PROLOGUE

ARCEN GAMES END USER license agreement

Arcen Games, LLC (ARCEN GAMES) hereby gives you a non-exclusive license to use
the software AI War: Fleet Command (the Software).

For evaluation versions of this software, the following license is granted, but you may
not use reverse engineering or other means to remove the limitations imposed by the
evaluation version of the software.
For eight hundred years, human civil war was waged.
You may: use the Software on any single computer; use the Software on a second
Our orbits are still littered with wreckage, with the terrible casualties.
computer so long as the primary user of each copy is the same person and more
than one copy is not simultaneously used; copy the Software for archival purposes,
provided any copy contains all of the original Software’s proprietary notices.
The civil war is now over. We have learned to cooperate.
You may not: permit other individuals to use the Software except under the terms But this did not come about in a way that anyone could foresee.
listed above; modify, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble (except
to the extent applicable laws specifically prohibit such restriction), create derivative During the war, both sides used sophisticated AIs to run battles.
works based on the Software; copy the Software (except as specified above); remove
any proprietary notices or labels on the Software. It was the AIs that first learned to cooperate.
Against us.
TERMINATION

The license will terminate automatically if you fail to comply with the limitations
Some believe that this is a benevolent strategy on the part of the AIs;
described above. On termination, you must destroy all copies of the Software and
Documentation. We humans are never more united than when we face a common enemy.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY But as this new war begins, the AIs’ brutality makes us wonder:
If their goal were our unification, why would they push us so close to extinction?
The Software is provided on an AS IS basis, without warranty of any kind, including
without limitation the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose
and non-infringement.
We must act on what we see.
ARCEN GAMES will make reasonable efforts to correct any defects, but no guarantees The enemy is stronger, faster, more advanced, and demonstrably ruthless.
are made as to the timing of defect correction, that every reported defect will be
corrected, or that that the product will be defect-free. One of us is going to destroy the other.
Soon.
ARCEN GAMES IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY CHARACTER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER FAILURE OR
MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES.

Title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the Software shall
remain in ARCEN GAMES. The Software is protected by international copyright treaties.

1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TAble of contents
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
MISSION BRIEFING  �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4
Installing AI War: Fleet Command ���������������������������������������������������� 5
Launching The Game ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5
The Main Menu  ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5
SECTION 2: FAST FACTS
AI War is more than just an RTS Game ���������������������������������������������� 7
Planets and Wormholes ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
View Modes ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
The AI  ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8
Campaign Overview  ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8
Shortcut Keys ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9
Make Use Of The Tooltips  ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 9
SECTION 3: PLANET VIEW
The Camera ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10
The Resource Monitor ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 11
The AI Progress Level  �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11
The Threat Monitor  ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 11
The Planetary Summary ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 11
The Minimap ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12
The Quick Buttons ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12
Incoming Attack Warnings �������������������������������������������������������������� 12
Unit Selection ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12
Unit Orders ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13
Building Units ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14
Constructors  ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15
Gifting Units �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15
SECTION 4: GALAXY VIEW
Accessing Galaxy View  ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 16
Reading The Galaxy Map �������������������������������������������������������������������� 16
Intel Summaries �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17
Priority Markers ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17
Galaxy Map Display Modes  �������������������������������������������������������������� 17
2 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 5: RESOURCES 18
Metal and Crystal �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 18
Knowledge And Research ����������������������������������������������������������������� 18
Energy ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 19
Low Power Mode  ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 19
SECTION 6: CAMPAIGN SETUP 20
Setting up a Multiplayer Campaign  ����������������������������������������������� 20
Selecting Your Home Planet(s) �������������������������������������������������������� 20
Campaign Settings �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 21
4 Saving And Resuming Campaigns �������������������������������������������������� 22
Your First Campaign  ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 22
SECTION 7: UNIT TYPES 23
Command Stations ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 23
Basic Ships  ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23
7 Bonus Ships  ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 24
Economic Ships  ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 24
Starships  �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25
Warheads ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 25
Defensive Units ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25
Constructors  ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 26
SECTION 8: ADVANCED FEATURES 27
Flares �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 27
10 Setting Gather Points From Constructors  �������������������������������� 27
Control Groups ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 27
Cloaking  ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 27
Teleporting  �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
Munitions Boosters  ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
Group Move ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
Attack-Move  ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 28
Free Roaming Defender Mode  ��������������������������������������������������������� 28
Preferred Targets  �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
SECTION 9: SETTINGS 29
Game ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29
Interface �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29
Graphics �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29
Audio �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29
16
SECTION 10: SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE 30
CREDITS 35
introduction introduction

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Installing AI War: Fleet Command

MISSION BRIEFING
Let me be frank with you, commanders. We’ve lost a war you didn’t even know we were fighting.
You’re collectively the best military minds humanity has ever produced, and you’ve been called
out of stasis as a matter of last resort. It’s been a few decades for some of you, centuries for others.
You come from both factions, so you may have fought against one another in the past -- but it is
time to put any grievances aside.
Download and Run the AI War installer from your chosen location, then follow the instructions
provided on the screen. Alternatively, if you purchased AI War through a digital distribution
platform, please follow the prompts provided by the platform.
Troubleshooting
Please refer to the Technical Support forum for the latest information regarding troubleshooting
and technical support.

http://www.arcengames.com/forums/
What many of you may not know due to your time in the freeze is that our scientists and engineers
have been hard at work creating automated war machines. Over the last century, we’ve moved
to pilot-less ships that are both created and operated using highly computerized technology. With Launching The Game
the ability to command these mechanical fleets from a distance came the idea to use Artificial
Intelligence. These decisions were not undertaken lightly, and we thought all of the appropriate Once installed, double-click the AI War icon on your desktop to launch the game. Alternatively,
safety checks were in place, but I think you can guess what has happened. you can launch the game via the Start menu.

