Skyfox II: The Cygnus Conflict manual
- Skyfox II: The Cygnus Conflict
- manual
Skyfox II
Table of Contents
1 CONFLICT SUMMARY................................................... 1
1.1 About This Manual....................................... 1
2 SKYFOX II QUICK REFERENCE.......................................... 2
2.1 Starting Skyfox II...................................... 2
2.2 Joystick Control........................................ 2
2.3 Cockpit Controls........................................ 2
2.4 Scan Monitor Controls................................... 3
3 THE FEDERATION COMPUTER............................................ 4
3.1 Play.................................................... 4
3.2 Describe................................................ 4
3.3 Level................................................... 4
3.4 Specs................................................... 4
4 SKYFOX II OPERATION................................................ 5
4.1 Skyfox II Cockpit....................................... 5
4.2 Flight.................................................. 6
4.3 Combat.................................................. 7
4.4 Docking and Repair...................................... 9
5 OVERVIEW OF POSSIBLE CONFLICTS.................................... 11
5.1 Xenomorph Uprising..................................... 11
5.2 Incoming............................................... 11
5.3 Intruder Alert......................................... 11
5.4 Guardian............................................... 11
5.5 Grizzly Encounter...................................... 11
5.6 Diplomatic Immunity.................................... 11
5.7 War!................................................... 12
5.8 Spy Versus Xenomorphs.................................. 12
5.9 Xenomorph Juggernaut................................... 12
5.10 The Boondock Expedition................................ 12
FROM: Federation HQ, Terra, Sol
TO: Federation HQ, Deneb, Cygnus
RE: The Cygnus Conflicts - WARPWARRIOR EYES ONLY!
1 CONFLICT SUMMARY
Effective immediately, all Federation Warpwarriors are on Condition Alert.
Intelligence reports that a Xenomorph uprising is in progress. We can only
assume that their ultimate goal is the conquest of the Terran Federation
since all attempts to negotiate with them have thus far failed.
If you'll recall your Academy lessons, the Xenomorphs attempted to
subjugate the Federation on another occasion with unprovoked attacks on our
colonies.
Their defeat was due in large part to the amazing Skyfox warplane. Once we
had driven them from our colonies, we contained them in Cygnus, their home
star system.
now it seems they want once again to spread terror and tyranny across the
galaxy. To meet this new threat, Federation engineers and scientists have
developed the Skyfox II warp fighter. Every Federation Warpwarrior has
been issued a Skyfox II in order to meet and deal with each Cygnus conflict
as it arises.
Your mission in the Cygnus System:
1. Acquaint yourself with your Skyfox II warp fighter.
2. Use the Skyfox II and your experience as one of our finest
Warpwarriors to keep the Xenomorph threat contained in the
Cygnus constellation, and protect all Federation interests
there.
God's Speed Warpwarrior!
1.1 ABOUT THIS MANUAL
This manual is organized to help you become familiar with the Skyfox II
warp fighter in the most expedient manner. The first section is a
reference section on the computer installed in your fighter and its control
sequences. You can refer to this reference section while on patrol or in
battle. The next section of the manual covers every aspect of the Skyfox
II in detail, and the final section details the various conflicts in
Cygnus.
1
2 SKYFOX II QUICK REFERENCE
This section details how to start your Skyfox II, and briefly describes the
function of all its controls. Read this section before continuing with the
rest of the manual, and keep it nearby for reference during your mission.
2.1 STARTING SKYFOX II
Make a backup copy of Skyfox II using Workbench. See "Using the Workbench"
in your copy of 'Introduction to the Amiga' if you need instructions.
STARTING SKYFOX II ON THE AMIGA 500, 1000 OR 2000
1. Insert your joystick into Port 2.
2. Turn on your monitor and computer.
3. If you own an Amiga 500 or 2000, insert the program disk. If
you own an Amiga 1000, insert KickStart 1.2, then wait for
the hand holding a disk to appear onscreen. Insert your
Skyfox II program disk. The game will automatically load.
4. When the title screen first appears or after the credits,
press any key to move to Mission Selection.
2.2 JOYSTICK CONTROL
See section 3 for complete Federation computer instructions. See section 4
for complete combat and flight instructions.
Flight: Move joystick forward to dive, back to climb, and left or
right to change direction of flight. Press the Button to
fire the neutron disruptors.
Non-Flight: When docked, or when using the Federation computer, use
the joystick to position the cursor directly over the
option you want, then press the Button to select.
2.3 COCKPIT CONTROLS
See section 3 for complete Federation computer instructions. See section 4
for complete combat and flight instructions.
0-9 Speed. 0 = stop; 9 = 9,000 KPS (Kilometers Per Second)
A Autopilot. Toggles autopilot on/off.
L Location. Toggles X, Y location on/off.
