

*********

The Project 64 etext of the ~Buck Rogers Countdown to Doomsday
RULE BOOK~ provided by Kevin Smith <kdsmith@worldnet.att.net>.

NOTE:  The Table of Contents lists the manual AS PUBLISHED.  I've also
placed each individual page number where they were in the manual, so
halfway down a page or in the middle of a sentence you may see [Page
(number)].  This is to assist in the "doc check" copy protection.

BRCDRB10.TXT, March 1998, etext #332#

*********

                              -BUCK ROGERS-
                          COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY

                                RULE BOOK




                                    SSi
                       STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS, INC.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
       INTRODUCTION                            1
       What Comes With the Game?               1
        Before You Play                        1
        Getting Started Quickly                1
        Using Menus                            1
        Beginning to Play                      2
       MODIFYING CHARACTERS AND TEAMS          3
        Team Creation/Training Menu            3
        Non-Player Characters (NPCs)           3
        Viewing Characters                     4
        Character Status                       4
       ADVENTURING                             5
        Display Screens and Points of View     5
        3-D and Area Views                     5
        Combat View                            6
        Overland Map                           6
        Solar Map                              6
        Adventuring Options                    6
        Outposts                               7
        Encounters                             9
        Combat                                 9
        After the Battle                      10
        Space Combat                          11
        After Space Combat                    12

[Page 1]

+  INTRODUCTION

-What Comes With the Game?

You should find the following items in the game box:
*Disks          *Rule Book
*Log Book       *Data Card

This Rule Book is designed to explain all your options and guide you
through playing the game. If you are not familiar with the BUCK ROGERS
XXVc game system, you will find helpful information about how things
work in the Log Book.

The Log Book contains a variety of information including details about
character careers, technology, combat and an introduction to the
adventure story. The Log Book also includes the maps, information,
rumors, and stories that you will need to play the game. You will
discover for yourself which of the tales you hear are fact and which
are fiction.

The Data Card explains how to start the game and select items and menu
options with your specific computer. It also shows how to get right
into the game without having to read through the rules.


-BEFORE YOU PLAY

There is no copy protection on your COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY disks, so
please make backup copies and put the originals away for safekeeping.
When you start the game, you will be asked to answer a verification
question from this Rule Book or the Log Book before you can play. Turn
to the page as indicated for either this Rule Book or the Log Book,
find the indicated word, type it in and press the Return or Enter key.

-GETTING STARTED QUICKLY

COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSOAY comes with a ready-made team that allows you to
begin adventuring immediately. Use the instructions on the Data Card
to load the saved game that has been provided and begin playing. These
rules and the Log Book will answer any questions during play.


-USING MENUS

All commands are menu based, and the concept of the active character
is central to the game. Outside of combat the active character's name
is highlighted on the display. During combat the active character is
surrounded with a cursor at the start of his combat segment.

During combat the active character is chosen automatically according
to the characters' initiative and random factors. Other times you may
select which character is active before choosing other commands.

If a command affects the whole team, just select the command. If the 
command affects one character, make that character active and then 
choose the command.

        Example: To look at a character's equipment, select that
                 character, choose the VIEW command, and then choose
                 the GEAR command. The computer displays a list of
                 that character's gear.

Menus are displayed either vertically or horizontally.

Vertical menus select the character or item to be acted upon. If there
are more choices than will fit on the screen at one time, use the NEXT
and PREV commands to view the additional selections.

        Example: When purchasing gear, selections are made from a
                 vertical menu list of equipment.

Horizontal menus list what that character can do or what can be done
to the character. In the rules. menus are shown with all

[Page 2]

 of their options. In some cases, options will not be available every
time a menu appears.

        Example:

                Booty Menu:
                VIEW  TAKE  POOL  DIVVY  EXIT

                The options TAKE and DIVVY will only appear if there
                is booty to take.

The Rule Book only lists the general menus. Special menus will appear
with many encounters that indicate available options.

-BEGGINNING TO PLAY

To begin playing the game you must load a saved game or make
characters and band them together into a team.

