Alien Legacy-Manual PDF
Alien Legacy-Manual PDF
Alien Legacy-Manual PDF
αβ
Contents
γ
INTRODUCTION ————————————————— 4
η
Log ———————————————————— 58
Library —————————————————— 59
Status ——————————————————— 59
Damage —————————————————— 59
Game Options ——————————————— 60
“As you were,” you say as you return the salutes of your
Bridge officers and turn to view the Space Map. The star
centered in the display is larger than Sol, and its harsh blue-
white glare makes you squint despite the Space Map’s
heavy filters. This is Beta Caeli, over 55 light-years from
Earth. It is to be your new sun.
4
may be facing cataclysmic natural disasters, hostile life
forms, and even colonial rebellions if you start losing
control. What’s more, the blackness around you teems with
ancient, sleeping mysteries: some that can save your
fledgling civilization, and others that can totally annihilate it.
You are racing the clock to find out about them before they
find out about you.
From the bridge of the Calypso, you will control, guide, and
inspire the activities of thousands of people. But with this
power comes grave responsibility. These people may
represent the last tiny remnant of humanity. You must lead
wisely to maintain their confidence and assure the success of
the colonies. While you may be able to delegate some tasks
to your expert Advisors or trusted Planetary Governors, you
bear ultimate responsibility for the mission at all levels. The
clock is ticking. There is no alternative. And there is no
going back.
5
β
Getting Started
About this Manual
The “Getting Started” section helps you install the game,
provides a historical briefing, and features the Alien Legacy
game commands in quick reference form.
System Requirements
Alien Legacy requires the following hardware and software.
• IBM PC/compatible, 386-20SX or better
• 4 MB RAM: 570K Conv.+ 2.5 MB extended memory
(XMS)
• DOS 5.0 or higher
• Extended Memory Manager (EMM386, QEMM386,
etc.)
• VGA or better w/256 Color
• Hard drive w/22 MB free
• 3.5" floppy drive or CD-ROM, as appropriate
• MS Mouse or compatible
6
Recommended:
• Sound Card: Sound Blaster, Adlib, PAS
• 486, SmartDrive w/512K buffer
Start-up Problems
Even if you have the minimum 4 MB of RAM, Alien Legacy
may not run correctly unless the RAM is configured (set up)
correctly. You will need at least 570K (583,680 bytes) of
free conventional memory and 2.5 MB of free extended
memory (XMS).
8
Historical Briefing
2.
3.
4.
In the Alien Legacy directory, type AL S [Enter].
Select the option you wish to change from the menu.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
search for new resources and living space for their swelling
populations. Even in the asteroid belt, however, national
rivalries and territorial conflicts kept humans spending much
of their energy battling each other rather than the harsh
realities of this ultimate frontier.
10
starships could accelerate halfway to their destination before
having to turn and decelerate.
11
δ
Quick Reference
Control
Screen
Diagram
VEHICLE HANGAR
MILITARY ADVISOR
SCIENCE ADVISOR
12 TECHNOLOGY MANAGER
MERCATOR MAP
SURFACE EXPLORATION
SPACE MAP
COLONY MANAGER
ENGINEERING ADVISOR
COLONY GRID
COMPUTER
game Calypso’s Site Grid, and just two clicks away from the
powerful Colony Manager, Vehicle Manager, and Technol-
controls ogy Manager screens. You can also pilot any of your
spacecraft using the Mercator Map and Surface Exploration
screens.
Anywhere
Exit Game [Alt]+[X]
Space Map
View Solar System
Military Advisor
Navigation/Vehicle Mgr.
Engineering/Colony Mgr.
Computer/PDA/Game Settings
Science/Technology Mgr.
Planet Mercator
Double-click planet
Max R-click
{
Game Speed Up/Dn Stop time Move point of view Click Foreground View Click
Drag Slider Click Max R-click Anchor View R-click
15
With Vehicle
Send Ship Explore Sector Scan for Energy
Click sector Click ship Click Energy icon
Select sector, [Enter]
Scan for Ore Scan for Sites
Vehicle Menu
Click Ore icon (Must invent)
Mercator Map R-click vehicle
Select Sector
Click Sector Arrows
or use Arrow Keys
Colony Options
R-click Colony
{
Build Colony Cargo Limit Load: On Board/Max.
Click Equipment icon Fuel Energy: Units left
Return to Orbit
Leave
{
Research Needed
Research Available
{
Select Vehicle
Click on vehicle listing
Vehicle Hangar
Select Mission
# Trips To/From:
Select Pipeline Mission
{
Colony Summary
(Habitat, Factories, Power, Labs,
Ships, Missiles, Ore, Energy, Life
Support, Humans, Robots)
Build Installation
Drag from selector box, place on
empty grid
Delete Colony
Remove all, R-click
Go to Vehicle Manager Go to Colony Manager
Click Vehicle icon
18
Personal Data Assistant (PDA)
Select Entry Click entry, Up/Dn Arrows Select Mode [Space]
Open Library Entry Select, click or [Enter] to cycle through Log, Library, Status, Damage
Leave PDA
[Esc] or click Power
Select Log
Select Library
View Status
View Damage
{
Game Options
Speed Up/Down
Click/R-click Speed
19
ε
Orientation Tour
This tutorial runs you through a quick tour of the Calypso
control screens to get you familiarized with the intuitive
point-and-click displays and controls at your disposal. Click
means left-click; right-clicks are specifically indicated where
needed.
If you have not already done so, start Alien Legacy, press
[Esc] to clear the opening credits, and select Start New
Game.
Game Options
After exiting the Video Phone screen, you will see your crew
at their stations on the Calypso’s Bridge. Until you know
your way around, set the game to its slowest speed in the
Game Options screen. To do this, point to and click on the
robot at the bottom right of the Bridge (“Consult Robot” will
be displayed). This takes you to the Computer station. (See
the station name in the upper left?) Now, click the Game
Options button. When the Game Options menu appears,
right-click on Game Speed until you reach 1. (Click Game
Speed to speed up again later, if you wish, or just type the
number for the Game Speed setting you want.)
Advisor Stations
The Computer station works just like the other Advisor
Stations. Advisors will have an official message for you each
20
time you consult them. If you ask for their advice, you may
get a more detailed or candid opinion. To see what extra
advice the robot has, click Advice.
Captain’s PDA
From the Computer station, click Captain’s PDA to display
your Personal Data Assistant. Use your spacebar or the
purple buttons on the right to change the PDA’s function
“mode.” The Log shows your current list of notes, clues, and
things to do. The Library mode shows detailed background
and Advisor reports (click one to open it). The Status screen
lets you review the overall status of your colonies, and
Damage lets you review your total losses.
Bridge
Move your mouse pointer around the various parts of the
Bridge. You’ll see the action you can perform in each area
described at the bottom of the screen. “Consult” options take
you to an Advisor station. (“View Solar System” opens the
Space Map, and “View Ship Resources” opens the Calypso’s
Colony Grid. More on these later.)
Comm. Panel
If the Communications (Comm.) Panel has appeared at the
top left of the screen, it means one or more of your Advisors
has a Video Phone report for you. To respond, simply click
21
the illuminated switch and read the report. These messages
will often contain data that will be stored in your PDA for
future reference. Once you have exited all pending reports,
the Comm. Panel closes.
Space Map
For a quick exploration of the Space Map, click on the
Bridge’s window (“View Solar System”). The Space Map
displays all of the worlds in the Beta Caeli star system. You
can change your current view with the arrow and zoom but-
tons along the bottom. To view the planet front and center,
click its picture on the sidebar at right. Clicking on a planet
in the main window will open its Mercator Map—once you
have a spacecraft on that planet, you’ll be able to explore its
surface. (To return to the Space Map from Mercator view,
click Leave or press [Esc]). When you’re done exploring the
Space Map, click Leave or press [Esc] to return to the
Bridge.
Now we’ll use the Manager screens to start your first colony
on Gaea. (You can always abandon and restart later when
you begin playing for real.) The first task after building a
colony site is to send robots and materials there and build a
Habitat for human settlers. Materials for the first Habitat are
already at the first Gaean site, but you must transport at
least five robots there from the Calypso to build it.
