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DECWAR.RNH
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.variable system,s,u
.ps 60,64.lm 0.rm 64.ft
.nm
.title [DECWAR.HLP]
.c;DECWAR Version 2.3, November 20, 1981
.IF SYSTEM
.c;(Includes help on SYSTEM commands)
.ENDIF SYSTEM
.sk 2
_.Introduction
.br;Introduction and Overview of the Game of DECWARs.
.p;DECWAR is a real time space battle game designed to be played
by from 1 to 10 people. The object of the game is to destroy all
enemy bases and ships, and capture all enemy planets, before the
enemy does the same to you. Each person plays on a separate
terminal, and enters the game by selecting
.sk
.c;8 DECWAR (on the MultiPlayer Host)
.sk
Players are free to enter and leave the game as desired, since
each has his own job and therefore won't interfere with
the other players (the jobs interact through a shareable high
segment).
.sk
.P;Besides the enemy (Federation or Empire), the
following may also be a threat to your well being.
.ls
.le
Romulans are nasty beasts that beginners are
better off without. However, if you're the only person playing,
the Romulan is your only competition. Romulans tend to
make for shorter games but when there are 3 or less players
a Romulan will be included. After the fourth player joins the
game, a Romulan will not be re-created once he is destroyed.
include Romulans in the game.
.le
Black holes are annoying, since if you are
displaced into one, you're dead. They also tend to gobble up stray
torpedos. There is a 25% chance of black holes being
included in the game.
.els
.p;There are two primary opposing forces in the galaxy -- Humans
(Federation) and Klingons (Empire). As you enter the game
for the first time, you get to choose which side you'll join
(unless there is a large imbalance in the team sizes).
If you are subsequently destroyed and later reenter the game, you
automatically rejoin your old team.
.p;You get to select the ship you want to control from a
list of remaining ships on your side. There are 5 ships on each side:
.sk.nf
.i13;Federation ships Empire ships
.i13;---------------- ------------
.i16;Lexington Cobra
.i16;Nimitz Demon
.i16;Savannah Hawk
.i16;Vulcan Jackal
.i16;Yorktown Wolf
.sk.f
.skip 2
.p;Due to continuous espionage activities, present front-line
ships of the Federation and the Klingon Empire are identical in
strength and weaponry. These ships can move from sector to sector
using either warp or impulse engines, can attack enemy
installations and ships using either photon torpedoes
or phasers, and can defend themselves against such attack using their
deflector shields. All ships also possess sub-space radios which keep
them in touch with friendly starbases and other ships.
.sk
.p;The various devices of a ship are subject to damage. This
damage may be due to enemy attack or to over use. These damages, unlike
total ship damage (see ship attributes below), may be repaired while
underway. If damage on a device is less than 300 units, its
performance is degraded. If damage is 300 or more units, the device is
inoperative.
A ship possesses the following devices:
.ls
.le;Warp Engines --
These engines are the normal mode of travel for starships. The maximum
speed is warp factor 6, with warps 5 and 6 risking
potential damage to the engines. If warp engines are damaged (less
than 300 units) the maximum speed is warp factor 3.
.note;One warp unit is equivalent to one horizontal or
one vertical grid movement. A diagonal movement is
equivalent to the hypotenuse of the horizontal and
vertical sides.
.end note
.le;Impulse Engines --
These engines are basically for emergency use while the warp engines
are critically damaged. Impulse engines move the ship at warp factor 1.
.le;Photon Torpedo Tubes --
Used to fire photon torpedoes. If these tubes are damaged, the
accuracy of torpedo bursts is impaired. The maximum torpedo range
is 10 sectors.
.le;Phaser Banks --
Each ship possesses two phaser banks, with a single phaser control.
Damage to this phaser control or to the ship's computer reduces the
strength of the phaser hit.
.le;Deflector Shields --
The deflector shields of a ship protect it from damage from phaser
and photon torpedo hits, and shield it from the energy released when a
star goes nova. The percent shield strength indicates the
percent of the incoming hit which will be nullified. In addition,
strong deflector shields may deflect photon torpedoes with little or
no damage. NOTE: If a ship's shields are up, the amount of energy
expended during movement is doubled.
.le;Computer --
The ship's computer is used for computed firing, computation during
ship movement, and for phaser control. If the computer is
inoperative, navigation during warp and impulse movement becomes inexact.
.le;Life Support --
If the life support units of a starship are inoperative, the
ship must either repair this damage or dock within 5 stardates. If
this is not accomplished, the crew will die.
