20 September 1988 -=> SKYFOX II <=- UNISTAR DOCS #1 - DOC - ============================================================================ CONFLICT SUMMARY """"""""""""""""" Effective immediately, all Federation Warpwarriors are on Condition Alert. Our Intelligence reports that a Xenomorph uprising is in progress. We must assume that their ultimate goal is the conquest of the Terran Federation, since all attempts to negotiate with the Xenomorphs have thus far failed. If you'll recall your Academy lessons, this is not the first time that the Xenomorphs have attempted to subjugate the Federation with unprovoked attacks on our colonies. The Federation's amazing Skyfox warplane helped to bring about the Xenomorph's previous defeat. Once we had driven the Xenomorphs from our colonies, we contained them in their home star system of Cygnus. Now it seems they plan to once again to spread terror and tyranny across the galaxy. To meet this new threat, Federation engineers and scientists have developed the Skyfox II warp fighter. Every Federation Warpwarrior has been issued a Skyfox II in order to meet and rebuff each Xenomorph challenge as it arises. Your mission in the Cygnus System: 1. Acquaint yourself with your Skyfox II warp fighter. 2. Use the Skyfox II and your experience as one of our finest Warpwarriors to contain the Xenomorph threat in the Cygnus constellation, and protect all Federation interests there. God's Speed Warpwarrior! SKYFOX II QUICK REFERENCE """"""""""""""""""""""""" Make a backup copy of Skyfox II using Workbench. See "Using the Workbench" in your copy of 'Introduction to the Amiga' if you need instructions. STARTING SKYFOX II ON THE AMIGA 500, 1000 OR 2000 1. Insert your joystick into Port 2. 2. Turn on your monitor and computer. 3. If you own an Amiga 500 or 2000, insert the program disk. If you own an Amiga 1000, insert KickStart 1.2, then wait for the hand holding a disk to appear onscreen. Insert your Skyfox II program disk. The game will automatically load. 4. When the title screen first appears or after the credits, press any key to move to Mission Selection. JOYSTICK CONTROL Flight: Move joystick forward to dive, back to climb, and left or right to change direction of flight. Press the Button to fire the neutron disruptors. Non-Flight: When docked, or when using the Federation computer, use the joystick to position the cursor directly over the option you want, then press the Button to select. COCKPIT CONTROLS Any key Exit Demo... Quits Demo to Mission Selection. 0 - 9 Speed....... 0 = stop; 9 = 9,000 KPS (Kilometers Per Second). A Autopilot... Toggles autopilot on/off. L Location.... Toggles X,Y location on/off. Control-M Muffler..... Toggles engine noise on/off. Control-R Rescue...... Quits current conflict to Mission Evaluation screen of Federation Computer. Control-S Silencer.... Toggles all sound on/off. D Dock........ Dock when you're in the vicinity of a friendly starbase. Del Deceive..... Toggles deceptor device on and off. Enter HUD......... Toggle HUD targets on and off. I Information. Intercepts Xenomorph transmissions (only in certain conflicts - check Overview of Possible Conflicts). M Mines....... Drops anti-matter mines. O Overview.... Displays overview map. Joystick Button sets new autopilot destination and closes window. P Pause....... Catch your breath, then press P again to continue. R Repair...... Functions only when docked at a starbase. S Shield...... Toggles defense screens on/off. Spacebar Photons..... Fires photon pulse bombs. SCAN MONITOR CONTROLS F1 Puts scan monitor in Long Range Mode. F2 Puts scan monitor in Medium Range Mode. F3 Puts scan monitor in Short Range Mode. F4 Toggles between fore and aft screen views. THE FEDERATION COMPUTER """"""""""""""""""""""" The first thing you'll see when you start your Skyfox II are options provided by the Federation computer on Terra. Use the Federation computer to describe, select, and set the difficulty of your missions. It also evaluates your performance at the end of, or when you abort, a mission. The following sections describe the options you can select from the Federation computer. PLAY After highlighting a conflict, choose PLAY to embark on that mission. After completing or aborting the mission with the Rescue command, the Federation computer will display the following screens: Mission Summary Screen - Appears when you complete a mission; either by winning or failing. Mission Summary rates you in helping to resolve the conflict; i.e., whether you