Wing Commander II
Contents
1. TM Wing Commander II USER MANUAL GAMETAP EXPAND YOUR PLAYGROUND Gametap is pleased to offer an online library of original game manuals We have made these manuals available to create a more complete gaming experience and because some of them are pretty entertaining Be aware that the representations warranties and guarantees including replacement options made in these manuals are no longer valid and that GameTap and the original publisher are not responsible for honoring them Control information for a PC title will in most cases accurately reflect the game s controls within GameTap Please note that game controller instructions for console games won t be correct Feel free to ignore any installation instructions GameTap handles all the complex stuff for you Finally please do not call the phone numbers that occasionally appear in the manuals We re not sure anyone will pick up If you do have questions about games within the GameTap service please contact Customer Support at gametap com PLAY GUIDE The Story So Fa vanene eee 2 Starting the Game m mmunnsamrennsasessds vn 2 Transferring Characters n mers seresssien 3 Creating a New Character rrrrrrnnnnnnnrnnre 3 Resume Current Game sssnnnnnnnrrnnnnnnevrn 3 The Interface Between Mission 3 Non Flying Interactive Scenes 4 Hangar Do0r usmsnenmearmearnnensin 4 Barracks Door svasransadeene 4 Airlock Doo2. Tactical Tip The most frequently used messages can be sent instantly without entering Communica tions mode simply by pressing a and a single letter key simultaneously These a key combinations are listed below Wingman Orders Wingmen sometimes disobey but you can give them the following orders e Break and Attack aB A command to leave formation and engage enemy fighters within 12 000 meters Your wingman will not attack a capital ship until you do See Attack My Target command below Keep Formation aF Denies a wing man s request to break and attack on his own initiative This only applies to a wingman who is currently in formation e Form on My Wing also aF Tells your wingman to return to formation and follow your vessel This only applies to a wingman who has broken formation either to attack or to return to base e Return to Base no a key combination command instructing your wingman to immediately head for home If this order is obeyed your wingman won t be available to help you for the duration of this mission e Help Me Out Here aH A command to your wingman to engage the enemy attacking you e Attack My Target aA A command telling your wingman to engage the enemy you have cur rently targeted This is the only way your wingman will attack an enemy capital ship but remember that certain capital ships can only be attacked with torpedoes if your wingman won t be able to harm a target he
3. CONFEDERATION SUPPORT SHIPS Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 1 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 2 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Radius Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 4 Transport civilian 83 0 meters 150 kps 100 kps Poor 2 dps 2 000 tonnes 10 cm equivalent each 9 cm each 7 cm each Transport military 73 3 meters 150 kps 100 kps Bad 2 dps 4 000 tonnes 25 cm equivalent each 12 cm each 11 cm each Space Station 1 200 meters 10 kps 10 kps Poor NA 230 000 tonnes Full complement of fighters Ship s Armor Carn nann Aft ChinlA Dhaan ChinlAn side Free Trader Clydesdale Star Base top KILRATHI FIGHTERS Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Neutron Guns 2 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Laser Cannon 3 Dumb Fire Missiles 4 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left
4. Data Type Explanations srrrrorronnrrrvrrrrrnnrnn 14 Confederation Fighters rnrrrnnrrrrrnnnnnnnnrrrr 15 PC PT vea 15 FM L e 15 F 44G Rapier mmsrrvvrvvrrrnrrrrrnrrnrrnrrnrrnnen 15 FY TN Ene 16 A 17D Broadsword msrevrovrovrnrnnrrnrovnrnenrn 16 Confederation Capital Ships cc cee 17 GIN cece sins E scenes E 17 TEGE 17 ENG 17 Confederation Support Ships rrrrnnnnnrnnnr 18 Free TAN sedanen 18 GER 18 EEE EE 18 Kilrathi Fr ken sssanecsseansnenensersntianiewnialars 19 SAFRA SEE EEE 19 Di 19 Ne EEE 19 CL ee EN 20 Kilrathi Capital Ships soooorororronorrrrrrnrrennn 20 Kamekh sisisi 20 VEG EEE 20 VEE EE 21 Kilrathi Support Ships rnnnrorrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnrnnre 21 Dre 21 Supply Depot rmnvnnnnnronronnrvnrvnnvonronrrnrrnennnn 21 K tithrak Mang sekken 22 Veret 22 Offensive Systems savarsemadmean 23 Defensive Systems rrrrnnnrrrrnvvrrrrnnnnnnnrnnnn 23 THE STORY SO FAR In Wing Commander you and the other starfighter pilots of the TCS Tigers Claw fought against overwhelming odds leading the Confederation forces to victory over the Kilrathi Empire in the Vega Sector Next during Wing Commander The Secret Missions the Tiger s Claw was ordered to report imme diately to the Deneb sector where the Goddard Colony was under attack by Kilrathi forces But before the Tiger s Claw could enter the fray the enemy used a devastating secret weapon to destroy the colony You
5. your current game the last time you played If you think you might want to return to your current game position save it before creating a new character or restoring an earlier saved game Mission Briefings Immediately prior to every mission you will be briefed about your objectives and available resources on that mission You may get information during organized briefings when your character discusses a mission with others prior to takeoff or even when you re already in space However you find out about the mission you will usually learn about your objective your naviga tion route and your wingman assignment though some missions are flown solo Tactical Tip Don t bother writing down the details of your navigation route this information is auto matically loaded into your ship s computer IN THE COCKPIT During a Wing Commander II campaign you will fly several types of ships Though each cockpit has a slightly different arrangement they all have basically the same screens and provide basically the same information A picture of each cockpit is provided to allow easy identification of controls and gauges Viewscreen The viewscreen provides a clear view of space directly ahead of you A green circle with crosshairs shows where your ship s guns are aimed Brackets indicate the position of a ship you currently have targeted Hostile ships have red brackets friendlies have blue brackets When other vessels communi
6. cate with you white brackets appear around them When a target is locked see Targeting System page 7 the brackets turn into a solid box Radar Display The circular screen in every cockpit is a radar display This display divided into six sections shows how far you have to rotate to bring a target into your front viewscreen Radar contacts are displayed as dots A dot in the outermost ring represents an enemy behind you the center circle shows the position of enemies ahead of you and the four middle sections represent enemy positions alongside ahove ar helow van Rapier Cockpit Set Speed Fuel _ Blaster Energy Indicator Current Speed Right VDU Left VDU Radar Screen Shields and Armor Tactical Tip To head toward a target select the dot on the radar display that represents that target Maneuver your ship until that dot is centered in the inner most circle of the display dot centered in the radar display represents a ship directly ahead of you in your viewscreen Left VDU Video Display Unit On the left VDU is a profile of your fighter showing its current status This display has two modes for weapons and for other components Pressing W or G brings up the weapons display The text at the top of this display tells you what guns and weapon systems are currently active the graphics below show where the weapons are locat ed and how many remain undamaged Repeatedly pressing W cycles through the available weapon
7. Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Particle Cannon 2 Heat Seeking Missiles 2 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Laser Cannon 2 Particle Cannon 2 pan r r rm P 64C Ferret Patrol Fighter 10 2 meters 500 kps 360 kps Good 8 dps 10 5 tonnes side 6 cm equivalent each 6 5 cm each 4 5 cm each F 54C Epee Light Attack Fighter 12 4 meters 480 kps 250 kps Excellent 10 dps 13 tonnes Dumb Fire Missiles 2 6 cm equivalent each 3 5 cm each 3 cm each F 44G Rapier Medium Attack Fighter 19 0 meters 450 kps side 250 kps Excellent 10 dps 15 tonnes Dumb Fire Missiles 2 Heat Seeking Missiles 2 A Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Particle Cannon 2 Mass Drivers 2 Chaff Pods 1 Turret Neutron Guns 2 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Torpedoes 4 Mass Driver Cannon 3 Turrets 3 Neutron Guns 2 per Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Heavy Attack Fighter 23 6 meters 400 kps 220 kp
8. K Kai let go of the chair and it swung out over the open floor nearly slamming into a Firekkan carrying several drinks The Firekkan shrieked something shrilly in their own language and neatly ducked out of the way continuing to fly toward the top of the tower K Kai shrieked something right back and the Firekkans nearest them bent over backwards beaks clattering At first Hunter thought they had been hit with some kind of fit then he realized they were laughing Hunter held onto the chair with both hands until it slowed to a stop hanging out over the floor twenty feet below He hoped that she couldn t see his whitened knuckles Hell she saw you take on four Jalthi single handedly he thought Don t let her think that you re afraid of heights now It s not the heights I m afraid of or even falling It s just that sudden stop at the bottom K Kai opened her wings and soared to the closest perch several other Firekkans following her a moment later all tak ing perches slightly lower than hers She canted her head looking at him closely So Hun ter you are very diffrent t an I expected Not so tall No great surprise that every Firekkan in the bar was at least a foot taller than himself Seven foot parakeets not six foot like Shotglass had said You re not quite what I expected either But it s good to be here to meet you I was wondering if I d ever see you again after we left Vega Tt is
