EPILEPSY WARNING

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE BEFORE PLAYING THIS GAME OR BEFORE ALLOWING YOUR CHILDREN TO PLAY.

Certain individuals may experience epileptic seizures or loss of consciousness when subjected to strong, flashing lights for long periods of time. Such individuals may therefore experience a seizure while operating computer or video games. This can also affect individuals who have no prior medical record of epilepsy or have never previously experienced a seizure.

If you or any family member has ever experienced epilepsy symptoms (seizures or loss of consciousness) after exposure to flashing lights, please consult your doctor before playing this game.

Parental guidance is always suggested when children are using a computer and video games. Should you or your child experience dizziness, poor eyesight, eye or muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, feelings of disorientation or any type of involuntary movements or cramps while playing this game, turn it off immediately and consult your doctor before playing again.

PRECAUTIONS DURING USE:

- Do not sit too close to the monitor. Sit as far as comfortably possible.- Use as small a monitor as possible.- Do not play when tired or short on sleep.- Take care that there is sufficient lighting in the room.- Be sure to take a break of 10-15 minutes every hour.

© 2009 Matrix Publishing, LLC. and Ntronium Games. All Rights Reserved. Matrix Publishing, LLC. and Matrix Publishing, LLC. logo are trademarks of Matrix Publishing, LLC. and Armada 2526™ is a trademark of Matrix Publishing, LLC. and Ntronium Games. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners and Matrix Publishing, LLC. and Ntronium Games make no claim thereto.

Year 2023: The planet Esperanza has been colonized by the spaceship Magelhaes. A squad was brought together by the Esperanza government

to defend the planet from any Deep Space threats. Year 2025: Esperanza’s aircraft and spacecraft have come under attack form alien ships and machines.Combine global strategy with small squad based tactical combat against the alien invasion. Repelling the alien invasion requires taking full advantage of the terrain and surrounding environments.Control a squad of soldiers, light and heavy support combat vehicles, robots and air units to repel the alien invasion.

* Advanced artificial intelligence* Destructible environment - Can’t get into a building? Use a heavy weapon to make your own entrance* Weapon and technology advancement accomplished by global research and base building* Hire and allocate scientists for various research projects* Examine aliens, developer better weapons, armor, grenades, medikits, stimpacks, cannons, vehicles

(tanks hovercrafts), energy shields and air/space craft* Allocate resources for the development of new defenses* Prepare and equip your team and base to handle the various alien threats and incursions* Build hangars, medical sections, detection systems, labs, workshops, stores and SAM sites

X-COM FANS REJOICE!

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CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTIONTOARMADA2526.................................................................. 7

1.1. SystemRequirements....................................................................................... 71.1.1. Minimum........................................................................................................... 71.1.2. Recommended................................................................................................... 7

1.2. Installation........................................................................................................ 71.3. Uninstallingthegame........................................................................................ 71.4. Productupdates................................................................................................ 81.5. Gameforums.................................................................................................... 91.6. Needhelp?........................................................................................................ 91.7. WelcometoArmada2526!............................................................................... 91.8. HowtoWin...................................................................................................... 10

2. MAINMENU.................................................................................................... 102.1. NewGame...................................................................................................... 10

2.1.1. CustomGame.................................................................................................. 102.1.2. Tutorial............................................................................................................. 112.1.3. LoadGame...................................................................................................... 112.1.4. Options............................................................................................................ 112.1.5. Quit................................................................................................................. 12

3. TURN-BASEDSTRATEGICMODE................................................................... 133.1. StarMap......................................................................................................... 13

3.1.1. InterfaceOverview............................................................................................ 133.1.2. Minimap.......................................................................................................... 153.1.3. ListViewer....................................................................................................... 163.1.4. ViewColonies................................................................................................... 163.1.5. ViewFleets...................................................................................................... 173.1.6. ViewMessages................................................................................................ 183.1.7. Advisor............................................................................................................ 183.1.8. Hotkeys............................................................................................................ 19

3.2. MovingFleets,Expanding,andAttacking......................................................... 203.2.1. MovingFleets................................................................................................... 203.2.2. MoveLimits..................................................................................................... 213.2.3. Wormholes....................................................................................................... 223.2.4. FoundingColonies............................................................................................ 223.2.5. AttackingandConqueringEnemyColonies......................................................... 23

3.3. ColonyManagement....................................................................................... 253.3.1. InterfaceOverview............................................................................................ 253.3.2. StructuresandProduction................................................................................. 293.3.3. Defences......................................................................................................... 303.3.4. AutoManage.................................................................................................... 31

3.4. Reports........................................................................................................... 323.4.1. PlayerSummary............................................................................................... 323.4.2. Charts.............................................................................................................. 33

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3.4.3. Finance............................................................................................................ 343.5. Diplomacy....................................................................................................... 34

3.5.1. DiplomacyOverviewScreen.............................................................................. 353.5.2. NegotiationScreen........................................................................................... 36

3.6. Technology...................................................................................................... 383.6.1. Research......................................................................................................... 38

4. REALTIMEBATTLEMODE............................................................................. 404.1. InterfaceOverview......................................................................................... 414.2. SpaceCombat................................................................................................. 42

4.2.1. Formations....................................................................................................... 424.2.2. Retreating........................................................................................................ 44

4.3. GroundCombat............................................................................................... 444.4. Hotkey............................................................................................................. 45

5. CREDITS......................................................................................................... 46

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1. INTRODUCTIONTOARMADA2526

1.1. SYSTEMREQUIREMENTS1.1.1. MINIMUMOS:Windows®XP/Windows®Vista/Windows®7CPU:1GHzRAM:1GBGraphicsCard:3DVideoCardwith128MBRAM,DirectX9CompatibleSoundCard:DirectX9CompatibleHDfreespace:2GBDVD/CD-ROM:YesOther:DirectX9.0c+,.NETFramework2.0+,VisualCRuntimes(allincludedininstaller)

1.1.2. RECOMMENDEDOS:Windows®XP/Windows®Vista/Windows®7CPU:2GHzSinglecoreorequivalentRAM:2GBGraphicsCard:3DVideoCardwith128MBRAM,DirectX9CompatibleSoundCard:DirectX9CompatibleHDfreespace:2GBDVD/CD-ROM:YesOther:DirectX9.0c+,.NETFramework2.0+,VisualCRuntimes(allincludedininstaller)

1.2. INSTALLATIONPleaseensureyoursystemmeetstheminimumrequirementslistedbelow.Toinstallthegame,eitherdoubleclickontheinstallationfileyoudownloadedorinserttheArmada2526CDintoyourCD-ROMdrive.IfyouhavedisabledtheautorunfunctiononyourCD-ROMorifyouareinstalling from a digital download, double-click on the installation archive file, then doubleclickonthefile that isshowninsidethearchive.Followallon-screenpromptstocompleteinstallation.

1.3. UNINSTALLINGTHEGAMEPleaseusetheAdd/RemoveProgramsoptionfromtheWindowsControlPanelortheUninstallshortcutinthegamesWindowsSTARTmenufoldertouninstallthegame.Uninstallingthroughanyothermethodwillnotproperlyuninstallthegame.

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1.4. PRODUCTUPDATESInordertomaintainourproductexcellence,MatrixGamesreleasesupdatescontainingnewfeatures,enhancements,andcorrectionstoanyknownissues.Allourupdatesareavailablefreeonourwebsiteandcanalsobedownloadedquicklyandeasilybyclickingonthe“Update”linkinyourGameMenuorbyusingthe“UpdateGame”shortcutinyourWindowsSTARTmenufolderforthegame.

Wealsoperiodicallymakebeta (preview)updatesandothercontentavailable to registeredowners.KeepingupwiththesespecialupdatesismadeeasyandisfreebysigningupforaMatrixGamesMemberaccount.Whenyouaresignedup,youcanthenregisteryourMatrixGamesproducts inorder to receiveaccess to thesegame-relatedmaterials.Doingso isasimpletwostepprocess:

SignUpforaMatrixGamesMemberaccount-THIS ISAONETIMEPROCEDURE;onceyouhavesignedupforaMatrixaccount,youareinthesystemandwillnotneedtosignupagain.Gotowww.matrixgames.comandclicktheMembershyperlinkatthetop.Inthenewwindow,selectRegisterNOWand follow theon-screen instructions.When youíre finished, click thePleaseCreateMyNewAccountbutton,andaconfirmatione-mailwillbesenttoyourspecifiede-mailaccount.

Register a New Game Purchase - Once you have signed up for a Matrix Games Memberaccount,youcanthenregisteranyMatrixGamestitleyouowninyournewaccount.Todoso,logintoyouraccountontheMatrixGameswebsite(www.matrixgames.com).ClickRegisterGamenearthetoptoregisteryournewMatrixGamespurchase.

