SENTINEL WORLDS I
FUTURE MAGIC
U S E R S M A N U A L
Another in the continuing series of fastdocs by GTR>
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Mission Dossier
I. Excerpt from report by Patrick Blane, Federation Undersec-
retary for Caldorrian Affairs, 2/3/2994:
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
SCRAMBLE CODE B3Q8##
To Her Excellency the Ambassador to Caldorre,
I am delighted to report a successful conclusion to our negotiation with
shipping magnate William Grager. He agrees to provide transportation for
shipments of food from Caldorre and Norjaenn to our new outposts in the
Rouyn and Mistassini systems. In return, the Federation provides protec-
tion for the shipments and the compensation package that you and I
designed.
He's a shrewd old horsetrader,but I played him like a violin. I think this
will
mean promotions for us both. Keep the champagne cold until I get there.
II. Weak and fragmentary message received at Federation
Comm Center on Caldorre, 5/23/2995.
...MAYDAY MAYDAY CALDORRE DO YOU RECEIVE THIS IS THE
TRANSPORT BARGE "NEW MOON" OUT OF NORJAENN TOWN WE
HAVE BEEN ATTACKED [...] LIKE NOTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN [...]
OUT OF NOWHERE [...] ENGINES ARE CRIPPLED OUR CARGO
PODS HAVE BEEN [...] LOSING FUEL HURRY CALDORRE WE'RE
SITTING DUCKS OUT HERE MAYDAY MAYDAY [...] OH NO OY MY
GOD THEY'RE COMING BACK
[end of transmission]
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III Transcript of the appearance of Caldorre System Repre-
sentative Elizabeth Nguyen before the Federation Sub-
committee on the Transport Raids, 10/23/2995:
"Gentle sentients,
"Since the first Raider attack earlier this year, Grager Transport has
lost
seventeen ships. The Federation has lost gigacredits' worth of badly-
needed supplies for the new settlements. And eighteen men and women
of my system have lost their lives.
"According to William Grager, the attacks are swift and brutal. The
raiders
appear out of hyperspace, rake the ships with some sort of energy weapon,
and disappear before they can be identified. They make no attempt to
contact the ships, or to capture them, or to salvage their remains. The
destruction of this vital shipping route seems to be their only intention.
"The Federation must rethink its strategy. The current defensive posture,
although well-intentioned, has been ineffective. The Dreadnought-class
escort ships that you have supplied are too slow and heavy to respond to
these lightning fast attacks. Only a more maneuverable ship, such as the
Interceptor-class vessels, might stand a chance against the Raiders.
"On behalf of the Caldorre system, I demand that you find out who these
Raiders are. It is an atrocious affront to justice when terrorism is permitted
to rage unchecked in civilized space.
"Gentle sentients, no matter what you do, I beg you, do it quickly. We
can
spare no more lives to these monsters."
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IV. Address by Cynthia Rodrigues, Federation Mission Coor-
dinator on Casparis, to the crews of eight Federation Intercep-
tor-class vessels, 1/27/2996:
"Let me begin by congratulating each of you on your talents and
dedication.
You have been chosen from amoung thousands of volunteers, and have
passed--some would say, 'survived'--a grueling training program that
has tested and honed skills vital to the success of the mission.
"Most importantly, you have encountered the four other people whose
skills and temperaments were found by our tests to be the most compatible
with yours. You came here as strangers to each other, but the training you
have undergone together has forged you into partners and friends. Your
lives will depend on your ability to rely on each other.
"Let me review some of the details of your mission. A hyperspace barge
will
transport you and your ships from the Federation Central Base to the
Caldorre system. This trip will take six months, during which your crew will
be placed in cold sleep in order to conserve supplies. When the barge
reaches the Caldorre system, you will be awakened, and your ship cast off
to begin its mission.
"From that point on, the course you take will be up to you. You may
decide
to remain in space to protect the transport ships. In this way, you can
challenge the raiders in battle, and, if you are victorious, even board their
ships--although I must remind you that no one has ever returned from
such an attempt. With these tactics you can learn about the raiders first
hand--and still collect the bounties we offer for each raider ship that you
destroy and each transport that you lead to safety.
Continued on next page
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"Or you may choose to go planetside to collect intelligence on the
raiders.
You'll find information on the streets and in parks, in restaurants and
bars
--wherever people gather. Along the way, you may find the clues that will
let you put together the pieces to this deadly puzzle.
"Don't forget that, to some extent, you must learn to fend for
yourselves on
this mission. While we have armed and supplied you, your party will have
to earn money so that you can buy additional training, equipment, and
weapons. While this requirement is in part a consequence of recent
budget cuts, it has the benefit of forcing you to immerse yourselves more
fully in the local culture, which cannot help but to add to your store of
infor-
mation.
"In closing, let me send with you the best hopes of your teachers who
remain behind. May you have good hunting and a successful return!"
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Commander's Reference Manual
Section 1. Assembling the Crew
Prior to departure for the Caldorre System, you will use the StarCrew Develop-
ment System to review your five-person crew for the mission. This sophis-
ticated cybernetic personnel tracking system enables you to examine each crew
member's characteristics and skills. If you wish, you can enlist new
personnel
for any or all of the crew positions at this point. Finally, you will christen
your Federation Interceptor-class spacecraft, and embark on your mission.
1.1 Crew Duties
The five current members of your party are displayed by the StarCrew Develop-
ment System in the following order: Pilot, Navigator, Communications, Engineer,
and Medic.
