home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Turnbull China Bikeride
/
Turnbull China Bikeride - Disc 2.iso
/
ACORNUSERS
/
CBSA
/
GAMES
/
ELITE
/
!AUelite
/
Manual
/
3
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1997-06-08
|
11KB
|
237 lines
THE COBRA MK III
****************
The Cobra Mk III trading and combat craft is the ideal ship for new traders.
Despite being one of the older ships it is rated among the best medium range
fighter-traders. Cobras depreciate little, holding very good part-exchange
prices should sale be necessary.
As is customary, Faulcon deLacy & Rutter Spaceways do not award pilots with
only a blank ship. The craft is equipped with one rapid-fire pulse laser
mounted on the front hull panel and three homing missiles. Your craft is
ready for collection from a Coriolis space station currently in orbit around
the planet Lave. A specially arranged orbit shuttle has been prepared to take
you there. A pilot’s licence will be issued with the Cobra. Please remember
to bring your exam certificate.
Even our best students are advised to practise flying the Cobra Mk III before
any serious sorties. Cobras are fitted with the latest Motion Usher (Mous)
flight control. This has not been introduced to FlightSims so you would be
wise to take advantage of the free docking service offered by Lave. GalCop
will not to reprimand pilots for exploiting this facility.
EQUIPMENT
=========
The Bridge and Console
----------------------
The bridge has one multi-directional and fairly colourful seat for easy
access to essential monitors. These monitors are illuminated with back lights
for use on the dark side of planets. The console contains a scanner screen
and a display of external readings (e.g. temperature and altitude). Pilots
should collect information while docked by choosing a monitor with Mous on
the SelectaBar. In flight Mous is the recommended control mechanism allowing
the twelve F(lying) keys on the astrogation board to select monitors.
Mous
----
Each button on Mous is differently named. The far left button is ‘Select’. In
this manual, ‘select galaxy’ means ‘position Mous pointer over Galaxy on the
SelectaBar, & press the far left Mous button’. The far right button is Add
and the middle button Minus. Add obtains cargo and extra equipment and
increases flight speed. Minus sells cargo and decreases speed.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
===================
Status Monitor
--------------
The status monitor displays an up-to-date information report and lists
equipment, cash balance and fuel levels. This monitor also shows the current
combat condition. During flight, green suggests that there is no immediate
danger, yellow indicates that enemy ships are in the vicinity and red signals
a high-risk on-going death-type combat situation.
The status monitor is immediately recalled by the touch of F8 or by selecting
status when docked.
Present System refers to any planetary system occupied by the ship. The
Hyperspace System is the target planet onto which the Cobra’s drives are
locked. Hyperspace selection is via galaxy or local on the SelectaBar.
Galaxy Monitor
--------------
The galactic chart monitor contains all registered worlds within the galaxy.
Select galaxy or press F5 to see the star field with a standard HoloMap
galactic translator. The Cobra monitor’s resolution limit renders it
impossible to see asteroid fields and black holes. Most large asteroid fields
are surrounded by beacons.
The galaxy monitor pinpoints the star system presently occupied with a small
green cross. The circle surrounding this cross represents the Cobra’s
hyperspace range on the current fuel level. The system selector (the small
orange circle) is moved with Mous. To evaluate a system select the planet.
To search for a particular planet press F on the astrogation board while
docked. This initiates the planet search process. In response to the question
mark, pilots should enter the planet for which they desire information. When
the green cross is locked onto a planet, select data to access the data on
the world.
Local Monitor
-------------
The local navigational chart is the high power map of all planets in the
immediate vicinity of the present system. To view this monitor, press F6 or
select local when docked. In a similar way to using the galactic chart
monitor, select data for statistics on the danger or attraction of trading
with different worlds.
Data Monitor
------------
The data-on-system monitor describes the trading portfolio of any planet
chosen. The Orbit Space Authority accepts no responsibility for inaccuracy,
but allows pilots to trade with the benefit of a little background knowledge.
The categories discussed are distance, main life form and degree of
agricultural & industrial development. Technological levels are displayed on
a scale of one to twelve. The government type, which may range from Anarchy
to Corporate State, will be a strong indication of the danger of trade. This
monitor may be seen at all times with F7 or select data when in a space
station.
FITTINGS
========
The Hold
--------
The cargo hold occupies the bulk of the mid-space area. It has an unmodified
capacity for twenty, one-tonne canisters, which is large enough to accumulate
a capital base reasonably quickly. The physical packing of the cargo hold is
performed by Groigans at the space station. Many love-sick Groigans became
packers in an attempt to forget disappointments and terminate thinking about
what might have been.
Most traders quickly become disgruntled with the size of the bay and obtain a
large cargo bay. This increases capacity to thirty-five tonnes (a 75%
improvement), but does not affect handling. The High-Yimben Mordahi Chamber
is recommended.
