Games PC FREELANCER User Manual

TM
BASIC DOCTRINE OF THE LIBERTY SECURITY FORCE
Get the s trategy
guide from Sybex !
0103 Par t No. X09-48136
CONTROL KEYS
This document outlines the primary default keyboard and mouse controls in
Freelancer
:
Flight Controls
Mouse Flight Left-click and drag (toggle with SPACEBAR)
Accelerate W or mouse wheel forward
Decelerate S or mouse wheel backward
Afterburner TAB Strafe Left A Strafe Right D Brake Reverse X Engine Kill Z Cruise Engine Toggle SHIFT+W
HUD/Windows
Pause Game F1 Minimize HUD BACKSPACE Trade Request U
(Multiplayer) Group Invite I
(Multiplayer) Turret Cam H Rear Cam V 1st/3rd Person CTRL+V
View Toggle
Combat/Targeting
Select Object Left-click Target Closest Enemy R Next Target T Fire Active Weapons Right-click Fire Missiles Q Drop Mine E Deploy Countermeasure C Tractor Beam B Deploy Nanobots G Shield Battery F
Maneuvers
Dock F3 Go To F2 Join Formation F4 Free Flight ESC
PAGE 1
Table of Contents
Ship HUD...............................................................................2
Installing
Freelancer
.................................................... 4
Main Menu........................................................................... 4
In-Game Menus................................................................... 5
Basic Doctrine of the Liberty Security Force......6
Section 1: An Introduction to LSF Protocol........ 7
Declaration of Intent .................................................... 8
Base HUD ........................................................................... 8
Base Protocol.................................................................. 9
Buying and Selling ......................................................... 10
Mission Protocol ............................................................ 12
Section 2: Basics of Flight ........................................13
Free-Flight Mode ............................................................ 14
Maneuver Mode................................................................ 15
Way Points and Best Paths .......................................... 16
Section 3: Jump Gates and Trade Lanes...............18
Key Commands..................................................................20
Section 4: Basics of Combat .................................... 22
Offensive Strategies .................................................... 23
Firing .................................................................................24
Color Coding .................................................................. 25
Targeting Arrows and Brackets
............................... 26
Defensive Strategies
.................................................... 30
Section 5: The Neural Net ....................................... 32
Neural Net Log .............................................................. 32
Nav Map/Mission Log
..................................................... 32
Inventory ......................................................................... 34
Player Status
................................................................. 35
Current Information ..................................................... 35
Conclusion....................................................................... 35
The Freelancer Guild (Multiplayer) 36
Chatting 36 Grouping 36 Trading 37 Connecting to a Server 38 Starting Your Own Server 39 For More Information 39
Safety Warning
About Photosensitive Seizure
A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including  ashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these “photosensitive epileptic seizures” while watching video games.
These seizures may have variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion, or mo­mentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects.
Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms—children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience these seizures.
The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the following precautions:
• Play in a well-lit room.
• Do not play when you are drowsy or fatigued.
If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor before playing.
Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places and events depicted herein are  ctitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechani­cal, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.
© & p 2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Digital Anvil, the Digital Anvil logo,
Freelancer
, the Microsoft logo, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries/regions.
Developed by Digital Anvil for Microsoft Corporation.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respec­tive owners.
PAGE 2
PAGE 3
Ship
Targeting Reticle
TARGET STATUS MENU (SEE SECTION 4)
Allows pilot to monitor and analyze all nearby objects
Closest Enemy
NEURAL NET MENU (SEE SECTION 5)
Links pilot to all LSF information databases
Neural Net Log
MANEUVER MENU (SEE SECTION 2)
Allows pilot a variety of  ight options
Free Flight
Brackets
Arrows
SHIP STATUS DISPLAY (SEE SECTION 4)
Allows pilot to monitor basic ship systems
Thruster Reserves Level
Available Power
Player Shield Status
Player Ship Hull Health
Ship Speed
Collect Loot
WEAPONS CONTROL MENU (SEE SECTION 4)
Allows pilot to choose weapons and deploy repair equipment
Use Nanobots
Use Shield Battery
Pilot Weapons List
Hail
Cargo Scanner/Tractor Beam
Formation Members
Switch to Target
Switch to Contact List
Nav Map/Mission Log
Inventory
Player Status
Current Information
Cruise
Go To
Dock
Formation
HUD
This is the basic HUD you will see when in  ight.
Brackets, arrows, and the targeting reticle help pilot track and analyze objects. See Section 4 for more information.
Information about pilot and ship. See Section 4 for more information.
PAGE 4
PAGE 5
Installing
Freelancer
Insert the
Freelancer
CD into your CD-ROM drive, and then follow
the onscreen prompts.
If
Freelancer
Setup does not automatically run, do the following:
1. On the Start Menu, click Run.
2. Type D:\setup.exe (where D represents your CD-ROM drive).
3. On the Setup screen, click Install, and then follow the onscreen prompts.
Main Menu
The Main Menu has the following options:
NEW GAME Begin a new game.
