Manual typed in a txt file by Steve Begin (tabac@altavista.net) --------------------------------------------------------------- NES-VL-USA OVERLORD Instruction Booklet (Virgin Games logo) PAGE 2 ------ (picture of the Official Nintendo Seal of Quality) This official seal is your assurance that Nintendo has approved the quality of this product. Always look for this seal when buying games and accessories to ensure complete compatibility with your Nintendo Entertainment System. All Nintendo products are licensed by sale for use only with other authorized products bearing the official Nintendo seal of quality. Licensed by (Nintendo logo) Nintendo and Nintendo Entertainment System are registered trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. (C)1991 Nintendo of America Inc. (C)1991 Virgin Games Inc. Virgin is a registered trademark of Virgin Enterprises, ltd. INNER CARTON: Virgin Games, Inc. Limited Warranty (not written) PAGE 3 ------ Thank you for choosing the Overlord(tm) Game Pak for your Nintendo Entertain- ment System(r) Please read this booklet thoroughly to ensure proper handling of your new game. Keep it carefully for future reference when you are playing Overlord. PRECAUTIONS * This is a high-precision Game Pak. It should not be stored in places that are very hot or cold. Never hit it or drop it. Do not take it apart. * Avoid touching the connectors. Do not get them wet or dirty. Doing so may damage the Game Pak and/or the Control Deck. * Do not clean with benzene, paint thinner, alcohol or other such solvents. * Store the Game Pak in its protective sleeve when not in use. * Always check the Game Pak edge connector for foreign material before inserting the Game Pak into the Control Deck. :Do not use with front or rear projection TV Do not use a front or rear projection television with your Nintendo Entertain- ment System(R) ('NES') or your Super Nintendo Entertainment System ('Super NES') and NES or Super NES games. Your projection television screen may be permanently damaged if video games with stationary scenes or patterns are played on your projection television. Similar damage may occur if you place a video game on hold or pause. If you use your projection television with NES or Super NES games, neither Nintendo nor any of Nintendo's licensees will be liable for any damage. This situation is not caused by a defect in the NES, Super NES, or NES games or Super NES games; other fixed or repetitive images may cause similar damage to a projection television. Please contact your television's manufacturer for further information. Note: In the interest of product improvement, Nintendo Entertainment System specification and design are subject to change without notice. (C)1991/2 Virgin Games Inc. (tm) & (R) Trademarks of Nintendo of America and Virgin Games Inc. PAGE 4 ------ PRODUCTION CREDITS FOR OVERLORD NES Original Concept by Jonathan Bonar NES Game Design by Steve Crow and Mark Kelly Programmed by Mark Kelly Graphics and Animations by Steve Crow Audio by Jeroen Tel Project Managers: Seth Mendelsohn, Eric Yeo Product Testing: Noah Tool, Michael Gater, Tim Williams, Ron Friedman, Chad Clark, Sean O'Meara Manual Text and Production by Graeme Kidd Manual Design by Gordon Druce :Read before using your NES or Super NES A very small portion of the population may experience epileptic seizures when viewing certain kinds of flashing lights or patterns that are commonly present in our daily environment. These persons may experience seizures while watching some kinds of television pictures or playing certain video games. Players who have not had any previous seizures may nonetheless have an epileptic condition. Consult your physician if you experience any of the following symptoms while playing video games: altered vision, muscle twitching, other involuntary move- ments, loss of awareness of your surroundings, mental confusion and/or convul- sions. PAGE 5 ------ OVERLORD How to use this manual Overlord offers you four levels of play, graded from beginner to advanced. Pages 6 to 9 of this manual will tell you how to get started in the game. You might like to begin by playing a few games on the easiest level - the battle for Hitotsu - as you get to know how the main Control Screens work. Refer to the detailed pages on each of the six control screens as you do so, to get used to their functions. The craft Catalog that starts on page 18 of this manual will help you get to know the craft you can buy for your fleet. Visit the Warbuy Screen to find out more about the military hardware available to you. Information on the different planet types you can encounter in the systems starts on page 12. Contents Controller Operation....................................6 Starting Play...........................................7 Game Objectives.........................................8 The Planet