CREATE NEW CHARACTER
ADD CHARACTER TO TEAM
LOAD SAVED GAME
INITIALIZE MOUSE/JOYSTICK (Some computer Systems)
EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH (Some computer Systems)

CREATE NEW CHARACTER is used to build a character. Detailed
information about characters, races, careers and so on is available
in the Log Book. This command starts the process of making a new
character.

   *PICK RACE lists six races a player-character can be in the
    twenty-fifth century.

   *PICK GENDER lists the sex the character can be.

   *PICK CAREER lists the careers a character is qualified for based
    on race.

The computer randomly generates the character's ability scores, If you
are not happy with the scores, you may roIl them again. Remember that
you can use the MODIFY CHARACTER command on the Team Creation/Training
Menu to change the character's ability scores and hitpoints (HP) after
the character has been generated.

   *CHARACTER NAME provides a 15 letter space to type in the
    character's name. On some computer systems the character is named
    after the abilities scores are generated.

   *ALLOCATE SKILL POINTS allows you to allocate points to the
    character's Career and then General skills. This phase really
    determines a character's strengths and weaknesses. See the section
    on skills in the Log Book for more information.

   *SELECT CHARACTER ICON allows you to select the shape that will
    represent the character in combat. You can select new combat icons
    from the Training Center menu. On some systems the character will
    be saved after the combat icon is selected.

   *EXIT from any of the character creation menus will display the
    Team Creation Menu.

ADD CHARACTER TO TEAM allows you to add characters to the team from
the save game disk. A team is a group of characters composed of up to
six player characters (called PCs) and up to two non-player characters
(called NPCs). A team should have a balanced mix of characters with
different careers. For more information about building teams see the
Log Book.

LOAD SAVED GAME permits you to resume a game that had been previously
saved. The saved game provided with COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY can also be
loaded.

INITIALIZE MOUSE/JOYSTICK sets up the joystick or mouse. (Only
available on some computer systems).

EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH ends play. (Only available on some computer
Systems).

[Page 3]

+  MODIFYING CHARACTERS AND TEAMS

The Team Creation/Training Menu shows the characters currently in your
team and lists the commands for creating and modifying the team. Not
all of the options will be available at all times.

-TEAM CREATION/TRAINING MENU

CREATE NEW CHARACTER
PURGE CHARACTER
MODIFY CHARACTER
ICON SELECT
TRAIN CHARACTER
VIEW CHARACTER
ADD CHARACTER TO TEAM
REMOVE CHARACTER FROM TEAM
LOAD SAVED GAME
SAVE CURRENT GAME
BEGIN ADVENTURING
EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH (Some computer systems)

PURGE CHARACTER eliminates a character from the team and erases him
from the saved game disk. A purged character may not be recovered.

MODIFY CHARACTER can change the character's ability scores and HP. Use
MODIFY CHARACTER to change a character generated in COUNTDOWN TO
DOOMSDAY to match a favorite BUCK ROGERS XXVc game character. A
character cannot be modified once he has begun adventuring.

ICON SELECT allows you to select a new icon to represent a character
in combat.

TRAIN CHARACTER increases a character's level when he has gained
enough experience points (EXP). Characters can only advance one level
at a time. If a character has gained enough experience to advance more
than one level, he will advance one level and then lose all experience
in excess of one point below that required for advancement to the next
level. See the section on Experience Points in the Log Book for an
example.

Characters get additional points to allocate to skills as they
advance, and Warriors gain weapon skills. See the Advancement Tables
starting on page 40 of the Log Book for EXP requirements. There is no
charge for training characters.

VIEW CHARACTER displays information about a character. for more
information see the Viewing Characters section on page 4.

REMOVE CHARACTER FROM TEAM transfers a character from the team to the
saved game disk.

SAVE CURRENT GAME stores the current game to the save game disk or
directory.

BEGIN ADVENTURING starts the game.

EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH quits the game.

-NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPC's)

During the game the team will encounter Non-player Characters (NPCs).
They may talk to the team. attack or offer to join the team. NPCs that
join the team are treated like player characters with a few
differences. The computer generally commands NPCs in battle.
Characters with Leadership skill may be able to put NPCs who have
joined the party under direct control (this is difficult). NPCs have
morale--if things are going badly for the team, NPCs may run. Gear can
be traded to some NPCs, but they cannot be traded from conscious NPCs
to other characters. If an NPC dies, however, you can use the TRADE
command on the Gear Menu to take his gear. Only two NPCs at a time may
join the team and they may insist on taking a share of all booty
found.