LOAD GAME Load a previously saved game.
MULTIPLAYER Begin a game in Multiplayer Mode.
OPTIONS Modify visuals, audio, and keyboard controls;
view credits.
EXIT Exit game and return to the desktop.
In-Game Menus
In-game menus (during  ight, on base, or in Multiplayer Mode) offer slightly different options, including Save Game.
To manually save a game
1. Press F1.
2. Click Save Game.
3. Type a game title or description, and then press ENTER.
Periodically during gameplay, your status and location are automatically saved.
NOTE: You cannot manua ll y sav e a gam e when
in sp ace o r Multi player Mode.
SECTION 1
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE LIBERTY SECURITY FORCE
Basic Doctrine
of the
Liberty Security
Force
WARNING: T hi s doc ument c ontains clas si  ed
techn ical da ta, t he expo rt of w hich vi olate s the L ibert y Secur ity Pri vacy Ac t (Ti tl e 12, LADSF Sec. 2 132, et seq. ). Viol ators a re subje ct to p rosec ution.
Trent, Leaving Bretonia to make your fortune in space, are you? All I can say is keep your head on; there’s a lot of grotty butchers
out there who started just like you—honest folk, looking for their place among the stars. And I don’t simply mean the criminal element, either; the rebels and the governments are almost as corrupt as the thugs out there.
Study this Liberty combat manual. I got it from a Junker at the Jersey Debris Field off Manhattan. It’s a few years old and the LSF isn’t exactly forthcoming about certain information, but I’ve  lled in the blanks where I could. You’ll undoubtedly
 nd the thing quite illuminating, and it might just save you from becoming another interstellar vapor trail. Staying put in Leeds,
Richard W. Tobias
1 An Introduction
to LSF Protocol
Welcome and congratulations! You have already proven exemplary in skill and intelligence, traits we hope to embellish with the most current and time-tested  ight and combat procedures. Yet the characteristic valued above all else in the Liberty Security Force (LSF) cannot be learned, it is innate, and it is the single attribute that distinguishes good soldiers from great ones: the subordination of personal welfare to the higher law of justice, to something greater than us all. To the Liberty Security Force.
PAGE 8
PAGE 9
SECTION 1 SECTION 1
Declaration of Intent
The purpose of this manual is to familiarize prospective pilots with LSF protocol, tactics, and technology. While the LSF recognizes that the written word is no substitute for experience in the  eld, we place requirements upon individual pilots far greater than those found in other organizations. For that reason, a solid understanding of LSF methodology is critical to a pilot’s success, long before he or she enters a combat scenario. The  rst section of this manual explains how an LSF of cer is expected to behave while on a base.
NOTICE: No n- compl iance w ith LSF proc ed ure a s
outli ned i n this documen t may r esult i n fed eral prose cutio n.
Base HUD
This is how the HUD appears when you are on a base, space station, or other stationary object.
Base Protocol
When you travel to one of the many bases in the Sirius Sector, you will encounter the following environments:
LAUNCH PAD Allows you to return to the Launch
Pad. From there, click the Launch to Space icon to launch to space. The actual Launch Pad icon may be different from the one pictured here, depending on your location.
BAR Allows you to network with people from all over
the colonies, many of whom offer vital information, useful rumors, and lucrative job offers. Bars generally feature Job Boards and News Monitors for further opportunities and information.
Trent: For the right price, some
pubgoers can clear your reputation
with a rival faction.
COMMODITY TRADER Allows you to buy
or sell Food, Fuel, Oxygen, Medicine, and other items. Be aware that commodity traders occasionally traf c in illegal goods.
EQUIPMENT DEALER Allows you to buy
or sell weapons and equipment, and repair your ship.
SHIP DEALER Allows you to trade your ship.
The standard LSF  ghting vessel is the Liberty Light Fighter, available on Manhattan, Los Angeles, Denver, and Houston.
Trent: Of the 40 or so ship types
available in Sirius, choose one that suits your needs. Freighters are great for merchant work, but you can’t beat
a heavy  ghter in a skirmish.
Launch Pad
Launch to Space
Bar
Commodity Trader
Equipment Dealer
Ship Dealer
PAGE 10
PAGE 11
SECTION 1 SECTION 1
Buying and Selling
LSF protocol for buying or selling weapons, equipment, commodities, and ships is as follows: Go to the appropriate vendor (commodity, equipment, or ship), then select the dealer (or dealer icon) to open a trade window. In the left Inventory panel, your inventory is itemized. The dealer’s inventory is itemized in the right Dealer panel. The middle panel displays item prices and quantities selected from either list. The bottom panel displays information on any item. Select an item on the dealer side; if you have the funds, cargo space, and skill level necessary, you may buy it. To sell, select an item from your Inventory panel.
Equipment Dealers
If you have purchased an item that must be mounted
externally on your ship, a mount button will appear on the item display in your Inventory panel (see above). If the button appears locked, the item is properly mounted; otherwise it has been stored in your cargo hold. All available hardpoints are listed  rst in your Inventory panel, and unmounted weapons are listed at the bottom.