Systems......................................9 The Planets............................................12 Craft Catalog..........................................18 Fighting Battles.......................................28 Spying.................................................31 Overlord Control Screens Main..............................................10 Government........................................14 Buy...............................................16 Cargo Bay.........................................24 Navigation........................................26 Warbuy............................................28 PAGE 6 ------ CONTROLLER OPERATION Overlord is a one-player only game. You play it using Controller 1 Controller 1 (picture of the NES Controller) Control Pad (+ on the left side of controller) Select (middle left button) Start (middle right button) Button B (left button on the right side of controller) Button A (right button on the right side of controller) Overlord is an icon-driven game that is controlled by moving an arrow cursor around screens and 'clicking' on them by pressing the A Button or the B Button. The arrow cursor 'jumps' to the nearest icon on the screen when you press Up, Down, Left or Right on the Control Pad. On some icons, you need to hold Button A down and then make a selection by pressing Up, Down, Left and Right on the Control Pad. Full details appear on the pages which deal with the individual control screens you will use to play Overlord. The Control Pad and its operation: (close-up picture of the + Control Pad) Up, Left, Right, Down PAGE 7 ------ STARTING TO PLAY THE GAME Press the START button after you have first loaded Overlord to move to the start-up screen, where you can choose between the game options available to you. This screen will appear: (picture of the game option screen) Choosing a planet system You can fight the four campaigns in Overlord in any order that you wish, as many times as you wish. Pressing SELECT on the Controller allows you to select the enemy you wish to challenge. Details of the four planet systems and their attributes appear on the following page. Refer to these details before deciding which system to enter. Once the enemy you want to fight is on screen, Press Up or Down on the Control Pad to move the cursor between PLAY, and SAVED GAME. PLAY chooses the normal game, where you and the enemy each begin with one planet, and attempt to win control of a planet system. SAVED GAME chooses a previously-saved game position which is loaded for you. PAGE 8 ------ Finally, press the START button to confirm your choice and begin the game. Pausing and Saving a Game At any stage during play, you can pause the game by pressing the START button. The Overlord Game Pak can be used to store one game position, which it will retain, even if you remove it from your NES to play another game. If you have stored a game position, when you return to playing Overlord, you can reload the saved game from the Select Screen, by following the steps outlined on the previous page. You might want to get into the habit of saving your game position every so often. To ensure that your saved game remains intact, hold the RESET button when you turn the system off. To save a game position you must first pause Overlord by pressing START, then press SELECT. The Game Pak can only store one saved game position, so you will overwrite a previously-saved game position when you save. Your Objective in Overlord Epsilon is a galaxy that contains four barren planet systems, called Hitotsu, Futatsu, Mittsu and Yottsu. You have been sent by the leaders of the Galactic Federation to colonize these barren planets for the human race. After months of hard work, you have established a Starbase in each of the four planet systems. And so has Rorn, the overall leader of a merciless alien race. Your ultimate objective is to become supreme ruler of each of the four pla- net systems, defeating Rorn's three allies and Rorn himself in the final show- down. Total victory will be yours if you gain control of the alien base loca- ted at the opposite end of each of the four planet systems found in Overlord. To win, you need to be an expert military commander, a brilliant manager of economic resources, and a player with fast reactions. To lose, you just have to allow your enemy to invade your Starbase... PAGE 9 ------ THE PLANET SYSTEMS (picture of a planet system with the drawing of an alien with a sword) Hitotsu Contains 8 planets Your opponent is not very smart - an ideal 'training' mission. Managing resources is not too difficult in this system. Both you and your opponent are limited to an Atmosphere Processor and Class B ships in Hitotsu. (picture of a planet system with a tall alien with a gun) Futatsu Contains 16 planets The task begins to get a little more complex. You fight an opponent who has mastered the