SPACE CONQUEST: - A Galactic Odyssey

Typed by ???  Edited by PARASITE.


INTRODUCTION
You have just been given command of the Enola Gay II, a vessel designed
for colonization by the Association of Solar Systems. Your orders are
to colonize a section of the galaxy consisting of nine solar systems.
Simple enough..... too simple.

In the early hours of May 24th, 2112, at exactly 03:23:00 AM, you
receive a message from your commanding officer, Admiral Omega. It
seems a vessel identified as the Mancer, commanded by Admiral Necro,
has entered this section of the galaxy with the intent to colonize the
very planets that YOU were ordered to colonize. The Association sees
this action by Mancer as a threat. You are given following
priorities:

    1. Colonize a majority of the planets in each solar systems.
    2. Seek out and destroy the Mancer.

You are to carry out your duties in that order. Colonize first,
destroy later. The Mancer is far too powerful of a ship to be taken by
your colonization craft. You will need the support of the solar
systems in order to assure the security of the area. If these planets
fall into an empire created by Admiral Necro, then be will be powerful
enough to overthrow the Association of Solar Systems.

When you have colonized the majority of solar systems in the area, the
Association will feel confident enough to send out enough fighters to
destroy the Mancer. Until then, the Association can not be sure that
the people of this galaxy are not supporters of Necro. The Association
can not risk sending fighters to their possible destruction.

GETTING STARTED
You will first see the introduction. Press any key to bypass the
introduction. After a period of time, the main program will be loaded
and you will be prompted to insert Disk B of SPACE CONQUEST. Do so and
hit return. (Hard drive users will bypass this prompt).

Next, you will be asked to choose a level. NOVICE is the easiest
level, as the Mancer will colonize rather slowly in the Novice level.
The Mancer colonize at a moderate speed in the ADVANCED level. In the
EXPERT level, the Mancer colonizes planets at the highest rate of
speed.

You will next be required to identify yourself to the Ship's
Computers. The Computers will then do a Retina Scan to verify the
identification. Afterwards you should set your warp for the solar
system you wish to begin colonization.

PLAYING THE GAME
Once you have entered a solar system, you should move around the
System Map. Do this by placing the mouse pinter on one of the square
adjoining your ship and pressing the left button. Continue doing this
until the ship reaches its destination. When you have stablished orbit
(by moving your ship on top of the desired planet), you should
Communicate with the planet, Scan the planet, Board your shuttle with
a crew, and Launch the shuttle to the planet in order to colonize it.
Once you have colonized a majority of the planets in that solar
system, you should set warp for another solar system and proceed to
colonize that system.

Sound simple enough, but there are several obstacles that will get in
the way. For one, there are hundreds of fighter pilots that Admiral
Necro has sent out to destroy anyone who oppose him. Then there is the
fact that you command a small ship that can only carry a small crew,
so you will need to restock your crew at the STARBASE or from the
planets that you colonize. After fighting the enemies and hopping
about the solar systems, your supplies tend to run low. Your Fuel,
along with your Missiles and Beam Energy, will need to be restocked at
the STARBASE.

Then there is the Mancer itself. Should you even dare to occupy the
same co-ordinates with this monster of a space craft, you will feel
the wrath of Admiral Necro.

THE SHIP - ENOLA GAY II
At the top of the ship you will see the Date Counter. On the left side
of the screen are four buttons: [COMM]UNICATE, [SCAN], [BAY], AND
[DRIV]ES. On the right side of the screen are the other four buttons:
[DEFL]ECTORS, [MISS]ILES, [STAT]US, AND [DIST]RESS. In the middle of
the screen is the viewing are where an array of different things will
happen. At the bottom of the screen is the Message area where
important information will be conveyed to you.

SHIP'S FUNCTIONS
COMM]UNICATE - This function allows you to Communicate with the
planet that you are orbiting, or with the STARBASE.