The shipboard duties of each crew member are explained below:
Pilot: Handles the ship's guns during space combat.
Navigator: Guides the ship through real space or hyperspace. Interprets long-
range scanner input. Executes boarding and orbiting procedures.
Communications Officer: Establishes contact with targeted ships and programs
the ship's computers.
Engineer: Repairs any damage the ship takes in combat.
Medic: Heals injuries suffered by all crew members, except when performing as
the team leader.
1.2 Assigning a New Crew Member
You can look at the dossier of any current crew member by entering the number
next to that person's name.
If you choose to erase that record and enlist another person instead, select
option #3 from the crew member's profile and the StarCrew Development
System
displays the photographs of all personnel who are currently available to join
the mission. Press the number that corresponds with the face of the person
you wish to add to the crew.
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1.3 Reading a Crew Member's Profile
The crew profiles reflect the most up-to-the-minute information about each crew
member's equipment, experience, skills rating, and physical condition.
Profiles
are dynamically updated by information from telemetric sensors, which is inter-
preted and quantified by the StarCrew personnel analysis programs.
If you are looking at the profile of a crew member that you have just added to
the crew, start by entering that person's name at the top of the screen.
Here
is a guide to reading the rest of the information on the screen:
Class: The new crew member's function in the crew. A new crew memmber
auto-
matically takes the class of the old one.
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Level: Levels are ranked as follows:
Rank Experience Points Required
Combat Cadet Initial Rank
Senior Cadet 25
Command Cadet 100
Ensign 225
Combat Ensign 400
Senior Ensign 625
Command Ensign 900
Lieutenant 1225
Combat Lieutenant 1600
First Lieutenant 2025
Senior Leiutenant 2500
Command Leiutenant 3025
Lt. Commander 3600
Commander 4225
Combat Commander 4900
Senior Commander 5625
Captain 6400
Combat Captain 7225
Senior Captain 8100
Command Captain 9025
Crew members attain higher ranks during the course of their duty. The higher
their rank, the more effective they are at doing their job. For example, a
Communications Officer with more experience will be more successful at re-
programming the ship's computers.
A higher experience level also increases the crew member's Maximum Trauma
Rating, which is measured in "hit points". In addition, for each two
additional
experience levels attained, there is a 5% increase in effectiveness with any
type of weapon.
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Experience above class level: This is the number of experience points the crew
member has above his or her rated level. This amount is reduced to zero when
he or she has enough points to advance to the next highest level.
Current Armor: At the beginning of the mission, each crew member has his or her
uniform as armor. The screen displays the armor's degree of protection
against
the four classes of weapons: the higher the number, the greater the
armor's
effectiveness against that class of weapon.
Current Weapon: This is the weapon with which this person is currently equipped
Members start out with only their hands as weapons. Preparatory to orbiting or
boarding, they can get weapons from the ship's armory. You must then
equip
crew members with weapons using the Crew Command System. See Section 3.
Health Status: The number in paranthesis is this person's Maximum Trauma
Rating
It is initially calculated as the person's strength plus their stamina,
and
then is increased as higher experience levels are attained (See Stamina). The
first number is the current number of hit points.
Party's Current Cash: The party begins with 200 CR. They can use their cash
to
buy equipment and supplies, and to acquire increased training for party members
The party can increase its cash by the following means:
-Federation bounties for destroying raiders' vessels
-Enabling transport ships to safely reach their system destination
-Delivery of scientific cargoes
-Mining minerals on the planets surface
-Selling items encountered during the party's travels
These aspects of the adventure are explained in greater detail in section 2.
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1.3.1 Assigning Characteristics
When recuiting a new member, you specify the characteristics you wish the crew
member to have by assigning between 10 and 20 points for each characteristic
from a total "well" of 70 points. The characteristics are as
follows:
Note: If you make a mistake, you can use the backspace or the "up
arrow" key
to backup and change the assigned points.
Strength: Effectiveness in battle. High strength means that more damage is done
when the person uses a contact or edged weapon. Also added to stamina to
determine initial Maximum Trauma Rating.
Stamina: How long the person can last in battle. The higher a person's
stamina,
the more their Maximum Trauma Rating is increased as they attain higher ranks.
Dexterity: The rate at which the person can attack using any weapon. It also
determines the speed with which the medic can heal injuries.
Comprehend: Ability to learn new skills. The higher a person's
comprehension,
the more new skills they acquire as they are promoted.
Charisma: Ability to communicate with and influence others. Confers greater
effectiveness in encounters with other characters.
You should specify characteristics for a new member that are relevant to the
role he or she will play in the party: the communicator's profile should
reflect high comprehension and charisma, while crew members who are expected
to fight should have high strength and dexterity, etc.
Should you wish to improve your crew's characteristics, you can visit the
Caldorre Towers, where you can take advantage of training facilities -- for
a price. For example, using the aerobics gym increases stamina; a trip to
the plastic surgeon increases charisma, etc.
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1.3.2 Assigning Skill Points
Federation training provides each crew member with one skill point in contact
weapons and one in edged weapons (out of a maximum in all skill categories of
seven). During the recruitment of a new member, you can assign one additional
skill point in any of the following areas:
Contact: Effectiveness with blunt or clubbing weapons. (I)*
Edged: Proficiency with cutting or slashing weapons. (I)
Projectile: Effectiveness with projectile weapons. (I)
Blasters: Proficiency with the blaster class of weapons. (I)
(Each point a person has in one of the above skills is reflected in a 5%
increase in their combat effectiveness rating with that class of weapon. See
Appendix 1 for more information about weapons.)
