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Text File | 1998-07-30 | 20KB | 439 lines

----------------------------------- Microsoft Urban Assault How2Play File July 1998 ----------------------------------- (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1998 Thank you for playing the Urban Assault Trial. This file contains information on how to play the game. -------- CONTENTS -------- 1. General Game Play 1.1 Joystick, Keyboard, and Mouse Controls 1.2 Main Interface Buttons A. Creation Button B. Map Button C. Squadron Manager Button D. Jump Into Vehicle Button E. Jump Back to Host Station Button F. Navigation Buttons G. Teleporting Host Station 1.3 Vehicle Controls A. Controlling Tanks/Ground Vehicles B. Controlling Helicopters C. Controlling Planes D. Other 2. Using the Beam Gate 3. ADDITIONAL FEATURES 4. THE ENERGY SYSTEM 4.1 Power Management Tips 4.2 Energy Absorption 4.3 Efficiency and Sector Ownership 4.4 Emissions, Proximity, and Drainage 5. Strategies & Tips 5.1 Rock-Paper-Scissors Effect 5.2 Helicopters 5.3 Scouts 5.4 Plasma Residue -------------------- 1. General Game Play -------------------- Urban Assault is a game quite different from any you have played before. It is a sci-fi action game at its core that also incorporates real-time strategy gameplay in a unique atmospheric setting. Urban Assault is well suited for gamers who appreciate intense, unrelenting, eyes-out-of-their- sockets 3-D vehicle action as well as field strategy and tactics. To be successful, you must be good at 2 things: You must constantly juggle being able to command strategically on a high level, while being tenacious in controlling individual vehicles first hand. You will not win on more advance levels if you just hang back and use the Host Station Map only! Jump into your vehicles and take control! The basic goal is to eliminate each region's occupying enemy force (there are 5 separate enemy factions total spanning 41 single player levels in the full retail version). To do this, you must; -create various vehicles instantly from your Host Station -deploy these units using the Map -take direct first person control of your units as much as possible -conquer powerstations along the way to fuel your efforts -conquer enemy sectors to wear down his powerbase while increasing your own -acquire any valuable technology upgrade sectors along the way that yield additional vehicles, weapons upgrades, etc. Training FMV's that quickly describe Urban Assault's features can be downloaded from: http://www.microsoft.com/games/urbanassault/visuals.htm If you are unable to download these FMV's, the following will also describe how to play. 1.1 Joystick, Keyboard, and Mouse Controls ------------------------------------------- You can control your host station and your individual units several ways; keyboard, mouse, and/or joystick. Any combination of these will work and players will often utilize some optimal combination to suit their own personal preferences. (see Vehicle Controls below) From the main Host Station view, you can look around to observe your surroundings with the arrow keys on the keyboard, or the joystick. You can use the mouse to select any of the buttons on screen to access their functions. You can also use your mouse to affect viewing direction by accessing 'mouse control' mode by simply right clicking with the mouse. This will allow your mouse movements to affect viewing direction. Right mouse clicking again will toggle back to normal cursor mode. 1.2 Main Interface Buttons ------------ A. Creation Button. Located in the lower left of your screen, this is the key to creating new vehicles, defense turrets, powerstations, and other resources. Simply single click on this button and a build list will appear, choose the unit you want to build, and then click in 3-D space where you want the unit to appear. Clicking multiple times will create multiple units. Note the cost to build that unit will appear to the right of the vehicle on the build list. These energy cost numbers correspond to the amount of energy you have for creating new units appearing in a corresponding energy bar on top of the screen. B. Map Button. Located on bottom of screen, second from left. Single click on this button to bring up the overhead transparent map. Using this map is integral to successful deployement of your units. You can move this map around the screen, resize it, zoom in or out, minimize or maximize it. Using the mouse, hold down left mouse button to drag select any units, then left click their destination or target. You can also scroll the map in all directions using either the scroll bars orholding and dragging the right mouse key. Double