art of war. Both you and your opponent can buy all classes of ship, except Farming Station A, Mining Station A and Battle Cruiser A. (picture of a planet system with an alien with a gun) Mittsu Contains 24 planets Your opponent is battle hardened, and you fight in a system where resource management is tricky, on account of the number of planets. Both you and your opponent can buy all ships, except Mining Station A and Battle Cruiser A. (picture of a planet system with a semi-shadowy alien form) Yottsu Contains 32 planets Not for the novice, this system offers by far the greatest challenge. Your opponent is very skilled, and the number of planets means that resource mana- gement is a major headache. You and your opponent can buy all the ships listed in the Catalog. PAGE 10 ------- MAIN SCREEN (picture of the main screen) System Map (left portion of screen): Shows the planets in the universe Planet Cursor (box in System Map): Selects the Current Planet for operations Status Panel (bottom portion of screen) ID Number of Current Planet (left icon in Status Panel): Color of button shows planet type Message Are (text in the middle of the Status Panel) Game Clock (clock over the Virgin Games logo in the Status Panel) Video Window (up-right portion of screen): Shows information about the planet under the Planet Cursor (see p13) Home Button (button under Video Window): (Returns Planet Cursor to Starbase) Icon Controls (right center portion of screen): These also appear on other Overlord game screens. See facing page for their functions. PAGE 11 ------- (arrow) Main Cursor Moved around by the Control Pad, this cursor is used to Click on Icons. Press Button A to 'Click' an icon when the cursor is in place over it on the screen (close-up view of the Planet Cursor) Planet Cursor Moved by the Control Pad. Place the Main Cursor in the System Map; hold down Button A. UP and DOWN moves 1 planet; LEFT and RIGHT moves 8 (atmosphere processor icon) Send Atmosphere Processor Click here to send the AP to the planet under the Planet Cursor (crate icon) Cargo Bay Screen Icon Click here to call up the Cargo Bay Screen to load/unload/fuel craft (ship icon) Navigation Screen Icon Click here to call up the Navigation Screen to launch/land craft (chart icon) Government Screen Icon Click to call up the Government Screen to view economic status (magnifying glass icon) Spying Icon Click here to buy information about the planet under the Planet Cursor (Death's Head icon) Commence Battle Icon If your Battle Cruiser is orbiting a planet, click to start the invasion! (fist icon) War Buy Screen Icon Clicking here calls up the Buy Screen for military equipement (golg coins icon) Craft Buy Screen Icon Clicking here calls up the Buy Screen for craft and processors PAGE 12 ------- THE PLANETS When you enter a planet system for the first time, there are only two habitable planets - your Starbase, and the enemy's base. All the other planets are barren, and cannot support life. One of the first things to do id to buy an Atmosphere Processor - this very special craft can be sent to an unformatted planet to format it and set up a colony for you. When the Main Cursor is in the System Map on the Main Screen, you can take control of the Planet Cursor by pressing and holding Button A. While you are holding move the Planet Cursor up and down the System Map one planet at a time; Left and Right will move the Planet Cursor up and down the planets in the System Map in leaps of eight planets. The number in the Planet ID button at the base of the Main Screen will change as you do this, to show the number of the current planet - and the display in the Video Window changes to show the type of planet that the Planet Cursor is resting on. The eight planet types you can encounter are described on the facing page. The Planet Cursor itself changes color to indicate the type of planet it is resting on - Red indicates a colony that has been set up by the enemy; Green shows a colony that you have set up; Gray shows that the planet is unformatted, an Atmosphere Processor is working on that planet, then the Planet Cursor turns Blue. The planet on which the Planet Cursor is resting becomes the Current Planet for certain operations that you carry out using the other Overlord Screens. Moving the Main Cursor over the Home Button and pressing Button A returns the Planet Cursor to your Starbase in one jump. PAGE 13 ------- (picture of a futuristic city that has a reflection in the water in front) Starbase This is your base in the planet system. It has the attributes of a Metropolis planet (see panel to right) (picture of a big city) Metropolis This planet type sustains a high level of industrial activity - tax yields will be particularly high here... (picture of the moon-like surface) Unformatted A baren planet. An Atmosphere Processor has to do its work before a colony