game of All Time
in October 2000), "the game itself redefined the term nonintuitive." Others
conclude the game tries to do too much and consequently fails to do any one
thing well. And then some players enjoy it.
The topic "BC3K FAQ" has a history all of its own, related to the long-running
lack-of-manual-saga. Kyle Reed started writing a BC3K FAQ as early as 1995,
but appears to have lost interest upon release, and I have not found any text.
Developer Derek Smart issued the first official FAQ in November 1996
(available here, http://dlh.net/cheats/pc/english/battlecruiser+3000+a.d./ ),
although it is primarily a guide to avoiding bugs and missing features. The
FAQ evolved into a technical FAQ, with no gameplay content. As far as I am
aware, the only 'fan' based work is by Nai-Chi Lee (
http://follies.werewolves.org/archives/1Humor/BC3Kfaq.txt ) - although that
has little to do with the game, see What about the flame war? below.
The manual had a somewhat mythical, highly contentious status for many months
following release. 80-85,000 manuals were printed in November 1995 but
superseded by an extra year of development. Mark Seremet, then Take 2
president, writes (on AOL): "The game has actually gone through 2 other manual
prints. We were unable to complete the product and, thus, the manual fell
victim to vaporware." The second unreleased manual was a "Systems Handbook"
printed for the anticipated January 1996 release. Take 2 offered to distribute
these in October 1996. DreamsRyou leaked an electronic copy of the manuscript
at this time, much to Smart's displeasure. On the manual Take 2 shipped with
the game, Smart writes (usenet, December 1996): "The pamphlet that was out was
courtesy of Tom Rigas (Take2 producer). The first time I ever saw the 'manual'
was THREE weeks after the game shipped." Mark Seremet had directly
contradicted this on AOL forums, sparking a very public breakdown in relations
between developer and publisher (see Why so many versions? Did it really take
ten years to develop? Tell me some history... below). The (lack of)
documentation became a focus for much of the bitter dispute surrounding the
release of BC3K.
Smart had requested the help of fans in producing a manual immediately
following release (source - AOL postings), but later preferred to write it
himself. Take 2 includes a file "walkthru.txt" in some later versions,
intended as a quick-start guide. GameTek included a tutorial for the first ACM
mission at the start of their manual, which is something that the later Smart
manuals avoid. Usenet posts of the time suggest that these were entirely
written by GameTek, however much of the other text is shared with the Smart
manuals. The later are structured like operating manuals, rather than guides.
Smart's first full (albeit 'preview') manual was released with v1.01D7C, late
in 1997. The v1.01D7C manual includes a blank page titled "Appendix F
Walkthru", with a small note indicating the page is being worked on. By the
time the final series of (complete) manuals appeared, the walkthrough appendix
had been dropped. By November 1998 a tutorial was Derek Smart's "top priority
- I have attempted to do one but the game is so deep that a half-assed one
won't do." At the start of 1999 a short file emerged containing about 30 tips,
not structured as a tutorial. The tips file never developed further, and
eventually disappeared from the documentation. In January 2000 the planned
tutorial for BC3K was finally dropped in favour of a future tutorial for
Battlecruiser Millennium. Daniel Moritz part-wrote an in-game training script
for BC3K, but it was not completed, and I cannot find a copy of it.
Several internet sites claim to be selling a strategy guide for BC3K called
"Battlecruiser 3000AD official GALCOM technical papers". Ed Dille, the
'author', informs me that Prima Publishing cancelled project shortly after
BC3K was released, and the book was never published. Dille's company (Fog
Studios) had a promotional relationship with the game's developer for the two
years prior to release.
BC3K is hard to research. A lot has been written about the game, but very
little transpires to relate to BC3K v2.09. Usenet archives are full of posts
about 'the game' (for example, alt.games.bc3000ad alone has 24,000 threads
archived by Dejanews/Google), but to quote Pat Lundrigan (in 1997), "I think
I've read a couple a hundred posts about BC3K and maybe two were about game
play".
So, why am I writing this? Some have questioned my insanity, but... BC3K is a
fascinating bit of software. Intriguing in concept; almost impenetrable in
practice. Where most games will occasionally stump players in the minutiae of
gameplay, BC3K stumps them at every turn. What little knowledge that does
exist is fast disappearing, and very soon BC3K will mean nothing more than its
development history, which is close to a legend already. As a set of operating
instructions, the final manual is in many ways excellent. But BC3K is still in
dire need of a guide to play, to complement those operating instructions. That
is primarily what this FAQ aims to provide. It fails, of course. All it does
is help expose what lies under that impenetrability. You will still need to
try and find a game down there yourself.
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2. INTRODUCTION
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2.1 What is the game?
The term "the game" has several different meanings in the context of
Battlecruiser 3000AD: (1) The software as variously released, patched, and re-
released, played either as a game or a game of trying to understand the game
(this is the main focus of this FAQ). (2) The design idea behind the game -
what it could be rather than what it actually is. (3) The development history,
hype and associated vapourware status of BC3K, and later internet/usenet
flamewars centred around developer Derek Smart (see What about the flame war?
below). The core game (first meaning) gives the player command of a starship
(battlecruiser), fully crewed and equipped, and leaves them in a relatively
hostile galaxy to do more or less whatever they want. BC3K is as much about
strategic command and management of the ship's resources, as it is about
flying around responding to events. BC3K has spawned several other titles in
the series, including Battlecruiser Millennium.
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2.2 Who developed Battlecruiser 3000AD?
BC3K was primarily developed by Derek Smart and his company, 3000AD Inc.,
based in Florida, United States. Various other people and organisations have
had an influence on certain parts of the game's code over its development
history - see Why so many versions? Did it really take ten years to develop?
Tell me some history... below.
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2.3 What are the minimum requirements?
The original (Take 2) release version was touted as: Pentium 60MHz, DOS 5.0 or
Windows 95, 8MB RAM, 50MB hard disk space, 2x CD-ROM, SVGA Graphics Card. The
slightly later GameTek version simply specifies any Pentium Processor, but my
personal experience of trying to play it with a Pentium 100 suggested greater
processing power was needed - indeed the game is capable of heating up a
Pentium 500, so the more processing power, the better. The v2.0 minimum
requirements are: Pentium 166, Windows 95/98, any 2D video graphics card with
2MB memory [some sources advise 4MB] (optional 3DFX Voodoo based card), 165MB
hard drive space, 2x MPC-11 compliant CD-ROM, 16MB RAM, mouse and sound card.
Pentium 200+, 32MB RAM, and joystick are recommended. Windows ME, 2000 and XP
are not supported, with mixed results reported by those attempting to run BC3K
using these operating systems - tips are contained in the Technical Issues
section below. An OS/2 version of BC3K was considered as early as 1996, but I
have no evidence it was produced.
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2.4 What different versions are there? How can I tell what version I have?
The main release versions are as follows:
- Demo v1.0, 1992. This was previewed in Computer Games Strategy Plus #18, May
1992. Possibly not released publicly at the time, but was re-released by Smart
around 1998.
- Demo v1.01/v2.0/v3.0 (varies by source), 1993. Public freeware release. Demo
versions include basic space simulation, document but often note as "inactive"
certain battlecruiser management features, and seem to omit strategic or
ground operation aspects completely.
- v1.0, October 1996, published by Take 2 in North America, although a few
copies found their way to other countries. Silver boxed, with 30 page manual,
and widely regarded as unplayable.
- v1.01C4 (also v1.01R4C?), March 1997, published by GameTek in United
Kingdom. Subsequently released to other European countries with translated
manuals, but no in-game translation. Silver boxed with a small fighter graphic
on the front, with 80 page manual and keyboard reference card.
- Demo v1.01C5 (?), May 1997 (?), released on the cover disc of Computer
Gaming World. Unconfirmed limitations: "Free Flight, Xtreme Carnage and 1 ACM
mission all taking place in only two space regions containing up to 4
planets."
- v1.01D7C (also v1.97?), February 1998, free version (commonly without
opening video), which featured on several video game magazine cover disks. The
v1.01D7C patch was originally completed in November 1997 but the release of
the free version was delayed due to legal action involving Take 2. The free
version can only be patched to v1.04B (for 3DFX cards only). A CD containing
v1.01D7C was also sold via the internet.
- v2.00, December 1998, published by Interplay in North America as a budget
title, alongside a Star Trek game. 40 page printed manual, with the rest on
the CD. This is sometimes referred to as the Developer's or Deluxe edition, or
version v1.1. Around this time $10 CD upgrades from v1.x to v2.x were
available via the internet, but these were discontinued during 1999.
- Demo v2.0, May 1999 and January 2000. The first is based on v2.00, the
second on v2.09. Unknown limitations.
- v2.07/2.08, 1999, published by Interplay in North America. Packaging
identical to v2.00 - from the technical FAQ: "Though the box may say v2.0, it
may contain v2.07 because the game has had several manufacturing runs."
- v2.08, October 1999, published by GT Interactive in Europe. Dark blue box
with watercolour picture of battlecruiser, and 142 page manual with appendices
on CD. Included Map Pak.
- v2.08, March 2000, published by Jack Of All Games in Oceania.
- v2.09, July 2001, freeware internet release. Contained everything, including
modifications and game-builder script.
Various patches were written in-between these releases - precise details of
which are no longer particularly relevant. 3DFX support was first added to the
game by patch v1.03E, March 1998. The last major v1.x patch was 1.08B, July
1998, although a series of 1.09 patches ending in v1.09D were released late in
1998 to preview v2.0 features. The last v2.x patch was v2.09, January 2000.
v1.x are primarily DOS based, v2.x only run from Windows (albeit essentially
still looking like DOS based). While in space, CTRL+V will display the current
version number.
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2.5 Where can I get the game, patches and manual?