completed all of your objectives and lived, or completed only some of your objectives and died. At times, your mission may end, but you remain alive (either the Xenomorphs have accomplished their objectives ahead of you, or you just ran out of time). Select Play Again to retry the mission, Missions to return to the Mission Selection screen, and Evaluation to see the Mission Evaluation screen. Mission Evaluation Screen - Appears when you use the Rescue command or if you pick Evaluation from Mission Summary. Mission Evaluation describes your degree of success, the number of enemy bases or ships destroyed, and your mission score. Choose Play Again to retry the mission. Choose Missions to return to the Mission Selection screen. Choose Level to select an easier or a harder conflict level. DESCRIBE Gives a brief description of the mission you have highlighted, including level of play, risk, and mission goal. LEVEL Changes risk level. Choose between Cadet, Wingman, Flight Leader, Squadron Commander, or Ace of the Base. Cadet is the lowest risk level, and Ace of the Base the highest. The higher your risk level, the more opposition - and danger - you'll face. SPECS Shows the technical specifications of your Skyfox II warp fighter. You view the Skyfox fighter from one of 3 vantage points while reviewing its specifications. SKYFOX II OPERATION """"""""""""""""""" The following sections describe the capabilities of your new Skyfox II warp fighter. Please read the operation manual carefully to insure that you know how to use your ship effectively in the heat of battle. SKYFOX II COCKPIT There is an IFF picture file called, 'SKYFOX II.pic' is on the disk. FLIGHT The following sections describe how to pilot your warp fighter into combat. Launch Press the fire button to launch from a starbase docking bay. Your Skyfox II is always launch-ready while docked, except during repairs - you must cancel any repairs currently underway before you can launch. Flight Control Federation engineers have designed the Skyfox II flight control systems to operate as much like the original Skyfox fighter as possible. Push the stick forward to lower, and pull it back to raise the nose of your ship. Move the stick left or right to change direction. Navigation This section describes how to navigate your Skyfox II. You can navigate manually, or you can select a destination on the overview map and let your autopilot guide you there. However, the autopilot will not avoid asteroids. You can either attack and destroy asteroids in your direct path or override autopilot with manual steering to avoid them. Use the following steps to program your autopilot: 1. Display the overview map. 2. Use the joystick to move the cursor to your desired destination on the map. 3. Press the Button to choose location. 4. Set your flight speed. 5. Engage the autopilot. The autopilot will automatically disengage when you reach your destination. Note: Turning on your autopilot will return your Skyfox II to the level of the orbital plane in Cygnus. So, if you're flying above the orbital plane, you'll descend to it. If you're beneath it, autopilot lifts your fighter to the level of the orbital plane. All starbases and wormholes are located on the orbital plane. Using Wormholes: Littered throughout the Cygnus star system are astrophysical anomalies known as "wormholes." Wormholes are by-products of black holes, and you can use them to quickly travel between different points within Cygnus. When you enter a wormhole, you leave our universe and enter a region that Federation physicists have termed "nullspace." Because time and distance have no correlation in nullspace, you will emerge from the "twin" wormhole, possibly many millions of kilometers from your original location, but only a few seconds later. The map included with your Skyfox II package shows the locations of all the known wormholes in the Cygnus star system. Wormholes appear as blue dots on your scan monitor. As you approach, the wormhole reveals a gray core, a light blue surrounding mass, and a dark blue exterior. Reduce your speed to keep the wormhole in sight. Space will distort as you travel through. Be prepared for possible ambush when emerging from wormholes in Xenomorph space. Speed Speed is measured in klicks (kilometers) per second (KPS). Press number keys 0 through 9 to set flight speed (0 = stop; 9 = 9,000 KPS). Your speed is shown under the photons register in the cockpit. COMBAT The following sections describe the combat capabilities of