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UFO DEFENSE

PLAYER’S HANDBOOK

UFO Manual E1 for PDF 2/19/97 7:44 PM Page 1

Summary of Contents for X-COM UFO DEFENSE

Page 2: ...Display X COM UFO Defense requires a color monitor with a VGA graphics system If you are using a compatible graphics card monitor it must be 100 compatible with VGA systems Disk Drives X COM UFO Defense must be installed onto a hard disk DOS You must have IBM PC DOS or Microsoft MS DOS version 5 0 or higher SOUND X COM UFO Defense supports the PC internal speaker AdLib compatible cards SoundBlaste...

Page 3: ...ered buttons to change the Scroll Type between Trigger Scroll press the Left Mouse Button when the Mouse Pointer is at the edge of the screen or Auto Scroll the view window moves automatically when the Mouse Pointer is moved to the edge of the screen Fire Speed Click on any of the numbered buttons to change the speed at which weapon shots move from 1 slowest to 6 quickest X COM Movement Speed Clic...

Page 4: ...s Energy the soldier s current Energy level This will decrease as the soldier carries out energy consuming actions such as walking through thick grass The total energy available will be lowered if the soldier receives fatal wounds to the torso Health the soldier s current Health If the soldier has received Fatal Wounds each wound decreases Health by one point per turn If Health reaches zero the so...

Page 5: ...cts Psionic Strength the soldier s Psionic Strength This is a measure of the soldier s natural ability to defend against an alien psionic attack Psionic Skill the soldier s Psionic Skill This is the soldier s ability to use the Psi Amp in mental combat Armor the soldier s armor status divided into sections for Front Left Right Rear and Under This will rise as the soldier is equipped with armor man...

Page 6: ... have a range of 450 nautical miles Note X COM radar systems while very long ranged rotate very slowly once every 10 minutes This means that your base will detect UFOs more effectively if more than one radar system is in place The Stores Button Click on the Stores button to view a list of the items currently in the stores The Maintenance Button Click on the Maintenance button to view a list of you...

Page 7: ... assigned to Use the Mouse to highlight and select a soldier You will be taken to the Soldier Data screen The Soldier Data screen The selected soldier s rank badge is in the top left of this screen The soldier s name is next to the rank badge Click on this to change the soldier s name A flashing cursor will appear Use the Backspace Key to erase the previous name type in the name of your choice usi...

Page 8: ... Kills the number of aliens the soldier has killed Craft the craft which the soldier is currently assigned to Wound Recovery the number of days before the soldier recovers to full health In the bottom two thirds of the screen there is a display of the soldier s physical statistics These are identical to those in the Battlescape Soldier Data screen see the Battlescape Soldier Data Screen section of...

Page 9: ...n your hard disk The Boot Disk will allow more Conventional Memory to be available Making a Boot Disk Instructions for making an MS DOS Boot Disk also known as a System Disk will be found in your Microsoft manual Using a Boot Disk Insert the Boot Disk into your floppy disk drive A and then switch on the computer You should leave the disk in the floppy drive during play Slow Running If you are not ...

Page 10: ...ble free Q What is Extended Memory XMS Further memory beyond the 1Mb of Base Memory on your PC is called Extended Memory XMS can be used to free more Conventional Memory so that bigger games can be run XMS can also be used to simulate Expanded Memory Q What is Expanded Memory EMS EMS was originally designed to give the PC more memory to run programs It has been around far longer than XMS so most p...

Page 11: ...SYS v8 20 or higher See the MS DOS manual for full details To check which Mouse Driver you are using run the MSD program which comes with Windows 3 1 and MS DOS 6 0 6 2 The Read Me File The latest notes regarding this program additions revisions etc can be found in a file named README TXT in the UFO directory These notes may be read by using either standard DOS commands or the DOS 5 0 text editor ...

Page 12: ...Music John Broomhall Sound Effects Andrew Parton Quality Assurance Pete Woods Andrew Luckett Richard Bakewell Darren Kirby Phil McDonnell Jason Sampson Manual Author Kristian Ramsay Jones Managing Editor Alkis Alkiviades Packaging and Manual Design John Emory Joe Morel Cesar Novoa Sarah Warburton Producer Tim Roberts Publishers Paul Hibbard Pete Moreland ...

Page 13: ...ghter aircraft the Kiryu Kai certainly looked like a powerful force However after 5 months of expensive operations they had yet to intercept their first UFO The lesson was clear this was a worldwide problem which could not be dealt with by individual countries On December 11 1998 representatives from the world s most economically powerful countries gathered secretly in Geneva After much debate the...

Page 14: ...can see so beware of danger lurking around corners or down dark corridors Successful ground assault missions mean that X COM scientists can research alien technology Engineers can then reproduce their superior weapons and spacecraft Soon you will be fighting the aliens with their own technology As the game progresses you will use the on line UFOpaedia to learn the latest details from your research...

Page 15: ...rt to play the game on your own Section 2 The Reference Guide is intended for the player who is familiar with how to play X COM UFO Defense and needs to learn more about particular game features The Controls You will require a mouse to play X COM UFO Defense This manual will refer to clicking on buttons icons or highlighted text To do this simply move the cursor over the option and press the Left ...

Page 16: ...SECTION 1 THE GAMEPLAY TUTORIALS ...