Control-M Muffler. Toggles engine noise on/off.
Control-R Rescue. Quit current conflict to Mission Evaluation screen
of the Federation computer.
Control-S Silencer. Toggles all sound on/off.
2
D Dock. Dock when you're in the vicinity of a friendly
starbase (See section 4.4 for details).
Del Deceive. Toggles deceptor device on and off.
I Information. Intercepts Xenomorph transactions (only in
certain conflicts - check Overview of Possible Conflicts).
M Mines. Drops anti-matter mines.
O Overview. Displays overview map. Joystick Button puts
it away.
P Pause. Catch your breath, then press P again to
continue.
R Repair. Functions only when docked at a starbase.
S Shield. Toggles defense screens on/off.
Spacebar Photons. Fires photon pulse bombs.
2.4 SCAN MONITOR CONTROLS
See section 4.3.4 for information on using the scan monitor in conjunction
with the HUD.
F1 Toggles between fore and aft screen views.
F3 Puts scan monitor in Long Range mode.
F5 Puts scan monitor in Medium Range mode.
F7 Puts scan monitor in Short Range mode.
3
3 THE FEDERATION COMPUTER
The first thing you'll see when you start your Skyfox II are options
provided by the Federation computer on Terra. You can use the Federation
computer to describe, select, and set the difficulty of your missions. The
Federation computer will also evaluate your performance at the end of, or
when you abort, a mission. The following sections describe the options you
can select from the Federation computer.
3.1 PLAY
After highlighting a conflict, choose PLAY to embark on that mission.
After completing or aborting the mission with the Rescue command (see
section 2.3), the Federation computer will display the following screens:
Mission Summary Screen - Appears when you complete a mission; either by
winning or failing. This screen tells you how you performed in helping to
resolve the conflict; i.e., whether you completed all of your objectives
and lived, or completed only some of your objectives and died. In some
cases, your mission may end, but you are still alive. This means that the
Xenomorphs have accomplished their objectives ahead of you, or you have
simply run out of time. Choose Play Again to retry the mission. Choose
Missions to return to the Mission Selection screen. Choose Evaluation to
see the Evaluation screen for the mission.
Mission Evaluation Screen - Appears when you use the Rescue command.
Evaluates the statistics of your mission; i.e., the number of enemies
destroyed, the level, and so on. Choose Play Again to retry the mission.
Choose Missions to return to the Missions Selection screen. Choose Level
to select an earlier or a harder conflict level.
3.2 DESCRIBE
Gives a brief description of the mission you have highlighted.
3.3 LEVEL
Changes risk level. Choose between Cadet, Wingman, Flight Leader, Squadron
Commander, or Ace of the Base.
3.4 SPECS
Shows the technical specifications of your Skyfox II warp fighter.
4
4 SKYFOX II OPERATION
The following sections describe the capabilities of your new Skyfox II warp
fighter. Please read the operation manual carefully to insure that you
know how to use your ship effectively in the heat of battle.
4.1 SKYFOX II COCKPIT
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| |
| |
| AutoPilot 0 -- HUD Target Ring |
| Off/On |
| | /--------------------\ |
|-------|-------/ \--------------------|
| |-----|-----| |--------------------| |----------------| |
|-----|-|- 99 A 20-|-|| ==> | | ER___________ -|-|-----|
| | | -- -- -- | || | ||-|-XX SH_______ --|-|---| |
| |---|-|-| | || | || || Scan Monitor || | XX DM________--|-|-| | |
| | | | --- -- ---| ||--------------------|| |----------------| | | | |
| | |--|------------|----------------------|--------------|-----| | | |
| | | | Incoming!| SHORT | | | | | |
| | | |---|--------|----------|-----------|--------------| | | | |
| | |------|--------|----------|-----------|--------------------| | | |
| | | Mines | | Damage Indicator|
Photons FTLC Warning Indicator | Shield on Indicator | |
| | Shield Level
Target Identifier Range Indicator |
Energy Level
5
4.2 FLIGHT
The following sections describe how to pilot your warp fighter into combat.
4.2.1 Launch
Press the fire button to launch from a starbase docking bay. Your Skyfox
II is always launch-ready while docked, except during repairs - you must
cancel any repairs currently underway before you can launch.
4.2.2. Flight Control
Federation engineers have designed the Skyfox II flight control systems to
operate as much like the original Skyfox fighter as possible. Push the
stick forward to lower, and pull it back to raise the nose of your ship.
Move the stick left or right to change direction.
4.2.3 Navigation
This section describes how to navigate your Skyfox II. You can navigate
manually, or you can select a destination on the overview map and let your
autopilot guide you there. However, the autopilot will not avoid
asteroids. You can either attack and destroy asteroids in your direct path
or override autopilot with manual steering to avoid them. Use the
following steps to program your autopilot:
1. Display the overview map (see section 2).
2. Use the joystick to move the cursor to your desired
destination on the map.