-VIEWING CHARACTERS

The VIEW command displays the character summary screen.

Encumbrance is the total weight the character is carrying. As a
character becomes more encumbered, his combat movement speed drops.
Encumbrance is based on the weight a character carries above the
weight allowable by strength.

Combat Movement is how many squares a character can move during a
combat round. This is based on his readied armor, strength, and total
encumbrance.


-CHARACTER STATUS

OKAY means that the character has positive HP and can move and fight
normally.

POISONED means that the character is suffering from the effects of
some poison, and must have a Medic perform a Treat Poison immediately
after combat or become Comatose.

UNCONSCIOUS means that the character has exactly 0 HP. He cannot move
or fight, but is in no danger of dying.

COMATOSE means that the character is severely injured and has lapsed
into a coma. Comatose characters require hospitalization or shipboard
Medical Center care to recover.

DEAD means that the character has died.

FLED means that the character fled from the battle. After the battle
he will rejoin the team.

GONE means that the character was abandoned during a combat and the
body has been lost forever.

[Page 5]

From the View Menu several options are available to inspect the active
character. Not all of these commands are available at all times.

VIEW MENU:
GEAR  SKILLS  WPN SPEC  TRADE  EXIT

GEAR will show all the equipment the character is carrying. Items
preceded by a YES are ready for use. Not all commands in the Gear Menu
are always available.

Gear Menu:
READY  TRADE  DROP  HALVE  JOIN  SELL  EXIT

   *READY is used to change the ready status of a weapon, armor, or
    other item. Only readied gear can be used in combat. Characters
    can only ready one weapon at a time, except that a grenade can be
    readied while a character has a readied grenade launcher. On some
    systems there are items that can only be readied or unreadied
    while in either camp or combat.

   *TRADE on the Gear Menu is used to transfer an item from one
    character to another. Choose the item and then the character to
    receive it. Remember that a conscious NPC will not give up an item
    once he has it.

   *DROP permanently removes items from a character. Dropped items may
    not be recovered.

   *HALVE will divide a bundle of grenades or poison antidotes into
    two bundles. For example, halve would turn one bundle of 24
    grenades into two groups of 12 each.

   *JOIN combines grenades and poison antidotes into one line of the
    gear list. No more than 100 items can he joined onto one line.
    This is handy because there are a limited number of slots
    available on a gear list.

   *SELL (only available at shops) causes the shopkeeper to make an
    offer on the highlighted item. Sold gear may not be recovered.

   *WPN SPEC allows Warriors to examine their weapon specialization
    bonuses.

   *TRADE on the View Menu is used to transfer credits from one
    character to another. Indicate which character is to receive, and
    then indicate what and how much is traded to the other character.
    On some systems this option is only available if you select the
    View Menu from outpost shops or from the Booty Menu after combat.


+ ADVENTURING

After setting up your team and reading the background information in
the Log Book, it is time to head for adventure, fame, and glory. Your
team will engage in fierce battles, find booty, and sometimes have to
stop, and recuperate from battle.

-DISPLAY SCREENS AND POINTS OF VIEW

During the adventure, teams must travel from planet surfaces to the
reaches of space. There are several points of view or areas that are
displayed for different regions.


-3-D AND AREA VIEWS

3-D view appears in towns, aboard enemy rocketships and so on. This
view appears at the top left of your screen and shows the surrounding
area from the team's perspective. Rotate the team's facing and move
using the directional controls. The direction controls for your
computer are described on the Data Card.

Area view provides an overhead view of the team's surroundings,
replacing the 3-D view. Choose the AREA command from the Adventure
Menu. This view is not available in many regions.

In the area display a cursor shows the team's position. On some
computer systems, the cursor is an arrow that indicates current team
facing. On some computer systems you may move around while in the area
view, on others this view is only to help you get your bearings.

[Page 6]

To the right of the point of view window, in either 3-D or Area, are
the map coordinates, current time, facing direction (N, S, W, E) and
what the team is doing.

Every time the team moves a square, one minute of game time passes.