Page 17: ...e game are covered here the Geoscape the Battlescape and the Bases Screen For extra information on particular game features see the Reference Guide section of this manual First of all we will start a new game Starting a New Game 1 Install and Load X COM UFO Defense 2 After the animated introduction you will be taken to the game options screen THE GAMEPLAY TUTORIALS ...

Page 18: ...B to select You will now be taken to the Select Difficulty Level screen 4 Move the mouse pointer over the Beginner option and click on the LMB to select You will now be taken into the main game screen the Geoscape The first thing you must do is to position your first X COM base on the surface of the Earth ...

Page 19: ...times on the up arrow the Earth display will tilt towards you 9 Click a few times on the left arrow the Earth display will rotate 10 Position the mouse pointer over the Earth and click on the Right Mouse Button to center the Geoscape on that location By using a combination of these controls you can manipulate the Earth display to show any part of the Earth in detail 11 Click on any part of the Ear...

Page 20: ...w of the Earth represented as a hollow blue square On the right hand side of the screen there is a list of Menu Options a display of the Game Time the Time Controls and the View Controls The Time Controls are very important to the game and it is these which we will go through next Note If you wish to pause time at any stage during the game simply click on any of the Menu Options 3994 9668 Menu Opt...

Page 21: ...section of the game e g waiting for craft to arrive at their destinations or waiting for UFOs to be detected Detecting UFOs 3 We will now advance time to the point when X COM detect their first UFO if this has not already happened Click on the 1 Day button in the Time Controls The button will depress and time will pass at the maximum rate 4 Eventually a window will appear over the Geoscape with th...

Page 22: ...will appear with the title Launch Interception and a list of the available craft at that base 6 Move the mouse pointer to highlight Interceptor 2 and click on the LMB 7 The message Select Destination appears in the top of the screen Click on the UFO represented as a red cross to select this as the Interceptor s target ...

Page 23: ...on any of the Geoscape Menu Options If the UFO lands it will appear as a green cross Interceptors cannot carry out ground attacks so you will have to wait until the UFO lifts off click on the 5 Mins Time Control button to accelerate the passage of time 10 At this point one of two things could happen A If your Interceptor catches the UFO the Air to Air Combat window will appear Skip the rest of thi...

Page 24: ...ur Interceptors Click on the OK button Continue to the next step of this tutorial 11 The Craft Status window will now appear allowing you to redirect the Interceptor 12 Click on the Go To Last Known UFO Position button 13 While the Interceptor is on its way to the last known UFO position it uses its on board radar to scan for the UFO If the UFO 1 Detected window re appears go straight to step 14 o...

Page 25: ...on has failed Click on the Redirect Craft button The Craft Status window will reappear Click on Return to Base The Interceptor will return to its base Go back to step 3 of this tutorial 14 Click on the Center on UFO Time 5 Secs button in the UFO 1 Detected window 15 At the moment the Interceptor is still heading for the last reported position of the UFO Now we ll reassign the UFO as the Intercepto...

Page 26: ... Craft Status window 16 Click on the Select New Target button 17 The message Select Destination appears in the top of the screen Click on the UFO to re select it as the target 18 The message Target UFO 1 will reappear Click on the OK button Go back to step 10 of this tutorial ...

Page 27: ...of the Geoscape 20 UFOs should not be shot down over water because you will not be able to examine the wreckage Click on the minimize window icon in the top left of the Air to Air Combat window The craft icon will appear in the top left of the screen Check that the UFO is over dry land If it is over the sea you can use the 1 Min Time Control to accelerate the passage of time SECTION 1 Craft Icon ...

Page 28: ...f the Air to Air Combat window The message box in the bottom of the window relays the pilot s messages to you If the UFO out runs the Interceptor return to step 10 of this tutorial If the Interceptor destroys the UFO you have failed in your objectives there is no useful debris to investigate Return to step 3 of this tutorial If the UFO crash lands you have succeeded in your objectives the crash si...

Page 29: ...e Save Game button 25 The Select Save Position screen will appear Click on any of the ten numbered buttons to select the slot into which your current game will be saved 26 Type in a name for your saved game using the Keyboard and press the Return Key When the game has saved you will be returned to the Geoscape SECTION 1 ...

Page 30: ... Destination appears in the top of the screen 30 Click on the UFO Crash Site the white cross to select this as the Skyranger s target 31 The message Target Crash Site 1 will appear Click on the OK button 32 The Skyranger represented by a yellow cross will launch and make its way to the UFO Crash Site Click on the 5 Mins button if you want to increase the passage of time 33 When the Skyranger arriv...

Page 31: ...them selves with guns ammunition and grenades This initial screen allows you to adjust the weapons your squad will carry into action Click on the left right arrows in the top right of the screen to check the armament of each of the eight members of your squad 2 You will see that six of your soldiers have rifles one has a pistol and one has a heavy cannon The soldiers carry extra ammunition and gre...

Page 32: ...eans it is like a 3 D game of chess you move your pieces the aliens move theirs Click the Left Mouse Button LMB to continue The Battlescape 4 You will now see your Skyranger on the ground with its rear door open The aircraft s cabin roof is peeled away to reveal your squad of eight soldiers within The bottom section of the screen contains a number of buttons and displays This section of the screen...

Page 33: ...hides everything above the currently selected level this is why the Skyranger appears to have no roof Click on the button in the Control Bar The number on the button will change to 2 The cabin roof and wings of the Skyranger will appear Your soldiers will now be hidden from view This is the Full View of the Battlescape 6 Click again on the button The number on the button will change back to 1 The ...