Vehicle Manager
From the Bridge, go to the Navigator’s station and click
Vehicles to open the Vehicle Manager. When first opened,
this screen will list all of your available ships, including the
Calypso and Vehicles 1-4. Click on Vehicle 1. This will open
the Hangar screen, where you load and launch the ship.
Colony Manager
On the Bridge, the Comm. Panel will alert you to a message
from Navigation when Vehicle 1 arrives at New Terra. After
you receive this report, go to Engineering and click on
Colonies. This opens the Colony Manager screen, which lists
and graphically summarizes your colonies.
Later on, when you have many colonies, you’ll use the
colony list on the right or the scroll arrows to find the colony
summary to go to. To go to the New Terra colony site, click
anywhere on its graphical summary. This opens its Colony
Grid.
Colony Grid
The Grid shows a map of New Terra and the installations
there. To see more of the grid, hold the mouse button down
and “drag” the cursor to the edge of the current view or
scroll with your numeric keypad number keys. At the bottom
23
Note: You can click on of the screen is the colony’s graphical summary. At the
the Vehicle icon at the upper right, you’ll see the colony and planet name.
bottom, or use the
right-click General Just below the planet name is the small Installations window,
Options menu to jump which shows what kind of installations you can build. If your
to the Vehicle Man- robots have arrived, you can build a Habitat. Click the right
ager. To return to the or left arrow or mouse button until the Habitat is showing,
Colony Manager, click drag its picture over to any opening where it casts a shadow
Colonies or Leave. on the Grid, and release it. Construction commences
immediately. You can now begin transporting humans down
to the colony. Refer to the “Installations” section beginning
on page 64 for resource requirements of other installation
types.
Technology Manager
This screen lets you manage the research efforts of your
colonies. To select a new technology to invent, click the red
arrows at the bottom, or click/right-click the invention
picture. If you have the science resource “points” to invent
the current selection, the screen will display “Capable of
Inventing.” If not, you’ll see the areas where you need more
research highlighted in red.
Mercator Map
This screen shows the surface of the selected planet divided
into sectors to help you navigate. You can also access this
map from the Space Map, but you need to launch an
Exploration mission to see or scan the surface.
You should see your ship above New Terra in sector D-2 of
Gaea. Choose a sector to go to by clicking the red direc-
tional arrows, or using your arrow keys. When the sector
you want is highlighted, send the ship there by pressing
[Enter]. For a short cut, simply point to a sector and click,
and the ship goes there immediately.
Click on the mine car icon and hold it down to scan for Ore.
As the scanner circles spread, they’ll reveal sectors on the
planet where Ore resources can be found. Move your ship
to a sector where you saw Ore on the scanner. Click again
or press [Enter] to descend to the planet surface and open
the Surface Exploration screen.
26
ζ
Calypso Controls Guide
This section introduces you to the controls and functions of
each of the menus and screens available to you as Captain
of the Calypso. Click means left-click; right clicks are indi-
cated where needed.
Each time you start Alien Legacy, you’re presented with the
Startup menu. This menu lets you select the game you want Startup
to play.
Menu
Start New Game. This option lets you start a new game
from scratch: orbiting Gaea with only the New Terra colony
grid established.
Universal Commands
The following commands work in most areas of Alien
Legacy.
• Exit Game. Press [Alt]+[X], and click Yes or press Y.
This is your Panic or Boss button. It helps you get out of
the game in a hurry, but won’t save your latest
changes.
• General Options Menu. Press [Tab] or R-click on an
empty area. This opens the General Options menu and
lets you move around the game quickly.
• Skip Movie Sequence. Press [Esc] or click the mouse
during the sequence to exit a start-up screen or “cin-
ematic” sequence.
• Return to Previous Screen. Click Leave or press [Esc].
27
Bridge From the Bridge, you can confer with your Advisors, re-
spond to Comm. Panel message alerts, and go quickly to all
other parts of the game. The Bridge is the command hub of
your activities as Captain of the Calypso.
Clockwise from the lower left, the Bridge provides the follow-
ing stations:
• Consult Scientist: Receive the reports and advice of
your current Science Advisor, and access the Technol-
ogy Manager screen for managing your research and
development.
• Consult Military: Receive the reports and advice of your
current Military Advisor.
• Consult Navigation: Receive the reports and advice of
your current Navigation Advisor, and access the Ve-
hicle Manager screen for loading and deploying your
spacecraft.
• View Solar System: View the Space Map display, zoom
in on any planet or moon, and access the Manager
screens for any colonies or vehicles there.
• Consult Engineering: Receive the reports and advice of
your current Engineering Advisor, and access the
Colony Manager screen for overseeing colony building
and production.
• View Ship Resources: Go straight to the Colony Grid
screen for the Calypso and view current production,
installations, and inventories.
• Consult Robot: Receive the reports and advice of your
28
Comm. Panel
Space Map
View Solar System
Science/ Computer/
Technology Man- PDA/
ager Game Options
Computer, and access the Captain’s PDA (log and li- General Options Menu
brary) and Game Options screens. [Tab] or R-click
• To open the General Options Menu, press [Tab] or
right-click anywhere on the Bridge. This menu lets you Select Advisor
jump directly to the Space Map, Colony Manager, Ve- [Space] or L/R Arrow Key
hicle Manager, Technology Manager, Captain’s PDA,
29
General or Game Options screens. It also lets you pause or quit
the game, and shows your Game Turns at the bottom.
Options The convenient General Options menu (or GO menu) pro-
Menu vides easy short cuts throughout Alien Legacy, and also lets
you monitor your Game Turns status. You can open it from
most screens by pressing [Tab], or by pointing to an empty
area and right-clicking.
30
The Video Phone screen lets you communicate with your Ad- Video Phone
visors without having to go to their sta-
tions on the Bridge. New games start
with your primary Science Advisor re-
porting to you via Video Phone about the
Calypso’s arrival. You start off in orbit
above the planet Gaea, with your first
surface colony already built. You’ll see a
similar Video Phone screen each time
you respond to a Communications Panel
(Comm. Panel) message alert, or when
your Advisors or Planetary Governors
break in with urgent reports. You can see
the Advisor and read the message at
your own speed.
Comm.
The Communications (Comm.) Panel will appear at the top
left of the screen with its green alert light(s) glowing if one or Panel
more of your Advisors has a message for you. The green
light indicates which Advisor has a report. To respond, sim-
ply click the illuminated switch for that Advisor or use the
following function keys: [F1] NAV, [F2] ENG, [F3] SCI, [F4]
MIL, [F5] COM. The Video Phone screen will open for that
Advisor. Read the report and click the Power switch or press
[Esc] when finished to return to the previous screen. Often,
these messages will contain data that will be stored in your
PDA for future reference. Once you have seen and exited
from all pending reports, the Comm. Panel closes.
31
Advisor
Screens When you’re on the Bridge, you can consult with each of
your five current Advisors: Science, Military, Navigation,
Engineering, and your computer’s Robot. Advisors can give
you valuable reports and advice to aid your command deci-
sions. They also provide access to the various Manager
screens you’ll use in guiding the development of your colo-
nies.
Station Name
Current Advisor
Manager Screen(s)
See Advice
Return to Bridge
Official Report {
Advice (if any)
{
your arrow keys to move through the Advisor stations in
turn, and press [Enter] when the one you want is displayed.
You can access the Technology Manager from the Bridge via
the Science Advisor’s station, or through the General Op-
tions menu. The top part of the screen illustrates and de-
scribes the new technologies you have invented or are ca-
Research Needed
Research Available
{
Inventions
To scroll through the technologies available to you, click or
right-click the invention picture, or click the red arrows at the
34
bottom. (You can also use your Spacebar or Left/Right ar-
row keys.) If you have the research “points” to invent the
current selection, the screen will display “Capable of Invent-
ing.” If not, you’ll see the areas in which you need more re-
search highlighted in red. The description can help you de-
cide if a potential technology is worth the investment. When
you develop a technology that supersedes a previous tech-
nology, the earlier technology will be removed.
