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The Warp Factor
Starship Operations Manual
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Table of Contents
-----------------

Part I: Introduction
--------------------
1.0  General Description
2.0  Parts Inventory
3.0  The Battlespace, Time, Scale, and Directions
4.0  The Nationalities
5.0  The Weapons: Offense & Defense
6.0  The Ships
7.0  Damage to Ships

Part II: Running The Program
----------------------------
1.0  Auditing Your Returns
2.0  Starting a Game
3.0  Routine of Play
4.0  Command Phase
5.0  Execution Phase
6.0  Evaluation of the Battle
7.0  The Epilog

Appendices
----------
A.0  Playtester's Notes on Starship Tactics
A.1  Principles of Starship Combat
A.2  Tactics of Space Fighter Combat
A.3  Boarding Enemy Ships
A.4  Comments on Fleet Orders
B.0  Notes on Multi-Player Scenarios


PART I: INTRODUCTION
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1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION
   THE WARP FACTOR is an outer space battle game involving starships =
starbases
and single-pilot attack spacecraft similar to those portrayed in four =
different
television series and at least that many motion pictures.  With this =
program
your Apple II Plus computer can simulate the battle activity of up to =
ten
separate space vessels at a time.  For maximum realism the program =
executes
move and fire orders for all ships simultaneously, avoiding the =
illogical play
by turns which usually characterizes space-battle games.
   In a very real sense this is not a "game" at all, but a sophisticated =
space
battle simulator and trainer.  The ships and their activities have been =
modeled
to a fine degree of detail including their internal structure and =
functions.
Weapons crews can be given sophisticated firing commands, defensive =
screens can
be reinforced selectively, and some ships can even make themseleves =
invisible
at times.  The probability of hitting a target is a function of the =
power of
the weapon, the range, the current effectiveness of scanners and =
sensors, and
the speed of the target.  In short, all critical factors of starship =
combat
have been modeled in THE WARP FACTOR and the outcome of a battle depends =
only
on a commander's grasp of tactics in deep space!


2.0 PARTS INVENTORY
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   A.  Game Box
   B.  Rule Book
   C.  5 1/4" Game Disc
   D.  3 Starship Data Cards
   E.  Game Selection Card


3.0 THE BATTLESPACE, TIME, SCALE, AND DIRECTIONS
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   Distances in space are expreased in terms of Megaklicks (MK), each of =
which
represents ten million kilometers.  The battle progresses in 30-second =
segments
(called "turns") between which commanders issue orders to their fleets.  =
For
the convenience of the player, the program expresses ship speed in terms =
of
"Mk per turn." the number of Megaklicks the ship will travel in 30 =
seconds of
simulated action.
   The "battlespace" is an empty region of interstellar space devoid of =
stars,
planets, asteroids, comets or nebulae.  (Hyper speed maneuvering is not =
safe
around such navigation hazards.  Spacecraft locations are reported by =
the
computer in standard Cartesian (X,Y) coordinates, expressed as the =
distance in
Megaklicks from the center of the battlespace.  (See Figure 1.)  Battle =
in
usually joined near the center of this empty region, near coorinate =
X=3D0, Y=3D0.
Ships may progress roughly 1000 Mk in any direction from this center =
before
being destroyed by floating space debris.  This is a distance which even =
the
fastest starships cannot cover in less than twenty turns of direct =
flight, so
it shouldn't trouble many players.

          +------------------------------------------------+
          |                      | Y                       |
          |                      | 1000 Mk                 |
          |                      |                         |
          |                      |                         |
          |                      |                         |
          |                      | (0,0)               X   |
          |   -------------------------------------------  |
          |   -1000 Mk           |               1000 Mk   |
          |                      |                         |
          |                      |                         |
          |                      |                    +    |
          |                      |                         |
          |                      | -1000 Mk                |
          +------------------------------------------------+

          (Remark: '+' means the graphic of the starship)

          Figure 1: The battlespace is a clear region of interstellar
          space about 2000 Megaklicks across.  Positions of ships on
          denoted by standard (X,Y) coordinates.  Beware of interstellar
          debris around the edge of the battle area.

   Directions within the battlespaces are given in standard 360 degree =
bearings
with 0 degree representing galactic north (see Figure 2).  Note that in =
all
displays galactic north is pictured at the top of the screen regardless =
of the
bearing of the ship.

          +------------------------------------------------+
          |                                                |
          |                      0 degree                  |
          |                                                |
          |         315 degree   |         45 degree       |
          |              \       N       /                 |
          |                \     |     /                   |
          |                  \   |   /                     |
          |                    \ | /                       |
          |     270  - W ------------------- E - 90 degree |
          |    degree          / | \                       |
          |                  /   |   \                     |
          |                /     |     \                   |
          |              /       S       \                 |
          |          225 degree  |        135 degree       |
          |                     180 degreee                |
          |                                                |
          +------------------------------------------------+

          Figure 2: In all displays galactic North (0 degree)
          is always pictured at the top of screen.  All courses
          and bearings are defined by standard 360 degree notation
          from this reference.


4.0 THE NATIONALITIES
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   The program simulates the activity of ships belonging to six =
interstellar
nationalities, the Alliance, the Klargon Empire, the Reman Marauders, =
Imperial
Pirates, Freemen and Starbases.

4.1 THE ALLiANCE
----------------
   The United Alliance of Planets is a loose association of more than a
thousand inhabited planets, most of them settled by Earth colonists =
centuries
before.  The alliance is dedicated to protecting the rights of sentient
creatures throughout the galaxy, and in defense of these rights the =
memeber
planets support a fleet of dreadnought and heavy cruiser starships.  At =
the
time of the outbreak of hostilities one of the cruisers had just =
distinguished
itself by successfully returning from a five-year mission of exploration =
in
galactic regions where no one had gone before.

4.2 THE KLARGON EMPIRE
----------------------
   The Klargons are a quarrelsome people who believe that their race is
destined to rule the universe by virtue of their obvious superiority... =
a
superiority which is not as obvious to others as it is to them.  They =
venture
into space in ships bristiling with weapons, armed for conquest.  =
Although a
Klargon dreadnought in battle may have twice the rate of fire of most =
other
starships, enemy commanders have learned that the Klargon's compulsive
aggressiveness and low intelligence more than offset this advantage in
equipment.  Even so, it's a poor commander who turns his back on a =
Klargon.

4.3 THE REMAN MARAUDERS
-----------------------
   The Remans are a mysterious race whose ships rarely venture into =
inter-
stellar space.  When they do, however, violence is the inevitable =
result.
Springing from a world in a binary star system, the Remans have high
intellegence, superior strength in hand-to-hand combat, and a venerated
martial tradition, but are handicapped by a space fleet limited to =
sub-flight
velocities.  Even so the Reman ships can be formidable due to their
invisibility screens and their unusually powerful homing torpedoes.
   At present the Remans are confined to their home solar system by a =
non-
aggression treaty with the Alliance.  A demilitarized zone surrounds the
systems, entry into which by either side constitutes an act of war.  =
(There are
rumors that the Remans have purchased the plans of a hyperspeed drive =
from the
Klargons and are equipping a limited number of their warships with the =
new
type of engines.)

4.4 STARBASES
-------------
   Scattered throughout the galaxy are independent starbases and =
outposts run
by members of various nationalities.  Some starbases are trading posts =
for
interstellar commerce, while others serve as military bases for =
starships.  Due
to their immense size, starbases can carry tremendous amounts of =
armament and
are very difficult to successfully attack and destroy.  Outposts (second =
class
starbases) are less formidable.  Neither starbases nor outposts can =
move,
although they can rotate like a carousel.

4.5 IMPERIAL PIRATES
--------------------
   The Imperial forces are a surviving splinter group of an empire which =
once
flourished long ago in a distant galaxy.  At the present time these =
nefarious
warriors occupy themseleves by conducting raids on Alliance freighters =
and
small star outposts.  Although most interstellar combat is conducted by
cruiser-class starships, the Imperials fly small three-man and one-man =
attack
spacecraft.  Individually these ships are insignificant, but in mass =
attacks
they can do serious damage even to ships of the line.
   The Imperials are especially troublesome to independent freighters =
and
isolated star systems where starship protection is too far away for =
timely
rescues.  An interesting point about these raiders is that they strongly
resemble humanoid robots.  No one seems certain whether Imperial =
troopers are
really men wearing battle armor or are actually cybemetic organisms!

4.6 FREEMEN
-----------
   In response to Klargon and Imperial depredations space colonists have =
begun
to arm their cargo ships and to build small fleets of one-man fighters =
for
local defense.  The dedicated young men and women who fly these fighters =
(with
the help of robotic copilots) are revered as heroes on the colony =
worlds, where
there is considerable competition for the few available spacecraft.  (It =
helps
if you have friends in high places.)  Although they rarely get the =
opportunity,
the Freemen love nothing more than to meet a flight of Imperial fighters =
in
deep space with plenty of mom for a dogflight.


8.0 THE WEAPONS: OFFENSE & DEFENESE
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   The space ships in THE WARP FACTOR use a variety of sophisticated =
weaponry
both of an offensive and a defensive nature.  The major characteristics =
of the
weapons systems are given below.

8.1 PHASERS
-----------
   The basic offensive weapon of most ships is a laser-like energy beam
projector which fires instantsneously through hyperspace over vast =
distances.
The energy of the beam diminishes at ranges of 40 Mk or so, but the =
weapons
have no minimum range.  In fact, some starships can be instructed to =
turn their
phasers on themselves (to avoid caputre)!
   There are three kinds of phasers I, genearl use.  Light phasers are =
mounted
as main weapons on small fighters and as suxiliary weapons on some =
cruisers.
Heavy phasers form the main armament of freighters, cruisers and =
dreadnoughts.
Siege phasers are immense weapons utilized for starbase defense.  =
Occasionally
a dreadnought will be armed with a single siege phaser for starbase =
assault,
too.  In most cases phasers have limited fields of fire, dictated by =
ship
design (you can't shoot through your own hull!).  One of the challenges =
of the
game is coordinating the position of your ship with the fields of fire =
of
your phasers to maximize your firepower against a particular target (See
Section 6. below for details of phaser fields of fire.)

8.2 PHOTON TORPEDOES
--------------------
   Starbases and Alliance starships are armed with matter-antimatter =
torpedoes
which are projected instantaneously through hyperspace against enemy =
ships.
Although very powerful, the range of these torpedoes is limited to about =
20 Mk,
they are slow to reload and they are ineffective at ranges less than 2 =
Mk
(because they automatically arm themselves at that distance from the =
firing
vessel).  At close ranges these torpedoes can be "overcharged", which =
doubles
their explosive power but makes them so unstable that their effective =
range is
cut to 8 Mk at the most.  Like phasers, torpedo projectors have =
restricted
fields of fire, and usually you will have to steer your ship more or =
less
toward the target before firing.
   Photon torpedoes must be charged twice before they will fire (in two
successive turns).  Charging them in subsequent turns keeps them ready =
to fire
indefinitely.  Falling to charge a photon torpedo instantly reduces its
accumulated charge to zero.  These torpedoes may only be overcharged on =
the
second turn of charging.