.le;Sub-Space Radio --
The sub-space radio is used to communicate with other ships, of either
side. Bases under attack also use the sub-space radio to call for help
and notify their team's ships of their destruction.
.le;Tractor Beam --
The ship's tractor beam is used primarily to tow damaged friendly
ships away from danger. The beam can not be used unless both ships
have lowered their shields.
.els
.p;In addition to the individual devices discussed above, a newly
commissioned ship (or a fully repaired and rearmed older ship)
possesses the following attributes:
.ls
.le;5000 units of ship energy. Ship energy is used during movement and
phaser firing. It is also decreased each time the ship gets hit
with phasers or photon torpedoes. If this quantity ever reaches zero,
the ship is dead. A ship possessing 1000 units of ship energy or less
automatically goes to yellow alert, and a warning bell sounds after
every move.
.le;2500 units of shield energy. This energy is stored in the ship's
shields (whether up or down), and is separate from the ship energy.
However, energy may be transferred between these two energy reserves
as needed. If shields are up, their energy is decreased each time
the ship gets hit.
.le;Zero units of ship damage. During battle, a ship collects
hits from enemy installations and ships. If these accumulated hits
ever reach 2500 units of damage or greater, the ship is destroyed.
Ship damage may be reduced only by docking.
.els
.p;The galaxy is arranged in a grid of 75 by 75 sectors. Players
can move freely throughout the galaxy in search of enemies, which
come in several categories:
.ls
.le
Romulan. This can be the most dangerous thing to come up against, and
fortunately there is a maximum of 1 Romulan in the game at any given
time. The Romulan moves around concealed by his cloaking device
until he comes across a suitable target (Federation or Empire ship
or base) which he immediately proceeds to attack. An infinite supply
of torpedoes and energy make him a formidable foe. If you kill one,
another will eventually appear somewhere in the galaxy.
.le
Enemy ship. This is the second most dangerous thing to come across,
since all enemy ships are backed by human intelligence. All ships are
created equal, and so the outcome of a clash between two ships is
usually due to skill on its captain's part, although some other factors
do come into play.
.le
Enemy base. These aren't dangerous unless you come within range
(4 sectors) since they are immobile. If you ARE foolish enough to
get within range, however, their overwhelming phaser power will
quickly pound you into rubble! Destroying a base is useful
primarily because this removes it from use by your enemy (bases
are used as supply stations and as a refuge in times of stress). A
damaged starbase will slowly build itself back to full strength if
it is not completely destroyed.
.le
Enemy planet. These are just like enemy bases, except that they are
weaker (how much weaker depends on how many fortifications the enemy
has built on them), and they can be captured. Their firing range is only
two sectors, and they can re-supply the enemy less rapidly than can a base.
.le
Neutral planet. While these aren't strictly classified as enemies,
they will take pot shots at you (their range is also 2 sectors),
so be wary of them. You can capture neutral planets and win them over
to your side.
.els
.sk
.p;When playing the game, all commands can be abbreviated to 2
characters, and some can be abbreviated to 1 character (you can
use the shortest unambiguous abbreviation). For a list of
commands type
.sk
.i9;HELP *
.sk
and for a description of an individual command type
.sk
.i9;HELP command
.sk
The help on individual commands will
be read from this help file (that's what the periods in column 1
are for in the long description of each command). The legal
commands are:
.ls
.le;BASES --
List information on friendly and known enemy bases.
.le;BUILD --
Develop installations on a planet, and eventually build it into a
base. The planet must first be captured.
.le;CAPTURE --
Win a neutral or enemy planet over to your side.
.le;DAMAGES --
List damaged devices and their current status.
.IF SYSTEM
.le;*DEBUG --
A password-controlled routine to enter DDT directly from DECWAR.
.ENDIF SYSTEM
.le;DOCK --
Dock at an adjacent base or planet. This increases your energy,
replenishes your torpedoes, repairs your ship a little, and reduces
your ship damage.
.le;ENERGY --
Transfer energy between two ships.
.le;GRIPE --
Record bugs, comments, suggestion, etc. in the file GAM:DECWAR.GRP,
which is periodically reviewed by the implementors.
.le;HELP --
List or describe the legal commands.
.le;IMPULSE --
Move using impulse engines.
.le;LIST --
List various information about ships, bases, and planets.
.le;MOVE --
Move using warp engines.
.le;NEWS --
Tell about any new features or enhancements described in the file
GAM:DECWAR.NWS.
