Games PC WING COMMANDER-PRIVATEER User Manual
CONTENTS
Quick Start .............................................3
After
Privateer
Trade .............................................4
Spending
Combat ..........................................6
Reaping
Personal Computer .................................8
Options Screen .....................................10
In the Cockpit .......................................11
Spaceflight Views ..........................11
Cockpit Gauges ............................12
Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) .......15
Other Cockpit Commands ..............18
In-Flight Systems ...........................18
is
Installed
Buying
Goods
Transporting
Collecting Profit
Money
Upgrading
Getting Work ..........................6
Preparing
Finding the Enemy
Engaging a Bogie
Speed ...................................12
Tarsus
Fuel
Shields and Armor ................13
Energy ..................................13
Radar ...................................14
Destination
Examine Target .....................15
Report Damage .....................16
Cargo Manifest .....................16
View Object ..........................16
Weapons and Gun Loadout ...17
Communications ....................17
Jumps ...................................18
Activating Guns ....................18
Ejecting Cargo ......................18
Playing the Game ..................18
Adjusting Player Options .......18
Exiting Privateer ....................18
Targeting
Inertial Targeting and
Tracking
Tractor Beam ........................19
Autopilot ..............................20
Navigation
Your
for Battle
the
Reward
Cockpit
......................................13
System
System
................
.........................4
Goods
.................4
.......................5
.............................5
Ship
...............5
.................6
...................6
....................6
........................7
.......................12
............................15
...................18
(ITTS)
...........19
System
................20
3
GEMINI SECTOR ...................................23
The Frontiersman ..................................24
Gemini Sector: an Overview .................32
Quadrants ...........................................32
Clarke, Fariss, Humboldt, Potter
Base
Types
...........................................33
Agricultural
Mining .........................................33
Pirate, Pleasure, Refinery
New
New
Oxford, Perry ...............................35
Common Base Locations .......................36
Hangar ........................................36
Bar ..............................................36
Mission
Ship
Ship
Software Booth
Mercenaries'
Merchants' Guild ..........................41
Commodity Exchange
Commonly Available Ships ...................43
Tarsus
Centurion ..................................... 44
Galaxy
Orion
Other Spacecraft ..................................50
Broadsword, Demon
Dralthi, Drayman ..........................51
Gladius, Gothri
Kamekh, Paradigm ........................53
Stiletto, Talon
Customizing Your Ship .........................55
Afterburner, Armor,
Cargo
ECM Packages, Engine Upgrades,
Jump Drive, Nav Maps,
Repair
Scanners, Shield Generators,
Tractor Beam,
Weapons
Survival Tips ........................................60
Online Services and Bulletin Boards ......64
..................................33
...............34
Constantinople
Detroit
Computer
Dealer
Modification
..........................................43
.........................................46
...........................................48
Expansion
Droid
.....................................58
......................34
..................................35
.........................37
..................................38
..........................38
.............................39
Guild
........................40
....................42
......................50
.............................52
................................54
..........................55
.................................56
Turrets
.....................57
1
ORIGIN Systems, Inc. LIMITED 90 DAY WARRANTY.
ORIGIN warrants to the original purchaser of this computer software product thai the recording medium
on which the software programs are recorded will be free from defects in material and workmanship for
90 days from the date of purchase.
If the recording medium is found defective within 90 days of original purchase, ORIGIN agrees to
replace, free of charge, any such product upon receipt at its Factory Service Center of the product,
postage paid, with proof of date of purchase. This warranty is limited to the recording medium containing
the software program originally provided by ORIGIN. This warranty shall not be applicable and shall be
void if the defect has arisen through abuse, mistreatment or neglect. Any implied warranties applicable to
this product are limited to the 90-day period described above. If failure of the software product, in the
judgment of ORIGIN, resulted from accident, abuse, mistreatment of neglect, or if the recording medium
should fail after the original 90-day warranty period has expired, you may return the software program to
ORIGIN, at the address noted below, with a check or money order for $5.00 (U.S. currency), which
includes postage and handling, and ORIGIN will mail a replacement to you. To receive a replacement,
you should enclose the defective medium (including the original product label) in protective packaging
accompanied by: (1) a $5.00 check (2) a brief statement describing the detect and (3) your return
address. Canada and Foreign Orders Note: Only U.S. money orders are accepted.
