Giga Pack/Giga Pack CD1.iso/adv/corncob/corncob.doc

Text File | 1992-02-01 | 83KB | 1,767 lines

Preliminary Corncob 3d documentation
------------------------------------

Copyright (c) Kevin Stokes, Pie in the Sky Software 1991

Welcome to Corncob, the shareware air combat flight simulator.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents
-----------------

 1.)  What is Corncob,and What is different about Corncob?
 2.)  Getting Started
 3.)  Hardware Requirements
 4.)  What to try if Corncob crashes your computer
 5.)  Inflight keys
 6.)  Keyboard Play and how to handle the rudder
 7.)  Why try to become general?
 8.)  Combat Missions:  Theaters-of-Operation
 9.)  Training Missions:  Design-your-own
10.)  Friendly structures
11.)  Enemy structures
12.)  How to take off, fly level, and land
13.)  How to use your missiles, bombs, and guns
14.)  Defensive Flying, making it home with a shot-up plane
15.)  Running Around - Welcome the Assassin
16.)  Scoring/promotion rules
17.)  Why is it doing that?  (Commonly asked questions and answers)
18.)  The Scenario
19.)  About the program itself
20.)  Notes about the mission builder
21.)  Contacting Pie in the Sky




                             What is Corncob 3-D?
                             --------------------
  Corncob 3-D is an air combat game where you fly a piston engine (non-jet)
plane against alien invaders.  This shareware program has a projected release
date of Dec 91, and has an economy registration fee of $15.  (More
information about registration at the end of this file.)   There are many
differences between Corncob and the commercial combat simulators currently
available.


                         What's different about Corncob?
                         -------------------------------
1.)  Corncob has a wide variety of active objects which make the combat vary
widely from mission to mission.  Many of these objects make it possible to
have missions that require planning and precise flying ability.  Examples of
enemy devices include: Force Fields, Missile Sites, Mind Benders, Gravity
Orbs, Mortars, AAA, Mobile Ground Vehicles...

2.) Corncob has some elements of 'Virtual Reality'.  It is possible to hop
out of your plane and run around on the ground.  You may then get in other
planes, or walk into your control tower for information.  Some missions
require a landing in enemy territory to accomplish a special forces mission
on foot.  When on foot you have a hand gun, and can plant bombs to destroy
targets unreachable from the air.

3.)  Your pilot's history is preserved from mission to mission.  IE if you
happen to fly over a structure which you had bombed in a previous mission,
the destruction is evident as you fly over it on your way to your new
mission.  You select your mission merely by flying to wherever you want to
go.

4.)  Corncob was designed with fun as a first priority.  Corncob lacks some
of the more no-fun constraints such as limited fuel or ammo.  You may use
your weapons as much as desired, and there are no time limits.

5.)  Realistic Flight Aerodynamics.  Corncob's flight dynamics are all
based on 3-d vector mathematics, and rotation matrices.  The behavior of
the plane is modeled from the physics of air flowing over the wings and
fuselage.  Examples:  High speed stall, Sideslips, rudder control, backwards
flight.

6.)  Hi-res graphics.  Corncob uses a graphics mode of the VGA which contains
640x350 pixels, which is almost four times the number of dots in the action
graphics of other popular combat sims.  Corncob also has a large rear view
in the instrument panel which makes avoiding missiles and making bombing runs
much more visual.

7.)  Corncob uses a minimum of disk space.  While some commercial games take
over 5 megabytes of disk space, Corncob will easily fit on a 1.2 Meg floppy
disk.  Corncob can be run from a floppy drive with no disk swapping, provided
you copy your COMMAND.COM file to the Corncob floppy disk.





Getting Started
---------------

                Welcome to Corncob-3d!

Corncob-3d is an easy game to use.

When you exit this introduction, you will be viewing the "main menu".
From this menu, you can select various sub-menus in order to take ad-
vantage of the many features of Corncob-3d.

If you just want to get in the cockpit and fly, then type <CR> at the
main menu.  Doing so will bring up the Training Missions menu.  Just
type <CR> again, and you will receive the pre-flight report, which gives
information about the missions you fly.  You can exit the pre-flight
report with <CR>, and you will be "in-the-cockpit".

The viewscreen of you plane will show some information about how to
operate your plane.  This information will only appear the first time
you fly (although you can still access it later if you want), so pay
attention.  This information will disappear after you press SPACE-BAR,
and you will be looking out of the cockpit at your runway.

As your first mission proceeds, several more help screens will appear
telling you what to do.  These help screens only appear automatically
on your first flight.


Please note the following:

You may get help for the various submenu's by pressing I.  You may
get help while in flight by pressing p and then <spacebar>.




Hardware Requirements
---------------------
  Corncob requires an IBM PC/AT-type computer with a speed of 12Mhz or
higher which is running the DOS operating system.  Although the game
will run on slower machines, the animation will be too chunky to be
enjoyable.
  The memory required is about 500k of DOS ram.  Use CHKDSK to see how
much memory is available in your computer.
  Corncob absolutely requires a VGA adapter.  A mono-VGA system may or
may not work.
  A joystick is badly needed, but not required for the successful playing
of the game.
  A hard disk is NOT required.  The game may be run from a high-density
floppy drive with no disk swapping.




What to do if Corncob crashes your computer.
-------------------------------------------

  Corncob has been tested on a variety of systems and has run reliably
with no crashes for weeks of game play.  However, Corncob 3D does do some
rather unorthodox things which may cause problems with certain TSR
programs.
  Corncob traps the keyboard hardware interrupt, and runs the system
timer up to 1kHz.
  To make a long story short, the easiest thing to try is to reboot with
no TSR programs loaded into memory, and no 'MENU' programs including
the DOSSHELL.
  We do know of at least one user who has complained of a 'molasses mode'
problem, where every thirty to sixty seconds the game would slow down to
a snail's pace for about 5-8 seconds.  This has to do with a system timer
reset failure.  If this happens on your computer, we would like to know
about it!



Inflight Key Definitions
------------------------

NOTE:  You can get key help during flight with by typing 'p' to pause
       the game, and then using the spacebar to cycle through help screens.

F1 - Boss Screen  (Customize your own boss screen by editing BOSS.TXT file )
F2 - Intelligence Info   ( get mission info from radio )
F3 - Check current score ( gives your current mission score if you land now )
escape - end mission now ( for best score, use near your airstrip tower )
cntl-c - abort mission   ( end mission, pretend mission never happened )

Keypad arrow keys   ( NEVER use cursor keys, use KEYPAD arrow keys only! )
7,9 - left, right rudder control  ( Must use these for taxiing on ground )
8,2 - nose down, nose up
4,6 - roll counterclockwise, roll clockwise

numlock - toggle between {keypad arrows = views} or {keypad arrows = controls}
left cntl key - use with keypad arrow keys for views
left shift key - hold down to switch gun mode to cannons
left shift key - apply brakes

a - autopilot toggle on/off
b - drop bomb now
c - fire missiles ( Keyboard control only )
e - eject (must press space bar to pull ripcord)  ALSO: (step out of plane)
f - flaps toggle
g - ground detail dots toggle on/off
i - ignite rocket booster  (15 second burn, 120 seconds recharge)
m - map mode (arrows, pgup=move down, pgup=move up, shft arrows=change angle)
p - pause toggle,  (use spacebar to go through help screens when paused)
r - toggle reverse window on/off
t - hold down for accelerated time
x - rudder right
z - rudder left
keypad +/-  increase/decrease throttle

joystick button 1: fire guns
joystick button 2: fire missiles

Standing on the Ground Key Definitions
--------------------------------------

d - detonate your planted assassin bomb
m - go to map mode
p - pause (same as inflight)
t - hold down for advanced time
v - radio for a rescue van
j - hold down, release to jump.  The longer held down, the higher the jump.
keypad 2,8,4,6 - turn your head down, up, left, right
keypad 5,0 - run forward, backward in direction you are facing.
left cntl - changes function of keypad arrow keys to operate views
caps lock - toggles remote control mode: fly plane from ground
space bar - fire handgun ( Keyboard control only )
joystick button - fire handgun




Keyboard Play and how to handle the rudder
------------------------------------------

  A great deal of effort was put into Corncob in order to make keyboard
play work well.  The keyboard is interrupt driven, and your key presses
are timed to within 1/1000 th of a second.  Also, Corncob has no problem
detecting keystrokes even when 3 keys are held down at once.

