Star Crusader
Installation

CD-ROM version
  Put the Star Crusader disk into your CD-ROM drive.
  Type D: (or whatever drive letter your CD-ROM drive is) <enter>
  Type INSTALL <enter>
  The install program will now install a few files to your hard drive.
Follow the instructions that come up on the screen. This is a good
time to fill out your registration card.  We’d like to hear from you
so please send it in. When Star Crusader finishes installing the
setup program will start.
  The setup program will need your help configuring Star Crusader
to run on your system. The up and down arrows move through the
menus, the Return or Spacebar will select the highlighted item.
The F10 key will save and exit, the Esc key will exit without
saving.  If you need help just use the F1 key.
  You will need to rerun the setup program if you change sound
cards or system configuration. To run the setup program type
SETUP from the SC directory.
  To start Star Crusader type SC <enter> from the Star Crusader directory.

Disk version
  Put disk 1 into your floppy drive.
  Type A: (or whatever drive letter your floppy is) <enter>
  Type INSTALL <enter>.
  The install program will now install the files to your hard drive.
Follow the instructions that come up on the screen and swap disks
when asked. This is a good time to fill out your registration card.
We’d like to hear from you so please send it in. When Star
Crusader finishes installing the setup program will start.
  The setup program will need your help configuring Star Crusader
to run on your system. The up and down arrows move through the
menus, the Return or Spacebar will select the highlighted item.
The F10 key will save and exit, the Esc key will exit without
saving. If you need help just use the F1 key.
  You will need to rerun the setup program if you change sound
cards or system configuration. To run the setup program type
SETUP from the SC directory.
  To start Star Crusader type SC <enter> from the Star Crusader directory.


Quick Start

To start the game type SC from the Star Crusader directory. When
beginning a new campaign you will be given the option of choosing
the difficulty level. The game starts at the Main Hall. Left click on
the red jewel at the bottom of the screen. This will take you to the
Mission Briefing room. Here you see the mission briefing after which
you will be directed to the mission tactical map. You can click on a
ship on the tactical map to get a description of it. Just left click on a
description to get back to the tactical map.

If you click on the door on the right side of the screen it will take you
to the computer room.  This is where you configure your squadron
once you become sector commander.  For the first several missions,
the only thing that you can access here is the General Topics Data Base.

The three buttons on the right side of the computer screen will let you
set up your squadron. If you are flying a solo mission go to the
Combat Resources menu and choose a ship that you want to fly. If
you are leading a fighter wing you will need to pick other pilots to fly
with you. When finished you can assign pilots to the ships you chose.
If you do not assign pilots and ships they will be chosen for you.

If you move the cursor to the right of the screen you can go fly the
mission. There will be a cinematic take off scene here. For now you
will just go into flight. The first thing you should know is the “P” key
pauses the game. When you complete your mission use the “J” key to
hyperjump back to base. You must be stationary to activate the
Singularity Field Generator.

Trouble Shooting

My computer crashes when I try to play Star Crusader from
Windows or Desqview.
1. Multitasking environments like Windows and Desqview can
conflict with Star Crusader in the way they use your computers
memory. When you want to play Star Crusader you must
completely exit any multitasking programs and start the game from
the DOS prompt.

You get error message: Not enough memory.
1. Are you running Star Crusader from windows or dosshell? You
must start the game directly from DOS. Exit windows or dosshell,
then go to the game directory and type SC to start the game.
2. Star Crusader requires at least 513K of free core memory. That
means the largest executable program size must be at least 525,000
Bytes. Type “MEM” to find out what your largest executable
program size is.
3. If your largest executable program size is less than 513K then you
have to load some of your programs high or make a boot disk. If
you are using DOS 6.0 you can type “MEMAKER” to generate
more memory. If you are using another memory manager run their
memory maximizing program.

The game runs very slowly.
1. The configuration of the game at startup is optimized to run on a
IBM compatible 486SX-33. On slower machines it may be
necessary to turn off the texture maps and light source shading.
See the quick reference card for the proper keys.
2. Certain monitor functions will also slow the game down. On
certain missions if you are using the trackcam, rear view or scanner
monitor screens your system may slow down. If this is a problem
limit their use on those missions.

The game runs but there isn’t any sound.
1. Check the installation of your sound card. Does it work with other
games? If not then reinstall the sound card software.
2. Run the Star Crusader setup program. Type “setup” from the
C:\SC directory. Is the correct sound card enabled. Use the
“Autodetect” feature to determine your computers sound
configuration. Note: The “Autodetect” routine may cause some
systems to lock up. If your computer won’t respond to the mouse
or keyboard please reboot your computer. You will have to set your
sound card manually n the setup program.
3. Check the settings in the setup program against those for your card.
Do the IO port, DMA channel and IRQ channels match?
4. If some or all sound is missing in the game’s 3D section, you may
be low on expanded memory. Star Crusader requires a minimum
of 768K of expanded memory to run any of its sounds and 1
megabyte of expanded memory to run all of them.

The joystick doesn’t work or works erratically.
1. Check the installation of your joystick. Is it plugged in to the right
port?
2. Run the Star Crusader setup program. Type “setup” from the
C:\SC directory. Is the joystick enabled?
3. Choose calibrate in the setup program and follow the instructions.



Technical Assistance
You can reach Take 2 by:
Phone
Please review the Trouble Shooting Tips before you call. For customer
service and technical support you can call Take 2 at (412)539-6407
between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. We
want to get you playing the game as fast as possible so for greatest
speed and efficiency please be at your computer when you call. If you
can't be at your computer then please write down the following
information about your computer: Brand name/type, sound card type,
largest executable program size, mouse type and joystick type.

FAX
If you would like to reach Technical Support by FAX call
(412)539-3195. Please include on your fax your phone and fax
number, you computer information and as many details about the
problem you are having with the game.

Mail
If you would like to contact us by mail. Write to:

					Take 2 Interactive Software
					Technical Support
					1004 Ligonier ST. 3rd floor
					Latrobe, PA 15650

Please include your return address, your computer information and as
many details as possible about the problem you are having with the
game.

For Hints and Strategies call:    1-900-28TAKE2


Quick Reference Sheet
Cockpit Controls
Thrust(keyboard controls)
0 - no power                                  -  decrease power by one
1 - 1/3 power                              + or =  increase power by one
2 - 2/3 power            #2 joystick button while depressed up/back - thrust
3 - full power
4 - match target speed

Combat Controls
E or Shift + T - nearest target                 Shift + A - nearest ally
L - locks on to target in cross-hairs           W - toggles through weapons
T - toggles through targets                     Enter - fires heavy weapon
<spacebar> fires active weapon                  S - toggles shields

Alt + T - previous target             #1 joystick button fires active weapon
A - toggles through allies  #2 joystick button while depressed left/right - roll
Alt + A - previous ally                 Tab - Toggles After Burners

Shift + S - overcharges shields         Shift + L - overcharges lasers

Cockpit Systems
alt + 1 - toggles left monitor on/off (some ships)
shift + 1 - changes function of left monitor
alt + 2 - toggles center monitor on/off (some ships)
shift + 2 - changes function of center monitor
alt + 3 - toggles right monitor on/off (some ships)
shift + 3 - changes function of right monitor
7 - Toggles through all left monitor functions
8 - Toggles through all center monitor functions
9 - Toggles through all right monitor functions

Monitor functions (type shift + monitor number, then the function
number you want the monitor to be)
1 - radar                               7 - target’s damage
2 - trackcam                    8 - scanner
3 - targeting sight                     9 - probe
4 - ship's shields                      0 - Stealth technology monitor
5 - target's shields                    Bksp or = - rear view mirror
6 - ship's damage                        - - communications window


Navigational Controls
N - brings up the navigational controls         Left click or type
number to access functions
Arrows - move around in maps            C - Centers on player’s ship
Right Click - centers on cursor         Z or < - zooms map out
X or > - zooms map i



Views                                                   Options
F1 - main cockpit view                     F10 - toggle Gouraud shading
F2 - front view (no cockpit)               F11 - toggle texmaps
F3 - rear view                             F12 - toggle lightsource shading
F4 - external view from ship to target     Shift + F10 - toggle Phong shading
F5 - external view from target to ship
F6 -
F7 - torpedo camera                            Shift < - left view
F8 - external view over ship                   Shift > - right view
F9 - reverse tactical

Other functions
C - toggle stealth technology (Intruder only)
Alt + R - toggle radar modes
B - toggle stealth battery charging (Intruder only)
Z - zoom in radar(grid mode only)
R - tractor beam
X - zoom out radar (grid mode only)
J- hyperjump back to base (from stationary position)
Ctrl + E - eject
Special Keys
Esc - game options menu (in base)
PgUp - close distance (flight simulator only)
P - pauses game (in flight)
Ctrl + S - initiates scan (Intruder only)
Alt +  Q - quit to DOS
Alt + S - toggles sound
Alt + L  - Launch Probe (Intruder only)
Alt + M - toggles music

Base Keys
S - go to simulator (in main hall)
M - go to map room (in main hall)
B - go to briefing room (in main hall or computer room)
B - replay full  briefing (in briefing room)
F - fly mission (in computer room)
Esc - access Game Options Menu

Special Simulator Keys
Ctrl + R - resupplies ship
Shift + Tab - toggles invulnerability
Page Up - Ultra speed

Communications Keys (to nearest available wingman)
Alt + F2 - attack my target
Alt + F6 - cover me
Alt + F3 - disable my target
Alt + F8 - Rescue/Capture my target
Alt + F5 - defend targeted/closest ally

Communication Keys (to targeted wingman)
Alt + F1 - wingman return to base
Alt + F4 - defend position
Alt + F7 - break off attac


Playing The Game

Introduction
	Having played plenty of computer games themselves, the
writers of this manual are well aware that most new Star Crusader
players will have little patience for reading this section of the
document. Fortunately for such players, Star Crusader was designed
with their type of unbridled enthusiasm in mind. Anyone who has
played an adventure game before should have little trouble in finding
their way around the 2D screens and a player who is in any way
familiar with other space flight simulation type games should be able
to fly a Star Crusader ship with a minimum of difficulty. The quick
reference sheet that is included with the game will supply you with
brief descriptions of all the hot keys so, if you are eager to get started,
feel free to read the “Quick Start” instructions and jump right in.
When the player is ready to explore the game in more detail and to
find out why things happen in the way that they are, the manual will
still be right here, waiting patiently.
	When compiling this document it was necessary to resort to
certain conventions in the interest of expediency. These conventions
must be explained however in order to keep from confusing (and
perhaps even offending) potential players.
	First off, all measurements referred to in this document as well
as the game of Star Crusader itself are expressed in terms of a
Gorene unit known as the “km” (pronounced kvum). Though,
admittedly, the spelling of km bears a passing similarity to the
standard abbreviation for the Earth kilometer, players must be assured
that the two measurements are in no way the same. In fact one km
represents exactly one one thousandth the distance from the surface of
the Gorene homeworld to its first moon. Legend has it that this term
originated eons ago, during the Gorene’s eleventh dynasty. It is said
that when the mad emperor Irving III (also know as “The Cruel”)
questioned his court astronomer as to how far away his planet’s
closest natural satellite was, the terrified sage (who suffered from an
odd speech impediment) could only stammer “kvum...kvum...kvum”
over and over again. Emperor Irving, who aside from his portent for
conceiving new tortures, possessed very few intellectual facilities of
his own, and thus kept a count of the phrases assuming that his wise
man was tallying the requested distance in special space measuring
units. So, there you have it. Please do not contact us with questions
and/or criticisms concerning the practical impossibilities of space
flight using a simulator which bases its units of measure on the
kilometer. In fact, please do not contact us with any criticisms that
have to do with our space flight simulator bending or defying the laws
of physics. After all folks, this is not real life, and though we hope
that players will find our product enjoyable enough to lose themselves
within its simulated environment, we also hope that they will
remember that many of the game’s aspects that they enjoy so much are
indeed fun because they do not have to conform themselves to the
restrictions of our work-a-day world.
	Second, in the interest of readability, the player is sometimes
refereed to using the pronoun “he” in the manual’s How To Play The
Game section. This is thought to reflect the gender of the game’s
main character, Roman Alexandria and not that of a game player.
This convention is in no way intended to offend our female players. It
is simply an attempt to avoid filling the text with clumsy statements
such as “him, or her”, “he, or she” and “his, or her”.
	With reference to instructions that follow which involve moving
the cursor around in game screens and selecting items that are found
there, mouse commands such as “Left Click” and “Right Click” are
used as a convention. Again, this is done to expedite the flow of the
text. The player should know that anywhere that the command “Left
Click” is used, they may use their First Joystick Button or press
“Enter” on the keyboard as well. Likewise, whenever a reference is
made to using the Right Mouse Button, the player can use the Second
Joystick Button or the “Esc” key as an alternative.