5.3 DISRUPTOR BOLTS
-------------------
   Klargon ships do not carry photon torpedoes but use disruptor bolts =
instead.
Disruptors fire packets of energy quanta of the frequency best suited to =
break
down the molecular bonds of starship hulls.  Although disruptors are =
rapid fire
weapons with an effective range of 25 Mk or more, they do relatively =
little
damage except at close range.  Like photon torpedoes disruptor bolts =
have
restricted fields of fire and may be "overcharged" for more destructive =
effect
at the cost of greatly decreasing their first charged or overcharged.  =
If a
charged or overcharged disruptor is not fired it loses its charge.

5.4 PLASMA TORPEDOES
--------------------
   Reman ships are equipped with little offensive armament other than a =
plasma
torpedo projector.  This weapon is extremely slow and expensive to =
recharge,
but it fires a homing torpedo which does very severe damage when it =
stikes an
enemy ship.  Most enemies of the Remans turn and try to outrun this =
torpedo
because they know that their shields can't stand up against it.  Since =
this is
a self-guided weapon the torpedo projector's field of fire is not of =
concern.
Targets at all bearings from the firing ship may be engaged equally =
well.
Plasma torpedoes travel 10 Mk in their first turn and 32 Mk in their =
second
turn.
   Plasma torpedoes require three turns of charging before they can be =
fired.
They are not stable, and must be fired in the third turn.  If you fail =
to fire
a plasma torpedo on the third charging turn, or if you fail to charge it =
each
turn, you will lose the accumulated charge and have to start over again =
from
zerio.

5.5 DRONES
----------
   Klargon starships, Freemen vessels and some imperials are armed with =
a
limited number of "fire and forget" ship-to-ship missiles.  These drones
actively track and home in on their assigned target vessels, but they =
can be
outrun and they have a limited fuel supply.
   There are two kinds of drones.  Type 1 drones fly at 15 Mk per turn, =
persist
for two turns, and are not very powerful in detonation.  They are best =
used
against small fighters.  Type 2 drones fly at 10 Mk per turn, persist =
for three
turns, and are twice as powerful as Type 1 drones.  Drones may be fired =
at
any ship which is, or which soon will be, within range.  There are no =
field of
fire considerations.

5.6 SHIELDS
-----------
   All vessels are equipped with six defensive shields each of which =
deflects
the energy of incoming weapons within a particular 60 degree arc around =
the
ship (see Figure 3).  Each sheild has a basic strength which depends on =
the
design of the ship, and which can be gradually depleted by repeated =
enemy hits.
If this basic strength is depleted to zero the shield falls and =
subsequent hits
to that portion of the ship take effect on the hull and internal =
facilities.
   A commander may allocate energy to general shield support in which =
case
every two units of energy he allocates will defleet one unit of incoming
weapons energy striking on any shield.  He may also elect to reinforce a
particular shield.  In which case the energy allocated is temporarily =
added
directly to that shield's basic strength.  Energy allocated to shield =
support
and reinforcement only lasts one turn.

                   +----------------------------------------+
                   |                                        |
                   |         \                   /          |
                   |           \   Shield #1   /            |
                   |             \           /              |
                   |    Shield         OOO                  |
                   |      #6          OOOOO      Shield #2  |
                   |                O  OOO  O               |
                   |    ----------  OOOOOOOOO  ----------   |
                   |     Shield     O   O   O               |
                   |       #5       O   O   O               |
                   |                             Shield #3  |
                   |              /           \             |
                   |            /               \           |
                   |          /     Shield #4     \         |
                   |                                        |
                   +----------------------------------------+

                   Figure 3: All ships possess six defensive
                   shields, each of which defends one 60 degree
                   arc around the ships.


5.7 TRANSPORTERS AND BOARDING PARTIES
-------------------------------------
   The starbases, outposts and larger ships are equiped with =
transporters and
carry space Marine boarding parties which they can beam into an enemy =
ship in
an attempt to sabotage or caputre it.  Friendly Marines can be beamed =
from one
ship to another as reinforcements, too.  Upon boarding a hostile vessel =
the
Marine fight a bulkhead-to-bulkhead battle for key positions within the =
ship.
Once committed they cannot be recalled, so don't send them in lightly.  =
(You
may need them within your own ship as defenders)!
   Starship crew memebers also assist in defending their ships from =
boarding
parties, but they don't perform as well as the Marine.  Even if the =
assault is
not successful, the internal battle itself is likely to damage the =
vessel and
degrade its performance.
   Transporters will not beam Martines through the intact shields of =
enemy
ships.  (Shields that are destroyed but strength-ended by shield support =
will
repel transporters until the shield support is destroyed.)  One cannot =
beam
aboard Imperial or Freeman ships.  The beaming ship must be positioned =
opposite
a fallen shield on the target ship before beaming can be successful.  =
Range
and bearing of the target from the beaming ship are not relevant.
   When a ship is captured, neither commander may not orders nor

5.8 SCANNERS AND SENSORS
------------------------
   Scanners are intelligence gathering devices which determine the =
enemy's
location, course and speed.  Sensors active as the fire-control link =
between
the scanners and the weapons systems.  When all systems are operating at =
peak
efficiency the scanners will locate the target, the sensors will lock =
the
weapons on to it ... and target will suffer greatly!

5.9 ELECTRONIC COUNTER-MEASURES (ECM)
-------------------------------------
   All space craft have the ability to emit electronic "noise" in an =
attempt to
jam or fool enemy sensors.  The more energy a commander allocates to ECM =
the
more he will degrade the enemy's automatic tracking systems.  ECM is =
especially
important when enemy drones are homing in on your ship.  If you use =
enough ECM
they may miss!

5.10 ELECTRONIC COUNTER-COUNTER-MEASURES (ECCM)
-----------------------------------------------
   A commander may allocate energy to ECCM in an effort to overcome =
enemy
jamming and lock sensors in spite of it.  The more energy devoted to =
ECCM the
more likely it is that automatic tracking and firing will be successful =
spite
of enemy efforts to jam the scanners and sensors.  ECCM will not help =
guided
weapons (drones and plasma torpedoes) overcome ECM.

5.11 CLOAKING DEVICE
--------------------
   Reman ships possess a practical invisibility screen which cloaks them =
from
detection by enemy vessels.  The screen is not perfect, however, and =
enemy
commanders can usually get a general idea of the location of the Reman =
vessel
even though they can't accurately determine the vessel's range, course =
or
speed.  This makes attacks on cloaked Remans difficult and relatively =
un-
productive.  On the other hand, the Reman ships cannot fire their own =
weapons
without first turning off the cloaking device.


6.0 THE SHIPS
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   There are twelve kinds of ships available in THE WARP FACTOR, two
drednoughts, three curisers, a destroyer, a starbase, an outpost, a =
raider, two
fighters, and a freighter.  As you read this section please refer to =
your
Starship Data Sheets for a more precise description of phaser fields of =
fire
and other technical details.  Figure 4 shows the ship symbols as they =
appear on
the computer's monitor screen.
   This section also contains suggestions for appropriate ways to name =
the
various classes of ships, included for those players who want to use =
authentic
naming conventions.

6.1 ALLIANCE DREADNOUGHT
------------------------
   The Alliance heavy battleship is the ultimate instrument of Alliance
diplomacy capable of transporting emergency supplies to needy colonies, =
and
equally capable of sterilizing planets at the touch of a button if =
necessary.
So far, this necessity has never arisen.  It carries one siege phaser =
and eight
heavy phasers, seven of which can be fired forward, six to the side and =
four to
the rear.  It also carries four photon torpedoes which are fired =
forward, and
fourteen marine boarding parties.  Most shields will absorb 30 units of =
damage
without buckling, although the forward shield is slightly stronger.
   Powered by three warp engines, this vessel can cover change its =
heading by
176 degree/turn.  Alliance dreadnoughts are usually named after =
political
divisions of the Alliance, hence Terra Union, Alliance, Cygnus System, =
Martian
Republic, Luna City, etc.

6.2 ALLIANCE HEAVY CRUISER
--------------------------
   The Alliance cruiser is one of the best known starship types in the =
galaxy
due to the Alliance's program of exploration in search of unknown =
civilizations
.  It is armed with six heavy phasers and four photon torpedoes.  All of =
its
phasers and torpedoes will fire forward, two phasers will bear to each =
side,
but none will shoot to the rear.  It carries ten boarding parties, and =
has
shields which will absorb 25 units of damage each.
   The ship moves about 36 Mk/turn at top speed acceleates 8 Mk/turn, =
and can
change heading by 240 degree/turn.  Alliance cruisers are named after =
valuable
personal qualities, such as Ambition, Interpid, Valtant, Steadfast, =
Enveavor,
Endurance, etc.

6.3 KLARGON DREADNOUGHT
-----------------------
   The Klargon dreadnought is the ship designed to forge a galaxy into a
submissive empire.  Its armament consists of one siege phaser, four =
heavy
phasers, and four light phasers, plus six disruptors.  The disruptors =
and
five of the phasers will fire forward, four phasers shoot to each side, =
and
four fire to the rear.  In addition, the dreadnought carries eighteen =
homing
drones and twenty-four Marine boarding parties.  Since this vessel was =
designed
for cracking and capturing starbases.  Its front shield is unusually =
strong
(50 units), although the remaining shields are more modest in strength =
(30
units each).
   Its three warp engines will drive it 35 Mk/turn at full speed, =
accelerating
6 Mk/turn, and it can change course by up to 240 degree/turn.  Klargon =
ships
are named in the gutteral Klargon tongue after their greatest heroes and
conquests.  Examples would be Kroton, Dradnark Crishnadrick Marahak, and
Varder.

6.4 KLARGON CRUISER
-------------------
   The Klargons cruiser is a highly maneuverable harrier designed to be =
used in
packs against enemy starships or outposts, although it is also suitable =
for
defense against swarms of fighters.  It is armed with nine light =
phasers,
seven firing forward, eight bearing to each side, and four firing to the =
rear.
It has four disruptors (firing forward), six homing drones, and fourteen
boarding parties.  Following the Klargons emphasis on attack, the =
cruisers
have 30 unit shields in front (facing the enemy) but only 10 unit =
shields to
the rear.
   They can change course by 304 degree per turn, accelerate 8 Mk/turn, =
and
can travel at 38 Mk/turn at top speed.  These ships too are named after
Klargon heroes.

