Welcome to QUISC 1.1 Instructions.

QUISC is a 2 to 4 player strategy game developed by Jim Wynn       
This program gives you an overview of the game board and          
pieces with some hints at strategy. The object of the game is to 
hit your opponents ship(s) with your weapons as many times as 
possible while simultaneously defending your ship against attacks.
In this version the game starts by asking you which game (#1 or #2)
you wish to play. Game #1 allows players to alternate turns between
board updates. Game #2 has each player enter moves secretly one
after the other, then updates the board. In game #2 players always 
enter their moves 1-4, but the board updates their moves in reverse
order every other turn. Game #1 is the recommended mode of play.

After you enter the number of players and your initials, the game
board appears. The 'x' squares in the middle represent a black hole
that destroys all but the anti gravity missile. The 'w' squares are
warp squares and will randomly send your ship to another square on 
the board. From the main board the [F10] key will take you to your
control panel and turn. The control panel provides a smaller game 
board on the left. To view the main game board without ending your 
turn hit the [V] key. At this point any key returns you to your
control panel. Hit [F10] now to continue with the instructions.

At the top your name, ship number and   
Hits are displayed. In this version your
ship can take 5 hits before being       
eliminated. Next your weapons are listed.
They are selected with the function keys.
The order they are listed in also is the
order they are updated on the game board.
After you select a weapon, you are asked
to select a firing position. The large  
grid numbered 1-9 represents the squares
around your ship. You select the square 
with the corresponding number. If the   
square you choose is occupied by another
piece the panel warns you it is occupied
and you must select another. Exceptions 
are when you launch a Nuke into a square
occupied by a Hardened missile. This is 
emergency detonation of a Nuke to destroy
a Hardened missile that you couldn't     
avoid in the next turn. See Tactics for  
details. Also if you try to maneuver your 
ship into an occupied  square there is no 
warning. Hit [F10] to continue.         

Next you will be asked for a firing     
direction or a target ship or both      
depending on the weapon. The arrows that 
appear next to the numbers indicate the 
direction the weapon will travel in (from
the firing position) if selected. Since  
you can fire from any square adjacent to
the ship and in any direction, be careful
not to fire on your own ship. If you    
select the wrong control panel option it 
can be deselected with the [F10] key any
time up until you see the 'weapon or    
maneuver locked' message. With Smart    
missiles you will then be asked for a   
target ship. With Hardened missiles you 
will be asked for a target ship instead 
of a firing direction. After you have   
completed your moves hit [F10] and 'Y'  
to exit an see your moves executed on the 
main board. To exit the game, while in the
main game board hit 'Q' to quit and see 
the players points. Hit [F10] for Weapons.

Weapon :Laser    
Range  :5 squares
S.P.T  :5        
Hit=   :1        
Supply :5        
[F10] to continue

This weapon is defensive, but can be 
used as a quick strike offensive     
weapon if your opponent moves within 
its range. It destroys / hits the   
first weapon / ship it encounters    
except a hardened missile. S.P.T.    
stands for squares per turn.         


Weapon :Torpedo  
Range  :7 squares
S.P.T  :4 / 3    
Hit=   :1        
Supply :8        
[F10] to continue

This weapon is a simple directional   
torpedo. Like all other missiles in   
mid flight it will pass over or avoid 
any other missiles in its path. Like  
all missiles, if it ends a leg of its 
flight on a square occupied by another
weapon both are destroyed (except for 
Hardened missiles).                    

Weapon :Smart M. 
Range  :10       
S.P.T. :4 / 3 / 3
Hit=   :1        
Supply :5        
[F10] to continue

This weapon, on the first leg of its  
flight (4 squares), travels in the     
direction you specified in the firing  
direction of the control panel. On the 
next two legs (3 squares each) it will 
track the target ship specified. This  
is useful for deflection shots and     
decoys.                                

Weapon :Nuke M.  
Range  :7 squares
S.P.T. :4 / 3    
Hit=   :2 or 1   
Supply :5        
[F10] to continue

This weapon explodes at the end of    
its journey or if it hits a mine     
or any other weapon except a Hard     
missile, destroying / hitting any     
weapon / ship for one square all      
around it. If it hits a ship directly 
it counts as 2 hits. If the ship is   
hit by its blast, 1 hit.             

