Battlecruiser 3000AD 2.0 Walkthrough :
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Walkthrough - FAQv1.01, 6 February 2005 __ __ ___ ___ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ | '. | '. | || | | | | '. | '. | '. | | | | | | '. | '. | '. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | : | | | | | |_ | | | | : | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |__.' |_|_| |_| |_| |___| '.__| '.__| |_|_| '.__| |_| '.__| '.__| |_|_| 3 0 0 0 A D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Battlecruiser 3000AD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============================================================================== CONTENTS ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Preface ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 1.1 Credits and Legal - 1.2 Version - 1.3 Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 2.1 What is the game? - 2.2 Who developed Battlecruiser 3000AD? - 2.3 What are the minimum requirements? - 2.4 What different versions are there? How can I tell what version I have? - 2.5 Where can I get the game, patches and manual? - 2.6 Why so many versions? Did it really take ten years to develop? Tell me some history... - 2.7 What about the flame war? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Tutorial ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 3.1 Introduction - 3.2 Interface familiarisation - 3.3 Basic navigation and flight - 3.4 Logistics - 3.5 Basic combat - 3.6 Fleet operations - 3.7 Shuttles and cargo - 3.8 Trading - 3.9 Planetary operations - 3.10 Station capture ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Gameplay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4.1 Flight - 4.1.1 Is there a map showing all flux field links? - 4.1.2 Are there any hidden planets? - 4.1.3 Can I automatically plot a route via flux fields? - 4.1.4 Why am I stuck in space? How do I leave nullspace? - 4.1.5 How much fuel is used by hyperspace jumps? - 4.1.6 I ran out of fuel and have lost control of my ship. What can I do? - 4.1.7 Do afterburners and retrorockets use extra fuel? - 4.1.8 How do I orbit a planet? What's ORBSCAN? - 4.1.9 Can I stop my autopilot bumping into other ships? 4.2 Space Operations - 4.2.1 Why can't I manually aim turrets upwards? - 4.2.2 Can I completely destroy stations and ODSs? - 4.2.3 What does the Minelay order do? - 4.2.4 Do AI ships break the speed limit? - 4.2.5 Can I capture enemy ships? Can I beam troops onto them? - 4.2.6 Why does Fleet Command and Control not work? - 4.2.7 When using Fleet Command and Control I ordered a ship to return to a station. Why can I not re-launch it? 4.3 Crew and Support Craft - 4.3.1 How can I stop intruders stealing shuttles and interceptors? - 4.3.2 What does the airlock do? - 4.3.3 How do I raise crew AI level? - 4.3.4 Why don't my crew stay off-duty when I tell them to rest? - 4.3.5 Why won't my crew leave the galley? - 4.3.6 Why don't the deploy and collect orders work when issued from the Tactical Launch Menu? - 4.3.7 Why does my shuttle not deploy the ATV? - 4.3.8 How do I replace a destroyed mining drone? - 4.3.9 Can I buy a new ship? - 4.3.10 How do I recover a support craft that is so damaged it cannot move? - 4.3.11 Why do support craft not recharge? - 4.3.12 How do I switch between interceptor pilot seats? 4.4 Cargo and Trade - 4.4.1 How do I find things in Debris Fields? - 4.4.2 Can I sell or hide illegal items? - 4.4.3 How are trade prices calculated? - 4.4.4 How do I steal cargo or artifacts? - 4.4.5 Can I unload all my mining drones whilst in station? 4.5 Planetary Operations - 4.5.1 Why do my Battlecruiser's sensors not work correctly close to the surface? - 4.5.2 Where are the starbases? - 4.5.3 Can I dock at starbases? - 4.5.4 How can I move a waypoint which has been placed below ground? - 4.5.5 Why don't my OTS weapons hit? - 4.5.6 How can I assure I make planet-fall on the light side of the planet? 4.6 Other - 4.6.1 Can I communicate with other races? - 4.6.2 Why does the game start on the 4th April? - 4.6.3 Can violations be cleared? