_______________________________________ | | | HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER | | | | A Soft-Sect production | | | | Documentation originally by: | | | | The Dirtbag | |_______________________________________| Mission Documents (Orders) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COURSE: Proceed W by NW, 2-9-0 degrees. ULTIMATE DESTINATION: Cuba ROUTE: Usual evasive track through Reykjanes Ridge. Head west past the north cape of United State's imperialist puppet state, Norway. Proceed to usual southwest massing point (same point used for North American nuclear attack simulations) and turn towards open Atlantic. Maneuver per standard procedures. SEA TRIALS: You are to push RED OCTOBER to her limits. Every element of RO's design must be tested and evaluated, especially the Caterpillar Drive. STRATEGY: To thoroughly evaluate the RO and the Caterpillar Drive, you must elude all naval vessels from all nations (friend and foe alike). This evasion must be treated with utmost seriousness by the entire crew. Naturally, United States and NATO naval patrols will try and trace your every move. The Soviet navy will also engage in a major exercise to find and follow the Red October. COMMUNICATION: This is a clandestine mission. Strict communication silence must be maintained to avoid being tracked by United States or Soviet sensors. BACKGROUND: Some improvisation in navigation may be necessary in order to avoid detection. You are hereby officially notified that such improvisation is permissible for this mission. Upon crossing the Atlantic, you will skirt down the North American seaboard from Virginia, south to Cuba. If you are successful, you will be the first Soviet sub to arrive at the secret sub base which is under construction near Cuba's Santa Cruz del Sur in the Golfo de Guacanayabo. A submarine replenishment vessel will rendezvous with you there. The exact rendezvous coordinates are in the boat's computer (priority access-key sequence). A week of rest and relaxation awaits you on the most beautiful beaches of Cuba. Shore leave will not take place, however, if your trek to Cuba is discovered. We presume this discovery will not occur. When the shore leave is complete, follow the same Sea Trials and Strategy on your return trip. CLOSING: Every time a Soviet vessel puts to sea, it is protecting the sovereignty of our beloved socialist homeland. This is the most important naval technological test we have ever undertaken. The Caterpillar Drive should allow us to move through the world's waters with complete stealth - avoiding the aggressive sensor devices deployed by the West. We will at last have naval superiority! And to the Red October's crew: do your duty. There are no small jobs on the RO; the responsibility for the success of this mission lies with every man, from the highest officer to the lowest seaman. Follow orders, be diligent, and make the homeland proud of you. END ORDERS Admiral Yuri Ilych Padorin YIP/tjc Background Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As commander of the nuclear-powered sub, Red October (RO), you're in charge of one of the most powerful weapons on earth - difficult to detect, swift to strike. You've been entrusted to test the latest in Soviet naval technology: a revolutionary "Caterpillar" Drive that will make the RO practically undetectable. Unfortunately for Mother Russia, they've trusted the wrong man. You plan to defect to the US and hand over the Reds' new technology. You've handpicked your officers, men who will risk their lives for your plan. The enlisted men suspect nothing and this must not change. Your mission orders (faked, of course) will help keep your crew in the dark. The defection starts in the Reykjanes Ridge (affectionately renamed "Gorshkov's Railroad" after Admiral Gorshkov). Along the Ridge are Russian surface vessels and subs, not to mention US attack subs, and a complete underwater listening network, all with the sole purpose of preventing boats like the Red October from slipping through to the open special event (message, riddle, etc.). The OMother commands available should be selected through the keyboard equivalents NLlisted on the preceding pages, or by selecting the commands from the actual menus.Keyboard Control9Movement Meaning Arrow FiringMK I Up W J + K -> Left + Right <- A + S3 M Down Zor alternate keypad movement: 8political asylum. They hope you're telling the truth; but, since you're the enemy, they'll also be on guard. In other words, they'll be ready to help you defect OR to blow you out of the water. The defection plan is cunning. Your engineering officer fakes a leak in the nuclear reactor. Radiation! The boat must be abandoned! A "convenient" American vessel is on hand to rescue your crew. The RO will be scuttled and the world will believe that the pride of the Soviet fleet has been destroyed instead of falling into capitalist hands. But it won't be true. Through nautical slight-of-hand, the US Navy will sink an old sub in place of the RO and steal away with the Soviet boat. Playing The Game ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may use the cursor keys, a mouse, or a joystick for gameplay. When the game