-COMBAT VIEW

Combat view occurs automatically whenever the team engages in battle.
The combat screen is a detailed view of the area the team was in when
the encounter began.

-OVERLAND MAP

This view displays a large region and is used to move across planetary
surfaces. Move the team with normal direction controls.

-SOLAR MAP

Solar Map view is used when the team is traveling in its rocketship to
another planet or outpost. Simply move the ship towards the
destination as you would move in any other view. The difference
between this view and others is that destinations are orbiting the
sun, and they move as the ship does. The relative speed of the ship is
very fast, so reaching destinations is not difficult-that is if there
are no encounters with pirates or RAM warships.

Each move on the solar map takes three days of game time.

-ADVENTURING OPTIONS

The Adventure Menu controls normal game options while exploring or
traveling between planets or outposts. While travelmg on the solar
map, some commands are not available.

Adventure Menu:
MOVE  AREA  VIEW  LOOK  CHANGE  ROCKET  SAVE

MOVE is used to actually get to where you can move the team around the
map. The team can turn right or left, turn around, or move forward.
Refer to the Data Card for computer-specific movement information.
Select EXIT to return to the Adventure Menu.

AREA toggles between the area and 3-D view. In many regions this
command may not be available.

VIEW displays the character screen and the View Menu.

LOOK is used to search an individual square. Looking in a square takes
ten minutes of game time.

CHANGE is used to change the characters in the team and the parameters
of the game.

Change Menu:
ORDER  PURGE  MESSAGES  ANIM  LEVEL  EXIT

   *ORDER changes how the characters are listed on the screen and how
    they are deployed in combat. Characters at the top of the list
    tend to be on the front line in combat.

   *PURGE eliminates a character from the team and erases him from the
    saved game disk. A purged character is gone forever and may not
    be recovered.

   *MESSAGES controls the rate at which messages are printed on the
    screen. If the game is running too slowly. use the FASTER command
    to speed up the displays. If you have trouble reading messages,
    try the SLOWER command.

   *ANIM allows you to toggle the animation of the close-up pictures
    on and off. Turning the animation off speeds up the game. This
    command is not available on all computers.

   *LEVEL permits you to adjust combat difficulty.

[Page 7]

Level Menu:
NOVICE  CADET  TROOPER  VETERAN  ACE

The game is preset at the Trooper level. This is the level at which we
consider the game to be balanced. To make the combats easier, choose
either the Novice (easiest) or Cadet level. To make the combats more
difficult, choose either the Veteran or Ace (hardest) level.

When you choose to make the game more difficult, you are rewarded by
receiving more experience points from your combats. When you choose to
make the game easier, you are penalized by receiving fewer experience
points from your combats.

Receiving fewer experience points will slow the rate at which your
characters advance levels. Advancing at a slower rate will give you
less powerful characters which, in the long run, may more than offset
the benefits of playing at an "easy" level.

ROCKET is used to examine the team's rocketship. This is only
available during space travel, and may not be on all computer systems.

SAVE stores the characters and current game to the save game disk or
directory. Saved games may be loaded either from the first menu or
from the Team CreationI Training Menu. Save often--especially after
surviving really tough encounters. See your Data Card for
computer-specific saving instructions.

-OUTPOSTS

Outposts are pockets of humanity, if not civilization, sprinkled
around the solar system. They range in size for city-sized
installations on planets to glorified rocketship service stations
among the furthest asteroids. Outposts are where teams can buy new
gear and ammunition, get ship repairs and purchase fuel.

The Outpost Menu allows the team to get to the various facilities that
may be found in outposts. Larger stations, of course, have a greater
variety of services to offer than the smaller frontier outposts.

OUTPOST MENU:
BANK   DOWNTOWN   HOSPITAL   PORT   TRAINING

BANK will allow you to deposit credits for safekeeping. An extensive
computer network keeps track of accounts so that you may withdraw your
funds from any branch in the solar system.

Bank Menu:
DEPOSIT   WITHDRAW   EXIT

   *DEPOSIT prompts you for the number of credits you wish to deposit.

   *WITHDRAW allows funds to be retrieved from the team account.

   *EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.

DOWNTOWN is where Shops, Restaurants, and so on are located.

