Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/games/stinger.zip/STINGER.TXT

Text File | 1980-01-01 | 14KB | 313 lines

                      U.S.S. STINGER
                   Attack Class Submarine

                       GAME PLAY

     Experience the ultimate combat in U.S.S. STINGER,
the submarine battle simulation that will leave you
breathless!  Become captain of an American attack
submarine whose mission is to destroy the enemy
freighters that carry supplies to their infantry, as well
as the destoyers sent to escort them.  You will be given
a total of 17 hours to complete this mission and return
to a safe dock.  If you fail, the enemy troops on the
island will receive enougn supplies to win the war.

    There are three game play options to choose from:
PRACTICE MODE, CADET SCHOOL and COMBAT MODE.

    In the PRACTICE MODE, you needn't spend your time
sailing towards the enemy - the program places close to
them. The destroyers will attack you as in the real game,
but with their guns being harmless, the only danger lies
in a possible collision with them. The purpose of this
option is to help you discover the best way to attack the enemy.

    Test your skills as a submarine commander in the
CADET SCHOOL. This school gives you certain tasks (or
"drills") and in the end evaluates your performance
according to the time used in solving the task, the
damage suffered by the sub (if you damage it "fatally",
you have to repeat the task or even the previous task!)
and the number of torpedoes and missiles used. You can
earn three different ranks: Captain, Commander or
Lieutenant. If you remain a cadet, the program suggests
that you take another term in the school. Your rank is
stored on the disk to be retrieved each time played.

    COMBAT MODE starts with your respective rank, but
you can be promoted (above captain there are two ranks:
Vice-Admiral and Admiral) if you succesfully destroy two
enemy convoys. Each convoy has five members, there can be
three destroyers escorting each convoy. After every game,
you will receive an evaluation report and a summary which
outlines your history as a submarine commander.

     Before playing the game, you must choose from four
levels of difficulty. You can also increase game
difficulty by switching the "FOG" option on.  The game
begins with your submarine in one of two docks with
weaponry loaded and all tanks full.

     It is important to note:  There is no need to switch
                               between screens while
                               playing since every
                               instrument is visible
                               under the periscope.

                               The speed of the enemy
                               freighters is exactly half
                               of your submarine, while
                               enemy destroyers are twice
                               as fast as yourself.

                  GAME INSTRUCTIONS

     The periscope occupies the top third of the screen.
You can see the following objects on it in full 3-D:
     freighters (4 of them)
     destroyers (8)
     islands (10)
     drilling rigs (4)
     lighthouses (4) - you will recognize them by their
                       revolving lamp
     docks (2) -       rectangles with an anchor sign at
                       one end

     There is a zoom (magnification 1-8) built into the
periscope to allow the player to see objects even if they
are miles away from the submarine. It also helps to guide
your missiles (this is described in detail later). Just
under the cross-hairs there is a small meter to show the
angle (max. +-6 degrees) of the torpedo tubes relative to
the direction of the sub, so torpedoes can be fired as
long as the indicator can be seen. The missiles are also
aimed and guided using the periscope, but you can shoot
them in any direction. While the missile is in the air,
two indicators appear - the left-hand one showing the
amount of missile fuel, and the right-hand one showing
its height above water level (0-40 meters).

     You can turn the periscope by 1/6 degrees in both
directions using the keys 1 or 2. Pressing the shift key
with one of these keys turns the periscope by 5 degrees.

     If you press the m key, a map will be shown instead
of the periscope. On the left you will see the map of the
entire game area with symbols representing the various
objects. On the right you will find a detailed map
showing the objects around the sub (except the ships -
this is a map only!). Between the maps is a table showing
the coordinates of the convoys and the docks. If you
submerge, the program automatically gives you the map -
you can't switch back to the periscope unless you come to
the surface.

    You also have the option to use a larger map by
pressing F3. This allows you the time to find your
position on the map, since the program will stop while
this option is on.

     As the game area is huge, the game would take a very
long time to complete. Therefore a time compressor
(referred to as TURBO mode) was incorporated. In TURBO,
the time passes 30 times faster than normal. Using this
option you can save a great deal of time getting to the
next target. This is a very useful feature, but you can
not use it during battle. In short, you can't shoot with
TURBO mode activated (this is displayed between the
throttle and speed indicators), and you can't flee in
TURBO while a bullet (missile, torpedo, or cannonball) is
on its way.

                     THE DASHBOARD

     In the middle of the dashboard you will find the
RADAR.  This functions like a real radar with a range of
10 miles in diameter. If you choose the "FOG" option at
the beginning of the game, you will have limited
visibility. In the thickest fog, visibility is only 1
mile. Below surface you can see nothing at all. To help
navigate under these conditions, you can use the
"improved" radar option. This is switched on/off with the
"R" (range) key. In this case, the diameter of the radar
range is reduced to 5 miles. The state of this option is
shown with a sign positioned slightly left of the VSI
(Vertical Speed Indicator) inscription. The radar is
revolving with a speed of 1 round per 3.6 seconds. The
cathod ray tube used in the radar has an afterglow time
of nearly 2 seconds. The radar helps you not only in
navigation, but also in targeting. Your weapons have a
range of 1 to 1.5 miles. With the radar you can estimate
the distance of the enemy ships and decide to shoot or
move closer. In the rectangle above the radar you see:
     1. Periscope angle (PA): tells you the position of
        the periscope in relation to the beak in degrees,
        with an arrow showing direction (left or right)
     2. Bottom (BTTM): the distance of the ship from the
        bottom of the sea in feet
     3. Magnification (MAGN): the magnification of the
        periscope (1-8)
     4. Rudder (RDDR): the value is shown in degrees (0-
        30) with an arrow indicating the direction. To
        the right there is a sign which shows whether the
        rudder is locked. If this function is off, the
        rudder will center automatically after a few
        seconds
     5. Vertical speed indicator (VSI)
     6. Bearing (BRG): the direction of the sub

     The dashboard was designed to separate the fighting
and navigating instruments. Therefore, there are two
computer displays on each side of the radar. On the left,
there are the weapons and the state of your ship. On the
top of the weapon display there are indicators of the
four torpedo tubes and the launcher of the guided anti-
ship missile. After releasing them, they scroll out of
the display and pop up on the screen in the appropriate
position. Under the weapons, there is the outline of
U.S.S. Stinger. This is white when everything is in order
and hits are indicated with colored spots. Red spots mean
that you lost.