Page 34: ...lly selecting and moving each soldier in turn Move the mouse pointer over the Battlescape display A red 3 D box will appear under the pointer 11 Move this box over any soldier The box will now flash yellow and red 12 Click on the Left Mouse Button LMB A yellow arrow appears above the soldier s head to show that he she is now selected 13 Move the mouse pointer over any other soldier in the Skyrange...

Page 35: ...ver the ground just behind and to the right of the Skyranger 16 Click the Left Mouse Button LMB The soldier will walk out of the Skyranger to the destination you have just set The Battlescape automatically switches to the next level down so that the Skyranger now only appears as the ramp and a set of landing legs 17 Click on the button 18 Move the mouse pointer over the other soldier at the rear o...

Page 36: ...n your squad s line of sight Move the 3 D box to a point near one of the landing legs and click on the Right Mouse Button The currently selected soldier will turn around and face the Skyranger scanning the surrounding terrain in the process Any nearby black squares will turn into terrain as the soldier looks at them 22 If you want to look around the Battlescape at the visible terrain move the mous...

Page 37: ... way as the other two 26 Select and move another soldier out of the Skyranger 27 You now have four soldiers deployed from the Skyranger This is enough for the moment the rest can remain on board as reinforcements The primary objective of this mission is to kill or stun the aliens A good place to find aliens is the crashed UFO itself so we ll start the search there The Map Screen 28 Click on the bu...

Page 38: ...time Click on the up down arrows on the left hand side of the screen to display the next level up or down 31 Click on the Right Mouse Button to return to the Battlescape The Turn Based System 32 If you saw a UFO on the Map screen start moving your soldiers toward it If not continue moving your soldiers around the Battlescape until you find the UFO Eventually the message Not Enough Time Units appea...

Page 39: ... to click the LMB to begin your next turn Searching For the Aliens 34 Continue moving your squad around the Battlescape To go through doors click inside the room To go up stairs click at the top of the stairs You will notice that the Battlescape has an edge beyond which everything is black This is the edge of the map aliens will not go into this area Seeing the Aliens 35 If one of your soldiers se...

Page 40: ... Aliens will appear as blue flashing dots on this map the white cross indicates where the map is centered Look for your soldiers on the map there might be soldiers in a better position to fire than the soldier currently selected Click on the Right Mouse Button to return to the Battlescape 38 If you want to re center the Battlescape on the currently selected soldier click on the button in the Contr...

Page 41: ...a rifle will be required Click on the rifle at the far right of the Control Bar 40 A window will appear allowing you to choose from a number of shots Move the mouse pointer over the Aimed Shot option and click 41 You will now return to the Battlescape The cursor has changed to a targeting cross instead of the 3 D box PAGE 40 SECTION 1 ...

Page 42: ...means that your soldier does not have enough Time Units to complete the shot You must either choose another type of shot select another soldier or end your turn C The soldier fires a shot and misses This is unfortunate but is expected initially your soldiers are all rookies You will find that your soldiers become more accurate as they fight more battles D The soldier hits the alien with the shot T...

Page 43: ... pointer over the grenade and click The word Grenade will appear below the soldier s name 45 Move the grenade over the box marked Left Hand and click again If the soldier has enough Time Units the grenade will be placed in the soldier s left hand If the soldier does not have enough Time Units replace the grenade in the belt and repeat the operation after the next turn 46 Click on the OK button to ...

Page 44: ... the turn and complete the priming throwing process on the next turn But beware The soldier may be killed during the alien s turn if he she is not in cover 49 The Set Timer window will appear allowing you to set the number of turns until the grenade detonates Click on the number 3 You will now return to the Battlescape with a primed grenade in your soldier s left hand 8689 6378 ...

Page 45: ...w the grenade 53 One of three things will happen A The soldier will throw the grenade B The message Out of Range will appear This is because the target location is too far away If this happens choose a target location which is closer to your soldier C The message Unable to Throw Here will appear This is because an object is obstructing the throw If this happens choose a different target location D...

Page 46: ... take off without your full squad Note Do not allow the aliens to kill all of your squad there will be no one to fly the Skyranger back to base and it will be lost If you are down to your last soldier abort the mission The Debriefing 55 At the end of the ground assault mission you will be given a debriefing This will inform you if your mission objectives were achieved and lists the items recovered...

Page 47: ... worry if you lost your Skyranger you can buy another in the Bases screen Click on the button labeled Bases in the Geoscape Menu Options 2 The Bases screen will appear Note From now until you re enter the Geoscape screen time is paused If at any time you need to pause the game simply click on one of the Geoscape Menu Options Equipping the Interceptor 3 We will now use the Equip Craft screen to re ...

Page 48: ...the mouse pointer over Interceptor 2 a pale highlight will appear to show it is selected and click 5 The Interceptor 2 Equip Craft screen will appear You will see each of the Interceptor s two weapon bays represented by the numbers 1 and 2 The armaments loaded onto the aircraft are Stingray missiles and a Cannon Click on the button marked with the number 2 ...

Page 49: ...elected and click 8 The display will return to the Interceptor 2 Equip Craft screen The Interceptor now has an all missile armament this is more effective for attacking UFOs Click on the button marked OK in the bottom of the screen 9 You will now return to the Interception Craft screen You will see that the Status column for Interceptor 2 shows that it is Re arming Click on the button marked OK in...