Tactics: Skill in using any weapon. Every 2 points allocated to this
skill results in a 5% increase in the combat effectiveness with any
weapon. (I)
Recon: Ability to discern objects and locations using the long-range
scanner in the Ground Command Helmet. (T)
Gunnery: Ability to aim the ship's lasers effectively. This skill is
useful only to the team pilot. (I)
ATV Repair: Ability to make repairs on the ATV (All-Terrain-Vehicle). (T)
Mining: Expertise in locating valuable mineral deposits on a planet's
surface. (T)
Athletic: Overall physical and mental potential. At the start of the
mission, each characteristic can only be increased 3 points above its
original level by means of training. This "ceiling" is increased by
one for each point gained in athletic skill. (I)
Observation: Ability to notice usefull details about encountered
beings. (I)
Bribery: Effectiveness in using the party's cash to influence
encountered characters to do what you want them to do. (I)
*NOTE (T) Denotes a skill that is a team skill and whose benefits are
conferred to the team based on the cumulative level of that skill.
(I) Denotes a skill that affects an individual crew member based
solely on the individual's own level of expertise.
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As the crew members gain promotions, they will also gain skill points, which
you can assign as you like, using the Crew Command System. (See Section 3.)
The rate at which they gain additional skills is determined by their compre-
hension level.
Section 2. The Federation Spacecraft Command
When the hyperspace barge arrives in the Caldorre system, you will be revived
by the automatic systems on board. After a brief orientation from the barge
captain, your ship's systems will come up to normal, and you will be cast
off
from the barge.
Although you have received the standard hypno-holographic training in the
operation of the Interceptor-class ships, it is advisable that you thoroughly
review this section of the manual so that you will be familiar with the
operation of your ship.
+------------------------------------+--------------------+
| | |
| | Long |
| Short Range Display | Range |
| | Display |
| | |
+------------------------------------+--------------------+
| | |
| | |
| Ship Status Display | Scanner |
| | Radar |
| | |
+------------------------------------+--------------------+
Figure 2. Interceptor class view screen
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This state-of-the-art multichannel sensor display is your interface with your
ship, your crew, and the area of space in which you find yourselves. Its screen
is divided into quadrants, explained below:
Short-Range Display: On this display, your ship is color coded green. Your
fellow Interceptors are purple; convoy ships are yellow; merchant ships are
blue; and Raider ships are red. At the lower left corner of this display are
your ship's current coordinates and rate of speed. Other status messages
also
appear in this part of the display. These are explained in later sections. (In
CGA mode all Federation Interceptors are turquoise, convoy and merchant ships
are white, and Raider vessels are red.)
Long-Range Display: Ships in the surrounding region of space are displayed
using the same color coding as above. Press L to cycle through the five levels
of magnification. Level 1 is the most powerful. Your ship is always located in
the exact center of this display as in the SR display.
Scanner Display: When a target has been selected, this portion of the display
show information about the targeted ship. (See section 2.4 for more about
targeting.)
Ship Status Display: This stylized diagram shows the condition of all ship
systems as a percentage of total. These readouts are as follows:
-Upper left: Description of ship's weapons and engines
-Middle left: Conditions of the ship's computer, the effectiveness
level of each program, and the current system targeted by your lasers
-Lower left: Remaining fuel and condition of the ship's hull
-Lower right: condition of the lasers, engine, and shield
2.2 Command Modes
The different command modes are shown on the indicators in the center right of
the screen. They are as follows:
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2.2.1 Talk (TLK)
When you have targeted another ship, pressing T directs your communications
officer to open hailing frewquencies.
The communications system on the Interceptor-class ships uses a modified
version of the Intelligent Text Communications system (ITC), which transmits
encoded short-burst messages in place of digitized speech. Thus, when you
encounter another ship that wishes to respond to your communication, you are
presented with a menu of topics. For each topic, you select from a library of
phrases.
2.2.2 Programming the Ship's Computers (PRG)
Your Interceptor class vessel is equipped with the MAI-7000 cybernetic ship
control system. It supports four principal programs:
Move: Controls the speed and direction of the ship. The better the Move
program is, the more closely you can shadow a targeted ship--see Section 2.4.3.
Target: Aims the lasers at the selected target.
Evade: Adjusts the ship's trajectory to avoid enemy fire.
Laser: Fires lasers at selected portions of the enemy crafts.
The effectiveness of these programs is rated on a scale of one to eight.
When you press P to enter this mode, you can order your communications officer
to rewrite ("hack") one of these programs to fit the circumstances.
The more
experience this officer has, the more success he or she will have. If the
officer is very inexperienced, an attempt to hack a program can actually de-
crease its efficiency.
Note: If you decide not to "hack" one of the programs, you may escape
from this
by pressing the "X" key (see reference card for more information on
keyboard
commands).
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You can also choose to implement one of the four sub-modules of the Laser
program, which enable you to direct the lasers at the targeted ship's hull,
engine, computer, or lasers. For example, you might target the raider's
hull
to destroy the ship, or its laser to keep it from doing any more damage, or its
engines so that you can immobilize and board it.
2.2.3 Federation Communiques (FED)
Pressing F displays the Federation Communications channel. This channel shows
the location and status of transport convoys, alerting you to convoys that are
in danger. It also continuously displays messages from the Federation that may
be of use to you, as well as a map of the entire system.