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Techniques and Strategies ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 5.1 Fast flight - 5.2 Remote piloting - 5.3 Battlecruiser or Interceptors...? - 5.4 Battlecruiser combat - 5.5 Destroying capital ships - 5.6 Interceptor combat - 5.7 Starstation attack - 5.8 Ground attack - 5.9 Mining - 5.10 Trading - 5.11 Salvage - 5.12 Crew - 5.13 Advancing time - 5.14 Upgrades ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Advanced Campaign ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.1 Introduction - 6.1.1 Terminology and campaign structure - 6.1.2 Objectives and rewards - 6.1.3 Artifacts and upgrades - 6.1.4 The AI problem - 6.1.5 General notes 6.2 TOD1 M1/5 - Diplomatic Escort (Majoris) - 6.2.1 Overview - 6.2.2 Events - 6.2.3 Artifact: Hyperion Subspace Device - 6.2.4 Strategy 6.3 TOD1 M2/5 - Diplomatic Security (Majoris) - 6.3.1 Overview - 6.3.2 Events - 6.3.3 Strategy 6.4 TOD1 M3/5 - Diplomatic Escort (Majoris) - 6.4.1 Overview - 6.4.2 Events - 6.4.3 Strategy 6.5 TOD1 M4/5 - Operation Hostile Takeover (Zerin) - 6.5.1 Overview - 6.5.2 Events - 6.5.3 Strategy - 6.5.4 Fleet Command and Control 6.6 TOD1 M5/5 - Operation Grab (DaisyMae) - 6.5.1 Overview - 6.5.2 Events - 6.5.3 Strategy - 6.5.4 Artifact: Tacyon Anagram Shield - 6.5.5 Artifact: Celestial Orb 6.7 TOD2 M1/5 - Tactical Operation (Empirian Raiders) - 6.7.1 Overview - 6.7.2 Events - 6.7.3 Strategy 6.8 TOD2 M2/5 - Evacuation (Starball) - 6.8.1 Overview - 6.8.2 Events - 6.8.3 Strategy - 6.8.4 Why does the Vagrant not appear? 6.9 TOD2 M3/5 - Hostage Rescue (Pixan) - 6.9.1 Overview - 6.9.2 Events - 6.9.3 Strategy 6.10 TOD2 M4/5 - Operation Star Strike (Sygan) - 6.10.1 Overview - 6.10.2 Events - 6.10.3 Why didn't I get Fleet Command and Control? - 6.10.4 Strategy 6.11 TOD2 M5/5 - Operation Ghosthunt (Reingard) - 6.11.1 Overview - 6.11.2 Events - 6.11.3 Strategy - 6.11.4 Artifact: Enhanced Nav Module 6.12 TOD3 M1/5 - Planetary Strike (Moon) - 6.12.1 Overview - 6.12.2 Events - 6.12.3 Strategy 6.13 TOD3 M2/5 - Search and Destroy (Covert Fleet) - 6.13.1 Overview - 6.13.2 Events - 6.13.3 Strategy - 6.13.4 Artifact: Karanian Mark IV Reactor 6.14 TOD3 M3/5 - Tactical Strike (Antis) - 6.14.1 Overview - 6.14.2 Events - 6.14.3 Strategy - 6.14.4 Artifact: Trans-Matrix Cloaking Device 6.15 TOD3 M4/5 - Defense Shield (Starpath) - 6.15.1 Overview - 6.15.2 Events - 6.15.3 Strategy 6.16 TOD3 M5/5 - Tactical Escort (Falkerie) - 6.16.1 Overview - 6.16.2 Events - 6.16.3 Strategy - 6.16.4 Artifact: Phased Array Ion Disruptor - 6.16.5 Artifact: Just Another Cyborg 6.17 TOD4 M1/1 - Tactical Strike (Gammulan) - 6.17.1 Overview - 6.17.2 Events - 6.17.3 Strategy - 6.17.4 Artifacts: RANDOM and RANDOM Decoder - 6.17.5 What now? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Xtreme Carnage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 7.1 Introduction - 7.2 Level 1: Fighter Intercept - 7.3 Level 2: Fighter Intercept - 7.4 Level 3: Transport Attack - 7.5 Level 4: Cruiser Strike - 7.6 Level 5: Deep Strike - 7.7 Level 6: Tactical Support - 7.8 Level 7: Tactical Strike - 7.9 Level 8: Fleet Intercept - 7.10 Level 9: Command Intercept - 7.11 Level 10: Final Conflict - 7.12 Bonus Level ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Editing and Cheating ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 8.1 How do I cheat? - 8.2 How do I install custom scripts? - 8.3 What's the GBS? - 8.4 Got any GBS tips? - 8.5 Can I play without enemies? - 8.6 Can I play as an Insurgent? Are there other ACMs? - 8.7 Can I change the player's ship type? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Technical Issues ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 9.1 Have you got any tips getting BC3K to run under Windows ME, 2000 or XP? - 9.2 Why does the freeware version ask for the CD? Why is it running in debug mode? - 9.3 Why does the freeware version installer try to install the game to the wrong hard drive? - 9.4 After installing the game all I see is a black screen. What's the problem? - 9.5 Why does BC3K start to run slowly or suffer frame rate reduction at certain points in the game? - 9.6 Why does the game crash on or after saving, particularly during the ACM? - 9.7 Can I change the resolution? - 9.8 What does CRTL+A do? Why can't I speed up the game? - 9.9 Why can't I find bases on planets? - 9.10 Why do my crew get stuck on decks? - 9.11 I ordered my shuttle to tow my battlecruiser and now the battlecruiser has disappeared. Why? - 9.12 How do I backup or copy a save game? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Appendices ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - A. Acronyms - B. Hidden Flux Field Links ============================================================================== 1. PREFACE ============================================================================== 1.1 Credits and Legal This FAQ was written by Tim Howgego (also known as timski), copyright 2002- 2005, unless otherwise stated. Errors and suggestions related to the content of this document should be reported to tim (at) capsu (dot) org. Please put "BC3K" somewhere in the email subject field. This FAQ draws on material posted on usenet (primarily comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic and alt.games.bc3000ad ), the official site http://www.3000ad.com/ , fan sites including several that are no longer online, and many of the gaming sites that have carried editorials on the game over the years - contributors are noted with the relevant text. You may copy and repost this FAQ, but the content of the document, including the credits, must remain unchanged. Informing the author that you are hosting it is appreciated, but not mandatory. Ensuring you host the most recent version is also appreciated, but not mandatory. Intending hosts should be aware that very little has ever been written about BC3K that didn't upset someone - this is "a game" like no other. If converting from text to HTML, please note the use of fixed width text in diagrams and greater/less-than characters. Battlecruiser 3000AD copyright 1989-2000 3000AD, Inc. All rights reserved. 3000AD, Battlecruiser 3000AD, Battlecruiser 3020AD, Battlecruiser Millennium, GALCOM, Galactic Command, Xtreme Carnage, VRnGine, ACM, AILOG, SCI-LINK, game characters and associated logos are the copyright properties of 3000AD, Inc. 3000AD, Battlecruiser 3000AD, GALCOM, Xtreme Carnage and associated logos are the trademark properties of 3000AD, Inc. Other trademarks and copyright are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. This is not an official FAQ. It is not endorsed or authorised by the game's developer or publishers; although Derek did say, "wow, that looks like a lotta work! Good job!" The author is not affiliated to the game's developer or publishers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.2 Version This is version 1.01, 6 February 2005. Added some new XP-installation tips, and corrected dead URLs. Much like the game, this FAQ will never be truly finished. The tutorial and walkthroughs should be complete. I think the most commonly asked questions are answered, but inevitably a few grey areas remain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.3 Notes This FAQ is written for Battlecruiser 3000AD v2.09. This is the final version of "Battlecruiser 3000AD" (BC3K, sometimes Battlecruiser Legacy), and represents three years worth of patching from the first release. This FAQ does not cover Battlecruiser-anything-else (Millennium, Generations, Online, the other online, 3020AD, Redemption, 3030AD, 3050AD, Battlecruiser Commander, Strike Pak, Skirmish Pak, Battle Zone, Tactical Engagement, Tactical Command, Project ABC, etc - at the time of writing only the first one exists as a stand-alone title - all the others were ideas, working titles, or test code). Earlier versions of Battlecruiser 3000AD are similar to v2.09, but with important differences. Early releases (Take Two's North America 1996 v1.0 and GameTek's European 1997 v1.01C4) were regarded by some as unplayable, missed certain features, and were poorly documented. Later releases prior to v2.08 (the early 1998 free v1.01D7C and Interplay's late 1998 United States re- release v2.0) are playable, but omit a few features. This FAQ does not aim to repeat information given in the documentation accompanying v2.08/9 in the form it is originally given, and does not aim to fill the large gaps in the release documentation. Similarly it does not address questions related to the plethora of bugs and missing features in the earlier versions. Although certain information may be of use to anyone playing an earlier version, I strongly recommend you download current documentation, patches, and/or the entire game, and play with that instead. BC3K was (is) possibly the most complex thing ever conceived as