Mastering
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Reprinted with permission from Exidy, Inc.
Welcome to the excitement of Victory. You are the commander of the Battlestar, the most maneuverable spaceship in the universe. Victory can be yours by learning the simple tricks detailed below.
The object of Victory is to eliminate an entire squadron of enemies. Once this is done, you are promoted to a higher rank and given better weapons to conquer a new, fiercer level of enemy squadron.
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You steer your ship, named Battlestar, through space to seek and destroy enemy craft. The cockpit window takes up the largest part of the screen, and is where the most colorful combat action takes place.
To see the entire world view beyond the cockpit window, you must refer to the radar scope in the bottom righthand corner of the game screen. This is a miniature picture of the entire world, in one-eighth scale. Each craft in the world is shown by a colored "blip," or dot. The Battlestar is shown as a white blip and is always in the middle segment of the radar scope. The middle segment makes up the cockpit window. The world on radar "wraps around." If an enemy moves off the right edge, it comes back on the left edge.
Some enemies are not shown on the radar (rockets launched from ground, and bullets from enemy ships). For this reason, you must look at both the radar and cockpit window to know exactly what dangers you are facing.
Controls
There is a variety of control instruments on the Victory machine. You must learn what each does and how to use it efficiently.
Pressing the thrust button moves Battlestar in the direction it is facing. The longer this button is depressed, the faster your ship will go, until it reaches terminal velocity.
Victory uses a weighted knob to control the steering of Battlestar and the direction of gunfire. Turning the knob always turns the facing of the gun. However, to steer the ship, you must use both the knob and the thrust button.
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Pressing the fire button launches a burst of rockets from your ship. You have an unlimited supply of ammunition, so don't worry about shooting too much.
When things appear really hopeless, you can rely on the protective shields. Pressing the shields bar completely protects your ship from all forms of attack for three seconds. The amount of shield power is limited and is replenished only at bonus score increments.
Like the smart bombs in Defender, the Battlestar in Victory has a limited number of Doomsday devices. When you activate a Doomsday device, all of the enemies visible from the cockpit window are destroyed. Like shields, devices are replenished only when you reach a bonus score.
Elements
As the pilot in Victory, you command Battlestar. You advance in rank after completing every squadron, until you attain the coveted title of Ace. As you are promoted, the weapons on the Battlestar become more deadly. See the chart for details.
The Battlestar is destroyed if it collides with any enemy ship, enemy bullet, land-based rocket, or the land itself. It is also destroyed if hit by land-based enemy laser fire. When your fuel runs out, all of the enemies zero in on Battlestar. Also, when the last (10th) Quark is released, all of the enemies attack, and the computer co-pilot warns "Red Alert!"
A bonus is awarded when you exceed preset high scores. The bonus levels begin at 35,000 points and proceed at increments of 65,000 from there on after. When you have earned a bonus, the computer co-pilot says "Bonus," and the following awards are generally given: one shield, one Doomsday device, one ship, and 1600 points. Both the bonus score and the award may vary due to operator-selectable options.
To see what your specific enemies look like, and what their point values are, see the accompanying photo.
Strategy
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To maintain a controlled speed that is not too fast, get Battlestar moving fast, then tap the thrust button at the same quick rate that you tap the fire button.
Don't waste the Doomsday devices or shields unless absolutely necessary. You must depend on these defenses later in the game when enemy encounters become more challenging.
The radar color codes enemies by their degree of danger. The redder the color, the more dangerous the enemy. See the color coding chart that starts with Quarks, the most dangerous enemy.
Each paratrooper is assigned only one Quark to release from its bunker. When dropped from its ship, the paratrooper is aimed at a land bunker where a Quark is contained. The paratrooper then turns into a green scout. Three seconds after it reaches the bunker, a deadly red Quark is released. The computer co-pilot warns "Yellow Alert, " and the Quark heads straight for Battlestar. The green scout creeps along the ground until all but three enemies have been destroyed. He then heads for Battlestar.
Your first priority should be to go after the ships that are dropping paratroopers (bombers, intercepters, shuttles and saucers). If you miss those, shoot down the paratroopers immediately. If a paratrooper releases a Quark before you get to it, the Quark will immediately attack. Sometimes it is safest to put up the shield the minute a Quark is seen. When you are safely shielded, blast the Quark out of the sky.
To destroy enemies that are chasing from behind, push Battlestar to its top speed, discontinue thrusting, turn to face the enemy, and shoot. Then turn the gun to its original position and continue in the direction that you are moving. This allows you to continue in one straight path, instead of flying into the enemy. Use the same technique on enemies in positions other than directly behind your ship.
When the game begins, often all five bombers are flying from the left of the world to the right. To meet them head-on, steer your ship to the left, and the moment all five bombers appear on the cockpit window, hit the Doomsday button. After destroying the bombers, only one enemy need be eliminated at the Cadet level. This strategy also works for successive levels.
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