Документ взят из кэша поисковой машины. Адрес оригинального документа : http://crydee.sai.msu.ru/ftproot/pub/rec/games/unsorted/faqs/wing-commander_3.faq Дата изменения: Tue Aug 8 18:15:00 1995 Дата индексирования: Mon Dec 24 11:06:52 2007 Кодировка: Поисковые слова: planetary nebula

The Unofficial

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The Unofficial *F*requently *A*sked *Q*uestions list for
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger

The Wing Commander III FAQ, revision 2.01
Released July 30, 1995
Written by James Hogan, Allen Kim, and Matt Newman
Copyright (C) 1994, 1995. All rights reserved.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:


Any minor sections which are new or have been updated since the last revision
are marked with asterisks (i.e., *10.5.* Revision history).


*0.* FAQ v2.01 Preface -- A Word from the Editor

1. Introduction
1.1. Purpose of the FAQ
1.2. Trademark information
1.3. Disclaimer -- READ ME!
1.4. Acronyms
1.5. Organization of the FAQ
1.6. Spoiler warning
*1.7.* Obtaining the latest version of the FAQ
1.7.1. The WC3 FAQ Mailing List

2. Background of Wing Commander III
2.1. What's this whole "Wing Commander" thing about?
2.2. Chris Roberts? Who?
2.3. What were the previous Wing Commander products?
2.3.1. Wing Commander I
2.3.1.1. Super Wing Commander
2.3.2. Wing Commander II
2.3.2.1. The Wing Commander I & II CD-ROM
2.3.3. Privateer
2.3.3.1. The Privateer / Strike Commander CD-ROM
2.3.4. Wing Commander Academy
2.3.5. Wing Commander Armada
*2.3.6.* The Wing Commander novels
*2.3.6.1.* What are the ISBN numbers of the WC novels?
2.4. Who's this "Bluehair" guy?

3. Technical questions
3.1. What are the system requirements for Wing Commander III?
3.1.1. How fast does my processor need to be?
3.1.2. What kind of video card do I need?
3.1.3. How much RAM do I need?
3.1.4. Do I need a CD-ROM drive? How fast?
3.1.4.1. Will I need to worry about disc swapping?
3.2. Does Wing Commander III take advantage of a math coprocessor?
3.3. Frame rates
3.3.1. What kind of frame rates can I expect?
3.3.2. How can I tell what frame rates I'm getting?
3.4. How big (in terms of disk space) is Wing Commander III?
3.5. Does Wing Commander III support both a VGA and SVGA mode?
At what resolutions?
3.5.1. When can I switch between VGA and SVGA modes?
3.5.2. Is the graphic detail level configurable?
3.6. Does Wing Commander III support the ReelMagic or any other MPEG
cards?
3.7. What's the sound support like?
3.7.1. What sound cards are supported?
3.7.1.1. Are the digital sound capabilities of the
RAP-10 taken advantage of?
3.7.2. Does WC3 have 16-bit sound effects?
3.7.3. Can WC3 play multiple digitial sound samples
simultaneously?
3.8. Does Wing Commander III use bitmaps or polygon-based graphics?
What's the difference?

4. Gameplay issues
4.1. Is the flight model in WC3 the same as in previous WC games?
4.2. What are capital ships and capital ship combat like?
4.2.1. Manual takeoffs and landings
4.2.2. Collision detection
4.3. What are the planetside missions like?
4.4. How many different ships comprise the Terran and Kilrathi fleets?
4.5. What new technologies are the Terrans armed with that I can use?
4.6. How much control do players have over the missions they fly (e.g.,
their ship, wingman, weapons loadout, etc.)?
4.6.1. How does the weapon selection work?
4.7. How good is the artifical intelligence in WC3?
4.8. What other notable game features are present in Wing Commander III?
4.8.1. The 3-D navigational map
4.8.2. Power management
4.9. What game features _aren't_ present in Wing Commander III?
4.9.1. The "virtual cockpit"
4.9.2. VCR replay mode
4.9.3. Color communications consoles
*4.9.4.* Can you go back and replay specific missions?
4.9.5. Can you transfer old characters from WC2 to WC3?
4.9.6. Multiplayer modem and/or network support

5. Cinematics and storyline mechanics
5.1. What distinguishes the cinematics and storyline in Wing Commander
III?
5.1.1. In what ways can choices made during the cinematic
sequences affect the storyline?
5.1.2. Can wingmen actually die during an average mission, or
are there safeguards built in to prevent this?
5.2. How is live acting integrated into Wing Commander III?
5.2.1. How much live acting is contained in the cinematic
sequences?
5.2.2. Why don't some of the actors look like their characters?
5.2.3. How is the acting for the Kilrathi characters
accomplished?
5.3. How good do the final cinematic sequences look?
5.4. Who are the characters in Wing Commander III, and who are the
actors and actresses portraying them?
5.4.1. Col. Christopher Blair (Mark Hamill)
5.4.2. Maj. James "Paladin" Taggart (John Rhys-Davies)
5.4.3. Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn (Malcolm McDowell)
5.4.4. Capt. William Eisen (Jason Bernard)
5.4.5. The TCS Victory's fighter pilots
5.4.5.1. Maj. Todd "Maniac" Marshall (Tom Wilson)
5.4.5.2. Lt. Robin "Flint" Peters (Jennifer MacDonald)
5.4.5.3. Ralgha "Hobbes" nar Hhallas (John Schuck)
5.4.5.4. Lt. Laurel "Cobra" Buckley (B. J. Jefferson)
5.4.5.5. Lt. Winston "Vagabond" Chang (Francois Chau)
5.4.5.6. Lt. Mitchell "Vaquero" Lopez (Julian Reyes)
5.4.5.7. Maj. Jace "Flash" Dillon (Joshua Lucas)
5.4.6. Chief Tech Rachel Coriolis (Ginger Lynn Allen)
5.4.7. Lt. Ted "Radio" Rollins (Courtney Gains)
5.4.8. Col. Jeanette "Angel" Devereaux (Yolanda Jilot)
5.4.9. The Emperor of Kilrah (Alan Mandell)
5.4.10. Prince Thrakhath (John Rhys-Davies)
5.4.11. Melek (Tim Curry)
5.5. Do any other characters from previous Wing Commander games make an
appearance in Wing Commander III?
5.6. Do I get to pick my player's name or callsign?