Downtown Menu:
SHOP   LIBRARY   BAR   RESTAURANT   EXIT

   *SHOP allows characters to buy and sell equipment.

    Shop Menu:
    BUY  SELL  AMMO  VIEW  POOL  TAKE  DIVVY  EXIT

    BUY displays the available gear and costs. Select items for the
     active character to buy.
    SELL puts you in the Gear Menu with the SELL option highlighted.
     If this option is not available on your system, then select the
     VIEW option, then the GEAR option and then choose SELL.
    AMMO is used to purchase ammunition for a character's weapons.
     This includes recharges for battery packs on energy weapons such
     as lasers.
    VIEW displays the character screen with the SELL command available
     in the Gear Menu.
    POOL places all of the team's credits into a pool which can he
     used by any member to make purchases. Use the TAKE or DIVVY
     commands to pick up the credits pool after all purchases have
     been made.
    TAKE is used to pick up credits from the team credits pool.
    DIVVY picks up everything from the pool and distributes even
    shares among the team.
    EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.

   *LIBRARY is where the team goes to get information. To effectively
    use a library, at least one character needs to have Library Search
    skill.

   *BAR and RESTAURANT are places where characters go to hear the
    latest gossip and news. The quality and class of clientele in
    these establishments varies a great deal. Going to a high-society
    place may get you a different type of information than a dive.

    Bar Menu:
    BUY  DRINK  TALK  WAIT  EXIT

    BUY DRINK purchases a round of drinks for the team so that they
     can relax and listen to the latest gossip unobtrusively.
    TALK has members of the team chatting with patrons and trying to
     coax information.
    WAIT has the team sit tight and see what happens.
    EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.

    Restaurant Menu
    ORDER FOOD  TALK  WAIT  EXIT

    ORDER FOOD has the team sit down to a meal and listen to gossip.
    TALK has members of the team chatting with patrons and trying to
     coax information.
    WAIT has the team sit tight and see what happens.
    EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.

HOSPITAL offers first rate medical services. for a fee.

Hospital Menu:
HEAL   EXIT

   *HEAL will have the hospital staff give medical treatment to the
    active character.

   *EXIT returns to the Outpost Menu.

PORT is where ships are repaired, resupplied, fueled, and launched.
Everything in port is paid for from the team's NEO salvage account.
This is the account that is credited with the salvage value for enemy
ships the team has defeated. At Salvation Station port facilities and
materials are free. All other stations charge the going rates.

Port Menu:
LAUNCH   REPAIR   FUEL   AMMO   MED SUP   EXIT

   *LAUNCH exits the outpost and puts the team in space.

   *REPAIR has your ship repaired at the port shipyards. The cost of
    repairs will vary with the amount of work required.

   *FUEL allows you to purchase fuel for your ship.

   *AMMO allows you to purchase ammunition for your ship's weapons.

   *MED SUP allows the team to restock the shipboard Medical Center.

   *EXIT returns to the Outpost Menu.

TRAINING allows characters to go to a Training Center and advance in
level. You can also modify the team using the Team Creation/Training
Menu.

[Page 9]

ENCOUNTERS
When a team comes across opponents or NPC's, anencounter occurs.  If
the team attacks immediately it may receive a bonus to its initiative
in combat. If the opponents surprise the team, the opponents can
attack immediately and get a bonus to their initiative in combat. If
the opponents do not attack immediately. the team can react by
choosing from an Encounter Menu. Encounter menus vary and they list
options for new situations.

     SAMPLE ENCOUNTER MENU:
     COMBAT  WAIT  FLEE  TALK

     In this menu you have opportunities to attack immediately, wait
     and see, run away, or try and talk,

Combat
During combat the computer chooses the active character. Characters
with higher dexterity will tend to go before characters with lower
dexterity. A character may hold his action until later with the WAIT
command. There is a more detailed description of how combat works in
the Log Book.

The active character will be centered on the screen at the start of his combat segment. The active character's name, HP, AC, and current weapon are displayed. The Combat Menu lists the character's options.

COMBAT MENU:
MOVE   TARGET   VIEW   INTIMIDATE   OUICK   AID
SPRINT   DODGE   JETPACK   WAIT   GUARD   END

MOVE allows a character to move normally. Characters can attack with
combat weapons by attempting to move into an opponent's square.

