Rapier Blueprints...?

[Dralthi5]

I do have WC1 from PCGamer, but I just thought it'd be neat to play an original copy.

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If I'm locked on, there's no such thing as evasive action!

 

[Quarto]

Yes, well, the original version does play quite a bit better, IMHO. But even if you don't have the blueprints, you can still play it. As I said, most of the answers are in Claw Marks.

 

[Death's Head]

Oui, it even has better music. I like the original explosions better too for both 1 and 2. Before I had internet, what I did to solve the questions was type in reasonable number until it let me in. It wasn't too long before I got all the codes since I had my documentation for a week and got around 12 guesses per minute.

 

[Quarto]

I can't even remember the original music... it was so long ago since I've seen the proper version of WC1.

I must say though, that copy protection was damned useful. After the first two weeks, I knew the stats for every ship, gun and missile like the back of my hand. Which actually helps a great deal.

 

[Shane]

Shane: Do you have the manuals for SM1 and SM2?

Yes. Like I've mentioned elsewhere, I am an old-timer, I played these when they first came out.


[This message has been edited by Shane (edited July 10, 2000).]

 

[Quarto]

Do they also have fiction, or are they just how-to-fly manuals? I only have KSaga, and you don't get SM1&2 manuals with that

.

 

[Death's Head]

Very short fiction excerpts that tell you the nice things about Goddard was all I got. Is there more in another release?

 

[Shane]

If I remember corrcectly, they were on a heavy stock paper that was perhaps 8.5 x 11 and was tri-folded. They included instructions on how to install the add-on, how to transfer characters from WC1 to SM1 and WC1 or SM1 to SM2. They had a one paragraph or so letter from Colonel Halcyon or perhaps the captain, explaining the situation (i.e. we are on a diplomatic mission to Firekka,) and then a few facts (that were used for copy protection) For example according to the SM2 one, if I recall correctly, the priestess of Sivar look at the star alignment of x (can't recall the number) stars to determine where the next Sivar Eshrad will be held. Other things include the year the neutron gun was invented (on Goddard, no less); how many fireworks are launched to celebrate Goddard's birthday, etc.

I can't remember if they both had it, but I do know SM2 had a mission tree of the WC1 missions, showing you how they branched out.

[This message has been edited by Shane (edited July 11, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Shane (edited July 11, 2000).]

 

[Death's Head]

I didn't get a heavy stock paper anything but I did get basically the same info. What does it say about Halcyon?

 

[Shane]

It's at home, I'm at work. I'll try to bring it with me tomorrow. I haven't looked at it in a few years, so my memory is fuzzy. I just seem to recall it eing similar to the Secret Ops messages you got from the Origin website during the rollout of the episodes.

 

[Mad Hatter]

You know, Dralthi5, since you have the original disks, you could download the game cracked from some abandonware site, I suppose it would be legal, no?

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Sometimes you`re the windshield
Sometimes you`re the BUG...

 

[Shane]

Found 'em.

They are a riot to read from a technical stand point (playing the game from the floppy, needing 1024000 bytes on your hard drive to save time etc) It also describes how to transfer characters and how to use the transfer program to fly specific missions from WC1. I'm almost tempted to scan them in.

They aren't on card stock, but it's heavier than standard paper. They are also 8.5 by 14, not 8.5 by 11. However as a kindness

here's what they start off saying. The all caps thing is the way they wrote it, btw.

WING COMMANDER
THE SECRET MISSIONS
IBM-PC/100% compatibles

FROM: CONFEDHICOM -- ADM. DEKE STOVER
TO: TCS TIGER'S CLAW -- COL. PETER HALCYON

TOP SECRET TOP SECRET TOP SECRET
YOU ARE HEREBY ORDERED TO DIVERT FROM YOUR CURRENT
POSITION IN THE VEGA SECTOR TO THE GODDARD SYSTEM, DENEB
SECTOR TO PROVIDE FOR SUPPORT FOR COLONY ON GODDARD II.
FURTHER ORDERS TO FOLLOW UPON ARRIVAL AT COLONY. ALL
COMMUNICATION TO ADDRESS MISSION AS "OPERATION THOR'S
HAMMER."

Thus begins another chapter in the annals of the TCS Tiger's Claw. You have been ordered to the site of a crushing Kilrathi attack on a human colony. Intelligence indicates that the Kilrathi fleet is testing its latest secret weapon in this sector. You must pursue the warriors of Kilrah across enemy lines, destroy them and eliminate the threat of their deadly new weapon.