6. The Wing Commander III demo
6.1. Is the demo playable? If so, what do I get to do?
6.2. Obtaining and installing the WC3 demo
6.2.1. Where can I get a copy of the WC3 demo?
6.2.2. What are the system requirements for the WC3 demo?
6.2.3. Why did my system get faster ratings from the demo than
from the actual game?
6.3. What performance issues or bugs should I be aware of when running
the demo?
6.4. Are there any undocumented and/or underdocumented commands
available while flying?
6.4.1. Power management
6.4.2. Autoslide
6.5. Comparing the demo to the final product...
6.5.1. How does the demo's gameplay differ from the release
version's gameplay?
6.5.2. Will my frame rate in the final version of WC3 be the same,
better, or worse than in the demo?
6.6. Are there any screen shots available?
6.6.1. What do the screen shots contain?
6.6.2. Are those screen shots really from playable sequences, or
just cinematic scenes?
6.6.3. Where can I find the screen shots?

7. Strategies and tips
7.1. General mission strategies
7.1.1. Is there anything I need to do at the start of a mission?
7.1.2. Any tips on power management?
7.1.3. I need some basic dogfighting pointers.
7.1.4. I keep getting killed by all those missiles the Kilrathi
launch.
7.1.5. Help! My afterburners won't turn off!
7.2. Tactics for fighting specific ships
7.2.1. Those asteroid fighters are tough!
7.2.2. What's the best way to destroy a capital ship?
*7.3.* On an escort mission, after I finish off a wave of fighters, the
autopilot light won't activate. What am I doing wrong?
7.4. Dealing with enemy torpedoes
7.4.1. How do I destroy a Skipper missile?
7.4.2. I'm having trouble trying to stop the bio-missiles.
7.4.3. On a certain nebula mission, the Victory gets destroyed as it
heads for an alternate jump point. What happened?
7.5. Flash's arrival
7.5.1. How can I defeat Flash?
7.5.2. I just lost the duel against Flash. Will he ever return to
the Victory?
7.6. Other mission-specific tips
7.6.1. Flint just made quite a rash decision. What should I do?
7.6.2. How do I prevent the Behemoth from getting destroyed?
7.6.3. Thrakhath just sent me a comm message. How should I respond?
7.6.4. The Victory is under attack, and I can't seem to control my
craft. What's going on?
7.6.5. I'm having trouble passing the planet rescue mission.
7.6.6. How can I succeed in defending Earth?
7.7. The traitor just got away. Should I go after him/her, or not?
7.8. The final missions
7.8.1. How do I keep my wingmen from getting killed off during the
last missions?
7.8.2. On the final leg, how do I kill all of the Sorthaks at the
last nav point?
7.8.3. I've passed the Sorthak fighters; how do I finish the last
part of this mission?
7.9. Is there a cheat mode built in to Wing Commander III?
7.10. What if these suggestions don't work?

8. Storyline questions
8.1. What is the basic plot of Wing Commander III?
8.2. How do the events in the Wing Commander novels fit into the
storyline?
8.3. The opening sequence
8.3.1. Why is the main character now called Christopher Blair?
*8.3.2.* How was the TCS Concordia destroyed?
8.3.3. Why is Blair transferred to such an old ship as the TCS
Victory?
8.4. Game physics
8.4.1. If space is a vacuum, why can I still hear the sounds of
combat?
*8.4.2.* OK, then why does my craft's speed decrease after using the
afterburners?
8.4.3. What are the units of measurement for distance and
velocity?
8.5. Skipper missiles
8.5.1. If the Kilrathi have cloaked cruise missiles, why don't they
just make cloaked "kamikaze" fighters with torpedoes strapped
to their hull?
8.5.2. How about jump-capable Skipper missiles?
8.6. Why is (you know who) the traitor?
8.6.1. What exactly was in the missing scene?
8.6.2. Are there any other explanations?
*8.7.* Should I pick romance with Flint or Rachel?
8.8. The final mission
8.8.1. Why wasn't I swarmed by Kilrathi fighters on the last leg of
the mission?
8.8.2. Why wasn't Blair killed by the Kilrathi when they had the
chance?
8.9. Besides the scene described in section 8.6.1, was anything else
from the script omitted from the released game?
8.10. What does the mission tree for the game look like?