Page 50: ...ists to work on two different research projects Laser Weapons and the Motion Scanner Click on the button labeled New Project in the bottom left of the screen 12 The New Research Projects window will appear Move the mouse pointer over Laser Weapons a pale highlight will appear to show it is selected and click 1799 5577 ...

Page 51: ...ill appear This allows you to change the number of scientists working on the project Click on the up arrow next to the word Increase until the number to the right of the word Scientists Allocated is 10 15 Click on the button marked OK 16 You will return to the New Research Projects window Move the mouse pointer over Motion Scanner and click SECTION 1 ...

Page 52: ...OK button in the bottom of this window 21 You will now return to the Current Research screen You will see that you have 10 scientists assigned to researching Laser Weapons and 10 scientists assigned to researching the Motion Scanner The progress in each of these projects is unknown the scientists have not yet started work Click on the OK button in the bottom right of this screen 22 You will return...

Page 53: ...e message Not Enough Living Space appears because you do not have enough Living Quarter facilities at your base to accommodate the soldiers To build more Living Quarters click on the Build Facilities button in the Bases screen see the Bases section of the Reference Guide of this manual for full details 25 If you lost your Skyranger troop transport in the ground assault you can replace it by clicki...

Page 54: ... the screen The list will move down a little Continue clicking on this button until it disappears You have reached the bottom of the list The last item on the list is the Stun Rod This item allows your soldiers to knock aliens out instead of killing them the alien can then be recovered alive and interrogated 30 Move the mouse pointer over the Stun Rod button and click twice 31 If you lost your Sky...

Page 55: ... make them go away We ll worry about these later When 3 days have passed click on the 5 Secs button 36 We will now return to the Bases screen and equip the Skyranger with all the items we have just purchased Click on the Bases button 37 Click on the Equip Craft button Equipping the Skyranger 38 Use the mouse to highlight and click on Skyranger 1 39 The Equip Craft screen for the Skyranger will app...

Page 56: ...ht blue This will assign them to Skyranger 1 The Craft column of this screen shows which craft the soldiers are assigned to 41 When all the soldier s names are shown in white all the soldiers at the base are assigned to Skyranger 1 Click on the OK button in the bottom of this screen 42 You will return to the Equip Craft screen Now we ll load some equipment onto the Skyranger Click on the button ma...

Page 57: ...ing that it is on board 44 Use the same process to load any other equipment of your choice onto the Skyranger 45 Click on the OK button in the bottom of the screen 46 You will return to the Equip Craft screen Click on the OK button in the bottom of the Equip Craft screen to return to the Interception Craft screen 47 Click on the OK button in the bottom of the Interception Craft screen to return to...

Page 58: ...ence Guide of this manual for full details Other messages may appear to inform you that a new purchase has arrived or a manufacturing process has become available The End Of the Tutorial Much of the enjoyment of X COM UFO Defense is discovering new technology gathering information on the aliens and battling through hundreds of different landscapes These tutorials have been a basic guide to the way...

Page 59: ...l find that they fight better when they are more experienced Equip your squad with the best weapons available and avoid exposing your soldiers to enemy fire by keeping them in cover Plan your research carefully Concentrate research on developing alien based technologies and take care that your scientists stay busy research work costs relatively little and the rewards are great Build new weapons an...

Page 60: ...SECTION 2 THE REFERENCE GUIDE 8579 7983 ...

Page 61: ...ouse Button LMB to select 1 1 NEW GAME If you select New Game in the Game Option screen you will be taken to the Select Difficulty Level screen This allows you to change the way the game plays to suit your skill level from level 1 Beginner to level 5 Superhuman It is recommended that you complete the game at one of the lower difficulty levels before attempting to play the game at level 5 1 GAME OP...

Page 62: ...ll appear at the top of the screen Click on any part of the world to position your first X COM base Use the Geoscape controls if you want to rotate the display of the Earth see the section of this manual on The Geoscape Screen for full details of the Geoscape controls The last New Game set up is to name your first base The prompt Base Name will appear type in your first base s name using the Keybo...

Page 63: ... Load screen The name of the saved game is displayed in the middle of the screen the game s time and date is also displayed Pick a saved game by clicking on one of the ten buttons on the left hand side of the screen and click the LMB You will now be taken to the Geoscape at the point when the game was saved SECTION 2 ...

Page 64: ... rotated or magnified At minimum magnification it displays the whole planet while at maximum magnification it shows detail such as borders and cities Terrain types from desert to snowscape are represented on the surface of each of the continents and night and day are fully simulated The Geoscape uses symbols to represent the following Blue n an X COM base Yellow an X COM craft Orange an X COM craf...

Page 65: ...ht Mouse Button to center the display on that location 2 3 THE TIME CONTROLS The Time Controls allow you to adjust the rate at which time passes in the game Time may be accelerated from 5 seconds stages to 1 minute 5 minutes 30 minutes 1 hour and 1 day segments This means that you may cut out the long periods of waiting for X COM radar to detect a UFO To select a particular rate of time passage cl...

Page 66: ...tions scores for ground assault missions research work completed alien activity A plus sign before the figure indicates a good performance a minus sign indicates a poor performance Funding Change the difference between this month s and last month s total funding A plus sign before the figure indicates an increase in funding a minus sign indicates a decrease in funding This is followed by a general...

Page 67: ...soldiers to use mind control as a weapon The Psi Amp is required to convert thoughts into psionic powers without this the soldier cannot use psionic skills as a weapon The Psionic Training screen lists all X COM bases with a Psi Lab facility Psi Labs are essential to carry out psionic training Click on any of the Base Name buttons to Assign Soldiers to Psionic Training at that base SECTION 2 ...