  The keys that even joystick players have to contend with are the rudder
keys.  The problem is how do you command just a little rudder?  If you
hold the key down the plane will go into a heavy sideslip, and eventually
stall.  The method of varying the amount of rudder desired is by rapidly
pressing and releasing the key.  The average amount of time in which the
key is down communicates to the game how much rudder is desired.

  This will take some getting used to, but when you get used to it, it
becomes second nature.  To operate the rudder, the best finger position
leaves the left hand middle finger on the 'z' key for left rudder.  This
leaves the right index finger on the 'x' key for right rudder.  Now your
3rd finger is well positioned for pressing the left shift key down for
cannons/brakes.  For lefties, the rudder controls are 7,9 on the keypad.

  For the keyboard player, the plane must be controlled from the keypad.
Put your middle finger permanently on the '5' key.  Use this middle finger
for both the 2,8 nose up/down keys, and use the index and 3rd finger for
your left/right roll keys.  It's very important to always use the above
fingers for best performance.  The reason is that in Corncob, you
frequently must use more than one arrow key at once to perform a
maneuver.  If you peck the keys with just one finger, your ability
to react quickly and use combinations will be limited.  It's best to
force yourself to do it the above mentioned way, or else you will be
stuck at the harder missions that require more precise flying.

  Remember that to apply gentle tweaks to the control, you must press
keys on and off rapidly, with the average time spent down being the
desired roll/pitch rate.  You have three displays on the front panel
which show you what you are presently sending to the control stick.
These meters are just to the right of the ALT light.

  Don't forget to use the rudder with the left hand.  Using the rudder
can really help you pick off targets without having to bank and pull
back on the stick.

NOTE: if the arrow keys suddenly appear to be not functioning properly,
perhaps you have bumped the numlock key.  Numlock chooses the mode
in which your keypad keys operate between control/views.  Note that
the numlock light will not change state as you switch between views,
and control.






Why become general?
-------------------
  The end goal of Corncob is to attain the rank of general.  To attain
the rank of general, you must have completed all the mission objectives
in every relevant theater of operation, whereupon you will be given a
special assignment.  Upon completion of the special assignment, you
may attain the rank of general.  When you have attained the rank of
general, you have mastered the game and the pilot is retired.

  Completing your special assignment involves flying an experimental
plane (max speed >1000 mph), and experiencing a beautiful graphic
effect which you can only see during the special assignment.  This
3D graphic effect is unlike anything else in Corncob.

  Of course if your general has any resurrections then you have sort of
cheated, and if you are man enough you should start over and make general
with a pure pilot.



Combat Missions:  Theaters-of-Operation
---------------------------------------
  To fly a mission a pilot first chooses which theater of operations he
wishes to fly in.  A theater of operations is a terrain filled with airports
and areas of enemy concentrations.  A pilot selects his mission by taking
off from an airbase, and flying to one of the enemy areas to engage in
combat.  ( IE the mission is NOT selected from a menu ).  For example,
in the milkrun theater of operations, there is a mission called 'Devil's
Aquarium'.  The intelligence report reports that this gathering of enemy
forces is located 3 miles west of Dulles International Airport.  Therefore,
starting from Dulles airport, take off and turn your plane West, and fly
for three miles.  After you have completed your mission, you can fly
back to Dulles, or any other airfield, or you can fly to another enemy
concentration to try to up your score for this flight.

  Most theaters of operation have 9 airbases from which the pilot
can take off and land in.  Each airbase has intelligence information about
the enemy forces in the vicinity.  Intelligence info can be gotten from
entering the control tower on foot, or by using your radio (F2 key) when
in the air.  The information you receive will always be from the last
airport you were in.

  One of the most important things about theaters is that they have a
history capability.  This means that anything a pilot has destroyed will
stay destroyed forever.  For example, say that yesterday a mission was
flown in which the Devil's Aquarium was demolished.   If that same theater
is flown in today,  the wreckage will still remain.  This applies to
friendly objects as well as enemy objects.  Which brings us to the topic
of plane conservation.

  Planes are a precious resource which should not be wasted.  Each theater
has only so many planes parked at the various airstrips.  If pilots are
not careful and lose too many planes via ejection, then the unfortunate
pilot will find himself with no airplanes left in the whole theater.
The method to get the most points, and the way to get through a theater
is by nearly always nursing planes back to the nearest airstrip.

  Even a heavily damaged plane can be repaired simply by landing and
strolling over to the control tower on foot.  If the pilot cannot land,
then ending the mission with a low flyby will assume a safe landing with
plane intact, and the next time the game is played the plane will be
repaired.

  If desired, some older model planes can be brought out of storage, but
this should be used only when desperate.  These planes have reduced
performance specs, and are a brown color.

  Of course, if a pilot runs out of planes in a theater, or would like a
fresh start, there is always the option of reopening a fresh theater.  A
pilot can have up to 15 theaters open at one time, so he may fly one mission
in MILKRUN theater, then fly a mission in FLATLAND, and so on.
Closing an undesirable theater does not affect the pilot's record.  In fact
even if a pilot is killed in action, he can be resurrected.  The only cost
of resurrection is the fact that the computer keeps track of how many
resurrections you did, and places this number by your name in all records.

  Each pilot has records kept both for his total career, and his
performance in each theater which he has flown in.

Examples of Theaters of Operation:

Milkrun:  Easy missions for the beginning pilot.
Flatland: Medium hard missions, most enemy concentrations spread out on
           ground.
Midnight: Night missions.
Quari:    Desert missions with distributed enemy forces
Iceworld: Winter white landscape with lots of suspended force fields
           corridors.





Training Missions
---------------
  If you don't want to fight in an actual theater, IE you just want
to hop in a plane and shoot at aliens, then the Training Missions are
for you.  Use the menu to specify the number of enemy KLA sites, AAA
batteries, and ground vehicle sites, and you are ready to engage in
combat.

  You will be placed in a universe which is empty except for your
airstrip and the enemy field of operations.  The basic setup of the
enemy territory will always be the same.  There will always be an orb
protected by forcefields, and 15 fuel storage facilities.  The fuel
storage canisters (or Ticks, as the pilots call them.) are always the
primary mission objective.

  This Training Missions are NOT just trivial practice.  Your pilot
scores will be affected by your performance on your flight, and your
pilot can be just as easily killed or captured as when you are flying
in a theater.

  This is why it is important to remember to fly the training mission
as a trainee, if you just want to bomb around.




Friendly Objects
----------------

Airplanes
---------
  On every airstrip is one or more airplanes which you may fly.  To
get into a plane, simply walk up to it and enter.  To get out of a plane,
use the 'e' key.  There are three different plane types in the game.

  The blue-winged planes are the standard front-line ground attack planes.
The brown-winged planes are older planes which have been brought out of
storage in the case of an emergency.  These planes have less engine power.

  Lastly, there are experimental black flying-wing planes.  No information
is available about these aircraft.  A pilot must have achieved Combat Master
status before he may fly these planes.


Control Tower
-------------
  Every airstrip has a control tower.  This tower contains the radio
equipment and intelligence officers.  If a pilot enters the door of the
control tower on foot, his plane will be repaired if close enough.

  If a control tower is destroyed, it may be impossible to get intelligence
info on future missions.

Radar Unit
----------
  The radar tower watches for your safe return to home base.  If you want
to have your plane on the next mission, you must make sure the radar tower
is flashing before ending the mission with the escape key.  The radar tower
begins flashing when you get to within a certain distance of the control
tower.

  Ending the mission with the radar tower flashing makes a big difference
in the computed pilot score.


Runways
-------
  Runways are the ideal location for taking off and landing.  Your plane
can do both on the grass also, but the risk of crashlanding is much higher
when not landing on the runway.  Taxiing on the grass bounces the plane
about, and can cause a crashlanding even at low speeds.

Rescue Van
----------
  When a pilot is downed behind enemy lines, he can be rescued by the rescue
van.  He must first eject from the plane, and then use his handheld portable
radio to call for assistance ( Press the 'v' key. )  A rescue van will be
dispatched and will appear shortly.  The van will approach you and stop when
within a few steps of the pilot.  When the pilot enters the van, the mission
is over, and the pilot is considered home safe.

  The rescue van is not indestructible.  The van will be destroyed if it
collides with another object on its way to pick you up.  It is up to the
pilot to maneuver himself so that there are no obstructions between the
approaching van and himself.




