Games PC STAR TREK-STARFLEET COMMAND III User Manual

TABLE OF
CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE FLEET

Getting Started ........................................................................... 5

Launch Screen.............................................................. 5

Installation.................................................................. 5

Quickstart.................................................................... 5

Main Menu ................................................................................. 6

Tutorials...................................................................... 6

Skirmish Mode.............................................................. 6

Single Player Campaign.................................................. 6

Dynaverse 3 ................................................................. 6

Exit Game.................................................................... 6

Options Menu ............................................................................. 7

Game Controls.............................................................. 7

Audio Controls.............................................................. 8

Video Controls.............................................................. 8

Keyboard Remapping..................................................... 9

Basic Starship Controls.................................................................10

Alert Status .................................................................10

Turning .......................................................................10

Speed .........................................................................11

Targeting.....................................................................11

Weapon Selection/Control ..............................................12

Shields........................................................................14

Communication.............................................................14

Cloaking......................................................................15

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Empires......................................................................................43

The United Federation of Planets ....................................43

Klingon Empire.............................................................44

Romulan Empire ...........................................................45

Borg Collective.............................................................46

Ships.........................................................................................47

Weapons ....................................................................................62

Ship Systems ..............................................................................69

Key Bindings ..............................................................................71

Credits.......................................................................................73

Customer Support........................................................................77

Software License Agreement..........................................................79

Scanning .....................................................................16

Repairs........................................................................16

Advanced Starship Controls...........................................................17

Marines .......................................................................17

Power Allocation...........................................................18

Helm Controls ..............................................................19

Science .......................................................................21

Tractor Beam................................................................22

Transporters.................................................................23

Shuttles ......................................................................23

Officers .......................................................................24

Mines..........................................................................25

Skirmish Mode ............................................................................26

Setting up Single Player ................................................26

Joining a Multiplayer Skirmish........................................29

Hosting a Multiplayer Skirmish .......................................30

Film Room ...................................................................31

Vessel Library...............................................................31

Single Player Campaign ................................................................32

The Hex Map................................................................32

Loading Saved Games....................................................38

Conquest Mode.............................................................38

Dynaverse 3 .............................................................................39

Signing Up ..................................................................39

Setting Up Your Character ..............................................39

Gameplay.....................................................................40

Dynaverse 101..............................................................41

TABLE OF
CONTENTS

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

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2

GETTING STARTED

Launch Screen

The following options are available from
the splash screen:

Install: Begins the installation of the
game. This button will change to “Play”
once the game is installed.

Uninstall: Removes the installation of
the game.

Extras: Click here for information on other Activision products.

Support/Info: Click to access the SFC troubleshooting document

if you are having problems with the game.

Quit: Closes the launch screen.

Installation

To install the game, insert the SFC3 CD into your CD-ROM drive and choose
one of the following actions:

If your CD-ROM drive has AutoPlay enabled, the Launch Screen will
appear automatically. Click “Install” and follow the on-screen installation
instructions.

If AutoPlay is not enabled, Double-click on the “My Computer” icon on your
desktop. Double-click on the CD-ROM drive icon. Double-click on the “Setup”
icon. When the Launch Screen appears, click “Install” and follow the on­screen instructions.

Quickstart

If you want to jump into the game and start playing right away, skip ahead
to the Basic Starship Controls section on page 10. This section describes the
basic controls to play the game. Once you’re comfortable with them you can
move on to Advanced Starship Controls on page 18, which goes into more
detail on ship systems and tactics.

WELCOME TO THE FLEET

Welcome to the third game in the Starfleet Command series. SFC3 is a game
of tactical starship combat set in Star Trek: The Next Generation

®

era of the
Star Trek universe. It contains a single player campaign in which you can
experience an epic universal conflict from three sides: Klingon, Romulan, and
Federation. In addition to completing story-critical missions while exploring
the galaxy, you will be able to take on optional missions to gain prestige,
allowing you to hire more experienced officers, buy better ships, and refit
your existing ship. These options combine to bring you the most immersive
single player SFC yet.

SFC3 also brings you Dynaverse 3, an exciting multiplayer component that
allows you to join one of 4 empires and fight alongside and against other
captains for control of the galaxy. You’ll be able to form fleets with your
friends to raid enemy convoys, siege planets, and attack enemy fortifications.
Each victory will bring your side more prestige to bolster its forces for
future conflicts.