3. Press the Button to choose location.
4. Set your flight speed (see section 2).
5. Engage the autopilot (see section 2).
The autopilot will automatically disengage when you reach your destination.
Note: Turning on your autopilot will return your Skyfox II to the level of
the orbital plane in Cygnus. So, if you're flying above the orbital plane,
you'll descend to it. If you're beneath it, Autopilot will lift your
fighter to the level of the orbital plane. All starbases and wormholes are
located on the orbital plane.
Using Wormholes: Littered throughout the Cygnus star system are
astrophysical anomalies known as "wormholes". Wormholes are byproducts of
black holes, and you can use them to quickly travel between different
points within Cygnus. When you enter a wormhole, you leave our universe
and enter a region that Federation
6
physicists have termed "nullspace." Because time and distance have no
correlation in nullspace, you will emerge from the "twin" wormhole,
possibly many millions of kilometers from your original location, but only
a few seconds later. The map included with your Skyfox II package shows
the locations of all the known wormholes in the Cygnus star system.
Wormholes appear as red dots on your scan monitor. To enter, target it
using your HUD; as you approach, you'll see the wormhole flashing on your
screen. Reduce your speed to keep the wormhole in sight. As you're
travelling through, the screen will blur. Note: Be prepared for possible
ambush when emerging from wormholes in Xenomorph space.
4.2.4 Speed
Speed is measured in klicks (kilometers) per second (KPS). Press number
keys 0 through 9 to set flight speed (0 = stop; 9 = 9,000 KPS). Your
current speed appears under the anti-matter mines register in the cockpit.
4.3 COMBAT
The following sections describe the combat capabilities of the Skyfox II.
See section 2 for cockpit controls.
4.3.1 Neutron Disruptors
Disruptors shoot directly towards the target ring in the HUD. Use them to
destroy enemy ships, and asteroids. The nuclear cells power the disruptors
- if the nuke cells run out of energy, the disruptors are useless.
4.3.2 Photon Pulse Bombs
Photons shoot directly toward the targeting ring when no enemies are
present. When an enemy vessel is visible through the front view screen,
the photon locks on and tracks the enemy vessel. Pulse bombs are the only
way to reliably destroy an enemy starbase. They will also destroy
asteroids, no matter their size. The pulse bombs are useless if the Skyfox
II photon tubes are damaged during battle or by an asteroid collision.
Photons are self-contained and do not use energy from the nuke cells. Th
photons indicator in the cockpit displays the number of photons in your
arsenal. The number of available photons will change depending upon your
current mission.
7
4.3.3 Anti-Matter Mines
Drop Anti-matter Mines from the rear of your Skyfox II. Mines are timed
and explode when they strike an enemy, or when their time is up. Mines
cause extensive damage to enemy ships.
Mines are self-contained and do not use energy from the nuke cells. The
mines indicator in the cockpit displays the number of mines in your
arsenal. The number of available mines will change depending upon your
current mission.
4.3.4 HUD (Heads Up Display)
HUD is the Skyfox targeting system, vital for locating and destroying enemy
ships and starbases. The HUD automatically locks onto the nearest ship or
starbase within medium range. The locked object will flash on the scan
monitor. When the HUD locks on, its target ring displays an arrow
indicating the direction you should move the joystick in order to intercept
the target. The targeting ring then changes color to indicate the distance
to the target and the likelihood of a hit. The ring is green when
nothing's in range, gray when a potential target is distant, white at
mid-range, and red when your target is closest.
The target identifier readout in the cockpit displays the identity of
objects flashing on the scan monitor and targeted by the HUD. You can
select the various active targets by pressing Return. The HUD, scan
monitor, and target identifier will all change to show the currently
targeted object as you press Return. The target identifier and the scan
monitor both display different targets in different colors:
Green Federation
Blue Xenomorph
Purple Third World
Note: If your HUD is damaged during the combat, or by asteroid collisions,
toggling the fore and aft view (see section 3.4) can approximate a target
finder until you can dock and repair your HUD system.
8
4.3.5 Deceptor Device
An invisibility device that conceals your Skyfox from enemy radar and
sight. Firing neutron disruptors, photon pulse bombs, or dropping an
anti-matter mine will temporarily disengage this device, thus revealing
your location. When the deceptor is activated, the view through the main
screen is tinted red, and the deceptor device indicator in the cockpit
glows. The deceptor device uses a huge amount of energy from the nuke
cells, so use it only when necessary.