If you choose to Communicate with the STARBASE, they will send you an
update on how many planets and solar systems you have colonized and
how many plantes and solar systems the Mancer has colonized.

If you Communicate with the planet, several things may happen. If the
planet has the technology to Communicate with you, then it will. If
not, there will be no response. The people of the planet may be
willing to help or they may be hostile towards you. Act accordingly.

[SCAN] - This function allows you to Scan your ship's Damage, the
Universal and Galatic maps, or the Planet you are orbiting.

If you decide to Scan your ship's damage, a blueprint of the ship will
appear on the screen. The damaged areas, if any, will be highlighed in
red. If your shields are on, a purple outline will appear around the
ship.

If you Scan the Galactic Map, then grid maps of solar systems will
appear on the screen. You may choose a solar system and view the
planets within.

If you choose to Scan the planet, several bits of information will
appear on the screen: the precentage of land, the thickness of
atmosphere, the density of the gravity, the level of technology, the
name of the galaxy that the planet is located in, the name of the
planet and how many moons orbit it. This information will be used for
colonization purposes, and helps you figure out the crew requirements
to successfully colonize that planet. ( See " THE SHIP'S CREW" for
more details).

[BAY] - This function will take you to the shuttle bay of the ship.
Here you can Board the shuttle with the crew, or Launch the shuttle to
the planet in an attempt to colonize it.

[DRIV]ES - This function allows you to access your ship's drives. You
may Set your warp or Engage the warp drive engines.

By choosing the Set Warp option, you will be able to select the next
solar system you wish to enter, or select the STARBASE in order to
resupply or repair your ship. The Engage option will, if you have set
your destination, warp you into the selected solar system.

[DEFL]ECTORS - This function will enable you to activate or deactivate
your deflectors or shields. The deflectors will absorb a lot of the
damage that the enemy may inflict upon your ship. The deflectors,
however, require a lot of fuel to operate.

[MISS]ILES - This is a combat function only. With this option, you
will lock your missiles on the target and fire the missiles. The
missiles are your most powerful artillery. The missile will destroy
any of the fighter pilots that Admiral Necro has sent after you. There
are only four missiles, however, so use them conservatively.

[STAT]US - This fuction will give a complete status of the Enola Gay
II. On the screen will be listed the following items:

1. How much beam energy is left.
2. How many missiles are left.
3. How much fuel is in tanks one and two.
4. How many marines, colonists, and linguists are in the crew's
quarters.
5. How much damage has been done to the ship.
6. How many planets and galaxies you have colonized.

[DIST]RESS - This is "Last Resort" button. This function will give you
the options of surrendering to Admiral Necro, or activating, the
self-destruct procedure of the ship. Either one will end your career
with the Association of Solar Sytems. You can abort the self-destruct
procedure by clicking on ABORT or pressing the letter [A].

THE SHIP'S CREW
There are four types of people on board the Enola Gay II aside from
the ship's captain. These four types are as follows:

MARINES - These are necessary for colonizing planets when the
technology on the planet reaches a certain level.

    When the TECHNOLOGY level is:
         1-4, no marines are needed.
         5-6, one marine is required.
         7-8, two marines are necessary.
         9-10, three marines are needed.

The higher the technology, the more advanced the people are with their
weapons, and so more marines are needed to protect against uprisings.

COLONISTS - These are the people that will actually establish an
Association colony on the planet. The more land there is, the more
colonists are needed.

    If the LAND is:
         1-25% , one colonist is needed
        26-50% , two colonists are needed.
        51-75% , three colonists are needed
        76-100%, then four colonist are needed.

SCIENTISTS - These are usually required for every planet. A scientist
and his equipment is needed if the atmosphere is too thick or too
thin.

    If the ATMOSPHERE is: 1-2 or 9-10, then a scientist is needed,
    If the GRAVITY is less that 3.8m/s or greater than 14.8m/s, then a
Scientist and his equipment are required to colonize the planet.