Main Hall
	As the game begins the player must choose a difficulty level
when beginning a new campaign in order for play to commence. The
difficulty level selected will effect the number of mission objectives 
that a player must complete to win a mission and his ability to recover 
missions that his character is killed in.  It will also effect the intensity 
of damage that he suffers and the skill levels of enemies that he faces.  
	Once a difficulty level has been chosen, the player will find 
himself in the Main Hall of a Gorene base located on the edge of the 
Ascalon Rift.  Before him is a sculpture of the Gorene Imperial Eagle, 
symbol of the empire’s might and prowess.  Integrated into the 
sculpture are four jewels of varying size and color.  When the player 
centers his cursor on one of these jewels a label will be activated to 
inform him of the place that he can access by left clicking on that 
jewel.
	



Insert Illustration of 
Main Hall Here



	If the player prefers, he may enter the areas accessible from the 
main hall by simply pressing  the letter key  that corresponds to the 
first letter  that area’s title.  Thus, pressing  “S” will take the player 
directly to the Simulator, “M” to the Map Room, “B” for the Briefing 
Room and “C” for the Computer room.
	In  addition, the player may press the “ESC” key from anywhere 
in the base, to access a special drop-down window containing game 
options.  These options allow the player to, Save a game, Restore a 
saved game, and Delete a Saved Game.  They also allow the player to 
adjust the Default settings for the monitors, as well as the priority 
order for power management and damage control systems of the ship 
that he will fly on his next actual or simulated mission.  Once the 
defaults have been set for that type of ship, they will remain so until 
the player opts to change them.  Other Game Options allow the player 
to toggle his Sound, Music and Cinematic Scenes off and on, and 
still others let him begin a New Campaign or Quit Star Crusader 
altogether.
Simulator
	The flight simulator is a computer generated holographic device 
used for training and practice.  It is a good idea to put in some time 
against enemy ships on the simulator before flying actual missions 
against those same ships.  To fly a simulated mission, move the cursor 
to the left jewel and left click when the “Combat Simulator” label 
appears.


Insert Illustration of 
Simulator Room Here


Choosing Your Ship
	Once inside the simulation room, move the cursor to the 
simulator chair to activate the “Select 
Training Ship” label.  Left click to implement this option.  A drop-
down window will appear with the first of  several possible training 
ships already featured in revolving animation.




Insert Illustration of
Drop Down Window
Here

Only ships that are currently available to the player  for use in actual  
game missions can be accessed by the player for use in the simulator.  
The player can left click on the “Menu” icon to display the types of 
ships (i.e., Gorene , Tancred, Zemun, etc.) available to him use in the 
simulator.  Those ship types that are available will be highlighted in 
green.  Left clicking on a ship type and then on “Done” will cause only 
ships of that type to be featured for player selection.
	To see all  of  the ships of a given type that are available to the 
player in the simulator, left click on the up/down arrows within the 
window.  Each available ship type will be featured consecutively. Left 
clicking on the “Stats” icon, will reveal the number of weapons, shield 
strength, engine power , top speed,  power and maneuverability 
ratings, overall durability, and auto repair capability of a featured ship. 
	To choose a featured ship for use in the simulator, left click on 
the “Select” icon..  Only one player ship may be selected per simulated 
mission.  To unselect a ship, right click on the “Select” icon when the 
appropriate ship is featured in the drop-down window.
	Left clicking on the “Review” icon will show player and 
opponent ship selections for the current simulator mission.
	To exit the “Select Training Ship” drop-down window, left click 
on the <ESC> icon.  This will return the player to the simulator room

Choosing Your Opponents
	To choose opponents for a simulated mission, left click on the 
“Select Opponents” label which is activated by placing  the cursor  in 
the right third of the simulator room screen.  This will reveal a drop-
down window with the first potential opponent ship featured in 
revolving animation.
	To receive information on a featured ship, left click on the 
“Stats” icon.  This will reveal  statistics on weapons, shield strength, 
engine power, top velocity, overall durability, and auto repair 
capability for the featured ship, as well as power and maneuverability 
ratings
	 Left clicking on the up/down arrows within this window, will 
show more opponent ships for the player to choose from.  All ships 
and bases that appear in the course of game play  (including Gorene 
craft) are available for the player to fly against in simulated missions.  
Should the player wish to have a specific type of enemy craft featured 
as potential opponent ships, he should left click on the “Menu” icon.  
This will access a list of all the potential opponent ship types (i.e. 
Gorene, Tancred, Zemun, etc.).  Left clicking on a ship type and  then 
on the done key will ensure that only ships of that type will be featured 
for addition to the opponent’s forces.  
	In addition to choosing their ships, the player must choose the 
overall skill level of each simulated pilot that he will be flying against.  
Left click on the right/left arrow icons at the bottom of the drop-down 
window to adjust your opponent skill levels from Poor to Ace.
	Once a desired ship and skill level are featured, left click on the 
“Select” icon to load them into the simulated mission.  Right clicking 
on the “Select” icon will remove a featured ship with associated skill 
level from the opponent’s forces in the simulated  mission.  Up to ten 
opponent ships, in any combination of type and skill level may be 
selected for a simulated mission. 
	To review the player’s selections for both his own and his 
opponent’s forces in the current simulated mission, left click on the 
“Review” icon.
	To return to the simulator room from the drop-down window, 
left click on the <ESC> icon.

Flying The Mission
	Once the player  has chosen his simulated opponent’s forces and 
a ship for himself to fly, he may enter the simulation by moving the 
cursor to the base of the simulator chair which activates the “Begin 
Simulation”  label .  Left clicking on this label transports the player 
into the simulation.
	Once in the simulator, the player will fly his ship normally, 
using all of the control options available on a regular game mission 
(see “Mission Flight and Combat” section for details).  However, since 
the player is participating in a simulated combat situation, he cannot 
die while flying a simulated mission.  In addition, since the simulator 
is a training device, there are several “cheat” keys available to the 
player during simulated missions that cannot be accessed during 
regular game play.  These features are, Resupply, Invulnerability, and 
Ultra Speed.
	To access the Resupply option in the simulator, hold down the 
“Ctrl” key and press “R”.  Activating the Resupply will automatically 
recharge the player’s lasers and shields(without engine power drain),  
and provide 99 fresh torpedoes to ships equipped to fire them.
	To render the player and his ship invulnerable to any enemy 
attack (except by vector cannons which do no damage) while in the 
simulator, hold down the “Shift” key and press “Tab”.
	When in the simulator the player can travel at speeds that 
greatly exceed that which his ship is actually capable of by pressing 
the “Page Up” key.  A ship will travel at Ultra Speed for as long as the 
“Page Up” key is depressed.
	Remember, these special keys are for use in training within the 
simulator.  They cannot be accessed during regular game play.  The 
player would be wise not to become dependent on these keys and to 
use them only as equalizers while he is learning to pilot a Star 
Crusader ship in combat.
	To leave the simulator room, either prior to or after flying a 
simulated mission, move the cursor to the bottom edge of the screen to 
activate the “Exit Simulator” label and click the left mouse button.
Tactical Map
	When in the Main Hall, move the cursor to the top jewel to 
activate the “Tactical Map Room” title and left click to enter the Map 
Room.  This will show the player a map displaying  the territories 
currently controlled by all combatants in the Ascalon Rift.  To the right 
of the map screen are a series of buttons, each associated with the 
name of one of these combatants.  Left clicking on one of these buttons 
will highlight the territory controlled by the appropriate combatant.   
As the game progresses, territory will change hands between the 
Gorene Empire and the Allied races native to the Ascalon rift.  This 
exchange of territory will hinge directly on the player’s prowess in 
combat.  It will also be effected by his grasp of general game strategy 
once he has advanced to a position where he can direct secondary 
missions against his enemies (see Preflight Computer Room 
description for details on ordering secondary missions). The amount of 
territory controlled by the player’s forces is important to the outcome 
of the game.  Should the player begin to loose substantial amounts of  
territory as play progresses, his supply of combat resources may be 
interrupted.  Likewise, when enemy territory is conquered, the number 
of  ships and quality of  the pilots that a player faces in each mission 
will be effected.  This reflects the effect of a constricting pool of 
recruits and natural resources from which a military force can draw to 
carry on operations.
	On the map, each combatant’s territory is shown in a different 
color.  Blue hexes are those controlled by the Gorenes while Green, 
Magenta, Orange, and Yellow hexes are controlled by Tancred, 
Mazuma, Zemun and Amien forces respectively.  The light gray hexes 
represent border or frontier sectors and the dark gray hex is the 
mysterious no-man’s-land known as Grimnada.  Each of these colored  
territories is outlined with red demarcation lines which remain in their 
original positions throughout play despite actual sectors changing 
hands.  This will allow the player to have a point of reference for 
determining the amount of territory that he has gained or lost since 
beginning a campaign.  Within each race’s territory there are various 
objects that the player can identify by centering his mouse on them.   
These represent the positions of key planets and bases referred to 
during the game.  For a complete description of named objects shown  
on the tactical map, refer to the General Topics Database accessible 
from the preflight computer room.
Mission Briefing Room
	To receive a briefing  on the next game mission, move the 
cursor to the large jewel at the bottom of the screen.  When the 
“Mission Briefing” title appears, press the left mouse key and initiate 
the briefing.
	Upon entering  the briefing room the player will receive (and 
sometimes deliver) a description of the next mission to be flown as 
well as any other news that effects the game at that time.  Whenever 
mission briefing dialogue exceeds the space allotted for it in a dialogue 
box, an arrow icon will appear outside the lower right corner of the 
box.  Left click on this icon to scroll text within the box.  Left click  
anywhere within the dialogue box to bring up the next character’s 
dialogue.  The player may exit the briefing at any time by pressing his 
right mouse button.
	After the briefing is complete, the player will turn to face the 
room’s computer view screen and SETI interface (see General Topics 
Database in the Premission Computer Room for a complete 
description).  Illuminated on the screen are icon images of all  ships 
and objects (excluding asteroids and mines) that can be encountered in 
the current mission.  Red icons represent enemy ships or objects while 
green icons represent the ships and objects of the player’s forces.  The 
player may move the cursor onto one of these icons and left click to 
find out more about the ship or object that it represents.
	When the player left clicks on an icon, the SETI will turn 
toward him and project  an animated image of  the selected vessel with 
statistical information associated with it on the computer screen.  Left 
clicking anywhere on the projected screen removes the projected 
image and will cause the SETI to rotate back to the main view screen.  
If the icons on the main screen are too tightly clustered for the player 
to isolate one with his cursor, he can left click on a particular group of 
icons.  This will prompt the SETI to ask him to choose the ship type 
which he wishes to study from all of those represented by  icons that  
his cursor is touching.
	Beneath the view screen appears a summary of the mission 
briefing that the player has just heard in the main briefing room.  If the 
player would like to replay the full mission briefing,  including the 
commentary of  his wingmen, he should  left click on the mission 
summary.  Pressing “B” while facing the view screen in the briefing 
room will have the same result.
	To the right and left of the briefing summary box there is a door.  
Left click on the left door to return to the main hall.  Pressing the “M” 
key will have the same result.  Left click on the right door to go on to 
the Premission Computer room.  This room can also be accessed by 
pressing “C”.
Computer Room
	The Premission Computer Room provides the player with 
access to various command functions as well as the General Topics 
Database.  Until a player has reached the status of sector commander, 
he will not be able to access all of the Computer Room functions.
	The computer room itself consists of a large central screen 
which has three buttons each to its right and left sides.  The player 
need only center his cursor over one of these buttons to display its 
function.

