amiga k240 manual

K240 FULL MANUAL ================== TYPED BY SHARD - N&BPart 1

CONTENTS--------

Playing the GameFinding Your Way Around This ManualZone 001 - TutorialZone 002 - Colony ManagementZone 003 - Spacecraft ConstructionZone 004 - SpyingZone 005 - FleetsZone 006 - Button Selection PanelsZone 007 - Terracorp and Sci-TekZone 008 - HintsZone 009 - BackgroundZone 010 - Building Reference SectionZone 011 - Sci-TekZone 012 - SpacecraftZone 013 - Hardpoint WeaponsZone 014 - Missile WarfareZone 015 - The Enemy

EPILEPSY WARNING----------------

Please read before using this video game or allowing your children to useit.

Some people are susceptible to epileptic seizures or loss of consciousnesswhen exposed to certain flashing lights or light patterns in everyday life.Such people may have a seizure while watching certain television images orplaying certain video games. This may happen even if the person has nomedical history of epilepsy or has never had any epileptic seizures.

If you or anyone in your family has ever had symptoms related to epilepsy(seizures or loss of consciousness) when exposed to flashing lights,consult your doctor prior to playing.

We advise that parents should monitor the use of video games by theirchildren. If you or your child experience any of the following symptoms:dizziness, blurred vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of consciousness,disorientation, any involuntary movement or convulsion, while playing avideo game, IMMEDIATELY discontinue use and consult your doctor.

PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE DURING USE------------------------------

Do not Stand too close to the screen. Sit a good distance away from thetelevision screen, as far away as the length of the cable allows.

Preferably play the game on a small television screen.

Avoid playing if you are tired or have not had much sleep.

Make sure that the room in which you are playing is well lit.

Rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes per hour while playing a video game.

CREDITS-------

Programming: Graeme IngGraphics: Pete DanielsGame Design: Graeme Ing and Pete DanielsMusic: Patrick PhelanSFX: Patrick Phelan and Neil BigginIntro Programming: Michael HartIntro graphics: Paul Green and Syd FranklinProduced by: Mark GlossopManual Copy: Kai MacMahon and Graeme IngManual Design: Kai MacMahon,Edited by: Steve MckevittManual Artwork: Dave Lewis and Alan BatsonVoice of the Computer: Tracey ParkAdditional Help: Graham Stone, Kevin Dudley and Damian HibbardQuality assurance: Simon Short, Robert Millington, Tony Howe

PLAYING THE GAME----------------

From Floppy disk:

1) Turn on your Amiga,2) Insert disk 1 in your internal disk drive, (DF0:)3) The game will automatically boot and run

From Hard Disk:

1) Turn on your Amiga,2) Wait for the Amiga to boot into Workbench3) Locate the directory you have previously installed K240 into, (see "Installing onto Hard Disk" below) and double click on the K240 game icon,4) The game will run.

It is recommended that you install K240 onto a hard disk if you have one.The game will be easier to play due to do data and screens being loadedalmost instantaneously.

On Machines with more than half a Meg of chip ram K240 uses sampled speechto announce important events. This can cause excessive disk swopping on asingle drive system. If you do not have a second drive, we suggest youdisable the speech option from the Tetracorp screen. On the Floppy diskversion, all saved games are made to the internal disk drive (DF0:), IT ISIMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE A PRE-FORMATTED DISK FOR USE AS A SAVE-DISK BEFOREYOU BEGIN TO PLAY THE GAME! The save disk must be formatted in standardAmiga format. If you are unsure how to format a disk, follow theinstructions given in the manuals that came with the Amiga. Each savedgame requires approximately 180K of space.

Apart from the save-disk, which will always be in DF0, K240 will recogniseany of the game disks in any Floppy disk drive, internal or external.

On the Hard Disk version, all saved games are made to the Hard Disk, in thesame directory as the game has been installed.

Installing Onto Hard Disk

1) Turn on your Amiga.2) Wait for the Amiga to boot into Workbench.3) Insert K240 disk 3 into any Floppy disk drive. Wait for the disk icon to appear on the screen.4) Double click on the K240 disk icon.5) Double click on the "Install K240" disk icon.6) Follow on screen directions.

FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE MANUALS-----------------------------------

This manual comes in three distinct sections.

a) Tutorial: K240 is a complicated game. Once you are familiar with the basics it isactually quite straightforward to play. The tutorial forms a painlessintroduction to the basic elements of the game, and gives you an idea whereto start. We strongly advise that you follow it.

b) Main Reference section: This explains in detail all of the game. It is divided into sections sothat you can easily find out about any subject. It is not necessary toread this part of the manual before you commence play; you can refer to thesections when you need them; but it is worthwhile skimming through it sothat you are familiar with what you can do in the game.

A hints section is included to assist you if you are unsure of how youshould go about developing your mining colony.

c) Technical section: This contains technical details on the various weapons, spacecraft, alienraces etc, as well as some notes on Imperial history. The bulk of thismaterial is for background only, and is not necessary to play the game, butan understanding of these technical details may help you to develop betterstrategies.

ZONE 001 : TUTORIAL-------------------

This section of the manual is designed as a full tutorial. Over thefollowing pages you will be taken step by step through the initial parts ofthe game. The more complex aspects of the game will be easier tounderstand when you have this basic knowledge.

For a painless introduction to the game, we strongly advise you to followthis tutorial.

Because you will be playing a proper game during the tutorial (Alien level1 in fact) events are bound to happen that are not documented here. Themost noticeable of these will be windows that pop up to report certainevents. For now if any message window appears that is not explained by thetutorial, simply ignore it and click with the left mouse button on the Exitbutton that will appear in a little box beside the message window. Themessage will go away and you can continue with the tutorial.

THE MAIN ASTEROID VIEW SCREEN-----------------------------

When you start the game select your language by picking the appropriateflag. When you reach the Tetracorp screen click on "END" to begin AlienLevel one. You will now find yourself looking at your initial asteroid, onthe Asteroid View Screen. Before we go any further let`s take a lookaround this screen.

In the centre is a 3-D representation of your asteroid showing rockyterrain and the sole building in your colony (A Colony Preservation Unit ingreen.)

In space above the asteroid is the transporter ship that you used to reachSector K240.

At bottom right is a building icon. This indicates which of the manybuildings is currently active for construction. You`ll see how it`s usedwhen we look at Colony Construction in a moment.

Below it is a blue button. This is explained in the section of the manualabout "Time Saving Techniques".

Below that is the status line. Messages will appear here from time to timebut usually it flashes between two important pieces or information:

a) your money in Imperial Creditsb) The date in the format: E2.yyy.dd

Where E2 marks the 2nd Millennium AD, yyy the year and dd the day. Eachyear has 100 standard Imperial days. The game begins in E2.380.01, whichis the year 2380 AD.

USING THE MOUSE---------------

Before we go any further, lets look at the 3 different mouse modes as it isimportant that you are in the correct mode for an operation.

a) Hand:This is the default mode used for most operations. Whilst in this mode youcan click on the asteroid to construct buildings and click on buildings toobtain information.

b) Arrow:This is the Ship Selection mode. In this mode you can ONLY click on any ofyour spacecraft (or Orbital Space dock) to obtain information about themand control them. You can perform no other function.

You enter this mode by clicking on the Ship Mode button (see later), orpressing the "S" key. Do so again to return to the normal "hand" mode.

c) Bomb:This is the demolish Mode. In this mode you can ONLY demolish yourbuildings should you desire to do so. Simply click with the left mousebutton over any building to destroy it.

You enter this mode by clicking on the demolish Mode button (see later) orpressing the "D" key. Do so again to return to the normal hand mode.

You carry out most operations by clicking with the Left mouse button, egselecting ships, selecting buildings, clicking on the asteroid, clicking on

buttons, etc.

Clicking the right mouse button anywhere on the screen brings up one of theseveral Button Panels. A different button Panel appears for each differentscreen. Some buttons also lead to other Button Panels.

Most buttons are explained in the appropriate section in the manual butthere is a separate card provided which identifies the purpose of everybutton.

Try it now: Click with the right mouse button. The Asteroid Screen ButtonPanel appears with 3 rows of three buttons.

Notice the button in the bottom right. This is the Exit button andclicking on it takes you back to the game. Every button Panel orinformation window has an Exit button and in each instance it will resemblethe return key on your computer.

Note also, that whilst any information window or button Panel is visible onthe screen, the game is paused so take as long as you like.

THE ASTEROID FIELD SCREEN-------------------------

Let`s have a quick look at this before we continue. This and the MainAsteroid View Screen will be the screens you will use most.

From the Asteroid View Screen bring up the button Panel as shown above(Click the right mouse button.)

The centre button will take you to the Asteroid Field Screen. Click on itnow.

Your starting asteroid is the one rotating with a little green dot an it.The green dot indicates that the asteroid is owned by you. Those with ared dot belong to the enemy, and those without a dot are uninhabited andfree for the taking.

Around your asteroid is a small black circle. The rest of the screen isgrey. Grey indicates uncharted space, and you only know about ships andasteroids within the black circle which marks the extent of your sensors.At the start of the game it is likely that the only asteroid you know aboutis your own, though there are one or two others visible.

There are two ways you can discover more asteroids:

a) Sensor Range:If any asteroids move into your sensor range (the black circle) then theywill become visible. You can extend the range of your sensors by buildinga Sensor Array and by colonising other asteroids.

b) Scout Ships:You can instruct Scouts to head into uncharted space and Discover newasteroids outside your sensor range.

Other information will be laid over this screen at various points in thegame but these will be explained later.

Below your asteroid is the acronym PAFW. This is a status summary of yourasteroid and will appear below all asteroids owned by you. It is used as a

quick means of seeing which of your colonies needs attention.

P Power suppliesA Air suppliesF Food suppliesW Water supplies

A green letter indicates that all is well.

An orange letter indicates that you are using more than you are producingon that asteroid and will be using up your surplus.

A red letter indicates that you are producing none at all and are existing(or maybe not!) off surpluses alone. Time to do something!.

These factors are explained more fully a little later in the tutorial. Inthe section about the Colony Summary Window.

Finally, at the bottom right is the date/money indicator.

Notice that the mouse pointer is now an orange cross hair.

Let`s return to your asteroid now and look at building it up a bit.

Click with the right button to bring up the Button Panel. Notice that thisis a different button Panel to that on the Asteroid View Screen since ithas functions applicable to this screen. Notice again that the bottomright button is the Exit button.

The bottom left button will take you back to the Asteroid View Screen.Click on it now.

CONSTRUCTING A COLONY---------------------

We`re now going to construct a small colony an our starting asteroid togive you a feel for colony construction.

As already mentioned, you begin with a single CPU.

There are a range of buildings available to you and more are available forpurchase from the Sci-Tek Corporation. You select the building you wantfrom the Engineering Window.

As we showed you earlier click the right mouse button to bring up the mainButton Panel. You access the Engineering Window by clicking on the buttonat bottom left. Click there now.

The Engineering Window----------------------

You can browse through the buildings available by clicking on the Left andRight arrow buttons. Have a look now at whats available. The latersection on buildings gives more detailed information about each building.

Since we are operating a Mining Colony let`s get things started. Cycle tothe "Mine" building. Click on the Exit button to select this building. Asyou return to the main Asteroid View Screen, notice that the Mine buildinggraphic appears at bottom right reminding you of your selection. Until youselect another building every time you click on the asteroid you will build

a Mine.

Find a piece of flat land on the asteroid and click there with the leftmouse button, to build.

Notice the error message? Good. We have not yet allocated any funds tothe Engineering Section. To do this, bring up the Button Panel and clickon the Information button (middle top). This in turn brings up anotherButton Panel. Click on the Financial Funds button top-right)

You are now in the Financial Funds Window. Before we proceed we`ll explainhow this works.

Financial Funds Window----------------------

You have 5 different budgets to manage:

Money - spare cash not assigned to any budgetConstruction - used for constructing buildingsVehicles - used for constructing spacecraftIntelligence - used tor financing spyingMissiles - used for constructing missiles

The number at the far right gives the amount allocated to each budget.There are also 3 bar charts for each budget.

Green - Each block = 5,000 credits (heading is "5k")Orange - Each block = 100,000 credits (heading is "100k")Red - Each block = 1,000,000 credits (heading is "1M")

To add some money to a budget simply click somewhere on the appropriateline, under any of the three columns. So if you click on the VEHICLES linebetween the 5K and 100K headings you will add one or more blocks of 5,000credits. Clicking between 100K and 1M will add one or more blocks of100,000 credits. The further to the right you click the more blocks youwill add. To fine tune the amount, click and hold down the left button anddrag it either left or right - this will add or remove a block.

Go ahead and experiment, its easier to use than to describe!

To remove some money from a budget click and drag left to remove one ormore blocks.

Notice that all money is given to or taken from the Spare Cash line (calledMONEY) at the top, so you cannot directly move money from one budget toanother, you have to delete it from one budget (making it spare cash) andthen add it to another budget. If you are trying to add money to a budgetand nothing is happening, its probably because you have no spare cash andyou`ll have to reduce another budget first.

Continuing our tutorial return all your money to the Spare Cash line at thetop. We need to put some money into CONSTRUCTION so add some in byclicking on the CONSTRUCTION line. Anything over 100,000 Cr should do fornow. Add the lot if you like. If during the rest of the tutorial you findthat one of your budgets has run out, simply return to the Financial FundsWindow and allocate some more money.

Now exit from this window (using the "exit" button) and return to the game.

Construction------------

You can now build some Mines by clicking on the asteroid. Build 2 or 3Mines. Notice that scaffolding appears as your men begin work.

If you click on the scaffolding with the left mouse button and hold thebutton down you will be told what is being built and how many days untilcompletion.

Go back to the Engineering Window and move on a few buildings until youcome to a Storage Facility. Exit the store and build a Store on yourasteroid.

You may want to build a couple of Solar Generators too, to ensure you haveenough power.

Interrogating Buildings-----------------------

If you click on an existing building with the left mouse button it will beidentified. Certain buildings also pop up information or control windows.

As an example click on one of your finished Mines. There is no informationwindow for a mine just it`s name at the bottom of the screen.

Click on the Store and you are presented with a listing of all the orebeing held in your Stores at this time. For further details see the entryon Stores in the buildings section.

We suggest that you now construct a few more buildings on your asteroid andwhen they are built, click on them to see what information you can obtain.For now simply exit any information windows and refer to the Buildingssection for more details. Build what you like but we suggest thefollowing:

4 or 5 Solar Generators Command Centre Weapons Factory Decontamination Filter Medical centre 2 or 3 Mines 2 or 3 Deep Bore Mines Storage Facility Sensor array

Tactical Mode-------------

If you were having difficulty locating a flat piece of land to build onthere are two ways around this:

The first is to rotate the asteroid around so you can see behind existingbuildings. To do this bring up the main Button Panel. Click on the middleleft button which will take you to the Asteroid Control Button Panel.There are two yellow arrow buttons. Clicking on them will rotate theentire asteroid left or right by 90 degrees.

A quicker way of doing this is to use the left and right arrow keys on thekeyboard.

Notice how the Transporter in orbit rotates as well since you are viewingthe entire asteroid from another viewpoint.

The other method to assist you is the Tactical Mode. Bring up the mainButton Panel and then the Asteroid Control Button Panel just like above.The bottom left button (a blue cube) toggles the tactical mode on and off.

Solid box with "N" indicates normal mode Outline box with "T" indicates tactical mode.

The button will not take effect until you exit out of the button panels(Later we`ll show you a quicker way to access buttons!)

Notice that when you exit the button panels all the buildings and terrainhave disappeared to be replaced by colour coded squares. You can now seeevery part of the asteroid and selecting a site to build upon is easy.

You can also click on buildings to obtain information just as you can innormal mode.

The various colours represent the following features:

Light Grey - Flat landDark Grey - Terrain unsuitable for buildingLight Blue - BuildingsRed - Landing PadsWhite - Buildings protected by a Screen GeneratorGreen - Asteroid Virus depositsDark Blue - Anti Virus deposits

We`ll explain some of these later.

A quicker way of changing between normal and tactical mode is to press theSPACE key on the keyboard.

Tutorial Conclusion-------------------

You should now have an understanding of the basics of the game: How toaccess button Panels, view your asteroid, access the asteroid Field Screen,select and build a building, manage your budgets, and so on.

The rest of the manual is a reference section and will explain theimportant features of the game in depth. We would recommend that you readthe reference sections. In the order they appear, as they have beenstructured in such a way as to be chronologically correct ie they appear inthe order that you are going to need them in.

ZONE 002 : COLONY MANAGEMENT----------------------------

Your prime directive is to extract and sell as much ore as you can but themost successful and productive mining colonies all rely upon a strong andstable colony infrastructure. It is vital to regularly monitor thecolonies on all your asteroids and to keep them running smoothly.

There are four main aspects to successful colony management:

a) Populationb) Securityc) Life Supportd) Power

a) PopulationThough many parts of your mining equipment are robotic,the robots usuallyonly undertake the tasks that are most dangerous to human life. Humanemployees are required for many important duties and to oversee and controlthe robots. To support the mining and technician employees there is anentire Service Industry offering training, relaxation and participation inother leisure activities. Shifts are long and hard and as a resultTetracorp encourage their employees to play hard too.

