User Interface
From Beyond Protocol
Mini-Map: This displays the mini-map of your current environment, the cone displays the direction you are currently viewing and you can zoom in and out using the buttons (not shown), or by clicking on it and then using the mouse wheel. Units and structures appear on the mini-map with the display colors you have set in your options.
Chat Interface: The chat interface is split into various tabs which the user can create and define. Each tab only receives certain messages and sends messages by default to a certain channel, which again is user defined. You can type /help and /keymaps to get a list of commands.
Environment Info: This displays some basic information about your current environment. The name is in the top left, to the right of that the top number is your current/max command points. Directly beneath that is your current/max facility points. Beneath that is your current credits and your current cash flow in the environment.
Command Bar: The command bar displays the majority of the available sub screens in the game, for your convenience most objects on the command bar have been mapped to the F-Keys.
| [F1] Help |
The in-game help system. |
| [F2] E-mail | The in-game e-mail system. |
| [F3] Battlegroups | Create and order battlegroups. |
| [F4] Trade | Check and set-up trade agreements. |
| [F5] Diplomacy | View contacts and factions, declare war, set title. |
| [F6] Colony Information | View detailed information on a colony. |
| [F7] Budget | View detailed budget information on all colonies. |
| [F8] Mining | View the mining interface for your current environment. |
| [F9] Agents | View agents and set up missions. |
| [F10] Formations | Create and manage unit formations. |
| Colony Research | View and queue research colony-wide. |
| Available Resources | View all available resource in an environment. |
| Command Window | View all facilities and units in the environment. |
| [F11] Guild Window (No Icon) | View and edit the guild menu. |
| [F12] Issue Tracker (No Icon) | Opens a browser to the issue tracker, to report problems. |
Contents |
Order Management
The orders management page can be reached by selecting a unit or structure and clicking on the orders button located in the bottom-left corner of the screen. This allows you to manage the units AI. The Route configuration page allows you to add waypoints for a unit which it will run depending on how you set its AI.
| Name |
Description |
|---|---|
| Fighter | Any aerial or space-bourne unit that has a hull size less than or equal to 300 |
| Armed | Has at least 1 weapon on-board. Mutually exclusive with Unarmed |
| Escort | Any unit that has a hull size greater than 300 but less than 30,000 |
| Unarmed | No weapons on-board. Mutually exclusive with Armed |
| Carrier | Any entity that has a third of its hull configured for hangar bay |
| Cargo | Any entity that has a third of its hull configured for cargo bay |
| Facility | Facilities and Space Stations |
| Ground Assault | Land-based assets such as tanks and AT Jeeps |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Hold Fire | Will not change behavior upon engagement and will not fight back |
| Stand Ground | Will fight back but will not change current destination or activity |
| Pursue | Does not move unless target attempts to escape |
| Evade | Will attempt to avoid conflict by moving away |
| Engage | Will openly move and follow targets of opportunity |
| Dock With Target | Will attempt to dock with the specified target (if target still exists) |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimize Damage | Attempt to face the target with this object’s most defended side and keep optimal range |
| Normal | Will do as much damage as possible from the side that gives a good defense |
| Maximize Damage | Do as much damage as possible to target with no regard to self-preservation |
| Maneuver | When checked, object will attempt to ‘dance’ around the target to avoid being hit |
| Launch All Units | When checked, attempts to launch all objects in hangar upon engagement |
| Stay Docked During Battle | When checked, will remain docked in facilities until the hostile alert in the budget window is overridden |
The transfer page allows you to view the contents of the units cargo bay and hangar, transfer objects and set how carried units will launch. Here is a break down of each button:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Launch | Adds the currently selected unit to the undock queue |
| Launch All | Adds all docked units in the currently selected unit/facility to the undock queue |
| Launch to Reinforce | Will cause this unit/facility to launch its units to replace lost units in the selected battlegroup |
| Switch to Cargo | Changes the window to display cargo contents rather than the hangar contents |
| Transfer | Allows moving materials between docked units, the facility and the colony |
| Repair | Allows repairs to be ordered on docked units |
[F1] Help
The F1 Help system is an in game menu which is populated with various folders, each of which contains helpful information about the game. The files are in .xml and are located in your Beyond Protocol/Help folder, but they can be reached and viewed in game by pressing F1. The best part about the system is that you can download user created tutorials or create your own and upload them. So not only do you have access to the tutorials created by Dark Sky Entertainment, but you can have a guild or faction specific folder as well. You can find all kinds of helpful information here, and more is added whenever we find an unanswered question. If you get stuck or don’t understand something check here first, chances are we have an answer waiting for you.