Activision and Taldren have worked hard to bring the Starfleet Command
series into this universe, and we hope you enjoy it.

GETTING STARTED

INTRODUCTION

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5

OPTIONS MENU

This menu allows you to tweak game options to your liking, as well as adjust
sound and video options and re-assign keyboard controls (note that keyboard
re-mapping is only available from the menu screens; the in-game options
menu does not contain this feature).

Camera Controls

This section allows you to change your
camera controls while in the game. The
following options are available:

Overhead: A view of your ship and its
surroundings from directly overhead, with your ship in the center of the
screen. If you have an enemy targeted, the screen will zoom out as your
target moves away, allowing you to keep them in sight at all times. In large
battles, this is often a better view for strategic planning. You can access this
camera angle in game by pressing F1.

Chase: This view locks the camera on your current target. You can access
this camera angle in game by pressing F2.

Follow: This is the default view for SFC3. It shows your ship from a 3D
perspective just above the plane of attack that can be zoomed in and out
with the + and – keys. You can access this camera angle in game by
pressing F3.

Enemy: This view places your target in the foreground but still allows you to
see your ship. You can access this camera angle in game by pressing F4.

Target: This button will toggle the camera lock on your target. When
activated, the camera will always keep your opponent on screen by zooming
out (in Overhead mode) or by rotating the camera (in Follow mode). When
toggled off, the camera will stay behind your ship. You can also toggle this
feature on and off while in game by pressing F5.

Miscellaneous

This section of the menu allows you to
set game functions and adjust volume.
The following options are available:

Quick Tips: When turned on, a helpful tip will appear if you hold the mouse
over most buttons in the game. When turned off, the tips will not appear.

MAIN MENU

Double-click on the SFC3 icon on your
desktop or select SFC3 from the Start Menu
to begin the game. After a brief loading
period, you will be greeted by the Main
Menu, which contains the
following options:

Explore Tutorials: This section is where
new captains can learn the basics of

starship control. It covers everything from
helm maneuvers to combat controls. Clicking on this button will allow you to
select from six different Starfleet Academy classes. If you’re new to the
game, you should play them in order. If you’re a returning captain and are
familiar with the basics, feel free to skip ahead.

Single/Multiplayer Skirmish: If you’d like to dispense with story and jump
right into combat, this is the section for you. From this menu, you can setup
any combat scenario you’d like to play against either computer-controlled or
human opponents. Setting up a skirmish and the numerous options available
are detailed on page 26.

Single Player Campaign: This menu grants you access to SFC3’s immersive
single player missions. You can choose to play as either the Klingons,
Romulans, or Federation. As these campaigns feature a storyline which plays
out over all three, we recommend you play them in order to get the full
scope of the story. However, if you’re disgusted by the idea of playing a
sneaky, untrustworthy Romulan, feel free to skip around. More details on the
Single Player Campaign can be found on page 32.

Multiplayer Online Campaign: Select this menu to sign on to a Dynaverse 3
server and begin your quest to conquer the galaxy. You’ll need to sign up for
an account and choose a team before you’re sent out to battle alongside
your friends to destroy the competition. Dynaverse 3 is examined in more
detail on page 39. You will need a internet connection to play on the
Dynaverse 3.

Options: This button allows you to adjust audio, video and gameplay
settings. See page 7 for more information.

Exit Game: This button allows you to exit the game and return to your
desktop at any time.

OPTIONS MENUMAIN MENU

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Performance and Resolution

Level of Detail: This slider controls the level of complexity of the models in

the game.

Particle Density: Controls the detail
level of in-game particle effects.

Damage Resolution: Controls the
amount of damage displayed on a
ship’s surface after it has been hit
by weapons fire.

Ship Fragments Duration: This slider dictates how long pieces of ships will
remain floating in space after they have been blown up.

Keyboard Bindings

This section of the options menu allows you to alter the default settings for
the keyboard in SFC3 or assign keys to functions which do not normally have
a hotkey. To change a key’s function, simply click on the key currently
assigned, then press the key you wish to newly assign to that function. If
you choose a key already in use, whatever function that key was previously
assigned to will now have no key bound to it.

A full list of Star Trek: Star Fleet Command 3’s default key bindings can be
found on page 71.