Procreation is outlawed on mining colonies for safety reasons but yourcolonies will slowly grow in population as your personnel departmententices more men and women out from the Home Worlds. The more successfuland smoother running your colonies the easier recruitment becomes. Ingeneral your population will grow slowly to fill all avaiable living spaceso you can directly control your population by building fewer or moreLiving Quarters. The Colony Summary Window (see below) indicates thenumber of surplus employees you have. These are employees available forbackup roles and to operate alternate shifts with technical employees. Forstability attempt to keep the surplus positive but not too high. If thesurplus is negative then your employees are stretched and may be workingdouble shifts to complete necessary work morale will deteriorate. If yoursurplus is too high, boredom can effect those not currently working andtrouble can break out.

b) SecurityMorale can fluctuate quickly on a mining colony. Spaces are cramped andemployees work and play with the same faces day in and day out. Temperscan flare, fights are commonplace and employees are quick to anger atmanagement failures. There would be mutiny every day were it not for yourdedicated and highly paid security team.

Security will keep your employees under control but only if their presenceis large enough. Each Security Centre can easily manage 150 employees andoften many more but don`t stretch your security too thin or you areinviting big trouble.

You will be issued with reports when (if?) trouble breaks out but don`twait for these reports monitor the Security status in the Colony SummaryWindow (see below)

c) Life SupportEach asteroid colony must be self sufficient and that means producing itsown Air, Food and Water. Each employee uses 1 unit of each every day so itis necessary to produce at least as many units per day as you haveemployees but it is also wise to produce and store a surplus.

Initially each asteroid colony begins with a single Colony PreservationUnit (CPU) which provides living space, power, air, food and water but onlyfor a limited population and time. (see description of the CPU in theBuildings section) To back up the CPU you need other support buildings.

BUILDING PRODUCES

Life Support AIR Hydroponics FOOD

Hydration Plant WATER

In addition Environment Control continues where the CPU left off by storingall three of the above in vast quantities.

The Colony Summary Window (see below) details how much of each resource youare producing, using and storing, so monitor it often and keep productionahead of population growth.

More information is given for each of the above buildings in the Buildingssection.

Remember also that the PAFW display on the Asteroid Field Screen provides aquick summary of the status of your asteroids. PAFW was explained in thetutorial pages.

d) PowerClearly nothing can operate without power. The Buildings section of themanual details the power requirement of every building. There are severalpower production buildings and more efficient ones are available fromSci-Tek. Like Life Support it`s vital to use the Colony Summary Window andPAFW to monitor the status of power to each colony and keep productionahead of usage.

Should you suffer power shortages some buildings will fail before others.In general the most vital buildings like Life Support and Hydroponics willfail last. To see which buildings have failed simply click on any powergenerating building and those buildings without power will be listed.

RADIATION---------

Each asteroid has background radiation some higher than others. Radiationis expressed as a percentage. 0% means the radiation is immeasurable abovethe radiation given off from the local star. Any value of 50% or lower isacceptable but higher radiation is harmful and will result in sickness andeven deaths amoungst your employees. Use Radiation Filters to provide themwith the necessary protection. (see the description in the Buildingssection).

Factors that lead to high radiation values are the use of Nuclear misslesextensive combat and the presence of rare ores such as Traxium and Nexos.When mining these ores you must be very careful to protect your employeesusing Radiation Filters.

COLONY SUMMARY WINDOW---------------------

You can access this by clicking on any of the colony support buildings suchas Living Quarters Life Support, Hydroponics and CPU etc. Remember thatyou must be in Normal (hand) mode. You can also access it via the buttonin the Asteroid View Screen Button Panel.

This information gives you an important breakdown on the status of yourcolony on that asteroid.

You are told your current population, your maximum population, the totalspace in all your Living Quarter) and Surplus Population. As explainedabove in Colony management try to keep the surplus a positive number toallow for growth but if you overpopulate your asteroid you risk running

short of food, water and air.

Keep an eye on the Radiation reading (see Radiation above).

The most important part of the Colony Summary Window is the breakdown ofPower, Air, Food and Water. You are told how much you are producing, howmuch is being used daily and how much is stored for later use.

The colour codes give you an instant indication of which of these factorsmay need attention:

Green - No problemsOrange - The asteroid is using a commodity faster than it is being produced. Your reserves are being used up.Red - The asteroid is no longer producing a commodity and you are running entirely from reserves (or maybe none at all!) you must rectify the situation quickly!

The Security line provides a summary of employee morale on the asteroid.If the message suggests that the asteroid is not secure you would be wiseto construct another Security Centre.

The final line reminds you which fleets are present at this asteroid.

There are also some options available by using the supplied buttons:

RENAME INVENTORY EXIT

Clicking on RENAME allows you to rename the asteroid. You can personaliseall your asteroids and give them a name that reflects their function, likeMAIN MINE or ORE DEPOT or SPACE DOCK etc.

Simply delete the existing name using the backspace key and enter your ownname up to 15 characters.

Clicking on INVENTORY will provide a detailed listing of how many of eachtype of building you have. The listing is broken down into pages - simplyuse the Arrow Buttons to cycle through the pages.

ASTEROID MINING---------------

The purpose of your colony in sector K240 is to locate and extract ores forsale to Tetracorp and the Empire. The more you sell, the larger yourprofits and your fame in the mining fraternity. This section details howto mine ore, what to do with it, how to transport it and how to sell it.

DISCOVERING ORE---------------

The first step is to locate asteroids rich in ore deposits. ThisExploration Phase requires the use of one or more Scout Ships. To go insearch of new asteroids dispatch the Scout with orders to Explore. Fordetails of how to do this see the section on Controlling Spacecraft and payparticular attention to the subsection on Scouts.

Each asteroid has different amounts of each type of ore. To determinewhich asteroids are the most abundant in ore you must use a Scout with theorders to Prospect for ore. Again see the section on ControllingSpacecraft.

When the scout has examined the asteroid it will return to its departureasteroid and present you with an ore report. You can obtain this report atany time for any at the asteroids you have prospected, by clicking on theGeology button.

The Ore Report simply details how much of each type of ore remains on theasteroid to be mined. The most common are shown at the top and the rarestat the bottom.

ORE EXTRACTION--------------

To extract ore you must have one or more mines. There are three types ofmine each mining a particular range of ores. The table below indicateswhich mines you require to mine particular ores by colour coding them:

Selenium Red Red requires a mineAsteros RedBarium RedCrystalite RedQuazinc Orange Orange requires a deep bore mineBytanium OrangeKorellium OrangeDragonium OrangeTraxium Green Green requires a Seismic PenetratorNexos Green obtainable from Sci-Tek

As well as providing adequate power for the mines you must build one ormore Stores to hold the ore. Clicking on a Store building provides youwith a listing of what ores you have in ALL the stores on that asteroid.

Each mine extracts one unit of ore about every 8 to 16 days. You have nocontrol over which units are extracted.

The main thing to remember about mining is to keep it running smoothly andconsistently. Here are a few other points to bear in mind:

Make sure there is enough power for all mines.

Keep a constant track on the population of your asteroid and try andmaintain a positive surplus.

Make sure you have enough storage space for the ore.

ORE USAGE---------

What do you do with ore?

1) Use it for ship construction2) Use it for missile construction3) Sell it to the Empire (see later)

This is a summary of most of the cases in the game when you wil need ore:

ORE NEEDED FOR

Selenium Explosive Missile, Scatter Missile, Assault Fighter, Combat Eagle, Scout Ship, Destructor, Terminator Transporter, Fleet Battleship

Asteros Nuclear Missile, Powerplant

Barium Area Explosive Missile, Anti Virus Missile, Spy Satellite

Crystalite Vortex Missile, Assault Fighter, Combat Eagle Scout Ship, Destructor. Quazinc Napalm Missile, Hellfire Missile Bytanium Space Dock Korellium Stasis Missile

Dragonium Space Dock, Terminator, Transporter, Fleet Battleship

Traxium Virus Missile Nexos Mega missile

SELLING ORE-----------

It is necessary to retain some ore for your own use but the remainder canbe sold to Tetracorp and the Empire. The Empire offers prices for ore thatvary each Imperial year. You may attempt to play the markets and wait fora high price before you sell ore but don`t speculate for too long or theprice may drop again.

To obtain the Imperial Ore Prices click on the Command Centre building.These are the prices that the Empire will pay for each unit of ore.Sometimes the Empire will guarantee prices for a number of years for aparticular ore type that it needs badly. In this case the letter "H" willappear after the ore price to indicate that the price has been held. Thenumber after the "H" indicates the number of years that the price is heldfor.

The Prices window also indicates the number of days before the nextImperial Ore Carrier arrives at your colony. This is important because youcan only sell ore when the Imperial Ore Carrier arrives.

The Imperial Ore Carrier will always arrive at whichever of your asteroidshas the most ore in its Stores. You can use this fact to ensure that youtransport ore in from your other asteroids. Tetracorp recommends that youhave a central asteroid that acts as a major storage depot and that allother asteroids regularly ship their ore to this depot.

The Imperial Ore Carrier remains in orbit about your asteroid for a shorttime before returning to the Imperial Home Worlds. 5 days before it leavesthe crew will radio down with the appropriate message.

Click on the Imperial Ore Carrier (whilst in Ship Selection Mode) and youwill gain access to the Ore Transfer Window. This lists all the ore youhave in the asteroids stores and the contents of the Ore Carriers cargobays. The current Imperial Prices are listed for convenience.

To transfer ore to the Ore Carrier click over the name of the type of orewith the right mouse button. A quantity of ore will be transferred. Thisquantity depends upon which ore type you have selected. Since you usuallyhave large numbees of the cheaper ores the transfer quantity is large. Forrarer ores it is small.

Ores marked as red 50 units at a time.Ores marked as orange 5 units at a time.Ores marked as green 1 unit at a time.

If you change your mind you can unload ore from the Ore Carrier into yourAsteroid Stores by clicking with the left mouse button. Note that you canonly Unload ore that you have previously loaded: there is no way of buyingore from the Empire.

You can access the Ore Transfer Window as many times as you like whilst theOre Carrier orbits your asteroid. You will be paid for the ore when theOre Carrier returns to the Imperial Home Worlds.

TRANSPORTING ORE----------------

There are two methods of transporting ore between your asteroids:

a) Using a Transporter Shipb) Using an Ore Teleporter Building

The Ore Teleporter must be bought from Sci-Tek but is a very usefulfacility. It enables you to instantly teleport ore between any asteroidsthat have an Ore Teleporter installed. This facility is perfect fortransferring ore to your ore depot at the last minute when using aTransporter may take too long.

For details about how to use the Ore Teleporter see the description of theOre Teleporter in the Buildings section.

TRANSPORTER SHIP----------------

This is the main means of moving ore between your asteroids. The generalprocedure is:

a) Load ore onto Transporter from asteroid Storesb) Move Transporter to another asteroidc) Unload ore from Transporter into new asteroid Stores

Load Ore--------

Click on the Transporter (whilst in Ship Selection Mode) to access theSpacecraft Control Window. (See appropriate section for details) Click onthe LOAD/UNLOAD ORE order button and you will access the Ore TransferWindow. This lists all the ore you have in the asteroids stores and thecontents of the Transporters cargo bays.

To Load ore onto the Transporter simply use the same process as is used toload ore onto the Imperial carrier.

Ores marked as red 50 units at a timeOres marked as orange 5 units at a time.

Ores marked as green 1 unit at a time.

Move Transporter----------------

See the section on Controlling Spacecraft for details of how to send theTransporter to another asteroid

Unload Ore----------

The procedure for Unloading ore is identical for that of Loading ore (seeabove) except that ore is transferred from the Transporter to the asteroidStores using the left mouse button.

ZONE 003 : SPACECRAFT CONSTRUCTION----------------------------------

You will not get very far in the game without constructing a ship for onereason or another. This section describes how to do so.

There are 8 types of ship and each has its uses as suÿÿarised here. Forgreater details about each ship, see the Spacecraft descriptions in thetechnical supplement.

These ships can only be built using a Spacecraft Construction Yard:

NAME USE HARDPOINTS

Assault Fighter Combat 1 Combat Eagle Combat 2

Scout Ship Exploration/Prospecting/Spying 1

These ships can only be built using a Space Dock: (see Space Docks)

NAME USE HARDPOINTS

Destructor Combat 3

Terminator Combat 4

Transporter Colonisation/Ore Transporting 2

Fleet Battleship Combat 6

Space Dock Constructing Larger Spacecraft 4

Spacecraft Construction Yard

Once you have built one or more Construction Yards, you can begin buildingthe 3 smaller ship types. Before you do so, you must have the following:

A Weapons Factory on the current asteroid

Money allocated into the Vehicles Fund (See Financial Funds)

Appropriate ore in Stores on the current asteroid.

Ship construction will pause if all these things are not present. You cancheck the status of the Yard that is currently building ships by clickingon the Yard. Instead of the options to build ships, you will be given aprogress report. This report will state if any of the above factors arenot catered for.

Each Yard can only construct one type of ship at a time (but up to 6 ofthat type) but if you have another Yard then it can be building a differenttype of ship at the same time. Each Yard can construct up to 3 ships at atime or 6 if you have purchased the Construction Droids from Sci-Tek.

Spacecraft Construction Window

This appears when you click on a vacant Spacecraft Construction Yard or onthe Space Dock.

Click on LEFT or RIGHT or use the left and right arrows to cycle throughthe ships available to you.

Most of the ship details are repeated in the Spacecraft descriptions givenin the technical section but a few require explanation.

The number in brackets after the ships name equals the number of shipscurrently selected for construction. Click on BUILD to Increase thisnumber.

There are two Armour Figures. The first is the basic armour of the shipshull. The second figure (in brackets) is the total armour if any defencehardpoints have been installed in the ship (see below).

The Build Times, both for individual ships and for the whole group areindicated here.

The Ore Needed is also displayed.

The Cost is the basic Hull cost + the total hardpoint cost (in brackets) togive the total cost for each ship and for the whole production.

Hardpoints

Each ship has a number of hardpoints into which you can install any of theavailable weapons/ defenses. This flexible system allows you to producecustom ships for specific purposes. Hardpoint weapons fall into 3categories:

a) Weapon for use against an enemy asteroidb) Weapon for use against an enemy shipc) Defence.

Here are a few suggestions:

1) An Eagle with 2 attack weapons for use as an attack ship2) An Eagle with 1 shield weapon and 1 attack weapon for defensive purposes3) A Terminator with all hardpoints installed with anti asteroid weapons to maximise an attack against an enemy asteroid4) A Terminator with all hardpoints installed with anti ship weapons to use

as part of a fleet intercepting enemy fleets (see later)

Since a ship with all anti asteroid weapons could not defend itself if ifwere attacked by enemy ships it may be wise to have a couple of each typeso the ship can attack an asteroid OR a ship.

You must decide the contents of each hardpoint depending upon your ownstrategies.

Details on each hardpoint weapon are given in the technical section.

Weapon Installation

To Install a weapon into a hardpoint you must first select the weapon. Inthe bottom left window are up to 8 available weapon icons. More areavailable by clicking on the NEXT button. There are two sets of 8, butmany are blank until they are purchased from Sci-Tek.

Click on one of the weapon icons with the left mouse button and it will beselected. Its name and cost will be shown. You can install this in one ofthe ship's hardpoints by clicking with the left mouse button over one ofthe red boxes on the ship blueprint. The weapon is now installed.

To remove the weapon simply click on it again. To install another weaponinstead, select another weapon from the bottom icons and click over thealready occupied hardpoint. The old weapon will disappear leaving thehardpoint empty. Click again to install the new weapon.

Do this for every hardpoint on the ship, though you may leave hardpointsblank if you are really short of money!

When you are satisfied with your ship remember to select the number youwant to build, using the BUILD button. Then click on EXIT and constructionwill begin provided you have enough money and ore, and that you have aWeapons Factory.

You may clear everything at any time by clicking on ABORT.

After Construction

As each ship is completed it will be stored. Smaller ships are stored inthe asteroid Hangers (see the section on Controlling Ships). Larger shipsas constructed by the Space Dock remain in orbit awaiting your commands.

SPACE DOCKS-----------

A Space Dock is necessary if you want to construct the larger spacecraft.Since the Space Dock has 4 hardpoints and a large amount of armour it isalso an effective defence against attack by enemy ships.

Constructing a Space Dock

Each asteroid can only support one Space Dock. To construct one you musthave a Command Centre on the asteroid. Click on the Command Centre andthen on the Space Dock Button that appears. You are presented with theShip Construction screen and the details of the Space Dock. Notice howmuch ore and money is required!

Use the method described above to construct the Space Dock. If you go to

the Asteroid Orbit Screen you will see scaffolding appear in space as it isbuilt. Eventually this scaffolding will clear and your Space Dock will beready for use. To obtain a status report click on the scaffolding.

Using a Space Dock------------------

To construct one of the larger ships simply go to the Asteroid Orbit Screenand click on the Space Dock. The Ship Construction Window will appear andyou can proceed as described above.

CONTROLLING SPACECRAFT----------------------

Ships can be controlled individually or as a group known as a fleet.Controlling Fleets is dealt with later.

To issue orders to a ship you must click on the ship whilst in SpacecraftSelection Mode. This is where the mouse pointer is a white arrow, NOT thenormal hand. There are 2 ways to get into Spacecraft Selection Mode: a) Click on the Ship buttonb) Press the "S" key.

Both toggle between Normal Hand Mode and Spacecraft Selection Mode.

When you click on a ship the Spacecraft Control Window appears:

The ship details remind you what the capabilities of this ship are, such asthe contents of its hardpoints and remaining armour points. It also tellsyou which fleet (1 to 8) this ship may belong to, or zero if it doesnt yetbelong to a fleet.