9. Other miscellaneous questions
9.1. Are there any "easter eggs" in Wing Commander III?
9.1.1. The hidden credits
9.1.2. The blooper scene
9.1.3. Crazy Gameflow
9.1.4. Is there a hidden code to view the cinematics separately?
9.2. What's this I hear about a "Premiere Edition"?
9.2.1. What does it contain?
9.2.2. Is the Premiere Edition multi-lingual?
9.2.3. Do foreign versions of the Premiere Edition come with
the "Making of WC3" videotape in PAL format?
9.2.4. How are copies of the Premiere Edition sold in Europe
different from those sold in the U.S.?
9.2.5. When I got my Premiere Edition, the front of the film
canister was blank. Is this intentional?
9.2.6. I have a copy of the "Special Edition" of WC3. Is
this the same thing as the Premiere Edition?
*9.2.7.* Will there be a Premiere Edition for the 3DO version?
*9.3.* What platforms is Wing Commander III available on?
*9.3.1.* How does the 3DO version differ from the PC version?
9.4. Will there be an MPEG version of Wing Commander III?
9.5. Are there different versions of Wing Commander III available for
different languages?
9.6. How much does Wing Commander III cost, and where can I get a
copy?
9.6.1. United States
*9.6.2.* Canada
*9.6.3.* United Kingdom
9.6.4. Australia
*9.6.5.* New Zealand
*9.6.6.* Singapore
9.6.7. Hong Kong
9.6.8. France
9.6.9. Germany
9.6.10. Switzerland
9.6.11. Japan
9.7. What was the budget for Wing Commander III?
9.7.1. How much has Origin made from WC3 sales to date?
9.8. Who developed and filmed Wing Commander III?
9.8.1. Who was involved with the cinematic side of the project?
9.8.2. Who was involved with the gameplay side of the project?
9.9. Other Wing Commander III-related merchandise
9.9.1. Origin's Official Guide to Wing Commander III
9.9.2. The Authorized Combat Guide to Wing Commander III
9.9.3. Wing Commander III: The Ultimate Strategy Guide
9.9.4. The Wing Commander III novel
9.9.5. Will the soundtrack for Wing Commander III be released
on CD?
9.9.6. Will any of the other items from the Premiere Edition be
sold separately?
9.10. Will there be any add-on discs as there were for previous Wing
Commander games?
9.11. What other Wing Commander products are scheduled to be released
in the future?
*9.11.1.* Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom
9.11.2. Privateer 2
9.11.3. The Darkening
*9.11.4.* Wing Commander Armada 2?
9.11.5. Wing Commander III for the Mac
9.11.6. Wing Commander novels
*9.11.7.* The Wing Commander Collectible Card Game
*9.11.8.* Wing Commander: The Motion Picture?

10. In conclusion...
10.1. Credits
*10.2.* Other sources of information
10.3. Contacting the FAQ authors
10.4. Where to find out more
10.4.1. Origin's tech support FAQ
*10.5.* Revision history
*10.6.* Conclusion

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0. FAQ v2.01 Preface -- A Word from the Editor
*******************************************************************************

I never thought when I started all this that it could possibly entail so much
work! :)

This project has grown in size to the point where I simply couldn't have done
it all by myself. Nearly a dozen people were instrumental in the composition
of this document as writers, proofreaders, or something else. The resulting
work is double the size of earlier WC3 FAQs, such as version 1.10 (which wasn't
exactly small, either); not only will you find plenty of new sections
addressing such issues as gameplay tips or gaps in the storyline, but all of
the old information has been updated as well.

The FAQ has had a much more enthusiastic reception among members of the gaming
community than I ever anticipated. Download counts for the initial release
(way back in August '94) from CompuServe, America Online, and the Internet
numbered in the thousands, and I've received feedback from all corners of the
globe: Australia, Finland, Peru, Hong Kong, and Greece, just to name a few
places. I continue to keep in touch with many of these people, even to this
day! It never ceases to amaze me how modern communications can bring me
together almost instantly with someone from tens of thousands of miles away,
from an entirely different culture and way of life -- and that the common bond
we share is a passion for this thing called Wing Commander. Amazing, isn't it,
that something which is "just a game" can accomplish such a feat?

At any rate, enough with my sermon. I now present to you the Unoffical Wing
Commander III FAQ, version 2.01... enjoy!


-- James Hogan

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1. Introduction
*******************************************************************************

1.1. Purpose of the FAQ
==========================

This FAQ was created to answer the more commonly asked questions pertaining to
Origin Systems' recent action hit, Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger.
Originally written before the game's release as a means of keeping the gaming
community informed of what Wing Commander III would be like and how its
development was proceeding, the FAQ has now expanded to include known
solutions to technical problems, often-used strategies and mission tips, and
more!

Please be sure to read the Disclaimer (section 1.3).


1.2. Trademark information
=============================

ORIGIN, Wing Commander, ORIGIN We Create Worlds, Privateer, Wing Commander
Academy, and Wing Commander Armada are registered trademarks of ORIGIN. Secret
Missions, Vengeance of the Kilrathi, and Heart of the Tiger are trademarks of
Origin Systems, Inc. ORIGIN is a wholly owned subsidiary of Electronic Arts.


1.3. Disclaimer -- READ ME!
==============================

This FAQ is not a paid advertisement, nor is it even officially endorsed by
Origin Systems. All information in this FAQ has, unless otherwise specified,
been verified by a reliable source (e.g., employees at Origin), but keep in
mind that it has been written by fans, not actual Origin employees. Everything
you read here could be a complete lie. :)


1.4. Acronyms
================

The following acronyms will be used throughout the FAQ, some more often than
others:

EA: Electronic Arts
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions list
OSI: Origin Systems, Inc.
WC: Wing Commander
WC1/2/3/4: Wing Commander 1, 2, 3, or 4
SM1/2: Secret Missions 1 or 2
SO1/2: Special Operations 1 or 2
WCA: Wing Commander Academy
Armada: Wing Commander Armada (I know, it's not an acronym; so sue me)


1.5. Organization of the FAQ
===============================

The WC3 FAQ contains information useful to most anyone who has an interest in
the game, whether they have played it or not...

Section 2 is for those who are new to the WC series, or who missed part of it
somewhere along the line. It includes a very brief summary of each WC product
to date.

Sections 3 and 4 are aimed towards prospective buyers; it answers questions
about the system requirements for the game, what features it has, what makes
it special, etc.

Section 5, which covers the cinematics, should have something of interest to
most everyone... those who are considering buying the game will get an idea of
what the movie clips are like, and those who have already played the game will
find out more about the actors who starred in WC3, how the special effects in
the game were done, and so forth.

