Air Support from Psygnosis - Complete Docs +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Introduction. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The aim of this introduction is twofold: To provide SimTech trainees with an informed account of the reasons and methods by which Military SimTech Command was establishe, and to ensure that they are fully aware of the importance of the post to which they aspire. THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE ---------------------- The Twentieth century was a catalog of major conflict in the Northern Hemisphere; was between the non-unified European states, was between Europeans and Asia, the standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, and struggles for power in the old Middle Eastern Countries. Southern Hemisphere battles were largely localised; mostly civil wars or pockets of violence between poorly armed nations. The termination of the cold war at the end of the last century coupled with the establishment of the Sino-American Alliance (1998), the Federal European Alliance (1999) and the Asian accord (2002), all paved the way for the Northern Defence treaty in 2004. This treaty effectively allied the military strength of all the First World nations in the North to those of Australia in the South. A Southern Alliance was hard to follow - but it did so in 2011, alledgedly as a response to commercial, social and political exploitation by the North. The North`s response was to halt the increasing flow of economic and other migrants from the South, to freeze financial aid, and to ban all trade with the Third World countries. The resulting inflation, poverty and decline in variety of goods in the North is recorded elsewhere - suffice it to say that the state of the Cold War which now exists between the two hemispheres began at that time. Nonetheless, because of the impossibility of preventing the secret trading of arms and information, the South has ben able to equip itself with an unknown quantity and quality of weapons. Considering the frequency of their assaults against the Northern territories in the first half of this century, it can be safely assumed that their military equipment is consistently able to keep pace with our own. THE C-CORP SIMULATOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weapons testing was always a heavy financial burden on any nation`s resources. Aside from the cost of design, construction and transportation, a site was needed to test the weapons and manpower to record the results - which were not always as successful as had first been hoped. The solution which seems so obvious to us now - designing, building and simulating the performance of hardware and the explosion of weapons wholly on computer - was not feasible then. Simulators were used for training purposes in the late twenthieth century, but they were expensive to build and couldnt match the random factors incorporated into todays equivalents. The Eurpoean based Chaos Corporation (C-Corp for short) changed all that. Their first Chaos computer, the C-Corp 2014 (built in March, 2014), was a direct response to political, environmental and economic demands that weapons testing be scrapped. It provided the hardware for a new generation of simulation software, allowing unparalleled random factors to be introduced into training, and in effect freeing software engineers to create worlds and the military machines to battle in them. THE BATTLEFIELD SOFTWARE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The few minor skirmishes that did break out between North and South in the years from 2011-2028 provided a testing ground for a new breed of military simulation technicians (SimTechs). By the beginning of that period, ordinance was so powerful that it renedered the role of the soldier obsolete. Movement guided, long range himing shells launched from remotely operated defence posts wiped out platoons on the ground, and sophisticated seeker missiles annihilated those in the air and on the sea. The element of surprise had been lost, and this forced combatants to throw weapons at each other from inside heavily-fortified bunkers, using computers to plot tactics. These bunker-based fighters were the first SimTechs, planning and executing their strategy wholly on the C-Corp computers, using software designed originally by C-Corp employees, then by the military themselves. The system was successful enough to defeat all Southern Hemisphere attacks in those 17 years, and to deter them from launching major offensives since. It was a natural enough step to transfer the lessons learned in the bunker to the training school. By grooming a new generation of technicians who, because they had been intensively trained on simulators, were capable of directing the course of war at the front line, the North was able to maintain the integrity of its boundaries. The first of the simulation software to be produced was the Ground Battle System (GBS), designed in 2027 for use at West Point Military Academy. This unique program was able to create a faithful representation of the battle conditions, and was re-written eight times (between 2027 and its last use in 2064) to accomodate new designs, ideas and technology. Its replacement is the Air Support Battle Simulation (ASBS), detailed below, which for the moment is only available to graduates of the West Point Military Academy. THE MILITARY REVOLUTIONS. