VS Manual: 10. Tutorial Table of Contents

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10. Tutorial

10.1 First Arrival

AFTER your first solo flight in your own ship, you arrive at a small Bio-Diverse planet, named Wiley. Stepping onto the planet with a sigh of relief, your first thoughts are of going in search of some rest and recreation. Then you’ll see what the universe has to offer, next!

After loading Vega Strike, the first screen to appear in front of you will be the Concourse for the Bio Diverse Planet, Wiley. Notice, in the centre is your ship. It is resting on the Landing Pad. Located around your ship are various access points to the remaining locations within the base. Use your mouse to scroll around your screen. At certain locations, you will notice writing appearing at the base of the screen. This writing informs you of an access point, and which base-location it will lead you to. Alternatively, click your RMB. This will take you immediately to each point, in sequence.

The Bar

A greater hive of villainy, danger and iniquity there never was, than the local bar!

Locate the Bar. When the access point is highlighted, and its name appears at the bottom of your screen, click the LMB. This activates the location, so that the Bar will appear as the new interactive screen. Here, you can always chat to the bartender to get the latest information, gameplay hints and gossip. Highlight the bartender, and click the LMB. A conversation will appear at the top your screen. Repeated LMB clicking will trigger various conversation options.

News

No civilization exists within a silent void. Whether passed on as gossip, town crier, old-fashioned print or the most modern of holo-vid casts, news of what’s happening around the universe is always welcomed...

Above the bar is a holo-vid screen. Highlight and click on it using the LMB. This takes you to the News Screen. Since we have only just started the game, there has yet been no news. At a later date, accessing this screen will let you see the latest news happening all around the known universe. Click the Done button with the LMB to exit the screen and return to the Bar.

Occasionally, fixers will appear in the Bar, usually seated in the foreground of the screen, at a table. Fixers make available various missions, equipment or knowledge for playing Vega Strike. If you see a fixer, highlight the fixer and click the LMB. The fixer will discuss whatever it is that concerns him or her - and, should they offer you a choice, a decision menu will appear. For now, select No.

Locate the Bar’s exit, and click on it with your LMB. We now arrive back at the Concourse.

Mission Computer

“Well, I’ve had a drink, so what’s a pilot do for fun around here??”

From the Concourse, locate and enter the Mission Computer using the same process you used to enter the Bar. Anything look familiar? We’re back at the News Screen. But, there is one difference: at the top of the screen are two buttons, News and Missions. The News button accesses the News Screen, and the Missions button accesses the Mission Screen. Click on the Missions button using the LMB.

You are now in the Missions Screen. From here, you can review the basic missions that are available. While fixers offer more dangerous and interesting (as well as more lucrative) missions, they are often few and far between. Missions Screen missions are more standard in nature (but not necessarily less dangerous!), and provide less of a reward. Click on one of the green categories using your LMB. The category will expand to show the available missions of that type. Highlight one of them and click the LMB. Notice, the details of the mission appear in the right-hand portion of the screen. If you were to accept a mission, you would click on the Accept button using your LMB. We’re not quite ready for missions, yet, so we’ll leave the Mission Computer and return to the Concourse. Click on the Done button using your LMB.

Cargo Computer

“If I want to get anywhere in this universe, it’s going to take money - and lots of it!!”

The simplest way to make money is to trade cargo - buy low, sell high! To do this, you need to access the Cargo Computer. Notice, that at the top of the screen it tells you what type of base you are on (e.g. Wiley is a Bio Diverse Planet). Underneath that it tells you that you have 13,500 credits to spend, and 500 cargo spaces to fill. Your aim here is to obtain as much low priced cargo as you can afford and fit in your cargo bay. The types of cargoes that you can buy are organized by category, and have many subcategories.

A Bio Diverse Planet is typically a rural type of planet - big on producing natural products such as food, timber and other renewable resources. As such, let’s select the Natural Products category. You will see a drop-down list of subcategories. Food, Liquor, Natural Resources and/or Plants appear as categories that you can choose from. Don’t be worried if one or more of these doesn’t appear, as not all places produce the same goods, a lot of the time.

Let’s look and see what types of Food are produced at Wiley. The Food subcategory opens out to show various types of cargo, colored in white. This means that we have both room in our cargo bay to fit the cargo, as well as credits to buy them. If this weren’t the case, they would be colored red, and wouldn’t be purchasable. Highlight the first cargo-item that appears under Food. Notice, that three buttons have appeared in the centre of the screen: Buy, Buy 10 and Buy 1. These buttons let you buy (respectively) all the available cargo, ten (10) units of the cargo, or one (1) unit of the cargo. Press the Buy button. Notice, how the cargo disappears from the left-hand pane, and appears in the right-hand pane screen. Similarly, your credits and cargo space have diminished. You have now purchased the cargo. If you wanted to sell the cargo, you could highlight it in the right-hand pane, and click the Sell button.

