Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
RULE BOOK
SSi
STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
What Comes With the Game?
Before You Play
Getting Started Quickly
Using Menus
Beginning to Play
MODIFYING CHARACTERS AND TEAMS
Team Creation/Training Menu
Non-Player Characters (NPCs)
Viewing Characters
Character Status
ADVENTURING
Display Screens and Points of View
3-D and Area Views
Combat View
Overland Map
Solar Map
Adventuring Options
Outposts
Encounters
Combat
After the Battle
Space Combat
After Space Combat
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+ INTRODUCTION
-What Comes With the Game?
You should find the following items in the game box:
*Disks
*Rule Book
*Log Book
*Data Card
This Rule Book is designed to explain all your options and guide you
through playing the game. If you are not familiar with the BUCK ROGERS
XXVc game system, you will find helpful information about how things
work in the Log Book.
The Log Book contains a variety of information including details about
character careers, technology, combat and an introduction to the
adventure story. The Log Book also includes the maps, information,
rumors, and stories that you will need to play the game. You will
discover for yourself which of the tales you hear are fact and which
are fiction.
The Data Card explains how to start the game and select items and menu
options with your specific computer. It also shows how to get right
into the game without having to read through the rules.
-BEFORE YOU PLAY
There is no copy protection on your COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY disks, so
please make backup copies and put the originals away for safekeeping.
When you start the game, you will be asked to answer a verification
question from this Rule Book or the Log Book before you can play. Turn
to the page as indicated for either this Rule Book or the Log Book,
find the indicated word, type it in and press the Return or Enter key.
-GETTING STARTED QUICKLY
COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSOAY comes with a ready-made team that allows you to
begin adventuring immediately. Use the instructions on the Data Card
to load the saved game that has been provided and begin playing. These
rules and the Log Book will answer any questions during play.
-USING MENUS
All commands are menu based, and the concept of the active character
is central to the game. Outside of combat the active character's name
is highlighted on the display. During combat the active character is
surrounded with a cursor at the start of his combat segment.
During combat the active character is chosen automatically according
to the characters' initiative and random factors. Other times you may
select which character is active before choosing other commands.
If a command affects the whole team, just select the command. If the
command affects one character, make that character active and then
choose the command.
Example: To look at a character's equipment, select that
character, choose the VIEW command, and then choose
the GEAR command. The computer displays a list of
that character's gear.
Menus are displayed either vertically or horizontally.
Vertical menus select the character or item to be acted upon. If there
are more choices than will fit on the screen at one time, use the NEXT
and PREV commands to view the additional selections.
Example: When purchasing gear, selections are made from a
vertical menu list of equipment.
Horizontal menus list what that character can do or what can be done
to the character. In the rules. menus are shown with all
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of their options. In some cases, options will not be available every
time a menu appears.
Example:
Booty Menu:
VIEW TAKE POOL DIVVY EXIT
The options TAKE and DIVVY will only appear if there
is booty to take.
The Rule Book only lists the general menus. Special menus will appear
with many encounters that indicate available options.
-BEGGINNING TO PLAY
To begin playing the game you must load a saved game or make
characters and band them together into a team.
CREATE NEW CHARACTER
ADD CHARACTER TO TEAM
LOAD SAVED GAME
INITIALIZE MOUSE/JOYSTICK (Some computer Systems)
EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH (Some computer Systems)
CREATE NEW CHARACTER is used to build a character. Detailed
information about characters, races, careers and so on is available
in the Log Book. This command starts the process of making a new
character.
*PICK RACE lists six races a player-character can be in the
twenty-fifth century.
*PICK GENDER lists the sex the character can be.
*PICK CAREER lists the careers a character is qualified for based
on race.
The computer randomly generates the character's ability scores, If you
are not happy with the scores, you may roIl them again. Remember that
you can use the MODIFY CHARACTER command on the Team Creation/Training
Menu to change the character's ability scores and hitpoints (HP) after
the character has been generated.
*CHARACTER NAME provides a 15 letter space to type in the
character's name. On some computer systems the character is named
after the abilities scores are generated.
*ALLOCATE SKILL POINTS allows you to allocate points to the
character's Career and then General skills. This phase really
determines a character's strengths and weaknesses. See the section
on skills in the Log Book for more information.
*SELECT CHARACTER ICON allows you to select the shape that will
represent the character in combat. You can select new combat icons
from the Training Center menu. On some systems the character will
be saved after the combat icon is selected.
*EXIT from any of the character creation menus will display the
Team Creation Menu.