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Victories against the South and the success of the tactical software sparked off two revolutions in military circles; the wholesale switch to the use of C-Corp Chaos Computers, and the establishment of a new command structure - Military SimTech Command (MSC). During the years 2015-2030, MSC grew from a small part of warfare research employing a dozen people to the single largest wing of the Northern Hemisphere Armed Forces, now testing over 50,000 prospective technicians and Defence Complex commanders a year. It also created a whole new brand of pioneering professionals; apart from SimTechs, the branches that we are all familiar with today were begun as early as 2015. BattleField Architects, Enemy Tactics Editors, Hardware Designers and Defence System Advisors are now all under the direct control of the MSC of the MSC. The switch to C-Corp computers was more problematic, however, in 214 the C-Corp C-2014 was far in advance of anything else - with a price, unfortunately to match. This posed a problem for the MSCl vast numbers of computers were required to train Simulation Technicians to the required standard, but the military budget couldnt cope with the demand. The solution established the system which we still use today; networking the Chaos mainframes to 1000 slave computers. The `slaves` could be anything from from an ancient twentieth century Amiga or ST (Fuk u Sukkerz!) to an 886 PC ( A WHAT?!?!?). The advantage was that costs were dramatically reduced; the disadvantage was some loss of graphical and aural power, particularly on the less powerful slave machines. Because of the exacting standards required by the SimTech Command, there was, as there is now, a very low pass rate - approximately 0.02% of all candidates. This in turn, requires a huge number of prospective trainees to fill even the 1000 new SimTech trainee posts at WestPoint Military Academy each year; 50,000 examinees in all worldwide. The requirements are strict because there is no room for error on the real battlefield; one operational mistake from a Simulation Technician could result in a breach of defences and the loss of a million lives. WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Point was established in 2026 as a channel to focus the energies of all the finest SimTech trainees from the Northern Hemisphere. Its C-Corp system is the most powerful anywhere; the latest version (C-2050) can reproduce any landscape on Earth down to the last square decimetre; it can replicate the weather patterns of the entire globe up to three weeks in advance to an accuracy rate of 96%; it can be programmed to input any random factor; from a meteorite landing n China to the rise in Sea Level caused by a bucket of water thrown in the Atlantic. At West Point the top 10% of all candidates are networked to C-2050 and given the most rigourous examination of any SimTech trainee. The training is based on 20 introdcutory missions and, if you pass your training, 20 Full-Simulation Missions. Should you fail in the training missions you may then partake in the full simulation missions as Air Support only (ie - you have no control over ground vehicles). However, succeed in this and you may then undertake the 20 full simulation missions for real; these take in the whole range of options from designing you own Defence Complex to controlling 16 remote attack vehicles and annihilating the opposition as quickly as possible. Because of the need to maintain the realism of this chaotic environment, the slave computers are obliged to run 3d vector graphics and engine/firing noises only. Any candidate who passes this examination is then trained on the C-Corp 2050 itself for up to six months, before being given battlefield experience. SIMULATION AND REALITY. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wargaming is an old profession (hello Dave!) - strategy has played a part in battles for as long as ther have been wars - but its only in the 21st Century that is has had the fundamental impact on the nature of military thinking. In the last 50 years the role of the wargame has switched from the tactical to the practical; whole systems are designed, used in simulated battle and then consigned to the waste bin without ever seeing a production line - the power on new weaponry can be demonstrated for free, and craft can be built and lost for nothing. This has reduced costs and improved operational efficiency at the same time. Without it the thousand mobile Defence Complexes which straddle the Tropic of Cancer would never have been built, and a whole generation of Offensive Weapons would never have been manufactured so quickly. The latest developments are currently being tested in the Air Support Battle Simulation (ASBS, detailed below). These include an articulated version of the Defence Complex: the theory is that all of the Complex's units, even down to relatively minute components such as individual Radar Stations and Missile Command Posts, can be moved independently, thanks to a novel system of flexible Connections' which transfer power from the generators and orders from the central HQ. Other developments include a new Command Module, from which a single pilot can program and operate up to 16 attack craft, each one loaded with different weapons systems and patrolling a course of up to 128 different waypoints. If successful, these systems could be implemented within five years, and could prove the most important deterrent to Southern Hemisphere aggression. The maintenance of peace is the primary objective of all Battlefield Simulations; Simulation Technicians are the new brokers of power. THE AIR SUPPORT BATTLE SIMULATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ASBS is the first of a new generation of Battlefield Simulation Software, and the first to make full use of the Chaos Corporation C- 2050 mainframe. Like its predecessor (the Ground Battle Simulation), it is intended as part of a series, and will be subject to upgrades as and when demand dictates. Version 1.0 is intended for use solely by the West Point Military Academy staff; subsequent versions will be based on their criticisms and distributed freely around the Northern Hemisphere defence network. ASBS represents the latest in SimTech one-on-one wargame design and simulates an encounter between the commander of a Tropic of Cancer Defence Complex and his opposite number from the South. Battlefield Architects have managed to generate a new, variable 3D system - to add depth and realism to the vector graphic representation of the front line terrain - on the basic computers used by