6.5 REMAN CRUISER
-----------------
   First class Reman ships are light cruisers, armed with four heavy =
phasers
(pointing forward only) and a single plasma torpedo projector.  All =
ships of
this class carry the top secret cloaking device which makes the ships =
invisible
to enemy scanners.  Reman ships try always to face their enemies and =
therefore
have 40 unit shields in front and 20 unit shields to the rear.
   Although limited by treaty to sublight velocities, intelligence =
agents have
clocked Reman cruisers at speeds of 30 Mk/turn in some cases, =
accelerating by
8 Mk/turn.  Their rate of turn is about 240 degree in 30 seconds.  Reman
cruisers are named after birds of prey, such as Falcon, Eagle, Osprey =
and
Condor, matching their colorful warbird hull decorations.


        OOO       Alliance               OO     OO    Starbase
       OOOOO      Dreadnought             OO O OO     & Outpost
       OOOOO      & Heavy Cruiser          OOOOO
        OOO                              OOOOOOOOO
      OO O OO                            OOOOOOOOO
      OOOOOOO                              OOOOO
      OO O OO                             OO O OO
      OO   OO                            OO     OO



         O        Klargon                    O        Freeman
        OOO       Dreadnought                O        Freighter
         O        & Cruiser                  O        & Fighter
        OOO                                 OOO
       OOOOO                               OOOOO
     OOO   OOO                            OOO OOO
     OO     OO                           OOO   OOO



      OO O OO                            O   O   O
    OOOOOOOOOOO                          O  OOO  O
    OOOOOOOOOOO   Reman Cruiser          O OOOOO O    Imperial Raider
    OOOO O OOOO   & Destroyer            OOOOOOOOO    & Fighter
    OOO OOO OOO                          O OOOOO O
    OO   O   OO                          O  OOO  O
       OOOOO                             O   O   O
      OO   OO
      OO   OO


                                            OOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOO                            OOOOOO
    O    O    O                          OOO    OOO
    O    O    O   Cloaked Beam                 OOO    Multiple
    O    O    O                               OOO     Superium
    OOOOOOOOOOO                            ooOOO
    O    O    O                             OOOoo
    O    O    O                            OOO
    O    O    O                          OOO
    OOOOOOOOOOO                          O      OOO
                                          OOOOOOO
                                          OOOOOOO



                       OO
                       OO
                    OOOOOOOO    Drone or Torpedo
                    OOOOOOOO
                       OO
                       OO


Figure 4: The twelve ships are denoted on the computer monitor by these
special symbols.


6.6 REMAN DESTROYER
-------------------
   These little ships are a source of constant irritation to the =
Alliance.
Never seen to travel faster than one Mk/turn (sublight), they carry no =
phasers
at all and possess so little engine power that they ought to be very =
easy to
defeat.  This is not the case.  Their ability to make themselves =
invisible and
to launch gigantic plasma torpedoes make them hard to hit and dangerous =
to
engage.  Enemy commanders approach them with extreme caution.
   Reman destroyers have a rate of turn of 368 degree in 30 seconds and =
can
reach their top speed of 1 Mk/turn almost instantly.  Their names tend =
to
emphasize the invisibility they rely on for defense ... Speeter, =
Shimmer,
Shade, and Shadow.

6.7 STARBASE
------------
   Starbases never move, but can be rotated at a rate of 64 degree/turn. =
 They
mount a total of nine siege phasers and six photon torpedo launchers, =
all of
which can be rotated to bear in any direction whatsoever.  Fifty Marine
boarding parties are stationed in a starbase, and the energy available =
to
reinforce the six 60 unit shields is enormous.  No one attacks a =
starbase
without a very good reason ... and several dreadnoughts.  Starbases are
identified by number, such as Starbase 6.

6.8 OUTPOST
-----------
   An outpost is a second class starbase which mounts six siege phasers =
and one
photon torpedo launcher.  Although the torpedo may be fired in any =
direction,
the phasers were added later in the design and do not have unobstructed =
fields
of fire.  No more than four phasers can be brought to bear on any =
approaching
target, and along some lines of approach only two phasers can be fired =
at a
time.  Outposts house twelve Marine boarding parties, but have such =
limited
power that they can rarely energize all of their weapons at once and =
then only
if they don't reinforce their 30 unit shields.
   The defense of an outpost is not an easy task.  Since the outpost is =
limited
to a maximum rotation speed of 64 degree/turn, it is apparent that an
intelligent enemy can maneuver to minimize his exposure to the outpost's
phasers while attacking.  Like Starbases, Outposts are identified
unimaginatively by number, as in Outpost 4.

6.9 IMPERIAL RAIDER
-------------------
   An Imperial raider is a saucer-shaped heavy fighter which carries two
forward mounted light phasers and a disruptor bolt projector.  It is =
piloted by
a crew of three men (or are they robots after all ?).  It can achieve a =
speed
of 34 Mk/turn when it needs to acceleartes 12 Mk/turn, and turns at a =
rate of
480 degree in 30 seconds.  Its shields are designed to withstand a =
uniform 3
damage units on all sides.  Unlike most spacecraft, the raiders carry a =
large
bank of storage batteries, seemingly in place of galley and crew =
quarters.
This has unusual effects on a raider's energy allocation budget during =
combat.
These fighters are designated by serial numbers like K9ARF, or 31416.  =
The
robotlike crews of these vessels seem to prefer arbitrary coding to =
naming.

6.10 IMPERIAL FIGHTER
---------------------
   The Imperial fighters are one man scout ships which fire two light =
phasers
to the front and carry two homing drones (one Type 1 for use against =
other
fighters and one Type 2 for attacks on outposts and larger vessels).  =
The
fighter's front and rear shields are slightly stronger than the side =
shields
(3 units as opposed to 1 on the sides), a design feature which reflects =
the
shoot or flee nature of space fighter tactics.
   An Imperial fighter makes 32 Mk/turn at top speed accelerates by 16 =
Mk/turn,
and can turn 720 degree (two full circles) in 30 seconds.  An Imperial =
fighter
is usually indentified by its pilot's assigned position in the =
squadron's chain
of command as First Lord, Second Lord, Thrid Lord, etc.

6.11 FREEMEN FREIGHTER
----------------------
   The Freemen freighters usually carry a crew of two to five and have =
an
unusual assymetrical design which looks like a cross between a saucer =
and a
horseshoe.  This is the only vessel in the galaxy which is designed to =
fight
most effectively while inning away, reflecting the prevailing combat
philosophy of merchant spacemen.
   A Freemen freighter carries two heavy phasers which fire to either =
side,
although both weapons will bear directly to the rear if necessary.  A =
very
unusual design feature is the heavy shield to the rear of the vessel (10 =
units
as opposed to 7 elsewhere).  Most of these ships also mount four Type 1 =
drones
to help discourage fighters.
   A vessel such as this will travel 40 Mk/turn at top speed acceleartes =
by 12
Mk/turn, and can change course by 400 degree in 30 seconds ... which is =
handy
if you don't want to show your cargo to the port authorities.  =
Freighters are
run by colorful quasilegal crews who tend to select wild and colorful =
names for
their ships, like Magenta Crayon, Thunder Baby, Century Sparrow and Old =
Crow.

6.12 FREEMEN FIGHTER
--------------------
   The one man one robot Freemen fighter is almost identical to the =
Imperial
fighter in performance, although its sleek needle like appearance is in
contrast to the blocky design of the Imperial craft.  The most =
significant
difference between the two is the Freemen fighter's twin Type 1 drones =
suited
to its role as a defender of freighters against Imperial pirates.  Since
Freemen do not usually conduct raids against ouposts, they prefer to =
carry the
faster Type 1 drones rather than the more powerful Type 2's.
   This vessel's top speed is 32 Mk/turn, it accelerates by 16 Mk/turn, =
and it
can make a 720 degree course change within 30 seconds, its shields, like =
the
Imperial fighter's are stronger than the front and rear (3 units as =
opposed to
1 on the sides).  Freemen fighters are nick-named after their pilots =
such as
Senato, Hans, Slim, Star, Buck, roger, Dusheas, etc,  Occasionally more =
formal
designations are required in fleet actions, and temporary names are =
assigned
like Blue Leader, 1 Blue, 2 Blue, etc.

7.0 DAMAGE TO SHIPS
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   When a ship is struck by enemy weapons the damage may occur to any of =
a
number of facilities within the ship.  The program reports two kinds of =
battle
damage.  General damage is the amount of damage done to general ship
facilities.  This kind of damage may degrade energy reserves, weapon =
available
ability, or the function of key devices like sensors.  It may also =
reflect
damage to inconsequential parts of the ship such as the cargo holds.
   Critical damage, however, indicates destruction of vital facilities =
without
which the ship cannot maintain itself in space.  It is possible for a =
ship to
sustain so much general damage to its shields, sensors and weapons that =
it can
no longer contribute to the battle, but in theory it would still be =
capable of
returning to a starbase for repairs.  Too many critical hits, however, =
result
in the total destruction of the ship.  Usually this is the goal of enemy
action.
   This distinction between general damage and critical damage explains =
the
sometimes paradoxical status report which show all phasers and torpedoes
destroyed but critical damage still "insignificant."  It's like a naval
destroyer having it's guns and depth charges shot away but its hull, =
engines
and rudder intact.  It can't fight, but it isn't sinking, either.  On =
the other
hand a destroyer might sink with all weapons intact if the hull was =
ruptured by
a mine.
   The program keeps track of damage to the six shields, the ship's =
armor
(internal shields around critical equipment forward and aft cargo holds,
scientific and medical labs.  Marine boarding parties, tractor beam =
equipment,
probes, phasers bridge, flag bridge, emergency bridge, auxillary control =
room
security (brig), sensors, scanners, warp engines (port, starboard and =
midships)
Impulse engines, atomic power reactors, storage batteries, transporter,
cloaking device, hangar deck, drone rack, torpedoes and disruptors.
   Obviously, not all ships can sustain damage in all of these =
categories!  One
man fighters for instance contain weapons engines sensors and =
practically
nothing else.


PART II: RUNNING THE PROGRAM
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D

1.0 AUDITING YOUR RETURNS
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=

   THE WARP FACTOR will usually accept single key or two key commands as =
soon
as they are typed, without the necessity of pressing the RETURN button.  =
Some
commands, however, say require an uncertain number of keystrokes.  (To =
set
course you might type one key, two keys, or three keys to indicate a =
bearing
of 1, 10 or 100 degrees respectively.)  In such cases the program will =
show
you a flashing white cursor to prompt you to press RETURN when you are =
ready.
   For your conventence, the program has been structured to interpret =
solitary
RETURN as zeroes (Exception: see 4.3.2).  In this way you can rapidly =
advance
through the command dialogs list by pressing RETURN for options you do =
not wish
to energize.  Be warned, however, that there is no way to backtrack, =
listaken
orders, even those caused by mistakenly typing RETURN at the wrong =
moment, will
be executed !