Page 68: ...ver changes regardless of how much training the soldier goes through Psionic Skill Improvement this is the soldier s ability to use the Psi Amp in mental combat The soldier s mental combat ability is dependent on both this and Psionic Strength Note It is better to concentrate your Psionic Training on soldiers with high Psionic Strength In Training whether or not the soldier is in training Note Car...

Page 69: ...ails Options takes you into the Options screen see the Options section of this manual for full details Funding takes you into the International Relations display see the Funding section of this manual for full details 2 6 USING THE GEOSCAPE X COM s main task is to shoot down and investigate UFOs This ensures continued government funding and allows X COM to learn more about the alien threat When th...

Page 70: ...ude the approximate height at which the UFO is flying Heading the general direction in which the UFO is travelling Speed the speed at which the UFO is travelling in knots This window also gives you the option to either Center on UFO Time 5 Secs centers the Geoscape display on the UFOs current position and reduces the passage of time to 5 seconds Click on this option if you intend to intercept the ...

Page 71: ...base or click on the Intercept Menu Option in the top right of the Geoscape screen The advantage of clicking on the Intercept Menu Option is that you may give orders to an Interceptor which is based on the opposite side of the Geoscape hidden from view Simply clicking on a base only allows you to assign craft from that base SECTION 2 ...

Page 72: ...nsport Status this may be either Ready the craft is available for interception duty Refuelling the craft is refuelling this can take several hours Rearming the craft is having its air to air weaponry changed Repairs the craft is undergoing repair work Out the craft is already carrying out an interception Base the craft s home base If you wish to return to the Geoscape without selecting an intercep...

Page 73: ...h to return to the Geoscape without selecting a target click on the Cancel button To select a UFO as the interception target simply click on its location on the Geoscape The message Target UFO number will appear Click on the OK button to accept this UFO as the target or click on the Cancel button to select a different target The interceptor will now launch from its underground base and take the mo...

Page 74: ...s home base Speed the current speed of the craft in knots Maximum Speed the craft s maximum speed in knots Altitude the craft s approximate height Fuel the percentage of fuel remaining in the craft When fuel reaches a critical level the craft will automatically return to base Weapon 1 The type of weapon loaded into weapon bay number 1 followed by the number of rounds of that weapon remaining Weapo...

Page 75: ...nd select a new target Patrol abort the interception and remain at the current position Cancel return to the Geoscape without issuing any orders 2 6 5 THE UFO STATUS WINDOW At any time when a UFO is displayed on the Geoscape click on it to bring up the UFO Status window repeating the information shown in the UFO Detected window 2 6 6 THE TRACKING LOST WINDOW SECTION 2 ...

Page 76: ...nce the interception craft may be able to re acquire the UFO with its on board radar 2 6 7 THE AIR TO AIR COMBAT WINDOW When the X COM craft has maneuvered within firing range of the UFO the Air to Air Combat window will appear The interception craft is now at stand off range awaiting your orders Remember that you are setting out to cause the UFO to crash land not to blow it into a million pieces ...

Page 77: ...h weapon Standard Attack move to the minimum range of each of the available weapons and fire at a standard rate Aggressive Attack move to the minimum range of each of the available weapons and fire at a maximum rate Disengage abort the interception and return to base View UFO replace the Air to Air combat window with a view of the UFO Click on the LMB to return to the Air to Air Combat window SECT...

Page 78: ...reen which represent what is fitted to the weapons bays of the Interceptor These icons each have a number under them indicating the number of rounds of the weapon which are remaining The maximum range of each of the weapons is also shown in the form of a line extending out of the weapon icon and onto the Radar Screen When a UFO gets within this boundary the Interceptor will open fire 2 6 7 4 The R...

Page 79: ...e Geoscape and time may be advanced or slowed as normal When the UFO gets over the land click on the Craft Icon The Air to Air Combat window will now re appear ready for you to carry out your attack Note You can also use the Minimize Window icon to give other Interception Craft orders to attack the UFO There can be up to four Interception Craft attacking a UFO simultaneously maximizing the chances...

Page 80: ...d to recover any available alien technology Click on a base or use the Intercept Menu Option to select a Skyranger troop transport craft just as you did previously with the Interceptor and assign the UFO Crash Site as the target The Skyranger will now take off and make its way to the UFO Crash Site Note Only craft which contain soldiers or HWPs are allowed to intercept Crash Sites or landed UFOs W...

Page 81: ...revented at all costs a successful alien Terror Site in a funding country could cause its government to withdraw from the X COM project 2 7 3 ALIEN RAIDS ON X COM BASES As the game progresses the aliens will carry out missions to find X COM bases If the aliens discover the location of any of your bases they will attempt to destroy them with a ground assault 2 7 4 ALIEN BASES The aliens will attemp...

Page 82: ...sites Intervene at alien terror sites Defend X COM bases against alien attack Attack alien bases All missions except defending X COM bases require you to use a transport craft to get to your destination When you begin the game the only troop transport available is the Skyranger but as the game progresses you will be able to manufacture new craft 1905 9976 ...

Page 83: ...elected in the Equip Craft screen This soldier is surrounded by the locations in which weapons may be carried The items on the ground may be picked up and carried by the soldier To pick up an item from the ground simply move the mouse over the item and click The item will now be attached to the mouse pointer The name of this item is shown in the top of the screen under the soldier s name Move the ...