Insert Illustration of
Computer Room Here

	As a general rule, when accessing a Computer Room function 
that provides the player with a list of subjects, all subjects on the list 
will be shown in yellow type.  Moving the cursor onto an individual 
subject highlights that subject in green.  A green highlighted subject 
on a list is the one which the player may access or select at a given 
time.  Left clicking on a green highlighted subject selects that subject 
and turns its highlight from green to red.   To unselect a subject, left 
click on that subject which will remove the red highlight from it.  
Move the cursor to above or below the game computer screen as 
appropriate to scroll an accessed list up or down.  Moving the cursor 
onto the game computer screen will stop the scrolling motion.

“Select Wingmen”
	Left clicking on the “Select Wingmen” button will show a list of 
pilots who are available to accompany the player on his current 
mission.  If the mission that the player is to fly is a solo mission , he 
will be reminded of this when he clicks on the “Select Wingmen” 
button.  No list of pilots will appear for solo missions.  
	When the list of potential wingmen does appear, the player will 
be informed of the number of pilots that he may select for duty on the 
current mission.  Right clicking on a highlighted pilot name will show 
the player a dossier for that pilot.  This dossier will include a portrait 
of the selected pilot and ratings of  his or her skills and attributes.  
Skills shown in the dossier fall under the headings of  “Laser”, 
“Torpedo” and “Pilot” while attributes are “Courage” and 
“Discipline”.  The skills and attributes are rated  from 1 or “Poor”  to 
5 or “Ace”.  Also shown are the number of missions flown in current 
campaign and an overall pilot rating.  A wingman’s skills and 
attributes will improve as he or she participates in primary and 
secondary missions.  As skills and attributes improve, so to will a 
wingman’s overall  rating.  Right click to return from a dossier to the 
list of available pilots.
	To select a pilot to accompany him on the current mission, the 
player must left click on that pilot’s name when viewing the full list of 
available wingmen.  Pilots cannot be selected while in a dossier 
screen.
	When all wingmen have been chosen (or as many as the player 
wishes to select, which may be less than the required number), left 
click on the <ESC> icon to exit the “Select Wingman” screen.
	If the player has not selected enough wingmen, as required by 
the game, for the current mission, wingmen will be selected at random 
to fill out his squadron from the list of those available.  If there are not 
enough wingmen available to fly the mission, due to attrition, training 
duty or secondary  mission assignments, the computer will assign 
rookie pilots to the player’s squadron.  The player will not be informed 
of the details of such automatic pilot selections until he is leaving the 
“Preflight Computer Room” to fly the current mission.

“Select Combat Resources”
	Left click on the “Select Combat Resources” button to access a 
list of the number and type(s) of ships available to the player for use in 
the current mission.  At the top of this list the player will see a prompt 
informing him of the number of ships that he may choose.
	Right click on a highlighted ship to show the player the ships 
name and world of origin, shield and engine strengths, number of 
weapons carried, top speed, power and maneuverability ratings, 
overall durability points, and auto repair ability.  Also shown will be 
an overhead view of the ship highlighted.  Right click to return to the 
main “Select Combat Resources” screen.
	Left click on the number available and/or ship name of ship type 
to select one vessel of that type for the current mission.  For each ship 
of a type that has been selected, the figure in the “Number Available” 
column will be reduced by one and the figure in the “In Use” column 
will be increased by one.  If a “0” appears in the number available 
column, then ships of that type may not be selected.  To unselect one 
ship of given type, left click on the figure in the “In Use” column 
associated with that ship type.  The figure will be reduced by one and 
the corresponding figure in the “Number Available” column will be 
increased by one.
	Once the player has finished selecting ships for the current 
mission, left click on the <ESC> icon to exit the “Select Combat 
Resources” screen.
	If the player has not selected a sufficient number of ships, as 
required by the game, to fly the current mission, the computer will 
select ships of a default type to fill out his squadron.  If ships of the 
default type are not available (due to attrition), ships of any type at 
hand will be chosen by the computer.  If there are insufficient 
resources available to meet the number of ships required, then only the 
ships that are available will be sent on the mission.  In such a case, the 
player will have to fly the mission with an under strength squadron.  
The player will not be informed of the details of such automatic ship 
selections until he is leaving the “Preflight Computer Room” to fly the 
current mission.
	At the beginning of each new campaign the player starts with 
44 ships:  20 Scorpions, 20 Liberators and 4 Intruders.  As ships are 
lost in combat, their numbers can be supplemented in any of three 
ways.

1. Regular Resupply.  Every three missions, the player receives 
one fighter craft.  Every four missions, he receives one strike 
craft.  Every ten missions, one stealth craft is added to the 
player’s combat resources.
2. Capture of Enemy Ships During Regular Game Play.  
Disabled enemy ships (i.e., those effected by Disrupters, EMP 
Torpedoes, or Ion Cannon, or ships with thrusters and fire 
control systems that have been damaged in combat), may be 
captured by locking onto them with a tractor beam prior to 
engaging  SFG engines for a jump back to base.  Only one 
enemy ship may be captured by each player ship per mission.
3. Resource Acquisition Missions.  See the “Secondary 
Missions” section for details on ordering a Resource 
Acquisition Mission.

“Assemble Squadron” 
	Left click on the “Assemble Squadron” button to assign selected 
pilots to selected ships.  Shown will be the names of Roman 
Alexandria and any other pilots selected by the player for the current 
mission.  Associated with each pilot’s name will be a ship that the 
player had selected in the “Select Combat Resources” screen.  If the 
player has not selected wingmen or combat resources then only Roman 
Alexandria’s name will appear on the assemble squadron screen.  This 
is also true of solo missions that the player has not selected combat 
resources for.  In short, the “Assemble Squadron” screen can only be 
used to assign pilots to ships that have been previously selected.
	To assign a pilot to a ship, left click on the name of  that pilot 
and then left click  on the ship to be assigned to him or her.  The 
“Assemble Squadron” screen will be rearranged to match the selected 
pilot to the selected ship.  A ship can be assigned to a pilot in the same 
way.  To unselect a ship or pilot in the midst of this process, left click 
on that pilot or ship’s name to remove the red highlight from it.
	To see a dossier on a pilot in your selected squadron or to see 
the design specifications of ships selected for assignment to your 
squadron, right click on the pilot or ship’s name.  The dossier’s and 
design specification screens accessed by this function are exactly the 
same as those that the player can see using the “Select Wingmen” and 
“Select Combat Resources” options.  Right click from anywhere in the 
dossier or design specifications’ screens to return to the “Assemble 
Squadron” screen.  To Exit the “Assemble Squadron” screen , left 
click on the <ESC> icon.
	If the player does not enter the “Assemble Squadron” screen 
after having selected pilots and ships, the computer will randomly 
assign pilots to ships selected. The player will not be informed of the 
details of such automatic pilot and ship assignments until he is leaving 
the “Preflight Computer Room” to fly the current mission. 

“Secondary Missions”
	Left click on the “Secondary Missions” button to send available 
wingmen on missions other than the one that the player is currently 
engaged in.  These secondary missions will occur simultaneously to 
the player’s own mission.  Results of secondary missions will be 
revealed to the player after he returns from his current mission.
	There are two types of  secondary missions; offensive and 
defensive missions.  The player may only order one secondary mission 
of each type per player mission flown.

Offensive Missions
	Left click on the “Offensive Mission” heading to send pilots on 
secondary missions of an offensive nature.  This will reveal a list of the 
four types of offensive secondary missions; Combat, Contingency, 
Rescue, and  Resource Acquisition.

  “Combat Missions” are raids or attacks on enemy forces with 
the objective of  conquering territory.  Depending on the 
difficulty level selected, successful secondary combat 
missions will contribute to or directly result in the acquisition 
of enemy sectors.  These sectors will be added to the player’s 
territory shown in the “Tactical Map” room accessible from 
the Main Hall.
  “Contingency Missions” are offensive operations designed to 
accomplish a player’s own mission objective should he fail to 
do so in the course of regular game play.  The probability for 
success in a contingency  mission is directly related to the 
number of wingmen sent and the risk factor involved.
  “Rescue Missions” are those that attempt to retrieve pilots 
captured by enemy forces during prior player and secondary 
missions.  Again, the number of wingmen sent on a rescue 
mission and the risk factor selected for it have a direct impact 
on the potential success of  that mission.
  “Resource Acquisition” missions are operations in which 
wingmen acquire the raw materials needed to assemble new 
ships.  These new ships would be in addition to regular 
resupply operations that automatically provide the player with 
a new fighter every three missions, a new strike craft every 
four missions and a new reconnaissance ship every ten 
missions.  Resource Acquisition missions can also result in 
the capture of enemy ships which would then be available for 
player assignment and use.

	Select a secondary mission type by left clicking on it’s title.  The 
player will then be prompted to select a risk factor for the mission.  
The greater the risk factor selected, the greater the potential reward 
(relative to the number of  pilots assigned to the mission) that can be 
achieved.  However, a high risk factor greatly increases the chance for 
wingmen and their ships to be killed or captured while flying the 
secondary mission.
	After the desired risk factor is chosen, the player will be 
transferred to the “Select Mission Pilots” screen.  This will show a list 
of all pilots available to fly the offensive mission.  Only pilots not 
already selected to accompany the player on the current regular game 
mission, or not assigned to sector defense or duty at the pilot academy 
will appear on the list.  Left click on a listed pilot’s name to select him 
or  her for duty in the current offensive secondary mission.  Left click 
again on his or her name to unselect that pilot. Right click on a pilots 
name to see a dossier on that pilot.  Remove the dossier from the game 
computer screen by right clicking anywhere within it.
	Once all desired pilots have been selected for assignment to the 
current offensive secondary mission, left click on the <ESC> icon to 
return to the “Select Mission Type” screen.

Defensive Missions
	Left click on the “Defensive Mission” heading in the “Select 
Mission Type” screen to order a defensive secondary mission.  A 
defensive secondary mission assigns pilots to sector defense.  This 
duty includes patrol and frontier protection missions that attempt to 
deter the territorial aggressions of your enemies.  Unsuccessful or 
inadequate sector defense will result in the loss of sectors shown on 
territorial map in the “Tactical Map” room accessible from the Main 
Hall.  (See the “Tactical Map” section for details on  the significance 
of  losing  friendly territory.)  As in offensive secondary missions, the 
chances for success in a defensive secondary mission are directly 
related to the number of pilots assigned to it
	Once the player has selected the “Defensive Mission” option, he 
must select a squadron of pilots for assignment to it.  This is 
accomplished in the same way as with offensive secondary missions 
(see “Offensive Secondary Missions” above).

