Stellar Crusade (a.k.a. Frontier) The Manual 1.0 Introduction Frontier is a game of interstellar exploration, exploitation, and conquest for one or two players. Players will assume the roles of supreme commanders of colonial societies cut off from outside aid and interference. As years pass, you will be responsible for the economic and military security of your people in an environment of constantly growing competition for the finite resources of a small star cluster. This will not be an easy task. Exploration and colonization must be carefully planned. Eventually, you will face the necessity of deciding the types and production sites of military/naval units and covert operations you need for the defense of your society. Finally, you will probably need to guide your people through the conflict for which you (hopefully) have prepared. Good luck. 1.1 Description of Action Each game turn represents a three month period (quarter). Each quarter, players will 1) Make economic decisions, and 2) Issue movement and mission orders for available forces. At the end of each quarterly turn, any exploration or combat will be resolved. 1.2 Talking to the Computer Most orders are issued by using the mouse to move the cursor to the menu line at the top of the screen, and selecting the desired action from one of the menus. Once an action has been selected, players will follow prompts which usually direct them to use the mouse to place the cursor over a colored box or boxes and press the left mouse button in order to complete the action. Keyboard entry is necessary only during the naming of ship classes and save/load game files. 1.21 The Graphic Star System Information Display A graphic star system information display can be called when the player is in his economics or movement phase. The display is called by pointing the mouse cursor at the star map graphic of the system of interest and pressing the left mouse button. Information will appear in the information area at the bottom of the screen, and will remain displayed until the player moves the mouse. On the left side of the information box, four 'pie charts' will show: A: System habitability and farm deployment. The green slice shows the fraction (number of farms deployed/99). The black slice shows the fraction ((system habitability-farms)/99). So the combined black and green slices show (system habitability/99). Light blue indicates ((99-system habitability)/99). Example: A pie chart which shows ~1/3 green, 1/6 black, and 1/2 light blue would indicate a star system with about 30 farms deployed, and a habitability of about 50. B: System organics rating and refinery deployment. The red slice shows the fraction (number of refineries deployed/99). The black slice shows the fraction ((system organics rating-refineries)/99). So the combined red and black slices show (system organics rating/99). Light blue indicates ((99-system organics rating)/99). Example: a pie chart which shows ~1/2 red, 1/2 black, and just a sliver of light blue would indicate a star system with about 50 refineries deployed, and an organics rating near 100. C: System metals rating and mine deployment. The gray slice shows the fraction (number of mines deployed/99). The black slice shows the fraction ((system metals rating-mines)/99). So the combined gray and black slices show (system metals rating/99). Light blue indicates ((99-system metals rating)/99). Example: a pie chart which shows ~3/4 black and 1/4 light blue would indicate a star system with very few or no mines deployed, and a metals rating near 75. D: System industrial development. The blue slice shows the fraction (number of factories deployed/99). The black slice shows the fraction ((99-factories)/99). The blue slice may be thought of as the percentage of total allowed industrial development for a given system. Within the pie chart area may appear a yellow "+" or "*" sign. A "+" sign indicates that the system has additional production of some type of raw material due to the presence of some special characteristic of the system. The "*" sign indicates the presence of spiders in the system. To the right of the pie charts, there appear 3 boxes: A: The population box shows population and locally available earthlike, protected and belt colony numbers. A man character represents one colony unit or population point. Lines under the man character represent powers of ten. Example: A man character with 2 lines under it, next to KPop: indicates a local population of 100 (thousand). These displays are accurate to 2 significant digits only. B: The military information box shows the number of local deployment sites as block blocks. Any locally deployed military formations will show as familiar unit symbols within the black blocks. Security units show as an empty box. Light regulars show as a box with diagonally crossed lines. Heavy regulars will show as a box containing another box. Special forces units will show as a box with one diagonal line. C: The naval information box shows the number of ships deployed locally by the owning player. A maximum of 90 ships can be shown. Individual ships are shown as small gray crosses similar to the task force markers used on the map. Above the population box, there will be a row of flag character symbols. The number of flags show system loyalty to the owning player. Example: 9 flags indicate a system loyalty of 9. All information is of course only as accurate as the player's current system information file. Pie chart representations of the system characteristics are accurate to within the limits of computer graphics resolution. This same information, plus some additional data are also available in greater detail in the non-graphic star system information display the players can call from the menu. 1.22 The Mouse Icon At some times during the game, the system bell will ring, and a mouse icon will be displayed in the information box below the map. This indicates that the program is waiting for players to press the left mouse button before the game will continue. 1.3 Saving a Game At the beginning of each turn, players will be given the chance to save the game in progress. A formatted disk, hard disk, or ramdisk (on machines with more than 512k of RAM) is required. Players need only follow the prompts in order to save their game. Saved games may be restarted at the saved point whenever the game is booted. 1.4 The Map The map is a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional star field. The location of a star system is marked in the xy plane by a black square, and height above or below this plane is indicated by color coded elevation dots. Green dots point to a star below the plane, and gray dots point to stars above the plane. The squares of the grid are five light years on a side in the xy plane, and elevation dots are placed at two light year intervals on lines parallel to the z axis. Unexplored/unclaimed systems are colored white, League systems are light blue, and Republican systems are red. The presence of friendly and known enemy naval concentrations is indicated by red (Republic) and light blue (League) task force markers in the information box located to the lower right of each star system. An 'x' marker in the information block indicates the presence of both friendly and enemy naval forces in the system. At the top of the map is the menu bar. Below the map is a display area for information which is compact to be given without resort to the full 80 column display of the second screen. Note that during a player's turn, enemy task force markers will only be current as of the beginning of the turn and will only be displayed if enemy task forces were present in a star system which shows the current date in the 'report date' block of its system report file. 1.5 Starting the Game Owners of 512k machines will probably find that they do not have sufficient memory for both Frontier and desk accessories or a ramdisk of useful size. ST owners with more than 512k should leave 512k for system and program use, but any other space may be freely used for accessories and ramdisks. This game is intended to be usable with accessories, and does work with everything the author has tried. Some experimentation may be necessary in order to properly use accessories with Frontier. You may need to use the Show Map selection to clean up after some accessories. Also be forewarned that many desk accessories are BIGTIME memory hogs. To start playing the game, power up your computer in the normal manner. It is suggested that you use the Frontier game disk (disk A) as your boot disk if you aren't sure about how much memory your normal boot disk leaves free. If necessary, select the low resolution mode from the Set Preferences desktop menu item. The game will not run if your computer is not in the low resolution display mode. Owners of computers with two disk drives should place the game disk in drive A, and the scenario disk (disk B) in drive B. On single drive systems, place the game disk in your disk drive and be ready to insert disk B if the program asks you to. If there is no open window to the drive with your game disk in it, 'open' the drive icon. Select the FRONTIER.PRG icon from the open window. After the drive starts running, just follow the prompts. You may remove the game and scenario disks from your disk drives and replace them with save game disks once you receive the prompt. At this point, you may put away both Frontier disks as the game is entirely RAM resident and does not require any program/scenario disk access once play has begun. 2.0 Sequence of Play Frontier is a two sided game. The Corporate League must be controlled by a human player. The People's Holy Republic may be controlled by either a human player or the computer. 2.1 Game Mode and Recall Sequence Players follow prompts to select: new vs. saved game, scenario, reality levels, solitaire difficulty level, and two player vs. solitaire mode. The computer initializes the game as specified. 2.11 Recalling Saved Games Players will be asked if they wish to load a previously saved game. If players do wish to load a saved game, the program will display a standard GEM selector box. This box will display all files with the extender "DAT" on drive A. The search drive may be changed on the line above the file listing if the saved game disk is in some other drive. Simply select the saved game file normally or cancel to exit without selecting a game. 2.12 Selecting Scenarios, Reality Levels, and Difficulty Level. If the players have not loaded a saved game, they will be presented with a menu divided into areas for scenario, reality level, and difficulty level selection. Selections are made by clicking the left mouse button over colored boxes to the left of the menu screen. Current scenario selection is indicated by a red box to the left of a scenario name. Reality levels are either "on" or "off", and will be indicated as such. Difficulty levels range from "Pushover" to "Hideous". Adventurous players may instead select a "Random" difficulty level which will randomly select from the available levels without directly informing the players of the results. The scenarios are described in rules section 6.0. As the effects of difficulty level and reality level selections are heavily dependent on the scenario selection, they are also described in section 6.0. 2.2 Turn Sequence Each game turn (quarter) will proceed in the following order: A. Game Save Opportunity B. People's Holy Republic Economics Phase C. Corporate League Economics Phase D. People's Holy Republic Movement Phase E. Corporate League Movement Phase F. Game Turn Resolutions Phase Phases B and D will occur only in two player games. Phases B and C will only occur when players are playing one of the long game scenarios. 3.0 Economics Phase Players will perform all economic planning and production of material goods. Information useful to intelligent planning may be accessed from the 'Assign' menu. Actual planning and economic orders are conducted from the 'Econ' menu. General game control functions are accessed from the 'General' menu. Since the effects of economic activities are generally only apparent "over the long run", the short game scenarios skip this phase for both players. 3.1 The 'Assign' Menu The following selections are available from the Economics 'Assign' menu: 3.11: Transport Pool 3.12: Special Support 3.13: Army 3.11 Transport Pool Selection of 'Transport Pool' will present the player with a list of ships currently assigned to that player's Transport Pool. Ships are listed by class name, and individual ship's sizes and current damage status are displayed. Ships in the Transport Pool automatically act to transport raw materials from systems with excess production to systems where those materials are needed. 3.12 Special Support Selection of 'Special Support' will present a similar list of ships assigned to that player's Special Support Command. Ships in the Special Support Command are necessary for the support of covert operations. 3.13 Army Selection of 'Army' will present the player with a list of all currently active military formations. Each unit's type, strength, capability, transport size, and location are displayed. Each player may produce a maximum of sixty military formations of all types. The allowed types are: Type: Strength: Capability: Transport Size: Cost: Security Forces 2 1-4 3 4 Light Regulars 2-4 1-8 6 10 Heavy Regulars 3-5 1-8 8 12 Special Forces 1 1-10 2 10 3.2 The 'Econ' Menu The following selections are available from the Economics 'Econ' menu: 3.21: Surplus Goods 3.22: Examine System 3.23: Allocations 3.24: Report 3.25: Ship Classes 3.26: Distance 3.27: Exit Economics 3.21 Surplus Goods Selection of 'Surplus Goods' will open a small window in the information area below the map. The current distribution of surplus food, metals, and organics will be displayed above a breakdown of: current total transport capacity in the transport pool, used capacity (that turn), and available (total - used) capacity. Surplus goods are those excess raw materials which are available for use in systems which have requirements for those goods. 3.22 Examine System Selection of 'Examine System' will present the player with a display of all known information on a particular system. Included in this information is the physical description of the system in game terms, types of goods produced at various production centers, sizes of industrial facilities, and known naval/military presence. Information on friendly systems is constantly updated. Information on enemy systems is updated at the end of any turn in which friendly forces perform physical reconnaissance or covert system reconnaissance. Physical reconnaissance of an enemy system occurs whenever a friendly naval unit survives through the Game Turn Resolutions Phase at that system. When this happens, all system information will be updated and the current date will be noted in the system report date block of the system display. Covert system reconnaissance is described in the description of the Movement Phase. It is best to take the system report with a grain of salt if the report date precedes the current date by more than a few turns. Sample report screen: /////System Report///// System name..Progress Population....2030 Deployment Sites..08 Ownership....Republic Habitability..100 Defensibility.....03 Loyalty......10 Metals........40 Report Date.......01/2332 Special......No Organics......60 Current Date......01/2332 Movable Units Present: Colony............03 Exploration..00 Farm kits......00 Mine kits..0 Protected Colony..02 Ships........00 Refinery kits..00 Fctry kits.0 Belt Colony.......14 Military.....08SF 09SF 11SF 14SF 19Hy Production Centers: Size Type Produced Industry: Shipyard #1..........20 AT:Chariot Farms........85 Shipyard #2..........15 CH:David's Sling Mines........39 Shipyard #3..........15 "spares" Refineries...56 Training Center #1...04 "rations" Factories....62 Training Center #2...02 Special Forces Spares Pool..49 Training Center #3...04 Heavy Regulars Ration Pool..00 Intelligence Center..03 Idle Population..1725 [ ] Exit (Population indicated in thousands.) This is the Progress system as developed during a playtest session. The date is first quarter of the year 2332 A.D. and since this a friendly system for the player calling the display, all information is current as of that date. 