ADD CHARACTER TO TEAM allows you to add characters to the team from
+ ADVENTURING
After setting up your team and reading the background information in
the Log Book, it is time to head for adventure, fame, and glory. Your
team will engage in fierce battles, find booty, and sometimes have to
stop, and recuperate from battle.
-DISPLAY SCREENS AND POINTS OF VIEW
During the adventure, teams must travel from planet surfaces to the
reaches of space. There are several points of view or areas that are
displayed for different regions.
-3-D AND AREA VIEWS
3-D view appears in towns, aboard enemy rocketships and so on. This
view appears at the top left of your screen and shows the surrounding
area from the team's perspective. Rotate the team's facing and move
using the directional controls. The direction controls for your
computer are described on the Data Card.
Area view provides an overhead view of the team's surroundings,
replacing the 3-D view. Choose the AREA command from the Adventure
Menu. This view is not available in many regions.
In the area display a cursor shows the team's
computer systems, the cursor is an arrow that
facing. On some computer systems you may move
view, on others this view is only to help you
position. On some
indicates current team
around while in the area
get your bearings.
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To the right of the point of view window, in either 3-D or Area, are
the map coordinates, current time, facing direction (N, S, W, E) and
what the team is doing.
Every time the team moves a square, one minute of game time passes.
-COMBAT VIEW
Combat view occurs automatically whenever the team engages in battle.
The combat screen is a detailed view of the area the team was in when
the encounter began.
-OVERLAND MAP
This view displays a large region and is used to move across planetary
surfaces. Move the team with normal direction controls.
-SOLAR MAP
Solar Map view is used when the team is traveling in its rocketship to
another planet or outpost. Simply move the ship towards the
destination as you would move in any other view. The difference
between this view and others is that destinations are orbiting the
sun, and they move as the ship does. The relative speed of the ship is
very fast, so reaching destinations is not difficult-that is if there
are no encounters with pirates or RAM warships.
Each move on the solar map takes three days of game time.
-ADVENTURING OPTIONS
The Adventure Menu controls normal game options while exploring or
traveling between planets or outposts. While travelmg on the solar
map, some commands are not available.
Adventure Menu:
MOVE AREA VIEW LOOK CHANGE ROCKET SAVE
MOVE is used to actually get to where you can move the team around the
map. The team can turn right or left, turn around, or move forward.
Refer to the Data Card for computer-specific movement information.
Select EXIT to return to the Adventure Menu.
AREA toggles between the area and 3-D view. In many regions this
command may not be available.
VIEW displays the character screen and the View Menu.
LOOK is used to search an individual square. Looking in a square takes
ten minutes of game time.
CHANGE is used to change the characters in the team and the parameters
of the game.
Change Menu:
ORDER PURGE MESSAGES ANIM LEVEL EXIT
*ORDER changes how the characters are listed on the screen and how
they are deployed in combat. Characters at the top of the list
tend to be on the front line in combat.
*PURGE eliminates a character from the team and erases him from the
saved game disk. A purged character is gone forever and may not
be recovered.
*MESSAGES controls the rate at which messages are printed on the
screen. If the game is running too slowly. use the FASTER command
to speed up the displays. If you have trouble reading messages,
try the SLOWER command.
*ANIM allows you to toggle the animation of the close-up pictures
on and off. Turning the animation off speeds up the game. This
command is not available on all computers.
*LEVEL permits you to adjust combat difficulty.
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Level Menu:
NOVICE CADET TROOPER VETERAN ACE
The game is preset at the Trooper level. This is the level at which we
consider the game to be balanced. To make the combats easier, choose
either the Novice (easiest) or Cadet level. To make the combats more
difficult, choose either the Veteran or Ace (hardest) level.
When you choose to make the game more difficult, you are rewarded by
receiving more experience points from your combats. When you choose to
make the game easier, you are penalized by receiving fewer experience
points from your combats.
Receiving fewer experience points will slow the rate at which your
characters advance levels. Advancing at a slower rate will give you
less powerful characters which, in the long run, may more than offset
the benefits of playing at an "easy" level.
ROCKET is used to examine the team's rocketship. This is only
available during space travel, and may not be on all computer systems.
SAVE stores the characters and current game
directory. Saved games may be loaded either
from the Team CreationI Training Menu. Save
surviving really tough encounters. See your
computer-specific saving instructions.
-OUTPOSTS
Outposts are pockets of humanity, if not civilization, sprinkled
around the solar system. They range in size for city-sized
installations on planets to glorified rocketship service stations
among the furthest asteroids. Outposts are where teams can buy new
gear and ammunition, get ship repairs and purchase fuel.