“Pilot Academy Resources”
	To assign pilots to duty as instructors in the local pilot academy, 
left click on the “Pilot Academy Resources” button.  This will bring 
the player to the “Select Academy Instructors” screen. 
	In order to receive trained pilots to replace those killed and/or 
captured during the course of game play, a player must assign some of 
his wingmen to the pilot academy as instructors.  The more instructors 
assigned to the academy, the more often a player will receive trained 
replacements.  The attributes and skills of these trained replacements 
will depend directly upon the skills and attributes of  those that 
instructed them.
	Only pilots that have not been assigned to accompany the player 
on the current mission or to fly a secondary mission will be available 
for assignment to the pilot academy.  To select a wingman for duty as 
an academy instructor, left click on his or her name.  To unselect that 
pilot, left click on their name a second time.  To receive a dossier on a 
listed pilot, right click on that pilot’s name.  Remove the dossier from 
the game computer screen by right clicking from anywhere within it.
	Pilots selected for duty at the academy will remain there, as 
instructors, from player mission to player mission until the player re-
enters the “Select Academy Resources” screen and unselects them.  
Because the player’s pilot academy is a local  institution, wingmen 
selected to act as instructors there will still be able to attend regular 
mission briefings and debriefings.
	To exit the “Select Academy Instructors” screen, left click on 
the <ESC> icon at the bottom right of game computer screen.

“General Topics Database”
	To access general information about various topics pertinent to 
the current conflict in the Ascalon  Rift, left click on the “General 
Topics Database” button.  The topics that the player can study are:  
Alien Races, Geography, Military Bases,  Personalities, 
Science/Technology, and Weapons.  Left clicking on one of  these 
topic headings will access a secondary list of terms that apply to that 
topic.  Left click on any of these terms to receive a definition of that 
term.  To exit a definition, right click from anywhere on the screen.
To exit a specific topic screen, left click on the <ESC> icon.

Leaving the Premission Computer Room
	The player may exit the Premission Computer Room in one of 
three ways.  He can move the cursor  to the left of his screen, 
activating the “Exit to Main Hall” icon and left click to return directly 
to the Main Hall.
	By moving the cursor to the bottom of his screen, the player will 
activate the “Return To Mission Briefing Room” icon.  Left clicking 
here will return the player to the Mission Briefing Room.
	Finally, the player may move the cursor to the right side of his 
screen.  This will activate the “Fly Mission” Icon.  If the player left 
clicks on this icon, he will proceed with the current mission.  Once the 
player has selected this option, he cannot return to the Main Hall or 
Mission Briefing/Computer Rooms until his mission has been 
completed.  As he exits the Computer room to fly his mission the 
player will receive messages from the computer concerning pilots that 
it has assigned to his squadron and ships that it has requisitioned for 
those pilots.  To remove these messages and proceed with the mission, 
click the right mouse button.  If the player has selected  all  ships and 
pilots necessary to fly the current mission, then no computer messages 
will appear.  When the computer messages  have been dealt with, the 
player will immediately be transported to the cockpit of his ship as it 
jumps into the current mission.
	As when in the Main Hall and Briefing Room, the player may 
also exit the computer room by pressing the key that corresponds to the 
first letter of  the exit he wishes to use.  In this case it would be “B” for 
Briefing Room, “M” for Main Hall, and “F” for Fly the mission.
Mission Flight and Combat
Basic Information
	The first thing that a player should know as this stage of play 
begins is that pressing the “P” key Pauses the game.  The next thing 
that he should know is that he can Quit the game by pressing the “Q” 
key while holding down the “Alt” key.  Quitting the game in this 
manner will allow the player to restart the game in the Main Hall just 
prior to the current mission.
	As the mission begins, the player finds himself in the cockpit of 
his ship, having just jumped into the sector where it is to take place.  
Before him is his main view looking straight ahead  over the nose of 
his ship.  His craft will automatically be traveling at half speed (except 
recon ships which jump in at a full stop) and his monitors will be on 
default settings.

Insert Liberator Cockpit
Illustration Here
Gauges
	Also visible are the ships gauges which monitor fuel (F), 
throttle (T), engine power (E), laser strength (L), desired speed and 
actual speed.  Depending on the ship being piloted, a count of 
projectile weapons (i.e., Torpedoes or EMP Torpedoes) could also 
appear.
	Gauge styles vary from ship type to ship type, but all work on 
the same principle.  Those that track specific numbers, such as torpedo 
and speed counters will show a numeric figure that tells the player 
exactly how many projectiles he has remaining or exactly how fast he 
is traveling.  Gauges that display fluctuating energy outputs and 
requirements of a general nature, use a glowing color bar to monitor 
their functions.  For example, in the Gorene Liberator strikecraft, the 
engine power gauge is divided into ten segments.  As power is 
siphoned  off the ships engines to perform functions such as 
acceleration, charging lasers and regenerating  shields, consecutive 
segments, starting from the bottom of the gauge, will glow orange.  
Eventually, the entire gauge may be illuminated, indicating that 100% 
of engine power is being utilized.  This gauge also has a red warning 
light located above it on the control  panel which glows when a player 
is trying to use more power than his ship’s engines can produce.  The 
Liberator’s throttle works in the same way with a fully illuminated 
gauge indicating that the ship is traveling at its top speed.  The fuel 
and laser gauges also operate in this manner, except that they 
generally begin in a fully illuminated state and have segments darken 
as the energy that they monitor is discharged.

Cockpit Views
	In the center of the main cockpit view or  Heads Up Display 
(HUD), the player will see a set of cross hairs.  These cross hairs are 
used for pointing the ship in a desired direction as well as for targeting 
laser fire.
	If the player is within weapon range of  his current target (this 
will depend on the range of the weapon that the player has selected to 
have active), a red optimum trajectory targeting circle could also 
appear on his main view.  This circle marks the player’s target, so the 
player must be facing his target for the circle to be visible.  The circle 
indicates where he should direct this laser fire, using the targeting 
cross hairs, for maximum damage potential.  When the ship’s cross 
hairs and the optimum trajectory targeting circle are perfectly aligned, 
a beeping tone will sound informing the player that his weapons are 
perfectly “on target”.
	At any time during game play, the player may replace his main 
view with one of seven alternatives by pressing  the function key 
associated with it.  To return to Main Cockpit View, press the F1 
key.
	The alternative views are:

F2  -  Front View.  This option allows the player to have a full 
frontal view, unobstructed by cockpit monitors or instruments.  
There is no optimum trajectory circle or set of  targeting cross 
hairs in this view.

F3  -  Rear View.  This option allows the player to have a full 
screen view from the rear of his ship.

F4  -  External View From Ship to Target.  This provides the 
player with a view of his target looking over his own ship.

F5  -  External View From Target to Player’s Ship.  Gives the 
player a view of his own ship looking over his target.  With larger 
enemy ships, the player’s view of his own ship may be obstructed.

Shift +  <  -  Left View.  Allows the player to see an unobstructed 
view from the port side of his ship.

Shift  +  >  -  Right View.  Allows the player to see an 
unobstructed view from the starboard side of his ship.

F7  -  Torpedo Camera.  This option lets the player view the 
action from behind one of his torpedoes as it speeds toward a 
target.  The function provides a view from the last torpedo fired by 
the player prior to activating the torpedo camera option.  This 
view lasts until the torpedo strikes its target, is shot down, runs 
out of fuel, or the player engages a different viewing option.

F-8  -  External View Over The Player’s Ship.  This gives the 
player a view overlooking his own ship that adjusts to match 
changes in the ship’s direction.  This view is not linked in any 
way to a player’s target.

F-9  -  External View Over Target Ship.  This option shows a 
close-up of  the player’s target overlooking it from the back.  This 
view adjusts to match the target’ s changing position and is not 
linked in any way to the position of the player’s ship.

	The quality of all these views, including the main cockpit view 
may be adjusted by the use of several options.  Pressing the F10 key 
toggles the Gouraud shading off and on.  Likewise, the F11 key will 
toggle texturemaps off and on. Pressing F12 will toggle the light 
source shading off and on, and holding down the “Shift” key and 
pressing F10 will toggle the Phong shading off and on.  Altering the 
quality of the views may effect the speed at which the game runs on 
your system. For more details on this phenomenon, see the trouble 
shooting section of  this manual.