can be set up (picture of a dry desert) Desert A thin, hot atmosphere allows Solar Satellites to generate energy more rapidly when they orbit... (picture of the moon-like surface with a big rock in front) Formatting A planet on which an Atmosphere Processor (AP) is working - it could be your AP, or Rorn's (picture of a forest) Tropical Ideal conditions for the support of plant life allow Farming Stations to work much more efficiently here (picture of a volcan) volcanic This type of planet is rich in minerals, so Mining Stations work best when they are deployed here... (picture of a hand with the word Classified) Classified If your opponent has established a colony on a planet, this panel appears in the Video Window. PAGE 14 ------- GOVERNMENT SCREEN (picture of the chart icon) The Government Screen appears when you move the Main Cursor to the Governement Screen Icon (shown above, right) and press Button A. Pressing Button B flips you back to the Main Screen - and if you do onot select another screen icon on the Main Screen, pressing Button B again returns you the the Government Screen. The Government Screen gives access to economic information on your colonies - but it only has an effect on the Current Planet, (the planet marked by the Planet Cursor on the Main Screen). The Planet ID Button in the Status Area at the base of the screen reminds you which is the Current Planet. If you want to change the Current Planet for Government Screen operations, move the Main Cursor into the System Map at the top right, press and hold Button A and then use the Control Pad to move the Planet Cursor. (picture of the Government Screen) If you have established a colony on the Current Planet, readouts on this screen give you information on the colony's well-being. With a little practice, economic trends that may need immediate or future action can be spotted by viewing the displays on this screen. And you collect taxes here... PAGE 15 ------- The Government Screen Status Panel - How a Colony is Doing (picture of this panel on the top-left corner of screen) Credits - the amount of cash in the Current Planet's treasury Food - the tonnage of food in store on the Current Planet People - the number of folks in the colony on the Current Planet Energy - the amount of energy in store on the Current Planet Fuel - the quantity of fuel in store on the Current Planet P. Growth - the rate at which the population is growing in the colony. Affected by tax rate and by how much food is available to colonists. Tax Rate - And How to Change it Move the Main Cursor over this icon (arrow that points on the double arrow button on the Government Screen) and you can adjust the taxation rate that is applied to the population on the Current Planet. Hold down Button A on the Controller, and press Up on the Control Pad to increase the tax rate, or press Down to reduce the tax rate. The tax rate is one of the factors that affects the rate of population growth - the more you tax people in a colony, the less happy they are, and the less they want to have children! Raising taxes for a short while can raise quick cash. (picture of the six icons in the bottom right corner of the Government Screen) Short Cut Icons You can use the Main Cursor and Button A on these icons to go directly to the screens they access, without first returning to the Main Screen. (picture of the 2 planets with an arrow icon in the middle of screen) Send Cash to Starbase Click this Icon to send all the credits in the treasuries of all your colonies back to your base. (picture of the Status ship icon) Status Icon Click this icon to call up a status report on both the Current Planet and the entire system. PAGE 16 ------- BUY SCREEN (picture of the golden coins icon) The Buy Screen appears when you move the Main Cursor to the Buy Screen Icon (shown above, right) and press Button A. Pressing Button B flips you back to the Main Screen - and if you do not select another screen icon on the Main Screen, pressing the Button B again returns you to the Buy Screen. The Buy Screen is effectively a flip-screen catalog of the craft that you can purchase. It will first open on the 'page' that shows the Atmosphere Processor, but just like a book, it stays open on the page at which you leave. Viewing Craft Move the Main Cursor to the UP/DOWN arrows that appear to the left of the screen, then press and hold Button A on the Controller. You can then cycle through the craft in the catalog by pressing Up and Down on the Control Pad. The selection of craft you can buy for your fllet varies from system to system. As a craft is shown in the catalog, it is accompanied by its price and a brief description. Paying for Craft All transactions have to be paid for from credits held on your Starbase. Press SELECT to see how many credits are on Starbase. (You may need to visit the Governement Screen and Send Cash