4.3.6 Shields
Shields absorb damage normally inflicted upon your ship by asteroids and
Xenomorphs. Shields are automatically engaged upon takeoff. Shield energy
is supplied by the nuclear batteries. When the shields are too damaged to
take the full impact of a hit, or the nuke cells are too low to adequately
replenish the shields, the damage is sustained by your ship. Skyfox
systems that may be damaged or destroyed by enemy fire or asteroid
collisions are: neutron disruptors; deceptor device; photon tubes; scan
monitor; KPS indicator; HUD; and FTLC. The shield bar graph in the cockpit
shows your current shield charge. The shield-on indicator in the cockpit
glows red when the shields are active.
4.4 DOCKING AND REPAIR
This section describes the procedure you use to dock with a Federation
starbase to replenish your weapons, recharge your nuke cells, and repair
damaged ship systems. Use the following steps to dock with a starbase:
1. Reduce speed to about 1,000 KPS and approach the starbase.
2. Your ship will stop when the starbase locks you into its
docking beam.
3. Use the "Dock" command (see section 2).
4. The overview map appears with a starbase selected. Find the
selected starbase on your map of Cygnus and type in the first
four letters of the starbase name. The correct code identifies
you as a Federation ship, and the starbase pulls your ship
into the docking bay.
Once you are in the docking bay, starbase crews will begin recharging your
nuke cells and reloading your photons.
9
Use the Repaid command (see section 2) to repair damaged systems. A
schematic diagram of your Skyfox II appears on the cockpit main screen.
Damaged systems appear yellow when partially damaged and red when they're
not functioning and require replacement. Undamaged systems are green.
Move the screwdriver onto a damaged system and press the Button to tell the
starbase repair crew to begin. Repairs take time, and Xenomorphs don't
wait for you to finish, so keep an eye on your scan monitor. Be prepared
for the possibility of launching and defending the starbase before repairs
are complete.
10
5 OVERVIEW OF POSSIBLE CONFLICTS
What follows are summaries developed by Federation tacticians of possible
conflicts that may arise in the Cygnus system. Study them carefully -
because you may have to eventually experience one or more of them first
hand.
5.1 XENOMORPH UPRISING
Xenomorph battlegroups are converging on Federation territory from Xeno
starbase Zebra. Your mission is to destroy both the attackers and starbase
Zebra.
5.2 INCOMING
Long-range scanners have spotted incoming Xenomorph missiles approaching
your starbase through Asteroid Alley. Destroy the missiles, their launch
point, and return to your starbase.
5.3 INTRUDER ALERT
A Xenomorph battlegroup has invaded Federation territory. The intruders
pose a hostile threat. Seek out and destroy all the enemy fighters.
5.4 GUARDIAN
A Federation frigate has been badly damaged. Your assignment is to escort
the crippled ship from starbase Madrid to Havana, where the frigate will be
repaired. Watch out for Xeno attacks from Asteroid Alley.
5.5 GRIZZLY ENCOUNTER
A Xenomorph convoy is enroute to starbase Grizzly with a secret weapon.
Destroy the convoy before it can reach Grizzly. You must also prevent
diversionary attacks on Federation starbases.
5.6 DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY
The Xenomorphs have requested a peace conference. Accompany Ambassador
Grace on his way to the Xeno-Federation Peace Summit. Protect the
Ambassador's ship at all costs in the event of a Xenomorph trap.
11
5.7 WAR!
The Xenomorphs have officially declared war on the Federation. Their
leaders have ordered a huge invasion force to mobilize at starbase Charlie
in preparation for attack. Use all your skill to protect endangered
Federation territory.
5.8 SPY VERSUS XENOMORPHS
The Xenomorphs are readying a secret war plan against the Federation.
Proceed to Xeno HQ, using your Deceptor device as necessary to avoid
detection, and intercept the secret transmission using the Information
cockpit command (see section 2). Then return to Federation HQ with the
information.
5.9 XENOMORPH JUGGERNAUT
The secret Xenomorph war plan is about to come to fruition. They have
built a massive death base near their homestar. Their commanders are
readying yet another, and possibly the final, assault on the Federation.
Pulverize this base before the Xenos attack!
5.10 THE BOONDOCK EXPEDITION
Find the lost starbase Boondockia. Federation experts estimate this to be
a four-day mission. Once you arrive there, attempt to dock with the
ancient starbase (it is not known whether the starbase is under friendly or
hostile domination). Your ship is specially equipped with solar power
collectors which continuously replenish the nuclear batteries. Bring along
lots of supplies to help you explore the furthest reaches of space. Note:
Once out in deep space, use the Deceptor device with extreme caution. The
Deceptor device drains your nukes more quickly than the solar power
collectors can restore them, and docking to replenish your energy supplies
may be impossible in the midst of this expedition.
12
============================================================================
DOCS PROVIDED BY -+*+-THE SOUTHERN STAR-+*+- for M.A.A.D.
============================================================================