Weapon :Anti G.M.
Range  :7 squares
S.P.T. :4 / 3    
Hit=   :1        
Supply :5        
[F10] to continue

This piece can travel through the     
black hole in the center of the       
board. The black hole squares are not 
counted in the total range of the of  
the weapon. This weapon can also be   
used like the torpedo.                



Weapon :Hard M.  
Range  :9 squares
S.P.T. :4 / 3 / 2
Hit=   :2        
Supply :3        
[F10] to continue

This is the most powerful piece in    
this version. It tracks the target    
ship throughout its flight. It can't  
be destroyed by any other weapon      
unless it is traveling in the outer   
row of squares on the board or if it  
ends a turn on a square occupied by   
another Hard M. (See Tactics).

Weapon :Space Mine
Range  :2 squares
S.P.T. :2        
Hit=   :1        
Supply :5        
[F10] for Tactics

This piece is a defensive weapon. It  
is not effective during its launch.   
Once on the board it stays there for  
the rest of the game or until it is   
hit by another weapon, destroying all 
weapons but the Hardened missile. It  
also can be used to confuse tracking  
missiles. (See Tactics).      

   Most tactics need to be developed while learning the game. Even
though this version of QUISC does not deploy weapons as sophisticated
as ones in later releases, the strategies are not limited. Mastering
strategies in this version not only prepare you for more complex 
versions but will also help you win consistently in this version 
(which is still one of the most frequently played amongst my
friends). 

   Some of the basic board rules are...

...Tracking weapons (Smart & Hardened missiles) will avoid or hop over 
mines when tracking diagonally (i.e. when the target ship moves to a
new row or column to avoid them ) and the missile encounters a mine. 
All other missiles are destroyed or explode. 

...You cannot fire a weapon when you already have that type of weapon 
still active on the board.
 
...A weapon that ends any leg of its flight on one of the outer most
squares on the board will leave the board.

...If you launch more than one missile to the same destination square
one or both will be destroyed. Hit [F10] to continue.

   One of the first bits of advice about playing is to only use warp
squares as a last resort. Since your ship maneuver is the last action
executed in your turn, you may end up in a position where you are
within range of all you opponents weapons and their turn is next.

   A special tactic to avoid Hardened missiles is to use a combination
of one or more mines or mines and a missile placed in the path of the
Hardened missile to send it off course for a number of squares. For
this to work properly your ship must not be in the same row or column
as the approaching missile (i.e. it must be moved to a square that
will cause the missile to track into a square occupied by your decoy).
Keeping track of the range the attacking missile has left ( Hardened
missiles have a range of 4 / 3 / 2 ) is also important in planning.

   Other ways to defeat a Hardened missile attack, is the point
blank firing of a Nuke at a Hardened missile that occupies one of the
squares adjacent to your ship. Usually the control panel will not let
you launch from an occupied square. With this exception the control 
panel will warn you that you're requesting an emergency detonation of
a Nuke. If you confirm this , the Nuke will destroy the Hardened 
missile and your ship receives 1 hit by the blast of your own Nuke. 
This saves you the 2 hits you'd receive from the Hardened missile.
Hit [F10] to continue.
   
   Hardened missiles are vulnerable in the outer most squares of the 
board to any weapon. The weapon must be fired from a flanking square
at the Hardened missile thus knocking it off the board and out of play.
If the weapon is traveling in the same outer row as the Hardened 
missile it will have no effect.

   Since a laser is the most immediate type of weapon, traveling 5
squares in one turn and destroying the first weapon it encounters
(except Hardened missiles), you might want to conserve its use.

   If you find some of your games becoming defensive stalemates
(especially in the 2 player game) don't give up. Like chess, 
exploiting even a subtle mistake by your opponent early on can reap
large rewards many moves later. You can play offensively and not take
a lot of hits. For instance forcing your opponent to the back row or
to warp can have many advantages. Firing the right combinations of
missiles in one turn can open up the game in your favor.

                                                            
             

   When playing with 4 players you might consider two player teams. 
Hit [F10] to continue.