Both factions created AI commanders so fast, so organized, that none of our contemporary human Entering The License Key
commanders could match them. There was even a great debate as to whether to remove the lot
When prompted, enter your license key and click Unlock to activate the full version of the game.
of you from stasis and let you go on with your lives. Thank God we decided to keep you in reserve.
After the two AIs decided to work together, they eradicated us in a matter of days.
Creating Your Profile
That was three weeks ago, and already they view us as beneath their contempt, not even worth The first time you launch AI War, you will be asked to create a profile. Your chosen player name will
stamping completely out. The AIs have focused their attention elsewhere, on something outside be used to identify you in multiplayer games. When starting a new campaign, your default team
the galaxy. We don’t know what it is that they are doing, what it is that they have found out there, color will match the preferred color set in your profile.
but this may provide us with our one chance to strike back at them.
The Main Menu
You’re in the last tiny corner of the galaxy that is left to us, though we think there may be some
The Main Menu is the central hub of AI War and is displayed when the game is launched. The
captive settlements that yet survive. When I say this is our last chance, do not think I exaggerate.
specific options available on the Main Menu are covered below.
The AI is disinterested in our pitiful remaining forces at the moment, but they don’t know about you
-- when they see our fleets are growing, and are guided by competent, intelligent commanders,
they will react. The more you infringe on their territory, the more you demonstrate your power, the Current Profile
more likely they are to crush us.
This box shows the currently selected player profile. You can create, edit, and swap between
profiles by clicking here.
The AI forces outnumber us ten thousand to one, so a direct assault would be suicide. We have
no resources, we have hardly any ships, and the schematics for our most advanced hardware are Host New Campaign
lost to the AIs. Your mission is to take what little we have, and turn it into victory in whatever way
you can. Take back our resources from the AIs, steal knowledge of the ships we once built with This will take you to the Campaign Lobby. From here, you can setup either a singleplayer or
ease, and destroy their data centers whenever you find one. Most importantly, find and destroy multiplayer campaign.
their core command stations to wipe them out.
Join Multiplayer Game
We’ve been beaten to our knees, but we’re not going to sit by and watch our species die. You’re AI War supports LAN and Direct Connect multiplayer. You will need the IP address of your friend if
the best military minds we’ve ever been able to produce, and so if you can’t prevail we really are you wish to play over the Internet.
lost. Use your heads out there, and make sure not to let emotion or aggression cloud your better
judgement. Fight smart. Remember your tactical training as well as the bigger picture. Win where Visit the AI War Meeting Grounds Forum and/or the AI War IRC Channel if you’re looking for people
all others have failed. to play with.

4 5
introduction
Load Saved Game
From this menu, you can resume previously saved Singleplayer and Multiplayer campaigns.
Tutorials / Manual
The Tutorials menu will give you access to a selection of simulated exercises covering everything
from using the game’s interface to conducting your first campaign.
We recommend that you play through these tutorials first to familiarize yourself with the basics of
AI War.
High Scores
Here you can view a list of your local campaign scores. Each score also shows statistics from its
associated campaign, as well as the campaign settings such as AI difficulty.
Achievements
AI War has a large number of achievements to unlock. These include actions such as reaching
certain numbers of captured planets and destroyed enemy ships. The Achievements Viewer
allows you to keep track of your achievements and decide what to aim for next.
Check For Updates
Clicking this button will update your version of AI War to the most recent release.
Note that this button will be disabled if you purchased your copy of AI War through a digital
distribution platform that performs automatic updates.
Settings
The Settings menu allows you to edit a variety of options that will affect how AI War looks and plays.
Quit
This will close AI War and return to the desktop.
6 7
FAST FACTS FAST FACTS
SECTION 2: FAST FACTS
AI War is more than just an RTS Game
AI War draws heavily from the RTS genre, but it also has elements from grand strategy, turn-based
strategy, and, most importantly, tower defense. The flow and feel of AI War is unique, so don’t
worry if you find yourself floundering at first. The Intermediate Tutorial will guide you through your
first campaign.
No Two Campaigns Are The Same
The level of content in AI War is such that you can be encountering ships you’ve never seen before
even after a hundred hours of play. The unique interactions between these ship types provides
the game with much of its immense tactical depth and replayability. The AI continues to execute
advanced emergent tactics that were never explicitly programmed, so if you wish to truly master
AI War, you’ll need to be able to adapt.
Planets and Wormholes
Planets
The infinite space around planets comprises the game map in AI War. The space around each
individual planet is an isolated locality.
Wormholes
Traveling between planets requires the use of Wormholes. Wormholes always
exist in pairs and form a two-way link. Ships that enter a wormhole will appear
instantaneously at the corresponding wormhole on the linked planet. The
text above a wormhole denotes the planet that it links to. Wormholes are the
galaxy’s natural chokepoints; make use of this by concentrating your defenses
near them. Bear in mind that the AI will do the same.
A Wormhole
View Modes
There are two distinct View Modes in AI War; Planet View and Galaxy View.
Planet View
When in Planet View, you are viewing the space around a single planet. This is the view from which
you will conduct battles, build structures, and issue most of your orders.
Galaxy View
The Galaxy Map shows all planets and wormhole links on the map. As well as providing you with
a wealth of information regarding each planet, it presents you with an overall view of the current
state of the campaign.
Tip: Pressing the Tab key in-game toggles between Planet View and Galaxy View.
fast facts
The AI
AI Types And Difficulty
AI War will pit you against a variety of AI Types, each with its own tactics and many with unique
and specialized units. Be prepared to challenge the powerful defenses of the Entrenched
Homeworlder, and to fend off the unrelenting assaults of the Vicious Raider. There are two AI
opponents in each campaign, each of which can be of a different type, allowing for a huge
variety of challenges. In addition, The AI difficulty level affects the sophistication of the AI’s tactics,
as well as the number of reinforcements it will receive.
The overall strength of an AI is influenced by the combination of both its type and difficulty.
AI Progress
The AI progress level can be viewed as a general indication of how threatening the AI perceives
you to be. A higher AI progress level means the AI will receive more numerous and powerful
reinforcements, and will attack you more viciously.
Campaign Overview
Game Duration
Game duration scales with map size. A full campaign on the recommended 80 planet map size
usually ranges from 7 to 16 hours from start to completion, but can occasionally take even longer.
Campaigns can be saved and resumed at any time, so there’s no need to play through it in a
single session.
Unit Caps
In AI War, the unit caps are per unit type. This ensures that as you progress and gain access to more
advanced and powerful units, your older ships will never become obsolete. Deciding where to
deploy your weaker units forms an important part of the strategy.
Scouting
When it comes to making strategic decisions, you’ll need all the information you can get. Scouts
provide intelligence about the planet they’re on, including the number of enemy ships, resource
gather points, and any special structures that are present there. All of the information you have
access to is available in Galaxy View.
Scouts are also needed to fill in the Minimap and Planetary Summary when viewing neutral or AI
controlled planets.
Be sure to look for data centers, advanced research stations, advanced factories, and the AI
home planets, all of which are of highly valuable targets and will be covered in more detail later.
8 9
fast facts
Supply
Many units, including engineers, turrets, and constructors, will only function on planets that are
supplied. For a planet to be supplied, there must be a friendly command station on the planet
itself, or an adjacent planet. Be sure to maintain your supply lines, as your defenses will fail without
them. This is true for the AI’s defenses, too.
Be Prepared
No single unit can prevail in all situations. You’ll have to maintain an effective mix of ships in your
fleet to ensure that you’re equipped to deal with any situation that arises. Examples include using
fighters to target AI starships, cruisers to deal heavy damage from afar, and bombers to destroy
reinforced defenses such as force fields.
Pick Your Battles
Actions such as destroying the AI’s command stations and warp gates will increase the AI progress
level. You need to be highly selective with your targets in AI War; you can’t simply capture every
planet. Doing so will result in the AI progress level climbing too quickly, causing the AI to crush you
with overwhelming force. Deciding which planets to capture, and just as importantly, which not
to, forms part of the grand strategy of the game.
Shortcut Keys
AI War has a variety of shortcut keys designed to give you quick access to important tactical data
and allow you to issue your orders efficiently. A comprehensive list of the available shortcut keys is
available at the end of this manual.
Shortcuts you’ll want to familiarize yourself with quickly include pressing P to pause the game,
holding G to issue Group-Move orders, holding Alt to issue Attack-Move orders, and holding Z to
view the attack range overlay.
Make Use Of The Tooltips
Hovering over a unit or menu item will display a tooltip. Depending on the context, tooltips will
provide useful information about a unit and its status, including current health, attributes, and
special abilities.
Tooltips are an effective way to learn about the game’s interface and to gain information on ships
that you have not previously encountered.
Tip: Pressing F1 will expand the Planetary Summary and display an iconic index of all units in the
game, including those not present on the current planet. You can then hover over any icon to
display that unit type’s tooltip.
planet View planet View planet View