Section 6 covers the WC3 CD-ROM demo. If you're seriously considering buying
the game, you may want to check this out... you'll learn where you can get a
copy, what to do if you can't get it running, how it differs from the actual
game, and more.

Section 7 will help you get through some of the tough spots in the game; if
you're stuck on a particular mission, or can't figure out how to defeat a
certain enemy... read this.

Section 8 addresses storyline issues that WC3 players often wonder about after
they finish the game: what happens if you choose different plot branches, if
it's possible to prevent certain things from happening in the story, why the
writers made something happen the way it did, etc.

Section 9 takes whatever is left over... where to obtain a copy of WC3 in
countries outside the USA, what the deal with the "Premiere Edition" is, what
we know about future WC products, and more.


1.6. Spoiler warning
=======================

Some sections of this FAQ contain plot spoilers about certain Wing Commander
products (i.e., games and/or novels). All of these should contain an obvious
"SPOILER" label in the header (e.g., [SPOILER -- PRIVATEER] to indicate
spoilers about the Privateer game). Those who do not want to know what happens
in the story should exercise due caution when reading these parts.


*1.7.* Obtaining the latest version of the FAQ
===============================================

The FAQ has many official distribution sites from which the latest version will
always be available:

* The Midnight Netslave. Send e-mail to netslave@midnight.com.au with the
text "GET FAQ/WC3" (no quotes) in the body of the message, and a copy of
the FAQ will be sent to your mailbox.

* Internet FTP: netslave.midnight.com.au, /pub/faq
ftp.aimnet.com, /pub/users/lordsoth/wc3
wcl-l.bham.ca.uk, /pub/djh/faqs

* Other BBSes: Sherlock's Haven BBS -- (516) 433-2093, 28.8k bps


1.7.1. The WC3 FAQ Mailing List
--------------------------------

I maintain a mailing list of people who are interested in receiving updates
to the FAQ via email. If you'd like to be put on this list, just send a
message to netslave@midnight.com.au with the text

SUBSCRIBE WC3

in the body of the message.

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2. Background of Wing Commander III
*******************************************************************************

Undoubtedly, many of the people reading this FAQ will have already played the
other Wing Commander games and know pretty much what they're about; but
there are probably some Wing Commander newbies out there, too. Besides, even
if you are a veteran of the Wing Commander universe, a short refresher course
can never hurt... :-)


2.1. What's this whole "Wing Commander" thing about?
=======================================================

Wing Commander, first released in 1990 by Origin Systems, is a simulation-
style action game interwoven with a cinematic storyline set in the 27th
century. It does not attempt to model real-world physics with a completely
accurate simulation of space flight, but instead concentrates on providing a
fun, intense, first-person space dogfighting experience. Several things
distinguished it from other games upon its initial release: the graphics,
music, and sound were all revolutionary, surpassing most (if not all) other
competing products in the industry at the time. The storyline, of which a
short segment unraveled after each mission the player flew, had many plot
devices that, although simple, had rarely before been used in a computer game
of its type: character development, interpersonal conflict, ethics, and more.
To date, the series has sold a total of over 1.5 million units worldwide.


2.2. Chris Roberts? Who?
============================

Chris Roberts is the man behind the Wing Commander series. His experience in
the gaming industry goes back to his teenage years... from the very beginning,
programming arcade games was Roberts' primary goal. It started out as a simple
hobby, and then grew to be an actual source of income as he published several
hits for the BBC personal computer in England, including Wizadore and Stryker's
Run.

His big break occurred when he was in Austin, Texas, working on his latest game,
Ultra Realm (which later became Times of Lore). He wanted to find an artist to
do the artwork for his game, and ran across Denis Loubet, who was then doing
freelance artwork for Richard Garriot's Ultima VI. Before long, Loubet showed
Times of Lore to some of the higher-ups at Origin, with whom Roberts eventually
signed an agreement to distribute the game.

During the next couple of years, he began to toy around with a first-person
space combat game on his own time using techniques that were fairly new to the
gaming industry. After a couple of months, he had a basic working model to
show to the guys at Origin, at which point it officially became a sanctioned
company project. The result was Wing Commander, and the rest is history.


2.3. What were the previous Wing Commander products?
=======================================================

2.3.1. Wing Commander I [SPOILERS -- WC1]
-------------------------------------------

Wing Commander I is the game that started it all. In this first
installment of the WC saga, the player takes the role of a young Lieutenant
who has just been assigned to the carrier ship Tiger's Claw, the pride of
the Confederate Navy. The main plot of WC1 is the Confederation's campaign
to take Vega Sector from the Kilrathi, which eventually succeeds.

WC1 had two add-on disks -- Secret Missions 1 and 2. SM1 focused on a
new Kilrathi secret weapon, and the Claw's attempts to hunt down and
destroy it. SM2 told the story of how the Confederation made an alliance
with the avian Firekkan species, and also introduced two new characters:
Doomsday and Jazz.


2.3.1.1. Super Wing Commander
------------------------------

A revamped version of WC1 has been released for the 3DO and Macintosh
platforms, incorporating completely redone hi-resolution graphics, full
speech during all the cinematic sequences, and more. SWC follows the
plotline of the whole WC1 series, including SM1 and SM2.


2.3.2. Wing Commander II [SPOILERS -- WC2]
--------------------------------------------

The game begins with the Tiger's Claw being destroyed by three Kilrathi
stealth (cloaked) fighters, and you are accused of allowing the carrier
to be destroyed because of your negligence. Your claims about the
stealth fighters go unbelieved, your career is ruined, and you are
assigned to a space station in the backwaters of the known galaxy.