the Skyfox II. Neutron Disruptors Disruptors shoot straight ahead, towards anything visible through the HUD. Use them to destroy enemy ships, and asteroids. The nuclear cells power the disruptors - if the nuke cells run out of energy, the disruptors are useless. Photon Pulse Bombs Photons shoot straight ahead when no enemies are present. When an enemy vessel is visible through the front view screen, the photon locks on and tracks the enemy vessel. Pulse bombs are the only way to reliably destroy an enemy starbase. They will also destroy asteroids, no matter their size. The pulse bombs are useless if the Skyfox II photon tubes are damaged during battle or by an asteroid collision. Photons are self-contained and do not use energy from the nuke cells. The photons indicator in the cockpit displays the number of photons in your arsenal. The number of available photons will change depending upon your current mission. Anti-Matter Mines Anti-Matter Mines drop from the rear of your Skyfox II. Mines are timed and explode when they strike an enemy, or when their time is up. Mines cause extensive damage to enemy ships. Mines are self-contained and do not use energy from the nuke cells. The mines indicator in the cockpit displays the number of mines in your arsenal. The number of available mines will change depending upon your current mission. HUD (Heads Up Display) HUD is the Skyfox's automatic targeting system, vital to locating and destroying enemy ships and starbases. The HUD locks onto the nearest ship or starbase within medium range. When the HUD locks on, the targeted object flashes on the scan monitor, while the target ring displays a direction arrow. Move the joystick in the direction of the arrow to intercept the target. The target identifier readout in the cockpit displays the identity of objects flashing on the scan monitor and targeted by the HUD. You can select the various active targets by pressing Return. The HUD, scan monitor, and target identifier will all change to show the currently targeted object as you press Return. The target identifier and the scan monitor both display different targets in different colors: White .... Federation and untargeted Xenomorphs Blue ..... Friendly Contacts Red ...... Targeted Contact Note: If your HUD is damaged during the combat, or by asteroid collisions, toggling the fore and aft view can approximate a target finder until you can dock and repair your HUD system. Deceptor Device An invisibility device that conceals your Skyfox from enemy radar and sight. Firing neutron disruptors, photon pulse bombs, or dropping an anti-matter mine will temporarily disengage this device, thus revealing your location. When the deceptor is activated, the view through the main screen is tinted red, and the deceptor device indicator in the cockpit glows. The deceptor device uses a huge amount of energy from the nuke cells, so use it only when necessary. Shields Shields absorb damage normally inflicted upon your ship by asteroids and Xenomorphs. Shields are automatically engaged upon takeoff. Shield energy is supplied by the nuclear batteries. When the shields are too damaged to take the full impact of a hit, or the nuke cells are too low to adequately replenish the shields, the damage is sustained by your ship. Skyfox systems that may be damaged or destroyed by enemy fire or asteroid collisions are: neutron disruptors; deceptor device; photon tubes; scan monitor; KPS indicator; HUD; and FTLC. The shield bar graph in the cockpit shows your current shield charge. The shield-on indicator in the cockpit glows when the shields are active. DOCKING AND REPAIR This section describes the procedure you use to dock with a Federation starbase to replenish your weapons, recharge your nuke cells, and repair damaged ship systems. Use the following steps to dock with a starbase: 1. Reduce speed to about 1,000 KPS and approach the starbase. 2. Watch the Short Range Scan. When you're almost to the base, use the Dock command. 