9. for a human Ralgha had not had much experience with humans except for a few slaves and of course cap tured enemy pilots and those only for a few moments before they were taken away by Imperial Intelligence He had heard many strange things about humans The oddest was that the Terrans actually chose their leaders like one would choose a fine cut of meat in the market Just the thought of a leader chosen by his followers made Ralgha s tail twitch Though what he did now that was perilously close to what the humans did selecting a leader As he had expected the girl was leading him to the local Temple of Sivar an ampitheatre set into the side of the mountain He followed her down the stone steps to where a tall Kilrathi woman wearing the ceremonial cloak of a Priestess of Sivar awaited him Ralgha Hassa moved toward him In a gesture that he remembered from their childhood on Hhallas she ran her claws through his mane smoothing down the thick fur You are well He twitched his shoulders deprecatingly As well as can be expected They questioned me for days Hassa not allow me to sleep but otherwise did not harm me I was very worried when I heard that you had been arrested Hassa s eyes were dark and unread able all pupil We were afraid that you would reveal what you know of the rebellion He bristled at the implication of weakness Never Even if they had tortured me I would have reveale
10. it is K Kai struggled for a word I do not know how to say it in your language Somet ing t at was meant to happen Fate Hunter said searching his jacket pocket for a cigar Destiny maybe You believe in destiny K Kai ducked her head down between her shoulders in something that looked like embarrassment I should but I am not very religious Hunter nodded Yeah me either The only thing I really believe in is my own flying skills and my ship and the fact that the Kilrathi will always try to shoot it out from under me Speaking of combat flying have you ever thought about training to be a combat pilot It was something he d been think ing about since they d met back in the Vega Sector after he d seen her fly that damned freighter in a series of tighter turns than he d ever thought was possible boxing in the Jalthi to force it directly in front of Hunter s guns With a wingman like this lady I could take on the entire Kilrathi fleet he thought You ever think of going for Confed pilot training K Kai tilted her head as if considering it for the first time I have never t ought of it no But t e idea is pleasing Do you t ink I could be good at it Hun ter like drinking alcoholic beverages It isn t good for you though I d say that smoking will kill me even tually but I m sure the Kilrathi will get me first Al co hol does not affect us K Ka
11. Ralgha nar Hhallas and his sworn aide Kirha as they challenge the Emperor s might to free a world The interrogator s lip curled in a contemptuous snarl The traitor is silent He cannot even speak in his own defense This is not a highborn lord of Kilrah but a carrion eater Standing before the interrogator Lord Ralgha nar Hhallas stared relentlessly at his enemy A green haze fogged Ralgha s eyes the mist of rage and he fought to contain it forcing his fur to lie flat his ears to remain erect his eyes to remain wide open and without guile He won the battle with his instincts and emotions as he had won the eight eights of similar battles during the past few hours His vision came clear again and the urge to tear out the throats of his enemies any enemies subsided He knew by the relaxed posture of the burly guards watching him that he had not betrayed himself by so A whisper of sound from the shadow shrouded figure seated at the end of the room Can he be trusted Commander Ralgha nar Hhallas stiffened to attention the hair of his ruff and spine rising despite his efforts to make it lie flat uncertain whether he was going to survive the next few moments He had seen this shadowy room before and had walked through the carved stone corridors of Imperial Intelligence Headquarters on Ghorah Khar many times but always as Lord Ralgha nar Hhallas Captain of the Ras Nik hra a Fralthi class cruiser that had fought
12. a coward or a prisoner of war and no one would ever know Enough The tall Kilrathi rose from his chair in the corner of the room striding forward to face Ralgha Prince Thrakhath Heir to the Throne of Kilrah stared into his eyes thoughtful and calculat ing Gold rings glistened in Thrakhath s ears bright against his red brown fur and his red cloak The spicy musk of one who dallied often with females wafted to Ralgha s nostrils but Ralgha refused to be distracted by it Tell me Ralgha whom do you serve The glory of the Emperor and the Empire of Kilrah Ralgha said stiffly I am yours to command my Prince Yes The prince spoke quietly his voice low and resonant in the small room I believe you do Ralgha You will do well The prince turned to the intelligence officer Enough of this farce Jahkai I had suspected a personal animosity when you brought me your suspicions now I am certain of it We are finished here I will return to K Tithrak Mang tonight You will give up this grudge of yours And to ensure that there will be no repetition of this scene I require that you bring me concrete proof of deceit before you make any further accusations Jahkai flattened his ears and lowered his muzzle submissively his tail dragged on the ground com pletely limp Though his eyes were still full of hate when he looked at Ralgha the captain was certain that he would not dare disobey the
13. after all these years he still yearned for the wild mountains and untamed wilderness of his home planet The sun was setting behind the icy peaks bright against the snow Ralgha began to walk quickly There was not much time left before he had to board his ship and order his crew for their departure He walked through the winding streets stepping over an unconscious Kilra hra that was thoroughly intoxicated on arakh leaves walking past a group of slaves laboring in the street At the next street he turned into the open market smelling the rich scents of fresh meat and fish displayed on carts and tables The market was not too crowded at this hour as the shopkeepers and carters had already sold most of their wares A young female human with very short dark head fur and dressed in a plain brown shift decorated with the sigil of Sivar looked up at Ralgha for a long moment as he strode past A slave of the Priestesses of the Warrior God he guessed He glanced back at the next corner to see her only a few feet behind him Following him yes He walked down the street pausing in a doorway to let the female catch up with him What do you want girl he asked gruffly Eight eights of pardons my lord the girl said in heavily accented Kilrathi Lady Hassa would speak with you my lord If you would please to follow me I will take you to her now He nodded and followed her down the shadowed street She moved with surprising grace
14. all backup copies may be sold given or loaned to another person Under the law copying includes translating into another language or format You may use the software on any computer owned by you but extra copies cannot be made for this purpose GAMETAP EXPAND YOUR PLAYGROUND For customer support visit WWW GAMETAP COM
15. and your fellow pilots played a deadly game of hide and seek with the Kilrathi fleet Ultimately the secret weapon was destroyed Then during Wing Commander The Secret Missions 2 Crusade the Kilrathi declared a holy war A huge Kilrathi fleet maneuvered toward an isolated star system and a planet of peaceful primitive natives After a Kilrathi renegade defected you flew a Kilrathi ship in a series of undercover mis sions Finally you discovered the secret reason for the holy war and saved the Firekkan race Soon after however disaster struck While the 7iger s Claw was attacking the K tithrak Mang you encountered several fighters that faded mysteriously from sight Even your radar couldn t track them Not wanting to panic the Claw over what you thought to be a radar malfunction you went looking for the ghostly fighters The search delayed your return to the Claw just long enough for the fighters to destroy the hap less carrier Landing on the TCS Austin you learned that you were the only pilot to encounter these stealth fighters Furthermore your flight recorder disk mysteriously disappeared right after you landed Brought before a general court martial you were charged with treason and your claims about stealth fighters were ignored A lack of evidence led to the treason charges being reduced to mere negligence but you incurred the wrath of certain flag officers Admiral Tolwyn among them Your career appeared to be
16. bringing vou un to date on events in Transferring Characters If you choose to transfer a character from another Wing Commander game you will be asked the drive and pathname where that game exists For example if the original Wing Commander is installed in the C WING directory you would type C WING GAMEDAT when requested Once the program has found your saved game files from the other game it will pre sent you with a list of the characters you may transfer Once the list of transferrable characters appears highlight the one you want using the joystick mouse or arrow keys and press button 1 or e to make your selection You ll be asked to type in your first name The other statistics last name callsign total sorties total kills are read from the old saved game file Special Note to Wing Commander CD ROM Users Due to the length of the directory name used in the Wing Commander I CD ROM version you must copy your saved game files to your hard drive s root directory This is accomplished by typing the following COPY C ORIGIN WINGCMDR GAMEDAT WLD C This command copies your Wing Commander saved game files to your hard drive s root directory If you are using a drive other than C substitute that drive letter for the C s in the above command Now when the Wing Commander II Transfer Character option asks where your copy of Wing Commander is installed you should type C Creating a New Character If yo