clicking on any unit on the map will place you inside it. C. Squadron Manager Button. Located near the bottom center of the screen, the squadron manager button will bring up the squadron manager window. You can rearrange your squadron compositions and change their aggressiveness levels with the SM. You can drag and drop units from one squadron to another so you can organize your squadrons better. Left dragging a unit will move that unit only, while right dragging a unit will move all units to its right. To change a squadron's aggressiveness level. Select the squadron on the SM, map, or the 3-D world, and then choose from any of the 5 agression bars below. They are as follows; 1: Retreat to Host Station. Squad returns directly to Host Station, ignoring all enemy forces along the way. Best used if your Host Station is under attack and needs reinforcements or if a squad is overwhelmed by enemy forces. Heavily damaged squad leaders automatically set themselves to this level. A Level 1 squad will ignore future orders unless its level is changed. 2: Proceed Directly to Target. Squad goes directly to selected destination, ignoring all enemy forces along the way. Best used to initiate a squad's fastest travel time or when sending out scouts. A Level 2 squad will not engage in combat, conquer sectors, or defend itself until reaching its destination. 3: Destroy Enemies En Route. Squad travels to its destination while attacking enemy forces sighted along the way or near the destination. All squads start with Level 3 as their default. 4: Conquer Sectors Along the Way. Squad proceeds to its destination while attacking enemy forces and conquering sectors along the way. Excellent for gaining territory (especially those sectors surrounding a power station), but this setting tends to decrease a squad's speed. 5: Go Amok! Squad destroys all enemy forces and levels all buildings. Will never retreat, even when heavily damaged. Offers complete annihilation. Lastly, your current 'virtual presence' location will be denoted by a flashing down arrow over the unit you are currently occupying. Double clicking on any unit in the Squadron Manager will immediately place you inside it. D. Jump Into Vehicle Button. Located at the bottom center of the screen, the Jump Into Vehicle button allows you to quickly select which vehicle you want to take direct control over. Click on this button, and then click over any vehicle on the map, SM, or 3-D world. (same as double clicking) During the height of combat, it is always advantageous to jump into a vehicle and fight first-person in the 3-D world. When you fight first-person, your vehicle's weapons strength and shield defense are markedly increased. You can shoot faster, lead a squad, and obtain energy by destroying enemy vehicles and then driving or flying through their energy plasma. Also, by jumping into a vehicle, you can outwit the enemy's AI with your "human edge." E. Jump Back to Host Station Button. Click on this button to return to your Host Station. F. Navigation buttons. Located to the right of the Jump into Vehicle button, the various Navigation buttons will place you in the next squadron leader, cycle through the next drone vehicle in the squad, or jump into the gun turrets on your Host Station, G. Teleporting Host Station. You can teleport your Host Station to other locations on the map. Simply select your Host Station either on the map or SM, then left click its destination on the map or 3-D world. You can beam as far as you have beam energy for. (this is indicated on the beam energy bar on the upper right of screen). Note, beaming to already conquered powerstations is free, no matter how far away. For a list of all joystick, keyboard, and mouse controls, see "Main Menu: Input Settings: Default Controls," in online Help. For complete information on navigating your vehicles, see "Game Interface: Vehicle Controls," also in online Help. 1.3 Vehicle Controls ---------------------- At anytime, you can take direct control of any vehicle by double clicking over it in the 3-D world, map, or SM. Although your vehicles will operate with AI of their own, the 'human factor' will make a significant difference in combat. A. Controlling Tanks/ground vehicles Keyboard: Arrow keys control vehicle direction. '0" key on Numeric Pad is Brake. A/Z keys move targeting reticle up or down. Space Bar fires. Joystick: Throttle wheel controls forward and back movement. Joystick L/R direction steers vehicle L/R. Joystick Up/Down moves targeting reticle up or down. Joystick trigger fires. (note, there is an alternate joystick model available under 'Input Settings' from main game menu. This model allows usage of joystick