loads, hit a cursor key to use the cursor keys; click the mouse button to use the mouse; or press the firebutton to use the joystick. To use a different gameplay option (eg, the mouse instead of the joystick), reload the game, then make your selection. If you're using the keyboard, the arrow keys direct the RO and number keys 1-5 select the options shown to the right of the Main Display Window (sonar, engines, etc.). If you're using the mouse, click the mouse button to accept commands. If you're using a joystick, press the firebutton to accept commands. Time & Date Battery Indicator ___________________________/\___________________|________________ M | Depth Speed | _____/__\_______ =__= __ _| __ __ || | A | __ Heading __ || 00:41 | 06 DEC | [__]|__|__|__|__||| |\ I | | | _______ | | | ---------------- || Sonar | | 1 N | |> || || | |____________________________________|| | | | | || <---> ||> | | ||_______| | C | | ||_______|| | | M A I N D I S P L A Y ||_______| | O | |__| |__| | || | | N | ____ ____ ____ | W I N D O W || | | T ||001 ||225 || 20K| | ||Engines| | 2 R ||====||====||====| | || | | O || /\ || <> || /\ |<----- Depth, Heading & Speed ||_______| | L || \/ || || \/ | | Fine-Tune Controls ||_______| | | ---- ---- ---- | || | | P | __________ ____ | || | | A || || |<----- Magnification Factor ||Weapons| | 3 N || || 02 | | Readout || | | E || ||----| | ||_______| | L || || <> |\| ||_______| | || ||----| >---- Magnify in or out by || | | +------> ||> <|/| factor of 4 || | | | ||__________| ---- |____________________________________|| Scope | | 4 | | | CONTOUR | OPTIONS || | | | | -------------\---------/------------||_______| | | | ____ _________________________|________|___________ ||_______| | | | | /\ | | (MESSAGE WINDOW) | | ||| | | | | |____| | Periscope depth sir! | | ||| | | | | | [] | | Sonar Contact Bearing | | ||| Maps |/ 5 | | |____| | 242 degrees sir! | | ||| | | | | \/ | | Sonar Data Locked in | | |||_______| | |_|____|_|_________________________|________|___________||________| | | | |_______ This Window always shows | | the Terrain Map, Hydrophone | Display, or Torpedo Depth & | Red October Options: Heading Windows, depending | Save 1 Save 2 Save 3 on what was last selected | Load 1 Load 2 Load 3 from the options on right | Recognition Charts (1-5). | Exit to ProDOS (Quit) | Back to Game | Press Contour once to call up the Contour Display in the Main Display Window. Click it again to see the Sonar Display. MAIN DISPLAY WINDOW - This area is where all Maps, Periscope Views, Ship Recognition Charts, and Battery Power are displayed. Battery Power is always visible as a readout next to the battery icon above the Main Display Window. When the readout is completely green, you're fully charged. When it's completely red, you need to surface and recharge the batteries. MESSAGE WINDOW - Text information appears in the Message Window. This includes crew responses to orders, plus other information, including Sonar contacts, Electronic Surveillance Monitor message interceptions, damage control reports, etc. Messages can be scrolled up and down by clicking on the up and down arrows at the left of the window. The Message Window also doubles as the Sonar Information and Fire Control System Window when you click on the box between the up and down arrows. Information is a sub commander's lifeline. The data displayed in this window is vital for the success of your mission. MAIN CONTROL PANEL - This panel allows instant control over the major navigational functions. Speed Indicator - When you want to change speed quickly, click on the area of this gauge corresponding to the speed level you want. Click upper end to slow you down and the lower end to speed up. Each marker on the gauge indicates 5 knots. Speed Readout - This shows your current Speed in knots. If you set the Speed at 0 knots, you're also giving the order for total silence (used when trying to avoid detection). Use the fine-tune arrows to increase speed in multiples of 1 knot. Compass - Click on a Compass heading to change directions quickly. Heading Readout - This shows the exact compass Heading. The direction the sub's bow is pointing at any given time is the heading (the direction it needs to point to to reach a target is called a Bearing). Use the fine-tune arrows to change heading in multiples of 11 degrees. Depth Gauge - When you want to change depth quickly, click on the area of this gauge that corresponds to the depth you want. Click on the top end to surface and the bottom end to dive; each marker on the gauge indicates approximately 60-70 meters. Depth Readout - Use the fine-tune arrows to adjust depth in multiples of 10 meters. It's important to keep your Depth above the safe pressure level of 400 meters and to be sure that the Depth is appropriate for the sea bed terrain. Clock/Calendar - This shows you the time of day and the date. You can accelerate the game (about twice as fast) by holding down the solid-apple key. Be cautions since it's dangerous to speed up the clock in areas where navigation is complex; you run the risk of grounding and sinking the Red October. CONTOUR DISPLAY CONTROL - Click on this to turn the Contour Map ON or OFF in the Main Display