17. current game into the slot you select overwrit ing any saved game that was in the slot previously Go to the list of saved game slots as explained above Move the pointer to an empty row of dots or a game position you don t mind losing and select that slot You can also select a slot from the keyboard by pressing the number corresponding to the one you want When prompted type any comments you have about this saved game enter anything you want up to 32 characters long Press e to return to the on screen computer Press to return to the game To load a saved game Loading a saved game restores the game to the exact state it was in when you created that saved game To load a game go to the list of saved game slots and move the pointer to the slot containing the saved game position you wish to resume Press joystick button 1 the left mouse button or e to select that saved game Press e to return to the on screen computer Press to return to the game To delete a saved game Deleting a slot clears out the saved game data that was in that slot To delete a game go to the list of saved game slots and move the pointer to the slot containing the saved game position you wish to delete Press joystick button 1 the left mouse button or e to select that saved game Press e to return to the on screen computer Press to return to the game Note When you create a new character or load a saved game your new choice replaces what was
18. in many battles for the glory of the Emperor of Kilrah Now for the first time he saw these walls through other eyes as a prisoner An interesting experi ence if he lived through it Ralgha had stood in the center of this room for over five hours now answering every question placed to him patiently managing to keep his temper despite the taunts of the interrogators That was their job after all to make him lose his temper to prove that he was a traitor by angry word or action They dared not lay paw to him he was too high of rank for erkrath interrogation by drugs or kalkrath inter rogation by torture Only the Emperor himself could decree questioning a Thrakh ra lord by needle or knife But they could deliberately try to provoke him to invoke the killing rage that lay close to the sur face of every Kilrathi s mind and if he lost control even for an instant if he neglected to remain in the military submissive posture if he forgot that he was temporarily the lowest ranked Kilrathi in the room he would prove that he was a traitor Even now the two burly Imperial guards watched him care fully in case he should try to make any kind of movement either to escape or harm Jahkai the com mander of Imperial Security or to make an attempt on the life of the other even more important Kilrathi in this room the one seated in the shadows Jahkai was watching him with eyes narrowed to slits with his concentration As well he m
19. ll refuse this command Keep Radio Silence no a key combination A command telling your wingman to send no messages until you send a Broadcast Freely message e Broadcast Freely no a key combination Allows your wingman to talk to you This negates Keep Radio Silence e Damage Ronart aD Tf naccithle vanr winoman hraadraete ta van a damaoe dicnlaw af hic chin Broadsword Cockpit Blaster Indicator Eject Warning Shields and Armor Autopilot Light Current Speed Set Speed Left VDU Missile Lock Radar Taunting the Enemy When you have an enemy ship targeted you can activate Communica tions to bring up a menu of taunts Select one of these and your insult is sent to the target You can send a random taunt by pressing aT Tactical Tip Taunts sometimes attract enemy ships to you drawing fire away from a ship you are protect ing or perhaps saving a wingman whose ship has been damaged Weapons Depending upon which ship you re flying you may have blasters chaff pods missiles and or tor pedoes available to you In larger ships like the Broadsword and the Sabre you can switch from the front viewscreen to turrets positioned at the sides and rear of the ship Each weapon type serves a dif ferent purpose and is used in a somewhat different manner than the others Blasters These are the basic spacecraft weapons To fire your blasters line the target up in the green crosshairs on your viewscreen
20. no hazards enemy ships asteroids or mines in the area the autopilot light marked auto goes on Press A to elect autopilot Your ship wingman and any escorted ships form up and proceed to the Nav point automatically as a group Autopilot automatically disengages a few thousand meters from your destination It also disen gages when you encounter enemy vessels or hazards asteroids etc allowing you to deal with them Communications System Press C to activate the Communication screen This presents you with a numbered list of poten tial recipients for your message Select a receiver by pressing the corresponding number key and a second numbered menu appears listing the messages you can send to that person To send the message press the appropriate number key The communications system checks your current situation and determines who you can commu nicate with and what messages you can send If there is only one pilot who can receive your commu nication no menu is presented and the message goes to the sole eligible recipient When other pilots send a message to you a white box appears around their ship in your viewscreen Their messages appear at the top of the screen unless you have a digitized sound board supported by Wing Commander II and have installed the optional Speech Accessory Pack sold sepa rately In that case you will actually be able to hear their radio messages directly To exit Communications press C or
21. open the story is complete for now and you should go ahead and click on the open door to fly the mission Barracks Door Select this door to watch the cinematic scenes leading up to the next mission These scenes update the story telling you when you have done well and when the Kilrathi have gained the upper hand If this door is closed you have already seen all the scenes selecting the closed door will replay those scenes When the door is open there is more story to be seen and you should click on the open door to watch it Press X repeatedly to speed through the animated scenes Press to return immediately to the barracks or ready room Xand are disabled when speech is enabled Airlock Door Select this door to exit Wing Commander II and return to DOS Computer Console This lets you save a game load a game or delete a character It s the only place you can manually save your game Saving games manually allows you to keep multiple characters or pick up the game at a point of your own choosing Selecting the computer console displays a close up of the computer with a menu on the screen The menu allows you to S ave or L oad a game or D elete a previously saved game Move the pointer to the option you want or hit S L or D To leave this screen at any time press or select the on screen computer s ON OFF button Once you choose Save Load or Delete you are To save a game Saving a game puts a copy of your
22. prince s orders He held his rank on sufferance alone and many hated him They would be glad to see him fall The prince glared down at Jahkai The Lord Ralgha may return to his usual duties The prince glanced at Ralgha What are your standing orders Captain Ralgha brought his head up at full attention My ship leaves for the N Tanya System tonight my lord Ralgha said We are to join the strike force departing for the Terran frontier The Prince nodded You will bring honor to your hrai I am certain of it Fight well Ralgha My lord Ralgha bowed his head his tail curled down in a gesture of respect and submission care ful not to spoil his show of appropriate behavior by displaying the shock the prince s last statement had given him He cannot know Ralgha thought All of my hrai down to my littlest sibling dead now these last five years I have no family now no way to share the honors I have won in combat No one nothing worth living for My only joy has been fighting the humans Killing as many of them as I can for the glory of the Empire Taunting them in battle ignoring them as they call us kitten or cat I wonder what a cat is and then rejoicing in my victory hearing their death screams Winning honor for my hrai for my family name Now that is meaningless Without my hrai Prince Thrakhath nodded once to Jahkai and left the room Ralgha began to follow him but
23. screen picture As you move the pointer it changes shape and color to indi cate whether a game function is available in a particular location An arrow means that no game function is assigned to the area under the pointer A cross means a function is assigned to the area under the pointer The specific function assigned to an area is indicated in text appearing at the bottom of the screen To select a function press joy stick button 1 the left mouse button or the e key Epee Cockpit Current Speed Radar Screen j Autopilot Light iF Eh pt ee Tame en Set Speed mr _ TARGET TING Li Lock kam nr F GE TE ae oe Left VDU Right VDU Shields and Armor Blaster Indicator Fuel Non Flying Interactive Scenes At various points during the game you are shown a room in which you can save your game and perform other activities either the barracks or a pilot ready room depending on your position in the plot Each activity available in these rooms is keyed to a part of the scene Moving the pointer onto a section of the screen reveals its function described by text at the bottom of the screen Move the pointer over an area and select its function as described above The active areas are Hanger Door Select this door for your next flight mission briefing If this door is closed there are still some animated scenes to see before the next mission selecting the closed door means you may miss part of the story When the door is
