Computer Buyer 1996 May/buyer-0596.iso/install/demoman.txt

Text File | 1995-11-17 | 19KB | 436 lines

I. Introduction

Welcome to Command and Conquer. In this demo you will be playing the side of
the Global Defense Initiative (GDI): the strike force of the United Nations,
the "good" guys. Your opponents are the forces of the Brotherhood of Nod, a
ruthless terrorist organization bent on world domination.

II. Title Screen Menu

This is where you begin the game. You are given a few options here.

     Start New Game: Choose this option to start a new game. You will
                     receive instructions on your mission objective and
                     then enter the battle.

     Load Mission:   If you have previously saved a mission, you may reload
                     it with this option.

     Order Info:     This option will give you information on how to order
                     the full version of Command and Conquer.

     Replay Intro:   If you wish to review the introduction sequence, choose
                     this option.

     Exit game:      Choose this option to exit the game and return to your
                     operating system.

Please note that multi-player (modem and network) functionality is only
available in the full version of Command and Conquer.


III. The Playing Field

Your screen is broken up into 3 sections. The first and largest section is
the map. This is where all of the action in the game takes place. To scroll
around the map, simply move the cursor to the map edge (notice it changes to
a fat white arrow). If you reach the edge of the world, the arrow will be
covered by the 'universal no' symbol. The second section is the Sidebar.
This is where your Radar and building options are located (more on these
below.) The third section is the strip of tabs at the top of the screen.
There are three tabs:

     Options:       Clicking this tab pauses the game and takes you to the
                    options window.

     Credits:       This tab shows the current amount of Tiberium credits
                    available to you. Tiberium is gathered by Harvesters and
                    processed in a refinery. If you lose your harvester or
                    refinery, you no longer have a source of income, and
                    your career in GDI will be short.

     Sidebar:       Clicking this tab will hide the sidebar and give you a
                    larger view of the map.


IV. How to Play

Once you have received your instructions, you will find yourself on the
field of battle, looking at your troops. Most actions in Command and Conquer
are controlled by moving the mouse and using the left mouse button. Each
action has its own cursor. The default cursor is a white pointer arrow, the
same one that is used to select menu options.

    Selecting Units

    To do anything with a unit, you must first select it. To do so,
    place your pointer over the unit. Notice that the cursor changes to a
    white box. Left click the unit - it now has a white box around it. You
    can also select more than one unit at a time by holding down the left
    mouse button and dragging the cursor to include all the units you wish.
    Doing so will draw a white box around the units; all units within the
    box will be selected, and any command you give will affect them all.

    Moving Units

    To move a unit, move your mouse to the desired location. Notice the
    cursor changes to a green circle with white arrows. Left click the
    mouse to move your selected unit(s) to that location. If you choose
    a location that is unreachable, the movement cursor will be covered
    by the "universal no" sign.

    Attacking

    To attack an enemy unit, move your cursor over it - notice that the
    cursor changes to a white circle with red arrows. Left click the enemy,
    and your selected unit(s) will attack.

    Deploying the MCV

    The Mobile Construction Vehicle is a special unit that unfolds to
    become your construction yard. To deploy the MCV, select it. If the
    MCV is in a good location and is not being attacked at the time, the
    cursor will change to a green dot with outward pointing arrows. Left
    click it again, and it will deploy. Since all buildings must be built
    next to an existing structure, make sure you have plenty of open space
    before deploying your MCV. Otherwise, you may not have enough room to
    build the rest of your base.

    Transporting Infantry

    Infantry (including Commandos) can be transported on transport
    helicopters and APC vehicles. To load a passenger into a transport,
    select the infantry soldier and then move the mouse over the
    transport. When the downward pointing green arrows show up, click the
    mouse. The infantry soldier will walk into the transport. Move the
    transport normally. When ready to unload, double click on the
    transport in the same manner as used when deploying the MCV. All
    passengers will then unload.


V. The Sidebar

Once you have deployed your MCV, The sidebar becomes active. The sidebar
consists of four sections: the building strips, the radar screen, the power
output strip and the buttons.

   Building Structures

   The left building strip allows you to build structures. To build what
   you want, click the icon for the structure. The icon will become gray,
   and begin counting down the construction time. Right clicking the icon
   during the building time will pause the construction; a second right
   click will cancel it. When finished, you will hear the "construction
   complete" message, and the word 'ready' will appear at the bottom of
   the icon. Left click the icon again, and move your cursor to the map.
   You will see a white grid in the shape of your chosen structure. To
   place the structure on the map, left click. You cannot build another
   structure until you have placed the one that is ready. If any part of
   the grid turns red, the location you have chosen is unsuitable. You
   may right click to cancel placement and return to the 'ready' stage.

   Structure Tips

   - Everything you build requires credits. You get credits from harvesting
     Tiberium. It is a good idea to scout out the Tiberium fields at first
     opportunity.