The Drive Sector
----------------
The drive sector houses the directional thrusts, the System Space Kruger
lightfast motors and Thru-Space drives. There are housings for front, right,
rear and left lasers, the ECM system, and yaw boosters. This area contains
the MagnetoBurst cabinet, which protects the Zieman shield generators and
Witch-Space fuel condensers (Quirium). Radiation emissions from Quirium are
perilously high, therefore repairs should not be attempted by pilots with
vertigo.
The Living Sector
-----------------
The living and hygiene section is found below the main bridge. The seat
descends into this area through a gravity well. Food dispensing and waste
disposal facilities, a SynPleasure Relaxapad, video and a HoloDirect
communications system for non-flight messages are fully functional. For
traders with friends and family planet-side, the bridge is equipped with
ThruSpace phones. It remains an offence to broadcast non-emergency messages
during flight.
Fuel, Scooping and Snooping
---------------------------
Fuel is available at all equipment-centres. The tank is filled at space
stations to the full seven light-year capacity. Hence to become more
self-sufficient fuel scoops are essential. These are fitted to the Cobra’s
fore-belly at any planet with a Tech level of 5 or higher. Flying close to
the sun at a high velocity enables ships to collect free fuel. Skimming the
sun, sun scooping or snooping is the cheapest way of refuelling, but
overheating can be disastrous.
Fuel scoops harness powerful force fields in order to drive solar winds into
the funnel. These energy fields can also pick up cargo canisters and space
debris. To pick up cargo fly up to an object holding it in the bottom quarter
of the front monitor. AutoShuttles immediately secure all scooped cargo and
will jettison one canister at a time on pressing Enter and 0 on the numeric
keypad.
MILITARY ADVANCEMENT
====================
The Equip Monitor
-----------------
The equip monitor (F4), is easily used to spend well earned credits. A
planet’s Tech level will reflect the level of hardware which is available. To
purchase, select an item, this will be highlighted in red and a description
shown above the SelectaBar. To confirm the sale apply add to complete
payment. All equipment is fully compatible with the Cobra Mk III and is
fitted by skilled Groigans. Any armaments that are upgraded will be refunded
to a substantial proportion of their original selling price.
Leaving a Galaxy
----------------
To leave a galaxy a galactic hyperdrive must be acquired. Their specialised
storage chambers are powered by PhotoSpec Nuclear fuels and can only be
obtained from planets at Tech level 10+. These are expensive and are no
cheaper at planets on the peripheries of galaxies. Each hyperdrive may be
employed once and transports pilots to a system in a different galaxy within
GalCo-Op’s control. This can be checked with galaxy or F5. A jump from the
final galaxy returns pilots to Santaari (the galaxy containing Lave). All
safety harnesses should be fastened before pilots engage the drive by
simultaneously hitting Ctrl and H.
Projectiles
-----------
Lance & Ferman missiles may be bought in any docked system, but no more than
four may be carried. The launch rack on the Cobra’s belly is shown on the
equip monitor. Missiles are slower than laser bolts, but are effective
weapons. After many overhauls the basic guidance system is exceptionally
accurate and performs real-time extrapolation thereby reducing contact time.
The Cobra’s computer will fire missiles in an order which maintains the
ship’s balance. With two missiles racked on the left side, and one on the
right, the computer launches the missile from the outer left side first.
Lance & Ferman are unchallenged in Homing-Body Technology. These experts are
presently working on a missile AutoLoc system designed for the military. L&F
have developed the first non-discretionary multi-warheaded homing missile -
the Mongoose. This will be invaluable for sole Viper pilots attacking
Thargoid destructor ships.
The Energy Bomb
---------------
The energy bomb is a lethal and expensive piece of weaponry. It may be used
only once by pressing Tab. It destroys all ships, asteroids and missiles in
its vicinity with improbable deep-doppler shock waves, leaving the initiator
unharmed.
Lasers
------
The Cobra is fitted with one laser-fire trigger. Select on Mous commences the
proceedings (A on the astrogation board). As a laser overheats the repeat
firing will begin to slow, eventually it will stop. When the laser is rested
external kinetic-absorbers will begin to cool the barrel. The laser
temperature bar should be observed in high-density firing sessions.
A laser may be housed in any one of the four monitors: front, right, rear, or
left; each laser type has different sights. Commanders should acquire an
upgrade to the more powerful beam as quickly as possible.
Beam lasers have never been a more cost effective purchase. After Lance &
Ferman improved their Military laser specification to a 1000mm slice factor
on Flux-Locked metal, Ingram were forced to modernize their Beam laser. L&F’s
controversial advertising campaign should be remembered:
“Do your mother a favour: buy a Lance & Ferman Military Laser."
Fire Magazine’s definitive chart rates the L&F Military laser as being three
to four times more powerful than Ingram’s Beam laser.
However, Ingram’s Pulse laser is still the most popular laser in the
Universe. Pulse lasers are offered for sale at Tech level 3+ planets. Beam
lasers on sale only at Tech levels 4 upwards. The Ingram Pulse laser,
although appropriate for rear and side-long firing is ten times less powerful
than a Military laser. Despite company-produced statistics, Fire state that
all three lasers have very similar ranges and sighting capabilities.