Software of the Month Club 1998 March/Software of the Month Club 1998 March.iso/pc/win/games/blastse2/bdtext/help.txt

Text File | 1997-06-27 | 12KB | 331 lines

This is the 'Ground Zero' Help Dialog.

To Exit, click on the Close Button.
Left Click to examine a topic.
Right Click to back up one screen.
~
NEXT PAGE:
The Page Button is used to change pages in the Warehouse.
There are four (4) pages available for examination.

The first page lists common ammunition.  This means bombs that
are intended for direct attack.

The second page lists special ammunition.  This includes rocket
jumpers, napalm, and dirt bombs.

The third page lists supplies for repairing your base.
(see Base Repair and Computer Repair Panels for details)

The fourth page lists special equipment that may be added to your base.
This includes detection, counter-detection and ABL systems.

(see Warehouse Description to learn more about items)
~
LAST PAGE:
The Page Button is used to change pages in the Warehouse.
There are four (4) pages available for examination.

The first page lists common ammunition.  This means bombs that
are intended for direct attack.

The second page lists special ammunition.  This includes rocket
jumpers, napalm, and dirt bombs.

The third page lists supplies for repairing your base.
(see Base Repair and Computer Repair Panels for details)

The fourth page lists special equipment that may be added to your base.
This includes detection, counter-detection and ABL systems.

(see Warehouse Description to learn more about items)
~
EQUIPMENT:
This is the area of the Warehouse page the lets you purchase your
ammunition, supplies and equipment.

Left Click to purchase an item.
Right Click to return an item.

Ammunition and Supplies are available in quantity.
Special Equipment may only be purchased once.

The cost of your purchases are tallied and compared to the purchase limits of
the game.  If your total cost is listed in RED then you are over your limit.
Unspent money is added to your final score.
~
COST TOTALS:
The Cost Totals shows how much money you have spent.

There first line shows how much you have spent on the current page.
The second line shows how much you have spent on the entire form.
The third line shows you how much money you have left.
~
DEFAULT:
The Default Button will select equipment for you.
If you are a NOVICE, then this is a good way to select your
starting equipment.

This spreads your money evenly throughout all the gear, weapons,
and systems you have available.

~
RANDOM:
The Random Button will select equipment for you.

This purchases equipment randomly until you run out of money.
You will not have a balanced supply of weapons and gear, but
you will have an interesting selection
~
HELP!!!

The help button brings you to this help dialog.

Nuff Said...
~
ORDER DONE:
When you are finished with your ordering, you click here to enter the game.

You will recieve warning dialogs if any of the following conditions apply:
a> You have not purchased any weapons
b> You have not purchased any supplies
c> You have over $500 left over.
~
PLAYER SLIDER:

Click and drag here to select the number of opponents.

Minimum of One, Maximum of Seven.

~
MONEY SLIDER:

Select your starting funds - $1,000 to $10,000.

The more money you have, the longer the game will last.
Figure about two minutes per thousand.
~
BACKGROUND:

GREAT VOID the shots simply vanish.  Bases use Jumpers simply die.

SOLID WALL the shots hit the edge and detonate in midair.  Bases using
Jumpers hit the wall, slide to the ground, and suffer great damage.

WRAP AROUND shots and bases go off one edge and return on the opposite
edge with the same heading and velocity.

BOUNCE WALL shots and bases hit the wall and bounce back inwards.
If you were to hit the edge at a steep angle, the shot could carroom
about the rim like a sattelite.

~
CAMPAIGN NAME:

This is your name.
It is used as the default name for saved games.

This will be more important when we get
Network Blast Doors up and running.
~
CAMPAIGN ROUNDS:

Maximum number of rounds for campaign play.
~
AI BRAINS:

How smart the bad guys are.
This controls accuracy, repair, purchasing, and weapon selection.
Target selection is mostly controlled by AI Teamwork.

~
AI TEAMWORK:

How much do computer foes like/hate The Human.  You can set this
so that the computer opponents usually ignore you.

~
PLAY ORDER:
This top bar shows the names of the players within a series of colored boxes.
Each name has a number next to it.

The color of the box corresponds to the color of the players tank in the
Main Display.  The number next to each name corresponds to the numbers
in the Scan Panel and Radio Panel.

At any moment, one of the boxes will have a white outline.  This indicates whose
turn it is.  Arrows in the Main Display will also show you who is firing.

Turn Order advances from Left to Right.
~
INFO DISPLAY:

This display shows simple information for your bunker.
This shows your name, score, kills and wether or not it is your turn.
~
DAMAGE DISPLAY:
These displays have graphic icons representing
your damage levels.  They also have a damage
bar with an analog representation of damage.

For more information and the ability to repair
damage, press the pretty repair buttons.
~
FIRE PANELS:

The ARM Panel lets you select what ammunition you will use.
The AIM Panel lets you target your shot.
The FIRE Button Lets Fly.
~
REPAIR PANEL:
System is the base system you want to repair.
Damage is the current damage level.
Description tells you about the system.
Supply isthe items used for repairing damage.

There are three buttons for repairing your base.
Each button shows one supply you can use.
The button tells you how much you have of that supply,
and tells you how much damage the supply repairs.
~
SCAN PANEL:
This panel lets you SCAN enemy bases to learn their current state.