2.2.4 Bridge (BRG)
Depending where you are in space, pressing B to enter this mode accomplishes
one of three things:
-If you are in open space, it directs the navigator to prepare to enter
hyperspace. (See Section 2.3.2.)
-If you are within docking range of a planet's spaceport, it enables you
to
use spaceport facilities and orbit the planet. (See Section 2.5)
-If you are in close proximity to an enemy ship with disabled engines, it
effects boarding procedures. Before you board, you'll have a chance to
visit your ship's armory to provide your crew with weapons. Remember you
must target a ship before you can board it (See Section 2.4.1)
2.3 Navigation
2.2.1 Sub-Light Speed
Navigation in regular space is controlled by an array of four keys. The
"left"
and "right" arrow keys turn the ship correspondingly; the
"up" arrow fires the
thrusters to increase the speed one level; and the "down" arrow fires
the
retros, which reduce the speed one level. The maximum possible speed is level
10; however, this is diminished if your engines have been damaged.
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2.3.2 Hyperspace
Hyperspace is used for interplanetary and cross-system travel. You specify the
destination by aligning a set of cross hairs on a system map. Once hyperspace
travel is completed, you may have to fine tune your position at sub-light
speeds.
For a combat cadet-level navigator, one hyperspace jump consumes 500 fuel
units. As the navigator gains higher rank, hyperspace travel becomes more fuel-
efficient.
2.4 Weaponry and Battle Procedures
2.4.1 Targeting
Press the space bar to target ship's sensors on any ship that is visible in
the
short-range display. Press the space bar repeatedly to cycle through the
visible ships.
When a ship is targeted, its picture and status appears in place of the scanner
display in the lower right part of the main display. Targeting is a necessary
perequisite for the following activities:
-Using the Talk mode
-Boarding an enemy ship
-Shadowing another ship
2.4.2 Laser Control
Initiating inter-ship laser combat with a specified enemy ship is a two-step
process: First you target the enemy ship by pressing the space bar, then you
arm the ship's lasers by pressing Enter. At this point, the ship's
programming
takes over. Firing is automatic until you "de-target" the enemy,
destroy it, or
move out of range -- or until your own lasers are disabled.
Even if no ship is targeted, your ship's computers will fire automatically
on
enemy ships as they come within range if your lasers are activated.
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2.4.3 Shadowing
When you press S to shadow a targeted ship, your ship's autopilot takes
over
and attempts to match the course of the targeted ship turn for turn. The higher
the level of the "Move" computer program, the better you will be at
matching
the other ship's moves.
2.4.4 Damage to Ship Systems
Damage to ship systems has the following effects:
Engine: The ship's top speed is reduced from 10 to a number corresponding
to
the remaining percentage of engine function. For example, if your engine
condition is 42%, your maximum speed is 4.
Lasers: Speed of laser recharging and firing is decreased in proportion to the
damage suffered by the lasers.
Computers: Since the computers ultimately affect all ship functions, many
systems are affected by damage to the computers. When there is computer
damage, the ship moves more slowly, it is slower to switch targets, you will
get hit more often by enemy fire, and less damage is done by your lasers.
Hull: When hull condition reaches 0%, your ship undergoes explosive decompres-
sion. This has a permanently negative impact on the viability of the entire
crew.
If your fuel is depleted to zero, or if your engines are less than 10%, you can
press H to call a tug that will bring you to Caldorre for refueling and repair.
If the team has sufficient funds, they will be charged 2000 CR. Otherwise, the
Federation Mission Command considers that such action can only be the conseq-
uence of serious crew incompetence and disciplinary action will be taken.
2.5 Spaceport Contact Procedures
There are a number of useful facilities to be found at the spaceports of
Caldorre and Norjaenn. Before landing on either of these planets, you may wish
to avial yourself of them. (Since Ceyjavik is a research facility, it has no
spaceport facilities.)
2.5.1 Leave this Spaceport
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2.5.2 Visit your Ship's Armory
The ship's armory contains a standard complement of weapons, armor and
other
valuable objects. It can also be used to store item that you acquire during
the mission but do not wish to carry around with you. At the beginnin of the
mission the armory contains the following items:
3 flight jackets
1 dagger
1 power fist
1 cyro cutlass
1 auto pistol
2 auto pistol cartridges
1 arisian lens
1 holophone
Once you have chosen a weapon from the armory and given it to a crew member,
you must use the Crew Command System to equip that member with it before it
can be used in battle. See Section 3.
2.5.3 Orbit the Planet
Initiates the landing process. By the use of the crosshairs, you select the
location on the planet that you wish to visit and hit the "Enter" key
to accept
your choice of landing sites (or by using the # 1, 2, or 3 if you wish to visit
one of the 3 Caldorre towers). If landing on other than a Caldorre tower, the
crew will utilize the ATV to travel planetside.
2.5.4 Visit Recruitment Center
In the unfortunate event that one of your crew should be lost in combat, you
must visit the Recruitment Center on Caldorre as soon as possible. Until you
replace the lost crew member, your ship's functions will be impaired as
follows:
Pilot: Ship cannont engage in space combat.
Navigator: Ship cannot travel in hyperspace. Long-range scanner only operates
at level 5. Federation Communication Channel system map is rendered inoperative
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Communications Officer: You cannot recieve Federation messages, hack
ship's
computer programs, or communicate with targeted ships.
Engineer: Damage to ship cannot be repaired until you return to drydock.