Sciences
The sciences your researchers are working in are, from left
to right, Astronomy, Chemistry, Electronics, Geology, Biol-
ogy, Mathematics, and Physics. The number above each
science’s symbol shows the points required (or spent) for the
currently displayed invention. The number below each sci-
ence shows the research points accumulated. You can accu-
mulate points in each science by assigning your Research
Lab(s) to work in that discipline, or from collecting new dis-
coveries during planetary exploration. To create an inven-
tion you have the research for, click Invent and your scien-
tists and engineers will go to work developing the new tech-
nology. The screen will display the number of turns required
to complete the invention.
35
Vehicle Leaving the Technology Manager
You can exit the Technology Manager by clicking Leave to
Manager return to the previous screen, or by right-clicking for the
General Options menu.
Select Vehicle
Click on vehicle listing
Vehicles
When first opened from the Bridge, General Options menu,
or Colony Grid Vehicle icon, the Vehicle Manager lists the
36 Calypso and all your other Vehicles in its left-hand column
Vehicle Hangar
Select Mission
# Trips To/From:
Select Pipeline Mission
Select Destination
Select Pilot
Load Item
Click to increase
R-click to decrease
(Ore, Energy, Life Support,
Humans, Robots,
Missiles)
The windows on the right let you “filter” the Vehicles list for
easier vehicle selection and management. To filter the list by
current Mission Type (top), and then By Planet (left) or by
Colony (right), simply click the appropriate options. For ex-
ample, to see a full (unfiltered) list, click All Missions in the
top window. Then, to see all ships on or near Gaea, click
Gaea under By Planet. To see just those ships at New Terra,
click Parked/Orbit for mission, and then New Terra under
By Colony. You’ll use these filter options more as the game
progresses, as you may eventually have up to 150 ships.
When you see the vehicle you want to work with, click it di-
rectly or click the Up or Down arrows to scroll through the
list. When the ship you want to use is highlighted, click or
press [Enter] to go to the Vehicle Hangar where that ship is
located and choose its mission settings.
37
Missions
Once you select a ship, click Click for Mission to specify
what you want the ship to do. There are five basic mission
types available most of the time: Exploration, Probe,
Transport, Pipeline, and Space Station. Your advisors may
alert you to other mission types later. While the Calypso can
perform only Probe missions, the rest of your fleet is made
up of multi-purpose spacecraft that can perform most
mission types.
Destinations
Once you’ve selected a mission, click on Click for Destina-
tion to select an appropriate destination. Destinations de-
pend on the mission type: for example, you can’t launch a
space station mission to a world that already has one. When
you point to a destination, you’ll see the mission’s fuel and
time requirements displayed below the Hangar window.
These requirements will vary greatly depending on the rela-
tive orbital position of the mission’s origin and destination
sites. Some missions won’t be possible until the planets
swing closer together. Others won’t be possible until you
build space stations or colonies farther out in the system to
use as refueling points.
39
Pilot
To change the pilot for your spacecraft, click on the Pilot
Selector window to the left of the Load window. This opens
the Pilot menu, which lets you select from the robot, human,
or Advisor pilots available at that location.
Robots are often the best choice for pilots: their high toler-
ance to “G” forces lets them fly faster and maneuver better,
and they can survive wider temperature ranges. Human pi-
lots are better where pilot initiative is required. You’ll be no-
tified when you need to send an Advisor somewhere. While
the primary Advisor is gone, you will work with his or her
replacement, the secondary Advisor, on the Bridge.
Cargo
You can carry cargoes of ore, energy, life support, and ro-
bots on any sort of mission. (You can carry humans only if
you choose a mission and destination on which humans can
survive.) To load an item, simply click on its icon on the
Cargo List or Stockpile icon bars in the Hangar window
screen. For example, to load robots, simply click on the ro-
bot icon. To load many items quickly, hold the mouse button
down. To unload, right-click or hold down the item. You can
load any combination of cargo up to the maximum units
allowed by the current generation of ship (see the Load win-
dow).
40
All ships are launched fully loaded with fuel if the current
location has the energy units to spare. (One “lightning bolt”
energy icon = 1,000 fuel units.) The Energy window shows
the fuel load-out of the selected vehicle, which in turn deter-
mines the ship’s maximum mission range. Your first genera-
tion of ships has a limit of 2,000 fuel units, which can be
increased later on with new technology and upgrading.
It’s up to you to ensure that your ships have sufficient energy
to return from their missions. While your ships can carry
extra energy units as cargo, the ship must land at a space
station or colony to off-load, convert, and reload this energy
as fuel. Ships that run out of fuel during Surface Exploration
will crash, killing the pilot and destroying all cargo.
41
Mercator tion not reachable with current on-board fuel, or one that
will kill any humans on board). Then change the mission
Map settings by pressing the Change button at the bottom of the
screen. You’ll see “Vehicle Mission Changed!” displayed in
green below the In-transit window.
Note: The “gas giant” This screen shows you the selected planet, moon, or asteroid
planets Zeus, Cronus, laid out in navigational “sectors.” The Mercator Map is your
and Poseidon do not best source of information about a world. If you have a ship
have Mercator Maps on or orbiting the planet, you can launch the ship on an Ex-
because you cannot ploration mission and use the Map to maneuver across the
explore or establish world’s surface, scan for resources, and scout and build new
colonies on their sur- colony sites.
faces.
From the Space Map, you can access theColony
Mercator
Options Map by
R-click Colony
clicking on a world, or by right-clicking a world and select-
Select Sector
Click Sector Arrows
or use Arrow Keys
Each sector is denoted by two coordinates: its letter (the With Vehicle
“parallel”) and number (the “meridian”). For example, the
colony New Terra is in sector D-2 of Gaea. Large planets Send Ship
will have more sectors than can be displayed on one Click sector
Select sector, [Enter]
Build Colony
Click Equipment icon
Mercator screen. To see beyond the initial map display,
move the sector highlight beyond the right-hand edge of the
display. Small moons and asteroids may have only a few
sectors.
Ship Controls
Once you have launched a ship on an Exploration mission,
the Mercator Map opens and becomes active: the “dash-
board” will open up to give you access to the ship controls
there. The Mercator Map is a high-altitude view of the Ex-
ploration mission, letting you scan and get around the
planet quickly. From here, you can build new colony sites or
locate sectors you want to explore on the surface.
The Ore Scanner (mine car icon) lets you scan the planet for
sectors with significant ore deposits. To use it, click and hold
the Mine Car icon. As the scanner beams radiate outward,
they’ll reveal sectors on the planet where resources can be
found. Initially, you can find only surface deposits. You may
be able to improve scanning technology later to locate
larger, subterranean deposits. Note: Scanning consumes the
ship’s energy in a hurry. It’s more fuel effective to move the
ship and scan only nearby sectors.
Load/Energy
The Load window shows how many cargo items the vehicle
is carrying along with its load limit. (First-generation ships
are limited to 30 units.) Once you have a full load, you must
return to a colony. Returning to a colony unloads and refuels
the ship automatically (assuming the colony has energy to
spare). You may then resume exploration immediately.
Vehicle Menu
In a Mercator Map screen with an active ship, the General
Options menu is changed to include current Vehicle com-
mands. Right-click to open it. Over a colony, the commands
include: Park Vehicle, Unload Vehicle, Return Vehicle to
Colony, Return Vehicle to Orbit, or Leave Mercator (ship
returns to launch point). Over other sectors, the commands
include: Explore Surface, Build New Colony, Send Vehicle
to Orbit, and Leave Mercator.
Explore Surface
To have your exploring ship descend to the world’s surface
or a colony, move the ship to the appropriate sector, and
then click or press [Enter]. If the ship is over a colony, the
Colony Grid will open. If the ship is over an uncolonized
sector, you’ll be in the Surface Exploration screen where you
can directly view the surface and collect resources and clues.
45
Surface the previous screen, or by right-clicking for the General Op-
tions menu. If you have an active ship on the Map, you can
Exploration leave by parking the ship at a colony or space station, or by
descending to the surface for a Surface Exploration.
Screen
This screen lets you accompany a vehicle as it explores a
world’s surface from low altitude. From here, you can gather
ore, energy, and other valuable discoveries directly from the
surface. You’ll also use this screen to conduct planetside
combat, should that ever become necessary.
