Welcome to Into the Void, a new space strategy game that will allow you to build an empire amidst the stars. Into the Void features a unique menuing system that, we call palette menus. To aid your venture into the stars, it is highly recommended to read the following basic guide and outline.
The Final version of ITV will have 6 alien races and gameplay can be through email or a network. Up to 10 players can play over a network or email system against other human or computer opponents. Over 66 different hull types and 100 ship components are able to be discovered in the game universe. Look for Into The Void coming this January!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Overview
II. Game Objectives
III. Game Turn
IV. Quick Start
V. Palette Menus (read this section)
I. Overview
Into the Void is a space strategy game that allows players to build their empire by exploring remote star systems, colonizing new exotic worlds, and building fleets of starships. Along the path of conquest, alien races will make contact and try and prevent your civilization's rise. Increase your technology by researching higher technology. As your technology grows, so too will your reach into the stars.
II. Game Objectives
Your goal is to become an Emperor for your people. As the game begins, you start as an Average Ruler. According to the race your choose to play, you will earn a higher repute through specific actions. These actions are Aggression or warfare, Diplomacy, Production, Exploration, Espionage, and Colonization. Each race places certain values on action, which is translated into the percentages of points earned by choosing an action.
For example, attacking a fleet or planet results in Aggressive points which a Mordean would get 100%, but a Kimmer player gets hardly any from the action. Thus, you must vary your strategy depending on the race you play.
The most straight forward way to win is elimination of all opponents. This is the most challenging victory condition.
III. Game Turn
Void is played in two phases. Plotting and Action phases. When the turn begins the game is in the Plotting phase. In this phase, you may give orders to all of your planets and fleets. You may also execute any diplomatic actions or material transactions. Once your actions have been plotted, choose End Turn to enter the Action Phase.
The Action Phase executes all of your moves and returns the game to the Plotting Phase. You will receive messages for any actions that occurred during the Action Phase.
IV. Quick start instruction
For those of you who cannot wait to ply the spaceways, we offer you this chapter on the bare necessities for playing Into the Void. Combining this with the Installation Instructions, should be enough information to allow you to become supreme ruler of space. Then again, you may come up against someone who has actually read this manual who is more than happy to introduce your chosen race to the finer points of extinction.
Grow Your Population
Increase the Assigned population in the Agro facility to the maximum. The number of people in your Agro facility determines the Maximum Population of your planet. At the end of every turn, your population will increase which allows you more population to assign to other tasks.
Colonize Your System
You can quickly max out your homeworld's population with your limited farming technology. In order to build up your population even further, you must expand beyond your homeworld.
Add population to your Intelligence facility which will give you some Agent Teams. Now go to a nearby planet and perform an Investigate Mission. Next turn ,you should receive a report on whether your Agro technology is high enough for colonization.
Now, go to the Ship Design screen (right mouse click) and build a ship with no weapons or defenses...just empty spaces for holding colonists. After designing your transport ship, go to the Factory building on the Planet Data screen. Add population units to the Factory and select the ship in the black square. A portrait of the ship should appear.
Once the ship is produced, load colonists (Free population) on board and travel to the investigated planets. Disembark the colonists, build an Agricultural building and start farming.
Mine Minerals
Minerals come in several varieties, but the more powerful are a rare find. Minerals are used in ship production for the many different ship components. Add population to your Mining Base and your workers will begin mining. Having available minerals around makes ship production less costly.
Research, Research, Research
Research is a slow process and each Research building costs a fortune, but advanced technology should be a priority.
Colonize Other Star Systems
You will need to eventually travel beyond your home star system. Traveling to other star systems is accomplished by installing an FTL (Faster Than Light) Drive on a ship. You don't need to outfit all of your ships with FTL Drives as all ships in one fleet get the benefit of faster-than-light travel.
Once the fleet is built and loaded with colonists, use the Fleet Palette-Goto Object feature and plot a course to a planet in another star system. Because of your limited FTL range at the beginning, you will have to start with systems close to you own.
Diplomacy & War
Once you have made contact with another player, you can choose the path of subtle diplomacy or open warfare. By right-clicking and choosing the Foreign Affairs option, you can attempt to negotiate with your neighbors for Peace Treaties, Non-Aggression Pacts, and Alliances.
V. PALETTE MENUS
Palette menus are object-related menus on demand. Whenever a suitable object (planet, fleet, etc.) is selected, a palette menu will appear, giving you all the options available to that object. Even empty space may be selected. There are three different palette menus for the Map Screen and one Global Palette Menu that may be summoned on any screen.