Orders are given by clicking on the buttons. You can give each ship one ortwo orders to carry out at a time. Most ships revert to Patrol Mode whenthey complete their orders, waiting for you to issue new ones.

Each ship has different orders available to it so we`ll examine each shipindividually.

Assault Fighter & Combat Eagle

These ships have the same orders.

Land Land Hanger Patrol Join Fleet Go To Asteroid Exit Abort

LAND:The simplest order. This simply causes the ship to locate a random vacantsquare on the asteroid and land on it.

LAND HANGER:Similar to LAND except that the ship will locate one of your Landing Padsand land there. Once on the Pad the elelator will automaticaily lower theship into the underground hangers safly storing the ship. See the sectionControlling Hangered Ships for how to gain access to the ship again. Themain advantage at hangering ships is to get them to safety during an enemyÿÿttack Damaged ships are repaired whilst they are in the hangers.

PATROL:The ship will enter the standard patrol mode. It will repeatedly fly

between the Asteroid View Screen and the Orbit Screen ready for any enemyattack.

JOIN FLEET:This order is used to assign the ship to one of the 8 fleets. For detailssee the later section on Controlling Fleets. When you click on the buttonthe order "JOIN FLEET 1" appears in the order window To assign the ship toanother fleet simply click successively on the JOIN FLEET buttoÿÿ

The ship will do one of 3 things depending upon its position relative tothe fleet:

a) If the fleet and ship are in orbit around the same asteroid the shipwill immediately join the fleet and go into Patrol Mode.

b) If the flett is in orbit around the current asteroid and the ships inthe underground hanger it will launch from the hangers via a Landing Padand then join the fleet.

c) If the fleet is at a different asteroid to the ship, or travelling inspace between asteroids the ship will automatically leave the asteroid andtravel to join the fleet wherever it is.

Note: Once a ship is in a fleet it can only be controlled via the FleetControl Window (see appropriate section). To remove a ship from a fleeteither use the LEAVE option from the Fleet Control Window or simply accessthe Spacecraft Control Window and give it new orders. It willautomatically leave the fleet and carry out the new orders.

GO TO ASTEROID:This order allows you to send on individual ship to another asteroidfriendly or otherwise. It is often easier to send ships in Fleets (seelater) but there are times when you need or want to send a single ship.

When you click on the button you will be taken to the Asteroid Field Screenwith all the known asteroids shown. Simply click with the left mousebutton on the destination asteroid. Back at the Spacecraft Control Windownotice that your order has been entered into the orders window.

EXIT:Use this to exit the Control Window and initiate the orders you haveprogrammed if any.

ABORT:Use this to erase any current orders ready for you to enter new ones, (Youmust ABORT current orders first). You can also use ABORT followed by EXITto cancel all orders and cause the ship to stop in space.

Scout Ship

This ship has all the orders available to the Assault Ship and Combat Eagleand three new ones:

PROSPECT EXPLORE SPY

The primary purpose of the Scout Ship is to explore space looking for newasteroids and then to prospect these asteroids to report what ore depositsare there.

SPY:

Once you know the location of one or more enemy colonies, you can use theScout to gather very basic information about them. For full details seethe section on Spying.

EXPLORE:Initially your knowledge of the asteroid field is very limited and you willneed to send out one or more scouts to discover new asteroids to colonise.Use this option.

When you click on the button vou will be taken to the Asteroid Field Screenwith all the known asteroids shown. Space is divided into 40 sectors.Simply click with the left mouse button on the sector you wish to head for.Back at the Spacecraft Control Window, notice that your order has beenentered into the orders window.

The scout will head for the chosen sector looking for asteroids all thewhile. As soon as it discovers one it will return to the departureasteroid to report its findings. The asteroid will become visible on theAsteroid Field Screen and you will receive a bonus payment.

PROSPECT:It is vital that you prospect new asteroids to discover what ore depositsare available for mining. Use this option frequently.

When you click on the button you will be taken to the Asteroid Field Screenwhere all known asteroids will be displayed. Simply click with the leftmouse button on the destination asteroid. Back at the Spacecraft ControlWindow notice that your order has been entered into the orders window.

The scout will travel to the chosen asteroid land take mining samples andthen return. Upon its return it will issue a report of the ore deposits ithas found. You can then decide whether the asteroid is worth colonising ornot.

Destructor & Terminator

These ships have the same orders as the Assault Fighter except that theycan neither LAND nor LAND HANGER.

Transporter

COLONISE LOAD ORE GO TO AST JOIN FLEET ABORT EXIT

The two new options available are COLONISE and LOAD/UNLOAD ORE

The Transporter is primarily used for two functions:

a) Starting a colony on a new asteroidb) Transporting ore between colony asteroids

COLONISE:When you have located an asteroid that you wish to colonise you mustdispatch a Transporter to begin the new colony. Starting a colony costs30000 Cr which must be available in the Free Money Grant. (See the sectionOn Financial Funds). Upon arrival at the chosen asteroid the Transportwill begin construction of a Colony Preservation Unit. Once this iscomplete you may begin to build up your colony to your requirements. Seethe section on Colonisation for further details.

To give the required orders to the transporter first click on GO TO AST and

select an asteroid. (See instructions above). Then click on COLONISE andEXIT.

If you want to start a colony on the asteroid the Transporter is already inorbit around, simply click on COLONISE.

LOAD/UNLOAD ORE:Clicking on this button brings up the Ore Transportation Window, andenables you to move ore between the cargo bays on the Transporter and theStores on the current asteroid

See the section on Ore Transportation in the Mining section for furtherdetails.

Fleet Battleship

This has only the following orders available to it all of which aredetailed above:

GO TO AST JOIN FLEET ABORT EXIT

Space Dock

No orders are available to the Space Dock. Clicking upon it will initiatethe Spacecraft Construction Window. See the section on Space Docks forfurther details.

CONTROLLING HANGERED SHIPS--------------------------

When ships are in the underground hanger you obviously can`t control themby clicking on the ship graphic. Instead you must click on the Landing Padwhilst in Normal Hand Mode. This brings up the Ship Inventory Window.

This details all the ships in orbit around the current asteroid and in theunderground hangers, but ONLY ships not currently members of another fleet.All these ships are available for control.

To select one or more ships click the mouse button over the name of theship. Click right to select one ship or left to deselect one ship.Selected ships are shown by green blocks, and non selected ships by redblocks. You can quickly select more than one of a ship by holding down themouse button. The numbers at the right remind you of how many ships youhave selected.

The ABORT button will deselect all selected ships.

The Exit button will exit the window performing no action on the ships.

Clicking on the SHIP button enables to you to access the Spacecraft ControlWindow and issue orders to the ships as described earlier in this sectioÿÿYou can now issue any order to the ships and they will automatically leavethe hangers via a Landing Pad before carrying out those orders.

A distinct advantage of using the Ship inventory Screen is that you canissue the same orders to several ships at once. You could select severalships and tell them all to land in the hangers or go to an asteroid. Youcannot however give them different parameters to the order: so if youordered 7 scouts to explore, they would all head for the same sector youcouldn't direct them to different sectors.

Note also that some orders are unavailable to certain ships eg if youselected a Scout and a Transporter, you could order the Scout to explorebut the Transporter would simply ignore that order. They`re Transportersyou see. For transporting things.

ZONE 004 : SPYING-----------------

Though the Empire and Tetracorp have extensive databases containinginformation about the known alien races, much of this data is interpretedand assumed from long distance sensors and spy satellites. We know verylittle about the physical make up of alien colonies and even less abouttheir expansion and military tactics.

During your exploration of sector K240 you will need to supplement thisinformation with more specific details discovered by your own spyingefforts. Obtaining data about the aliens on a regular basis will allow youto predict their moves and could well give you an edge over them in combat.

There is nothing you can learn until you discover at least one of theirasteroid colonies (It will be marked on the Asteroid Field Screen by a reddot).

There are two approaches to gathering information:

a) A Scout Spying Missionb) A Spy Satellite

USING SCOUTS TO SPY-------------------

This is the easiest approach to spying but the information gained is limited.

Once you have an available Scout click on the SPY button in the SpacecraftControl Window. You will be taken to the Asteroid Field Screen with allthe known asteroids shown. Click on the asteroid of interest with the leftmouse button. Back at the Spacecraft Control Window notice that your orderhas been entered into the orders window.

The scout will head for the chosen asteroid. Once there it will gather asmuch information as it can without being detected and return to yourasteroid to issue a report.

The report simply indicates the number of buildings on the enemy asteroid(not what types), the number of ships observed in orbit around the asteroidand in particular the number of Transporter ships and Battleships (or shipsof a similar size since exact ship details vary from alien to alien). Beaware that due to the brevity of the Scouts mission, this information is anestimation only.

THE USE OF SPY SATELLITES-------------------------

There are three major reasons for using Spy Satellites rather than ScoutShips for spying:

a) They offer more detailed informationb) They provide warnings of enemy fleet and missile movements

c) They allow you to examine the enemy asteroid

Once you have a Spy Satellite orbiting an enemy asteroid, it continuallytransmits back video information about the surface of the asteroid. Thisallows you to use the Asteroid View Screen and actually watch the enemycolony yourself, to see what buildings they have, how quickly they arebuilding, what ships are in orbit etc. This information is free andextremely useful. If you click on an enemy building you can get an idea ofits function.

The only other time you can watch an enemy asteroid from the Asteroid ViewScreen is when you have ships or fleets currently attacking it. Then youcan watch the battle take place!

CONSTRUCTING A SPY SATELLITE----------------------------

You may have as many satellites as you wish. To construct one you need tobuild a Satellite Silo on one or more of your asteroids.

When you click on the Satellite Silo with the left mouse button you enterthe Satellite Construction Window. You are told the number of satelitescurrently in the asteroid hangers and the number under construction.

BUILD ABORT LAUNCH TARGET EXIT

To construct a new satellite click on BUILD. Each click will order a newsatellite to be constructed. You may cancel these requests for satellitesby clicking on ABORT.

At the present time each satellite costs 10,000 Cr and requires 2 units ofBarium Ore. You also require a Weapons Factory on the same asteroid toconstruct the complicated shielding equipment needed by the satellite. Themoney is taken from the Intelligence Grant so ensure you have allocatedsufficient funds to that grant via the Financial Funds Window. A statusline will inform you of any problems with construction.

Completed satellites are sent to the main asteroid hangers and are ready tolaunch. It is recommended that you construct several satellites before youactually need them.

LAUNCHING A SPY SATELLITE-------------------------

To launch a satellite click on the Satellite Silo and check that it reportsthat you have a satellite available for launch.

First you must select its destination. Click on the TARGET button. Youwill be taken to the Asteroid Field Screen where you can select an enemyasteroid by clicking on it with the left mouse button. This target will beremembered by the Satellite Silo until either you change it or thedestination asteroid is destroyed. Thus you can launch further satellitesto the same asteroid without having to select the target again.

To launch the satellite simply click on the LAUNCH button you will observethe satellite leave the silo and head for the enemy asteroid. You cannotlaunch another satellite from the same silo for several days since thelaunch mechanism must be reset.

SENSOR REPORTS FROM SPY SATELLITES

----------------------------------

Once a spy satellite arrives at its destination it shields itself andimmediately begins to monitor the asteroid. On the Asteroid Field Screenyou will see a small blue animation indicating that the satellite isoperating normally.

A satellite provides you with warnings of an enemy attack. Normallv youare only aware of the presence of enemy missiles and fleets when they enterthe range of your sensors. If the satellite detects missiles leaving siloson the asteroid it will immediately issue a missile Launch Detection. Itwill do a similar thing the moment it detects a Fleet leaving orbit.

This warning takes two forms. On the Asteroid View Screen you will see themissile or fleet warning icons appear in the bottom left corner but withthe addition of the word Launch. You will receive this warning even if theenemy asteroid is not inside your sensor range. In this case you willreceive a Launch warning and then a short while later you will also receivethe usual warning when the fleet or missiles enter your sensor range. Thusa satellite can warn you of approaching danger long before your sensorsdetect the threat.

The other visual indication is on the Asteroid Field Screen.

Once you recieve a Launch Detect Warning you may need to know which of theenemy asteroids has launched the attack. A flashing launch indicator (ared box) surrounds the asteroid from which the launch was detected. Thiswarning will disappear after a short while

Warning: The spy satellite is not infallible. On rare occasions it willfail to detect a missile launch or fleet departure. Do not over rely uponyour spy satellites!

SPY REPORTS FROM SPY SATELLITES-------------------------------

At any time you can interrogate any of your spy satellites and obtainimmediate information about the asteroid it is orbiting. To do so click onthe SPY button from the Asteroid View Screen. You are taken to theAsteroid Field Screen and asked to select the asteroid that interests you.You must select an asteroid which has an orbiting spy satellite. Afterselecting the asteroid you gain access to the main Spying Screen.

There are 8 categories of information listed on the screen and the cost ofobtaining that information. At the top of the screen is the money you haveavailable (The Intelligence Fund). Always ensure you have allocatedsufficient money to the Intelligence Fund before entering the SpyingScreen.

To obtain information, simply click on the chosen category. Theappropriate cost will be deducted and a report will be issued. Whilst youremain in the Spying Screen, you can call up these reports as many times asyou like at no furthur cost. The categories are described below, butremember that the information is not always accurate, since the enemy arecareful to encode their transmissions and conceal their true plans. Forpeace of mind interrogate your spy satelites on a regular basis, perhapsannually.

Population----------

This estimates the population on the asteroid

Missile Inventory-----------------

This estimates the number of warheads stacked in their underground silos.Since their technology differs from ours the exact types of warheads arenot given. There are three categories estimating the yield (destructivepower) of the warheads. A fourth category marked "Other" indicateswarheads of whose purpose we have no idea at this stage.

Number of Enemy Asteroids-------------------------

This estimates the number of asteroids occupied by the enemy and mayindicate that they occupy asteroids that we have not yet discovered.

Our Asteroids Known to Enemy----------------------------

This gives a list of our asteroids that are known to the enemy. It cangive a valuable insight into where they are likely to attack or whatasteroids we need not defend since the enemy are unaware of their presence.

Building Inventory------------------

This provides an indication of the buildings observable on the asteroid.There are categories for general buildings, defensive buildings (maybeShield Generators or Anti Missile Pods) offensive buildings (TurretsMissile Silos etc) and power generating buildings.

Make Up of Deployed Fleet-------------------------

If you have been warned that this asteroid has recently deployed a fleetyou can obtain an estimation of its size. The report indicates the numberof ships and number of Battleships in the fleet.

Destination of Deployed Fleet-----------------------------

If you have been warned that this asteroid has recently deployed a fleetyou can determine where that fleet is headed. Clearly this is veryvaluable information allowing you to prepare a welcoming surprise!

Destination of Missile Strike-----------------------------

If you have been warned that this asteroid has recently launched a missilestrike you can determine where those missiles are headed.

Remember that spying information can occasionally be in error. Tetracorpaccepts no responsibility for the loss and damage caused by an inaccurateor incomplete spy report.

LOSING SPY SATELLITES---------------------

It is inevitable that the enemy will detect our satellites and destrovthem. The longer a satellite orbits an enemy asteroid the greater thischance is. The satellite can also betray its presence each time yourequest specific information from the Spy Screen so don`t ask for spyinformation too regularly. Better still dispatch more than one satelliteto the same enemy asteroid to provide a backup.

ZONE 005 : FLEETS-----------------

A convenient method of controlling ships is to place them into fleets.Once joined together as a fleet ships can be easily ordered to move betweenasteroids. There are advantages and disadvantages to using fleets asopposed to controlling each ship individually.

The advantages are that you can dispatch an entire battle fleet by clickingon just a couple of buttons. It is also easier to group ships by theirtype so that you know where ships are and what they are supposed to bedoing. There are also some functions such as intercepting an approachingenemy fleet, that can only be done using fleets.

The disadvantages are that you have less control over individual ships.There are only 4 orders you can give a fleet though they are powerful.However you can always remove a ship from a fleet at any time if you wantit to perform more specialised duties. Certain orders can only be doneusing individual ship control such as colonisation, exploring orprospecting.

JOINING A FLEET---------------

There are two ways to group ships into a fleet:

a) Use the JOIN FLEET option from the Spacecraft Control Window. See the appropriate section

b) Use the JOIN SHIPS button from the Fleet Control Window described below

In general it you are making a fleet for the first time it is best to usemethod b). If you later want to add one or two ships to an existing fleetyou will usually use method a).

FLEET CONTROL WINDOW--------------------

You can obtain the Fleet Control Window by one of 2 means:

a) Clicking on the Fleet button

b) Clicking on one of your fleet markers on the Asteroid Field Screen

You can control up to 8 fleets. To obtain the details about any fleet orto create a new one, select the fleet number 1-8 by clicking on the PREVand NEXT buttons. The fleet number in the top right will alter.

If the Fleet Listing Window is empty then this fleet does not yet exist.If it does exist, there will be a listing of all the ships in the currentfleet and their current armour points.

To create a fleet or add ships to an existing fleet click on JOIN. Thedisplay will switch to the Ship Inventory Window. This details all theships in orbit around the current asteroid but ONLY ships not currentlymembers of another fleet. All these ships are available to be added tothis fleet. You cannot use this method to add hangered ships to the fleet:to do that you must use the Spacecraft Control Window and the JOIN FLEETbutton.