trainees. It is hoped that future versions, perhaps no more than a decade away, will be able to recreate a filled polygon battle ground. West Point Academy has no room for failures. The responsibility of each of the 1,000 SimTech trainees received here each year is a heavy one: learning the ability to maintain a defensive screen and the skills to design and implement new technology when required. Having already established yourselves as the pick of the candidates from around the Northern Hemisphere, your success rate here will be higher than that of other trainees around the world: on average, we pass one hundred candidates (100) per annum. The education process is intensive: you have a few hours to read this manual and keyguide before starting immediately on the first training mission. We advise that you familiarise yourself with the theoretical controls before switching on your computer and beginning. Demerits have, and will continue to be, given for slow or sloppy work. A consistently poor success rate will result in automatic expulsion from the Academy, and will oblige the trainee to retake his provisional exams and try again in two years time. However, the reverse is also true: great rewards are given to those who show they have the skill and application to become the best of the SimTech organisation - including a job secured for life, and the knowledge that they can become one of the 1,000 commanders based in the global Defence Complexes, with the responsibility for maintaining world peace. West Point Simulation Technicians are considered to be the elite in the military world. Read this manual and find out how you can join them. CONTENTS 1. LOADING THE SIMULATION 1.1 Atari ST Version .........................................14 1.2 Amiga Version.............................................14 1.3 Virus Warning.............................................14 2. BRIEFING 3. GETTING STARTED 3.1 Registration Screen.......................................18 3.2 Di_fficulty Level Screen..................................19 3.3 Mission Menu Screen ......................................19 3.4 Playin~ In 3D.............................................22 4. THE SIMULATION CONTROLS 4.1 Map Screen ...............................................23 4.1.1 Simulation Map .........................................25 4.1.2 Your Defence Complex....................................25 4.1.3 Enemy Base .............................................33 4.1.4 Vehicles ...............................................33 4.1.5 Waypoint Lists..........................................34 4.1.6 Waypoints...............................................34 4.1.7 Options Menu ...........................................35 4.1.8 Tnfn Panel ............................................ 35 4.1.9 Additional Controls.....................................36 4.2 0 Info Panel .............................................37 4.21 Command Ship Flight Screen ..............................38 4.2.2 Flight Screen ..........................................38 4.2.3 Status Bars.............................................40 4.2.4 Radars .................................................40 4.2.6 Menu ...................................................40 4.26 Flight Control...........................................40 4.3 VEHICLE CONTROL CENTRE 4.3.1 Flight Screen .,........................................46 4.3.2 Radars .................................................46 4.3.3 Stats ..................................................46 4.3.4 Weapons Boxes ..........................................47 4.3.5 Information Panel.......................................47 4.3.6 Other Controls..........................................48 4.3.7 Conclusion..............................................49 5. HINTS AND TIPS ............................................50 6. CONTROLS...................................................65 1. LOADING THE SIMULATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Always switch off your machine for at least 30 seconds before loading the game. Failure to do so may result in virus contamination of the AIR SUPPORT disk. See the Virus Warning and the Warranty Notice in this manual for further information. 1.1 ATARI ST VERSION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Insert your AIR SUPPORT disk into the internal drive, switch on your monitor/tv, then your computer. Follow the on-screen instructions. 1.2 AMIGA VERSION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Switch on your machine. Insert a Kickstart disk if required (for example, if you own an Amiga 1000). When the prompt appears for you to insert the Workbench disk, insert your AIR SUPPORT disk into the internal drive. Insert Disk 2 when prompted. Should you wish to skip the intro you may insert Disk 2 at the Workbench prompt. 1.3 VIRUS WARNING! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This product is guaranteed by Psygnosis to be virus free. Psygnosis Ltd accept no responsibility for damage caused to this product through virus infection. Please see page 67 of this manual for details. To avoid virus infection always ensure that your machine is switched off for at least 30 seconds before loading this game. Please see page 67 for more information regarding viruses and Your warranty. 