Ten years later, through a strange series of events, you end up on the
flagship of the Confederate fleet (imagine that), the Concordia, where you
meet up with some of your old pals who survived the destruction of the
Claw -- Angel, Spirit, Paladin, Doomsday, and Jazz. Eventually, you defeat
the heir to the Kilrathi throne in a one-on-one dogfight (though he ejects
to survive to fight again another day), destroy the Kilrathi headquarters
in the sector, and find evidence that the stealth fighters exist, proving
your innocence and restoring your career.

WC2 also had two expansion disks -- Special Operations 1 and 2. SO1
introduced the character of Bear, the protagonist in the second and third
Wing Commander novels. SO2 reunites you with Maniac, with whom you team
up to destroy Ayer's Rock, an asteroid which a band of human traitors is
using as a base.


2.3.2.1. The Wing Commander I & II CD-ROM
------------------------------------------

Origin has recently released the first two Wing Commander games,
including all expansion sets (Secret Missions 1 & 2, the WC2 Speech
Pack, and Special Operations 1 & 2) on a single CD. WC1 must be
installed to your hard drive, but WC2 can be played off the CD to
save drive space.


2.3.3. Privateer [SPOILERS -- PRIVATEER]
------------------------------------------

Privateer puts you in the shoes of a different character -- a privateer.
This game, which takes place in the Gemini sector of space, is essentially
unrelated (in terms of plot) to the main Wing Commander games. As a
freelance trader and mercenary, you undertake various missions to earn
yourself enough credits to upgrade your ship and advance in the storyline.
Eventually, you discover an old alien derelict, and take a working cannon
from it and mount it on your ship. This prompts an alien drone to begin
to chase you; in the end, you team up with Confederate ships to destroy
the threat the drone presents to the sector.

One expansion disk has been released for Privateer -- Righteous Fire.
This begins with your alien gun being stolen form your ship, and
concentrates on your attempts to retrieve it. You never do.


2.3.3.1. The Privateer / Strike Commander CD-ROM
-------------------------------------------------

Another recent release of Origin's, this CD contains the enhanced
versions of both Privateer and Strike Commander on one disc. Both
games come with their expansion disk (Tactical Operations for Strike
Commander, Righteous Fire for Privateer) and full speech. Strike
Commander also has an expanded introduction sequence.


2.3.4. Wing Commander Academy
------------------------------

A game with no plotline whatsoever, WCA was designed to appeal to the
straight-out action gamers who prefer the dogfighting over the storyline.
All the ships from WC2 plus a couple of new ones and a mission builder are
included.


2.3.5. Wing Commander Armada
-----------------------------

Much as WCA was designed to appeal to those who wanted to be able to create
their own missions, Armada is aimed towards those who want a multiplayer
Wing Commander game. Like Academy, there is no storyline to follow, but
several new features not found in previous WC games are present. Not only
can the player fly in "Gauntlet" mode, a straight shoot-'em-up where wave
after wave of increasingly powerful enemy ships is thrown at them, but a
new "Armada" mode is present, which is a strategy game requiring the player
to manage planetary resources and build up a fleet to hunt down and destroy
his/her opponent. Battle sequences in Armada mode place players in the
cockpit so they can directly affect the outcome of each battle, creating an
interesting mix of strategy and action.

Most players agree that Armada's strengths lie in its multiplayer
capabilities. Using a high speed modem, NetBIOS-compatible network, or a
split-screen mode on a single computer, two pilot jockeys can both climb
into their own fighters and play head-to-head or cooperatively. A recently
released patch also adds a six-player mode and IPX network support.
Needless to say, the multiplayer modes add a new dimension to the game not
found in previous WC products.


*2.3.6.* Wing Commander novels
-------------------------------

Three novels set in the Wing Commander universe were published prior to
WC3's release: _Freedom Flight_, by Mercedes Lackey and Ellen Guon (the
head writer for WC2), takes place during SM2, and has Paladin and Hunter as
the main characters. The novel goes into detail on the Kilrathi defectors
who were briefly mentioned in SM2 (and of which Hobbes from WC2 and WC3
was the leader), and gives the reader a good look at Firekkan culture.

_End Run_, by Christopher Stasheff and William R. Forstchen, features
Jason "Bear" Bondarevsky (SO1) as the protagonist and tells the story
of how he is assigned to a new ship, the Tarawa, which is sent on a
suicide mission into Kilrathi space. Other WC figures who are major
characters in the novel are Paladin, Hunter, Sparks, and Admiral Tolwyn.

_Fleet Action_, written by William R. Forstchen, is a direct sequel to
_End Run_, picking up where its predecessor left off. The Kilrathi launch
a major counteroffensive against the Confederation, who must come up with
a last-ditch plan to avoid annihilation.

_Heart of the Tiger_ is a recently-released novel adaption of WC3. Though
not released until after the game, it is included here for convenience; see
section 9.9.4 for more details.


*2.3.6.1.* What are the ISBN numbers of the WC novels?
-------------------------------------------------------

Several FAQ readers have asked me for more details on these novels so
that they could order them through their local bookstores, so here they
are:

_Freedom Flight_, by Mercedes Lackey and Ellen Guon. Published
in 1992 by Baen Books. ISBN 0-671-72145-3.

_End Run_, by Christopher Stasheff and William R. Forstchen.
Published in 1994 by Baen Books. ISBN 0-671-72200-X.

_Fleet Action_, by William R. Forstchen. Published in 1994 by
Baen Books. ISBN 0-671-72211-5.

_Heart of the Tiger_, by William R. Forstchen and Baen Books.
Published in 1995 by Baen Books. ISBN 0-671-87653-8.


2.4. Who's this "Bluehair" guy?
==================================

In WC 1 & 2, the player can choose any desired name and callsign for the main
character, who has no name of his own. While these games were in development,
Origin nicknamed our hero "Bluehair," a reference to the dark blue tint the
artists gave to his hair. Since then, the nickname has been adopted by gamers
of the online community as a convenient "handle" when discussing the main
character in the first two Wing Commander games.