'Loyalty' ranges from 1 (poor) to 10 (good) for claimed systems and influences local industrial production. 'Special' characteristics of a star system (if any) can include: Gasworlders, Oort People, Aborigines, Paleotechnology, or Spiders. 'Population' ranges to a maximum value of about 5.5 million for a system with a habitability of 100. 'Habitability', 'Metals', and 'Organics' ratings are generated when a system is first explored and range from 5 to 100. The number following 'Deployment Sites' ranges from 3 to 8 and is the maximum number of military formations per player allowed to be active on planetary surfaces in the system at any given time. 'Defensibility' ranges from 1 (poor) to 3 (good) and influences the outcome of any ground combat occurring in the system. 'Colonies' are units of one thousand people ready and equipped to varying levels of readiness for movement to newly exploited star systems. 'Exploration' teams are the units which actually perform exploration tasks at unexplored star systems. 'Ships' gives the number of ships in active task forces in the system. 'Military' displays the unit designations for military formations active in the system. In this case, five formations are present: four Special Forces teams and one battalion of Heavy Regulars. 'Kits' are prefabricated industrial facilities awaiting transport to locations where they are needed. 'Shipyards' and 'Training Centers' may accumulate a maximum of 'Size' build points per turn toward the production of whatever 'Type' of unit is currently produced at the facility. 'Intelligence Centers' may produce a maximum of 'Size' covert operations options per turn. 'Farms', 'Mines', 'Refineries', and 'Factories' are basic industrial facilities. 'Spares' and 'Rations' are necessary for the maintenance of naval and military units. 'Idle Population' is that portion of local population available for assignment to production facilities, colonies, and military units. 3.23 Allocations Selection of 'Allocations' will begin a three screen routine of economic decisions for the system in question. Once begun, allocations for a system may be completed normally or aborted (cancelled) from the allocations 3 screen. The sequence is described below and followed by an example. The player is prompted to: select a system by placing the mouse cursor over a star graphic on the map and clicking the left mouse button, let the computer select a system, or exit from the sequence before going to allocations for a particular system. If a system is selected, the Allocations 1 screen appears. 3.231 Allocations 1:Build Point Production The Allocations 1 screen is the display for the quarterly 'Build point' production phase for a particular system. 'Build points' (or build units) are the basic building blocks used to create all other manufactured items. They are produced at 'factories'. One 'factory' will produce one 'build point' from: one 'food', one 'metal', and one 'organics' points. Systems produce their own raw materials: 'food' from 'farms', 'metal' from 'mines', and 'organics' from 'refineries'. Raw materials are normally produced at a rate of one point from each facility. If local loyalty is less than ten (the maximum loyalty), then production is (normal total*loyalty*10%). Any system will automatically produce one build point or build unit from each local factory which can draw one point each of the three types of raw materials from local sources. Factory output is not directly affected by local loyalty. Raw materials (food, metal, and organics) not automatically used in this manner become 'excess raw materials'. As long as the number of build points produced locally is smaller than the number of local factories, needed goods may be drawn from the surplus goods pool as indicated by the prompts. Maximum local production of build points is equal to the number of local factories. Any excess raw materials produced by the system will go into the surplus goods pool for the next turn if sufficient transport capacity exists in the transport pool. The current levels of surplus goods are displayed near the bottom of the screen. When the player finishes with Allocations 1 (by selecting '[ ]Exit to Allocations 2'), the second screen in the sequence appears. 3.232 Allocations 2:Build Production Facilities The Allocations 2 screen is the display for the quarterly 'Build Production Facilities' phase for the system. All system shipyards, training centers, intelligence centers, farms, mines, refineries, and factories are listed here with their current sizes, build costs, and production assignments. The cost and maximum number of farms, mines, and refineries is determined by a system's values for habitability, metals, and organics as displayed on the 'Examine System' display. Cost (per facility) is determined as follows: 5+(100-system value for habitability (farm), metals (mine), or organics (refinery)) / 2, to a maximum of 30 build points. Other facilities will all cost 10 build points each. Any facility will also require one point of idle population for construction. A wise player will attempt to produce raw materials in systems where their costs are low, and use a large transport pool to ship these inexpensive raw materials to systems where they would be more difficult to produce. The number of: build points currently available, idle population, and the number of build points which should be saved (not spent in Allocations 2) in order to operate existing production facilities during Allocations 3 are listed at the bottom of the screen. Production facilities are produced by selecting the Build box for a particular facility. When the player finishes with Allocations 2 (by selecting '[ ]Exit to Allocations 3.'), the third screen in the sequence appears. 3.233 Allocations 3:Allocate Build Points The Allocations 3 screen is the display screen for the 'Allocate Build Points' phase of quarterly production. This is where players actually produce such things as ships, military formations, spare parts, rations, and the prefabricated industrial facilities necessary for colonial expansion. Selecting one of the leftmost line of boxes will allocate one build point to the facility listed next to the box. On any given turn, only build points of a number less than or equal to the facility size may be allocated to a particular facility. These points can and usually will accumulate from turn to turn until enough points are available at a facility during the Resolutions phase to create a new unit of the type listed to the right of the facility name. The right line of boxes (marked with an 'x') controls the type of thing produced at a particular facility. Selecting one of these boxes will change the type of unit being built at the center named to the left of the box. Shipyards may build spare parts or any of twenty player defined classes of ships. Training centers build rations or any of the four types of military units available to players. Changing the type of unit produced at a particular facility will wipe out any points accumulated towards production at that facility, and the first unit (not spares or rations) produced at a particular facility will be more expensive than succeeding units. This prototype cost multiplier ranges from a factor of two to four. Wise players will avoid unnecessary changes in production types. The lower group of four boxes selects production of prefabricated industrial facilities. When a player is finished with Allocations, he selects 'Exit to Map/Menu', or 'Abort Allocation. Selection of "Exit..." will inform the program of completed allocations for the system. Selection of "Abort..." will cancel this allocation for the system. In either case, the program will return to the main map/menu. Any build points not expended will be applied to the research pool (detailed later). 3.234 Example of Allocations Example: First you might select 'Examine System' to get some idea of what you already have in the system. Things like idle population, levels of spares and rations, and numbers of kits and military units are likely to be of interest while you make your production decisions. Once you have some idea of what you need, select 'Allocations' in order to get to the decision screens. Once again we will use the Progress system as shown in the sample system report above. A sample Allocations 1 screen is shown below. ///// Allocations ///// 1:PRODUCE BUILD POINTS Progress ......... has produced: System excess production was: 85 Food from....... 85 Farms 46 Food 39 Metal from...... 39 Mines 00 Metal 56 Organics from... 56 Refineries 17 Organics 39 Build units from 62 Factories System idle population:1725 Excess production will be contributed to the surplus goods pool for the next quarter. 23 Factories are idle in this system. In order to operate these factories at full capacity, it is necessary to draw materials from the surplus goods pool by clicking the left mouse button over the box below. [ ] Draw from pool Surplus goods pool holds: 31 Food 36 Metal 23 Organics [ ] Exit to Allocations 2 This system is going to require additional metal and organics drawn from the surplus goods pool in order to operate all of its factories. Placing the cursor over the 'Draw...' box and clicking the left mouse button will draw these required goods from the pool as long as they are needed and available. Getting maximum production from local factories will in this case require 23 metal and 6 organics points from the pool. Local excess production will then be 23 food points to be contributed to next quarter's surplus goods pool. In this case, we will draw the maximum usable goods from the pool in order to get the full production of 62 build points. Once we reach this point, no more goods will be drawn from the pool and a note '(No more build units may be produced in this system in this quarter.)' will appear above the exit box. We select '[ ] Exit to Allocations 2' and the following screen appears. /////Allocations///// . 2:BUILD PRODUCTION FACILITIES Click left mouse button over boxes to build up chosen facility. [ ] Exit to Allocations 3 Facility Current Cost:Build Units Currently Name Size/Max Build /Population Producing Shipyard #1..........20/99 [ ] ...10/1... AT:Chariot Shipyard #2..........15/99 [ ] ...10/1... CH:David's Sling Shipyard #3..........15/99 [ ] ...10/1... "spares" Training Center #1...04/99 [ ] ...10/1... "rations" Training Center #2...02/99 [ ] ...10/1... Special Forces Training Center #3...04/99 [ ] ...10/1... Heavy Regulars Intelligence Center..03/99 [ ] ...10/1 Farms................85/99 [ ] ...05/1 Mines................39/39 [ ] ...30/1 Refineries...........56/59 [ ] ...25/1 Factories............62/99 [ ] ...10/1 Idle population is 1725 62 Build units are available 63 Build Units should be saved for Allocations 3 phase in order to operate current production facilities at 100% capacity. Notice that we have 63 local production facilities. Any build units we spend here in Allocations 2 will not be available for use in Allocations 3, so we want to take care that we leave enough build units to produce any ships, military formations, etc. that we really need later. We will spend 15 build units on one farm and one shipyard #1, bringing the sizes of those facilities to 86 and 21 respectively. Idle population declines to 1723 and we are left with 47 build units for use in Allocations 3. Selecting '[ ] Exit to Allocations 3' brings in the last screen: ////Allocations///// . 3:ALLOCATE BUILD POINTS Click left mouse button over boxes to build up or increment type. The upper right column of boxes controls facility production type. Facility Facility Currently Currently Unit Name Size Producing Committed Cost [ ]Shipyard #1.......... 21 [X] AT:Chariot 41 42 [ ]Shipyard #2.......... 15 [X] CH:David's Sling 14 29 [ ]Shipyard #3.......... 15 [X] "spares" 00 01 [ ]Training Center #1... 04 [X] "rations" 00 01 [ ]Training Center #2... 02 [X] Special Forces 00 10 [ ]Training Center #3... 04 [X] Heavy Regulars 00 12 [ ]Intelligence Center.. 03 ..... 00 [ ]Farm "kit"....... 00 [ ]Mine "kit"............ 00 [ ]Refinery "kit"... 00 [ ]General Factory "kit". 00 The first unit of any particular type, constructed at any particular location, will cost two to four times the normal cost to build. Kits cost 35 build units! Build Units Remaining... 47 [ ]Exit to Map/Menu [Abort Allocation] We have 47 build units to play with here. Selecting Shipyard #1 21 times (just press the mouse button and hold it down) changes our Build Units Remaining to 26 and the amount currently committed to Shipyard #1 to 62. Allocating 15 units to Shipyard #2 will increase the amount committed to Shipyard #2 to 29. We'll also spend 10 units on "spares" (Shipyard #3) and 1 unit on our Intelligence Center. We have all the Special Forces units we need so we can select the box with the "X" in it next to Training Center #1 to increment the type to Light Regulars. Selecting '[ ]Exit to Map/Menu' returns us to the map screen and ends allocations for this system. Assuming that the ships being produced at Shipyards #1, #2 are not the first of their classes, one each of these ships will be produced at the end of the turn, and 20 units will accumulate toward the construction of another AT:Chariot class ship. Ten "spares" will be produced and one covert operations option will become available for the next turn. Since we did not allocate any build units to any Training Centers or "kits", no military units, rations, or kits will be produced in this system this turn. 3.24 Report Selection of 'Report' will present the player with a graphic planning aid for use in efficient resource allocation. A grid with multicolor plot and sub menu will appear at the top of the screen. At the bottom of the screen is a section of suggestions. The grid displays the end of turn values for all important economic variables over the previous ten turns. Each variable is plotted in the same color as its name to the right of the grid. The names to the right of the grid identify the available information, and act as a sub menu. Selection of any of these names will plot the most recent ten turn history of the associated variable. The 'Options' menu item gives the player additional choices. When the grid first comes up, all eight of these variables are plotted simultaneously. This may be rather confusing. Selection of 'Options' will present the player with an alert box asking for the selection of: Clear graph, Current data, or Exit. Selection of Clear graph will simply erase any information plotted in the grid area. This allows a player to select for plotting only the information he desires. So a player wishing (for example) to examine the relationship between factory output and transport pool capacity would select 'Options', Clear graph, Factory output, and Transport pool. If a player selects Current data, a bar graph of the current turn's values will be displayed in the grid area. Use of the bar graph can allow a player to determine economy wide imbalances at a glance. The running historical values can be overlaid on the bar graph by selection of items from the menu area. Selection of 'Exit' will return the player to the main menu/screen. Below the grid area may be one or more suggestions from the program on ways to improve the player's economic situation. These suggestions will sometimes include a star system name in parentheses if an action is best performed in a particular place. The suggestions are the result of analysis of the player's current situation and are designed to help players along a path of constant gentle economic growth. The variables available for plotting are defined below: Industrial capacity: This is the sum total of all shipyards, training centers, and intelligence centers at all player controlled star systems (current player). Transport pool: The total cargo carrying capacity of the player's transport pool. Research: The total number of build units allocated to research through direct allocation, system allowance, and exploitation of paleotechnology. Factory output: The total number of build units produced by a player's factories. In a well run economy, this should be about equal to the number of player factories. Food: The total number of food units produced by all player controlled farms and trade with aborigines. Metal: The total number of metal units produced by all player controlled mines and trade with Oort people. Organics: The total number of organics units produced by all player controlled refineries and trade with Gasworlders. Factories: The total number of player controlled factories. 