WING COMMANDER
THE SECRET MISSIONS 2:
CRUSADE
Installation Guide * IBM-PC/100% compatibles

FROM: VICE ADMIRAL TOLWYN, CONFEDHICOM
TO: TCS TIGER'S CLAW

YOU ARE HEREBY ORDERED TO DEFEND
FIREKKA SYSTEM IN ANTARES SECTOR AGAINST
APPROACHING KILRATHIBATTLE FLEETS.
REMAIN IN-SYSTEM FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE;
REINFORCEMENTS UNAVAIABLE.

TOP PRIORITY: SAFETY OF CONFEDERATION
DIPLOMATS AND FIREKKAN ALLIES.

The Secret Missions 2: Crusade is another exciting chapter in the saga of the Tiger's Claw! In this campaign a huge Kilrathi fleet manuver's towards a planet of peaceful, primitive natives. After a Kilrathi renegade defects with the crew of a small destroyer, you'll fly one of their fighterships in undercover missions.

In these new secret missions, you must discover the truth behind the Kilrathi "holy war" before the warriors of Kilrah can destroy you and the Tiger's Claw.


Well a few flaws in there, imho. The description of the Firekkan as primitive and Hobbes ship being a small destroyer.

 

[Death's Head]

Thanks for the data.

 

[Quarto]

Hmm, actually the Firekkans were just a bit primitive. Though indeed, Hobbes' ship was a small cruiser, not a small destroyer.

Hey, could you give me the details about the Sivar ceremony, as well?

 

[Jumper]

You can use the Transfer program to play a specific mission?? Do tell!! I want to know!

My WC1 Mint In Box arrived, I was lucky enough to get an early copy with single-sided ship sheets instead of the later double-sided.

 

[Shane]

You can use the Transfer program to play a specific mission?? Do tell!! I want to know!

I don't know if this would apply for KS, but with the original version which it sounds like you have, it goes as follows. If you have SM1, from DOS, change to the Wing Commander directory. Type TRANSFER and hit enter. If you are using SM2, you do the same thing, only you type TRANS2 and then hit enter. This should put you in the barracks. Move the cursor to the feet of a sleeping pilot and click your mouse, your joystick button or just hit enter. You will be asked to confirm that you want to replace this saved game with a specific series/mission. If you choose no, you can pick another sleeping pilot, if you click yes a graphical representation of the Vega Sector campaign appears.

NOTE: To fly a specific mission, you must replace an existing Wing Commander saved game. This means you will lose the save game that pilot represents.

Position the cursor over the series number you want to slecet and click or press Enter. A list of missions appears. Position the cursor over the name and number of the mission you want to fly and click or press Enter to replace the sleeping pilot with one representing this series and mission. ANY SAVED GAME IN THIS BUNK WILL BE REPLACED. Click on the airlock to exit DOs. Typw WC and hit enter to start the game. Go to the barracks, click on the head of the pilot who you just modified and fly the mission normally.

Good Luck!

 

[Shane]

Hmm, actually the Firekkans were just a bit primitive. Though indeed, Hobbes' ship was a small cruiser, not a small destroyer.

Hey, could you give me the details about the Sivar ceremony, as well?

Sorry for the back to back posts, but since these were both going to be somewhat long, I thought it better this way. Anyhow, I guess in relation to Confed they were not at the cutting edge. When I think primitive though, I'm thinking Mopoks (sp?) from WC1.

As for the Sivar Eshrad. I'll round off or make vague the numbers so no one can accuse me of trying to help pirate a 10 year old game

You'll get the idea though. The info is as follows:

SIVAR-ESHRAD

Very little is known about Sivar, the Kilarthi warrior god. But most Kilrathi soldiers and officers are members of the Sivar cult.

Every year, the 9000+ priestesses of the Sivar cult use astronomical and astrological data to correlate the positions of almost 26000 solar systems. Based on these calculations, they locate the single planet that is acceptable for the Sivar-Eshrad cermeony.

The exact purpose of the Sivar-Eshrad ceremony is not known, as the Kilrathi do not allow nonbelievers to be present at their religious ceremonies. But the crews of a little more than 3700 Kilrathi warships attended the Sivar-Eshrad on Ghorah Khar.

All information in this article was compiled from the notes of anthropologist Dr. C.L. Kohl, who was captured and executed by the the Kilrathi priestesses in 26xx while secretly observing the Sivar-Eshrad ceremony on Ghorah Khar.