v1.01, 6 February 2005
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Battlecruiser 3000AD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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CONTENTS
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1. Preface
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- 1.1 Credits and Legal
- 1.2 Version
- 1.3 Notes
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2. Introduction
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- 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?
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3. Tutorial
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- 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
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4. Gameplay
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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?
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5. Techniques and Strategies
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- 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
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6. Advanced Campaign
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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?
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7. Xtreme Carnage
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- 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
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8. Editing and Cheating
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- 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?
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9. Technical Issues
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- 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?
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Appendices
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- A. Acronyms
- B. Hidden Flux Field Links
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1. PREFACE
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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.
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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.
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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.
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2. INTRODUCTION
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
and Battlecruiser 3000 AD was still in development. Review followed review,
still no game in sight. By late 1994, the delays, slips and technical
difficulties finally put a strain on the limited financial resources of
Mission Studios."
After a period with Intracorp, the publishing rights finally landed with Take
2. In the year that followed, BC3K continued to be hyped, whilst showing few
signs of actually being completed. Nai-Chi Lee notes that, "Ads for BC3K
appeared in magazines as early as 1993. Naturally, BC3K became the longest-
running vaporware joke among Internet gamers." GameSpot later ranked BC3K
number one in their Vaporware 'Hall of Shame' -
http://www.gamespot.com/features/vaporware/ - "If you had to use a single
product as an example to help you explain the concept of 'Vaporware' to a
newbie, this would be it." Dean Gordon writes: "The game became bogged down by
its own ambition, as Derek Smart ... saw more and more games and wanted them
incorporated into his own." Smart himself admits a certain over-enthusiasm in
a usenet post of April 1996: "Due to inexperience, I simply went overboard on
my first outing. Once it started, I couldn't stop myself."
Release dates for Christmas 1995 and early 1996 came and went, with
advertising campaigns and empty promotional silver boxes in stores, but no
software. A beta version leaked out which reinforced the notion that
development reality did not match the hype. By April 1996 Take 2 had taken
development in-house in an attempt to get something produced for the end of
that year. Smart's comments give a flavour of the development environment: "By
August 1996 we were already talking separation, at least they were, because
I'd had enough and was thinking divorce with full intentions of taking the
furniture, the cutlery, the car, the jewelry and the dog. In the end I did
just that. Anyway, the Take 2 producer [Tom Rigas] and his gang were getting
heat from New York. I wasn't getting heat from anyone because I wasn't
listening. Period." Philip R. Spagnolli, former Take 2 employee, albeit with
no direct involvement in BC3K, commenting on usenet in December 1996: "Take2's
flight engine [named Chase] was added ... but most of the code was sheltered
from the programmers due to the nature of Smart's desire to keep his special
code secret. Much of the cool stuff like the supposed neural net would not
work with the Take2 flight engine."
The precise circumstances surrounding the release of the game are the stuff of
legend: attacks on office Coke machines, computers being confiscated,
completed code being ignored - it is hard to know what to believe. It is
widely acknowledged that the game was incomplete, untested, and effectively
unplayable out of the box. The US release is reputed to have had a return rate
of 70-90%. The worst irony of all was that it had been extensively hyped as
"the last thing you'll ever desire". As Daniel Evans writes, "the problem was
simply: how good could a game be that wouldn't even install?"
As an aside, the associated advertising campaign by GameTek rates 3rd in M.
Evan Brooks' list of the worst video games advertising at
http://www.pressroom.com/~meb/ . Jonathan Normington writes: "I remember
noticing a couple of months back [from February 1997] that GameTek seemed to
have flooded UK gaming magazines with tacky adverts - the Joanne Guest
BC3000AD one, a picture of a bloke sitting on a pile of bones, one with some
sort of comedy penguin... they told me absolutely nothing about the game they
were supposed to be advertising." From the Joanne Guest FAQ (
http://www.zedtoo.demon.co.uk/jgfaq/archive/past.html ): "That was not the
only version of the advert. For the more 'laddish' magazines (for example, PC
Zone) one or two alterations were made. For a start, the caption 'She *really*
wants it' was added, and in this version of the photo it looked like she
wasn't wearing any panties (the game box obviously obscured the interesting
area). This had the effect of getting the game talked about, but not
necessarily in the way that the advertiser had hoped: complaints were made to
the ASA [Advertising Standards Agency] who handed down a judgement that the
advertiser should desist from that style of advertising." Later a third
version appeared with the words "censored by publisher" written across the
main image.
Dean Gordon comments: "[Smart and Take 2] both knew that they were releasing
an incomplete and unplayable product and yet no empirical evidence exists that
either warned gamers until after the fact." Relations between Smart and Take 2
boiled over into public disagreement immediately after release. Mark Seremet
(Take 2 president), writing in October 1996: "And there you have it, perhaps
the most incendiary feud ever to take place in a public forum between a game
developer and publisher. Stay tuned, somehow we don't think we've read the
last salvo." Indeed. Things degenerated into legal action, details of which
cannot readily be described here. Take 2 and Smart finally 'buried the
hatchet' 26 months later in a joint press release. Take 2 bought both Mission
Studios and GameTek, and have said relatively little in public about the BC3K
saga.