3.25 Ship Classes and Ship Systems Selection of 'Ship Classes' will present a player with a list of his 20 allowed ship classes. There are four choices of action available to the player: 1) Exit to main menu 2) Enemy Ships 3) Change Class, and 4) Examine Class. 'Exit to main menu' returns the player to the map/menu screen. Selecting '[ ]Enemy Ships' allows the player to examine the other player's currently producible ship classes. The player selects a particular class then: Selecting 'Change Class' presents the player with the class definition screen. Following the prompts, the player will select systems to be included in the new ship class. As a new class is designed, a ship schematic graphic will take form. Any later references to ships of this class will include this schematic. The old class is deleted and any shipyards currently building units of this class will lose all build units accumulated toward ship production. Existing ships of this class are unaffected. This option is not available when viewing enemy ship classes. Selecting 'Examine Class' presents the player with all data on the class selected. 3.251 Ship Systems Each ship in the game is defined in terms of a list of installed operational systems. There are twelve ships system types, and each system has different uses: 1)Long Range Anti R: Any ship mounting one or more of these systems must have at least one 'R scan' system mounted as well. Long range weapons are fired first in combat. When they are fired, they are permanently expended. Most ships can not take more than one hit from this kind of weapon. the 'Anti R' designation means that these weapons are only effective against enemy ships operating in 'real space'. 2)Long Range Anti i: Any ship mounting one or more of these systems must have at least one 'i scan' system mounted as well. The 'Anti i' designation means that these weapons are only effective against enemy ships operating in 'i(imaginary) space'. 3)Short Range Anti R: Short range weapons may not fire until all long range fire has taken place. Unlike long range weapons, short range systems are not expended as they are fired. Short range weapons are not as destructive as long range weapons. 'Anti r' systems are only useful against ships operating in 'real space'. 4)Short Range Anti i: As above, but these weapons are only effective against ships operating in 'i space'. 5)Long Range Defense: These expendable systems act to reduce the number of long range weapons hits on an entire friendly task force. 6)Point Defense: These systems attempt to deflect long range weapons from the ship carrying point defense systems. They are not expended in use. 7)R Scan: These systems act to acquire 'real space' targets for any long range weapon systems on board. 8)i Scan: These systems act to acquire 'i space' targets for any long range weapon systems on board. 9)Command Module: A command module is the planning, communications, and control center of a task force. As long as at least one ship in a task force has at least one active command module, that task force may have a commander assigned. Task forces without a command module must act under central command. 10)i Space Drive: This is a variant of the standard interstellar drive which allows ships so powered to sense and attack enemy ships while still in an 'imaginary' space. Such a ship can only be attacked by 'anti i' weapons. Any ship not so equipped operates at all times in the familiar world of 'real space'. 11)Cargo Capacity: One point of cargo capacity allows the transport of one size point worth of cargo. Any cargo transported must be carried on one ship, (not distributed among several ships) so only ships with large cargo capacities may carry things such as heavy regulars or exploration teams. 12)Assault Capacity: Assault capacity acts exactly as cargo capacity, but it has the additional ability to project military forces into space to ground assaults on enemy systems. In order to project a unit into combat, the ship's original (pre-damage) assault capacity must be at least as large as the transport size of the projected unit. i.e. in order to project a heavy regular unit into combat, the original assault capacity of a ship must be at least 8. 3.26 Distance Selecting 'Distance' will allow the player to find the distance from one system to any other on the map. The player will be prompted to select a source system ( by moving the mouse to the system 'star' on the map and clicking the left mouse button ). The source system will be marked and the player may now select any destination system on the map in the same fashion to receive distance information in the small window below the map area. 3.27 Exit Economics Selecting 'Exit Economics' will allow the player to leave his economics phase and proceed to the next game phase. 3.3 The General Menu The General menu allows access to the following general game control functions. 3.31: Quit 3.32: Erase Map 3.33: Show Map 3.34: Control 3.35: End Game 3.31 Quit Selection of this menu option presents the player with an opportunity to stop playing the game and return to the desktop in a controlled manner. 3.32 Erase Map Selection of Erase Map will immediately clear the screen of everything but the menu bar and mouse use prompt. This function will be most useful in two player games. 3.33 Show Map Selection of Show Map will immediately restore the screen to the standard low resolution map display. This is useful for recovery from Erase Map or any desk accessories which don't bother to clean up after themselves. 3.34 Control Selection of Control will present a player with an 80 column medium resolution screen which displays the default colors for text and background normally used for information displays during the game. The default colors are: Black : Background. Green : Text color used for comments, instructions, and constant numerical values. Blue : Text color used for values which may change with different situations. Also used for selection box indications. Red : Text color used for special attention notes, warnings, text selection indications, and negative numerical values. Also used for button color on information screens. Players may follow the prompts to change the display colors for text and background. Each player may select a separate set of display colors for information screens without affecting the other player's displays. In these rules, the default colors are assumed in any references to colors on information screens. The button delay control will vary the time delays built into mouse selected button repeats. While it is convenient for this delay to be small if a player has nimble fingers, many players may be more comfortable with longer delays. Unintended button repeats can be very annoying. The author prefers a button delay of 5 (the default). 3.35 End Game Selection of End Game will give the player an opportunity to end the game with a count of current victory levels. The Game Turn Resolutions Phase and certain menu selections are disabled, and the game is placed in a two player mode for ease of inspection of the computer player's situation in a solitaire game. 4.0 Movement Phase Players will issue any covert operations and ship transfer orders. Task forces are given commanders and mission orders. Cargo is loaded / unloaded / moved from one star system to another. Task force operations and special (covert) operations are accessed through the 'Move' menu, and Commands, ships-in-transit, and commanders are are accessed through the 'Assign' menu. General game control functions are accessed through the 'General' menu as in the Economics phase. After the 4/2330 turn, each player is given the opportunity to begin limited hostilities. Players may not initiate open hostilities. This will happen automatically in from 6 to 18 turns after the first turn of limited hostilities. Once open hostilities have begun, a crossed swords graphic will appear near the lower right corner of the map. 4.1 The 'Assign' Menu The following selections are available from the 'Assign' menu: 4.11: Transport Pool 4.12: Training Command 4.13: Escort Command 4.14: Raiding Command 4.15: Special Support 4.16: Ships In Transit 4.17: Commanders 4.18: Army 4.11 Transport Pool Selecting 'Transport Pool' will present the player with a list of all ships currently assigned to the transport pool. The transport pool may be thought of as a player's merchant marine. Ships in the pool will sum their total of undamaged cargo/assault capacities for use in efficient distribution of surplus goods. While they remain in the pool, ships do not require maintenance. Once hostilities begin, any ships in the transport pool are subject to attack by armed ships assigned to the enemy 'Raiding Command'. Friendly armed ships in the 'Escort Command' will be needed in order to provide protection. Information on each ship includes: Class name, size, and current damage. Two choices are presented to the player: '[ ] Exit' will return the player to the main map/menu screen. '[ ] Reassign Ships' will open the following small window below the ship listing: + - Change Select [ ] Exit [ ][ ]...Task Force...[ ] TF: nn [ ] Scrap [ ][ ]....Command.....[ ] Commandname Once this window appears, the player will be able to select any ship or ships on the list by moving the cursor over the box to the left of the ship's name and pressing the left mouse button. Selected ships are indicated by blue select boxes next to the ships' names. The two leftmost columns of buttons in the reassignment window are used to increment/decrement the nn and Commandname to the right of the reassignment window select buttons, and the select buttons select a destination for the reassigned ships. If the player wishes to send the first, second, and ninth ships on the list to the training command, he will select those ships, then select the left (Increment) button on the Command line until Commandname reads 'Training Command', and finally he will select the right (Select) button on the command line. The listing will be redrawn without the reassigned ships, indicating the new composition of the transport pool. The reassigned ships will be in transit (see rule 4.16) to the training command. Selecting the '[ ] Scrap' button will give the player a chance to delete any indicated ships from his list. This may become necessary if a player is near his 120 ship limit and wishes to produce newer, more efficient types. Ships carrying cargo will not be scrapped. Selecting the '[ ] Exit' button will return the player to the main map/menu screen. 4.12 Training Command This selection will present the player with a list of all ships currently assigned to the Training Command. Whenever a new ship is produced at a friendly star system, that ship will be placed 'in transit' to the Training Command. Once in the Training Command, the ship may be reassigned to any other command or task force. Ships assigned to the Training Command do not require maintenance and are not subject to any form of attack at any time. The exit and reassign ship selections function as described in rule 4.11. 4.13 Escort Command This selection will present the player with a list of all ships currently assigned to the Escort Command. Ships assigned to the Escort Command do not require maintenance unless damaged by enemy action. Once hostilities begin, ships assigned to this command act to attack vessels in the enemy Raiding Command, and are in turn subject to attack by enemy raiders. The exit and reassign ship selections function as described in rule 4.11. 4.14 Raiding Command This selection will present the player with a list of all ships currently assigned to the Raiding Command. Ships assigned to the Raiding Command do not require maintenance unless damaged by enemy action. Once hostilities begin, ships assigned to this command act to attack ships assigned to the enemy Transport Pool, and are in turn subject to attack by enemy ships assigned to Escort Command. Due to the nature of the Raiding Command/Transport Pool/Escort Command interaction, raiding command ships equipped with 'i space' drives will perform exceptionally well against ships in the enemy transport pool. The exit and reassign ship selections function as described in rule 4.11. 4.15 Special Support This selection will present the player with a list of all ships currently assigned to the Special Support Command. Assignment of operations options by the 'Special Ops' menu selection (rule 4.21) may require that some ships be assigned to this command. Ships assigned to the Special Support Command do not require maintenance, but are subject to a 2% attrition rate each quarter. Old or inexpensive ships are best used for this duty. The exit and reassign ship selections function as described in rule 4.11. 4.16 Ships in Transit This selection will present the player with a display of the first 34 ships currently in transit to major commands and task forces. A total of 51 ships may be in transit for each player at any given time. The following information is displayed for the first 34 ships: ship class name, ship number (from 1 to 120), the destination command or task force, and the quarter and year of their projected arrival on station. The total number of ships in transit and the current date are also given at the bottom of the screen. Select '[ ] Exit' to return to the main map/menu. Important: Any ships which are "reassigned" to another command or task force will be placed in transit to their destination, and will be out of play for from 1 to 4 turns. Ships "transferred" from one task force to another are not placed in transit. Transfers occur immediately. 4.17 Commanders This selection will present the player with a list of all available commanders, listed by code name and unit of assignment, and individually rated for: ship to ship attack, ship to ship defense, space to ground (amphibious?) military planning ability, and age. Commanders who have not been tested in combat will not be rated. Untested ability ratings will be shown as '??'. Age is always known for all commanders. Command ratings will vary from one(poor) to five(good). As commanders age, they will eventually be retired and/or replaced. Players may increment the unit of assignment for a commander by selecting the box to the left of the commander's code name. Task forces to which other commanders have been assigned will be skipped during the incrementing process. 'NA' in the assignment column indicates that the commander is not currently assigned to a task force. Commanders may only be assigned to task forces which currently have assigned to them at least one ship with a functional command module. Selecting the '[ ] Exit' button will return the player to the main map/menu. 4.18 Army This choice is exactly the same as the 'Army' selection described in rule 3.13. 4.2 The 'Move' Menu The following selections are available from the 'Move' menu: 4.21: Special Ops 4.22: Examine System 4.23: Task Forces 4.24: Move Task Force 4.25: Command Autonomy 4.26: Distance 4.27: Exit Movement 4.21 Special Ops Selection of 'Special Ops' presents the player with an analysis of the enemy player's special (covert) operations on the last completed turn. Selecting '[ ] Exit' will replace this information with a list of support ships and operations options available for friendly actions. Operations options are raw intelligence manpower and resources. They may not be accumulated from turn to turn, so those not used on the turn of their availability are automatically used for internal security. Only 10 operations options per turn, per activity are allowed per player. Options may be allocated toward the following activities: '[ ] Foment Rebellion': Encourages popular unrest at enemy systems. This is reflected as a drop in the affected systems' loyalty level. One support ship must be available for each operations option allocated towards this activity. This action will be ineffective if the enemy player heavily garrisons his systems. '[ ] System Reconaissance': Gathers information on the current state of enemy star systems. This is reflected by updating the friendly player's system report file. One support ship must be available for each operations option allocated towards this activity. '[ ] Internal Security': Counteracts the effects of enemy attempts to foment rebellion or reconnoiter friendly star systems. No support ships are needed for this activity. '[ ] Abort': Will cancel any previous allocation of operations options for a player. This essentially allows a player to re-start his covert operations allocations if necessary. 