.IF SYSTEM
.le;*PASSWORD --
Set password for debugging, cheating, etc.
.ENDIF SYSTEM
.le;PHASERS --
Fire phasers at a target.
.le;PLANETS --
List information on friendly and known enemy and neutral planets.
.le;POINTS --
List your score breakdown so far.
.le;QUIT --
Get out of the game.
.le;RADIO --
Turn ship's sub-space radio on or off; ignore or restore communications
from individual ships.
.le;REPAIR --
Repair your damaged devices a little.
.le;SCAN --
Display the galaxy with the default range set to maximum (10 sectors
in each direction from your ship).
.le;SET --
Set various input and output defaults.
.le;SHIELDS --
Transfer energy to or from your shields; raise or lower your
shields.
.le;SRSCAN --
Display the galaxy with a default range of 7 sectors (1 greater than
the maximum warp factor).
.le;STATUS --
List your ship's current status and supply levels.
.le;SUMMARY --
List various information on ships, bases, and planets.
.le;TARGETS --
List targets (enemies within range) and their current locations.
.le;TELL --
Send messages to other ships using the sub-space radio.
.le;TIME --
List information on run time and elapsed time.
.le;TORPEDOES --
Fire photon torpedoes at a target.
.le;TRACTOR --
Use tractor beam to tow friendly ships.
.le;TYPE --
List current input, output, and game characteristics.
.le;USERS --
List the names and other information known about the players
currently in the game.
.els
.sk 2
.pg.ts 16
.br;_.
_.INPUT
.br;General INPUT information
.sk
.lm 2
.i-2;-#Only the first 5 characters of each input word are stored. Any
characters beyond that are ignored.
.i-2;-#Input words may be separated by spaces, tabs, or commas.
.i-2;-#The input line can be terminated with <CR>, <LF>, <VT>, <FF>,
<ESC>, or _^Z.
.i-2;-#_^G toggles echo. At the beginning of each input line,
echoing is turned on. Typing _^G turns it off, the next _^G turns
it back on, etc. Echoing is always turned back on at the end of
an input line, or if _^U is typed.
.i-2;-#Multiple commands may be given on a single command line by
separating the commands with / (slash). If the TELL command is given,
it must be last on the line.
.i-2;-#Anything after ; (semicolon) is treated as a comment and is
ignored (but TELL rescans the line and takes the text after the
first ; as the message to send).
.i-2;-#<ESC> (escape, or altmode) entered as the first character in
response to the command prompt (even before _^H, _^U, or _^R) repeats
the previous command. This is useful when building a planet, docking,
repairing, firing torpedoes, etc. Altmode can't be used to repeat a TELL
command.
.sk
.i-2;-#Any ship name can be abbreviated to 1 character.
.i-2;-#Any command or keyword can be shortened to the shortest unambiguous
abbreviation, which is never more than 2 characters.
.sk
.i-2;-#Many commands require a coordinate as an argument (PHASERS, TORPEDOES,
CAPTURE, BUILD, etc.). The required coordinate(s) can be specified in one
of three ways:
.lm +2
.i-2;Absolute - the default coordinate input type, which is simply an
absolute vertical position followed by an absolute horizontal position. The
coordinate may be preceded by the keyword ABSOLUTE, but this isn't necessary
unless the default coordinate input type has been changed by SET ICDEF
RELATIVE.
.i-2;Relative - the keyword RELATIVE, followed by a relative vertical
distance and a relative horizontal distance. A positive distance
is either up or right, and negative is either down or left. The absolute
coordinate is computed by adding the relative distances to your current
position. The keyword RELATIVE isn't needed if the default coordinate input
type has been changed by SET ICDEF RELATIVE.
.i-2;Computed - the keyword COMPUTED followed by a ship name.
The coordinate used is the location of the given ship.
This type of coordinate computation is available only to captains
controlling their ships through slow terminals (< 1200 baud), and
requires an operational computer.
.IF SYSTEM
.lm +2
.i-2;* If the password is set you can use computed coordinates even on
a fast terminal.
.lm -2
.ENDIF SYSTEM
.lm -2
The keyword ABSOLUTE, RELATIVE, or COMPUTED is only given one time for
each set of coordinates. For instance, the TORPEDO command can accept
up to 3 coordinates, but the keyword describing the coordinate input type
is given only once, and all coordinates must be of the same type.
.lm 0
.br;_.