SELECT lets you pick an ID number that corresponds to the turn
sequence at the top.  You can even examine your own base here.

DAMAGE shows the primary gear of the base: Cannon, Shield, Computer
and Coolant.  It indicates how close to destruction these items are.
EQUIPMENT indicates what other equipment the base may have;
such as detection, anti-detection and ABL systems.
SUPPLY shows how much ammunition and supplies the base has.
these numbers are only general indicators.  They list the value of total items.
~
WEAPON PANEL:
The Ammunition List shows your avaiable weapons, how many of each type
you have, and what your currently loaded ammunition is.  Click on any
listed item twice - once to hilite, again to select.

The Scroll Bar lets you scroll up and down through the entire list.
Only six items will be displayed at once.

The Description has a short history and explanation of the weapons yield.

The Attributes show the weapons cost, power, radius and emp rating.
~
TARGETING PANEL:
This panel controls the path of your shot.

Bearing is the direction your shot will follow.

Elevation directs the trajectory of your shot.  45^ gives maximum range.

Charge is the power of the shot.  Higher charge for longer range.

Rotating and tilting the map will not affect your shots path.  Your shot will
land in the exact same map location no matter how much you spin the map.
~
QUIT/OPTIONS:

This dialog lets you adjust sound, music and voice volumes.

Sounds are the explosions, buttons, and repair sound effects.
Voices are the voice quips that come from the computer bases.
Music is the midi songs played in the background.

From the primary game screen, it will allow you to quit the game.
~
TERRAIN TOOLS:
The Main Display shows you a view of your world.  The features of your world are:
Background, Terrain, Bases, Shields, Arrows and Quips.

The Background indicates what the maps edge conditions are.
(see Edge Mode from Entry Dialog help)

The Terrain is all that brown stuff with hills and ridges.  Its a 3d map.  To get
a good look at the map, rotate and tilt it.  This will bring into view any items
that have been hidden by terrain features.  (see View Tools)

Bases are little tank figures.  Check the top bar for your name.  The tank with
your color is yours.  Any bombs hitting that tank are hitting YOU!

Shields surround each tank.  The darker the shield, the stronger they are.

Arrows indicate the current players base.  The arrow will correspond to the play
order in the top bar (see Play Order in the Tool Bar help).
~
CLOSE PANEL BUTTON:
This button closes whichever panel is currently open.

Panels appear as a green region at the bottom of the Main Display.  Panels are
opened by the Base Repair, Computer Repair, Radio, Scan, Ammo, and Aim buttons.

If you click on another 'panel' button, the new panel will replace the old.
If you click on the same 'panel' button, the panel will close.

The Panel Close button ALWAYS closes the panel.
~
FIRE!!!
The FIRE BUTTON.  This is IT!

Wait until it is YOUR TURN.  This will be indicated in a variety of fashions:
        On the Information Display it will say 'YOUR TURN'.
        In the Play Order bar, your name will be outlined.
        In the Main Display, your tank will have an arrow over it.

You have selected your ammunition! (see Amunnition)

You have set your aim attributes! (see Targetting)

You now click once to remove the Fire Protection Panel.

You now press the BIG RED BUTTON!

Boom, nuff said...
~
BEARING is the direction on the map you will fire.

At the top your bearing is listed as a number from 0^ to 359^.  This is an angle.
0^ bears due north and 90^ bears due east.

The circle has two lines extending from the center.  The fat line is the
relative bearing.  It approximates the path your shot will follow on the map.

Within the circle, you may see crosses.  Fat crosses are a firm location for your
enemies.  If you drag the fat line over a fat cross, you will have a good bearing.
Thin crosses are uncertain locations.  They approximate enemy locations.

To alter your bearing, click inside the Aim Circle and drag the bar around.
To make small alterations, you can click on the +/- buttons next to the Aim Circle.
~
ELEVATION affects the trajectory of your shot.

At the top, your elevation is described as a number from 0^ to 90^.
45^ gives you the maximum range.  You trajectory will be a classic parabola.

Raising your elevation is useful for clearing high ridges.
Lowering your elevation is useful for hitting cliffsides.

Elevation is controlled by the Elevation Arc, the Elevation Bar, and +/- buttons.
To alter your elevation you can either click inside the Elevation Arc and drag
the Line or you can click inside the Elevation Bar and drag the Bar.
To make small alterations, you can click on the +/- buttons next to the Arc.

WARNING: Elevation near 0^ and near 90^ will put the bomb in your lap.
~
CHARGE is the power of the shot.
High charge for long shots, low charge for short shots.

At 45^ elevation, with the highest possible charge of 75, your shot will
extend the length of the map and a little bit more.

Charge is measure by Bags and Packets.  These bags and packets are actually
placed inside the cannon to fire the shell.
A Bag has a charge of 10.  A Packet has a charge of 1.

You can alter the charge by clicking inside the Charge Bar and drag the bar.
To make gross adjustments, you can click on the +/- buttons for Bags.
To make small alterations, you can click on the +/- buttons for Packets.

WARNING: Charges near 0 will put the bomb in your lap.
~