Except as set forth above, this warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, whether oral or written,
express or implied, including any warrant of merchanlability or fitness for a particular purpose, and no
other representation of claims of any nature shall be binding on or obligate ORIGIN. In no event will
ORIGIN be liable for special, incidental or consequential damage resulting from possession, use or malfunction of this product, including damage to property and to the extent permitted by law, damages for
personal injury, even if ORIGIN has been advised of the possibility for such damages. Some slates do not
allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and/or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or
consequential damages, so the above limitation and/or exclusion or limitation of liability may not apply to
you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may have other rights that vary from state to state.
QUICK START
This section of the manual will familiarize you with the basics of gameplay: getting
around a base, making money, and flying your ship. Experienced players may wish to
begin exploration without the benefit of this information. However, Privateer takes place
in a large and complex universe filled with opportunities and choices. Although you do
not have to follow the walkthrough, even experienced game players may benefit from
what follows.
NOTE: This walkthrough assumes that you are using a mouse on the bases and a joystick
for spaceflight. Experiment with your joystick buttons to determine which button is
which. Joystick button one is the trigger button and joystick button two is usually the
thumb button on top. These are referred to as #1 and #2 respectively. If you are using the
keyboard and/or not using a joystick, see the Reference Card for equivalent commands.
After Privateer is Installed
When
installation
The introduction begins. Sit back and watch as you are introduced to your character
and are provided information important to the story. If the game doesn't load properly,
consult Troubleshooting in the Install Guide. If you still have difficulties, call ORIGIN
Product Support between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Mon. through Fri., Central time.
When the introduction is finished, the title screen appears. At the bottom of this screen
you are
offered
on NEW or type [N].
When you choose to begin a new game, the Personal Computer appears on screen. You
are asked to register your name and callsign at this time. When this is complete, you
automatically put your computer down and find yourself standing in the hangar of
Achilles, a mining base in the Troy System. The ship in front of you is the Tarsus your
grandfather left you. To your right is the entrance to the base. Enter the base by clicking
on that entrance. (See p. 36 for a picture of a hangar.)
is
complete,
several choices:
type
NEW,
PRIV
(Enter)
LOAD,
at the
OPTIONS
and
prompt.
QUIT.
To begin a new game, click
New Gome Load Game Options Screen Exit to DOS
3
Trade
This puts you in the main concourse. There are occasional pedestrians and carts of ore
moving about the concourse. On the left of the concourse is the door to the hangar where
your ship is waiting for you. On the right there are doors on two levels: representatives
from the Merchants and Mercenaries' Guilds have their offices on the upper level; the
lower level houses the local ship dealer, bar, mission computer and Commodity
Exchange.
Buying Goods
Enter the Commodity Exchange (by clicking on its door). When the monitor comes
down it defaults to Buy Mode. Scroll through the available items using the arrow buttons
until you find goods that you can afford and that might prove desirable to an agricultural
planet. Such items might include robot workers or other durable goods. Buy as much as
you can afford by clicking on the item in the small screen. (See p. 42 for a picture of the
Commodity Exchange.)
Ship Dealer Merchants' Guild Mercenaries' Guild
Hangar Bar Mission Computer Commodity Exchange
Achilles Main Concourse
Transporting Goods
Leave the Commodity Exchange by clicking anywhere at the bottom of the scene. Go to
the hangar. Click on your ship to launch.
Once in space, press [N] to activate your navigation computer. This displays a map of the
Troy system. Nav 1 is selected. All system maps display nav points. A nav point may be a
base, a jump point or simply a buoy for navigation purposes — see the information box
beside the map for a description of the selected nav point. Press (N) repeatedly to cycle
through the available nav points until Nav 6 is selected, or use the mouse to select Nav
6. The information box tells you about each nav point as it is selected. Once you have
selected Nav 6, the box informs you that Nav 6 is an agricultural base named Helen.
Leave the nav computer by pressing [Esc| that your Autopilot light is now lit. (Your
Autopilot light will not light when there are hostile craft nearby. In that case, you may
want to check Combat, below.) Press [A] at this point and you fly automatically to the
agricultural planet Helen. If you wish to fly there without the benefit of the Autopilot,
center the white navigation cross on your heads-up-display (HUD) and proceed in that
direction, using Q to increase speed in increments of one-eighth of your total throttle
capability.