.sk 2.tp 4
_.OUTPUT
.br;General OUTPUT information
.sk
The SET OUTPUT LONG/MEDIUM/SHORT command controls the length
of text output throughout the game. In particular, Medium or
Short hit messages received during battle are greatly reduced
in length when compared to the Long format. Unfortunately, these
shorter forms are not as self-explanatory as the Long form. The
following are some equivalent Long, Medium and Short hit messages:
.sk.lm 2.nf
.i-2;-#Goblin @22-31, +83.6% makes 285.3 unit torpedo hit on
Vulcan displaced to 20-31, +72.1%
.sk
G @22-31, +83.6% 285.3 unit T V -->20-31, +72.1%
.sk
G 22-31 +83 285T V >20-31 +72
.sk 2
.i-2;-#Emp planet(3) @15-16 makes 155.5 unit phaser hit on
Buzzard @15-17, 66.8%
.sk
-@3 @15-16 155.5 unit P B @15-17, 66.8%
.sk
-@3 15-16 155P B 15-17 +66
.sk
Note: The -@3 indicates an Empire planet built 3 times.
.sk 2
.i-2;-#Star @22-31 +4,+2 makes 301.2 unit hit on
Panther displaced to 20-31 +2,+2, -72.1%
.sk
* @22-31 +4,+2 301.2 unit N P -->20-31 +2,+2, -72.1%
.sk
* 22-31 +4,+2 301N P >20-31 +2,+2, -72
.sk.f
Note: The relative coordinates appear due to a SET OCDEF BOTH
command. The Panther's shields are 72.1% of max strength, but
down (-72.1%).
.lm 0
.br;_.
.sk 2.ts 16.tp 4
_.PREGAME
.br;The Decwar PRE-GAME feature
.sk
DECWAR provides a Pre-game feature to allow:
.lm 2
.i-2;-#New players to view the help file without entering the current
game.
.i-2;-#Experienced players to check the status of a current game
before choosing a side and ship.
.i-2;-#Players to submit Gripes without entering the game.
.lm 0.sk
The commands currently active within the Pre-game section are:
.br;Activate##Gripe#####Help######News######Points####Quit
.br;Summary###Time######Users
.sk;The ACTIVATE command (valid only in the pre-game) is used to exit
the pre-game section and enter the normal ship setup stage. The
pre-game can be recognized from the 'PG>' command prompt.
.br;_.
.sk 2.tp 4
_.HINTS
.br;Some general HINTS
.sk
.lm 2
.i-2;-#When in doubt, use the on-line help system. See the help
on HELP for more information.
.i-2;-#If the output starts piling up in the middle of a battle, type
_^O (CTL-O). None of your commands will be executed until output is
finished, so it's sometimes better just to ignore the hit messages so
your attack or run commands can be executed immediately.
.i-2;-#Use multiple commands per line (separate commands with /). Once
you're in a danger area, things can happen faster than you can react to
them. Plan your action ahead of time, before you enter a danger area.
.i-2;-#If some unexpected action happens, such as an enemy finding you,
and you have several stacked commands (either from a multiple command
line or typing ahead), type _^C to abort all stacked commands (especially
if it involves time consuming commands such as BUILD, or commands that
generate a lot of output, such as SCAN). You can then proceed to remedy
the situation by giving your unexpected visitor a good beating.
.i-2;-#If you're on a slow terminal, use computed coordinates, and move
around a lot if you're fighting someone on a fast terminal. Computed
coordinates are the primary advantage slow terminals have over the fast
ones (computed coordinates give slow terminals a fantastic tactical
advantage over fast terminals when used properly).
.i-2;-#Use <ESC> to repeat commands (see the help on ESCAPE). It's just a
convenience when building planets, etc., but in battle, and combined with
multiple commands per line and/or computed coordinates
(such as PH C B/M R 1 0##or##TO 1 32 45), it can make or break your career
as a starship captain.
.i-2;-#Don't get within range of an enemy base, unless you enjoy being
pounded into rubble. You can kill a base just as well from 1 sector outside
it's range (use the WARNING keyword on SCAN to see the range of an enemy
base).
.i-2;-#Don't waste your energy and torpedoes firing at friendly ships
and bases. If you're not sure if it's friendly or not, type HELP SCAN
for a list of what's what. You can also use the TARGETS command to see
which enemies are lurking about (see the help on TARGETS and LIST).
.i-2;-#Don't make it a habit of sitting next to stars; photon
torpedoes can turn them into novas, which are extremely destructive.
Conversely, if you notice an enemy ship or base adjacent to a star,
take advantage of the situation!
