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ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 DEMO VERSION 1.0 Copyright (c) 1988 by George Moromisato 15 Whittier Road Natick, MA 01760 ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION...........................................2 2.0 SETTING UP THE GAME....................................3 3.0 STARTING A GAME........................................4 4.0 BASIC PLAY.............................................4 5.0 THE WINDOWS............................................5 6.0 COMMANDS...............................................8 7.0 SCENARIOS.............................................13 7.1 Reconstruction 4021...............................13 7.2 The Pirates of Jakarta............................13 7.3 The Four Princes..................................14 8.0 REFERENCE TABLES......................................16 9.0 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS...................................19 10.0 GLOSSARY.............................................21 But Wait, There's More....................................23 - 2 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 1.0 INTRODUCTION Welcome to Anacreon! You are about to make enemies of your friends, challenge your tactical skills, and test the limits of your restraint. Prepare yourself for the temptations of absolute power... Anacreon is a highly detailed and challenging game in which you have complete control of an entire galactic empire. This is much more than a simple war game--players may arrange interstellar trade routes, make treaties with other empires, control the production of planets, and race against the enemy to create new technologies and more destructive weapons. With the power of an empire at hand it can be difficult to limit your aggressions. Remember, diplomacy isn't fun but it gives you more time to plot your revenge. As the ruler of a multi-world empire you will have many difficult decisions. Resources and policies in Anacreon empires must be carefully balanced as in any real government. Will each world be self-sufficient or will you implement an elaborate cargo route to supply specialized worlds? If you chose the former you won't have to worry about your worlds lacking materials, but if you chose the latter each specialized world will be more efficient and productive. You will have to decide how many worlds you will devote to building ships, and how many to producing raw materials. Or perhaps you will want to sacrifice some industrial worlds in order to establish research universities. In any case you will have to worry about how to defend your worlds. Poorly defended worlds invite attack from other empires, but trying to protect all your worlds may spread your forces too thin. And at all times you will have to make sure that none of your worlds are too unhappy, or else you'll risk a possible rebellion. Of course, the real challenge will come from the other empires in the galaxy. Each empire will be trying to build up their war machine, always conquering more worlds and always building more ships. You will have to insure that your empire is able to respond to their challenge, either by undertaking your own program of expansion or by strategically weakening your opponents' military power. Treaties are always possible and indeed it is often a good idea to join a weak empire fighting a stronger one, but be careful--no imperial ruler will honor a treaty that he or she does not believe will be of benefit. Attacks against your neighbors will have to be planned carefully. Even a weak empire can retaliate forcefully if your worlds are not adequately defended. - 3 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 2.0 SETTING UP THE GAME The Anacreon demo comes in an .ARC file that contain the following: ANACREON.ARC README The README file ANACREON.EXE The actual program ANACREON.TXT This manual ANACREON.HLP The on-line help file ANACREON.CNF The configuration file JAKARTA.SCN An introductory scenario PRINCES.SCN A more advanced scenario INTRO.SCN The basic Anacreon scenario Anacreon requires an IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible with at least 512K of memory and DOS 2.0 or higher. A hard disk is recommended. When running the game you must place ANACREON.HLP and ANACREON.CNF in the default directory. You can specify the location of the .SCN files and any save files with the <Configure/Directories> command at the title screen. (If you do not change anything, the program assumes that they are in the default directory.) If you're using two floppy-disks, you should put ANACREON.EXE, ANACREON.HLP and ANACREON.CNF on one disk, and all .SCN and save files on another. Then, you must set the scenario and save directories to B:\ 3.0 STARTING A GAME When you first type ANACREON at the DOS prompt you will be greeted by a brief logo and then promptly placed at the title screen. From here you can start new games, continue old ones, set configurations, etc. Since you don't have any saved games you should select <Game/New Game> and choose one of the two scenarios given. After the universe is created, you will be taken back to the title screen from which you can select <Game/Begin> to start playing. - 4 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 4.0 BASIC PLAY Anacreon is played in turns, each representing