Commodity Traders
When purchasing commodities, you are given the option
to determine quantity by using a slider bar in the center panel. Your money and cargo space determine the maximum quantity purchasable.
Ship Dealers
When you trade in your old ship, your cargo usually
transfers automatically. In rare circumstances where it does not, untransferred items will appear in the Dealer panel, and are sold when you  nalize the transaction. If you wish to keep an item that was not transferred, you must make space in your cargo hold by removing something else.
> > >
A few purchasing differences between vendors should be pointed out.
Mounted
item
Unmounted
item
Item health
level
Trent: Believe it or not, dealers aren’t in it for the love. Check the color box next to any commodity you buy or sell to compare the dealer’s prices with
the galactic average. Yellow’s average, green’s good, and red is robbery. If you’re selling stuff, colored
circles show how you’re faring.
PAGE 12
PAGE 13
SECTION 1 SECTION 2
< < <
Alternative Acquisition
Purchasing is not the only way to procure goods; the LSF understands that it is often necessary to tractor in weapons or commodities. Firing on asteroids in mineable zones may expose raw materials. Press B to tractor in all available items in your vicinity. The following icons will also accomplish this.
COLLECT LOOT Tractors in all available
area loot.
TRACTOR BEAM Tractors in a speci c item.
(Select the item onscreen or in your Target Status list, and then click the icon.)
2 Basics of
Flight
This section provides the best operational and strategic information available to Liberty-af liated combat pilots. Strict adherence to operating procedures and practices will result in a long and rewarding career with the Liberty Security Force.
Maneuver Mode
The ship’s onboard computer performs speci c maneuvers.
Free Flight
Maneuvers (Autopilot)
Trent: Once you’ve demolished an enemy craft, check the area for salvageable loot.
You may need to jettison something
from your inventory to make room.
Mission Protocol
LSF pilots can gain missions via patrons in the bar or posted offers on the Job Boards there. You are free to decline any mission offer; you can always return later and accept it. But once accepted, a mission should be completed—your reputation will be adversely affected otherwise. (See “Player Status” in Section 5 for more information.)
Once you have accepted and launched into space, a mission brie ng window will appear. The left panel displays your immediate objective. The middle panel offers a variety of Nav Maps with information on the surrounding areas. The right panel lists mission objectives, a dif culty assessment, and reward information. Review these carefully, and then click Continue
. (In some cases you may also click Abort Mission, but be mindful of the consequences to your reputation.)
First off, all known space vessels, whether of Bretonian, Libertarian, Kusari, or Rheinland origin, utilize two basic operational systems:
Free-Flight Mode
The pilot controls all ship movement and functions.
PAGE 14
PAGE 15
SECTION 2 SECTION 2
Free-Flight Mode
STEERING
There are two ways to steer via mouse. The  rst is to click and drag, which allows you to easily interact with your various HUD functions. The second method steers your ship in the direction your mouse moves (without requiring the click and drag). Find the technique that best suits your personal  ying style, or toggle between them both by pressing the SPACEBAR.
Trent: I stick with the click-and-drag style unless I’m in a serious brawl where holding down the left mouse button can
sully up my shooting hand.
THROTTLE CONTROL
Ship speed is adjusted in a number of ways:
THROTTLE Press W to increase and S to decrease
throttle, or rotate the mouse wheel accordingly.
CRUISE ENGINES Click the Cruise icon below the
Maneuver icons or press SHIFT+W to dramatically increase speed. Be mindful that you cannot  re weapons while cruise engines are engaged.
AFTERBURNER Press TAB to engage the ship’s
afterburners and drastically increase your speed. Note that afterburners have limited burn time before recharge is necessary.
ADVANCED THROTTLE CONTROL
Stra ng left or right (press A or D, respectively) moves your ship laterally to help avoid incoming obstacles. Cutting engine power (press Z) allows your ship to utilize its forward momentum to travel in a direction other than the one you are facing. Engaging the reverse thrust (press X)  res your rear engines, moving you backward.
If your ship’s not responding to Free Flight commands, you haven’t properly released her from Maneuver Mode.
Try clicking the Free Flight icon or
press SHIFT+ESC.
Maneuver Mode
Maneuvers are autopilot functions designed for speci c tasks, such as docking with a Trade Lane or Jump Gate, joining a vessel or group of vessels in formation, and so on. Click the onscreen target (or select it in the Contact List on your Target Status Menu), and then click the appropriate icon on the Maneuver Menu. Click the Free Flight icon (or press ESC
) to cancel any
active maneuver.
> > >
Trent: Maneuver functions are
situational, so if you’re trying to use
the Formation move on a planet,
you’ve had too much grog.
PAGE 16
PAGE 17
SECTION 2 SECTION 2
< < <
Click the following Maneuver icons to initiate the listed actions:
GO TO Embarks your ship on course for a selected
destination, autopiloting around objects.
DOCK Lands your ship on planets, bases, space
stations, and so on. Activates Trade Lanes and Jump Gates for high-speed travel.