.i-2;-#One sure way to locate enemy ships is to watch for newly
captured enemy planets by using the PLANETS or LIST command.
.i-2;-#In general, don't waste photon torpedoes battering at a target
with 85-100% shields. The chances are good that they will just be
deflected harmlessly away. Use your phasers to weaken the shields,
then use torpedoes to finish him off. This is especially true when
attempting to destroy an enemy starbase.
.i-2;-#Use the SET command in DECWAR.INI to personalize the output to
your own tastes. That way you'll be guaranteed to have the output set
right each time you play a game.
.i-2;-#To always see the range and direction of any object listed (in
hit messages, output from the LIST command, etc.), SET OCDEF BOTH.
(The range is the magnitude of either delta v or delta h, whichever is
larger.)
.lm 0
.br;_.
.sk 2.tp 4
_.PAUSES
.br;Commands that take real time
.sk
Many of the commands are designed to take a certain amount of
real time. This is done to help equalize the game when there are
different speed terminals and different speed typists in the game.
Some commands take a constant amount of time, and some are based
on the speed of the slowest terminal in the game.
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;BUILD 5 to 7 seconds
.i-16;CAPTURE 5 seconds + 1 second for each BUILD of enemy planet
.i-16;DOCK 2 to 4 seconds
.i-16;IMPULSE 2 to 4 seconds
.i-16;MOVE 2 to 4 seconds
.i-16;REPAIR (0.08 * repair size) seconds (* 0.5 if docked)
.lm 0.j
.sk
You have 2 phaser banks, each of which must be cooled off after it's fired
before it can be used again. Each phaser bank takes 3 to 6 seconds plus
the amount of phaser damage / 100 to cool off. For instance, if there
was a 300 baud terminal in the game, and your phasers had 200 units of
damage, each of your phaser banks would take 6 + 2 = 8 seconds to cool
off after being fired. Therefore, you could fire once every 4 seconds,
or twice every 8 seconds.
.sk
After each burst of torpedoes the
tubes must be reloaded before being used again. It takes 2 to 4 seconds
plus the amount of torpedo tube damage / 100 to load a torpedo. For
instance, if there was a 300 baud terminal in the game, your torpedoes had
200 units of damage, and you had just fired 3 torpedoes, it would take
3 * (4 + 2) = 18 seconds before you could fire torpedoes again.
.br;_.
.sk 2.tp 4
_.CTL-C
.br;Use of _^C
.sk
If you're in command input wait (DECWAR is waiting for you to type
a command), typing a _^C will
abort the game and
return you to monitor mode. When you abort the game in this manner,
your ship is returned to the pool of available ships. You will be
able to continue unless a new player has taken your ship or someone
has moved into the spot you occupied.
.sk
If you're not in a command input wait state when you type _^C, any
stacked commands (commands that you typed in ahead of time that haven't
been executed yet) will be aborted, and a series of bells will be
output.
.sk
NOTE: A ship under RED alert conditions can not be returned to
the monitor level except by using the QUIT command.
.br;_.
.pg.ts 16
_.BASES
.br;List various BASE information
.sk
Syntax: BAses [<keywords>]
.sk
List location and shield percent of friendly bases; location of known
enemy bases; or count of bases of either side within a specified range
or the entire galaxy. The default range is the entire galaxy, and the
default side is friendly bases only. See the help for LIST for more
information and the complete set of keywords that can be used to modify
BASES output.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;BA List location and shield percent of all friendly bases.
.i-16;BA ENEMY List location of all known enemy bases.
.i-16;BA SUM Give summary of all friendly bases.
.i-16;BA ALL SUM Give summary of all bases.
.i-16;BA CL List the location and shield percent of the closest friendly
base.
.i-16;BA 34 26 List the location and shield percent of friendly base at 34-26
(it doesn't have to be friendly, but you can't see the shield percent of an
out of range enemy base).
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.BUILD
.br;BUILD fortifications on a captured planet
.sk
Syntax: BUild [Absolute|Relative] <vpos> <hpos>
.sk
A fortified planet hits harder and is more resistant to destruction by
the enemy. A planet can normally be built up to 4 times. As your team's
starbases are destroyed by enemy action, a fifth build will complete the
construction of a new starbase on the planet. Only 10 starbases can be
functional at any one time.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;BU 32 12 Build the planet at sector 32-12.