Helen is a large and watery planet. Once you spot it, fly as close to it as you can. When
you're close enough, you are notified by the base that they are ready to engage automatic
docking procedures. You land automatically. Once you have landed, enter the base. Be
advised that they have withdrawn a docking fee of 50 credits from your funds.
Collecting Profit
Enter the main concourse of the base. (Note that this concourse is different from the last
one.) Once there, enter the Commodity Exchange. It is located on the lower level to the
right. Use the
on the small screen to sell the item displayed. If you made a wise choice, your credits
will soon surpass the 2,000 you began the game with. Otherwise, you will end up with a
net loss. Either way, let's go spend what funds you do have.
SELL
button to indicate
that
you wish to
sell
your goods. Click on the item
Spending Money
Upgrading Your Ship
Exit the Commodity Exchange. Enter the ship dealer's area. Once inside, observe a large
doorway at the back (top) of the room. This is the entrance to the Ship Modification
Screen — click on the doorway to access this screen. Use the monitor here as you did in
the Commodity Exchange. For example, you might want to upgrade your gun. First,
indicate
that
you
wish
to
sell
your
existing
items on your ship until your laser is displayed. Click on the item in the small screen to
sell it. Right now it is automatically dismounted because you have only one gun. Later,
when you have multiple guns, you will be asked to point out which one you wish to sell.
(See p. 39 for a picture of the Ship Modification Screen.)
Switch to Buy Mode by clicking on the BUY button, then use the arrows to cycle through
the available items. When the meson blaster is displayed, click on it. If you can afford to
buy it, its cost is deducted form your funds and an icon appears. Drag the icon to wherever you want to load the gun on your ship. If you cannot afford the meson blaster, purchase the most expensive gun you can afford. Exit the Ship Modification Screen by clicking on the showroom doorway (at the far left of the screen). Exit back to the main concourse by clicking on either one of the smaller doors in the dealership.
gun using the
SELL
button.
Scroll
through the
Combat
Getting Work
In the center of the main concourse there is a small pillar with a Mission Computer set
into it. Click on the computer to step up to it. To activate the Mission Computer, click
on the palm reader in the lower right comer. Once it has scanned all sectors for missions,
you can use the arrows in the lower left to cycle through the available missions. Read
them all before deciding to accept one. Look for a mission that takes place in Troy. You
do not have a jump drive and cannot travel to other systems yet. If possible, accept a
Patrol or Defend Base mission anywhere in Troy. You do not need to write the mission
requirements down. They appear in your Persona] Computer and your ship's nav computer. Exit the Mission Computer by clicking at the bottom of the scene. (See p. 37 for a
picture of the Mission Computer.)
Return to the hangar by clicking on the door on the lower level to the left of the Mission
Computer. Launch back out into space by clicking on your ship.
Preparing for Battle
Before doing anything else, activate your gun. To do this, press (G) to display your ordnance and select your gun. Your missile launcher is already active, and there are green
crosshairs to facilitate targeting. To activate options (p. 10), press |Alt ][0] to access the
Options Screen and click on the options you wish to activate. You may wish to activate
INVULNERABILITY
these options activated. Note that each button appears to be depressed when the system
is
active. Now click
or
UNLIMITED AMMO,
on
RESUME
although you are not paid
to re-enter the game universe.
for
missions run with
Finding the Enemy
Unless you selected a Defend Helen mission, which would bring the enemies to you,
your next step is to find the enemy. Press [N] to go to your nav computer. The nav point
or points where you must go to fulfill mission objectives are designated in red. When
you have selected a red nav point, you are ready to autopilot into the thick of it. If you
need to be reminded
right (or press (M)) and your information box lists your mission objectives in bright red.