Medic: Wounded crew members cannot be healed.
Because replacement members have not undergone the special mission training
program, they have characteristic ratings of 14 for all categories: strength,
stamina, etc. Also, they cannot function as expedition leaders when the crew
is on foot.
There must always be at least one of the original crew members in the mission.
If the original five crew members are all lost, whether in a single tragedy or
one at a time, the mission is at an end.
2.5.5 Visit Science Foundation
Your party can obtain funds by accomplishing Science Foundation research
missions. When you land at the specified location and place the equipment, the
Foundation will credit your party's account with 700 CR.
2.5.6 Visit Space Miner's Guild
Another way to obtain small amounts of money for your mission is to use the All
Terrain Vehicle to mine valuable ores on the planets' surface. These
minerals
are typically found in the mountainous regions of the planets of this system.
The Miner's Guild is currently interested in these three minerals:
-Kokodite: Crumbly yellow ore. Used in ceramic components of spaceship
booster engines.
-Cryolote: Iridescent black crystals. When refined, forms the power source
for most energy weapons.
-Elionium: Radioactive greenish dust. Acts as a catalyst in tissue-cloning
procedures.
When you have picked up a quantity of ore, visit the Space Miner's Guild
to
drop it off and be reimbursed.
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2.5.7 Enter Fuel Depot
Refueling is available at the rate of 20 CR per 100 fuel units on Caldorre,
and 30 CR per 100 units on Norjaenn.
2.5.8 Enter Dry Dock (Only at Caldorre)
When your ship has been damaged in battle, and you can't wait for your
ship's
engineer to effect repairs, visit the dry dock. Federation trained technicians
can repair your ship at the following rates:
System Price Improvement
====== ===== ===========
Shields 5 CR 5 %
Hull 7 CR 5 %
Engine 15 CR 5 %
Computer 20 CR 5 %
Lasers 10 CR 5 %
Section 3. Crew Command Center
You can press C to access the StarCrew Command Center from shipboard, ATV, or
when exploring on foot. Use this system to inspect crew profiles, trade weapons
and items, equip weapons, and set the crew order. Each of these functions is
explained below:
3.1 Return to Active Duty
3.2 Looking at Crew Profiles
Choose this option when you wish to see a crew member's rank, experience,
characteristics, and skills. You should select this option when crew members
receive promotions in order to allocate the new skill(s) they've acquired.
3.3 Trading Weapons and Items
Weapons, Armor, and items carried in backpacks can be redistributed amoung
crew members by means of this option. If a crew member is killed, use this
option to give their possessions to their crewmates. Remember a crew member
can only carry one type of Armor at a time though.
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3.4 Equipping Weapons
Although a crew member may be carrying a weapon, it can't be used in
combat
until you equip the person with it. Choose this option as soon as you obtain a
new weapon so that crew members will be ready for battle at any time.
3.5 Setting the Crew Order (Only available from GCH)
This option determines the order in which crew members advance when on an
enemy ship or indoors. The first crew member speaks to the characters the party
encounters -- so if you were trying to get information, you might want that
person to be someone with high charisma and comprehension. If you were
expecting trouble, you would probably want a strong fighter to take the point.
Section 4. The All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV)
The All-Terrain Vehicle is a self-contained vehicle whose extremely rugged
armor and versatile sensor systems make it suitable for exploring the possibly
hostile surface of an alien planet.
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+-------------------------------------+-------------------+
| | |
| | |
| Top View | Navigation |
| Monitor Display | Display |
| | |
| | |
+------------------+------------------+-------------------+
| | | |
| | | |
| Viewscreen | Message | ATV Status |
| Display | Display | Display |
| | | |
| | | |
+------------------+------------------+-------------------+
Figure 4. ATV Display Screen
Top View Monitor Display: This area of the screen gives you a top-view display
of the ATV's immediate surroundings. Friendly animals are indicated by a
blue
dot, hostile ones by red. Mineral deposits appear as a light-blue dot. (In CGA
all animals are red dots and minerals are white.)
Navigation Grid Display: This is a stylized display of the surroundings along
with a readout of your current coordinates.
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ATV Status Display: This display shows the remaining fuel. When an encounter is
selected, it shows a picture of the encountered creature and a catalog of its
natural weapons.
Message Display: A text summary of the current sensor readings appears here.
When the sensors indicate that there is an action to be taken, such as mining
a mineral deposit or healing an injured animal, a menu appears here from which
you can select this action.
Viewscreen Display: This portion of the screen displays a representative view
of the current surroundings.
4.2 Navigation
To navigate the ATV, you use the same quadrant of keys that you use to steer
your spaceship.
Although the ATV is well-armored, it is subject to mechanical breakdown,
especially when driven for long periods over rugged ground. The length of time
repairs will take depends on the composite ATV repair skill level of the entire
crew.
To enter a structure, maneuver the ATV around until it is facing the structure.
If the structure can be entered, the message display will give you the
opportunity to do so.
When your party is exploring on foot, as when you enter a structure from the
ATV, board another ship, or enter a spaceport, you will use the Ground Combat
Helmet (GCH), explained in the next section.
Section 5. The Ground Combat Helmet (GCH)
The GCH provides a multi-channel interface with your party's defense,
attack,
and information capabilites. It is custom designed for the individual wearer
and is programmed with your crewmate's names and Federation characteristic
profiles. This information automatically adjusts itself as your party becomes
more experienced.