from your colonies to Starbase if there is not enough cash to cover a purchase, or you may need to increase the rate of taxation for a while to raise funds). Receiving Delivery Purchases are delivered to Starbase. With the exceptions of the Atmosphere Processor and satellites, you need an empty Docking bay on Starbase to receive a new craft. PAGE 17 ------- Building a Fleet With the exceptions of the Battle Cruiser and the Atmosphere Processor, you are not limited to buying just one of each type of craft. The amount of credits available to you will be the major limit to the size of your fleet, which can number up to 32 craft at any one time. As you can only begin to colonize planets in the system once you have pur- chased an Atmosphere Processor it is wise to make it top of your shopping list. When the game starts, a colony has been established for you on Starbase - but the stocks on food, fuel and energy will run out. Buying and setting up a Mining Station, a Farming Station and a Solar Satellite should be high on your list of priorities or the Starbase population will starve and you may end up powerless to resist the enemy. As play progresses, Mining Stations, Farming Stations and Solar Satellites will have to be bought and sent to your colonies, and you may wish to use Cargo Cruisers to move food, fuel and energy between planets. (picture of the Buy Screen) Catalog 'Page' Selector (bottom left icon -- two arrows) Press and hold down Button A when the Main Cursor is over this icon, and you can flip through the pages of the catalog by pressing Up, or Down on the Control Pad Buy Icon (bottom left icon -- B.U.Y. letters) When the craft you wish to buy is displayed, move the Main Cursor over this icon and press Button A to start the purchase sequence. Press Button A again to confirm, or press Button B to abort the deal. Craft ID and Price (bottom right of screen) PAGE 18 ------- CRAFT CATALOG Atmosphere Processor (Planet Formatter) Icon ID for the Planet Formater (picture of the icon) (big picture of the Atmosphere Processor) The Atmosphere Processor is automatic - it requires no fuel to operate, and does not need to be commissioned with a crew. You only need one. It is launched from the Main Screen, using the Planet Cursor to select a planet and its own special icon to start the journey. Click on the icon again for a Format report. This is probably the first piece of equipement you should buy in a game... PAGE 19 ------- Choosing and Using Craft The ships or craft available in Overlord have functions which complement one another. Satellites in orbit around a planet generate energy, which is beamed down to the planet surface. Without energy, Mining and Farming Stations cannot operate. Farming Stations, provided they have been crewed and placed on the surface of a planet and can draw energy from the planet's reserves, supply food for the people in the colony. Mining Stations have the same needs as Farming Stations, but provide fuel that can send your craft on journeys between planets. If the people in a colony have enough food, they will not die - and providing they are not made too unhappy by high taxation, they will breed. (As the population rises, so does the damand for food.) Through taxation, your people provide the money that can be used to buy more craft - including a Battle Cruiser, which you will need before you can attack your opponent, and Cargo Cruisers to move resources. Solar Satellites Type A (picture of a big satellite with two transmitter dish) Type B (picture of a small satellite with one transmitter dish) Data Function: to generate energy Operation: automatic Fuel: self-sufficient Delivered to: orbit around Starbase Version A: costs 1,550 credits, powerful Version B: costs 975 credits, half as powerful Best Location: Desert Plant Notes: creates energy when orbiting planet; automatically delivers energy into colony's stores; Type A creates energy faster than Type B. Icon ID on Cargo Screen and Navigation Screen (picture of the icon version of the two types of satellite) PAGE 20 ------- Farming Station Type A (picture of a machine with a big dome full of plants and three legs) Type B (picture of a machine with a small dome full of plants and two legs) Data Function: to make food Operation: automatic, once commissioned Fuel: needed for interplanetary travel Delivered to: Docking Bay on Starbase Version A: costs 22,000 credits, powerful Version B: costs 13,000 credits, less powerful Best Location: Tropical Planet Notes: creates food when placed on the surface of a planet; delivers food into colony's stores; Type A makes food and uses energy more rapidly. Icon ID on Cargo Screen and Navigation Screen (picture of the icon version of the two types of Farming Station) PAGE 21 ------- Mining Station Type A (picture of a big factory on two sets of wheels) Type B (picture of a small factory