# Star Fighter 3000 Pilot's Manual

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## - Flight Control & Weapon Systems -

### The Predator Mk-IV : Flight & Control

The ship you will be flying for most of the missions is the Predator Mk IV standard issue combat fighter. The Predator is fitted with two FedEng hyper drive thrusters with built in gyroscopic stabilising units. These can be upgraded to provide better acceleration and faster turning speed.

To further assist the ship's turning capabilities there are also stabilising wings on either side of the ship engines. These are designed to use the ship's aerodynamic properties to increase the turning speed where the atmosphere is dense enough. Consequently the turning power of your ship is reduced when you are at high altitude or the atmosphere of the planet is thin. However as air friction is reduced your ship will be able to attain higher velocities.

The standard ship's engines and control power have 6 upgrades available. Fednet combat research suggest that engine power is more useful when the atmosphere is dense (eg. Earth, Ice Planets etc.) and the control rate more useful for planets with a thinner or no atmosphere (eg. Deathstars etc.)

When your ship is turning there is a reduction in speed which can be used to your advantage to slow down quickly by rolling with the engines off. This speed reduction can also be a disadvantage to you if you are being attacked by ground fire, it's best to keep moving in these situations.

### Defence Systems :

The most important defences are your shields which have 7 upgrades available. The shields are slowly replenished by the ship's CFG (Central Fusion Generator), however if you are docked with the mother ship your shields will be charged at a higher rate.

ECMs (Electronic Counter Measures) are your only other defences. Known to the troops as the ADD (Annoyed Duck Device), these work by sending a high frequency energy wave from your ship destroying all missiles in the immediate area. ECMs require very high quantities of power to be activated and consequently drain a small amount of energy from your shields banks.

'The best form of defence is attack!', quote from Ohlan Farn's best selling paperback, 'Star Fighter Pilot - Man or Mouse ?'.

### Attack Systems :

The Predator can be fitted with a wide selection of weapons including Lasers, Air to Ground missiles (A-T-G), Air to Air missiles (A-T-A) and a selection of currently classified super weapons.

Laser Cannons have 7 upgrades available which will increase the number of beams fitted and the destructive power of each beam.

A-T-G missiles, when selected, will highlight the currently locked onto object with green outline. Once fired they will identify and home into the most vulnerable point. A-T-A missiles highlight the currently locked onto ship in red.

Note - Missiles only have a certain amount of fuel and will detonate if they don't reach their target within a certain time.

In addition, when using missiles on ground guns, satellites or large star cruisers, there is a possibility that the missiles will be shot down by the laser fire. It is good combat practice to try and draw the laser fire away after you have fired missiles at these targets.

### Taking Flak :

When your ship is hit by laser fire the power surge generated can temporarily jolt the gyroscopic stabilising units causing the ship to roll. This effect can be more dramatic when hit by missiles or crashing into objects.

If your shields are critical and you take a hit, the C.C.S. (Central Control System) may shut down in order to route all available power to charging the shield banks. Whilst the C.C.S. is down, the ship is very hard to control and very vulnerable. With the damage critical there is a possibility that further hits might damage your engines, control or shield banks or cause a total system overload destroying your ship, doing you serious injury in the process.

### Docking :

The Fednet mothership will accompany you on most missions. If there are any enemy fighters in the area the mother ship will attack, but cannot deviate from its pre set flightpath. It's also necessary that you are docked before you can purchase any ship upgrades.

The docking bay is situated to the rear of the ship and uses the FedEng matter tractor beam to help secure safer docking.

It's a good idea to follow the mothership slowly and wait until it's on straight level flight before attempting to dock. Do not attempt to dock too quickly or at a steep angle as this might prove fatal.

Note: During dock, any enemy fighters that you were engaged in combat with will automatically attack the mothership.

On entering the docking bay the camera will change to an internal view of the mothership and all pilots controls will be overridden. To initialise the launch sequence when docked engage your thrusters and you will be automatically released from the tractor beam.

### Flying Other Ships :

FedEng are responsible for manufacturing over 70% of the known fighters in the universe and on certain missions you will have the opportunity to fly new ships as they are developed, or customised versions of the Predator. It is important that you read the mission brief to get an idea of what these ships are capable of.

### Bonus Coins and Parachutes :

When you destroy a ground object or a ship, bonus coins will be left in its place for you to collect. These bonuses consist of cash awards, extra missiles or extra lives. There is also the occasional 'damage' coin thrown in by Fednet master control, to keep you on your toes; these coins will instantly drain all your power if collected.

Strategic command will occasionally drop parachutes into the combat arena and you will receive the message 'Parachute Drop Detected'. Parachutes are marked on the map and if you are quick to respond you can collect yourself a mystery prize.

`END OF PILOT BRIEFING
GOOD LUCK`

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