a year of time in which the emperor or empress can issue commands and orders. On any given year a player typically checks status and news reports, deploys fleets around the empire, and possibly attacks an enemy or independent world. Each conquered world can then be used to build warships with which yet more worlds can be taken. Any information needed by the player can usually be found on one of the ten status windows. Each window is associated with a particular function key for easy access. Pressing the <F10> key, for example, brings up a map of the galaxy. Windows can be brought up at any time. Commands are issued using the menu bar at the top of the screen. There are six menus, each of which can be accessed by pressing the first letter of its name: Game, Empire, Worlds, Fleet, Build, Ministry of War. Once a menu is activated, pressing the first letter of the actual command will issue that command. For example, pressing <F> and then <P> will launch a probe; pressing <M> and <A> will instruct a fleet to attack. A second way of issuing commands is to use the cursor keys to move around and the <Enter> key to select a command. - 5 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 5.0 THE WINDOWS <F1> Help: The help window provides on-line reference to charts and tables that might be needed during play. The <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys scroll through the different screens. The <End> key brings up a short index. <F2> Close All Windows: Since windows can be called at any point, they may cover up other parts of the screen. Pressing <F2> will close all windows, allowing you to see the screen underneath. <F3> World Status: This window has a line of information for every planet currently scouted. The information listed is a follows: PlntName: The name or coordinate of the planet. All coordinates are cartesian with the capital as the origin. (i.e. 0,0 is the capital; 0,10 is 10 sectors up; 10,0 is 10 sectors to the right.) Sta (Status): The allegiance of the world. If the world is independent, then "Ind" will be shown. Otherwise, the first three letters of the name of the empire that owns the world will appear. C (Class): The environmental class of the planet. Some worlds might be very earth-like and hospitable to human life, others may be barren wastelands bathed in radiation. Clearly an emperor would not make an agricultural world of the latter. (See REFERENCE: World Class Table.) Tl (Tech Level): The level of technological development on the planet. This indicates whether the people are advanced enough to build ships. (See REFERENCE: Technology Levels.) T (Type): The industrial designation of the world. This characteristic is set by the imperial ruler. He or she may decide, for instance, to use the planet as a mineral mine, or a ship-building world. (See REFERENCE: World Type Table.) Pop (Population): The population of the world in billions. The larger the population, the greater the industrial capacity of the world. Eff (Efficiency): The bureaucratic efficiency. A measure the administrative overhead, this characteristic affects every aspect of a world. Low efficiency worlds will produce less, defend less efficiently, and are more vulnerable to rebellion and dissatisfaction. - 6 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 A (Ambrosia Addiction): In the full version of the game, worlds may be addicted to ambrosia, a drug that increases worker productivity. If the world is addicted, a "y" appears in this column. Impt/Expt (Import/Export): A list of the raw materials that the world is currently importing and exporting. This column is related to the ISSP setting of a world, a feature found only in the full version of the game. (Even then, ISSP is used only by experienced players.) Rev (Revolution Index): A measure of the dissatisfaction of the population: no No chance of rebellion Lo- Dissatisfaction Lo+ Riots and demonstrations Hi- Revolution likely Hi+ Revolution imminent Transports (jtn, trn): The number of jumptransports (jtn), and transports (trn) on the world are listed here. Each transport can carry 5 legions, 3 megatons of metals or chemicals, 2 megatons of supplies, or 100 kilotons of ambrosia or trillum. A jumptransport can carry 1/5 as much. When transferring supplies or soldiers to transports the amounts held by each type of transport will be printed on the screen. Materials (amb...tri): The amount of raw materials on the world. The materials are: ambrosia, chemicals, metals, supplies, and trillum. Chemicals, metals, and trillum are used to build ships. Supplies are general food-stuff consumed by the population. Chemicals, metals, and supplies are measured in megatons. Ambrosia and trillum are measured in kilotons. <F4> Military Status: The military status window is similar to world status but lists only military information. The number of ships and defenses on each planet is listed for all planets in the empire. Additionally, you will have a rough idea of how many ships other worlds have: "no" means that they have no ships of the type; "yes-" means less than 500; "yes1" means between 501 and 1500; "yes2" means between 1501 and 2500, etc. <F5> Fleet Position: The position and destination of all currently deployed fleets are listed in this window. The following fields are also included: Status: A fleet can be at destination or in