Monitors
	Beneath the main view are the ship’s monitors.  In all but 
Amien ships, there are three of these.  The default setting for the left 
monitor (Monitor #1) is Monitor Function #1, Ship’s Radar.  On the 
screen are a  series of  icons representing  ships and  objects detected 
by  the player’s ship’s radar.  The radar system computer will identify 
the signals emitted by the IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) transponders 
standard to all craft in the Ascalon Rift, and determine which objects 
are friendly and which are hostile.  As in the secondary Mission 
Briefing Room,  red icons are opponent ships and objects and green 
icons represent vessels of the player’s forces. Identified ships and 
objects will appear as icons that roughly represent their shapes.  If a 
player has difficulty recognizing the ship types that the icons represent, 
he should use the targeting site (default Monitor #2) or the 
Navigational Controls’ Tactical Map to identify his opponent ships. 
Red or green question marks represent objects that have not been 
identified by the ships computer.  Tan question marks are objects that 
are too distant to be recognized as being friend or  foe.  One icon on 
the radar screen will appear in blue.  This is the player’s current target.
	The icon(s) centered in the radar cross hairs, represents the 
object that is directly in front of the player’s ship.  The further an icon 
appears from the center of his radar screen, the further that the object 
that it represents is from directly in front of the player.  Icons that are 
all the way to the outside rim of the radar screen represent objects that 
are behind the player’s ship.
	The player can toggle the radar screen to a condensed overhead 
tactical display by pressing the “R” key while holding down the “Alt” 
key.  This display’s view can be zoomed in and out using the “Z” and 
“X” key.  This view will give the player an approximate idea as to 
how far away he is from the closest friendly and enemy ships.  
Pressing “Alt” + “R” returns the screen to the three dimensional radar 
mode.
	To determine the exact distance an object is away from the 
player’s ship, the player must either target the object or consult the 
Navigation Control’s Tactical Map.
	The center monitor (Monitor #2) shows Monitor Function #3,  
the Targeting Sight.  At the top of the sight is displayed the target’s 
ID.  If a target has not been identified, the targeting sight will display 
the designation “Unidentified  Ship”.  The central part of the targeting 
sight is composed of four triangular LED’s  laid out in the form of a 
wide set of cross hairs, and a glowing orange ellipse that represents 
the player’s target.  The cross hair triangles will illuminate when the 
target ellipse is centered between all four of them.  This indicates that 
the player is headed directly toward his target.  If only one or two of 
the LED’s are illuminated, it indicates that the player must pilot his 
ship in the direction of those triangles to center his target within the 
sight.  At  the bottom of the targeting sight, the distance from the 
player’s ship to his target is shown.
	The right monitor (Monitor #3) shows Monitor Function #6, 
the Ship’s Damage Display Screen.  If the player’s ship has not been 
damaged or all damage to his ship has been repaired, the message “No 
Damage will appear here in green type.  When the player’s ship has 
been damaged, due to weapon’s hits or collisions that penetrate his 
ship’s shields, the systems that have been effected will be displayed  
here.  Systems that are lightly damaged appear in green, those that 
have suffered moderate damage show up in yellow and those that are 
severely damaged appear in red type.  Severely damaged systems are 
not operational.
	When the player is flying a ship that is equipped with an 
onboard repair system, the first of the damaged systems to appear on 
the list shown will have a number displayed to its right.  This number 
indicates how many seconds it will take the ships repair nanos to fix 
the damaged system.  (See “Damage Control”, “Repair Order” and 
“Power Management” headings under the Navigational Controls 
section for more information on repairing damage to ship’s systems.)
	The ship’s systems that can be damaged and thus appear on the 
Ship’s Damage  display screen are:
  Thrust  -  This allows the player’s ship to move from place to 
place.  A ship can still pivot when its thrusters are inoperable.
  A burn - This system allows the ships Afterburners to function.
  Shield Generators  -  This system produces the ships protective 
force fields.
  Fire Control  -  This system coordinates and controls all of a 
ship’s weapons.  A ship with an inoperable fire control system 
cannot uses its weapons.
  Tractor Beam  -  This system generates the ship’s tractor device, 
which is used to tow ships or objects.
  Eject  -  This represents the ship’s escape pod ejection system.
  Armor  -  This is the alloy plating that protects and maintains the 
ship’s physical structure.
  Individual Weapons’ Systems  -  These systems vary from ship to 
ship but include things like lasers, torpedo tubes and hydrogen 
plasma bolt generators.  When an individual weapon system is 
inoperable the player will not be able to utilize weapons of  that 
type.
	To turn off  a monitor,  hold down the “Alt” key and press the 
number associated with that monitor.  Taking this same action will 
reactivate a monitor.  Whatever function that was assigned to a 
monitor prior to its being deactivated will still be assigned to that 
monitor when it is activated again.
	To change a monitor function from that which is currently 
assigned to it, hold down the “Shift” key and press the number key 
that corresponds to that monitor.  For example, press “Shift” + “1” to 
change the function of  Monitor #1 ( the left monitor).  The monitor 
selected will then go blank.  Now press the number that corresponds to 
the function that you wish to assign to that monitor.  Alternatively, the 
player may toggle through all of the available options for each monitor 
by pressing a hot key associated with it.  Pressing  “7” toggles the left 
monitor, “8” the center and “9” the right.  The default settings of a 
ships monitors can be changed by using the Inflight Default Options 
in the Game Options menu accessible from within the player’s base.
	Monitor Function #2 is the Trackcam function.  Switching to 
this function allows the player to see an animated display of a targeted 
object.  The display shows the target object from the same angle it 
would be seen  from the player’s ship but at a constant distance that 
allows him to see the entire ship.
	Monitor Function #4 is the Ship’s Shields function which 
allows the player to see the current strength of his protective shielding 
force fields.  The monitor screen will show an overhead view of the 
player’s ship with variable colored bars to the front and back of the 
vessel.  The colored bars represent front and rear shield strengths.  As 
a ship’s shields are damaged, the bars will shrink from right (yellow) 
to left (red).  When shields regenerate, the bars will expand in the 
opposite direction.  When no colored bar remains, the ship’s shields 
are down and can no longer absorb damage directed at the player’s 
ship.  Shields that are down will remain so until they can be 
regenerated.  Shields that are down cannot regenerate fast enough to 
absorb uninterrupted fire directed at the ship, nor can they regenerate if  
the ship’s shield generation system is inoperable.
	Monitor Function #5 is the Target’s Shields function.  This 
function operates in exactly the same manner as Monitor Function #4 
except that the view and shield strengths displayed are those of  the 
player’s target.
	The Target’s Damage Function is Monitor Function #7.  It 
operates in the same way as Monitor Function #6  (Ships Damage) 
except that the damage displayed is that of  players target.  In addition, 
the “No Damage” display appears in red type as opposed to green.  
Also, opponent ships equipped to perform inflight repair will not have 
system repair times displayed.
	The Rear View Mirror Function is accessed by using the 
“Backspace” key.  This allows the player to place a view of  the area 
directly to the rear of his ship on one of his monitor screens.  This is 
especially useful in heated dogfight situations, for checking his ship’s 
direction and for avoiding enemy mine and missile attacks.
	Monitor Function “-”  allows the player to turn off or move his 
Visual Communications Window.  As a default, all radio 
communications that are accompanied by visual transmissions 
(usually a portrait of the message sender) will temporarily overwrite 
the display on Monitor  #1.  To remove the communications window 
from this monitor,  press “Shift” + “1” and then “-”.  To add it to 
another  monitor, hold down “Shift” and press the number that 
corresponds to that monitor and then the “-” key.
	The last three monitor functions are available to the player when 
he is flying an Intruder recon ship equipped with special sensors and 
“Stealth” technology.
	Monitor  Function #8 is the Visual Scan function.  It allows 
the player to monitor the progress of a visual scan that he has 
implemented.  It will show the player the visual, infrared and EM 
aspects of  the scan as they occur.  This function will also inform him 
when attempts to scan the same object twice.
	Monitor Function #9, the Probe Monitoring  function, allows 
the player to monitor the progress of a probe type scan that he has 
implemented.  The screen will display information being transmitted 
in binary code from a launched probe back to the player’s ship.
	Monitor Function #0 is the Stealth Monitoring function.  This 
allows the player to monitor his stealth radar evasion technology’s 
battery power and recharge rate.  It will  show  two vertical color bars.  
The bar on the left, enclosed in a gray box, indicates the battery power 
available to the operate the stealth radar evasion technology.  Battery 
power is consumed when the stealth technology  is activated.  Color 
recedes from the box as battery power is consumed.  When no power 
is left in the stealth battery, the stealth radar evasion technology will 
automatically deactivate to allow the battery to recharge.  The battery 
can only recharge when the stealth technology is deactivated and only 
when extra power is available from the ship’s engines to be diverted to 
it.
	The variegated color bar to the right of the monitor is essentially 
a gauge of the player’s detectability when the stealth technology is 
active.  An all gray bar indicates that the player’s onboard computers 
believe that his ship is not detected by enemy combat ships.  The green 
color emerging from the bottom of the bar shows the player’s energy 
signature.  The higher the green color rises, the stronger the signature 
emitted by his ship and the better  his chances of being detected.  The 
yellow coloring descending from the top of the bar indicates the recon 
ship’s best estimate of  its detectability given its energy signature and 
the strength and proximity of  enemy combat ship’s radar scans.  
When the two colors meet, a  red bar appears as a positive indication 
that an enemy has gotten a radar lock on the player’s ship.  It is 
important to note that the data gauged by the yellow bar is an 
estimated quantity.   It is possible that the player’s ship has  been 
detected with no red or even yellow color appearing on the variegated 
color bar.  This is especially likely when the player is flying close to 
enemy combat ships since the stealth technology only hides a ship 
from an enemies radar and not from his eyes.


Adjusting Velocity
	As noted previously, the player begins each mission traveling at 
half the speed that his engines are capable of producing.  He may 
adjust his speed at any time by using any one of  seven keys.

1. Pressing the “0” key caused the player’s ship to decelerate to a 
complete stop.
2. Pressing the “1” key adjusts the ship’s velocity to one third of  its 
top speed.
3. Pressing the “2” key adjusts the ship’s velocity to two thirds of  its 
top speed.
4. Pressing the “3” key causes the player’s ship to travel at full speed.
5. Pressing the “4” key adjusts the player’s speed to match his 
target’s current velocity.
6. Pressing the “=“ or “+” key increases the player’s speed by one km 
(up to top velocity); and
7. Pressing the “-” key decreases the player’s speed by one km (down 
to a full stop).
8. Pressing the “Tab” key engages the ship’s afterburners, this 
increases the player’s speed to several times his listed maximum 
until deactivated.  Traveling at such high velocity makes any type 
of maneuvering all but impossible.  This feature also consumes 
tremendous amounts of fuel and could leave a player stranded and 
defenseless if over used.


The player can also adjust his speed by holding down his right mouse 
button or second joystick button and moving the mouse or stick 
forward to increase speed or backward to decrease it.  This second 
button is also used in combat to allow the player to roll his ship.  This 
is accomplished by moving the mouse or joystick in the direction that 
the player wishes to roll while depressing the second/right button.

Computer and Navigational Controls
Press “N” to bring up the ship’s computer.  Pressing “Esc” will exit 
this feature.  The computer gives the player access to ship’s functions 
such as power and repair management, damage control, 
communications, and the navigational map while in flight.  While a 
player is using the ship’s computer the game is paused.

Power Management
Left click on the Power Management  box  (or press “P” or “1” )  to 
access the power management system. This allows the player to assign 
power supply priorities to all ship functions.  Areas marked green on 
the list are receiving all the power that they require at that moment.  
Those marked in yellow are getting partial power and those marked in 
red are not getting any power.  The number in parentheses after each 
item refers to the total amount of power currently required by that ship 
function.  Most systems will still function at a decreased rate if  they 
are receiving less power than what they require.  A repair system 
however, requires full power to function at all.  To change a function’s 
power priority, move the cursor to that function then depress the left 
mouse button.  Hold the mouse button down and move the cursor to 
desired priority level, then release the mouse. The selected function 
will now occupy the new priority while all other functions will be 
shifted down in importance.  Using the keyboard, the player can type 
the number of a function to move it to the top of the priority list.  This 
change in the placement of a function moves other functions that had 
been above it down in priority.  Pressing “ESC” will return the player 
to the main Computer and Navigational Controls menu.

Mission Briefing 
Left click on this box or press “B” or “2” to bring up a condensed 
version of the mission briefing.  This allows the player to review the 
main objective(s) of the current mission.  Hit any key to return to the 
main menu.

Tactical Map 
Left clicking on the Tactical Map box or pressing “T”, “M” or “3” 
accesses the computer’s tactical map of the sector of space 
immediately surrounding the player.  It shows the ships and other 
objects detected by ship’s radar in the vicinity.  When he first enters 
the tactical map it will be centered on the player’s ship. He can click 
the right mouse button to center the map on the cursor or can use the 
arrow keys on the keyboard to move around within the map.  Pressing 
the “C” key will re-center the map on the player’s ship.  The “>“ and 
“<“ keys will zoom the map in and out respectively as will “Z” and 
“X”.  As in the ships radar monitor, friendly ships appear as green 
icons and enemy ships appear as red icons on the tactical map.  The 
ship or object that is currently targeted by the player will appear as a 
blue icon.  Centering the cursor over an icon will bring up various data 
about it.  This information includes:  ship type (if identified), speed, 
distance from player, pilot (if known), pilot’s overall skill rating, 
damage sustained in percent of overall durability, and distance above 
or below the player expressed as a positive or negative z coordinate.  
In addition, the player will be able to determine the direction that a 
selected ship is traveling in.  This is revealed by the colored line which 
emanates from the ship when the cursor is centered over it.  A yellow 
line that connects the selected ship’s icon to another icon indicates that 
the selected ship is targeted on the ship represented by that icon and 
headed in its direction.  A blue line emanating from a selected icon 
that ends without touching another icon indicates the direction of  the 
ship represented by that icon.  Left clicking on an icon selects the 
vessel represented by that icon as the player’s target.  Pressing “ESC” 
will return the player to the main Computer and Navigational Controls 
menu.

Communications 
Left click on the communication’s box to communicate with wingmen 
or enemy pilots.  Pressing “C” or “4” will also activate this function.  
When activated, the tactical map (described above) will appear.  
Simply left click on the ship the player wishes to communicate with 
and a menu of possible messages will appear.  Left click on or press 
the number of the appropriate message.  Pressing “ESC” will return 
the player to the main Computer and Navigational Controls menu.

Damage Control 
Left clicking on this function or pressing “D” or “5” gives the player a 
list of the damage that his ship has sustained.  It identifies the amount 
of damage each system has sustained and gives an estimate of repair 
time for those ships that have a repair system.  A function highlighted 
in green is fully functional but slightly damaged, one highlighted in 
yellow is moderately damaged but still functioning and one 
highlighted in red is damaged and completely non-functional.  
Tolerance refers to the total amount of damage your ship can sustain.  
Once the ship has sustained damage near the tolerance level 
destruction is immanent.  The shield percentages tells the player the 
amount of shield energy remaining in the shield batteries.  Estimated 
repair time is listed in seconds.  If  the player’s ship has been disabled 
due to Disurptor or EMP torpedo fire, an account of that damage will 
appear here as well.  Pressing “ESC” will return you to the main 
menu.