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Figure 5. Helmet Display Screen
Point-of-view Display: This portion of the display shows the area immediately
in front of you (as group leader) as a matrix of two-dimensional planes. The
display is reoriented as the party moves through its surroundings.
Around the periphery of the display is the following information: your name;
which level of the structure you are currently exploring and your directional
facing; your current maximum trauma rating; and your currently equipped weapon,
its status, and its damage potential.
Top View Radar Display: Superimposed on this display is a top-view diagram of
the GCH's automatic sonar pulse readings, which also reorients itself as
your
party moves.
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The team leader appears in green. Crew members are shown in yellow, with their
order in the party denoted by the number of dark pixels on each blip. Friendly
beings appear as blue blips, and hostile ones appear in red.
(In CGA the team leader is turquoise, crew members are white, all others are
red.)
Indoor Long-Range Display: By pressing L, you can use the GCH radar system to
scan a 20 move square map section. This readout is displayed in place of the
viewscreen and message displays.
As the members of your team improve their recon skills, you will be able to
discern other items on this display, as follows:
Cumulative
Recon Skill Locations Displayed
2 Weapons shop
4 General stores
6 Training facilities
8 Ship's docked location
10 Access points to new map locations
12 Elevators between levels
14 Armories
16+ Chests and footlockers
Communications Channel Display: The left portion of this lower right display
window shows a text listing of the available communications channels. Crew
members appear on this listing in their crew order. This display also shows
a picture of the currently targeted being, and that being's complement of
weapons.
Message Display: A text summary of the current surroundings appears here. When
one of your part makes a voice-channel comment, it is also displayed here.
When there is action that can be taken, such as an area in this structure that
you can choose to enter, a menu in this portion of the display gives you the
opportunity to do so.
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Viewscreen Display: A composite picture of the current surroundings appears
in the lower-left portion of the display.
5.2. Command Options
5.2.1 Battle Status
Press B to see your combat statistics. The readout shows the crew order and
each member's hit points and experience over grade level.
5.2.2 Crew Command
Press C to inspect crew profiles, trade weapons and items, equip weapons, and
set the crew order. The Crew Command System is explained in section 3.
5.3 Intelligent Text Communication System
The GCH uses a version of the same Intelligent Communication System found in
the Interceptor-class starships. When you initiate communications with a member
of your crew or an encountered being, you are presented with a menu of relevant
phrases. You select from these phrases in response to the other party's
replies
The ITC is context-sensitive in its display of phrases. You may find that there
is more information to be obtained on a particular subject after a period of
time has passed.
5.3.1 Crew Member Channels
When you select one of your crewmates' communications channels, that
person's
picture appears on the screen (see your Reference Card for more information on
selecting crew member channels). If you select your team leader's channel
you
will be able to use any abilities that they might possess. By selecting your
Medic's channel you will be provided with a menu that gives you the option
of
selecting the order in which you wish to heal your crew.
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5.3.2 Encounter Channel
You can only communicate with encountered beings whom the sensors deem to be
friendly. Remember that Federation regulation 334-MV1 paragraph Q specifies
stiff penalties for attacking any person so designated.
5.4 Battle Procedures
The GCH interface enables you to target a hostile being and to use your
currently equipped weapon to combat it. Use the space bar to target a hostile
being. You cannot target a being that is not in your line of sight.
Press "Enter" for the team leader to fire on a hostile being. Your
other team
members handle their own firing.
Weapon range for each class of weapon is as follows: Contact and edged weapons
have a range of two squares on the short range display; projectile weapons and
blasters have a range of four squares.
Figure 6. Caldorre Planet map
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Section 6. Survey Results on Caldorre System
The following Information is excerpted from the Official Report of the
Federation Survey Party of 2990.
6.1 Caldorre
6.1.1 History of the Caldorre System
When the first Federation exploration teams entered the Caldorre system in
2709, they found to their surprise that its most Earthlike planet (for which
the system was named) was already inhabited by a highly advanced and techno-
logically literate culture. In fact, the Caldorrians detected and hailed the
Federation ship before it even knew there was life on the planet.
The Federation explorers found the Caldorrains eager for contact with space-
farers. Communication proved easy, since the Caldorrians spoke a much corrupted
descendant of an obsolete language called Anglish -- a precursor of modern
Commonspeak. From this, and from the fact that this region of space was known
as a destination for early deep space travellers, it was theorized that
Caldorre was originally settled by a lost Earthish colony ship hundreds of
years before.
In 2720, Caldorre and Norjaenn became fully-represented members of the
Federation of Planets. Relations between the heartworlds of the Caldorre
system have generally been friendly. The Caldorrians value the influx of
culture, trade, and industry brought by the Federation, while the Federation
finds Caldorre a useful stopping point for outbound expeditions, as well as a
valuable trade and population center in its own right. In addition, the system
offers food and mineral resources that are vital to continued Federation
expansion in this area of space.
6.1.2. Geography and Lifeforms
Caldorre's major landform is a single huge continent that girdles the
planet's
equator. Except for the polar regions, the climate is generally humid and temp-
erate. The planet is widely and luxuraintly forested, possessing many of the
characteristics of an Earthish rain forest. Known animal life includes cave
bears, gorillas, and dust snakes, all of which have been know to be hostile to
human beings.
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6.1.3 Politics and Culture
Small communities of tribal humans are found at various locations on the
planet. It is a point of contention among Federation scientists as to whether
these are descendants of the same colony ship that established the Tower
culture, or whether they are the evidence of a separate human landing on
Caldorre. The attitude of the tribal dwellers toward the Tower inhabitants can
generally be described as benignly oblivious.