LINGUISTS - This linguists are seldom used. If you should communicate
with a planet and your linguist needs to translate the message, then
you must also send one with the rest of the crew so that the colony
may communicate with the native of the planet.

COMBAT
Combat may occur in three different situations: The first would be a
chance encounter with one of Admiral Necro's fighter pilots; the
second situation would be while you are in orbit around a planet
colonized by Admiral Necro, and the final situation would be with the
Mancer itself, but that would be a most unwelcomed encounter.

You have two types of weapons available to you. There are the Missiles
which are operated through the [MISS] button, and there are the Beams
which are activated by simply positioning the crosshairs on the screen
where you wish to fire, and clicking the mouse button. The Missiles
are much more deadly that the Beams, but the Beams are in greater
supply.

SHIP'S DAMAGE
When your ship receives damage, then something will become
inoperative. Some things may still work, but only half as well. Here
is a list of what each section of the ship controls:

1. Impulse Engines - There are two separate impulse engines. If one is
destroyed, the other will still move the ship. If both are destroyed,
then the ship can not move within the solar system until they are
fixed.

2. Warp Drives - If the Warp drives are destroyed, you will not be
able to Engage your Warp, so interstellar travel will be disabled
until the drives are repaired.

3. Crew's Quarters - This is where the crew lives, and also where the
shuttle bay is located. If this is damaged, then some of the crew will
be killed, and the shuttle will be in operative.

4. Laser Cannons - These are where your Beams are fired from. If one
is destroyed, the other will still function, then you will not be able
to use Beams during combat.

5. Missile Launchers - These are where your Missiles are launched
from. If one is destroyed, then the other Missile will still be fired.
If both are damaged, then you will be without Missile until they are
repaired.

6. Central Computers - The central computers control most of what you
see on the screen. They control the Scan, Communication, Status, and
several other options. If they are damaged, you are in bad shape until
they're repaired.

7. Pilot - This is more or less the cockpit of the Enola Gay II. If
this is damaged, then no functions of the ship will work. Not because
everything is damaged, but because no information will be carried from
the cockpit to the rest of the ship.

(NOTE: When something is damaged, it will be repaired in time by the
ship's own repiar crew; but when systems are severely damaged, they
require a long time to repair.

STARBASE
The Starbase is where you begin your mission of colonizing the
planets, but you may also return to the Starbase as often as you like.
The Starbase provides several services for your ship:

First, you may restock your ship. This consists of refueling,
restocking the missiles, and recharging the beam energy.

Secondly, you will receive a full crew. This will replace your
Marines, Colonists, Scientists, and Linquists so that you have at
least 15 of each when you depart.

Finally, the Starbase will repair any and all damage that the Enola
Gay II has suffered during your mission.

All these benefits have one drawback: they take time. The Mancer will
be busy colonizing planets while you are resting at the Starbase Inn.

PLANET INHABITANTS
There are four major races that you will encouter on your conquest to
colonize the solar systems. There are the BELLUVIANS, the TENTAGENS,
the EMULTIONS, and the ALIANTS.

BELLUVIANS usually welcome the Association colonization, although some
may be against the idea. These purple-skinned creatures are generally
peaceful in nature and want to resist the evil empire of the Mancer.

TENTAGENS are a harmless and peaceful species found mostly in the
Cygnus and Xanadu systems. They are against the Mancer empire, but
don't have the knowledge of war to protect themselves. The Tentagens
have requested Association colonization for their own protection.

EMULTIONS are usually split on the Association's colonization. While
some welcome the idea, others oppose it. They are generally
reasonable, and very diplomatic about negotiations. These green
creatures pose no threat to the Association and are considered
friends.

ALIANTS are a barbaric race that thrive on hate and war. Thet are very
unreasonable in their thinking and are thought to be allies with the
Mancer empire. These ant-like creatures should be dealt with very
carefully for the sake of peace. A two-front war is not a welcomed
idea by the Association.