Window. SONAR DISPLAY CONTROL - Click on this to turn the Sonar Map ON or OFF in the Main Display Window. ____________________________________________________________________________ ICONS ~~~~~ SONAR Click on this icon to call up the sonar function icons. Submarines operate with a continuous "passive" sonar that gives approximate details of targets and their identity or bearing. This data requires verification by visual sighting or by the use of "active" sonar to gain an accurate fix. Display - Click on this icon to get an accurate Contour Map of the sea bed. In this Map, white shows the peaks of rock formations; the darkest blue indicates the sea bed; the in-between shades of color show the slopes of the terrain. The darker the shading, the deeper the sea. Contour/Sonar - Click on either of these controls to turn the Contour Map ON and Off. When the Contour Map is OFF, only the Sonar Map is visible. The Sonar Map shows all sonar contacts. Capital letters indicate other vessels. Each contact is keyed and details of the contact are shown in the Sonar Information Window (Message Window): _____________________________________________ | Bear Dep Range Heading Speed | | A: *278 0 4.6 199 8.8 | | B: 307 0 4.6 276 14.0 | |_____________________________________________| Info on a ship represented by the letter A shows up in the Sonar Information Window next to the letter A. Click on the box between the up and down arrows at the left of the Message Window to get the Sonar Information Window (click on the box again to return to the regular Message Window). The Bearing shows the direction from Red October to the sonar contact; the Range is the distance in nautical miles. Depth is shown if the contact vessel is another submarine. The sonar contact's approximate Heading (the direction it's going) and the Speed in knots are also given. This information is updated sonar. It may be necessary to verify the data with visual sightings (use the periscope). When there's a large number of sonar contacts on-screen, the Sonar Information data can be scrolled up and down by clicking on the up and down arrows at the left of the Window. Active - Click the icon for an Active Sonar signal. (The word "Ping" will appear in the message window to let you know that active sonar is enabled). This gives an accurate sonar picture for assessing targets. Warning: Active Sonar tells the ships on the receiving end of your signal that a potentially hostile sub is near (and may give those ships a fix on your Bearing!). Terrain - Click on this icon to get a small window that shows you a cross-section of the sea bed. This Terrain Map is valuable in that it can help you to avoid unpleasant collisions with the ocean floor. Keep in mind, when viewing the Map, that you are seeing it as though you were outside the Red October. Using the mini-icons to the right of the Terrain Map will allow you to magnify the view. Note: If you hit the ocean floor, you will incur damage to your sub. On the fifth collision with the ocean floor, you will be sunk. Hydrophonics - Click on this icon to see the Hydrophonics Windows. Hydrophonics work best when the sub is stopped. It won't work well if you are using the Propeller Drive, since you'll keep picking up your own engine noises. Click on a target ship's data (A, B, etc.) in the Sonar Window to get a picture of it's sonar signal in the Hydrophonics Window. Use the up and down arrows to match the target ship's signal with one from your library signals. Exit - Click here to return to the previous level of icons. ______________________________________________________________________________ ENGINES Click on this icon to select the Red October's propulsion method. Nuclear - Nuclear power gives you the fastest speeds. However, after game day 12, the nuclear power plant is shut down (this is part of the defection plan). Diesel - Diesel power is noisier than nuclear; but, after you lose the nuclear power plant, diesel is all you have. Caterpillar Drive - The Caterpillar Drive uses impellers rather the propellers. The sub sucks water in through the bow and the impellers eject it from the stern, thereby moving the boat very quietly, but also very slowly. Propeller Drive - Propellers drive the boat faster than the Caterpillar Drive does. When the propellers turn at high speed, they develop an area of low pressure behind the trailing edge of the blade. This low pressure area collapses, water rushes forward against the blade, and lots of noise results (you're leaving a trail for hunters). Exit - Click here to return to the previous level of icons. ____________________________________________________________________________ WEAPONS Click on the Weapons icon to call up the options for doing battle. Torpedoes are the only weapons the Red October has at her disposal. Use the Sonar Information Window or the Attack Scope to select targets. Torpedoes - This icon shows the status of RO's four torpedo tubes; 1 and 2 are forward tubes, 3 and 4 are aft. The first number shows which tube is selected; the second number tells how many torpedoes are in that tube. Click on the icon to change tubes. Manual Override - The Manual Override bypasses automatic control of torpedo