The final (v2.09) version is available as freeware from several sites
including http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=2754 ,
http://www.fileplanet.com/index.asp?file=62798 and
http://downloads.gameplanet.co.nz/dl.dyn/Files/2780.html . The file is about
135MB. You should also apply the patch available here, http://www.the-
underdogs.org/games/b/bc3000adv2/files/bc3000adv2-fix.zip or
http://www.fileplanet.com/files/60000/62988.shtml , which removes the CD check
when running without debug mode and fixes a glitch in the opening animation
sequence. This freeware version defaults to debug mode - in order to play the
game fully, use the previous patch and then launch the game with debug mode
off. See Why does the freeware version ask for the CD? Why is it running in
debug mode? below for further explanation.
The final set of manuals (including appendices) can be downloaded here,
http://www.3000ad.com/downloads/bc3k.shtml , along with patches from v2.00 and
v2.07 (North America re-releases) to v2.08, v2.08 (re-release elsewhere) to
v2.09 (final), and a compendium of modifications, cheats and editing tools.
Patches need to be applied in order. There are no patches from 1.x to v2.x
available. A few games sites have some older patches in their archives, for
example http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battlecruiser3000ad/downloads.html
and http://www.gamesdomain.com/ (search for "Battlecruiser" within the
patches/demos section, which reveals many older files). The later still has
the 1998 freeware version available for download in ten parts -
http://www.gamesdomain.com/demos/demo/BC3K.html (take care to unzip this in
such a way that creates empty subdirectories, and clear debug information by
pressing F1 twice once you have launched).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.6 Why so many versions? Did it really take ten years to develop? Tell me
some history...
BC3K probably has a longer, more colourful history than any other single video
game. Tom Liam MacDonald, writing in Boot Magazine: "Battlecruiser 3000 AD
went straight from long, troubled development to being the most unplayable
title ever released." Its post-release history was more remarkable: Amidst the
law suits and usenet flame wars, three years worth of patching eventually
produced something close to a finished game. This section is just a summary of
what could probably fill a book if fully researched, although the truth will
probably never be known, as MacDonald comments on usenet in October 1997,
"facts around this particular game wind up like Alice through the looking
glass."
Developer Derek Smart wrote his version of events here,
http://www.loonygames.com/content/1.27/guest/ in 1999. A similar development
history is also contained within the v1.01D7C 'preview' manual, which can be
found here, http://www.the-underdogs.org/games/b/bc3000ad/files/bc3000ad-m.zip
. A slightly different interpretation is offered by Bill Huffman,
http://www.werewolves.org/~follies/archives/1History/history.htm - only the
first part is particularly relevant to BC3K's history, the later half tending
to focus on the flame wars. Huffman has also collected various usenet source
material here,
http://www.werewolves.org/~follies/archives/ATableOfContents.html . A third
analysis of events surrounding the game is offered by Dean Gordon in "A
Battlecruiser Named Desire" -
http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/depart/jan98/bc3k.html (with some further
uncached usenet posts on the subject here -
http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/depart/derek_2.html ). Many others have
been involved along the way, some of whom have never stated their
interpretation of events.
BC3K was originally conceived in 1989, when Derek Smart lived in the United
Kingdom. The game first emerged in a 1992 demo. From Stephen Poole, writing
for GameSpot: "Smart had already talked one magazine [Computer Games Strategy
Plus] into running a large feature on BC3K, probably the first and only time
anyone's run a feature story on a game that didn't ship until four years
later. By the time 1993 Winter CES rolled around, Three-Sixty Software had
acquired the game and scheduled it for release in April 1993. It wasn't long
before Three-Sixty went bankrupt." A publisher called Velocity picked up BC3K,
before splitting up and the game falling to Mission Studios. Derek Smart
writes: "For three years I was chasing technology. Great games came and went
and Battlecruiser 3000 AD was still in development. Review followed review,
still no game in sight. By late 1994, the delays, slips and technical
difficulties finally put a strain on the limited financial resources of
Mission Studios."
After a period with Intracorp, the publishing rights finally landed with Take
2. In the year that followed, BC3K continued to be hyped, whilst showing few
signs of actually being completed. Nai-Chi Lee notes that, "Ads for BC3K
appeared in magazines as early as 1993. Naturally, BC3K became the longest-
running vaporware joke among Internet gamers." GameSpot later ranked BC3K
number one in their Vaporware 'Hall of Shame' -
http://www.gamespot.com/features/vaporware/ - "If you had to use a single
product as an example to help you explain the concept of 'Vaporware' to a
newbie, this would be it." Dean Gordon writes: "The game became bogged down by
its own ambition, as Derek Smart ... saw more and more games and wanted them
incorporated into his own." Smart himself admits a certain over-enthusiasm in
a usenet post of April 1996: "Due to inexperience, I simply went overboard on
my first outing. Once it started, I couldn't stop myself."
Release dates for Christmas 1995 and early 1996 came and went, with
advertising campaigns and empty promotional silver boxes in stores, but no
software. A beta version leaked out which reinforced the notion that
development reality did not match the hype. By April 1996 Take 2 had taken
development in-house in an attempt to get something produced for the end of
that year. Smart's comments give a flavour of the development environment: "By
August 1996 we were already talking separation, at least they were, because
I'd had enough and was thinking divorce with full intentions of taking the
furniture, the cutlery, the car, the jewelry and the dog. In the end I did
just that. Anyway, the Take 2 producer [Tom Rigas] and his gang were getting
heat from New York. I wasn't getting heat from anyone because I wasn't
listening. Period." Philip R. Spagnolli, former Take 2 employee, albeit with
no direct involvement in BC3K, commenting on usenet in December 1996: "Take2's
flight engine [named Chase] was added ... but most of the code was sheltered
from the programmers due to the nature of Smart's desire to keep his special
code secret. Much of the cool stuff like the supposed neural net would not
work with the Take2 flight engine."
The precise circumstances surrounding the release of the game are the stuff of
legend: attacks on office Coke machines, computers being confiscated,
completed code being ignored - it is hard to know what to believe. It is
widely acknowledged that the game was incomplete, untested, and effectively
unplayable out of the box. The US release is reputed to have had a return rate
of 70-90%. The worst irony of all was that it had been extensively hyped as
"the last thing you'll ever desire". As Daniel Evans writes, "the problem was
simply: how good could a game be that wouldn't even install?"
As an aside, the associated advertising campaign by GameTek rates 3rd in M.
Evan Brooks' list of the worst video games advertising at
http://www.pressroom.com/~meb/ . Jonathan Normington writes: "I remember
noticing a couple of months back [from February 1997] that GameTek seemed to
have flooded UK gaming magazines with tacky adverts - the Joanne Guest
BC3000AD one, a picture of a bloke sitting on a pile of bones, one with some
sort of comedy penguin... they told me absolutely nothing about the game they
were supposed to be advertising." You can view an advertising graphic here,
http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/depart/feb98/bc3k90.html . From the Joanne
Guest FAQ ( http://www.zedtoo.demon.co.uk/jgfaq/archive/past.html ): "That was
not the only version of the advert. For the more 'laddish' magazines (for
example, PC Zone) one or two alterations were made. For a start, the caption
'She *really* wants it' was added, and in this version of the photo it looked
like she wasn't wearing any panties (the game box obviously obscured the
interesting area). This had the effect of getting the game talked about, but
not necessarily in the way that the advertiser had hoped: complaints were made
to the ASA [Advertising Standards Agency] who handed down a judgement that the
advertiser should desist from that style of advertising." Later a third
version appeared with the words "censored by publisher" written across the
main image.
Dean Gordon comments: "[Smart and Take 2] both knew that they were releasing
an incomplete and unplayable product and yet no empirical evidence exists that
either warned gamers until after the fact." Relations between Smart and Take 2
boiled over into public disagreement immediately after release. Mark Seremet
(Take 2 president), writing in October 1996: "And there you have it, perhaps
the most incendiary feud ever to take place in a public forum between a game
developer and publisher. Stay tuned, somehow we don't think we've read the
last salvo." Indeed. Things degenerated into legal action, details of which
cannot readily be described here. Take 2 and Smart finally 'buried the
hatchet' 26 months later in a joint press release. Take 2 bought both Mission
Studios and GameTek, and have said relatively little in public about the BC3K
saga.
Derek Smart writes: "I decided to set up a support network of supporters and
gamers to help fix the game. Take Two, the publisher, has never participated
in this endeavor, leaving the game for dead." Almost any other game would have
died there and then. But BC3K refused to die. The game was slowly patched up
by its developer, assisted by his fans.
GameTek originally delayed their European release in anticipation of the
complete v1.1 (what later emerged as v2.0). Chris Vallely, GameTek tester
wrote in December 1996: "The US release of this game was deemed by us to be
not of the required quality. We have experienced difficulties with games of
this nature before [presumably Frontier First Encounters], so are particularly
eager to ensure that this product is as good as we can possibly make it."
Derek Smart writes: "Take Two continued to ship the dud US units in the US and
even to international countries; causing problems for GameTek who were then
forced to release v1.01C4 of the game in March in the face of dropped orders."
While v1.01C4 was just about playable out of the box and came with a manual
that attempted to explain the basics of the game, it was far from complete or
stable.
Gradually the game was patched until by the end of 1997 it had started to
resemble a finished product. Version v1.01D7C was given away free at the start
of 1998. Budget (boxed) releases followed, which eventually incorporated 3DFX
support, full fleet command and control, and planetary surface maps.
Development of BC3K finally ceased at the start of 2000, more than 10 years
after it started. In 2001 BC3K was released as freeware.