Page 84: ... you have finished equipping your soldiers click on the OK button to enter the main part of the Ground Assault the Battlescape 3 2 THE BATTLESCAPE SCREEN The Battlescape screen is a 3 D display which allows you to control a small squad of heavily armed X COM soldiers 3 2 1 USING THE BATTLESCAPE Your squad starts the mission in their transport craft The soldier nearest to the craft s exit ramp has ...

Page 85: ... the edge of the screen to move the Battlescape view window up down left or right Note You must take the mouse pointer to very bottom of the screen under the Control Bar to move the view window downward You will notice that there is an edge to the Battlescape map beyond which everything is black this is a region into which the aliens will not venture Aliens do not stray far from their crashed UFO ...

Page 86: ...ht of X COM soldiers However there is an exception to the turn based rule If you move your soldiers directly into the alien s line of fire they will take a shot during your turn Similarly your soldiers will automatically open fire if the aliens move into your soldiers line of fire during their turn See the section of this manual on Opportunity Fire for full details Note It is best to end your turn...

Page 87: ...launcher Auto Shot a three shot burst of automatic fire in the target s general direction This type of shot can be very effective especially when used at short range Not all weapons are capable of automatic fire however Prime Grenade set the timer on a grenade or explosive charge When you click on this option a window appears with numbers from 0 to 23 This is the number of turns it will take befor...

Page 88: ...f the items held in the soldier s hands Click on these boxes to use a weapon object 3 2 3 2 Ascend Descend Controls Up Down Click on either of these buttons to move soldiers up or down between levels when they are either standing on a gravlift or if the soldier is capable of flight 3 2 3 3 View Next Level Up Down Click on either of these buttons to view the next level up or down from the level whi...

Page 89: ...cape at a time Click on the up or down arrows on the left hand side of the map to view the next level up or down The map uses symbols to represent the following Yellow dots X COM forces Blue dots alien forces Red dots civilians White crosses dead aliens or humans Click on the Right Mouse Button to return to the Battlescape screen 3 2 3 5 Stand Kneel Click on this button to make the selected soldie...

Page 90: ...ing weapons and equipment from one location to another uses Time Units The amount of Time Units required to move an object is dependent on where the item is removing items from a backpack takes more effort than putting an item on the ground Click on the OK button to return to the Battlescape screen 3 2 3 7 Center Display on Soldier Click on this button to center the Battlescape on the currently se...

Page 91: ...ed 2 Full View every level is displayed regardless of what level is selected Selecting this will hide any of your soldiers who are behind walls and inside buildings or craft 3 2 3 11 Options Click on this button to call up the Battlescape Options screen This allows you to select different speeds for animation and scrolling depending on player preference and the processing speed of your computer 3 ...

Page 92: ...k on the top right button to reserve enough Time Units for a Snap Shot click on the bottom left button to reserve enough Time Units for an Aimed Shot click on the bottom right button to reserve enough Time Units for an Auto Shot 3 2 3 15 Rank This is an icon representing the currently selected soldier s rank X COM soldiers may have the following ranks Rookie Captain Squaddie Colonel Sergeant Comma...

Page 93: ...reen This displays the soldier s name at the top of the screen with the following information Time Units the soldier s remaining Time Units Time Units are required to carry out everything from walking to firing weapons Energy the soldier s remaining energy This will decrease as the soldier carries out energy consuming actions such as walking through thick grass Health the soldier s current health ...

Page 94: ...eers Psionic Strength Skill the psionic strength skill which the soldier may call upon Click on the Right Mouse Button to return to the Battlescape screen 3 2 4 PROMOTIONS At the end of every mission subject to their mission performance soldiers will be promoted The rank to which the soldier is promoted is dependent on the following Rookie each new recruit begins at this level Squaddie in order to...

Page 95: ...en their abilities may be increased For a skill to benefit from experience it must be used during combat as much as possible For example if a soldier uses a rifle many times then accuracy is likely to improve Reactions accuracy Time Units throwing accuracy psionic skill health strength fitness and bravery all benefit from mission experience 3 2 4 3 Morale At the start of each mission each soldier ...

Page 96: ...ces the soldier s available Time Units The soldier data screen displays any wounds Each wound also reduces a soldier s Health by one point per turn so that it is possible for a soldier to die from a hit received much earlier in the mission The Medi kit can heal wounds 3 2 5 1 Stunning Soldiers or aliens can be stunned if hit by a stun weapon or if suffering from smoke inhalation You can monitor th...

Page 97: ... in each Opportunity Fire confrontation Note Opportunity fire is crucial to mission success Remember to leave your soldiers with enough Time Units at the end of their turn to carry out opportunity fire use the Reserve Time Units buttons to do this 3 2 7 OBJECTIVE The mission will be successful when all aliens have been either killed or stunned The UFO s remains alien artifacts and alien corpses wi...

Page 98: ...re achieved Below this is the mission performance list showing a breakdown of all the Items recovered the Quantity of each and the Score for retrieving them The last line of the mission performance list shows the total mission score At the bottom of the screen is the overall mission Rating Poor mission performance may affect X COM funding Click on the OK button in the bottom left of the screen to ...

Page 99: ...detection systems Craft operate from concealed hangars and the only access to the base is via the access lift s X COM bases carry out several different functions Detection of UFOs Operation of X COM fighter and transport craft Research into alien technology and life forms Manufacture of vehicles equipment and weapons for X COM use The Bases screen consists of two main parts the Base Display and th...