4.22 Examine System This choice is exactly the same as the 'Examine System' selection described in rule 3.22. 4.23 Task Forces Selection of 'Task Forces' presents the player with the following information on all 36 friendly task forces: Location : System name of current task force location. Size : The number of ships in the task force. Status : This line is left blank for inactive task forces (those with no ships currently assigned). Active task forces will have a status of 'Ready' or 'Moved', and a mission suffix of A (attack), T (transport), or R (reserve) . The player may '[ ] Exit to Map/Menu.', (which does exactly that) or '[ ] Examine or modify task force.'. One of the task forces listed will be printed in red letters. This is the task force which will be examined if the '[ ] Examine...' option is chosen. In order to change the task force of interest, the player simply moves the cursor to any portion of the display area of the task force he wishes to look at and presses the left mouse button. The text line for that task force will turn red to indicate the new task force of interest. Selection of 'Examine or modify task force.' will present the player with the following information: A list of all ships in the task force, including ship size (number of original ship's systems), cargo (number of functioning cargo and assault capacity systems), and maximum movement range. Task force number. Current task force mission. Current task force commander. Movement status (ready or moved). Task force location. Task force maximum movement range. The player will also be given seven choices of action: '[ ] Exit' '[ ] Change Mission' '[ ] Transfer or Reassign ship' '[ ] Examine ship and load/unload cargo' '[ ] Express load taskforce' '[ ] Express unload taskforce' '[ ] Relocate inactive taskforce' Selecting '[ ] Exit' will return the player to the main 'Task Forces' screen. Selecting '[ ] Change Mission' will increment the task force mission order in single steps from Reserve to Transport to Attack to Reserve etc. Selecting '[ ] Transfer or Reassign ship' will open the following small window below the ship list: Transfers(In system, no delay in arrival) [ ][ ] Increment/Decrement Task Force [ ] Transfer ship to Task Force... nn Reassignments(1-4 turn delay in arrival) [ ][ ] Increment/Decrement Task Force [ ][ ] Increment/Decrement Command [ ] Reassign ship to Task Force... mm [ ] Reassign ship to Command...... Commandname [ ] Exit All transfer and reassignment orders act on any ships indicated by blue boxes next to their names. To indicate a ship for an action, the player places the cursor over the ship box and presses the left mouse button. That ship box will turn blue to indicate the selection. Any or all ships in the task force may be so indicated. Reselecting a ship box will reverse the selection/indication. Transfers may occur between any two task forces in the same star system. Ships may not transfer out of task forces which have already moved in the current turn. They may transfer into such task forces. All transfers are instantaneous. Selection of '[ ] Transfer ships to Task Force... nn' will immediately assign the indicated ships to task force nn. Selection of '[ ][ ] Increment/Decrement task force' will simply increment/decrement the number 'nn' shown above. Only inactive task forces (from anywhere) or active task forces in the system will be selected. If ships are transferred to an inactive task force, that task force will become active at the location of transferring task force. Reassignments are similar to transfers, but do not necessarily take place between forces at the same system. Unlike transfers, reassignments are not immediate. Transferred ships will be placed 'in transit' (and out of play) for from one to four turns. This is the only way to move ships from task forces to one of the major commands. The '[ ][ ] Increment/Decrement Task Force' and '[ ][ ] Increment/Decrement Command' buttons act to increment/decrement the 'mm' and 'Commandname' values referred to above. Selecting '[ ] Reassign ship to Task Force... mm' will place the indicated ships in transit to task force mm. Selecting '[ ] Reassign ship to Command......Commandname' will place the indicated ships in transit to the major command 'Commandname'. Selecting '[ ] Exit' will close the Transfer/Reassignments window. Selecting '[ ] Examine ship and load/unload cargo' will present a detailed display of the indicated ship. The ship to be examined may be changed by selecting any ship box before selecting the '[ ] Examine ship...' option. The newly selected ship will be indicated with a blue box in the brackets next to the ship class name. When the '[ ] Examine ship...' option is called, the following information is displayed: The operational status of all ship's systems, giving current and original values for those systems. Any difference between these values is damage. The ship schematic will show any damaged systems in red. Ship class name. Ship number. This will be a number from 1 to 120. Class effectiveness. ( A combat modifier ) Current load of spares and rations. Current cargo/assault space available. The player will be given five choices of action: '[ ] Exit' '[ ] Examine next ship in task force' '[ ] Examine previous ship in task force' '[ ] Check/load available cargo' '[ ] Check/unload available cargo' Selecting '[ ] Exit' will return the player to the 'Examine or Modify Task Force' screen. Selecting '[ ] Examine next ship in task force' will allow the player to step 'forward' through the task force to examine subsequent ships . Selecting '[ ] Examine previous ship in task force' will allow the player to step 'backwards' through the task force to examine previous ships. Selecting '[ ] Check/load available cargo' will open a small window below the ship status display. All items available for transport from the system the task force currently occupies will be displayed along with transport sizes and, in the case of military formations: unit strength and capability. Selecting any item will load it into the cargo/assault section of the loading ship if there is enough room on the ship for that item (item size is less than or equal to space available). Selecting '[ ] Check/unload available cargo' will open a window similar to the one described above. All items currently carried on the transported ship are displayed. Note that some items change character when unloaded. Kits will cease being kits and become production facilities if the local total of such production facilities is less than 99, and under the proper conditions, colonies will become local population. If local population is less than (system habitability*50) then: Belt colonies will become local population. Protected colonies will become local population if habitability is greater than 34. Earthlike colonies will become local population if habitability is greater than 64. Military units in excess of the local deployment limit imposed by the number of deployment sites in the system will not be allowed to unload. Ships may go through the load/unload sequence an unlimited number of times in each turn. The deployment of colonies and kits in the system of their origin is allowed as intra-system settlement. This is the only way in which facilities beyond the 'maximum' number imposed by the physical characteristics of the star system may be installed in the system. Selecting '[ ]Express load...' will present the player with a list of items which may be loaded by the task force automatically and in large quantities. Selecting one of these items will load as many of them as the task force is capable of carrying. Selecting '[ ]Express unload...' will present the player with a list of items which may be unloaded by the task force automatically and in large quantities. Selecting one of these items will unload as many of them as the task force is carrying. The express load/unload functions operate under the same restrictions as do normal load/ unload operations. They can be very useful when moving things such as spare parts or colonists. Selection of '[ ] Relocate inactive task force' will allow the player to change the current location of a task force to any friendly system. This works only for inactive (empty) task forces. 4.24 Move Task Force This is the option used to move active task forces. Upon selection of this option, the player will be prompted to 'Use the cursor to select the system of origin', or '[ ] Exit'. Selection of '[ ] Exit' simply cancels the sequence and re-sets the menu. If the player selects a system on the map, (by moving the cursor to the 'star' graphic and pressing the left mouse button) the computer checks to see if any friendly active task forces of 'ready' status are present. If no such task forces are present, this has the same effect as '[ ] Exit', otherwise an information display box will open below the map showing: task force number, size, commander, mission, maximum movement range, and total cargo for the lowest numbered 'ready' task force in the system. By selecting boxes to the right of the task force information, the player may 'skip' to the next task force (if any), go into the 'Show Distance' routine (returning to movement when finished), or 'exit' back to the main menu. When the player has a task force he wants to move, he simply places the cursor on the desired destination system and presses the left mouse button. If the destination system is within the player's maximum movement radius (12+(lowest ship effectiveness level in task force * 2) light years), the player will be asked to verify that this is indeed the move intended. Otherwise, the player will be notified that the requested movement is not allowed, and asked to select another destination. Once the move is verified, the task force status is changed to 'moved' and the task force may not move again in the current turn. Task forces given orders to 'move' to their current location are not considered to have been moved. The computer will continue to present task forces to be moved from this system until either the player 'exit's or no 'ready' unskipped task forces remain in the system of origin. If an 'x' mark appears near the destination system map graphic, enemy forces are in the destination system (although they may move out before the resolution phase of the turn). 4.25 Command Autonomy Selection of Command Autonomy will present a player with a choice of enabling or disabling the command autonomy feature. The current status is displayed as the default (heavily outlined) selection in the alert box. If enabled, command autonomy will automatically ensure that any damaged ships in the Transport Pool, Escort Command, or Raiding Command are automatically routed to task force 34,35, or 36 (respectively) for repairs. Any fully functional ships in these taskforces will automatically be re-assigned to duty in the appropriate command. This frees the player from having to monitor the condition of ships in his commands. In some cases, the player may wish to retain direct control of his repair schedule. This will mean disabling command autonomy. 4.26 Distance This choice is exactly the same as the 'Distance' selection described in rule 3.26. 4.27 Exit Movement Selecting 'Exit Movement' will allow the player to leave his movement phase and proceed to the next game phase. 4.3 The General menu This is the same menu as described in rule 3.3. 5.0 Game Turn Resolution Phase All command level and task force combat, military assaults, exploration, production, maintenance, covert operations, and calendar dependent functions occur during this phase. There is a 0.5% chance for unplanned hostilities to break out on any game turn after 4/2330. When significant events occur, players will be notified in a small window below the map. Information will be displayed for a few seconds before being replaced by any new display. 5.1 Command Level Combat Command Level Combat will occur only if hostilities have begun. Any ships assigned to the Raiding Command of either player will attempt to locate targets in the enemy Transport Pool. Each raider will have a 5% chance of locating each enemy transport, and will attack the only the first transport located. Each 'short range anti r' weapon system mounted on the raider will do: 1 to 10 points of damage to the target (if the raider is equipped with a functional i space drive for use in setting up his attack) or, 1 point of damage (if the raider is not equipped with an i space drive: player's current effectiveness * 10% chance of hit). There is a 20% chance that raiders will attack a ship in the Escort Command instead, following the same procedure. After all raiders have attempted to attack, any ships assigned to the Escort Command of either player will attempt to locate targets in the enemy Raiding Command. Each escort will have a 4% chance of locating each enemy raider, and will attack only the first raider located. If the target raider is equipped with a functional i space drive, the escort will attack with all functional anti i weapons. Each long range anti i weapon will do 3 points of damage (firing player's current effectiveness*10% chance to hit), and each short range anti i weapon will do 1 point of damage (firing player's current effectiveness*10% chance to hit). If the target raider is not equipped with a functional i space drive, the escort will attack with all functional anti r weapons. Each short range weapon fired by the escort will do 1 point of damage (firing player's current effectiveness*10% chance to hit). Each long range weapon will do 5 to 15 points of damage (firing player's current effectiveness*10% chance to hit). If the target raider mounts functional point defense weapons, there is a chance that any long range weapon hit will do no damage (number of point defenses*7%). Note that raiding ships will not fire long range weapons. Any long range weapons fired by escorts will automatically be replenished. Ships damaged in command combat may only be repaired by assigning the damaged ships to active task forces and leaving the damaged ships in those task forces until normal maintenance effects repairs. After all command level combat has taken place, if raiders were active, the players will be notified. Any damage taken by transports or escorts will be indicated as 'tonnage hit'. This figure includes all tonnage damaged in both transport pool and escort command, as well as private shipping (not otherwise treated by this game) engaged in trade to and from friendly explored systems. The bulk of damage reported is going to generally be to shipping in the transport pool. 5.2 Movement Resolutions All movement related actions are resolved. All task forces are reset to 'ready' status for the next turn. Exception: task forces not in friendly systems during this phase have only an 80% chance of becoming 'ready'. The following actions take place during the Movement Resolution phase: 5.21: Ship to Ship Combat 5.22: Exploration 5.23: Space to Ground Assaults 5.21 Ship to Ship combat Once open hostilities have begun, the computer will check every star system on the map for the presence of mutually hostile task forces. If any such situation exists, and if any of the task forces in the involved system have an attack mission, ship to ship combat will occur. The system will be marked with an 'x' in the system information box, and a small window will open below the map: ///// Resolutions ///// Contact Report: |This display shows information| System: Systemname |only for ships which are | Ship to