The only other human life on Caldorre is centered in the three huge Towers
which rise several kilometers above the surface of the planet. The top of each
Tower is a docking port, through which atmospheric crafts enter the Tower.
Below that are hundreds of levels which house all aspects of human industry,
commerce, and recreation. The lower level fall into several different basic
types:
-Bar and Club levels house establishments that cater to visitors' needs
for
recreation and conversation.
-Store levels provide weapons and other supplies for visitors.
-Apartment and Office levels comprise living and working quarters for Tower
inhabitants. The facilities of interest to travellers on these levels include
the aerobics studios, plastic surgeon, weight gym, library, and tennis/racquet
courts.
The citizens of Caldorre never leave the Tower where they live, and only know
of the rest of their world's surface by means of geoeducational holograms.
Their sole industry is providing services for space travellers.
Caldorre boasts the most complete Federation-run spaceport in the region, with
facilities capable of repairing and resupplying any class of spacefaring
vessel.
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Figure 7. Nojaenn Planet Map
6.2 Norjaenn
6.2.1 Geography and Lifeforms
When the original Federation exploration party surveyed Norjaenn in 2709, they
theorized that its soil must be extremely fertile because of the mineral rich
god that shrouds the planet for a portion of the year. With the help of Fed-
eration development contracts, the planet's extremely rich grain and
livestock
industries now make it the breadbasket of the entire region.
Landforms include one large continent and numerous islands, the largest of
which is located to the northwest. The land is mostly meadowland and rolling
hills, with a ring of steep, thickly wooded mountains located on the main
continent. There are two seasons on Jorjaenn: "misting," when fine
rains sweep
the farming areas of the planet for several months at a time, and
"graintime,"
when the weather is predominatly clear and temperate.
Aside from the cattle, which are a hardy variant of the Talmanian
"Tusker"
breed, large lifeforms are rarely found outside of the mountainous areas. They
include cave bears and grey bats, both of which can be dangerous to travellers.
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6.2.2 Politics and Culture
The political forces on Norjaenn are perennially embroiled in land-use
squabbles of Byzantine complexity. The two main groups, the Ranchers and the
Farmers, have a long standing political rivalry. Each group is made up of
approximately ten fuedal clans, each of which has its own alliances and
rivalries.
Currently, the two groups are abiding a treaty which apportions the usable
land. Representatives of each family meet together once a year under a pledge
of sanctuary to decide planetary affairs. No one knows how long this uneasy
peace will last. Observers fear that war could break out again at any
provocation.
Human life on Norjaenn is mostly found in scattered farming communities. The
center of trade and culture is the two town Tolte. The planet has a Level 2
spaceport, with full supply capability, but no repair facilities.
Figure 8. Ceyjavik Planet Map
6.3 Ceyjavik
Ceyjavik, the most remote planet in the Caldorre system, has a wild and
inhospitable climate that makes it ill-suited to human colonization. However,
the fragile system of animal life that manages to survive such conditions is
of interest
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to science, and so the Federation has established a biological research
laboratory on Ceyjavik.
6.3.1 Geography and Lifeforms
Ceyjavik's surface is mostly ocean, with two polar continents that are home
to
numerous live volcanoes. These volcanoes continually spew molten debris, which
congeals in the frigid sea to form the scattered bergs of buoyant lava that are
the other major landforms on the planet. The volcanoes also spew vast
quantities of a bluish gaseous sulfur compound which is harmelss when it
reaches the surface, but is toxic when concentrated in the volcanic caves.
The planet is subject to intense and long-lasting seasonal storm systems. Winds
can reach 200 to 300 kph during a severe storm, and a meter of snow frequently
falls in the course of a standard day. This heavy precipitation coats the
floating bergs with a thick layer of frozen snow, so that they appear as ice-
bergs by the time they reach equatorial latitudes.
The following life forms are found on Ceyjavik:
-Ice Tiger: Large, white and roughly tigerlike. It lives in the coves of the
larger and more stationary bergs and eats sea creatures which it captures by
swimming. The ice tigers are normally amiable.
-Bush Rat: This small rodent protects itself by remaining still, whereupon
its thick scrubby coat causes it to resemble a small shrub.
-Seals: These are peaceful, intelligent creatures that live primarily in the
water and occasionally on the beaches.
Early accounts also contain unsubstantiated reports of such creatures as blue
fliers, red lizards, and lava snakes.
6.3.2 Politics and Culture
The only inhabitants of Ceyjavik are the 50 or so scientists who staff the
BORKIN Laboratory (Biological and Research Kinetics). The station consists
of a base camp with a landing pad for orbital vehicles, and two outpost labs
that are carved
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into stationary bergs. These outposts consist of a cat observation facility,
and a sea life/aquarium area. They are linked by an underwater tunnel.
Ceyjavik has no facilities for supplying or repairing space vessels. Federation
ships are advised to bring their own supplies when visiting Ceyjavik.
Appendix 1: Weapons
This section describes weapons commonly used in the Caldorre system. The going
price and damage range are listed for each weapon. Purchase or sale of weapons
marked with an asterisk is not allowed under Federation Regulation M-435-B3N,
subparagraph L.