   - The first building you are allowed to build is a Power Plant. Notice
     that when you do, the Power Output Strip turns green. Also note the
     blue line on the Strip. The green is the power you have (this will
     turn yellow or red depending on the placement of the blue line) and
     the blue line is how much power your buildings require. Remember that
     when your power level is yellow, some structures cease to function,
     and build times are increased.

   - To create units, you must build the correct structure (factory):
     Infantry require a barracks, vehicles require a weapons factory.
     Building two barracks will decrease the build time for infantry;
     this applies to any factory building.

   - There are pre-requisites for some structures and units. For example,
     you cannot build a refinery without first building a power plant, and
     you cannot build an APC without first building a barracks and a
     weapons factory.

   - When you build a Communications Center, the radar screen becomes
     available to you (it appears where the GDI logo is on the sidebar) if
     you have sufficient power. The radar shows everything on the map that
     you have explored (unexplored portions of the map are black). You can
     change the magnification of the radar by clicking the MAP button under
     the screen. You can also click the screen to move to different parts
     of the map, and can click on the radar screen to move units.

   - If one of your structures becomes damaged, you can repair it by
     clicking on the REPAIR button, located under the radar screen. Doing
     so changes your cursor to a wrench. Any structure you click on with the
     wrench icon will begin repairing itself (draining credits as it does).
     The cursor will remain a wrench until you either click the repair
     button again or right-click the mouse.

   - If you wish to get rid of a structure, or you desperately need cash,
     you can sell it by clicking the SELL button under the radar screen.
     Doing so changes the cursor to a dollar sign. Clicking on a structure
     with the sell cursor will dismantle it with two effects. First, you
     will be refunded half the building price of the structure. Second,
     you will see the personnel of the structure abandon it; these usually
     consist of minigun troops or civilians. Be careful not to sell your
     construction yard unless absolutely necessary! If you do, you will
     not be able to build any more structures.

   - If you have more than one of a factory (whether by building it or
     capturing one from your enemy) you can select a primary unit-building
     location. This means that units which are common to both structures
     will appear at the primary location when built. For example: If you
     have two Barracks or a Barracks and a Hand of Nod, minigunners will
     appear at the primary location. If you have a Barracks and a Hand of
     Nod, a grenadier will only appear at the barracks, and a flamethrower
     will only appear at the Hand of Nod, since the units are not common
     to both structures.

   Building Units

   When you complete construction on a unit-capable structure, the units
   available to build will appear on the right strip. Building units is
   similar to building structures: click the icon and the countdown begins.
   Once the unit is ready, it will walk/roll out of the structure that
   created it (the Barracks or Factory).

   Unit Tips

   - You can check on a unit's health by selecting it. If the colored
     bar is green, the unit is healthy. This will change to yellow and
     red as the unit takes damage. While there is no way to heal infantry,
     later missions will allow you to build a repair bay, which will repair
     any vehicle (which costs credits). To repair a vehicle, select it,
     then place your cursor over the repair bay. Notice the cursor changes
     to the 'enter' cursor (three downward-pointing green arrows). Left
     click, and the unit will make its way to the repair bay. Once the
     unit is fully repaired, you will need to move it off the bay to make
     way for the next unit.

   - Remember! Tiberium is poisonous to infantry! Moving a trooper through
     a Tiberium field will eventually kill him.

   - The Engineers are special units. Though they do not have any offensive
     or defensive capabilities, they are able to capture an enemy building
     and place it in your control. To do this, select your engineer, then
     move the cursor over an enemy structure (notice the 'enter' cursor)
     then left click. The engineer will make his way to the structure,
     and if successful, the structure will change color and be in your
     control. Once captured, the enemy structure is yours to use, including
     selling it, or producing units. Note that this will allow you to build
     units and structures not normally allowed to you. Some structures
     (such as SAM sites, Turrets and Obelisks) cannot be captured.

   - The Orca is an air unit you will receive in the second demo mission.
     The Orca is selected and targeted just like any other unit. However,
     you cannot select an Orca once it is airborne. For this reason, you
     may wish to keep the Orcas on a group hot-key (see the README file for
     keyboard shortcuts and hot-keys). You can get Orcas to return to their
     pads by selecting them, placing the cursor over the pad (notice the
     'enter' cursor) and left clicking. Orcas are immune to weapons other
     than missiles (such as SAM sites or Bazooka troops).



VI. The Options Menu

The Options menu is accessed either by clicking the options tab in the
upper left corner, by hitting the space bar, or by hitting the Escape
key. You have several options:

    Load Mission:   The same as the main menu option - loads a previously
                    saved game.

    Save Mission:   Save your mission in progress. You may name the saved
                    game anything you like, and the only limit on the
                    number of savegames is your available hard drive space.