Ship combat hours: nn |currently engaged. A graphic | Republic League |display will show all ships | Ships R/i nn/nn nn/nn |present in the star system. | L. Range wx: nn nn S. Range wx: nn nn Along with the text information at the bottom of the screen, the program will provide a graphic display of the forces involved in the combat. Ships are shown as colored dots on a black background, arrayed by task force. Individual task forces will be displayed in formations dependent on their assigned missions. Attack forces will be displayed in generally wedge shaped formations. Transport forces will be shown in generally linear formations, and reserve forces will be shown in a disorganized staggered formation. The computer will first resolve all combat between any task forces with attack missions. If, after combat, one player still has active task forces with attack missions; those task forces will attack any enemy forces present under any other mission. The range of the last round's combat is displayed next to "Contact Report:". Combat begins with long range fire and will continue until all long range weapons on both sides are exhausted or one player's forces are eliminated. In any given round of combat (one hour), each of a player's long range weapons has the following chance to fire:(50*task force commander's attack rating*the number of enemy targets available for this weapon type at the beginning of the round / total number of weapons of this type available to the firing player at the beginning of the round)*1%. Each weapon fired has the following hit probability:(10 *the effectiveness of the firing ship+10*the number of scanner systems of the appropriate type mounted on the firing ship)*1%. Once the total number of hits of both anti r and anti i long range weapons is determined, any long range defensive systems will attempt to destroy incoming hostile long range anti r weapons. Long range defenses will fire one at a time until there are no more incoming hostile long range anti r weapons, or defensive weapons are exhausted. Each weapon fired has the following probability of eliminating one hit:(3*the effectiveness of the firing ship * the task force commander's defense rating )%. Any surviving long range weapons will then randomly select targets from target task forces. Any surviving weapon will automatically hit unless the target ship mounts functional point defenses. The chance that point defenses will eliminate any particular hit is:(the number of point defense systems mounted on the target ship*14 %). A maximum of 5 point defense weapons will be fired from any target ship. Any target ship hit by a long range weapon will take 10 to 15 points of damage per hit. This damage will be distributed among functional systems mounted on the target ship. Any ship with damage left undistributed after all systems have been destroyed will be deleted from the player's list of active ships, and any cargo on that ship will be lost. Once all long range weapons are expended short range combat begins. Short range combat will continue until a round occurs in which neither player makes any hits on enemy ships, one player successfully disengages, or only one player has R space ships remaining in the star system. (It is possible that both players may have surviving ships at this point.) In any given round (one hour), each of a player's short range weapons will fire (maximum of 5 per ship per round). Each weapon has the following hit probability:(the effectiveness of the firing ship*10%). Any hits will be distributed randomly among ships in the target task forces, and each hit will do 1 point of damage to a system mounted on a target ship. If the target ship has no undamaged systems remaining, that ship will be deleted (destroyed) , and any cargo on that ship will be lost. Each action which requires a check of a commander's attack or defense rating will check the rating of the commander of the task force to which the affected ship belongs. If at any time, no ships with command modules (damaged or undamaged) are present in a particular task force, any commander assigned to that task force will be retired (all ratings are set to ??, and a new age will be generated), and the task force will come under central command. Central command has attack and defense ratings of 2. It is possible for one part of a player's forces to perform brilliantly, while other elements perform poorly. Any ship which is equipped with an i space drive may only be targeted by anti i weapons unless its i space drive is damaged. Any task forces completely destroyed in combat will return (inactive) to a player's home system. Beginning with the second hour (round) of combat, the program will ask if any player wishes to attempt to disengage his forces from combat at the end of each hour. In a two player game, the computer will also ask which player wishes to disengage. Disengagement is not automatic. Average values for commander ability will be computed for each player when disengagement is requested. For equal average command values, the disengagement chance is about 60%. An extreme difference in command ability (favoring the non-disengaging player) can make disengagement very difficult. When forces successfully disengage, all combat in the affected system ends and the disengaging player's task forces in the system will all be assigned a reserve mission. Disengaged transport task forces will not land their troops. Players will also be given the option of ordering their commanders to 'engage aggressively'. If either player orders an aggressive engagement, the number hits on engaged ships (of both players' forces) will be increased by 25% for that round of combat. After the last round of combat in any particular system, a short 'after action' report will be displayed. After all ship to ship combat is resolved, the computer will perform exploration resolution. 5.22 Exploration The computer will check every unexplored system on the map for the presence of task forces with transport missions. If any such task force exists in a system, the computer checks for the presence of an Exploration team in the cargo/assault hold of each transport in that task force. If an Exploration team is present, it will be unloaded into the star system and system exploration will occur. The system will be hilighted on the map and a notice will appear in the information area below the map. System ownership will be given to the exploring player, and the following system characteristics will be determined: Habitability......... 5 - 100 Metals............... 5 - 100 Organics............. 5 - 100 Deployment Sites..... 3 - 8 Defensibility........ 1 - 3 Loyalty.............. 10 Special.............. None, Gasworlders, Oort People, Aborigines, Paleotechnology, or Spiders. All Others........... 0 or none Only the exploring player will have access to this information unless the other player performs system reconnaissance. If both players attempt to explore the same system on a given turn, each player will have a 40% chance of exploring the system. Since in the historical case, each society found a nearly perfect system early in its exploration program, systems explored in the first few turns of the game will have a high probability of being very useful. One 'nearly perfect' system will almost certainly be found by each player. Special features of a star system will affect the exploring player in the following manner: None : No effect. Gasworlders : The system will add 3 units of organics to the player's surplus goods pool per turn for as long as the player holds the system. Oort People : The system will add 3 units of metals to the player's surplus goods pool per turn for as long at the player holds the system. Aborigines : The system will add 3 units of food to the player's surplus goods pool per turn for as long as the player holds the system. Paleotechnology : The system will add 2 points (as opposed to the normal 1) per turn to the player's research pool for as long as the player holds the system. Spiders : No spontaneous population growth will occur in the system until the spiders have been eliminated. Any population growth will occur only as the result of colony placement. 5.23 Space to Ground Assaults The computer will check every explored system on the map for the presence of enemy task forces with transport missions. If any such task force exists in a system, the computer checks for the presence of military formations in the cargo/assault hold of each transport in that task force. If security forces, heavy regulars, or light regulars are present in ships with assault capacities greater than or equal to the transport size of each unit, or if special forces are present (special forces may assault from regular cargo transports and do not require the assistance of ship mounted assault capacity), those units will be unloaded. A maximum number of units equal to the number of deployment sites in the system may be unloaded. Units will be unloaded in the following order: A.Task forces unload in order of lowest to highest numbered force. B.Transports within each task force will unload in the order in which they are listed when that task force is displayed by the 'Examine or Modify Task Force' option of the movement menu 'Task Forces' selection. C.Units will unload from transports in the order in which they are listed in the 'Cargo Available For Unloading' box for the individual ship. The maximum size unit (other than special forces) which may be unloaded from a particular transport is a unit with transport size less than or equal to the (designed) assault capacity for the transport. Damage (short of complete destruction) has no effect on the ability of a transport to unload any cargo. The assault capacity of a transport also has no effect on the number of units which may be unloaded, assuming that it meets the minimum requirements of each unloaded unit. Once a wave of units is landed, a display will open in the information area below the map: /////Results///// Assault: Systemname Attacker: Playername Defender: Playername A: nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd D: nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd nndd Ground Combat: nn days. The 'nndd' is a unit designation such as 22Hy for the Twenty Second Heavy Regular Battalion. The maximum number of units for either player is 8 in a system with 8 deployment sites. Each day of combat (a few seconds of real time), the display will be updated. No additional units will be landed by the attacking player after the initial wave of units begin combat. Attacking units will draw command from the commander assigned to the highest numbered task force in the system with a transport mission. Each day, the computer will add up the total strength of all: defenders: (for each unit:unit strength*unit capability*assault rating of assault commander)/5. attackers: (for each unit : unit strength*unit capability*system defensibility)/5. There is a total strength % chance of causing a casualty to the enemy. That casualty will be randomly determined among enemy units. A force composed of the following units: Unit Strength Capability 10Hy 5 8 11Hy 4 7 13Hy 4 8 16SF 1 10 with a commander assault rating or system defensibility of 3, would have a ((5*8+4*7+4*8+1*10)/5)*3% = 66% chance of causing an enemy casualty. The enemy would probably lose one (randomly determined) unit in this case. Each day of fighting: system habitability, farms, and population will be reduced by 1. Habitability will not be reduced below 5. Farms and population will not be reduced below 0. Combat will continue until only one player has units in the system. If this player is the defender, there is no further effect. If the attacker's assault is successful, the system will change ownership, with the following effects: A. Loyalty is set at 1 B. Half of all local spares and rations will be captured. C. All build points accumulated at local shipyards and training centers will be lost. D. All local shipyards and training centers will be reduced in size by from 1 to 20 points. E. Any local intelligence centers will be reduced to a size of 0. Regardless of the outcome of combat, both players' system information files will be updated. As with task force combat, assaults will only be executed if open hostilities have broken out. 5.3 Economics Resolution All economic activities will be resolved. The following actions will take place during the Economics Resolution phase: 5.31: Naval Maintenance 5.32: Military Maintenance 5.33: Production 5.34: Surplus Goods Pool Formation 5.31 Naval Maintenance Each quarter, the computer will check all ships assigned to task forces for systems damage. Any ship's system has about a 10% chance of breaking down (dependent upon solitaire difficulty level setting). (A ship with 12 systems installed will lose an average of 1.2 systems per turn to wear and tear.) Once all ships have been checked, the computer will check all active task forces for damaged ships. Ships may of course also be damaged by combat. Each damaged ship's system will be repaired at a cost of one 'spare', if spares are available in the star system that the task force of assignment currently occupies. A star system with spares in it's spares pool can repair points of ship system damage equal to the size of it's spares pool. Ships assigned to major commands do not require and can not receive maintenance. Task forces will be checked in order of lowest to highest numbered force. Task forces with attack missions will receive repairs before task forces with transport missions, which in turn will receive repairs before task forces with reserve missions. Ships which have no undamaged systems left will not be deleted (destroyed) unless damaged in combat. Example: 3 Goliath class transports are assigned to a task force in the Laird's Star system. The Laird's Star system has 7 spares in it's spares pool. Goliath class transports have 15 cargo systems installed when built. One of the ships has 5 points of damage from combat earlier in the turn, leaving 10 cargo systems functional on board the ship. This ship also loses 1 point of cargo space to wear and tear. The next ship loses no systems to damage this turn. The third ship loses 2 points to wear and tear. Since the Laird's Star system has only 7 spares available: the first ship is fully repaired, but the third ship still has 1 cargo system knocked out at the end of the maintenance turn. This task force could load a total of 44 points of cargo on the next turn. 5.32 Military Maintenance Each turn, the computer will subtract one point of capability from each military unit. Each unit will then be checked for location. If the unit is located (not on board ship) in a star system with at least one ration in it's ration pool, the unit will have two points of capability added (up to the unit maximum as defined by type), and one ration will be subtracted from the local ration pool. Note that this means that units left on board ship will slowly deteriorate. It will also take several turns for a newly created or neglected unit to train to a reasonable level of capability. 5.33 Production Each turn, the computer will check each shipyard, training center, and intelligence center for accumulated build units. If the facility has enough points accumulated, it will produce: Shipyard: One ship, or a number of spares equal to the accumulated build points. Training Center: One military unit, or a number of rations equal to the accumulated build points. Intelligence Center: A number of operations options equal to the number of accumulated build points. Whenever a center is producing a type of ship or unit it has never produced before, that unit will cost two to four times the normal unit cost for that item. A maximum size assault transport can cost as much as 45 build points to construct. If this the first unit of it's class, it can cost as much as 180 points! It is best to avoid excessive switching of production types at your production facilities. Any new military formations will appear at the system of production, if space is available. Units in excess of the local number of deployment sites will not appear until space is available. Only 60 military units may be produced by each player. Any new ships will be placed in transit to the training command. New ships will not appear if more than 50 ships are currently in transit. Only 120 ships may be produced by each player. New spares and rations will appear in the system of manufacture. Only 999 spares and 999 rations may accumulate in each star system. If any item is prevented from appearing, build units will simply continue to accumulate until the item may be produced. Operations options will be available for use in covert operations on the next turn only. Each system's population increases by a random number from 1 to (current population/50) if the local population is less than (system habitability*50), and if there are no "spiders" in the system. Each system's habitability increases by 1 if local population is greater than 0. Each system with local population greater than 250 (thousand) may produce colonies. Appearance of colonies is random. 