Exiting the Options Menu

If you want to exit out of the options menu without saving the changes
you have made, click on the “Back” button in the upper right corner of the
screen. To exit and save the changes you have made to the game, click
on “Accept.”

Game Speed: This slider controls the speed of the game and can be set from
1 to 11. Slower speeds give you more time to think and plan, while faster
speeds focus more on action and quick-thinking. You can adjust the speed of
the game to suit your style of play.

Visible Grid: When activated, this feature will display a visible grid on the
playfield. This can help you gauge relative distance to targets and plan
certain attacks.

Text Speed: This slider controls the speed at which on-screen text displays.
If you find yourself unable to read the text before it scrolls off of the screen,
you can slow it down.

Master Volume: This slider controls the overall volume level of the game.

Music Volume: This slider adjusts the volume for only the music of SFC3.

Speech Volume: Use this slider to adjust the volume of the speech in

the game.

Texture Options

This menu allows you to turn on and
off various advanced graphical
components of the SFC3 engine. If you are experiencing performance
problems, turning these options off should help.

Specularity: Controls the way the game reflects light off various surfaces.

Light Maps: Controls the game’s display of lighted surfaces on ship and

station models.

Damage Maps: Controls the display of damage textures on a ship model after
it has taken fire.

Damage Light Maps: Controls the display of the lighted portions of damage
textures on ships in battle.

OPTIONS MENU

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OPTIONS MENU

Speed

The slider at the bottom of your in-game interface is used to set your speed.
The slider represents the fraction of your maximum speed you are traveling
and the number to the left of the slider shows your current speed. Drag the
slider to your desired speed or click directly on the speed you want and the
ship will begin accelerating to reach that speed. A ship’s maximum speed
and its acceleration rate depend on its size, mass, engines, and condition.

Your ship is capable of traveling in

reverse if needed. By sliding the bar to
the left of zero, your ship will begin traveling backward and your reverse
speed will be displayed with a “-“ in front of it, letting you know you’re
traveling in reverse. Reverse can come in handy in combat when your enemy
is trying to out-maneuver you and get on your tail.

To the right of the speed slider is the “Warp” button. Pressing this button
will cause your ship to jump to warp speed and travel very quickly across the
map. Warp has its disadvantages, however, as your shields go down while at
warp and your beam weapons will not fire. You are also only able to travel in
a straight line; no course corrections are possible at such high speeds. Press
the button once and your engines will charge for a brief moment before your
ship is flung forward at warp speed. Pressing the button again will cause you
to come out of warp speed. Be aware that the ship doesn’t come to a halt as
soon as the button is pressed; it has a stopping distance in which the warp
engines power down. So if you are warping to a planet, make sure you give
yourself enough distance to stop, or you may find yourself becoming a
fireworks display in the atmosphere. After exiting warp, your engines will
require a cool down period before you are able to go to warp again. Warp is
very useful for reaching mission objectives a long distance away, fleeing
from battle to recharge your shields, or in short bursts during combat.

Targeting

Your weapons can’t fire at anything unless you first set a target. Targeting is
also used to scan ships and objects. To target a ship, station, or other
object, right click on it. A box will appear around the target and (if the
Target Lock option is on) the camera will center on the target. You will see
the target’s name, health, and speed, and a picture of the target will appear
in the upper left portion of the interface.

BASIC STARSHIP CONTROLS

This section will cover the basics of starship control, allowing you to jump in
and start blasting with a minimum of preparation. If you wish to learn about
the more advanced options available to captains in SFC3, read on to the
Advanced Starship Control section on page 17.

Alert Status

Your ship’s alert status is displayed in the
bottom right corner of the game screen, and
can be changed by clicking on the colored
buttons beneath the indicator. The alert levels
are as follows:

Condition Green (Normal): Standard running alert level, non-aggressive.
Shields and weapons are powered down.

Yellow Alert: This is a defensive posture used predominantly when entering
into a situation of unknown risk. Shields are raised but weapons are
not powered.

Red Alert: Highest alert status and where you will be spending most of your
time. Shields are raised and weapons are powered. The ship is ready for
combat. Shifting your ship to Red Alert will generally be the first thing you
do when entering a mission.