    Delete Mission: Allows you to delete a savegame from your hard drive.
                    Useful to conserve space.

    Abort Mission:  Choosing this option allows you to exit the mission to
                    the main menu, or restart the current mission.

    Resume:         Takes you back to the action.

    Restate:        Gives you a text summary of the mission objectives.
                    Also gives you the option of reviewing the video
                    briefing.

    Game Controls:  This option brings up a new menu to adjust the settings
                    of the game:

        Game Speed:      Adjusts the overall speed of the game.

        Scroll Rate:     Adjusts the scroll rate of the map.

        Visual Controls: Allows you to adjust the brightness, color,
                         contrast and tint of the game.

        Sound Controls:  From this menu you can adjust the volume of the
                         music and sound effects, change the music track,
                         listen to a music track, or set the music tracks
                         to shuffle during the game. The demo contains
                         two of the music tracks from the many available
                         in the full version of Command and Conquer. To
                         listen to a track, click the desired track, then
                         click the play button.



VII. List of Available Structures in the Demo (note that not all structures
     are available in all three missions)


GDI (you can build these)

    Construction Yard
        The construction yard is formed from a deployed MCV. It is the
        foundation of a base and allows the construction of other
        buildings.

    Power Plant
        Provides power for the buildings in your base. The power output
        declines when this structure is damaged.

    Barracks
        This building allows the training of infantry units.

    Guard Tower
        Provides base defense with a high-powered machine gun.

    Refinery
        Processes Tiberium into credits. A refinery comes with one
        Harvester, and will store 1000 credits.

    Silo
        This building stores 1500 credits of Tiberium.

    Communications Center
        Allows the use of the radar screen, as long as there is sufficient
        power.

    Weapons Factory
        Produces light and heavy vehicles.

    Helipad
        Allows the production of the Orca VTOL craft. Each pad comes with
        one Orca.

    Repair Facility
       Repairs damaged vehicles. If the bay is damaged, repair time is
       increased.

    Barrier Defenses
       Includes sandbags (which provide some cover and block unit
       movement) and Chain-link fences (which will stop light vehicles).



NOD (You can build these if you capture the NOD construction yard)

    Hand of Nod
        Allows you to train infantry (equivalent of barracks).

    Turret
        A non-mobile defense against vehicles.

    SAM Site
        Non-mobile, fires surface-to-air missiles at enemy aircraft.

    Airstrip
        Allows the purchase of heavy and light vehicles (equivalent of
        weapons factory).



VIII. List of Available Units in the Demo (note that all structures are not
      available in all three missions)


GDI (You can build these)

    Minigun Infantry
        The standard for GDI and NOD forces.

    Grenade Infantry
        These troops can throw their grenades over barriers and up hills to
        great effect. May catch friendly units with area effect (shrapnel).

    Bazooka Infantry
        These troops use portable rocket launchers for great effect on
        armor units, air units, and structures.

    Engineers
        These troops carry no weapons, but have the ability to capture
        enemy buildings.

    Humm-Vee
        A quick vehicle armed with a chaingun.

    APC
        This vehicle can carry up to 5 infantry units. To load an APC,
        select your infantry unit, then place the cursor over the APC
        (notice the 'enter' cursor) and left click. Only one unit can
        load at a time.

    Medium Tank
        The staple of the GDI armor arsenal.

    MCV
        The unit which deploys into a Construction yard. You will not be
        able to build these in the demo, so guard it well.

    Harvester
        This vehicle gathers Tiberium and returns it to the refinery for
        processing. You get one free with each refinery you build, but you
        may build them separately.

    Orca
        An attack aircraft which fires a limited supply of rockets (the orca
        must return to the helipad to reload). You get one free with each
        helipad you build, but you may build them separately if you have a
        helipad available.

    Ground Support Aircraft (A-10)
        You cannot actually build these, but if you eliminate all SAM sites
        on the map, you will gain airstrike capability. This allows you to
        call an A-10 loaded with napalm to fry the enemy troops.



NOD (you can build these if you capture NOD's Hand of Nod and Airstrip)


    Flamethrower Infantry
        A nasty trooper carrying a flame pack. May catch friendly troops
        with spray, and explode when killed.

    Recon Bike
        A very quick unit armed with rockets.

    Nod Buggy
        A quick unit with a mounted machine gun.

    Light Tank
        The staple of the NOD armory. Not as effective as the GDI tanks, but
        cheaper and faster.

    Mobile Artillery
        Devastating to units and structures at long range, but weak and
        ineffective close up.

    Flame Tank
        The ultimate anti-personnel weapon, this tank sprays twin flames at
        it's victims. Explodes when destroyed.


IX. Final Notes

For more information about units and structures (both in this demo and in
the full game) including building prerequisites, please see the FAQ file.
For more general information including keyboard shortcuts and hot-keys,
troubleshooting and installation information, please see the README file.