SHIP OF THE LINE
(Richard Shepherd Software)


SPECTRUM SHIP OF THE LINE
INSTRUCTIONS

48K SPECTRUM

LOADING:
To load Ship of the Line enter LOAD "ship" CODE. CODE is obtained by
pressing both shift keys until a flashing 'E' appears on the cursor,
then pressing CODE which is located on the I key.

You are an officer in the Royal Navy of the 17th Century, in command
of a Ship of the Line in the Mediterranean. The object of the game is
to battle with other ships in order to win the favour of your
superiors. However, you must ensure that you have adequate supplies of
food, water and ammunition, and that you have enough crew to man the
ship, otherwise you may be forced to surrender mid-battle or be set
upon by a hungry crew!


Playing Ship of the Line

Press any key to start the game. You will be given a report on your
current situation. Press any key again and you will be given the
lookout's report. The lookout sits in the crow's nest and can see just
above your horizon. He will report "No ships in sight" or "Several
ships in sight". From this range you are unable to distinguish the
firepower of the enemy. (All visible ships are enemy ships.) You will
then be asked for your orders. If you feel that the odds are too
heavily against you, enter a command such as "leave" or "run". If you
feel the odds are reasonable, enter a command such as "fight" or
"attack" or "engage". You must enter one of these commands before
continuing to fire upon the enemy.

If you decide to run away, there is a chance that you will be pursued.
There is also a chance that you can outrun the enemy. You will then be
asked for further orders if you are forced to fight. To battle with
the enemy ship (or ships) enter a command such as "fire". This will
reduce your ammunition and may affect your manpower. You may also
board the enemy ship. This will conserve your ammunition, but will
reduce your manpower. Enter "board" as an instruction to do this.

If you have inflicted sufficient damage, the enemy may surrender.
Alternatively, the battle will continue. You must then continue firing
until either the enemy surrenders or you run out of supplies. You can
try to run, but you will probably be pursued. The larger the force of
the enemy, the more broadsides you will need to fire to win the
battle. After each battle you will be given a report of your situation. 
Press any key to continue.

Bearing in mind the supply situation, you will need to return to port
occasionally. This is the point at which your superiors will assess
your performance and decide whether to promote you. The game is won by
being promoted up the ranks until you become First Sea Lord. You will
not be promoted unless you have used your ship and resources well,
including not returning to port too often, as this wastes your
supplies.

To return to port, you must wait until there are no ships in sight.
This means that you must allow a few day's supplies, etc, for
emergencies in the meantime. Enter "port" and you will begin heading
for home. You will, however, still encounter hazards on the return
journey. These must be allowed for when judging your supplies. If you
reach a point where there are no ships in sight, but do not wish to
return to port, simply enter "go on".

During your voyages you may have the chance to collect Prize Money.
This will be saved for you at port, and may be used later to bribe the
Sea Lords into letting you pass the intelligence test which will
determine whether or not you are ready for promotion. When accepting
prize money, remember that you will have to surrender some of your
crew to man the new ship. Make sure that you leave enough men for your
own ship!

During your battles, there is always a chance that you may be sunk, in
which case you lose the game.

Finally, when you reach port, your ship will be resupplied. Your crew
will also be replenished. If you are to be promoted you will be
informed; follow the on-screen instructions. As you progress into the
game your crews will become larger, your ammunition stocks will
increase, and you will have greater force in battles, but beware, you
may still only voyage for a set number of days before running out of
food and water!

The game may be saved by typing in "save" as an option when fighting a
battle. This gives the player a chance to stop and continue the game
later on.


(c) Richard Shepherd 1982