Turning

To turn your ship, simply left click in
space in the direction you want your
ship to face. A colored arc will appear
showing your ship’s projected turn, and
the ship will begin turning. Your
starship’s turning speed depends on its mass, engines, and current speed. If
you wish for your ship to turn to face a target, left click on that target and
the ship will begin turning to face it. You can also use the arrow keys to
turn your ship. Pressing and holding the left or right arrow keys will begin
extending your ship’s turning arc. Release the button when you have reached
the desired end of the turn. The ship will continue turning until it reaches
the end of the arc.

BASIC STARSHIP
CONTROLS

BASIC STARSHIP

CONTROLS

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interface. Once selected, that weapon’s settings
will appear in the window above, allowing you to
adjust its settings or take it offline to conserve
energy. You can also fire that individual weapon
by clicking on the “Fire” button.

You are also able to select multiple weapons by
holding down the “Shift” or “Ctrl” key and clicking
on the weapons you want to group together. After
selecting a weapons group, you can assign that
group to a hotkey by holding down the “Ctrl” key and pressing a number
from 1-5. After doing this, pressing the corresponding number will
automatically select your custom group of weapons.

The names of currently selected weapons
will appear in the lower left portion of the
game window. When you have an enemy
targeted, the name of the weapon will turn
green when you can fire it at the target.
Weapons in red are unable to fire, and
weapons in yellow are ready but the target
is not in their arc. To fire all available
selected weapons, you can click on Fire in
the weapons display, or press the Z key.

The icon for each of your weapons will appear as a dark green color when
the weapon is idle. Once activated (by going to Red Alert) the weapons will
begin to charge. The current charge of a weapon is indicated by the bright
green bar which gradually fills as the weapon charges. Once the entire
weapon icon is bright green, that weapon is ready to fire. Firing the weapon
depletes its charge, and you must wait for it to recharge before firing it again.

Each of your weapons has a firing arc. That
weapon can only fire when its target is within
this arc. When a weapon is selected, its firing arc
appears in its display box. You can also view the
firing arcs of all your ship’s weapons at any time
by pressing the pie-shaped Firing Arc button
beneath your ship schematic.

This will replace your weapon icons with an
overlay displaying the firing arc of each weapon.
The white section of each circle represents the area
that weapon can “see.”

The targeting box will appear red if the
target is hostile, green for friendly
targets, and gray for neutral targets.
Target info also appears in the upper
right of the game window, showing target
name, targeted subsystem, speed, and
angular velocity.

You can also use hotkeys to cycle through
targets. The “T” key (by default) will cycle
through all targets, while the “Y” key will
cycle through enemy targets only.

Once a ship is targeted, you can target
specific subsystems on that ship if your
Tactical Officer is experienced enough
(see Officers on page 24). The currently
targeted subsystem is displayed in the
target info in the upper right corner of
the game window. You can cycle through
subsystems on your target with the mouse
wheel, or you can click directly on the subsystem you wish to attack in the
target display in the upper left of the interface. Use subsystem targeting to
take out an enemy’s weapons or engines, disabling them.

Weapon Selection/Control

Once you have an enemy ship targeted, you’re going to want to shoot at it.
The first thing you will need to do is to select the weapons you want to fire.
Each starship features both primary and heavy weapons, which differ
depending on the empire the ship belongs to and the weapons loadout you
have given it. Primary weapons are the main offensive weapons, consisting
of beam and disruptor weapons. These weapons charge much faster than
heavy weapons, but do less damage. Heavy weapons consist of various
torpedoes and plasma weaponry. These weapons are slow to charge but do
much more damage than primary weapons.

The “Primary” and “Heavy” buttons to the left of the speed control slider can
be used to fire all of your weapons that are currently charged and have your
target in their firing arcs. Click “Primary” to fire your beam weapons and
“Heavy” to fire your torpedoes. If the icon to the left of either of these
buttons is yellow, it means those weapons are charging and cannot yet fire.

You are also able to select individual weapons. To do this, simply click on
the weapon icon on the schematic of your ship in the lower left of the

BASIC STARSHIP

CONTROLS

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BASIC STARSHIP
CONTROLS

ships currently under your command. Clicking a ship name will bring up a
variety of orders you can give that ship, from assigning targets to ordering
an ally to capture a ship.

Hail: This button allows you to hail
other ships in your area. Hailing ships
is sometimes a required part of a
mission. Oftentimes, you will be hailed
by other ships in a mission. When this occurs, their transmission will be
displayed in text form on the Comm menu. You can then select a response
from the given list, or click on the “Target” option to target the ship which
is currently speaking.