24. t destroy the enemy missile it simply diverts it If you re too close to the chaff when the missile hits it you might take damage anyway It s best to be moving at least 150 kps when you drop a pod Flak Cannon Fighters provide the bulk of a capital ship s defenses but the largest ships also lay down heavy flak bar rages that can bring down any fighter In addition flak cannon are used for point defense against torpedoes Phase Shield The latest in defense technology these capital ship shields are impervious to damage from all fighter mounted missiles and guns Torpedoes are the only fighter mounted weapons capable of getting through Unfortunately the number of torpedoes available to Terran Confederation forces is low Pilots are advised to use them wisely OTHER SYSTEMS Stealth Technology Rumors of Kilrathi stealth fighters invisible to human or instrument detection are completely unfounded Such technology is far beyond the capabilities of Confederation or Kilrathi scientists Tractor Beam A tractor beam locks onto a small target an ejected pilot for example pulling it to your ship The tractor beam is a vital tool in search and rescue missions FREEDOM FLIGHT BY MERCEDES LACKEY AND ELLEN GUON And now an excerpt from the first Wing Commander novel Freedom Flight published by Baen Books in December 92 and available at your nearest bookstore or by mail through ORIGIN Join Hunter K Kai
25. was me orders I am a lord of the Empire Hinder me and Ralgha smiled showing teeth And I will rip out your throat Kilra hra scum Fine words from a suspected traitor Jahkai spat Dangerous words from a low born Kilrathi Now that the prince has cleared me of suspicion you might wish to remember that I outrank you fool He narrowed his eyes and allowed his neck ruff to rise You are too unworthy to challenge Would you like to spend some time in your own stockade It is not very comfortable as I have learned in these last weeks Jahkai gestured sharply and the guards stepped back Ralgha smiled again the full smile of the vic tor all fangs exposed and walked into the hallway A few moments later he was out in the street breathing deeply of the clean air He had been locked in a dark damp cell for ten days and in that time had not seen the warm sunlight on the leaves of the birha trees They were blossoming now large red flowers filling the air with a sweet scent This street was lined with the trees a sharp contrast to the stone buildings and grey paved streets the white capped mountains overlooking the Old City It reminded him of home of his native planet of Hhallas where he had lived his childhood before spend ing his years in officer s training on Kilrah Many Kilrathi said they admired the metallic splendor of Kilrah the silver walls and tall towers of the Imperial planet Not Ralgha even
26. Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Particle Cannon 1 Laser Cannon 4 Turret Light Fighter 8 3 meters 400 kps 220 kps Good 4 dps 12 5 tonnes Dumb Fire Missile 1 5 cm equivalent each 4 cm each 3 cm each Medium Fighter 11 7 meters 400 kps 200 kps Good 7 dps 14 tonnes Chaff Pod 1 5 5 cm equivalent each 4 cm each 3 5 cm each Heavy Fighter 25 2 meters 360 kps 200 kps Average 2 dps 20 tonnes Image Recognition Missiles 4 Dumb Fire Missile 1 Neutron Gun 1 Sartha Drakhri Jalkehi top ene w pa a Se Flak Cannon 2 Anti Matter Cannon 2 Light complement of fighters Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Phase Shields Front and Rear 500 cm each Right and Left 500 cm each 20 Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 3 Cruiser 612 0 meters 150 kps 100 kps Poor 1 dps 20 500 tonnes Anti Matter Guns 3 Light complement of fighters Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Phase Shields 700 cm each 600 cm each KILRATHI SUPPORT SHIPS Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 2 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Length Maximum Velocity
27. Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 2 Transport military 95 0 meters 200 kps 100 kps Poor 2 dps 5 000 tonnes 19 cm equivalent each 17 cm each 16 cm each Space Station 806 3 meters NA NA NA NA 40 000 tonnes Liaht complement of fiahters Fralthra Dorkathi side Supply Depot K tithrak Mang Class Space Station Radius 1 100 meters Maximum Velocity NA Cruise Velocity NA Acceleration NA Max Yaw Pitch Roll NA Mass 240 000 tonnes top Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 4 Anti Matter Guns 2 Full complement of fighters Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Phase Shields Front and Rear 700 cm each Right and Left 700 cm each OFFENSIVE SYSTEMS Dumb Fire Missile This is a point and shoot weapon with no homing capability Aim it at a target and hope the tar get doesn t get out of the way When possible dumb fires should be reserved for use in close quarters against slow mov ing targets Friend or Foe Missile Capable of identifying the distinctive signal broadcast by all Terran ships the friend or foe locks onto the nearest ship that isn t broadcasting that signal This weapon will target friendly ships whose communications systems are damaged Heat Seeking Missile To use a heat seeker park yourself on an enemy s tail wait for the missile to lock onto its engine and or exhaust system and then fire If the target shake
28. Though she cared for him as an old and beloved friend the rebellion was something like an offspring to her As a mother would abandon mate to fight for the life of a cub she would give all to her cause You must If you do not Ralgha nar Hhallas you are an oathbreaker You swore an oath to the Council that you would aid us in overthrowing the emperor how can you be forsworn now He shook his head Not possible The humans would destroy us on sight She cut him off with a gesture We have communicated with the Terrans there will be a ship wait ing for you in the Firekka System the Tiger s Claw You will give the Ras Nik hra to them and tell them of our rebellion Silence hung between them for a long time as Ralgha fought his emotions again and considered what she had said in as dispassionate a light as he could manage under the circumstances I will do this Ralgha said slowly I must I will not be forsworn But I know what it means I will never be able to return I will never see you or my home of Hhallas again He looked up at the mountain above them the first stars beginning to appear in the night sky Sometimes I wonder if we should ever have left our planet Hassa We were so happy there as children we could have stayed there perhaps I should have claimed you as my mate and bearer of my children when I had the chance Years ago before politics and soldiering claimed my life and the Lord Sivar
29. ain Continue Script allows you to watch your character s funeral The game then begins again allowing you to start from scratch or load a saved game LANDING If you complete your mission successfully head back to base At the base target the ship upon which you want to land don t fire and use the Communications system to signal the ship s traffic control officer to Request Landing Often if you follow your mission plan the mission will end automatically at this point and you don t have to worry about coming in for a landing the carrier s automatic landing system handles that for you At other times particularly when there are enemy ships present or you re trying to abort your mission go through the following procedure to land After you request landing the carrier s traffic control officer decides whether you will be allowed to land To land the space around the carrier must be free of enemy ships and one of the following must be true 1 you have traveled to any Nav point 2 you have achieved any mission objective 3 you have killed at least one enemy ship or 4 you have taken a large amount of damage If you are cleared to land you must pilot your ship in close to your destination Once you re close enough the carrier s automatic landing system takes over ending your mission If your landing request was denied check to see if any enemy ships are around If so you must destroy them before landi
30. and press joystick button 1 the left mouse button or X Chaff Pods To use a chaff pod press W until the pod is selected Then press e or both fire buttons to drop the pod as if it were a missile The pod falls behind your ship and all enemy mis siles targeted on your ship fly toward the chaff pod instead of toward you Tactical Tip Be sure to drop the pod at the last possible instant and kick in your afterburners Don t wait too long or you Il be in the missile s blast radius anyway Use chaff near the beginning of a large dogfight when there are several missiles targeted on you it works on every enemy missile at once When there s just one missile coming in you re usually better off dodging or just taking the hit than using up one of your precious chaff pods Missiles There are four missile types Dumb Fire Heat Seeking Image Recognition and Friend or Foe Press W until the missile you want is selected Then fire by pressing both joystick or mouse buttons simultaneously or by pressing on the keyboard e The Heat Seeking missile automatically locks on a target when you re on his tail When lock is possible a red circle the lock indicator appears on your viewscreen Maneuver until this is posi tioned on your target When the lock indicator blinks and the words Missile Locked appear in the right VDU screen fire the missile e The Image Recognition missile automatically locks on a target when you v