on one set of wheels) Data Function: to mine fuel Operation: automatic, once commissioned Fuel: needed for interplanetary travel Delivered to: Docking Bay on Starbase Version A: costs 26,000 credits, powerful Version B: costs 17,000 credits, less powerful Best Location: Volcanic Planet Notes: only creates fuel when placed on the surface of a planet; delivers fuel into colony's stores; Type A uses energy and makes fuel more rapidly. Icon ID on Cargo Screen and Navigation Screen (picture of the icon version of the two types of Mining Station) PAGE 22 ------- Cargo Cruisers Type A (picture of a big ship) Type B (picture of a smaller ship) Data Function: to move cargo between planets Operation: Cargo Bay and Navigation Screens Fuel: needed for interplanetary travel Delivered to: Docking Bay on Starbase Version A: costs 27,000 credits, big capacity Version B: costs 15,500 credits, less capacity Best Location: put Mining and Farmin Stations on planets that give the best yield, then use cargo cruisers to move stores to where they're needed. Note: Type A carries more than Type B. Icon ID on Cargo Screen and Navigation Screen (picture of the icon version of the two types of Cargo Cruisers) PAGE 23 ------- Battle Cruisers Type A (picture of a big ship with a head in front of it) Type B (picture of a smaller ship with a head in front of it) Data Function: to ship war equipment Operation: Navigation screen and Warbuy Fuel: needed for interplanetary travel Delivered to: Docking bay on Starbase Version A: costs 30,000 credits, powerful Version B: costs 20,000 credits, less powerful Best Location: on the way to war... Notes: you can only have one Battle Cruiser in your fleet; Type A uses fuel more rapidly than Type B, but carries more weaponry to war. Icon ID on Cargo Screen and Navigation Screen (picture of the icon version of the two types of Battle Cruisers) PAGE 24 ------- CARGO BAY SCREEN (picture of the crate icon) Each colony you establish has three Docking Bays, which all incoming craft except the Atmosphere Processor and Satellites use as launching and landing platforms. These Bays are controlled from the Cargo Bay Screen. When you buy a new craft, it is shipped into a vacant Docking Bay on your Starbase, and before you can use a Mining Station, Farming Station, Battle Cruiser or Cargo Cruiser it has to be crewed and prepared on the Cargo Bay screen using resources in Starbase stores. (Other craft are automatic.) Identifying Craft In Docking Bays The three Docking Bays are numbered 1 thru 3, and appear to the left of the Cargo Bay Screen. If a bay is empty, a green cross appears, but if it contains a craft, a small icon reveals what kind of craft is in the bay. The central video window looks onto the current Bay, and shows a view of the craft it con- tains. When you select a ship for Cargo Bay operations by clicking on the Docking Bay that contains it, the small icon in the Docking Bay flashes. The same icon is used for Type A and Type B craft - the letter A or B under the icon tells you which type of craft is in the bay. If you have purchased several craft of the same type, you can identify which craft is in a Docking Bay by looking at the number that comes before the letter under the small icon. For instance, the first Mining Station Type A you buy will be identified by a Mining Station icon with '1A' under it. The second Mining Station Type A you buy will use the same icon, but '2A' will appear under it. You may wish to use pen and paper to jot down the locations of the fleet in your craft to help keep track of them. PAGE 25 ------- (picture of the Cargo Bay Screen) Docking Bays and ID Icons (three squares on left) The contents of the three Docking Bays on the Current Planet are shown by icons in these three windows. Refer to the Craft Catalog to identify ships by their icons. A large cross in a Bay indicates it is empty Prepare Ship (Prepare Ship button in center of screen) Crews and fuels a ship ready for launch, if fuel and people are available Scrap (Scrap button under Prepare Ship button) Scraps a ship, returning some cash and fuel to the stores on the planet Cargo Status Panel (bottom of screen) Click on one on the four Cargo icons - Food, Fuel, People or Energy to activate this panel. Holding down Button A and pressing Left or Right on the Control Pad allows that type of Cargo to be moved between the current ship and the planet's stores. Load/Unload Controls (4 icons in the top right corner) Clicking selects the cargo for Cargo Bay operations (see icons below) (picture of a roast turkey icon) Selects Food (picture of a gas pump icon) Selects Fuel (picture of a person icon) Selects People (picture of an energy icon) Selects Energy System Map (under the four Load/Unload Control Icons) You can change the Current Planet by clicking the up/down arrows in this System Map icon. PAGE 26 ------- NAVIGATION