2.0 STARTING A GAME
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   To play THE WARP FACTOR you start the program and then answer a brief =
series
of questions which tell the computer what kind of game you want to play.

2.1 RUN THE PROGRAM
-------------------
   Insert the game disk into your disk drive and turn on your computer, =
THE
WARP FACTOR will then automatically start itself.  At this point you may =
begin
a new game or continue a game previously saved.

2.2 SELECT NATIONALITY
----------------------
   In most cases the program will ask you to select the nationality you =
wish to
play, giving you a choice of the Alliance, Klargon, Reman, Starbase, =
Imperial
or Freemen.  (You won't always have complete freedoem of choice, =
depending on
which scenario you choose.)  Make your selection by typeing the first =
two
letters of the nationality.

2.3 SELECT PASSWORD
-------------------
   In the two player mode the program will ask you for a secret =
password.  When
it is your turn to give orders it will demand your secret password to be =
sure
that the other player isn't trying to destroy yor ships!  Use any short =
word
which will be easy for you to remember, then press RETURN.

2.4 SELECT AND NAME SHIPS
-------------------------
   When you have selected a nationality the program will ask how many =
ships you
want.  Type a number in the range indicated in the program.  One or two =
ships
are sufficient for most beginners.
   Then the program will ask you to tell it the class (first or second) =
or each
ship, and to christen the ship with a unique name.  You may use any name =
you
wish (even the pilot's name), but no two ships may have names beginning =
with
the same initial.  The program will check each name as it is entered and =
reject
any which start with an initial that has already been chosen.

3.0 ROUTINE OF PLAY
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   In THE WARP FACTOR play occurs in "turns" representing approximately =
30
seconds of action.  A turn consists of a command phase in which both =
players
issue orders to all of their ships, and an execution phase in which the
computer conducts armament and firing activity of all ships =
simultaneously.

4.0 COMMAND PHASE
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   In the command phase of the turn each player has an opportunity to =
issue
orders to his ships while the other player secretly maintains his =
distance from
the computer.  The computer will announce the beginning of each player's
command phase by demanding that player's password.  (In solitaire play =
no
password is required.)
   Each player's command phase is divided into a Recon Dialog, Allocate =
Energy
Dialog and Maneuver and Fire Dialog for each ship or fleet under his =
command.

4.1 RECON DIAGLO
----------------
   At the beginning of the command phase for each player the program =
will ask
you:

   Do you wish to check a ship's status (Y or N)?

At this point you are allowed to check the status of any of your ships =
before
you decide whether you wish to give fleet orders.  After you have =
reviewed
your ships you will be asked:

   Do you wish to give fleet orders ?

Refer to section 4. for the details of fleet orders.  Once you have =
selected
your fleet (or decided not to issue orders to your ships as a fleet) you =
will be
preseneted with the following command menu:

   What are your orders (SD - Set Display, SC - Status Check,
   AE - Allocate energy, IS - Identity Ship, EN - End Game)?

The SD, SC and IS options provide you with the tactical status of the =
battle,
and are explained more fully below.  Do not request the AE (Allocate =
Energy)
option until you are sure that you are ready to allocate the ship's =
energy.
Once embarked on the Allocate Energy dialog there is no choice but to =
finish
it and no way to make changes later.  Only type EN when you wish to end =
the
game.

4.1.1 SD (Set Display)
----------------------
   This command sets the "view screen" to display the tactical =
situation.  When
you type SD the program will ask:

New Origin to be centered on ship's new position (Y or N) ?

In most cases the best thing to do is to press the Y key which will =
center the
tactical display on the current ship.  If you press the N key or just =
hit
RETURN you will be asked:

New Origin's X coordinate ?
New Origin's Y coordinate ?

With a little experience you will be able to set the center of the =
display to
any part of the battle area, but at first enter 0 and 0.  This centers =
the
display on the center of the battle area.  The next question is:

What power of magnification (-5 to 5) ?

A magnification of -5 shows a very tiny part of the battle area, while a
magnification of 5 displays an immense field of view (nearly 500 Mk =
across).
Try a magnification of 2 or 3 at first and then expertment a little.  If
nothing shows up on the screen try a higher number.  See Figure 5 for =
examples.
   At the very beginning of a game the best view of the situation is =
obtained
by typing SD, RETURN, RETURN, RETURN, 1, RETURN to these questions.  =
This
center, the display at coordinate (0,0) and sets the maximum =
magnification that
will still show all the ships of both sides on the screen.


Figure 5: SET DISPLAY DIAGRAMS
(Alliance Attack on a Starbase)
-------------------------------


+------------------------------+  =
+--------------------------------------+
|                      \|/     |  |                                      =
|
|                      -+-     |  |                                      =
|
|                      /|\     |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |          -                           =
|
|                              |  |          +o                          =
|
|                              |  |          -                           =
|
|                              |  |               -   -                  =
|
|              . (0,0)         |  |               +o  +o                 =
|
|                              |  |               -   -                  =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|     -                        |  |                                      =
|
|     +o                       |  |                                      =
|
|     -                        |  |                                      =
|
|         -   -                |  |                                      =
|
|         +o  +o               |  |                                      =
|
|         -   -             +1 |  |                                   +1 =
|
+------------------------------+  =
+--------------------------------------+

 Centered on (0,0), magnification 1.  Best overall view at start of =
battle.


+------------------------------+  =
+--------------------------------------+
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|              \|/             |  |                                      =
|
|              -+-             |  |               -                      =
|
|           -  /|\             |  |               +o                     =
|
|           +o                 |  |               -        -             =
|
|           -                  |  |                        +o            =
|
|              /-              |  |                        -             =
|
|               /              |  |                                      =
|
|              \               |  |                                      =
|
|             /                |  |                                      =
|
|             -/               |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                           -5 |  |                                   -5 =
|
+------------------------------+  =
+--------------------------------------+

 Same tactical display centered on Alliance Flagship at indicated
 magnifications:


+------------------------------+  =
+--------------------------------------+
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                \|/           |  |                                      =
|
|                -+-           |  |                                      =
|
|                /|\           |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|       -                      |  |               -                      =
|
|       +o                     |  |               +o                     =
|
|       -                      |  |               -                      =
|
|            /-                |  |                                      =
|
|             /                |  |                                      =
|
|            \                 |  |                                      =
|
|           /                  |  |                                      =
|
|           -/                 |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                              |  |                                      =
|
|                           -3 |  |                                   -3 =
|
+------------------------------+  =
+--------------------------------------+



4.1.2 IS (Identify Ship)
------------------------
   This IS command lets you display sensor information about the ships =
shown on
the view screen.  As soon as you type IS the image of each ship on the =
display
screen is replaced by the initial of the ship's name. (If the screen is =
not
visible when you type IS the program will put you through part of the =
Set
Display dialog before going on to the identify Ship dialog).
The program will then inquire:

What ship do you wish to check ?

Type the initial of the ship you are interested in, or press RETURN if =
finished.
The program will present you with a display similar to this:

SHIP'S NAME     CLS  CRS  SPD  RNG  FSH  BEARING
TERRA UNION      1   255   10   41   1     47

(Type RETURN to check another ship.)
This display tells you the ship's name, class (1st or 2nd), its course, =
its
speed, its range from your ship, which of your shields is facing it and =
the
most direct course from your position to the target ship.  Press the =
RETURN
button to check another ship.
   When you are finished identifying ships press the RETURN button in =
reply to
the program's request for the next ship initial.  The view screen will =
then
reconvert to ship images.

4.1.3 SC (Status Check)
-----------------------
   The Status Check gives you a readout of the readiness of your ships.  =
First
it asks:

For which ship ?

(Press RETURN to continue.)

Type the initial or name of the ship you want to check, followed by =
RETURN.
The screen will fill with status notations (explained below).  Press =
RETURN
when you are ready to return to the command menu.  The status table =
contains
the following information:

Shield: The status of each of the ship's six shields.  If the shield =
strength
is zero the shield is down.

Phaser: If the phaser is operational the display tells you the charging =
state
of each torpedo launcher.  this is crucial information since Alliance =
photon
torpedoes must be charged for two consecutive turns before firing and =
Reman
plasma torpedoes require three charging turns.  The numbers displayed in =
this
readout tell you the number of charges already applied to each torpedo
launcher.  A star next to the charging state indicates that the torpedo =
is
overloaded; if this column contains a line of stars (****) the torpedo =
launcher
has been destroyed.

Disrupton: The disruptor column replaces the torpedo column on some =
ships.  A
1 indicates the disruptor is ready to fire (with a star indicating an
overloaded state).

Drones: Indicates the number of remaining undamaged drones.

Sensors and Scanners: Indicates the operational efficiency of the =
tracking and
fire control systems.

Course and Speed: The current bearing and speed of the ship.

Phaser Battery: Before phasers can be fired their batteries must first =
be
energized.  Once energized, the batteries will hold a charge =
indefinitely
until the phasers are fired.  The number here represents the number of =
phasers
you can fire before recharging the phaser batteries.  Note that siege =
phasers
use two units of energy.

Engine Power: This is the total energy available from all operating warp
engines, impulse engines and atomic energy reactors.

Number of Batteries: Some of the ship's excess power can be stored in =
the
ship's batteries.  Ships begin play with these batteries fully charged.  =
If you
allocate more energy than is available from the engines it will be drawn =
from
the batteries.  Whenever you allocate less energy than is available from =
the
engines the excess is automatically applied to recharging the batteries.

Transporter: This number tells you the current maximum number of =
boarding
parties you can beam aboard an enemy vessel per turn.

Damage Level: This percentage reflects the overall impact of enemy =
weapons on
non-critical portions of the ship (i.e. 25% indicates that 1/4 of the =
ship's
non-vital areas have been destroyed).

Critical Level: A measure of the damage which threatens the survival of =
the
ship itself.

Friendly Marines: The number of friendly Marine boarding parties aboard =
the
ship.

Enemy Marines: The number of enemy boarding parties aboard.

Cloaking Device Operational: On Reman ships this notation appears if the
cloaking device is operational.

These data will provide you with the critical information you need prior =
to
making your command decisions.

4.1.4 EN (End Game)
-------------------
   This command will end the game and allow the player(s) to determine =
victory
levels.  This command will also allow the player(s) to save a game for =
future
play.

4.2 ALLOCATE ENERGY DIALOG
--------------------------
   The AE command is a one way ticket to the Allocate Energy dialog.  =
Don't
give this command unless you are really ready to allocate energy.  Note =
that
it is usually most convenient to run the Allocate Energy dialog =
immediately
after displaying the status of the ship.  That way you can look over the =
status
report while allocating energy.
   Enter the Allocate Energy dialog by typing the AE (Allocate Energy) =
command.
The program will respond with a message similar to this:

Scanners on. Life Support on.
Power Remaining =3D 45
Power to Phasers (0 to 6) ?