Westronglyrecommendregisteringyourgameasitwillgiveyouabackuplocationforyourserialnumbershouldyouloseitinthefuture.Onceyouíveregisteredyourgame,whenyoulogintotheMemberssectionyoucanviewyourlistofregisteredtitlesbyclickingMyGames.Eachgametitleisahyperlinkthatwilltakeyoutoaninformationpageonthegame(includingallthelatestnewsonthattitle).AlsoonthislistisaDownloadshyperlinkthattakesyoutoapagethathasallthelatestpublicandregistereddownloads,includingpatches,forthatparticulartitle.

Youcanalsoaccesspatchesandupdatesviaour“GamesSection”(http://www.matrixgames.com/games ), once there select the game you wish to check updates for, then check the“downloads” link. Certain value content and additional downloads will be restricted to“MembersArea”members.soitisalwaysworthwhiletosignupthere.

Remember,onceyouhavesignedupforaMatrixGamesMemberaccount,youdonothavetosignupagainatthatpointyouarefreetoregisterforanyMatrixGamesproductyoupurchase.

Thankyouandenjoyyourgame!

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1.5. GAMEFORUMSOurforumsareoneofthebestthingsaboutMatrixGames.Everygamehasitsownforumwithourdesigners,developersandthegamersplayingthegame.Ifyouareexperiencingaproblem,haveaquestionorjustanideaonhowtomakethegamebetter,postamessagethere.Gotohttp://www.matrixgames.comandclickontheForumshyperlink.

1.6. NEEDHELP?Thebestway tocontactus if youarehavingaproblemwithoneofourgames is throughourHelpDesk. OurHelpDeskhasFAQsaswellasadedicatedsupport staff thatanswerquestionswithin24hours,MondaythroughFriday.SupportquestionssentinonSaturdayandSundaymaywait48hoursforareply.YoucangettoourHelpDeskbygoingtohttp://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk.

1.7. WELCOMETOARMADA2526!Greetings, Commander.Welcome toArmada 2526.Armada 2526 is a game of epic spaceconquestcombiningturn-basedstrategywithreal-timetacticalcombat.Armada2526placesyou, the player, in the role of the leader of a space-faring civilization.You are taskedwithensuringthesurvivalofyourcivilizationanditseventualvictorythroughdiplomatic,economicandmilitarymeans..Youcancurrentlyplayinsingleplayermodeorhotseatwithotherplayers.Thegameisorganizedintotwodifferentmodes:

h Aturn-basedstrategicmodewhereplayerscancreateandmanagecolonies,createanddeployfleets,conductnegotiationswithotherraces,researchpowerfulnewtechnologies,andmore.

h Arealtimebattlemodewhereplayerswagewaragainsttheirenemiesin3D.Here,theplayerwillcommandafleetofstarshipsbuiltandmaneuveredtothebattlefieldviathestrategicmode.Theoutcomeofthesebattleswillimpactthestrategicsituationintheturn-basedmode.

Armada 2526 requires you to be both a prudent planner and a courageous leader to bevictorious.Ageneralwhocanbestanyopponentinbattlebutwhocan’tplanwillultimatelyfallvictimtologisticsandunrest.Aprudentplannerwhocannotadequatelyleadhisforcestovictoryatthecrucialpointwillseehisbest-laidplanslaidtowaste.

Don’tworry;therewillbeplentyofhelptogeteventhenovicegamerconqueringgalaxiesinnotime.Anddon’tforgetdiplomacy–astrongallyandsomediplomaticgoodwillcansaveeventheveteranplayerinapinch!

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1.8. HOWTOWINThemethodsbywhichaplayercanachievevictoryvarywidelydependingonthetypeofplayerandtheparticularracetheplayerisleading.Firstoff,theplayer’sultimategoalistoclimbtothetopoftheracerankingandstaythereuntilthegameends.Generally,agamewillendwhenthepre-determinednumberofturnsisexpended–sotheplayerthatholdsthetoprankatthatpointwillbedeclaredthewinner.PlayerrankingisdeterminedbythenumberofVictoryPointseachplayerhas.Themorevictorypoints,thehighertheplayerisranked.

Thebestwaytogoaboutobtainingvictorypoints,however,variessubstantiallyfromracetorace.WhenselectingaraceinthegamecreationscreenstheVictoryPointsconditionswillbedisplayed.Notetheseclosely!Eachracewillhaveaspecialfocusthatgivesbonuses(orinonecase,penalties)inobtainingvictorypoints.SomeraceswillgetamultiplierbonusforGloriousVictories,TechnologicalAdvancement,PopulationHappiness,oravarietyofotherthings.

2. MAINMENU2.1. NEWGAMEClickontheNewGamebuttontobeginanewgameofArmada2526.TheNewGamescreenhastwoscenariostochoosefrom:theTutorialandTwelveRaces.Bothofthesescenariosareintendedtoteachtheplayerthebasicsofthegame.TheTutorialisaguidedtourthroughthemajorcomponentsofthegamewhiletheTwelveRacesscenariogivestheplayerachancetoruntheirownempirebutwithsomeassistance.ItisrecommendedthatnewplayersplayboththeTutorialandTwelveRacesscenariobeforeattempting larger,morecomplicatedCustomGames.

2.1.1. CUSTOMGAMEAtthebottomofthescreennexttotheOKbuttonistheCustomGamebutton.Clickingthisbuttonwill display theCreateCustomGamescreen. Fromhere theplayer canconfigureavarietyoffactorsforacustomgame.Configurablefactorsin

NumberofPlayers SpecifythenumberofplayersinthegameNumberofTurns Thenumberofturnseachplayerwillhaveto

climbtothetopofthepointrankingtowinDifficultyLevel ThelevelofAIdifficultyforthehumanplayersPlayerandRaceSelection Thislargeboxallowstheplayertoselectwhichrace

theywouldliketobeandalsoallowstheplayertoconfigurewhatotherraceswillbeincludedinthegame.IftheHotSeatboxischecked,multiplehumanplayerscanbecreated.

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Map BoththeTutorialandtheTwelveRacesscenarioshavepre-designedmapswhichcanbeusedinacustomgameaswell.Otherwisearandommapwillbegenerated.

StarDensity Thedensityatwhichstarswillbegeneratedinthemap.Thedensertheselectionthemorestarsthatwillbeavailable(andaccordinglymorehabitableplanets).

Size Thenumberofsquaresthatwillmakeupthegamemap.Smallermapsmeanlessspacetoexpandandgenerallymoreconflict,largermapstakelongertomakecontactwithotherplayersandgenerallymeanslowergameplay.

MapType Theoveralldesignofthemap:Uniformindicatesthatthedensityofstarswillbeuniformthroughoutthemap,densecenterconcentratesmoststarsinthecenterofthemapandverydensecenterdoesthesameexcepttoafurtherextent.

WidthandHeight Ifacustomsizemapisdesireditcanbecreatedhere.Notethatifcustomvaluesareinputted,thiswilloverwritetheselectioninthe“Size”box.

Important Note: Selecting a very large map may result in tedious gameplay, and selecting many players may result in long waits for A.I. players to perform their turns on slower systems, and may result in running out of memory on lower end systems. Players are advised to stick to small maps and a reasonable number of players until they are familiar with the game and the limits of their hardware.

2.1.2. TUTORIALClick on the Tutorial button to immediately begin the tutorial. We strongly recommendplayingthroughtheentiretutorial,especially ifyoudon’tplantoreadthroughtheentiremanualbeforeplaying.

2.1.3. LOADGAMEClickontheLoadGamebuttontoviewa listofpreviouslysavedgames.Fromthis list, theplayercanloadsavedgames.

2.1.4. OPTIONSTheOptionsmenuallowstheplayertomodifythegraphics,sound,andgamesettings.

GRAPHICSAdjust the five sliders in the Graphics Settings screen to determine video quality versusperformance.Bearinmindthathighergraphicalqualitysometimestranslatestoworsegame

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performancedependingonsystemspecifications.ClicktheDefaultbuttontoreturnallsettingstotheiroriginalvalues.

SOUNDAdjustthemastervolumeinadditiontoanumberofothertypesofsoundslikemusic,effects,andinterface.PlayerswithhighqualitysoundcardscanadjusttheSoundQualityforbettersound.Additionally,playerswithmultiplevideooutputoptionscanselectwhichSoundProvidertheydesire.ClicktheDefaultbuttontoreturnallsettingstotheiroriginalvalues.

GAMEAdjustavarietyofgameplaysettings

StarandBattleMapScrollRate AdjustthespeedatwhichtheWASDkeysormousewillscrollacrosseachrespectivemap.

AutoUnloadOptions Togglewhetherthecargooftransportshipswillautomaticallyunloadtheircargoattheirdestinationbycargotype(GroundUnits,Defences,Population).

