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@ A A █▓▒░ ┌---------------┐ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ │ ■■■ │ ░▒▓█ Fido Net 143/27 █▓▒░ │ ■■ Frigate ■■ │ ░▒▓█ Matt Kaufman ∙■∙■∙∙■∙■∙ █▓▒░ │ ■■■ │ ░▒▓█ 19987 Moran Ln. (408) 293-7894 █▓▒░ └--┐ Ver 1.1 ┌--┘ ░▒▓█ Saratoga, Ca 95070 █▓▒░ └---------┘ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ (c) January 1988 ░▒▓█ A A A A Introduction to Frigate Frigate is a strategic game which pits you and your ship against a Soviet fleet of vessels. The object of the game is to destroy as many of the Russian ships as possible while avoiding destruction. Points are awarded for destroying you enemy while avoiding their missiles. Your ship, a nuclear powered guided missile frigate, has many advantages over its Russian counterparts, but you are outnumbered by a large margin. You will be operating on an area of 1,000,000 square miles. At your disposal you have radar, sonar, jamming equipment, anti-missile capabilities and three types of ordinance. Your ship's information and position are updated constantly while you give commands. This, however, is not the case with the updating of the enemy and your weapon systems. This is because of the amount of time it takes to compute these items. For this reason, Frigate is operated using a "turn" system. This means that you can enter in as many commands as the time in your "turn", referred to as the "Turn Time," permits. After this time expires the enemy and all weapon systems will be updated. There are many variables which will need to be taken into account for you to make decisions during play. For this reason there are two windows on your screen in which you will find information about the Frigate's status. The first of these windows, the large windows at the top of the screen, is called the Main Window. The Main Window's format never changes. Its purpose is to give you an overview of the ship's status. The contents, like all of the screens, in Frigate are self-explanatory. Below the Main window you will find the Options Window. This window will change in accordance with the commands you select. (ie. if you select a navigation command it will show you all of the information relevant to navigation) There are more than ten completely different windows which will appear in the Options Window. On the very first line of the screen you can find four things. The first is the number of points you have accumulated. The next piece of information is the time that has elapsed during play. (Note: this time and all other times given in Frigate are decimal times - ie. 1.5min is equal to 1 minute and 30 seconds) After this you will find the amount of time you have left in your turn. Finally there will be a short message telling you about the program's status. A A A A Entering Commands for Frigate The means for which you will be executing commands is through a simple Lotus 1-2-3 type menu system. It is located at the bottom of your screen in the Menu Window. You can move the cursor, or the highlight, using the arrow keys. Like Lotus 1-2-3 menus, a short description of each command will be displayed on the second line of the Menu Window. The information displayed here will change as you move the cursor, in order to match the high-lighted selection. When you have placed the cursor of the item which you would like to select press the return key and that item will be selected. Instead of using the cursor keys and the return key, you can simply press the first letter of the item which you want to select. To cancel a selection and go back to the main menu you can press the ESCape key. At times you will need to enter a value. (ie. the speed at which you would like your ship to travel at) When this situation arises the Menu Window will change its appearance and you will be prompted to enter a value. While entering a value you can press ESCape at anytime to go back to the main menu. The following is a list of all the commands, which can be selected in Frigate, and a complete description of each. The commands will be in uppercase and nested commands will be preceded by the first command you select. Example: WEAPONS _ DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS _ RELEASE-NOISE-MAKER To select this command you would first select WEAPONS from the main menu. Then you would select DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS in the WEAPONS menu. From the DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS menu you would then select RELEASE-NOISE-MAKER. END When selected, it will automatically update the enemy and all weapons systems for the entire Turn Time. It is possible to change the Turn Time using the OPTION _ CHANGE-TURN-TIME command, this will be explained later on. END, regardless of the Turn Time, will be selected for you when a missile is within 5 seconds of your ship. INTELLIGENCE When selected it will display a list of coordinates where ships have been spotted. These are ruff values, but can give you a general idea of where your enemy is. This screen also contains an emergency re-supply