Contact Weapons (Range: 2 moves):
Weapon Damage Range Price
------------- ------------ -----
Hands 1 - 4 ---
Power Fist 2 - 10 40
Sonic Mace 3 - 12 90
Gyro Pike 4 - 16 160
*Neuron Flail 10 - 30 ---
Edged Weapons (Range: 2 moves):
Weapon Damage Range Price
------------- ------------ -----
Dagger 2 - 6 20
Cryo Cutlass 4 - 8 50
Power Axe 3 - 12 120
Energy Blade 5 - 20 200
*Edged Spinner 14 - 28 ---
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Projectile Weapons (Range: 4 moves):
Weapon Damage Range Price
------------- ------------ -----
Auto Pistol 2 - 8 100
Shotgun 3 - 12 300
*HyperUzi 6 - 24 ---
*AK 4700 7 - 28 ---
*Gauss Rifle 8 - 32 ---
*Thermocaster 10 -40 ---
Blasters (Range: 4 moves):
Weapon Damage Range Price
------------- ------------ -----
Hand Laser 6 - 30 900
*LR Laser 8 - 40 ---
*Plasma Gun 10 - 50 ---
*Neutron Gun 20 - 60 ---
Ammunition:
Item Rounds Price
------------- ------ -----
Auto Pistol 50 40
Shotgun Pak 35 60
Uzi Magazine 35 100
AK Magazine 30 110
Gauss Magazine 25 210
Thermal Pak 20 370
Crysprism 25 900
Armor:
Item Price
------------- -----
Uniform ---
Flight Jacket 100
Steel Mesh 190
Flak Jacket 550
Kevlar Suit 870
Laser Reflec 950
Combat Armor 3500
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Future Magic Art Notes:
One afternoon, while I was busily "pixelating" on my computer, Karl
Buiter
poked his head into my cube. On his face was a big smile and in his hand was a
thick stack of papers; his script for Sentinel Worlds. We sat and discussed it
a while and I came away with the notion that this would be a rather nice,
short, and relatively undemanding art project involving 30 to 40 pictures, some
map graphics, and a few spaceships. I told him I really hadn't done too
many
portraits of people but he assured me that there would only be a few major
characters. Well, a year and a half later, I've done over 150 pictures, 3
entire world environments, and a ton of portraits. So much for initial notions.
Reading Karl's script was a lot like reading a thorough movie scripts
or
short novel. Each character was unique, well-developed, and colorful. I felt
that the hardest job was to come up with faces and places that would portray
the depth of his vision. Following that was the fact that each picture, person,
and landscape had to fit in an 80 by 80 area with 16 EGA colors of
IBM/Tandy's
choice. We talked at length about who should look like what, who needed a
bigger nose, and if a towel was really necessary. It felt like I was a casting
director for a Hollywood movie. Before long, Karl had my preliminary art up
and running, and we were on our way.
Three things stood out in rendering any of the pictures of SW1: FutureMagic.
One, they had to be unique and distinctive. For the player, the picture of
Alex Kann would BE Alex Kann and I didn't want there to be any mistaking
him
for someone else. Number two was dramatic situations. The pictures don't
always
appear and when they do it's usually at a key scene. I'd have to take
advantage
of that because I couldn't rely on panning scenes or establishing shots.
Third
but foremost was quality. Karl is a quality game designer and programmer, hence
nothing short of the best possible execution would do.
We've tried hard to accomplish these goals and make Sentinel Worlds I:
FutureMagic a magically enjoyable experience. We hope you'll find
yourself
agreeing that we did.
Graphic Artist: Michael Kosaka
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Notes by the sound designer ...
When Karl asked me to handle the sounds for FutureMagic, 2 problems
immediately surfaced. First, the program was to run primarily on the PC single
speaker system, the most limiting of all the available home entertainment
computers. Second, Karl wanted top-notch rock/pop music, citing examples of
Michaal Jackson, Robert Palmer. It seems to me that if I were capable of
cranking out that kind of music, I would be making albums and not videogame
soundtracks; so, leaving the second problem to puzzle over for later, I
concentrated on the first.
I set about creating a music driver that would simulate many instruments at
once, particulary drum sounds (which was important to Karl, a drummer himself).
Though only one "instrument" plays at any given time, they are swapped
around
so fast that it gives the impression that more than one voice is playing.
Voices can be created with varying rates and depth of tremolo, in order to
simulate guitar/synthesizer sounds; and other effects intended to portray
snare, bass, and tom-tom drums.
As far as the sound effects themselves went, well that was much simpler;
it's pretty easy to come up with sounds of weapons that haven't been
built
yet; but, I think that a gyro pike really will sound something like that.
Once the driver was "perfected", the task of composing music
finally
arrived. Not only was I to come up with Top 40 tunes (except for the "old
west"
piece), the band I hired had to fit into the one and a half inch pc speaker and
the members had to take turns 240 times a second being heard! I experimented
with drum riffs inspired by examples provided by Karl and built songs up from
there. And, I also used this project as a chance to create original music of
the type I wanted to do myself anyway -- but please don't tell Karl.
Sound Designer: Dave Warhol
Designed and programmed by: Karl Buiter
Computer Graphics: Michael Kosaka
Sound and Music: Dave Warhol
Producer: Dave Albert
Assitant Producers: James Bailey, Michael Meischied, Chris Wilson
Dox Producer: GTR>
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GTR NOTE: This game is so good you should think about buying it!
There is also a separate dox file called paragraphs. During the game certain
paragraph numbers will show up and you need to read that paragraph. You can
play the game with out this doc file but you will be stumbling around in the
dark.
GTR>