To select one or more ships click the mouse button over the name of theship. Click right to select one ship or left to de-select one ship.Selected ships are shown by green blobs and non-selected ships by redblobs. You can quickly select more than one of a ship by holding down themouse button. The numbers at the right remind you of how many ships youhave selected.

The ABORT button will de-select all selected ships.

The EXIT button will return you to the Fleet Control Window remembering theships you have selected These will be added to the fleet and will appear inthe Fleet Listing Window. These ships will switch to Patrol Mode orbitingthe asteroid until you issue an order to the fleet.

If the Fleet Listing fills its window then you can use the PAGE button toflick between the various pages of the listing. The current and total pagenumbers appear in the top right of the window.

You can obtain more detailed information on any ship in the fleet byclicking on the ship in the Fleet Listing Window with the right mousebutton. This is useful if you forget the hardpoint assignments of any ofthe ships in the fleet.

LEAVING A FLEET---------------

There are two ways to force ships to leave a fleet, but remember that aship can only leave a fleet when the fleet is orbiting an asteroid not whenit is in space between asteroids.

a) Simply issue new orders to the ship from the Spacecraft Control Window.The ship will automatically leave the fleet to obey those orders.

b) Use the LEAVE button in the fleet Control Window:

First you must select which ship(s) you want to leave the fleet. Do thisby clicking on those ships in the Fleet Listing Window. Their names willbe highlighted in a different colour to show they have been selected.Clicking on a highlighted ship will de-select it. You can also de-selectall the highlighted ships by clicking on ABORT.

Then click on LEAVE and the highlighted ships will leave the fleet. Theywill disappear from the Fleet Listing Window and enter Patrol Mode aboutthe current asteroid waiting for further orders.

FLEET TACTICS-------------

There are four orders or tactics that you can give a fleet. These are thelarge buttons on the fleet Control Screen

Move Fleet (Non-Hostile Move)

This is used to move an entire fleet to another asteroid. You can only usethis order to move a fleet to one of your asteroids or to an uninhabitedasteroid NOT an enemy asteroid.

Click on the MOVE FLEET tactic button. You will be taken to the AsteroidField Screen where you can select the destination asteroid with the leftmouse button. In the Fleet Control Window notice that the Destination hasbeen entered at the top of the window as well as a summary of the orderselected.

Click on Exit and the fleet will carry out the order. The ships willdepart from the asteroid and then you can monitor the progress of the fleetfrom the Asteroid Field Screen where the fleet appears as a numberedmarker.

A fleet using a non-hostile movement can move at a faster rate than one inattack mode since it does not have to consider the possibility of an attackwhilst it is in transit.

Attack Asteroid (Hostile Move)

This is used to move an entire fleet to an enemy asteroid with the intentof attacking it upon arrival.

Click on the ATTACK ASTEROID tactic button. You will be taken to theAsteroid Field Screen where you can select the destination asteroid withthe left mouse button in the Fleet Control Window notice that theDestination has been entered at the top of the window as well as a summaryof the order selected.

Click on Exit and the fleet will carry out the order. The ships willdepart from the asteroid and then you can monitor the progress of the fleetfrom the Asteroid Field Screen where the fleet appears as a numberedmarker.

A fleet using hostile movement moves slower than normal since it mustalways be prepared for an enemy attack as it nears its destination.

When the fleet arrives at the destination asteroid it will automaticallyenter an attack pattern. Ships will either attack enemy ships or enemybuildings depending upon the hardpoint weapons at their disposal Since theattack Is automated you can dispatch several attack fleets and not have toworry about them, though it is fun to watch your fleets devastate theenemy.

Intercept Enemy Fleet

This is used to send your fleet to attack an approaching enemy fleet. Thepurpose of this is to attempt to destroy or weaken the enemy fleet beforeit can do damage to your asteroid.

Click on the INTERCEPT FLEET tactic button. You will be taken to theAsteroid Field Screen where you can select the destination fleet with theleft mouse button. In the Fleet Control Window notice that the Destinationhas been entered at the top of the window as well as a summary of the orderselected

Click on Exit and the fleet will carry out the order. The ships willdepart from the asteroid and then you can monitor the progress of the fleet

from the Asteroid Field Screen where the fleet appears as a numberedmarker.

Your fleet will use hostile movement so it will move slower than normal.When your fleet arrives at the enemy fleet it will engage it in combat.The two fleets will automatically fight until one is destroyed or oneretreats. On the Asteroid Field Screen you will see the fleet markers(yours and the enemies) flashing to indicate that they are in battle. Youcan elect to watch the battle by clicking on the flashing fleet markers.See the Space Combat Screen section for further details

Sentry Mode

This is used to guard one of your asteroids. Simply click on the SENTRYMODE button and then EXIT. Your ships will continue patrolling yourasteroid as if nothing has happened but they are in constant contact withyour asterold sensors. As soon as an enemy fleet is detected heading forthe current asteroid the fleet will enter Intercept Fleet Mode and go toIntercept the enemy fleet (as above). If it is successful in defeating theenemy it will return to the asteroid and go back to Sentry Mode. It willcontinue to intercept all approaching enemy fleets until you instruct itotherwise or it is destroyed.

RETREAT THRESHOLDS------------------

Each fleet has a retreat threshold which is normally 100%. This reflectsthe amount of the original fleet which can be destroyed before the fleetwill abandon its attack and return to a friendly asteroid.

To alter the retreat threshold simply click over the figure at the topright of the Fleet Control Window. Click the left mouse button to decreasethe figure by 10% or the right mouse button to increase it by 10%.

With 100% the fleet will never retreat. It will fight until it issuccessful or all the ships in the fleet are destroyed.

With 0%, the fleet will retreat as soon as a single ship in the fleet isdestroyed.

SPACE COMBAT SCREEN-------------------

When two fleets meet in space they will pause in their initial orders andengage in combat. The battle will continue until either side is destroyedor retreats. The fleet icons on the Asteroid Field Screen will flash. Youcan watch the combat by clicking on the flashing icons.

On the Space Combat Screen you can view yours and the enemys fleet inbattle. You cannot examine your fleet listing but there are some buttonsavailable by clicking with the right mouse button anywhere on the screen.

RETREAT ASTEROID PAUSE EXIT

RETREAT: Enables you to force your fleet to retreat immediately

ASTEROID: Returns you to the Asteroid Field Screen

PAUSE: Have we really got to explain this?

EXIT: Returns you to the space battle

ZONE 006 : BUTTON SELECTION PANELS----------------------------------

When the game is playing you can bring up a Button Panel by clicking on theright mouse button. A Button Pane appropriate to the screen you are onwill appear.

Whilst the Button Panel is in view the game is paused. You can select anyof the buttons by clicking on them using the left mouse button. You canonly select buttons from the Button Panel - any buttons elsewhere on thescreen are inactive until you exit the Button Panel.

This section summarises the major button panels. Use it to locate a buttonwhen you don`t know what Button Panel it is on. Better still use theButton Extraction technique explained later.

Asteroid View Screen Button Panel---------------------------------

TETRACORP INFO MILITARY

ASTEROID FIELD DEMOLISH

BUILDING PAUSE EXIT

TETRACORPAccess the Tetracorp Control Screen providing options for changing scenarioloading and saving games etc

INFOTakes you to the Information Button Panel (see below)

MILITARYTakes you to the Military Button Panel (see below)

ASTEROIDAccess the Asteroid Control Button Panel (see below)

FIELDAccess the Asteroid Field Screen

DEMOLISH Toggle Demolish Mode on or off

BUILDINGAccess the Engineering Window that allows you to select a building

PAUSEPause the game. To unpause the game click either mouse button. If youleave the game paused for more than a couple of minutes then the screenwill dim to protect your monitor from bright colours.

EXITExit the Button Panel

Information Button Panel

------------------------

SPYING FUNDS

GEOLOGY SCI-TEK

BLUEPRINTS EXIT

SPYINGAccess the Spying Control Window

FUNDSAccess the Financial Funds Window

GEOLOGYObtain an ore deposit report for the current asteroid

SCI-TEKAccess the Communications Screen which allows you to purchase devices fromthe Sci-Tek catalogue

BLUEPRINTSObtain a listing of all the blueprints you have bought from Sci-Tek


Military Button Panel---------------------

FLEET SHIP

MISSILE EXIT

FLEETAccess the Fleet Control Window

SHIPToggle between Normal (hand) and Ship Selection Mode white arrow)

MISSILEAccess the Missile Launch Window


Asteroid Control Button Panel-----------------------------

LEFT RIGHT

ORBIT FIELD

TACTICAL EXIT

LEFTRotates asteroid left 90 degrees

RIGHTRotates asteroid right 90 degrees

ORBITSwitch to the Orbit Screen

The Orbit Screen represents an area of space above your asteroid. Many ofthe larger ships cannot approach the asteroid too closely so they remain inorbit. The Space Dock is always on the Orbit Screen and never on theAsteroid View Screen.

This button switches to the Orbit Screen so you can view and select anyships that are there. Clicking on this button again will return you to theAsteroid View Screen.

FIELDAccess the Asteroid Field Screen

TACTICALToggles between normal and tactical mode on the asteroid. Tactical mode isdescribed in the Tutorial.


Asteroid Field Button Panel---------------------------

DISPLAY QUICKVIEW SUMMARY

MISSILE PAUSE FLEET

ASTEROID ENGINES EXIT

DISPLAYAccess the Display Options Button Panel. This enables you to select whichinformation you want to appear on the Asteroid Field Screen (see below)

QUICKVIEWEnables you to program and use the QuickView method at viewing asteroidsQuickView is described in the section about Time Saving Techniques.

SUMMARYAccess the Colony Summary Window. This provides a summary on the importantelements at the colony on the current Asteroid and is very useful when youare managing several asteroids simultaneously. Using this option can saveyou accessing the Asteroid View Screen to look at how a colonysprogressing. See the appropriate section.

MISSILEAccess the Missile Launch Window

PAUSEPause the game. To unpause the game click either mouse button. If youleave the game paused for more than a couple of minutes then the screenwill dim to protect your monitor from bright colours.

FLEETAccess the Fleet Control Window

ASTEROID

Access the Asteroid View Screen for the current asteroid.

ENGINES Enables control of the current asteroids Asteroid Engines. If it has any.


Display Options Button Panel----------------------------

PAFW EXIT

PAFWToggles the PAFW display on and off on the Asteroid Field Screen. If youare confident of your ability to manage your asteroids you can turn thisoption off to avoid cluttering the Asteroid Field Screen


Other options are available. In this Button Panel when you purchase theAsteroid Tracker Device from Sci-Tek

BUTTON EXTRACTION-----------------

Most likely you are finding it annoying accessing nested Button Panels allthe time. You can avoid this by customising the Asteroid View Screenmaking available all the buttons you commonly use. Note you can onlycustomise the Asteroid View Screen and Orbit Screen NOT the Asteroid FieldScreen or any other screens.

When any Button Panel is active you can pull out or extract any button(except the Exit button). Click the left mouse button over the chosenbutton and keep the button held down until the button appears in the mainscreen at the right or bottom edge. Notice that the button function is NOTcarried out.

There is space for 6 buttons up the right side of the screen and 8 alongthe bottom. No button may be duplicated.

It is well worth the time to extract your often used buttons since they arenow available at any time without you having to remember which Button Panelto access.

You can delete an extracted button from the screen by clicking and holdingin the same way as you extracted the button.

Your customised screen will be remembered if you save the game.

TIME SAVlNG TECHNIQUES----------------------

Once you are familiar with the game you may wish to use these techniques tospeed up play.

Keyboard Short-cuts-------------------

D - Toggles Demolish Mode on and off

S - Toggles between Normal (hand) mode and Ship Selection (arrow) Mode

SPACE Toggles between normal and Tactical mode on the Asteroid View Screen

Left and Right Arrows - Rotate the asteroid left or right 90 degrees

QuickView---------

If you are managing several asteroids and maybe know about a couple ofenemy asteroids as well it can be very time consuming if you are switchingbetween them frequently.

When you click on the QuickView button you are given a listing of thedefinitions of the 10 function keys F1 to F1O. You can define an asteroidto any of the function keys. Then simply pressing that function key willtake you to the Asteroid View Screen. For that asteroid from whateverscreen you were previously on.

To define a function key click on the line in the listing from F1 to F10.Then click on any asteroid with the left mouse button. The function key isnow defined. You can redefine it at any stage by the same method.

The listing is colour coded;

Green - asteroid owned by youRed - asteroid owned by enemyOrange - uninhabited asteroid

With several function keys defined you can browse through asteroids veryquickly.

Select Building---------------

You may discover that there is a subset of buildings that you are alwaysbuilding when you colonise a new asteroid, and that it takes a long timechoosing them all from the Engineering Window. You can program the keys 1to 9 to specific buildings then to select one of those buildings you justpress 1-9 instead of accessing the Engineering Window.

In the Engineering Window you may have noticed numbers in brackets at thetop left of some buildings eg the Living Quarters. These are the defaultdefinitions of the keys 1-9.

To program any building to a key 1-9 simply locate the building in theEngineering Window and press the key 1-9. The number will appear at topleft and that building is now programmed. You can redefine a number key1-9 by the same method.

It is well worth taking time to define the keys 1-9. Your definitions willbe remembered if you save the game.

As well as selecting a programmed building using the kevs 1-9 you can usethe Blue Button situated under the building icon on the Asteroid ViewScreen. Each click on the Blue Button will select one of the programmedbuildings 1-9.

You can in fact have a tenth programmed building because key 0 is alwavsdefined as the last building selected by from the Engineering Windowitself, it will of course change every time you select a new building fromthe Engineering Window.

TERRAIN APPROVED 2450 THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS FOR EMPLOYEES OF SCI-TEK AND TETRACORP ONLY.

ZONE 007 : TETRACORP AND SCI-TEK--------------------------------

TETRACORP

This screen is accessed by clicking on the Tetracorp button in the mainAsteroid View Screen Button Panel (The icon depicting a floppy disk) TheTetracorp screen provides the facilities for loading and saving games andselecting which scenario to play.

Along the bottom of the screen is the command line. To select an optionclick on one of the commands:

LOAD GAME---------

Clicking on LOAD allows you to load and continue a previously saved game.If the game is running off of floppy disk, the game is loaded from a savedgame disk inserted into the internal drive (DF0:) If the game is runningfrom Hard Disk the game is loaded from the Hard Disk.

Follow the on screen prompts to Load a game.

SAVE GAME---------

Clicking on SAVE allows you to save a game to continue later. If the gameis running off of floppy disk, you can only save your game to apre-formatted disk inserted into the internal drive (DF0:). If the game isrunning from Hard Disk the game is saved onto the Hard Disk. In the samedirectory as K240.

Follow the on-screen prompts to Save a game.

LOADING AN ALIEN----------------

Clicking on ALIEN will allow you to load and play any one of the 6 Alienscenarios. You access the Tetracorp Alien Database which presents eachallen along with some information about them. You can obtain more detailabout the Aliens by reading the section of the manual entitled "The Enemy"

Each Alien is given a difficulty rating and it is strongly recommended thatyou play the scenarios in the order of Easy, Medium and Hard.

At the bottom of the Database screen is the command line. To select anoption click on one of the commands:

NEXTThis accesses the next Alien in the database.

PLAYThis enables you to commence play on this scenario. Note that if you werein the middle of a game that game will be deleted and you cannot return tothat game unless you had saved it to disk.

ENDExits the Alien Database selecting no scenario. You may return to the gameyou were playing.

SOUND FX ON/OFFThis option simply turns on and off sound effect

SPEECHThis option simply turns sampled speech on and off

DOSThis option allows you to exit K240 altogether and return to the Workbench.Any game you were playing will be lost unless you had previously saved itto disk

ENDThis returns you to the game

SCI-TEK - THE TECHNOLOGY YOU PREFER

Sci-Tek is available 24 hours a day for you to purchase blueprints. Undertheir comprehensive licensing agreement you purchase the rights tomanufacture as many devices as you like from each blueprint you buy. Youmust however pay a royalty to Sci- Tek for every item you make but this isincluded in the cost presented to you in the game.

You can access the Sci-Tek database from the Sci-Tek button. In some casesthe database may take a few seconds to access even via hi-speedcommunication devices.

From the database you can peruse Sci-Teks catalogue and opt to buy as manyblueprints as you desire. All purchased blueprints will be delivered toyou on the next scheduled Imperial Ore Carrier and are NOT available forconstruction until then.

On the database screen you are shown one device at a time. At the bottomof the screen is the command line:

PREV NEXT PURCHASE CLEAR END

Use PREV and NEXT to cycle through the catalogue. Click on PURCHASE to buythe displayed blueprint, or CLEAR to change your mind. Clicking on ENDwill break the communication link with Sci-Tek and order any blueprints youhave purchased.

Note: The money available to you is the funds you have in the Basic Moneysection of your Financial Funds (See appropriate secton) You cannot usemoney allocated to Construction, Vehicles, Intelligence or Missiles unlessyou remove money from those funds prior to accessing Sci-Tek.

ZONE 008 : HINTS----------------

GAMEPLAY TIPS

K240 is an open ended game - there is no one way to win. These notes donot necessarily represent the best way to play K240 they only serve tooffer some assistance if you have no idea what you should be doing next.

When you begin the game spend about 50% of your money building up yourfirst asteroid. Build Mines, Stores, Power generation buildings, a CommandCentre, Sensor Array, Ship Construction Yard, Landing Pad, buildings forproducing air, food and water and any other buildings that take your fancy.Dont worry about military defences just yet.