Direction You can access this screen only from the active Mercator
{
Overhead View On/Off Plasma Bomb
Move Ship Arrows
Scan Cargo View or Secor Map Return to Orbit
Note: Game time stops Compass icon Cargo Bay icon Leave
during Surface Explo- Map when you have a ship on an Exploration mission. From
ration. [P] Pause is dis- the Mercator Map, move the ship to the sector you want to
abled. explore and click or press [Enter]. You can also open the
Vehicle Menu (right-click) and select Explore Surface to de-
scend to the surface at the current location.
Main Window
The Exploration screen’s main window shows your ship’s
forward view over the sector’s surface. To move the ship,
click on one of the gold Movement arrows on the control
panel (or use your Left, Right, and Up arrow keys). The view
in the main window rotates around your craft as you bank
46 and turn. The view in the small “map” window to the right
stays aligned to the North—use the Direction indicator
above it to see your ship’s current orientation relative to the
map.
Control Panel
In addition to the movement arrows (described above), the
Surface Exploration panel has four other control icons.
At the far left is the Overhead View switch (large ship icon).
Clicking this icon switches your view to a remote camera
probe far above your ship. This lets you see all around your
ship, but not as far to the front as the surface view. It also
shows your ship’s current compass orientation. To return to
the surface view, click the View icon again.
Second from the left is the Scanner button (small ship icon).
Clicking and holding this icon down switches you to Over-
head View and sends out pulsating waves that reveal any
ore, energy, or other items in the surrounding area. Provid-
ing you have the fuel, you can continue the scan until you
have scanned the entire sector (shown on the small map at
right). An item revealed by this scanner remains on the sec-
tor map until you pick it up or leave. Please note that this
option uses up your ship’s fuel at a tremendous rate. 47
Third from the left is the Plasma Bomb (the Fireball icon),
which you can use to attack surface targets below your ve-
hicle. The plasma bomb has a much wider kill radius than
the laser, but takes more energy as well. Warning: If you
bomb a sector, you destroy all the ore and energy units in
sight.
Other Displays
Use the Direction indicator at the upper right to see which
way you’re facing in the main window. You’ll soon become
proficient at using this instrument with the sector map, and
main window to navigate the surface.
To the right is the Pilot you designated for this mission. The
pilot cannot be changed unless you return to a base.
The Load field shows how many cargo items the vehicle is
carrying along with its load limit. (First-generation ships are
limited to 30 units.) When the ship is full, you can return to
48
a colony to unload, and then refuel and resume exploration
with an empty hold.
The Energy field shows the fuel load-out of the selected ve-
hicle, which in turn determines the ship’s maximum mission
range. Your first generation of ships has a limit of 2,000
fuel units. Your ship consumes fuel as you fly over the planet
and scan. While your ships can carry extra energy units as
cargo, the ship must land at a space station or colony to off
load, convert, and reload this energy as fuel. When you run
low on fuel, return to the Mercator Map so you can return to
49
Space Map base and refuel. If you run out of fuel during Surface Explo-
ration, your ship will crash, killing the pilot and destroying
the entire cargo.
Zoom In Click
Max R-click
{
Game Speed Up/Dn
{
Drag Slider Move point of view Click Foreground View Click
Max R-click Anchor View R-click
Stop time Click
Beta Caeli star system from almost any perspective you
want. You can use this screen to observe the status and loca-
tion of your active colonies and spacecraft, and to zoom in
on the Mercator Map view for any planet, moon, or aster-
oid.
You can access the Space Map from the Bridge, the General
Options menu, or when leaving the Mercator Map screen.
To exit, click Leave or press [Esc].
Main Window
The main Space Map window allows you to view the Beta
Caeli system from many perspectives and monitor the status
and position of your ships and orbital stations. When first
opened, the Space Map view is “anchored” to the sun Beta
Caeli. This means that the zoom and directional arrows be-
50 low the main window will change your view relative to Beta
Caeli. You can change the anchor to another planet, if you
wish, which changes the center of the zoom and directional
arrow buttons as well.
Stop Button. Use this button to Stop the game while using
the Space Map. The message Game Stopped will be dis-
played on the left. To resume, click it again.
51
Directional Arrows. Click these arrow buttons to change
your view of the system in all directions relative to the cur-
rent anchor. You can also use your arrow keys. For ex-
ample, if you are anchored on Gaea, click the Up arrow
button (or press [Up Arrow]) to rotate your view above the
planet’s orbital plane. Click the Down arrow button to re-
verse. To go quickly to the furthest extreme view possible
with any button, right-click on it.
52
chor lets you reorient the Space Map’s center from the de-
fault, Beta Caeli, to any planet. This resets all directional Colony
and zoom commands relative to the new anchor point. Now
if you use the arrows or zoom in/out buttons, all system Manager
movement is around the selected world. Clicking View opens
the Mercator Map for that planet, moon, or asteroid. (If you
have a spacecraft on the planet, you’ll also be able to ex-
plore the surface.)
The Colony Manager screen summarizes the current status of List of Advisors
each of your colonies and space stations. At a glance, you stationed at colony
Colony List
Click Colony Name to bring
Summary to top
Colony Summary
(Habitat, Factories, Power, Labs,
Ships, Missiles, Ore, Energy, Life
Support, Humans, Robots)
You can access the Colony Manager from the General Op-
tions menu, or from the Bridge by going to the Engineer’s
station and clicking Colonies. From the Site Grid, you can
click the Colonies button at the bottom. From the Space
Map, you can right-click a planet to open the Planet Menu,
and then select Colonies (if the planet has at least one
53
colony or space station. The colonies listed will be limited to
those at that planet.)
54
To go to the Colony Grid for a particular colony, point to its
graphical summary (highlight it in red) and then click. Colony Grid
Leaving the Colony Manager
Colony Grid Controls
You can exit the Colony Manager by clicking Leave to return
to the previous screen, or by right-clicking for the General
General Options Menu
Options menu. Again, to go to the Colony Grid for a par-
R-click empty area
ticular colony, point to its graphical summary (highlight it in
red) and then click.
Scroll View
Drag mouse, or use arrow keys
Build Installation
Drag from selector box, place on
empty grid
Dismantle Colony
Remove all, R-click, select
“Dismantle Colony”
Go to Colony Manager
The Colony Grid shows an overhead view of the selected
colony and the installations you’ve built there. You’ll use this Go to Vehicle Manager
screen to decide what installations to build, upgrade, or dis- Click Vehicle icon
mantle, and when to change production. It also helps you
see which sites need resources to cover an imminent deficit Change Colony Name
or build a new installation, and which sites have surplus re- Click name, edit, [Enter]
sources you can transport elsewhere. You can quickly see
the results of your decisions as the net resource change goes
up or down on the status summary below.
Colony Name
At the upper right is the Colony Name field, which displays
the default (system-assigned) name for the current colony.
Default names include the colony’s location (with an “SS”
prefix for Space Station), and its order of creation: Rhea1,
SSHermes10, etc. You can change the default name if you
wish by clicking on it, typing in a new name of up to 8 let-
ters, and pressing [Enter]. This will change the colony name
everywhere it appears, such as the Colony Manager, Ve-
hicle Manager, etc.
The field just below displays the name of the planet, moon,
or asteroid that the colony is on or orbiting. (The Calypso’s
colony always shows Calypso here, wherever you move the
ship.) You can’t change the world name.
Grid Window
The Grid window shows a partial overhead view of your
colony. This is where you’ll build installations or change
their activities. To see other areas, use your numeric keypad
keys or drag the mouse cursor to the edge of the current
view to make the view scroll in that direction. Each colony
when founded has a Vehicle Hangar and other support
buildings. You’ll notice that the grid and installations appear
quite different for planetside colonies, space station colonies,
and the Calypso (itself a colony).
Graphical Summary
At the bottom of the screen is the colony’s graphical summary,
which displays the same information as that in the Colony Man-
ager. The upper row shows the resources (ore, energy, life sup-
port, humans, robots). The lower row displays the number of in-
stallations (habitats, factories, power plants, research labs) and
spaceships at the colony. For resources, red numbers show any
net loss per 24-turn Gaean year (consumption exceeds produc-
tion) while green numbers show any net surplus per 24-turn
56 year (production exceeds consumption).