Enemy Defenses
--------------


1.) Force Fields
------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Force Fields are a passive defense system used to protect resources
by shielding them from firepower, and preventing our aircraft from
flying through.  Some forcefields shimmer, some are solid colors.
Some fields appear as a rectangular frame which may or may not
vary in size with the passage of time.

  The solid and shimmering force fields require the most power, and
therefore only click on when needed.  When a bullet or missile, or
a plane itself comes near a solid forcefield, it will pop into existence.
Almost all bullets and missiles are stopped by the forcefields, as well
as bombs.  Do not use missiles when your plane is too close to field,
as they will explode in your face when launched.  A forcefield will
cause damage to a plane at a certain rate during the time in which
the airplane is flying too close.  If a forcefield must be flown through,
then to minimize damage, fly through perpendicular to the surface, and
the higher the airspeed, the better.

  Note that the shimmering solid fields are in fact opaque, even though
the optical illusion makes them look translucent.

  The force fields which vary their size and shape with time stay on
at all times.  The boundary of deadliness of these fields moves with
the field's image.  You can use this fact to eek in a few shots at
protected targets.

  In almost all cases, forcefields are powered by a local generator
orb.  Therefore when you take out the orb, all the local ff's will
drop.

  Note that the enemy's fire can be stopped by forcefields also.  A
favorite technique of our pilots is to lure KLA's into a nearby
field.  Also AAA shells are stopped by FF's, so sometimes they can
work to our advantage.


Barrage Balloons
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Barrage balloons are huge membranes filled with a lighter-than-air
gas.  They float up and down randomly.  Their purpose is simply to
be in the way.   They are organic and self-regenerating, so although
they stop all our firepower, they themselves are indestructible.

  Your plane can fly through them, but at a cost of many damage hits.
BB's never go higher than a couple thousand feet.  Their colors show
something about the speed at which they rise and fall.

Bee Swarms
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Bee swarms are very similar to the barrage balloons discussed above.
They float up and down, but they are much harder to see, and are
more difficult to determine their exact position due to their
indistinct appearance.

AAA Batteries
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  These are one of the most threatening of the enemy's active defenses.
AAA sites track your plane and send up volleys of explosive shells
which burst in the air around you.  You do not have to be hit directly
to take damage from an AA shell.  The shells are designed to explode
into fragments which tear through your plane, even if you are hundreds
of feet from the explosion.

  The AAA batteries vary wildly from site to site.  We have found that
there is a correlation between muzzle color and deadliness.  Usually
the brown AAA is the least threatening, while the white AAA is
devastating.

  The AAA quality value affects several capabilities.  The lower
quality sites cannot turn fast enough to track your plane if you are
flying past.  Also, quality affects the maximum firing rate, the
accuracy of the shells, and whether or not the AAA has the
intelligence to `lead` the target.

  Note that AAA shells can explode KLA's.  In the early days before
the leading technology AAA sites were developed, the classic method
of defense against deathballs was to fly past AAA sites at a certain
range.  All the shells would fall behind your plane to where the
chasing missiles were.

  Note also that ground-mounted AAA sites cannot fire
horizontally.  If they did, the AAA batteries would be destroying
their own forces.  You can use this to your advantage, if you have
the ability to fly extremely low.  The closer you are to an AAA
site, the lower you must fly.

KLA's  Deathballs Spitballs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  These are enemy missiles which lock on to your plane, and attempt to
explode when close enough.   They are launched either from missile sites
or from saucers.  These missiles have varying abilities which you can
determine from their color.

  When a KLA becomes active, it will show up as a green dot on your
radar screen.  When you see one visually you will notice that when
it is pointed at you it begins to flash.  At this point the KLA has a
lock on you.  Most KLAs will accelerate forward when they get a lock.

  Note that deathballs always head directly towards you, and do not
lead your plane, like AAA batteries do.


Generator Orbs
--------------
  Generator orbs produce power for force fields, and act as a central
(usually) structure to each concentration of enemy activity.  The
process used by the aliens to generate power has a strange disorienting
effect on humans when close to the orb.  Usually this effect decreases
with distance, but under certain circumstances can become independent of
position.

  The triangular base of the orb is indestructible, but the ball on the
top is not.  When attempting to destroy it, aim for the center of the
flashing ball.  These structures are tough.  It takes maybe ten missiles
or two bombs and a few missiles to destroy one.

  When an orb is destroyed all the force fields in the immediate vicinity
drop.  This makes them of extreme strategic importance on some missions.
In some situations it is wise NOT to destroy the orbs, since sometimes
the alien's force fields can be used to our advantage.

  There is a special kind of orb which has an attractive tractor beam which
exerts a pulling force on your plane.  This force is so strong that your
plane can be pulled backwards through the air in some cases.  This effect
decreases with distance, so be careful about flying too close to this type
of orb.

  Some orbs have been designed to be invincible to normal weapons,
and the only effective way to take them out is via suiciding the
plane into them.  Make sure you bail out before contact, or else
you will be killed in the ensuing explosion.  If you must bail a
good way away from the target, hit caps lock to control your plane
remotely.



TRFRU
-----
  Tetrahedral Radio Frequency receiving units, or TRFRU, are antenna
systems used for spying on all human military communications.  They look
like small black tetrahedrons spinning in the air.  Guns are the weapon
of choice for taking out tofu (tofu is the unofficial name).
Be especially careful when attacking suspended tofu.  They are so small
that many pilots wait too long before peeling off to the left or right.
This can result in a disastrous collision.


Mortars
-------
  Mortars are simple devices which are mounted on the ground and spew
incendiaries when any human is near.  They are used to deny low altitude
flying.


Mind Benders
------------
  Mind benders are small tofu-like structures which have a hallucinatory
affect on the human nervous system.  These devices blaze with flashing
colors, and spin slowly about the ball in their centers.   They are
extremely tough, and can only be taken out with a bomb.  In many
missions, they are unreachable from the air.  In this case a volunteer
must land his plane in enemy territory and proceed on foot to plant an
assassin bomb on the device, then blow it up remotely from a distance.


Aliens
------
  Aliens are very light, and like to be in constant motion.  They rarely
are seen on open ground, and must be approached on foot most of the time.
The hand gun is the weapon of choice for assassinating aliens.  Upon
death, chemical reactions take place which may cause the body to float up
into the sky.

  If an alien touches you while you are not in your plane, you are
captured.

Ground Transports
-----------------
  These ground vehicles look like three wheeled radio controlled cars.
They are no threat to the airborne pilot, however it is a different story
for the pilot on foot.  These shopping carts (unofficial name) can capture
an ambulatory pilot.  Some of the higher quality carts are very persistent.
There are two ways to avoid capture while on the ground.  One is to use
your handgun to destroy approaching carts.  The other method is to lead
them into some wreckage or other structure which will cause the cart to
turn onto it's side and die.  Ground vehicles are notoriously stupid,
and do not appear to be capable of avoiding obstacles.

  When a shopping cart comes near, a human on foot feels a force inexorably
pulling him towards the cart.  At the same time the vision begins to
darken.  The human must escape this cart or the vision will sink into
blackness, and he will be captured.

  Ground transports are exuded from triangular sites which appear to be
nothing but simple triangles lying on the ground.  The color indicates
the quality of the cart produced.  At any one time the number of carts in
the area should be roughly equal to the number of sites in the area.


Flying Saucers
--------------
  Saucers are the primary vehicle for alien airborne transportation.
They vary widely in self-defense capability.  Some have AAA built in,
some have missile launchers (KLA) aboard.  All but the dumbest have
the ability to execute evasive maneuvers.  All saucers have the ability
to make bombing runs against airfields.  The color of the top ball
on the saucer indicates its intent.

  Saucers emanate from saucer sites.  These sites look like large
square cookie tins with an 'x' in the bottom.

Portals
-------
  The aliens have developed a means of instantaneous travel.  Portals are
small force fields which look like rectangles with the corners clipped.
There are a number of different types of portals.  Some are used by
saucers to appear directly over the home airstrip.  These can be used by
the clever pilot as a means of getting home when his plane is not serviceable
enough to fly back.

  Other kinds take you to a random place in the theater, depending on
whatever the aliens used it for last.  Others are placed as traps which
result in a destroyed plane, or worse, instant death.

  Flying through one of these tiny portals can be difficult.  Do not point
your gunsight directly at it, especially at a low airspeed.  If you do so,
you will surely fly under it.  Remember that to keep a constant altitude,
you must keep your nose above the horizon in order to produce lift.