3. If the command is successful, the starbase locks you into its docking beam and pulls you towards the base. 4. The overview map appears with a starbase selected. Find the selected starbase on your map of Cygnus and type in the first four letters of the starbase name. The correct code identifies you as a Federation ship, and the starbase pulls your ship into the docking bay. Once you are in the docking bay, starbase crews will begin recharging your nuke cells and reloading your photons. Use the Repair command to repair damaged systems. A schematic diagram of your Skyfox II appears on the cockpit main screen. Damaged systems appear yellow when partially damaged and red when they're not functioning and require replacement. Undamaged systems are green. Move the pointer onto a damaged system and press the Button to tell the starbase repair crew to begin. Repairs take time, and Xenomorphs don't wait for you to finish, so keep an eye on your scan monitor. Be prepared to abort the repairs if necessary, and launch to defend the starbase against attack. OVERVIEW OF POSSIBLE CONFLICTS """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" What follows are summaries developed by Federation tacticians of possible conflicts that may arise in the Cygnus system. Study them carefully - because you may have to eventually experience one or more of them first hand. XENOMORPH UPRISING Xenomorph battlegroups are converging on Federation territory from Xeno starbase Charlie. Your mission is to destroy both the attackers and starbase Charlie. INCOMING Infrared scanners have detected incoming Xenomorph missiles approaching your starbase through Asteroid Alley. Your starbase faces imminent destruction unless you destroy all of the missiles coming your way. The scanners may have missed some of the missiles because they have special radar deflection devices to avoid detection. Destroy the missiles and their launch point, then return to your starbase. INTRUDER ALERT Xenomorph Intelligence has learned about the existence of the modern Skyfox II warplane. To try to gain a strategic advantage in Cygnus territory, the Xenos have sent a battle group to seek out and destroy the Federation's best weapon. Turn the tables on the intruders, and blast their attacking fighters out of the Federation's skies. GUARDIAN Federation frigates Starion and Centarus have been badly damaged and are vulnerable to Xenomorph fighters. Federation Command has selected you to escort both crippled ships from starbase Madrid to Havana for emergency repair. Watch out for Xeno attacks from Asteroid Alley, and prove yourself worthy of the Federation's trust. GRIZZLY ENCOUNTER A Xenomorph convoy is enroute to starbase Grizzly with a secret weapon. Destroy the convoy before it can reach Grizzly and complete this top-secret research project. Keep an eye out for diversionary attacks on Federation starbases. DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY The Xenomorphs have requested a peace conference. Accompany Ambassador Grace on his way to the Xeno-Federation Peace Summit. Protect the Ambassador's ship at all costs in the event of a Xenomorph trap. WAR! The Xenomorphs have officially declared war on the Federation. Their leaders have ordered a huge invasion force to mobilize at starbase Charlie in preparation for attack. Use all your skill to protect endangered Federation territory. SPY VERSUS XENOMORPHS The Xenomorphs are readying a secret war plan against the Federation. Proceed to Xeno HQ, using your Deceptor device as necessary to avoid detection, and intercept the secret transmission using the Information cockpit command. Then return to Federation HQ with the information. Beware! If the Xenomorphs detect your presence, the transmission will be withheld. XENOMORPH JUGGERNAUT The secret Xenomorph war plan is about to come to fruition. They have built a massive death base near their homestar. Their commanders are readying yet another, and possibly the final, assault on the Federation. Pulverize this base before the Xenos attack! THE BOONDOCK EXPEDITION Find the lost starbase Boondockia. Federation experts estimate this to be a four-day mission. Once you arrive there, attempt to dock with the ancient starbase (it is not known whether the starbase is under friendly or hostile domination). Your ship is specially equipped with solar power collectors which continuously replenish the nuclear batteries. Bring along lots of supplies to help you explore the furthest reaches of space. Note: Once out in deep space, use the Deceptor device with extreme caution. The Deceptor device drains your nukes more quickly than the solar power collectors can restore them, and docking to replenish your energy supplies may be impossible in the midst of this expedition. =========================================================================== This doc was typed in by -=*> UNISTAR <*=- There are IFF picture files of the SKYFOX II control panel and the map to the game for those that don't have the broken version; on this disk.