transit. If in transit, the number of years before the fleet reaches its destination will also be listed. - 7 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 Range: The number of years that the fleet can move before it runs out of fuel. A fleet can only be refueled if there is trillum in the sector, either on a planet or in another fleet, or if the fleet is carrying trillum as cargo. <F6> Fleet Composition: This window list the composition of each fleet currently deployed. For example, this window would tell you which of your fleets is carrying metals, or where all your jumptransports are located. <F7> News: This window will display all the events that have occurred while the emperor or empress has slept. (The ruler of a galactic empire must live for hundreds of years to be able to plan long-term strategy. To this end, he or she is frozen in cryogenic suspension for most of the time, awaking only for one month each year to give orders.) The news window will contain reports of rebellion, enemy attack, developments in technology, etc. <F8> Empire Status: If you know the location of another empire's capital, you will have some information about its economic and military capabilities. This window will display the following: Tl (Tech Level): The tech level of the capital of the empire. This is usually the highest tech level in the empire, and determines what technologies it can have. For example, an empire cannot build SRMs or LAMs (full version capabilities) until it is at starship level. (See REFERENCE: Technology Table) Note: having a certain tech LEVEL does not guarantee that you will have all the technologies of the level. Once a level is reached, the individual technologies (e.g. SRMs, starships) will be developed individually. Only when an empire has developed all technologies for a level will it advance to the next level. Pln (Planets): The number of planets and starbases that the empire has. This value is almost always unrelated to production, and certainly not as important as population. It is, however, a good indication of POTENTIAL production. SInd (Ship Yard Index): This is a relative measure of the ship production of an empire. For example, if an empire has an SInd of 2.0 and you have an SInd of 1.0, that empire is producing roughly twice as many ships as you. Note: The SInd value is an economic indicator that may or may not have a firm basis in reality. For example, an empire could have a very high SInd, but produce very few ships because it cannot get the metals to build them. Use SInd as a guide only. - 8 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 Pop (Population): The total population of the empire in billions. This is another good indicator of production. The higher the population, the greater the production of an empire. <F9> Names: This windows displays a list of all the names currently defined by the player. See World/Name. <F10> Map: The map is one of the more useful windows in the game. Each planet in the galaxy is shown as a letter representing the world's type. For example, your capital will show up as an upper- case "C"; a base planet shows up as a "b". (REFERENCE: World Type Table for a complete list.) The map also shows the locations of any nebulae (shaded purple regions) and any planets not yet scouted ("p"). The coordinate system is always centered on your capital, and conforms to standard cartesian coordinates: positive x is to the left, positive y is towards the top. Each block on the map is one square sector. Grid marks on the map indicate five sector blocks. In the introductory scenarios, the galaxy is 21 sectors by 21 sectors, small enough to fit entirely in the window. In other scenarios with bigger areas, you can use the cursor keys to scroll the map. 6.0 COMMANDS Fleet/Abort: Fleets can be disbanded and returned to orbit around a planet using the Fleet/Abort command. The fleet must be in the same sector as a world or another fleet. Note: The ships are not lost when aborting a fleet, nor is the fleet returned to the capital. The ships and cargo in the fleet are simply placed on the world to which the fleet is aborted. Fleet/Change Destination: This command will set the destination for a given fleet. Fleets move at different rates depending on their composition. In general, fleets with only hunter-killers, jumpships, or jumptransports will travel in jumpspace (hyperspace, warp speed, etc.) at 10 sectors per year. Any fleet that includes fighters, penetrators, starships, or transports, will travel one sector per year. - 9 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 Fleet/Deploy: The empire exerts influence with fleets. Fleets are used to attack other worlds and to transport materials within the empire. Fleet/Deploy is used to form a fleet with the ships on a world or in another fleet. Once in the fleet transfer screen, the middle section of the screen will display the number of ships in the fleet and the number of ships on the ground. The cargo column on the far left displays the amount of cargo space left in the fleet. The following keys are available: <Left/Right Arrows> Move the cursor to select the type of ship or material to transfer. <Up Arrow> Moves all resources of the given type from the ground to the fleet. If the resource is a type of cargo (i.e. not ships) then only as many resources as will fit will be transferred. <Down Arrow> Moves all resources of the given type from the fleet to the ground. <Enter> Asks the player to input the number of ships or materials to transfer. Positive numbers will move resources from the ground to the fleet. Negative numbers will move resources from the fleet to the ground. <Esc> Completes the transfer. If cargo space is negative (i.e. there's not enough room on the transports) the computer will state that the fleet is not balanced. Example: Suppose you wish to deploy a fleet from your capital which has 100 jumpships and 200 jumptransports. The fleet transfer screen will look like this: fgt hkr jmp jtn ... ... Cargo 0 0 0 0 ... ... 