Development shifted to a variety of sequels, which eventually delivered
Battlecruiser Millennium in November 2001 (provisionally titled 3020AD), and a
theoretically multiplayer "Gold" version in March 2003; although not before a
massive multiplayer ("Battlecruiser Online") and first person shooter add-ons
had been considered. Occasionally the Battlecruiser franchise shows signs of
being ended. A project codenamed 'ABC' was announced around 2000, widely
thought to be an acronym for 'After BattleCruiser' (although there were plenty
of other less complementary explanations ;-) ). Derek Smart's comments help
explain why Battlecruiser is still being developed: "BC3K was not designed to
be a one off title. All the engines it has were written from the ground up and
that's where my investment lies. To this day, the core of BC3K does not even
use 50% of what the engines are capable of." Dean Gordon posed an interesting
question back in 1998: "Would the gaming world forget Smart's annibulus
horribulus if he just delivered a finished game that worked?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.7 What about the flame war?
Erm. I was afraid you were going to ask about that. Flame wars are public
disagreements between people of opposing views that become personal attacks.
Flame wars are not uncommon on the internet; but flame wars that last more
than 7 years and generate tens of thousands of threads are. The duration and
scale of these exchanges makes them hard to ignore. They have had a lasting
influence on what for want of a better word we might call the "Battlecruiser
community". A compendium of background to the flame wars by Bill Huffman can
be found here, http://www.werewolves.org/~follies/ . Nai-Chi Lee wrote an
entertaining FAQ in 1997, an archive copy of which can be found at
http://follies.werewolves.org/archives/1Humor/BC3Kfaq.txt - although the text
takes the same title as this document, it contains no information about the
software at all. These flame wars started on AOL and Compuserve forums and
usenet in the years prior to BC3K's (anticipated/hyped) release; moved
entirely to usenet around the time of the release, where they are best known;
before drifting onto other internet based forums. They are not primarily about
the game. Rather, they are inspired by the developer's "unique style in public
relations" (as Bill Huffman describes it).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================================
3. TUTORIAL
==============================================================================
3.1 Introduction
BC3K greets most new players with a brick wall. This is particularly true for
anyone that tries to play without reading the manual from cover to cover...
twice... or is used to games designed with gentle introductory stages, in-game
help, or tutorial levels... none of which BC3K has. This section is designed
to provide such an introduction. The tutorial aims to introduce all the most
important concepts and techniques in the game. It avoids describing different
interfaces and systems one at a time, which is roughly how the manual is
structured. Instead this tutorial is structured around topics and operations.
It does not introduce *every* aspect of the game, nor does it have as much
detail as the manual. Ultimately, you will need to read game documentation and
try different things for yourself. If you would rather play than spend a week
reading and randomly experimenting, this section is for you.
The later parts of the tutorial are quite advanced. These parts contain a few
examples that might be regarded as spoilers. I think the balance - between
explaining the basic concepts of the game and explaining absolutely everything
- is about right.
The tutorial uses free-flight mode. Unfortunately, the somewhat random
appearance of hostile craft means that a newbie-safe environment cannot be
guaranteed. If you have the misfortune to be attacked prior to combat
training, or have some unforeseen emergency occur, simply reload or startup a
new character to continue on with the tutorial. The first 10-15 minutes of
Free Flight mode are normally safe, so consider pausing the game whilst
reading this text (in space, press Pause), and only unpausing (press Esc) to
do things in-game. Such a technique should maximise the amount of 'safe time'
you experience. An alternative, once the basic flight is known, is to travel
to Moon region, which tends to be far quieter than others around Sol.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.2 Interface familiarisation
Ensure your version of BC3K is *not* in debug mode. Check this by examining
the batch file used to launch the game - probably bc3k.bat. Open it in a text
editor. The final line ("bc3000ad...") must not have the switch /d1. Debug
mode makes various tweaks that will not be obvious to start with, but may
introduce details that contradict parts of what follows.
Launch BC3K. Once you have set your configuration accordingly (in
particularly, setup any joystick), Start New Game. Create a character in one
of the slots (avoid the first slot, since saving to this can be buggy). Select
Free Flight and Exploration Mode from Miscon and accept the career. You are
now logged on at Galcom HQ, a station orbiting Earth. The Galcom icon in the
top-right is the main menu. You can access several features from here - we
will examine these later. For now, Log Off and go to the launch bay. Now
Launch.
This part of the tutorial introduces different screens and explains why you
might wish to use them. Avoid the temptation to click buttons or press keys at
random, particularly when on the bridge: You may accidentally set a mode or
system into operation that will make subsequent instructions hard to follow.
Once the launch sequence is complete you will see the bridge of your
battlecruiser. The bridge is a pilot orientated view, the general look and
feel of which it shares with many other space/flight simulators. You can
toggle the bridge graphic on and off using F1 (other F-keys give different
views of/from your battlecruiser - F1 will bring you back to the bridge).
Left-click on a blank part of the bridge screen to show the Command Menu. You
can save/quit, access many ship systems, and issue certain orders from this
menu. The game pauses whilst in this menu. You can also pause by pressing the
Pause key, and un-pause again by pressing Esc. You can save the game at any
time whilst in space, aboard your battlecruiser. You cannot save while docked
at a station or while piloting other craft.
The precise layout of the bridge screen is somewhat cluttered, and a lot of
the text will not mean much initially. The general layout is:
- Center left = Percentage gauges and on/off switches for main battlecruiser
systems.
- Center middle = Battlecruiser flight indicators.
- Center right = Status/order craft and vehicles.
- Bottom left = NID (Navigation Interface Display). High-level navigation.
Target larger objects like planets, and order probes.
- Bottom middle = Tacscan (Tactical Scanner). Local-level navigation. Target
smaller objects such as other ships.
- Bottom right = CVD (Computer Video Display). Multifunctional display, used
to watch one particular aspect of operations in detail.
Some systems can be set on/off/more/less/whatever by left clicking on the name
or display area. Where there are multiple options, a menu will be shown. Most
of these options will be covered in subsequent parts of the tutorial. Many can
be set using either the mouse or keyboard. While mouse commands are often
easier to use, try to learn the equivalent keyboard commands too. Other craft
use only keyboard commands to achieve many of the same operations.
BC3K has a real-time strategic command view called Tacops (Tactical Operations
Computer). Access this by pressing ALT+S [...think Strategic...] or Command
Menu--Systems--Tacops. You will see a 3D representation of your current area
of space (Earth) and everything in it. If we had probes deployed in other
regions of space, we could view those alternative regions too. Craft are shown
on the right of the screen much as they are on the bridge. One can zoom to a
particular location by left-clicking on the map, and zoom out again by right-
clicking. To observe the surface of a planet (for example, Earth), click on
the planet and zoom to it until the menu gives an option Observe. Select
Observe and then select one of the surface zones shown by red squares. Once
can then zoom right down to view each building. To zoom right out again,
select Zoom To--View Local region from the left-hand list.
Pressing Esc reveals the Command Palette. The Command Palette is used to give
specific orders to craft and units, including setting waypoints. The
Hold/Update button on the Command Palette pauses the game while still allowing
you to look around - rather useful in a battle. Pressing Esc again returns you
to the bridge.
There are many people onboard your battlecruiser. You can see what they are
all doing via Perscan (ALT+P or Command Menu--Systems--Perscan). The left-hand
side lists named personnel, the right lists everyone else (mostly marines).
The format of each listing is: Name - Life Factor - Fatigue Factor - Location
- Current Order. This list updates real-time, so you can watch your crew
wandering about your ship. This screen is useful for showing crew location at
a glance, or keeping track of any intruders. You cannot issue commands from
this screen, just watch. Return to the bridge by left-clicking once with the
mouse or pressing Esc.
Open the Logistix screen (ALT+E [...think Engineering...] or Command Menu--
Systems--Logistix). This is the first in a series of linked screens which show
the internal workings of your battlecruiser and a few other things. Whilst in
these screens the rest of the game is paused. Move between these screens using
the menu under the Galcom logo in the top right. You can return to the bridge
by clicking on the Galcom logo or selecting Log Off from the menu below it.
The first level of submenu appears in the bottom left. The Logistix screen has
three submenus:
- Crafts: Examine current damage by component, and order repairs or upgrades.
- Cargo: Lists battlecruiser cargo. This does not include items which are
notionally on your battlecruiser, but installed somewhere other than the cargo
bays, such as missile ready to fire or cargo in shuttle cargo bays.
- Power: Allocate available power to systems. Allocating power may not
automatically turn the system on if it is off, but a system needs power
allocated first before it can be turned on.
The Tactical screen (if you were previously on the Bridge, ALT+T or Command
Menu--Systems--Tactical; in this case select Tactical from the Galcom menu in
the top right) has four submenus:
- Crew: Assign crew to jobs. Select different categories of crew from the
drop-down menu at the top of the screen.
- Launch: Prepare support craft for missions.
- Loadout: Slightly chaotic mixture of moving cargo and crew between the
battlecruiser and its weapons (and similar) bays and other vehicles and craft.
- Medibay: Lists occupants of the Medibay, allowing treatment to be
administered and clones to be made if required.
Certain features overlap slightly. For example, pilots can be assigned to an
interceptor via the Crew or Launch screens.
(And yes, there are lots of features called Tac-something, and all do
different things.)
The Navitron (if you were previously on the Bridge, ALT+N or Command Menu--
Systems--Navitron; in this case select from the Galcom menu) shows the planets
of the current system. Right-click to show the whole galaxy map, and left-
click on a system to show the planets within it. Do not select a planet yet
(if you do accidentally, you should clear the course set by returning to the
bridge and pressing X).
The Roster shows the abilities of you and your crew, alongside various
statistics and medals earned. Miscon is the overall mission description you
first saw when you started the character. The Commlink lists every broadcast
communication you have received and comments made by your officers. Most
entries consist only of a pair of lines, however during the ACM (missions) you
will receive detailed instructions here too. Return to the bridge by clicking
on the Galcom logo or selecting Log Off from the menu below it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.3 Basic navigation and flight
You can continue this part of the tutorial straight from the previous, or
start over and re-launch. After launch, your ship will be put into autopilot.