.i-16;BU A 32 12 Equivalent to "BU 32 12"
.i-16;BU R 1 1 Build the planet at sector 32-12, if your present location
is 31-11.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.CAPTURE
.br;CAPTURE a neutral or enemy planet
.sk
Syntax: CApture [Absolute|Relative] <vpos> <hpos>
.sk
At the start of the game, all planets are neutral (they fire at everyone!).
Once captured by either side, they fire only at enemy ships, and can be
DOCKed at to refuel and rearm, just like a base (except a planet can only
supply half the resources that a base can). Enemy planets can also be
captured. When capturing an enemy planet, 1 second is added to the
normal pause time of 5 seconds for each BUILD present. Also, 50 units of
ship energy are lost for each build.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;CA 12 32 Capture planet at 12-32.
.i-16;CA A 12 32 Equivalent to "CA 12 32".
.i-16;CA R 1 1 Capture planet at sector 12-32, if your present location is
11-31.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.DAMAGES
.br;DAMAGE report
.sk
Syntax: DAmages [<device names>]
.sk
List damaged ship devices and the amount of damage to each. The condition
of all or just selected devices may be examined. Total ship damage is not
reported.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;DA List all damaged devices and their current damages.
.i-16;DA SH T List damages for SHields and Torpedo tubes.
.i-16;DA PH RA C List damages for PHasers, sub-space RAdio,
and Computer.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
.IF SYSTEM
_.*DEBUG
.br;DEBUG the game
.sk
.lm 2
.i-2;If DDT is loaded:
.br;Chain to DDT to allow variables to be examined and altered, set break
points, etc. To get back to DECWAR, type C.$G.
.i-2;If DDT is not loaded:
.br;Exit to the monitor. If a symbol file is present, variables can still
be easily examined by entering DDT through the monitor command DDT.
.lm 0
.br;_.
.sk 2
.ENDIF SYSTEM
_.DOCK
.br;DOCK at a friendly base or planet
.sk
Syntax: DOck [Status [<device names>]]
.sk
Refuel, repair, and rearm your ship, and set your ship's condition
to green. While docked, any repairs are accelerated, and you have an
"infinite" supply of torps. If you have no damages and are completely
refueled and rearmed, DOCKing will have no effect on your ship. A
STATUS command string can be appended to a DOCK order. The following
table lists the maximum resources available per move when
DOCKing at a base or planet:
.sk
.lit
Resource Base Planet
----------------------------------------------
Ship energy +1000 +500
Shield energy +500 +250
Photon Torpedoes +10 +5
Life Support Reserves +5 +5
Ship Damage -100 -50
Ship Damage, if already docked -200 -100
.el
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;DO Dock, no status report.
.i-16;DO ST Dock, show ship's status AFTER docking.
.i-16;DO ST SH T Dock, show ship's shield strength and number of
torpedos on board AFTER docking.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.ENERGY
.br;Transfer ENERGY to a friendly ship
.sk
Syntax: Energy <ship name> <units of energy to transfer>
.sk
The receiving ship must be located in an adjacent sector. 10% of the
energy transferred will be lost due to broadcast dissipation. If you
attempt to send more energy than the other ship can store
(ie 5000 units), the transfer will automatically be reduced to the
maximum possible.
.sk
Example:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;E I 1000 Transfer 1000 units of energy to the Intrepid. The
Intrepid will receive 900 units of energy.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.GRIPE
.br;Submit a GRIPE
.sk
Syntax: Gripe
.sk
Add a comment, bug report, suggestion, etc. to the top of file
GAM:DECWAR.GRP. Type in your comments, then _^Z (CTL-Z) to exit and
continue the game, or _^C (CTL-C) to abort and not send the gripe.
Each gripe is preceded with a header that includes the version number,
date, time, ship name, user name, TTY speed, PPN, TTY number, job number,
and whether or not Romulans and/or black holes are included in the game.
Unless you are currently under red alert, GRIPE will protect you from
enemy attack.
To view gripes not yet acted upon, type the file GAM:DECWAR.GRP.
To view answered gripes, and see what action was taken on them, type
the file GAM:DECWAR.FXD.
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.HELP
.br;Give HELP
.sk
Syntax: Help [*|<keywords>]
.sk
Give general help info, a list of available commands, or a detailed
description of a particular command or keyword. Unless you are under red
alert, HELP will protect you from enemy attack.
The following conventions are used in the detailed descriptions:
.lm 2
.i-2;-#The first line contains, in all caps, the keyword that help is being
given for.
.i-2;-#The syntax line (second line) lists the portion of the keyword required
to make it unique in caps, and the remainder of the keyword in lower case,
followed by any parameters (if the keyword is a command).