3 earthlike, 2 protected, and/or 1 belt colony will appear. 5.34 Surplus Goods Pool Formation All excess production of raw materials (food, metal, organics) is pooled. Transport/assault capacity in the transport pool is also pooled. If the smaller number (transport or goods) is transport capacity, equal proportions of goods will be placed in the available surplus goods pool for the next turn (if possible). If the smaller number (transport or goods) is total materials, all materials will be placed in the available surplus goods pool for the next turn. 5.4 Calendar Functions The date is incremented to the next quarter. All due dates for ships in transit are checked. If a ship is due at a particular command or task force, and if there is room for the ship in the command (max size 36) or task force (max size 20) the ship will be assigned. If this is the beginning of a year, all commander's ages will be incremented by one. Each commander is checked for retirement. If a commander's age is greater than 35, there is a chance that the commander will retire. Any commander reaching the age of 150 is automatically retired. The average commander will retire by about the age of 60. Any retired commander will be replaced by a new commander with '??' ratings and an age of 20 to 60. 5.5 General Resolutions Any build units unspent during the economics phase are added to a pool of accumulated unspent build units (the research pool). Each player also receives 1 point per turn (or 2 points per turn if the system has paleotechnological resources) for each system he claims (colored with the player's colors). When 500 build units have accumulated for a player, that player's 'effectiveness' will increase by one and 500 units are subtracted from the player's research pool. Effectiveness affects the distance that all of a player's ships can move (see rule 4.24), and the effectiveness level of all classes of ships created by a player. In order to achieve the full effect of increased effectiveness, the player will have to design new ship classes, and change his production facilities to manufacture the new classes. Each star system is checked for loyalty. If the local total of (farms+5*(locally deployed military units+local intelligence centers))* 35 is less than the local population, or if (the enemy 'Foment Rebellion' allocation-the friendly 'Internal Security' allocation) is greater than (2*(the number of locally deployed military units+local intelligence centers)) then 2 is subtracted from local loyalty. Players will be notified of these occurrences ( 'Food riots' and 'Political Unrest' ). Each star system is checked for update. Each player has his system information file updated for all friendly systems. Each player also receives updates on 1) any enemy system at which the player has an active task force(physical recon). or 2) some enemy systems on a turn in which the player has allocated 'System Reconnaissance' and/or ships in his raiding command (chance is: ((friendly 'System Reconnaissance' allocation+number of ships in raiding command/6) - enemy 'Internal Security' allocation/2)*5%). Each star system is checked for special features. Any food, metals, organics, or build points produced due to special features are added to the appropriate pool. If military units are present in the same star system as spiders, each unit has a 20% chance to eliminate the spiders. 5.6 End of Game Test The computer tests to see if either player has met his victory conditions, or if the final turn of a short scenario has been reached. If so, the game ends and victory is awarded; otherwise, the current victory levels are displayed for each player, and the game continues. 6.0 Scenarios and Victory Conditions There are seven scenarios available for play. The long scenarios all use the standard victory conditions listed below, while shorter scenarios have their own victory conditions as listed in the scenario descriptions. In each scenario, difficulty level settings have unique effects on play balance. These effects and any special rules are also listed for each scenario. The following scenarios are available: The long scenarios: 6.1 : Long Campaign 6.2 : Short Campaign 6.3 : Historical War 6.4 : Alternate War The short scenarios: 6.5 : Exploration 6.6 : Gold River 6.7 : Jericho Standard Victory Conditions Victory levels are computed by the following schedule: A: For each friendly system: (population+all colonies)*system loyalty/100. B: 50*(current effectiveness-4). C: 50 points per turn that a player occupies his opponent's 'home' star system. The Corporate League home system is Alger. The P.H.R. home system is Progress. D: Research Pool total/10. Total victory level=A+B+C+D. The first player for which this total reaches 750 is the winner. If either player is reduced to a total of 20 or less, then the other player wins. If both players satisfy these conditions on the same turn, and if both players have exactly the same totals, then the winner is The People's Holy Republic. Standard Solitaire Difficulty Level Effects Ship system failure % for the Corporate League player's ships will vary from 8% at the 'pushover' level to 12% at the 'hideous' level. People's Holy Republic ships always have a 10% system failure rate. In the solitaire play mode, the Republican player's commanders' command capabilities will vary from 2/2 at the 'pushover' level to 5/5 at the 'hideous' level. There is no effect in the two player mode At levels above 'moderate', the Republican player will receive from outside (at no charge) an additional 2 (challenging) to 6 (hideous) spares and rations per turn at Progress. Starting population at Progress will increase slightly with increasing difficulty level. Reality Level Effects If the Maintenance and Training reality reality level is turned off, then production and transport of spares and rations is prohibited and every star system will be given 500 spares and 50 rations at the beginning of each turn. This frees players from having to worry about the logistics of maintenance and training. If the Command, Control, and Fog reality level is turned off, then the Commanders, Special Support, and Special Ops menu selections are disabled. All forces will come under central command, and each player will receive a complete update on all star systems every turn. No rebellion or food riots will occur. Note that since the computer player is designed to take advantage of the effects of the reality levels, turning them off gives a human player an advantage in solitaire play. Also, turning off either reality level will in general give an advantage to any player conducting offensive operations. In the following descriptions of the scenarios, a standard set of abbreviations for ship types is used. These are defined as follows: BC:Battlecruiser. This is a P.H.R. designation for any large warship (cost greater than 20 build units). CH:Heavy Cruiser. This is a Corporate League designation for any large warship (cost greater than 20 build units). CL:Light Cruiser. This is a designation for any medium size warship (cost greater than 8 and less than 21 build units). CLE:Light Escort Cruiser. This is a Corporate League designation for any small warship (cost less than 10 build units). F:Frigate. This is a P.H.R. designation for any small warship (cost less than 10 build units). i:i Space Cruiser. This a designation for any ship equiped with an i space drive. AT:Assault Transport. This is a designation for any ship equiped for the projection of military units into space to ground assaults. T:Transport. This is a designation for any ship intended for use primarily as a cargo carrier. In general, Corporate League ships are more varied in type than those produced by the People's Holy Republic. Both players' ships are generally of conservative design. ****The Scenarios**** 6.1 The Long Campaign Introduction This is intended to be the primary game scenario. It puts the players in the position described by the historical notes (rules section 8.0). The starting positions are very chaotic and will probably be quite difficult for a new player to manage effectively. Players are advised to play scenarios 6.5, (6.2, 6.3 or 6.4) and (6.6 or 6.7) before attempting to play the long campaign. Game play begins with the 04/2320 turn and continues until the standard victory conditions (see above) are met. Typical games will last until about 2345 (approximately 100 turns). There are no special victory conditions for this scenario. Special Solitaire Difficulty Level Effects: The pace of P.H.R. exploration will increase with increasing difficulty level. Initial naval forces will be increased by about 5 ships per level for levels above 'moderate'. The additional ships will be small transports and warships. Initial factory, farm, mine, and refinery deployment will be increased by about 3 units each at levels above 'challenging'. Initial Resources People's Holy Republic: Progress star system: Population..........900 Habitability/Farms....100/60 Naval presence......TF1 Metals/Mines..........40/36 Military presence...3Sy Organics/Refineries...60/54 Factories...........60 Brotherhood star system: Population..........97 Habitability/Farms....10/08 Naval presence......TF02,TF32 Metals/Mines..........80/33 Military presence...2Sy Organics/Refineries...40/28 Factories...........20 Unity star system: Population..........12 Habitability/Farms....80/01 Naval presence......TF03 Metals/Mines..........50/01 Military presence...1Sy Organics/Refineries...20/01 Factories...........1 Task Forces: TF01:2*T,CL TF03:T TF02:T TF32:2*T In Transit:T Training Command:F Transport Pool:T Corporate League: Alger star system: Population..........1000 Habitability/Farms....70/40 Naval presence......TF01 Metals/Mines..........60/50 Military presence...1Sy Organics/Refineries...50/50 Factories...........50 Laird's Star star system: Population..........75 Habitability/Farms....90/20 Naval presence......TF02 Metals/Mines..........20/10 Military presence...none Organics/Refineries...65/20 Factories...........10 Task Forces: TF01:6*T TF02:2*T Transport Pool:7*T All star systems except those listed above are unexplored and unclaimed. 6.2 The Short Campaign Introduction This is essentially the same situation as 6.1 above, but set 10 game years later. The initial (2320) economic imbalances have been resolved, and the star cluster has been explored. Players inherit stable, well run economies and face only the task of organizing their colonial expansion and military/economic buildup. Although the central systems' moratorium on 'unauthorized warfare' has expired, open hostilities are still at least a few years away. Game play begins with the 04/2330 turn and continues until the standard victory conditions (see above) are met. Typical games will last until about 2345 (approximately 75 turns). There are no special victory conditions for this scenario. Special Solitaire Difficulty Level Effects: Initial naval forces will be increased by about 5 ships per level for levels above 'moderate'. The additional ships will be small transports and warships. Initial factory, farm, mine, and refinery deployment will be increased by about 3 units each at levels above 'challenging'. Initial Resources People's Holy Republic: Progress star system: Population..........1350 Habitability/Farms....100/96 Naval presence......TF02,TF04,TF05,TF06 Military presence...7Sy,9Sy,13Hy Metals/Mines..........40/39 Factories...........64 Organics/Refineries...60/59 Brotherhood star system: Population..........182 Habitability/Farms....50/10 Naval presence......TF03 Metals/Mines..........80/50 Military presence...3Sy,8Lt,12Hy Organics/Refineries...40/28 Factories...........25 Unity star system: Population..........27 Habitability/Farms....100/01 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........50/01 Military presence...1Sy,4Sy Organics/Refineries...20/01 Factories...........01 Alpha Felis star system: Population..........100 Habitability/Farms....100/02 Naval presence......TF01 Metals/Mines..........100/14 Military presence...6Hy,10Hy,11Hy Organics/Refineries...100/14 Factories...........10 Glance's Star system: Military presence...2Sy,5Sy Task Forces: TF01:2*T TF02:4*T TF03:T TF04:T TF05:2*T TF06:2*T In Transit:2*T,AT,2*BC,F,2*i Training Command:17*BC,F Transport Pool:10*T Raiding Command:F,2*CL,5*i Special Support:F Escort Command:13*F Corporate League: Alger star system: Population..........1267 Habitability/Farms....100/65 Naval presence......TF01,TF07 Metals/Mines..........60/59 Military presence...7Hy,11Hy,13Lt,15Lt Factories...........73 Organics/Refineries...50/54 Laird's Star system: Population..........118 Habitability/Farms....100/20 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........20/10 Military presence...1Sy,2Sy Organics/Refineries...65/20 Factories...........14 Kiffryn's Star system: Population..........35 Habitability/Farms....71/00 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........50/00 Military presence...8Hy,9Hy,10Hy,12Lt,14Hy Factories...........00 Organics/Refineries...100/00 Bennett's Star system: Population..........210 Habitability/Farms....100/03 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........100/29 Military presence...5Hy,6Hy Organics/Refineries...100/24 Factories...........10 Epsilon Felis star system: Population..........00 Habitability/Farms....30/00 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........100/00 Military presence...3Sy,4Sy Organics/Refineries...40/00 Factories...........00 Brotherhood star system: (owned by P.H.R.) Naval presence......TF04 Task Forces: TF01:2*T TF04:T TF05:3*T In Transit:4*CLE,i,CH Training Command:13*T,8*CH,2*AT Transport Pool:9*T Escort Command:14*CLE Raiding Command:3*i 6.3 The War (Historical) Introduction The Corporate League colonial expansion met with greater success than similar efforts by the People's Holy Republic. Seeing this (and having a head start in the armament race) the P.H.R. began a campaign of raiding League trade routes. Given the League response of beginning it's own military/naval buildup, it was only a matter of time before the eruption of open hostilities As the scenario starts, limited hostilities have just begun. Open hostilities will commence in from 6 to 18 turns. Game play begins with the 04/2334 turn and continues until the standard victory conditions (see above) are met. Typical games will last until about 2345 (approximately 45 turns). There are no special victory conditions for this scenario. Special Solitaire Difficulty Level Effects: Initial factory, farm, mine, and refinery deployment will be increased by about 3 units each at levels above 'challenging'. Initial Resources People's Holy Republic: Progress star system: Population..........1556 Habitability/Farms....100/96 Naval presence......TF02,TF04,TF05,TF06 Military presence...14Hy,16Hy,17Hy,18Hy,19Lt,20Hy Factories...........80 Metals/Mines..........40/39 Organics/Refineries...60/59 Brotherhood star system: Population..........218 Habitability/Farms....66/10 Naval presence......TF03 Metals/Mines..........80/50 Military presence...8Lt,12Hy,15Lt Factories...........33 Organics/Refineries...40/28 Unity star system: Population..........38 Habitability/Farms....100/01 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........50/01 Military presence...1Sy,4Sy Organics/Refineries...20/01 Factories...........01 