point where you can replenish your supply of weapons. You can only get supplies once every 30 minutes. To go to one of these points use the NAVIGATION _ GOTO-POINT command. A A A A NAVIGATION This is the most important command that you will be using. Once you select navigation from the main menu another menu will appear with various commands dealing with the navigation. The following is a list of the commands. NAVIGATION _ EVADE-TARGET This command will automatically set your course, and continually update it, so that you will be on a heading directly away from the target you choose. Radar MUST have the target in site for the command to work and if the target is lost during play the navigation systems will be set to manual. NAVIGATION _ GOTO-POINT When selected you can designate a point, on the 1,000 x 1,000 map, for the navigation systems to head to. This is useful when you are relying solely on intelligence information, described previously, and you don't actually have a target on radar. Once you are within two nautical miles of your destination, your speed will be set to 1 knot. NAVIGATION _ MANUAL This simply lets you set your course and speed manually. NAVIGATION _ PURSUE-TARGET This is the same as Evade-Target in every way except that it sets your course so you are heading directly towards a target. Once you are within two nautical miles of your target, your speed will be set to 1 knot. OTHER When selected, this will allow you to issue commands that do not directly effect the operation of the ship. OTHER_ ABOUT This will display the version of Frigate and other program information in the Options Window. OTHER_ CHANGE-TURN-TIME This command allows you to change the Turn Time. The Turn Time is the amount of time you are allowed to enter commands and the time for which the enemy and all weapon systems are updated when you select END or you run out of time. You cannot change the turn time to less time than has already passed. OTHER_ QUIT QUIT simply quits the game after giving you the final statistics. OTHER_ RETRIEVE This will retrieve a game previously saved. OTHER_ SAVE This saves the game you are currently playing. PAUSE This command will pause the game until you press any key. A A A A RADAR/SONAR When selected, this will display another menu which will allow you to manipulate the Jamming, Radar and Sonar systems. The following is a list of the commands available under RADAR/SONAR. RADAR/SONAR _ EVALUATE This command will fill the Options Window with detailed information about any ship that is currently being tracked by radar. RADAR/SONAR _ JAMMING This command allows you to set the power at which to jam the enemy's radar. If the ship is damaged you may not be able to set it to 100%. You can see its effect by watching the enemy's approximate radar range which will be displayed in the Options Window. RADAR/SONAR _ OVERALL-STATUS This will display the overall status of the Jamming, Radar and Sonar systems. RADAR/SONAR _ RADAR This allows you to set the power of your radar systems. If the ship is damaged you may not be able to set the power to 100%. To see the effect that you change made, look at your ship's radar range which will be displayed in the Options Window. If an enemy ship or missile is not within your radar range you will be unable to see it. RADAR/SONAR _ SONAR This allows you to set the power of your sonar systems. If the ship is damaged you may not be able to set the power to 100%. To see the effect that you change made, look at your ship's sonar range which will be displayed in the Options Window. If an enemy torpedo is not within your sonar range you will be unable to see it. RADAR/SONAR _ TARGETS This gives you a quick summary of all the ships you are currently tracking on radar. SHIP When selected you will be able to view damage reports or statistics about the game. The following are the two commands which can be selected. SHIP _ DAMAGE-REPORT This gives you a quick summary of the capacities for each function of your ship and the amount of supplies remaining. The status of the Hull and Engine directly effect your ship's maximum speed. If the capacity of Jamming, Radar or Sonar is below 100% the value displayed is the maximum percentage at which it can operate. If any of the offensive or defensive weapon systems fall below 80% the system will be rendered useless. When your accumulative capacity drops below 20%, your ship will sink. At the end of every turn, your ship will undergo repairs. A A A A SHIP _ STATISTICS This will fill the Options Window with general statistics about the game. WEAPONS This command will allow you to fire at your enemy and operate defensive systems to destroy and confuse in-bound missiles. The following is a list of the commands available under WEAPONS. WEAPONS _ DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS This command allows you to operate you ships defensive weapon systems. (You will find a list of the commands available under DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS and their descriptions later in the documentation) WEAPONS _ FIRE