2. BRIEFING =========== Trainees are advised to read the main Introduction which precedes these pages. However, for those who are already familiar with the information it contains, the following will suffice: The Air Support Battlefield Simulation (ASBS) is the first in a series of theoretical battlefield scenarios designed by Military SimTech Command (MSC) using the C-Corp Chaos 2050 mainframe. As a candidate at the West Point Military Academy you represent the top 0.02% of trainees in the world. There are 1,000 of you competing for the 100 positions of Simulation Technician awarded each year. A qualified Simulation Technician (or SimTech) has two main responsibilities. The first is a ten-year period of service as Commander of one of the 1,000 Defence Complexes based on the Tropic of Cancer and designed to dissuade attacks from the allied Southern Hemisphere forces. The second, undertaken once the period of front-line service has ended, is responsibility for the development and testing of new weapons systems and simulations. The aim of the ASBS is to ensure that only the best candidates qualify for these vitally important posts. In it, you will be given command of a simulated Defence Complex at the forefront of current technology; and you will be asked to protect it at all costs, as well as successfully infiltrating the enemy's defences and nullifying his threat. This is most easily performed by knocking out his four generators. The hardware at your disposal includes radars and missile defences, a Command Ship, a quartet of basic ground and airborne fighters and reconnaissance vehicles, and the ability to program up to 16 of them to patrol your defences. This equipment will be used to a limited extent in 20 Training Missions. Following this, however, will be up to 40 Full Simulations, in which the complete range of hardware will be featured. THE TRAINING MISSIONS ===================== The aim of the 20 Training Missions is for you to become familiar with the basic ideas and equipment at your disposal in Air Support. The missions begin with simple vehicle control and end with a scaled- down version of the Full Simulations. Complete instructions will be given to you on-screen. The tests grow progressively harder, and rank is be awarded to candidates who show a consistent rate of success; conversely, a permanent demerit will be awarded for failure of a mission. The West Point Academy does not condone graduation by perseverance or trial and error; occasional failures, however, can be tolerated. THE FULL SIMULATIONS ==================== Once you have completed basic training, you are thrown into the Full Simulations. Naturally enough, candidates will not be expected to complete all the missions in one day, or even a week - and for this reason a Registration Screen, unique to the trainee, allows the use of ID codes to save performance details at any point during the simulation. The aim of the Full Simulations is equivalent to that of a real life battle: to disable the enemy's defence complex by eliminating the power generators and HQ. The examiners are not looking for rash displays of power, but for total battle resource management. Strategists make better commanders than conquering heroes. You decide the level of difficulty; there are three in all: Easy, Medium and Hard. Difficulty affects how early you get to see the enemy's movements - see Difficulty Level. You will soon learn the reasons why a relatively flat landscape with few tidal aquatic areas is much easier to negotiate than a mountainous region populated by lakes. Difficulty also affects your performance rating: on a Hard level you are allowed to fail in fewer mission before your rating dips below the Fail line - see Candidate Statistics. One thing you can be sure of: as you progress through the Full Simulations, life will become tougher than anything you have ever experienced before. Should your Statistics Line remain above the Fail area throughout the game you will be allowed to graduate. And when you do, the rewards are great. NOTE: Air Support is a simulation in which you determine the level of interaction. It is vital to establish key strategies from the beginning, but once you have programmed waypoints, built vehicles and designed your Defence Complex, you can do as much, or as little, as you like. For example, you can control all 16 craft and the Command Ship, or leave them on auto-pilot to follow the Vehicle Command Channels you program for them (see 4.1.5, below). Most of the systems run automatically and will only require maintenance; however, tactics should be reviewed constantly in response to enemy manoeuvres. 3. GETTING STARTED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3.1 REGISTRATION SCREEN This is the first screen you will see after the game has loaded. If this is your first mission, it allows you to register with the C-2050 at West Point Military Academy; if you have already completed some part of the trainee programme, you can load up previously saved records using your name and ID number. Each mission or simulation you complete gives you a new ID number, which will contain details such as your success rate on previous missions. To enter your name, use the mouse in conjunction with the on-screen keyboard or simply type your input. Selecting the MENU option takes you to the DIFFICULTY LEVEL SCREEN. FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, WHEN ENTERING YOUR PERSONAL ID YOU MUST ENSURE THAT THE NAME YOU USE IS CONSISTENT FROM GAME TO GAME. This is because the name is cross-referenced to the ID number. For example, if you enter the name J. SMITH, the C-2050 computer will, in subsequent games, not accept JSMITH or J SMITH. If this rule is not complied with you will be unable to access the statistics detailed by your personal ID code, and you will be obliged to restart your training from the beginning. 3.2 DIFFICULTY LEVEL SCREEN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Selecting Easy displays a full map including enemy complex and all enemy vehicles. Selecting Medium displays a full map with enemy complex but you will not be able to see enemy vehicles until they are in radar range. Selecting Hard displays only your squares of the map (blue dots), also, you cannot see the enemy complex nor his vehicles until they are within your radar range. 