Repair Order  
This function is only available to the player when he flying a ship 
equipped with a repair system.  Left click on the Repair Order box, or 
press “R” or “6” to see which damaged ship’s system is to be repaired 
first and to change a system’s repair priority.
	As a rule, heavily damaged systems, highlighted in red print, 
are repaired first with the red highlighted system nearest the top of the 
list receiving top repair priority. Those that are moderately damaged 
(yellow) are repaired next and lightly damaged (green) last.  Here 
again systems higher on the list are repaired prior to others of the same 
color that appear further down.  In parenthesis next to each system  is 
listed the amount of damage points that it can sustain before becoming 
inactive and the number it has absorbed so far.
	To override this prioritization system, right click on a listed 
ships system.  This will cause the letter “P” to appear on either side of 
that system’s title, and gives the selected system top repair priority 
regardless of the amount of damage that it or any other system has 
sustained.  Right clicking on a top priority system a second time will 
cause the “P” to be replaced by an “L”.  The “L” signifies that the 
selected system is to receive the lowest repair priority, again 
irregardless of the damage that it or any other system has sustained.  
Right click on an “L” designated system to remove the special priority 
designation.  Should the player designate more than one system for top 
or lowest priority, the designated system that appears highest on the 
repair order list will be repaired before any other designated systems.
	The player may also use the keyboard to execute a change in 
repair priority.  To accomplish this press “P” and then the current 
number assigned to a system on the list.  This will cause a “P” to 
appear next to that system.  Pressing the system’s number a second 
time will give it an “L” priority and pressing it a third time will 
remove the priority designation.  Press “P” again to toggle off  the 
keyboard priority assignment function.
	To change an item’s position on the repair priority list, use the 
same method as described under “Power Management”, above.  Press 
“ESC” to return to the main Computer and Navigational Controls 
menu.

Weapons’ and Targeting Systems
	There are several other keys that the player will use in combat 
situations.  Pressing the “W” key will toggle through the player’s 
available weapons.  The last weapon accessed by using the “W” key 
will be the one active on the player’s left mouse or first joystick button 
as well as the keyboard spacebar.  Pressing   this key or button will 
fire the active weapon. A ships heavy weapon (i.e., torpedoes, hellfire, 
neutron cannon, etc) may be fired directly from the keyboard without it 
being active on the player’s mouse/joystick by pressing the “Enter” 
key.  With the exception of  lasers and disrupters, which always fire in 
the direction that the ship is flying, active weapons will be directed at 
the ship or object represented by the blue icon on ship’s radar (see the 
description of  monitor functions, above).  When a player wishes to 
direct all active weapons at a ship or object that is in front of him, he 
must center the ships cross hairs on that object and  press “L” to lock 
the ship’s weapons onto it.  In addition to this method, Star Crusader 
provides the player with a variety of other options for targeting his 
ship’s weapon systems.  
	To target opponent ships or objects:

  Pressing the “T” key will toggle through all enemy targets detected 
by ship’s radar
  Pressing “E” or  Shift + T, targets the closest enemy ship or object 
(excluding escape pods asteroids and mines).
  Holding down the “Alt” key and pressing “T” will toggle back to 
the previously targeted enemy ship or object.

	To target (usually for communications, navigation, or rescue 
purposes) friendly ships or objects:

  Press the “A” key to toggle through all allied ships or objects 
detected by ships radar.
  Press “A” while holding down the shift key, to target the closest 
allied ship or object.
  Holding down “Alt” while pressing “A” will toggle back to the 
previously targeted ally ship or object.

Communications 
	Aside from using the ship’s Computer and Navigational 
Controls, the player may communicate with his wingman by using his 
keyboard.  To communicate with a wingman in this way, select his or 
her ship as a target then send a desired message by pressing the 
appropriate function key while holding down “Alt”.
	The communications’ function keys that send messages to 
selected ships are:

Alt + F1  -  “Return to base.”  The selected wingman breaks off his 
attack and engages his SFG engines.
Alt + F4  -  “Defend Position”  The selected wingman comes to a stop 
and attacks any enemy that targets
		     him or her or comes close to his or her position.
Alt + F7 - “Break off your attack”  The selected wingman will 
discontinue attacks against his or her current
		    target and choose another.

	The player may also send out an order to his closest available 
wingman without having to target him or her.  This is accomplished 
by holding down the “Alt” key and pressing the appropriate function 
key for the message that he wishes to send.   The messages that may 
be sent in this way and the function keys that apply to them are:

Alt + F2  -  “Attack my target.”  The closest available wingman 
accepts the player’s current target as his
		     own.
Alt + F3  -  “Disable my target.”  The closest available wingman 
accepts the player’s current target as his
		     own and attempts to disable it.
Alt + F5  -  “Defend my target”  The closest available wingman 
defends the ally targeted by the player or the
		     ally closest to his or her own ship if the player has not 
targeted one.
Alt + F6  -  “Cover me”  The closest available wingman will close to 
within 0.1 km of the player’s ship and 
		     attack any enemy that target’s the player’s ship.
Alt + F8  -  “Rescue/Capture my target”  The closest available 
wingman moves to within tractor beam range 
		     of the player’s immobile target.  The wingman will then 
ensnare the target and hyper-jump back 
		     to base.

A wingman is usually considered available if he or she is not engaged 
in defending themselves from attack.


Emergency Measures
	In the heat of combat if may be necessary for the player to take 
certain drastic steps to ensure victory or even just to save his own skin.  
It is not uncommon to run out of  laser  power at a critical moment.  At 
such a time the player may  wish to overcharge his lasers thus greatly 
increasing their recharge rate.  To overcharge ships lasers, hold down 
the “Shift” key and press “L”.  The overcharging process will draw a 
substantial portion of a ship’s available power.  It will continue to do 
so until lasers are fully charged or the player deactivates the 
overcharge process by pressing “Shift” + “L” again.
	The ship’s shields can also be overcharged with the same 
increase in recharge rate and power demand.  To overcharge shields, 
press “S” while holding down the “Shift” key.  To overcharge lasers or 
shields, the player must have designated a high enough priority to that 
system in the “Power Management” option of  the “Navigational  
Controls” screen to allow for it to receive some portion of ship’s 
power.
	 The short term advantages of overcharging are not without their 
adverse consequences however.  Abusing the overcharge keys could 
result in permanent damage to ship’s lasers and shields.  This damage 
will manifest itself in the form of limited maximum laser and shield 
power levels.  Because the potential for damage is so high, the player 
will be warned each time he uses the overcharge option.  Damage 
caused by overcharging cannot be repaired by a ship’s inflight repair 
system.
	There may also be occasions when, to counter enemy weapons 
(such as the Zemun Hellfire) or to quickly free up power, the player 
may wish to drop his shields.  To drop shields, press the “S” key.  To 
raise shields again, at the same level they were prior to being dropped, 
press the “S” key a second time.
	Finally,  when a situation seems hopeless and a player’s ship is 
disintegrating around him, he may be forced  to undertake the ultimate 
emergency measure, bailing out.  The player must have an operable 
eject system (see “Ships Damage” monitor function) in order to eject 
from his ship.  To execute the eject command, press “E” while holding 
down the “Ctrl” key.  Ejecting is not a guarantee of safe return to base 
(only jumping out can do that), especially if the player is alone and 
behind enemy lines, but it is a risk that is often the only alternative to a 
fiery death for Roman Alexandria.

Stealth Functions 
	When flying the Gorene designed Intruder reconnaissance ship 
the player has access to special Stealth radar evasion technology.  To 
turn on the Stealth technology press the “C” key.  This activates the 
Intruder’s radar evasion devices which the player can monitor using 
monitor function “0”.  Please see the above description of  this monitor 
function for details on using the Stealth technology.  Press “C” again 
to deactivate the technology and conserve Stealth battery power.  The 
“B” key toggles the Stealth battery chargers off and on in the same 
way.  When the Stealth battery is charging it will appear on the 
player’s Power Management Screen found within the Navigation and 
Computer Controls function.  This means that the player will have to 
divert engine power to his Stealth batteries in order to have them 
recharge.
	The Intruder is also equipped with optical scanners and 
computer probes that are used in its reconnaissance role.  The device 
that the player decides to utilize in a given mission will depend upon 
his mission orders and objective.  To activate a visual scan of his 
target, the player must move to within scan range and then hold down 
the “Ctrl” key and press “S”.  Once it has been initiated, the progress 
of a visual scan can be tracked using Monitor Function 8.  The player 
must stay within scan range (0.2 km) of  his target throughout the 
visual scanning process in order for it to be successful.
	To launch a computer probe at a target, the player must 
maneuver to within probe range and press “L” while holding down the 
“Alt” key.  Here again the player must remain within probe range 
(0.25 km)until the device completes its scanning function.  He may see 
the coded data being transmitted to his ship from a launched probe by 
using Monitor Function 9.

Returning From A Mission
	Prior to returning from a mission the player may wish to capture 
an enemy or friendly ship or escape pod in his tractor beam.  The 
tractored vessel will be transported with the player’s ship when he 
activates his SFG engines.  To tractor a targeted vessel, the player 
must be within 0.2 km of  that vessel and traveling at or near the same 
speed as it is.  He can then activate his tractor beam by pressing the 
“R” key.  The player will be informed that his tractor beam has been 
engaged and a narrow blue energy field will be seen emanating from 
his ship to the target vessel.  Once a vessel has been successfully 
tractored, the player may gradually alter his velocity without breaking 
the tractor beam.  This will have the effect of towing the target vessel 
and making it conform to the player’s ship’s velocity.  Only one vessel 
may be captured with the player’s tractor beam at any one time.  
Pressing “R” will deactivate an active tractor beam.
	When the player completes a mission or feels it prudent to 
abandon the current mission objective, he may return to his home base 
by activating his Singularity Field Generator (SFG) engines.  To do 
this, the player must bring his ship to a complete stop and then press 
the “J” key.  The player should be aware that, aside from the obvious 
disadvantage of  requiring his ship to be stationary, the SFG engines 
also automatically lower his shields.  This often has the unhappy result 
of  making the player a sitting duck for enemy fire while his 
singularity field is being generated.  Careful planning of  hyperjumps 
is often essential.  The player may wish to save some fuel for his 
afterburners to put distance between his enemies and himself prior to 
making an emergency hyperjump.
	Upon executing a successful hyperjump, the player will be 
returned to his base where he may undergo a mission debriefing and  
receive word on secondary missions that took place in his absence.  
Afterwards, the player will once again find himself in the base’s Main 
Hall, ready for more action in the Ascalon Rift.



Overall Game Strategy

	The most important thing that a new Star Crusader  player must 
keep in mind is that this is not a linear game. Remember that you do 
not have to succeed in every  mission to win a campaign.  In order to 
advance the overall game plot, some missions have been designed to 
be very difficult and, in fact, there is at least one mission that you can’t 
help but lose.  Make no mistake, if you lose too many  missions, 
especially after becoming sector commander, you will lose the game, 
but the only way to play all of Star Crusader’s 104 missions is to lose 
a battle here and there.  So, by all means, save your games, but don’t 
be too quick to replay a mission that you had to abandon before its 
objectives had been completed.  You may be passing up an 
opportunity to play some of the game’s most enjoyable and 
challenging missions.
	Once you are able select your wingmen, do so carefully.  
Examine their dossiers to find out who is best suited for the mission 
that you are about to fly.  Beware of  relying on any one or two pilots 
too much.  Taking the same wingmen on mission after mission will 
increase their skills, but could leave you with only relatively untrained 
pilots to choose from down the road when a favorite is killed in battle.  
Remember to order secondary missions, not only will you increase the 
skills of pilots sent, but you can supplement your supply of ships and 
gain control of more enemy territory as well.  Don’t forget, you can 
win every one of your own battles but still loose the war if you leave 
your territories undefended.  Likewise, be sure to send instructors to 
the pilot academy.  After all, this is a war that you’re fighting and that 
means casualties among your own troops as well as your enemies.  
Don’t make the mistake of waiting too long to start replacing your 
pilots with trained cadets.  There’s nothing worse than having to fight 
against a swarm of veteran pilots when all you have are a bunch of 
pathetic rookies to back you up.
	Finally, get to know your wingmen.  Many of them have distinct 
characteristics that do not appear on their official dossier’s.  Once you 
are aware of certain pilot’s personalities, use them to your advantage.