a computer game. It attempted to create a hybrid of multiple 1980s and 90s space combat/sim/strategy game styles - open-ended Elite, mission/pilot orientated Wing Commander and similar, capital ship-level Privateer, strategic Carrier Command, strategic ground battles, first person shooter, roleplay... That mix of play-styles, learning curve "that makes the North Slope of Everest look like a bunny hill" (Dean Gordon, writing for GamesDomain), and an "un-manual" (Tom Liam McDonald, writing for GameSpot) left many hard-core gamers lost. As Chuck Smith comments: "You might also like playing the 'game' within the game: trying to figure out how to play." It attempted to generate the kind of persistent universe that a decade later is technologically difficult. Much of its alleged underlying technology was questioned by some writers. For example its much-hyped "Neural Net" AI was brought into question by Tom Liam McDonald and Keith Zabalaoui's article, "The Neural Net that Wasn't - The Quest for Artifical Intelligence in Battlecruiser 3000 AD" published in Boot magazine, March 1997. While BC3K contains a campaign (storyline/mission) mode, this does not meld seamlessly with the persistent universe in the way most players expect. Global events occur regardless of how the player performs their missions. To quote the v2.0 3rd edition manual: "Nothing you do affects the grand scheme of things nor does the world revolve around your existence." All these factors were frustrated (something of an understatement) by the fact that upon release the game did not work. Aside from its initial un-play-ability, the design of BC3K (and more recently the Battlecruiser series as a whole) continues to spark debate. In the eyes of many, there is no game here at all: BC3K is simply a universe simulation devoid of gameplay. Some are critical of how the features are implemented - to quote CNET Gamecenter (upon awarding BC3K the title 2nd Worst Game of All Time in October 2000), "the game itself redefined the term nonintuitive." Others conclude the game tries to do too much and consequently fails to do any one thing well. And then some players enjoy it. The topic "BC3K FAQ" has a history all of its own, related to the long-running lack-of-manual-saga. Kyle Reed started writing a BC3K FAQ as early as 1995, but appears to have lost interest upon release, and I have not found any text. Developer Derek Smart issued the first official FAQ in November 1996 (available here, http://dlh.net/cheats/pc/english/battlecruiser+3000+a.d./ ), although it is primarily a guide to avoiding bugs and missing features. The FAQ evolved into a technical FAQ, with no gameplay content. As far as I am aware, the only 'fan' based work is by Nai-Chi Lee ( http://follies.werewolves.org/archives/1Humor/BC3Kfaq.txt ) - although that has little to do with the game, see What about the flame war? below. The manual had a somewhat mythical, highly contentious status for many months following release. 80-85,000 manuals were printed in November 1995 but superseded by an extra year of development. Mark Seremet, then Take 2 president, writes (on AOL): "The game has actually gone through 2 other manual prints. We were unable to complete the product and, thus, the manual fell victim to vaporware." The second unreleased manual was a "Systems Handbook" printed for the anticipated January 1996 release. Take 2 offered to distribute these in October 1996. DreamsRyou leaked an electronic copy of the manuscript at this time, much to Smart's displeasure. On the manual Take 2 shipped with the game, Smart writes (usenet, December 1996): "The pamphlet that was out was courtesy of Tom Rigas (Take2 producer). The first time I ever saw the 'manual' was THREE weeks after the game shipped." Mark Seremet had directly contradicted this on AOL forums, sparking a very public breakdown in relations between developer and publisher (see Why so many versions? Did it really take ten years to develop? Tell me some history... below). The (lack of) documentation became a focus for much of the bitter dispute surrounding the release of BC3K. Smart had requested the help of fans in producing a manual immediately following release (source - AOL postings), but later preferred to write it himself. Take 2 includes a file "walkthru.txt" in some later versions, intended