Mission Objectives: Clicking this button will bring up a list of your current
mission objectives. These are the tasks you need to accomplish in order to
successfully complete your current mission. Objectives will gray out as they
are completed. Objectives can be added as you go further into a mission, so
this is a good place to check if you ever find yourself wondering where to
go next.

Captain’s Log: Clicking this button will bring up a log of all transmissions
you have received in the comm menu. You can then cycle through these logs
to review communications you may have missed.

Close Channels: This button closes the Comm menu.

Cloaking

Some of the ships you will be flying
in SFC3 are equipped with cloaking
devices. This allows you to render your
ship invisible to your opponents.
You are unable to fire weapons while
cloaked, and your shields are powered down, but you remain unseen. You can
activate your cloaking device by pressing the “C” key, or by clicking
on the “Cloak” button in the Science menu.

Be aware that your shields will be down while you are visible to the enemy
for a short period of time when engaging or disengaging your cloak, leaving
you vulnerable to weapons fire. For this reason, it is a good idea to cloak or
de-cloak when you are out of an enemy’s range or firing arcs.

Some enemies have advanced anti-cloaking sensor systems that can detect
your ship while cloaked. If an enemy fires on you while you are cloaked,
they have detected you. De-cloak immediately to raise your shields and
fight back.

Shields

Shield knowledge is a must for staying alive in the world of SFC3. Every ship
in the game, with the exception of Borg ships, is protected by four shields
(fore, aft, port, starboard). These shields absorb attacks on the ship and
have the ability to recharge after they have taken damage. Once a shield is
down, enemy fire will tear into your armor, and then your ship’s hull,
damaging your systems.

Your shields activate automatically in
Yellow or Red alert. The current
strength of each of your shields is
visible around your ship schematic in
the interface, and is also visible
around the ship itself in the game
window. This allows you to see which
of your shields is currently stronger and maneuver yourself accordingly. If
your enemy has taken out your aft shield, it’s a good idea not to turn your
back on them until that shield has recharged.

You are also able to reinforce one of your shield
facings at any time, as long as your shield is not
fully depleted. To do this, simply click on the
shield you wish to reinforce in your ship
schematic. The currently reinforced shield is
indicated on the schematic and in the game
window by a white highlight. Reinforcement
causes energy to be diverted from the other
three shields to the reinforced one, giving it a
boost in strength. This can come in very handy

when one of your shields is weakening and you
cannot turn it away from the enemy to recharge. To clear reinforcement
orders and return your shields to their regular balance of energy, click on the
“NR” button in the upper left of the ship schematic.

Communication

The “Comm” button is located above the target display in the upper left
corner of the interface. Clicking this button will bring up the
Communications menu, allowing you to access the following features:

Fleet Commands: For select missions in SFC3, you will be assigned other
ships to fight alongside you in your battle group. You do not have direct
control over these ships, but you can communicate with their captains to
give them orders. Clicking on “Fleet Commands” will bring up a list of the

BASIC STARSHIP
CONTROLS

BASIC STARSHIP

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ADVANCED STARSHIP CONTROLS

The skills learned in the previous section will get your ship into space
and fighting, but to become a truly legendary captain, you’ll want to master
all of your ship’s subsystems. The following section will go much deeper
into the workings of your ship and the many tactics available to an
experienced captain.

Marines

Each starship is equipped with a complement of marines. These troops can
be beamed over to an enemy vessel once its shields are down, allowing you
to attempt to capture the ship or sabotage its systems.

The controls for marine functions are located above the target display in the
upper left corner of the interface.

Hit and Run: The Phaser icon represents your marines’ ability to
beam to an enemy ship and take out key systems. Your current

number of marines is displayed in the upper right corner of the
display. Below it are icons representing the number of transporters your ship
has and their current status. Select an enemy system by clicking on it in the
target display. This system will then appear in the queue on the left hand
side of the display. Once an enemy’s shields are down, your marines will
beam over and attempt to destroy your target systems in the order you have
selected them. Their chance of success depends on the number of marines
you have and your Security officer’s skill. By default, marines given hit and
run targets will beam over as soon as they have the chance. To pause or
delay transport, click on the icon at the top of the target system queue. To
resume, click it again.