31. ated by a solid box rather than the open brackets You must have your current target locked to use the LT T S or fire a torpedo See Improved Target Tracking Svstem page 12 or Torpedoes page 11 for more information Sabre Cockpit Current Speed Eject Radar Eject Autopilot Light Set Speed Left VDU plane Shields and Armor Blaster Indicator Fuel Tactical Tip If you ve just dispatched an enemy in the midst of a crowded dogfight and you don t want to divert your attention from the viewscreen to look at the radar just set your fighter into a spin or tight turn Out of the corner of your eye you can see whenever the right VDU switches from its neutral status to the Targeting screen Even if the next target is just out of sight left right up or down from where you are cur rently looking the Targeting screen will come up and you ll know you are facing an enemy Navigation System When you press N to enter Navigation Mode the Nav screen shows your currently selected Nav point and the distance you must travel to reach that objective Pressing N a second time brings up the full screen Navigation map so that you can give it a good look While you view the Nav map game time is suspended you can study the mission in as much detail as you want for as long as you want Each mission you fly consists of several objectives at different Nav points Using the keyboard joystick or mouse you can move the pointer to any Nav poin
32. ation of each jump point is predetermined your briefing officer will tell you whether jump points are available and your Nav map shows you where they are Pause If the action gets too hot or the outside world intrudes press P to pause the game Press any key or button to resume play Replay Press R any time you re in the cockpit of your ship to watch the Instant Replay Replay records everything automatically from the time you begin a dogfight until you leave the area or press R You can only watch a replay once Action stops while you watch Once you ve seen the sequence the gun camera resets and you return to the game Pressing R again only replays what took place since the end of the last replay sequence You cannot save replay sequences 3 or the last time you watched the Replay While in Replay mode the current mission freezes The default Replay view is the Chase Plane View but you can switch to most of the other camera views during a Replay However the Missile Camera View is disabled Note Instant Replay requires expanded memory and is not available on systems that lack the appro priate software and or hardware See Memory Usage 1n the Install Configuration Guide for more details DYING If you die in the course of a mission you are given two options Replay Mission and Continue Script Replay Mission sends you back to the moment just after you launched allowing you to try the mission ag
33. claimed yours Hassa touched his face hesitantly Do you think we would have been happy Ralgha Living out our lives in the mountains of Hhallas A life without honor without a future I think not Better to burn brightly if only for a short time than never to have truly lived at all I have no regrets She glanced up at the entrance of the ampitheatre Where is that human child She only had to cross the street to the house not run across the entire city Hassa climbed the steps looking out into the street She turned back to Ralgha too slowly to be She raised head and tail proudly I am a priestess of Sivar sworn to his glory I will not run away or hide there is no honor or courage in that She touched the ritual knife sheathed at her belt If they come for me I will be ready He could say nothing His instinct urged him to stay and fight at her side his duty told him to go She gave him a long searching look as if trying to memorize his face Go now and quickly Deliver our message and your ship to the humans Ralgha She pointed to the other exit of the ampitheatre a small doorway that led into the twisting warren of streets of the Old City A moment more as conflict ing urges warred within him then duty won He turned to go The door opened on silent hinges and Ralgha slipped through Beyond the vine covered alcove the street was deserted Ralgha strode away from the ampitheatre as a squad of sol
34. d clattering beaks descended on him as he dropped his haversack been told It was really ritualized grooming a search for bugs and lice so that an honored friend would not be plagued by pests during a visit Oh yeah What about the feathered pests He tried not to wince as those sharp claws poked his scalp and came awfully close to his eyes Another sharp whistle this one not nearly so loud made them finally break it off Another Firekkan pushed her way into the flock she was clearly female both by virtue of her drab coloring and her larger size And he realized then that he could never have mistaken this bird for any other by the grin gape on her beak and a certain rakish good humor in her eyes this could only be K Kai herself G day K Kai Hunter said holding onto the ladder with one hand and reaching out to ruffle her feathers in what he hoped was a similar greeting to what he d just endured Kep tain Sain Dzon Hun ter She leaned in very close to study his face from three inches away Hunter fought the impulse to pull away remembering that he was hanging off a ladder roughly twenty feet in the air and fast movement was definitely not a good idea I wouldn t wager that one of these bird beasties could catch me if I took a nose dive off this ladder Come come sit wi me K Kai pulled one of the hanging hammock seats closer to the ladder for him Hunter grabbed it and hauled himself into it
35. d nothing So they set you free Hassa s claws extended and retracted nervously They set you free why In a way that puzzled him too I assume because they could not find anything nor trick me into giving them information Because they believe that I am loyal to the emperor Because I am Thrak hra and a decorated ship s captain Prince Thrakhath himself attended my final interrogation and ordered them to release me I see Hassa was silent for a long moment and then spoke The Council met last night Ralgha while we were still uncertain as to your fate They decided that if you survived the interrogation they would have a task for you He flushed with the heat of excitement his fur itched After all this time they had something they wanted him to do We must gain help for this rebellion against the emperor if it is to succeed she continued You will be our envoy our ambassador you will go to the humans and demand their assistance for us We will be their allies but they must send us troops weapons starships You will surrender your ship the Ras Nik hra to them as a gesture of good faith Surrender my ship Ralgha stared at her so stunned with shock he felt like a tiny merdha must when the teeth of the hunter met in its neck Give it to the humans My ship How can you ask this of me Hassa s face was fiercely adamant he knew there would be no moving her
36. diers dressed in uniforms with the black sigil of Imperial Security marched past him toward the main entrance to the Temple of Sivar Ralgha walked quickly through the darkened streets never once looking back Species didn t seem to matter wherever there were pilots there seemed to be a bar This bar was cer tainly different from any Hunter had seen before though For one thing it didn t have much of a floor or chairs Firekkans were perched every few feet on branches woven into the tower extending up into the shadows a hundred feet above him Only the bartenders were on the ground level flying up to carry drinks to the customers They had made some concessions for the human guests though there were several dozen hammock like seats slung at various intervals up the tower where humans were drinking and chatting with the Firekkans He craned his neck a little wondering how he was going to recognize K Kai he d never seen any more of her than a blurry face shot on the vid and had only heard her voice on the comlink And at the moment every Firekkan looked like every other Firekkan to him With a sigh he walked to the closest ladder doubtless also installed for the convenience of the humans and began climbing He d met the captain on patrol she was flying a freighter That had been something of a surprise He d been assigned as her fighter escort and over the course of the trip he d found out quite a bit abo
37. e held it in the viewscreen for a few seconds Wait until the red circular lock indicator blinks then fire e The Friend or Foe missile automatically targets the nearest enemy ship When launched it seeks out the closest enemy or the nearest ship with a damaged communication system Torpedoes Capital ships are equipped with special shields that are invulnerable to the weapons fighters normally carry Special missiles called torpedoes are necessary to penetrate these shields To fire a torpedo press W until the torpedo is selected Then press L to lock the target ship If the target is a valid torpedo target the lock indicator will slowly move toward the target From this point onward until you complete the lock you must not maneuver your ship too quickly There s a little leeway but you must fly mostly straight toward the target any significant deviation will break the lock forcing you to start all over again For this reason only turret equipped ships the Sabre and Broadsword carry torpedoes even though any of the other fighters could theoretically handle the missiles When the lock is complete the red targeting crosshairs begin to flash At that point press e or both joystick or mouse buttons to launch the torpedo A single torpedo will generally kill a freighter or corvette unless the target s flak cannon shoot down the incoming missile It takes one or two torpedoes to get through the armor on the larger capita