Once your asteroid is a mass of scaffolding take the time to have a look atthe Asteroid Field Screen to see where you are and whether you know aboutany other asteroids yet.

It is often a good idea to enter into communications with Sci-Tek andpurchase one or two cheap devices. A Gravity Nullifier is well worth theinvestment at this stage (assuming of course one has not been supplied foryou by Tetracorp). Once you begin to discover asteroids you may findseveral of them on a collision course with your main asteroid and it may betoo late then to purchase a Gravity Nullifier and wait for its arrival onthe Imperial Ore Carrier.

Your colony should now be producing ore nicely. Your immediate concern nowis to expand onto other asteroids. You need to build some Scout Ships soget your Ship Construction Yard building a couple of Scouts. They shouldnttake long.

If you have already discovered some other asteroids you may wish todispatch your new Scouts on a Prospecting mission to see how rich they arein ores. If your sensors are looking bare send the Scouts out with ordersto Explore.

Once you have discovered a few other asteroids and obtained Ore Reportsabout them, you are in a position to decide which asteroid to colonisefirst. Pick the one with most ore deposits, particulary the rarer ores.If you have discovered any send your Transporter ship off to colonise thatasteroid. When the new colony has been established (the CPU has beenbuilt) you are in the position to expand that colony too building Mines andStores etc.

There is usually a phase where you run severely short of money so try tospend it wisely. Dont spread yourself across too many asteroids at once,dont invest in unnecessary luxuries from Sci-Tek yet and ensure you buildthe most important buildings first, whilst you have the money. There is nopoint in having 20 Mines on an asteroid if they have no power or theemployees are dying from radiation because you can`t afford any RadiationFilters.

Once you have sold several shipments of ore to the Imperial Ore Carrier thesituation should improve It is now worth your while beginning to build asmall fleet and lay down a few defences on your asteroids preparing for thetime when you discover the enemy or they discover you.

Maintain a balance. Keep all of your colonies growing slowly. Keep miningat all costs. As you deplete an asteroids reserves colonise and beginmining a new asteroid. Build a few ships and put them into a defensivefleet. Maybe build a few missiles. Purchase a few devices from Sci-Tek.Everything in moderation.

When you finally discover the enemy start spying at once to gather all theinformation you can about him. You may well need different tactics againsteach Alien.

MILITARY STRATEGY-----------------

Not too many clues here! Until you discover the weaknesses and strengthsof each Alien, maintain a varied defence. If it appears that the enemyconcentrate on missile strikes build plenty of Anti-Missile Pods. If youare constantly plagued by enemy attack fleets maintain a strong defencefleet which can intercept the enemy fleet as soon as it is detected.Protect your colonies with gun turrets and Screen Generators.

Your attack tactics will also depend upon what you discover about the enemyand how they react when they are attacked. Sometimes it is better to buildlarge and strong attack fleets and back them up with regular missilestrikes. Other times regular attacks by small skirmish fleets may beenough to keep the enemy at bay whilst you plan something special for them!Examine the enemy defences carefully before you attack.

Dont leave it too long in the game before constructing a Space Dock. Thiswill allow you to buy the blueprints for the Terminator and Battleship fromSci-Tek and to add them to your fleet.

One last tip: Watch where the enemy attacks carefully. It is possiblethat he does not know about all your asteroids and attacks the same onesover and over. If you think this is the case use the undetected asteroidsfor the bulk of your mining and ship production whilst they are safe.

INTERVAL:---------

THERE WILL NOW BE A SHORT BREAK IN THE MANUAL. THERE WILL BE SOMEONE ALONGIN A MINUTE TO SELL YOU ICE-CREAMS AND COFFEE. PLEASE DO NOT OBSTRUCT THEWAY TO THE TOILETS. THANKS

ZONE 009 : BACKGROUND---------------------

THE EMPIRE----------

The Terran Empire governs a vast area of space, a sphere approximately 300light years in radius with Earth at its centre. Over 1000 worlds have beeninhabited and are home to countless billions of humans and a minorpopulation of alien races discovered during the great expansion in the 23rdcentury.

The Empire came into unofficial existence in the year 2215 when command ofthe homeworlds (the most densely populated worlds nearest to Earth) wasseized by the Commander of the Fleet Parillo, during the 5 year war atDeneb Markab. Several years of uncertainty followed but most worldsquickly offered their support for Parillo when he began his ExpansionPolicy; promising to push out in search of new worlds to ease overcrowding.By 2250 he had discovered and opened up many new worlds for colonisationand established the Industrial Worlds so called because they concentrated

industry away from population areas and maximised productivity. Theseadvances led to Parillo being formally declared Emperor in the year 2253.

Upon his death in 2274 title of Emperor passed to his son MarcissusParillos policies were continued but his xenophobic nature led to many warswith newly discovered alien races, many of them highly advanced and capableof inflicting serious damage upon the Imperial Fleet. The Decade of Terrorcame about in 2294 when the Tharmaxlons declared war on the Empire. In afew short years they opened a great gash in the side of the Empire nearesttheir homeworlds in the Capella Sector. In 2301 they penetrated right tothe heart of the Empire and attacked and destroyed the Industrial Worldsorbiting Beta Hydrae. Marcissus was blamed for his refusal to enter intopeace negotiations with the aliens. That and the hatred of even thefriendly alien minorities in the Empire for his open racism led to hisbeing deposed as Emporer in 2303.

Lynn Salaria, Marcissus daughter and greatest critic was crowned Empressthat very year. Her first act was to push back the Tharmaxions with allthe Imperial might and then negotiated treaty with them which wasincidentally very preferential to the Terran Empire, Peace and prosperityreturned and she is Empress to this day (the year 2380), though she isexpected to abdicate in favour of her eldest son at any moment.

SCI-TEK-------

Under the prosperity established by Parillo and later Marcissus manycompanies grew to immense size and profitability especialiy those directlylinked to the Expansion Policy. One such company was Sci-Tek.

Sci-Tek was founded in 2309 after decades of research into gravitationaltheory. It's first products were the much acclaimed Asteroid Engines andGravity Nuilifier: allowing complete control of an asteroid independent ofthe gravitational influence of other space objects Countless othercorporations bought the devices providing Sci-Tek with enough capital tochannel more money towards R&D.

Within ten years it led the way in the design and manufacture of obscurebut useful devices and facilities. However its legal departments proved ascunning and resourceful as their technicians. They devised an incrediblycomplicated licensing agreement whereby its clients could buy the licenserights to the design blueprints for a particular Sci-Tek product andmanufacture it themselves. The results were phenomenal as were Sci-Teksprofits. Other corporations preferred to use their own manufacturingfacilities and this allowed Sci-Tek to phase out their own industrialplants and concentrate purely on development. They could put all theirresources into developing a larger product line. Surpisingly, no loopholehas been found in Sci-Teks license agreement and as a result none of theirdesigns have been stolen. In the few cases where a client has broken thelicense agreement the Imperial Administrator himself has stepped in favourof Sci-Tek

TETRACORP---------

Another, larger, Imperial company is Tetracorp. It began in 2221,manufacturing scout ships and sensory equipment for the Imperial Fleet.Its assets grew and it soon realised the potential of space exploration andasteroid mining. It began developing new techniques for extracting andtransporting rare ores mined in the depths of space which were so

successful that by the year 2280 it had grown to own and fill the entireIndustrial World of Barnard Five.

By the middle of the 24th century it had cornered the market in miningfranchises. Having manufactured superior mining equipment and supportships. It offered packages to anyone with the ambition to take over one ofthe asteroid fields being discovered every year on the frontier of theEmpire (known as the Fragmented Sectors). It would provide all theequipment and support required to establish one or more mining colonies onthese ore rich asteroids. In return for a degree of control over thecolonies and full rights to purchase all ore mined at standard Imperialprices.

THE FRAGMENTED SECTORS----------------------

As expansion continued in search of habitable worlds and resources theexploration fleets began to discover an increasing amount of star systemswhose planets had been torn apart to produce huge asteroid fields orbitingthe star. The cause of this widespread destruction in so many star systemsis unknown but it proved incredible good fortune for Tetracorp. The fieldsof asteroids made it far easier to extract the valuable ores and severalnew and phenomenally valuable ores were discovered such as Traxium andNexos.

K240----

In the year 2380, Sector K240 was made available for colonisation byTetracorp. K240 is one of the Fragmented Sector and occupies a cube ofspace 50 light years across. As a Tetracorp franchise holder you haveclaimed a section of K240 and are ready to begin your mining operations inthe asteroid fields Good luck!

TERRAN APPROVED: 2450 THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS FOR THOSE WITH SECURITYCLEARANCE BLUE AND ABOVE ONLY.

ZONE 010 : BUILDING REFERENCE SECTION-------------------------------------

This section describes each building available and its features and purposein the game. Some are unavailable at the start of the game but can bepurchased from Sci-Tek. These are marked as (Blueprint).

Note: This data is accurate at the present time but is subject to changewithout warning, as manufacturing techniques improve.

Anti-Missile Pod (blueprint)----------------------------

Cost: 7000 CrPower: 3 MW/dayTime: 36 days

These are your major defence against incoming enemy missiles. Theyautomatically detect enemy missiles and target them though their accuracyis low. To improve accuracy build several

Asteroid Engines (blueprint)

----------------------------

Cost: 45000 CrPower: 0-5 MW /day depending upon speedTime: 64 days

This is a phenomenally advanced facility that provides the means to controlthe gravitational field of the asteroid enabling it to change direction andspeed any time you want

When you click on the building a control window appears:

The current direction and speed of the asteroid is shown. To alter speedclick on the right arrow button (increase) or the left arrow button(decrease). A speed of zero indicates that the asteroid will remainstationary.

To alter the direction click on any of the yellow dots in the circlesurrounding the asteroid.

If the Engines run out of power the speed will drop to zero and theasteroid will no longer move. Power is essential to maintain the gravityfield that moves the asteroid.

Colony Preservation Unit------------------------

Cost: 30000 Cr to start a new colonyPower: noneTime: 40 days

This building can only be built when beginning a new colony on anuninhabited asteroid. (See the section on Colonising New Asteroids). TheTransporter ship will automatically construct one when it arrives at thenew asteroid provided enough funds are available.

The purpose of the CPU is to establish a minimum survival colony allowingyou time to construct. Further more specific buildings. To this end itprovides:

Living space for 100 employees 8 MW/day of power 300 units of air per day 250 units of food per day 250 units of water per day

In addition it has storage capacity for:

1000 air units 1000 food units 1000 water units 50MW of power.

The facilities at the CPU will degenerate over time since it is meant to bephased out when you have your colony up and running. Because of this allproduction of air, water and food (NOT power) will decrease by 1 unit/dayuntil they reach zero. Thus the CPU cannot sustain a colony after about250 days.

Command Centre

--------------


This is a very important building and you are advised to have more than oneamongst your asteroids. A Command Centre can control any number ofcolonies therefore its exact location is unimportant. It makes all yourasteroids run more smoothly and also offers specific functions when clickedupon. These are:

a) A window appears listing the prices at which the Imperial Home Worldswill buy your mined ore. Sometimes the Empire will guarantee prices for anumber of years for a paticular ore type that it needs badly. In this casethe letter "H" will appear after the ore price to indicate that the pricehas been held. The number after the "H" indicates the number of years thatthe price is held for. This window also indicates the number of daysbefore the next Imperial Ore Carrier arrives at your colony.

b) By clicking on the Space Dock button you have the option to construct anorbiting Space Dock around the current asteroid. See the section aboutSpace Docks.

c) By clicking on the Ship Button you can obtain a list of the location ofall your Transporter ships whether they are around an asteroid or in space.Use this to manage your transporters more effectively.

Note: You will be unable to command any fleets without at least oneCommand Centre.

Construction Yard-----------------

Cost: 7500 CrPower: 2 MW/dayTime: 32 Days

This large building extends underground into huge caverns (accessible viathe Landing Pads). you can construct the smaller spacecraft in the yard,namely Assault Fighters, Combat Eagle, and Scout Ships.

When ships are constructed they are left in the underground hangers. Toissue orders to the hangered ships, click on the Landing Pads.

Clicking on this building allows you to construct ships or obtain a statusreport of ships currently under construction. Full details on shipconstruction are given elsewhere.

Decontamination Filter---------------------

Cost: 8000 CrPower: 3 MW/DayTime: 36 Days

The background radiation on some asteroids is high causing employeesickness which leads to loss of production. The Company advises theconstruction of one or more of these Filters which offer a screen againstthe heavier radioactive particles protecting the employees inside colony

buildings.

Deep Bore Mine--------------


This is a sophisticated mining drill for locating and extracting the morevaluable Ores. It can extract:

Quazinc Bytanium Korellium Dragonium

All mined ores are sent directly to Stores.

Environmental Control---------------------

Cost: 3200 CrPower: noneTime: 20 Days

This facility primarily stores surplus environment commodities for lateruse. Each building can store up to 5000 air units, 600 food units and 600water units. It also monitors the usage and production of theseenvironment commodities to provide an uninterrupted supply in every sectionof your colony.

Clicking on this building will access the Colony Summary window.

Protected Environmental Control-------------------------------


This is an extension to the normal building, with an integral Laser Turretfor colony defence. Bearing in mind the importance of environmentalcontrol, it would seem prudent to protect it.


Gravity Nullifier (blueprint)-----------------------------

Cost: 35000 CrPower: 4 MW/day if onTime: 52 days

It can take considerable time to monitor the movements of your asteroidsand those nearby and collisions are a constant danger. The Nullifiergenerates a gravitational field that stops all asteroids within a certainrange from moving including the one the Nullifier is built on. As long asthe field is active you don`t have to worry about collisions, however anyasteroid using Asteroid Engines will be unaffected by the field. Note that

the field will collapse if you have insufficient power to drive theNullifier so regular checks on it`s operational status should be maintained

Clicking on the Nullifier gives the option of turning the field on or off.

Hydration Plant---------------


These buildings provide essential water for your employees. Each hydrationplant provides water for up to 500 employees. A very efficiet chemicalprocess is used to extract water and oxygen from ice crystrals trapped deepwithin the asteroid. Surplus water will be stored in Environmental Storesif you have any.

Clicking on this building will access the Colony Summary window

Hydroponics-----------


These buildings provide essential food for your employees. Each oneprovides food for up to 400 workers which is grown from a slurry tank ofalgae fed with concentrated nutrients. It sounds inedible but the basicslurry can be moulded into any foodstuff (In tests it was found that 8 outof 10 employees could not tell the difference and the drastic reduction incost when compared to fresh food has made these units a Company Favourite)Surplus food will be stored in Environmental Stores should you have any.


Landing Pad-----------

Cost: 300 CrPower: noneTime: 16 days

These are the access points for ships to enter and leave the vastunderground hangers. It is advisable to leave unused ships in the hangersas this keeps them safe from enemy attack and enables damaged ships to berepaired.

Landing Pads cannot be built too close to the edge of the asteroid wherethe rock is at its thinnest.

Clicking on a Landing Pad displays a list of all ships currently in thehangers or orbiting the current asteroid. You may issue orders to one ormore of these ships from here. For more information see the section onControlling Ships elsewhere in this manual.

Laser Turret------------


This low powered weapon offers defence against attack by enemy ship(s). Itwill automatically track and fire upon any enemy ship(s) around the currentasteroid assuming it has sufficient power.

Life Support------------

Cost: 13000 CrPower: 2 MW/dayTime: 48 Days

This building provides vital air and atmospheric control throughout thecolony buildings. Each life support module can generate a breathableenvironment for up to 500 employees. A revolutionary (and top secret)chemical process is used to extract Hydrogen Oxygen and the various Noblegasses trapped within the asteroid and render them breathable. Surplus airwill be stored in the Environmental Stores if you have any.


Living Quarters---------------


The basic support building for employees in the colony. Much of thebuilding is underground and has adequate facilities for about 50. They arequick to construct but very susceptible to damage from attack.


Medical Centre--------------


This is a state of the art facility incorporating all the medical equipmentand staff you`d expect to find in a major planetary Hospital. It iscapable of supporting a colony of up to 100 employees, handling bothroutine and emergency medical care. It is unwise to have a large colonywithout at least one Medical Centre. Having one improves employee moraleand health and in addition lowers the number of fatalities through miningaccidents. It is also invaluable in the rare cases when a virus spreadsrapidly through the close confinement of a mining colony and can also offertreatment for low doses of radiation

Mine----


The basic mining drill for extracting the commoner types of ore. It canextract:

Selenium Asteros

Barium Crystalite

All mined ores are sent directly to Stores

Missile Silo------------


All your missiles are constructed and launched from these silos. For fulldetails about Missiles see the appropriate section elsewhere in thismanual.

Each asteroid has underground caverns capable of storing 10 of each type ofmissile, a total of 110 missiles. Obviously no matter how many missilesyou have in storage you cannot launch them without a silo. The advantageof multiple silos is that your launch rate is far greater.

Clicking on a silo brings up the Missile Construction Window where youselect which missiles to build. Launching missiles is done by clicking onthe Missile Button (See the section on Missiles for details of both theseoperations)

Ore Teleporter (blueprint)--------------------------

Cost: 45000 CrPower: 1 MW/DayTime: 48 Day

This is a very effective and swift means of transporting ores betweenasteroids you must have an ore transporter on both of the asteroids youwant to move ore between. For best results install one on all yourasteroids.