[F2] E-mail
The In-game E-mail system can be reached through the command window or by pressing F2. This allows you receive and send e-mail to any player in the game. You can attach waypoints to e-mail by clicking the add current location button. Waypoints allow a player to view any area you want them to. The E-mail system allows you to adjust what messages you receive, both in game and via SMS/E-mail in the options menu. You can create new folders, move mail between folders and delete mail as needed. The contacts button displays all players you have discovered in game. The purge button deletes all e-mail in the current folder. You can also write to support@darkskyentertainment from the In-game E-mail, by simply typed 'support' in the recipient Column.
[F3] Battttlegroups
The Battlegroup window is used to manage your units into a control group which can be sent between environments while maintaining command structure, you can apply formations, set a factory, star port, or space station to automatically re-enforce the battlegroup. The maximum size of a battlegroup is dependent upon the special tech you have researched, as is the total number of battlegroups. Your current maximums can be seen below (2 max groups) and (20 max elements per group).
To create a new battlegroup simply select all the units you would like in the battlegroup, press F3 to open the Battlegroup Management window (pictured) and click the create new button.
You can re-name your battlegroup using the text box, the disband button will remove the battlegroup from the list. The formation drop-down menu will allow you to apply a stock formation or a custom one you have created previously in the formation creation window.
The add current selection button will add any currently selected units to the battlegroup. The orders button allows you to give orders to the battlegroup from any environment. The remove selected button allows you to remove any currently selected units from the battlegroup.
The remove reinforcements button allows you to remove a facility from the re-enforcement list. To add a facility you select the facility and click launch to re-enforce then select your battlegroup.
Battlegroups are required to build a Space Station, and send units between systems without using a wormhole.
[F4] Trade
There is a drop down menu in the Trade window that lists every tradepost you currently own in your empire. If you are using the Trade window from an environment where you do not have a tradepost, you will have to select one in the drop down box before any trading can begin.
There are five sub categories found in the trade window - Buy, Sell, Direct Trade, Order History, and Progress.
- Buy Window
- Purchase anything from minerals to units that another player has created. You cannot purchase exact designs from other players.
- Sell Window
- Sell anything you want. The rules are the same as for buying.
- Direct Trade Window
- Purchase or sell privately to other players. In addition, you are allowed to trade credits without having to trade anything else. Direct trades incur no Galactic Trade Commission taxes.
- History Window
- See trades like receipts for the past three plus months with detail of what was bought and sold and by whom.
- Progress Window
- How long you have to wait until your purchased merchandise arrives. In addition,
it shows how long the receiver of a direct trade must wait before acquiring their items.
[F5] Diplomacy
The diplomacy window is the heart of Beyond Protocol, from here you will have access to a wide variety of information.
The Diplomacy Window is used to declare war, set allies, set factions, see the threat level of all discovered empires, check your planetary control, set custom tiles, see senate votes, and view your own current score.
It can also be used to contact any empire you have discovered via private message or e-mail.
The Player Details window is for player details and will show the different threat scores and total score of a selected player. All threat scores start as unknown and can be revealed with the use of agent missions. The Diplomacy Window is also where you set the title others will see. Titles range from Explorer and Governor to Emperor and Diplomat. This is where you declare war.
The Personal Diplomatic Details box shows all your threat scores and your total score. You can see the box below it shows your current title and the next title. By hovering your cursor over the next title, you can reveal what requirements are needed to achieve that rank. Also located in the diplomacy window is a button that says Factions which opens up the Faction’s window. In the Planet Control box, you can see which planets you have colonized and what percentage of the planet population belongs to you.
Factions
The Factions window, reached through the Diplomacy Window, provides a way for players to help one another. To include someone in your faction they must be a lower rank than you. For you to participate in someone else’s faction you must have a lower rank than the faction leader. As you advance in rank, you can be in fewer factions, but this also means you have more players who can join yours. The faction window shows your bonus from people in your faction, being in other people’s factions, and the total bonus at the very bottom. While in a faction, you enjoy tremendously reduced research times. Having people in your faction can also reduce your research times by a smaller percentage. To add someone to your faction select one of the drop down menus and click on their name. This sends them an e-mail notification that prompts them to open their faction window. At the bottom of their window, your name will appear and they can chose to click the Accept or Decline button.
[F6] Colony Window
To see the Colony window and use it to manage your colony, you must be on a planet or have a Space Station selected.
Starting at the top you can see the name of the colony (you can change the name at any time), the population, jobs, unemployment, intelligence, and efficiency information. Under that is the housing breakdown showing powered, unpowered, and total residential capacity.