38. e major local honchos K Kai blinked Hon chos VIPs Politicos Ah He searched for the right word Flock leaders K Kai s beak opened wide the same gesture that Hunter recognized from the customs officer Yes My sister leads the largest flock on Firekka It is she wit t e ot er flock leaders who agreed to t e treaty wl t e Confederation diplomats She will sign it tomorrow for all of Firekka Your sister eh Does this mean that you ll inherit the family flock someday Hunter asked The Firekkan was silent for a moment before answering No her daughter Rikkik will claim t e flock I am too too different for t em to choose me as flock leader Better for me to pilot a freighter for t e humans t an try to lead a flock here There s more to this than she s willing to talk about Hunter guessed I d wager that K Kai s leavetaking of her home planet was a little more spectacular than what she s said so far She was one of the first of her people to leave her planet she and Larhi the newsvid people always talk about them as great heroes as brave adventurers but no one ever asks the question Why And something else occurred to him How would a species whose entire culture was based on flock behavior regard someone who left the flock As a kind of trail blazer or a traitor Another Firekkan with a brightly coloured head crest flew close to them slowing enough tha
39. for a higher fire rate but shorter range Anti Matter Gun These huge weapons are found only on capital ships for use against other capital ships Like torpe does they ignore shields directly attacking armor Anti matter guns are slow to aim and cannot readily be used against fighter sized craft but a single shot can vaporize a fighter Be sure to stay out of the fire lanes between two warring cruisers Phase Transit Cannon This weapon actually forms the keel of the new Terran Confederation class dreadnought it is too large to be mounted on any other ship in the Confederation Navy The phase transit cannon bypasses shields and is capable of destroying any ship with a single shot It is a refinement of a similar weapon found in the wreckage of the Sivar the Kilrathi dreadnought that single handedly destroyed the Goddard colony in 2654 Presumably the Kilrathi have more Sivar class dreadnoughts but none have been spotted since that first appearance DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS Chaff Pod The Confederation recently developed chaff pods sophisticated electronic devices that fool enemy missiles into diverting away from your ship There are some drawbacks to chaff pods of course You must deploy chaff pods at the last moment before missile impact because the pods effect lasts only a short while Chaff only works on missiles that are currently targeted on your ship any missiles launched after you drop the pod aren t fooled Finally chaff doesn
40. i said We drink kika li tough It is made from t e kika seeds fermented to bring out t eir natural flavor T e human diplomats like it so now t e Red Flower serves it to t e humans too T ey call it Firekka s Finest Would you like some Sure Hunter said Anything would be better than drinking water considering what fish do in it K Kai whistled again sharp and loud There was an answering whistle from below She gave Hunter another curious look and scratched herself on the back of her neck with an extended claw How long will you be on Firekka Hun ter I have leave for the next three days he said Then I m back on patrol duty Good So I can show you my home T is is the first time I have been home in several rotations My crew and I She gestured at the hovering flock of wide eyed Firekkans We have been too busy to travel home too many important cargoes to deliver for t e Confederation But for t e treaty signing I knew I had to be here I saw t e first Terran ship land on our planet many rotations ago and now I will see our planet join t e Confederation It is a great moment for us a good time to be alive Your family is important in local politics aren t they Hunter asked I remember you mentioning something about that back in Vega and later I saw a newsvid about Firekka on the Tiger s Claw They talked about you and your crew and that your family ar
41. iewscreen crosshairs appear in the middle of the turret screen Center your target in the crosshairs and press joystick button 1 the left mouse button or X to fire As you fire your blaster indicator shows the power level of your ship s gun capacitors When you run out of power your guns stop firing until the capacitors have at least partially recharged above and press G to change from your active weapon to the tractor beam Line the target up in the crosshairs and press the fire button As long as you keep the target centered in the crosshairs it will be pulled closer and closer to your ship If the target moves too far from the center it 1s lost and the beam shuts off Once the item has been pulled close enough to the ship an animated sequence is triggered show ing the retrieval of the item You then return automatically to the front viewscreen and control of the ship returns to you Other Functions Alternate Camera Views You start each mission with a view from inside your ship s cockpit From the front view screen you can use the function keys F1 F9 to view the action from a variety of angles e Fl Cockpit View Returns you to the forward view from any other view e F2 Lefi F3 Right F4 Rear These views allow you to look out the left and right sides of your ship as well as out the rear Good for tracking your wingman and spotting enemy ships during dogfights e FS Chase Plane View Puts the camera di
42. ight There was more to this than the questioning of a possible traitor more than a conflict between two male Kilrathi Ralgha had hated Jahkai since they had first met years ago The lowborn brute had pretended to noble airs at a troop review bringing shame on the highborn present that he had dared to imitate his betters And there was no hiding the fact that Jahkai was low born one merely had to look at him and see the mottled mingled colours of his coarse fur marking him as Kilra hra a commoner So very unlike Ralgha s own sleek pelt bright with the colours and sharply distinct patterns of one of the highest born families in the Empire Even the blunt shape of Jahkai s muzzle the flatness of his head and the blunted teeth of one who was not a hunter showed his lowborn breeding Ralgha had repaid that shame by shaming Jahkai in his turn making a mockery of him then laugh ing in his face not realizing then that Jahkai was the commander of Imperial Security for the entire planetary system of Ghorah Khar Now the situation was very different A word from Jahkai could condemn Ralgha to death lowborn or not if the other Kilrathi in this room decided that the word was justified It had all come down to this the word of an enemy the record of his achievements and the judgement of a superior This was the most dangerous moment of his life Nothing else had ever put him into such peril not even during the battle against the humans f
43. l ships followed by another torpedo or two into the now unprotected side to finish the ship off Tactical Tip Once you start the torpedo run reduce your set speed and switch to the turrets Your autopilot will keep a straight course and will inform you when the torpedo lock is complete If there is any enemy fighter cover your only defense during the torpedo run will be your turrets Turrets Broadsword Sabre Two of the ships you fly the Broadsword and the Sabre have multiple guns In addition to the stan dard complement of front firing weapons the Sabre has a turret in the back and the Broadsword has three turrets one to the rear one to the left and one to the right To access a turret use the view keys F2 F4 F2 Switches you to the Broadsword sleft turret F3 Switches you to the Broadsword sright turret F4 Switches you to the Broadswordor Sabre srear turret From the turret you can fire turret mounted blasters and use the tractor beam Blasters When you switch to a turret your ship goes on autopilot flying straight as possible while attempting to avoid ships and other obstacles The joystick or mouse or keyboard now controls the horizontal and vertical movement of the turret White tick marks on the turret s radar screen indicate the limits of turret movement When a white line is centered in the radar screen you have rotated the turret as far as it will go in a given direction As in the front v
44. lates it relative to a the flagship b an escorted vessel c a nearby planetary body d a Confederation beacon or e a value derived from radar positions of all visible ships Velocity is expressed in kilometers per second kps The higher the values the faster the ship Acceleration This shows the Joan s evaluation of the ship s acceleration rate described as Bad Poor Average Good or Excellent Maximum Yaw Pitch and Roll These characteristics measures of a spacecraft s maneuverability are expressed in degrees per second dps The higher the number the more maneuverable the ship Yaw ability of a ship to turn to the right or left Pitch ability to change direction up or down Roll ability to rotate around the length wise axis Ship s Armor Joan s evaluation of a ship s defensive armor is expressed in centimeters thickness of Durasteel Fore and aft shields are given in values equivalent to centimeters thickness of Durasteel The effectiveness of phase shields is classified listings indicate which capital ships are equipped with these technological wonders but no Durasteel equivalents are provided The higher the shield and or armor rating the better CONFEDERATION FIGHTERS Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Mass Drivers 2 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left