FORMATION Links your ship to another craft
or group of crafts, matching speed and destination.
To activate any of these maneuvers, click the object you wish to perform the maneuver upon (either onscreen or from within your Target Status Menu), and then click the appropriate Maneuver icon.
Way Points and Best Paths
Mission-critical way points are automatically set for you; they appear onscreen as purple diamonds. Fly there manually, or click the way point (or choose it from your Target Status Menu), and then click Go To.
When not on a mission, you may set your own way points and best paths. These options allow your ship to automatically chart routes for destinations within your system that may involve multiple Trade Lane jumps.
SET WAY POINTS Creates a selectable target
that will appear as a purple diamond onscreen.
To set a way point
1. From within any map on your Neural Net’s Nav Map Menu, click a desired destination.
A group of small icons appears.
2. Click the Set Way Point icon.
A purple, diamond-shaped guide appears on the map and
on your HUD.
3. Click the diamond to select it as your target, and then click
Go To
.
SET BEST PATH Allows your ship to plot the
quickest possible path to any chosen object.
To set a best path, follow the same procedure as previously outlined for setting way points, but click the Set Best Path icon from within the Nav Map instead of the Set Way Point icon. Then follow the remaining steps. Your path will appear onscreen as a series of way points, and within the maps of your Nav Map/ Mission Log as a series of purple lines marked with numbered way points.
NOTE: You ma y era se set paths a nd wa y point s by
retur ning to the Nav Map and cl ickin g the C lear Best Path or Clea r Way P oint ic ons. Se e Sec tion 5 for m ore i nf ormat ion on the Nav Map.
PAGE 18
PAGE 19
SECTION 3 SECTION 3
3 Jump Gates and
Trade Lanes
With proper clearance, LSF pilots may traverse large distances quickly using Trade Lanes (for intrasystem travel) and Jump Gates (for intersystem travel).
Trade Lane Use the Dock maneuver with a Trade Lane to travel quickly between planets, stations, and other objects within a system. Click the Free Flight icon to manually exit a Trade Lane at any point.
Jump Gate Use the Dock maneuver with a Jump Gate to travel distances greater than Trade Lanes can accommodate. Jump Gates are the only means that allow travel between star systems.
Trent: There’s yet another way to get around quickly: Jump Holes. The LSF won’t discuss ‘em because Jump Holes occur naturally all over the place—it might cut into Liberty’s mighty Jump Gate industry.
Manhattan
Pittsburgh Debris Field
Trade Lanes
Kusari
Five known solar systems
Liberty
Four known solar systems
Bretonia Six known solar systems
Rheinland
Five known solar systems
PAGE 20
PAGE 21
Key Commands
Legend
Blue Text = SHIFT+(key)
Red Text
= CTRL+(key)
Neural Net
Equipment
Multiplayer Mode
Movement
Unused and Generic Keys
Esc F1
F2
F3 F4 F5 F6
`
2 3 4 5 6 71
Tab Q
W
E R T Y
A
S D F G H
Caps Lock
Shift
Z X C V B
N
Ctrl Alt
F7 F8 F9
F10
F11 F12
8 9 0 - = Backspace
U I O P [ ]
J K L ;
Enter
\
M
, .
/ Shift
Alt Ctrl
Pause Menu
Go To Dock
Join Formation
Story Star
Nav Map
Inventory
Reputation Information
Select Hardpoint 1
Fire Hardpoint 1
Select Hardpoint 2
Fire Hardpoint 2
Select Hardpoint 3
Fire Hardpoint 3
Select Hardpoint 4
Fire Hardpoint 4
Select Hardpoint 5
Fire Hardpoint 5
Select Hardpoint 6
Fire Hardpoint 6
Select Hardpoint 7
Fire Hardpoint 7
Select Hardpoint 8
Fire Hardpoint 8
Select Hardpoint 9
Fire Hardpoint 9
Select Hardpoint 10
Fire Hardpoint 10
Minimize HUD
Afterburners
Fire Torpedo
Fire Missile
Cruise
Accelerate
Fire Cruise Disruptor
Drop Mine
Prev Enemy
Next Enemy
Closest Enemy
Prev Target
Clear Target
Next Target
Chat Window
Trade Request
Group Window
Group Invite
Scan Cargo Hail
Strafe Left
Decelerate
Strafe Right Shield Battery
Nanobot
Turret View
Chat
Engine Kill
Brake Reverse
Counter­measure
1st/3rd Person
Rear View
Tractor Target
Tractor All Loot
Mission Objective
Toggle Mouse Flight On/Off
PAGE 22
PAGE 23
SECTION 4 SECTION 4
4 Basics of
Combat
Once you have acquired a solid knowledge of vessel operating procedure, you must apply it to an equally vital phase of LSF pilot training: weapons and tactics. The program has two basic combat components: offensive and defensive strategies.
Offensive Strategies
Energy-based weapons, missiles, and torpedoes are among a pilot’s offensive weapon choices. Out t your craft with the best weaponry you can afford, but always check the specs before committing to any purchase. As we shall see, certain situations call for certain types of weapons.