Installations Window
Below the Colony name fields is the Installations window. It
shows you the kind of installations allowed by your current
technology, as well as the resources required for each. At all
stages of the game, you can build habitats, factories, power
plants and research labs. Other installation “levels” and
types may become available later if you develop the appro-
priate technology. You can have no more than 16 installa-
tions per colony.
Dismantling a Colony
You can remove a colony by first dismantling its installations
(Habitats last), and transporting all people, resources, and
ships away from the site. Once the colony is “empty,” right- 57
click to open the General Options menu. At the top, you’ll
Captain’s see Dismantle Colony. Click Dismantle Colony to remove
the Colony from the Colony Manager.
PDA Leaving the Colony Grid
You can exit the Colony Grid by clicking Leave to return to
the previous screen, or by right-clicking for the General Op-
tions menu. You can also click the Colonies button to return
to the Colony Manager, or click the Vehicle icon button for
the Vehicle Manager.
Leave PDA The “Captain’s PDA” is your Personal Data Assistant and
[Esc] or click Power information manager. This is where you will receive probe
Select Entry
Click entry, Up/Dn Arrows
and Advisor reports, monitor the ship’s log, and review mis-
sion progress. You can open it by going to the Computer
station and clicking the Captain’s PDA button. You can also
access it by opening the General Options menu and select-
ing View PDA. When you’re done using the PDA, exit by
clicking the Power button or pressing [Esc].
The PDA has four information “modes” that you can select
from using the purple buttons on the right: Log, Library, Sta-
tus, and Damage.
Log
58 The Log displays your current list of notes, clues, and action
items (things to do). As you complete each task entry, the
computer will remove it from the list automatically. You can
scroll through your current log entries using your arrow keys
or by clicking on the purple Up and Down arrows below the
PDA screen. If you find your log entries piling up, you can
use the Delete button to remove those you no longer need.
To delete an entry you do not intend to perform, just high-
light it, click Delete, and then click Yes or press [Enter] when
asked to confirm the deletion. Note, however, that when you
delete an item, it’s gone for good.
Library
The Library mode lets you store and retrieve detailed ar-
ticles, radio transmissions, probe reports, Advisor and Plan-
etary Governor reports, and clues or artifacts discovered
during explorations. To select a Library topic, click on the
topic title to highlight it. You can also click the Up/Down
arrows or use your arrow keys to move the highlighting to
the topic you want, and then click or press [Enter] to open
the topic.
To scroll through long library entries, you can click the Up/
Down arrows or use your arrow keys. When done reading
the entry, click Exit or press [Esc] to return to the PDA. As
the game progresses, you may accumulate a lot of Library
items you no longer need. To delete an entry, just highlight
it, click Delete, and then click Yes or press [Enter] when
asked to confirm the deletion. Note: When you delete an
item, it’s gone for good.
Status
The display-only Status screen lets you review the current
summary of overall mission status for the Calypso and all of
your colonies, including facilities, vehicles, robots, people,
and resources. For resources, you’ll see your total invento-
59
Game ries, along with any net gain (+ green numbers) or net loss (-
red numbers) per year, or zeroes for static or balanced pro-
Options duction. At the bottom, you can see your progress for total
population and technological advances.
Damage
The display-only Damage screen lets you
review the total losses you’ve suffered
due to disaster, revolution, or attacks. It
also shows damage you have inflicted on
other forces as “Kills.”
60
Captain’s Reference
η
Planets are the foundation of your new civilization. As Cap-
tain of the Calypso, you will need to establish colonies on
several planets to support your people and increase your
resources, production, and research. Each new world has
new or unique resources that will contribute to your efforts,
and each should be explored thoroughly.
Resource Types
Ore represents all consumable building materials, including
metals, stone, fibers, ceramics, and wood. It is the raw mate-
rials from which you construct robots, spacecraft, and create
and maintain installations. Ore can be found in natural de-
62 posits during planetary exploration or created by a factory.
It is most plentiful on the inner planets of the star system.
Energy represents
Comm.all Panel
forms of consumable energy, including
fossil fuels, electromagnetism,
Space Map plasma pods, nuclear energy,
and solar power. Energy is necessary to keep colonies fully
View
functional and on-line. It is converted Solar
to fuel forSystem
your space-
craft traveling between worlds and Military Advisor
exploring planet sur-
faces. Energy can be found in natural Navigator/Vcle
deposits duringMgr.
plan-
etary exploration, created by a Power Plant, or siphoned by
a factory orbiting a gas planet.
Collecting Resources
You can add to your resources by collecting them or produc- 63
ing them. First, you can collect Ore, Energy, Science, and
sometimes Life Support resources from natural deposits and
discoveries you find during planetary surface exploration.
Ore, Energy and Life Support resources are added to the
first colony the ship lands at after collecting them, while Sci-
ence resources become available immediately in the Tech-
nology Manager. Second, you produce your resources. Fac-
tories can mine Ore on planets, or siphon Energy from orbit
around a gas planet. Power Plants generate Energy, Habi-
Note: An orbital tats generate Life Support, and Research Labs generate Sci-
colony with an opera- ence resources. As your facilities become more technologi-
tional factory above a cally advanced, they can produce resources more efficiently.
gas giant can siphon
off the top layers of As you begin to collect or produce surplus resources at some
hydrogen from the up- colonies, you can start to transport the surplus to other loca-
per atmosphere. You tions. For this purpose, you have the Pipeline mission, re-
can then set up a pipe- peated transport round trips that you can set up as de-
line mission to bring scribed in the Vehicle Manager. Someday, you may also be
this abundant energy able to use a Mass Driver, a giant electromagnetic catapult
to your other colonies. that hurls large ore packets to a selected destination. The
main advantage of the Mass Driver is that it releases space-
craft from pipeline missions for other purposes.
Installations are the buildings you create at a colony to
Installations house your colonists and to produce resources and other
items. There are four primary installations available: Habi-
tats, Power Plants, Factories, and Research Labs. Technologi-
cal advances may allow you to upgrade these installations,
or to build new types of installations. You can have up to 16
installations per colony, and you’ll use the Colony Grid
screen to build and manage them.
Building Installations
You can construct any installation at a colony if you have the
resources to build it and an empty place on the colony grid
to place it. Use the Installations window in the Colony Grid
to view your options. When you start construction, the re-
quired resources are subtracted from the colony’s inventory.
The resources required will vary depending on the
installation’s location (planet or space station), and its tech-
nological “level.” Each installation takes a number of months
or even years to complete and go on-line. While installa-
tions are being built, they flash a blue light.
Habitats
Habitats are the living quarters for humans at a colony.
When on-line, they also produce new Humans and Life Sup-
port units. You must maintain adequate habitat space for the
total population of a colony, or else colonists may revolt.
Power Plants
Power Plants create Energy units. Each Power Plant must pay
a yearly maintenance fee in ore, energy, and life support to
stay on-line. You can always turn a plant off to save re-
sources, although you may starve other installations and
force them off-line.
Factories
Factories are the industrial backbone of each colony. On
planets, they can mine ore, and manufacture items such as
robots and vehicles. In space stations, they are able to si-
phon gas (when orbiting around a gas planet), but cannot
mine ore in orbit. While on-line, Factories require heavy
ore, energy, and life support for yearly maintenance, espe-
cially when producing ships or robots. Factories go off-line if
you turn them off or can’t keep them supplied.
Creating Technologies
The development of new technologies is managed in the
Technology Manager screen at your Science Advisor’s sta-
tion. There you can see what new technologies are available
to build, and you can select which ones you want to build,
assuming you have the science resources to complete them.
New Technologies
You can discover new technologies in several ways. You
may find natural phenomena that spark new discoveries, or
find artifacts that spur a breakthrough in your labs. Much of
your progress will still come through dedicated, continuous
research in your labs. Your Science Advisor will tell you
when the technical staff is on the verge of a breakthrough
with a new technology.
You can also attack targets with lasers. Position the round
white target cursor on the intended target, and right-click to
fire the laser. Lasers are more precise than bombing, don’t
destroy uncollected resources, and use less energy—but they
don’t pack the same wallop, either.
70
produce ore. Use pipelines to supply space stations with
ore while bringing energy or life support units in return.
