💾 Archived View for gemini.spam.works › mirrors › textfiles › apple › DOCUMENTATION › silent captured on 2020-10-31 at 20:57:17.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
SILENT SERVICE DOCS (for the GS)
A USAlliance release
Typed and Compiled by
Disk Doctor
CALL
Future World ................ 301-486-4515 20 Megs, original software
The actual playing of the game is very simple since Silent Service is
almost totally mouse controlled. What I will be doing is giving a description of
each command and its uses.
Scenarios: This is the first options you will see when booting up the game.
Torpedo/Gun Practice: This option places you outside the American
base at Midway Island. Four ships are anchored
here all you have to do is blow them up.
Convoy Actions: Here you have an actual fight. You have to destroy
all the ships. Watch out for destroyers because they
attack back.
War Patrols: This is comprised of several convoy actions. In this
option you must find the ships. Here you have a limited
amount of fuel (55 days). When finished return to base.
Difficulty Levels: After choosing a senario you will be taken to another menu.
This menu has options that affect the games difficulty.
Skill Level: Range: 1-4; 1= Midshipman, 2= lieutenant, 3= Commander
4= Captain. The levels affect accuracy of torpedos,
damage from depth charges, skills of enemy lookouts and
sonar operators as well as other factors.
Reality Levels: These also contol difficulty and also amke the game
more realistic.
1. Limited visibility: If selected ships that are beyond sonar
and radar range will not appear on maps
2. Covoy Zig-Zags: Convoys will change course at regular
intervals if selected.
3. Dud Torpedoes: Torpedos will launch but don't explode.
4. Port Repairs only: Once something is destroyed it may not be
repaired.
5. Expert Destroyers: Certain enemy convoys will be escorted
by expert destroyers.
6. Convoy Search: Convoys won't always appear in radar range.
Convoys can be sighted by doing a 360 degree
periscope/binocular sweep of the horizon.
7. Angle-On-Bow Input: The computer will no longer calculate
the angle for torpedo shots. You must
enter the angle yourself based on
periscope observations. This option is
for experts only!
Terminology
Port: The left side of the ship
Starboard: The right side of the ship
Bearing: The direction you are looking
Heading: The direction your ship is going
The Game: After choosing all the levels you will be taken to the actual
game. It will eventually take you to an inside view of the submarine. From
this option page you can select yout next move by moving to the mouse
tocertain locations on the graphic. The options are: go to bridge (can only
be done if surfaced), examine maps and charts, quatermasters log, damage
reports, instuments and guages. You can also continue patrol in the war
patrol option and quit to main menu in the other modes.
Bridge: From the bridge you can fire torpedoes and the gun. You can
also vary the speed of the sub from full reverse to full foward.
The sub can dive from this screen.You can also change the
direction of the sub and use the biniculars and also change the
time mode. You can also identify the enemy ship when it is in
you binocular or periscope sights on target ( the ship is on
target the sight turns white). To identify the target move the
mouse pointer the large box and click the mouse.
Periscope: This option is the same as the bridge options. The periscope
can be used up to 44 feet below the water. When under water
the gun can not be used. It can also not be used at night.
Maps: This option allows you to navigate the sub. You can also use the
three zoom levels to locate ships. The time mode is very
important for speeding up the process of approaching ships. Time
mode 1 is normal (one minute game time takes 15 seconds). Each
increase in time scaling doubles the speed. Time mode 4 is 32
game time.
Special Commands and descriptions
Torpedo: Your sub has 24 torpedos, 14 foward and 10 aft(back). A
topedo is fired by clicking the mouse on the torpedo graphic.
A torpedo has an the most effective range between 1000 and
4000 yards. After firing several torpedos. Only 4 torpedos
can be active at once. If more are fired the earlier ones
will stop before hiting their target. After firing several
the screen will say bow torpedos or aft torpedo tubes broken
or empty. You will have to wait to use these again (10
minutes) or you can rotate you ship 180 degrees and use your
other set of torpedo tubes.
Deck Gun: The deck gun has an effective range of 8000 yards. You start
with 80 shells. The main purpose of the gun is to destroy
damaged ships. The gun has alomost no effect on destroyers,
but work quite well on tankers and troop transports. The gun
can only be used when surfaced. If a ship is approaching you
want to decrease the gun deflection. "-" decreases gun
deflection, the "=" key increase gun deflection. Use the the
= if the distance is increasing. Each time you press the key
the deflection increases or decreases 25 yards. Example: If
a destroyer is moving towards you at 18 knots at a distance
of 4000 yards it will move over 200 yards before the
projectile would hit it. Therefore a deflection of -200 to
-250 yards should be selected before firing. When the ship
is 2000 yards away the deflection should only be a 100 yards.
Battery: The subs battery is capable of running for 1 hour at flank
speed when under water and several hours at lower speed. The
battery recharges when the sub is surfaced.
Blow Emergency Tanks: Control E does this. You use this option only
when you sub is in a fatal dive. This will
usually bring you to the suface. You can use
this only once per battle. Once used you will
not be able to dive again.
Release Fake Debris: "?" accomplishes this. This also can only be used
once. This used to fake destoryers into believing
that the sub was destoryed.
Volume: As you all know the volume can be controlled through the
the control panel. You can also use the "v" key. This will
allow you to select low, medium, high, or off for the volume.
Convoy Action Scenarios: These senarios have various types and amounts of
of ships to fight. Some are harder than others.
Plunger in the Inland Sea: (day/submerged) You will fight an escorted
cargo ship. You will be fighting moving
ships. They will also change direction.
Wahoo vs. Convoy: (day/surfaced) You will have to destroy an unescorted
group of ships, but time is of the essence because a
destroyer is on the way.
Hammerhead at Borneo: (night/radar) In this scenario you will be
intoduced to night combat. Avoid being as long
as possible. Approach at moderate speeds.
Searaven at Toagel Mlingui: (endaround) You are in a bad position
against a convoy. You must meneuver around
the enemy to get a good attack.
Tautog at Night: (radar/visual night) Here you can approach the convoy
but more care must be taken since there is good
visiblity this night.
Grayback in the China Sea: (submerged radar) A very difficult scenario.
Three radar equipped destroyers are guarding
the convoy. The best plan of attack is to
use you periscope in a dawn or dusk attack.
SHIP IDENTIFICATION: THESE DIAGRAMS ARE NECESSARY TO PLAY THE WAR PATROL
OPTION. _
_ | | __
| | | | | |_ ____
| | ___ | | | |_ | _|
| | |_ _| | |_| ___|__|__|_____
__ | | ||_||_ _| ____| ___|
_ __| || | _ _ __| |_ _ _|___| |
__| |_| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__|_| |
|______________________________________________________________________|
This is the A ship
_
| | _
| | | |_ ___
___ | | | |__ | _|
|_ _| | |_| ____|__|_|____
__ ||_||_ _| ____| ___|
_ _| |_ _ __ _| |_ _ _ _|__| |
____| |_| |____| |__| |__| |__| |_|_| |
|_______________________________________________________________________|
This is the B ship
shit, this is taking way too long I'm just going to tell the minor variations
so you can play this option.
_
there are for ships that end like this. _| they are c,h,m,n
_|
___|
C is like A except it has 2 stacks that have the T in it and the other ending.
____ ____
H has something in it that looks like this|____|____|____| instead of the
first tall tower.