From 66164ed871eef9c58c7495b184965d293804ddd9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: mcmartin Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 04:54:51 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] A quick little user's guide git-svn-id: svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/sc2/code/trunk@186 8092fc87-c524-0410-9efc-e669fe64eaf9 --- sc2/doc/users/manual.txt | 393 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 393 insertions(+) create mode 100644 sc2/doc/users/manual.txt diff --git a/sc2/doc/users/manual.txt b/sc2/doc/users/manual.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..b13acf3e4 --- /dev/null +++ b/sc2/doc/users/manual.txt @@ -0,0 +1,393 @@ +THE UR-QUAN MASTERS + +version 0.1 alpha + +Welcome to the first 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 + +Simply invoke UQM.EXE from the content directory to run the game. +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: + + -r 320x240 (or --res) + +Sets the screen resolution. Unless --opengl is set, the only valid +values are 640x480 and 320x240 + + -d 24 (or --bpp) + +Sets the color depth. If you don't set this, the game should +autodetect an appropriate value. Valid values are 16, 24, and 32. + + -f (or --fullscreen) + +Uses full screen mode. Pretty straightforward. Usually good to +combine with -r 320x240. + + -o (or --opengl) + +Use OpenGL drivers. This produces higher-quality graphics, and may be +faster as well -- but it also may not work on older cards. + + -b (or --bilinear) + +Enable bilinear filtering in OpenGL mode. Produces less pixelated +graphics with a bit of a performance penalty. + + -p (or --fps) + +Print fps information in the status window. + + -tv (or --tv) + +Simulates interlaced displays. + + -c (or --contentdir) + +Set the directory where the game will seek its data. + + -h (or --help) + +Display a help message. + + -M (or --musicvol) + +Set music volume (0-100). + + -S (or --sfxvol) + +Set sound effects volume (0-100). + + -T (or --speechvol) + +Set speech volume (0-100). + + -e (or --3domusic) + +Use the 3DO remixed soundtrack for songs that were in fact remixed. +The default. + + -m (or --pcmusic) + +Use the .MOD based PC soundtrack everywhere. + + -q (or --audioquality) + +Can be "high", "medium", or "low". Specifies how nice the audio +sounds. Slower machines should lower the audio quality. + + THE STORY SO FAR + +For the past decade, Earth and the rest of the Alliance of Free Stars +has fought the Ur-Quan and their Hierarchy of Battle Thralls. In the +course of the War, the Earthlings discovered a factory world by the +'Precursors' - an impossibly advanced that disappeared tens of +thousands of years ago. This colony, Unzervalt (aka Vela I), lost all +contact with Earth shortly after landfall. + +You are Captain Zelnick, a human that was born on Unzervalt and who +possesses a remarkable knack for Precursor technology. You were the +one who worked out how to activate the Precursor installation. + +It was a factory for building starships. However, Unzervalt is +mineral-poor, and there were not enough materials available to +construct a complete vessel. Your task is to command this craft, the +Vindicator, and return to Earth to tell them of the abandoned colony. +Also, if the War with the Ur-Quan continues, you must fight for Earth +and the Alliance as best you can. + +There is a great deal more to this story. Asking Starbase Commander +Hayes for background information will give you most of it. + + INTERPLANETARY EXPLORATION + +When in a Solar system, use the thrust and steering controls to move +about the system. Intersecting a planet will move you to the +planetary system; flying over a planet or moon will then put you into +orbit. From there you can talk to the inhabitants, or, if the planet +is uninhabited, send a lander down to gather minerals, investigate +energy readings, or capture life forms. + + PLANET LANDING + +To land on a planet, you need to achieve orbit, then fill a planet +lander with crew and send them down. You will usually want to scan +the planet first. Mineral scans will indicate easily harvestable +mineral ores and other resources. Energy scans will indicate unusual +installations, which will effectively always be worth investigating. +Biological scans will show where life forms are on the surface. + +Minerals are necessary for building up and maintaining your flagship, +so harvest them wherever you can. There are nine varieties, each +color coded: + +COMMON ELEMENTS (carbon, nitrogen) are cyan. Worth 1 resource unit +(RU) each. + +CORROSIVES (chlorine, iodine) are red. 2 RU per unit. + +BASE METALS (iron, tin) are grey. These are common, and usually worth +harvesting, but not terribly valuable. 