"A/P" is flashing centre left of the bridge view. Press A once or click on the
flashing A/P to get manual control. The battlecruiser should move in response
to you moving the joystick (or whatever you are using to control the ship).
Engine thrust can be set using the joystick throttle, pressing keys 0-9, or
clicking on the box with numbers in it just to the left of dead centre and
selecting the desired thrust level.
In addition to regular engine thrust, you have a hyperdrive and
afterburner/retro-rockets. The hyperdrive allows huge distances to be covered
very quickly, but each jump by your battlecruiser has a fuel cost associated
with it. The afterburner will increase your speed beyond the maximum thrust,
and must be applied manually. Retro-rockets may be used to slow the ship down
again, or even put the ship into 'reverse'.
To demonstrate these features, target the Debris Field. Do this by selecting
NID (left click on the box in the bottom left) Target--Hazard--Earth Debris
Field. Set the CVD (bottom right) to Target Camera (use the menu or press V),
and you will see the target displayed. Now press SHIFT+9 and your crew will
orientate the ship and put it into hyperspace. (Why _9_? In early versions
there were nine different hyperjump factors, but all the others were
eventually taken out.) You will drop out of hyperspace about 500 clicks from
the target. You can check the distance on the NID (bottom left) if it is in
Map mode. You could cruise to the centre of the Debris Field using regular
thrust, but it will take a while. Instead, fire the afterburners by holding
down ` until the thrust level (box with numbers in it just left of dead
centre) reaches about 2000. Drift into the Debris Field until you are about
150 clicks from it. Then apply retro-rockets by pressing TAB, until you come
to a stand. (In order to see the debris in this debris field, switch to Tacops
and back again - ALT+S twice. The quirks of debris fields will be covered in
more detail later.)
Large bodies and navigational features, such as the Debris Field, are targeted
using the NID (bottom left). Smaller items, such as stations and ships, are
targeted using Tacscan (bottom middle). Select Galcom HQ from the Tacscan
(bottom middle, Tacscan--Targets--Friendly--Earth Ter Mil GalcomHQ). If this
target cannot be found, check that you are in SPC mode - SPC will display in
the bottom right on the Tacscan - if it says SUL, press K once to change the
mode to SPC (SUL shows only craft that belong to you, SPC shows everything in
space). Once targeted, SHIFT+9 as before. If nothing happens, you should wait
for your hyperdrive to charge (see the series of circles filling on the right
hand side of dead centre). You will emerge about 70 clicks from the station.
Manual flight and autopilot flight use different means to select targets.
Select Halley's Comet using the NID (Target--Hazard--Earth Haz Halley's
Comet). If you engage autopilot by pressing A or clicking on A/P, you will not
jump to Halley's Comet. Instead select the comet either by clicking on the box
with numbers in just above dead centre (Hazard--Earth Haz Halley's Comet) or
select from the Command Menu (BC Orders--Orders--Fly To--Hazard--Earth Haz
Halley's Comet). Now engage autopilot by pressing A or clicking on A/P and
your ship will jump to Halley's Comet (again, you may need to wait for the
jump-drive to charge up first). On arrival, deactivate the autopilot.
A better way is to change a target selected using the NID or Tacscan to a
target the autopilot understands by re-assigning it to the Flight Path
Designator. Select Galcom HQ using Tacscan (you may have it selected already).
Press F once or twice until you see "FP: Ter/Mil GalcomHQ" displayed just
above the centre of the screen. Activate autopilot and you will be propelled
back to Galcom HQ. You may also notice the rectangular boxed effect guiding
you towards the target. You may not automatically be put into a hyperjump (in
this mode, short distances tend to be flown conventionally). You can always
force a hyperjump by pressing SHIFT+9. Deactivate autopilot before you hit the
station.
Thus far, the autopilot has been in Direct mode (shown Direct next A/P on the
bridge view). Direct mode is used to conduct simple procedures, such as flying
from A to B. Your ship also has an autopilot mode called AI. In this mode the
crew will fly the battlecruiser without detailed instructions from you. For
example, you can assign them to patrol this (Earth) region. Issue a Patrol
order from the Command Menu - BC Orders--Orders--Patrol. Click on Direct on
the bridge view to change it to AI, or press SHIFT+A. Your battlecruiser will
now proceed to patrol the region by hyperjumping between different locations
in this region of space. This particular procedure mostly wastes fuel - it is
a simple example of how the AI autopilot functions. After making a jump or
two, deactivate autopilot (press A or click A/P).
Time to leave Earth. You may have noticed a series of jump points linking
Earth with other planets around Sol. There are several ways to use these to
travel between different regions of space. The first method is entirely
manual. In the NID target the Pluto jump point (bottom left, Target--
Navigation--Earth To..Pluto). Assign the jump point to the Flight Path
Designator by pressing F once or twice until you see the text "FP: To..Pluto"
just above the centre of the screen. Ensure you are not in autopilot (no A/P
flashing). SHIFT+9 to hyperjump to the jump point. Now manually fly towards
the red glow in the centre of the jump point. Don't worry about hitting the
jump point structure - you cannot be damaged by it. You must have the target
assigned as Flight Path Designator - simply flying towards it without
targeting it correctly will not work. You must not have weapons systems active
(IOD on the left-hand side of the bridge view should be displayed in red - if
you accidentally activated it and it is displayed in green, press W once to
turn it off). If you make the jump successfully, you will see "Verifying
current location... Sol/Pluto... In Terra Quadrant" flash across the top of
the screen. The word Pluto can also be seen towards the bottom of the left
hand part of the bridge view.
Links between systems often use wormholes. Wormholes function in an identical
way to jump points - jump techniques that work with one also work with the
other. Single jumps can be automated using the autopilot. Jump to Centris in
Alpha Centauri using the autopilot: Either target the wormhole to Alpha
Centauri using the NID and then assign to the Flight Path Designator (bottom
left, NID Target--Navigation--Pluto To..Alpha-Centauri..System; then press F
until "FP: To..Alpha-Centauri..System" is displayed towards the top of the
screen), OR assign the order Jump At Pluto To..Alpha-Centauri..System to your
battlecruiser (for example, Command Menu--BC Orders--Orders--Jump At--Pluto
To..Alpha-Centauri..System). Once the jump point is targeted, engage the
autopilot. This method involves less effort than flying yourself, but does not
allow tricks such as applying afterburner to reach the jump point quickly -
this can be critical if you are being attacked, so it is useful to know how to
do it manually. Once you have arrived in Centris, deactivate the autopilot.
In addition to jump points and wormholes, regions are also linked using flux
fields. Flux fields allow jumps to be made in similar ways, however the
destination is somewhat random. For this reason they do not form part of the
standard means of navigating between regions, and to use them you must jump
manually (the first method used to jump at jump points in this tutorial). Flux
Fields theoretically provide short-cuts between distant systems. For example,
the Flux Field in Ylisia, Omega Eridani, potentially allows ships to reach
Alpha Cygni, a journey that would require almost 40 jumps via conventional
means. In many cases there is a chance of arriving at either a supernova or a
black hole. Supernovas are just empty systems - they allow you to re-jump
without causing any problems (there is one exception - see Are there any
hidden planets? below). Black holes cause near-instant death. Appendix B,
Hidden Flux Field Links below, contains a list of such links.
Navigating across the galaxy one jump at a time could rapidly become annoying.
Instead use the Navitron to plot a course. Press ALT+N or select Navitron from
the Command Menu--Systems--Navitron or NID--Navitron. Select Sol if it is not
already visible, then click once on Earth and Log Off via the Galcom icon. The
NID will now display something like "Waypoint 1 of 2, Next Jump Region: Sol,
Pluto, Destination: Sol, Earth". Engage the autopilot and watch as your ship
uses a series of jump points to reach Earth. Once you arrive in Earth,
deactivate the autopilot.
Not all regions can be targeted using the Navitron. One such exception is the
Moon. Once you have arrived in Earth region, use the autopilot to jump at the
Earth To..Moon jump point. Once you have arrived in the Moon region,
deactivate the autopilot.
Finally, dock. Fly to station Genesis (Friendly--Moon Ter Mil Genesis). To
dock, fly within 25-30 clicks of the station, with the station targeted. Once
in range, press ALT+D to dock. Docking itself is automatic. At some stations
you will not be able to dock during a battle (you may get a message "docking
clearance has been refused" if their are enemies on your radar - this is very
unlikely at Genesis).
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3.4 Logistics
You may follow this tutorial directly from the previous, which ended docked at
Genesis, Moon. Alternatively, start a new character. Most of what follows is
the same regardless of where you are.
Log On (from launch bays, Centcom--Logon). The in-station display is similar
to the Tactical/Logistix display in your ship. Navitron, Miscon and Commlink
screens will all be familiar. The Engineering screen looks similar to that on
the your ship's Logistix and the general function is the same, but it uses
station resources to conduct repairs. The Tradcom is a station-specific
screen. As the name suggests, you can buy and sell cargo here. You can sell
anything in the cargo bay of the ship you docked with (in this case, your
battlecruiser). You can buy anything the station has in stock, so long as you
have the money and appropriate cargo space free. The Tradecom screen also has
a submenu called Info. This gives information about the local planet and its
economy - this will be explained further in the context of trading.
Trade items can roughly be divided into expendables (used in the normal
operation of your ships), repair materials, replacement parts, upgrades and
everything else (assorted trade goods). The two essential expendables are:
- Nutripaks: Food served onboard battlecruiser. 3 per day per man (about 350
per day with default crew).
- Radine (mineral): Powers battlecruiser's nuclear reactor. Used by hyperjump
engines and in routine reactor operation.