1. Systems: Star systems are the basic "arena" of the game and there are many such systems in each universe. Each solar system is composed of a star and eight planetary orbits. These orbits may be filled with a Terran world, Gas giant planetoid or just simply empty. Although a star system cannot be controlled, the planets within the system may be colonized, captured or destroyed.
System Palette Menu
Within the Map screen, selecting and clicking on either the star or empty space will generate a palette menu. The five palette options are, clockwise from the top, Zoom In, Quadrant/System Toggle, Zoom Out, and Goto Object.
Zoom In will increase the Map screen magnification and focus closer in on an area, while Zoom Out will decrease the magnification and increase the area viewed.
Quadrant/System Toggle is a switch that will change the Map screen to a view inside the system, which displays planets or a view outside the system, which displays all star systems in sensor range.
Goto Object allows the player to instantly change the view screen to the indicated object. choosing the Goto object palette option displays the Choose Location menu. From here you can goto a planet or group within the current system, or you can use the system button to goto a planet or group within another system.
2. Planets: Planets are the only objects in the universe that can sustain life. Planets are classified into two broad categories: Terran and Gas Giants. A Gas giant is a spinning planet in which the atmosphere is the planet; there is little or no solid surface. A Terran planet is basically all planets with a solid surface. The Terran planets, although a wide and diverse category, offer a better environment for productive colonies over gas giants. Colonies on gas giants are extremely hazardous to all forms of life and are therefore expensive to maintain, but the minerals available in this hazardous environment may be well worth the price.
Planet Palette Menu
When a planet is selected by a mouse click, a palette menu is displayed. The Planet palette menu has six options which, clockwise from the top, are Planet Information, Zoom In, Quadrant/System Toggle, Zoom Out, Intel Mission, and Goto-Object.
The Planet Information icon will change the display to the Planet Data screen where all the planets in the system are displayed. Specific information concerning planet populations and structures may be obtained from this screen.
The Zoom In, In/Out System, and Zoom Out options work as described before.
The Intel Mission icon is used for launching an intelligence mission on a planet. This icon will be unselectable over friendly worlds, but Intel missions may be performed on unexplored or enemy planets.
Goto-Object works as described before.
3. Fleets: On the Map screen, starships are organized into fleets of up to nine units. Fleets are your emissaries, scouts and colony ships all rolled together. Any ship with excess spaces may carry colonists in those spaces.
Fleets can be used to transport colonists, protect your planet colonies or scout faraway systems. For a starship to travel from one star system to another (via hyperspace), at least one ship in the fleet must have an FTL drive installed. Remember this when designing your ships!
Fleet Palette Menu
When selecting a fleet, several icons will appear around the group. Clockwise from top, these icons are Fleet Info, Move Fleet, Fleet Attack, Zoom In, Quadrant/System Toggle, Zoom Out, Load/Unload colonists, and Fleet-Goto Object.
Fleet Information displays the statistics of the current fleet and allows you to split or join fleet groups.
Move Fleet allows the player to move to a specified point in space. Choose this point and the fleet will move there during the Action Phase.
Fleet Attack will cause the fleet to attack the object selected, if it is in range. You will receive a list of all targets that are within range. Simply choose one and the fleet will begin attacking.
The Load/Unload colonists is only available when the fleet is in orbit around a planet. In orbit, a fleet can load colonists from the planet's Free Population into any free space left in the group of ships.
The Fleet-Goto Object is a powerful feature that will allow you to set the course for a fleet by selecting a particular object anywhere on the map. The game will display all planets inside the system by default, but by selecting the Star systems or Fleet groups buttons you can order the fleet to travel to other systems or to another fleet group.
4. Global Palette Menu
All palette menus, so far have been accessed using the left mouse button. However, many screen can be reached by way of the Global Palette Menu by clicking on any screen using the right mouse button. The Global Palette Menu options, clockwise from the top, are Game options, Mineral Stores, Database, End Turn, Player Information, Ship Design, and Foreign Advisor.
Game options accesses the load and save game screens, allows you to restart the game or check the sound options.
Mineral Stores allows you to view the current inventory of your mineral resources. Resources are mined by your Mining bases located on planets.
The Database icon allows you to reference all discoveries made by your research department or any technology stolen from enemy colonies. Planets that have been investigated using espionage missions, may be reviewed in the database.
End Turn allows you to increment the turn counter.
The Player Information option makes a subscreen appear, making navigation throughout the game much easier. From this subscreen, you may quickly move between your colony planets and all your fleets.
Ship Design is where all starship plans are made. Ships are composed of many different parts and this screen will help you design your ship.
The Foreign Advisor icon displays the Foreign Advisor screen, where all opponents in the game are represented. You may make or break treaties and look at which treaties your opponents have with each other.