45. ng If not you haven t fulfilled any of the above conditions and must con tinue the mission until you fulfill at least one Landing whether automatic or upon request takes you back to the hangar where you can see any damage your ship has sustained From the hangar you go to a debriefing This may be quite formal with staff officers present or informal possibly during a casual conversation with another character After the debriefing you are placed in the barracks scene again and you may continue the story or exit to DOS Since the last edition of Joan s Fighting Spacecraft Several new Kilrathi ship types have been encoun tered and several new Confederation craft have been added to the fleet The 2664 128 Update provides a description of each spacecraft you are likely to fly or encounter in the current conflict followed by notes on the offensive and defensive systems currently active in the Terran Kilrathi conflict This material could mean the difference between a successful mission and a quick death Though most of the information presented in Joan s evaluations is self explanatory some data types may require additional explanation The following text is reprinted here with the permission of Ivan Borger Jr publisher of Joan s Fighting Spacecraft DATA TYPE EXPLANATIONS Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity These are the settings for the ship s governors This is always a relative velocity a ship s computer calcu
46. nish as armor and shields take damage Shields gradually regenerate unless the shield generator is destroyed Once damage gets through a shield armor begins taking damage Armor doesn t regenerate Fuel Indicator This bar shows how much fuel you have It becomes shorter as you use up fuel Afterburners boost speed dramatically but expend fuel at a ferocious rate so use them sparingly If you run out of fuel you will coast on reserves unable to use afterburners until you return to base Speed Indicator There are two speed gauges Set Speed shows the speed your fighter tries to maintain on its own like a car s cruise control KPS shows your ship s current speed in kilometers second To increase your speed press To decrease it press For a sudden burst of speed press t or double click joystick button 2 right mouse button to momentarily ignite your afterburners The longer you press the longer they remain lit Tactical Tip The safest speed for negotiating asteroid fields is 250 kps Blaster Indicator This gauge shows the power level of your ship s gun capacitors Frequent use of guns runs down your power When you run out of power your guns stop firing until the capacitors have at least par tially recharged Guns recover power gradually Recovery is slowed if your shields are also regenerat ing Eject Warning This light flashes if your ship has sustained significant damage When the eject
47. or the Vega Sector He remembered that conflict with a small warmth of pride pride he cherished against the anger that sought to consume him He concentrated on his memories of the hours of maneuvering against the Terran ship waves of fighter assaults culminating in the glorious explosion of the Waterloo class ship the blossoming fireball and drifting debris The ship had been named the Leningrad he had learned later and over five hundred humans had died when it had been destroyed Five hundred enemies Five hundred gifts to Sivar the War God Now Ralgha felt that same paralyzing fear watching his fate being decided before him and knowing that there was nothing he could do about it at all Again the purring whisper I am waiting for your answer Jahkai Commander Jahkai turned and spoke to the shadowed figure seated in the corner of the room My lord I cannot say In five hours we have neither seen nor heard a single hint of treason from Lord Ralgha But Ralgha stood silently muscles locked in the rigidity of submissive fear and wished with all his heart that he was back in the battle for the Vega Sector commanding the crew of the Ras Nik hra against the Terran fleet At least then he had an obvious opponent to fight Not this shadow war of loyalties and treason where a single gesture could result in his immediate death They would not even grant him the honor of death in combat he could die in this room shot like
48. over But you re still a pilot in the Terran Confederation Navy and in Wing Commander II your goal is to defeat the Kilrathi enemy Each mission you fly and your success or failure in each mission affects the Confederation s chances for ultimate victory Wing Commander II presents one campaign in the on going war Special Operations I and 2 continue the story STARTING THE GAME The first thing you see when you begin play is the Wing Commander IT logo sequence followed by the main menu Here you are asked if you want to Start New Game or Resume Current Game If you are a first time player or you want to start the game again from the beginning select Start New Game If you have already played Wing Commander IT and wish to pick up where you left off choose Resume Current Game To make the choice use your joystick mouse arrow keys or numeric keypad to move the pointer until it is over the option you want The pointer changes into a cross When the cross is over the option you want press joystick button 1 the left mouse button or e Start New Game If you choose Start New Game you may see a screen asking you which cam paign you wish to play This screen will only appear if you have installed one or both of ORIGIN s Special Operations scenarios Move the pointer to the campaign you wish to play and press button 1 the left mouse button or e Once vou have selected a camnaign the introduction begins
49. r ssiosssncs ossssewniveonsonteceatonse 4 Computer Console rrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnrnnn 4 Epee Copi aani A 4 Mission Briefings rnrorrrrrrrnrrnnnnnvrvnnnrnnr 5 In the Cockpit vu ermanepeennaedt 5 KA EE 5 Radar Display scccicsicisanccdcssaanvnxsdeecedateesseecs 5 Rapier COCK DIL inerme 6 Left VDU Video Display Unit 6 Right EE EE 6 Targeting Screen 4 sacsccccssnnctinoeasdiacacnssets 6 Navigation Screen ssrrnnnnrnnnnnnnnnnnvnnnne 6 Communication Screen 6 Armor and Shields Indicator 7 Fuel INGIC AOL csresecassssazespastacansanebensavae 7 Speed Indicator 00ccccccccsssssesseeees 7 Blaster ae ee EE 7 Io ERE 7 In Flight Systems sauansnnsesnsr nmmdjv 7 Targeting Systen sumsmrnissssassdsee ses 7 SE Caen 8 Navigation System srrrrrrroonrrvnrrrrnrrrnvrrenn 8 Autopiloting System rrrorrvrrrnrrnnnnnnrnn 8 Communications System cc ceeee 9 Wingman Orders asnnrvrnnrnrnnnnnnnnnnvsnne 9 Taunting the Por myLunR anussdn ss 10 Broadsword Cockpit o oo 10 Weapo ER 10 Blasters sc se cnascuseseseessansacenuapanstnanenaaiant 10 Go sare oeoniesreupsentecagennncenneses 10 DVS SS eee 10 Alternate Camera Views 00 eeeee 12 Improved Target Tracking System 45 seasssecosissdecareccsons 12 Jumping Oil varesmsssventnns 12 PG varene 12 Replay se 12 Dvs e 13 Landing eeens rieten passes 13 JOAN S FIGHTING SPACECRAFT 0000 14
50. rectly behind your ship Hold F5 down to cycle between following your ship closely and hanging back a little This is a good view for fly ing through asteroid fields e F6 Battle View Displays a long distance view of an entire battle e FT Tactical View Always keeps you and the ship you have targeted or the most significant threat in view e F8 Missile Camera View Gives you a missile s eye view of the action Select this option and the camera tracks the next missile you fire to its target e F9 Tailing View Positions the camera behind any ship in the area Press F repeatedly to change ships Improved Target Tracking System The Improved Target Tracking System LT T S is a feature available in the most advanced fighters such as the Epee and Sabre This advanced targeting system cal culates the amount you must lead your target in order to maximize the chance of a hit When you lock onto a target while flying an LT T s equipped ship a special red cross appears on the screen Keep this cross inside your main crosshairs and you will be virtually guaranteed to hit the target unless the target is particularly quick and evasive Jumping Out A hyperspace jump is the quickest way to travel from one part of the universe to another Of the ships you fly only the Broadsword bomber is capable of making such a jump Press Jat a jump point and your Broadswordjumps to another jump point This worksonly at a jump point and the destin
51. s Excellent 8 dps 22 tonnes Image Rec Missiles 4 Friend or Foe Missiles 2 Dumb Fire Missiles 2 10 cm equivalent each 16 cm each 11 cm each Heavy Bomber 36 0 meters 320 kps jump capable 150 kps Poor 5 dps 100 tonnes Friend or Foe Missiles 3 Tractor Beam 1 to rear 18 cm equivalent each 15 cm each 13 cm each F 57A Sabre A 17D Broadsword CONFEDERATION CAPITAL SHIPS Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 2 Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 3 Destroyer 312 1 meters 250 kps 150 kps Poor 2 dps 10 000 tonnes Anti Matter Guns 2 Phase Shields 250 cm each 200 cm each Cruiser 503 9 meters 200 kps 100 kps Poor 1 dps 19 500 tonnes Anti Matter Guns 4 Light complement of fighters Ship s Armor Fore and Aft Shield Front and Rear Right and Left Class Length Maximum Velocity Cruise Velocity Acceleration Max Yaw Pitch Roll Mass Ship s Weapons Flak Cannon 3 Phase Transit Cannon r on Phase Shields 300 cm each 250 cm each Confederation 983 7 meters 100 kps 50 kps Bad 1 dps 73 000 tonnes Anti Matter Guns 8 Gilgamesh top Waterloo side top Concordia