The program automatically allocates energy to the scanners and life =
support
systems without which the crew would be functionally blind, deaf, and =
short of
breath.  Then it displays the total of the remaining engine and battery =
power.
Lastly, it inquires how many units of energy you want to allocate to the
phaser batteries, and prompts you with the minimum and  maximum possbile
values.  Usually it is best to keep the phasers fully charged.  Press =
the "6"
key and RETURN.

NOTE: Reman ships will be asked the following before they are asked to =
allocate
energy to phasers:

Cloaking Device on (Y or N) ?

Reman ships have the option to expend one unit of energy to run the =
Cloaking
Device.  If the Cloaking Device is turned on enemy ships will be unable =
to
determine your range, course and speed, and enemy fire directed at you =
will be
severely reduced in effectiveness.  On the other hand, you won't be able =
to
shoot back at all.  You must allocate one unit of energy to the Cloaking =
Device
each turn or it will turn itself off automatically.  That can be a =
disaster if
you aren't expecting it !  The next message is:

Power Remaining =3D 39
Any power to Torpedoes (Y or N) ?

(Some ships ask about disruptors instead of torpedoes.)  If you don't =
want to
energize the torpedoes, press RETURN.  Otherwise press the Y key and =
RETURN.

Normal load which torpedoes ?

To charge torpedo launchers for normal firing, type the numbers of the
appropriate launchers one after another and then press RETURN, such as

1234 <RETURN>

where "<RETURN>" means to press the RETURN button.  This command =
would energize
torpedo launchers 1 through 4.  If you don't want to laod any torpedoes =
just
press RETURN by itself.

Overload which torpedoes ?

If the target is within eight Megaklioks of your ship and the torpedoes =
(or
disruptors) need only one more charge before firing, you may "overload" =
them to
increase their explosive effect.  Type the numbers of the torpedoes you =
wish to
overload and press RETURN.
   Note that this dialog lets you load some torpedoes for long distance =
shots
and also overload others for more powerful close range attacks.  The =
same
torpedo may not be both loaded and overloaded in the same turn.  If you =
don't
want to overload any torpedoes just press RETURN by itself.

How much energy to Shield Support ?

Type the number of energy points you wish to allocate to general shield =
support
and press RETURN.  For each two units of energy allocated the shields =
will
deflect one unit of damage.  Shield support applies equally to all =
shields and
is best used when you are in the middle of a complex battle and don't =
really
know which of your shields will be attacked.  Otherwise it is best to =
allocate
zero energy (just press RETURN).

Do you wish to reinforce any shields ?

Each unit of energy allocated to a particular shield will deflect one =
unit of
damage applied to that shield only.  Usually shield support is best used =
when
you are flying in to attack the enermy and know that any damage you =
sustain
will hit a particular shield.  To reinforce a shield type the Y key and =
RETURN.
You will see:

Energy to Shield #1 ?

Type the number of energy units you want to allocate to Shield #1 and =
press
RETURN.  Then you will be asked about Shield #2, etc.  To allocate zero =
energy
to a shield press RETURN by itself.  If you want to exit from the shield
reinforcement dialog without going through all six shields just press =
the X key
and RETURN.

What speed do you wish to go ?

Enter the speed (number of Megaklicks per turn) you want the ship to =
travel,
then press RETURN.  The amount of energy needed is a function of the =
ship's
mass and speed (see Energy Diagram).  A ship can go as fast as its =
engine
power will allow, but speeds in excess of 30 Mk/turn tend to be =
unwieldy.  Note
that the ships have limited acceleration capabilities, and no matter how =
much
energy you allocate they will not exceed their rated acceleration.  (The =
excess
energy is lost.)  Although acceleration is limited, deceleration is not. =
 All
ships can stop on a dime if desired.

ENERGY DIAGRAM
--------------

SPEED                  MASS

          1/2     2/3     1     4/3

  0        0       0      0      0
  1        0       0      1      1
  2        0       0      2      3
  3        0       1      3      5
  4        1       1      4      7
  5        1       2      5      8
  6        1       2      6     10
  7        1       3      7     12
  8        2       3      8     14
  9        2       4      9     16
 10        2       4     10     17
 11        2       4     11     19
 12        3       5     12     21
 13        3       5     13     23
 14        3       6     14     24
 15        3       6     15     26
 16        4       7     16     28
 17        4       7     17     30
 18        4       8     18     32
 19        4       8     19     33
 20        5       8     20     35
 21        5       9     21     37
 22        5       9     22     39
 23        5      10     23     40
 24        6      10     24     42
 25        6      11     25     44
 26        6      11     26     46
 27        6      12     27     48
 28        7      12     28     49
 29        7      13     29     51
 30        7      13     30     53
 31        7      13     31     55
 32        8      14     32     56
 33        8      14     33     58
 34        8      15     34     60
 35        8      15     35     62
 36        9      16     36     64
 37        9      16     37     65
 38        9      16     38     67
 39        9      17     39     69
 40       10      17     40     71


Cross index the ship's mass with the desired speed.  The result is the =
required
energy. Example, a ship with mass 4/3 wants to go 20. The energy =
required for
this speed would be 35.

   If you want the ship to back up, you may request a negative speed, =
although
this will require half again as much energy.  A ship may not begin its =
turn
with a speed greater than 0 if it is to move backwards (i.e. a ship must =
stop
before moving backwards).  In this case the ship's stated course will be =
the
direction the bow is pointing, not the true direction of travel.  To =
enter a
speed of zero press RETURN by itself.  A ship travelling at speed zero =
has
three times its normal turning rate.
NOTE: At any point you have the option to terminate the allocate Energy =
dialog
by typing X and RETURN.  Zero energy will be allocated to all remaining
facilities except batteries which will be automatically recharged if =
there is
sufficient energy remaining.  The program will automatically terminate =
the
dialog when you have allocated all available energy.

How much ECM (0 to 6) ?

Usually you will want to allocate as much energy as you can to =
Electronic
Counter-Measures because energy spent here may disrupt enermy fire =
control
systems, making drones miss your ship and enemy sensors fail to lock.

How much ECCM (0 to 6) ?

Electronic Counter-Counter-Measures help you overcome enemy ECM and lock
sensors in splite of his jamming.

Energy to transporters (0 to 3) ?

Energy allocated to the transporter represents an attempt to beam Marine
boarding parties to another ship (one boarding party per unit of =
energy).  You
can beam Marines between friendly ships at any time, but the transporter =
can
penetrate enemy ships only when aimed directly through a fallen shield.
Otherwise the attempt fails and the allocated energy is lost.  (The =
Marines
are not injured by unsuccessful beaming attempts.)  If you allocate =
energy to
the transporter you will be asked.

What ship is the target ?

Type the initial of the target ship and press RETURN.
   This concludes the Allocate Energy Dialog.  At this point the program
proceeds directly to the Maneuver and Fire Dialog.
   The target of a transporter attack may not be a second class Imperial =
or
Freemen ship.

4.3 MANEUVER AND FIRE DIALOG
----------------------------
   When you are done allocating energy the program will, if necessary, =
ask you
for some routine view screen parameters and then offer you this command =
menu:

What are your orders (MS=3DMove Ship, SD=3DSet Display, IS=3DIdentify =
Ship, SC=3DStatus
Check, FW=3DFire Weapons) ?

The Set Display, Identify Ship and Status Check commands are the same as =
before
(see above).  This time, however, the Allocate Energy option is not =
available,
but you can issue orders to Move Ships and Fire Weapons.

4.3.1 FW (Fire Weapons)
-----------------------
   During each 30 second "turn" each of your ships may fire up to three =
aimed
salvos using any combinations of weapons and targets (but a particular
weapon may be fired only once per turn).  Warning: The FW command may =
only be
given once per ship.  When you enter the Fire Weapons command the =
program will
ask.

Fire which torpedoes ?

(For some ships the program asks about disruptors instead.)

Specify the torpedoes you wish to fire in the first salvo by typing the =
number
of each torpedo launcher on after another, and press RETURN, like this:

1234 <RETURN>

where "<RETURN>" means to push the RETURN button.  Next you will =
be asked:

Fire which phasers ?

You may designate the phasers you wish to fire in the first salvo by =
typing
in their numbers.  Just like the torpodes and press RETURN.

What ship is the target ?

Type the initial of the first salvo's target ship, then press RETURN.  =
(if
there is only one enemy ship this question will not appear.)

Fire at (R)ange, (T)ime, or (L)ast Instant ?

This is the point where you can make some very sophisticated decisions =
about
your orders to your gun crews.  Sometimes a battle can be won or lost =
right
here.  The options are:

(R)ange: The range option tells the individual weapon crews to fire as =
soon as
the target is within the specified range.  This command has two useful =
results.
   If you are firing overcharged torpedoes you must shoot when the range =
is
between two and eight Megaklicks or the torpedoes will hit the target =
without
exploding.  At ranges over 8 Mk they run out of fuel.)  Setting the =
firing
range to 8 Mk as you move in toward the target guarantees that the =
torpedoes
will fire at the right moment.


+--------------------------+    +----------------------------------+
|                          |    |                                  |
|                          |    |                                  |
|               \          |    |                                  |
|                \__       |    |                                  |
|                /         |    |                                  |
|               +          |    |                                  |
|                          |    |                                  |
|                          |    |                                  |
|    -      \ /            |    |    -                             |
|    +o ---  |             |    |    +o              /             |
|    -       +    /        |    |    -  \          +-              |
|                /         |    |        \  \        \             |
|              --\         |    |         \  \__                   |
|                 +        |    |           /                      |
|                          |    |          +                       |
|                          |    |     \                            |
|                          |    |      \__                         |
|                          |    |      /                           |
|                          |    |     +                            |
|                          |    |                                  |
| A                        |    | B                                |
+--------------------------+    +----------------------------------+

 Figure 6: Firing at the "Last instant" may mean:
 A) Firing at the moment of closest approach.
 B) Firing before the target leaves the area covered by your facing =
shield.


+--------------------------+    +-----------------------------------+
|                          |    |                                   |
|                          |    |                                   |
|                          |    |                                   |
|                          |    |                 \                 |
|            \             |    |                  \__              |
|             \__          |    |                  /                |
|    -        /            |    |      / o ------ +                 |
|    +o      +             | -> |       x                           |
|    -                     |    |        /                          |
|                          |    |                                   |
|                          |    |                                   |
|                          |    |                                   |
|                          |    |                                   |
|                          |    |                                   |
| C                        |    |                                   |
+--------------------------+    +-----------------------------------+

 C) Firing just before your movement causes a different one if your =
shields
    to face the target.

   The other use for the range command involves a trick for bringing =
your rear
phasers into play.  The range command puts the phaser crews on the =
alert,
telling them to fire at the first moment that the target is within range =
and
their weapons will bear on it.  For instance, in an attack on an outpost =
you
can instruct your phaser crews to fire at a range of 1 Mk and then =
maneuver
your ship to pass directly over the outpost.  When the ship comes within =
1 Mk
of the target all forward facing phasers will fire.  Then as you pass =
the
outpost all rear facing phasers will fire too!