When you have fulfilled a mission requirement, its listing changes to a dull red. Press
|Esc| to leave the nav map and press (A] to autopilot to the selected nav point.
of
your mission
objectives,
click on the
NAV/MIS
button
at
the
lower
Engaging a Bogie
When you arrive at the battlefield, gray dots appear on your Radar Screen. These indi-
cate other ships in space near you. Use the joystick to maneuver, placing one of these
dots within your crosshairs. Later, when you can afford a scanner upgrade, your HUD
should display red brackets around enemy ships and blue brackets around friendly
ships. Until then, all brackets will be gray. If you continually fire on friendly ships, their
attitude will change and they will probably begin firing back at you. Press joystick but-
ton #1 to fire your gun; press buttons #1 and #2 simultaneously to fire a missile. When
all the enemy ships have been destroyed or have run away, check your nav map to see
if you have fulfilled the mission objective. Previously bright red nav points are displayed
in blue if their objective has been accomplished. A nav point will still be bright red if
you have missed someone. Press (M) in your nav computer to view objectives if you are
not sure what you might have missed. When you have fulfilled all mission objectives,
return to any base for payment.
Reaping the Reward
Back at Achilles, or whichever base you wish, you would find that the payment promised
for the completion of your mission has already been credited to your account, unless you
used
the
not-for-pay
the mission from being flagged as a success. To review your finances, press |AH |[c1 or
simultaneously click both buttons of your mouse or joystick to view your Personal
Computer. Clicking on the FIN button calls up your current financial status. Click on the
PWR button to exit the Personal Computer. From here you are on your own, ready to go
forth, make money and save civilization on the frontier. And if all else fails, talk to
Sandoval, in New Detroit.
options
INVULNERABILITY
or
UNLIMITED
AMMO.
Both
of
these prevent
PERSONAL COMPUTER
The Personal Computer is as important to you as to your character. Your character uses
it to keep track of business obligations and finances. You use it to save and load games.
Effective and quick use of the Personal Computer is crucial to both of you.
Display Check Finances
Exit Personal Computer Cargo Manifest
The Personal Computer answers questions like, "How much money do I have?" and
"Which missions have I not finished?" and "Just what do I have in my cargo hold, anyway?" It is only available while you are at a base. All the information it provides is available through your MFDs and nav map during space-flight. To pull up your Personal
Computer, type [Alt] [C] or simultaneously click both buttons of your mouse or joystick.
To exit the Personal Computer, click on the PWR (power) button at the bottom of the
unit.
The Personal Computer cannot be accessed while you are interacting with another computer. Therefore, you cannot access it while at the screens for the Commodities Exchange,
Mission Computer, Ship Modification, Software Dealer's or guilds' computers.
SAVE. The Personal Computer is the only place to save a game, so you can only save
while docked
and offers you a box eight characters wide in which to name your game. If you have
other saved games, they are listed below the box.
at a base. When you click on the save button, the screen says
Scrolling Arrows
SAVE
GAME
as:
To save your game,
game, click on the name of the old one — it appears in the box. The only limit to the
number of saved games you may have is the amount of available space on your harddrive. To exit the Personal Computer, press the PWR button at the bottom of the unit. If
the names
ther pages.
LOAD.
during
and offers you a box in which to type the name of the previously saved game you are
loading. You may select the game you wish to load by again clicking on its name and the
LOAD
to scroll through further pages. Once the name of the game you wish to resume is typed
in,
of
You
can only load a game from
your stay
button, instead.
hit
(Enter)
name
it
and
press
[Enter]
your saved games overflow
at
a base.
When
you elect to load a game, the screen reads
If
or
LOAD.
the names
You
of
your saved games overflow this screen, use
automatically
or click
this
screen, use
your
Personal
exit to the saved game
on
SAVE.
Up
or
Down
Computer,
To save over an existing
to scroll through
which is available only
LOAD GAME:
Up
fur-
or
Down
MISSIONS.
attention. If you have fulfilled all your missions or haven't taken any, the screen says NO
MISSIONS.
Computer mission screen. The top line tells you how many missions you have active. The
rest of the description tells you where you must go to complete the mission, who has contracted you to carry it out and how much they're paying. To scroll to the next mission in
the
Finance. Clicking on FIN brings up a statement of your current cash in credits. This is a
cash-only sector. People don't tend to live long enough to be a good risk for loan sharks
and banks. This is all the financial statement you'll need.