Fences
------
  Fences are harmless objects which appear to be a means to keep idiot
shopping carts from accidentally destroying other enemy structures.  They
have no effect on us except that a collision with one will destroy a plane.




How to take off, land, and fly level
------------------------------------
  The key to success in Corncob is to become a good flyer.  Only when a pilot
learns the abilities and limitations of his plane can he make the complex
maneuvers required to make it to the rank of General.

Takeoffs
--------
  Pulling your plane up into the air is the easiest part of flying.  Merely
put the throttle to the maximum, and pull up on the stick when you reach
over 150 mph.

  However, there are some details to be aware of.  If your plane is not lined
up on the runway, you will have to maneuver on the ground.  To steer your
plane while taxiing, the joystick is useless.  The joystick controls the
tilt of the plane, it cannot turn the plane.  Therefore, use the rudder
controls to steer while on the ground.  The keys to control the rudder are
the 'x' and 'z' keys, as well as the '7' and '9' keys on the keypad.

  To bring the plane to a stop, you must use the brakes.  These are the
left shift key, the '.' key, or the '0' key on the keypad.  The brakes must
be used to bring the plane to a complete stop.  ( The plane must be brought
to a complete stop to qualify as a landing.)

  Once you are lined up, bring the throttle up to max.  When you reach 100
mph, the tail of your plane will rise off the ground.  Keep the plane on
the runway by tapping the rudder keys if needed.  When you surpass 150 mph,
pull back gently on the stick.  If you pull back too hard, the tail will
swing down so quickly that it will slam back down onto the runway, thus
kicking down your nose due to the bounce.  This can cause a crash, so
be careful.

Level Flight
------------
  When in the air the most important thing is to avoid crashing into the
ground.  In order to achieve level flight, you must keep your gunsight
above the horizon.  How high you must keep your nose depends on your
airspeed.  Near the stall speed of 100 mph, the nose must be kept much
higher above the horizon than when you are flying at 350 mph.

  There is an altimeter and a climb rate meter to help you fly level.
A warning light will flash if your altitude drops below 150 feet.

  When climbing, keep an eye on your airspeed.  If this drops below 100
mph, then you may not have enough airspeed to fly.  This makes a stall
possible.

Stalls and advanced aerodynamics
--------------------------------
A stall occurs when the air traveling over the wings becomes turbulent.
This results in a dramatic loss of lift, and unless corrected, the plane
will invariably fall to the ground.   Stalling can be brought about by
letting your airspeed drop below stall speed, or it can also occur as a
result of an imprudent aerobatic maneuver.

  Ordinarily one thinks of the wind striking a plane from directly head
on.  However in real flight the wind must be coming from a direction slightly
below the nose.  This is required because the wind must hit the wings on the
bottom surface in order to push the plane up to counteract the downward
pull of gravity.  The variation of the wind direction from the directly
head on direction is called the angle of attack.  The greater the angle
of attack is, the more the wind direction appears to be coming up from
below the nose.

  The greater the angle of attack, the more lift your plane feels.  When
you pull back hard on the stick, you are lifting the nose of your plane.
As the nose lifts, you are increasing the angle of attack, thereby
increasing the lift, and the plane will begin to rise.  Once the plane
has accelerated in the upward direction, then the apparent wind angle
lessens.  This is because the upward speed of the plane has changed the
apparent wind direction.  ( Sailors are familiar with this effect, the
apparent wind direction depends on what direction and how fast their
boat is moving. )

  Stalls occur when the angle of attack is too great.  At this point, the
air no longer travels smoothly over the wing.  This determines the lowest
flying speed of a plane.  The lower the airspeed of the plane, the greater
the angle of attack must be in order to maintain level flight.  If the
airspeed is too low, the plane begins to lose altitude, thus increasing
the angle of attack. (just as the upward motion of the plane decreased the
angle of attack)  If the pilot then raises the joystick in an attempt to
stop losing altitude, then that angle of attack may go beyond the stall
angle, thus causing the stall.

  In a real plane, a pilot can use his senses to judge when he is close to
the stall speed, but in Corncob there are just the instruments.  In a real
plane, the pilot knows how much force he can put safely on the stick.

  However, in a computer sim, the joystick tension does not reflect the
flight situation.  Therefore, Corncob has in it an automatic stall preventer
which limits the stick travel to the maximum attainable without causing
a stall.  This does not mean that it is impossible to stall.  The stall
preventer simply limits the control stick from causing a stall which would
be the result of pulling back too hard.

  The most common cause of a stall is simply that the airspeed dropped
too low to sustain flight.  Another common cause is excessive sideslipping.
The aerodynamic model that Corncob uses includes sideways motion of the
plane through the air.  When the rudder is used, it kicks the nose of the
plane to the right or left, without necessarily changing the direction of
motion of the plane.  This changes the apparent wind direction to be
either to the left or right of head on.  This sideslipping can also result
from turning the plane on its side, and letting gravity pull the plane
downward.  ( You obviously cannot fly level with the plane on its side, since
then the wing's lift is not pulling against gravity.)

  If the plane is in a fast sideslip, and then the plane is quickly righted,
and the stick is pulled, the momentum of the plane can result in the effects
of left-right wind angle being added to the up-down angle of attack, thereby
pushing your angle of attack over the stall angle.

  Also, a damaged plane can be much more likely to stall.  Wing damage will
lower the lift of the wings, and control damage can make the stick jitter
beyond what the automatic stall preventer can handle.  Of course engine
damage will lower airspeed, and rudder damage will increase level flight
sideslip.

How to get out of a stall
-------------------------
  To get out of stall means getting your forward airspeed up.  Since your
direction of motion is invariably down when stalled, the best idea is to
get the nose pointed down.  Of course your throttle should be place to
maximum also.

  Getting out of a stall can depend on interpreting the airspeed direction
indicator.  The red ball tells which direction the apparent wind is coming
from.  In level flight it should be riding in the center, but below center.
When you yank back on the stick, you will see the red ball drop as the angle
of attack increases, and the opposite when you slam the stick forward.

  When you are slipping sideways, the ball will go to the left or right. Try
hitting the rudder keys to watch as the apparent wind direction moves to the
left or right, then snaps back.  It snaps back because all stable planes are
balanced to have the plane automatically turn into the sidewinds.  How
fast it snaps back depends on your airspeed.

  So now that we understand the red ball, here is how it can help you.  When
the red ball is somewhere near the center, you are OK.  When stalled the
wind direction can be so far off center, that it disappears from the display
altogether.  To become unstalled involves getting that red ball back on the
screen.  If you were doing a hairy maneuver at the time, try just reversing
the stick to try to undo whatever aerodynamic motion you did last.  If you
are below 1000 ft, consider ejecting.  It takes time and altitude to recover
from a stall.

  Note that when the stall is so bad that your airspeed is nil, then you have
lost the ability to control the plane with the control surfaces.   In fact,
it is even possible for your plane to fly backwards with the controls
operating in a reversed fashion.  Even backwards airspeed is better than
zero.  If you are falling backwards, pull the stick back to push the nose
down.  Once the nose is down, hold her there until you get some forward
airspeed.

Landing
-------
  This is one of the hardest parts of learning to fly.  This requires
much patience, but in time you will be able to swoop down from the vertical
direction, and pop the plane down in seconds.

  The biggest problem for beginners is to get lined up properly.  One point
to remember is that you must not fly toward the middle of the runway.  Fly
towards the close end of the runway, or a point on an imaginary line running
the length of the runway and beyond.  Once you are over that imaginary line,
then turn your nose to point towards the end of the runway.  Getting lined
up is especially difficult in Corncob, due to fact that the plane may be
slipping sideways.

  When you get close enough to the runway where it starts to switch
from being drawn as lines, to being drawn with filled black rectangles,
engage the flaps, and drop your throttle to zero.  ( But don't let your
airspeed drop below 100 mph, you may need to bump it up again.)
At this point you should be no higher that 1000 ft.

  In Corncob your plane has automatic landing gear which pops down as
required.  (Its actually a force field gear using stolen technology)  The
pilot does not need to explicitly engage the gear.

  Now let the plane drop, shedding that altitude before you reach the end
of the runway.  When you get to 100 or 200 feet, level the plane out for the
final drop to the runway.  If you are not lined up well, be ready to punch
the throttle and take off for another pass.  This is very important, because
with your throttle dropped, once you have leveled out, the plane begins to
decelerate.  As the airspeed drops below 100 mph, your plane becomes very
unresponsive to the stick.