Derek Smart writes: "I decided to set up a support network of supporters and
gamers to help fix the game. Take Two, the publisher, has never participated
in this endeavor, leaving the game for dead." Almost any other game would have
died there and then. But BC3K refused to die. The game was slowly patched up
by its developer, assisted by his fans.
GameTek originally delayed their European release in anticipation of the
complete v1.1 (what later emerged as v2.0). Chris Vallely, GameTek tester
wrote in December 1996: "The US release of this game was deemed by us to be
not of the required quality. We have experienced difficulties with games of
this nature before [presumably Frontier First Encounters], so are particularly
eager to ensure that this product is as good as we can possibly make it."
Derek Smart writes: "Take Two continued to ship the dud US units in the US and
even to international countries; causing problems for GameTek who were then
forced to release v1.01C4 of the game in March in the face of dropped orders."
While v1.01C4 was just about playable out of the box and came with a manual
that attempted to explain the basics of the game, it was far from complete or
stable.
Gradually the game was patched until by the end of 1997 it had started to
resemble a finished product. Version v1.01D7C was given away free at the start
of 1998. Budget (boxed) releases followed, which eventually incorporated 3DFX
support, full fleet command and control, and planetary surface maps.
Development of BC3K finally ceased at the start of 2000, more than 10 years
after it started. In 2001 BC3K was released as freeware.
Development shifted to a variety of sequels, which eventually delivered
Battlecruiser Millennium in November 2001 (provisionally titled 3020AD), and a
theoretically multiplayer "Gold" version in March 2003; although not before a
massive multiplayer ("Battlecruiser Online") and first person shooter add-ons
had been considered. Occasionally the Battlecruiser franchise shows signs of
being ended. A project codenamed 'ABC' was announced around 2000, widely
thought to be an acronym for 'After BattleCruiser' (although there were plenty
of other less complementary explanations ;-) ). The Battlecruiser games were
eventually followed by Universal Combat - a game which draws on much of BC3K's
"design", albeit with greater emphasis on ground combat. Derek Smart's
comments help explain why Battlecruiser is still being developed: "BC3K was
not designed to be a one off title. All the engines it has were written from
the ground up and that's where my investment lies. To this day, the core of
BC3K does not even use 50% of what the engines are capable of." Dean Gordon
posed an interesting question back in 1998: "Would the gaming world forget
Smart's annibulus horribulus if he just delivered a finished game that
worked?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.7 What about the flame war?
Erm. I was afraid you were going to ask about that. Flame wars are public
disagreements between people of opposing views that become personal attacks.
Flame wars are not uncommon on the internet; but flame wars that last more
than 7 years and generate tens of thousands of threads are. The duration and
scale of these exchanges makes them hard to ignore. They have had a lasting
influence on what for want of a better word we might call the "Battlecruiser
community". A compendium of background to the flame wars by Bill Huffman can
be found here, http://www.werewolves.org/~follies/ . Nai-Chi Lee wrote an
entertaining FAQ in 1997, an archive copy of which can be found at
http://follies.werewolves.org/archives/1Humor/BC3Kfaq.txt - although the text
takes the same title as this document, it contains no information about the
software at all. These flame wars started on AOL and Compuserve forums and
usenet in the years prior to BC3K's (anticipated/hyped) release; moved
entirely to usenet around the time of the release, where they are best known;
before drifting onto other internet based forums. They are not primarily about
the game. Rather, they are inspired by the developer's "unique style in public
relations" (as Bill Huffman describes it).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================================
3. TUTORIAL
==============================================================================
3.1 Introduction
BC3K greets most new players with a brick wall. This is particularly true for
anyone that tries to play without reading the manual from cover to cover...
twice... or is used to games designed with gentle introductory stages, in-game
help, or tutorial levels... none of which BC3K has. This section is designed
to provide such an introduction. The tutorial aims to introduce all the most
important concepts and techniques in the game. It avoids describing different
interfaces and systems one at a time, which is roughly how the manual is
structured. Instead this tutorial is structured around topics and operations.
It does not introduce *every* aspect of the game, nor does it have as much
detail as the manual. Ultimately, you will need to read game documentation and
try different things for yourself. If you would rather play than spend a week
reading and randomly experimenting, this section is for you.
The later parts of the tutorial are quite advanced. These parts contain a few
examples that might be regarded as spoilers. I think the balance - between
explaining the basic concepts of the game and explaining absolutely everything
- is about right.