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*******************************************************************************
3. Technical questions
*******************************************************************************

3.1. What are the system requirements for Wing Commander III?
================================================================

3.1.1. How fast does my processor need to be?
----------------------------------------------

The official requirement is a 100% compatible Intel 486DX2/50 or greater
processor, though many people (myself included) have found gameplay
satisfactory on a 486/33. In other words, if you only have a 486/33, you
should be able to run the game just fine, but don't say that Origin never
warned you if it runs too slow for your tastes.

It should be emphasized that non-Intel processors are NOT supported by
Origin, though AMD chips seem to work fine with the game. Cyrix processors
have several known compatibility problems with WC3, and will not function
properly.


3.1.2. What kind of video card do I need?
------------------------------------------

The game runs on any VGA-compatible graphics card, though a fast VESA or
PCI local bus card will help matters greatly. Of course, an SVGA card is
required to play the game in SVGA mode.

Note that "Windows accelerated" video cards may or may not perform well in
standard DOS VGA, SVGA, or both. Since WC3 is a DOS-based application,
with SVGA support provided through use of the VESA 1.2 SVGA extensions, the
game's performance will depend on your video board's speed in these modes,
which may not be as fast as its Windows performance. However, the normal
VGA mode should run at acceptable speeds with almost any video board,
assuming your system meets all the other requirements.


3.1.3. How much RAM do I need?
-------------------------------

8 megs are required; anything above that will primarily help cut down on
the loading times before missions, cinematic cutscenes, and pauses in
combat when the game loads sound effects for the first time (which is not
necessarily a minor issue).


3.1.4. Do I need a CD-ROM drive? How fast?
--------------------------------------------

Since Wing Commander III is a CD-ROM only release (no floppy version has
been or will be released, like all of Origin's future products), yes, a
CD-ROM drive is required. The official requirement is a double-speed
drive; a single-speed will run the game, but the video playback may be
choppy, pausing every few seconds to let the CD-ROM drive catch up. (On
the other hand, I've talked to at least one person who was able to run
the game with a fast single-speed and get very few pauses at all... proceed
at your own risk, I guess.)


3.1.4.1. Will I need to worry about disc swapping?
---------------------------------------------------

No. Even though the game comes on multiple CDs, once you finish
playing on a disc, you'll be able to load the game from the
following disc every time thereafter.


3.2. Does Wing Commander III take advantage of a math coprocessor?
=====================================================================

No. If it did, then the game would not run on 486SX or SX2 systems, which
still represent a significant market share of Origin's target audience. The
only other option would be to write two separate versions of the game, one for
486SX systems and the other for 486DX systems; unfortunately, this would have
added too much time to the development cycle.


3.3. Frame rates
===================

3.3.1. What kind of frame rates can I expect?
----------------------------------------------

These estimates, of course, are just that -- estimates -- and actual frame
rates will vary from system to system; however, here's a chart (officially
released by Origin) detailing how fast, in fps (frames per second), WC3
should run on your system during an average combat mission with a few
Kilrathi:

VGA SVGA SVGA (with fast local bus video card)

486/33 12 4 10
486/50 17 10 15
486/66 20 13 18
Pentium/60 24 15 20
Pentium/90 24 15 24

Note that the local bus SVGA figures are optimal; some local bus video
cards are faster than others, so you may not get those numbers if your card
isn't among the fastest available. All of these figures are averages for
space combat with other fighters... around capital ships, the game will run
about 3-5 frames fps slower.

Cinematics should run acceptably in VGA on any system that meets the
minimum requirements, and can probably run in SVGA on a 486DX2/66 or
faster. Slower systems (i.e., a 486/33) will probably be able to run the
cinematics in VGA, albeit with occasional pauses in the video playback.


3.3.2. How can I tell what frame rates I'm getting?
----------------------------------------------------

During spaceflight, pressing Ctrl-F will toggle a little frame rate monitor
in the corner of the screen. Note that this is different than the Alt-F
keystroke that was used to do the same thing in the demo.

You cannot check your frame rate during the cinematics, but they should
always run at a constant speed anyway.


3.4. How big (in terms of disk space) is Wing Commander III?
===============================================================

The game takes up FOUR CD-ROMs, so somewhere between 2 and 2.5 gigabytes. A
minimum of of about 20 megabytes of hard drive space will be required for a
swap file that WC3 creates; you have the option of installing another 40
megabytes of data to the hard drive to speed up loading times between missions
and such.


3.5. Does Wing Commander III support both a VGA and SVGA mode? At what
resolutions?
==========================================================================

Yes. Though designed as an SVGA application, Origin made sure that WC3 runs,
first and foremost, as a VGA game in the standard 320x200x256 resolution. The
high-resolution SVGA mode (640x480x256 in spaceflight, 320x400x256 for the
cinematics) is an optional feature that will run acceptably on some systems and
not on others (see the frame rate chart in section 3.3 above). The user also
has the option of running the gameplay and/or cinematic sequences independently
in either SVGA or VGA mode... whichever is best suited for their system.

It should also be noted that if, during spaceflight, the system can't keep up
with the graphics at the resolution the user has set, gameplay is not slowed
down -- frames are skipped so that game time still passes at the same rate. In
other words, the game will get choppier, but not slower (not much, at any
rate).


3.5.1. When can I switch between the VGA and SVGA modes?
---------------------------------------------------------

Any time you want. You aren't limited to doing it only between missions
or anything like that; it can be done with a single keypress at any point
during gameplay. The game will even (optionally) switch between video
resolutions for you automatically, dropping down to VGA if the frame rate
gets too slow, and then jumping back to SVGA when it climbs back up.