.i-2;-#A quantity to be filled in is lower case and enclosed in <> (angle
brackets).
.i-2;-#Optional parameters are enclosed in [] (square brackets).
.i-2;-#A choice (either or) is indicated by | (vertical bar).
.i-2;-#Any parameter that must be typed in literally is started in capital
letters and continued in lower case. The upper case letters signal the
shortest unambiguous abbreviation (the shortest abbreviation
may change slightly, depending on context).
.lm 0
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;H Give general help info.
.i-16;H * List all available commands.
.i-16;H H List this block of text.
.i-16;H SH Give help for the SHIELDS command.
.i-16;H HI G Give some general HINTS and a description of the GRIPE
command.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.IMPULSE
.br;Move using IMPULSE engines
.sk
Syntax: Impulse [Absolute|Relative] <vpos> <hpos>
.sk
Move one sector vertically, horizontally, or diagonally (equivalent
to warp factor 1). Ship condition changes to green.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;I 37 45 Move to sector 37-45.
.i-16;I A 37 45 Equivalent to "I 37 45".
.i-16;I R 1 -1 Move to sector 37-45, if your ship's present
location is 36-46.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.LIST
.br;LIST ship, base, and planet info
.sk
Syntax: List [<keywords>]
.sk
The following information is available via the LIST command:
.lm 2
.i-2;-#Name of any ship currently in the game (including the Romulan).
.i-2;-#Location and shield percent of any friendly ship, or any ship
within scan range (10 sectors).
.i-2;-#Location and shield percent of any friendly base, or any base
within range.
.i-2;-#Location of any known enemy base (any base that has previously
been SCANned or LISTed by anyone on your team).
.i-2;-#Location and number of builds of any known planet, or any planet
within range.
.lm 0
.IF SYSTEM
.lm +2
.i-2;* Note: If the password flag is set, all ships, bases, and planets
are "known" about. So, with the password set, LIST, SUMMARY, BASES,
PLANETS, and TARGETS will allow you access to any information they are
capable of providing. However, any information received because of the
password being set is not "remembered" like information learned through
normal use of these commands.
.lm -2
.ENDIF SYSTEM
.br;The above information is also available, in whole or in part, through
the SUMMARY, BASES, PLANETS, and TARGETS commands.
Each command has it's own default range, side (Federation, Empire,
Romulan, Neutral), and object (ship, base, planet). LIST (and SUMMARY)
include everything (infinite range, all sides, all objects) by default.
On output, enemy objects are flagged with * (star) in column 1 unless
the command is TARGETS.
.sk
Keywords used with BASES, PLANETS, TARGETS, LIST, and SUMMARY (not all
keywords are legal for all commands):
.sk
.lm 16.nj
.i-16;ship names Include only specified ships (several ship
names may be given, including Romulan).
.i-16;vpos hpos List only the object at the location vpos-hpos.
.i-16;CLosest List only the closest of the specified objects.
.sk
.i-16;SHips Include only ships (Federation, Empire, or Romulan).
.i-16;BAses Include only bases (Federation or Empire).
.i-16;PLanets Include only planets (Federation, Empire, or Neutral).
.i-16;POrts Include only bases and planets. If no side is specified
(Federation, Empire, Neutral, or Captured), include only friendly ports.
.sk
.i-16;FEderation Include only Federation forces.
.i-16;HUman Same as Federation.
.i-16;EMpire Include only Empire forces.
.i-16;Klingon Same as Empire.
.i-16;FRiendly Include only friendly forces (Federation or Empire).
.i-16;ENemy Include only enemy forces (Empire or Federation and Romulan).
.i-16;TArgets Same as enemy.
.i-16;NEutral Include only neutral planets.
.i-16;CAptured Include only captured planets (Federation or Empire).
.sk
.i-16;n Include only objects within n sectors.
.i-16;ALl Include all sides unless a side is explicitly given. Extend
the range to infinity unless a range is explicitly given.
.sk
.i-16;LIst List individual items. Turn off summary unless command is
SUMMARY or the keyword SUMMARY is specified.
.i-16;SUmmary List summary of all selected items. Turn off list unless
command is LIST or the keyword LIST is specified. Extend the range to
infinity unless a range is explicitly given.
.sk
.i-16;And Used to separate groups of keywords.
.i-16;_& Same as AND.
.lm 0
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;LIST List all information available on all ships, bases,
and planets.
.i-16;LIST SUM List all available info plus a summary of the number of each
object in game.