3.3 MISSION MENU SCREEN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the purposes of authenticity, no details about missions are given in this booklet. However, as a general rule, in the training Missions you may be asked to perform tasks such as piloting individual craft into enemy territory and then returning to base using waypoints or manual control; and in the Full Simulations you will be asked to adapt the full experience gained from your Training to a Full Simulation. It is therefore vital that you familiarise yourself with the contents of this manual. The Mission Menu screen allows you to utilise the following commands: START SIMULATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Starts the currently highlighted Training Mission or Full Simulation. At this stage you are required to enter a Craft Static - Printed in green in the Hardware Guide - be it a Fighter's weight or a Tank's length. RESET SIMULATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clears from your computer's memory any statistics on your performance to date, allowing you to restart the Air Support program from Training Mission 1. However, the C-2050 computer will still store your performance details for use at a later date, and you can access them again by inputting the corresponding name and ID number. You can drop out of the program - by pressing 'esc' - and restart at any time. CANDIDATE STATISTICS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Selecting this option leads you to your own personal statistics screen. This allows you to examine your progress to date. All Air Support statistics are mission-based, not career-oriented: the incentive for each candidate lies in promotion for a well executed mission or a demotion for a failed mission. Trainees who have not yet undertaken any missions will have no record here. DATA BASE ~~~~~~~~~ The Data Base provides brief visual identification of the vehicles you will be able to control during the game. For more detailed information about these craft and those of the enemy, consult the OFFICIAL HARDWARE GUIDE which follows these instructions. REGISTRATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Returns you to the REGISTRATION screen. 3.4 PLAYING IN 3D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some trainees may prefer to play their missions in 3D. If this is the case, follow these instructions. Once you have started the simulation, go to the COMMAND SHIP FLIGHT SCREEN and select the OPTIONS icon from the menu. Select the BACK icon four times to access the 3D menu. Select STEREO to activate the 3D then put on your 3D glasses. Use the DPTH INC, DPTH DEC, POS INC and POS DEC controls to optimise comfortable viewing. Finally, press EXIT to return to the main menu. For more information, see the OPTIONS category in Section 4.2.6, below. (Sorry guys, Couldnt type in the 3d glasses .. lame eh ?!?! ) 4. THE SIMULATION CONTROLS ========================== NOTE: The following abbreviations are used throughout this manual and the accompanying Quick Reference Sheet. LMB = Left mouse button RMB = right mouse button 4.1 MAP SCREEN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The action in Air Support takes place on a simulated world, represented by this map. This is where you will make all your major tactical decisions. MAIN MAP SCREEN -=============- +----------+-----------------------------------+-------+ | Craft | | | | Control | | | +----------+ | | | Waypnt | | | | Control | | | +----------+ | | | Complex | +-------+ | Control | | | +----------+ | | | | | | | Options | | | | | +-------+ +----------+ | Sortie| | ZOOM XO | +-------+ +----------+ | Patrol| | PAN | +-------+ +----------+ | Attack| | MAPLOCK | +-------+ +----------+ | Halt | |Main Ship | +-------+ +----------+ | | | Control | | | +----------+-----------------------------------+-------+ The Map Screen serves two main purposes. Firstly, it provides an overall view of the landscape, detailing contours, vehicle positions and headings, and showing the layout of your Defence Complex, when applicable. Secondly, it permits you to manipulate that environment, allowing you to command up to 16 vehicles and set their paths, redesign your defences and launch strikes against the enemy (see sections 4.1.2 to 4.1.6, below). To make decisions easier, the map can be changed to show different viewpoints and magnifications, from a simple terrain without contours (which filters out unwanted detail) to an isometric 3D display (which shows the height and shape of the land). 4.1.1 SIMULATION MAP ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When applicable, this initially shows an overhead view of the entire battlefield with your Defence Complex at the bottom left corner and your opponent's at the top right corner. Details about how to change the viewpoints, use the zoom feature and implement strategic options are given in sections 4.1.7 to 4.1.9, below. As games progress, an increasing amount of terrain will be laid waste and flattened, due to the use of weapons such as mines. This produces craters which are easily negotiated by land vehicles such as Main Battle Tanks and Reconnaissance Craft. You can scroll immediately to any area of the map by lowlighting the Maplock option on the left-hand panel and moving the cursor to the desired spot and clicking the LMB. You can then magnify the selected area by using the ZOOM function, described in section 4.1.8, below. 4.1.2 YOUR DEFENCE COMPLEX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note: In order to access information about your Defence Complex, you must highlight the COMPLEX icon in the OPTION Panel. The Defence Complex is the core of your military operations. It is an entirely automated system capable of growth and change. (In reality, the 1,000 Complexes that mark the boundary between Northern and Southern Hemispheres are run by a C-2050 computer, and are manned by a SimTech Commander with four SimTech engineers). The simulated Complex enables you to build and replace offensive units and weapons, and can be moved around to suit the local terrain. It consists of six different units, as follows: HEADQUARTERS ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The centre of your complex from which every other unit is constructed. To move your entire complex, simply move the Headquarters. Click on the HEADQUARTERS icon to glean information on vehicles available to you. GENERATORS ~~~~~~~~~~ These