Alpha Felis star system: Population..........173 Habitability/Farms....100/04 Naval presence......TF01 Metals/Mines..........100/28 Military presence...6Hy,10Hy,11Hy,13Hy Factories...........10 Organics/Refineries...100/28 Glance's Star system: Military presence...2Sy,3Sy,5Sy,7Sy,9Sy Task Forces: TF01:2*T TF02:4*T TF03:T TF04:T TF05:2*T TF06:2*T In Transit:3*BC,2*AT,3*F Training Command:28*BC,2*AT Transport Pool:13*T Escort Command:22*F Raiding Command:2*CL,F,8*i Special Support:F Corporate League: Alger star system: Population..........1377 Habitability/Farms....100/70 Naval presence......TF01,TF02,TF03 Military presence...7Hy,11Hy,13Lt,16Hy,17Lt,19Lt,21Lt,22Hy Factories...........77 Metals/Mines..........60/59 Organics/Refineries...50/54 Laird's Star star system: Population..........184 Habitability/Farms....100/21 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........20/10 Military presence...1Sy,2Sy Organics/Refineries...65/20 Factories...........16 Kiffryn's Star system: Population..........91 Habitability/Farms....87/00 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........50/00 Military presence...8Hy,9Hy,10Hy,12Lt,14Hy,20Hy Factories...........00 Organics/Refineries...100/00 Bennett's Star system: Population..........245 Habitability/Farms....100/03 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........100/35 Military presence...5Hy,6Hy,15Lt,18Hy Factories...........10 Organics/Refineries...100/30 Epsilon Felis star system: Population..........00 Habitability/Farms....30/00 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........100/00 Military presence...3Sy,4Sy Organics/Refineries...40/00 Factories...........00 Alpha Felis star system: (owned by P.H.R.) Naval presence......TF04 Task Forces: TF01:2*T TF02:3*T TF03:7*T TF04:T,CLE In Transit:4*CH,CLE,i Training Command:5*T,19*CH,6*AT Transport Pool:10*T Escort Command:28*CLE,2*CH Raiding Command:8*i 6.4 Alternate War Introduction Everyone was expecting war after the departure of the peacekeeping forces. The amazing thing was that peace lasted as long as it did. In this alternate war scenario, war comes early. Neither side is really prepared for it. Assault transports are in particularly short supply. This scenario not only provides for an early war, but the preceding history is different. The strategic situation is quite different from that in the previous scenario. As the scenario starts, limited hostilities have just begun. Open hostilities will commence in from 6 to 18 turns. Game play begins with the 04/2331 turn and continues until the standard victory conditions (see above) are met. Typical games will last until about 2345 (approximately 55 turns). There are no special victory conditions for this scenario. Special Solitaire Difficulty Level Effects: Initial factory, farm, mine, and refinery deployment will be increased by about 3 units each at levels above 'challenging'. Initial Resources People's Holy Republic: Progress star system: Population..........1268 Habitability/Farms....100/96 Naval presence......TF01,TF04 Metals/Mines..........40/39 Military presence...7Sy,9Sy,13Hy Factories...........65 Organics/Refineries...60/59 Brotherhood star system: Population..........158 Habitability/Farms....51/07 Naval presence......TF03 Metals/Mines..........80/47 Military presence...3Sy,8Lt,12Hy Factories...........25 Organics/Refineries...40/25 Unity star system: Population..........28 Habitability/Farms....100/01 Naval presence......TF06 Metals/Mines..........50/01 Military presence...1Sy,2Sy,4Sy,5Sy Factories...........01 Organics/Refineries...20/01 Glance's Star system: Population..........100 Habitability/Farms....91/00 Naval presence......TF02,TF05 Metals/Mines..........100/17 Military presence...6Hy,10Hy,11Hy Factories...........10 Organics/Refineries...100/17 Task Forces: TF01:2*T TF02:4*T TF03:T TF04:T TF05:2*T TF06:2*T In Transit:BC,i,F,T Training Command:18*BC,AT,F Transport Pool:12*T Escort Command:5*F Raiding Command:4*CL,4*F,6*i Special Support:6*F Corporate League: Alger star system: Population..........1274 Habitability/Farms....100/57 Naval presence......TFO2 Metals/Mines..........60/59 Military presence...4Hy,9Hy,12Hy,14Hy,15Hy,16Hy Factories...........71 Organics/Refineries...50/54 Laird's Star system: Population..........153 Habitability/Farms....100/26 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........20/10 Military presence...none Organics/Refineries...65/20 Factories...........14 Bennett's Star system: Population..........61 Habitability/Farms....88/00 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........75/00 Military presence...6Lt,7Hy,8Lt,13Hy Factories...........00 Organics/Refineries...70/00 Kiffryn's Star system: Population..........154 Habitability/Farms....100/26 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........100/21 Military presence...3Lt,5Hy,10Hy,11Hy Factories...........10 Organics/Refineries...100/10 Gamma Felis star system: Population..........00 Habitability/Farms....85/00 Naval presence......none Metals/Mines..........65/00 Military presence...1Sy,2Sy Organics/Refineries...65/00 Factories...........00 Task Forces: TF02:4*T In Transit:3*CLE,CH Training Command:10*T,10*CH,i Transport Pool:10*T Escort Command:16*CLE,3*CH Raiding Command:3*i 6.5 Exploration Introduction In this scenario, the players are placed in the chaotic 04/2320 positions they also face in the long campaign game. This scenario is intended primarily as a training game for those who wish to prepare for a long campaign scenario. Special victory conditions reflect the long range implications of player actions during this short scenario. Pre planned industrial production allows players to concentrate exclusively on exploration, maintenance, and colonization. As the scenario starts, the exploration/colonization phase of the game has just begun. There will be no occurrence of hostilities. Game play begins with the 04/2320 turn and continues until the end of the 04/2324 turn (21 turns). Special Victory Conditions: In addition to the standard victory conditions, victory levels will be computed by the following schedule: A: For each friendly system: (population exclusive of colonies)*system loyalty/50. B: Transport capacity of transport pool/20 Total victory level=Standard victory level+A+B. Special Solitaire Difficulty Level Effects: The pace of P.H.R. exploration will increase with increasing difficulty levels. Special: There will be no economics phase for either player in this scenario. All actions will take place from the movement menus. Movement to and from Escort, Raiding, and Special Support Commands is prohibited. Initial Resources are the same as in the long campaign scenario. 6.6 Gold River Introduction The war lasted longer than most people had expected. Fighting was fortunately limited primarily to the Brotherhood-Ramage C-Kiffryn's Star corridor, although destruction was quite extensive in the affected systems. Brotherhood had traded hands four times by war's end. This scenario picks up the action as the League player is preparing to conduct his second assault (The 'Gold River' operation) on the Brotherhood system. Both players' fleets are at close to full strength. In the historical case, the 04/2347 quarter saw both players holding the same (somewhat more radioactive) systems as at the start of the operation. Game play begins with the 03/2345 turn and continues until the end of the 04/2347 turn (10 turns). Special Victory Conditions: The standard victory conditions are not used. Victory is dependent solely on control of the Brotherhood system. There are no special solitaire difficulty level effects for this scenario. Special: There will be no economics phase for either player in this scenario. All actions will take place from the movement menus. Movement to and from Escort, Raiding, and Special Support Commands is prohibited. Initial Resources People's Holy Republic: Progress star system: Naval presence......TF01,TF04,TF7,TF14,TF32,TF36 Military presence...19Hy,20Hy,21Hy,22Hy,23Hy Brotherhood star system: Naval presence......TF08,TF15,TF17,TF22,TF23,TF31 Military presence...08Hy,15Hy,16Hy Unity star system: Naval presence......TF06 Military presence...01Sy,04Sy Glance's Star system: Naval presence......TF05 Military presence...02Sy,03Sy,05Sy,07Sy,09Sy Alpha Felis star system: Naval presence......TF02 Military presence...06Hy,10Hy,11Hy,13Hy Task Forces: TF01:2*T TF15:2*BC TF02:4*T TF17:5*BC TF04:T TF22:16*BC TF05:2*T TF23:11*BC,F TF06:2*T TF31:3*AT : 14Hy,17Hy,18Hy embarked TF07:3*T TF32:AT : 12Hy embarked TF08:2*T TF36:CL,i TF14:BC In Transit:4*T,AT,3*i,3*BC Training Command:T,2*BC Corporate League: Alger star system: Naval presence......TF01 Military presence...08Hy,09Lt,10Hy,11Hy,22Hy Laird's Star system: Naval presence......TF36 Military presence...01Sy,02Sy Bennett's Star system: Military presence...05Hy,06Hy,15Lt,18Hy Kiffryn's Star system: Military presence...12Lt,20Hy Ramage C star system: Naval presence......TF03,TF10,TF11,TF12,TF20 Military presence...07Lt,13Lt,16Lt,17Lt,19Lt,21Lt,23Hy Epsilon Felis star system: Military presence...03Sy,04Sy Task Forces: TF01:7*T TF12:6*CH,7*CL,3*CLE TF03:3*T TF20:2*T,4*AT : 20Lt embarked TF10:8*CH,6*CL,2*CLE TF36:2*i TF11:7*CH,5*CL,4*CLE In Transit:4*CH,T,2*CL,3*CLE,3*i Training Command:4*AT,6*T,CLE,CL,CH 6.7 Jericho Introduction Each side began the war with it's own ideas about how the situation would develop. As this scenario starts, an early war P.H.R. plan (Plan Jericho) for the first stage of an advance on the League home systems is about to be executed. A Republican force has gathered at the Glance's Star system for the primary assault, while a smaller force is preparing for action in the Ramage ABC area. Game play begins with the 04/2340 turn and continues until the end of the 04/2342 turn (9 turns). Special Victory Conditions: The standard victory conditions are not used. Victory is dependent solely on control of the 'border systems'. 1 victory point is awarded for the control of each of the following systems: Delta Felis, Epsilon Felis, Glance's Star, Bennett's Star, Kiffryn's Star, Ramage B, Ramage C, Brotherhood. A 'tied' score is a People's Holy Republic victory. There are no special solitaire difficulty level effects for this scenario. Special: There will be no economics phase for either player in this scenario. All actions will take place from the movement menus. Movement to and from Escort, Raiding, and Special Support Commands is prohibited. Initial Resources People's Holy Republic: Progress star system: Naval presence......TF02,TF04,TF05,TF06,TF07,TF32 Military presence...19Lt,20Hy,21Hy,22Hy,23Hy,24Hy,25Hy,26Hy Brotherhood star system: Naval presence......TF03,TF18,TF19,TF30 Military presence...08Lt,15Lt,12Hy Unity star system: Military presence...01Sy,04Sy Alpha Felis star system: Naval presence......TF01 Military presence...06Hy,10Hy,11Hy,13Hy Baker's Star system: (owned by Corporate League) Naval presence......TF20 Glance's Star system: Naval presence......TF08,TF22,TF23,TF31 Military presence...02Sy,03Sy,05Sy,07Sy,09Sy Task Forces: TF01:2*T TF18:F TF02:4*T TF19:BC TF03:T TF20:BC TF04:T TF22:14*BC TF05:2*T TF23:9*BC,2*F TF06:2*T TF30:AT,3*F,3*BC : 17Hy embarked TF07:T TF31:3*AT : 14Hy,16Hy,18Hy embarked TF08:3*T TF32:AT In Transit:6*T,2*CL,4*F,5*BC,AT,i Corporate League: Alger star system: Military presence...17Lt,19Lt,21Lt,22Hy,23Hy,24Lt Laird's Star star system: Naval presence......TF33,TF35,TF36 Military presence...01Sy,02Sy Kiffryn's Star system: Naval presence......TF02,TF12 Military presence...08Hy,09Hy,10Hy,12Lt,14Hy,20Hy Bennett's Star star system: Naval presence......TF03,TF20 Military presence...05Hy,06Hy,15Lt Gamma Felis star system: Naval presence......TF04 Delta Felis star system: Naval presence......TF10,TF11 Military presence...07Hy,11Hy,13Lt,16Hy Epsilon Felis star system: Military presence...03Sy,04Sy Task Forces: TF02:2*T TF12:2*CLE,CL,10*CH TF03:5*T TF20:CLE,T,4*AT TF04:CLE TF33:T TF10:CLE,CL,10*CH TF35:CLE TF11:CLE,9*CH TF36:i In Transit:CH,T Training Command:3*T,3*AT,6*CH,CL,3*CLE 7.0 Solitaire and Two Player Play In two player mode, the game will pause and display an alert box stating 'Begin next game phase [begin]' before beginning the next player's phase. This allows the players to exchange places at the computer without either player seeing any information he shouldn't see. All task force information etc. is erased before the alert box is displayed, and the next player's information is not displayed until the alert box [begin] button is selected. Any saved game may be restarted in the two player mode; however, only games initiated in the solitaire mode may be restarted in solitaire mode. (The computer player might do pretty weird things with someone else's deployments.) 8.0 Historical Background By the early part of the 24th century A.D., mankind had been exploring and colonizing the stars for over two hundred years. Early colonization efforts were financed by governments in much the same way as early colonization of 'the new world' on Earth during the era of European expansion in the 16th through 19th centuries A.D. As with the conquest of the new world, private groups became involved in interstellar colonization as soon as this became financially possible. Many of these groups settled in the systems originally developed by governments, but some saw flight into the infinite volume of space as the perfect way to escape outside interference. Any organization which could raise the necessary funds could establish itself well outside the boundaries claimed by the great powers. Since it was more expensive to ship colonists to locations distant from civilization, only groups with great interest in freedom of action went to the trouble of setting up shop on the frontiers of human expansion. These radical groups sought things such as ethnic purity, political and religious freedoms, or simply a new start for mankind; far from the perceived decadence of Earth. As some areas of space were more desirable than others, conflicts would occasionally arise between rival groups in these areas. One of the most desirable of the frontier areas of this time was the Kiffryn's Cats star cluster. This rather oddly named volume of space was originally surveyed by a small naval force under the command of the famous explorer Pyotr Kiffryn; who claimed that the star field made up of the Felis sector and its background stars, when viewed from the system later to be known as Kiffryn's star, resembled two cats at play. Thus those stars in the cluster which were not named for various scientists or commanders in Kiffryn's command came to be given the names of feline mascots aboard ships in the command. Two groups settled in this cluster. The People's Holy Republic was founded by Christian Communists of Northern and Central American origins during the latter part of the 23rd century A.D., after the fall of The People's Holy Marxist Union of Northwest American States. Although the Holy Republic was originally established with the intention of government by literal interpretation of The New Reformed Worker's Bible, local government rapidly developed into a rigid form of patriarchal oligarchy. About twenty years after the original People's Holy Republic settlement in the Brotherhood system, a consortium of large privately owned European and Middle Eastern industrial concerns established a colony in the Alger system. In response to the adoption of new tax and labor relations laws in the central systems, what had begun as an experimental frontier trading post became a primary center of interstellar business. As the resources and most of the families of the partners of the consortium transferred to the new colony at Alger, a loose anarchic form of local regulation developed into the Corporate League. The P.H.R. had originally welcomed the newcomers into the cluster, but quickly grew alarmed at the rapid rate of expansion of the League settlement. Hawkish members of the Holy Bureau of Elders of the P.H.R. succeeded in cutting all economic ties with the Corporate League, purchased and rearmed an old East Asian space cruiser, and began local construction of a class of small warship. Several popular political organizations based in the central systems, still angered by the economic effects of the what they saw as an unjustified mass exodus of corporate wealth, offered open military support to the Holy Republic in the event of war. A period of rapid exploration and territorial expansion began in the cluster. Peace was maintained through the threat of intervention by the great powers in any local open warfare. By 2320 A.D. this threat was wearing a bit thin as no such intervention had in fact occurred in any of the small but growing local conflicts on the frontier. The governments with the power to effectively intervene were coming to realize that the frontier area was far enough away from their spheres (literally) of interest that localized frontier conflicts were no threat to them, and that possible future competitors on the frontier were dissipating their energies on local power struggles. It is also true that the societies of the central systems were coming to view the frontier societies as cultural nut cases, hardly worth saving from their own folly. In an effort to gracefully withdraw from their duties as galactic police, the important powers of the central systems agreed to enforce their ban on 'unauthorized' warfare for a period of 10 years, to end in 2330 A.D. Seeing the light at the end of what had begun to look like a very long dark tunnel, the central governments began vigorously enforcing the peace in 2320. Central business interests were given 10 years to pull out of the frontier, or stop complaining about poor conditions for commerce. An enforced peace did return to all of human space for a brief time as a brisk black market trade in obsolescent weapons developed. From the viewpoint of 2320 A.D., the beginning of the fourth decade of the 24th century was expected to be a very interesting time for those not living in the central systems. This is the situation when the game begins. Welcome to the Frontier. 