(T)ime: Each 30 second "turn" of the battle is broken down into sixteen
arbitrary "time units".  The time command lets you designate the exact =
moment
to fire a salvo.  This command lets you coordinate the fire of several =
ships
to fire simultaneously into the same shield of the same target ship.  It =
also
lets you give orders to shoot immediately (time=3D1) and possibly =
preempt if
enemy's attack by damaging his ship before he can fire.  If a weapon =
cannot
fire at the indicated time due to its field of fire, the wepon will not =
fire
during the turn.

(L)ast Instant: This command instructs a weapon crew to hold their fire =
until
the last moment which may mean one of three firings (see Figure 6).
They will hold their fire as long as the target is getting closer, and =
then
fire at the exact moment when the range begins to increase again (thus =
firing
at the closest approach).
   They will fire instantly if the target is moving in such a scanner as =
to
leave the area covered by your facing shield (whereever "facing shield" =
is
defined to be the shield which would be imaged if the enemy ship were to =
fire).
   If none of the previous events occur during the turn, the cews will =
fire
their weapons on the last moment of the turn.
   When you have finished giving orders for the first salvo, the program =
will
ask you about the second salvo, and then the third.  If you want to cut =
this
short (firing less than three salvos this turn) just press the RETURN =
key
twice.
   If you are commanding a vessel equipped with drones, the last step of =
the
Fire Weapons dialog will be the question:

Launch any drones (Y or N) ?

If so, press the Y key and you will see:

What type of drone (1 or 2) ?

Type 1 drones are fast, short-lived and carry a small warhead (about 10 =
damage
units).  Type 2 drones are slower, long-lived and much more powerful =
(about
20 damage units).  Press 1 or 2 to launch the appropriate drone. (If you =
have
only one type of drone available the program won't ask which kind to =
fire.)  If
the program asks you to identify the target ship type the ship's =
initial.
   The last step for Reman ships involves firing the plasma torpedo.  If =
the
plasma torpedo launcher is fully energized, the Reman commander will be =
asked:

Do you wish to launch your Plasma Torpedo (Y or N) ?

Press Y to fire, N or RETURN to abort the torpedo.  Remember, though, =
that
plasma torpedoes must be fired when they are ready or you lose them and =
have
to spend another three turns recharging the launcher.  If there is more =
than
one enemy ship you will be asked to identify the target.  Type the =
initial of
the target ship.

4.3.2 MS (Move Ship)
--------------------
   The MS (Move Ship) command gives you control over alterations in the =
ship's
course but not its speed.  (Speed was set during the Allocate Energy =
dialog.)
   When you give Move Ship commands, it is important to understand that =
the
program breaks each turn down into sixteen "time points." each of them
approximately equal to two seconds of combat time.  The Move Ship dialog =
makes
heavy use of these time points to express flight time between course =
changes.

When you give the Move Ship command you will see:

  Time Pts.    Course     Speed    X coord   Y coord
     16          4          10       -13       -15
What is your new course (0 to 360) ?

This display tells you that there are 16 time units left in the turn and =
that
the ship is moving on a bearing of 45 degree at 10 Mk/turn.  It also =
gives you
the absolute X and Y coordinates of the ship in the battlespace.  To =
enter
your next desired course, type it in and press the RETURN key.
NOTE: If you press RETURN without entering a new course your ship will =
continue
on its old course.

+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                               |
|                                                  /            |
|                                                +-             |
|                                                  \            |
|                                         /                     |
|                                       +-             Bearing  |
|                                         \            0 degree |
|                                                 o    achieved |
|                                                |+| 11         |
|                                                               |
|                                                 |10           |
|                                                 |             |
|              FIRST COURSE                       |9            |
|              90 degree for                      /             |
|              5 time units        -             / 8            |
|                      \  /------- +o ----------                |
|                       \/  2  3 4 -   5   6   7                |
|                       /1   \                  \               |
|                     -       Course 90 degree   SECOND COURSE  |
|                     +o      achieved           0 degree for   |
|                     -                          6 time units   |
|                                                               |
|                                                               |
|                Original bearing 60 degree                     |
|                                                               |
|                                                               |
|                                                               |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+

 Figure 7: This Alliance cruise needed two sucessive MS (move ship)
 commands to describe this S-curve.  The first MS command turns the
 ship to bearing 90 degree for 5 time units.  The second command
 alters course to 0 degree for six time units.  At least one more
 MS commands would be required to complete the remaining 5 time units
 of the turn.

 For how many time points (1 to 16) ?

This question lets you set the duration of the ship's flight along the =
new
bearing.  You can enter up to sixteen course alterations per turn if you =
like
(one time point each), or you can order the ship to maintain the new =
course
for the whole turn by pressing RETURN (sixteen time units).  Be sure to
remember that the larger ships are not very maneuverable, and may take =
all 16
time units or even more to come around to your new heading.
   Each time you have defined a new course and duration the program =
plots the
resulting position of the ship on the display screen and then returns =
you to
the command menu. You will have to give the MS order again to give =
another
course and duration command.  When you do, the display will show your =
new
course, speed, location and remaining time resulting from your previous =
set of
orders.  This lets you enter several consecutive movement commands so =
you can
see exactly where your ship is going and make midcourse corrections.  =
see
Figure 7 for an example.
   WARNING!!! When you have given the movement orders for the sixteenth =
(final)
time unit of the turn the command phase for this ship is finished! Be =
sure that
you have given your Fire Weapons orders before finishing the movement =
orders!
   When the orders phase for the current ship is over the program will
automatically go on to your nex ship, the enemy's ships, or to execution =
phase.

4.4 FLEET ORDERS
----------------
   During the orders phase of each turn a commander may designate =
certain of
his ships as belonging to special "fleets" to which he will issue fleet =
orders.
Each fleet consists of a designated flagship and one or more subordinate =
ships.
The commander issues orders to the flagship as if for an individual =
ship, and
then the program automatically re-issues the same orders to the =
remaining ships
within that fleet.  Fleet orders greatly speed up issuing orders to =
large
numbers of ships.
   In any turn a commander may elect to issue orders to individual =
ships.
Issue fleet orders to all ships (in one or more fleets), or he may =
assign some
ships to fleets while issuing individual orders to the others.
   At several points within the Command Phase you will be asked.

Do you wish to give Fleet Orders (Y or N) ?

If not, type N or RETURN and issue orders to individual ships as =
described
above.  To issue fleet orders, type Y.  The computer will then list all
available ships, assigning a number between 0 and 9 to each ship.  It =
will then
ask:

Available ships:
  0 Endeavor
  1 Valiant
  2 Terra Union
  3 Intrepid
What ships do you wish in this fleet ?

Type the number corresponding to the flagship, followed by the numbers =
of the
subordinate ships and press RETURN.  For example:

203 <RETURN>

designates the alliance dreadnought Terra Union (T) as the flagship of a =
fleet
composed of the Endcavor (E) and the Intrepid (I).
   Next the program will demand orders for the flagship (Terra Union), =
and will
go through the standard Allocate Energy dialog and Maneuver and Fire =
dialog
for that ship.  On completion of the orders to the flagship, the program =
will
automatically issue the same orders to the subordinate ships (Endeavor =
and
Intrepid).
   If there are other ships (not in this fleet) which still require =
orders, the
program will give the player the opportunity to define another fleet or =
to
issue individual orders to the remaining ships.  A player might define =
as many
as four fleets (of two ships each) if he has that many vessels at his =
command.

5.0 EXECUTION PHASE
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   When the orders for all craft have been given the program proceeds to =
the
execution phase.  During this phase the computer moves all ships and =
drones
gradually and simultaneously along their ordered courses, firing all =
designated
weapons at appropriate moments.  The program prints messages announcing =
all
significant activity as it occurs, determines the extent of damage to =
each ship
as it is inflicted and then automatically initiatcs the orders phase for =
the
next turn.

6.0 EVALUATION OF THE BATTLE
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D
   When one side or the other has destroyed or captured all enemy ships =
the
program will end the game and rate the victor on his skill.  In =
determining
this rating the program takes into account the relative strength of the
opposing forces as well as the outcome of the battle.  Therefore, a =
victory of
six Klargon dreadnoughts over a single Freemen freighter docs not =
reflect
much credit on the Klargon commander, but if the freighter had won its
commander would have been covered with laurela!  In this context it is =
far more
glorious to capture the enemy ships than to destroy them.  This also =
makes it
possible for a commander who is losing to deny the enemy the victory by =
turning
his phasers on his own ships! Better death than dishonor!
   For a complete description of victory conditions see the game =
selection
card.

7.0 THE EPILOG
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   When the game has ended the program will offer you the option to =
examine the
final status of the ships.
   The status tables displayed during the Epilog of the game are not =
like the
Status Check tables.  The Epilog tables show the detailed internal =
breakdown of
damage wihin each ship.  The extent of damage is expressed in =
percentages
where 0% means a device has been totally destroyed.  Those entries shown =
as
stars (*) instead of percentages are facilities which never did exist in =
this
type of ship and therefore could not be damaged.

APPENDICES
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

A.0 PLAYTESTER'S NOTES ON STARSHIP TACTICS
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   The basic principles of good tactical deployment still hold true in =
space,
but the nature of the offensive and defensive armament adds a few =
wrinkles
which do not occur in combat on land, the sea, or even in the air.  Here =
are
a few observations from one starship commander with several successful
campaigns behind him...

A.1 PRINCIPLES OF STARSHIP COMBAT
---------------------------------
   Starship battle is nearly all offensive.  There is no territory to =
defend
and nowhere to run.  Therefore most engagements tend to be aggressive =
fights to
the finish in which one side or the other is totally eliminated.  The =
only
exception occurs where freighters try to outrun their tormenters, but =
that
isn't really "combat"
   The first principle of starship combat is to concentrate your force =
as much
as possible.  The ideal attack consists of maneuvering your fleet so =
that all
of your ships can fire simultaneously at a single shield of a single =
enemy ship
usually the closest one.  Such an attack can destroy the target ship at =
once,
especially if the enemy commander expects the attack to hit somewhere =
else.
   One especially dramatic example of this principle is the classic =
Klargon
"drone swarm" attack on a Starbase, recently adopted by the Imperial =
forces
for attacks on Freeman outposts (see Figure 8).
In this attack the assaulting ships rendervous 29 Mk from the base.  =
Once
assembled they launch a swarm of Type 2 drones and fly directly toward =
the base
at a speed of 10 Mk/turn using all available energy to reinforce their =
forward
shields.
   In the second turn they launch another round of Type 2 drones and =
continue
toward the target at 10 Mk/turn.  In turn three the Klargons launch a =
third
round of drones, energize all weapons and deliberately overfly the base =
to
fire phasers and disruptors at minimum range.  Performed with good fleet
coordination this attack concentrates 27 drones, 54 disruptors and 45 =
phasers
on the same defensive screen at the same moment... an onslaught which =
not even
a Starbase can withstand.  (The attack results in about 1000 units of =
damage
to single shield)!