Ship’s Systems

	In order to effectively use any ship in combat, the pilot should 
be armed with as much information as humanly (or in this case 
gorenely) possible.  Fortunately, all thirteen ships that can be flown by 
the player have a basic set of similarities.  If you can learn to use these 
effectively, you’ll be prepared for 90% of the situations you encounter.  
	First, you’ll need to learn a little about the main systems on any 
fighter.  We’ll spare you the boring details, and skip directly to the 
important stuff.

Power:
	All ships have a limited amount of power that their generators 
can produce.  This power level is constant throughout the game.  It 
will not vary, no matter how much damage you take.  If you look 
through the various ship’s specifications, you’ll see that each race’s 
ships have unique power characteristics.  Tancred and Mazuman ships 
have plenty of power, while Zemuns are somewhat lacking.
	Power is used for the following systems:  maintaining velocity, 
shield repair, charging the weapons, damage repair (on Gorene ships 
only), acceleration, tractor beams, and stealth devices (on Intruders 
only).  No fighter in the game is capable of applying maximum power 
to all of these systems at once.  You’ll find that when you first begin a 
mission, you have more than enough power.  As you fire the weapons 
and take damage to the shields and ship structure, however, power 
becomes more critical.
	The most useful feature of the power system is the priority list.  
You can set this up before the mission begins, or from inside the 
cockpit.  This feature allows you to decide what systems get power 
first, second, etc.  That way, if you find yourself running low in certain 
situations, you can be sure you get power where you need it most.  
You may adjust this priority at any time before, during, or after the 
mission.

Fuel:
	For purposes of normal flight and combat, all ships carry more 
than enough fuel, about thirty minutes worth in fact. You’ll only really 
have to worry about keeping track of your fuel gauge on prolonged 
reconnaissance missions or if you like to use your afterburners too 
much.  Remember that the afterburners consume immense amounts of 
fuel for each second that they are engaged so take it easy on them.  It is 
usually a good idea to save at least a quarter of your fuel for making an 
emergency exit from a combat situation.  Use this fuel in your 
afterburners to get as far as possible from enemy ships then engage 
your hyperdrive.  This will allow your SFG engines to do their job 
without getting you shot to pieces in the process.

Weapons:
	What would a space flight simulator be without weapons?  In 
Star Crusader, you’ll find a wide variety of different weapons to attack 
the bad guys with.  These weapons are designed such that they offer 
each race it’s own tactical capabilities and drawbacks.  You’ll find 
that these are not the run-of-the-mill weapons that you may be used to 
(i.e. little-blaster, big-blaster, huge-blaster, king-Kong-blaster, etc.).  
The weapons in Star Crusader each have their own tactical effect in 
combat.  Several weapons don’t even do damage at all.  You may find, 
though, that these are the most difficult to deal with.

Tractor Beams:
	Tractor beams are useful for several things.  First, they allow 
you to capture enemy ships.  Once you jump home with the captive, 
he’ll wind up in some space-POW camp somewhere, and you can fly 
his ship on any subsequent mission.  With this feature, you’ll be able 
to experiment with any fighter in the game.  You may even find (as 
some of us here at Take 2 digital entomology lab have) that you prefer 
some of the alien ships to Gorene ones.  If you do, grab a Liberator and 
go capture a few.
	There are two things to note, concerning the tractor beam: 1) it 
can only produce a finite amount of pulling force, and 2) it has a 
maximum range.  
	What do these things mean?  Well, because the tractor beam has 
a limited pulling force, you can only lock onto other fighters.  Things 
like destroyers, cruisers, and bases are too big to drag home.  It also 
means that if you accelerate too quickly, or fly at high rates of speed, 
the tractored ship will fall back, and eventually get out of the 0.2km 
range.  When this happens, the tractor lock is broken.
	Lastly, if you experiment a bit, you may find that dragging an 
enemy ship around in combat (which would normally be a bad idea) 
can have one really beneficial effect in certain unique situations.  Too 
bad we’re not gonna tell you what that type of situation is.  Figure it 
out for yourself, Ace.

Ejection System:
	If you find yourself in trouble, eject.  It’s better to lose a ship, or 
even the whole mission, than it is to get killed and have to start over.  
We’ve designed the campaign so that if you lose missions here and 
there, the game won’t be over.  Therefore, you shouldn’t be afraid to 
eject if you really have to (and don’t wimp out by restoring to a 
previously saved game, either.)
	
Flight Characteristics:
	Each ship in Star Crusader has it’s own maneuverability, 
acceleration, and top speed.  This gives them all a very different feel in 
combat, and also helps to balance out game play.  For instance, 
Tancred ships have extremely powerful weapons, but they don’t turn 
very fast.  Mazumans, on the other hand, maneuver around better than 
any other ships in the game.  Unfortunately, their ships aren’t very 
powerful (or durable).

Radar and Sensors:
	Your radar systems allow you to see what’s buzzing around you 
in space.  They also allow you to lock onto enemy ships.  If your radar 
goes off-line, you’ll have a tougher time finding the bad guys, and the 
little red gun sights won’t be on the HUD to let you know where to 
shoot if you want to hit them.

Damage Control:
	All Gorene ships (no alien ships) have an in-flight repair 
capability.  This repair capability costs 20 power points to operate.  
Like the power management system mentioned above, you can assign 
a priority list to the systems on your ship.  That way, if you want the 
weapons to be repaired before the radar, that’s the order the repair 
system will work with.  
	If some of your systems are damaged in combat, set one of your 
monitors to watch the damage control.  You’ll see a list of systems 
that are damaged, and a timer beside the one that is currently under 
repair.  The timer tells you how many seconds before the system is up 
and running again.  It is possible for the damage control system to be 
destroyed.  In this event, in-flight repairs are no longer possible for the 
remainder of the mission.

Fire Control:
	If your fire control system goes out, you can’t fire weapons until 
it is repaired.  If you’re flying an alien ship, you can’t fire weapons for 
the remainder of the mission (although if you have wingmen with you, 
you might want to stick around long enough for them to complete the 
mission for you).

IFF Transponder:
	All ships are equipped with an Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) 
transponder.  This device emits a coded pulse that identifies the ship to 
friendly radar.  As long as this signal is present, you won’t be 
perceived as a hostile target by your wingmen.  However, since this 
pulse doesn’t match the enemy’s coded pulses, they can always 
identify you as a target.  Well, almost always.


Combat Tips
The Five Major Races:
Tancreds:  Against the Tancreds, get in close and stay there.  Use a 
torpedo at medium range to damage their shields, and then resort to 
lasers to finish him off at close range.  Their ships are powerful and 
durable, but not very maneuverable.  If you give them enough distance 
to turn around and face you, expect to take a plasma torpedo right in 
your forward shield.  They also like to follow up the plasma torpedo 
with a vector cannon shot.  This has the effect of knocking you out of 
the way after you absorb their first big blast.
	Remember that plasma torpedoes lose strength with range.  The 
farther they have to travel before they hit you, the less damage they’ll 
do.  Their power can also be reduced by laser fire.  If you see a plasma 
torpedo heading for you, shoot it as many times as you can.  (You 
might also want to use this tactic even if the torpedo wasn’t aimed at 
you.  Your wingman may thank you for it.)  Whatever you do, try not 
to get hit with a plasma torpedo at point blank range.  They can inflict 
a devastating amount of damage right out of the launch tube.
	Also remember that plasma torpedoes take a while to recharge.  
Samurais only have one torpedo tube, so depending on how much 
power they’re using, it may take a minute or two before they’re able to 
get off another shot.  Use this time to your advantage.   Warlords have 
two tubes, and a huge power generator, so it won’t take more than 
fifteen or twenty seconds for them to recharge (and that’s after they fire 
off both shots).
	Vector cannons do very little damage, but they knock you off 
your path.  After you get hit by one, your ship will spiral out of control 
for a second or two.  The smaller your ship, the longer it spins around.  
If this happens to you, try to keep track of where the Tancred opponent 
is.  He’s sure to try to follow in behind his shot, so steer away from 
him until you get your bearings again.

Zemuns:  To fight the Zemun ships, you have to remain particularly 
aware of their Hellfire cannons.  Hellfire affects your shields only, but 
is affects both of them at the same time.  Hellfire has excellent range 
and power.  A single shot at close range can bring the shields down.  
The thing to remember here is that the weapon can’t damage your 
ship.  It only affects shields.  
	Zemun ships are under-powered.  If you damage a Zemun’s 
shields, stay on him.  Don’t give him the time to recharge them.  
Zemun ships don’t have great power reserves, so make your opponent 
use his power on the engines and weapons.  
	Zemun strike craft employ a weapon called an ‘Energy Siphon.’  
This weapon is omni-directional (they don’t need to be facing you to 
use it), and it has a range of nearly 2.0km.  When it is used against 
you, you will notice a drastic drop in your power for a few seconds.  
While the system drains power from you, it applies it to the Zemun’s 
batteries.  The implications of this should be obvious.
	Remember that this weapon can only be used against you if 
your shields are down.  If there is even a scrap of shield strength left, 
the weapon is useless.  If your shields drop when facing a Zemun 
strike craft, it may be worth the risk to overcharge them, and get them 
back up more quickly.

Mazumans:  A Mazuman opponent requires a strategy that is exactly 
the opposite of the one that should be used against the Tancreds.  
Mazuman ships are extremely fast and agile.  If they get in close, it’s 
very tough to shake them.  Instead, try to damage them at a distance.  
If they get in close, try to fly in the opposite direction and get some 
range.  They can’t take much damage, so hit them hard when you have 
the chance.
	Mazuman strike ships also have neutron cannons.  These 
weapons can’t affect you through the shields.  Once your shields are 
down, though, they do cumulative damage to you, the pilot.  
Obviously, this is not the type of damage that can be repaired by the 
in-flight repair systems.  If your shields go down when you’re fighting 
Mazumans, keep track of how many neutron cannon shots you get hit 
by for the rest of the mission.  When the total starts to get high, go 
home.
Amiens: Amiens weapons are very defensive in nature.  Their EMP 
torpedoes will scramble your ship’s computer systems, and their Aegis 
field will discharge onto any object that gets too close.  These two 
weapons have very different tactical implications, so we’ll examine 
them separately.
	EMP Torpedoes will detonate when they hit their target.  They 
inflict no physical damage, but they produce a magnetic pulse which 
temporarily polarizes the hull of your ship.  This has the effect of 
confusing your ship’s computers, sensors, and radar.  The effect is 
cumulative, so after taking enough damage from an EMP torpedo, 
your ship will shut down completely.  If this happens, you might want 
to consider ejecting pretty quickly.
	EMP Torpedoes affect everything within a 0.2km radius when 
they detonate.  If your squadron is flying in formation, this could be 
devastating.  On the plus side, though, the Amiens are very aware of 
the effect of this weapon, so they usually won’t fire it if they (or 
another Amien) is within the predicted blast radius.
	The Aegis field extends to a radius which is ten times that of the 
shield radius.  You can’t miss it when the Amiens turn it on.  Their 
ship suddenly looks like a huge, yellow ball.  If you see this, stay 
away.  If your ship gets near enough to the Aegis Field, it will 
discharge.  The discharge is quite powerful.
	Different Amien pilots use this weapon differently.  
Inexperienced pilots usually turn the weapon on at greater distances, 
as it blocks the effect of torpedoes and lasers.  They try to use it to get 
in close without taking any damage.  Experienced pilots will hold the 
charge on their Aegis field until they are closer.  This way, there is a 
greater chance that they can catch you with the field’s discharge.  (An 
ace pilot will sometimes wait until you are already within the field’s 
maximum radius.  When he turns it on, you are automatically hit for 
full damage.
	If you’re facing an Amien pilot with an Aegis field, wait until 
he uses it.  It only lasts about ten seconds or so.  After the field 
collapses, it takes a while for it to recharge.  This will be the perfect 
opportunity to close range and attack.  Try to finish him off before the 
field recharges.  He won’t fire his EMP Torpedoes if you’re in close, 
and will only have his lasers to depend on.  If you’re facing an 
experienced pilot, don’t stay close for too long.  Once his Aegis field 
recharges, he won’t hesitate to use it.