  NOTE:If a character selects SPRINT or DODGE, all further movement
       by that character during that round will be sprinting or
       dodging.

TARGET allows weapons to be aimed. If the character has shot an
opponent in a previous segment, the cursor will come up on that
target.

When targeting. the range to the target will be displayed above the
menu bar on some systems. If a character moves adjacent to an enemy,
and has no more movement remaining, the TARGET command can be used to
attack with a melee weapon (mono knife, sword, etc). The TARGET
command can also be used to survey the condition of your team and
enemies. As you move the target cursor over a character or opponent,
HP and weapon information will be displayed on the right of your
screen.

Target Menu:
NEXT  PREV  MANUAL  ATTACK  CENTER  EXIT

   *NEXT is used to look at all possible targets, starting with the
    closest target and then going to the next farthest and so on. NEXT
    and PREV only indicate targets in the character's line of sight.

   *PREV (Previous) is the opposite of the NEXT command. Use this
    command to look at the possible targets starting with the
    farthest, and working hack toward the character. This command is
    most often used to select a target for a missile attack.

   *MANUAL permits the player to aim anywhere on the map. Only targets
    in the character's line of sight can actually be attacked.

   *ATTACK is used to fire a weapon. throw a grenade, or attack an
    adjacent enemy with a melee weapon (mono knife, sword, etc). If
    this option is not displayed the target is out of range or not in
    line of sight.

   *CENTER will center the screen around the cursor. This is helpful
    when manually targeting. This option is not available on all
    computer systems.

[Page 10]

VIEW displays the character screen and View Menu.

INTIMIDATE is the skill to project an aura of menace and to frighten
adjacent opponents. Intimidated opponents will be too frightened to
move or fight for one round.

QUICK turns control of the character over to the computer. Press the
space bar to regain maual control of characters. Under computer
control, a fighting character with a readied missile weapon will tend
to hang back and attack from a distance. If the character has no
readied ranged weapon, he will ready a melee weapon and charge.

Characters will remain under computer control for all subsequent
combats until manual control is again selected.

AID only appears if a team member is bleeding to death. Only
characters with First Ald or Treat Light Wounds skills can use this
command. The command will perform either First Ald or Treat Light
Wounds, depending on the characters abilities. Also, medics with the
Treat Stun/Paralysis skill can also use the AID command to treat
stunned characters. The team member using the AID command must be
adjacent to the victim.

SPRINT allows a player to run at double normal combat move distance.
The character cannot shoot or guard after sprinting.

DODGE has the character move and try to evade enemy fire at the same
time. The character will receive a temporary AC bonus that increases
as he advances in level. The character cannot do anything else in the
same segment-including attack or fire weapons.

JETPACK allows a character with a jet pack to fly over the battle to
any square in range. Anyone with a ranged weapon attacking a character
using JETPACK is firing at long range. Any opponents guarding in
squares adjacent to the destination square can attack when the
character lands. JETPACK can only be used in outdoor fights, and the
character must have a jet pack and Use Jet Pack skill.

WAIT causes the character to hold his turn until after the other
characters and opponents have acted.

GUARD sets a characf~r ~rTY~Pd \~7ith ranged, non-area effect weapon
(laser rifle, bolt gun, etc.) to fire automatically at the first
opponent to move. Characters armed with melee weapons will attack the
first opponent to move adjacent.

END finishes a character's turn.

-After the Battle

When combat is over team Medics will treat wounded characters and you
will see how much experience each character receives. After this the
Booty Menu is displayed. Most of the Booty Menu commands work like the
commands in the Shop Menus.

Booty Menu:
VIEW   TAKE   POOL   DIVVY   EXIT

VIEW displays the character screen and View Menu.

TAKE permits the active character to pick up any gear or credits left
by defeated opponents. This will only appear if the opponents had
booty or the team has pcoled its funds.

Take Menu.
GEAR  CREDITS  EXIT

   *GEAR lists the equipment in the booty. Frequently, the weapons and
    armor used by opponents are not listed because they are poor
    quality and not worth taking.

   *CREDITS displays the amount of credits found after a battle.

   *EXIT returns to the Booty Menu.

[Page 11]

POOL is identical to the Shop Menu command.