as a quick-start guide. GameTek included a tutorial for the first ACM mission at the start of their manual, which is something that the later Smart manuals avoid. Usenet posts of the time suggest that these were entirely written by GameTek, however much of the other text is shared with the Smart manuals. The later are structured like operating manuals, rather than guides. Smart's first full (albeit 'preview') manual was released with v1.01D7C, late in 1997. The v1.01D7C manual includes a blank page titled "Appendix F Walkthru", with a small note indicating the page is being worked on. By the time the final series of (complete) manuals appeared, the walkthrough appendix had been dropped. By November 1998 a tutorial was Derek Smart's "top priority - I have attempted to do one but the game is so deep that a half-assed one won't do." At the start of 1999 a short file emerged containing about 30 tips, not structured as a tutorial. The tips file never developed further, and eventually disappeared from the documentation. In January 2000 the planned tutorial for BC3K was finally dropped in favour of a future tutorial for Battlecruiser Millennium. Daniel Moritz part-wrote an in-game training script for BC3K, but it was not completed, and I cannot find a copy of it. Several internet sites claim to be selling a strategy guide for BC3K called "Battlecruiser 3000AD official GALCOM technical papers". Ed Dille, the 'author', informs me that Prima Publishing cancelled project shortly after BC3K was released, and the book was never published. Dille's company (Fog Studios) had a promotional relationship with the game's developer for the two years prior to release. BC3K is hard to research. A lot has been written about the game, but very little transpires to relate to BC3K v2.09. Usenet archives are full of posts about 'the game' (for example, alt.games.bc3000ad alone has 24,000 threads archived by Dejanews/Google), but to quote Pat Lundrigan (in 1997), "I think I've read a couple a hundred posts about BC3K and maybe two were about game play". So, why am I writing this? Some have questioned my insanity, but... BC3K is a fascinating bit of software. Intriguing in concept; almost impenetrable in practice. Where most games will occasionally stump players in the minutiae of gameplay, BC3K stumps them at every turn. What little knowledge that does exist is fast disappearing, and very soon BC3K will mean nothing more than its development history, which is close to a legend already. As a set of operating instructions, the final manual is in many ways excellent. But BC3K is still in dire need of a guide to play, to complement those operating instructions. That is primarily what this FAQ aims to provide. It fails, of course. All it does is help expose what lies under that impenetrability. You will still need to try and find a game down there yourself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============================================================================== 2. INTRODUCTION ============================================================================== 2.1 What is the game? The term "the game" has several different meanings in the context of Battlecruiser 3000AD: (1) The software as variously released, patched, and re- released, played either as a game or a game of trying to understand the game (this is the main focus of this FAQ). (2) The design idea behind the game - what it could be rather than what it actually is. (3) The development history, hype and associated vapourware status of BC3K, and later internet/usenet flamewars centred around developer Derek Smart (see What about the flame war? below). The core game (first meaning) gives the player command of a starship (battlecruiser), fully crewed and equipped, and leaves them in a relatively hostile galaxy to do more or less whatever they want. BC3K is as much about strategic command and management of the ship's resources, as it is about flying around responding to events. BC3K has spawned several other titles in the series, including Battlecruiser Millennium. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.2 Who developed Battlecruiser 3000AD? BC3K was primarily developed by Derek Smart and his company, 3000AD Inc., based in Florida, United States. Various other people and organisations have had an influence on certain parts of the game's code over its development history - see Why so many versions? Did it really take ten years to develop? Tell me some history... below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.3 What are the minimum requirements? The original (Take 2) release version was touted as: Pentium 60MHz, DOS 5.0 or Windows 95, 8MB RAM, 50MB hard disk space, 2x CD-ROM, SVGA Graphics Card. The slightly later GameTek version simply specifies any Pentium Processor, but my personal experience of trying to play it with a Pentium 100 suggested greater processing power was needed - indeed the game is capable of heating up a Pentium 500, so the more processing power, the better. The v2.0 minimum requirements are: Pentium 166, Windows 95/98, any 2D video graphics card with 2MB memory [some sources advise 4MB] (optional 3DFX Voodoo based card), 165MB hard drive space, 2x MPC-11 compliant CD-ROM, 16MB RAM, mouse and sound card. Pentium 200+, 32MB RAM, and joystick are recommended. Windows ME, 2000 and XP are not supported, with mixed results reported by those attempting to run BC3K using these operating systems - tips are contained in the Technical Issues section below. An OS/2 version of BC3K was considered as early as 1996, but I have no evidence it was produced. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.4 What different versions are there? How can I tell what version I have? The main release versions are as follows: - Demo v1.0, 1992. This was previewed in Computer Games Strategy Plus #18, May 1992. Possibly not released publicly at the time, but was re-released by Smart around 1998. - Demo v1.01/v2.0/v3.0 (varies by source), 1993. Public freeware release. Demo versions include basic space simulation, document but often note as "inactive" certain battlecruiser management features, and seem to omit strategic or ground operation aspects completely. - v1.0, October 1996, published by Take 2 in North America, although a few copies found their way to other countries. Silver boxed, with 30 page manual, and widely regarded as unplayable. - v1.01C4 (also v1.01R4C?), March 1997, published by GameTek in United Kingdom. Subsequently released to other European countries with translated manuals, but no in-game translation. Silver boxed with a small fighter graphic on the front, with 80 page manual and keyboard reference card. - Demo v1.01C5 (?), May 1997 (?), released on the cover disc of Computer Gaming World. Unconfirmed limitations: "Free Flight, Xtreme Carnage and 1 ACM mission all taking place in only two space regions containing up to 4 planets." - v1.01D7C (also v1.97?), February 1998, free version (commonly without opening video), which featured on several video game magazine cover disks. The v1.01D7C patch was originally completed in November 1997 but the release of the free version was delayed due to legal action involving Take 2. The free version can only be patched to v1.04B (for 3DFX cards only). A CD containing v1.01D7C was also sold via the internet. - v2.00, December 1998, published by Interplay in North America as a budget title, alongside a Star Trek game. 40 page printed manual, with the rest on the CD. This is sometimes referred to as the Developer's or Deluxe edition, or version v1.1. Around this time $10 CD upgrades from v1.x to v2.x were available via the internet, but these were discontinued during 1999. - Demo v2.0, May 1999 and January 2000. The first is based on v2.00, the second on v2.09. Unknown limitations. - v2.07/2.08, 1999, published by Interplay in North America. Packaging identical to v2.00 - from the technical FAQ: "Though the box may say v2.0, it may contain v2.07 because the game has had several manufacturing runs." - v2.08, October 1999, published by GT Interactive in Europe. Dark blue box with watercolour picture of battlecruiser, and 142 page manual with appendices on CD. Included Map Pak. - v2.08, March 2000, published by Jack Of All Games in Oceania. - v2.09, July 2001, freeware internet release. Contained everything, including modifications and game-builder script. Various patches were written in-between these releases - precise details of which are no longer particularly relevant. 