NegotiationBalance Togglewhetherthebalanceofaparticulardealundernegotiationisdisplayed.Deactivatingthisoptionwillmakenegotiationsmoredifficulttojudgeandbalance.

FastFleetAnimation Togglewhetheranimationsplayedforfleetsmovingacrossthestarmaparefasttocutbackonwaitingtime.

MAPDESIGNERTheMapDesignerallowsplayerstocreatetheirowncustomscenariosandmaps.

CREDITSRollthecreditsbehindthedevelopmentandpublicationofArmada2526.

2.1.5. QUITClickontheQuitbuttontoexitArmada2526backtoWindows.

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3. TURN-BASEDSTRATEGICMODE

3.1. STARMAPTheStarMap is themainscreen fromwhich thestrategicmode isplayed.Theplayercanmoveships,buildandmanagecolonies,andmuchmorefromthisscreen.Althoughthereareancillaryscreensinadditiontothisoneforthestrategicportionofthegame,thevastmajorityoftimewillbespentmakingdecisionshere.

3.1.1. INTERFACEOVERVIEW

ThisisthemainscreenoftheStarMap.Noticethevariousinterfaceaidsontheedgesofthescreen.

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A Minimap–SeeBelowB StarSystems–ThesearethemaincomponentsoftheStarMap.Mousing

overastarwilldisplayabriefdescriptionofthesystem.Ifyoucontrolthesystemandhaveacolony,thatinformationwillbedisplayedalongwiththepopulationofthecolony.Ifyoudonotcontrolthestaryouwillseeabriefdescriptionofitalongwithsomerelevantinformationsuchasthelikelihoodoflifeexistingthereorthepossibilityofvaluableminerals.Doubleclickingonastaryouownwillbringupthecolonymanagementscreen.

C ZoomView–TheZoomViewgivestheplayeranenhancedviewofwhateversquaretheyaremousingover.Whenmousingoverstars,theplayercanlearnadditionaldetailsaboutthestarliketheconditionoftheplanetsthere,thenumberoffleetsthere,andmore.

D TurnDisplay–Theturndisplaybothindicatesthenumberofturnsplayedandithousestheendturnbutton.

E ControlConsole–ThecontrolconsolehousesthebuttonstoaccesstheancillaryStarMapscreensliketheTechnologyScreenandDiplomacyScreen.Thisscreencanbeclosedbyclickingthewhitearrowpointingtoit,locatedjusttotheleftoftheorbdisplayingtheplayer’sracesymbol.

F TechnologyScreen–ClickingthisbuttonwillopenuptheTechnologyScreen.MoreinformationonthetechnologyscreenisavailableatSection3.5.

G DiplomacyScreen-ClickingthisbuttonwillopenuptheDiplomacyScreen.MoreinformationonthetechnologyscreenisavailableatSection3.4.

H ReportsScreen-ClickingthisbuttonwillopenuptheReportsScreen.MoreinformationonthetechnologyscreenisavailableatSection3.3.

I CurrentTreasury–Thisnumberindicatestheamountofmoneyintheplayer’streasury.

J ListView–Thisboxlistsalloftheships,colonies,oreventsdependingonwhichfilterisactivated.Thelistviewisveryusefulintrackingthestatusofeverythinggoingoninalargeempire.

K ViewColonies–SeebelowL ViewFleets-SeebelowM ViewMessages-SeebelowN Advisor-SeebelowO MouseoverHelp–NearlyeveryiconandbuttonintheStarMap

isnamedbymousingtoandremainingoverit.Toberemindedwhataspecificbuttondoes,simplyleavethecursoroverthebuttonforafewsecondsanditsnamewillappear.

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3.1.2. MINIMAPTheminimapallows theplayer to quickly navigate across theexpansivegalaxywhile alsodisplayingmajorfeaturesofthegalaxylikegascloudsandstars.Theminimapalsoincludestwotoolbarswithseveralbuttons:

A Showtheregionsofthestarmapthatcurrentscanningtechnologyattheplayer’scoloniesallowstobescanned.Asyourtechnologicalresearchprogresses,coloniescan build increasingly sophisticated scanning equipment to monitor activities indeepspace.

B Toggledisplayingthemovelimitsofships.Limitationsontechnologygenerallyleadtoamaximumrangeanyshipcantravel fromthecolony.Thisbuttonwill toggledisplayingthatrange.

C ToggledisplayingaboxgridovertheStarMap.Shipmovementistrackedviathisboxgridwhetheritisdisplayedornot.

D Toggledisplayingtheminimap.ClosingtheminimapwilloffermoreviewingspacefortheStarMapitself.

A Toggledisplayingstarsontheminimap.B Toggledisplayingcoloniesontheminimap.C Toggle displaying empires. When on, a special pattern

specific to each empire the player has discovered will beshownovertheminimap.

D Toggledisplayingwormholesontheminimap.

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3.1.3. LISTVIEWERThisboxlistsalloftheships,colonies,oreventsdependingonwhichfilterisactivated.Thelistviewisveryusefulintrackingthestatusofeverythinggoingoninalargeempire.

Clickingafleet,colonyormessageonthelistwillcenterthemaponthesquareforthatitem.Doubleclickingwillopenpanelforthatitem,ordisplayadditionalinformationdependingonthemessagetype.

3.1.4. VIEWCOLONIESClickingthisfilterwilldisplayallofthecoloniescurrentlyundertheplayer’scontrolandsomebasicinformationabouteachcolony.

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A Thesefouriconsalwaysappearatthetopofthecolonylist.Theyaresortingaidswhich,inorderfromlefttoright,sortbypopulation,income,shipproductionfree– meaning which colonies have space available for more ship production, andother production free – meaning which colonies have space available for moremiscellaneousproduction.

B Thecolony’spopulation.C Colonybuildingproductionstatus.Ifthisiconisshadedgrey,thecolonyisnotusing

anyofitsbuildingproductioncapacity,ifyellow,thecolonyisonlyusingpartofitscapacity,ifgreen,thecolonyisusingallofitsbuildingproductioncapacity.

D Colonyshipproductionstatus.Thisiconfollowsthesamecolorcodingasbuildingproduction(grey,yellowandgreen).

E Thesizeofthefleetpresentatthecolony.

3.1.5. VIEWFLEETSClicking this filter will display all of the fleets under the player’s control and some basicinformationabouteachfleet.

A Thesefour iconsalwaysappearat thetopof thefleets list.Theyaresortingaidswhich,inorderfromlefttoright,sortbynumberofshipsinthefleet,activefleets,fleetdestination,andfleetcombatpower.

B The top lineofeach fleet listeddisplays thenumberof ships in the fleetand itscurrentorderstatus.

C Thesecondlinedisplaysthelocationofthefleet.

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3.1.6. VIEWMESSAGESClickingthisfilterwilldisplayalloftheeventsthattookplacesinceendingthepreviousturn.Thislistisveryimportantforlargerempireswithalotgoingon.Thislistwilldisplayeverythingfromriotstoproductioncompletiontofleetmovement.

A Thetopofeachmessagealwaysdisplaystheeventwhichtookplace.

B Thebottom lineof themessagealwaysdisplaysthe locationatwhichtheeventtookplace.

C If theevent involvedachangeofstatusfor the production of a colony, the newstatus of the colony will appear. Inthe above image the Comet Mines atLyonesse have been completed and sotheproductioncapacityatthatcolonyisidle(denotedbythegreyproductioniconinthemessage).

3.1.7. ADVISORTheadvisorboxwillprovidetextboxescontainingcontextualhelpforavarietyofgameplayelements.

A OpenuptheSave/Load/Quitmenu.B ViewtheAdvisorhelphistoryorreadtheentirelistofAdvisortips.C Closethistiptextbox.D Donotdisplaythistypeoftipagain.E CentertheStarMaptothelocationmentionedinthetip.

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3.1.8. HOTKEYS

LeftClick SelectSquareLeftClickandDrag Onthemap,movesthemapRightClick MoveShips

DoubleClick OpenInfoPanel

DoubleRightClick MoveAllShips

F1 ShowControls

F2 Show/HideAdvisor

F12 MuteSound

Esc Load/Save/QuitMenu

ArrowKeys PanMapTip: Hold down the shift key to scroll faster

WASDKeys PanMap

Shift PanFaster

Home GotoHomeColony

R ReportsScreen

N DiplomacyScreen

T TechnologyScreen

F FinancialSummary

L LoadShips

U UnloadShips

Enter OpenTabPanel

C ToggleScannedArea

Ctrl+G ToggleGrid

F4 ShowConsole

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3.2. MOVINGFLEETS,EXPANDING,ANDATTACKING

Movingshipsandfoundingcoloniesarethetwomostintegralcomponentsofthegame.Newcoloniesarecreatedbysendingshipstoforeignstarsystemsandeverycolony’sprimarylineofdefenceisitsempire’sfleetwhichmustconstantlybeonthelookoutforthreats.