Cinematics, however, can not be changed on the fly -- you need to wait
until the clip you're watching is over, and then head towards the nearest
computer terminal on your ship to change the game settings (or,
alternately, you can run the WC3 setup program from DOS and change it from
there).


3.5.2. Is the graphic detail level configurable?
-------------------------------------------------

Somewhat. You can set the game to low, medium, or high detail, which
determines the amount of texture mapping that is done (see section 3.8).
On high detail, all ships and objects are texture mapped, medium detail
takes the texture maps off the capital ships, and low detail has all
ships drawn using only polygons.

This detail level is independent of the VGA/SVGA setting.


3.6. Does Wing Commander III support the ReelMagic or any other MPEG cards?
==============================================================================

No. An MPEG version might still be released at some point in the future, but
this is unlikely.


3.7. What's the sound support like?
====================================

3.7.1. What sound cards are supported?
---------------------------------------

Wing Commander III supports the following sound cards:
Ensoniq Soundscape
Gravis Ultrasound
Gravis Ultrasound Max
Pro Audio Spectrum
Roland Sound Canvas
Roland RAP-10
SoundBlaster
SoundBlaster Pro
SoundBlaster/16
SoundBlaster AWE-32
Any other General MIDI compliant sound hardware


3.7.1.1. Are the digital sound capabilities of the RAP-10 taken
advantage of?
----------------------------------------------------------------

Yes. (Many games use the RAP-10 to play music, but require the player
to use another sound card for digital sound playback. Not WC3!)


3.7.2. Does WC3 have 16-bit sound effects?
-------------------------------------------

Yes, all sound effects are in 16-bit stereo.


3.7.3. Can WC3 play multiple digital sound samples simultaneously?
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes. Wing Commander III can play 32 different digitized sound samples
simultaneously.


3.8. Does Wing Commander III use bitmaps or polygon-based graphics?
What's the difference?
======================================================================

WC3, like some previous Origin releases (Strike Commander, Wings of Glory),
uses texture-mapped polygons instead of plain bitmaps (as previous Wing
Commander games did). For those of you who aren't familiar with the
advantages of a polygon-based graphics engine, allow me to explain...

The first two Wing Commander games use bitmaps to represent the ships and
other objects in space. The ships themselves are actually centered at a
single point in space, and their boundaries are defined by an invisible box
surrounding that point. Note that their boundaries are defined by a 3-D
_box_, rather than the shape of the ship you see on the screen... that's why,
for example, gun shots that come really close to an enemy (but don't actually
hit his image on the screen) explode in the space next to him and still do
damage -- they hit the invisible box surrounding the ship. As this box flies
around space and tries to shoot you, a 2-D image of a spaceship is placed on
it that is changed to reflect what angle you're looking at the box from. Thus,
all of the ships in the first two WC games are actually flying boxes that just
have _pictures_ of one-man fighters slapped on them.

Still following? Good. Now, a polygon-based engine -- the kind WC3 uses --
is much different. Rather than having their boundaries defined by an
invisible box, objects are made up of geometric shapes... a cylinder might
represent the body of a plane, two triangles could represent for the wings,
and so forth. These boundary-defining shapes _are_ visible to the player,
unlike the flying boxes of WC1 and 2. Since a ship made up of plain polygons
can look a bit ugly (take a look at some flight simulators from four or five
years ago), various techniques are used to improve their appearance. WC3 uses
"texture mapping", which means that a texture (a "texture" being a picture of
anything from a sheet of glass to a certain color of metal to a picture of a
pilot in a cockpit) is placed on these bare polygons to give them a more
attractive appearance.

The final result? Ships that still look really cool, but that are much more
clearly "defined." There are many more advantages to this than just NOT having
your gunfire hit the space next to your opponent and still do damage... check
out section 4.2 for some examples of what is made possible by the use of the
polygon-based flight engine in Wing 3.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

*******************************************************************************
4. Gameplay issues
*******************************************************************************

In some ways, WC3 scarcely resembles its predecessors; the SVGA graphics make
everything four times as sharp, combat moves at a faster pace, and some things
(such as the capital ship and planetside combat) are an entirely new experience
altogether.


4.1. Is the flight model in WC3 the same as in previous WC games?
====================================================================

Yes and no. There are two flight models available in WC3 that the user can
choose between: the traditional WC flight model, as in WC1 and WC2, or a new
flight model (similar to the one used in X-Wing) where your ship will roll
whenever you yaw (turn left or right).


4.2. What are capital ships and capital ship combat like?
============================================================

This is one of the areas most improved over previous WC games. The days when
all capital ships were little more than big, ugly-looking, sluggish fighters
that waited for you to fire your guns and blast them to kingdom come are gone.
In WC3, the capital ships are huge -- some are thousands of times as long as
your ship, in fact -- so when you fly up to one, you really are struck with a
sense of awe rather than a sense of boredom. The detail on them is tremendous;
you can easily see little windows dotting the hull, or fly over and look at the
flight deck. The really neat thing is, these aren't all just for decoration,
either... you can actually fly around _inside_ of a ship's hangar (this is made
possible by that wonderful polygon technology talked about in section 3.8).

Actual combat with capships is much more involved, as well. Destroying a
carrier in the earlier WC games often involved little more than a few strafing
runs, unloading your guns each time, until you broke through the shields and
armor (or, in the case of some of the ships in WC2, sitting there until you got
a torpedo lock and _then_ firing). Either way, it was fairly monotonous and
generally not very challenging. In WC3, this is no longer the case... you'll
probably need to make several attack runs at a capship, dodging a flurry of
laser blasts and trying to pick off gun turrets with your blasters each time
before it's safe enough to try and destroy it.


