Conquest - A Game of Galactic Domination
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The original 4X (EXplore, EXpand, EXploit, EXterminate) game.


Win32 Console version 1.2.0


NB: this manual blatantly plagarised from Amiga v1.0 'instructions.txt' file
by Bob Shimbo.



1.0 Introduction

    In this game, you control an interstellar empire.  You will decide
which star systems to explore, which planets to colonize, whether to spend
resources on technology, industrial development, or more combat ships.
The relative sucess of your empire depends upon your decisions.  The
computer will be directing its own empire and will be competing with you
for the best planets. Whichever of you has the greatest population at the
end of the game, will be the winner.

   At any prompt, an 'H' command will list all possibilities for that
context.



2.0 Starting out

2.1 Balanced Start

  By default, the game generates a balanced map. Each quadrant of the map,
top-left, top-right, bottom-left and bottom-right, will have 6 stars and 200
population capacity worth of planets.

  Players will be placed at a star at least 6 ly from all other players. The
star will have at least 1 planet with 60 pop capacity. A fleet of 1 cruiser,
2 scouts and 35 transports will be in orbit.

2.2 'Classic' Start

  If you start conquest with the '-c' parameter, you will get the 'classic'
setup. 21 stars and an unknown number of planets will be distributed randomly
across the map.

  You will be asked to select a starting star system.

   You start out with 35 transports (full of population) and 30 industrial
units (IU's) to spend.  You initially can only buy ships or invest in
technology.

2.3   Ships

   There are 4 types of ships within this game.  They are listed below
along with their cost in IU's :

      Name      Cost    Special characteristics
   ----------------------------------------------------------------
      Battlestar  75    Weapon factor 40
      Cruiser     16    Weapon factor 7
      Scout        6    Has unlimited range.
      Transport    1    Transport 1 unit of population.

2.4   Technology

   You can also invest in improving your technology.  There are three
different area which can be improved :

      Name        Description
   -----------------------------------------------------------------
      Velocity    This determines the number of units any ship can move
                  in a turn.
      Range       This determines the number of units a ship may traverse
                  without stopping at a star system.
      Weapon      This determines the effectiveness of weapons on ships or
                  missile bases.  The total weapon factor of a taskforce or
                  planetary defense system is added up and multiplied by
                  this level.

The amount of IU's necessary to advance to the next level varies and is
displayed in the research summary.



3.0 Game turn

   The game is divided into 100 turns (maximum).  Each turn, several things
happen.  These are as follows.

3.1   Movement

   Any task forces which have a destination are moved toward it by an
amount determined by the level of velocity technology.

3.2   Exploration

   If any task forces arrive at a star system not previously explored by
the player, it must be explored.  Exploration involves some risk.  Some
ships may be destroyed during the exploration.  The chance of this
happening depends on the type of ships in the task force.  The "best"
ship will determine the exploration risk. (i.e. a task force with a
crusier and transports is at lower risk than a task force with just
transports).

3.3   Combat

   If any task force arrive at a star system where the computer has a task
force, the forces fight till one or the other withdraws or is destroyed.
The relative chances of each task force is determined by adding the weapons
factor of all ships in the task force multiplied by the current level of
weapons research.

   If any task force arrives at a star system where the computer has a
colony, the task force may elect to try to conquer the colony.  If the
planet attacked has missile bases, the battle will be resolved in the same
manner as task force combat.

3.4   Orders

   The commands possible at this point are as follows:

3.4.1    Blasting planets

   If a planet is in your control (either uninhabited, captured, or
colonized) you may have the warships in the taskforce fire at the planet.
This will eliminate some or all of the population of the planet and
permanently reduce the population the planet can support.

3.4.2    Colony summary

   This will display a summary of the colonies currently under your control.
The display has the following format.

      Example                    Description

   G4:60(46,/49)        1amb     Star system G, planet 4, population limit
                                 60, current population 46, current
                                 industrial production 49, one advanced
                                 missile base present.

3.4.3    Taskforce destination

   This will target the specified taskforce on a particular star.  The star
must be within the range limitation specified by the range research level.

3.4.4    Go on

   This will end this turn.  All orders issued will take effect.

3.4.5    Join taskforces

   This command allows two or more taskforces to be combined into one.

3.4.6    Land transports

   If a taskforce contains any transports, and if it is in a star system
with a planet which can support more population, the player can land
transports on the planet and establish or enlarge a colony there.

3.4.7    Redraw maps

   This command causes the screen to be redrawn.

3.4.8    New taskforce

   This command allows a taskforce to be split in two.

3.4.9    Quit

   This command will terminate the game.

3.4.10   Research summary

   This command will update and display the current research levels.

3.4.11   Star summary

   This command will display a summary for the requested star systems.  The
display has the following format :
                  Example                       Comments

                  ----- star N -----            Star system designator
                  TFa         1c                Task force a - 1 crusier
                   1:10 No colony               Planet 1 - no colony
                   4:60(46/49)         1amb     Planet 4
                                                60 population limit
                                                46 population units
                                                49 industrial units
                                                1 advanced missile base

3.4.12   Taskforce summary

   This command will display a summary of the requested taskforces.  This
display has the following format.

      Example

   TFa:N( 1, 4)         1c
   TFb: ( 1, 5)      1s       R7
   TFc: ( 2, 4)      1s       M1

   Line#    Description
    1       Task force a, location star system N, coordinate (1, 4),
            contains one crusier.
    2       Task force b, coordinate (1, 5), contains one scout,
            destination star system R, arrives in 7 turns.
    3       Task force c, coordinate (2, 4), contains one scout,
            destination star system M, arrives in 1 turn.



4.0 Production turn

   Every four game turns, each planet delivers its industrial production.
This production can be spent on a number of different things.  The command
line for this mode has the following format.

      Example                 Description

    63?                       63 IU's remain to be spent for this planet
G4:60(60,/63)        1amb     Star system G, planet 4, population limit 60,
                              current population 60, industrial production
                              63, one advanced missile base present.

As you spend IU's, the amount remaining will be reduced.  If you buy
missile bases or invest in industrial production, the colony line will
reflect the change.  If you purchase ships, a task force will be created
and displayed below the colony line.  If you spend IU's on research, those
research categories will be updated.



5.0 Ending the game

   There are 3 different ways to end the game.

5.1   Quitting

   You can quit at any orders prompt.  If you do, the current total
populations will be displayed and the computer will declare itself the
winner no matter which of you is ahead. (After all, it didn't quit).

5.2   Overwhelm an opponent

   If at any point during the game, you or the computer has greater than
eight times the population that the other has, the game is ended and the
larger population is declared as the winner.

5.3   100 turns

   At the end of 100 game turns, the larger population is declared the
winner.
