From 0b248a2b6c09d9f7b936585fc5f5a0fe25d2a4a6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: mcmartin Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:14:32 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Manual update for 0.6 Includes lots of instructions (main menu, super melee, etc) that probably should have been there before. git-svn-id: svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/sc2/code/trunk@2504 8092fc87-c524-0410-9efc-e669fe64eaf9 --- sc2/doc/users/manual.txt | 218 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 179 insertions(+), 39 deletions(-) diff --git a/sc2/doc/users/manual.txt b/sc2/doc/users/manual.txt index 3fecbc992..a716c40f7 100644 --- a/sc2/doc/users/manual.txt +++ b/sc2/doc/users/manual.txt @@ -1,20 +1,51 @@ -THE UR-QUAN MASTERS v0.5 alpha -- homepage: http://sc2.sf.net/ +THE UR-QUAN MASTERS v0.6 -- homepage: http://sc2.sf.net/ -Welcome to the fifth release of the Ur-Quan Masters port. This +Welcome to the sixth release of the Ur-Quan Masters port. This document will tell you everything you need to play, even if you've never played the original. For those of you who have played the original, read the first section -(starting the game) and the last section (control summary), and you'll -be good to go. +(starting the game and bug reports) and the last sections (Super Melee +and control summary), and you'll be good to go. STARTING THE GAME Simply invoke the executable from the directory you installed UQM in to run the game. (Under Windows, this is uqm.exe; under Linux, it's -uqm.) This will use the default settings, which are 3DO music, -640x480 windowed mode, and pure SDL graphics drivers. You may pass -various command line options to customize your experience: +uqm.) This will use the default settings. The defaults and how to +change them are listed under COMMAND LINE OPTIONS, below. + +After a splash screen, you will see the main menu, which has five +options: + + - New Game: Begins a new Full Game. This is a galaxy-spanning space + adventure full of diplomacy, exploration, combat, high treason, + and low cunning. The introductory cutscenes will set the scene; + the THE STORY SO FAR section below provides more extensive + backstory for the curious. + + - Load Game: Restores a Full Game session that was saved earlier. + + - Super Melee!: Puts the game in Super Melee mode, where you may + hone your space combat skills or challenge your friends to fleet + battles. See the SUPER MELEE section below for details on this + section. + + - Setup: Lets you configure many options to customize your play + experience. Most options will take effect once you exit the setup + menu; a few specially marked options require you to restart UQM. + Setup options are preserved across sessions. The options are + described under COMMAND LINE OPTIONS, below. + + - Quit: Exits the program. + +COMMAND LINE OPTIONS + +The default options for an UQM install are 3DO music, 640x480 windowed +mode, and pure SDL graphics drivers. The initial defaults may vary on +the Windows install if you selected "Mimic PC" or "Mimic 3DO" as the +install type. You may pass various command line options to customize +your experience: -r 320x240 (or --res) @@ -192,13 +223,33 @@ added; or other platforms). Specifies which platform accelerations to use for graphics and sound, if any. All specific platform code can only be used when compiled in. + --netport1 (no short version) + --nethost2 (no short version) + +Specifies the default port the bottom or top player respectively will +connect to or accept incoming connections on. If this parameter is not +specified, 21837 will be used. Your firewall needs to be set up to +allow TCP connections from/to the used port. This is normally +configured from the SuperMelee Net menu. + + --nethost1 (no short version) + --nethost2 (no short version) + +Specifies the default name or ip number of the host to connect to for +the bottom or player. + + --netdelay (no short version) + +Set the default input delay (in frames). See the Super Melee section +for details. + BUG REPORTS -This is an alpha release. That means several things. First, it means -that you're an alpha tester. Be proud. Second, it means that the -game is likely to crash with great frequency. Upon finding a problem, -we'd like you to report it, but before you do, please do the following: +After several years of enthusiastic testing, UQM has dramatically +improved its stability, but it is still beta software, and bugs +certainly still lurk. Upon finding a problem, we'd like you to report +it, but before you do, please do the following: - Try to isolate what causes it: "Crashes with a null dereference about half the time when firing and taunting with a Pkunk" is better @@ -498,6 +549,95 @@ Primary weapon: Anti-matter spray gun. Secondary weapon: "Tongue attack", a point-blank range attack that does grievous damage. + SUPER MELEE + +Super Melee mode is pure combat. It's designed to let you hone your +skills for the full game, or to challenge your friends to fleet +matches. Selecting "Super Melee!" from the main menu will bring you +to the super melee main screen. + +This screen is dominated by the fleet design screen. Move the cursor +over a ship slot and press ENTER to change the ship assignment, or +press DELETE to remove the ship. You may select the fleet name and +press ENTER to edit the fleet name to something of your choice. The +number next to the fleet name lists the fleet strength; this is simply +the sum of the point values of all ships in the fleet. + +The right hand side of the screen has buttons for managing the battle. +Each side has four buttons associated with it: LOAD, SAVE, CONTROL, +and NET. The LOAD and SAVE buttons let you load and save fleets. A +variety of fleets of various strengths are pre-defined, and you may +add your own by saving fleets you design. + +The CONTROL button has one of five settings. HUMAN CONTROL puts the +fleet under the control of a human player. (The precise controls for +that player are set in the Setup menu, but the bottom player's +controls are always the same as the full game's controls.) Then there +are three levels of computer control: + + - WEAK CYBORG is not a particularly good shot, and will only use + special weapons if the ship absolutely requires the special weapon + to function at all (Pkunk, Slylandro). This difficulty level only + appears in the full game when fighting crippled ships. + + - GOOD