When you reach the decisive moment in the game where the
fate of your colonies is sealed (for better or worse), you’ll
see the Mission Summary screen. This screen displays your
overall achievements as Captain. If you bring the mission to
a successful conclusion, your performance will also be
scored and assigned a victory level as described under Scor-
ing, below. (There is only one way to lose: disastrously.)
Continued Play
Once you exit the Mission Summary screen after a victory,
you may continue playing and saving the current game.
However, further playing will not change your score or af-
fect the outcome. This simply gives you an opportunity to
complete your colony development or system exploration, or
try out other things you were too busy to do while preoccu-
pied with survival.
Replay
Your most powerful ally in your quest for ultimate success is
the saved game. If you have prudently saved your games as
72
you go, you can overcome even total annihilation by simply
backing up to a crucial junction and replaying with a differ-
ent and (fingers crossed) winning strategy.
Scoring
You must ensure the survival of your colonists to achieve any
level of victory. Otherwise, the number of colonies you build
won’t matter a bit. Once you bring the mission to a success-
ful end that secures the future of your colonists, the Victory
level you achieve is based on the following scoring:
• Installations
Habitats: 1 points each (all levels).
Research Labs: 2 points each (all levels).
Power Plants: 3 points each (all levels).
Factories: 4 points each (all levels).
Special Installations: 6 points each.
• Resources
Ore: 1 point per 100 units.
Energy: 1 point per 100 units.
Life Support: 1 point per 100 units.
Humans: 1 point per 50 units.
Robots: 1 point per 50 units.
Vehicles: 10 points each.
Scoring Levels
73
Your game score is categorized as follows.
74
Antigen. Substance that stimulates the body’s production of antibodies.
Anti-matter. Matter composed of opposite energy charges to common matter. Matter/anti- Glossary
matter reactions can be both a source of tremendous energy or destructive power.
ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.
A.U. Astronomic Unit. The average distance from Earth to the Sun, or approximately 93 million
miles.
Celestial Sphere. The spherical view of the sky relative to the observer.
Collector Net. A large scoop for gathering interstellar hydrogen for ramjet fusion engines.
Ecliptic. The annual path of the sun on the celestial sphere.
FTL. Faster Than Light.
Gas giant. Large planet composed primarily of gas compressed by immense gravity. Unin-
habitable, but a rich energy source.
Heliocentric. Centered on the sun, such as a planetary orbit.
Light year. The distance travelled by light in a vacuum in one year, or about 6 trillion miles.
Mass Driver. An immense electromagnetic catapult capable of hurling large packets of ore
from low-gravity moons or asteroids to other planets.
Mutagen. Substance capable of causing mutation.
Nucleotides. Product of some nucleic acid reactions. A primary component of carbon-based
life.
Oort Cloud. Spherical “layer” of comet material that encircles solar systems.
Panspermia Hypothesis. A theory that states the chemical components of life exist
throughout the galaxy, and are introduced to conducive planetary settings by meteors and comets.
Parsec. The distance you’d have to be to see the Earth’s distance from the Sun as one sec-
ond of arc (1/360th of a degree), or about 3.26 light years.
Perihelion. Orbiting body’s nearest point to the sun.
Positronic brain. Sophisticated artificial intelligence used in advanced robots.
Plasma Bomb. Hydrogen-fueled energy weapon capable of vaporizing targets over a wide
area.
Precession. Gradual advance in planetary equinoxes due to gravity effects of other bodies.
Ramjet Fusion Engine. An engine that makes use of the vehicle’s velocity to provide
fuel intake via a collector net.
Seedship. Giant colony ships or arks intended to “seed” human populations in new star sys-
tems.
Spectroscopic analysis. Studying stars through an analysis of the light they emit.
Superconductor. A substance that conducts electricity perfectly. Allows complete effi-
ciency of electronic devices.
Theta waves. Type of brain wave. Its existence is conjectural.
UNS. United Nations Ship.
75
Advisor Hausmann, Otto
Rank: Commander, Science Staff
Patel, Rajvinnder
Rank: Lieutenant, Science Staff
Date of Birth: 2100 (Biological age: 18)
Education: People’s College of Science, U.A.R.
Previous Positions: None.
Personality Profile: Rajvinnder has led an undistinguished life so far. In her parent’s eyes, she was
born a failure by not being born a son. In her hopeless attempts to please her parents, she has
always followed their advice and has never made any major decisions on her own. When her
father informed her that she would be attending the College of Science, Rajvinnder agreed without
question. Rajvinnder graduated after three years of average performance. Again at her parent’s
direction, she joined the U.N. Space Program so that she might be part of the colonization of other
worlds. Rajvinnder’s father died three weeks after the launch of the Calypso.
Giacommo, Fabian
Rank: Commander, Navigation Staff
Date of Birth: 2104 (Biological age: 22)
Education: No Formal Education
Previous Positions: Flight Group Commander, 5th U.N. Reconnaissance Wing
Personality Profile: Fabian’s lack of formal education has always been offset by his ability to take
charge and give good, solid advice under pressure. At the age of 19, he was given command of an
entire Flight Group after his quick thinking and lack of personal fear saved the lives of a visiting
committee of U.N. delegates. After being decorated several times for service as a pilot, he
requested transfer to the outgoing UNS Calypso. As a Navigator, he has proven his worth many
times.
Wu, Mai-lin
Rank: Lieutenant, Navigation Staff
Date of Birth: 2080 (Biological age: 38)
Education: U.N. Astrophysics Academy at Singapore
Previous Positions: Assistant to the Head Astronomer, Mt. Lick Observatory
Personality Profile: Mai-lin has always felt a deep attraction to space, and spent the years of her
youth watching the sky and identifying constellations with her home-made telescope. It was
natural for her to pursue a career in astronomy, and her interest was strong enough to attract the
attention of her teachers, who recommended her for a scholarship to the Astrophysics Academy.
She graduated with honors. After completing an internship at the Mt. Lick Observatory, she rose on
76
her merit to become Assistant to the Head Astronomer. Mai-lin applied for a space assignment with
the hope of getting closer to the stars that she loves.
Antonelli, Gianna
Rank: Lieutenant, Engineering Staff
Date of Birth: 2104 (Biological age: 22)
Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Previous Positions: None
Personality Profile: Gianna has always had a happy, positive outlook on life and a desire to help
others. At the age of 18, Gianna decided to become an engineer and try to improve the world and
the lives of its people through the use of technology. She was an apt pupil and graduated near the
top of her class. Fresh out of college, Gianna is eager to provide a home for the future generations
that the Calypso has brought to space.
Lee, Edward
Rank: Commander, Engineering Staff
Date of Birth: 2090 (Biological age: 28)
Education: Stanford University
Previous Positions: Unit Commander, 5th U.N. Engineering Group
Personality Profile: Ed has always exhibited an unusual talent for making things work, even without
the proper materials or equipment. Ed was decorated for his service during the Tokyo Flood of ’14,
where his quick thinking and unmatched engineering talents saved thousands of lives and millions
of dollars in property from the rising flood waters. Ed is a prize addition to the Calypso’s crew and
his advice should be well heeded.
Romanov, Dimitri
Rank: Colonel, Military Staff
Date of Birth: 2115 (Biological age: 31)
Education: West Point Military Academy; Sun Tzu Academy of War; U.N. Strategy and Tactics
School
Previous Positions: Commanding Officer, Zweibrucken Air Base; Commander, 5th U.N. Armored
Attack Group; Commander, U.N. European Defense Command
Personality Profile: Dimitri has been considered very intense since early childhood, and both
teachers and his parents have always found him to be somewhat aloof. Graduating from high
school early with spectacular success, Dimitri was nominated and admitted to the West Point
Military Academy. His exceptional performance there earned him a recommendation and finally an
invitation to attend the prestigious Sun Tzu Academy. After completing his schooling, he joined the
U.N. Military Forces and rose rapidly through the ranks. He was assigned to the UNS Calypso with
the task of assuring the survival of the colonies which could well be humanity’s last bastion of
civilization.
Williams, Melinda
Rank: Commander, Military Staff
Date of Birth: 2095 (Biological age: 23)
Education: University of Chicago
Positions Held: Assistant to Military Consulate, Saarbrucken Germany; Military Advisor, UNS Prague.