Other expenables you are very likely to need are:
- Combat Kits: 'Prep' marines. Also feeds teams on planets (1 per man per 8
hours).
- Iridium (mineral): Powers battlecruiser cloak.
- Plutonium (mineral): Powers battlecruiser shield.
- Radiation Control Unit: Clears radiation from one deck (following a
radiation leak).
- Vacpak: Treat infectious disease among crew.
- Medpaks: Treat injured crew.
In addition, weapons (missiles and mines) and probes may be expended during
normal operations. Radine and Nutripaks are the only two you absolutely must
have to keep your ship operational. Others are clearly required to conduct
specific operations or deal with certain emergencies.
Repair materials encompass general purpose repair minerals, general purpose
spare parts such as Droids, Tools or repair kits, and specific subcomponent
spare parts such as an AI Interface. These are often used to patch up light
damage, and are commonly used for deep-space running repairs. The spare parts
list on the Tradcom also whole replacement systems and vehicles, such as a new
Bridgeviewer or ATV. Some of these 'whole system' replacement parts are
primarily of interest as upgrades - 'better' battlecruiser reactor, engine,
shield and armor (these are covered in more depth below).
Battlecruiser storage is not unlimited. You may note from the Tradcom screen
that you have 2 cargo bays and 2 weapons bays. Each item type may only be
placed in one specific bay: If one bay is full, it does not follow that you
will be able to start placing excess items in another bay. Fuel is stored
separately - up to 25,000 Radine (reactor/hyperdrive), 10,000 Plutonium
(shield) and 1,000 Iridium (cloak). Shuttles have additional cargo space, some
of which is taken up by ATVs and Drones by default. Shuttle space cannot be
accessed in-station unless you docked with the shuttle itself. Once in space,
cargo and vehicles can be swapped around between vessels, to optimise cargo
space depending on how you wish to use those vessels. More on shuttles
later...
If you have continued this tutorial straight on from the previous one, you may
be starting to run out of Radine. Ensure you have at least 100 units of Radine
to avoid reactor... problems ;-) . Buy some more if needed. All that joy-
riding comes at a price.
Launch and de-activate the autopilot.
Your battlecruiser has two sources of power - nuclear and solar reactors.
These are shown as NRE and SRE on the left hand side of the bridge view. The
nuclear reactor is the primary source of power, and cannot be turned off. To
gain full power from the solar reactor, you must align your ship to the main
star in the system (in this case, the sun) - pitch, yaw and rotate the
battlecruiser until the SRE gauge on the bridge view is close to full - the
solar panels are on the top of your ship. It is impractical to realign the
ship in this way whilst travelling or in battle. The solar reactor is
therefore primarily a backup system, useful for when you want to have
absolutely *every* system operating or when the nuclear reactor is damaged.
Open the Logistix screen (ALT+E or Command Menu--Systems--Logistix), and then
select Power. The left-hand side of the screen shows current power outputs and
requirements. The right-hand side allows you to change the power allocated to
specific systems. Aim to redistribute up to 100 units of power (the output of
the nuclear reactor) between systems. This is conventionally done by reducing
the power to the systems you use the least. For now turn the cloning module
off (you will rarely need to clone anyone) and reducing solar reactor power
slightly (it's a backup system that you do not need at the moment). Increase
the Engine to full power. Further fine-tuning will generally only be required
if the nuclear reactor becomes damaged.
Use the Galcom menu to move to the Tactical screen, and select Crew. No crew
are required for basic operation of the battlecruiser. However, if you want to
be able to respond to emergencies onboard or use other craft, you will need
your crew. Regular crewmen are described in detail by chapter 19 of the
manual. Here is a short summary of their primary roles:
- Pilots: Fly interceptors.
- Systems Engineers: Heavy engineering and repairs.
- Flight Engineering: Ready interceptors.
- Medics: Anything health related.
- Marines: One-to-one ground/'deck' combat.
There are a range of benefits to having officers on-station which vary by
officer. Typically crew under their supervision will act faster, and you will
get better information reports alerting you to potential problems.
It is important to realise that you start the game with a ship-load of
rookies. Note their low artificial intelligence (AI) ratings. Early in the
game they will take longer to act, and have a greater chance of messing things
up when they do act.
You can micromanage every last crewman if you wish. Chances are you will end
up doing that quite a lot anyway. Some functions will be ordered by your
officers if they are on-station. For example, when intruders beam aboard your
ship, your combat officer may assign fresh marines to search the ship looking
for them. Crewmen also have minds of their own, and if they get too fatigued,
may go off-duty to rest.
Bring all the Systems Engineers on-station by selecting Tactical--Crew--
Systems Engineers, viewing assignment, and changing the assignment of those
engineers that are currently Off Duty to On-Station. Since the Tactical screen
is frozen in time, they will not act until you return to a real time screen
such as the bridge. Log Off back to the bridge, and then use the Perscan
(ALT+P or Command Menu--Systems--Perscan) to watch these Systems Engineers.
You should see them move through different locations on the ship, eventually
arriving at Engineering. Note that it takes a minute or two from the time you
changed their assignment to them actually arriving at their designated
station.
Why have we got all those engineers on station? Because we're about to inflict
some damage upon ourselves >:) . Target the nearest station (probably
Starpath) and manually fly towards it. Aim to hit it at full thrust. Try to
inflict some light damage on the battlecruiser by bouncing off the station a
few times. (Occasionally collisions will throw your ship off at almost
infinite speed. If this happens, select a target in Tacscan, assign it the
Flight Path Designator (press F) and activate autopilot. This will reduce your
speed to zero before jumping back. If you drift off the 'edge of the map'
(which will happen if you do not act quickly), you will enter Nullspace.
Nullspace contains a flux field back to real space (the last area you were in)
- target that instead and jump back through it like a jump point.)
Once some damage has ben inflicted (it is almost certain that a few systems
will be sustain light damaged after a few bumps), go to the Logistix screen,
select Crafts, and then BC. Now examine each deck looking for damaged systems:
The relevant percentage will be below 100%. Light damage is still displayed in
green as fully operational. Medium damage is displayed in yellow, and heavy
damage in red. Click on the system and you will see the option to Repair,
along with a list of repair materials. The repair may not need all materials
on the list, just those shown with Need above 0, highlighted in yellow. Find a
damaged system that you have the materials to repair. Click on the bar
labelled Repair. Now assign engineers to the job using the small arrows. When
you return to a real-time screen, repairs will start. Some systems may be
replaced rather than repaired. Sometimes replacement is quicker, although may
require more expensive materials. In some cases the system will have been
destroyed and replacement will be the only option. You can keep a rough eye on
repair progress by showing the Damage Status in the bridge view's CVD (bottom
right) - this does not show all systems, just the most important ones. For
precise detail, examine the Logistix screens again, but remember that the game
is paused whilst in that screen, so no progress will be made on the repair
while you are watching.
Such repairs require repair materials to be available on the ship, and Systems
Engineers to undertake the work. An alternative is to dock at a station and
let the station undertake the repairs using its own staff and supplies. At
most stations you will need to pay for this service. At Galcom HQ such repairs
are free. Depending on the circumstances, Galcom HQ may be a long journey or
may even be temporarily destroyed; so one cannot always rely on it. In all
cases, station repairs take time to complete. During this time your crew will
continue to operate, and may become quite fatigued if repairs take several
hours. There are solutions to this problem, including sending them off-duty or
to the Medibay before docking. However, the time delay due to repairs is also
commonly used to help crews gain experience from being on-station without you
having to play those hours yourself. Appropriate techniques are discussed in
the context of Advancing time, below.
The same technique used for repairs can be used for upgrades. Only reactor,
engine, shield and armor can be upgraded with standard equipment. In ACM mode
you will also find artifacts, including upgrade other systems such as weaponry
and cloak. Upgrades are listed from worst to best (the starting ship already
has the worst, so don't bother to 'upgrade' from worst to worst ;-) ):
- Reactor: Lattis/NB, Megatron, Lattex/NB, Tanis Spec, Eyestar, Trellis,
(artifact - Karanian Mark IV).
- Engine: Starcry/S, Crumicron, Diringer, Omicron/1, Numega.
- Shield: Spectrum/A, Linear Spec II, Linear Spec III, Linear Spec IV,
(artifact - Tacyon Anagram).
- Armor: Titanium Level II, Titanium Level III, Titanium Level IV, Titanium
Level V.
Standard upgrades variously improve your defenses and reduce fuel
requirements. The primary advantages of upgrading are:
- Reactor: Less Radine use in jumps (Lattis/NB uses 30, Trellis uses 5). Less
Radine used in regular operation (Lattis/NB uses about 1 per minute, Trellis
uses about half as much).
- Engine: Less Radine use in jumps (Starcry/S uses 25, Numega uses 5).
- Shield: Increased total shield strength (Spectrum/A gives 1500, Linear Spec
IV gives 3750). Less Plutonium used in regular operation (Spectrum/A uses
about 0.5 per minute, Linear Spec IV uses about half that).
- Armor: Increase total armor strength (Titanium Level II gives 1000, Titanium
Level IV gives 2500).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.5 Basic combat
This part introduces non-fleet battlecruiser combat systems and techniques. I
suggest you start this part of the tutorial with a new character (quit to the
main menu, delete the old tutorial character and start a new one). If you have
been following the previous parts your ship will probably be damaged and
running low on fuel, which will make this section either hard or almost
impossible. When ready, launch.
The battlecruiser itself has both offensive and defensive systems. The
primarily defense is the shield. Once the shield is penetrated armor and hull
are damaged. Once armor and hull are gone the ship explodes. Quite a lot of
damage to individual systems will occur long before the armor is down, and the
armor/hull may be damaged while the shields are still up if you are rammed.
