Battle Command 128k (1990) Walkthrough, ZX Spectrum

INTRODUCTION (From the manual): Set in a near future alternate reality, Battle Command is an arcade/strategy game which allows you to command a single Mauler assault tank in one of a series of scenarios (Missions) in the Ultra War, fought between the two dominant races in the New World. The latest phase of the North/South war has been going on for over 10 years, with a World War 1 situation eventually developing - a standoff between armies massed over a long duo-in battle front. Such are the defensive capabilities of each side, full scale attacks are suicidal, so any offensive moves are, by necessity, small “behind the lines“ actions performed by elite troops in specially designed vehicles. The Mauler is the latest such machine - an Armoured Fighting Machine capable of being lifted in and out of hostile territory by a fast Stealth Chopper (the Helicarrier) and armed with the most advanced weaponry science can devise. Try reading through the Your First Mission section to get the hang of how to play Battle Command. Above all, remember that you’re fighting behind enemy lines on your own, with only quick thinking and several millions of Credits worth of military hardware to protect you. HOW TO PLAY: The cursor can be moved with the joystick or with the keys Q (up), A (down), 0 (left), P (right) and Space as the fire/select button. The tank is controlled by the same system using UP for acceleration, DOWN for deceleration, and LEFT and RIGHT steering the tank in the appropriate direction. Pressing the keys 1, 2, 3 or 4 will activate the appropriate weapon slot. The active weapon slot will then be highlighted in the upper console display. Nightsight: Pressing N toggles this view mode on or off. Binoculars: Pressing B toggles this view mode on or off. Press Z for zoom mode. this alters the magnification level. Rear View: Pressing R toggles this view mode on or off. Helicarrier: Pressing H toggles the Helicarrier request transmission on or off. Some of the weapons are controlled by using two extra keys. These are activated by the keys J and K respectively. The various game screens are accessed by the following methods: Review Briefing: Pressing M will enter this screen. Key B displays the briefing text and pressing M again returns to the map the map display a flashing cursor indicates the Mauler’s current position. The letter P marks the helicarrier pickup point and a letter T shows the main target. Damage Screen: Pressing D enters this screen. The various levels of damage to the Mauler and equipment are displayed. The main console view is returned to by pressing key C. Pause Screen: Pressing E enters pause mode. Play is suspended until the player either quits the current mission or continues by choosing key Y or N respectively.