The Outpost Menu allows the team to get to the various facilities that
may be found in outposts. Larger stations, of course, have a greater
variety of services to offer than the smaller frontier outposts.
OUTPOST MENU:
BANK DOWNTOWN
HOSPITAL
PORT
TRAINING
EXIT
*DEPOSIT prompts you for the number of credits you wish to deposit.
*WITHDRAW allows funds to be retrieved from the team account.
*EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.
DOWNTOWN is where Shops, Restaurants, and so on are located.
Downtown Menu:
SHOP LIBRARY
BAR
RESTAURANT
EXIT
Port Menu:
LAUNCH REPAIR
FUEL
AMMO
MED SUP
EXIT
POOL
DIVVY
EXIT
EXIT leaves the scene of the battle. If any booty remains. the option
to return to the Booty Menu is displayed.
-Space Combat
The solar system is a dangerous place in the twenty-fifth century.
Space travel is filled with the constant threat of pirates and RAM
warships. In space combat there are two basic menus; one for the
pilot, and another for the crew. Not all options in space combat menus
are always available.
Pilot Menu:
FIRE TARGET QUIT VIEW
CLOSE WITHDRAW RAM BOARD
FIRE allows the pilot to attack with the ship's K-cannons and
missiles. This attack has the greatest chance to hit, and will affect
random systems on the enemy ship.
TARGET allows the pilot to fire the ship's K-cannons and missiles at
specific systems on the enemy ship. Targeting is more difficult than
the general FIRE command.
QUIT ends the pilot's turn.
VIEW allows you to examine either the ship or the pilot.
CLOSE shortens the distance between your ship and the enemy ship. If
the enemy ship is faster than yours, and attempts to WITHDRAW, you
will not be able to close.
WITHDRAW attempts to escape the enemy ship. If your ship is not faster
than the enemy ship, you will not be able to disengage.
RAM is an attempt to crash your ship into the enemy ship. RAM uses the
pilot's Pilot Rocket skill to determine success. When ships ram, the
damage inflicted on each ship is the tonnage of the other ship. For
example, if a 150 ton ship rams a 50 ton ship, the larger ship suffers
50 points of hull damage while the smaller ship suffers 150 points of
hull damage.
BOARD is only available if the enemy ship can no longer maneuver and
the range is zero or one. When you board your team docks with the
enemy ship's airlock, and they must fight their way in. The only way
to salvage a ship is to board it and capture both the control bridge
and engineering sections. Sections that have been destroyed do not
have to be secured. Only characters with spacesuits or armor can board
ships with zero life support.
Crew Menu:
FIRE TARGET
COMMAND AID
FIRE is similar to the Pilot Menu command, except that crew members
may only fire lasers.
TARGET is similar to the Pilot Menu command, except that crew members
may only fire lasers.
LOAD reloads ship's weapons. This command only appears when a weapon
is empty or not fully loaded. The weapons that are ready to be loaded
are displayed when LOAD is selected.
JURYRIG appears when some weapon or system has been damaged, and if
the character has the Jury Rig skill. Ship's systems can only be
successfully jury rigged once per battle. Weapons can be jury rigged
whenever they are nonfunctional. The chance for success and degree of
accomplishment is based on the character's skill level. When this
command is selected a menu of damaged systems will come up.
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QUIT ends the character's turn.
VIEW allows you to examine either the ship or the character.
COMMAND only appears when the pilot is dead or incapacitated. COMMAND
orders the current character to take control and pilot the ship.
Remember: Put a character with good Pilot Rocketship skill into the
pilot's position if the first pilot is incapacitated--this skill is
crucial in space combat.
AID only appears when a character is bleeding to death, and the
current character has either a Treat Light Wounds, or First Ald skill.
BOOST ENGINES attempts to squeeze extra speed from the rocket engines.
This command only appears if the current character has Nuclear Engine
Repair skill. The engines may be damaged if the skill check fails.
Engines can only be boosted successfully twice during a battle.
SENSOR only appears if the current character has Sensor Operation
skill. This is an attempt to probe the enemy ship.
-After Space Combat
After your team has defeated the enemy ship. boarded it, and secured
both the bridge and engineering sections, a salvage beacon is attached
to the hulk and a NEO tug will pick it up. The team is automatically
credited the salvage value of the ship in their NEO salvage account.
This account can be used to pay for ship repairs, fuel, ammo, and
medical supplies at any space port.
At the same time as the beacon is being placed, all salvageable fuel
from the defeated ship will be transferred to your ship.
Medics on the team will perform whatever services they can for the
wounded, and additionally, all possible field repairs will be made on
the ship. If there are any valuables on the captured ship a Booty Menu
will also come up.