3.2.1. MOVINGFLEETSTomoveafleetfirstselectitslocationbyleftclickingonce.Tosetthefleet’sdestination,rightclickonthedesiredlocation.Ascreenwillpopupwhichwillallowfortheselectionofwhichshipsaretoembarkonthistripalongwithafewotheroptions:

A Selectalleligibleshipsforthetrip.B Leftclicktoaddorsubtractoneshipofthistype.C Rightclicktoaddorsubtractallshipsofthistype.D Numberofshipsofaparticularshiptypescheduledtomakethetrip.E Numberofeligibleshipsofaparticularshiptypeforthetrip.F Shiptype.G Thenumberoftimesatripwilltakeplaceinarow.Ifmorethanone,thegroup

ofshipswillautomaticallyreturntoitsstartingpointandthenrepeatthetrip.H Checkthisboxtorepeatthetripforeveroruntilmanuallytoldtostop.I Togglewhetherthisfleetwillserveasarallypointforallships

createdatitsoriginallocation.IfthefleetbeganitstripfromEarthandlandedonProxis,thenallsubsequentshipsproducedonEarthwouldfollowthefleettoProxis(oranysubsequentdestination).

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J Speedatwhichthefleetwilltravel.Afleetcanonlytravelasfastasitsslowestship.

K Toggleallowingtravelbywormholes.L Toggleallowingtravelbyunstablewormholes.M Loadcargoontotransportsorassaultships.N Offloadcargofromtransportsorassaultships.O Selectallshipseligibleforthetrip.P Closesthepanelanddoesn’tmoveanyships.Q Onceallsettingsareconfigured,hittheOKbuttontolaunchthetrip.

SHUTTLINGANDPATROLLINGYoucanorderafleettoperformamoveseveraltimes,orforever.Oneimportantuseforthisisformovingaroundlargeamountsofpopulation.Forinstance,supposeyouwanttomove20populationfromplanetXtoplanetY.LeftclickPlanetX,andrightclickPlanetYtoopentheshipselectionscreenintheusualway.ThenloadupyourTransportswithpopulation(orwhateveritemyou’dliketomove),andselectthenumbertomove.TheninboxGnearthebottomofthepanel,select4,andyour5transportswillmakethetrip4times,loadingmorepopulationeachtimetheyarrivebackatPlanetX.Youcanselectothershipstogowiththetransportasescorts.YoucanpatrolbetweenXandY in thesameway, justselectnontransportships.Cancelashuttleorderfromthefleettab,orjustbyorderingthemtodosomethingelse.

3.2.2. MOVELIMITSAllshipswhenfirststartingagamewillhaveamaximumrangethattheycantravelfromtheplayer’scolonies.ThismovelimitismarkedontheStarMapasadarkblueline.Thismeansthattheplayer’sshipscan’tjusttraveltoanysysteminthegalaxy,inordertoexpandone’sempireitmustbedoneslowlyandmethodically.

Technologycanaugmentandeventuallyovercomethisrangelimitationbutuntiltheappropriatetechnologiesarediscovered,playerscanincreasetherangetheirshipscantravelbycolonizingfurtherandfurtherfromtheirhomeworld.Asplayersfoundnewcolonies,therangelimitontheirshipsispusheddeeperintothegalaxybutonlyinthegeneralvicinityofthenewcolony.Forinstance,iftheplayeronlybuildscoloniesthatextenddownortotheleftoftheirhomeworld,theplayer’sabilitytotraveltostarsthatareupandtotherightoftheirhomeworldwillexpandverylittleornotatall.

Thereisalsoanadditionalsteprequiredtoexpandone’smovelimitwhencapturinganenemycolony.PlayerswillhavetobuildaRelayStationinthenewlyclaimedenemycolonybeforethemovelimitwillexpand.

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3.2.3. WORMHOLESWormholes are powerful and dangerous anomalies strewn about space that can grant theplayer passage to far corners of the galaxy very quickly. Wormholes are always in fixedlocationsaroundthegalaxy,buttodiscoverthemtheplayermusthavethetechnologytofindthemandascannerbuiltcloseenoughtoawormholetodetectit.Mostofthetime,wormholeswillallowtheplayeraccesstoaportionofthegalaxythattheirmovelimitpreventsthemfromgettingto.However,somewormholes,whileuseful,areveryunstablesothere’sachancetheplayercouldlosetheirentirefleetwhilemovingthroughthewormhole.

On the Star Map, stable wormholes look static and calm whereas unstable wormholesfrequentlyanderraticallychangeinsize.

3.2.4. FOUNDINGCOLONIESAllcoloniesarefoundedbyspecializedshipscalledArkShipswhichtransportpopulationandserveas the initial structure for thecolony.Thus,when foundinganewcolony, thecolonyship isconsumed.Thebasiccolonyshipwhenstartingascenariooutcanonlyserveasarudimentarystructureandcannotprovidemuchsupportinhostileenvironments,andsothenumberofstars thatcanbecolonized is limited toonlyveryhabitableandbarrenplanets.However,astheplayer’stechnologyprogressesnewandmorepowerfulArkShipswillallowtheplayertocolonizeavarietyofdifferentplanetsincludingirradiatedplanets,barrenplanets,evensystemswithoutplanets..

Tip: Rich systems have two or three small planets around the star. These systems give bonuses to tax and mining income and discounts on production. Poor systems with no orbiting planets are much more costly to develop and give penalties to income and production costs.

Tofoundacolony,firstmoveanArkShiptoaneligiblestarandthendoubleleftclickthestar.AboxwillappearlistingthefleetmakeupatthatstaralongwithabuttoncalledFoundColonyinthebottomleftcorner.NowleftclicktheFoundColonybuttonandanewcolonyisformed.

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3.2.5. ATTACKINGANDCONQUERINGENEMYCOLONIES

Anytimeaturnendswithfleetsfromtwodifferentracesin the same square there is a possibility for conflict(evenifthetworacesareallies).Thus,toattackanotherraceortoattempttoconqueracolony,theplayerneedsonlydirectafleettothedesiredenemycolonyandendtheturn.Conflictcanalsoarisewhensurprisecontactis made with another fleet. This can mean anotherrace’sfleethasarrivedattheplayer’scolonyorthattwoopposingfleetshavemetsomewhereinspacewhenintransit.Whensurprisecontacttakesplaceortheplayerends a turn in the same square as another race, theresolutionboxappears.

From the resolution box the player can ignore thecoexistence and continue with the turn resolutionorchoose todeclarewar (if thishasn’tbeendonesoalready) and resolve thebattle.Oncewar isdeclaredandabattle ispossible, theplayerwill thenhave theopportunitytofightthebattleontherealtime3Dbattlemaportoauto-resolvetheconflictandonlyseetheresults.Tworacesthatarealreadyatwarwithoneanothercannotignoreeachother’spresence;theymustalwaysfightwhenmakingcontact.

Tip: If you have several encounters with neutral players, but no battles, you can ignore them all by just closing the panel.

Toconqueranenemycolonytheplayerwillneedsuperiorityinbothspaceandgroundcombat.Whenengaginginabattleforanenemycolony,theplayerwillnotonlyneedtoachievespacesuperiority,buttheywillneedtoorchestrateawell-timedandcoordinatedstrikeontheplanet’sforcesanddefensiveemplacements.Iftheplayercanbothrouttheenemyfleetanddestroyalldefencesinthecolony,theplayerwillthenhaveconqueredthecolony.

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Thereareavarietyofthingsaplayercandowithaconqueredcolony:

Subjugate Takecontroloverthecolony.Exterminate Alargeportionofthepopulationwillbeexterminated.Devastate Thecolonywillberansackedandanythingofworth

willbetakenandsold.Thisishighlylucrativeandverydestructivetothecolony’sinfrastructure.

Contaminate Ifshipswhichcanspreadplaguearepresentintheplayer’sfleet,theywillbedeployedtoinfectthepopulationwithplague.Additionally,playerswhowishtoauto-resolvethebattleforthecolonybutstillwanttoinfecttheplanetcandosohereinsteadofintheRealTimeBattleMode.TheAIwillnevercarryoutacontaminationoperationwhenthebattleisresolvedautomatically.

Obliterate Ifshipswhichcanhurlasteroidsarepresentintheplayer’sfleet,anasteroidwillbeshotattheplanet,inflictingmassivedamagetoboththepopulationandthecolony’sstructures.Additionally,playerswhowishtoauto-resolvethebattleforthecolonybutstillwanttohurlanasteroidattheplanetcandosohereinsteadofintheRealTimeBattleMode.TheAIwillnevercarryoutanasteroidattackwhenthebattleisresolvedautomatically.

TakenoAction Donothingtothecolony.