Repeat the above sequence, and purchase as much Food cargo as you can. Most likely, you will have credits and room to spare. If there are no more of that cargo available, move on to the next subcategory, and purchase what you can from there.

When you can no longer buy anymore Natural Products (due to a lack of credits, lack of cargo room or no more cargo being available), click on the Save/Load button. This takes you to the In-Game Menu. From here you can exit the game, save your game or reload a previous saved-game. Highlight your pilot’s name, and click on the Save button with the LMB. If anything unplanned-for happens later, we can always return to the save-game, and start over from there.

Click on Done with your LMB, and exit back into the Concourse.

Weapons Room

“Fireworks! Lots and lots of fireworks!!”

Our last point of call before leaving Wiley is the Weapons Room. If you want to repair, upgrade or change a ship, this is the place to do it from. In the Weapons Room, locate and access the Upgrade Computer. This computer is operated in a similar manner as the Cargo Computer. Feel free to have a look around at the different upgrades available. Since you used up all your credits buying cargo, you probably can’t afford anything here. After a cargo run or two, you should hopefully have enough credits to afford some sort of an upgrade for your ship. For now, just note the layout of the screen. On the right-hand side are all the upgrades currently equipped on your ship. If you get into trouble, at least you’ll have something to fight back with!

10.2 Your First Cargo Run

“Well, that was a nice, peaceful interlude. Wiley isn’t so bad, but I’m not the type of person who’s happy, covered in dirt and dust unless it’s from a spaceport. I’ve got wanderlust, and a whole universe to indulge it with!”

Note: it is suggested that the player read Chapter 8 before continuing.

Return to the Concourse and locate your ship. Click on your ship with your LMB to initiate the launch sequence.

After lift-off, your screen will be replaced with the Heads-Up Display (HUD). On top of that will be a large box: the Map Screen. Use SHIFT + M to hide the Map Screen. Later, you will need to use the Map Screen to find your way around Space. For now, though, you should be looking out your front viewport.

Press T to cycle through your available targets. Notice, that the Right Video Display Unit (VDU) will change to display your current target. In your HUD, a gray box may also appear around a distant object, with a corresponding ‘+’ in your detection array (the circles at the bottom of the screen). The ‘+’ sign and the gray box represent your current target. This might be a destination, point of interest or spacecraft. Keep pressing the T key until the Mining Base, Plainfield, is targeted. Press the 2 key to lock onto the base. Using your mouse, keyboard or joystick, re-orient your ship so that the gray box surrounding your target is in the centre of your screen.

Now that you’re pointed in the right direction, you’ll want to make your way to your destination. Press the = or KP + keys to increase your velocity. Two indicators above the detection array will increase in value, starting at zero (0). These indicators represent your set-velocity and your current velocity. Repeatedly pressing (or holding down) the = or KP + keys will increase your set-velocity until it reaches its maximum value. Alternately, you can press the \ key. Your ship will then increase in speed until it reaches this value.

It doesn’t feel like you’re getting anywhere, does it? This is because space is vast! Under normal propulsion, it could take you months to reach your destination. In Vega Strike, however, the SPEC drive can be used to speed up interplanetary travel.

Press the A key to activate your SPEC drive. Notice, that the number below your current velocity indicator increases from one (1) to a larger number. This number represents the factor by which your SPEC drive magnifies your current velocity. The stars will begin streaking by; and, if there are no nearby gravity-wells, you can travel at tremendous speeds. Leave the drive on for now. Shortly, you will notice that you are approaching Plainfield. The distance indicator in the Right VDU will begin decreasing. Your shields will also disappear. This is a disadvantage of using a SPEC drive. As a result, it is advised that you not engage your SPEC drive if there are enemies nearby.

As you approach Plainfield, the SPEC indicator will decrease in number, and star-streaking will cease. This means you are approaching a gravity-well. You will also notice a haze surrounding your target. This is an asteroid field! Exercise caution whenever entering an asteroid field, as a collision with an asteroid can destroy your ship. Remember also, that, since you have used your SPEC drive, your shields are probably deactivated. Before entering the asteroid field, press the A key again to deactivate your SPEC drive and give your shields a chance to regenerate. Then, continue your approach under normal power. You should also consider entering the asteroid field at less than full-velocity. This will reduce any damage due to an accidental collision with an asteroid.

As you maneuver closer to Plainfield, you will begin to see it appearing in your HUD. It is common courtesy to hail a base and request permission to dock before attempting to land. Press the 0 key while the base is targeted to request docking clearance. As you approach the base, three green or red boxes will appear somewhere on Plainfield’s hull. These boxes indicate the base’s docking clamps. Carefully approach one of these boxes, and, as you get closer, press the D key to activate the docking procedure.