hatswitch to move targeting reticle freely.) Mouse control mode: For all vehicles, this can be used in conjunction with keyboard. Clicking the right mouse button once will access mouse control mode, allowing the mouse to control vehicle's direction and/or targeting reticle movement where applicable. Clicking right mouse button again will toggle this function off and return you to mouse cursor mode. B. Controlling Helicopters (note, with Helicopters always tilt vehicle forward slightly to achieve forward momentum) Keyboard: Arrow keys control vehicle direction. '0" key on Numeric Pad is Brake and 'Auto-level'. A/Z keys control rotor throttle up or down. Space Bar fires. Joystick: Throttle wheel controls rotor throttle up or down. Joystick L/R direction steers vehicle L/R. Joystick Up/Down moves vehicle facing up or down. Joystick trigger fires. C. Controlling Planes Keyboard: Arrow keys control vehicle direction. '0" key on Numeric Pad is Brake and 'Auto-level'. A/Z keys control throttle up or down. Space Bar fires. Joystick: Throttle wheel controls throttle up or down. Joystick L/R direction steers vehicle L/R. Joystick Up/Down moves vehicle facing up or down. Joystick trigger fires. D. Other Scouts are extremely valuable reconnaissance vehicles, and are the fastest vehicles in your arsenal Keyboard: Arrow keys control vehicle direction. '0" key on Numeric Pad is Brake and 'Auto-level'. A/Z keys control altitude. Space Bar applies throttle. Joystick: Throttle wheel controls altitude up or down. Joystick L/R direction steers vehicle L/R. Joystick Up/Down moves vehicle facing up or down. Joystick trigger applies throttle. ---------------------- 2. Using the Beam Gate ---------------------- The Beam Gate allows you to transport your host station and units to the next theatre of battle. To beam out, you must conquer all beam gate 'key' sectors on the level denoted by flashing red symbols on the map. Once they have all been conquered. The level's beam gate will open. Direct your units over to the beam gate platform and then teleport your Host Station over to it. ---------------------- 3. ADDITIONAL FEATURES ---------------------- Based on Beta feedback, several additions were made to the product to further enhance its appeal to passionate action/strategy gamers. Some highlights are the following: ** As you create vehicles, an effectiveness list appears in the lower right of the game screen. This list is a quick reference as to how effective the vehicle you are creating is against other classes of vehicles. In addition, it shows you the vehicle's effectiveness at acquiring sectors and reconnaissance. To review and compare all of your available vehicles' effectiveness before actually creating them, click the Create button and continue pressing the left mouse button as you drag your pointer over your vehicles. The effectiveness list to the right will change according to the vehicle your pointer is on. ** When in a vehicle, pressing the 'L' key on the keyboard will immediately make you the squadron leader. The rest of your squadron will follow you and target what you shoot at. ** In the Squadron Manager, as you roll your mouse pointer over each vehicle's icon, that vehicle's life bar appears over the top of it. ** Once the beam gate is open, numbers appear on the map over the beam gate. The first number indicates how many creation energy units, in the form of vehicles, you currently have on the beam gate platform; the second number indicates the maximum creation energy units, again in the form of vehicles, you are allowed to beam to the next level. -------------------------- 4. Energy System -------------------------- 4.1 Power Management Tips -------------------------- Power is everything in this game. Here are some helpful points about how to get as much of it as possible; ** For the fastest energy reload, beam your Host Station directly on top of your strongest power station. Beaming to a power station you own does not require any beam energy. ** If your energy absorption is less than 100%, conquer more sectors first to reach 100% efficiency and then build more power stations. ** Owning more power stations does NOT guarantee that you absorb more energy (see Section 9.4 for details). In some situations -- for example, when you do not own a lot of sectors -- the amount of power you absorb can decrease if you own too many power stations. ** Once your energy absorption reaches 100%, build a power station right next to the one you are already on. This way you absorb energy from both of them. ** You can stop the flow to and from each energy reservoir (the Host Station life energy, the creation energy, and the beam energy reservoirs) by