SECTION 3: PLANET VIEW Sending Your View Through A Wormhole

Ctrl + Left Clicking on a wormhole will send your view through the wormhole to the linked planet.
After the transition, the camera will be focused on the linked wormhole.

The Resource Monitor

The Resource Monitor allows you to keep track of the various resources at your disposal. It displays
your total amount of each resource, along with your net income per second. In the case of metal
and crystal, your total inflow and outflow is also shown.

Note: Energy functions differently from the other resources and hence there is no income displayed.

The AI Progress Level

The AI Progress Level Monitor displays the current AI progress level. The Roman
numeral indicates the unit level of the waves the AI will send to attack you, as well
as the minimum unit level of the reinforcements the AI will receive at a planet,
regardless of the planet’s Mark level.

The Threat Monitor

The Threat Monitor shows the number of friendly planets currently under
attack by AI ships. The Attack column displays the total number of AI
ships attacking friendly planets. Additionally, the Threat column displays
The Camera the number of existing AI ships currently heading towards friendly planets, while the Wave column
indicates the total number of AI ships en route to friendly planets via warp gate waves.
Panning the Camera
To pan the camera, simply move the mouse pointer to the edge of the screen. If you prefer, you The Planetary Summary
may also use the arrow keys for this purpose.
The Planetary Summary is displayed below the Minimap. It shows how many units of each type you
Tip: Hold the Shift key to pan twice as quickly. and your allies have on the current planet. If you have a command station or scout on the current
planet, it will also list hostile units.
Controlling the Zoom Level You can select all units of a type on the current planet by Left Clicking on the corresponding icon
The space around a planet is quite vast, in fact, it’s infinite, and you will need to vary the zoom on the Planetary Summary. Right Clicking on a unit icon will focus the camera on a unit of that
level in order to see both fine details and the big picture. type, while further clicks will cycle through units of the same type.

The easiest way to control the zoom level is with your mouse wheel. Alternatively, you can use the Sometimes the AI will have a unit you have never seen before. Hovering over its icon in the
Page Up and Page Down keys to zoom in and out, respectively. Planetary Summary will provide you with information regarding that unit that you can use to devise
a strategy to counter it.
When zooming in, the camera will focus on the location of your mouse pointer.