launching and lets you set the heading and elevation of each torpedo. Don't set the angle too steep, or the target might spot your torpedo soon enough to take evasive action. To change the torpedo's Heading, click on the arrows on either side of the gauge; the readout beneath shows the exact Heading. Click on the up and down arrows to change the torpedo tube's elevation; the readout beneath shows the current angle. Fire - Click here to fire torpedoes. You can launch one torpedo at a time from each tube. Note: This is noisy and can give away your position. Lay Flack - This lets you lay electronic decoys to deflect and confuse incoming enemy fire. Of course, laying flak also creates noise that can give away your position. There is enough ammunition in your flak stores for eight uses of this decoy. Exit - Click here to return to the previous level of icons. ______________________________________________________________________________ SCOPE Click on this icon to activate the periscope options. You can only use the periscope when at the proper depth (no more than 24 meters). Note: Using the periscope makes it easier for Red October to be detected by other ships. Search - Click on this to get a periscope view of the horizon. Click on the left and right arrows in the Control Panel to rotate the Scope for a better view of your surroundings. With the periscope up, you get a Control Panel beneath the Main Display: __________________________________________________________ | | | /I\ | | / I \ __________ | | / I \ | | | Okay, so | ____/___I___\____|__________|_ | Dark | \ SS Minnow / | Prophet | \ / | has no |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| worries... | | | | |__________________________________________________________| | ______ __ __ ______ __ __ ______ | | | | | || | ____ | LOCK | ____ | || || | | | | | | || | | <- | |======| | -> || || || | | | | | | || | -|-- | 321 | --|- | || || | | | |__|___| |__||__| | ---|-- | |__||__||___|__| | |____|_______\__/_____|________|_______|____\__/______|____| | \/ | | | \/ | A B C D C E F A - Noise made by Red October D - Periscope Heading B - Power left in the sub's batteries E - Air levels in the compressor C - Arrows for rotating the Scope F - Incoming signals Left or Right (Check Message Window) Lock - Button for locking onto target ships. Attack - Click on the Attack Scope icon to see the Attack Sights in the Main Display. To use the Control Panel to lock onto a target vessel, you must first have the target in your sights (it doesn't have to be in the Sonar Information Window). If more than one ship is in your sights, you'll lock onto the one closest to you. Click on the LOCK button and the target ship's co-ordinates are fed to the Fire Control System (check the Sonar Information Window for this data). Select the Torpedoes and the current Torpedo tube will have these co-ordinates. Note: You lock onto co-ordinates, not ships! If you want to be sure to hit the ship, you'll have to fire while it's still in the co-ordinates where you first sighted it. Night - Click here to use the latest image intensification technology for visual references at night. If your Scope is up and the entire screen is white, this means it's daytime and your night enhancement is turned on! E.S.M. - The Electronic Surveillance Monitor (E.S.M.) allows interception of any messages being transmitted between ships. It updates you on fleet positions on the Atlantic Map and may also give useful info about enemy intentions during the hunt or rendezvous. Exit - Click here to return to the previous level of icons. ______________________________________________________________________________ MAPS Click on this icon to toggle between the Atlantic Map (a view of the entire game area) and the Contour Map. This won't turn on the Contour Map if you've turned it off from the Main Control Panel using the CONTOUR/SONAR button. ______________________________________________________________________________ OVERALL STRATEGY & TACTICS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While stealth is vital, failure to make headway early will result in major troubles. Fortunately, RO has an advantage over it's rivals. The Caterpillar Drive provides silent, virtually undetectable movement. The drawback? Using the Caterpillar Drive reduces the RO's speed by two-thirds. Extended use of the diesel back-up engines increases the need to surface and recharge the batteries. This increases the risk of discovery. Another risk is being attacked, an event which is quite likely. And don't forget not to raise the suspicions of the crew. To journey too far from the course outlined in the mission "orders" will cause concerned questions from your navigation officer and may result in your being relieved of command (mutiny!). ______________________________________________________________________________ NAVIGATION Figuring out how to get from Iceland to the Eastern Seaboard of the United States is your navigational challenge. Do you head directly south, or do you go north, first, to throw your pursuers off track? It's up to you. The North Atlantic Map shows approximate positions of all fleets in relation to the RO. The Contour Map helps you