3DFX support was first added to the game by patch v1.03E, March 1998. The last major v1.x patch was 1.08B, July 1998, although a series of 1.09 patches ending in v1.09D were released late in 1998 to preview v2.0 features. The last v2.x patch was v2.09, January 2000. v1.x are primarily DOS based, v2.x only run from Windows (albeit essentially still looking like DOS based). While in space, CTRL+V will display the current version number. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.5 Where can I get the game, patches and manual? The final (v2.09) version is available as freeware from several sites including http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=2754 , http://www.fileplanet.com/index.asp?file=62798 and http://downloads.gameplanet.co.nz/dl.dyn/Files/2780.html . The file is about 135MB. You should also apply the patch available here, http://www.the- underdogs.org/games/b/bc3000adv2/files/bc3000adv2-fix.zip or http://www.fileplanet.com/files/60000/62988.shtml , which removes the CD check when running without debug mode and fixes a glitch in the opening animation sequence. This freeware version defaults to debug mode - in order to play the game fully, use the previous patch and then launch the game with debug mode off. See Why does the freeware version ask for the CD? Why is it running in debug mode? below for further explanation. The final set of manuals (including appendices) can be downloaded here, http://www.3000ad.com/downloads/bc3k.shtml , along with patches from v2.00 and v2.07 (North America re-releases) to v2.08, v2.08 (re-release elsewhere) to v2.09 (final), and a compendium of modifications, cheats and editing tools. Patches need to be applied in order. There are no patches from 1.x to v2.x available. A few games sites have some older patches in their archives, for example http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battlecruiser3000ad/downloads.html . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.6 Why so many versions? Did it really take ten years to develop? Tell me some history... BC3K probably has a longer, more colourful history than any other single video game. Tom Liam MacDonald, writing in Boot Magazine: "Battlecruiser 3000 AD went straight from long, troubled development to being the most unplayable title ever released." Its post-release history was more remarkable: Amidst the law suits and usenet flame wars, three years worth of patching eventually produced something close to a finished game. This section is just a summary of what could probably fill a book if fully researched, although the truth will probably never be known, as MacDonald comments on usenet in October 1997, "facts around this particular game wind up like Alice through the looking glass." Developer Derek Smart wrote his version of events here, http://www.loonygames.com/content/1.27/guest/ in 1999. A similar development history is also contained within the v1.01D7C 'preview' manual, which can be found here, http://www.the-underdogs.org/games/b/bc3000ad/files/bc3000ad-m.zip . A slightly different interpretation is offered by Bill Huffman, http://www.werewolves.org/~follies/archives/1History/history.htm - only the first part is particularly relevant to BC3K's history, the later half tending to focus on the flame wars. Huffman has also collected various usenet source material here, http://www.werewolves.org/~follies/archives/ATableOfContents.html . A third analysis of events surrounding the game is offered by Dean Gordon in "A Battlecruiser Named Desire" (formerly at Games Domain). Many others have been involved along the way, some of whom have never stated their interpretation of events. BC3K was originally conceived in 1989, when Derek Smart lived in the United Kingdom. The game first emerged in a 1992 demo. From Stephen Poole, writing for GameSpot: "Smart had already talked one magazine [Computer Games Strategy Plus] into running a large feature on BC3K, probably the first and only time anyone's run a feature story on a game that didn't ship until four years later. By the time 1993 Winter CES rolled around, Three-Sixty Software had acquired the game and scheduled it for release in April 1993. It wasn't long before Three-Sixty went bankrupt." A publisher called Velocity picked up BC3K, before splitting up and the game falling to Mission Studios. Derek Smart writes: "For three years I was chasing technology. Great games came and went an |