Capture Raids: If simply pecking away at your opponent’s systems
isn’t enough, why not try to take over his entire ship? The marine

icon beneath the “Comm” button brings up the Capture menu. In
the center of this menu, you can see the empire in current control of your
target. The number to the left of this symbol
represents the number of enemy marines on board
the target. The number to the right is the number of
your marines currently on board. To get your marines
onto the enemy ship, you first need to knock down
an enemy’s shields. You can then choose to beam
over one marine by clicking the “One Marine”
button, or send over as many marines as you have
transporters by clicking “All Marines.” Once on board
the enemy ship, your marines will engage the enemy
in combat. The progress can be seen by simply

Scanning

Your starship is used for things other than combat. In certain missions, you
will be required to scan objects or ships in order to gain information about
them. To do this, move your ship near the object and press the “Scan”
button in the upper left corner of the interface. If you are in scanning range,
your Operations officer will give you the scan results. If you are out of range,
you will be told to move closer to the object you’re scanning.

Repairs

Your ship will inevitably take some damage during combat. After your shields
are knocked down, enemy weapons fire will strike your hull and sometimes
damage your systems. If a weapon or system icon turns gray in your ship
schematic, it has been knocked offline and requires repairs to used be again.
To access your repair menu, click on the “Repair”
button with the wrench on it below your ship
schematic. To repair a system, click on its icon.
Repairs will begin. The progress of the repairs can
be seen on the left side of the menu. Beneath the
icon that displays the current system being repaired
a progress bar will slowly fill until that system is
fully repaired. You can only repair one system at a
time. Clicking more than one will add them to the
repair queue, and your repair teams will move
on to the next system in the queue when they
are available.

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Helm Controls

The Helm Controls menu is accessed by clicking on the “Helm” button. This
brings up the helm controls. The following advanced helm maneuvers are
available from this menu:

Steady as She Goes: This option will clear any previous helm
maneuvers you have selected, returning the ship to regular flight.

Orbit Target: Selecting this maneuver will tell your helmsman to
plot a circular path around your target. This is useful for keeping
weapons trained on an enemy or for orbiting stations or planets.
The ship will turn itself automatically. Giving a turn order yourself
will clear this order.

Follow Your Target: This option
tells your helmsman to turn the
ship toward the target. No
matter where your target is,
your ship will automatically
turn to face it. This is useful on
ships whose main weapons are
on the front of the ship. Giving
a turn order yourself will clear
this order.

Match Target’s Speed: Sets your ship’s speed to match the speed
of the current target. Useful when you are behind a target and
would like to stay there. Your ship’s speed will adjust along with
the target. Even if you try to manually adjust your speed, it will
return to that of the target. Changing your speed manually will
clear this order.

Maximum Speed: Sets your speed to maximum. Giving a new
speed order will clear this order.

Erratic Maneuvers: Orders your helmsman to do his best to evade
enemy fire by performing evasive maneuvers. The ship will begin
to jink from left to right. You are free to turn while under this
order, and can cancel it at anytime by returning to Steady as
She Goes. While performing erratic maneuvers your ship is harder
to hit. However, it is also harder for your weapons to strike
the enemy.

watching the numbers and the slider bar beneath
the empire symbol. If your marines are staying alive
and their’s aren’t, you’re on your way to victory.
Once all the enemy marines have been neutralized,
the ship becomes an ally. You can order it around
via your Comm menu. Note: Capture works only in
the single player campaign.

Power Allocation

The lightning bolt icon below the target display brings up your

Power Allocation menu. This menu consists of three sliders: one for
Primary weapons; one for Heavy weapons; and one for Shields. Your warp
core produces a set amount of power, and from here you can control how
much of that power goes to each system. Your current available power is
displayed in the top bar. If any portion of that bar is blue, it means you
have power available that is not currently being used. To add that power to
a system, grab the blue indicator and slide it to the desired level. The
available energy will decrease appropriately.

The power bar for each system has a
green indicator on it. This represents the
minimum amount of power needed for the
system to run. If the allocated power is
below that green indicator, the system
will operate at a very basic level. Setting
the power above the green indicator will
allow that system to function even more
efficiently. Each bar also contains a red
indicator. This bar represents the system
powerlinks and no more energy can be
assigned to it.