0 0 0 100 200 ... ... 0 - 10 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 Using the left and right arrows keys to move to the jumpship column (jmp) you would press the up arrow key to move all jumpships from the ground to the fleet. Then, moving the cursor to the jumptransport column (jtn) you would again press the up arrow key to move the jumptransports up. Hitting <Esc> would complete the transfer. Note: To see is a fleet has been deployed correctly, press <F5>. To see what a fleet contains, press <F6>. Fleet/Probe: Probes are used to gather information about other worlds. Each year an empire can send up to ten probes to different locations around the galaxy. The following year, the probes will scout the sector to which they were launched and all surrounding sectors. Information returned by probes is displayed in the World Status <F3> and Military Status <F4> windows. Fleet/Refuel: The range column on the Fleet Position <F5> window shows the number of years the a fleet can travel before running out of fuel (trillum). A fleet can be refueled from any friendly world that has trillum or from its own cargo. Fleet/Transfer: The Fleet/Transfer command is used to move ships and cargo from a fleet to a world or another fleet. The target world or fleet must be in the same sector. Use the keys given in Fleet/Deploy to transfer ships. Game/Next Turn: Game/Next Turn is used to end the turn and continue on to the next player. Once all players have taken their turn, the next year begins. Game/Print Status: The command will print-out a compressed status of all scouted world on a line printer. All numbers given are in hundreds. Otherwise, the print-out is similar to the World Status and Military Status windows. Ministry of War/Attack: Once a fleet is deployed to an enemy world, the Ministry of War/Attack command is used to attack the world. - 11 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 The fleet will be split into several groups, each of which can contain only one type of ship. Choosing standard configuration will place all ships of a particular type in one group. Otherwise, the player may specify how many ships are to be placed in each group. The goal of every fleet commander is to land transports on the surface, but before that can be accomplished the fleet must pass through four orbital shells: Deep space, high orbit, orbit, and sub-orbit. At each orbit, groups must target all enemy ships, destroy them, and then advance to the next orbit. (However, it is sometimes advantageous to advance through an orbit's defenses, although more severe damage will be sustained by the fleet.) The following commands are available: <E>ngage Once all groups are targeted, this command will carry out one round of fighting. <M>ove This command is used to move groups through the orbits. For each group left the computer will ask whether it should <S>tay, <A>dvance, or <R>etreat. A group can advance through enemy ships, but both sides will take more damage. Note: A move command also carries out a round of fighting. <G>roup Status A brief status of all remaining groups. Data includes number of ships left, current orbit, and current target. <T>arget This command assigns targets for all groups. You can specify, for example, that group 1 attack the enemy fighters, and that group 2 attack the enemy jumpships. Specifying a dash <-> as a target, means that the group is defending itself from attack. <D>etails After a round of fighting, this command will display the number of ships destroyed in each group by the enemy. <R>etreat If the battle is hopeless, you may decide to retreat your forces and abort the attack. - 12 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 Example: Suppose you wish to attack a world with a fleet containing 100 jumpships, 200 jumptransports and 200 men. The fleet will be split into two groups, one with 100 jumpships and one with 200 jumptransports. Suppose further that the enemy world has 500 fighters, 200 GDMs and 100 men. The lower-left display in attack will show the number of enemy ships in each orbit: Deep/High/Orbt/SubO/Grnd <F> fighter squadrons: 50 50 100 200 100 <H> hunter-killers: 0 0 0 0 0 <J> jumpships: 0 0 0 0 0 <T> jumptransport: 0 0 0 0 0 <P> penetrators: 0 0 0 0 0 <S> starships: 0 0 0 0 0 <G> GDM: 200 <D> def: 0 <I> ion: 0 <M> men: 100 <N> nnj: 0 <L> LAM: 0 There are 50 fighters in deep space, so you would target your jumpship group to attack the fighters <F> and your jumptransport group to defend <->. Now, pressing <E>ngage will carry-out the attack. After all fighters in deep space have been destroyed, you would advance the jumpships to the next orbit. The jumptransports would be left behind until