+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
+
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|  29 Mk                19 Mk               9 Mk                         =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|  \_                   \_                  \_                           =
|
|  /  \_   o            /  \_   o           /  \_   o o o                =
|
|     /  \_  o o           /  \_ o o o         /  \_ o o                 =
|
|  \_    /    o         \_    /   o o       \_    /  ooo      \|/        =
|
|  /  \_    o  o  -->   /  \_    ooooo -->  /  \_   ooooo     -+-  =
      |
|     /  \_   o            /  \_  oo o         /  \_ ooooo    /|\        =
|
|  \_    / o o          \_    / o  ooo      \_    / o o o                =
|
|  /  \_                /  \_    o  o       /  \_      o                 =
|
|     /                    /                   /                         =
|
|  \_                   \_                  \_                           =
|
|  /                    /                   /                            =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|  Turn 1               Turn 2              Turn 3                       =
|
|  Launch 9 drones      Launch 9 more       Launch 9 more drones         =
|
|                       drones              (a total of 27)              =
|
|                       (a total of 18)     and the all weapons          =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
|                                                                        =
|
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
+

 Figure 8: The Klargon drone-swarm attack on a starbase. Nothing can
 stand against it.

   If you keep track of your hits on particular enemy shields it is =
possible
to deliberately maneuver to hit the same shields on subsequent turns.  =
It
isn't easy, but the Identify Ship routine tells you the heading of the =
enemy
ship, which in turn tells you the orientation of its shields.  With a =
little
attention to detail you can damage the same shield again and again until =
it
fails.
   The second principle of starship tactics closely related to the =
first, is
to maximize your firepower.  This means to coordinate as many weapons as
possible to fire in the shortest possible time at the shortest possible =
range.
This is usually a little difficult due to the limited fields of fire of =
some
starship weapons, not all of which will bear on the same target at the =
same
time.  Commanders quickly learn four tactical tricks which help them =
overcome
this handicap:

(1) The J-curve attack.  Fly directly toward the target and fire all =
forward
facing weapons at once.  Then turn sharply to one side and fire rear =
facing
weapons as they come to bear.

(2) The Fly-by attack.  Deliberately overfly the target's position, =
firing
forward weapons during the approach and rear weapons during the =
departure.

(3) Carouselling.  Spin a motionless ship or base on its axis and fire =
all
weapons as they come to bear.

(4) Threading the Needle.  To maximize your own firepower while =
minimizing the
enemy's, suddenly fly your ships right through the center of his fleet!  =
You
will be able to shoot with all weapons at the targets surrounding you, =
but he
will only be able to fire the weapons which can be brought to bear on =
the
center of his own formation!
   The third principle is to minimize your own damage.  The "threading =
the
needle" tactic does this by forcing the enemy ships to fire at you from =
all
directions, denying them the opportunity to concentrate their fire on a =
single
shield.  This is a point where starship tactics differ sharply from =
classical
expertence.  In space you are actually safest when in the center of the =
enemy
formation because this denies him the ability to concentrate his =
firepower on
individual screens.
   The enemy commander doesn't know how badly damaged your ships are =
until
they are destroyed entirely.  If you have a ship that can't shoot =
effectively
but can still move, order it out to the point position to draw fire away =
from
your other ships.  Turn the ship's strongest remaining shields toward =
the enemy
and reinforce them with all available energy.  This makes the crippled =
ship
even more resistant to damage than an intact ship because the undamaged =
vessel
cannot afford the luxury of devoting all energy to shields.  A ship =
which can't
shoot anymore can still donate its energy to the battle by attracting =
enemy
fire theis way.
   Another way to limit your own damage is to execute a series of 90 =
degree
course changes at illogical moments during each turn.  This has the =
effect of
spreading enemy fire over two or three of your shields where is might =
all have
hit one shield otherwise.

A.2 TACTICS OF SPACE FIGHTER COMBAT
-----------------------------------
   The tactics of fighting in very small spacecraft are a little =
different.
Imperial and Freemen one-man fighters carry forward shooting phasers and
homing drones but little else.  A fighter must fly directly toward a =
target
in order to shoot at it with phasers, but the pilot must desperately =
avoid
enemy drones.  If the enemy launches a drone the only defense is to =
outrun it,
but while you are running you can't shoot at the fighter!  This produces
dogflights where the object is to simultaneously outrun and dodge the =
enemy
drones while trying to get the opposing fighter in your sights for a =
phaser
shot.  It is an intricate and deadly ballet.
   One situation which develops in fighter engagements is in stern chase =
where
an enemy fighter comes in on your (all with phasers blazing, but you =
can't turn
and fight because there's a drone tracking you, too.  Of course you can =
drop a
drone with the enemy fighter's name on it, but if he is going fast =
enough the
drone may miss him and be unable to catch up to him again.  The better =
tactic
is to cut your speed to zero, use the resulting surplus energy to =
fortify your
rear shield, and blast him with your phasers as he overshoots you!  The =
odds
are that he didn't think to reinforce his rear shield ...

A.3 BOARDING ENEMY SHIPS
------------------------
   Boarding enemy ships can be a risky matter, but it's rewarding under =
the
right circumstances.  Starbases capable of beaming 22 boarding parties =
per
turn, can capture enemy ships with relatively little trouble.  Remember =
that
intranship combat greatly favors the defenders.  The assaulting troops =
will
need at least a three to one advantage in numbers in order to prevail =
over the
defending Marines, and even then non-Marine crew memebers and automatic =
defense
systems (booby traps) may prevent the boarders from seizing the ship.

A.4 COMMENTS ON FLEET ORDERS
----------------------------
   There are drawbacks to fleet orders which require some experience =
with the
ships to fully appreciate.  Once you select flagship you may only issue =
orders
which are appropriate to that ship.  The subordinate ships will then =
attempt to
exactly mimic the behavior of the flagship.  If the flagship is damaged, =
one is
of a different design than the subordinate ships, the flee orders issued =
from
it may detract from the efficiency of the flee as a whole.
   As a worst case, consider a fleet composed of a Freeman freighter =
flagship
and two Freeman fighters.  The ships can maneuver together fairly well =
because
the fighters can easily outperform the freighter.  Wherever the =
freighter goes
they can dutifully follow.  since all ships are armed with Type 1 =
drones, the
fleet order from the freighter to fire drones at one particular target =
will
result in three drones aimed at that target (never a different targets).
   So far so good.  But if the freighter gives phaser orders the fleet =
is in
trouble.  The freighter's phasers #1 and #2 fire after while the =
fighters
phasers shoot forward.  Fleet orders to fire phasers #1 and #1 at a =
designated
target will result in some ships firing and others not (depending on the
location of the target).  Also, if the flagship's phasers were damaged, =
no
phaser in the fleet would be able to fire!
   Another place where you can get into trouble with fleet orders is by
commanding the flagship to exceed the maximum speed of the subordinate =
vessels.
In this case the flagship may outrun the fleet!  It is also possible for =
the
fleet to outrun the flagship if you neglect to allow for difference in
acceleration!
   This means that you have to select your flagship carefully, and in =
some
cases it is best to assign only identical ships to a fleet.  Remember, =
the
orders issued to the flagship are followed blindly by the fleet.
   Fleet orders require care on the part of the commander.  Here are a =
few
suggestions to minimize your troubles.

Fleet of Alliance or Klargon Starships: Use undamaged dreadnoughts as =
flagships
They can easily command mixed fleets of cruisers and dreadnoughts if =
necessary.
Don't put cruisers in command of fleets of dreadnought unless you want =
to
hamper the dreadnoughts' firepower.

Reman Fleets: Keep the cruisers in separate fleets from the stodgy =
destroyers.
Never mix them.

Starbases: Try not to mix starbases and outposts in the same fleets.  =
Their
fields of fire are too different to coordinate well.  If you must, make =
the
starbase the flagship.  Never assign a starbase to a fleet with an =
outpost
flagship.

Imperial Fleets: It's best not to mix fighters in fleets with raiders, =
but it
can be done if you don't want to fire drones.  Use the raider (1st class
Imperial) as the flagship.  If you use a fighter as a flagship in a =
fleet of
raiders, it may leave the raiders behind.

Freemen Fleets: Never, NEVER, try to mix fighters with freighters!  =
Total
pandemonium results due to the radically different phaser fields of =
fire.
Phasers that point forward don't coordinate well with phasers that point =
to
the rear!

B.0 NOTES ON MULTI-PLAYER SCENARIOS
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   Although the program is not designed for multi-player scenarios, it =
is
possible to misuse  it slightly and incorporate as many as eight players =
all
in competition against one another. (May the best pilot win!)
   To do this run the two-player version of the program and give the =
"first
player" up to eight identical ships, starbases or fighters.  Then assign =
the
"second player" exactly two ships.  The players can each command one of
"player one's" ships, which are quite capable of maneuvering =
independently
and firing on one another! When it is time for the "second player" to =
give
commands, just allocate zero energy for everything and order the ships =
to move
in random directions.  The result is a two-to eight-way melee where it's =
every
pilot for himself.  The last ship left alive is the winner.  This =
approach is
especially useful for two-player duels where the pilots wish to fly =
exactly
identical spacecraft.
   For an unusual variation of this idea run the "Dogfight" scenario and =
let
the computer command the two craft originally assigned to the "second =
player."
Then while the human players are fighting it out for supremacy the =
computer
will be moving in for the kill ...


THE WARP FACTOR
GAME SELECTION CARD
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

   There are five seperate scenarios in THE WARP FACTOR.  Four of the =
scenarios
are set for solitaire play and they are Reman Chase, Attack on an =
Outpost,
Attack on a Starbase, and Dogfight.  The fifth scenario is totally free =
form
with two players choosing their fleets and then fighting for control of =
spree.

1. Reman Chase
   This Scenario pilot a single Alliance heavy cruiser against a Reman
destroyer.  The player commands the Alliance ship whose mission is to =
detroy
the Reman ship before the computer can pilot it to the safety of the =
Alliance/
Reman neutral zone.  The player wins if he destroys the Reman ship.  The
computer wins if the Alliance ship is able to cross the neutral zone, or =
if the
Alliance ship upsets the current political stability by crossing the =
neutral
zone.  (Note: Due to a shortage of fuel, the Alliance cruiser's warp =
drives
are operating at only 2/3 efficiency.  Thus the Alliance ship has 10 =
less
points of energy to allocate each turn.)