As you move the power allocation bars, other bars will decrease
automatically if you try to assign more power than your warp core is
outputting. If you have equipped your ship with too many weapons and a
small warp core (or your warp core has been damaged), you may not have
enough power to keep all your systems “in the green.” In this situation, you
can either take individual weapons offline to lower power requirements, or
shift power allocations on the fly to keep your ship in fighting shape.

Clicking the Default button will return power levels to their standard levels.

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High Energy Turn: By using additional energy, your helm

officer can force your ship to turn at a much accelerated
rate. However, this is a risky maneuver that puts great strain on
the ship’s engines. If the High Energy Turn (HET) fails, your ship
will be momentarily paralyzed. Engines and maneuvering thrusters
fail and weapons are unavailable, leaving you a sitting duck until
your engineer sorts things out. To execute the HET, click the “HET”
button. A new display will appear at the bottom of the interface,
indicating that your helm officer is preparing to execute the turn.
During the charging phase, click on the interface as you would for
a regular turn. Once the HET bar is full, your ship will (if the turn
is successful) turn to that heading. If the HET fails, you’re dead in
your tracks. The approximate chance of success for the HET is
displayed below the “HET” button. This percentage depends on the
skill of your helm officer, the status of your ship, and how recently
you attempted a previous HET.

All Stop: This button sets your speed to zero, bringing the ship to
a halt.

Emergency Stop: This maneuver uses the warp engines to bring
the ship to a near immediate stop, as opposed to the slow
deceleration of All Stop. This is a bit stressful on the engines, and
as a result you will be unable to move for a short time after
executing an Emergency Stop.

Warp: This button acts identically to the warp button on the main
interface. Your ship will engage warp speed, traveling very quickly
across the map. Shields drop, beam weapons are unable to be
used, and turning is impossible at warp. Click once to engage and
again to drop out of warp.

Science

The Science button is

located next to the Helm
button and allows you to access the
following functions:

Anti-Cloak Scan: Allows you to perform
an advanced scan to attempt to detect
cloaked enemy ships. Click the button to
activate the scan. Once your sensors have
charged, your scanners will emit a “ping,” giving you a chance to detect the
enemy. Your success depends on the quality of your sensors as well as the
skill of your operations officer. If successful, the enemy will be revealed and
you can lock onto him and fire while his shields are down.

Launch Probe: Launching a probe at an enemy vessel allows you to get an
accurate sensor reading on it before it comes into weapons range, allowing
you to plan accordingly. Target a distant enemy and click to launch a probe
at it. Once the probe is in range, the target’s information will appear on your
target display.

Passive Sensors: Activate your passive sensors
by clicking the “on” button next to the passive
sensor text. This will bring up a sensor display
into the upper left portion of the screen. This
display acts as a radar, giving you a view of the
system around you. Enemy targets are
represented by red symbols, allies in blue, and
neutral targets in gray. Using the buttons on
the passive sensor interface you can zoom in
and out, filter planets/ships from the display,
or display an overlay of your firing arcs. You
can also use the TAB key to toggle passive
sensors on or off.

Self Destruct: If you’re having a bad day, why not take everyone else out
with you? Click this button to begin a five second countdown. At the end of
the countdown your ship will blow up and you will die. This can be
somewhat effective in multiplayer team games, but anywhere else you will
most likely just lose faster. Click again during the countdown to cancel the
destruct order.

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Transporters

The transporter button, located

next to the tractor beam button,
brings up the transporter controls. At times
during your missions, you will be required
to beam items or personnel from other
ships, or beam them from your ship to
another location. Icons appearing in the
Beam Out section are ready to be beamed
off the ship. Icons in the Beam In section
are on a nearby ship and ready to beam
to yours. Click on Energize to activate
the transporter.

Shuttles

The shuttle control panel is

accessed by clicking on the
shuttle button, located to the right of the
transporter button. This menu displays
the shuttles currently available and allows
you to launch them and assign orders.

Shuttlecraft are small utility ships, used
primarily to ferry personnel and
equipment to places the transporters cannot reach. In SFC3, shuttlecraft
can be used in combat. Although relatively weak, they can give a
knowledgeable captain an advantage during battle, or at the very least
frustrate the opponent.