Personality Profile: Although young and relatively inexperienced, Melinda is aggressive, intelligent,
and a valuable asset to the Calypso. She is very ambitious and has been known to “play politics.”
In tight situations, however, she can be counted on to put the welfare of the ship and crew first.
Requested transfer to UNS Calypso when UNS Prague was decommissioned December 23, 2115.
77
Technical Manual Changes and Additions
Any changes made to Alien Legacy after the manual is
Support printed are outlined in the README file on the CD or pro-
gram disk #1. To view the file, simply change to the drive
PC 1158 + 4635 where the CD or disk 1 is located, type README, and press
[ENTER].
Configuring Memory
Even if you have the minimum 4 MB of RAM, Alien Legacy
may not run correctly unless the RAM is configured (set up)
correctly. You’ll need at least 570 K (583,680 bytes) of free
conventional memory and 2.5 MB of extended memory. To
configure extended memory, you’ll need a memory manager
such as HIMEM.SYS/EMM386 (which comes with MS-DOS
5.0 or higher) or QEMM386 by Quarterdeck.
Freeing up Memory
1. If you cannot run Alien Legacy because of low memory,
try the Install program’s “Make Boot Disk” option as
described below. A boot disk is a fast and effective
way of freeing more memory to run the game.
2. Try customizing the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
start-up files on your Boot Disk if you continue to have
problems. See “Customizing the Boot Disk,” below, for
details.
Note, however, that the “Make Boot Disk” option will not
copy over any QEMM lines in your start-up files, and may
not copy over your mouse or CD-ROM drivers correctly.
This means that you might have to make additional changes
to the boot disk to get the program running. If you’re hav-
ing trouble starting the game, try the “Make Boot Disk”—it
can’t hurt. If it doesn’t work, see the “Customizing the Boot
Disk” section, following.
79
If you have one floppy drive (3.5" A:):
HC H 1. After starting your PC, insert the Alien Legacy CD or
disk 1 into the appropriate drive.
2. Change to that drive. (Type the appropriate drive letter
(usually A: or D:) and press [Enter].)
3. Copy the Alien Legacy install files to your ALIEN direc-
tory. For example, if you’re using the default directory,
type COPY INSTALL.* C:\SIERRA\ALIEN and press [En-
ter].
2
1. Place the boot disk in the A: drive and start the com-
puter. (If your computer is already running, exit any
programs and restart the system with your PC’s Reset
button, or use [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del] from the keyboard.)
2. The computer will start up using the boot disk’s memory
configuration. (If you created the boot disk with the
Install program, it will also try to start the game auto-
matically.) Otherwise, start the game manually by en-
tering AL as usual in your SIERRA directory. (To return
your computer to its normal setup later, just restart it
80 again without using the boot disk.)
If the game still will not run, or the drivers for your mouse,
CH C H
sound card, or CD-ROM drive will not load correctly, you’ll
need to customize the start-up files manually. See the follow-
ing section “Customizing the Boot Disk.”
3
on the boot disk the Install program created, or create a new
Boot Disk from scratch. CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT
are simple text files that you can edit using your DOS Edit
utility, the Windows Notepad, or your preferred word pro-
cessor in its text-only mode. On your hard drive, these files
tell your computer how to arrange its memory for normal
2
operation. On the boot disk, these files tell your computer
how to arrange its memory specifically for running Alien
Legacy.
Note: If you haven’t
Warning: Manually altering the CONFIG.SYS and already tried the Install
AUTOEXEC.BAT start-up files can be a trial and error pro- program’s “Make Boot
cess. When opening a file to edit, triple-check to MAKE Disk” method, try that
SURE you are working with the files on your boot disk in first before starting
the A: drive. Otherwise, you may change the CONFIG.SYS here. Even if that boot
and AUTOEXEC.BAT files on your hard drive instead, which disk doesn’t let you run
in turn may impair the normal operation of your system. Alien Legacy, it will at
least give you a good
If you prefer to create a boot disk from scratch, you’ll need a place to start customiz-
freshly formatted system diskette for your A: drive. (See your ing the configuration
MS-DOS manual for details on how to create a system dis- files.
kette.) You can then create a new CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT from scratch right on the boot disk.
λ0
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM 1024
(You may use a different expanded memory manager)
DOS=HIGH,UMB (Loads DOS into Upper Memory)
FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
BREAK=ON
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICEHIGH=C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.SYS (See “Mouse Driv-
ers,” below.)
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE (Only if
using DBSLSPACE. See “Disk Compression Drivers,” below.)
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DRV\CDROMDRV.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220
(Only if playing Alien Legacy from CD. See “CD ROM Driv-
ers,” below.)
SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
λ0
Mouse Drivers
You should have one mouse driver line in either your
CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file—but not both! For
example:
DEVICEHIGH=C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.SYS (Used in the
CONFIG.SYS file only)
LOADHIGH C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.COM (Used in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file only)
82
If you have a different mouse driver name (MOUSE.EXE,
IMOUSE, GMOUSE, HPMOUSE, etc.) or if you keep the
driver in a different directory (C:\MSMOUSE, C:\DRIVERS,
etc.) the path and driver name will be different. See your
mouse manual if unsure.
Mouse Hints
Use MOUSE.SYS rather than MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.EXE,
if possible. MOUSE.SYS is smaller and takes less memory.
Make sure you don’t have a mouse driver line in both the
CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT files. If you do, remove
one, because you’re needlessly loading two mouse drivers
into memory.
CD-ROM Drivers
If you are running Alien Legacy from a CD, you’ll need to NOTE: We recommend
include a CD-ROM line in both the CONFIG.SYS and the that you use the latest
AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Refer to your CD-ROM manual for version of
your specific details. MSCDEX.EXE to insure
the best CD access. As
The boot disk’s AUTOEXEC.BAT file needs an MSCDEX line. of this writing, the cur-
Depending on your CD-ROM type, it should look much like rent version of
one of the following: MSCDEX is 2.23.
C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD001
LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD001
Note that this CD ROM device name is the same that follows
the “/D:” switch as the MSCDEX line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file. If your Dynamix CD program requires expanded
memory, you will also want to add the “/E” switch to the
83
Reminder: For the boot Disk Compression Drivers
disk to work, you must If you use disk compression on your hard disk, you must in-
REBOOT your com- clude the correct disk compression driver statement on your
puter with the boot disk boot disk, or your mouse or other drivers may not load cor-
in your A: drive. Place rectly. The example CONFIG.SYS shows the correct state-
the boot disk in drive ment if you are using the DBLSPACE utility from MS-DOS
A: and press your PC’s 6.0 or later. If you are using Stacker 3.1 or later, use the
Reset button, or following line instead:
[Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del]. Your DEVICEHIGH=C:\STACKER\STACHIGH.SYS
computer will now For other compression utilities, refer to your manual.
reboot, using the start-
up files on the boot
disk in A:. Have a Additional Boot Disk Instructions
great time! If you have a modem, you can download additional boot
disk instructions and a boot disk maker from the Sierra Bul-
letin Board Service, or BBS. The file to download is
BDALL.EXE or BDALL.ZIP (BDALL.ZIP is compressed—you’ll
need the PKUNZIP shareware utility to open it.). After
downloading this file, select the set of instructions that will
match your system best.
Troubleshooting
Problem: I have installed Alien Legacy on a compressed
drive, and it doesn’t run.
Possible Solution: Alien Legacy may need more disk space.
Compression software estimates available disk space using
an expected compression ratio of 2 to 1 or more. However,
many Alien Legacy files won’t compress much. This means
you may need to free up to twice as much space as the com-
pression software says.
Error Messages
This section offers possible solutions for error messages you
may encounter.
CRC ERROR.
DATA ERROR READING DRIVE (A or B)
SECTOR NOT FOUND READING DRIVE A
These mean you have a faulty game disk, and should return
it for a replacement.
85
Customer The best customer service in the industry.
Services “You don’t just buy our games—you buy the support of
the whole company.”
Customer Service
Contact the Customer Service Department for questions per-
taining to returned merchandise, back orders, defective mer-
chandise, and general game information. In the U.K. and
Europe, use these contacts for Technical Support, Returns,
and Direct Sales as well.