Energy-Based Weapons
Energy-based weaponry is the mainstay of any LSF pilot’s arsenal. Unlike missiles and mines, these weapons utilize your craft’s power plant to regenerate. Right-click to  re them, but be mindful of the variation between types. For instance, plasma weapons have a low re re rate but high damage potential, while the opposite is true for lasers. These weapons also vary in energy consumption and range of effectiveness.
Missiles and Torpedoes
MISSILES Pilots should purchase missiles from an
equipment dealer as soon as possible. Missiles must be used sparingly, but along with torpedoes, they are among the most lethal components of your arsenal. Homing missiles are better suited for faster-moving targets, but have less destructive capability than standard missiles overall. Press Q to launch.
TORPEDOES Torpedoes are capable of creating
immense amounts of damage, but their slow speed makes them somewhat vulnerable to enemy  re. They are best used on stationary objects. Select a torpedo from your Weapons List, and then right-click to  re or simply press SHIFT+Q.
PAGE 24
PAGE 25
SECTION 4 SECTION 4
Cruise Disruptors
As an actual weapon, cruise disruptors do minimal damage.
They are instead designed to disrupt the cruise engines of an enemy vessel, thus rendering it much more vulnerable to attack. Select a cruise disruptor from your Weapons List, and then right-click to  re or press SHIFT
+E.
Mines
A well-deployed mine can throw a pursuant off course
and discourage further trailing. Mines vary in homing capability, but be cautious when releasing them. Mines simply hone in on the nearest target and do not distinguish between friend and foe. Press E to release.
Firing
When your targeting reticle moves over a targetable object, the reticle color changes to red (or green if friendly). The cursor will begin spinning when  ring time is optimal. The HUD also projects a red targeting crosshair that calculates the object’s speed and vector; simply move the reticle to the crosshair and  re.
Color Coding
Your ship automatically identi es potential targets with colored brackets (onscreen targets) and arrows (offscreen targets), and colored text in the Contact List. This allows you to distinguish enemies, friendlies, and neutrals at a glance.
Green = friendly
White = neutral
Red = hostile
Yellow = communicating ship or station (in the Contact List, communication is represented by a “talking head” icon)
Pink = players within your group (Multiplayer Mode)
Purple = players outside your group (Multiplayer Mode)
PAGE 26
PAGE 27
SECTION 4 SECTION 4
Targeting Arrows and Brackets
Color-coded arrows and brackets provide different types of information about potential targets.
ARROWS: Your HUD codes all hostile offscreen objects in
the area with small red arrows. A selected target that is offscreen is distinguished with a larger arrow.
BRACKETS: Onscreen targets such as ships and mission-
critical objects appear in brackets, which provide information such as pilot name, rank, and ability, as well as ship status and distance.
NOTE: If a n objec t is mi ssion -critic al, its
targe t bra ck et an d accom panying targ et ing a rrow will be no ti ceabl y diffe rent fr om a st andar d brack et an d arrow . If th e objec t is a missi on­criti cal f ri endly , you m ust def end i t. If i t is an en emy, yo u mus t destr oy it.
Targeting reticle
Color indicates
target reputation
Brackets help pilots follow a targeted object; bracket color indicates an object’s reputation
Pilot name
Group af liation
Target distance Target hull strength
Target shield strength
Vessel rank
PAGE 28
PAGE 29
SECTION 4 SECTION 4
Using the Target Status Menu
This menu identi es all objects (selected or not), calculating their distances, indicating their attitude toward the pilot, and providing weapons information. Enemy objects within range will appear in your Contact List by name. Click the following icons to initiate the listed actions:
< < <
Switch to Contact List
This list provides detailed analyses of all nearby objects
and displays a variety of icons for data gathering on nearly everything in your vicinity. Click the following icons to initiate the listed actions:
IMPORTANT Displays only the most vital
information, such as currently selected objects, mission way points, or enemy ships in the area.
SHIPS Displays all vessels within a several-
thousand-kilometer range.
SOLARS Displays dockable locations, such as
space stations, outposts, and planets.
LOOT Displays all lootable goods in a large area.
ALL Displays all nearby objects, such as planets,
crafts, and shipyards. Click any icon for basic information, and then click the Target Information icon for a more detailed analysis.
Always keep your enemies in front of you. If
they get behind you, switch your camera view
to the back (press V) and pop off a few mines at
‘em. If you’ve got a turret installed, watch ‘em
taking  ak from a different angle by switching
the camera to turrets (press H).
CLOSEST ENEMY Automatically selects
closest enemy.
HAIL Contacts any selected communicable entity
in the area for identi cation.
CARGO SCANNER Scans cargo of selected
vessel or object.
FORMATION MEMBERS Displays all ships
in formation.
TRACTOR BEAM Allows acquisition of single
selected objects found outside your ship.
Switch to Target
This menu provides detailed information about the selected target. In your Contact List, double-click any
object to view a schematic and other information.
