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FRONTIER HELP - USING EQUIPMENT


1. How to Use ECM
2. How to Use the Scanner
3. How to Use the Radar Mapper
4. Using The Hyperspace Cloud Analyser
5. Using the MB4 Mining Machine
6. Using Escape Capsules
7. Using Fuel Scoops


Ecm System

This destroys all active Mines and Homing Missiles in the vicinity (within about 100km, or 200km for the Naval ECM) It is operated with the ECM icon from the Weapon Control Panel, or with the E key from the keyboard. Do not be alarmed if it causes interference on your main display. If both Naval ECM and standard ECM are fitted, only the Naval ECM will be used.


Using The Scanner

This device shows the relative positions of ships and other objects in your vicinity. The holographic display shows the other objects as coloured blobs above or below the plane of your ship, with a coloured line drawn to that plane. The plane of your ship is shown as a red circle with a grid on it (seen in perspective when viewed from the pilot's seat), with two lines drawn on it to show the extremity of your front view. If the Weapons console is activated it obscures the scanner, so click on the console to get the scanner back. The colour of the blob reflects the mass of the ship or object:

BLUE 1- 15t
GREEN 16- 31t
MAGENTA 32- 63t
RED 64-111t
ORANGE 112-159t
YELLOW 160-207t
GREY 208-299t
WHITE 300t+


Using The Radar Mapper

This provides you with additional information about your current target, such as the number of Shield Generators it has fitted, their current charge level, the ship's maximum hyperspace range and any important equipment such as Energy Bombs and Hyperspace Cloud Analyser. It will also check if the ship matches any on the Wanted Criminals list, and if so will show any bounty that is offered. This bounty will be paid into your account automatically, when the destruction of the ship is recorded by your on-board computer. No bounty will be paid for a ship if the Radar Mapper has not first identified it, since proof of identity is needed

To operate the Radar Mapper:

Make sure you are in View mode by using the View icon F1.

Target a ship by clicking on it using the left hand mouse button. If the selected target is not a ship then no information will be shown.

Select the Radar Mapper icon on the Weapons Control Pane, or press R. Iinformation will be displayed at the top right of the headup display on your target until the Radar Mapper is deselected.

To deselect this facilicy, use the icon again.

To deselect the target, click away from the ship where there is no potential target.


Using The Hyperspace Cloud Analyser

This device is commonly used by pirates to identify the destination of their quarry, and also by police forces and bounty hunters. If your ship has a greater hyperspace range than the one you are chasing (use the Radar Mapper and your Ship Equipment Inventory page to determine this), then you will arrive at the destination before them if you left at the same time.

It gives their hyperspace destination, the ship's mass is also shown and the exact Galactic Mean Time and date at which they will arrive.

Make sure you are in View mode by using the View icon F1.

Target a hyperspace remnant by clicking on it using the left hand mouse button. If the selected target is not a hyperspace remnant then no information will be shown.

Select the Hyperspace Cloud Analyser icon on the Weapons Control Panel and information will be displayed at the top right hand corner of the headup display until the Hyperspace Cloud Analyser is deselected.

To deselect this facility, use the icon again.

To deselect the target, click away from the ship where there is no potential target.

To follow the ship, use the Galactic Map icon F2 to jump to the same destination. As long as you enter hyperspace not too long after your quarry then you will leave hyperspace at a similar position.

Once out of hyperspace, use the Stardreamer Time Control to wait until the likely time of arrival of your quarry. The Hyperspace Cloud Analyser information is quite accurate, so if the predicted time has been exceeded by about a minute, then your quarry will not arrive. They must have mis-jumped (whether intentionally or not) and there is no way you can find them.


Using the MB4 Mining Machine

Setting Up Your MB4

Choose a mining site with a temperature below 200 degrees Centigrade. The most likely suitable locations will be on systems' inner planets which are more likely to be mineral rich. Ones which humans have hardly touched are more likely to be mineral rich as machines like the MB4 and its predecessors are very thorough, and will have scoured most of the surface of core worlds by now. To test the composition of the crust, you need to land.

Land at the chosen site, and activate the Unload Rig icon or press D. This will cause the mining rig to be unloaded, whereupon it will analyse a sample of the crust and relay the results to your on board computer. If the prospects are good it will bed itself in and begin drilling immediately. You may then take off and come back later once it has mined the full capacity of 10 tonnes.

Finding The MB4 Again

All the mines have a beacon which has your own coded signal allowing the computer to pin-point its position. If you pick up someone else's rig, your computer will automatically register the code of the owner. All other rigs belonging to them in this star system will then be shown on your inventory page. This means that stealing ore is possible however the same can be done to you. A safeguard is to avoid placing numerous rigs in one system, so that they are not so easily found should one of your rigs be purloined. Your beacons will use a different code in each system.

Select the Inventory icon F3 and cycle through until you come to the Mining Installations page. It will list your rigs and their location.

Fly to the Star system in which a particular rig is situated.

Set up the Mining Installations page again and use the button next to the rig you wish to find.

The on-board computer will then set it up as your current target. You may then fly to it manually or with the Autopilot. You can deselect the target as before by placing the pointer away from the target and using the left hand mouse button.

Collecting The Ore

Land near to the installation and select the Load Rig icon (Fig 80) with one click. this will remotely instruct the machinery to off load ore into your hold until it is full. It will be no more than 10 tonnes at a time because that is the maximum capacity of the MB4's hopper.

If there is no ore to collect the first selection of the icon will load the rig onto the ship if you have space.

Your cargo inventory (Inventory icon F3) will show the minerals on board

Collecting The Mb4 Mining Machine

Land next to the installation and click on the Load Rig icon twice so that the rig and the contents of its hopper are taken on board.

As stated above, the rig will be loaded after the first click if there is no ore in the hopper

The rig may be left for further mining. There is no need to bring it on board if you intend to Deposit it in the same place.

If you want to move the MB4 to another location on the same surface because a site is 'mined out', it is worth moving it a good distance. This is because the MB4 probes quite a large area with its underground drills.

If your MB4 had found a rich seam of minerals, Do not move it as the seam may be a long way below ground and the MB4 may not be able to find it again.


Using Escape Capsules

An escape capsule is not fitted as standard and needs to be obtained from the shipyard. It is not a capsule as such but is a modification that allows your cockpit section to break off as a separate craft. Unfortunately leaving any crew members passengers and cargo behind. It flies to the nearest starport under a cut down Autopilot, and can be used only once. For this reason, it comes with an insurance policy which is automatically cashed in for a basic Eagle Long Range Fighter to replace your abandoned ship.

The capsule has no weapons or hyperspace facility. Pilots aren't supposed to shoot at escape capsules, but in my experience pirates aren't too scrupulous, and escape capsules are often shot down. To release the capsule, you select the Escape Capsule icon on the Weapons Control Panel, or use the X key on the keyboard.


Using the Fuel Scoop

Scoops fuel from the upper layers of gas giants or the photosphere of cool stars when you fly at below about 30km altitude while travelling forwards at speed. In order to scoop from a gas giant, Atmospheric Shielding is needed. A star however, requires greater protection for your ship in the form of an Atmospheric Shield and a Shield Generator. Even with these it is still dangerous and only a desperate pilot would attempt it.

A Cargo Scoop Converter can be fitted to a fuel scoop - to use this, fly quickly towards a piece of abandoned cargo, and it will automatically be brought into your hold when your ship makes contact with it.


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