3 RU per unit. + +NOBLE GASSES (argon, xenon) are blue, and 4 RU each. + +RARE EARTHS (lanthanum, ytterbium) are green. 5 RU per. + +PRECIOUS ELEMENTS (gold, silver) are yellow. 6 RU per. + +RADIOACTIVES (uranium, astatine) are orange. 8 RU per. + +EXOTICS (antimatter, magnetic monopoles) are purple, and a princely 20 +RU per cargo unit. + +Minerals may be unloaded at Earth Starbase by talking to Commander +Hayes, which will give you RU that you may spend to upgrade your +flagship. + +However, there are many hazards on planetary surfaces. Life forms are +often hostile, and need to be subdued with your stunner or evaded. +Earthquakes (expanding circles) can hurt your crew, lightning may +crisp them, or lava flows and hotspots can fry them. Be careful, +especially on hotter or more seismically and atmospherically active +worlds. If your crew level starts dropping dramatically, flee quickly +with the ESCAPE key! + +Stunned life forms may be captured and analyzed by your planet +landers. The information you gain from this may not be immediately +useful, but it will eventually come in handy. + +Landing on a planet costs fuel, and the heavier the planet, the more +fuel it requires. Make sure you don't spend so much fuel exploring +planets that you can't get back to Sol! + + INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL + +When you leave a solar system, you will push up into HyperSpace. In +HyperSpace you can travel great distances quickly, but you must +continuously thrust to move. Otherwise, you will gradually slow to a +stop. + +While you can fly about in HyperSpace just like you do in a star +system, the Galaxy is LARGE, and you will usually want to use the +Auto-Pilot. To use the Auto-Pilot, select "Starmap" on the menu. +This will show you a map of the quadrant (the galactic Core is in the +upper right corner). To fly to a location, move the cursor there and +press Enter. Then press Space to engage the Auto-Pilot. + + DIPLOMACY + +When you encounter an alien starship, you will usually get a picture +of their task force and a chance to choose between conversation and +fighting. If you choose to fight, you will transition immediately to +space combat (below). Otherwise, you will talk first. If talks go +poorly, space combat will likely ensue. + +If the task force shows ships streaming off in all directions, you +have reached a fortified world, and there are an unlimited number of +starships facing you. You cannot win such a fight - if combat ensues, +you will need to warp out. + + SPACE COMBAT + +When combat begins, you are prompted to select a ship from your task +force. A one-on-one space combat then begins, and continues until +either the enemy fleet is destroyed (in which case you salvage the +wrecks and continue the game), your flagship is destroyed (ending the +game), or your flagship warps out of combat (consuming 5 fuel units +but ending the encounter). + +Each ship has two major stats: Crew and Combat Battery. Crew are +effectively hit points. Getting hit by weapons kills crew, and if all +crew are eliminated, the craft is destroyed. Firing weapons typically +requires energy from the combat batteries, which is replaced over +time. The precise speed of energy regeneration and cost of weapons +fire varies by ship. + +Space flight is *mostly* inertial (you'll drift if you stop +thrusting), but each ship has a maximum velocity that can only be +exceeding by "gravity whipping" around the planet. Don't hit the +planet unless you want to take LOTS of damage. + +Each ship has a primary and secondary weapon mode, unique to that +race's craft. The descriptions of those follow. + + SHIP DESCRIPTIONS + + Androsynth Guardian +Primary weapon: Fires homing acid bubble clouds. +Secondary weapon: Transforms into the 'Blazer', a comet that does +considerable damage by ramming its opponents. + + Ariloulaleelay Skiff +Primary weapon: Auto-aiming, short-range laser +Secondary weapon: Random teleport +Note: The Skiff is inertialess, and stops instantly when thrust is +removed. + + Chenjesu Broodhome +Primary weapon: Crystal Shard. Will travel until the fire button is +released, then shatters. +Secondary weapon: De-energizing Offensive Guided Interceptor. +Launches an autonomous DOGI that rams the opponent to drain their +combat batteries. + + Chmmr Avatar +Primary weapon: Immensely powerful short-range laser +Secondary weapon: Tractor beam. +Note: Has three orbiting "ZapSats" that attack anything that gets in +range. + + Druuge Mauler +Primary weapon: Long range, high-recoil cannon +Secondary weapon: Sets one crew on fire to gain combat energy. + + Earthling Cruiser +Primary weapon: Homing nuclear missile +Secondary weapon: Point-defense laser + + Ilwrath Avenger +Primary weapon: Short-range flamethrower +Secondary weapon: Cloaking device + + Kohr-Ah Marauder +Primary weapon: Spinning blades that stop and home when the fire +button is released +Secondary weapon: Fiery Ring of Inevitable and Eternal Destruction +(F.R.I.E.D.), a short-range corona of energy that blocks shots and +inflicts lots of damage + + Melnorme Trader +Primary weapon: Charged shot. The longer the fire button is held, the +stronger the shot. +Secondary weapon: Confusion beam that scrambles enemy controls. + + Mmrnmhrm X-Form +Primary weapon: Lasers (X-form) or homing missiles (Y-form). +Secondary weapon: Switch between X-Form and Y-Form. + + Mycon Podship +Primary weapon: Homing Plasmoid. +Secondary weapon: Regenerate 4 crew. + + Orz Nemesis +Primary weapon: Howitzer cannon. +Secondary weapon: Secondary with left and right arrows rotates the +primary cannon. Secondary with Primary launches space marines that +invade the enemy ship and kill their crew. + + Pkunk Fury +Primary weapon: Three-way cannon +Secondary weapon: Fling insults at opponent. This is the only way the +Pkunk can regenerate combat energy. +Note: On occasion, a destroyed Fury will be resurrected with full fuel +and power. + + Shofixti Scout +Primary weapon: Energy Dart. +Secondary weapon: Glory Device. When pressed three times, the ship +will self-destruct, inflicting vast damage on nearby vessels. + + Slylandro Probe +Primary weapon: Lighting weapon. +Secondary weapon: Absorb a nearby asteroid and convert to combat +power. This is the only way the Probe can recharge. +Note: The Probe is inertialess and always in motion. Pressing thrust +will reverse its direction. + + Spathi Eluder +Primary weapon: Simple forward cannon. +Secondary weapon: Backward Utilized Tracking Torpedo (B.U.T.T.), a +homing missile fired from the rear of the vessel. + +Alpha release warning: Since collisions are only using bounding boxes +right now, the B.U.T.T. missile is far more likely to hit you on +launch than your opponent. + + Supox Blade +Primary weapon: Forward firing glob weapon +Secondary weapon: Secondary + left or right will cause you to drift +laterally, while Secondary + thrust will make you fly backwards. This +cancels your current velocity, so be careful! + + Syreen Penetrator +Primary weapon: Particle Beam Stiletto. +Secondary weapon: "Syreen Call" - psychic attack that induces enemy +crew to jump ship, where you (or your opponent) may capture them to +add to your complement + + Thraddash Torch +Primary weapon: Straightforward blaster cannon. +Secondary weapon: Afterburner. The afterburner exhaust does more +damage then the blaster, so use it as a weapon! + + Umgah Drone +Primary weapon: Anti-Matter cone. Does not require combat batteries to use. +Secondary weapon: Fly backwards suddenly and at high speed. +Note: The Drone only recharges batteries if you do not fire for a long +time, and then the energy all returns in one lump. + + Ur-Quan Dreadnought +Primary weapon: Fusion Blast. +Secondary weapon: Launches autonomous fighters to harry the enemy. +When they run low on fuel, they will fly back to the Dreadnought. +Catch them before they expire. Each fighter requires one crew to +pilot it, so take care not to weaken the core ship. + + Utwig Jugger +Primary weapon: Six-shot cannon. Requires no combat battery energy to fire. +Secondary weapon: Force shield. Absorbing hits re-energizes your +batteries. When the batteries are exhausted, the shield is +permanently disabled until combat ends. + + VUX Intruder +Primary weapon: Gigawatt laser. +Secondary weapon: Limpet mines that track enemy ships and slow them +down dramatically if they hit. + + Yehat Terminator +Primary weapon: Twin autocannons. +Secondary weapon: Force shield. + + Zoq-Fot-Pik Stinger +Primary weapon: Anti-matter spray gun. +Secondary weapon: "Tongue attack", a point-blank range attack that +does grievous damage. + + + CONTROLS SUMMARY + + Space flight + +UP or ENTER: Thrust +LEFT and RIGHT: Steer +SPACE: Main menu + + Menus + +Arrow Keys: Scroll through selections +ENTER: Make selection +SPACE: Up one level + + Space Combat + +UP or ENTER: Thrust +LEFT and RIGHT: Steer +SPACE: Fire Primary Weapon +ESCAPE: Fire Secondary Weapon +Numpad + and SPACE: Emergency Warp Escape + + + Planet Exploration + +UP: Forward +LEFT and RIGHT: Steer +SPACE: Fire stun bolt +ESCAPE: Blast off