Once docked, your HUD will be replaced with the base’s Landing Pad. Using what you learned in Tutorial 1, access the Cargo Computer, and sell your cargo. Don’t forget to save your game! When you’re done, your cargo bay should be empty, and you should have more credits than you started with.

Congratulations! You have made your first cargo run!

10.3 Making Some More Money

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Using my head, I bought some cargo, moved it where it needed to go, and sold it - making some money in the process!! I’m going to need more of it, though. I’ve got lots of cargo space, and I don’t want pirates getting their hands on any of MY cargo.”

Obviously, you’re going to need more money than what you made on your first cargo run. Repeat the steps in Tutorial 2. Buy cargo at low prices, and sell them at high prices. The key is to find out what cargoes will make the most money. This depends on the base you’re buying from, as well as the base you sell to. Knowledge of this comes from experience, and landing at different bases.

As a hint, we recommend buying Raw Materials (such as gems), and transporting them to Bio-Diverse Planets. For your second cargo run, take what gems you can buy at the Mining Base, and transport them to the Bio-Diverse Planet, Dakar. (Don’t go back to Wiley until your fourth run. This gives it time to generate more Natural Products.) At Dakar, buy Natural Products and take them to the Mining Base, Serenity. At Serenity, buy Raw Materials and take them to Wiley. What I’ve outlined, so far, is a pretty good circuit to begin with. It will allow you to build up some credits.

As you make your way around the circuit, don’t forget to upgrade your ship! Adding weapons, shields, armor, reactor capacity, as well as various other upgrades, will improve your ship to a point where it can defend itself. It is a balancing act - spending credits on upgrades, as opposed to buying more cargo and making even more credits - but, eventually, someone will notice you moving around the system, making money. And, you’ll have to face them in a confrontation when this happens!

10.4 Combat

“It just had to happen... Some nosy pirate - an interfering Luddite, or worse - had to muscle in on my money-making. What’s a pilot to do?”

It is suggested that the player read Chapter 9 before continuing.

So, are you going to panic, or go in with guns blazing? Usually, you’ll realize that you are about to engage in combat when the music tempo changes. Another indication of impending battle is the missile-lock light. It will begin to flicker in your HUD when an enemy is locking on to you. Either way, you’ve got to do something about it.

Once you’ve become aware of any hostile opponents in your vicinity, press the H key. This will target the nearest hostile ship. Re-orient your ship until you are facing your target. While doing this, switch your Left VDU to the Weapons Display using the M key. Cycle through your available guns using the G key. Similarly, use the W key to cycle through your missiles. When you are happy with your weapon load-out, you may fire your gun using the Space key, and your missile using the Enter or KP Enter keys.

Set your attack velocity to 800 - a reasonable speed, but not too fast. If you are head-to-head with your opponent, or on your opponent’s tail, your aiming reticule (the circle and cross in the centre of the HUD) should lie directly over your opponent. Otherwise, you’ll want to aim slightly in front of your opponent, so that it flies into your weapon-fire (this is called, “leading your target”). Expect your opponent to try to evade your fire.

Note, that the Right VDU shows your opponent surrounded by its shields. As you fire upon your opponent, its shields will steadily reduce to nil. Further hits on your opponent will cause damage to its armor, and, finally, to its critical components. The ship’s icon in the Right VDU will redden as your opponent takes more and more damage.

In the meantime, keep an eye on your own shields in the bottom-left corner of the HUD. Remember that your opponent is trying to do the same thing to you. Combat, therefore, involves attempting to reduce your opponent’s shields and armor, and evading your opponent’s returning fire.

Eventually, one ship will defeat the other. At this point, press the H key to cycle to your next-closest opponent. Destroy each ship until there are none left. It is recommended that you destroy your very first opponent before engaging any others. This ensures that your first opponent does not have time to regenerate its shields. Since ALL of your opponents will be attacking you at once, time is of the essence.

If you have completed the battle, and there are no opponents left, then congratulations! You have survived your first battle! Now, assess your damage. It may be that you need to repair your ship. If so, dock at the closest base or planet. Proceed to the Upgrades Screen, and purchase the Basic Repair item. You may also need to replace various ship-components. Do so now, if you can afford it. Remember to replace any missiles used - you never know when you’ll need them next!

10.5 What Next?

This ends this series of tutorials. You should now have learned the basics on how to move about a base, navigate the stars and defend yourself in combat. Continue on and make some more credits, purchase upgrades or even change your ship. When you have credits to spare, go see Jenek at Wiley. He’ll have a jump-drive to sell. Buy it off of him. Then, feel free to journey to the stars!


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