Misc Help:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SERVER INFO
Architecture: HP 9000 / 710 (Dedicated for wormhole!!)
Internet Connection: T1 connection
Server Type: Vanilla (Bronco based) source.
You can send messages to god! To do so send a message starting with
"GOD:". For example, "GOD: Hey are you listening!".
To see a starbase's stats send them a '^'.
To see which client a player is using send them a '#'.
To see a player's ping stats send them a '!'.
To see a player's session stats send them a '?'.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HELP SHEET
A short summary of the game commands
(s)cout -- puny, fast, good for high-speed harassment
(d)estroyer -- ok if you're good at dodging and evading
(c)ruiser -- the default
(a)ssault ship -- for planet-killing, 3 armies/kill, tough hulls
(b)attleship -- tough, powerful, but tricky to maneuver
(o)utpost/starbase -- only allowed to be run by experienced players
(g)alaxy cruiser -- only used during chaos play. battleship on steroids
left, middle, right mouse keys do torps, phasor, and movement, resp.
0-9 set warp speed, ) for 10, ! for 11, @ for 12, % for max, # for half.
b : bomb planet B : show galactic info (two levels)
c : cloaking C : coup a planet
d : detonate other torpedoes D : detonate my torpedoes
e : docking permission toggle E : emergency distress call
f : launch plasma torpedoes I : extended info on player
h : help window toggle L : list players
i : info on player / planet O : options window
k : set course M : map updates toggle
l : lock onto player / planet N : name mode toggle
o : orbit (dock at starbase) P : list planets
p : fire phaser R : repair mode
r : change ship type S : toggle status graph
s : shields toggle T : toggle tractor beam
t : launch torpedoes U : list ranks
u : shields toggle V : show local info (two levels)
w : war window toggle ? : message window toggle
x : beam down armies [ : shield down
y : pressor beam toggle ] : shield up
z : beam up armies * : send in practice robot
' ' clear windows + : put up UDP window
= : send full update (udp)
Messages : put cursor in lower thin window, type: 0-9a-j for player, t
for team, A for all, F/R/K/O for races. Hit Esc to cancel a message.
Some clients also use 'm' to start a message without requiring moving
the cursor to the message window.
Hints : Use guest initially. Hit "B" and "V" twice each, to get planet
resources on tactical and galactic maps. If you get lots of blink, set
updates/second to lower value ('O' to bring up options window). Click
on updates number until it's correct. Declare peace with everyone.
Watch fuel supply -- orbit a friendly or neutral planet with fuel can.
Avoid chasing ships, it's tough to dodge their fire.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hints for Beginners:
Watch your fuel. When you run out, your weapons won't fire, you can't
go very fast to run away, and you'll be helpless.
If you run out of fuel, go orbit a friendly or neutral fuel planet. You
can recognize these by the little fuel can (looks kind of like a square)
on the right side of the planet, assuming your maps show resource
icons on the planets (if not, see Getting Started, above).
Avoid chasing ships, unless you know they are badly damaged or out of
fuel. It's very hard for you to dodge their fire, and very easy for
them to dodge yours. On the other hand, if you can get someone to
chase you, waste them!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ignoring Messages
-----------------
Any player can now ignore any other player. There are three types of
messages, which can be called "All", "Team", and "Indiv".
To toggle "ignore" status for a player, send that player a message of the
form
:[a][t][i]
E.g.:
K0->R1 :i to ignore messages of the form R1->K0
K0->R1 :a to ignore messages of the form R1->ALL
K0->R1 :t to ignore messages of the form R1->KLI
K0->R1 :ita to toggle everything
K0->R1 : to see the current "ignore" status
That player will not receive the message. Instead you will receive a
message telling you what the "ignore" status for that player has been
change to. When that player quits you will stop ignoring that slot.
To ignore the doosh messages the the server sends to you send yourself :D
Send :D again to turn back on doosh messages.
E.g:
K0->K0 :D to ignore/accept doosh messages
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to change what some of the keys do; for example, I'd
like 't' instead of 'T' to activate my tractor beam. Is there a way
to change this?
There are two ways: first, do a shift-O. This brings up the options
window. Near the bottom there is a box for 'New keymap entries'.
Move your cursor to this box and type your new keymap entries. The
format is , so 'tT' will remap tractor beam to 't'.
Netrek also recognizes a .xtrekrc file; a 'keymap:' line in there
will allow you to map as many as you want. Format is the same
as above.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How does the rating/promotion system work?
Do a shift-I on yourself; you'll see four ratings there, one for planets,
one for bombing, one for offense, and one for defense. The planet,
bombing, and offense ratings are measured in DI/hour; for each planet
you take, army you bomb, and player you kill you get a certain amount
of DI (which varies depending on the server)--the average amount per
hour is your rating. Your defense rating is measured in relative
life length: if your average life lasts exactly as long as the
overall average life, your defense rating will be 1.00. If your average
life lasts 80% as long as the overall average life, your defense rating
will be .8. All these ratings are updated only in t-mode.
Now do a shift-U. Listed there are the thresholds for each rank.
Your overall rating is your planets+bombing+offense. To make a rank,
you need to have the DI required for that rank, and your ratings need
to be above the rating required for that rank (i.e., to make Admiral,
you need 320 DI and your ratings need to be above 8.0). You can also
make a ranking by having ratings good enough for a level and twice
the DI you would need for the next level (So you can make Admiral
with ratings of 7.0 and 640 DI). This equation also works for four times the
DI, so you can also make it with 6.0 ratings and 1280 DI (which would take
about 200 hours!).
On some servers, your defense also needs to be above .8 to advance
past Lt. Commander.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I keep dying. How can I get better at the game?
The best way is probably to talk with someone who knows how to play.
You can also cruise through the netrek home page located at:
http://www.cycor.ca/TCave/netrek.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is 't-mode'?
T-mode is short for 'tournament mode.' To keep some integrity in the
database, ratings are calculated only when there are a certain number
of people in the game (actually, when there are a certain number of
people on two separate teams. On many servers, you need 4 players
on 2 different teams; 4 teams of 2 players won't do it). When
the game goes into t-mode, there will be a 't' flag in your list
of flags, and there will be a message like "Dan Quayle declares self
as Galactic Emperor and chaos breaks out!" When the game drops out
of t-mode (because someone quit), the 't' flag will disappear and
there'll be a "Dan Quayle is locked up and order returns to the galaxy"
message.
It's generally considered rude to bomb or take planets out of t-mode.
Some servers punish people for trying.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What does DI stand for, anyway? Destruction Inflicted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting Started:
When you start playing, it's probably best if you login as 'guest'.
When you first enter the Game, press 'B' and 'V' twice each. This makes
the planets resources show up on the tactical and Galactic Maps.
If you are experiencing a lot of 'blink' (uneven screen updates), try
setting your updates/second to a lower value. Do this in the options
window ('O' to bring it up). Click the mouse button on the updates
number until you get the number you want.
Declare peace with everyone (except perhaps the current enemy race).
This way you won't be attacked by neutral planets and robots!
Set stay peaceful when reborn (in the options window again). This way
you won't have to redo your war settings every time you get shot down.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------