10 11
planet View
The Minimap
The Minimap is displayed at the top right of the screen when in Planet View. It shows the locations
of units and wormholes on the current planet, as well as the focus of the camera. The color of the
icons corresponds to their controller. In the case of wormholes, the color reflects the linked planet’s
controller.
Unclaimed resource deposits and wormholes linking to unexplored planets will be shown as gray.
Wormhole
Crystal Deposit
Units
Metal Deposit
You can also Left Click anywhere on the Minimap to focus the camera on that position.
Tip: Clicking on the Minimap is a useful way of getting the camera back to the action if you
accidentally pan into empty space.
The Quick Buttons
The Quick Buttons are displayed towards the bottom left of the interface. They maintain a galaxy
wide list of several unit types, including engineers, science labs, and reactors. Hovering over any of
the categories will display a list of the units in that category, as well as the name of the planet on
which each unit is currently located. You can also jump the camera to any listed unit by first Left
Clicking the category icon and then selecting the desired unit from the resulting list.
If you do not currently control any units in a category, then that category will be grayed out.
Incoming Attack Warnings
Textual warnings of any incoming attacks will be visible beneath the Resource Monitor. You will
receive an indication of the type of attack the AI is launching, which of your planets it is targeting,
and how long you have to hiprepare. Depending on the type of attack you may also receive
information regarding the type of ships that are approaching.
Unit Selection
To select a unit, simply use Left Click. You can also select multiple units by using Left Drag to draw
a selection box. Double Left Clicking a unit will select all units of the same type on the screen. A
selection circle around a unit indicates that it is a part of the current selection group.
12
planet View
Tip: Hold Shift when selecting to add units to the current selection group.
Note: When drag-selecting, if the selection box contains mobile military ships, then only mobile
military ships will be selected. This prevents you from accidentally giving unwanted orders to non-
combat units such as engineers.
Unit Selection Filters
When drag-selecting, you can use Unit Selection Filters to select units based on specific criteria. For
example, holding N + 1 whilst Left Dragging will result in the selection of only Mark I ships.
Tip: See the Shortcut Keys Reference for a complete list of the available Unit Selection Filters.
Unit Orders
Orders can only be given to the currently selected units.
Move Orders
Right Click on empty space to order the selected mobile units to move to that point. Hold Shift to
queue multiple waypoints.
Attack Orders
Right Click on an enemy to order the selected military units to engage. Hold Shift to queue
multiple targets.
Note: You cannot mix Move and Attack orders in the same queue.
Engineer Orders
Right Click a unit to order the currently selected engineers to repair that unit. Right Click a
constructor to order the currently selected engineers to assist the constructor, increasing the rate
at which it builds units but increasing its rate of resource consumption accordingly. Units cannot
be repaired if they have been damaged within the last 3 seconds.
Wormhole Orders
Ctrl + Right Click a wormhole to order the selected mobile units to travel through the wormhole to
the linked planet. You can also Right Click on a planet in Galaxy View to order the selected units
to travel to the chosen planet.
13
planet View
Building Units
The Build Menu
If you have a command station or supplied mobile builder on the current planet, you can press
B to access the Build Menu. The Build Menu has 4 tabs, with the units and structures on each
grouped by general purpose. Units that have not been unlocked will be grayed out.
The Economic Tab (Econ): Ships useful for growing your economy. This tab includes units
such as engineers and resource harvesters.
The Constructor Tab (Const): Ships useful for producing other ships. This tab includes units
such as colony ships and space docks.
The Defensive Tab (Def): Ships for defending your own planets or your ships in enemy
territory. This tab includes units such as mobile repair stations and fortresses.
The Turret Tab (Tur): Stationary ships for defending your planets. This tab includes units such
as short range turrets and tractor beam turrets.
Unit Placement Mode
Once you have selected a unit from the build menu, you will enter Unit Placement Mode. In this
mode, your cursor will display a transparent image of the unit you selected. If the image is green, it
can be placed in the current location. if the current location is not an acceptable build location,
the image will be red. Use Left Click to confirm the placement of the unit and begin construction.
Right Click will cancel Unit Placement Mode.
See the Shortcut Keys Reference for a list of shortcuts related to Unit Placement Mode.
14
planet View
Constructors
Constructors are units that produce other units. Examples include space docks, which produce
military ships, and missile silos, which produce warheads.
Selecting a constructor unit will display the constructor’s build queue, as well as a selection of the
units it is capable of constructing, at the bottom left of the Planet View interface. Hovering over a
unit icon will display a tooltip containing information related to that unit.
To add a unit to the constructor’s build queue, simply Left Click on the corresponding icon in the
constructor’s build menu. You can also remove a unit from the constructor’s queue using Right
Click.
Build mode
pause constructor
Press the Build Mode button to toggle the ‘Build Queue In A Repeating Loop’ option. This will cause
the constructor to build the units in the current queue repeatedly, as long as the required resources
are available and the unit cap has not been reached. This is highly useful for building the large
numbers of units you will require during your campaigns.
Tip: You can pause all constructors using the Pause All button at the bottom left of the interface.
Press this button again to order all constructors to resume construction.
Gifting Units
The currently selected units can be transferred to the control of another player using the Give
button at the bottom of the Planet View interface. This is highly useful for assisting struggling allies,
and transferring control of units to new players joining an existing multiplayer campaign.
Units cannot be transferred to the control of a player if they do not have that unit type unlocked,
nor if the transfer would cause the player to exceed the cap for that unit type.
15
GAlaxy view GAlaxy view
SECTION 4: GALAXY VIEW
Accessing Galaxy View
When in Planet View, you can switch to Galaxy View using the button at the top right of the
Minimap. Alternatively, the Tab shortcut key can be used to switch between Planet and Galaxy
views. Left Click on a planet in Galaxy View to enter Planet View on the selected planet.
Reading The Galaxy Map
Galaxy View will be instrumental in planning and executing your strategy. Nodes represent planets,
and a line between two nodes represents that those two planets are linked by wormholes. A thick
gray line indicates that the connected planets are Supplied by your team. Hold Ctrl to display the
names of all planets on the map.
Controlled planets will show a command station icon corresponding to the controlling team’s
color. If a planet has not yet been explored, or does not currently have a command station
present, it will be shown as a cross.
Planets controlled by the AI also have a Mark level from I-V that is visible on the Intel Summary. The
Mark level of a planet is minimum unit level of the reinforcements that the AI will receive at that
16
GAlaxy view
planet. Only the AIs’ Home Planets are Mark V. Planets with high Mark levels for their location will
also be indicated on the Galaxy Map.
Intel Summaries
You can view an Intel Summary for each planet you have explored by hovering over the planet.
The Intel Summary will display the number and type of units on a planet, whether or not the planet
is supplied, the amount of knowledge collected from the planet, whether the AI is aware of your
presence on the planet, and the planet’s number of resource gather points, as well as icons for
significant units such as advanced research stations.
Priority Markers
You can tag any planet on the Galaxy Map with a priority marker. Priority markers are visible not
only to yourself but to all players on your team. To tag a planet with a priority marker, first Left Click
one of the P0-9 buttons on the toolbar on the left of the screen, then Left Click on a planet to
assign it the corresponding priority. You can also Right Click on a planet to clear its priority when
in this mode.
Priority markers have no effect on gameplay, but are an efficient method of keeping track of
the importance of the vast number of planets on the map. It’s recommended that you prioritize
each planet as it is scouted. Planets are generally prioritized based on their contents. Here is a
suggested priority system;
P0 - Nothing of interest.
P1 - Nothing of interest, but there’s something dangerous here.
P3 - Data Center.
P5 - Advanced Factory.
P8 - Possible AI Home Planet.
P9 - Advanced Research Station or AI Home Planet.
Galaxy Map Display Modes
Galaxy Map Display Modes provide quick access to tactical information on each planet. Highly
useful filters include pressing Q to display the number of units under your control on each planet,
and K to display the knowledge collected from each. You can display a complete list of the
available display modes by clicking on the display modes button on the left toolbar.