> > >
Closest Enemy
Hail
Cargo Scanner
Formation Members
Tractor Beam
Switch to Target
PAGE 30
PAGE 31
SECTION 4 SECTION 4
Defensive Strategies
It is critical that you monitor your ship’s physical condition closely. A damaged hull, for instance, can quickly lead to disaster if left unrepaired. Keep an eye on your Ship Status Display to check available power, shield status, and hull health.
< < <
SHIELD BATTERIES Unless destroyed,
your shield will regenerate. If you are taking consistent  re with shield levels low, your hull can be damaged. In this situation, use a shield battery to recharge instantaneously. To do this, press
F or click the Use
Shield Battery icon on your Weapons Control Menu.
NANOBOTS Unlike shields, your hull cannot self-
regenerate. To repair hull damage, deploy nanobots— small, arti cial organisms capable of basic ship repairs during  ight. To do this, press G.
NOTE: The number of av ai lable shield
batte ries an d nan obots i s displ ayed ne xt to each icon. T he am ount yo u can c arry va ries
with the t yp e of ship yo u are  ying .
Trent: If your ship is messed up when you return to a base, a wrench icon will appear in your Maneuver Menu. Click it
to go directly to an equipment dealer
and get some repairs done.
Another defensive option is the deployment of countermeasures. These small, electronically embedded devices were designed to deceive enemy weapons guidance systems into tracking the wrong object. As such, they are particularly useful against missiles and torpedoes. To release a countermeasure, select it on your Weapons Control Menu, or press C.
Available Power
Shield Status
Hull Health
Weapons Control Menu
The Weapons Control Menu lists all your ship’s weaponry. Click a weapon in the list to toggle it on or off, or use the designated key command. This menu also offers two extremely important defensive options: shield batteries and nanobots.
Start Nanobots
Use Shield Batteries
Pilot Weapons List
> > >
PAGE 32
PAGE 33
SECTION 5 SECTION 5
5 The Neural
Net
The Neural Net is your direct link to LSF databases, which provide instant information on any given situation, from maps of enemy zones to immediate mission objectives. It is composed of  ve sections: Neural Net Log, Nav Map/Mission Log, Inventory, Player Status, and Current Information.
NOTE: If y ou are looki ng at t he Poli tical a nd
Patro l Pat h maps, procur e furth er in fo rmati on about your i mmedi ate are a by cl ickin g the N eutral Zones , Fri en dly Z ones, a nd Host ile Z on es ic ons.
The Nav Map also displays the following clickable options:
UNIVERSE MAP Displays all known star
systems in the Sirius Sector, providing options to zoom in on speci c regions for more information.
TOGGLE LABELS Displays names of nearby
Jump Gates, planets, shipyards, space stations, and so on.
PILOT LOCATION Returns you to a map of
your immediate system if you are looking at a different system via the Universe Map.
PHYSICAL MAP Displays a basic map of the
immediate system.
POLITICAL MAP Allows pilot to scan an area’s
potential danger zones.
PATROL PATH MAP Displays all known NPC
patrol paths, both friendly and hostile, for aggressive purposes or stealth.
MINEABLE ZONES MAP Shows areas
in your vicinity that might contain useful debris.
BASE LIST Displays all discovered bases in
the universe.
> > >
Neural Net Log
Nav Map/Mission Log
Inventory Player Status
Current Information
Neural Net Log
Displays current mission information, upcoming mission information, and your personal log, which is updated as your career progresses.
Nav Map/Mission Log
Click the Nav Map/Mission Log icon to open a window that
shows your ship’s location within a given system (your location is the blinking ship icon in the middle panel). You may zoom in further by clicking the area on the map you wish to know more about, and from there click the appropriate icon to set way points or best paths, or to target objects or procure more information about a selected object.
Universe
Map
Toggle Labels
Pilot Location
Political
Map
Patrol Path Map
Physical Map
Mineable Zones Map
Friendly Zones Hostile Zones
Neutral Zones
Legend
Base List
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SECTION 5 SECTION 5
< < <
Each map allows you to set best paths, set way points, erase either, target speci c objects, procure information about a target, or view a map of a system by targeting a Jump Gate or Jump Hole. Click the speci c region of interest in a given map, and then click the appropriate icon.
Player Status
Your reputation with the LSF is of critical importance. Obviously if you fail a mission or destroy a friendly, your
status is affected. Check the Current Level to review your ranking, which is based on progress through your career and threat potential. (In Multiplayer Mode, your level is based upon net worth, including ship, weapons, and credits. Current Worth calculates this, while Next Level Retirement tells you what you need to increase your level.)
These are just a few examples of the types of information available on the Player Status Menu.
Current Information
Displays an array of information about your immediate
vicinity, whether in space or on base.
Conclusion
This concludes the Basic Doctrine of the LSF. Once again, congratulations and welcome to the Liberty Security Force.Your tireless dedication keeps all the peoples of Liberty, as well as her allies, prosperous and free. Thank you and good luck, pilot.
Zoom In/Out Information
Set Best Path Target Object
Trent: Many systems will not appear in
your maps until you’ve  own through them,
or purchased information about them from a
contact on a base.