ANDROIDS are the robotic henchmen of Admiral Necro. Thet fly his
hordes of fighter crafts and they patrol his conquered planets. These
androids have been programmed to resist any opposition to the Mancer
empire.

SOLAR SYSTEMS
There are nine solar systems in this section of the galaxy. Therefore,
you must colonize five of those in order to have a majority of the
solar system in your favor.

Each solar system contains nine planets. Therefore, you must colonize
five of these planets in order to have a majority of the planets in
the solar system in your favor.

There are also asteroid fields in each solar system. These will do
tremendous damage to your ship if you stay within one for any length
of time. Here is an advance scouting report telling you what is known
about the solar systems you will encounter:

ZETA - The planets in this sytem are predominantly inhabited by
Belluvians. This system is most known for their neutral policies
concerning other organizations in war. Overall this is a peaceful
system.

CYGNUS - The planets in this solar system are inhabited mostly be
Tentagens. This is a weak system, and is a prime candidate for
conquest by any organization since the Tentagens are harmless in
nature.

ALPHA - The Alpha system is inhabited mostly be Emultions. This system
has no distinct feelings towards colonization by Association. The
Emultions are divided in their opinions.

LUTHORS - A solar system inhabited mostly by Aliants. The hard
feelings between the Association and the Aliants is constantly
building. The tense situations may evolve into war against the
Association in the future. Colonize with caution.

OMEGA - Another system that is inhabited mostly by Belluvians. This
sytem is much like the Zeta system. The Belluvians in this system
however have mixed feelings. Although most welcome the Association,
some may be against the idea of colonization.

XANADU - Inhabited mostly be Tentagens. Again, since these creatures
are peaceful in nature, the system should be easy enough to colonize.
Remember though, Admiral Necro knows this too.

RENAISE - Predominantly inhabited by the Aliats. Keepong the tenseness
between the Aliants and the Association in mind, it may be wise to
leave the Aliant planets in peace to avoid future revolutions.

ORION - The last solar system in this section of the galaxy. It is
also inhabited by the Belluvians, so it should be looked at for
colonization purposed. Be sure to communicate with the planets to
determine their attitudes towards colonization.

THE BLACK HOLES
The silent, but deadly, menaces in the universe are the Black Holes.
There is only one Black Hole in this section of the galaxy and your
Central Computers know how to steer around it. If your Computers or
your Warp Drive are damaged though, you may run right into it and that
spells the end for you and your crew.

Warping from one solar system to the next is a very complex process,
though for you it happens very quickly. There are literally millions
of calculations involved before the warp takes place. If one of these
calculations is off by as little as .00001%, you could end up a
trillion miles from nowhere. If one of these malfunctions should send
you into a Black Hole, then you've just made your last entry in the
Captain's Log.

ATTACKING THE MANCER
After you have successfully colonized all the required planets, you
will receive a message saying, that the Association's fighter pilots
are being sent to your coordinates. You will then lead them to the
location of the Mancer, the full-scale battle will be on.

The hordes of Association fighter pilots, Necro's fighter pilots, the
Mancer itself and Enola Gay II will engage in a huge battle. Should
you win, then the threat of Admiral Necro will be erased from these
worlds, if you lose, and the Mancer survives the conflict, then the
Mancer squadrons will retreat and swear to return, as all bullies do
when they're licked. With the support of the solar systems, however,
Admiral Necro will not be able to return to this area of the galaxy.

KEY COMMANDS
[B] - SHUTTTLE BAY      [C] - COMMUNICATION     [D] - DRIVES
[F] - FORCE SHIELDS     [M] - MISSILES          [Q] - DISTRESS
[R] - REPORT/STATUS     [S] - SCAN              [UNDO] - RESTART

All commands may be choosen with the keyboard or by the mouse. Only
the use of Beams during combat requires the mouse.

End.