clicking their respective icons on the Energy Manager. Click the icon again to allow a free flow of energy. ** Don't forget that power stations can also be used as "free beam points." It often makes sense to build a small network of weaker power stations (which will not affect your energy efficiency too much), and then use this network to beam your Host Station quickly over large distances. Although those weak stations are not very useful for energy reload, they serve well as outposts from which you can quickly deploy your squads to distant areas of the map. 4.2 Energy Absorption ---------------------- Your energy absorption rate, at the far left on the Energy Manager, shows the total amount of energy points you are receiving every 10 seconds. This rate is based on the following: 1. Your promixity to a power station. 2. The strength of that power station. 3. The efficiency of all your power stations, as indicated by the percentage at the far left of your Energy Manager. 4. The strength of your Host Station, which becomes stronger and absorbs more energy as you progress through the mission levels. 4.3 Efficiency and Sector Ownership ------------------------------------ Each power station requires a certain number of sectors to support it before it can work at 100% efficiency. Owning a strong power station but few sectors to support it is not very useful. Some power stations can emit more energy than others, and this is indicated by the number of white boxes in the upper left of each power station map sector. To reach 100% efficiency, you must own 16 sectors per each white box. ---------------------------------------------- Total No. of White Sectors Required to Reach Boxes You Own 100% Efficiency ---------------------------------------------- 1 16 2 32 3 48 4 64 5 80 6 96 7 112 8 128 Etc. Etc. ---------------------------------------------- For example, if you own two power stations, each with 2 white boxes, or one power station with 4 white boxes, you must own 64 sectors to reach 100% efficiency. 4.4 Emissions, Proximity, and Drainage --------------------------------------- Your power stations emit energy to the nearby sectors you own. The closer you are to a power station, the more energy you absorb from it. This also means that if you are out of your power station's emission area, or if you are within range but are not within one of your own sectors, you will not absorb any energy from that station. This applies to recharging your units as well as to your Host Station. Power stations with more white boxes emit more energy and have a larger emission area. The energy absorbed from power stations can be cumulative -- for instance, if you are on top of a power station and you are within the emission area of another power station, you will receive energy from both of them. NOTE: Enemy-owned power stations will drain energy away from your units and Host Station if you are within these power stations' emission areas and are positioned in an enemy sector. The same rules that apply to energy absorption also apply to energy drainage: The closer you are to the enemy power station, the more energy you lose. Your power stations have the same effect on enemy units and host stations. 5. Tips & Strategies 5.1 Rock-Paper-Scissors Effect A core part of the game is utilizing the correct weapons at the correct time basing on the "Rock-Paper-Scissors-Food chain". For more information on the vehicles and what they are good and bad against, please see on-line help. 5.2 Helicopters These units are best used to destroy enemy ground squads, especially tanks. The heli controls are unique in that you throttle up while tipping your craft slightly forward in the direction you want to move in. Moving faster depends upon a mix of full throttle and degree of tilt. Note that a any tilt that will bring the craft to a complete vertical down or up position will cause you to cease moving in any direction but down. Tip: Light heli units typically have poor firepower but compensate with greater maneuvering ability. The heavier the heli, the slower and stronger it gets. 5.3 Scouts Fly scouts using the firing button controls horizontal movement. The throttle controls vertical movement. Tip: When you virtual presence shift to Scouts you are able to outrun any other vehicle. Use this edge to locate enemy Host Stations, & keep track on deployments of enemy squads. 5.4 Plasma Residue Jump into your vehicles as much as you can. You can pick up valuable plasma residue from destroyed enemies when you are in combat. Drive over the blue energy signature and you will gain energy for your vehicle. If your vehicle is full then energy will be credited to your Host Station.