Morale and growth indicators are here also, and are very important for colony management.
Next is a text box showing the current tax rate which you can edit. To initiate the new rate click the Set button.
After the tax rate is the number of Enlisted and Officers currently available in the colony to be used for components and prototypes.
Finally, you have the power requirements for the colony including the current power generated, the power needed, and the total power for all buildings under your control in the colony.
[F7] Budget
The Budget window shows all the costs involved with maintaining your empire.
At the top left is the Budget Summary box showing total revenue, total expenses, and cash flow. Cash flow is your revenue minus your expenses - a negative cash flow means you are losing credits. Also at the top in the middle is your Death Budget box. You can see the current balance, your maximum allowed and you have a deposit text field to use if you want to deposit money to this account. This should be considered as basic “life insurance” for your empire. Should you happen to die it provides 24 hours of instant building or until the deposited money runs out. Budget Details By Location shows how much you are spending or receiving in each environment.
Double clicking on any name will allow you to immediately jump to that environment. You can also set the tax rate of all your colonies using the buttons on the right. The selected environment’s detailed budget information is displayed below if you find it necessary to know the detailed specifics of any one colony you own, so just read away.
The Off-Line Invulnerability Button in the bottom right corner will allow you to change your offline-invulnerabilty shield to any one planet you choose... use it wisely!
[F8] Mining
This is where all the active mines in an environment will be displayed. The numbers tell you where you are ranked with the bidding for the mine. In order to access the bid window you simply select any mine and the screen below will appear for all your bidding needs.
All minerals are obtained through bidding, the mine owner will receive a larger share of minerals if there are not four bidders and will also receive a percentage of each bid on his mines. Owning a mine does not guarantee you a supply of minerals from it.
Once opened, the bidding window displays information about the mine in question. If there are any active bids they are displayed in the four rows in the table. Your rank is indicated by your position from the top of the table and the minimum bid is located below the table displaying the current mine status.
Place your bid by inputting the amount you wish to bid on the minerals per tick in the “Your Bid” window and the window will update with your bid where it should be in the list. The quantity of minerals you wish to purchase can also be chosen using the “Quantity” window, it is left at the capacity of the mine by default.
[F9] Agents
The Agent and Mission Management window has a large box at the top showing the missions you have completed, are in the process of running, or are have in the planning stage. Use one of the two buttons in the bottom right corner of this box to either Create Mission or View Details.
Agents are an important aspect of any well run empire. Agents can Assassinate Governors, Steal Technology, and are the only way to lower a players off-line invulnerability shield, among other things. Also, they are the only defense against other players doing this to you.
[F10] Formations
The Formation window is where you create custom formations to be used by groups of units. At the top you will see a drop-down menu with a list of saved formations, and the buttons “Add New”, “Copy” and “Delete”. The text box below is for the name of the formation you are creating. There are also drop down menus to order units to organize in certain ways , and a box to check for defaults. To the right of the grid are lists of options that allow you to manipulate your formation.
The top box is for choosing the number of units that will be in the formation – and the radio buttons allow you to apply the number as an insert, a replacement or as the number of units to remove from the formation. Next is the cell size, which determines how many optimum radar spaces are between one unit and the next. The actual grid is where you click to apply your currently selected option to the formation layout.
Colony Research
The colony research window simplifies the researching process. The Researchable Projects box shows all projects that can currently be researched. Below these boxes is the Colonial Research Queue showing the researches currently in queue. The Project Costs box shows the cost/time required for the currently selected project.
In the Facilities to Assign text box you can input the number of facilities to add/remove from the research. In the Research Facilities box at the bottom, you can see how many research facilities you have at the current environment, and what they are researching. Turning the green button to red cancels the research at that facility.
Available Resources
The available resources window shows all the materials located in your current environment. When you open it up click the “Refresh” button to populate the list. Then you will see items like the Total Capacity of your colony and how much cargo space you have left. All the components and materials you have in the colony are listed as well. This is very useful when trying to track down your various stockpiles of minerals.
Command Management
The Command Management window shows all the things you own in the current environment. There are two buttons at the top that filter between facilities and units. The items are then listed first by hull type, and then all the units of that particular hull type.
[F11] Guilds
The guild window is used to manage and maintain a guild in Beyond Protocol™. The Guild window is divided into various tabs suitable for all guild functions. This is where the nuts and bolts of your guild will be that displays your Guild Charter, Monetary Assets, Scheduled Events, Membership List, Vote History, Relationships, and Rank Structure