SCREEN (picture of a ship icon) The Navigation Screen allows you to send craft to and from the formatted planets in the system. Don't forget that resources - people, food, fuel and energy - may also need to be transported between colonies so that surplus stocks can be used to alleviate a shortage. All craft, except the Solar Satellites and Atmosphere Processor need to be crewed and fuelled before they can be sent from Starbase to another planet. (Remember, the Atmosphere Processor is launched from the Main Screen, using the Planet Cursor to select a destination and a special icon to start the planet formattion process.) Before you make a journey, you may wish to use the Cargo Bay Screen to load cargo on to a ship - or use the War Buy Screen to load weapons on to your Battle Cruiser. To select a craft for Navigation Screen operations, move the cursor onto the Current Craft window, hold down Button A and press Up or Down on the Control Pad to call it into view. (Pressing SELECT calls up a report that shows where the current craft is located.) Then put the cursor on the Destination Planet button, Press Button A and use Up and Down to select. Click on the Orders Window to initiate a journey. (picture of the control panel at the left center of the Navigation screen) Current Craft (first square on the left of the control panel) The icon in this window Identifies the current craft for Navigation operations Destination Planet (center square of the control panel) This colored button identifies the target planet for orders issued to the current craft. The display in the Orders Window will change as you do this Orders Window (right square of the control panel) The icon in this window Identifies the order about to be executed by the current craft. PAGE 27 ------- (picture of the Navigation Screen) Navigation Screen Status Panel The colored button at the left of the Status Panel identifies the Current Planet, as selected by the Planet Cursor on the Main Screen. To discover the location of the Current Craft (shown in the left-handed window) press SELECT on the controller The Icons in the Orders Window (ship & planet) Launch into Orbit Click to send the current craft into orbit around the current planet (arrow between 2 planets) Start Journey Click to send the current craft from another planet to the current planet (arrow pointing on planet) Land on Planet Sends the current craft into a vacant docking bay from orbit around the planet (black window with stars) No Action Available Some actions are 'illegal' - like trying to journey to a planet that is not formatted (arrow pointing in a docking bay) Transfer to Bay Click to move the current craft to a docking bay on the current planet if one is free (arrow pointing on a Farming Station on a planet) Move to Surface Click to move the current craft to the surface of the current planet if there's room PAGE 28 ------- WARBUY SCREEN (picture of the fist icon) You will have to fight to take control of a planet system - the only way to win the game is to capture your opponent's base. While you format and develop planets into colonies, so does your opponent. There will come a time when war is the only way to expand your territory. Or you may choose to attack the enemy's colonies before all the planets in a system have been colonized... The military hardware available to you is identical to the kit available to the enemy. How rich you are, in terms of cash reserves on Starbase, governs how much equipment you can deploy in the theatre of war, and is a major factor in your chances of winning the war. Hence the importance of setting up viable colonies that can send money back to your Starbase. Your overall strategy for capturing the enemy's base is also important, and it is worth practising your arcade game skills - they are needed to win individual battles. Defending your Planets Three different kinds of defensive base are available to you: Plasma Cannon, Lightning Base and Pom-Pom Cannon. Each planet can be equipped with up to three bases, but you can only have one of each kind of base on the surface of a planet. The defensive capability of a planet is governed by the bases that have been installed on its surface and their state of repair - don't forget that you can repair damaged bases after battle by going to the Warbuy Screen and 'Buying' the bases again. It's not as expensive as buying brand new bases. A Defensive Strategy You will soon work out your own cunning PAGE 29 ------- strategies for military success, but you should bear in mind that a planet on which you have established a strong colony will be more painful to lose (and might well attract the attention of the enemy, once he starts spying on your colonies.) You can buy and install bases whenever you feel like it - or just before you are warned of an attack. Last-minute purchases can work out cheaper, but