The tutorial uses free-flight mode. Unfortunately, the somewhat random
appearance of hostile craft means that a newbie-safe environment cannot be
guaranteed. If you have the misfortune to be attacked prior to combat
training, or have some unforeseen emergency occur, simply reload or startup a
new character to continue on with the tutorial. The first 10-15 minutes of
Free Flight mode are normally safe, so consider pausing the game whilst
reading this text (in space, press Pause), and only unpausing (press Esc) to
do things in-game. Such a technique should maximise the amount of 'safe time'
you experience. An alternative, once the basic flight is known, is to travel
to Moon region, which tends to be far quieter than others around Sol.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.2 Interface familiarisation
Ensure your version of BC3K is *not* in debug mode. Check this by examining
the batch file used to launch the game - probably bc3k.bat. Open it in a text
editor. The final line ("bc3000ad...") must not have the switch /d1. Debug
mode makes various tweaks that will not be obvious to start with, but may
introduce details that contradict parts of what follows.
Launch BC3K. Once you have set your configuration accordingly (in
particularly, setup any joystick), Start New Game. Create a character in one
of the slots (avoid the first slot, since saving to this can be buggy). Select
Free Flight and Exploration Mode from Miscon and accept the career. You are
now logged on at Galcom HQ, a station orbiting Earth. The Galcom icon in the
top-right is the main menu. You can access several features from here - we
will examine these later. For now, Log Off and go to the launch bay. Now
Launch.
This part of the tutorial introduces different screens and explains why you
might wish to use them. Avoid the temptation to click buttons or press keys at
random, particularly when on the bridge: You may accidentally set a mode or
system into operation that will make subsequent instructions hard to follow.
Once the launch sequence is complete you will see the bridge of your
battlecruiser. The bridge is a pilot orientated view, the general look and
feel of which it shares with many other space/flight simulators. You can
toggle the bridge graphic on and off using F1 (other F-keys give different
views of/from your battlecruiser - F1 will bring you back to the bridge).
Left-click on a blank part of the bridge screen to show the Command Menu. You
can save/quit, access many ship systems, and issue certain orders from this
menu. The game pauses whilst in this menu. You can also pause by pressing the
Pause key, and un-pause again by pressing Esc. You can save the game at any
time whilst in space, aboard your battlecruiser. You cannot save while docked
at a station or while piloting other craft.
The precise layout of the bridge screen is somewhat cluttered, and a lot of
the text will not mean much initially. The general layout is:
- Center left = Percentage gauges and on/off switches for main battlecruiser
systems.
- Center middle = Battlecruiser flight indicators.
- Center right = Status/order craft and vehicles.
- Bottom left = NID (Navigation Interface Display). High-level navigation.
Target larger objects like planets, and order probes.
- Bottom middle = Tacscan (Tactical Scanner). Local-level navigation. Target
smaller objects such as other ships.
- Bottom right = CVD (Computer Video Display). Multifunctional display, used
to watch one particular aspect of operations in detail.
Some systems can be set on/off/more/less/whatever by left clicking on the name
or display area. Where there are multiple options, a menu will be shown. Most
of these options will be covered in subsequent parts of the tutorial. Many can
be set using either the mouse or keyboard. While mouse commands are often
easier to use, try to learn the equivalent keyboard commands too. Other craft
use only keyboard commands to achieve many of the same operations.
BC3K has a real-time strategic command view called Tacops (Tactical Operations
Computer). Access this by pressing ALT+S [...think Strategic...] or Command
Menu--Systems--Tacops. You will see a 3D representation of your current area
of space (Earth) and everything in it. If we had probes deployed in other
regions of space, we could view those alternative regions too. Craft are shown
on the right of the screen much as they are on the bridge. One can zoom to a
particular location by left-clicking on the map, and zoom out again by right-
clicking. To observe the surface of a planet (for example, Earth), click on
the planet and zoom to it until the menu gives an option Observe. Select
Observe and then select one of the surface zones shown by red squares. Once
can then zoom right down to view each building. To zoom right out again,
select Zoom To--View Local region from the left-hand list.
Pressing Esc reveals the Command Palette. The Command Palette is used to give
specific orders to craft and units, including setting waypoints. The
Hold/Update button on the Command Palette pauses the game while still allowing
you to look around - rather useful in a battle. Pressing Esc again returns you
to the bridge.
There are many people onboard your battlecruiser. You can see what they are
all doing via Perscan (ALT+P or Command Menu--Systems--Perscan). The left-hand
side lists named personnel, the right lists everyone else (mostly marines).
The format of each listing is: Name - Life Factor - Fatigue Factor - Location
- Current Order. This list updates real-time, so you can watch your crew
wandering about your ship. This screen is useful for showing crew location at
a glance, or keeping track of any intruders. You cannot issue commands from
this screen, just watch. Return to the bridge by left-clicking once with the
mouse or pressing Esc.
Open the Logistix screen (ALT+E [...think Engineering...] or Command Menu--