  If you are not perfectly lined up, but are low and over the runway, then
drop and steer with the rudder once your wheels touch.  The gear of your
plane is quite tough, and on the runway surface you can have your rate of
climb meter almost pegged negative and still survive.  Landing on the
grass can be done, but requires a much more sensitive touch down.

  It is a good idea to be holding down the brake key throughout the whole
landing process.  The left shift key is situated conveniently for the
left hand to operate the brakes and rudder controls.  For those that use
the left hand on the joystick, use the keypad rudder and brake controls.

  Once you have solidly touched down you make taxi about using your rudder.
Be careful to keep your speed down while taxiing (especially if your flaps
are down.) because it may cause you to lift into the air inadvertently, and
then cause a crashlanding.  Please remember than on the ground, the stick
is useless, and you must steer with the rudder keys.  Pulling the stick over
on the ground may cause your plane to flip and cause death.

  There are two different types of crashes.  One is a fatal wreck, and the
other type is a crashlanding.  A crashlanding is where your plane is brought
down too hard, and the landing gear fails.  The plane then spins to a stop
on the ground.  When it stops, your plane is dead and will not fly again
until repaired.  If you were close to your airstrip, the repair crew can fix
it.  (Do this by entering the control tower through the door on foot.)

  The other type of crash is the fatal crash.  This happens if you slam into
the ground too hard, or if your plane is so tilted during landing that your
wing tip hits.  ( Or if you try to land upsidedown - Sorry, George)

Midair collisions
------------------
  There many types of objects which will destroy your plane if you collide
with them.  When this happens your plane bounces, and the damage indicators
immediately max out.  The screen border turns dark red, and the eject light
begins to flash.  At this point you should bail out, since it is likely that
you will die if you try to land the plane.  Don't bother trying to make it
back to base.  (Although landing such a plane has been done on occasion,
it most often proves to be a fatal mistake.)

  Some of the objects which will destroy your plane in a collision are:
Saucers, fuel dumps, TRFRU, generator orb




How to use your missiles, bombs, and guns
-----------------------------------------

Aiming
------
  The main goal of Corncob is to destroy alien forces.  You accomplish this
by using your guns, missiles, and bombs against enemy targets.  In addition,
you must sometimes use your offensive weapons for self-defense.  (IE your
guns can explode approaching AAA shells, and enemy missiles).

  The most obviously important requirement for successful gunnery is aiming.
Your gunsight shows where the bullets will strike a non-moving target.
There is much technique involved with holding the gunsight on target, since
your plane has to follow the rules of aerodynamics.  This technique will
have to be developed over time, and cannot be learned by any other way but
experience.  However, don't be afraid to use the rudder.  The rudder is
an excellent way of turning your nose fast for a quick shot to the side.
An experienced pilot who uses the rudder can destroy twice as many targets
as the pilot who uses the stick alone.

  As far as shooting moving targets, don't forget to lead your target
properly.  By the time your bullets reach the target, most likely the target
will be somewhere else.  When attacking a KLA for example, try to judge
where it will be when the bullets get there, and fire ahead of it.

  When shooting at ground targets the most important thing to remember is to
watch your altitude.  Remember that you must keep your nose above the
horizon to maintain altitude, so that means you can only shoot at the ground
for a limited time before breaking off to regain altitude.

  Both your guns and missiles can be used continuously, but after an initial
burst, the firing rate will drop to a slow plodding beat.  If you want a
better chance of taking out something quickly, wait until you are on target,
and release a volley.

  An important consideration when attacking fixed targets is rate of closure.
To destroy something in the least amount of time, you would like to make as
few passes over it as possible.  If you come screaming in over the target at
350 mph, then chances are you will get in only a few shots before you must
pull up and around for another pass.  That's why it is sometimes a good idea
to cut the throttle, and throw down the flaps when engaging a ground target.
With an airspeed of 150 mph you have twice the amount of time to pound the
target.  Many times this gives you enough time to take out the mission
objective in one pass.  If you do this, however, be sure keep an eye on your
airspeed.  As soon as you level out or start to climb, your airspeed will
quickly fall below stall speed unless you remember to slap the throttle
back up.

Guns VS. Missiles
-----------------
  When should you use guns, and when should you use missiles?  Guns are fast,
delivering a stream of destruction.  Missiles take time to accelerate, and
deliver isolated punches of firepower.

  Although missiles have more punch, they have a tendency to blow up in your
face if used at the wrong time.  Missiles explode when any object is within
their proximity.  This makes them less sensitive to aiming errors, but
also dangerous to use.  Never use missiles when close to a forcefield.  The
fields will often blow your missiles up us soon as they leave their
launch tubes, thus causing brutal damage to your plane.  This can happen
even though your plane is well away from the forcefields.  Never use missiles
alone to engage AAA sites.  The shells from the AAA will be flying so near
you that the missiles may explode directly in front of you as they encounter
AAA shells.  The combination of guns and missiles works well, though, since
the guns explode the shells long before they come near your plane.  Be sure
to open up with guns first, then start the missiles.  Never use missiles
when you are too close to the target.  The explosion will damage your plane.

  Your guns are almost always safe to use.  Although the bullets may also
explode when they contact forcefields, they are safer to use.  Most
explosions caused by gunfire are safe to fly through, so it is the weapon
of choice for close engagements.  They are particularly good for taking out
KLAs, since they are easier to aim when leading the target, and send a
stream of firepower, rather than discrete charges.  If a KLA is charging
down your throat, use guns, not missiles.

  Most of the time, a combination works well.  On tough targets, use the guns
first, and when you start getting hits on the target, send a volley of
missiles.

Bombs
-----
  Although your plane can create unlimited bombs, they regenerate at a slow
pace.  Your bomb display shows how many you have available to you.  The
maximum number of bombs which you can have available to you is 3.

  These bombs cause an initial impact, and then release clusters of bomblets
which cause damage in and of themselves.  As you watch your bomb explode
in the rear view, you can see the yellow bomblets take to the air, then fall
back to earth.  So although you need a direct hit to cause serious damage,
the bomblets can damage neighboring targets.  If the bomb detonates near
the ground, a crater is formed.  This crater is very hot, and will continue
to damage targets in contact with the crater at a constant rate until the
crater disappears.  (The craters disappear because they soak up too much
cpu time to draw many of them)

  The bombs are very light for their volume and decelerate quickly once
they leave the plane.  There is a lot of technique for making successful
bombing runs.   In Corncob, most of the bombing is divebombing, since there
is no bomb sight for high altitude bombing. ( Although it can be done)
Most of the time your plane is at about 200-300 feet, and just as your
target disappears from your view as you pass over it, release your bombs.
Then pull up fast to get away from the blast, and to watch the bombs
hit in the rear view.  The craters will tell how close you were to target.

  Note that exactly when to release depends heavily on your airspeed and
altitude, as well as your direction of flight during the drop.  This will
simply have to be learned via trial and error.

  As with missiles, bombs are proximity devices.  This means you should be
careful in the presence of forcefields or AAA shells.  Bombing high-quality
AAA sites is not always such a good idea, since the AAA shells can explode
the bomb in your belly, and also because you are a perfect target as you
fly away.

  Be careful when dropping bombs at low altitude, especially when your
airspeed is low.  The bomblets reach hundreds of feet into the air.

  Bombs have been successfully used against KLA's which are right up the
tail, and against saucers, but this sort of bombing is very tricky.  Bombing
shopping carts is great sport, because you can take advantage of the fact
that some kinds of them follow your plane fairly well.

  Bombs can be dropped from any position, even while inverted.  The bomb
delivery mechanism is very flexible.




Defensive Flying
----------------
  Bringing your plane back to base is necessary in order to bring in a
good score.  Although any clown can make effective suicide runs into
enemy targets, it takes a seasoned pilot to weather the enemy storm, and
still make it back to base.

  The two most important air threats are deathballs and AAA sites.  To
avoid being shot out of the sky by AAA requires some facts about AAA.
In Corncob, the alien's AAA shells glide slowly up from the AAA sites,
without gravity effects.  The shells can be seen as brown dot or spheres
fly upwards towards you.  Coming near anything will set off the AAA shells,
and bullets will certainly do the job.  If you are attacking a lone AAA, or
a close bunch of AAA,  your best defense is a good offense.  Blowing those
approaching shells with gunfire is the most effect defense.  This technique
is limited in the presence of KLA's however, since you cannot stay flying
a in straight line when deathballs are charging up on your tail.  This method
will also fail for widely dispersed AAA, since the shells coming from the
side will be pounding you as you stay locked on its brother.