4.2.1. Manual takeoffs and landings
------------------------------------

In WC3, takeoffs and landings do not have to be automatic; you have the
option to do them manually by adjusting your speed appropriately and
steering your ship into or out of the hangar bay. Not terribly complex,
but more interesting than simply flying next your carrier and letting the
automatic landing system kick in (though you can still do that if you get
lazy.) ;)


4.2.2. Collision detection
---------------------------

Unfortunately, WC3 has some problems detecting collisions with large ships.
Sometimes crashing into a ship will eat into your shields and send you
careening off in another direction (as it should), but other times you will
actually fly _into_ a capital ship's hull, turning the screen into an odd
mess of polygons... and then probably crash trying to fly out. This
doesn't impede gameplay very much, since you don't often go smashing into
capital ships, but needless to say, it doesn't do much for the suspension
of disbelief...


4.3. What are the planetside missions like?
==============================================

There are four ground missions in Wing 3, all of which are important to the
plot. Planetside combat was designed with playability rather than realism in
mind, so the game doesn't take any actual aerodynamics into account... there
really aren't any real-world physics to worry about. Your ship's "repulsors"
negate the effects of gravity, and you also don't have to worry about g-forces,
engine stalls, or other similar considerations present in most flight sims.
These same repulsors limit you to an altitude of 1,000-2,000 meters. For all
practical purposes, planetside missions are just like space combat, though
you've got terrain to avoid crashing into and a special indicator that appears
on your HUD which monitors your orientation with respect to the ground.
Mission objectives usually include strafing runs on ground targets.

Unfortunately, the terrain is pretty barren; there are no forests, rivers,
deserts, oceans, or anything... simply an endless array of jagged mountains and
valleys, rendered in monochromatic shaded polygons with no texture mapping.
Atmospheric flight isn't particularly breathtaking, but it does at least serve
to add some variety to the missions you fly.


4.4. How many different ships comprise the Terran and Kilrathi fleets?
=========================================================================

The Terran Confederation has five types of capital ships and fighters at its
disposal, two of which have rear gun turrets (complete with computer-controlled
gunners who take over for you when you're not using them). The Empire of
Kilrah has a more varied population of ships in their fleet, with eight kinds
of fighters and seven kinds of capital ships. None of the old WC1/WC2 craft
are used.


4.5. What new technologies are the Terrans armed with that I can use?
========================================================================

In addition to the five new types of fighters in WC3 that the player will
have a chance to fly, the Confederation has also discovered the secret of
cloaking technology, so you'll be able to fly a stealth ships during one
mission.


4.6. How much control do players have over the missions they fly (e.g.,
their ship, wingman, weapons loadout, etc.)?
==========================================================================

You're allowed to choose who your wingman will be, what ship you'll fly, and
your ship's weapon loadout for each mission. You won't be able to choose
which pilots fly on the other wings -- that's generally not even an issue in
the game.


4.6.1. How does the weapon selection work?
-------------------------------------------

The guns on your ship are fixed and can't be changed, but you always get to
allocate your missiles however you like. Unlike the weapon selection in
Strike Commander, you have an unlimited supply of ammunition, and a heavy
payload won't affect flight dynamics, either.

This doesn't, however, mean that you'll want to load up your ship with as
many Friend-or-Foe missiles as you can each time you fly a mission, because
they're slower and pack less punch than other missiles (such as regular old
heat-seekers) that are harder to get a lock with. It's a tradeoff, and
you'll have to make a decision about your payload based on what kind of
opposition you think you'll be facing. Choosing the appropriate weapon
loadout for the task at hand may make a significant difference in your
performance in battle.


4.7. How good is the artifical intelligence in WC3?
======================================================

Excellent. Not only are your wingmen very effective (you may have a bit of
trouble when you start out matching their kill tallies), but the Kilrathi are
intelligent, too, especially on later levels... they even employ group tactics
to try and fry you.

Different wingmen also have distinct flying styles, ranging from a reckless
near-suicidal approach to combat to a more cautious attack methodology.


4.8. What other notable game features are present in Wing Commander III?
===========================================================================

4.8.1. The 3-D navigational map
--------------------------------

The first two WC games used a two-dimensional navigation map to show the
area surrounding the player. The obvious failing of this system is that it
could not show Z coordinates; the map might have the player's ship directly
on top of a jump point, when in reality he/she was a hundred thousand
clicks _above_ the destination.

WC3 employs an actual three-dimensional nav map to give the player a better
idea of his/her surroundings. The map can be rotated on all three axes and
zoomed in and out so that the environment may be viewed from any angle and
any distance.


4.8.2. Power management
------------------------

You can allocate your ship's power among engines, weapons, shields, and
damage control during battle.


4.9. What game features _aren't_ present in Wing Commander III?
==================================================================

4.9.1. The "virtual cockpit"
-----------------------------

No 3-D cockpit was included in WC3, primarily becuase it slowed things down
too much in SVGA mode and became more of a hindrance than a help. The
usual left, right, and rear views are present instead.

You can still turn the cockpit off altogether, though -- the WC3 ships all
have a HUD, so vital information remains on the screen when the cockpit
graphics are turned off.


4.9.2. VCR replay mode
-----------------------

There wasn't enough time in the development cycle to include one.


4.9.3. Color communications consoles
-------------------------------------

They tried, but the space color palette didn't support flesh tones very
well.


*4.9.4.* Can you go back and replay specific missions?
-------------------------------------------------------

Not technically -- though since you have a vast number of savegame slots,
you can build your own mission library as you work through the game.


4.9.5. Can you transfer old characters from WC2 to WC3?
--------------------------------------------------------

Sorry, no.


4.9.6. Multiplayer modem and/or network support
------------------------------------------------

Not WC3. If you want multiplayer Wing Commander, then give Wing Commander
Armada a try (see section 2.2.5.).

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************************