Page 100: ... in which the base is located followed by the total Funds available to X COM The left two thirds of the Bases screen shows a top down view of the base Move the mouse pointer over a base facility to display its name in the top left of the screen 4 2 THE MENU OPTIONS The Menu Options allow you to see in detail how each of your bases is currently functioning You will use the Menu Options to carry out...

Page 101: ...rt of the world Click on OK to accept this location or click on Cancel to select a different location Note As you play the game you will find that some areas of the world are better than others for X COM base sites North America is a good area for an X COM base because it is both large and wealthy When you have decided on your new Base s location you will be prompted to give it a name type in your...

Page 102: ...The bar graphs to the right of this numerical display are useful to see at a glance how your personnel are being utilized The Space Used Space Available bar graphs shows how your space is being utilized This is broken down into five categories in a similar way to the Personnel The figures show the space used followed by the total amount of space available You should be aiming to keep the first fig...

Page 103: ...ntity of that item and its Arrival Time at the base in hours For full details on Transferring personnel and equipment between bases see the Transfer section of this chapter Click on the OK button to return to the Base Information screen Click on the OK button in the bottom left of the Base Information screen to return to the Bases screen 4 2 3 EQUIP CRAFT Click on this option to configure your int...

Page 104: ...having its air to air weaponry changed Repairs the craft is undergoing repair work Out the craft is carrying out an interception Weapon Systems the air to air weaponry carried by the craft This is presented as number carried maximum number which may be carried Crew the number of soldiers carried on the craft HWPs the number of Heavy Weapon Platforms e g tanks carried on the craft To configure a cr...

Page 105: ...al Below the Damage and Fuel status are the air to air weapon configuration buttons marked with numbers These do not appear on the Equip Craft screen for the Skyranger transport since it does not have an air to air capability Craft such as the Interceptor have two weapon bays marked 1 and 2 Alongside the numbered buttons are the names of the loaded weapons and a pair of figures Ammo the number of ...

Page 106: ...e Ammunition Available the number of rounds of the weapon in storage If you wish to load a different weapon onto your craft use the mouse to highlight the required weapon from the list and click Alternatively you may click on the Cancel button to exit this window without making any weapon changes You will now return to the Equip Craft screen If you changed the weapons the new armament will be show...

Page 107: ...pace Available on board the craft and the current amount of Space Used Below this is a list of the Name of the soldiers available with their Rank and the Craft which they are currently assigned to To assign or de assign a soldier to the selected craft use the mouse to highlight the required soldier from the list and click Click on the OK button when you have finished assigning soldiers to the craf...

Page 108: ...the craft Below this information is The Item column listing the names of the items which may be loaded on board The Stores column listing the number of the items which are available The Loaded column consisting of a pair of buttons for each item and the number of the item which are loaded on the craft Click on the buttons to increase decrease the number of items which are loaded on board the selec...

Page 109: ...the list and click The Select Armor Type window will appear listing the types of armor available and the number of each in storage Click on an armor button The soldier will now be equipped with the selected armor Click on the OK button when you have finished assigning armor to soldiers To return to the Interception Craft screen from the Equip Craft screen click on the OK button To return to the Ba...

Page 110: ...You may choose from the following Access Lift Living Quarters Laboratory Workshop Small Radar System Large Radar System Missile Defenses General Stores Alien Containment Hangar Note As the game progresses you will be able to research alien based technology to be incorporated into your bases See the UFOpaedia for full details of all base installations 9637 6375 ...

Page 111: ...nstruct the new facility move the mouse pointer over the Base Display position the installation and click The new installation will now be shown on the Base Display enclosed in a dotted line and displaying the number of days of construction time remaining The Build Installation window reverts to the Select Installation window Click on the Cancel button to return to the Bases screen or click on ano...

Page 112: ...ber of scientists available for work Scientists Allocated the number of scientists currently working on research projects Laboratory Space Available the amount of floor space available in the laboratories Below this is a list of the research projects currently being undertaken with the number of scientists working on each project and a general indication of the progress being made ...

Page 113: ...sting the available projects for research Use the mouse to highlight and click on the required project The New Research Projects window will now change to display the Start Project window You may cancel research at this stage by clicking on the Cancel button To accept the project and continue click on the Start Project button SECTION 2 ...

Page 114: ...the OK button to exit to the New Research Projects window Click on the OK button in the New Research Projects window to exit to the Current Research screen 4 2 5 2 Scientists Allocated Use the mouse to highlight and click on a project to alter the number of scientists allocated to that project This is identical to the Scientists Allocated window described above The more scientists involved the qui...

Page 115: ...esult of the research this may also be accessed at any time in the UFOpaedia Your scientists will then inform you of any new research or manufacture projects which are now possible Click on OK to exit from these screens or click on Allocate Research or Allocate Manufacture to start new research or manufacture projects 4 2 6 MANUFACTURE Click on this option to view your current production status SE...

Page 116: ...e item which is being manufactured Engineers Allocated the number of engineers working on the project Units Produced the number of units of the item produced so far Total to Produce the total number of units you have ordered to be produced Cost Per Unit the cost to manufacture each item Days Hours Left the number of days hours remaining before the production will be complete 4 2 6 1 New Production...

Page 117: ... the cost to produce one unit and the workspace required You may cancel production at this stage by clicking on the Cancel button To accept the production and continue click on the Start Production button The Engineers Allocated window will now appear This displays the Engineers Available and the Workshop Space Available as on the Current Production screen but allows you to set both the number of ...