Manifest. Clicking on MAN brings up your ship's manifest, telling you what's in your
cargo hold. At the top of the screen you are informed how much space in cargo units —
roughly a cubic meter — are available in your cargo hold. Below that is a list of the items
you have and the units of each. If your manifest goes beyond this screen, use [t] or Q to
scroll through the list.
list
This
selection allows you to review the missions that are currently awaiting your
When you
use
(Up)
or
(Down).
still
have
At
the
active
missions, they will be summarized on your Personal
bottom
of
the
screen
is
the
total missions to date.
OPTIONS SCREEN
The Options Screen
right, or at any time during the game by pressing [Alt][O].
is
available
from
the Title Screen by selecting
Options Screen
OPTIONS
at
the bottom
UNLIMITED
energy. They cause a substantial drain to your ship's power supply, which also feeds
your shields and afterburners. This option allows you to fire your weapons without using
up energy. There is still a retire delay, the time it takes a gun to re-charge between shots,
but you are able to continue firing with no penalty to your energy supply. This is a great
way for beginning players to get a feel for combat with little personal risk.
IMPORTANT.
You do not get paid for the mission if this option is active at any time during space-flight.
INVULNERABILITY.
ships, get hit by missiles or guns and never die.
IMPORTANT.
do not get paid for the mission if this option is active at any time during space-flight.
JOYSTICK CALIBRATION.
trollably through space despite your best efforts to keep it under control, you may need
to recalibrate
Screen. Follow the instructions that appear in the center of the screen. If problems per-
sist, consult your joystick's documentation or call ORIGIN Product Support.
MUSIC, SOUND FX.
"off." If you change your sound card or port configuration, follow the Install Guide
instructions and rerun the install program.
MOUSE, KEYBOARD,
or joystick. For piloting through space, however, only one may be used at a time.
Depress the appropriate button
want to use for piloting.
RESUME, CANCEL.
resume to return to the Title Screen or to where you
undo any changes you made on the Options Screen and return to where you left off.
AMMO.
Weapons in 2670 do not
You
cannot get paid
Making
this
You
cannot get paid for
If
you find your mouse pointer drifting or your ship spins uncon-
your
joystick.
Click on these to toggle music and sound
JOYSTICK.
When you have made your selections on the Options
for
selection allows you to collide with asteroids or other
To do this, select
To move
(MOUSE,
any
mission
any
mission
around
KEYBOARD
fire
hard ammo so much
flown with
flown with
JOYSTICK
at a
CALIBRATION
base,
or
JOYSTICK)
left
as
various
UNLIMITED AMMO
INVULNERABILITY
on
effects
— down
you can use the mouse,
to select the
off
in the game. Click
the
Options
Screen,
activated.
activated.
is
device
forms
You
"on,"
up
keyboard
you
click
CANCEL
of
is
to
10
IN THE COCKPIT
This section offers a detailed description of how to use your ship's controls and what to
expect when you do. It describes the various camera views and how to make use of your
nav computer, as well as the numerous controls for activating and using each of your
ship's systems.
You begin the game flying a Tarsus you inherited from a relative, but there are three other
ship types available for sale in the Gemini Sector. Once you have accumulated sufficient
resources, you may also buy a Centurion, a Galaxy or an Orion. You can always find your
ship in the base hangar. When you move the cursor over the ship in the hangar, the word
ENGAGE
appears. Clicking on the vessel automatically launches you into space.
All cockpits feature approximately the same instruments, even though the arrangement
of the various gauges and screens may vary from ship to ship. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the functions of each instrument and its location in the cockpit. The
ability to assess your situation and your resources in a split second may mean the difference between life and death when you are navigating in space.
Spaceflight Views
When you launch your ship, you see space directly ahead of you through the front view
screen. A green circle with cross-hairs shows you where the guns of your ship are aimed.
Any ship you have currently targeted is framed by brackets: Most scanners indicate
friendly vessels by blue brackets, hostile ships by red brackets. Poorer grade scanners
(see Scanners, p. 57) can only bracket in gray, hostile and friendly alike. When a ship
communicates with you, it is shown within white brackets. Retrievable objects and bases
are framed by yellow (or gray) brackets. Once a target is locked, it is surrounded by a
solid box.
You can shift from the front cockpit view to another view by pressing the function keys:
[F1] Returns you to the fore view from any of the views below.
[F2] Shows you the view to port.
[F3] Shows you the view to starboard.
[F4] Shows you the aft view.