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3.3. COLONYMANAGEMENTThecolonymanagementscreenallowstheplayertobuildnewstructures,constructnewships,managedifferentaspectsofgovernance,andviewtheoverallsituationinacolony.Coloniesprovidetheplayerwithincome,population,ships,defences,andmore.Althoughsomeracestonotrequirealarge,happypopulationinalloftheircolonies,strongandvibrantcitiesarethelifebloodofanysuccessfulempire.

3.3.1. INTERFACEOVERVIEWTheColonyManagementScreenisseparatedintothreetabs:Colony,Detail,andFleets.

COLONYTAB

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A Thesetwoarrowswillcyclethroughallcoloniesunderplayercontrol.B Thisbuttonwillallowtheplayertorenamethecolony.C Thissmalltableshowstheincomeandexpensesofthecolony.

Coloniesonresourcebarrenplanetswillhavemoretroublerunningpositivecashflowthancoloniesonrichplanets.

D Thisboxshowsthecurrentpopulation,themaximumpopulation,andthecolony’sgrowthrate.Atallgreenarrowmeansthatcurrentconditionsareconduciveforrapidgrowth.Goodgrowthconditionsincludelowtaxes,ahospitableplanet,etc.Ashortredarrowmeansthatthereareadverseconditionsforgrowthduetothingslikeunhappiness,hightaxes,plagues,etc.

E Thisboxdisplaysallthebuildingsbuiltinthecolony.Thebuildingsshownatthetopoftheboxareancillarystructuresandaddintrinsicvaluetothecolony(likeresearchpoints,incomeorpopulationhappiness).Thestructuresatthebottomoftheboxareproductionstructuresandcanactuallyproduceshipsormorestructures.(Seebelow.)Additionally,thesmallblackandwhiteiconatthetoprightcornerofthisboxallowsplayerstoscrapaselectedstructure.

F Thisboxdisplaysallofthedefencesavailabletotheplayerincaseofanenemyattack.Additionally,thesmallblackandwhiteiconatthetoprightcornerofthisboxallowsplayerstoscrapaselecteddefencecomponent.

G Thisboxdisplaysasummaryofallshipscurrentlystationedatthatcolony.H Thisboxdisplaysalloftheshipsorbuildings

currentlybeingconstructedatthiscolony.I Thesebuttonsallowtheplayertoloadoroffloadcargoonandofftransportships.J Thisbuttondeactivatesarallypointsetbyafleet.(Seesection3.2.1)K HavetheAIautomanagethecolony.(Seebelow.)L Setthetaxrateforthecolony.Bearinmindthathightaxeswillreduce

populationgrowthandunrestanditmaytakeanextendedperiodoftimetorecoveracolonyfromthenegativeeffectsofhightaxes.

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DETAILTABThe Detail Tab displays the deep details of a colony’s status. The cash flow of a colony,happinesscalculation,securitysituation,growthfactorsandinfectionsarealldetailedhere.

TheDetailsTabgivestheplayeronlyabottomlineindicationofacolony’sstatus,buttherearemanyfactorswhichgointothefinalcalculationsdisplayedintheDetailsTab:

Thefourfactorsgoverningtheoverallconditionofthepopulationinacolonyarehappiness,popularity,publicorder,andsecurity.Eachfactor isrelatedinmanywaystotheothersandwhenallfourofthesethingsreachalowenoughthresholdinacolony,riotingorevenfullonrebellioncanflareup.

Happiness–Happinessisamajorfactorindeterminingthegoverningpower’spopularityandacolony’spublicorder,whichisultimatelyhowwellthepopulationwillfunctionfromturntoturn.Acolony’shappinessislargelycontingentontheenvironmentoftheplanetthecolonyisin.Coloniesthatareoninhospitableplaceslikeirradiatedorbarrenplanetsarelesshappy

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thancoloniesfoundedinmorehospitableenvironments.Astechnologyadvances,theplayerwillhaveopportunitiestoartificiallyenhancetheenvironmentonaplanethroughterraforming.This,inturn,willincreasepopulationhappinessasterraformingchangesaplanet’senvironmentmoretoitspopulation’sliking.Advancesintechnologycanalsoharmhappinessintheformofheavyindustryandmining.Coloniesthathavealargeamountofheavyindustryormines,particularlycoremines,willbecomepollutedwhichwillreducehappinessevenonhospitableplanets.Ascoloniesgrowinsize,overpopulationwillincreasinglybecomeafactorinacolony’shappiness.Asacolony’spopulationapproaches70%capacityandaboveoverpopulationwillbegintonegativelyaffecthappiness.Thisnegativeeffectwillbecomeincreasinglysevereastheplanetreaches100%capacityatwhichpointitwillbeverydifficulttokeepapopulationhappyenoughtobefullyfunctional.

Popularity–Althoughsimilartohappiness,popularityisanotherdistinctfactorindetermininga colony’s happiness public order.As one might expect, generally unhappy populations donot find their leadersparticularlypopular.However,popularity iscalculatedbyanumberoffactorsthatarequitedifferentfromthefactorsthatdeterminehappiness.Perhapsthemostimportantfactorindeterminingpopularityiswhethertherulingpoweristhesameraceasitspopulation.Thepopulationofvanquishedcoloniesdonotgenerallyviewtheirconquerorsinaparticularlypositivelight,sotherulingpowerinanewlywoncolonywillhavetobecareful,especially when they first take control of the foreign colony.Tax rates are also a factor indeterminingpopularity.Taxingcoloniescanbecomeastubbornenemyofpopularitybecausecolonypopulationsapplya“memoryfactor”totheirtaxrate.Iftaxesareraisedandkepthighforalongtime,naturallytherulingpower’spopularitywilldeclineasaresult.However,quicklyloweringtaxeswillnotimmediatelysolvetheproblemasapopulationwillremainangryoverthepreviouslyhightaxrateforsometimeafterwards.Athirdimportantfactorindeterminingpopularity istherulingpower’sbureaucracylevel.Asarace’sempiregrowsinsize(i.e.thenumberofplanetstheycontrol),theirbureaucracygrowswithit.Largeempireswillfindthattheirbureaucracycanbecomebloatedinwhichcasearulingpower’spopularitywillsuffer.Asempiresbecomemassive,thebureaucracyfactorwillmakemaintaininghugenumbersofcoloniesadifficultaffair.

Security–Security ismuch like the last lineofdefence forpublicorder in theevent thatacolonybecomesdeeplyunhappyand its leadershipegregiouslyunpopular.Givenenoughsecurity,evenanenragedandrambunctiouscolonycanbekeptorderlyforatime.Thedegreetowhichsecuritycanaffectpublicorderisbasedontheamountofsecurityforcespresentinthecolony.Marinesandtanksareahelpfulpresencetomaintainpublicorder,asareorbitingshipswithhighgroundattackvalues.Inaddition,securitycenterscanofferacheapandquickwaytoincreasesecurityinforeigncolonieswhererecruitingmarinesisn’tanoption.

PublicOrder–Publicorderdetermineshowwellacolonyfunctionsonadailybasis.Unhappycoloniescanstillfunctionatfullefficiencyaslongaspublicorderremainssteady.However,iftherulingpower’spopularitydropslowenoughandthereisn’tenoughsecuritypresent,acolony’spublicorderwilldegrade.Ifthesituationcontinuestodeteriorate,thesituationinacolonycanworsenfromgeneralunrest,torioting(whichinterfereswithproductionandoutput

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at the colony), to full on rebellionwhere the controllingpower is expelled from the colonyaltogether.

FLEETSTABTheFleetsTabdisplaysindetailallshipspresentatthiscolony.Rightclicktheshipiconfordetailsonthatshiptype.Youmaycancelordersformovingfleetsandscrapshipsfromfleetsatyourcolonyhere.

3.3.2. STRUCTURESANDPRODUCTIONThestructures inacolonyarewhatmake it valuable.Although technology is important forbuildingadvancedstructures,acolonywillalsoneedalargepopulationofworkstostaffthevariousfacilities.

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Structurescanbeclassifiedintotwobasictypes:productionstructureswhichcanbuildmorebuildingsorships;andancillarystructureswhichenhancethecolony’svalueinavarietyofways.

PRODUCTIONSTRUCTURESThereareonlytwoproductionstructures:industryanddockyards.Industrystructuresarethebackboneofeverycolonybecausetheybuildliterallyeverystructureontheplanet.Theycanevenbuildadditionalindustrystructurestoincreasethespeedatwhichthecolonyexpandsitsinfrastructure.Industrystructuresstartoutassmallworkshopsbutcanbeupgradedintoindustrial behemoths capable of putting together massive structures with huge bonuses.Dockyards function in much the same way. Multiple dockyards can be constructed andafter the initialstageofconstructingadockyardtheycanbeupgraded intomassiveorbitalmetropoliseswheremegacapitalshipsarebuilt.