52. s the heat seeker the missile locks onto the nearest heat source perhaps even your own ship Image Recognition Missile Within seconds this missile memorizes the ship type in your sights Once it locks it doesn t let go tracking its target until it is outpaced or it hits Torpedo Both Terran and Kilrathi capital ships now have phase shield technology that renders missiles and fighter scale guns useless Terran scientists developed powerful torpedoes capable of penetrating the new shields soon there after spies leaked the new technology to the Kilrathi Torpedoes are not without disadvantages they can only lock on to capital ships they are slow and can sometimes be shot down by the target ship or its fighter escort and they take approximately twenty seconds to determine the phase pattern of the shields leaving the firing ship vulnerable to attack for extended periods But when all the conditions are satisfied torpedoes large warheads can be very effective Laser Cannon The least powerful most reliable blaster type weapons lasers don t inflict much damage but are effec tive at long range Mass Driver Cannon This blaster is the basic fighter weapon reliable accurate at medium range capable of moder ate damaoe Heat muld nn and nawer drain are minimal Turret Many of the heavier fighters are equipped with swivel mounted neutron guns to fend off enemy fighters dur ing torpedo runs These two guns are modified
53. systems missiles torpedoes and or chaff pods G for guns cycles through the available combina tions of blasters A fighter s blasters can include laser cannon mass driver cannon neutron guns and particle cannon For maximum firepower and power consumption the Full Guns option fires all of a ship s blasters at once For more about blasters and weapon systems see Weapons page 10 Repeatedly pressing D cycles you through screens displaying damage your ship has taken Most undamaged systems appear in green Damaged systems are in red with a description of the system Note The first ship you fly the Ferret is a primitive patrol fighter and has no left VDU On this fighter the W G and D keys have no effect Right VDU The right VDU displays the Targeting screen the Navigation screen and the Communica tions screen Targeting Screen Press the T key to display the Targeting screen This screen gives the status of the ship you are currently targeting and appears automatically when you fire your ship s guns Navigation Screen Press the N key to display Navigation information and to see how far to the next Nav point Communications Screen Press the C key to bring up the Communication screen showing both vanr cammuinications antions and an caomniiter svstems with enangh exnanded memarv incoming Armor and Shields Indicator Bars on this screen indicate the status of your ship s armor and shields These bars dimi
54. t K Kai could take the tall tubes from his hands She handed one to Hunter who looked at it curiously The tube was made of a plant of some kind hollowed out to hold liquid Whatever was inside the tube smelled spicy a little like jalapeno peppers K Kai raised her glass in a silent toast to him and drank He took a careful swallow and gasped for breath as the fiery liquid burned a path down his throat and into his gut It was hotter than hell like drinking the juice of a cayenne pepper A moment later the alcohol hit his system like a brick I can I can see why humans like this stuff Hunter said trying to remember how to breathe The stuff is at least a hundred proof And I think it just burned out my taste buds he thought wryly But good damn good He drained the last of the drink feeling like he d drunk several stiff shots of whiskey mixed with a gallon of Tabasco sauce NOTE This manual and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved Under the copyright laws this manual or the software may not be copied in whole or part without written consent of Electronic Arts except in the normal use of the software or to make a backup copy of the software The same proprietary and copyright notices must be affixed to any permitted copies as were affixed to the original This excep tion does not allow copies to be made for others whether or not sold but all of the material purchased with
55. t in your current mission When you point at something it will be highlighted and notes about it appear on the right side of the Nav map You can also scroll through the Nav points and the information about them by repeatedly pressing N Pressing e exits you from Navigation Mode and returns you to the cockpit screen The last Nav point you highlighted becomes your new destination Also when you reach a Nav point the navigation computer intelligently and automatically selects the next assigned Nav point for you You can either fly there manually or activate the autopilot and let it take you to your next objective see Autopiloting System below Tactical Tip The Nav map is drawn in only two dimensions so it is possible for your ship to appear to be right on a Nav point while your ship s systems indicate that you are thousands of kilometers away from your objective This simply means that you are above or below the Nav point Autopiloting System When you activate Navigation Mode a white cross appears on your radar display and in your heads up display Both crosses represent the location of the current selected Nav point relative to your starfighter To reach your selected Nav point maneuver your ship until these crosshairs are cen tered in their respective displays Centering one centers the other automatically Keep the crosshairs In practice you will want to shorten the trip by activating the autopilot If there are
56. u choose to create a new character you will be asked for your first and last names and your char acter s callsign Each may be no more than 12 letters long Be careful when entering these once you press e after typing a name you can t go back to edit it To change a name you must create another new character After this information has been entered move the pointer off the on screen computer and press button 1 to continue Resume Current Game If you choose Resume Current Game on the main menu you bypass the on screen computer and go directly to the barracks or ready room see Non Flying Interactive Scenes Page 4 for details Note In Wing Commander II you never have to save your game It is saved automatically as you play Once you ve played the game for a while choosing Resume Current Game places you back at the barracks just after the last animated sequence you saw if you ended your previous play session after watching one or just before a combat mission if you stopped playing during a mission However a Wing Commander II campaign can unfold in a variety of ways and it is often helpful to save multiple game positions You will probably want to save your game manually from time to time For information about saving games see Computer Console page 4 THE INTERFACE BETWEEN MISSIONS Between missions you select game functions by using a joystick a mouse or arrow keys to move a pointer around the on
57. ut her and her flock They d never met face to face or face to beak in this situation but they d talked for hours over the comlink Firekkan social groups were fairly large as a rule consisting of a matriarch and all her immediate rel atives But K Kai was something of a maverick which so far as Hunter was concerned gave her a lot in common with him She d no sooner been introduced to the concept of spaceflight than she had bro ken away from her own family flock much to their horror he had no doubt and presented herself at the spaceport demanding to be trained She d proven to be quite a pilot she d made that old freighter move in ways he d never suspected it could and in ways that would have had a human pilot looking for the air sick bag Hunter suspected that being a flyer by birth probably helped her there since she d been born with a natural aptitude for it Before very long she d been joined by other misfit oddball Firekkans all of them looking for a way off planet and out into space Pretty soon she had her flock and she was a matriarch of a freighter crew She trained them herself and Hunter knew for a fact that the birds were just as good as she was if a lit tle on the strange side But that still wasn t going to help him pick her out of this crowd A piercing whistle made him grab his ears and then grab again for the safety of the ladder and a whirlwind of feathers an
58. warning starts flashing you must decide how serious the situation is and whether to eject or not If you decide to eject press CE When you eject you are offered two options Replay Mission and Continue Story Selecting Replay Mission sends you back to a point just after you launched so you can try the mission again Selecting Continue Story sends you to a debriefing during which you may be chewed out by your superior officer for costing the Confederation a starfighter but you will live to fight another day Tactical Tip In certain circumstances such as when you and your carrier are deep behind enemy lines enemy activity makes it impossible to recover ejected pilots In those cases ejecting will prove fatal You will be warned during the mission briefing if it will be too dangerous to eject during the upcoming mission IN FLIGHT SYSTEMS Targeting System When the Targeting screen is up accomplished by pressing T it displays a profile of the ship you have targeted along with any damage the target may have sustained When the targeting feature is activated an enemy ship in your view screen will be automatically targeted Brackets appear around the enemy ship You can only target one ship at a time Normally you lose the lock on a target you are no longer facing If you want to keep a target locked even when you are not facing it press L to lock onto a target when that target is on the screen A locked target is indic
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