NOTE: The L egend o ption o n the Nav Ma p/Missi on
Log e xplai ns obje ct colo r codes and on scree n icons .
Jump to System
Inventory
This menu allows you to review your ship’s entire loadout, including the following:
WEAPONS Displays all weapons and their specs.
AMMUNITION Displays all available ammunition
and their specs.
EXTERNAL EQUIPMENT Displays all
available externals, such as shields and turrets.
INTERNAL EQUIPMENT Displays all
available internal equipment, such as shield batteries and nanobots.
COMMODITIES Displays all ship commodities,
including salvaged equipment.
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Trent: If you ever tire of your loner ways out there, read through this. It’ll get you in with some much-needed company.
The Freelancer Guild
(Multiplayer)
Multiplayer Mode has no story missions. You and your fellow members of the Freelancer Guild simply explore the universe and take assignments at will from NPCs or the Job Board. Two icons exclusive to Multiplayer Mode will appear in your Neural Net: Chat Control and Attention Required.
Chatting
Chat Control allows you to dialog with other players during gameplay. To open a chat window, press ENTER, type your message, and then press ENTER again.
There are three chat channels: System messages everyone, Group messages everyone in your group, and Private messages speci c individuals.
To select one of these channels, click the Chat Control icon in your Neural Net, and then select either the desired channel or the appropriate player name.
Grouping
Working with others allows you to take on more dangerous and complicated assign­ments—with higher pay rates as well. (Of course, you must divide the bounty among your colleagues.) Join an existing group by accepting a member’s invitation. Start your own group by accepting a mission, and then inviting others along.
To accept (or decline) a group’s invitation
• Click the Attention Required icon in your Neural Net, and then click the appropriate button.
To invite a player to your group
1. Target the player you wish to invite.
2. Click the Group icon in the target window.
Abandoning a group while on a mission is akin to failing or aborting that mission, and your reputation is duly affected. If you later rejoin the group and  nish the mission, you will receive bounty and your reputation will improve. If you are discon­nected from your server while on a mission, it is akin to abandoning the mission.
Important: In Multiplayer Mode, your group has as many lives as it has members. The group remains alive until the total number of lives is expended.
Trading
You may trade anything in your cargo hold (credits, unmounted equipment, and all commodities) with any player in the game. To initiate a trade with another player, target the player with whom you wish to trade, and then click the Trade icon in your target window. If someone is attempting to initiate a trade with you, click the Attention Required icon. If both parties have agreed to trade, a transaction window will appear.
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To offer an item for trade
1. Select the item from your inventory in the left panel.
2. Determine the quantity (if applicable) in the middle panel, and then click the check mark button.
To agree to a trade, click the Accept Trade button. When both parties have agreed upon a trade, items will be automatically exchanged. To cancel a trade at any time, close the transaction window.
Note: If a player does not have sufcient cargo space to make the trade, you will be notied.
Connecting to a Server
In order to play Multiplayer Mode, you must have an Internet or local-area network (LAN) connection with access to a server. To access Multiplayer Mode, click
Multiplayer on the Main Menu. This opens a table that automatically presents a
list of servers your system can access via LAN or Internet.
To connect to a
1. On the Main Menu, click Multiplayer.
2. In the list of servers that appears, select one, and then click Connect.
3. If you have been to this server before, skip to the next step. Otherwise,
4. Select a character from the list (if you are new to this server, you will
Any server you have connected to in the past will be listed on the Multiplayer Menu with a “Yes” in the Visited column. You may lter out these or any other servers by clicking Set Filters, and then selecting the appropriate check box.
Freelancer
server
you will need to create a new character. Click New Character, enter a character name, and then click Create.
only have one entry), and then click Load Character.
Creating a Character
Each time you connect to the server, you will be given the choice to create a new character or play one you created previously. Your character name must be unique on that server (you will be notied if it is not), and it will only appear on the server in which it was created.
Starting Your Own Server
Starting your own
Freelancer
server allows you to protect access to the server
with a password and control whether players can damage each other.
To start a server
1. Connect to your LAN or the Internet.
2. In the
Freelancer
install directory on your hard drive, double-click
FLSERVER.EXE. You may make your server public by selecting Make Server
Internet Available. (If you want to protect access, you may enter a
password here.) You may also keep players from destroying one another by clearing the Allow Players to Kill Other Players check box.
3. Type a name for your server, and then click OK.
Note: Each time you make changes to your server, those changes become the default settings.
For More Information
For more details and troubleshooting information, see the readme.rtf le on your
Freelancer
CD-ROM.
Note: Clicking Refresh will clear the server list and retrieve a new one from the main
Freelancer
server. All LAN servers appear
automatically as they are found.
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Credits
Technical Support Options
For all of our support offerings in the U.S., visit http://microsoft.com/
support/. In Canada, visit http://microsoft.ca/support/.
To get started, try the following:
For articles targeted at speci c issues, visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://microsoft.com/support/.