all the enemy ships have been destroyed. When the jumpships reach orbit, the GDMs will fire. Make sure that all GDMs are destroyed before advancing the jumptransports. WHen the jumpships have destroyed all the fighters in sub-orbit, the jumptransports would be advanced all the way to the ground. Once on the ground, Ground Assault Troops from your jumptransports would form a group and attack the men on the ground. World/Close Up: This command brings up the military and economic data for a given world. This data is also available in the World Status <F3> and Military Status <F4> windows. Any historical notes or special descriptions can also be found here. World/Designate: Once a world has been conquered, the empire can determine what its principal industry will be. World/Designate will redistribute the industry of a world to conform to the desires of the emperor or empress. - 13 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 World/Name: Worlds can be named so that the emperor or empress doesn't have to remember coordinates. For example, the capital (0,0) can be named Home, or Earth, or whatever. Note: Fleets can be renamed using this command. World/Remove Name This command deletes a name from the list. - 14 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 7.0 SCENARIOS 7.1 Reconstruction 4021 This is the basic Anacreon scenario and one of the most enjoyable when played with multiple empires. It is four millennia after the collapse of the last great inter-galactic empire. Each player is the ruler of a fledgling empire consisting of only one planet and low technology. An entire galaxy waits to be conquered; ocean worlds, independent civilizations, ice worlds, desert planets, and perhaps the ruins of some ancient civilization, holding the secrets to advanced technologies. This may be played with one to four players, but is best when played with two or more. Here are some strategies which may be useful in developing an empire: - How aggressive should you be? All joking aside, it depends on the other players. If you are playing with a group of beginners, the idea of being non-aggressive has probably not occurred to them yet. An aggressive playing style may weaken them before they are able to adequately defend themselves. Aggressiveness against independent planets also helps build up one's forces quickly, but remember that once you have captured a planet it must be defended. Losing planets causes great dissatisfaction amongst your subjects. - What should planets be designated? In the beginning most planets tend to be self-sufficient, therefore it is wise to immediately designate a few ship-producing planets (preferably jumpships.) As planets increase in efficiency, they will begin to use up incredible amounts of metals. After a few years it may be necessary to designate a world or two as a metal or raw materials mine. (Raw material mines produce fuel and chemicals as well as metal, but these are usually not a problem until later.) - How do you gain technology? Well, a little luck and a lot of waiting will do the trick, but the clever player will designate one planet as a university world. This will substantially increase your chances of gaining new technologies, but make sure the planet has a tech level equal or greater to that of your capital or no advantage will be gained. - Who to ally with? Who to attack? A good rule of thumb is to always ally with the weaker empire against the stronger one. Remember that there are few scruples used in the conquest of galaxies--if you ally with a stronger empire you will simply be the last empire they turn against. - 15 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 7.2 The Pirates of Jakarta Anacreon is a game system with rules and guidelines; the actual conflict between empires and the initial military and economic power of each player is determined by the scenario. Although this demo has only three scenarios, the full version of Anacreon includes many scenarios and allows you to write your own. The Pirates of Jakarta is an introductory scenario in which you (and possibly another player) attempt to build up an empire strong enough to challenge and conquer the planet of Jakarta. Although you will have only a few ships initially, by conquering the surrounding worlds and designating them to build warships, you will steadily increase your power. At first your progress will be unimpeded, but as the Jakartan pirates build more ships, you will have to worry about defending your transport fleets. Eventually, as your empire grows more powerful, you will be able to conquer the pirate capital itself. Here are a few hints about the scenario: Hunter-Killer Fleets: The Jakartan pirates often use hunter- killer fleets which are completely invisible to your scanners. There is no defense against these, except to bring warships along with your transports. (The full version of Anacreon allows you to build outposts which can detect hunter-killers.) The Nebula: Jakarta is hidden somewhere in the nebula. If you send probes to the nebula, remember that each can scan one sector around its destination. Also, beware of Jakartan mine fields which will destroy jumpships in transit. Relics: If you can find the old Charlatt military base, you might find some ancient warships, forgotten after the wars, that could be used by your empire. - 16 