Galaxy Map Filters
You can use the secondary Galaxy Map Filters to fine tune the results from the Galaxy Map Display
Modes. Options include All, My, Allied, My and Allied, and Mobile Military. Note that Display Modes
that already filter based on these criteria, such as My Ships, will ignore filter settings.
Refer to the Shortcut Reference for a comprehensive list of Galaxy Map Display Modes and Filters.
17
Resources Resources
SECTION 5: RESOURCES
Metal and Crystal
All units require metal and/or crystal to construct. You must collect metal and crystal by
constructing harvesters on the resource deposits located on planets you control. Harvesters are
available on the Economy Tab on the Build Menu.
Each metal harvester will produce 12 metal per second, and each crystal harvester will produce
12 crystal per second.
Note: Harvesters can only be constructed on supplied planets controlled by your team.
Tip: To build all harvesters of a type on the current planet, Ctrl + Left Click the corresponding
harvester icon on the Economy tab.
Manufactories
You may occasionally find yourself in a situation where you have too much of
one resource and not enough of the other. You can construct manufactories
to convert one material into the other, though at a loss of overall net income.
Metal and crystal manufactories are available on the Economy Tab on the
Build Menu.
Crystal
A single manufactory will convert 12 of one resource into 8 of the other per
Manufactory
second. Once constructed, manufactories can be switched on and off at will.
Knowledge And Research
Knowledge
Knowledge is the only finite resource in AI War. It is used to unlock new units.
Each player can gather up to 2,000 knowledge per planet. As long as the
planet is supplied by your team, any science labs and advanced research
stations on the planet will automatically gather knowledge. Once all the
available knowledge on a planet has been gathered, your knowledge
gathering units will be exhausted. Be sure to move exhausted units to new Science lab I
planets so that they can continue to gather knowledge.
Tip: When playing multiplayer, send science labs to your allies’ planets to maximize your available
knowledge.
Unlockable units have a variety of abilities, ranging from raw strength to highly specialized functions
such as countering missile fire. You can unlock units in almost any order you wish, allowing you to
customize your civilization to suit your preferred play-style. You won’t be able to gather enough
knowledge to unlock even half of the available units in a single game, so you will have to decide
carefully which to invest in.
18
Resources
Research
To unlock a new unit using your available Knowledge, simply select any science lab to display
a menu of the available research options at the bottom left of the Planet View interface. After
unlocking a unit, it will be available for construction either on the Build Menu or its corresponding
constructor.
Energy
Every active unit costs a certain amount of energy to sustain. Your net energy
balance is the sum of the energy required by each of your units subtracted
from your total energy reactor output.
energy reactor I
Each active energy reactor draws metal and crystal, so you’ll need to balance
your metal and crystal needs with your required energy supply. Placing reactors
in Low Power Mode will prevent them from drawing resources, but also from providing energy.
Constructing additional energy reactors will increase your total amount of available energy, but
be aware that constructing multiple reactors of the same type on a single planet will result in a
reduced reactor efficiency. Reactors operating at a reduced efficiency will still draw resources at
their normal rate, but will provide a lower amount of energy.
Protect your energy reactors. If your net energy balance becomes negative then your turrets and
force fields will shut down, and you will be unable to construct new units.
Low Power Mode
Units can be placed into Low Power Mode at any time by selecting them and clicking the Low
Power Mode button at the bottom left of the screen. Units in Low Power Mode will only draw
one tenth of their normal amount of energy. They are unable to perform any actions other than
moving, but will remain cloaked. Constructors in Low Power Mode will stop construction, and force
fields will shut down.
As long as you have the required energy, you can reactivate units at any time by selecting them
and clicking the Low Power Mode button again.
19
CAMpaign setup CAMpaign setup
SECTION 6: CAMPAIGN SETUP
Select ‘Host New Campaign’ on the Main Menu to be taken to the Campaign Lobby. From here,
you can configure every aspect of your campaign.
Setting up a Multiplayer Campaign
Up to 8 players can play a campaign cooperatively. While the host is in the Campaign Lobby,
other players can join the campaign using the Join Multiplayer Game option on the Main Menu.
AI War supports LAN and Direct Connect multiplayer.
Selecting Your Home Planet(s)
A preview of the Galaxy Map is displayed in the Campaign Lobby. Potential home planets will
display an icon indicating the bonus ship type you will receive when starting on that planet, as
well as a number indicating the number of wormholes connected to the planet. Left Click on a
planet to select it. The selected planet will change color to match your team. Right Click on a
planet to deselect it.
You can choose not to select a home planet, in which case it will be chosen randomly for you. It is
also possible to select multiple Home Planets, in which case you will start with all associated bonus
ships, but doing so will also make the AI more powerful.
20
CAMpaign setup
Campaign Settings
The campaign settings can be modified via the Map, Ships, and Game Options tabs. Some of the
available options are covered below.
AI Difficulty
The AI difficulty affects the sophistication of the AI’s tactics, as well as the number of reinforcements
it will receive. Difficulty 7 is the recommended difficulty for RTS veterans. At this level, the AI will
execute all of the tactics at its disposal. New players, especially those new to the genre, may
prefer to start at difficulty 4.
AI Type
In addition to the difficulty levels, there are also a number of AI Types available. Each type has
distinct tactics, many utilizing unique and specialized units. They are divided into three tiers, Easy,
Medium, and Hard. If you choose a random AI type, you will have to discover its type by analyzing
its tactics during the campaign.
# Of Planets
Here you can choose the number of planets on the game map. You may select anywhere from
10-120 planets, in increments of 5 from 10-30, and 10 from 30-120. A campaign on a 10 planet map
may only last 2 hours, while a 120 map may take more than 20 hours to reach its conclusion. We
recommend an 80 planet map, as this provides the ideal balance of strategic depth and difficulty.
Map Style
You can also choose the map style. Simple maps are the easiest to see and interpret and are
recommended for beginners. Complex maps are often more interesting, but can also be visually
intimidating and more difficult to read. Hubs style maps contain a far greater number of wormhole
links.
Map Seed
The map seed is the random number used to generate the map. Pressing the New Map Seed
button will generate a new seed and corresponding map. You can also generate maps by
manually entering your own seeds and pressing Generate Map.
Combat Style
There are two combat styles available; Normal and Fast & Dangerous. In Fast & Dangerous mode,
ships move and reload twice as quickly and deal twice as much damage. We recommend the
Normal combat style for new players.
Auto AI Progress
You can modify the rate of automatic AI progress increase. The increment amount and frequency
can be modified separately. An AI progress increment and/or frequency of 0 will disable automatic
AI Progress increases.
21
CAMpaign
UNIT TYpes setup
Saving And Resuming Campaigns
A campaign can be saved at any time by pressing the Esc key and selecting the Save Game
option. To resume a previously saved campaign, select the Load Saved Game option from the
Main Menu.
When resuming a multiplayer game, only the host needs to load the save game. The other players
should use the Join Multiplayer Game option as normal.
Managing Players
During a campaign, the host can manage the current players by pressing Esc and selecting the
Manage Players option. Existing players can be removed from the campaign by disabling them, in
which case all remaining players will be able to issue commands to their orphaned units, including
gifting them to themselves or other players. To add an additional player to an existing campaign,
enter their profile name and team color, then set their status to active. Upon joining the campaign,
units can be transferred to the control of the new player.
Your First Campaign
The Intermediate Tutorial will guide you through every aspect of your first campaign, from
constructing your first ships to the destruction of the AI. It is possible to be defeated during this
tutorial, so be on your guard at all times. Good luck.
22
UNIT TYpes UNIT TYpes
SECTION 7: UNIT TYPES
This section presents a small cross section of the units you will encounter in AI War.
Command Stations
A team controls a planet if they have a completed command station present
there. They can be constructed by colony ships, but only one command station
can exist on a planet at a time. Command stations produce metal, crystal,
and energy, as well as providing supply to the host planet and all adjacent
planets. Players can always access the Build Menu and full Planetary Summary
on controlled planets.
human home
A team is defeated if all their Home Command Stations are destroyed. command station
Basic Ships
In addition to any bonus ships that are unlocked, players can construct 4 basic