DIVVY is identical to the Shop Menu command.

EXIT leaves the scene of the battle. If any booty remains. the option
to return to the Booty Menu is displayed.

-Space Combat

The solar system is a dangerous place in the twenty-fifth century.
Space travel is filled with the constant threat of pirates and RAM
warships. In space combat there are two basic menus; one for the
pilot, and another for the crew. Not all options in space combat menus
are always available.

Pilot Menu:
FIRE   TARGET   QUIT   VIEW
CLOSE   WITHDRAW   RAM   BOARD

FIRE allows the pilot to attack with the ship's K-cannons and
missiles. This attack has the greatest chance to hit, and will affect
random systems on the enemy ship.

TARGET allows the pilot to fire the ship's K-cannons and missiles at
specific systems on the enemy ship. Targeting is more difficult than
the general FIRE command.

QUIT ends the pilot's turn.

VIEW allows you to examine either the ship or the pilot.

CLOSE shortens the distance between your ship and the enemy ship. If
the enemy ship is faster than yours, and attempts to WITHDRAW, you
will not be able to close.

WITHDRAW attempts to escape the enemy ship. If your ship is not faster
than the enemy ship, you will not be able to disengage.

RAM is an attempt to crash your ship into the enemy ship. RAM uses the
pilot's Pilot Rocket skill to determine success. When ships ram, the
damage inflicted on each ship is the tonnage of the other ship. For
example, if a 150 ton ship rams a 50 ton ship, the larger ship suffers
50 points of hull damage while the smaller ship suffers 150 points of
hull damage.

BOARD is only available if the enemy ship can no longer maneuver and
the range is zero or one. When you board your team docks with the
enemy ship's airlock, and they must fight their way in. The only way
to salvage a ship is to board it and capture both the control bridge
and engineering sections. Sections that have been destroyed do not
have to be secured. Only characters with spacesuits or armor can board
ships with zero life support.

Crew Menu:

FIRE   TARGET   LOAD   JURYRIG   QUIT   VIEW
COMMAND   AID   BOOST ENGINES   SENSORS

FIRE is similar to the Pilot Menu command, except that crew members
may only fire lasers.

TARGET is similar to the Pilot Menu command, except that crew members
may only fire lasers.

LOAD reloads ship's weapons. This command only appears when a weapon
is empty or not fully loaded. The weapons that are ready to be loaded
are displayed when LOAD is selected.

JURYRIG appears when some weapon or system has been damaged, and if
the character has the Jury Rig skill. Ship's systems can only be
successfully jury rigged once per battle. Weapons can be jury rigged
whenever they are nonfunctional. The chance for success and degree of
accomplishment is based on the character's skill level. When this
command is selected a menu of damaged systems will come up.

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QUIT ends the character's turn.

VIEW allows you to examine either the ship or the character.

COMMAND only appears when the pilot is dead or incapacitated. COMMAND
orders the current character to take control and pilot the ship.
Remember: Put a character with good Pilot Rocketship skill into the
pilot's position if the first pilot is incapacitated--this skill is
crucial in space combat.

AID only appears when a character is bleeding to death, and the
current character has either a Treat Light Wounds, or First Ald skill.

BOOST ENGINES attempts to squeeze extra speed from the rocket engines.
This command only appears if the current character has Nuclear Engine
Repair skill. The engines may be damaged if the skill check fails.
Engines can only be boosted successfully twice during a battle.

SENSOR only appears if the current character has Sensor Operation
skill. This is an attempt to probe the enemy ship.

-After Space Combat

After your team has defeated the enemy ship. boarded it, and secured
both the bridge and engineering sections, a salvage beacon is attached
to the hulk and a NEO tug will pick it up. The team is automatically
credited the salvage value of the ship in their NEO salvage account.
This account can be used to pay for ship repairs, fuel, ammo, and
medical supplies at any space port.

At the same time as the beacon is being placed, all salvageable fuel
from the defeated ship will be transferred to your ship.

Medics on the team will perform whatever services they can for the
wounded, and additionally, all possible field repairs will be made on
the ship. If there are any valuables on the captured ship a Booty Menu
will also come up.

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End of Project 64 etext of Buck Rogers Countdown to Doomsday RULE BOOK

********* 