9.0 Hints and Designer's Notes A typical long campaign game of Frontier can be divided into three distinct phases. First, players will explore as many stars as they can reach, while trying to consolidate their starting industrial base. Effective exploration will require careful planning. The typical exploration task force should include at least one transport in addition to the ship carrying the exploration team. Additional transports should be loaded with spares. Once the exploration transport is damaged by 'wear and tear', it will not be able to re-load the exploration team until it has been repaired. Neither player has a large supply of exploration teams to leave lying around. While the computer will produce new exploration teams, the rate of production is quite slow (One percent chance per quarter at any system with local population of 250 thousand or more). It will probably be necessary to set up a bucket brigade of transports to keep the exploration forces in spares. The People's Holy Republic player should build a class of maximum size (15 cargo system) transports as quickly as possible in order to explore and exploit his neighborhood. Next, the players will expand into the cluster. Only a very unlucky player will fail to find a 'nearly perfect' system near enough to his home system for easy colonization. Generally, it will be a good idea to concentrate on building up this system. Each player must identify the materials needed by his society, and colonize systems where production of these materials will be inexpensive. The most effective way of setting up a colony is to produce ten factory kits for placement in a new system. Let your transport pool carry the necessary goods to run colonial factories until they become self supporting by producing local farms, mines, and refineries. If you know that you are going to be setting up a colony in a system but don't have the resources yet, be sure to move at least one colony to the system in order to begin building up the local habitability rating. Your transports can move Earthlike and protected colonies around a lot faster than belt colonies. Concentrate on one colony system at a time to begin with. You will not have the resources to do a good job on more than this. It may be necessary to allow some slack in production at your original star systems in order to free up raw materials for use in starting up your colonies. Be sure to ship out enough population to support the build up of colonial industry. No facilities may be built if no idle population exists locally to man them. Build the local colonial population up to around 100 (thousand) as quickly as possible. If your planning is good, the colony should be self supporting in at least one category of raw materials production by this time, and you can begin building the next one if necessary. Be sure to build up your raw materials production before building up factories, shipyards etc, or you will end up with a lot of idle production facilities. Keep an eye on what the other player is producing at his shipyards. While the ability to view the other player's current ship classes is not a particularly reliable way to count current force strengths, it can be useful in avoiding nasty surprises. Depending upon the distribution of resources in the cluster, the players will probably end up fighting over some star system eventually. Campaigns must be planned. Players should try to create a mix of large and small warship types. Large (100+) pools of spares must be accumulated at the star systems near the points of conflict. Warships should be kept in training, escort, and raiding commands until they are needed in task forces. Once warships are pulled out of the commands and placed in active task forces, the players will have to maintain them. This will be expensive. Active task forces should contain a few small warships as well as the larger, more powerful varieties. This will limit the cost effectiveness of enemy long range weapons since these weapons will select their targets at random. On the other hand, if you make nothing but small warships, you will soon bump against the 120 ship limit. When you plan an assault on an enemy system, separate your forces into two or more task forces with different missions. Most of your warships should go into task forces with attack missions. This will force any defending forces to engage your attack task forces first; limiting the number of long range weapons your transport task forces will have to dodge. Pay attention to the order in which military units are loaded onto transports. If you bring along a few extra units for occupation duty after a space to ground assault (a good idea if the other player maintains a reaction force), you probably don't want some of those units to take the place of your intended assault force during the landings. If a naval battle is going poorly, don't be afraid to disengage your forces. There is no penalty for a disengagement attempt and any forces saved may live to fight another day. Find out how good your younger commanders are. A 25 year old military genius is a very valuable asset. Command has a significant effect on the game. Remember that once you begin hostilities, they can't be stopped. The Corporate League player should take advantage of his superior starting exploration position. An aggressive Corporate League player should be able to explore much of the cluster before the P.H.R. exploration program really gets rolling. Both players would do well (in early games) to pay attention to the suggestions offered by the program during economics reports. The initial industrial growth potential of the P.H.R. should be exploited by the Republican player. One last note: If you feel that you don't have enough resources to do a proper job of everything that needs to be done, you're right! Just remember that the other player is in no better shape. 10.0 Glossary Aborigines: While no technologically advanced races (other than humanity) had been found by the time covered by this game, a number of promising pre-technological species were known. These beings were useful as workers, and sometimes as trade partners. A thorough search was always conducted for aborigines during any system exploration. Build Unit: Also called Build Points. Build Units are the basic element of industrial production. They are used to construct ships, military units, covert operations options etc. Build Units are produced from Raw Materials at factories. Colonies: Colonies are privately organized groups of self financed volunteers ready to settle new systems as soon as the local government provides transport. Protected and Belt colonies aren't just better equipped, they are also generally organized by wealthier groups. Even if they end up being shipped to a perfectly earthlike planet, they are still going to be heavily encumbered the type of baggage that poorer and more desperate colonists aren't likely to have. That's why protected and belt colonies always require seemingly excessive transport. These folks aren't going to go if they can't be comfortable. Commanders: Individuals and their planning staffs. Given the time scale of the game, these individuals will come and go. Both sides employed a system of operational code names for their commanders. The code names used in the game are a representative selection of the code names used by the People's Holy Republic and the Corporate League during the period covered by this game. Covert Operations Options: See Operations Options. Effectiveness: The technological levels of the societies represented in this game can change if the players invest in research (by leaving build units unspent during Allocations). Tech levels are represented by player effectiveness. Any class of ship designed by a player will have the player's current effectiveness level. This level affects the combat and movement capabilities of a player's ships. Exploration: Initial exploration of an entire star system is a major undertaking. Each expedition is as much a research trip as a search for valuable real estate. It is sobering to realize that as of 1988 A.D. we still aren't sure we've found all of the planets in our own system. It seems reasonable to assume that just about any system is going to have interesting and economically attractive features, if we can ever handle the transport costs. The game assumes that some personnel remain behind in each star system, and entrepreneurial types begin exploiting new systems as soon as possible. This is why a player gets some benefit from each claimed system regardless of whether he ever develops it. It also explains why the exploring player has to send a massive exploration team to explore a new system, and the next player to visit the system gets all that wonderful information for free. 'Explored' systems are crawling with prospectors, salesmen, etc. These aren't the kind of people to keep state secrets. Exploration occurs automatically if a task force containing one or more exploration teams ends a turn with a transport mission in an unexplored system. Gasworlders: These are peculiar critters which live in the dense atmospheres of 'gas giant' worlds such as Jupiter or Saturn. While none of the gasworlders of the game are assumed to be technologically advanced, they do trade exotic organics with players in exchange for manufactured goods. Hostilities: Before open hostilities begin, players are limited to covert operations and command level combat in their attempts to damage the other player. No task force or assault combat will take place. Open hostilities will begin from 6 to 18 turns after the initiation of limited hostilities. Before limited hostilities begin, no command level combat takes place. i Space: Physicists and engineers are in love with the number 'i', the square root of -1. Any coordinate system defined in part by the use of i is typically called an imaginary space. Imaginary spaces abound in modern mathematical treatments of all manner of physical phenomena. In this game, all interstellar (faster than light) movement is assumed to take place in some such imaginary space. Without specialized equipment, i space travel is rather crudely controlled over short distances. The i space drive is such specialized equipment. Local : In the particular star system under consideration at the moment. Major Command: Some ships may be assigned to perform special tasks without the direct involvement of a player. Such tasks are performed by the following Major Commands: Transport Pool, Escort Command, Raiding Command, Training Command, and Special Support Command. Functions of the Major Commands are detailed in rules 4.1, 5.1 and 5.34. Military Formation: See Military Unit. Military Unit: Any game entity which performs ground combat. Allowed types of units include: Security Forces, Light Regulars, Heavy Regulars, and Special Forces teams. Security Forces and regular units are battalions (around 1000 men), and Special Forces teams are company sized formations (around 100-200 men). Whenever a military unit is created, the local population drops one point to reflect a manpower drain. The term 'military unit' is synonymous with 'military formation'. Mission: Any task force must be assigned a mission. Missions include: attack, transport, and reserve. Task forces assigned an attack mission will (after open hostilities have begun) attack any enemy task forces in their star system. Task forces with a transport mission will attempt to place exploration teams (military units) in unexplored (enemy) star systems (once open hostilities have begun). Task forces with reserve missions will take no offensive actions, but will defend themselves if attacked. Oort People: Oort people are seemingly intelligent (there is some disagreement) migratory organisms which inhabit the far reaches of a star system. Under certain circumstances, they will trade exotic metals in exchange for original radio frequency 'musical' sequences. Operations Options: Operations Options are the basic units of manpower and resources which can be allocated to the following: foment rebellion among enemy star systems, reconnaissance of enemy star systems, and internal security. They are produced at intelligence centers. Operations Options are also called covert operations options. Paleotechnology: 'Ancient technology'. This stuff is usually too old to be of much use, but on occasion the artifacts of an earlier starfaring race can provide useful insights to solutions of scientific or engineering problems. Production Facilities: Production Facilities are the game entities which produce all raw materials, build units, covert operations options, ships, spares, military units, and rations. The following are production facilities: farms, mines, refineries, factories, shipyards, training centers, and intelligence centers. Rations: Rations represent any and all materials needed for the training and refitting of military units. Raw Materials: Raw Materials are used to produce build units. Raw Materials consist of the following: food, metals, and organics. They are produced by farms, mines, and refineries. Reassignment: Ships may be reassigned from one taskforce or command to another task force or command. Ships which are reassigned will be placed in transit to their destination, and will not arrive for from 1 to 4 turns. Space to Ground Assault: This is the projection of military units from transports into an enemy controlled star system. A space to ground assault will occur automatically if a task force with one or more military units loaded on the proper types of transports ends the turn with a transport mission in an enemy star system. Spiders: Microbiological hazards are relatively easy to protect against; but small, fast moving, fearless predators can be a tricky problem. The most common biological impediment to colonization in this region of space usually resembles a very large spider. Task Force: A Task Force is any unit of 20 or fewer ships which are under the direct control of a player. Any task force with no ships currently assigned is considered to be 'inactive'. Task forces will perform different actions based upon their assigned missions. Transfer: A transfer of ships may occur between two task forces in the same star system, or between any active task force and any inactive (empty) task force. There is no time delay involved. Current: 28 January 1988.