Ace 2088: The Space-Flight Combat Simulation

This time it's space!

Your mission to rescue conquered planets - the opposition tough - alone in your Zeigler II fighter with only Deliverance, the mother ship, for support, you launch to face The Final Conflict.

The colonised sector of galaxy M1771 contains 32 star systems with 3 to 4 inhabitable planets in each, making a total of 118 colonies. Starting in orbit around Star Phi Xi-8 planet 4 (PhiXi-8/4) you must liberate every planet from the oppressive enemy forces. At the same time, rebels left on the planets before the occupation may attack the enemy bases or even be successful in defeating the hostiles and recapturing their own planet.

There are two distinct sections to Ace 2088.

Section 1: Deliverance

The panel which represents the 'Deliverance' command console has three main displays.

1.1: CRT display
This gives a graphical representation of the date being processed by the main computer.

1.2: OPTION selector
This display is located in the bottom right of the panel and can be changed by moving the input device up/down. Press Fire to select the current option. All of the options are self-explanatory and easy to use. (Note: Exit returns to the main Options directory.)

1.3: LOCATION display
This can be seen in the top right of the panel and shows the current star system and planet number.

Two other displays are also present.

ANCILLARY data
This display is middle right on the panel and shows textual data not displayed on the CRT.

MESSAGE line
Shows any in-coming messages and status changes.

Section 2: Ziegler II Fighter

Deliverance was initially equipped with a complement of seven Ziegler II Assault Craft (ZAC) but dogfights and accidents have reduced this number to three. They are not as agile or fast as the opposition's interceptors but are far better armed and defended.

Capable of carrying eight long range 'Fire and Forget' Fissile Missiles, eight rear-launching point defence missiles and four fusion bombs they can have extra Hi-Shielding added and a Rapid Recharger fitted to the Anti Matter torpedo system.

Fighter controls are as follows:

For Up/Down, Left/Right and Fire, use joystick 2 on the C64 and either Kempston, Sinclair or Keyboard (Q, A, O, P, Space) on the Spectrum.

Fire either fires the pulse cannon or the selected weapon.

When you come within warp range of a planet the auto pilot overrides control and heads straight for the planet, thus avoiding ground-based defence lasers which would rip your ZAC to pieces in seconds.

When in orbit around a planet, B arms a bomb-aiming system. An arrow appears next to the clock display showing the direction to the nearest enemy ground base, when you are directly on course this changes to an Up Arrow. As soon as the base comes within range, the scanner changes to a bomb sight and displays the target moving at high speed towards you. (On the Commodore version, the targetting graticule changes and displays the target site.) Press Fire when this is in the centre of the sight and you will score a direct hit. Pressing Fire before this will cause a premature bomb release.

When all the bases have been destroyed, a message will appear to confirm this and to show how many weapons you have captured. Auto-Pilot will then engage and boost you away from the planet.

To play this game, you will need nerves of steel, a steady hand and lightning reactions as well as a fixed determination to rid this galaxy of the alien invaders, then and only then will you be able to call yourself 'Ace'.

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