  These shells are equally capable of destroying alien targets as well.  As
result of that fact, ground based AAA will only fire so low.  Anything on
the ground should be safe from AAA.  It is possible to fly under their range
of fire.  This means flying under 150 ft.  This method is also limited in
the presence of enemy KLA's, since you will need room to do evasive
maneuvers.

  AAA sites have the same problem as any other gunner does when the target
is moving.  This is the problem of leading the motion of the target, so that
you are actually firing at where the target will be, not where it is now.
The aliens have 8 different qualities of AAA.  The lower 4 qualities do not
have to ability to lead targets.  Therefore, if you can always be flying
with the AAA on your side, you will not be hit if you keep your airspeed up.
The higher qualities can lead, so to avoid them you must change your
flight path often in such a way as to make them anticipate incorrectly.
The target leading assumes you will fly in a straight line at your
present speed.  If the AAA is on your side, and you fly up and down, you
may lessen the hits.  In the case of high quality AAA, however, the only
techniques which work well are the first two.

  KLA's are not hard to evade no matter what their quality is, provided there
is only one of them in the area.  Deathballs are enemy missiles which always
try to fly directly at you.  Since they do not lead their target, they will
invariably end up chasing you from behind.  When a KLA has a lock on you,
it will flash.  In addition to flashing, it will also turn on its maximum
thrust, and try to come screaming in to finish itself in a blaze of glory
against your hapless plane.

  Although this death charge can be very effective, it can also be used
as a defense for you.  If you wait until the last second before impact, and
then pull up as hard as you can, the KLA cannot turn fast enough to follow
due its high speed.  The spitball will then pass under you, enabling you to
snap your nose down and blow it up with your guns.  If there are a number of
foes forming a train behind you, this technique will lead to disaster.
Although you will have evaded the first in the train, his friends will
surely eat you alive when you punch your nose back down.

  The solution is to pull up, but continue the loop in the hopes of shaking
the whole train.  In a sky full of missiles, this works for a while, but
you must be busy eliminating their sites, because eventually you will become
toast unless you can dwindle their numbers.  Knife fighting like this with
deathballs is very dangerous in the presence of AAA sites.  Your airspeed
will drop quickly with this much maneuvering, and a fumbling plane in the
air is an easy low-deflection target for even the stupidest of AAA.

Making it back with a shot up plane
-----------------------------------
  When you plane has been trashed miles from the nearest friendly,
airstrip, don't despair, plenty of pilots have made back to base with
planes that were just about as flyable as big stone.  ( Landing a plane
that has collided with a saucer has even been done, but landing a plane
which has more than 100 hits depends a lot on luck.)
  The two most important factors when you are trying to make it home
are airspeed and altitude.  The worst possible situation is to be
very far from your base flying 100Mph at 500 ft.   Usually, there will
also be more KLA's in the area, and evading them with a damaged plane
can be impossible.
  But even in the worst situation, hope is not lost.  The clever
designers of your modern plane have installed a rocket motor, which can
give you the altitude and airspeed which you need to make it back.
Look at your turbo boost gauge.  The needle should be green, indicating
the rocket is charged and ready.  Hit the 'i' button, and start climbing.
  If your flaps are engaged, tap them off, but only after engaging the
rocket motor, since it is possible you could stall just by pulling
back the flaps.
  Your rocket motor will burn for 15 seconds.  The turbo boost gauge
needle will be red during the boost, and go to blue when the charge
is spent.  It will take about 120 seconds to recharge the booster.
  Now concentrate on keeping the slowest decent possible while
maintaining airspeed.  If KLA's are screaming up on your tail, it
may be best to let them hit you, if you think you will certainly
stall.
  When the turbo boost gauge needle goes back to green, you may want
to go for another rocket thrust.  Never use the rocket thrust while
on the landing approach, since you cannot stop it once you have
started a burn.  Unless of course you wish to abort the landing
attempt, and need airspeed quickly to avoid stall.










Running Around - Welcome the Assassin
-------------------------------------
  Part of your job as a pilot will be special forces missions.  In these
missions you may have to land your plane in enemy territory and engage
the enemy on foot.

  When you leave your parked plane, and venture into enemy territory on
foot, you are taking the risk of being captured or killed.  You can be
killed by AAA shells or KLA's.  You can be captured by shopping carts
or aliens themselves.

  To defend yourself, you take a handgun with 20 rounds of ammo, and one
assassin bomb.  The plane has an inexhaustible supply of these, so you
may always go back to the plane to resupply yourself.  You can even retrieve
handgun ammo and bombs from crashed planes.

  To move around when standing, turn yourself with the keypad arrow keys,
and move the '5' key and walk in reverse with the '0' key on the keypad.
If you want to go far, hold down the advance time key 't' simultaneously.

  You also have the capability to jump.  Hold down the 'j' key, and you will
see a magenta bar on the side of your screen.  The longer you hold down the
'j' key, the higher you will jump when you release the key.  Jumping is
a capability which is necessary for some mission which take place on air-
based structures, and you have to jump from one pad to another at 20000 ft.
You have the unique capability of changing direction or stopping and
starting horizontal movement while in the air.  When jumping off something
down to the ground, be careful not to jump too high, or else you may be
killed.

  Some objects will support your weight, and others won't.  Horizontal
forcefields, fuel dumps, platforms, and control towers will support your
weight.

  Enemy ground transports seek you out, and when they are close, will start
to drag you towards them.  You can evade them by defensive gunfire, hopping
to safety, or by luring them into your crashed plane or perhaps one or their
own structures.


  Aliens just bumble about randomly and are not much of a threat, but
watch your back.

  Your assassin bomb is planted with the ';' key.  When you plant a bomb it
will remain where you planted it until it is time to detonate with the 'd'
key.  The bomb will stay suspended in the air if that is where you have
placed it.  The 'd' key will not directly detonate the bomb, however it
will be armed, and it will begin to drop when the 'd' key is pressed.

  The most common use for assassin bombs is against mindbenders.  These
devices are vulnerable only to bombs.   Adjust your position until you are
standing in the center of the device.  Then plant the bomb, and walk away.
When you are satisfied that you are far enough away, detonate the bomb
with the 'd' key.



Scoring and medals/promotion details
------------------------------------

Scoring algorithm
-----------------
  Your score for a mission is determined by a formula outlined below.
Your raw score which depends on how much stuff you killed is multiplied
by 3 factors.  These three factors depend on what happened during your
mission.  For example say your raw score for a mission was 1000.
Further suppose that you returned from your mission, and landed your plane
safely at an airstrip.  Then your final mission score would be:

5 * 5 * 1 * 1000 = 25000

   But say you ejected in combat, and had to be rescued by the rescue van.

4 * 1 * 1/2 * 1000 = 2000

  Here you can see that bringing your plane home increased your score by
10 times.

  Now let's say you brought your plane back, but didn't have the guts to
try and land it.

5 * 1 * 1 * 1000 = 5000

  So you can see it is worth it to learn how to land the plane.  It may be
impossible to get a Stellar Cluster without landing your plane.

  If you make multiple flights during your mission, the multiplier reflects
the worst thing which you did.  For example, if you crashland a plane, but
then take another into the air,( without quitting the mission)  and do a
great job, and even land beautifully, your multiplier will reflect the
fact that you crashlanded; The fact that you also landed will not affect
your score.

  Therefore you can see that flying against multiply mission objectives may
raise up your score, but you are jeopardizing the points you have already
earned by flying more without ending the mission.  Of course you'll never top
the high score list without taking some chances...


Technical Score calculation
---------------------------

The score is a product of four factors.

score = PMSF * MSF * NPLF * MOBF

PMSF  Present mission status factor                 (KIA, MIA, HOME, RESCUE)
MSF   Mission Status Factor (unhome-crshlnd,eject inflt,crsh-home,land-home)
NPLF  Number of Planes lost factor                    =1/(# planes lost + 1)
MOBF  Mission Objective factor            ( Raw score which include #kills )


PMSF  is calculated by examining the flags below from left to right, if
any of these is found set, take the value, and ignore the other flags.