Current shield, armor and hull strength are indicated by SHE, ARM and HUL on
the left hand side of the bridge view.
The shield is set very low by default. Raise shields to full strength by
pressing SHIFT+] or left-clicking on the SHE indicator on the left hand side
of the bridge view and setting full. Shield strength can be modified in
increments by pressing ] (increase) or [ (decrease), or using the bridge menu
just mentioned. Shields can be turned off by pressing SHIFT+[ . A small amount
of fuel (Plutonium) is expended simply by having the shield up.
You have an anti-missile defense system called EMD (Electro Magnetic
Disruptor). It has a chance of jamming incoming missiles, causing them to fly
in a straight line. Its use prevents you launching missiles and makes it
somewhat hard to see. Toggle it on and off by pressing E or left-clicking EMD
on the left-hand side of the bridge view.
Marines may be used offensively during planetary operations, but in space
their role is defensive. Occasionally an enemy craft in the sector will beam
intruders aboard. You cannot do the reverse - you cannot beam your troops onto
their ships. Marines can be used to kill intruders by assigning Searching
orders to marines on the Tactical--Crew screen. Marines must first Prep for
Combat, so ideally should be given On-Station orders a few minutes before you
need them, to ensure they are ready to fight straight away. (By default, 10
Marines are ordered On-Station when you start a new character - you will hear
your Combat Officer announcing that Marines are ready for deployment during
the first few minutes of play, meaning that they are ready for combat.)
Intruders may seek to sabotage ship systems or steal craft such as
interceptors. The former can only be prevented by your Marines killing or
injuring the intruders first. The later can be prevented by turning off power
to the Launch Control on the Logistix--Power screen - obviously this prevents
you launching craft yourself.
The cloaking system is not exclusively a defensive tool, but it is often used
as one. The cloak renders you invisible to other ships unless you launch a
craft or fire a weapon. The cloak uses 10 units of Iridium per minute -
approximately 50,000 credits a minute to maintain. After about 7 minutes under
cloak, radiation levels will build up on your ship to the point where your
crew start to become 'radiated' and certain decks need to be cleaned up using
Radiation Control Units to prevent radiation spreading further. Once the cloak
is de-activated, radiation levels will gradually decline, so the cloak can be
effective if used occasionally for short periods. The cloaking system can be
toggled on and off by pressing SHIFT+C or left-clicking on the word Cloak on
the bridge view.
There are two main battlecruiser offensive weapon types, each of which has a
semi-automated variant: Lasers and missiles. The battlecruiser has a primary
laser called an Ion-Disruptor Array (IOD), normally targeted and fired from
the bridge view. It has quite an effective secondary set of three automated
laser turrets called Passive Target Acquisition (PTA). The primary missile
firing system is normally targeted and fired from the bridge view. This is
supported by an automated missile firing system called FATAL (FAst Target
Acquisition and Lock).
The weapons system must be activated by pressing W or clicking on the IOD icon
on the left-hand side of the bridge view. This will change the central part of
the bridge view display from the default NAV mode to TAC mode. TAC mode adds
various weapon related information to the display and removes some information
relating to engines and navigation.
The main Ion-Disruptor Array (IOD) is a simple case of point and shoot. Pulses
of energy will shoot from the gun, hopefully hitting the target. One can
change the intensity of the shot by left-clicking on IOD on the bridge view,
and changing the percentage (one can also use ' and ; to increase and decrease
intensity). A high percentage does more damage, but has a longer recharge
time, a low percentage does little damage but recharges quickly. By default
the IOD will fire straight ahead. The IOD can be decoupled (and re-coupled
again) by pressing Scroll Lock. Decoupling creates an extra targeting ring and
adjusts the angle of fire so that targets do not have to be dead-centre to be
fired upon. Decoupling is most useful when the battlecruiser is already on a
fixed vector (such as under autopilot between points in space), since targets
can be fired upon without changing the position of the battlecruiser. The poor
dogfighting ability of your battlecruiser means that the IOD is still
primarily a weapon to be used against large targets such as other carriers or
stations.
Passive Target Acquisition (PTA) is better suited to dealing with smaller
targets. With weapons systems active, press P or left-click PTA on the left-
hand side of the bridge view. This activates three laser turrets, that will
automatically select nearby enemy targets within their arc and range of fire,
and shoot them. You have the option to man one of these turrets yourself (F5-
7, F1 to return to Bridge), but they are normally best left as automatic
systems. The intensity of PTA lasers can be changed using SHIFT+' to increase
and SHIFT+; to decrease (the lowest possible setting turns the system off), or
left-clicking on PTA on the bridge view and selecting a setting. Low intensity
gives rapid fire but at short range, high intensity gives a slower rate of
fire, but greater range.
Basic missile use involves selecting a target using Tacscan (bottom middle in
bridge view). Turn weapons on (press W) if they are not already. Use Backspace
to cycle through your missiles. The currently selected missile is displayed as
text just below dead centre, with type and name, for example "STS Vagrant".
Mines appear here too, which behave slightly differently and dealt with later.
You can see all available missiles in one list by selecting Weapons in the CVD
(bottom right). Missiles can be loaded into the launch bays from storage using
the Tactical screen: Select Tactical--Loadout--BC--Weapons (or Mines) and
switch weapons between the store on the right and launch bay on the left. Back
on the bridge, having selected the missile, you need to get a lock on the
target. Point your ship towards the target so that the target is within the
circle in the centre of the display. Now wait for the rectangular symbol that
is dancing around on the screen to lock onto the target. Once the target is
locked, fire the missile by pressing the spacebar.
Common missile types you will use are:
- ATA = Air-to-Air: Use between ships in planetary atmospheres.
- ATS = Air-to-Surface: Use from ship in planetary atmosphere to attack ground
target.
- STS = Space-to-Space: Use between ships in deep space.
- OTS = Orbit-to-Surface: Use from space to attack planetary ground targets.
These are nuclear devices designed to destroy whole areas of a planet.
Among Space-to-Space (STS) missiles (those you use the most initially), you
will find two main types of guidance system - Continuous Tracking Logic (CTL)
and Automatic Tracking Logic (ATL). In the first case (CTL), you must keep the
target selected until the missile hits or is otherwise destroyed. The second
type (ATL) is a 'fire-and-forget' missile, which uses it own targeting systems
after launch. Missiles also vary in range, time taken to lock onto a target,
and damage. Full details are contained within appendix D of the manual.
According to Derek Smart, "missiles lose their effectiveness with range".
The battlecruiser has an auto-firing system for certain missiles called FATAL.
Designate a target to the FATAL system by targeting it in Tacscan, selecting a
missile and pressing D. Up to 8 missiles/targets can be assigned to FATAL at
one time. Press X to clear the target from FATAL. Only STS-Vagrant or STS-
Ralix missiles can be assigned to FATAL. They will be automatically fired when
anything designated FATAL comes within range. Both missiles are short range
(15-20 clicks) and have the longest lock time of all STS missiles, but both do
quite a lot of damage. FATAL is best used in relatively close combat
situations, where you are primarily using your laser (IOD) rather than taking
time locking and firing missiles manually. Targets can be assigned to the
system in advance, often while you are jumping to engage the enemy.
A few other offensive toys are available, notably mines. These are potentially
useful when you need extra defensive firepower at a very specific point
(perhaps around a station or jump point). Leech mines explode when a ship
comes too close to them, causing damage. Crab mines fire laser shots at enemy
ships. Mines have a finite lifetime - typically around 10-15 minutes. Mines
are deployed as missiles, but there is no need to target anything first.
Deploying Leech mines without bumping into them can be dangerous...
Time for some combat. Set a course for Lennen in Sirius system. Make as many
preparations as you feel you need for battle - for example, re-adjust your
power setup, set shields to full, and assign some marines to Searching. The
first jumps around the Sol system should be uneventful. You will pass through
a wormhole into the Sirius system. In this region, Lyrius, you should see an
enemy (red) contract on the radar, and a warning noise will sound. Don't
panic, it is probably just an orbital defense system (ODS) which poses no
threat at this range. When you arrive in Lennen, you will be attacked. The
region contains an enemy station, Pixan, which will launch various fighters
against you (S24-Ravens, Starfighters, L-Fighters and similar).
Quickly enter Tacops (ALT+S), press Esc once to show the Command Palette, and
then press the Hold button on the palette - this will pause the game whilst
allowing you to see the situation.
With the action paused, take a moment to look around the region using Tacops.
Click the Full button on the Command Palette to show the whole sector in the
default view. Your ship will be shown in green in the bottom right corner of
the Tacops screen, close to the jump point called To..Lyrius. Zoom in slightly
on this area. Zoom in by left-clicking, out by right-clicking. Your ship will
appear as a green box surround by three numbers, your ship name and
designation (Terran/Military). The left-side number is your shield level, the
top-side number the overall ship integrity as a percentage, and the right-side
number is the armor strength. The same format is used when you target ships in
Tacscan. If you close the Command Palette by clicking on the map, and hover
the mouse over your ship, you will see this information explained, alongside
your ship's current (or last) order, probably FlyTo.
Towards the centre of the map you will find a planet, and several enemy
contacts. The shield and armor values give an indication of the type of vessel
- values up to about 500 are typically fighters, around 1000 typically
carriers or similarly heavy ships, values of several thousand are normally
stations. Other information can be extracted at a glance - for example things
with the order "Standard Orbit" will not attack you unless you are within
their range because they have no control over their movement. Ships attacking
you will normally display your name when you move the mouse over them, for
example "SAD Myship" - the enemy has seek and destroy orders, and it is
seeking and destroying Myship. During long battles consider returning to
Tacops to check that no new threats have appeared. It can be quite easy to get
involved with combat and not notice _that_ second battle-fleet that just
jumped into the region until it engages you...