     Under the dashboard, you see the score board. Here
you will find outlines of a destroyer and a freighter
with a number indicating how many have been destroyed.
The torpedoes go twice as fast as the enemy destroyers
and eight times as fast as the enemy freighters. Ships
the size of the freighters will only be sunk by full
hits, so try to hit the engine compartment or the cargo
area.

     The guided anti-ship missile (GASM) is a more
effective weapon than the torpedo. After launching a
GASM, you can control its movements by following the
target with the periscope. The missile attempts to
mantain its position in the center, so if you turn the
periscope the missile will adjust it's course.

     The missile will go upwards, not only because of the
position of the launching pad, but because of weight
reduction due to fuel consumption. Using a magnification
of 2X or 3X will help you aim more accurately. When you
feel the GASM might miss the target, let it fall into the
water by tilting it's nose down. This enables you to fire
another missile immediately after this one has hit the
water.

     On the right of the RADAR, there is the navigating
computer display. In the top row you will find the
indicators for the battery, the fuel, the hydroplane, the
ballast water and the depth meter (the ballast tanks and
the dive planes are used to submerge USS Stinger. To
learn the process, try every key while watching the depth
meter and the VSI indicator). Below these you will find
the throttle and speed meters and the compressed air
indicator. The air is used to empty the ballast tanks of
the submarine, but if there is no more air, you can't
come to the surface again. Between the air meter and the
speed indicator, are the indicator lamps showing the
amount of fuel remaining in the tank, the condition of
the batteries, which engine is being used, and whether
the air compressor is on. Between the throttle and speed
indicators, a small sign shows the status of TURBO. The
following abbreviations are found on this display:

     BATTERY - BTT            THROTTLE - THR
     DEPTH   - DPTH           SPEED    - SP
     BALLAST - BLST

    Your mission is completed only if you cruise to the
nearest dock when there are no more surviving enemies. In
the course of the game you can go to the dock to refuel,
repair your sub, and reload weapons. (Important: never
fire any of your weapons if it might hit your dock. The
dock may get so seriously damaged that you would be
unable to use it again.) The final approach of the
docking process is helped by a radio signal sent from the
center of the dock. The corresponding instrument in the
sub is shown under the score board if your distance from
the dock is less than 1 mile. Docking is absolutely
perfect if BRG of the ship is 90 degrees and the values
E0-N0 (east0-north0)are seen. The program tolerates the
following limits: E0-W10, N2-S2, BRG 89-91. To begin the
docking process you have to first stop the USS Stinger.
In the dock the TURBO mode will be activated
automatically and the program will start repairing,
refueling, etc. If necessary, you can stop this process
by coming out of the dock (throttle back).

     On each of the difficulty levels, you have an
advantage on the enemy ships. But be careful; as you step
higher in rank, the enemy crew become more and more
skilled. The higher the rank, the greater the distance
from where they can track you or your weapons. Once they
are alerted, the ships will separate. The freighter will
try to flee, but the destroyers will attack you - they
can fire with their guns. They will even try to collide
with you to break the hull of the USS Stinger. You may
think that under the surface you will be safe. However,
the enemy can use hydrophones to detect you when you are
below the surface and the destroyer can throw depth-
charges into the water. The ships cannot see you as
easily when you are under the surface, so you can get
closer to a convoy when submerged. It is worth knowing
that the enemy destroyers can aim their guns in limited
angles, so you have time to shoot them when they are
turning after you. Though one hit from the cannon of a
destroyer is usually not fatal, the second or the third
hit may cause problems (e.g. the radar or the air
compressor may break down). It is advisable to submerge
after the enemy ships turn on you and go deeper to avoid
the depth-charges of the destroyer. Watch the radar and
the bottom indicator to avoid running into underwater
rocks. Switching off the engines may be a good trick to
get the enemy destroyer to lose your trace.




                      CONTROL KEYS


           KEYBOARD:

Q/A        throttle up/down
W          ballast water in (switches off automatically
if
           the tank has been filled)
S          ballast water out (needs compressed air)
R          swap between the two radar ranges
O/P        change magnification of the periscope
H          hold
N          switches on/off the sound of the engines (if
           inconvenient for th player)
E          swaps between the Diesel engine and the
           accumulator
V          turns the air compressor on (if compressed air
is
           needed. Note: the Diesel engine has to be used
to
           recharge the batteries and to operate the air
           compressor)
TAB        TURBO mode on/off
ESC        self-destruction
SPACE      fire a torpedo
ENTER      launch a GASM missile
M          map on/off
F3         larger map on/off
F9/F10     dive planes up/down

Numeric Keypad:

"-"        controls the 'lock' of the rudder
7/9        turns the periscope by 1/6 degrees (with
shift:
           by 5 degrees - useful for a quick look around)
4          rudder/missile left #
6          rudder/missile right #
           # pressing enter key will turn missile faster
2/8        missile up/down