Killed        Captured     Homesafe    Rescued      (No Flags Found)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
   2              1           5          4               1

MSF  is calculated similarly to above.

crshlnd-nohome  eject-in-flight  crshlnd-home  landed-home
-----------------------------------------------------------
       1               1              3            5


NPLF  is simply equal to     1/(#plns lost + 1)
      Example: if nplanes lost=0, then NPLF= 1/(0+1) = 1
               if nplanes lost=2, then NPLF= 1/(2+1) = 1/3


MOBF  is the raw score.  It is equal to:
    (#KLA * quality   + #AAA * quality + 1)*(Base score)

Where #KLA and #AAA are the number of KLA and AAA which were threatening you.

The base score is just a sum of the number of kills, each weighted by how
important they are.  Mission objectives is of course the most important, and
therefore has the highest multiplier.

More specific breakdown of MOBF
-------------------------------

Let
        obj      = # of mission objectives accomplished
        ticks    = # of ticks/tets destroyed
        aaa[w]   = # of aaa sites      destroyed of wickedness w
        sites[w] = # of other sites        "     "      "      "
        orbs[w]  = # of orbs               "     "      "      "
        db[w]    = # of death-balls        "     "      "      "
        shc[w]   = # of shopping carts     "     "      "      "

        DB[w]    = max # of death-balls of wickedness w on you at any time
        AAA[w]   = max # of AAA               "       "  "  "   "  "   "

Also let { } represent a sum over w = [0,7]


Then,

        mobf = 5 * [ 15*obj + ticks + { aaa[w] + sites[w] + orbs[w] } ]

                  * [ 10 + { (DB[w] + AAA[w])*(w+1) } ] / 10

                         + { (db[w] + shc[w])*(w+1) }



PROMOTIONS
----------

      One of the most exciting aspects of CORNCOB-3D is the possi-
bility of promotions and medals.  Once you have started a character,
he can progress up the ranks, with the ultimate goal of achieving
general.  Making general with a "pure" character (i.e. one which has
not been killed and resurrected) is the ultimate challenge in the game,
and will rank you at the absolute top in bragging rights.



      Promotions in CORNCOB-3D are based on the number of completed
mission objectives (MO), and go as follows:

   2nd Lieutenant:  0  MO.      (You start at this rank.)
   1st Lieutenant:  1  MO.
   Captain:         8  MO.
   Major:           20 MO.
   Lt. Colonel:     20 MO in at least 2 different Theaters-of-Operation.
   Colonel:         20 MO in at least 3 different Theaters-of-Operation.
   General:         ALL MO in ALL required Theaters-of-Operation, plus
                        successful completion of the Secret-Mission.

Note:  Required Theaters-of-Operation are marked by a Yellow Block
in the list at the upper-right hand side of the Theaters-of-Operations
menu.


MEDALS

      Medals are based on a variety of criteria.  Medals are listed
in the pilot summary shown in the roster, and T-of-O menus when a pilot
or theater is "viewed".  In this case, the Medal is listed as a short
abbreviation, such as "BS" for Bronze-Star.  If the pilot has more than
one of the medal, the abbreviation is followed by a suffix indicating
how many such awards the pilot has, such as BS:2 for 2 Bronze-Stars.

      A complete list of all the medals and their abbreviation follows:

        Purple Heart, "PH"     Awarded for ending a mission with more
                               than 27 units of damage to your plane,
                               without losing your plane, and without
                               crashing unless at home.

        Service Award, "SA"    Awarded for surviving 10 or more missions.
                               (Actually awarded every 10 missions.)

        Bronze Star, "BS"      Awarded for achieving a score of
                               10,000-19,999 points in a mission.

        Silver Star, "SS"      Awarded for achieving a score of
                               20,000-49,999 points in a mission.

        Gold Star, "GS"        Awarded for achieving a score of
                               50,000-99,999 points in a mission.

        Stellar Cluster, "SC"  Awarded for achieving a score of
                               100,000 points or more in a mission.
                               (This is REALLY Exceptional!).

        Distinguished Service Cross, "DSC"
                               Awarded for accomplishing 5 or more
                               mission objectives in a single mission.

        Theater Combat Medal, "TCM"
                               Awarded for completing ALL mission
                               objectives in a single Theater-of-
                               Operation.

        Distinguished Flying Cross, "DFC"
                               Awarded for completing ALL mission
                               objectives in a single Theater-of-
                               Operation without losing a plane.  This
                               takes a REAL hot pilot, as well as
                               some consistent luck.

        Combat Master, "CM"    Awarded for completing ALL mission
                               objectives in ALL of the required
                               theaters.  This is a prerequisite for
                               making general.



Why is it doing that?  (Commonly asked questions, and their answers)
--------------------------------------------------------------------

>Why do you claim it is a VGA game, when it runs in an EGA graphics mode?

  Corncob uses an EGA graphics mode because it has a nice high resolution,
but yet does not have too much information to convey to the screen.
Obviously, we could have made the game run in the 256 color VGA graphics
mode, but this would contain less than 1/3 the number of pixels, thus
reducing far object identification.  We could have also chosen the
640x400 256 color mode, but there is so much more info to convey to the
screen per frame that the animation would become too chunky for all but
33Mhz 386's and above.
  Corncob requires VGA because is uses write mode 3, an advanced hardware
feature for writing to the screen which is available only on VGA boards.
Also, in order to create the mindbender color-cycling, and the
blackout effect, Corncob uses color options only available on VGA
adapters.


>  When first lifting off the ground, why does the nose lift for a second,
>and then seem to knock back down?

  If you pull back too hard on the stick while lifting off, your tail
wheel will be slammed back down onto the pavement, and when it bounces
upward,  your nose appears to bounce downward.  It is possible to crash
and burn as a result of this, so pull back on the stick gently.


>  Why does the stall light go on sometimes when I'm taxiing on the runway?

  The stall detector is looking at the airflow over the wings.  It is
calibrated to detect stalls when the plane is flying.  When on the ground,
the weight of the plane is held by the landing gear, thus making the stall
detector give incorrect readings.  Just ignore it.


>  Why doesn't the plane steer worth a bean when I'm on the runway?

  Don't try to use the joystick to steer a grounded plane.  The control
stick left/right controls mostly only the roll (left/right tilt) of the
plane.  You must use the rudder controls to steer on the ground.  These
are the 'x' and 'z' keys, or the '7' and '9' keys on the keypad.


>  Why don't the brakes appear to work?

  In Corncob, the brakes do NOT toggle on/off.  To stop you must hold
down the brake key until the plane comes to a complete stop.  For
joystick play, this is the left shift key, or keypad '0'.  For keypad
play, it is '.' or keypad '0'.


>  Why doesn't the 't' key appear to work?

  In Corncob, the advanced time mode does NOT toggle on/off.   To fly in
advanced time, hold down 't', and release it to return to normal flight.
Note that the time compression is directly related to your computer speed.
To advance time to the fastest, increase the frame rate by using 'r'
`and 'g' to turn off ground detail and the rear view.


>  Why does using the rudder in flight just make me stall?

  Unlike other flight sims, Corncob's flight model includes the
capability of your plane sliding sideways through the air.  The rudder
causes your nose to flip to the side, without necessarily changing the
direction of motion of the plane.  Using too much rudder (by holding the
key down too long), will cause the plane to turn to the point where it
is hurling sideways through the air.  Note that as soon as you release
the rudder, the sidewind makes the nose tend to flip back into the
sidewind, thus restoring the original orientation of the plane.  The
rudder is useful for flipping the nose a little to the side for a
quick shot at a side target without the need of negotiating the slow
process of turning the plane.


>  How do I know when to end the mission?

  A large part of Corncob is bringing your plane back to the base.
Therefore you must bring your plane to a friendly airstrip, or else
when you go to fly again, you will have one less plane in that
theater.
  In order to exit without losing a plane, exit the program with
escape when you are flying low over your airfield (with the radar
tower flashing white), or else land on the air strip.  Landing
on the airstrip will give you a much higher score multiplier, so
it is worth an attempt if you think you can do it without crashing.
  To find an airfield, use the map which is brought up with the 'm'
key.


>  How do I zoom down closer when in map mode?

  When in map mode, the KEYPAD 9 key will zoom down, and the KEYPAD 3
key will zoom up.  Use the joystick or keypad arrow keys to move
around.  To make the map jump back to your present position, hit the
KEYPAD 7 key.


>  Why do I die every time I eject, regardless of altitude?