ship types at their space docks.
Scouts
Scouts are cloaked units that are used to gather intelligence on other planets.
If you are playing with the Fog of War enabled, you will be unable to view the
Intel Summaries for planets that have not yet been scouted. All scouts have scout II
the cloaking booster ability, and so will be able to penetrate further into AI
territory when operating in groups.
It’s recommended that you keep a scout, or scout starship, with your main
fleet, as this will allow you to view the full Planetary Summary on hostile planets.
Fighters
Fighters are fast, versatile units that use Shell type ammo. They are highly
effective against enemy cruisers, and starships when deployed in great
numbers. Fighters are relatively inexpensive, and so are especially useful in fighter I
the early game.
Bombers
Bombers use the Energy Bomb ammo type, which is highly effective against
heavily reinforced targets. They’re vital for attacking powerful defenses such
as force fields and fortresses. Bombers are also very effective against the thick
armor of fighters, but are vulnerable to enemy cruisers.
Bomber I
23
UNIT TYpes
Cruisers
Cruisers are large, slow, relatively fragile ships that can deal heavy damage
from long range using Missiles. When used in numbers, they can inflict significant
losses before the enemy can get into range.
Bonus Ships
Like the basic ship types, all bonus ships are constructed at space docks. cruiser I
Players start with access to 1 bonus ship per Home Planet, and will gain access
to 1 random additional bonus ship for each advanced research station that is captured from the
AI.
Unit caps are per unit type, so gaining an extra bonus ship increases the total number of ships you
are able to deploy. There is a great variety of bonus ships in AI War, all with differing abilities. View
a bonus ship’s tooltip to learn about its strengths and weaknesses.
Parasites
Parasites are some of the most feared ships in the Galaxy. If a ship sustains
damage from parasites, it will be captured upon its destruction by the parasite’s
controller. A swarm of parasites can quickly take control of an enemy fleet,
turning them against their former allies.
Force Field Bearers
parasite i
Force field bearers are a powerful auxiliary unit. While they have minimal
offensive power on their own, they project a force field around themselves that will protect friendly
units, greatly bolstering the durability of the fleet.
Economic Ships
Economic ships are accessible on the Econ tab of the Build Menu.
Engineers
Engineers are vital for accelerating construction, repairing units, and assisting
constructors. They will automatically assist with construction and repair in
nearby locations, but they can be ordered to construct/repair specific units
if required. When no other tasks are available, engineers will assist nearby
constructors, allowing them to build units more quickly. Engineers can also be
explicitly ordered to assist a constructor by Right Clicking on the constructor, in
which case they will not leave to perform construction and repair tasks.
engineer i
Science Labs
Science labs are used to gather knowledge and unlock new units. A Supplied science lab will
automatically gather knowledge on its current planet. Science labs are unarmed and relatively
fragile, and so will require support when operating in hostile locations.
Selecting a science lab will display a list of the units available for research.
24
UNIT TYpes
Starships
Starships are large, formidable ships with immense amounts of firepower. Many
starships have the Munitions Booster ability, which allows them to increase the
firepower of nearby friendly ships. All starships must be constructed at a starship
constructor.
Warheads flagship
Warheads can be constructed at a missile silo. Detonating a warhead will
increase the AI progress level, so use them sparingly. Warheads detonate when they are scrapped
or destroyed.
Lightning Warheads
Upon detonation, lightning warheads deal heavy damage to all units in a
certain radius around them. They are highly effective when attacking heavily
entrenched locations.
Nukes
A Nuke is a weapon of last resort. Upon detonation, it will instantly obliterate
Lightning missile
all but the Mark V units on the planet, along with the entire planet itself and all
resource gather points. A command station built on a destroyed planet cannot provide supply to
adjacent planets. Using this weapon will greatly increase the AI progress level.
Defensive Units
Defensive units are accessible from the Def tab on the Build Menu
Turrets
Turrets are static units that cannot move from their place of construction. Their
abilities range from heavy firepower to restricting enemy movements. They
generally provide more firepower for a given cost than mobile military ships,
making them an excellent choice for defending your structure and wormholes.
Mines
short range turret I
Mines are cloaked units that deal heavy damage to any enemy units that
collide with them, also destroying themselves in the process.
Tip: Place mines around wormholes and on routes that the AI is likely to take for maximum effect.
Force Fields
Force fields are mobile units that absorb any fire aimed at units under their protection. The
protection radius of a Force field will shrink as it takes damage, so you should keep your most
valuable units close to the center of the force field. Be aware that friendly units will cause damage
to a Force Field when firing whilst under its protection. A green circle around a unit indicates that
it is under the protection of a Force Field.
25
UNIT TYpes features
advanced
Some units are immune to force fields, in which case they are able to move and fire through hostile
force fields without issue.
Constructors
Constructors are units that facilitate the construction of other units. They are accessible on the
Const tab of the Build Menu.
Colony Ships
Colony ships are required to build command stations. Command stations can
only be built on planets if there is not already one present, so you will need to
destroy the AI’s command station before beginning construction of your own.
Upon completion, all capturable units on that planet, including advanced
factories and advanced research stations, will be transferred to your control.
At first, colony ships are only able to construct Mark I command stations, but
colony ship
they can construct the upgraded variants once they have been unlocked
using knowledge.
Space Docks
Space docks are used to construct all the basic ship types, as well as any
bonus ships that are unlocked. Space docks require large amounts of energy,
so place them at key strategic locations.
Advanced Factories
Players cannot build advanced factories; they are an advanced structure Space Dock
that must be captured from the AI. Advanced factories are the only means of
constructing powerful Mark IV units, so controlling at least one is highly desirable. If an advanced
factory is destroyed, it is lost forever, so be sure to defend them well.
Note: You must have the Mark III variant of a ship type unlocked in order to construct the Mark IV
variant.
26
advanced features advanced features
SECTION 8: ADVANCED FEATURES
Flares
Flares can be used in Multiplayer Campaigns to draw attention to particular locations. To create
a flare, press the F key to enter Flare Placement mode, then Left Click on the desired location. The
chosen location can be either a planet, chosen in Galaxy View, or a specific point on a planet,
chosen in Planet View. Flares are visible for 10 seconds after creation. Press ~ to focus the camera
on the most recent flare.
Setting Gather Points From Constructors
All units produced at a constructor will automatically head towards the constructor’s assigned
gather point. To assign a gather point to a constructor, first select the constructor, then Right Click
on the desired gather point. You can set other planets as gather points by Right Clicking on the
planet in Galaxy View. If a gather point is designated while holding the Alt or V key, the produced
units will emerge in Attack-Move or Free Roaming Defender mode, respectively.
Control Groups
The selected units can be assigned to a control group by pressing Ctrl + 0-9. You can then select
any units on the current planet assigned to that control group by pressing the corresponding
number key. If there are no units in the selected control group on the current planet, then the
camera will swap to the nearest planet that contain units in that control group. Assigning a
constructor to a control group will cause all units subsequently built by that constructor to be
automatically assigned to the corresponding control group.
See the Shortcut Keys Reference for a comprehensive list of controls related to control groups.
Cloaking
Many units, including scouts, have the cloaking ability. Cloaked units cannot be seen or targeted
by enemies. Units cannot fire whilst cloaked, and won’t be able to recloak for 8 seconds after firing.
A purple circle around a unit indicates that it is cloaked. Unless in Attack-Move mode, cloaked
units will not reveal themselves by automatically firing on enemies that are in range.
Tachyon Emitters
Units with the Tachyon Emitter ability will automatically fire Tachyon Beams at any cloaked units
that come into range. A Tachyon Beam, represented by a yellow line, disables the cloak of the
targeted ship. After being revealed by a Tachyon Beam, a unit will be unable to recloak for 8
seconds. Notably, Astrotrains have the Tachyon Emitter ability, and so can cause major problems
for your scouts should they cross paths.
Cloaking Boosters
Units with the Cloaking Booster ability can boost the cloak of a limited number of cloaked units
in range. Cloaking Boosted units will not be revealed by Tachyon Beams. A unit that is boosting
27
advanced features SETTINGS SETTINGS