To teleport some ore, click on the Ore Teleport on the asteroid you want tomove ore FROM.

A window appears listing all the ore available in the Stores on thisasteroid both in bar chart form and numerical form

You cannot do anything until you select the destination asteroid. To doso, click on the asteroid button. You will be taken to the Asteroid Fieldscreen where you can move the cross hair over the destination asteroid andclick with the left mouse button you must of course select an asteroid thatis owned by you and that contains an Ore Teleporter.

After selecting the destination you will be returned to the Ore teleportwindow where you will now see the contents of the stores on the destinationasteroid (The second column of figures).

To teleport ore simply drag the bar charts either left or right (similar to

the means explained earlier in the manual) and Ore will be teleportedinstantaneously between the asteroids.

To teleport from the current asteroid to the destination drag the barcharts to the right.

To teleport from the destination to the current asteroid drag the barcharts to the left.

Plasma Turret (blueprint)-------------------------

Cost: 5500 CrPower: 3 MW /dayTime: 30 days

This weapon offers greater fire power than the standard Laser Turret. Itautomatically tracks and fires upon any enemy ships around the currentasteroid providing it has sufficient power.

Photon Turret (blueprint)-------------------------

Cost: 7500 CrPower: 5 MW /dayTime: 52 days

This weapon offers the greatest fire power of the three turret types. ThePhoton Turrets power and accurracy is beyond compare and is only rivalledby some of the larger intergalactic warships. Having sold this however awarship moves pretty damn fast whereas a turret is rooted to the spot asyou would expect. It too automatically tracks and fires upon any enemyships around the current asteroid providing it has sufficient power.

Powerplant (blueprint)----------------------

Cost: 10000 CrPower: variableTime: 40 days

This is the major means of power generation upon your asteroids. It is alarge and complicated building to construct but it offers superior powergeneration. It extracts Asteros ore direct from the asteroid and uses afusion process to turn it into a daily output of 32 MW. Ensure you have anadequate supply of Asteros before construction since it uses 1 Asteros unitevery 4 days.

If there is an ample supply of Asteros it will generate 32 MW/day otherwiseit will use less ores to give a much reduced output of 8MW/day.

Clicking on this building brings up a list of all buildings currentlywithout power if any.

Power Store-----------


Unused surplus power is channelled into these for later use. They offer agood backup in the rarer cases where you may temporarily lose some of yourpower generation buildings, perhaps during an enemy attack. They will atleast prevent you from being totally out of power for a short while.

Each one has a capacity of 200 MW of power.


Repair Facility (blueprint)---------------------------


Colony buildings get damaged in the harsh environment of the mining colonyespecially during enemy attacks, Normally there are insufficient resourcesto affect repajrs. This building controls a fleet of repair robots thatroutinely move about the colony and undertake building repairs.

Resiblock---------


This is a more advanced support building, offering more facilities foremployees especially in the way of entertiainment and leisure. It takeslonger to construct than the basic Living quarters but supports 150employees and is more space efficient.


Protected Resiblock-------------------


The standard resiblock is now protected by an integral Laser Turret givingbetter protection from enemy attack and subsequently safeguarding yourworkforce.


Satellite Silo--------------


Gathering intelligence about the enemy requires the frequent launch of spysatellites. Satellites are both constructed and launched from these silos.For details see the section on spying.

Screen Generator (blueprint)----------------------------

Cost: 20000 CrPower: 7 MW/Day if onTime: 52 Days

Most buildings have very little defence against damage from enemy attacksand are easily damaged or destroyed. A screen generator uses power toerect a force screen over one or more buildings to offer greaterprotection.

To identify the area of effect of a screen (an asteroid can have severalScreen Generators) select Tactical Mode on the main asteroid view screen.All buildings shown with a white square are protected.

Security Centre---------------

Cost: 4500 CrPower: 2 Mw/DayTime: 24 Days

The Company believes in high pay for hard work but sometimes the employeesforget this and become slack or troubled by the long shifts and harddangerous work. It is inevitable that there will be regular rebellions andstandoffs between the management and the workers and this is where thehighly trained security team steps in. They possess the power todiscipline employees fine them, and imprison them if necessary. Moreimportantly they also have guns. It is wise to have a Security Centre forabout every 50 employees to prevent criminal activities taking a foothold.


Seismic Penetrator (blueprint)------------------------------


This is the very latest mining equipment recently introduced by Sci-Tek.It takes more asteroid space and power than conventional Mines but iscapable of extracting very valuable ores. It can extract:

Traxium and Nexos

All mined ores are sent directly to Stores.

Sensor Array------------


Without a sensor array an asteroid has a very small sensor range. (Thesmall black circle on the Asteroid Field screen). The array improves thisrange (increases the circle) and gives better warning of enemy fleet

movements.

Whenever enemy missiles or an enemy fleet enters sensor range you willreceive an on screen (and audible) warning. In the bottom left of thescreen one or more icons will flash. A missile inside a circle indicatesthe presence of missiles and a ship inside a circle indicates the detectionof a fleet. The Asteroid Field Screen will indicate their position as reddots (for Missiles) or a red logo (for fleets). For as long as these iconsflash you are in danger!

Solar Generator---------------

Cost: 1500 CrPower: gen. 4 MW/dayTime: 10 days

A more effective means of harnessing solar power, this building can outputup to 4MW/Day. It costs more but is more space efficient.


Solar Matrix (blueprint)------------------------

Cost: 5000 CrPower: gen 8 MW/dayTime: 32 days

This is an expensive building but maximises space on smaller asteroids bycontaining a large tower of solar panels using a very small surface area.The output is 8MW/day.


Protected Solar Matrix (blueprint)----------------------------------

Cost: 7200 CrPower: gen 8MW/dayTime: 48 days

This improved design contains an Integral Laser Turret for defencepurposes.

Clicking on this building brings up a list of all buildings currentlywithout power, if any.

Solar Panel-----------

Cost: 500 CrPower: generates 2 MW/dayTime: 8 days

This is a very cheap and easily constructed array to harness power from thesun. It outputs a constant 2MW/day.

Clicking on this building brings up a list of all buildings currentlywithout power, if any.

Storage Facility----------------


This building stockpiles all types of ore for later use. It automaticallyhandles ore arriving at the stores from the Mines via underground conveyorbelts and feeds it to Construction yards or Missile Silos as needed. Thissmall building can store a total of 300 ore units.

Clicking on this building lists the ore stored by category.

Storage Tower-------------

Cost: 3000 crPower: 2 MW/dayTime: 40 days

This is a more space efficient Store capable of holding 600 ore units ofany type.


Protected Storage Tower-----------------------


This is an improved design of the Storage Tower with an inbuilt LaserTurret to fend off unwelcome visitors. It should be noted that all orestorage devices will be prime targets for enemy attacks, as they are one ofthe prime requisites of any colony. It would therefore seem wise toprotect them. This is done by putting a huge fake plastic gun on the topand a fairly pathetic real lasser turret inside it. This is in the vainhope that any attacking fleet will see the fake weapon and decide they areoutgunned. The reality of course is that they see the tiny laser that itfires and think oh its another one of those realistic plastic guns I`m off.Honest. Don`t delay buy one today.


Weapons Factory---------------


This enables the manufacture of weapons, missile warheads and spacecraftengines. One of these buildings provides such facilities for an entireasteroid.

ZONE 011 : SCI-TEK------------------

Welcome to Sci-Tek!

As you will be aware, at Sci-Tek we only deal in the galaxys most advancedblueprints. And since we dont waste any of our precious time with massproduction plants, you, the customer, dont suffer in the long run. Themore time we get to spend on our development, the better your equipment inthe end. Here at Sci-Tek we put YOU, the customer first and foremost. Andremember, this sign is your assurance of quality

Sci-Tek

Brochure 2425

To order call 075846653687 and one of our androids will be happy to takeyour order.

Quote this ref. (Grem.226) for an extra 10% off.

2nd Generation Mines--------------------

Cost: 55000 Cr

This is a computer controlled multi-headed drill assembly. It willautomatically be added to all your existing Mines and all Mines built inthe future. It doubles the speed at which a Mine can extract ore. 2nd Generation Deep Bore Mines------------------------------

Cost: 75000 Cr

This is a computer controlled multi-headed drill assembly for use on DeepBore Mines. It will automatically be added to your existing shafts and allthose built in the future. It doubles the speed at which a Deep Bore Minecan extract ore.

Anti-Missile Pod----------------

Cost: 250000 Cr

This is a powerful addition to your asteroid defences. The pods willdetect and track any incoming enemy missiles and attempt to destroy themharmlessly in flight. The pod accuracy is low but can be improved bybuilding several pods on each asteroid.

Anti-Virus Missile------------------

Cost: 100000 Cr

This warhead is the only known means of halting the effects of a Virusmissile launched against one of your asteroids, For further details see thedescription of this warhead in the Missiles section.

Asteroid Engines----------------

Cost: 190000 Cr

Engines allow you full control over the direction and speed of an asteroidenabling you to steer it clear of collisions or even just position itexactly where you want it in space. For full details see the descriptionin the Buildings section.

Asteroid Tracker----------------

Cost: 40000 Cr

This powerful computer works in conjunction with your sensors to analysethe movement of all known asteroids. It provides data on the direction andspeed of each asteroid, enabling you to anticipate collisions.

Once you have the blueprint you must activate the computer from theAsteroid Field Screen Bring up the button panel and click on the DisplayModes button. Two new buttons have now appeared in the Display Modesbutton panel:

PATHS SPEEDS PAFW EXIT

The PATHS button toggles on or off the display of asteroid paths. Once onthe Asteroid Field Screen will display the path of an asteroid with a greendotted line. It will always show the path of the current asteroid(providing it is actually moving) and will temporarily show the path of anyasteroid you move the cross hair over. You can therefore quickly get anidea of the direction of all the asteroids.

The SPEEDS button toggles on or off the display of asteroid speeds. Onceon, the Asteroid Field Screen will display the speed of an asteroid as anumber next to it. It will always show the speed of the current asteroidand will temporarily show the speed of any asteroid you move the cross hairover. You can quickly get an idea of the speeds of all the asteroids. Ifthe speed is shown in red then that asteroid is caught in some kind ofgravity nullifying field and is not currently moving. The number indicatesits speed should it escape the nullifying field.

Building Armour---------------

Cost: 110000 Cr

You have purchased the rights to a strengthened construction material. Youcan use this in all new buildings you construct making them more resilientto enemy attacks.

Construction Droids-------------------

Cost: 20000 Cr

Usually your Vehicle Construction Yards only have the resources tomanufacture up to 3 craft at a time. Once you have this blueprint all youryards and all future yards will be modified to include a state of the art

robotic assembly line. The sophistication of these droids allows you toconstruct up to 6 craft at a time. You can now build larger fleets withless of your time spent supervising the Yards.

Deflector--------

Cost: 115000 Cr

This is a hardpoint that can be added to newly constructed ships to improvetheir defence. It consists of a generator that pulses energy through theships hull all the time that it is in flight using power from the mainengines. The energised hull is more resilient to attacks and can absorband deflect most attacks. The Deflector can be used with existing shieldsand greatly improves the lifetime of a ship.

Fleet Battleship----------------

Cost: 150000 Cr

One of the most powerful ships produced in the Empire. Using thisblueprint you can construct these battleships at any asteroid where youhave a Space Dock. For further details see the description in theSpacecraft section

Gravity Nullifier-----------------

Cost: 70000 Cr

The Nullifier generates a powerful gravity field about the asteroid it isbuilt upon. This prevents the asteroid and close neighbouring asteroidsfrom moving. This is particularly useful to avoid asteroid collisions orsimply to hold several of your asteroids together for quick movementbetween them. For further details see the description in the Buildingssection.

Hi-Energy Power Stores----------------------

Cost: 15000 Cr

This specialised capacitance circuit is automatically installed in all yourexisting Power Stores and any built from now on. It simply doubles thestorage capacity of all Power Stores.

Improved Sensors----------------

Cost: 34000 Cr

Sci-Tek have recognised the reliance most asteroid mining colonies put upontheir Sensor Arrays Without them an asteroid is very vulnerable to anunexpected collision or surprise enemy attack. They have developed thisdevice that is installed in all your existing asteroids and also added tothe CPU building so that all future colonies will have this device also itrenders Sensor Arrays unnecessary by hiding the sensors underground andusing new techniques to allow them to probe surrounding space

MEGA Missile------------

Cost: 500000 Cr

Incredibly expensive but then you are buying the most powerful weapon inthe Empire capable of destroying an entire asteroid upon impact. Forfurther details see the summary of this warhead in the Missiles section.

Missile Bay Extension---------------------

Cost: 30000 Cr

Conventional missile Silos can only store a maximum of 10 of each type ofwarhead on an asteroid. If they are to be loaded and launched as quicklyas possible. This new loading rack system is installed in all yourexisting and future Missile Silos and allows them to store up to 20 of eachtype of missile. The rack system is compact but can arm any warhead on anysilo in a matter of seconds.

Missile Guidance System-----------------------

Cost: 35000 Cr

This device uses your sensors to accurately measure the distance andrelative vectors of the launching and target asteroids. It uses thisinformation to provide you with an indication of the likelihood of eachmissile hitting the target asteroid. By using this device you can maximiseyour attacks and avoid wasting missiles by firing them at targets toodistant.

See the Missile section for details about how to use the Guidance System. Nuclear Missile---------------

Cost: 300000 Cr

This missile inflicts large amounts of damage upon the asteroid it hits.For further details see the summary of this warhead in the Missiles section

Ore Teleporter-------------- Cost: 150000 Cr

Transporting ore between your asteroids via Transporter ships can take alot of time and effort You can avoid this by constructing Ore Teleporterson all your asteroids. Any type of ore can be teleported betweenTeleporters instantaneously. For instructions on its use see thedescription of the Ore Teleporter in the Buildings section.

Photon Turret-------------

Cost: 100000 Cr

The most powerful turret on the market today. Very effective against enemy

ships attacking your asteroids. For further details see the description inthe Buildings section.

Plasma Turret-------------

Cost: 60000 Cr

A more powerful turret than the standard Laser Turret. For further detailssee the description in the Buildings section.

Power Amplifier---------------

Cost: 100000 Cr

This optimises your solar panels allowing them to double their power outputto your colony. The Amplifier is automatically added to all present andfuture Solar Panels, Generators and Solar Matrices.

Powerplant----------

Cost: 40000 Cr

The Powerplant is a very cost effective means of power generation using afusion process to convert Asteros ore into power. For further details seethe description in the Buildings section.

Repair Facility---------------

Cost: 150000 Cr

This building supports a fleet of repair droids that move through yourcolony buildings and carrying out repairs of battle damage. For furtherdetails see the description in the Buildings section

Screen Generator----------------

Cost: 175000 Cr

The Screen Generator produces a defence screen around itself andneighbouring buildings absorbing some of the damage of an enemy attack.For furthur details see the description in the Buildings section. Seismic Genetrator------------------

Cost: 120000 Cr

This is the only type of drilling assembly capable of extracting theincredibly rare (and expensive) Traxium and Nexos ores from underground.It is a large and very complicated building but vital if you have ambitionsof becoming a major ore supplier. For further details see the descriptionin the Buildings section.

Shield X40----------

Cost: 30000 Cr

This is a Hardpoint that can be added to newly constructed ships to improvetheir defence. It simply adds an extra layer of armour to the ships hull.

Shield X50----------

Cost: 40000 Cr

This is another hardpoint that can be added to a newly constructed ship.It provides a state of the art defence system almost guaranteed to renderthe ship invulnerable (but not quite) And all for a mere 40000 Cr.

Solar Matrix------------

Cost: 30000 Cr

This is a more space and cost effective means of power generation than thebasic Solar Panel For furthur details see the description in the Buildingssection.

Static Inducer--------------

Cost: 80000 Cr

This is a Hardpoint that can be added to newly constructed ships it usesthe ships main engines to concentrate and emit a powerful electromagneticpulse that temporarily confuses the electronics of enemy ships. Theblueprint also shows how our own ships are protected against the e m pulse.During the pulse all enemy ships are unable to move or attack and arecompletely vulnerable to our own attacks.

Stasis Missile-------------

Cost: 250000 Cr

This state of the art missile encompasses the target asteroid with atemporary field that stops time, freezing the asteroid and all ships inorbit about it for a period of time. For further details see the summaryof this warhead in the Missiles section.

Terminator----------

Cost: 90000 Cr

This is a powerful Cruiser warship with 4 hardpoints making it a superiorattack ship to everything but the fleet battleship. For further detailssee the description of this ship in the Spacecraft section.

Turret Optimiser----------------

Cost: 240000 Cr

This devise has been long awaited. It modifies all existing and futureturrets of any type giving them the power to double the damage that theycan inflict in each shot. Quite how the device works is a closely guardedsecret, however the most popular theory is that a huge capacitor is used tocharge the turret up when not in use and the surplus of power increases thedamage it is capable of inflicting.

Virus Missile-------------

Cost: 350000 Cr

This warhead releases a volatile substance upon impact that causes the veryrock of an asteroid to become unstable. It is impossible for buildings tostand upon this new, unstable substance. The virus will slowly spreadacross the asteroid destroying everything in its path. A very powerfulweapon (hence its price). Upon its initial release the Virus missile wasdeclared illegal on almost 200 separate worlds however modern thinkingsuggests it is a more humane method of warfare: Maximum results withminimum casualties. Such is the turnaround in the concensus of opinionthat Sci-Teks PR department has won several awards for its work on thisparticular project. For further details see the summary of this warhead inthe Missiles section.