CYBORG will actually use its special weapon, but it's still + not much of a threat. The Good cyborg provides a gentle + introduction to Star Control combat if you are unfamiliar with the + gameplay. However, you will soon wish to switch to... + + - AWESOME CYBORG. The AI will fully exploit each ship's abilities, + and is also a tolerably good shot, compensating for inertia and + choosing its shots. Enemies you meet in the full game are almost + always piloted at this level. If a battle is giving you trouble + in the full game, this is the setting you want. + +The last control option is NETWORK CONTROL, which will be set if that +side is controlled by a non-local opponent. To set up a network game, +push the NET button on the side you wish to be under your opponent's +control. + +In order to connect, you must agree on a port (the default is 21837, +which should not require any change) and set a net delay in frames. +To compensate for network lag, a keypress or keyrelease will only take +effect after this many frames. While higher values make your ship to +seem to respond more sluggishly, they give the keypress information +more time to reach the remote party. If the game stutters, this is +because it is waiting for this keypress information to arrive, which +is an indication that the input delay is too low. Super Melee runs at +24 frames per second, each frame delayed will delay the input by about +42ms. The delay used is the maximum of the desired value for both +parties. The default is 0. Values lower than 4 are typically +acceptable in terms of responsiveness. Future versions may +automatically decide on the best value to use. + +Once the port and delay are set, one player must select the first +option (Wait for incoming connection), while the other enters his +opponent's hostname or IP address into the Host field and then pushes +"Connect." Once the connection is established, the control scheme for +the remote player will flip to NETWORK CONTROL to register the +connection. To disconnect, change it away back to one of the HUMAN or +CYBORG options. Once connected, you are both free to edit your fleets +to provide a properly balanced battle. + +Once all fleets are in readiness, press the BATTLE button in the +center right. (In a network game, both players must select it with no +intervening fleet edits. Moving away from BATTLE or having your +opponent change their fleet will cancel your readiness state, and you +will need to reselect the BATTLE button.) When all players are ready, +the battle begins. + +The ship selection screen is much as it would be in the full game, +with two notable exceptions: a question mark in the upper right allows +you to select a new ship randomly from those remaining, and a red X +allows you to exit the combat entirely. (It is also possible to exit +the melee at any time by pressing F10, just as one can exit anything.) +If nobody quits, the combat will continue until one side has been +completely destroyed. At this point, both fleets are shown so that +one may compare initial and remaining fleet strengths. Press a key to +return to the melee menu. + +To return to the main menu after finishing with Super Melee mode, push +the QUIT button in the lower right. GENERAL GAME CONTROLS SUMMARY @@ -541,8 +681,8 @@ TAB: Jump to next match. UP: Thrust LEFT and RIGHT: Steer -RIGHT CTRL or ] or ENTER: Fire Primary Weapon -RIGHT SHIFT or [: Fire Secondary Weapon +RIGHT CTRL or ENTER: Fire Primary Weapon +RIGHT SHIFT: Fire Secondary Weapon ESCAPE: Emergency Warp Escape @@ -550,31 +690,40 @@ ESCAPE: Emergency Warp Escape UP: Forward LEFT and RIGHT: Steer -RIGHT CTRL or ] or ENTER: Fire stun bolt -RIGHT SHIFT or [ or ESCAPE: Blast off +RIGHT CTRL or ENTER: Fire stun bolt +RIGHT SHIFT or ESCAPE: Blast off MELEE CONTROLS SUMMARY Top Player -E: Thrust -S and F: Steer -Q: Fire Primary Weapon -A: Fire Secondary Weapon +W: Thrust +A and D: Steer +V: Fire Primary Weapon +B: Fire Secondary Weapon Bottom Player UP or ENTER: Thrust LEFT and RIGHT: Steer -RIGHT CTRL or ] or ENTER: Fire Primary Weapon -RIGHT SHIFT or [: Fire Secondary Weapon +RIGHT CTRL or ENTER: Fire Primary Weapon +RIGHT SHIFT: Fire Secondary Weapon -These controls are configurable by editing the keys.cfg file which will -be automatically generated in your personal directory for uqm data the -first time you start the game. -The location of this directory varies per system. +These controls are configurable from the Setup Menu. You may define +up to six "Input Templates" and assign a template to either or both +players. Some commonly used key configurations are pre-defined, as +well as popular variants. To change key bindings, select the binding +you wish to change and press ENTER. At the dialog box, press the key +(or joystick gesture) that you wish to assign to this action. + + + SAVED GAMES + +The saved games are kept in your personal directory for uqm data. +This directory is automatically created the first time you start the +game. The location of this directory varies per system. On Microsoft Windows systems this is a folder named 'uqm' in the application data folder for the current user. @@ -591,18 +740,10 @@ find in the Tools menu of any folder window. On Unix systems this personal uqm data is stored in "~/.uqm". -Later versions of The Ur-Quan Masters will include a key configuration -tool. In the meantime, the keys.cfg has a bunch of comments in it -that should help you set up your joystick and remap key controls to -your satisfaction. - - - SAVED GAMES - -The saved games are kept in the same location as the keys.cfg file, under -"save". You will need to know this if you intend to transfer them to another -computer. Note that currently games saved on a Mac will not work on a PC, -and vice versa. +You will generally only need this if you intend to transfer savegames +to another computer. Note that currently games saved on an PowerPC Mac +will not work on a PC (or an Intel Mac), and vice versa. AMD64 and +Intel savegames may be safely transferred. ADD-ONS @@ -621,7 +762,6 @@ in the game. '--addon' may be specified more than once to enable multiple add-ons. The Precursors UQM Remix project is intended to be used as an addon. -If you installed UQM 0.5 from the Windows installer, the remix packs +If you installed UQM 0.6 from the Windows installer, the remix packs are available as options. Installing any of them will cause the default shortcuts to include the "remix" addon by default. -