This command lets your fire either a missile or a torpedo at the enemy. (Note: You must have already selected a target with the WEAPONS _ SELECT-TARGET command) You have two different types of missile. The most powerful and the fastest is the short range missile, but it has a relatively short range compared to that of the long range missile. You have one type of rocket propelled torpedo. They are the most destructive of your weapons, but they are very slow and have a minimal range. To view more detailed information about these weapons use the WEAPONS _ OVERALL-STATUS command. WEAPONS _ SELECT-TARGET This command allows you to select a target to fire a missile or a torpedo at. A window with each weapons status and the targets status will be displayed in the Options Window. WEAPONS _ DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS This command allows you to operate you ships defensive weapon systems. The following is the list of commands available under WEAPONS _ DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS. WEAPONS _ DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS _ FIRE-CHAF This command allows you to fire a chaf rocket. Chaf is thousands of pieces of aluminum foil which obscure your ship on enemy radar. This can make a missile lose it's target and miss. The chaf will remain airborne for approximately 2 minutes. WEAPONS _ DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS _ RELEASE-NOISE-MAKER This command will release an electronic noise maker into the water. It will mimic the noises made by your ship. The noise maker then can draw the attention of the torpedo away from your ship and towards itself. This is your only defense against a torpedo. It will last approximately 4 minutes. A A A A WEAPONS _ DEFENSIVE-SYSTEMS _ TOGGLE-STATUS This command will toggle the Gatling Gun and the Anti- Missile Missiles on and off. They, when toggled to automatic, will automatically fire at in-bound missiles when they come within range. It is a good idea to keep them on automatic all the time during a combat situation. Remember to look at their status occasionally to make sure you don't run out of missiles or Gatling Gun rounds. Other Information for Frigate To start Frigate make sure that the file FRIGATE.EXE is in the directory which you are currently in. Type FRIGATE (return). This will load the game. (If you do not have a color monitor or if there is a problem with the way that Frigate looks on your screen, see the section Command Line Parameters at the end of the documentation.) You will be given a speed selection menu. This allows you to choose the speed at which you want the program to run. It is best to start out at one of the slower speeds when you first begin play. There are still a few more things to explain before you begin play. The first is the concept of your ship making "noise". Your radar range is directly effected by the amount of noise the enemy ships make. This is why you may be able to see one ship, but not another, when they are the same distance form your ship. The "noise", called Emissions during the game, will increase and decrease with almost every action you take. Emissions will increase with an increase in speed, radar power, and damage. Toggling the Gatling Gun and the anti-missile missiles on will also cause an increase in your emissions. Your radar is not completely accurate. The closer an enemy ship is to your radar's maximum range the more "fuzzy" the image will be and his position will be less accurate. This discrepancy causes missiles to miss their target. By raising your radar power you can get a less "fuzzy" image of the enemy and better the chances of your missiles reaching it. When END is selected the computer will update the enemy and all weapons systems for the Turn Time specified using OTHER _ CHANGE- TURN-TIME. While the computer updates the enemy, you will be informed if your radar detects a missile launch. It is possible that even if you do detect a missile launch, you may never see it on radar because it aborted so soon after it launched. If there are any missiles in the air, the Options Window will change it's appearance and give you a listing of all in and out bound missiles with their status. After you have been briefed on all missiles, the Options Window will change back to its original format and you can continue the game. The Options Window, unlike the Main Window, will constantly be changing to suit your current needs. The information it it will only change when you select a command in which you will need more information than is available in the Main Window. To change the Options Window you can select and command which will display the information you want to see and then press ESCape to return to the main menu. A A A A Your enemy is able to perform every function that you are able to do when he is fully equipped. Your will encounter seven different types of enemy ships, each with different performance characteristics and weapons. Compared to your enemy, you are quieter, faster, and you have, at your disposal, better weaponry. Point