Warp Generator--------------

Cost: 75000 Cr

This is a hardpoint that can be added to newly constructed ships. It is alimited defence device. A capacitor is charged from the ships main enginesand then the charge is released as a powerful warp field phasing the shipout of the Spacial Matrix (tm). In its phased out state the ship isimpervious to all damage but may still fire its own weapons. When thecapacitor has discharged the ship phases back into normal space until thecapacators charged again and is thus vulnerable to attack again. Thispulsing warp field happens automatically.

ZONE 012 : SPACECRAFT---------------------

Assault Fighter---------------

Imperial Code: 15KC/TC/4158137Internal Code: KC651910067Length: 13mBeam: 8mSpeed: 15,700 km/h atmos.Speed: 3 FN = 1000 LS/dayMass: 40 tonnesHull: 20 armourBuild 20 days From: Construction YardHardpoints: 1Ore: 2 Selenium, 2 CrystaliteCost: 6000 CrEngine: Kerell Thruster MKII, x2 KA344325GCargo: 10 tonnesBoost: +3000 LS/day

Crew: 3Sensor: Nembry Avionics NA6518PDLife Support: 1 yearComputer: Kerell TR37, 200 MIPSLanding Gear: tripleEW/ECM: 1 LD fwd & rear onlyComms: Sensory Matrix transceiver 1 LY effectiveInert Damping: none

In use since its initial design in 2232. A proven ship that is cheap,quick to build and ideal in Combat situations. Developed by the KerellCorporation, based on the Industrial World of Tau Ceti III. Its designerwas L.G.R. Riley, Engineer Grade VII at the Kerell Corp. Incredible as itmay sound, Ms Riley is the only female engineer to have ever held a seniorposition in Kerell. Ironically, this ship is one of their best sellingever, and has provided the funding for many of their more recent ventures.

Combat Eagle------------

Imperial Code: 12TC/B5/8778103Internal Code: TC86608133XLength: 10mBeam: 9mSpeed: 15,700 km/h atmosphericSpeed: 3 FN = 1000 LS/dayMass: 120 tonnesHull: 30 armourBuild: 30 days From: Construction YardHardpoints: 2Ore: 4 Selenium, 4 CrystaliteCost: 8000 CrEngine: Fortuna Drive V3.4 (x2) MX3321HCargo: 32 tonnesBoost: + 2500 LS/dayCrew: 7Sensor: XLR array, XLR793 V1.31Life Support: 1.5 yearsComputer: Kerell TX5, 560 MIPSLanding Gear: tripleEW/ECM: 2.5 LD, sphericalComms: Sensory Matrix transceiver 2.3 LY effectiveInertia Damping: < 2 FN

Designed by Engineer and Pilot R F Drake Stoker at the Morgan DesignInstitute on Barnard Five, under license to Tetracorp, in the year 2308.It has now become Tetracorps standard lowcost assault ship and widely usedthroughout the Empire. A general purpose Combat vessel.

Scout Ship----------

Imperial Code: 12TC/B5/8751113Internal Code: TC-888132-712-FLength: 12mBeam: 6mSpeed: 10,200 km/h atmospheric

Speed: 2 FN = 740 LS/dayMass: 34 tonnesHull: 5 armourBuild: 20 days From: Construction YardHardpoints: 1Ore: 4 Selenium, 2 CrystaliteCost: 3000 CrEngine: Fortuna Impulse Dome, Mk3 RBW 690421-CCargo: 5 tonnesBoost: + 200 LS/DayCrew: 3Sensor: XLR sub array core, XLR-64 V5.2 TN sampling units, code:TN 87991Life Support: 4.5 yearsComputer: SG Imagine os 5.1 910 MIPSLanding Gear: TripleEW/ECM: 1.2 LD, fwd onlyComms: Sensory Matrix transceiver 12,8 LYInertia Damping: none

Designed by Engineer R Marax at the Tetracorp Central Construction Yards onBarnard Five, in the year 2345, This is the fourth issue of TetracorprsPopular scout ship. Though the Imperial Navy uses the superior Class 7,this vessel is widespread amongst Tetracorp's franchised mining operations.Whilst it is near useless in combat situations, it carries superior XLRsensor arrays tuned to the discovery of ore rich asteroids.

Destructor----------

Imperial Code: 171GX/B7/3771826Internal Code: GX48911-8834Length: 34mBeam: 48mSpeed: 9,700 km/h atmosphericSpeed: 2 FN = 690 LS/dayMass: 1033 tonnesHull: 40 armourBuild: 48 days From: Orbital Space DockHardpoints: 3Ore: 8 Selenium, 6 CrystaliteCost: 15000 CrEngine: Gax V2 Hyper drive (7.1c) (x1) Gax RN35 Thrusters (x2) GRN35-7133Cargo: 120 tonnesBoost: + 340 LS/dayCrew: 16Sensor: XLR array, XLR 793 V2.17Life Support: 2.7 yearsComputer: Kerell NT-690, 1700 MIPSLanding Gear: noneEW/ECM: 5.6 LD, sphericalComms: Sensory Matrix transceiver 4.4 LYInertia Damping: < 2 FN

Gax Industries are well known for their superior ship design, and this shipis no exception. It is widely used as a leading attack and support ship,and is extremely versatile, being capable of interstellar Jump travel,

interplanetary and atmospheric use. Its designer was Y. Inars, working atthe Gax R&D Facility on Brekon 7 , Initially designed in 2278, it was neverbuilt, instead it underwent a redesign and finally became operational in2316.

Terminator----------

Imperial Code: 112ST/613922Internal Code: ST-1D-7791337Length: 52mBeam: 32mSpeed: 2,100 km/h atmosphericSpeed: 1 FN = 430 LS/dayMass: 7814 tonnesHull: 50 armourBuild: 80 days From:Orbital Space DockHardpoints: 4Ore: 8 Selenium, 2 DragoniumCost: 34000 CrEngine: Sci-Tek InterSpacial Drive STC-87 revision 4.3 (x2) Sci-Tek Thrusting Unit STC-7133 revision 2 (x2)Cargo: 470 tonnesBoost: + 60 LS/dayCrew: 38Sensor: STC-7Y, sweep patternLife Support: 4.5 yearsComputer: Sci-Tek Tek-16 2500 MIPSLanding Gear: noneEW/ECM: 9.8 LD, spherical Comms: Sensory Matrix transceiver 16.4 LY effectiveInertia Damping: full

One of Sci-Tek's most popular warships, it is used widely by the ImperialNavy. Originally designed and built in 2321, this is the latest andupdated version 5, newly built in 2371. Its original designer is unknown,but version 5 is credited to I. Atkin. He (Atkin) is considered by manyto be one of the greatest naval architects the galaxy has ever seen. It isalso widely believed that he has the worst colour sense of anyone in theknown worlds, hence the Terminator's lurid (original?) colour schemes

Transporter-----------

Imperial Code: 171GX/B7/3771663Internal Code: GX42880-7515Length: 105 mBeam: 74 mSpeed: no atmosphericSpeed: 1 FN = 400 LS/dayMass: 14320 tonnesHull: 40 armourBuild: 114 days From:Orbital Space DockHardpoints: 2Ore: 6 Selenium, 1 DragoniumCost: 24000 Cr

Engine: Gax V2 Hyper drive (7.1c) (x1) Gax Drive DC-721603-K (x1)Cargo: 48000 tonnesBoost: +10 LS/dayCrew: 8Sensor: XLR array, XLR-793 V2.17Life Support: 8 yearsComputer: Kerell NT-690, 1700 MIPSLanding Gear: noneEW/ECM: 2.4 LD, sphericalComms: Sensory Matrix transceiver 14.2 LY effectiveInert Damping: full

Another ship designed by Y. Inara on Brekon 7, Inara obviously had a pooryear when he designed the Gax Transporter as in many areas it is inadequateand in others it is woefully underspecced. As an example it has far toopowerful a computer which is prone to system crashes when the ImpulseDrives are used to manoeuvre the Transporter into orbit. Many clients haveasked for better armour and longer range communicators and as a result itis likely that Inara will update the ship for re-release in the next fewyears. The reason the Gax Transporter sells is its enormous cargo bays andthe ease of loading. Despite it's slow speed, the XLR Sensor Array is morethan adequate for the ship to be used in an asteroid field. Shame ithandles like a brick though.

Fleet Battleship----------------

Imperial Code: 112ST/617600Internal Code: ST-1D-7785581Length: 92mBeam: 63mSpeed: no atmosphericSpeed: 1 FN = 580 LS/dayMass: 45910 tonnesHull: 70 armourBuild: 114 days From:Orbital Space DockHardpoints: 6Ore: 8 Selenium, 6 DragoniumCost: 60000 CrEngine: Sci-Tek InterSpacial Drive STC-87 revision 4.3 (x2) Sci-Tek Thrusting Unit STC-135 revision 3.1 (x4)Cargo: 1310 tonnesBoost: + 180 LS/dayCrew: 74Sensor: STC-7Y5, sweep pattern, globeLife Support: 12 yearsComputer: Sci-Tek Tek-18 5000 MIPSLanding Gear: noneEW/ECM: 45.1 LD, sphericalComms: Sensory Matrix transceiver 38.6 LY effectiveInert Damping: full

One of Sci-Tek's most modern and powerful ships, it was designed by R.Giggs in 2364. Despite its grand name, it is a mere fraction of the sizeof the real Imperial Battleship, but is easily large enough to form thecentrepiece of any independent fleet. Both Sci-Tek and Tetracorp use and

recommend them as their primary warship, and its 6 hardpoints make it avery flexible vessel.

Orbital Space Dock------------------

Imperial Code: 12TC/B5?8799145Internal Code: TC-734403-451TDiameter: 215mSpeed: 1 FN = 50 LS/dayMass: 145512 tonnesHull: 120 armourBuild: 86 daysHardpoints: 4Ore: 10 Bytanium, 20 DragoniumCost: 200000 CrEngine: Fortuna Thrusting Arrays MX-67-14 (x8)Cargo: 14400 tonnesBoost: + 5 LS/dayCrew: 230Sensor: XLR GlobCon MkIV XLR-GC-71334Life Support: indefiniteComputer: Kerell NT-690, 1700 MIPSLanding Gear: noneEW/ECM: 1 LY, sphericalComms: Sensory Matrix transceiver, 70 LY effectiveInert Damping: <1 FN

Designed by M.D.Glossop at the Morgan Design Institute on Barnard Five inthe year 2338. Tetracorp intended the O.S.D. to be used as a control postin the Frontier Sectors, keeping each mining colony in touch with the HomeWorlds and Tetracorp. Glossop originally designed larger cargo bays butaltered them at the last moment into a ship construction facility. This isprobably the sole factor that has made the O.S.D. as successful as it is -the ability to contruct large warships in the depth of space

ZONE 013 : HARDPOINT WEAPONS----------------------------

This is a summary of the devices available for installation in a hardpoint.Ones marked with (blueprint) are only available once the constructionrights have been purchased from Sci-Tek

Note: Costs given are correct at the present time but are subject tochange without warning

Ion Cannon----------

Cost: 1000 Cr

This is the basic (and very cheap) weapon for use against enemy asteroids.It has a minimum impact area and does little damage

Disruptor---------

Cost: 6000 Cr

This weapon is another Air-to- Surface weapon for use against enemyasteroids. It has a greater area of effect than the Ion Cannon but darmageis still limited.

Napalm Orb----------

Cost: 4000 Cr

This fires a stream of high temperature plasma gas at an asteroid with itsown Oxygen supply which will burst into flame upon impact. Damage will beinflicted upon any buildings caught in the flame. The area of effect isvery limited however.

Chaos Bomb----------

Cost: 12000 Cr

This is an improved version of the Napalm Orb but with a much larger areaof effect. Like the Hellfire Missile the flames from this weapon caneasily spread to neighbouring buildings and devastate huge areas of anasteroid. Very effective against densely populated asteroids.

Vortex Mine-----------

Cost: 5000 Cr

An electrical vortex is released upon the asteroid. It will wander atrandom upon the surface inflicting damage upon any building it touches.The longevity of the vortex is indeterminate. It can vanish at any time.It is possible for the vortex to split into two parts each continuing towreak havoc and each with the possibility of splitting again

Laser-----

Cost: 1000 Cr

This is the standard Ship to Ship weapon based on a focused beam of light.It does very little damage.

Photon Cannon-------------

Cost: 4500 Cr

A more effective ship to ship weapon. The twin guns fire packets of energyheld together by a force field.

Plasma Cannon-------------

Cost: 9000 Cr

The most powerful ship to ship weapon. It fires a focused disruptor beamhousing superheated plasma gas and is capable of ripping through even themost powerful armour. Caution should be exercised in the use of this

weapon, and the Company is not liable for any damage incurred to the usershould anything untoward happen.

Static Inducer (blueprint)--------------------------

Cost: 4500 Cr

This devise uses the ships main engines to concentrate and emit a powerfulelectromagnetic pulse that temporarilly confuses the electronics of anenemy ship. During the pulse the enemy ship is unable to move or attackand completely vulnerable to our own attacks.

Warp Generator (blueprint)--------------------------

Cost: 9000 Cr

This is a limited defence device. A capacitor is charged from the shipsmain engines and then the charge is released as a powelful warp fieldphasing the ship out of the Spacial Matrix (tm) In its phased state theship is impervious to all damage but may still fire its own weapons Whenthe capacitor has discharged the ship phases back into normal space untilthe capacitor is charged again and is thus vulnerable to attack again.This pulsing warp field happens automatically

Deflector (blueprint)---------------------

Cost: 12000 Cr

This devise consists of a generator that pulses energy through the shipshull all the time that it is in flight using power from the main engines.The energised hull is more resilient to attacks and can absorb and deflectmost attacks. The Deflector can be used with existing shields and greatlyimproves the lifetime of a ship

Shield X10----------

Cost: 1500 Cr

This extends the armour of the ships hull to give better protection againstdamage. This shield adds 10 armour points and may be stacked with otherShields or defences

Shield X20----------

Cost: 3000 Cr

This extends the armour of the ships hull to give better protection againstdamage. This shield adds 20 armour points and may be stacked with othershields or defences

Shield X30----------

Cost: 5000 Cr


Shield X40 (blueprint)----------------------

Cost: 6500 Cr


Shield X50 (blueprint)----------------------

Cost: 8000 Cr

This extends the armour of the ships hull to give better protection againstdamage. This shield adds 50 armour points and may be stacked with othershields or defences.

TERRAN APPROVED: 2450 THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS FOR THOSE WITH SECURITYCLEARANCE ORANGE AND ABOVE ONLY

ZONE 014 : MISSILE WARFARE--------------------------

Missiles are an integral part of the military might of your colony. Youshould rely on neither ships alone nor missiles alone, but use acombination of both of them. The advantage of missiles is that they are along range weapon, allowing you to strike at the enemy deep in space. Thisis a disadvantage too since missiles cannot be used to combat enemy attackson your asteroids.

BUILDING MISSILES-----------------

To be able to build and launch missiles you must have one or more MissileSilos on an asteroid Select these from the Bullding Selection Window andconstruct them on suitable asteroids preferably ones with a variety of oreand not too distant from an enemy asteroid. You need only one silo on anasteroid but the more you do have the more missiles you can launchsimultaneously for a quicker attack.

To build a missile click on the Missile Silo building. A window appearsdetailing each of the missiles available to you at this time. See the endof this section for a summary of each missile warhead type. Some missiletypes are only available once you have purchased the blueprints fromSci-Tek. At the start of the game you have 6 types available but there are11 in total

LEFT RIGHT

BUILD ABORT

EXIT

Use the Left and Right Arrow buttons to cycle through the missile typesuntil you reach the one you wish to build.

Click on the Build Missile button to build a missile and click successivetimes to build more than one.

Click on the Abort button to abort the building of any of this type ofmissile. Other types will be unaffected.

Missiles will be built over a period of time. Each type takes the sameamount of time to build but clearly the more you want to build the longerit will take. The cost of each missile will be deducted when the missileis finally built and delivered automatically to the underground missilehangers. These hangers can hold up to 10 of each type of warhead on eachasteroid. NOTE: Money must be pre allocated to the Missile Fund in theFinancial Fund Window. See the appropriate section for how to do this.

The type of Ore needed to build the missile is given in the informationwindow but you will be warned if there is insufficient ore to build anyparticular missile. The ore must be held in Stores on the current asteroidso you may need Mines to extract ore (See the section on Mining) Similarlyyou will be warned if the current asteroid does not have a Weapons Factory.Missiles cannot be built without one.

Even if you receive one of these warnings about insufficient ore, lack ofmoney or lack of Weapons Factory the Missile Silos will continually checkwhether they can build another missile. So as soon as you rectify thefault (ie mine or transport more ore allocate more money to the MissileFund or build a Weapons Factory) the construction will continueautomatically.

LAUNCHING MISSILES------------------

To launch a missile click on the Launch Missile button either from theAsteroid View Screen or the Asteroid Field Screen.