[F5] Switches you to Turret 1. If your ship has no turrets, this has no effect.
[F6] Switches you to Turret 2. If your ship has less than two turrets, this has no effect.
[F7] Toggles the missile camera view on and off, allowing you to follow your missiles
in to the kill.
[F8] Switches you to chase camera view, which shows your ship from immediately
behind it.
[F9] Switches you to the theater camera, a panoramic shot of your ship and all other
objects surrounding it. This view can give you a good idea of the location of hostile fighters surrounding you in a tense dogfight.
11
Cockpit Gauges
Speed
In the cockpit, speed is indicated by two gauges:
SET indicates the speed your ship tries to maintain during spaceflight.
KPS indicates the craft's current speed in klicks per second.
Press + to increase your speed. (If you are playing with your joystick, hold joystick but-
ton #2 down and push forward to accelerate.)
Press - to slow down. (Holding down joystick button #2 and pulling backwards also
decreases your speed.)
If your ship has afterburner capacity, press |Tab] to ignite the afterburners. (Double-click-
ing joystick button #2 or double-clicking the right mouse button also activates afterburn-
ers.) The longer you hold the key down, the longer the afterburners remain active.
However, afterburners require immense amounts of energy.
Pressing (Backspace) on your keyboard brings your ship to a halt. In some instances, this
may be a good strategy to evade enemy fire.
Set Speed Indicator Radar Shields & Armor Indicator
Current Speed Indicator Crosshairs
Tarsus Cockpit
12
Fuel
The fuel gauge indicates how much fuel you have. Fuel is only used by your jump drive.
Your vessel uses energy for propulsion and afterburners (see Energy, below). Each jump
you make uses up a considerable amount of fuel — a full fuel tank provides enough for
only six jumps.
Shields and Armor
The shields display in the cockpit of your ship indicates the current status of your shields
and armor. Once you have purchased shield upgrades, you can select how many shields
you want to remain active at any point in time. Even though additional shields offer you
more protection, maintaining them expends more energy. If you are flying a highly
maneuverable ship and are in the midst of a dogfight, you may want to risk deactivating
some of your shields so you can use that energy for your blasters. Pressing [s] on your
keyboard toggles you through the various available shield levels.
As your shields take damage, they disappear from the screen, only to reappear as they
regenerate. Shields can regenerate as long as the shield generator is intact. Once the
shields have been taken out, armor begins taking damage. Unlike shields, armor cannot
regenerate.
Energy
The energy indicator shows how much regenerative power is available for your blasters,
tractor beams, shields and afterburners at any given point in time. The power generator
restores depleted energy levels quickly. Some guns use more energy than others when
firing. Afterburners deplete energy resources very quickly. If you are fighting with higher-level guns, you may want to deactivate some higher-level shields and avoid using
afterburners so you can utilize all available energy for your guns. Conversely, you may
want to hold your fire and boost your shields if you are flying a slow ship with poor
maneuvering capabilities. Purchasing engine upgrades improves your energy levels.
Radar
Every cockpit features a circular radar display. However, the screen does not indicate
distance to a particular ship. Instead, the different sections of the display show how far
you must rotate your ship to be able to see the object on your radar through your front
view screen. The radar display is the most important instrument in your cockpit, but it
may also be the least intuitive.
Objects detected by your radar are displayed as dots. A dot in the outer ring of your
display tells you the enemy is behind you. The innermost ring indicates objects ahead
of you. The other four sections place objects alongside, above or below you.
On a color scanner, each dot on your radar screen is color-coded:
Red indicates a hostile fighter.
Dark Blue indicates a friendly fighter.
Yellow indicates missiles in space.
Brown indicates neutral, retrievable objects.
White indicates a navigation beacon or nav point.
Light Blue indicates a jump sphere.
Gray indicates a base.
Purchasing more advanced scanners provides you with more accurate radar readings.
Refer to Customizing Your Ship (pp. 54-59) for more information on available scanners.
14
Multi-Function Displays (MFDs)
The Multi-Function Displays in each cockpit provide a wide range of information essential to flying successful missions. The Tarsus and Centurion have only one MFD, while the
Orion and Galaxy give information on two displays. In ships with two MFDs, the relevant
information can be pulled up on either display, thus allowing you to view two different
displays concurrently. Hitting the appropriate key on the keyboard pulls the information
up on one of the two displays.