  Ejecting successfully from a flying plane requires two keys.  'E'
to eject, and <space bar> to pull your ripcord.  If you don't pull
your ripcord, you will die when you strike the ground.
   If you bail out at 20000 feet, wait until you get closer to the
ground before pulling your ripcord, otherwise you will be stuck in
the air for a long time.


>  Why are some generator orbs seemingly indestructible?

  Some orbs have been designed to be invincible to normal weapons,
and the only effective way to take them out is via suiciding the
plane into them.  Make sure you bail out before contact, or else
you will be killed in the ensuing explosion.  If you must bail a
good way away from the target, hit caps lock to control your plane
remotely.
  The indestructable orbs are a light shade of blue/green.


>  Why does the complete light refuse to go on, even though I know
>  the mission is completed?

  The mission objectives have to be given some geometric scope
via the mission builder when the mission is created.  Almost all
mission complete sensing is done via the generator orbs.  IE, if
you have completed a mission, but the complete light doesn't go,
make a flyby of the mission's generator orb, (or it's remains)
and many times the complete light will belatedly light up.  Note
that if your complete light never lights, you will not get credit
for accomplishing an objective.


>  Sometimes my plane goes into a weird mode where my keypad arrow
>  keys stop working, and something weird happens.

  Numlock toggles the keypad arrow keys between views, and control
of the plane.  Note that the numlock light on the keyboard will
not change.  If you would like to use the views without changing
the mode of the arrow keys, hold down the left control key to
temporarily change the function of the arrow keys to view, the
normal function of the keys returns when you release the left
control key.


>  I can't find any way to put down the landing gear!

  The plane has landing gear that comes down automatically.  From
a game standpoint, it seemed unnecessary to have something which doesn't
add to the fun of the game, and can cause pilots to be killed.  We
all get punished in life enough for being absent-minded, why be
punished when playing a computer game?


>  Why can this Corsair do a loop directly after take off?

  Because the number one priority in this game was to
have fun.  That meant increasing the thrust of the engine by a
factor of four.  For those sim buffs who will criticize that,
how many flight games keep the realistic figure of 10-15 minutes
just to climb to 10000 feet?  Who wants to spend 1/4 hour of their
life just sitting there watching your computer plane climb?


>  I have completed all the mission objectives in a theater, but the
>  computer insists there is still one more.

  Many times you really have forgotten a mission.  Use the map to make
sure all the targets are destroyed.  Remember that many missions don't
show up unless you have zoomed down for a close up with the pgup key.
  Most things should show up when 1 grid is about the size of the screen.
  Another possibility is that a mission-objective type saucer has
wandered away during the melee, and is now somewhere unexpected, perhaps
10's of miles away from the original mission site.  Track it down with
the map feature.  The 'new tower' screen from the fly mission menu
should tell you which airstrip the saucer is closest to.
  Also, many times a 'secondary' mission objective is mentioned in the
mission briefing.  This secondary mission also must be completed before
a theater is complete.  Many times this is a generator orb.  All orbs
with a black base must be destroyed to finish a theater, whether the
mission information directs you to do this, or not.


>  What is the point of the White Sands theater?

  When you have successfully completed all of the required theaters
of operation, you will attain the Combat Master medal, and receive
special orders which involve a mission in white sands.  In that
mission you will be able to fly the experimental plane, and
experience the interesting visual effect upon completing your
mission.


The scenario
------------
  The date is August, 1949.  This is not the 1949 that we remember, though.
In this 1949, WWII never happened ( this is because among other factors,
Adolf Hitler was killed at the age of 19 when hit in the head by a thrown
beer bottle ), but all was not peace in this alternate age.

  In 1939, aliens swept down out of the skies, and began to set up struc-
tures.  Although many attempts were made to communicate, the aliens did not
respond.  It soon became obvious that these creatures simply were not
interested in us, or any other life on the planet.  When human dwellings
or cites were in their way, the aliens simply destroyed them and continued
their seemingly random construction plans.

  So in 1941, the world governments agreed to band together in an alliance
for humanity.  No attacks were launched until November, 1941.  The plan was
a simultaneous all out blitz against the extraterrestrials in every part of
the globe.

  The results were devastating.  The aliens suffered enormous losses, and
could put up almost no defenses against our onslaught.  It seemed that in
a few months, the planet would be ours once again.

  But as of today, in Aug 1949, the fighting continues.  Our enemy learned
the lessons of combat quickly.  At first they were forced to use their
construction equipment as weapons;  Burning our ground forces with their
earth sterilizers, and ramming our aircraft with forcefield protected
saucers.  (Yes, saucers.  After all, everybody knows aliens fly around
in saucers! )

  As of now our enemy has constructed defensive weapons such as
antiaircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles, and mortars.  They have
also begun using their forcefields as protective structures.

  But our technology has grown exponentially in the past decade.  In part
from the cooperation of the world and captured alien technology we have
made amazing progress in the technology of warfare.

  Our latest aircraft is powered by a 6000 hp Rolls Royce Powerplant,
running on synthetic high-explosive fuel.  The fuel, as well as the bombs
and ammo shells are generated onboard the aircraft by an alien-technology
monopole flash system, so the plane never requires refueling or ammo
loading.

  The basic airframe is the Vought F4U Corsair.  Built with a high-tensile
mono-alloy, the Corsair is capable of pulling 15 g's with no trouble.
The high output internal combustion engine gives the possibility of
climbing almost vertically, and this plane can reach almost 600 mph in a
dive.

  The instrument panel includes a rear-view optical system ( necessary
for avoidance of enemy missiles), and also a radar screen for alerting
the pilot to the presence of enemy aircraft.

  Our high-explosive kinetic shells have devastating effects on enemy
installations.  The high-v Brownings can lay out a swath of destructive
power which reaches targets 3-5 miles distant.  The avenger missiles
carry proximity detonators which can destroy targets even when
the aim is not terribly accurate.




The Corncob program itself
--------------------------
  Corncob was written by Kevin Stokes, with a lot of additional programming
done by George Welch.  It has taken about one year to write, and this
process is still continuing.  Most of the program is written in assembler
for compactness and speed.  The game is somewhat modular, as the advanced
user can tell from the directory listing.  3.exe, srats.exe and Rimg.exe
are written in assembler, with some use of an assembler library called
Spontaneous Assembly.  The rest are written in Power C.

  Here is a listing of the modules and their function:
   Corncob.bat: Batch file which calls 3.exe, and moag.exe.
   3.exe:       Main code.  This is the program which is running during
                 flight.
   moag.exe:    Menu/pilot scorekeeper/theater accounting is done from moag.
   tower.exe:   All intelligence information is reported via tower.exe
   rimg.exe:    This reads dashboard files and help screens during flight.
   srats.exe:   Certain special effects are handled by srats.




Notes about the mission builder
-------------------------------

  All 130 of Corncob's missions were created with the mission builder.
The mission builder allows you to create new theaters of operation
complete with mission intelligence reports.  With the mission builder
you have the same tools the author of Corncob used to make all the
theaters.
  When you register Corncob for $25, you get the mission builder along
with your registered copy of Corncob.  ( The $15 registration does not
include a mission builder ).  Of course photocopied documentation will
accompany the mission builder so that you will know how to use it.
  Please note however, that the mission builder is a programmer's
tool.  It was never intended to be offered to customers.  You can
place any object you please wherever in the universe you like.  You
can modify the runways, or add extra radar towers, build a latrine
out of small colored walls in addition to obvious ability to create
enemy strongholds.   Along with this flexibility comes the difficulty
of use.  The MB is difficult to master, and its implementation is
very hard to get used to.  This mission builder is not recommended for
use by any but the most enthusiastic user who has DOS expertise and
the patience to learn a non-user friendly setup.




To contact Pie in the Sky Software:  ( Email Preferred )
-----------------------------------

Pie in the Sky Software BBS   ( This is the best method until July, 1992 )
---------------------------
  Call our 24-hour BBS (2400,n,8,1) and download the latest version of
Corncob on the first call.  Also this is the best way to get technical help
etc.

[phone]   Type full name at the name prompt!


Internet:
---------
[e-mail]       ( Valid only until June, 1992 )

Prodigy:
--------
DWHC72A

COMPUSERVE:
-----------
74040,3526

GENIE
-----
K.STOKES1

US Mail:  ( Address valid through Aug 1992 )
--------
(Only letters with a self-address stamped envelope enclosed will be
answered!  We will not pay postage or label envelopes for anything but
full registration $25 requests. )

Pie in the Sky Software
PO Box 4742
Durham, NC
       27707