Tobuildnewstructures,clickonanindustrystructure(generallyayellowandsilverbuildingwithsmokestacks).Aproductionmenuwillappearbelowitandallstructureseligibletobebuiltwillbelistedhere.Leftclickonastructuretoaddittotheproductionqueue.Notethattheiconofthestructurewillshowupontheproductionqueue.Tocancelbuildingthestructure,rightclick the iconneedingcancellationon theproductionqueue.Shipscanbebuilt in theexactsamewaybyclickingonadockyardorcancelledbyselectingthedockyardandthemrightclickingtheshipontheproductionqueue.

ANCILLARYSTRUCTURESUnlikeproductionstructures,ancillarystructuresdonotbringupanyadditionalmenuswhenclickednordo theyproducenewconcrete items. Instead,ancillarystructuresaugment theworthandusefulnessofone’scolonyinvariousways.Someofthewaysancillarystructureshelpcoloniesinclude:

h Increaseincome(miningfacilities)h Increaseresearchoutput(researchfacilitiesandlabs)h Increasepopulationhappiness(entertainmentfacilities)h Increasepublicorder(securityHQs)h Increasedefence(missilesilos,shieldgenerators)

Tip: Asteroid Mines give a discount to constructing ships but can only be built in systems with asteroid belts.

Muchlikeproductionstructures,ancillarystructurescanbeupgradedasacolonygrowsinpopulationandtechnologyadvances.

3.3.3. DEFENCESThereareavarietyofdefensivestructuresavailable to theplayer,especiallyas technologyadvances.Overall,defencesareacrucialcomponent to frontiercoloniesthatmaybesmall

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butarestrategically important. Luckily, somedefensivestructures likemissile siloscanbeuprootedfromtheirplanetoforiginandrelocatedtoanotherplanet.Somedefensivestructuresavailabletotheplayerastimegoesoninclude:

Shieldgenerators–Thesegeneratorswillprotectgroundunitsfromenemyshipslookingtosoftenthemupfromorbit.

OrbitalPlatforms–Thesefloatingweaponsdeckswillmaketroubleforshipsthatget tooclosetoaplanet.Someof themoreadvancedOrbitalPlatformscaneventradeblowswithcapitalships.

Missile Silos –These weapons positions will fire massive rockets at any enemy ships inrange,helpingfriendlyshipswithslow,butheavyfire.

Additionally, offensive units can be used as defence in a pinch. Tanks and marines areparticularly useful against enemy soldiers, but a colony will also automatically train militiaunitswhichcanbecalleduponintheeventofaninvasion.Thenumberofmilitiaunitsavailabletotheplayerisproportionaltothesizeofthepopulationinthatcolony.

Another vital function tanks and marines play is in quelling unrest in conquered colonies.Generallywhenconqueringcoloniesthatwerefoundedandexpandedbyanotherrace,unrestwillbeparticularlyhighespeciallywhenfirstoccupyingthecolony.HavingahealthysupplyofMarinesonthegroundcangoalongwayinpreventingriotinganddissent.

Tip: Marines are a more cost effective means of suppressing public discontent than security centers, but security centers are quicker to build, and, unlike marines, can be built on conquered planets.

3.3.4. AUTOMANAGEWiththepossibilityofplayinginmassivegalaxieswithdozensofstars,itisalsopossibletohave hundreds of colonies in an empire. For players who do not want to manage severalhundredorevenseveraldozencoloniesatonce,theAutoManagefeatureallowsthemtosetgeneraldirectivesforanAImanagerandthenleavethecolonytoitself.

Apart from toggling whether or not to have a colony auto managed, the player can alsostipulatewhethertheAImanagercanbuilddefences,groundunits,ships,andstructures.The

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playercanalsosetthegeneralgoalofthecolonywhichtheautomanageAIwillintelligentlystrivefor.AplayercanasktheAItopursueabalanceddevelopmenttrack,improveincome,improvedefences,orimprovetheoffensivemilitarycapabilitiesofthecolony.Additionally,theplayercanalsosetthetaxrateforthecolony.

3.4.REPORTSThereportsscreendisplaysimportantinformationaboutboththeplayer’sraceandtheotherracesvyingforvictory.Apartfromdisplayingtheplayer’svictorypointrankrelativetoallotheropponents, the player can use the Charts tab to gather detailed information about who ispowerfulandwheretheyareconcentratingtheirpower.

3.4.1. PLAYERSUMMARYThePlayerSummarytabprovidesanoverviewoftheracetheplayeriscurrentlyplayingasinadditiontotheiroverallrankinthegameandthenumberofvictorypointstheyhaveearned.The victorypoint boxalso shows theplayerhowmany victorypoints they’vewon in eachvictorycondition.

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3.4.2. CHARTSThe Charts tab provides comprehensive data on both the player’s performance and theperformanceoftheplayer’sopponents.Datacanbedisplayedinline,stacked,orhistogramchartanddatawhichcanbedisplayedrangesfrompopulationhappinesstoexpendituretoenemyunitsdestroyedandmore.Additionally,thereareavarietyofracefilteroptionssotheplayercanviewstatisticsforonlyallies,enemies,toprankedplayersandmore.

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3.4.3. FINANCE

TheFinancetabdisplaystheoverallcashflowfortheplayer’srace.Theplayercanviewtheprojectedcashflowforthenextturn,thecashflowfromthepreviousturnandthesummaryofcashflowforthewholegame.Additionally,theplayercansettheautomanageAI’soverallspendingphilosophy.ThissettingwillaffectallcoloniesthataremanagedbytheAIandtheplayercanchoosewhethertheAIshouldspendallofthemoneyinthetreasuryinthepursuitoftheirdirectives,noneatall,oranywhereinbetween.

3.5. DIPLOMACYEven thestrongestempirecouldusea few friendswhendisasterstrikes,butdiplomacy ismorethansimplydeclaringwhoisanallyoranenemy.Anagilestatesmancanobtainriches,advanced research,andevenshipsorcolonies throughcarefullybuilding relationshipsandwiselynegotiating.

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3.5.1. DIPLOMACYOVERVIEWSCREEN

Apart fromknowingwho towelcomeandwho toattack, it isalso important toknowwhatotherracesaredoingtoo.TheDiplomacyOverviewscreendisplaysalltheracestheplayerhasencounteredandtheircurrentalignmentsorwars.Clickingonthetabletineachraces’boxwillopenupalistofthecurrentagreementstheplayerhaswiththatrace.Byclickingtheiconofthetwoindividualscommunicating,theplayercanopenupanewnegotiationwiththatracethenegotiationscreenwillappear.

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3.5.2. NEGOTIATIONSCREENTheNegotiationscreenisthemainwaytheplayerinterfaceswithotherraces.Fromheretheplayercanrequestorgiveavarietyofassetsinanefforttofurthertheirultimategoalswiththatparticularrace.Theformatofanegotiationunfoldsinstages.First,thepartywhichinitiatedthenegotiationsmakesanoffer.Thesecondpartycanthenaccepttheoffer,makeacounteroffer,orrejectthenotionalltogetherandendthenegotiation.Inthecaseofacounteroffer,thefirstpartynowhastheoptiontoaccept,counteroffer,orrejectandthenegotiationcontinuesinthisformatuntilaresolution.Mostamiablenegotiationscontinueuntilbothsidesarereasonablyhappywiththattheyaregetting.

Itisgenerallyconsideredrudeandhostiletoflatoutrejectaproposalandoffernoefforttotrytoreachanaccord.Whileafewinstancesofstonewallingnegotiationsaren’tnecessarilybad,tworacesthatnevercommunicatewillnotbuildaverystrongrelationshipandcanveryeasilycollapseintowar.

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Tip: If another player has a building such as a trade mission or relay station on your colony, they can spy on you and see full details of your defences.

Additionally, it isnotalwayswisetotrytogetthebetteroftheotherparty inanegotiation.Friendly relationships sometimesdemand lopsideddeals to keep the relationships friendly.Playerswhoalwaysseektotiptheofferbalanceintheirfavormaygainmuchinnegotiationsbuttheywillnotgainstrongallies.

A Theitemstheplayerwishestooffertotheopposingside.B Theitemstheplayerisdemandingfromtheopposingside.C Thedialogueresponseoftheopposingside.D Thecurrenttermsofthenegotiation.Thesechange

asoffersandcounteroffersaremade.E Giveordemandanitemasagift(i.e.noreciprocatingitemfromtheotherside).F Asktheotherpartytoagreeasaspecialfavor.Insomecases

allieswithacloserelationshipcanaskextraordinarythingsoftheirfriendsand,asaspecialfavor,getthem.

G Threatentroubleiftheotherpartydoesnotacceptthetermsofthedeal.H Declarewarontheotherpartyiftheydonotacceptthetermsofthedeal.

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I Thebalanceoftheoffer.Dependingonwhateachsideisgettinginthedeal,theoffermayfavoronesideortheother.