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 7.3 The Four Princes This scenario takes place three-thousand five-hundred years after the collapse of the First Empire. In this era, the Spinward Alliance is at the peak of its power, its military, economic, and intellectual influence touch all worlds within a thousand light- years. Near the edge of this great empire, the Erewohl Region is ruled by four feuding princes, each one determined to forge a great empire. As the scenario starts, the four rulers are equally balanced, each one poised to strike at another, but only held back by the fear of concerted retaliation. The empires have the following capabilities: Empire 1: This empire, at the upper-left corner of the sector, is militarily strong, but has a weak industrial capacity. Although it has fewer ships than empire 2, its modern fleet is composed of more powerful ships (penetrators and hunter-killers). It has a technological advantage over all empires except the central one. Empire 2: This empire is located at the upper-right corner of the sector and is known for its aggressiveness and military power. At the start of the scenario it is the most powerful empire, possessing over 35,000 jumpships. Its industrial production is second only to the third empire. Empire 3: The youngest of the four, this empire controls an ancient industrial complex. Although it is initially the weakest military power, its production is far greater than any other's. This empire is located at the lower-left corner of the sector. Empire 4: The central empire is the most powerful military force in the sector and feared by all others because of its massive starship fleet. The slow nature of these giant ships, however, make them less ideal for the hit-and-run tactics of jumpfleets. Because the empire borders three others, it has an extensive field of mines protecting its capital. - 17 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 8.0 REFERENCE TABLES Technology Levels The tech level of a world is a measure of its technological capabilities. The table below lists the base tech level required for each technology. For example, a jump level base planet can make jumpships but not hunter-killers. Technology Table Tech level Technologies ____________________________________________________________________ Pre-Technological supplies Primitive men, metals Pre-Atomic Level chemicals Atomic Level GDMs, trillum Pre-Warp Level fighters Warp Level transports Jump Level ion cannons, jumpships, jumptransports Bio-Technology Level defense satellites, hunter-killers, penetrators, ambrosia, outposts Starship Level LAMs, starships, ninjas, SRMs, industrial complexes, command bases Pre-gate Level fortresses, warp links Gate Level gates - 18 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 World Class The class of a world is an indication of its environment, whether barren or poisonous, harsh or hospitable. The table below lists the types of industries that are at an advantage or disadvantage for each world class. World Class Table Symb Class Advantages Disadvantages ____________________________________________________________________ A Ambrosia Bio Mining/Trillum a Arid (none) Chemical/Agrc 0 Artificial Ship Yards Chemical/Mining/ Agrc/Trillum B Barren Mining/Trillum Chemical/Agrc j Class J Chemical/Mining Trillum k Class K Mining Chemical l Class L Trillum Agrc m Class m Agrc Trillum D Desert Trillum Chemical/Mining/ Agrc E Earth-Like (none) (none) F Forest Chemical/Agrc (none) G Gas Giant Chemical/ Mining/Agrc/Trillum Ship Yards h Hostile (none) (none) I Ice (none) Chemical/Mining Agrc/Trillum J Jungle Chemical/Agrc (none) O Ocean Chemical/Agrc Mining/Trillum 1 Paradise Bio/Chemical/ (none) Mining/Agrc/ Trillum P Poisonous Chemical Mining/Agrc/Trillum 2 Ruins (none) (none) U Underground Mining/Trillum Agrc V Volcanic Chemical/Mining Agrc Trillum - 19 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 World Type The type of a world determines its principal industry. An emperor or empress can Designate a world to be a particular type, thus controlling its industrial output. World Type Table Type Principal Industry ____________________________________________________________________ Agricultural Agrc Ambrosia Bio (ambrosia) Base planet Ship Yard (general) Capital Ship Yard (general) Chemical Chemical Independent Ship Yard (general) Jumpship Base Ship Yard (jumpship) Mine Mining Ninja Base Bio (ninja) Outpost (none) Raw Material Chemical/Mining/Trillum Research University (none) Starship Base Ship Yard (starship) Transport Base Ship Yard (transport) Trillum Mine Trillum - 20 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 9.0 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Q: How do I start a game? A: Type ANACREON at the DOS prompt. When you reach the title screen, pull down the <Game> menu and select <New Game>. Choose an appropriate scenario ("The Pirates of Jakarta" is a good introductory solo game.) After the universe is created and you return to the title screen, select <Game/Begin>. Q: How do I quit the game? A: If you are at the title screen, simply select <Game/Quit>. If you are in the game proper, first end your turn with <Game/Next Turn>. When the computer asks you for your password, press <Esc> to return to the title screen. Now select <Game/Quit>. Q: How do I conquer a world? A: First you have