To work with a Microsoft Support Professional over the Internet, submit your issue at
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/onlinesr.asp
.
For your product’s general support policy, visit
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/ productsupportoption.asp.
PHONE SUPPORT: For support in the U.S., call
(425) 637-9308. In Canada, call (905) 568-3503 (toll charges may apply). These numbers are for technical issues only—do not use them to request game hints, codes, or cheats.
TTY USERS: Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services are
available at (425) 635-4948 in Washington State, (800) 892-5234 in the U.S., and (905) 568-9641 in Canada.
WORLDWIDE: Support outside the U.S. and Canada may
vary. For regional contact details, visit http://support.microsoft.com/
international.aspx. If there is no Microsoft subsidiary of ce in your
country or region, please contact the establishment from which you obtained your Microsoft product.
CONDITIONS: Microsoft’s support services are subject to
then-current prices, terms, and conditions, which are subject to change without notice.
Producer: Phil Wattenbarger Lead Designer: Jorg Neumann
Lead Programmer: Paul Isaac Lead Programmer: Ed Maurer Lead Programmer: Tony Bratton Art Director: Bruce Lemons Audio Director: Martin Galway In-Game Cine Director: Harry Jarvis Test Lead: Evan Brandt
ENGINE PROGRAMMING
Aaron Otstott Gary Scott Smith Mark Kness Scott Stevens Simon Travis Brad Thrift
GAME PROGRAMMING
Andrew Sega Brandon Rowlett Joel Willard Taylor Brown Peter Carter
MP PROGRAMMING
Stephen Nichols
ART
Bob Frye Johari Templin John P. Funk Steve Pietzsch Wade Mulhern Steven Stahlberg Eric Lalumiere Michael Pearce Frank Bonniwell
DESIGN
Adam Foshko Brian Hackert David Chang Dustin Cryer Jacob Crow Will Dougherty Eric Willmar John Sripan Scott Shelton Todd D. Degani Chris Todd Jesse Benitez-Steiner
IN-GAME CINEMATICS
Adam N. Joseph Bobby Moldavan
John Alderson Kathy Bateman Milena Grozeva Patrick Sanchez Paul Hiaumet Ray Cobo Rey Barrera Rick Hartman Séamus Rail
AUDIO
Bill Munyon Clark Crawford Eric Friend Jeff Shoemaker Kyle Scribner Mark Packard Mat Mitchell
INTRO CINEMATIC
Chris Olivia Dean McCall John Sommer Mark Goldsworthy Pauline Saab Rhett Bennatt Scott Peterson Sarma Vanguri Curtis Neal Marc Baird
FREELANCER
ORIGINAL
CONCEPT
Chris Roberts Phil Wattenbarger
FREELANCER
STORY
SCRIPT
Adam Foshko Jorg Neumann
STUDIO MANAGER
Alan Hartman
ASSISTANT PM – TRANSLATIONS
Ray Cobo
CORE LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT
Paul Bleisch, Yuichi Ito, Mike Stembera
, Tim Perry
TEST TEAM
Jamie Gibbs Bruce Rogers
Lee Boubel Mike Weber Mark Richards Nigel Gandy Richard North Liz Becker Jay Dunn Steve Hernandez
MARKETING
Product Manager: Rick Mehler Chris Di Cesare Darren Trencher
PRODUCT PLANNING
Jon Kimmich
USER EXPERIENCE
Brent Metcalfe John Pecorelli
Kevin Wright
PRINT DESIGN
Jeannie Voirin Chris Burns
LOCALIZATION LEAD
Lief Thompson
USER TEST LEAD
Marcos Nunes-Ueno
Freelancer
Team
External Production
CONCEPT ART
Adam Medhurst, Harald Belker, Carlos Ezquerra, Craig Mullins, James Doh, John Blood, Digital Firepower
ROOM PRODUCTION ART
Luminosity Entertainment / Boston Animation
MOTION CAPTURE
The Jim Henson Company, Locomotion Studios
MUSIC
James Hannigan, Andrew Sega Visual Music ­Tom Seufert, Cato, Kelly, Grinsfelder and Kitajima
DIALOGUE PRODUCTION
Soundelux DMG, Screen Music Studios
SOUND AND POSTPRODUCTION
Soundelux DMG, Scorpio Sound
VOCAL DIRECTORS
Julie Morgavi, Peter Marquardt
, Carole
Ruggier
PRINCIPAL CAST
Ian Ziering, John Rhys­Davies, Michael T. Weiss, George Takei, Jennifer Hale, Xander Berkeley
Special Thanks
Chris Roberts
Thanks
Andy O’Brien, Andre Garcia, Andrew Franklin, Art Dibianca, Arvee Garde, Ben Hanson, Jake Rodgers, Jason Yenawine, Jared Carr, Jim Magill, John Thomas, Johnny Guentzel, Kent Raffray, Lorin Jameson, Matthew Hurrell, Rich Lawrence, Sam Yeates, Thor Alexander, T.J. O’Leary
ArtSource Murder of Crows VMC Consulting Corporation Volt Services Group
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