Do not attack the station (Pixan) or ODS near the planet. Instead fight some
of the enemy close to the jump point you arrived at - let them come to you.
Don't remain entirely stationary, nor remain in autopilot: Around a third
thrust on manual control is ideal. You can cycle targets quickly using , and .
or target nearest enemy (M), nearest attacker (N), or nearest in front of you
( / ). Remember, you must be using Tacscan to see enemy craft - not the NID.
When firing at a targeted enemy ship you will notice red and green boxes
around the target. The red box indicates where the target is now. The green
box attempts to calculate where the target will be by the time your laser
shots reach it. Consequently you should aim at the green box. Don't try to
shoot down missiles - only target ships. Targeting missiles is quite an easy
mistake to make initially, since the names will not mean much to you. It may
be helpful to display a picture of the target in the CVD (press V or select
Target Camera from the CVD (bottom right). Missiles also normally appear as
white contacts, where as enemy ships are red contacts on the radar.
Targets here are mostly small and fast moving. Limited dogfighting with the
main IOD may work, but use of PTA and EMD will be more effective overall.
Watch your shield level - unless you happen to get rammed, you won't take
damage while your shields are up. Hyperjumps can sometimes be a good method of
buying yourself some extra time to boast shields or review the overall
situation in Tacops. If things get really hot, you can always jump out of the
system - enemy ships rarely follow. Also remember you can pause or save during
the battle. Heavily damaged enemies may attempt to flee, so consider following
them by hyperjumping after them. Take care, because in this case they will
tend to flee to Pixan station, potentially dragging you into range of the
station. In some cases ships will be disabled and will emit an SOS, or drop a
cargo pod - ignore these for now.
The station has a finite number of fighters to launch against you - up to 30
in this case (the station has other heavier craft, but does not normally
launch them until you get closer). With a little skill, you should be able to
dispose of all these fighters or send them limping back to base. So if you
died or got beaten up, feel free to restart and try again. Each enemy ship you
kill rewards you with experience points. The precise value varies by ship type
and owner - manual appendix B gives a full list. There is no experience for
damage, only kills. Experience points eventually lead to promotion. The only
promotion to make much of a difference is that to Supreme Commander, since it
allows you to control almost the whole Galcom fleet. That rank is a little way
off yet ;-) .
This battle only allows you to try different tactics against a certain kind of
enemy - battles against other capital ships require a slightly different
approach, notably greater use of the IOD and avoiding the enemy ship ramming
you. Many battles mix ship sizes, requiring slightly different tactics again.
And, of course we still haven't used our interceptors - read on.
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3.6 Fleet operations
This part of the tutorial covers the use of probes and interceptors, and
advanced techniques for assigning orders from Tacops. Although four
interceptors cannot truly be considered a fleet, the same basic techniques may
later be applied to other ships under Fleet Command and Control. One can even
opt to order your own battlecruiser's actions to via Tacops. You can play on
directly from the previous part of the tutorial if you wish, or start a new
character. If you were heavily damaged in the last battle, you should start a
new character.
Jump to Jupiter, Sol and halt. Now launch a probe. From the NID (bottom left)
select Probes--PRB-1--Launch. Then (again) from the NID order the probe to
jump to Lyrius in Sirius (Probes--PRB-1--Jump At--Jupiter To..Sirius..System).
After a while you will see the message "probe has reached its destination" -
this may take some time, since probes travel at a leisurely pace and often
miss jump points on the first pass. Now open Tacops (ALT+S) and left click on
PRB 1, shown in yellow on the right hand side of the screen. Select View Probe
Region (Lyrius). You will see real-time strategic information about activity
in the region as if you were there yourself. From this screen you can both
watch ship movements and give detailed orders any craft you have in the
region. The only thing you cannot do is observe the planet's surface. To
return to your home region (Jupiter) select the probe again from the righ-hand
list, and then select View Local Region (Jupiter).
Probes can only make a limited number of jumps depending on their range (long
range 8 jumps, medium 6, and short 4). Once in a region they will patrol,
sending back real-time information, including a message each time a ship
enters or leaves the region (unless you opt for Silent mode, which can be set
from the NID or Tacops probe menu). There is a chance they will be shot down,
but this is quite rare - it is easier to sneak a probe into an enemy system
than any other craft, and the probe will normally last a lot longer. You may
have up to 10 probes active at one time. This might allow comprehensive
coverage of one area of space, or (when distributed across the galaxy) just
enough to spot most major fleet movements across the galaxy. Unwanted probes
can be destroyed using the Detach option. Probes are loaded using Tactical--
Loadout--BC--Probes.
As mentioned earlier, you have four interceptors and eight pilots to crew
them. Each interceptor requires two pilots. Look at Tactical--Launch and
browse through the first four craft on the list (Int-1, Int-2, etc). You
should find all your pilots are already assigned to interceptors, and those
craft are ready to launch. The list on the right-hand side of the screen shows
pilot statistics. Immediately important are DF (Dog Fighting ability) and BA
(Bombing Accuracy). For now, try to shift the pilots around so that whose with
the highest dog fighting (DF) scores are pilots, and those with the lowest are
co-pilots. Pilots are responsible for flight and most combat. Co-pilots
primarily monitor the radar and may activate anti-missile systems. The combat
skill statistics and AI (Artificial Intelligence) for all these pilots is low
- yes, we are about to send rookies out in expensive combat craft, and yes,
the odds of them bringing them back in one piece are quite low ;-) .
The interceptor Assignment option changes the missile loadout the interceptor
launches with. It does not restrict the orders that can be given once
launched, merely pre-empts the order by trying to assign appropriate weaponry.
You also have the option to over-ride the automatic loadout by turning Auto
Arm off and setting your own loadout from Tactical--Loadout--Int--Int-n. A
full list of automatic interceptor loadouts is given in chapter 23 of the
manual. For now, consider that Intercept is the only all-space-based loadout;
Strike, SEAD and CAP are planet-only loadouts; and the others mix planetary
and space weapons. This part of the tutorial is space based only, so I
recommend you use the Intercept loadout.
Return to the bridge view and launch IC-1. Left-click on IC-1 on the right-
hand side of the screen and select Launch--Intercept (this menu also allows
the assignment/loadout to be changed). Alternatively press ALT+F1 for a simple
launch (other F-keys launch alternative craft). Left-click on IC-1 on the
right-hand side of the screen again, select Orders--Patrol. IC-1 will now
patrol the current region (Jupiter) looking for enemy ships to attack. It will
jump between jump points in the region. A useful tactic to help interceptors
survive is to assign a second interceptor as escort. Launch IC-2 (ALT+F2). Now
left-click on IC-2 and select Orders--Escort--Friendly--Earth Ter Mil IC-1.
IC-2 should now follow IC-1 around. You can watch them both on Tacops (ALT+S).
While interceptors may be piloted by your pilots (essentially the computer),
you can also take direct control yourself. First, ensure your battlecruiser is
ordered to do nothing, since while you are away your crew (the computer) will
take control. Select Command Menu--BC Orders--Orders--Halt. You may also wish
to raise shields and turn weapons and PTA systems on to give your
battlecruiser some protection should the enemy attack it. Don't expect these
measures to be combat effective against anything more than the odd fighter -
they give you enough time to regain command should you need to.
Press ALT+F1 or left-click on IC-1 and select Switch To. You are now in the
cockpit of IC-1. The basic controls are similar to those of the battlecruiser,
except commands are entirely keyboard driven and there are slightly fewer
indicators. For example, only one 'scanner', Tacscan or NID is shown at a
time. By default you are in Tacscan, which means cycling targets using , and .
will only ever show targets such as spacecraft and stations. To show targets
such as jump points, press J to select the NID and J again to cycle through
NID screens. To return to Tacscan press K, and K again to cycle through
Tacscan modes. In space, Tacscan has two modes, SPC and SUL. SPC shows all
appropriate targets, SUL restricts the list to ships you own - in this case
the battlecruiser and IC-2. Another useful key to know is L, which cycles
through different CVD modes. Between J, K and L you can access almost all of
the same information available on the bridge view of the battlecruiser. There
are a few short-cut commands to jump to certain screens, such as V to show the
target camera view of the target: Ultimately familiarisation with the keyboard
template pays dividends.
The interceptor has fewer strategic commands available. For example, one
cannot issue orders to other ships without entering Tacops (ALT+S). Activating
the autopilot will cause the interceptor to carry out its original order, in
this case to patrol the region. If you wish to perfect your dog fighting
skills, once this part of the tutorial is over, quit to the main menu and
select Xtreme Carnage. Xtreme Carnage is pure interceptor-to-enemy combat,
allowing you to experiment without worrying about your battlecruiser - see
section below for further notes and walkthrough. For now, press Esc to return
to your battlecruiser. IC-1 will automatically revert to its former order
(patrol).
Interceptors and similar craft do not use fuel, but they must be charged. You
can see the current Reactor Charge towards the bottom of the Tactical--Launch-
-Int-n screen (this is also shown on the bridge by selecting CVD--Craft--Int-
n, but the value shown there may not be accurate). Pilots become fatigued, and
inevitably craft will take damage and need repair. Order the two interceptors
back to the battlecruiser. Either issue the order RTB to each interceptor
separately (left-click on the name on the right-hand side and select Orders--
RTB) or call them all back using Command Menu--BC Orders--All Interceptors--
RTB.
When the interceptor(s) dock, Flight Engineers will ready them again in
preparation for re-launch. Interceptors cannot immediately be re-launched. If
the interceptor has little or no damage, and enough flight engineers and the
Combat Officer are on-station, readying will start automatically. This is
indicated by the colour of the craft on the right hand side of the bridge view
turning to yellow. If the craft is heavily damaged (normally having a critical
system inoperable) it cannot be re-launched until heavily damaged parts are
repaired. In this case, it will appear in red, and Flight Engineers will not
start to ready it. Readying can be controlled via the Tactical-Launch screen.