Page 118: ...its to Produce Use the mouse to highlight and click on any manufacture project to alter the number of scientists allocated to that project This is identical to the Engineers Allocated window described above The more engineers involved the quicker the manufacture will be completed Click on the OK button to exit to the Current Production screen Click on the OK button in the Current Production screen...

Page 119: ...ach of the items at the base The Amount to Transfer column consisting of a pair of buttons for each item and the number of items to transfer Click on the buttons to increase decrease the number of the item which will be transferred to another base When you are happy with the items to be transferred click on the Transfer button in the bottom left of the screen You will now be taken to the Select De...

Page 120: ...ith the area of the world in which they are and the amount it would cost to transfer the items to each of the bases Use the mouse to highlight and click on the required base The items will now be transferred You will be returned to the Transfer screen You may view details of the items which are in transit between bases by clicking on the Transfer button in the Base Information screen Click on the ...

Page 121: ...of a pair of buttons for each item and the number of that item to be bought Click on the buttons to increase decrease the number of the item which will be bought If you do not wish to make any purchases click on the Cancel button to return to the Bases screen When you are happy with your choice of items to be bought click on the OK button The items will now be purchased and you will be returned to...

Page 122: ... which may be sold The Quantity column listing the number of each item which may be sold The Sell Sack column consisting of a pair of buttons for each item and the number of that item which will be sold The Value column listing the value of each item Click on the buttons to increase decrease the number of the item to be sold If you do not wish to make any sales click on the Cancel button to return...

Page 123: ...d in this screen is similar to that presented in the Select Armor section of the Equip Craft screen Highlight and click on the soldier s name to display the selected soldier s information screen Click on the Armor button to allocate armor to the soldier 4 2 11 GEOSCAPE Click on this option to return to the Geoscape screen SECTION 2 ...

Page 124: ...the icon in the top of the screen to view the UFO Activity in Areas This graph displays the level of UFO activity in areas of the world Click on the buttons on the left hand side of the screen to view the graph plots for particular areas 5 2 UFO ACTIVITY IN COUNTRIES Click on the icon in the top of the screen to view the UFO Activity in Countries This graph displays the level of UFO activity in th...

Page 125: ...OM activity in the funding countries Click on the buttons on the left hand side of the screen to view the graph plots for individual countries 5 5 INCOME Click on the icon in the top of the screen to view X COM s Income This graph displays X COM s income from each of the funding countries Click on the buttons on the left hand side of the screen to view the graph plots for individual countries 5 6 ...

Page 126: ... internal events such as change of government civil war or recession alien influence funding will stop if a country signs a pact with the aliens Additional income may be generated by the sale of alien items recovered from UFOs 5 6 2 EXPENDITURE X COM expenditure may be of several types As well as purchasing recruiting costs there may be transfer costs building costs for new bases or base facilitie...

Page 127: ...NCE X COM s performance rating This score takes into account the following success of interceptions scores for ground assault missions research work completed alien activity Scores above zero indicate that X COM are winning Scores below zero indicate that X COM are losing Click on the icon in the top right of the screen to return to the Geoscape screen SECTION 2 ...

Page 128: ... section which you require X COM Craft and Armament the aircraft or spacecraft available for X COM use and the armament which they may be equipped with Heavy Weapons Platforms the vehicles which may be carried on X COM transport craft Weapons and Equipment the weapons and equipment which your soldiers may use Alien Artifacts alien weapons and equipment which have been recovered and researched Base...

Page 129: ...esearching objects retrieved from crashed UFOs UFOs information regarding known UFOs OK click on this button to return to the Geoscape 6 2 THE SELECT ITEM SCREEN The next UFOpaedia screen allows you to select a specific entry to review Highlight and click on the required item or click on the OK button to exit SECTION 2 ...

Page 130: ...29 SECTION 2 6 3 UFOPAEDIA DATA SCREENS When you are viewing a UFOpaedia Data screen click on the buttons to view the next previous UFOpaedia entries Click on the OK button to return to the Select Item screen ...

Page 131: ...ken to the Select Game to Load screen 7 1 1 SELECT GAME TO LOAD The Select Game to Load screen displays the name date and time of up to ten games Pick a saved game by clicking on any of the buttons numbered 1 to 10 on the left hand side of the screen You will now return to the Geoscape at the point when the game was saved Click on the Cancel button to return to the Geoscape without loading a game ...

Page 132: ...te over by clicking on any of the buttons numbered 1 to 10 on the left hand side of the screen A flashing will appear You may now use the Keyboard to type or delete as normal Press the Return Key to save the game and return to the Geoscape Click on the Cancel button to return to the Geoscape without saving a game 7 3 CANCEL Click on the Cancel button to return to the Geoscape without loading or sa...

Page 133: ...ions display shows the following The Country column listing the name of the countries who are funding X COM The Funding column listing the amount of money each country is paying to X COM per month The Change column listing the change in the country s funding at the end of last month This is dependent on X COM performance in that country Click on the OK button to return to the Geoscape screen 8 FUN...

Page 134: ...and high load capacity with a vertical take off and landing capability Leased from the Russian Air Force for X COM use X COM Extraterrestrial Combat unit The multi national covert organization formed by the Earth to defeat the alien threat UFO Unidentified Flying Object The aliens operate many types of craft the term UFO is used to describe all of them Your scientists will be able to research what...

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