[ and ]. In ships with one MFD, you can cycle through all available displays by pressing [J] on your keyboard. In cockpits with two MFDs, [ cycles through the displays on
the left MFD, while [j] cycles through all available displays on the right MFD.
Destination. Pressing [D] calls up a
display indicating the destination you
selected on your nav map (see
Navigation System for more information on how to select your destination)
as well as the system location and
range of your destination point. The
Destination display also tells you
when and why you cannot autopilot,
tractor beam or jump. If you attempt
to autopilot and there is a hostile
fighter
in
the area, the message
NEAR
appears
Destination display.
at
the bottom
of
ENEMY
your
Examine Target. Press [E] to display
the condition of the currently targeted
object. You can distinguish its shield
strength. As shields begin taking
damage, they disappear, then reappear
as they are regenerated. When the
targeted spacecraft takes damage, the
display of the damaged section turns
red. If your scanner is sophisticated
enough, this option screen may also
tell you what kind of ship or object
you are targeting. The range to the
object always appears underneath its
display.
15
Report Damage. Press (H) to display a damage report on your ship. The listed areas of
your ship appear in different colors, according to the amount of damage done:
Green indicates an intact component.
Yellow indicates slight damage to the affect-
ed component.
Orange indicates considerable damage to the
affected component.
Red indicates that the affected component is
completely nonfunctional.
Gray indicates that the component is
completely destroyed and unrepairable.
Cargo Manifest. Press (M) to display what
cargo you are currently carrying. This MFD
option also tells you how many credits you
have in your account. Each cargo type is
labeled with a particular number. Pressing
the number immediately preceding the cargo
description on the display pulls up a different screen with additional information about
that cargo type. Pressing (T) or (M) brings you
back to the main manifest display.
View Object. Press (v] to display a camera
view of the currently targeted ship or object.
Press [z] to toggle between a close-up and
distant view. You can use this view to watch
your shots hit (or miss) their target. This can
help you correct your aim.
16
Weapons and Guns Loadout. Press (w) to display your ship's available weapon systems.
Pressing [w] repeatedly cycles through the weapons systems and activates one system at a
time. Press [G] to display your ship's available guns. Pressing (G) cycles through all possible gun combinations. The active systems are highlighted in the display and listed below
the image of the ship.
Laser Active Missile Launcher
Weapons Loadout Guns Loadout (activated)
Communications. Press (C) to display the
Communications MFD and to talk to any
pilot in the area. If you are able to communicate when you pull up this MFD, a num-
bered list of messages you can send
appears. Press the number of the desired
message to broadcast it. You can communicate with any current target or base in
the system. When a pilot decides to communicate with you, his image appears on
your MFD. If there is more than one person to talk to, you must press on the number of the person you wish to speak to,
then select your message.
17
Other Cockpit Commands
Jumps
To travel from one system to another, you must purchase a jump drive. If your ship is
equipped with a jump drive, you can use the jump points found in various locations.
To
jump,
fly
into a jump point and
shows how jump points connect individual systems. If you want to jump from one system to another, refer to your Navigation system to determine which jump point to use.
Activating Guns
To quickly activate your guns without going through the Weapons Loadout MFD, use the
number keys at the top of your keyboard. (1) activates the first gun type, (2) activates the
second gun type, and so forth. Each number key activates not just one gun, but all guns of
one type. In other words, if you have three lasers, one number key activates all three.
Ejecting Cargo
If you are carrying contraband and a Confederation patrol threatens to search your cargo
bay, you may want to eject your cargo before you are caught. Pressing [x] expels your
cargo into space.
Pausing the Game
If you wish to pause your game during spaceflight, press [p]. Press any key to resume play.
Adjusting Player Options
If you wish to reconfigure any of your options, press [Alt ][O] to pull up your Options
Screen (see Options Screen, p. 10). Once you have made your adjustments, select
RESUME
to return to the cockpit.
press
[J]
to
activate
your
jump
drive.
The
nav
map
Exiting Privateer
Pressing
[Alt][X]
using this option. If you quit in the middle of spaceflight or from the Options Screen
without
specifically
self-destructs your ship in flight, taking you back to the title screen.
exits the current game and returns you to
saving your game,
your
gameplay
is
not
DOS.