2. Attack on an Outpost
   This scenario allow the player to choose his ships (see Choosing YOur =
Ship)
while the computer is given one outpost.  Your performance is evaluated =
by the
computer in the mannee described in the Victory Conditions section.

3. Attack on a Starbase
   This scenario similar to scenario 2 with the only difference bring =
that the
computer commands a Stabase instead of an outpost (... and what a =
difference).

4. Dogfight
   In this scenario the player chooses starships for both himself and =
the
computer (see Choosing Your Ships).  The computer will evaluate the =
winner as
per the section on Victory Conditions.

5. Two-Player Dogfight
   This is just scenario tour with two human players fighting each other =
(don't
worry, your computer is still acting as referee).

CHOOSING YOUR SHIPS
-------------------
   In scenarios 2 - 5, the player must choose his ships (and choose the =
ships
used by the compuer).  Each Starship is assigned a point value that =
accounts
for the relative strength of the ship.  These values are given below:

STARSHIP                                  VALUE

Starbase                                    21
Alliance Dreadnought                         9
Klargon Dreadnought                          9
Reman Cruiser                                9
Alliance Heavy Cruiser                       6
Klargon Cruiser                              6
Outpost                                      6
Reman Destroyer                              5
Freemen Freighter                            3
Imperial Raider                              2
Freemen Fighter                              1
Imperial Figher                              1


   When choosing your ships, keep in mind that one side may choose ships =
whose
total value is up to 20% higher than the total value of the other side's =
ships
(actually you may give one side greater than a 20% advantage, but the =
victory
point algorhim may not award a victory to the advantaged side even if =
all of
the smaller side's ships are captured).  Example 1:  In secenario 4, the
player could give the computer 2 Klargon dreadnoughts and 1 Klargon =
cruiser
(i.e. 9+9+6 =3D 24 points) while taking for  himself the fleet =
consisting of 1
Alliance dreadnought and 2 Alliance curisers (i.e. 9+6+6 =3D 21 points).
Although the player is at a 14% disadvantage in determining victory the
computer will consider this, thus making the scenario acceptable.  =
Example 2:
in scenario 2 a player could choose ships that valued between 5 and 7 =
points
since he is opposed by a 6 point outpost.
Note: Remember that each player may only have ships representing one =
Empire
in any one scenario (i.e. there is no mixing of nationalities).

VICTORY CONDITIONS
------------------
   In determining the victory of a game, the computer evaluate the =
players'
performance by considering the amount of damage inflicted upon the =
enemy, the
amount of damage received, and the beginning strengths of the opposing =
forces.
After a game has been eneded, the computer will tell the player(s) which =
side
has performed the best, and then display a numerical rating of the =
game's
outcome.  The players should refer to the following chart in determine =
the
level of the victory:

Declsive Victory                      40 +
Substantive Victory                   2.01 to 3.99
Marginal Victory                      1.25 to 1.99
Draw                                  1.00 to 1.24


   In determining victory, a captured ship is worth 2 x (ship point =
value), a
destroyed ship is worth 1 x (ship's point value) and a damaged ships is =
worth
.5 x (ship's point value) x ((% of general damage done to the ship) x =
1).
Also the side which decides to end the game (withdrawal) forfeits 1/2 of =
the
total point value of all his remaining ships (but does not lose points =
for
damage on these surviving ships).  when a game is ended the computer =
will ask
the players to input which player decided to withdraw.  If both players =
decide
to withdraw neither player penalized.  The victory formula used by the =
computer
also accounts for the start of game strength of the two sides (i.e. the
weaker side receives a handicap).  Example 1: One Alliance cruiser =
destroys one
Klargon cruiser while sustaining 60% general damage.  The result would =
be an
Alliance marginal victory of 1.62.  Example 2.  An Alliance dreadnought =
and
an Alliance cruiser battle two Klargon dreadnought, with one Alliance
dreadnought being captured, one Klargon dreadnought being destroyed and =
the
Alliance cruiser withdrawing after receiving 30% general damage.  The =
result
would be a Klargon marginal victory with a value of 1.29.  If the =
Alliance
dreadnought had been destroyed instead of captured the result would be a
draw with the Alliance player rated slightly ahead with a value of 1.19.



ENERGY DIAGRAM
--------------

SPEED                  MASS

          1/2     2/3     1     4/3

  0        0       0      0      0
  1        0       0      1      1
  2        0       0      2      3
  3        0       1      3      5
  4        1       1      4      7
  5        1       2      5      8
  6        1       2      6     10
  7        1       3      7     12
  8        2       3      8     14
  9        2       4      9     16
 10        2       4     10     17
 11        2       4     11     19
 12        3       5     12     21
 13        3       5     13     23
 14        3       6     14     24
 15        3       6     15     26
 16        4       7     16     28
 17        4       7     17     30
 18        4       8     18     32
 19        4       8     19     33
 20        5       8     20     35
 21        5       9     21     37
 22        5       9     22     39
 23        5      10     23     40
 24        6      10     24     42
 25        6      11     25     44
 26        6      11     26     46
 27        6      12     27     48
 28        7      12     28     49
 29        7      13     29     51
 30        7      13     30     53
 31        7      13     31     55
 32        8      14     32     56
 33        8      14     33     58
 34        8      15     34     60
 35        8      15     35     62
 36        9      16     36     64
 37        9      16     37     65
 38        9      16     38     67
 39        9      17     39     69
 40       10      17     40     71


Cross index the ship's mass with the desired speed.  The result is the
required energy.  EXample A ship with mass 4/3 wants to go 20.  The =
energy
required for this speed would be 35.




THE WARP FACTOR
STARSHIP DATA CARD
------------------


REMAN LIGHT CRUISER
"WAR EAGLE"
(First Class)


Mass: 1.0
Turning Rate: 15%/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 1
Armament:
   4 Heavy Phasers
   1 Plasma Tropedo Tube
   1 Cloaking Device
Power:
   Engines: 26
   Batteries: 6
5 Boarding Parties

Shield 1: 40
Shield 2: 35
Shield 3: 30
Shield 4: 20
Shield 5: 30
Shield 6: 35

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


REMAN DESTROYER
"WARBIRD"
(Second Class)


Mass: 1.0
Turning Rate: 23 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 1
Armament:
   1 Plasma Torpedo Tube
   1 Cloaking Devie
Power:
   Engines: 6
   Batteries: 6
5 Boarding Parties


Shield 1: 35
Shield 2: 30
Shield 3: 25
Shield 4: 20
Shield 5: 25
Shield 6: 30




ALLIANCE DREADNOUGHT
(First Class)


Mass: 1.5
Turning Rate: 11 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 4
Armament:
   1 Siege Phaser
   8 Heavy Phasers
   4 Photo Torpedo Tubes
Power:
   Engines: 53
   Batteries: 5
14 Boarding Parties


Shield 1: 35
Shield 2: 30
Shield 3: 30
Shield 4: 30
Shield 5: 30
Shield 6: 30


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


ALLIANCE HEAVY CRUISER
(Second Class)


Mass: 10
Turning Rate: 15 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 3
Armament:
   4 Photon Torpedo Tubes
   6 Heavy Phasers
Power:
   Engines: 34
   Batteries: 4
10 Space Marine boarding parties


Shield 1: 25
Shield 2: 25
Shield 3: 25
Shield 4: 25
Shield 5: 25
Shield 6: 25


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


FREEMEN FREIGHTER
(First Class)


Mass: 0.67
Turning Rate: 22 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 0
Armament:
   2 Heavy Phasers
   4 Type 1 Drones
Power:
   Engines: 16
   Batteries: 4
0 Boarding Parties


Shield 1: 7
Shield 2: 7
Shield 3: 7
Shield 4: 10
Shield 5: 7
Shield 6: 7

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


FREEMEN FIGHTER
(Second Class)


Mass: 0.5
Turning Rate: 45 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 0
Armament:
   2 Light Phasers
   2 Type 1 Drones
Power:
   Engines: 8
   Batteries: 2
0 Boarding Parties


Shield 1: 3
Shield 2: 1
Shield 3: 1
Shield 4: 3
Shield 5: 1
Shield 6: 1

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


KLARGON DREDNOUGHT
(First Class)


Mass: 1.5
Turning Rate: 15 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 8
Armament:
   1 Siege Phaser
   4 Heavy Phasers
   4 Light Phasers
   6 Disruptor Bolts
  12 Type 1 Drones
   6 Type 2 Drones
Power:
   Engines: 57
   Batteries: 8
24 Boarding Parties


Shield 1: 50
Shield 2: 30
Shield 3: 30
Shield 4: 30
Shield 5: 30
Shield 6: 30

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -

KLARGON CRUISER
(Second Class)


Mass: 1.0
Turning Rate: 19 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 5
Armament:
   9 Light Phasers
   4 Disruptor Bolts
   4 Type 1 Drones
   2 Type 2 Drones
Power:
   Engines: 37
   Batteries: 3
14 Boarding Parties



Shield 1: 30
Shield 2: 25
Shield 3: 15
Shield 4: 10
Shield 5: 15
Shield 6: 25


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


IMPERIAL RAIDER
(First Class)


Mass: 0.67
Turning Rate: 30 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 0
Armament:
   2 Light Phasers
   1 Disruptor Bolt
Power:
   Engines: 10
   Batteries: 5
0 Boarding Parties


Shield 1: 3
Shield 2: 3
Shield 3: 3
Shield 4: 3
Shield 5: 3
Shield 6: 3

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


IMPERIAL FIGHTER
(Second Class)


Mass: 0.5
Turning Rate: 45 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 0
Armament:
   2 Light Phasers
   1 Type 1 Drone
   1 Type 2 Drone
Power:
   Engines: 8
   Batteries: 2
0 Boarding Parties



Shield 1: 3
Shield 2: 1
Shield 3: 1
Shield 4: 3
Shield 5: 1
Shield 6: 1

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -


STARBASE
(First Class)


Mass: 10.0
Turning Rate: 4 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 22
Armament:
   9 Siege Phasers
   0 Photo Torpedo Tubes
Power:
   Engines: 76
   Batteries: 44
50 Space Marine Boarding Parties



Shield 1: 60
Shield 2: 60
Shield 3: 60
Shield 4: 60
Shield 5: 60
Shield 6: 60

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - -

OUTPOST STARBASE
(Second Class)


Mass: 3.0
Turning Rate: 4 degree/time unit
Transporter Capacity: 2
Armament:
   6 Siege Phasers
   6 Photon Torpedo Tubes
Power:
   Engines: 10
   Batteries: 2
12 Space Marine Boarding Parties



Shield 1: 30
Shield 2: 30
Shield 3: 30
Shield 4: 30
Shield 5: 30
Shield 6: 30

-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
Game Design and Development: Paul Murray, Bruce D. Clayton
Starship Operation Manual: Bruce D. Clayton
Art and Graphics: Louis Saekow Design

1981 SSI
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----