Gorenes:  During the course of the game, it is quite possible that you 
will face other Gorene ships in combat.  If this happens, you should be 
familiar enough with the ship’s capabilities to formulate your own 
strategies against it.  The best tactic is to gang up on them.  Order your 
wingmen to attack opponents in groups of two or three.  This may 
open you up to attacks from the side and rear, but it will allow you to 
overwhelm your target’s in-flight repair systems.
	When flying Gorene ships, use your torpedoes sparingly.  They 
are extremely accurate, but you have a limited supply, especially in the 
Scorpion.
	There are three Gorene ships you can fly; the Scorpion, the 
Liberator, and the Intruder.  If you get into a fight while flying an 
Intruder, well, let’s just say that ‘discretion is the better part of valor’.  
Go home, before you get hurt.
	The Scorpion is a pure dogfighter.  It has an awesome laser fire 
rate, exceptional maneuverability, and tremendous top speed.  It’s big 
drawbacks are; a limited supply of torpedoes, a small laser battery (it 
can fire quickly, but runs out of charge just as quickly), and a small 
power generator.  It should be obvious that the Scorpion is intended to 
take on other fighters, not capital ships or bases.  When flying the 
Scorpion, take advantage of its speed and agility.  Get behind your 
opponent and stay on him.  Wait until you’ve lined up a good shot 
with your lasers, and then unload in a hurry.  You have less than ten 
seconds of sustained fire before the laser battery runs out, so don’t 
waste it.  
	The Liberator is intended to strike capital targets or capture 
small ships.  It has more power, durability, and firepower than the 
Scorpion, but it is slower and less maneuverable.  It’s laser fire rate is 
slower, but the battery is bigger than the Scorpion’s.  This means that 
you can maintain a sustained laser barrage for quite a bit longer than 
you can with the Scorpion, but it will damage the target more slowly.  
Aside from its extra torpedoes the Liberator also carries disrupters 
which can disable an enemy ship without damaging it.  Sometimes 
one or two well aimed laser shots will weaken an opponent’s shields 
and allow the disrupters to function more efficiently.  

Tactics:

How to line up a target:
	This is not always a problem.  If your ship is more 
maneuverable than your target’s ship, just keep circling, and 
eventually, you’ll get behind him.  If not, you may have to resort to one 
of several tactics:
1)  Change speeds often.  If your opponent is hot on your trail, 
sometimes you can shake him by dropping speed quickly.  He might 
fly right past you, in which case, you’ll be behind him.
2)  If you’re in an asteroid field, use the asteroids for cover.  Fly tight
curves around them, and sometimes you can run your opponent into
one.
3)  If  you and an opponent seem to be circling each other without
either one being able to get behind the other, try veering off in a new
direction to break this pattern.  Chances are that you’ll be able put
enough distance between your opponent and yourself to get a bead on
him.
4)  Use your afterburners, sparingly.  If you find yourself being chased
by a horde of opponents who are pummeling you, fire up the
afterburners and blast yourself away to get some breathing space.
5)  If all else fails, come to a complete halt.  This makes you a sitting
duck, but a motionless ship can almost always turn more quickly than
one that’s moving.

How to take on multiple opponents:
	Star Crusader tries to approach this situation in a realistic
manner.  You won’t be able to kill six or seven thousand bad guys in a
single mission.  The opponents you face will have ships which are
nearly as powerful as your own (and sometimes more powerful).
Opponents can last a long time in a dogfight, and when two or three of
them gang up on you, it’s all you can do to stay alive.
	There are different strategies to approach this situation,
depending on what ship you’re flying.  In Gorene ships, the best tactic
is to concentrate on a single opponent until he is defeated, and then
consider your repair status.  As long as you haven’t taken too much
damage, tackle the next opponent.  For Gorenes, it’s okay to fight on
when the shields are low.  If your ship takes some internal damage, the
repair systems can take care of it later.
	With alien ships, you have to keep track of your shield strength
more closely.  When the shields start to get low, it’s a good idea to
move away if you can.  Once your shields go down, the damage you
take can’t be undone.  Against multiple opponents, you’ll find that
once your shields go down, you won’t last too long.
	Often a good tactic against multiple opponents is to unload
heavy weapons, like torpedoes, rapidly.  This is no time to be thrifty
with your ammunition.  You are in big trouble.  Concentrate the heavy
weapons fire on one opponent at a time, until he’s gone.  Then choose
a new target quickly.  The whole key here is speed.  You won’t last
long against three or four opponents at once, so let them have it with
everything you’ve got.  Don’t worry about mission objectives that
might require those torpedoes later.  Just try to stay alive.
	If you have wingmen, this might be a good time to call them
over to cover you.  Get on the radio and see who can give you some
assistance.
	One last thing to remember when fighting multiple opponents is
to keep changing direction.  If you fly in a straight line for too long
(especially when you’re trying line up a target for a shot on his rear
shields), someone will get behind you and tear you apart.  Don’t let
them draw a bead on you.  Never stop moving

How to fight capital ships and bases:
	Unlike fighters, these ships use turreted weapons which can fire
in a designated arc.  With lots of experience, you will be able to find
blind spots on some of these ships, but they’re often hard to get to.
Until you get a great deal of experience, this isn’t a good tactic to try.
	The best thing to do against a capital ship (destroyer, cruiser,
etc.), is to match its speed and run a parallel course, behind it and
slightly off to one side.  It will fire at where you are now, not where
you’ll be when the laser gets to you.  As soon as you turn to face the
capital ship directly, it will start to line up any laser that can turn in
your direction.  You will have time for a shot or two, but you should
veer off quickly.  As when you’re fighting multiple opponents, don’t
stop moving, or you’ll get wiped out faster than you’d care to think.
	Against bases (and capital ships, too), it’s always a good idea to
get reinforcements.  Don’t take them on alone unless you’re very sure
you can.  Save the big targets until last, and then collect all of your
wingmen and assault it together.
	If you find yourself alone against a base or capital ship, you
don’t necessarily need to give up hope.  There are a couple of really
sneaky things you can do to get yourself in close without getting shot
up.  We can’t divulge what they are, but they do exist.  Once you get
close enough, try to find the target’s blind spot.  Believe it or not, it’s
actually possible to destroy a huge base with a single Scorpion.  All
you’ve got to do is figure out how.

Power management:
	Earlier in the manual, we mentioned that it is possible to assign
different priorities to the ship’s systems for power distribution.  You
should pay careful attention to this. The systems which consume
power are: engines (for maintaining velocity and acceleration), shields
(for repair), charging the weapons, damage repair (on Gorene ships
only), tractor beams, and stealth devices (on Intruders only).
	If the repair system is last on the priority list, you may find that
there isn’t adequate power to effect repairs at all.  this is especially
likely when you’re in an intense firefight.  If you’re happily blasting
three or four bad guys, thinking that your repair system is keeping your
ship together, you may be in for a rude awakening.
	You may also find that if acceleration is last on your power
priority list, your ship may not have enough power to increase your
speed.  Maintaining speed is one thing, but increasing it is another.
	Obviously, each of the systems on the ship has its own
importance.  You have to decide when one system is more critical than
another, and distribute your power accordingly.

Fighting in a nebula:
	The key to fighting in a nebula is to remember that the nebula
affects all energy weapons.  The ranges of lasers, plasma torpedoes,
disrupters, hellfire, and energy siphons are all cut in half while vector
cannons won’t function at all.  Inexperienced opponents may fire at
you at longer ranges, but they will be wasting their energy.  Wait until
you are extremely close (perhaps 0.3km or closer) before you start
firing lasers.
	If you’re using a Gorene ship (especially a Liberator), take
advantage of the fact that your torpedoes are unaffected by the nebula.
Stay at a distance and pummel them, while taking no damage yourself.
Just don’t forget that the Mazuman neutron cannon is also unaffected
by the nebula, you may pay dearly if you do.
	If you’re running from an opponent, you will be out of laser
range when you’re 0.5km away.  Take this into account when you plan
your attack.

Fighting in a mine field:
	Mine fields present an entirely new problem.  They react to
energy usage.  The more energy you use, the greater the range at which
a mine can detect you.  Mines are intelligent enough to recognize the
IFF transponder codes, and won’t attack friendly ships.
	Once a mine detects you, it will ignite it’s engines and pursue
you like a torpedo.  It has poor maneuverability, and a limited fuel
supply, but it is faster than any ship except the Intruder.  If a mine
locks onto you, it may be a bad idea to try to outrun it, because once
you increase your energy output to accelerate, you’ll probably attract
the attention of several other mines.  The best strategy would be to
stop and face the mine.  You can shoot them down with laser fire if
you’re good.
	If you are near an enemy mine field, beware of opponents who
run towards it when trying to evade you.  If you’re running at top
speed when your enter the mine field, they’ll start buzzing around you
like a swarm of bees.  To make matters worse, your opponent (who
isn’t bothered by the mines) will probably turn on you and engage in a
dogfight.  It will be hard to fight an opponent and a swarm of mines,
especially if you have to control your energy output to avoid being
detected by still more mines.
	All mine fields are controlled by a central communication
satellite.  If you happen to stumble across this mine (which is usually
located near the center of the mine field), destroy it.  This will
deactivate the entire mine field.

Hints on Flying Stealth Missions
	Flying the Gorene Intruder Stealth recon ship is a challenging
endeavor.  It requires strategy, patience and control.  You must
remember that, though your ship is difficult for enemy radar to
perceive, it is not physically invisible.  Don’t get too close to enemy
ships.  Steer around them if they are coming your way and if you’re on
an intercept course with one, stop and let him go by.  Check your
Navigational Screen Tactical Map often to verify the course of any
enemy patrol ships that are close by.  As a general rule, remember to
take your time.  Your stealth battery has a limited supply of power but
it can be recharged.  If power is running low and you still have objects
to scan, head to open space, far from enemy patrols, stop and turn off
your stealth systems to allow your batteries to recharge.  There’s no
prize for completing the mission in the fastest time.  If you are spotted
by a single enemy ship, try to outrun him.  You are flying the fastest
ship in the Ascalon Rift, take advantage of that fact.  If you can’t
dodge a single attacker, lead him away from the other patrol ships and
take him on.  With a little luck a good pilot can sometimes use the
Intruder’s superior speed and maneuverability to defeat an
inexperienced enemy who is flying a better armed and armored vessel.
The operative words here are luck and sometimes.