A window will list the number of each type of missile you have on thecurrent asteroid. Each blob on the barcharts represents one missile. Atthe bottom of the window the current target is listed, if you have selectedone, and the expected accuracy of any missiles launched against thistarget. This accuracy is unavailable unless you have purchased a MissileTracker from Sci-Tek. So until you buy a Missile Tracker you will have toestimate your chances of success for a missile attack (see below)

LAUNCH TARGET ABORT EXIT

SETTING THE TARGET ASTEROID---------------------------

Missiles can only target asteroids not individual ships or fleets. Toselect a target from the Missile Control Window click on the Target button.You will be taken to the Asteroid View screen (unless you are alreadythere) and shown all the asteroids known to you.

A circle is entered on the current asteroid and this marks the range ofyour missiles. The circle is of little use unless you have a MissileTracker. In which case it will be accompanied by a percentage chance tohit figure. If you don`t use a Missile Tracker you`ll have to experiment.As you move the cross hair with the mouse the circle will grow and shrink

and the percentage chance to hit will alter. The percentage chance is anapproximate indication of the chance of EACH of your missiles hitting butremember that even if a missile reaches its target successfully the enemymay have the means to shoot it down.

To select a target asteroid move the cross hair over an asteroid and clickthe left mouse button. You will return to the Missile Control window.That target is now set and will remain so unless you alter it ot thetargetted asteroid is destroyed

SELECTING THE MISSILES TO FIRE------------------------------

You can fire as many missiles at a time as you want but remember that themissiles will take longer to launch if you only have one or two MissileSilos.

To select missiles move the mouse pointer over the name of a missile.Click right to add one missile of that type to the launch bay. Click leftto remove one missile from the launch bay. Hold down the mouse button toadd/remove several missiles. The red blobs show available missiles andgreen blobs show missiles selected for launch.

The numbers at the right of the window echo this information showing howmany missiles you have selected of each type.

The abort button will clear all selected missiles of all types.

LAUNCHING THE MISSILES----------------------

To actually launch the selected missiles click on the Launch button.

To quit without launching any missiles click on the Exit button.

You can watch the progress of missiles in flight from the Asteroid FieldScreen. Your missiles appear as yellow dots.

MISSILE WARHEAD DATA--------------------

The data on each missile type follows. Missiles marked with (blueprint)are only available from Sci-Tek.

Note: This data is accurate at this moment in time but is subject tochange by Sci-Tek and the other missile manufacturers without warning.

Explosive---------

Cost: 1000 CrOre: 1 Selenium

This is the basic (and very cheap) warhead. It has a minimum impact areaon the target and several such missiles may be required to destroy enemybuildings. For best results launch many at one time.

Area Explosive--------------

Cost: 8000 CrOre: 2 Barium

As an extension to the basic Explosive warhead, this warhead does similardamage but over a wider area. For best results use against denselypopulated asteroids.

Napalm------

Cost: 6000 CrOre: 1 Quazinc

This warhead has a core of plasma gas which is released at a phenomenaltemperature upon impact. It carries its own Oxygen supply causing theimpacted buildings to erupt into flame. This flame will burn for some timeinflicting further damage. The area of effect is very limited however.

Hellfire--------

Cost: 20000 Cr Ore: 3 Quazinc

The chemical substance encased in this warhead is a by product of thedevelopment of the Napalm warheads. Upon impact the core shatters andspreads high temperature plasma gas over a wide area. Any structure caughtin this blast will begin to burn ferociously and suffer damage over aperiod of time. The hellfire substance has the capability to spread toneighbouring buildings and it is possible for one missile to devastate anentire asteroid if the hellfire burns long enough. Clearly it is mosteftective against densely populated asteroids.

Scatter-------

Cost: 10000 CrOre: 3 Selenium

This is a larger version of the basic Explosive warhead. In fact itcontains 25 such warheads. It will explode just above the surface of theasteroid and the multiple warheads will fall at random upon the asteroid.The damage is slight but the random pattern is good at weakening manybuildings at once.

Vortex------

Cost: 9000 CrOre: 3 Crystalite

Upon impact an electrical vertex is released upon the asteroid. It willwander at random upon the surface inflicting damage upon any building ittouches. The longevity of the vortex is indeterminate and Sci-Tek arestill attempting to develop a Vortex MkII that has a guaranteed longevity.It is possible for the vortex to split into two parts each continuing towreak havoc, and each with the possibility of splitting again.

Nuclear(blueprint)------------------

Cost: 50000 CrOre: 5 Asteros

This is a multi-megaton warhead capable of inflicting enormous damage to anasteroid possibly destroyirng every building upon it. Spacecraft in orbitwill also suffer damage from the blast. WARNING: USE WITH CARE! Theradiation effects from a nuclear attack can render an asteroiduninhabitable for many many years.

Virus (blueprint)-----------------

Cost: 30000 CrOre: 1 Traxium

This is a very powerful weapon which unfortunately reguires the very rareTraxium ore for its payload. Upon impact it releases a volatile substancewhich begins at once to eat at the fabric of the asteroid itself. It willalter the molecular consistency of the asteroid material, turning it adifferent colour as it does so. No building can stand upon a weakenedsection of asteroid, but will simply collapse. The mutated rock becomesradioactive too. Over time the virus will spread across the asteroid neverstopping until it has affected the entire asteroid which is then incapableof supporting any colony at all. A virus infected asteroid is living onborrowed time! There is one way to combat the virus an Anti-Virus missile.

Anti-Virus (blueprint)----------------------

Cost: 10000 CrOre: 4 Barium

The only known means to enadicate the effects of a Virus missile. Uponimpact it disperses a bacterial agent over the entire surface of theasteroid. Within moments this will seek out and destroy the virussubstance and halt its spread. It will then begin to act upon the parts ofthe asteroid that have been altered by the virus. It takes a long time toact but will eventually restore the asteroid to a more stable form capableof supporting buildings again. The only known side effect is an increasedradiation.

Since you will only be firing this missile aganst one of your own asteroidsit is possible to target the same asteroid as the launching silo by usingthe same technique explained above.

Mega (blueprint)----------------

Cost: 65500 CrOre: 1 Nexos

This is the most devastating weapon available! It took Sci-Tek some 40years of research to perfect it. Quite simply it destroys an entireasteroid or even a small sized planet - nothing but rubble remains. Theactual process is extremely complicated, relying upon a gravity pulse torip apart the target asteroid rather than simply using huge amounts ofexplosives.

Stasis (blueprint)

------------------

Cost: 40000 CrOre: 2 Korellium

This is the latest warhead from Sci-Tek utilising their research intotemporal physics. Upon impact it will establish a temporal field aroundthe asteroid latching it to the Spacial Matrix (TM) of the surroundingspace. The effect is to freeze time itself or at least the local timeinside the stasis field. Nothing will happen on the affected asteroid andno spacecraft or missiles may arrive or leave. The field will decay anddie over a period of time.

ZONE 015 : THE ENEMY--------------------

KLL-KP-QUA

Home world: Tau Ceti III

Physical Description: At first glance they resemble a Terran PrayingMantis, standing just under 1m tall. Their face however bears moreresemblance to a bird than an insect. They have two eyes, two ears and asingle mouth positioned where we would expect a nose to be. It is notknown whether they possess a sense of smell. Atop their heads they wear anornate headpiece, whose complexity and colours denote theie socialstanding. At all times they dress in exquisite and colourful robes,usually adorned with large ruffs and gemstones.

Habitat: Their native habitat varies from hot and arid grassland to steamyjungles. They can adapt to other habitats except they have littleresistance to cold or ice.

Technology: They have adapted to space very well, building well-insulatedstructures and large underground caverns, filled with native jungle fauna,their spaceships are basic and their technology generally barely adequate.

Social Structure: They exhibit remarkable similarities to Terran hiveinsects. Each asteroid possesses a single Queen, responsible for layingand hatching all eggs, the rest of the population is split into twodistinct and genetically different groups. One remains on the asteroid andfulfils a support role building, maintenance, serving the Queen, etc, theothers operate the spacecraft and are never allowed to return to theasteroids. They spend their entire life inside the spacecraft. In normalcircumstances a Queen is born every 2 to 3 Terran Years. Once the Queenreaches maturity, in a few short months, she commandeers a transport shipand goes in search of her own asteroid. It is not known whether their is ahierarchy amongst the Queens. Each asteroid appears to operateindependently, but there is regular communication between Queens ondifferent asteroids.

Power Generation: The primary means of power generation is the burning oftheir own corpses. All dead are carefully recovered and taken to theburners. Secondary power generation is by means of solar panels

Special Weapons: It is known that they possess a special type of warhead,but its effects are unknown.

Military Strategy: Their actions appear very predicable so expect few

surprises.

LAK`MAJ`TRAAL (ORE EATERS)

Home world: Their exact home world is not known. We beleive theyoriginated in the M53 galaxy in Sagittarius, which they appear to haveexplored extensively.

Physical Description: An adult male stands 1m high at the head and up to12m long. They are very large wormlike creatures covered in hard scales.Their fangs and horns have the strength to break up rocks. Their diet isone of rock. They regurgitate a special chemical that can break down eventhe hardest ores, which they then eat hungrily, digesting them withextraordinarily strong stomach acids. Their heat signature in Infra Red isenormous. They are slow moving which is why they rely on technology toassist them.

Habitat: They seem able to exist in any habitat but particularly in thevacuum of space. Examining the M53 galaxy, we have discovered that hugeareas of it have been destroyed. planet literally eaten apart by greatmigrations of these creatures. Their appetite is enormous - an adult malewill eat up to twelve times his own body weight in ores every day!

They are a real threat to the Empire

Technology: Most of their structures are simple domes, protecting areas ofan asteroid from solar radiation and meteorite bombardment while they eatinto the heart of the asteroid in search of food. They possess powerfulspacecraft which have carried them to our galaxy from M53. We know littleof their technology since whenever they evacuate an asteroid they destroyall remnants of their structures and devices.

Social Structure: We have been unable to determine their heirarchy, otherthan the obvious dominance that the adult males have due to their size.Procreation is via egg laying, but the population grows slowly due to thelongevity of each male. It appears that duties are simply performed bywhoever is in the right place at the right moment. Their must be some formof overall control, even if it is only the signal which makes them suddenlyboard the transporters and head for another asteroid which they do theminute they have drained it of ore.

Power Generation: They use chemical reactions to break down useless rock,harnessing the power created.

Special Weapons: No information

Military Strategy: They are vicious when disturbed. We have observed thatthey only ever attack our mining colonies and never inhabited planets, asif they identify that our mining colonies are robbing them of food. Beprepared for regular missile strikes.

AX-ZILANTH`S

Home world: Beta Hydrae IV, though they are extensive in the Capella andArcturus Sectors, where we have fought skirmishes with them on manyoccasions.

Physical Description: The bulk of their 2m tall bodies are a hard carapace

that protects their vital and sensory organs The lower part of their bodyconsists of six extremely sensitive and flexible tentacles which they useboth for movement (fast!) and manipulation of objects. Their eyes see in agreater spectrum than our own, allowing them access to Ultraviolet andInfrared light.

Habitat: Varies from sparse desert and rocky badlands to temperate forestand grassy plains.

Technology: Their technology has developed upon similar lines to our own.They use smelting processes to produce steel and use silicon and germaniumcomponents in their electronic circuits. Their spacecraft are certainly ona par with our own, if not superior and many possess cloaking devices.

Social Structure: They operate on a strict hierarchy as does our Empire.Each asteroid is divided into sections responsible for a particular aspectsuch as engineering, food supply spacecraft manufacture, etc. Each sectionhead reports to an asteroid council which determines overall policy forthat asteroid. The chair being of each council participates in a regionalcouncil that comprises twenty or more asteroids and planets. We concludethat a representative of these regional councils sits upon a higher councilthat governs their entire Empire.

Power Generation: Standard techniques of Fission and Fusion as well asharnessing solar energy.

Special Weapons: No information. We suspect that they have

Military Strategy: Our skirmishes with them in other sectors have led usto determine that they are never first to initiate an attack. They paradea threatening arsenal of weapons and warships but always wait for us totake the initiative before retailaiting. Try to use this to youradvantage.

TYLARAN EMPIRE

Home world: Deneb Mira III

Physical Description: They resemble hideous lizards, standing over 3mtall. Though they have no balancing tail, the bulk of their body and theirstrong legs enables them to walk easily as a biped. Their clawed hands aresurprisingly dextrous and capable of manipulating very fine objects. Theypossess large mouths with fangs, identifying them as carnivores, and theircraniums support a brain larger than our own.

Habitat: Their homeworlds are ice worlds, far from their primary sun andcovered with continual ice and blizzards. They are at home in the cold ofspace! We believe that their hide contains special insulating layers toprotect them against temperatures up to -100 degrees below freezing.

Technology: Their technology varies greatly. On the one hand they haveonly recently developed spacecraft capable of crossing interstellar space,(though we have monitored their home world for over a century and know thattheir weapons technology is spohisticated). On the other hand we have yetto understand other aspects of their technology, such as power generation.

Social Structure: They seem to operate on the principle of Imperialsupremacy, where each region of space has a sub Emperor who has completecontrol over his region, but reports to the real Emperor on Deneb Mira III.

They are very social creatures and work well with each other. Disciplineis strong and absolute and apparently welcomed.

Power Generation: We can only suspect that they harness power directlyfrom the Spacial Matrix, which would give the access to practicallyunlimited power. We have detected new kinds of radiation from thebuildings that we have called Flux Convertors and Power Collectors and wesuspect that these play an important part in the process. Special Weapons: One of their structures emits a huge surge of energy atregular intervals. This could well be a weapon proceed with caution.Their asteroids also have a screen generator whose purpose is unclear.

Military Strategy: Unknown.

THE RIGELLIAN CONFEDERATION

Home world: Rigel system

Physical Description: We were very surprised when we first identifiedtheir species over a century ago. They corresponded almost exactly withhistorical depictions of vampires, which makes it conceivable that theyvisited Earth in the long distant past to provide a source for the classiclegends. They appear similar to a human but with bald domed heads, and ofcourse those legendary fangs. Their eyes glow an eerie red, which we knowto be the reflection of light off their retinas. All their senses are welldeveloped.

Habitat: Unknown

Technology: Their technology is sophisticated, though not in the area ofpower generation. Their devices appear to require vast amounts of power,and several of our scout ships have been mysteriously drained of all powerafter entering Rigellian Space. They are also extremely advanced in theareas of Warp technology.

Social Structure: From the few communications we have made with them, weknow them to be an extremely ancient race. It is likely that they weredeveloping technology when dinosaurs walked the Earth. They namethemselves a Confederation, which suggests that they operate as a series ofindividual states or worlds that are independently governed but haveallegiance and common laws with each other under the authority of a federalgovernment. They are highly developed socially, but steadfastly refuse toopen negotiations with us for the trade of materials or information.

Power Generation: Primitive methods of burning fossil fuels. They onlyrecently aquired the secrets of atomic power, stolen from one of ourresearch vessels.

Special Weapons: They have the abilility to drain power from ourbatteries. Otherwise, we expect few surprises.

Military Strategy: We would best describe their strategies as muddled.They are very trigger-happy with missiles. We also know that their shipscarry advanced warp engines.

SWIXARANS

Home world: They originate from the densely grouped star systems at theheart of our galaxy. We have detected their presence in over thirty starsystems.

Physical Description: The Swixarans are one of those rare cases when plantlife has developed intelligence and the ability to develop technology. Atypical Swixaran is between 1m and 4m high and composed of a mass of softand pliable shoots and creepers. Constantly moving. Their exact formvaries with their surroundings - if they enter corridors they flatten theirbody and use many of their creepers to probe the way ahead. We are unsureof their sensory organs but it is likely they possess very sensitive touchsensors in their extremities and maybe motion detectors as well. There isa small part of their body which we suspect houses their vital organs andbrain, but it is always well protected by the creepers.

Habitat: Unknown, but we suspect either dense jungle worlds or hugeforests.

Technology: Almost incomparable to our own, since much of their technologyis based on biological proteins and DNA encoded, self replicating tissue.They are very advanced in areas of shield generation and cloaking devices.

Social Structure: Difficult to determine. We suspect that they possess agroup intelligence and there is evidence to support the theory that a greatdeal of this intelligence is located in a particular location on eachasteroid. Their aims seem only to be expansion and colonisation.

Power Generation: We do not understand their method of power generation.It is certainly biologically based and undoubtedly bears more resemblanceto blood sugar levels in their organic structures, rather than theharnessing of nuclear power.

Special Weapons: Our spies report several closely guarded weapons, thedetails of which are unavailable at this time. Be prepared for anything!

Military Strategy: They seem to react to our own strategies and attacksrather than initiating their own they are especially susceptible tofire-based weaponry, but otherwise their structures are well protected.There does seem to be a pattern to their attacks, but we have yet tounderstand it.

ANY PROBLEMS ?

If you have prohlems loading K240, then return it to your retailer, or toGremlin Graphics at the address on the packaging. If you have anyquestions relating to the game, then Gremlin Graphics Helpline is availablebetween the hours of 09:30 and 17:30 U.K. time Monday to Friday, on 0742753423

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 1994 Gremlin Graphics Software Limited. All Rights Reserved.This manual and the information contained on the disks are copyrighted byGremlin Graphics Limited. The owner of this product is entitled to usethis product for his or her own personal use only. No one may transfergive or sell any part of the manual or the information on the disks withoutthe prior permission of Gremlin Graphics Software Limited. Any person orpersons reproducing any part of the program, in any media, for any reason,shall be guilty of copyright violation and subject to civil liability at

the discretion of the copyright holder.

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* ********************** * * * TYPED F/\STER * * BY * * SHARD NUT & BOLT * * * ***********************

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