United States
Sierra On-Line Call 1-800-SIERRA-5
Customer Service (1-800-743-7725)
P.O. Box 85007 Fax 206-562-4223
Bellevue, WA 98015-8507
United Kingdom
Sierra On-Line Limited Call (44) 734 303171
4 Brewery Court, Fax (44) 734 303201
The Old Brewery, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.,
Theale, Reading, Berkshire Monday—Friday
RG7 5AJ United Kingdom
Continental Europe
Parc Tertiaire de Meudon Call 33-1-46-01-4650
Immeuble “Le Newton” Fax 33-1-46-31-7172
25 rue Jeanne Braconnier Hint line 33-1-36-68-4650
92366 Meudon La Forêt Cedex
86 France
U.S. Technical Support
In the U.S., contact the Technical Support Department for
help in installing or configuring your Sierra product, or re-
solving hardware or software compatibility issues.
∆E x ∆t ≥ ——
quently asked technical questions. To access this service,
call
1-800-376-2683, and follow the recorded instructions to
find your specific topic and resolve the issue. If this fails to
solve your problem, you may still write, fax, email, or call
our Technical Support Department as described below.
Patch Disks
If you have spoken to a Sierra Technical Support Represen-
tative or have read about an available patch (repair) disk in
our magazine InterAction, please send in your request to the
address below, or contact us via BBS. Let us know the game,
version number (VER# on the front of your game disk(s)),
and the disk type you have.
Sierra On-Line
Patch Disks
Dept. 10
P.O. Box 485
Coarsegold, CA 93614-0485
U.S.
Sierra On-Line
Direct Sales
P.O. Box 53250
Bellevue, WA 98015-3250
88
The Sierra No-Risk Guarantee!
THE PROMISE: We want you to be happy with every Sierra product you
purchase. Period. Complete and return the enclosed owner registration card,
and we’ll be able to serve you better if you contact us with a problem. If you’re
unhappy with one of our software products for any reason, you can return it for
an exchange or full refund within 30 days of purchase. (If it was purchased
retail, please include the original sales receipt.) Note: this policy applies to the
original owner only.
THE ONLY CATCH: You have to tell us why you don’t like it, so we can
improve. If you send it back and tell us why, we’ll do our best to make you
happy.
89
IT IS ILLEGAL TO MAKE UNAUTHORIZED COPIES OF THIS SOFTWARE
This software is protected under federal copyright law. It is illegal to make or distribute copies of this software except to make a backup copy for
archival purposes only. Duplication of this software for any other reason including for sale, loan, rental or gift is a federal crime. Penalties
include fines as high as $50,000 and jail terms of up to five years.
Sierra On-Line, Inc. supports the industry’s effort to fight the illegal copying of personal computer software. Report Copyright Violations To:
SPA, 1730 M Street N.W. Suite 700,
Washington, D.C. 20036 - (202) 452-1600
This manual, and the software described in this manual, are copyrighted. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual or the described
software may be copied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without the prior written consent
of Sierra On-Line, Inc., 3380 146th Place SE, Suite 300, Bellevue, WA 98007.
® and ™ designate trademarks of, or licensed to Sierra On-Line, Inc. © Sierra On-Line, Inc. 1994. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
QEMM-386™ is a trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems. IBM® , PC® are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft® , MS-DOS®, Windows™, HIMEM ™, are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Sound Blaster® is a trademark of Creative Labs, Inc.
ThrustMaster® and ThrustMaster WCS® are trademarks of ThrustMaster. Stacker® is a trademark of Stac Electronics. AdLib® is a trademark of
AdLib Incorporated.
Limitations on Warranty
UNAUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIONS: SIERRA WARRANTS ONLY THAT THE PROGRAM WILL PERFORM AS DESCRIBED IN THE USER
DOCUMENTATION. NO OTHER ADVERTISING, DESCRIPTION, OR REPRESENTATION, WHETHER MADE BY A SIERRA DEALER, DISTRIBUTOR, AGENT,
OR EMPLOYEE, SHALL BE BINDING UPON SIERRA OR SHALL CHANGE THE TERMS OF THIS WARRANTY.
IMPLIED WARRANTIES LIMITED: EXCEPT AS STATED ABOVE, SIERRA MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THIS PRODUCT.
SIERRA DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY THAT THE SOFTWARE IS FIT FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE NINETY (90) DAY DURATION OF THIS LIMITED EXPRESS WARRANTY AND IS OTHERWISE
EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO
THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
NO CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES: SIERRA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES, EVEN IF
SIERRA IS ADVISED OF OR AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THIS MEANS THAT SIERRA SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE
FOR LOST PROFITS OR REVENUES, OR FOR DAMAGES OR COSTS INCURRED AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF TIME, DATA OR USE OF THE SOFTWARE,
OR FROM ANY OTHER CAUSE EXCEPT THE ACTUAL COST OF THE PRODUCT. IN NO EVENT SHALL SIERRA’S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE
PRICE OF THIS PRODUCT. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO
THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
YOU ARE ENTITLED TO USE THIS PRODUCT FOR YOUR OWN USE, BUT MAY NOT SELL OR TRANSFER REPRODUCTIONS OF THE SOFTWARE,
MANUAL, OR BOOK TO OTHER PARTIES IN ANY WAY, NOR RENT OR LEASE THE PRODUCT TO OTHERS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF
SIERRA. YOU MAY USE ONE COPY OF THE PRODUCT ON A SINGLE GAME MACHINE, COMPUTER, OR COMPUTER TERMINAL. YOU MAY NOT
NETWORK THE PRODUCT OR OTHERWISE INSTALL IT OR USE IT ON MORE THAN ONE GAME MACHINE, COMPUTER, OR COMPUTER TERMINAL AT
THE SAME TIME.
90
Ybarra Productions Credits
A Creative Insights Company
Producer: Joe Ybarra
Team Leader: Andy Riedel
Art Director: Mark Dickenson
Dynamix, Inc.
Quality Assurance Manager: Dave Steele
Lead Tester: Dan Hinds
Testers: Gerald Azenaro, Barbara Beyer, Jan Carpenter,
James Domico, Eli Haworth, Tim McClure, Duri Price, Corey
Reese, Chris Singleton
Publications Manager: Kevin Lamb
Manual Editor: Kurt Weber
Manual Design: Sue Roberts
91
Index A
Advisors, 32, 76
H
habitats, 66
R
research labs, 68
anchoring view, 50 hangar, vehicle, 17, 36 resources, 62
humans, 63 Robot Advisor, 33
robots, 63
B
bomb, 48, 70 I
building installations, 56, 64 installations, 56, 64 S
Bridge, 15, 27 installing game, 6 scanners, 16, 44, 47
inventions, 34 Science Advisor, 33
sciences, 35, 68
C settings, 19, 60
Captain’s PDA, 19, 58 L Space Map, 15, 50
cargo, 40 launch mission, 41 speed, game, 51, 60
cargo bay, 48 laser, 46, 70 starting game, 6
change mission, 41 library, 19, 59 startup menu, 27
change production, 65 life support, 63 Status PDA screen, 59
colonies, 61 log, 58 status, installation, 65
Colony Grid, 18, 55 strategy tips, 70
Colony Manager, 18, 53 support, product, 86, 87
combat, 70 M surface exploration, 46
Comm. Panel, 31 memory problems, 78
Computer, 33 Mercator Map, 16, 42
construction, colony, 44 messages, comm. 31 T
controls, game, 14 Military Advisor, 33 Technology Manager, 34
missions, 38 technology advance, 68
missiles, 70 time, Gaean, 54
D troubleshooting, 84
damage, 59 tutorial, 20
delete colony, 57 O
delete game, 60 on-line status, 65
destinations, 39 ore, 62 U
dismantle installation, 66 orientation, 66 upgrade installation, 66
E P V
energy, 63 PDA, 19, 58 Vehicle Manager, 17, 36
Engineering Advisor, 33 pilot, 39 vehicle menu, 45
exploration missions, 38, 43, 61 pipeline mission, 39 video phone, 31
planet options menu, 52 view, planets, 50
power plants, 67
F preferences, 8
factories, 67 probe mission, 38
fuel, ship, 40, 49
Q
G quick reference, 14
Game Options, 19, 60
gathering resources, 47
General options menu, 14, 30
Glossary, 75
92