system: Points will be awarded if you destroy one of these objects. Military Ship Points: 50 Cargo Ship Points: 30 In-Bound Missile Points: 10 Abbreviations used in Frigate: Av Average Max Maximum Dest Destination Min Minimum Dist Distance Pos Position ETIR Estimated time in route S-R Short Range Missile Hd Heading Spd Speed HdTo Head to Stats Statistics L-R Long Range Missile Torp Torpedo Technical notes: Frigate was written in Turbo Pascal ver 4.0. All functions which are used are standard. Color and monochrome monitors: Frigate automatically assumes that you have a color monitor and adjusts accordingly. If you are unable to see the screen when the game loads up, due to the colors, use the command line option /M and Frigate will switch to a monochrome display mode. Command line parameters. If you need to use one of these options, type it in at the end of the command FRIGATE when you load the game. (ie. FRIGATE /M /S or FRIGATE /m /D etc.) /M or /m Turns on monochrome display mode. /S or /s Eliminates snow on older CGA systems. /D or /d Turns off direct screen writing. (for multi-tasking software like DesqView) Values given in Frigate: Speed: Knots or kts (nautical miles per hour) Distance: Nautical Miles or nm (1.15x Statue Mile) Course/Heading: Degrees (0-359 0 being North) Time: Decimal Time (1.5min = 1min 30sec) Files included in FRIGATE.ARC: FRIGATE.EXE - The program file for Frigate. FRIGATE.SAV - The save game file. FRIGATE.DOC - This file. READ.ME - Current version notes. A A A A Statistics for Frigate Your ship's characteristics NAVIGATION Maximum Speed: 36 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 18 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 1.895 degrees per second at 18 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.40 knots per second WEAPON SYSTEMS Short Range Missiles Number: 25 Maximum Speed: 2800 knots Maximum Burn Time: 54 seconds Maximum Range: 42 nautical miles Reliability: 95% Long Range Missiles Number: 35 Maximum Speed: 1200 knots Maximum Burn Time: 138 seconds Maximum Range: 46 nautical miles Reliability: 90% Rocket Propelled Torpedoes Number: 20 Maximum Speed: 500 knots Maximum Burn Time: 274 seconds Maximum Range: 38 nautical miles Reliability: 99% RADAR/SONAR Radar Maximum Range: 115 nautical miles Sonar Maximum Range: 12 nautical miles Enemy Characteristics SHIP TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS Aircraft Carrier Maximum Speed: 23 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 14 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 1.65 degrees per second at 14 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.210 knots per second Normal # of Missiles: 40 A A A A Battle Ship Maximum Speed: 26 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 14 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 1.60 degrees per second at 14 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.230 knots per second Normal # of Missiles: 30 Cargo Ship Maximum Speed: 21 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 17 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 0.96 degrees per second at 17 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.210 knots per second Normal # of Missiles: 5 Command Ship Maximum Speed: 36 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 13 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 2.12 degrees per second at 13 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.480 knots per second Maximum # of Missiles: 12 Cruiser Maximum Speed: 31 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 13 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 1.50 degrees per second at 13 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.280 knots per second Maximum # of Missiles: 25 Destroyer Maximum Speed: 26 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 14 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 1.60 degrees per second at 14 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.230 knots per second Maximum # of Missiles: 30 Frigate Maximum Speed: 36 knots Best Maneuvering Speed: 10 knots Maximum Turn Rate: 1.49 degrees per second at 10 knots Maximum Acceleration: 0.350 knots per second Maximum # of Missiles: 20 ENEMY WEAPONS SYSTEMS Short Range Missiles Maximum Speed: 2600 knots Maximum Burn Time: 54 seconds Maximum Range: 42 nautical miles Reliability: 90% Long Range Missiles Maximum Speed: 1150 knots Maximum Burn Time: 138 seconds Maximum Range: 44 nautical miles Reliability: 85% A A A A Rocket Propelled Torpedoes Maximum Speed: 480 knots Maximum Burn Time: 263 seconds Maximum Range: 35 nautical miles Reliability: 95% RADAR/SONAR Radar Maximum Range: 110 nautical miles Sonar Maximum Range: 11 nautical miles █▓▒░ ┌---------------┐ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ │ ■■■ │ ░▒▓█ Fido Net 143/27 █▓▒░ │ ■■ Frigate ■■ │ ░▒▓█ Matt Kaufman ∙■∙■∙∙■∙■∙ █▓▒░ │ ■■■ │ ░▒▓█ 19987 Moran Ln. (408) 293-7894 █▓▒░ └--┐ Ver 1.1 ┌--┘ ░▒▓█ Saratoga, Ca 95070 █▓▒░ └---------┘ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ (c) January 1988 ░▒▓█ A A