.i-16;LI EN BA List the location of all known enemy bases.
.i-16;LI SH List all available info on all ships in the game.
.i-16;LI CL PO List closest friendly base or friendly or neutral planet.
.i-16;LI 1 3 _& 9 5 List the objects at locations 1-3 and 9-5.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.MOVE
.br;MOVE using warp drive
.sk
Syntax: Move [Absolute|Relative|Computed] <vpos> <hpos>
.sk
Maximum speed is warp factor 6, which will move you 6 sectors per
turn. Maximum SAFE speed is warp factor 4; warp factors 5 and
6 risk potential warp engine damage. Energy consumption per move is
proportional to the square of the warp factor. If the ship's shields
are up during this movement, the energy consumption is doubled.
Moving changes your ship's condition to green.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;M 37 45 Move to sector 37-45.
.i-16;M A 37 45 Equivalent to "M 37 45".
.i-16;M R 4 -5 Move to sector 37-45, if your present location is 33-50
(move up 4 sectors and left 5 sectors).
.i-16;M C W "Ram" the Wolf. No actual collision occurs, but your
ship ends up adjacent to the Wolf's current position.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.NEWS
.br;Display the NEWS file
.sk
Syntax: NEws
.sk
Display the file which contains information on any new
features, enhancements, bug fixes, etc for each version of DECWAR.
.br;_.
.sk 2
.IF SYSTEM
_.*PASSWORD
.br;Set PASSWORD
.sk
Syntax: *Password [<password>]
.sk
If the correct password is given, set the password flag.
If no password is given, or the password is incorrect, issue an
error message and clear the flag.
The password flag must be set to access system commands (*DEBUG).
Also, with the password flag set, you have access to ANY information
that LIST can supply, including detailed information on out of range
enemy forces.
It is suggested that you turn off echoing by typing _^G (CTL-G)
before you type in any system command, and especially before typing
in the password.
.br;_.
.sk 2
.ENDIF SYSTEM
_.PHASERS
.br;Fire PHASERS at an enemy ship, base, or planet
.sk
Syntax: PHasers [Absolute|Relative|Computed] [energy] <vpos> <hpos>
.sk
Phasers must be directed at a specific target, and only one target may
be specified per command. Obstacles seemingly in the path of the phaser
blast are unaffected, since the energy ray is not a line-of- sight
weapon. The size of the hit is inversely proportional to the distance
from the target. Maximum range is 10 sectors vertically, horizontally,
or diagonally. Each phaser blast consumes 200 units of ship energy,
unless a specific amount of energy is given (the specified energy must
be between 50 and 500 units, inclusive). The phaser banks have
roughly a 5% chance of damage with a default (200 unit) blast, with the
probability of damage reaching nearly 65% with a maximum (500 unit)
blast. The severity of the resulting damage is also dependant on the
size of the blast. Also, if your ship's shields are up, a
high-speed shield control is used to quickly lower and then restore the
shields during the fire. This procedure consumes another 200 units of
ship energy. The weapons officer on board your ship will cancel
all phaser blasts directed against friendly ships, bases, or planets.
Firing phasers (or getting hit by phasers) puts you on red alert.
NOTE: Although phasers can damage enemy planetary installations
(BUILDs), they can NOT destroy the planet itself.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;PH 12 32 Phaser target at sector 12-32.
.i-16;PH A 12 32 Equivalent to "PH 12 32".
.i-16;PH R 2 -3 Phaser target at sector 12-32, if your location is 10-35.
.i-16;PH C BUZZARD Phaser the Buzzard (if in range).
.i-16;PH C B Same as PH C BUZZARD (ship names can be abbreviated to 1
character).
.i-16;PH 300 12 32 Phaser target at sector 12-32, using 300 units
of energy.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2
_.PLANETS
.br;List various PLANET information
.sk
Syntax: PLanets [<keywords>]
.sk
List location and number of builds for all known planets, and a
summary of planets within a specified range or the entire galaxy.
The default range is 10 sectors, and the default side is every side.
See the help for LIST for more information and the complete set of
keywords that can be used to modify PLANETS output.
.sk
Examples:
.sk.lm 16.nj
.i-16;PL List all planets within 10 sectors.
.i-16;PL SUM Give summary of all planets in game.
.i-16;PL ALL NEU List all known neutral planets.
.i-16;PL ALL CAP List all known captured planets.
.i-16;PL ALL 20 List all known planets within a radius of 20 sectors.
.lm 0.j
.br;_.
.sk 2