you run a risk of being caught out. (picture of the Warbuy Screen) Equipment Cost (top-left corner of screen) Enough cash must be on Starbase for you to buy Item Selection Icon (two arrows on the top right corner of the big window) Move the cursor here, hold down Button A and use Up and Down to select weaponry Status Icon (Status button on top-right of screen) Click to call up a report on your military status on the planet shown by the Planet Select icon Buy Icon (But button under Status Icon) Click to buy the equipment shown in the window - bases are installed on the surface of the planet identified by the Planet Select icon, the hovertank and missiles are delivered to your Battle Cruiser. Planet Select (square under the Status and Buy icons) Move the cursor over this icon, hold down Button A and use Up and Down to select the planet for Status or Buy operations. Repairing Damage After battles you can repair a damaged base for half the cost of replacing it - call up the base type and click on the Buy icon. Fighting a Defensive Battle When the enemy attacks one of your planets the screen shown overleaf appears and you --> PAGE 30 ------- take control of any bases on the planet surface. You win by surviving - try to stop all the missiles that the enemy throws at you. When you are defending, the Control Pad moves a cross hair on the screen - if you have a Plasma Cannon the surface, pressing Button A fires it, targeting on the cross hair sight. Button B fires your Pom-Pom Cannon or Lightning Base - if you have both installed, use SELECT to choose which base you want to control with Button B. Pressing START during battle allows you to pause the game; press START again to recommence battle. When you are defending, the enemy can throw three kinds of missile at you. The ordinary bullet missile does one point of damage, the tear-shaped missile does two points of damage, while the spinning bullets do a massive amount of damage if they hit one of your bases. Spinning missiles need to be hit twice by you before they are destroyed. And if the enemy has landed a hovertank, you are going to have to hit it five times before will cease to function... (picture of a field combat) Bases (2 round objects in top-left corner of screen) Empty Base Site (1 round hole in top-left corner) Cross Hair Sight ('X' on the screen) Hover Tank (round object in the bottom right corner) Military Strength Indicator Bars (bottom of screen) The first combatant to run out of military strength loses the fight fo the planet. Attacking the Enemy You can only have one Battle Cruiser in your fleet at a time. You can only buy offensive weapons using credits in Starbase reserves, and then only when your Battle Cruiser is in a Docking Bay on Starbase to receive tham. PAGE 31 ------- You can only have one Hovertank at time... These three restrictions on the way you wage war mean you have to have a strategy for achieving your overall aim - conquering the enemy's Starbase. Startegies for War Apart from colonizing planets and raising taxes to fund wars and the expansion of your empire, you may need to colonize planets in the system so you can use them as refuelling stages on the journey to the enemy Starbase. And of course, you may want to conquer colonies that the enemy has built up - if you win the battle for an enemy colony, you inherit all its resources and all the enemy craft on the planet are added to your fleet when the planet becomes yours. (picture of the magnifying glass icon) When choosing a planet to attack, you can use the Spying Icon on the Main Screen to check out how well defended a planet is, or how rich the pickings will be to conquer it. Once your Battle Cruiser has been armed with purchases made on the Warbuy Screen and prepared for launch on the Cargo Bay Screen, access the Navigation Screen and fly it to the planet you want to attack making fuel stops on the way if you need to. (picture of the Death's Head icon) When the Battle Cruiser is orbiting the planet you want to attack, hit the Commence Battle icon to get the Battle Screen, and start fighting. Button A fires your thin missiles, and START allows you to pause/resume the fight. How to Win a Battle If you can destroy all the enemy bases before you run out of munitions, then the planet is yours. Fail, and you will lose your Battle Cruiser as well as the battle. Controlling a Hovertank Up and Down on the Control Pad are used to accelerate and decelerate your Hovertank, while Left and Right turn the craft. Press Button A to fire bullets from the tank turret. BACK COVER ---------- (Virgin Games logo) OVERLORD is a trademark of Virgin Games, Inc. (C)1992 Virgin Games, Inc. and Probe Software Ltd. All rights reserved. Virgin is a registered trademark of Virign Enterprises, Ltd. Virgin Games, Inc. 18061 Fitch Ave., Irvine, CA 92714 For customer service please call: (714) 833-1999