Exercise caution
saved.
Alternatively,
when
[AiTlfo]
In-Flight Systems
Targeting System
Your targeting system is automatically activated as soon as you launch into space. If there
are several ships visible through your front view window, this targeting feature only targets one ship at a time. Accordingly, brackets only appear around one craft.
Red brackets indicate an enemy ship.
Blue brackets indicate a friendly ship.
Yellow brackets indicate bases or cargo.
Gray brackets indicate that your scanner cannot differentiate objects.
18
Different ITTS
Gun Type
Crosses
Initially, the targeting system defaults to the ship closest to you. Press [T] repeatedly to
cycle through the different ships, bases or cargo in sight and select your desired target.
When your targeting system is active, your tracking mechanism automatically locks onto
ships that appear through your view window. Pressing [L] while your target is visible
through your front view window causes your targeting system to continue tracking that
ship even after it has disappeared from view, if your scanner has lock capability. This feature may prove useful if you wish to keep track of a particular ship you've already damaged. A locked target is framed by a solid box instead of brackets; when you have locked
your missile on the target, a diamond will appear inside the square box. Image
Recognition and Friend or Foe missiles require the target to be locked — however, the
locking mechanism only records the position of enemy ships around you.
Inertial Targeting and Tracking System (ITTS)
The ITTS automatically computes the necessary lead on your target to score a hit. When
your ITTS is active ((T) toggles ITTS on and off), one cross per gun type appears on the
screen. Line up the cross inside the green crosshairs and you are more likely to make a kill.
The ITTS crosses are color-coded according to gun type:
Turquoise ....neutron gun
Off-White ....meson blaster
Peach ...........ionic pulse cannon
Gray............mass driver
Salmon .......... particle cannon
Bright Red .....laser
Dark Red.......plasma cannon
Purple............ tachyon blaster
Tractor Beam
Cycle through your weapons by pressing (w) until the tractor beam is active. When it
is active, you can fire it at any targeted cargo. All cargo is framed in yellow brackets
(if
your scanner can distinguish it). Pressing
buttons, initiates retrieval — when you do the same thing again, it turns off the tractor
beam. Be very sure that the tractor beam (and not a weapon) is active before you "fire"
at an object you are attempting to retrieve.
[Enter]
19
or
[Return],
or clicking
both
joystick
Autopilot
You can shorten the actual time it takes to travel between two nav points by autopiloting from one
to the next. The autopilot can only be activated when there are no hostile fighters, or asteroids in
range. Once you have cleared the area of all enemies and avoided all hazards, the gauge marked
AUTO
in your cockpit
off into space.
The autopilot deactivates automatically when you are approaching a hazard or when you have
reached your destination.
lights
up. Press
(A)
and you
see
an external camera
view
of
your
ship
shooting
Navigation System
Every ship is equipped with a sophisticated navigation system. Press (N) to view your nav map.
Map
Info box
Toggle Quadrant Map
/System Map
Scroll Active Screen
Toggle Nav Info
/Mission Info
Quadrant Maps. Press (Q) to bring up the Quadrant Map. The name of the quadrant is at the top of
the screen. To scroll through the four quadrant maps of the Gemini Sector, press (Q) repeatedly or |
click on the large up-arrow button. Notice that the information window gives data on the selected
system. If the screen indicates there is no information available for a particular quadrant, that means
you don't have a map of that area — you have to buy the appropriate nav map. On the map:
Blue lines indicate jump tunnels between systems. .
Light Blue lines indicate jump tunnels that are currently available to you.
Yellow highlights the system you currently have selected.
If you want to obtain information on a different system, click on it.
Light Green highlights the system you currently occupy
(if it is not also the system that is currently selected). |
Red highlights any system containing a mission objective
(if it is not also the system that is currently selected).
System Maps. The
system close-ups. You can also switch to the system maps by pressing [N]. A system map shows
you all nav points in the system you currently occupy. Information about each selected nav point
appears in the information screen to the upper right of the navigation screen. Nav points are
color-coded according to their individual characteristics:
QUAD/SYS
button
toggles you between the quadrant maps and the
20
more
detailed
Loading...