to deploy a fleet to the world that you want to conquer. (If you've just started, make sure that you don't try to conquer a world that's too powerful. Try conquering a world that is pre-warp or lower.) Once you've done that, select <Ministry of War/Attack>, and use the default configuration. You fleet is now divided into different groups, one group for each type of ships. The <T>arget command will choose the type of the enemy ships that you want to attack. For example, you can tell your jumpships to attack the enemy fighters and your fighters to attack the enemy GDMs. The <E>ngage command will carry-out an attack, you and the enemy will lose ships. The <M>ove command is used to move your groups towards the planet. Hitting <M>ove is like hitting <E>ngage, so be sure that your groups are targeted properly. The <M>ove command gives you the option to <A>dvance your group, <R>etreat (if not at highest orbit), or <S>tay in the current orbit. The object of the attack is to land your transports on the ground. Q: My worlds are running out of metals, what do I do? A: If you have a metal mine or raw material mine that has enough metals, simply send a fleet of transports to that world, pick up some metals, and distribute the metals to other worlds. If you don't have metals anywhere in the empire, you may have to designate a metal mine. Don't forget that it take several years for a newly designated world to begin full production. - 21 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 Q: Why should I designate my worlds? A: The designate command is used to tell your worlds what to produce. If you want a world to make ships, for example, you should designate it a base planet, jump base, or starship base. Remember that not all worlds are suitable for all designations (See REFERENCE: World Class Table.) Q: I want to make a world a base planet, but the option does not appear on the menu. A: The designations that a world can have depend on the tech level of the world. Atomic worlds and lower, for instance, cannot be base planets. Q: Why isn't my capital building any hunter-killers? A: Even if your capital or another world is above jump level, you will not build hunter-killers unless you have hunter-killer technology. If your are bio-tech level, you are advanced enough to develop hunter-killer technology; you just have to wait until your capital develops it. If you have a university world, your chances of developing a technology increase. - 22 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 10.0 GLOSSARY AMBROSIA: Ambrosia is a rare drug that increases worker productivity. Unfortunately, it is also highly addictive and causes severe psychosis on withdrawal. CHEMICALS: Chemicals are used to build ships and defenses. Chemical (type c) and raw material (type r) worlds produce chemicals. CLASS: The class of a world is an indication of its environment. Some worlds are barren and lifeless, making human habitation difficult, others are fertile and hospitable to life. The class of a world will affect different industries. For example, a barren world is not ideal for agriculture; an ocean world is poor as a metal mine, etc. (See REFERENCE: World Class Table) DESIGNATION: A world in an empire can be designated to produce a specific resource according to the wishes of the emperor. The type of the world is changed by a designate command. FIGHTER: A fighter group (fgt) is a squadron of sub-light interceptors based on a small warp-carrier. They are small and inexpensive, but possess only light firepower and no armor. Fighters are the weakest kind of ship, but are particularly vulnerable to GDMs and starships. Only base planets and transport bases build these ships. FLEET: A fleet is a group of ships and materials that acts as an entity. You must deploy a fleet to move ships from world to world, or to attack another world. Use the <Fleet/Deploy> command to deploy a fleet, the <Fleet/Transfer> command to move ships and material to and from a world, and <Fleet/Change Destination> to change the destination of a fleet. GROUND DEFENSES: Advanced worlds ordinarily have a complement of GDMs, ion cannons (ion), and defense satellites (def) to defend against ground assault. Less advanced worlds will have only GDMs. Fleets attacking these worlds must destroy these defenses before they can land troops on the surface. HUNTER-KILLER: Hunter-killers (hkr), like jumpships, can travel ten sectors a year with their jumpdrives. A hunter-killer's main advantage, however, is its invisibility to enemy scanners. A fleet of hunter-killers will can only be detected by sophisticated equipment found only on outposts and starbases. Jump bases and base planets build theses ships. - 23 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 JUMPSHIP: Jumpships (jmp) are medium sized warships equipped with a jump generator. They can travel ten sectors per year and possess modest armor and armaments. Jump bases and base planets build these ships. METALS: Metals (met) are needed to build ships and defenses, and to build industry on a world. Metal mines (type m) and raw material mines (type r) mine metals, but generally need an initial input of metals to begin production. Metals, like all other materials, can be carried on transports and jumptransports. SUPPLIES: Supplies (sup) include the basic necessities of life such as food and