cannot itself be boosted by another unit. A purple line between two ships indicates that Cloaking
Boosting is occurring.
Teleporting
Teleporting units can travel instantaneously between two points on a planet. Because of this, they
can traverse the wormhole network very quickly, making them especially useful for both defense
and hit-and-run attacks. After teleporting, a unit will be stunned and unable to perform any further
actions for a short time. The duration of the stun is proportional to the distance teleported.
SECTION 9: SETTINGS
The Settings Menu is accessible from the game’s Main menu. Here, you can adjust various options
that will affect how the game looks, sounds, and plays. Enabling items displayed with green text
can improve performance, while those in red text can reduce performance. You can also access
the game’s controls reference from this menu.
Game

Munitions Boosters Network Port

This setting controls the UDP port number that AI War uses to send network traffic. To play a
Units with the Munitions Booster ability can boost the firepower of nearby friendly ships. A unit can multiplayer game, all players must have the same network port setting. Unless you have a specific
be boosted by 4 other friendly units simultaneously, greatly increasing its firepower. reason to do so, we do not recommend that you change this.

Group Move Autosave Every

This setting defines how often the game will autosave. By default, this is set to every 5 minutes. A
Holding the G key when issuing move orders will cause all selected units to move at the rate of the
setting of 0 will prevent any autosaves from occurring.
slowest selected ship. This is highly useful for keeping your fleet together.

Turn-Based Strategy Style Settings

Attack-Move
If you wish to issue orders while the game is paused, you should enable the Use TBS-Friendly Pause
Units can be placed into Attack-Move mode by holding the Alt key when issuing a move order. A option.
yellow border around a unit in Far Zoom indicates that it is in Attack-Move mode. Units in Attack-
Move mode will chase any enemies that come into firing range. Once the enemy is destroyed, Interface
they will move/return to the location designated by the Attack-Move order. Units in Attack-Move
mode will not pursue enemies through wormholes. From here you can tweak the game’s interface to suit your preferred style, including whether you
wish to run the game in full-screen or windowed mode.
Tip: Place units in Attack-Move mode near wormholes to have them chase down any hostile units
that come through.
Graphics
Free Roaming Defender Mode Here you can modify the graphical aspects of the game, including the tooltip font size and the
appearance of the nebulae and star fields. These changes are purely aesthetic, and will not
Units can be placed into Free Roaming Defender (FRD) mode by holding the V key when issuing affect gameplay.
a move order. A pink border around a unit in Far Zoom indicates that it is in FRD mode. Units in FRD
mode will engage any enemies present on the current planet; this makes FRD mode very useful for If necessary, you can disable some of the game’s special effects via this menu in order to improve
mopping up any hostile ships that make it past your defenses. If there are no enemies present on performance.
the planet, the units will move/return to the location designated when issuing the FRD move order.
Engineers placed into FRD mode will attempt to repair any units on the current planet, regardless
of how far away they are. Audio
This menu allows you to modify the volume of the game’s sounds and music. You can also choose
Preferred Targets to disable them entirely if desired.

Units ordered to attack a specific target will acquire that unit type as their preferred target. When
possible, a unit will always choose to fire on targets of its preferred type, allowing you to maximize
the effectiveness of your fleet during engagements. View a unit’s tooltip to display its current
preferred target type.

28 29
SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE

SECTION 10: SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE View Controls (Zoom/Pan)

↑←↓→ Pan View.
Legend ↑←↓→ + Pan View at double speed.
Q No Zoom.
Left Click Right Click
W Mid Zoom 1.
Double Left Click Drag E Mid Zoom 2.
R Farthest Zoom.
Mouse Wheel Shift
PageUp Zoom In (centers on mouse cursor).
(H) Hold ↑←↓→ Arrow Keys PageDown Zoom Out.
F9 (H) Force display of “Far Zoom” style icons in main view.
Mouse Controls F10 (H) Force display of actual ship graphics instead of icons in main view.
Select unit (deselects prior selected).
Select multiple units (deselects prior selected, selects only military units by default).
Minimap Shortcuts
+
F5 (H) Show military ships only.
+ Select unit (adds to prior selected).
On Build Button - Queue 5 ships instead of 1. F6 (H) Show wormholes and resources only.
+ + Select multiple units (adds to prior selected). Show enemy ships only.
F7 (H)
+ Ctrl On Wormhole - Send view through wormhole.
On Build Button - Queue 50 ships instead of 1. Galaxy Map Shortcuts
+ Ctrl + Select multiple units (all units, not just military). Alt + 0-9 Select priority-setting mode 0-9.
+ Alt Deselect unit. / Select notes-setting mode.
On Item in Build Queue - Send item to front of queue.
F Create a Flare.
+ Alt + Deselect multiple units.
N Display Mode: Normal.
Select all units of same type on screen group. Q Display Mode: My Ships.
+ Alt Deselect all units of same type on screen. A Display Mode: Allied Ships.

Selected units move to target location. E Display Mode: My and Allied Ships.
On Enemy - Selected units attack target enemy. R Display Mode: Resources Used.
Build Button - Dequeue ship of clicked type.
M Display Mode: Metal Used.
Galaxy Map - Send selected units to clicked planet.
C Display Mode: Crystal Used.
+ Selected units add target location to their waypoints.
On Enemy - Selected units add clicked enemy to their target queue. K Display Mode: Knowledge Found.
Build Button - Dequeue 5 ships instead of 1. S Display Mode: My Science Labs.
Galaxy Map - Add wormhole path to end of current path of all selected units.
O Display Mode: Scouts.
+ Ctrl On Wormhole - Send selected units through wormhole.
Build Button - Dequeue 50 ships instead of 1.
L Display Mode: Last Scouted.

Selected units Attack-Move to target location. U Display Mode: Starships.