No more than two Flight Engineers can ready one interceptor; two typically
take 6-8 minutes. Readying does not repair craft, merely charges their
reactors, reequips missiles, and cleans dead enemy off windshield. Repair is a
separate process, conducted by Systems Engineers and controlled using the same
Logistix--Crafts interface as battlecruiser repairs.
The bridge interface is quite effective at issuing simple orders to
interceptors. Tacops is a far more powerful, detailed method of control.
Return to the bridge and open Tacops (ALT+S). Press Esc to show the Command
Palette. Freeze the game by pressing the Hold button - this will avoid
anything else happening while assigning orders. Waypoints are used to build a
set of orders for a craft or unit, which they will automatically carry out
once launched. Waypoints contain two elements: a location and an action. The
craft will first travel to the location, then carry out the action, then move
to carry out any order in the subsequent waypoint.
Select IC3 from the lower-left of the Command Palette - cycle through units
starting with BC using the arrow buttons on the palette or left-click in the
box and select IC3 from the list. Add Waypoint 1 near Jupiter: Zoom close to
the planet (stay in space, do not observe). Click the Add button on the
Command Palette. Select the type of operation from the bottom box, in this
case the default Proceed To Next. Click the Place button. Now click once
somewhere near the planet to locate the waypoint. A white waypoint marker
labelled "[1] IC3" will appear. Since you are attempting to create a point in
3D space using a flat screen, precise positioning can be somewhat difficult.
Try to not rotate the map, and place the waypoint only in the centre of the
screen - this will tend to create the point 'in the middle' of space. Once the
point is placed, you can rotate the map slightly, click and hold down on the
point, and move the mouse to move the point to a slightly different location.
Since there is no physical target here, just an area of space, precise
positioning is not particularly important.
Specific objects can be assigned as waypoints. Create Waypoint 2 by clicking
the Add button again. Now find the Grazer ODS orbiting Jupiter - do this
visually or by left-clicking Zoom To on the right hand side of the screen, and
selecting Friendly--Jupiter Ter Mil Grazer ODS (if you cannot spot it, it is
possible that it has already been attacked and is offline - check under the
Other or Disabled categories). Next click the Target button on the Command
Palette, and then click on the ODS until a waypoint appears (a white "[2]
IC3") - sometimes the target does not take immediately, try clicking round the
edges of the target. Set the order to Patrol.
You can review the waypoints by cycling through them. Assignment/loadout can
be selected from the Command Palette - Intercept is perfect. Unfreeze the game
by clicking the Update button on the Command Palette. Click the launch button
on the Command Palette - just once, there is a chance the game will crash if
you click it twice quickly. Watch as IC3 (hopefully) flies the course. If the
pilot's chatter becomes annoying, they can be muted by left-clicking IC-3 from
the right-hand list, and selecting Gag Pilots. If enemy units appear, IC3 may
break off from its orders. Once the threat has passed you might need to remind
its pilot of the waypoints by left-clicking IC-3 from the right-hand list, and
issuing the Order, Resume Waypoints. Resume Waypoints can also be used if you
place a new waypoint after the interceptor has launched and need to alert the
pilot to the new waypoint. When the final waypoint has been completed, the
craft will return to base. A final extra waypoint could be set as a Halt or
Wait order if you did not want the interceptor to dock. One can create loops
by making the final waypoint order Repeat Actions. Full explanations of each
order are given in chapter 18 of the manual.
Waypoints can only exist in sectors you have current Tacops information for.
This normally means sectors in which your battlecruiser or probe(s) are
stationed. Since we have a probe in Lyrius, waypoints can be set there. View
Lyrius region (left-click PRB 1 from the right-hand list and select View Probe
Region). Find the enemy ODS near the planet, "Mul Rai Trancor ODS". Now setup
a single waypoint for IC4. Hold to freeze the action while you are doing this
if you wish. Add to create the first waypoint. Click the Command Palette
Target button, and then click on the ODS. Change the order to Strike. Strike
instructs the interceptor to make a passing attack at the target primarily
firing missiles. If no further waypoint is assigned, as will be the case here,
the interceptor will automatically return to base once it has run out of
munitions or the target is neutralised.
With the waypoint setup, return to real-time (Update if you used Hold
earlier), and launch IC4. IC4 should immediately jump to the Lyrius and attack
the ODS. With a little luck, the ODS will be destroyed or disabled, and the
interceptor will return undamaged.
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3.7 Shuttles and cargo
You may continue this part of the tutorial directly on from the last if you
wish. If you have played several tutorial parts in succession, it may be
easier to start a new character: As time passes you will start to run low on
Radine and enemy attacks will become more frequent - while you might benefit
from combat practice, such attacks tend to distract from the main aim of the
tutorial.
The battlecruiser has a complement of four shuttles. Shuttles operate in a
similar way to interceptors, except they have no offensive capability. Instead
they are primarily cargo carrying craft. They can also be used to carry
people, vehicles, and mining drones, and may be used to collect cargo and tow
stranded ships.
Shuttles require at least one crew-member onboard, but it is not particularly
important what type. Shuttles do not need to be crewed by pilots. I recommend
using single Marines to man shuttles because you rarely need all 40 unless you
are undertaking ground operations. A good alternative shuttle pilot is a
Flight Engineer - you do not need the majority of those for preparing
interceptors. Select crew with AI in double figures for the task. Crew can be
assigned to shuttles using the Tactical--Crew or Tactical--Loadout--SH--SH-n--
Team. The former more clearly shows the AI of the crew-member assigned. Assign
one crew-member to each of the four shuttles.
Each shuttle has a total cargo capacity of 2000 units. By default, 1500 units
of this space are occupied by an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) and a (mining)
Drone. View Tactical--Loadout--SH--SH-1--Cargo. On the right-hand side of the
screen, the currently loaded ATV and drone are displayed (ATV-1 and Drone-1).
These will be of use in the future, but not during this tutorial, so unload
them onto the battlecruiser by selecting None instead of ATV-1 and Drone-1.
Repeat this for all four shuttles. Drones and ATVs do not appear to occupy any
cargo space on your battlecruiser - presumably they just clutter up the flight
deck.
Fly to Mars, Sol. Target the Debris Field (via NID), and fly towards it. Fly
the last 500 clicks manually. Once you are within 100-200 clicks of the
centre, halt. Briefly enter Tacops (ALT+S) and exit it again back to bridge
view so that the debris displays correctly. Debris fields may contain a
mixture of asteroids, cargo pods and mines. This debris field does not
normally contain any mines, but does contain a lot of cargo pods, making it an
ideal spot to experiment. If mines do appear, it may be possible simply to
avoid them. Other options involve giving your battlecruiser or interceptor(s)
Minesweep orders. Take care when deploying interceptors to clear minefields
because your rookie pilots often collide with the mines and asteroids,
damaging their craft in the process.
Shuttles are launched in a similar way to interceptors. One can left-click on
the shuttle name on the right-hand side of the bridge view or Tacops view and
select Launch, or press ALT+F5-8, or launch them from the Command Palette in
Tacops. You may also select Command Menu--BC Orders--All Shuttle--Launch, but
launching all shuttles simultaneously can result in all your shuttles
colliding and being destroyed (not a good way to start any operation :-/ ), so
I favour launching them separately. There are no automatic loadout options (if
you look in Tactical--Launch--SH-n you will see an Assignment option, but that
appears not to do anything in particular).
Launch SC-1. You should be surrounded by cargo pods. Some of these contain
goods, some do not. Target a cargo pod using Tacscan. Press V once or twice
until the CVD (bottom right) displays both the camera image of the pod and a
list of its Cargo Manifest. If the manifest reads "Cargo Manifest 0/0"
(nothing), look for another pod until you find one with cargo. If the manifest
covers more than one page, use , and . to cycle pages. Now order SC-1 to
collect the cargo using Command Menu--Current Target--SC-1 Collect. Do not
left click on SC-1 on the right-hand list and issue Orders--Collect--Cargo -
it does not work. You can instead issue this command from Tacops, even setting
a waypoint "Collect cargo", however Tacops clutters up the display with
asteroids by default making it hard to find the correct pod (although these
can be hidden by customising Tacops Options). If you read on you may realise
such detailed orders are not generally needed. The shuttle will fly towards
the pod. When the shuttle arrives at the pod it will load the cargo onboard,
and the pod will disappear. Order SH-1 home (for example, Orders--RTB, but
there are several methods).
Unlike interceptors, shuttles do not need to be readied between launches. So
long as they are crewed, they can be re-launched an instant after they have
docked. Once SH-1 has docked, open actical--Loadout--SH--SH-1--Cargo. Unload
the cargo. One can work through each of the cargo screens manually
transferring cargo from shuttle to battlecruiser, or simply click Unload All
Cargo at the bottom of the screen.
The Cargosweep order can be assigned to shuttles to automated the process of
recovering cargo pods. Launch SH-1 and give it Cargosweep orders (from the
right-hand list, left-click and Orders--Cargosweep). Cargosweep orders can
also be issued from within Tacops. Once the first pod has been loaded, launch
SH-2 and give that Cargosweep orders. I suggest separating the launches in
this way to reduce the chance of both shuttles chasing after the same pod,
which they tend to do if both start from the same place. This not only wastes
time, but may cause collisions.
Cargosweep covers all pods in the region on your radar. This will mostly be
pods in the debris field, but may include others dropped by ships during
combat. Any pod left floating around in space may be salvaged, regardless of
previous owner. Shuttles will seek out all pods regardless of cargo, so
Cargosweeps are slightly slower than assigning targets manually, but far
easier to manage. Cargo pods in the debris field onl 