J Viewtheexistingagreementsbetweenthetwopartiesinthenegotiation.K Asktheotherpartytheiropinionofanotherrace.

3.6. TECHNOLOGYTo remain competitive with one’s adversaries, the player must constantly be developinganddeployingnewtechnologies.Therighttechnologicalbreakthroughattherighttimecanchangethecourseofthegamesoplayersshouldalwaysdedicateasubstantialportionoftheirresourcestocreatingandupgradingresearchlabs.

3.6.1. RESEARCHResearchisdividedinto7differentfieldseachwithspecificprojectsthatcanbeselectedforfocus.Eachprojecthasanumberinthetoprightcornerwhichindicateshowmanyturnsitwilltaketocompleteresearchontheprojectandtoreceivethebenefitsfromthenewtechnology.Thenumberinthetoprightcornerisdynamicallycalculatedbasedontheamountofresourcesdedicatedtothatparticularfieldofresearch.

Theamountofresourcesavailableforeachfield isdependentonanumberofthings:First,genericresearchlabscontributeafewoverallresourcepointstoallfields.Theseoverallpoints

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canbeallocatedtodifferentfieldsbyusingthesliderbarslocatedattheedgeofeachfield’sresearchbox.Eachsliderbar representsa roughpercentage thateach fieldwill receive ingenericresearchpoints.Second,specializedlabs,orevenmorespecializedresearch“centers,”canbebuiltatlargercolonieswhichcontributealargeamountofresourcepointstothespecificfieldtheplayerspecializedthefacilityin.Thus,playerscanconcentratetheireffortsonspecificfieldsofresearchbyreassigningseveralgenericresearchcentersintothedesiredfields.Tobuildaspecializedresearchlab,playersmustfirstbuildagenericlab.Then,whenthecolonyislargeenough,agenericlabcandevelopaspecialty.Later,asthecolonybecomesverylarge,specializedlabscanbefurtherupgradedtocontributeevenmoreresourcepointstotheirfield.

Additionally,thebuttonthebottomleftcorneroftheResearchscreenwilldisplaythetechnologybrowser.TheTechnologyBrowserdisplays the technology tree foreach fieldof research inadditiontowhichtechnologiestheplayerhasalreadyresearched,cancurrentlyresearch,oriswaitingtounlock.TheTechnologyBrowserishelpfulinplanninganoverallresearchstrategysincetherearemanydifferenttechnologiesbutonlyafiniteamountofresourcesavailableforeachfield.Byrightclickingonanyoftheprojecticonsadescriptionoftheprojectwillappear.

SKUNKWORKSTheeighthfielddisplayedintheResearchscreenisnotagroupoftechnologiesbutratheraspecialteamofbrilliantresearchersthatcanputtheirmindstoanyoftheothersevenfields

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withastoundingeffectiveness.Inessence,anyresourcepointsdedicatedtowardsSkunkworksarethrownblindlyatsupergeniuseswhoonlyrevealwhat theyareworkingon justastheproject iscoming to fruition.Theupside to this is that theSkunkworks teamcancompleteresearchprojectsmuchfasterthantheircolleagueswhohaveknowledgeofonlyonefield.

Playerswhodon’tmindbeingkeptinthedarkuntiltheclosingstagesofaproject,butwanttotrytogetalegupontheiropponentstechnologicallyshouldtrytheirluckatSkunkworks.Skunkworkscangiveplayersanadvantageinaspecificfieldforabriefwindowoftimeduetohowquicklytheycanresearchaproject.Monitorthisteamcloselythough,theydon’tcareifanotherfieldisalsoresearchingthesameprojectwhiletheyare.It’sverypossiblethattheSkunkworksteamrevealsthattheyareworkingonthesamethingasaspecializedteaminwhichcasetheeffortsofoneofthesetwogroupswillbewasted.

4. REALTIMEBATTLEMODE

RealTimeBattleModeiswheretherubbermeetstheroad(orratherwheretheCruiserhullmeets thenebula).When two fleetsmeet in combat,RealTimeBattleModewill allow thesuperiortacticiantoseizetheupperhandstrategicallybyaffectingavictoryinbattle.Battlesindeepspacearesimpleenough,thesidethattakesthefieldordestroystheenemywins.Whenacolonyisatstake,thecombatantsmustwagetwowarsatonce:oneinspaceandoneonthesurfaceoftheplanetinquestion.Theattackerhastheaddedchallengeoforchestratingalandinvasionwhileunderfirefrombothenemyforcesinspaceandanydefencesontheground.

AlthoughthestrategicportionofArmada2526willprobablyrequiremoretimeandattention,BattleModeisoftentheexcitingand(hopefully)gratifyingculminationofcarefullylaidstrategicplans!

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4.1. INTERFACEOVERVIEWTheBattleModeinterfaceiscomprisedoftwocomponents:theactualbattleinterfaceandtheAdvisorinterface.TheAdvisorinterfacefunctionsexactlythesameasintheStarMap.

A Start/EndBattle-Usethisbuttontostartthebattlewhenindeploymentmodeor,whenthemainbattlehasended,allowtheAItomopuptheendofabattleincompressedtime.

B TurboMode–Holdthisbuttondowntospeeduptime.

C Pause–Usethisbuttontopausethebattle.Ordercanstillbeissuedtounitswhenthebattleispaused.

D Time–Theamountoftimeremaininginthebattle.E ForceList–Thelistandnumberofships

intheplayer’sfleetandtheirgrouping.F Sorting–Foursortingoptionswhichare(fromright

toleft):sortbylefttoright,sortbytoptobottom,sortbyshiptype,andsortbyselectionkey.

G GroupUnits–Combingmultipleshipsintothesamegroup.

H AIControl–GivethefriendlyAIcontrolovertheselectedgroupofships.

I Retreat–Theselectedunitwillretreatthroughthenearesthyperspaceportal.

J LaunchSpecialOperation–Theselectedunitwilllaunchaspecialoperationitiscapableofdoingsuchasdeployinggroundforces,infectingaplanetwithplague,etc.

K Increase/DecreaseLines–Increaseordecreasethenumberoflinesthegroupformationconsistsof.

L Open/CloseSpacing–Makethegroupformationtighterorlooser.

M Formation–Choosethetypeofformationthegroupwilloperatein.

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4.2.SPACECOMBATIn large battles, before battle begins, the playerwill have the ability to deploy their forceswithinacertaindeploymentarea.Insmallbattlesthebattlebeginsrightaway,butyoucanhitthepausebuttontomakeadjustmentsatthestart.Althoughtheareaisn’texplicitlyoutlined,playersgenerallymustkeeptheirshipsinthevicinityofthesideonwhichtheyenteredthebattlefrom.Tomoveunitsinthedeploymentphase,leftclicktoselectagroupofunitsandthenrightclickthelocationtheunitsaretoberedeployedto.Ifyouright-clickandholddownthebutton,youcanusethemousetochangetheorientationofthenewformationaswellasitslocation.Theplayercanalsoalterotheraspectsoftheireachsquadronofshipslikeshipgrouping,formations,andspacing.Whenallforceshavebeendeployedinadesirableway,theplayercanthenclicktheStartBattlebuttoninthebottomrightcornerofthescreen.Right-clickingonanenemygroupwilltellyourgrouptotargetit.Youcannottargetindividualenemyships,onlygroups.

Atthispointtherealtimebattlewillbegin,thetimerwillstarttocountdown,andtheenemywillbegin tocloseontheplayer’sposition.Theplayercanorder theirunits tomoveby leftclickingonagroupand then right clickingadestination for theunit tomove to.Unitswillautomaticallyfiretheirweaponsatenemiesinrange.Shipswithmultipletypesofweaponswillchoosethebesttoolforthejobandautomaticallymanagewhatordinancetouse.

Asshipstakedamagetheirshieldswillgofrominvisibletoanincreasinglydarkershadeofpurple.Themorepurpleandvisibleashipsshield, thecloser it is to failure.Whenaship’sshieldfailsitonlyneedsminimaldamagetobecompletelydestroyed.Shieldscanrecovertofullstrengthovertime.

4.2.1. FORMATIONSThe player has a variety of formation options to choose from to custom tune their fleet.Formationsareusefulinhoningstrategiesforparticulargroupsofships.Forinstance,someformationsaremoreconducivetosurvivingunderheavyfireinthecenterofbattle,whereasotherformationsaremorevulnerabletoattackbutcanconcentratealargeamountoffirepower.

LineAbreast–Thisisthedefaultformationforallshipgroups.It isasimple lineacross thebattlefield.Theadvantageof thisformationisthatitallowsforaconcentrationoffirepowerfromallshipsinthegroup.Thedisadvantageisthatitalsoleavesallshipsintheformationequallyvulnerabletoenemyfire.