+ Alt
Galaxy Map - Selected units move to planet in Attack-Move mode. T Display Mode: Starship Constructors.
On Item in Build Queue - Send item to back of queue. D Display Mode: All Constructors.
+G Selected units Group-Move to target location. I Display Mode: Incoming Waves.
+V Selected units move to target location in Free-Roaming Defender Mode. W Display Mode: Hostile Wormholes.
Galaxy Map - Selected units move to planet in Free-Roaming Defender Mode. +N Display Filter: All.
+X On Capturable Structure - Selected units attack target. +Q Display Filter: My,
Zoom in and out (zooming in centers on mouse cursor). +A Display Filter: Allied.
Zoom in and out at double speed.
+E Display Filter: My and Allied.
+
+, Display Filter: Mobile Military.

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SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE

General Keyboard Controls Object Viewing Shortcuts

Tab Toggle Galaxy View. / Wormholes
H Center on friendly forces at current planet. M Metal Deposits
P Pause. C Crystal Deposits
B Build Menu.
K Toggle Low Power mode for selected units. Control Groups
Ctrl (H) Show names of all planets in Galaxy View. Select control group ships at current planet (switches to other planet if none at current,
0-9 never selects ships from more than one planet at a time, does not select constructors).
(H) Show movement paths for all selection ships.
+ 0-9 Select control group ships at current planet in addition to current selected.
Z (H) Show range of all selected units, and/or units under mouse cursor.
Ctrl + 0-9 Set control group.
Z + X (H) Show all enemy ranges in addition to the above.
Ctrl + + 0-9 Add to existing control group.
Z + A (H) Show range of selected units at cursor instead of their position.
X + 0-9 Select constructors only (also works with double and triple presses).
A (H) Show selection circle around all on-screen ships.
0-9 (Double) Select control group ships and center the view on them.
I (H) Show hit % and damage for all selected ships, and/or units under mouse cursor.
0-9 (Triple) Select control group ships on the next planet that has them.
F Create a Flare.
~ Go to most recent flare. Ship Selection Filters
Enter Open the chat window.
N+0 Select only ships with no Mark level.
Delete Scrap the selected units.
N+1 Select only Mark I ships.
Backspace Scrap the selected units.
N+2 Select only Mark II ships.
Escape If in Galaxy View, return to the main game display.
N+3 Select only Mark III ships.
Spacebar Center display on the selected units.
N+4 Select only Mark IV ships.
Spacebar (H) Follow selected units with display.
N+5 Select only Mark V/Core ships.
End Stop selected units.
N+7 Select only ships with damaged engines.
+ Increase game simulation speed.
N + 7 + Space Select only ships with undamaged engines.
- Decrease game simulation speed.
N+8 Select only ships with 33\% or less health remaining.
] Increase skipped frames per drawn frame on local machine.
N+9 Select only ships with 66\% or less health remaining.
[ Decrease skipped frames per drawn frame on local machine.
Ctrl + + Increase command lag (Improves network performance). Ship Selection Shortcuts
Ctrl + - Decrease command lag. B Command Stations and Mobile Builders.
F1 Toggle help display (all icons in planetary summary). S Science Labs.
F2 Show/Hide score display. . Engineers.
D Docks and Advanced Factories.
Ship Placement Controls
T Starship Constructors.
Place ship at location of mouse cursor.
U Starships.
+ Place ship at location of mouse cursor (remain in ship placement mode). O Scouts.
+ + Place multiple ships. , Select next idle mobile military unit at current planet and center on it.

+ Ctrl Place cluster of 5 ships at location of mouse cursor. +, Select all idle mobile military units at current planet.
Ctrl + , Select all military units at current planet (idle or not).
+ Ctrl + Place cluster of 5 ships at location of mouse cursor (remain in ship placement mode).
L Select half of the currently selected units (rounding up per ship type).
+ Ctrl + + Place multiple clusters of 5 ships.
+L Select a third of the currently selected units (rounding up per ship type).
Exit ship placement mode. \ Select first idle unit out of currently selected units.

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SHORTCUT KEYS REFERENCE Credits

Lead Programmer/Designer Special thanks to players with significant post-

Debug Info Controls Christopher M. Park release suggestions
F3 Write/Clear Debug Info. Black
Ctrl + + F5 *Write the smaller UnitTypeStrength.xml file Music Blam Stokel
(requires 45+ minutes, inludes only same-level ship types). Pablo Vega CautiousChaos
Ctrl + + F6 *Write the FULL UnitTypeStrength.xml file Darkreaver1980
(requires several hours, includes all ship types against all other ship types). Sound Douglas P. Fields, Jr
Ctrl + + F8 *Write the Excel Secondary XML files Pablo Vega dumpsterKEEPER
(requires only seconds, useful for all sorts of analysis). Various Echo35
I (H) *Show the last target search cycle for each unit onscreen. Hans-Martin Portmann
Artwork Haagenti
*Must be in Test Mode, or have F3 debug output displayed. Philippe Chabot Huw Taylor
Daniel Cook Janster
Christopher M. Park Kalzarius
Cheat Codes Hans-Martin Portmann keith.lamothe
Give Me K +10,000 Knowledge. liq3
Metal Head +100,000 Metal. Designer Maxim Kuschpel
Lars Bull Morphing Jar
Crystal Goblet +100,000 Crystal
netWilk
Bomb The Stars +1 Mark IV Bomber Starship
Techwriter Oewyn
Be Peaceful -100 AI Progress Calvin Southwood Pandemic
Get Angry +100 AI Progress Patrick Burke
Nuke Em +5 Nuclear Missiles Special Thanks / Alpha Test / Design Assist Quitch
I Love Leeches +50 Core Leeches Michael Park Sowelu
Melvin Park Spelk
Fight Or Flight +50 Mark IV Fighters
Desmond Kaplan Tals
Bombs Away +50 Mark IV Bombers Tankor Smash
Just Cruisin +50 Cruisers Special Thanks Valarauka
Core Cruisin +50 Core Battle Cruisers Marisa Park ZarahNeander
I Can See My House All Planets Are Scouted Lars Bull Zulgaines
Engies +10 Mark II Engineers The SlimDX Team
Special thanks to players with contributions to
Energize +10 Mark II Energy Reactors
Beta Testers the game manual
More More More Ignore Ship Caps Lars Bull dumpsterKEEPER
Parasite This Reclamators Ignore Ship Caps Zack Cataldo Haagenti
Enter a code into the chatbox to activate the corresponding effect. Cheats must be enabled on the Campaign
Desmond Kaplan kjara
Setup menu prior to the game starting. To see if cheats are enabled in your current game, hover over the Totals Andrew Leach Patrick Burke
button in Galaxy View. Austin Moore
Melvin Park
Michael Park
Carlos Vega

Community Managers
Lars Bull
Calvin Southwood

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