Your current available shuttles are displayed in the In Bay box. Each shuttle
has its own icon. To launch a shuttle, click on its icon and then click
Launch. The shuttle will emerge from your ship and follow its current orders.
This shuttle now appears in the Deployed box and can be selected there to
change its orders or return it to the ship. After launching a shuttle, the blue
bar above the launch button must refill before you can launch another. This
represents the time needed to prepare the shuttle and shuttle bay for
another launch. Before launching a shuttle, or at any time while deployed,
you may change its orders. The following options are available:

Attack: The shuttle will fly to and attack the enemy that is targeted when
the order is given. Shuttles are equipped with a weak beam weapon which
will not do much damage. However, they can distract an enemy and force
him to divert his attention away from you for a short period of time.

Tractor Beam

Your ship is equipped with a

tractor beam, which can be
used to grab and maneuver objects or
ships. To access these controls, click on
the tractor button located to the right of
the sensor button. The following features
are available from this menu:

Engage: This button will begin charging
your tractor beam. Once the beam is charged, it will lock on to the current
target. If that target is out of range, the beam will lock on once you move
within range.

Hold/Repel: These two buttons control the function of your tractor beam.
The default setting is “Hold,” which will lock onto a target and hold it in
place, allowing you to maneuver it wherever you want. If you find yourself
the target of an enemy tractor beam, the Repel setting allows you to use
your tractor beam to attempt to break free.

Beam Strength: These controls allow you to set your tractor beam strength
from 1 to 5, depending on the level of your installed tractor system. The
higher the strength, the longer it will take for your beam to charge and
engage. Tractor strengths are used to determine whether or not you are able
to repel another tractor beam. In order to successfully repel an opponent’s
tractor beam, you need a tractor beam strength equal to or greater than
their’s. If your opponent has you locked in a tractor beam at a 3 strength,
you will need to repel with a beam of 3, 4, or 5 strength to break free. If
you want to grab onto an opponent for a longer period of time, choose the
higher strength beams and chances are your opponent will have to try more
than once to break free.

Rotation: Once you have locked your target up with a tractor beam, you can
move their ship around yours while they are still held in the beam. The left
button will rotate the target counter-clockwise, the right button will rotate
them clockwise, and the center button halts rotation. Use this function to
bring tractored targets into your strongest weapon arc, or to run tractored
ships into asteroids or planets.

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Mines

Your ship is equippped with a standard
minelayer, which allows you to lay
mines in combat. Do this by pressing
the m key. When activated, a mine will
be laid behind your ship. The ring
around the mine represents the area in
which a ship will detonate it. The ring
is green when first laid, indicating that
the mine is not yet armed. Once your ship is far enough away from the
mine not to detonate it, the mine will arm and the ring will turn red to
indicate this.

Whenever a ship (including yours or an ally’s) is in proximity of the mine, it
will detonate and damage surrounding vessels. After you lay a mine, you
must wait for your minelayer to recharge before laying another. Unlike
torpedoes, you can carry only a set number of mines. Mines can be bought in
the Skirmish resupply screen or at a starbase in campaign mode. You can
also equip the more powerful Antimatter Mine Layer, which will do increased
damage when the mines are detonated. See page 28 for details on refittng
your ship.

Snipe: The shuttle will maintain its distance from enemy ships, attacking
targets from long range. This allows the shuttle to survive longer, as it is
more difficult to hit. However, the shuttle’s weapons will do less damage to
the enemy.

Defend: Orders the shuttle to defend the
current target. If no target is selected, the
shuttle will defend the player. Shuttles
assigned this order will stay in the vicinity
of their target. If an enemy ship approaches,
the shuttle will attack. If the enemy
disengages, the shuttle will follow for a
short distance and then return to its
assigned target.

Return: Orders a shuttle to return to your ship. Note that if you are flying at
high speeds the shuttle may have a hard time docking.

Officers

Your ship is only as good as its crew,
and officers play a large role in SFC3.
While in combat, you can view the status of your officers by clicking on the
Officers button located to the left of the alert status indicator.

Your six officer stations are shown along with the name of each officer. To
the right of each officer icon is a bar which represents your officer’s health.
As your ship takes damage, your officers can be hurt. They can fall
unconscious or even die. In these cases, that officer is replaced by a generic
crewmen who can do the job, but not as well as a dedicated officer.

Each of your officers has a set of attributes which benefit your ship in
gameplay. These attributes can be viewed in the Skirmish setup screen,
or while at a Starbase in the single or multiplayer campaign (see page 36
for details).

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