medicine. Although most planets are self- sufficient, some may be too primitive to be able to support themselves. STARSHIP: Starships (str) are the most powerful type of ships. Although they are slow (1 sector per year) and very expensive to build, they are unmatched in firepower and armor. Starship bases and base planets build these ships. TECH LEVEL: The technological base of knowledge of a planet can be placed into different levels. Worlds that have just discovered atomic theory are atomic level; world that understand jumpspace are jump level, etc. The tech level of the capital of an empire determines the level for the empire. TRILLUM: Trillum (tri), a high-yield nuclear fuel is used to build ships and power fleets. Trillum mines (type z) and raw material worlds (type r) mine this important substance. When a fleet is deployed it automatically takes as much fuel as it can carry in its tanks, more trillum can be carried in their cargo holds, however. TYPE: The type of a world is an indication of its main industry. For example, a jumpship base builds jumpships, a metal mine mines metals. You can set the type of the worlds you own with the World/Designate command. - 24 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 But Wait, There's More... Tired of getting attacked by invisible hunter-killer fleets? Do you wish that you could increase the production of your worlds? Wouldn't it be nice if those damn starships could move a little faster? Well don't despair, now you too can be one of the hundreds of billions of people who rule an empire using the full version of Anacreon. Here's what you get: Outposts: Do you hate hunter-killer fleets? Just build an outpost near your capital and see those fleets appear. Detects and scans all enemy fleets within five sectors. LAMs: Fleets are fine, but sometimes you need a rapid-strike deployment to defend your worlds or take your enemy completely by surprise. Long-range Attack Missiles can be fired at all enemy fleets within five sectors. Be the envy of all major empires. Can strike other worlds too! Ambrosia: Too many ships is never enough. If you want to take your SInd to the double digits, addict your worlds to ambrosia. This sweet powdered drug increases worker productivity by 50% with no adverse side affect. WARNING: This drug is highly addictive and may cause severe psychosis on withdrawal. Messages: Now you can have full interaction with other empires. Send messages to all or some of the empires. Boast of your power; broadcast warnings when enemy fleets get too close; plan strategy with other empires in secret. There is no limit to what you can do. Be careful, though, some messages might be intercepted by the wrong party... Links: Transports are so slow that it's sometimes better to let a world starve. Jumptransports are fast enough, but too small to support the needs of large worlds. Until recently there was no answer to this dilemma, but now you can build a warp link connecting different parts of your empire. Just put your fleet in one end and it comes out the other end in ONE year. Works with all major ship types including starships and transports. Gates: Links are fine if you have to move metals around, but how are you going to convince your enemy to let you build a link near his or her capital? With a gate you don't need permission to invade! Just put your fleet in the gate and be ready to attack any part of the galaxy in ONE year. It takes fifteen years to build, but the gains are worth the cost. - 25 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 SRMs: Now Jakarta won't be the only empire with mines! These heavy duty Self-Replicating Mines can be placed around your major planets. Avoid the surprise attack of jumpfleets. These mines stop jumpfleets dead in their tracks, alerting you a year in advance. Or why not be offensive and mine your enemy's trade routes? With SRMs you're limited only by your imagination. Plus much more: Command bases, fortresses, setting defenses, trading technology, new kinds of nebula, full production and ISSP control. The full version of Anacreon also features two essential playing aids: A Complete Manual: The soft-bound Anacreon manual is divided into two parts, a beginners section that explains the basics of the game, and an advanced section that details the fine elements of strategy and tactics. Complete with dozens of charts and tables, this volume is indispensable for the serious Anacreon player. Full Scenario Control: Anacreon comes with many scenarios, but if you want to create your own, you can follow the simple instruction and read the complete scenario specifications. Make your scenarios as simple or as complicated as you want, from a basic war game to a challenging adventure game. To order a copy of Anacreon send $49.95 check or money order to: TMA 15 Whittier Rd. Natick, MA 01760 (508) 655-5823 - 26 - ANACREON: Reconstruction 4021 Demo Version 1.0 ANACREON Order Form IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible with 512K and DOS 2.x or higher required. Name: ________________________________________ Address:________________________________________ City: _____________________ State:____________ Zip Code:____________ ________ Copy(ies) of ANACREON at $49.95 each. Total: _____________ Mass. Residents 5% Tax ($2.50 per copy): _____________ Total Enclosed: _____________ - 27 -