| Quick Ship Build |
Brings up the ship quick build screen. That allows you to quickly
build ships using ship plans. |
| Fleet Command |
Brings up the fleet command screen that displays your fleet leaders
and shows what ships are escorting it. |
| Pod Command |
Opens the pod command screen |
| Minefield Command |
Opens the minefield command screen |
| Buoy Command |
Opens the buoy command screen |
| Weapon Specs |
Opens the weapon spec screen |
| Races |
Opens the races screen, that lets you view the other players /
empires in the game. Allows you to mark other empires as enemies
or share data with them. |
| Groups |
Allows you to assign several ships to a group, you can order the
group to take different actions together, such as ording all to
have the same transporter orders or the same movement orders. |
| Resource Rings |
Draws rings on the map to let you visually see where different
important resources are, including items like natives, metals, colonists,
money and contraband. |
| Draw on map |
Lets you draw a series of dots on the map by clicking with the
left button and allows you to delete the dots using the right button.
On the races screen you can flip a switch that allows other races
to see the marks that you have made on the map. |
| Configure Settings |
Displays the current game configuration settings |
| Find and Select |
Opens the find screen that allows you to load a group of objects
of a certain type and load them all into the space command screen
list box of objects |
| Options |
Opens the opens screen that controls the graphics and sound options. |
| Mark Log Objects |
Places a blue box around objects on the main star map that have
a log entry |
| Map Filters |
Brings up the map filter screen that allows you to hide objects.
Hidden objects do not show up on the map screen. |
| Show Planet ID Numbers |
Toggles the option of displaying ID numbers of the planets on
the main star map. |
| Show Planet Names |
Toggles the option of displaying the names of planets on the main
star map. |
| Show Sensor Coverage |
Shows how far the ship and base sensors reach out into space on
the main star map. The sensor coverage areas are displayed in green. |
| Register Program |
Displays the version number of the planets4.exe program. It shows
your serial number if you are registered. The display provides a
place to type in your version 4 reg code. |
| Help |
Opens the help file |
| Files |
Accesses the files screen that allows you to unpack your incoming
RST and create your outgoing TRN file to send back to the host. |
| Space Command |
The panel that is used to select objects, and access their command
and information screens. |
| Central Command HQ |
The central command for your race, you can buy tech levels , order
your spies to spy , exotic tech, and enter your leader`s name for
all to see.[more] |
| Ship Command |
|
| Base Command |
|
| Wing Command |
|
| Notepad |
Your personal notepad. You can write a note for any object on
the map. When you have a note on an object the object will have
a white flag sticking out of it. You also have the option of sticking
a red green and yellow flag in the object. The flags are saved from
turn to turn and you are the only one that will ever see the note. |
| Read Message |
Allows you to read messages from other race leader and from members
of your own race that are have really important problems, events
or news. The more uninteresting events will show up in the object
logs and not the incoming messages. |
| Send Messages |
Brings up the message transmitter screen that allows you to send
messages to other players |
| Pending Orders |
When a base places an order to form a new fighter wing, build
a new ship or buy contraband on the black market the pending orders
panel can be used to cancel the order if you change your mind. The
pending order panel will allow you to review all orders before you
decide to cancel any of them. The pending orders button is only
active when the current hammer object has pending orders. |
| Grid |
Sorts objects by many different types and attributes. You could,
for instance, sort all the ships by the ones with the least amount
of fuel. You can select them as your current hammer object using
the grid screen and then give them new orders. |
| Hot Sheets |
Holds lists of objects that you want to keep an eye on. Like
a list of ships that were seen near your space that you want to
track of or a list of your ships that are out of fuel and need help.
You can name the lists and add and delete objects at any time. |
| VCR |
Shows you the big fights. Has a report screen that breaks the
fight down into detail. |
| Logs |
Shows events that effect an object. Such as a emergency at a
base. |
| Main Map |
The main map. The map is used to select objects for the space
command panel. Shows all visible object in space and can be used
to change way points. |
| Mini Map |
A small radar view that displays the whole universe and the positions
of the hammer and anvil objects. |
| Map Pad |
Causes the scroll pad and magnify power bar to appear on the main
star map in the lower right corner |
| Magnetic Way Point Locking |
Works on way points for ships and fighter wings. When depressed
(green) the way points on the main star map will snap to the nearest
object when dragged and dropped. When not depressed the way points
will stay anywhere you drop them, even if it is in deep space. If
you hold down the shift key while dropping a way point marker on
the map it will drop into deep space as well. The shift key overrides
magnetic way point locking. |
| Virtual Point |
When depressed your next click on the main star map will be a
virtual point in space. You can draw the point anywhere on the map.
Once you draw one point the tool bar button will deselect. You will
need to depress it again to draw another virtual point. The virtual
points you draw only you will be able to see, they are saved from
turn to turn. You can use them as a marker for navigation in deep
space, so that you have a group of ships all converging on the same
point in deep space were there is currently nothing. The command
screen of the virtual point allows you to delete the point or transform
it into a message buoy that any race you select can see. |
| Plot Tracks |
When clicked the main star maps will display trails behind all
the objects on the map displaying every where they have been in
the last 10 turns. As soon as you click on the map again the trails
will all be erased to cut down on map clutter. |
| Center Map |
Centers the map on the current selected object. (Hammer Object) |
| Mouse Pointer |
Resets the mouse pointer back to normal mouse pointer mode when
it is in one of the special targeting modes. |
| Intercept Target |
Mouse cursor goes into intercept targeting mode. Left clicking
the mouse on any object on the main star map, wing mini nav map,
or the ship mini nav map will mark that object as the intercept
target. |
| Escort Target |
Mouse cursor goes into escort targeting mode. Left clicking the
mouse on any object on the main star map, wing mini nav map, or
the ship mini nav map will mark that object as the escort target. |
| Kill Target |
Mouse cursor goes into kill targeting mode. Left clicking the
mouse on any object on the main star map or the ship mini nav map
will mark that object as the kill target. |
| Capture Target |
Mouse cursor goes into capture targeting mode. Left clicking the
mouse on any object on the main star map or the ship mini nav map
will mark that object as the capture target. |
| Tow Target |
Mouse cursor goes into tow targeting mode. Left clicking the mouse
on any object on the main star map or the ship mini nav map will
mark that object as the tow target. |
| Dock Target |
Mouse cursor goes into dock targeting mode. Left clicking the
mouse on any object on the main star map will mark that object as
the dock target. |
| Way Points |
Mouse cursor goes into waypoint targeting mode. Left clicking
the mouse on any object on the main star map, wing mini nav map,
or the ship mini nav map will mark that object`s position as the
waypoint. Up to 6 waypoints can be defined. |
| Drop |
(Undock) Target: Mouse cursor goes into drop targeting mode.
Left clicking the mouse on any object on the main star map will
mark that object as the drop target. |