negotiate the complex valleys of the Reykjanes Ridge, the main route for Soviet Ballistic Missile subs heading for the open Atlantic. This Ridge is where Red and US attack subs constantly lurk. You can superimpose the Sonar Map over the Contour Map for a more complete picture of who's in the area. Using these three Maps together, you can plan the safest route to your objective. ______________________________________________________________________________ EVASION Both the U.S. and the Soviet navies have sophisticated sensing devices. There is a way to avoid these (or at least confuse them): sail through obstacles which block the devices' sensors: rocks, ranges, and reefs. Note: The RO's hull is extremely sensitive, so be careful not to run into anything! After five collisions with the ocean floor the RO is sunk! Despite the RO's new hull design and the anechoic (noise-absorbing) tiles, it is not immune from sonar (even with the Caterpillar Drive on). Ships and aircraft carry sophisticated beacons that can find the most silent sub. And these vessels, planes, and choppers are also armed with the means of destroying whatever their sonar finds. Hint: Because of the limitations of passive sonar, it's possible a sub could track RO without your realizing it. How do you check for silent tails? The "Crazy Ivan" is the best method. The Crazy Ivan is a 360 degree turn which lets your passive sonar pick up on practically anything within sonar range. ______________________________________________________________________________ UNDER ATTACK Typical Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) engagements have several stages. First, the hunter seeks his quarry. It's likely that the search will be confined to passive sensors, aided by satellite or sea bed sensors. Once contact is made, your sub's classification is determined. The acoustic signature of the target (e.g., sub type, defense systems, etc.) is compared with those in the hunter's data banks. The hunter then moves into an attack position (within about six miles - roughly half a torpedo's range). If the attack is a success, you're sunk. If not, you can run for it, play "possum", or return fire. ______________________________________________________________________________ USUAL ATTACK WEAPONS One of the oldest anti-sub weapons is the torpedo. Aircraft, surface ships, and other subs carry these. The RO (or any other nuclear sub) can outrun torpedoes if there's enough time to react. Some torpedoes don't give much warning, however. These torpedoes are delivered to the target via rocket-launchers. After parachuting into the sea, these "fish" quickly home in on their targets. You can use electronic decoys to fool torpedoes. These simulate prop and general sub noise and are towed about 400 yards behind. Hopefully, the torpedo will hit the decoy instead of you. A riskier proposition is to head for the torpedo! This only works if your within 1000 meters of the launching vessel. A fish doesn't have time to arm itself within that distance. Thus, if you ram it, it won't explode. Another traditional anti-submarine weapon is the depth-charge. They're very accurate! If you find yourself under depth charge attack, take evasive action immediately (leave!). Ship-launched missiles are another threat, though they're not as accurate as torpedoes and depth charges (unless, of course, you're on the surface; in which case you're a sitting duck). The best defense against a missile attack is to dive deeper. There is also danger from mines. The hydrophonics officer keeps you posted of mine fields. The threat from the air can be the most dangerous since aircraft are hard for subs to detect or defend against. Jets, helicopters, and prop planes carry plenty of search AND destroy equipment. ______________________________________________________________________________ ON THE OFFENSIVE RO's defenses are limited to four torpedo tubes. Her torpedo range is 10-12 nautical miles, though chances of a hit are best at about six miles. While acoustic torpedoes can be targeted via sonar bearings from the Fire Control Computer, you can also carry out traditional periscope-view assaults. If torpedoes are set for manual override, you'll have to guesstimate the target vessel's course in relation to the trajectory of the torpedo. Hint: Try a "noisy sprint" at a target, followed by a silent drift. This may sneak the RO into a good strike position. Note: If you attack a US ship, naturally, they'll sink you! If you fire on the Soviets or they fire on you while you're in range of US vessels, the US may join the Reds in a seek-and-destroy mission against you, thinking you're a renegade ship with the potential for instigating a nuclear war. ______________________________________________________________________________ END OF THE GAME Whether the Red October is destroyed or you succeed in your mission, you'll get a news report on your computer screen that lets you know exactly what happened. Be sure to call... Ethereal Dimension Exclusive - Soft-Sect homebase - 9600/104mg. - 301-529-6418 Magnetic Page - Soft-Sect subsidiary - 9600/80mg. - 312-966-0708 ______________________________________________________________________________