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Caracole–When in thecaracole formation, shipswill formaverticalringandcontinuallyrotatearound.Theadvantageofthisisthattheenemycannotconcentrate itsfireonanyoneshipand any damage from shooting at ships in a caracole will bespreadoutovertheentiregroup.Eachofyourshipsinturnfiresfrom the same point, and if the enemy is not in a circulatingformation,most likelyatthesameenemyship. It isoftenbestwhenseveralcaracolesareusedsidebyside,asitallowsalotof firepower tobeconcentrated. Ifused individually,enemy inlinecanconcentratetheirfireonfrontship.Thedisadvantagetothisformationisthatonlyoneshipintheformationcanfireattheenemyatanyonetime.Thisformationisbestforveryfastbutweakships.Circle–This formation functionsmuch likeacaracoleexceptthat the ring formed is horizontal (or on the plane of thebattlefield).Alsolikethecaracole,shipsinthisformationrotatewhichspreadsdamageevenacrossallshipsbut italso limitsthe firepower of thegroup.The circle is primarily a defensiveformation.

Apart fromaformationtype,player’scanalsospecify thespacingofunits inagroup.Likeformations,shipspacinghelps fine tune groups to meet specific strategic goals.Groups with tight spacing can concentrate their fire ontargetsmuchmoreeffectively,butarevulnerabletomissileattacks which do splash damage. Concordantly, loosespacingprotectsagainstsplashdamagebutdiminishesthegroup’sfirepowerconcentration.

Inaddition,playerscanspecifythenumberoflinesagroupwill consist of when in the Line Abreast formation. Thisoptionallowsplayers tokeepshipswith lotsof firepowerandrangebutweakdefencestowardstherearofthebattlewhilekeepingthestrongandagileshipsdesignedforthefrontlinesinharmsway.Inaddition,multiplelinesofshipscan provide flank security if the player anticipates theenemyattemptingtoflanktheplayer’sshipline.

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4.2.2. RETREATINGAnyunitcanretreatatanytime,butinmostcasesanentirefleetwillretreatwhenthebattleisclearlylost.Whenaunitorentirefleetisgiventheordertoretreat,threehyperspacegateswillformattherearofthesidetheretreatingforcestartedthebattleon.Thesethreehyperspacegatesaretheonlymethodofescapefortheroutedforces.Intheeventofalargenumberofshipsretreatingatonce,abottleneckcaneasilyformleavingtheshipsintheretreatqueuevulnerable.Forthisreasonit isgenerallyagoodideatoorchestrateacontrolledandslowretreatfromthebattlefieldratherthanamassexodus.Theenemycaninflictheavycasualtiesinthedashforthehyperspacegatessoitisimportanttomonitorthetideofbattlecarefullyandanticipatedefeatsoone’sforcesstillhaveenoughstrengthandtimetowithdraweffectively.Similarly,aplayerwhocananticipatedefeatingtheirenemycantakestepstocapitalizeontheirinevitablewithdrawalandinflictmaximumdamageastheenemywaitstousethehyperspacegates.

4.3.GROUNDCOMBATTofirstinitiategroundcombat,theattackingplayerwillneedtoloadassaultshipswithmarinesandtanksbeforethebattle.Althoughtransportscanmovemarinesfromplacetoplace,theycannotserveasassaultcraftandsoanymarinesloadedontotransportsforthebattlecannotbeused.Atanypointinthebattle,theattackercanselectanassaultshiploadedwithgroundforcesthenpresstheLaunchGroundUnitsbutton.AtthispointthefriendlyAIwilltakeovercommandoftheshipandbeginalandingoperation.Timingisimportanthere.Assaultshipsarenotalwayswelldefendedandtheyarevulnerableforafewmomentswhentheyaredroppingtheirmarinesandtanks.Whilenotrequired,itisgenerallywisetowaituntiltheattackingfleethassuperiorityintheskiesaboveoratleastanadvantageinbattle.However,groundforcesarealsothemosteffectivewaytotakeoutground-baseddefenses,sosometimesitmaybebettertocommitthemearly.

Issuingorderstounitsandcarryingoutthebattletakesplaceinthesamewayasspacecombat:leftclicktoselectagroupofunitsandrightclicktomovethem.Alsolikespacecombat,groundunitswillautomaticallyengageenemyforcesthatareinrange.Oneimportantfactortokeepinmindforgroundcombatisthatalthoughmilitia,marines,andtankscan’ttakepartinthebattleforspaceabovethem,sometypesofspaceshipscanattackgroundunits.Asaresult,someassaultandsupportshipscanprovidefiresupportfortheirgroundunitswhichcanbeincreasinglypowerfulshouldsuperiorityinspacebeachieved.Apartfromengagingothermilitia,marines,andtanks,theattackinggroundforcecanalsodestroydefensivestructureslikemissilesilostoaidinthespacebattleabove.

Iftheattackercansuccessfullydestroyalldefendingforcesontheplanet’ssurfaceandconquerthespacearoundtheplanet,theywillbevictoriousandtheplanetwillbeattheirmercy.Iftheattackerdoesnotdestroyallthesurfacedefencesbutwinsthespacebattle,theywillhaveanumberofoptionstodecidethefateofthecolonybuttheywillnotbeabletooccupyit.

Giventhecircumstancesofbattlestakingplaceonaplanetsurface,thereisnoretreatfortheattackingordefendingforcessobothsidesmustfighttothedeath.

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4.4.HOTKEYLeftClick SelectGroup

DoubleClick SelectSingleUnit

RightClick Move/Attack

F1 ShowControls

F2 Show/HideAdvisorEnter UnitInformation

Esc AIFinishBattle

PorPause Pause

F8 ToggleTurboMode

ArrowKeys PanMap

WASDKeys PanMap

Shift PanFaster

Home CenterView

F5 UnitEyeView

F6 OrbitUnitView

MiddleMoueButton MouseLook

G GroupItems

Ctrl+Click AddtoSelection

Shift+DoubleClick SelectAllofType

0-9 SelectNumberedGroup

Shift+0-9 AssignGroupNumber

Ctrl+C CircleFormation

Ctrl+V CaracoleFormation

Ctrl+B LineAbreastFormation

Alt+1-4 SetNumberofLines

Alt+C CloseSpacing

Alt+L LooseSpacing

Alt+O OpenSpacing

Ctrl+I SetAItoControlGroup

Ctrl+R Retreat

Ctrl+L Launch

Ctrl+A SelectAll

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5. CREDITSNTRONIUM

SHININGPIXELSTUDIOSPRODUCTIONR.T.Smith

DESIGNANDPROGRAMMINGR.T.Smith

ARTTheerasakNathasiriKunlapopLaikramApichaiKasikulawatran

MUSICANDSOUNDEFFECTSBrianBarsdaandothers

BETATESTERSDiogoGomesArminOttoLeonardE.OppieHarveyBernsteinJustinLovingerRon‘Rilbur’LuggeFlemmingLeichtMadsenNic“Noxious”QuijanoCarstenDennisAndersenRafalJakubowicz

IRRKLANGSOUNDLIBRARY

MATRIXGAMESEXECUTIVEPRODUCERDavidHeath

ASSOCIATEPRODUCERErikRutinsArtDirectorMarcvonMartial–basedPerProject

BOXLAYOUTMarcvonMartial

MANUALDESIGNANDLAYOUTMarcvonMartial

PUBLICRELATIONS&MARKETINGSeanDrummy

PRODUCTIONASSISTANTAndrewLoveridge

ADMINISTRATIONLizStoltz

DISTRIBUTORSALESMANAGERRossJepson

BUSINESSDEVELOPMENTMANAGERKarlisRutins,LanceStoltz

SERIOUSGAMESPROJECTMANAGERShaunWallace,DavidHeath

CUSTOMERSUPPORTSTAFFDanielHeath,AlexFiedler,AndrewWilliams

FORUMADMINISTRATIONAndrewWilliams,MarcvonMartial,ErikRutins,DavidHeath,PaulVebber

WEB-DATABASEDESIGN&DEVELOPMENTAlexFiedler

NETWORKANDSYSTEMADMINISTRATORMikeVahan

NETWORK&PCSUPPORTRonDuquesnel

QUALITYASSURANCELEADErikRutins

VERYSPECIALTHANKSRonTedesco,DebraPugh,ReneeSchoenfelder,MartiNagy,BobLippman,ThomasHeath,YvonneHeath.

MATRIXNEXGENAlexanderRutins,DavidVebber,MeganVebber,AndrewHeath,NicholasHeath,ShaneHeath,AustinStoltz,NoahStoltz,CameronEckenfels,HannahEckenfels,HeidiFiedler,KaiCloerandErikConkling

OURSTRENGTHWethankGodforgivingustheabilityandstrengthtocompletethisprojectandfollowourdream.Wewouldalsoliketothankourfamiliesandfriendsforgivingustheirnon-stoploveandsupportduringthisproject.

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