outpost_2:outpost_2_manual:tutorial_2 [Outpost Universe Wiki]

1 - Start Tutorial 2 - Basic Vehicle Commands.

2 - Left-click the Cargo Truck at 35,27. The Cargo Truck is now selected, as indicated by the white outline around it and green Strength Bar above it in the Detail Pane. The Command Pane has changed to show the Status display for the selected vehicle.

3 - Right-click anywhere in the Detail Pane to de-select your vehicle. The Command Pane is now empty.

4 - Move your cursor to 33,25. Now press and hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse down and to the right. As you move the mouse, you will draw a “drag-select” box. When the mouse reaches 45,30 release the mouse button. You have now group-selected all three Cargo Trucks. Right-click to deselect your vehicles.

5 - Select the Cargo Truck at 35,27 again, then press and hold the <Shift> key and left-click the other two Cargo Trucks. You may add vehicles to a selection by shift-clicking them in this way. You may include up to 32 vehicles in a group selection. 6 Shift-click the Cargo Truck on the right. When you shift-click a selected vehicle, it becomes de-selected, but the other vehicles remain selected.

7 - Shift-click the middle Cargo Truck, leaving only the left Cargo Truck selected. The Command Pane shows the Status display for this vehicle.

8 - The top section of the display shows the vehicle's name and identification number, a picture of the vehicle, numbers and a bar graph indicating its current and maximum Hit Points, and its lights on/off switch.

9 - The bottom of the Command Pane shows the vehicle's Command Icon buttons. Clicking these buttons will issue commands to the vehicle. Move your cursor over the upper left button. The button animates while your cursor is over it.

10 - As you keep your cursor over the button, the Status Bar indicates the button's function: MOVE THE VEHICLE. The letter “M” at the beginning of this message is red, indicating the keyboard shortcut for this command is <M>. You can order the vehicle to move either by clicking the Move button or by pressing <M>.

11 - Shift-click the other Cargo Trucks. The Command Pane changes to a Status display for the group of vehicles you have selected. The top section shows the logo of your colony instead of a picture of the vehicle. Instead of the vehicle name and ID number, the display shows how many vehicles you have selected. In the Command Icon portion of the display, the commands available vary with the types of vehicles selected.

12 - De-select the middle and right Cargo Trucks, either by shift-clicking them or by right-clicking then selecting Cargo Truck #1-01 again.

13 - Click the Move button in the Command Pane, then move your cursor back to the Detail Pane. It has changed into the Move cursor.

14 - Move your cursor to 35,32 and left-click. The Cargo Truck will move to 35,32.

15 - Select the truck at 39,27. Move your cursor to 39,32. The cursor has already changed to the Move cursor. Because Move is the most frequent command you will give to vehicles, it is the default cursor any time you select a vehicle. Click directly on coordinates 35,26. Cargo Truck #1-02 is still selected and will move to 35,26.

16 - Now click on coordinates 43,32. The Cargo Truck will begin to move. Before it gets all the way there, move your cursor into the Command Pane and click on the Stop button. The Cargo Truck will apply its brakes and stop.

17 - Select Cargo Truck #1-01 again - it should be at or near coordinates 35,32. Order it to move to coordinates 20,50. Then move the Detail Pane back to your other two trucks (but do not select them) by left clicking between their dots in the Mini-Map. Wait for the Cargo Truck to move out of your view on the Detail Pane (do not scroll the map).

18 - If you have a vehicle selected, but it is not in view in the Detail Pane, you can find it by pressing <H>. This will “home” the Detail Pane on your currently selected vehicle.

19 - If you want to see where each of your vehicles are, press <Tab>. Each press will show you another vehicle. Press <Tab> several more times to go through all of your vehicles. (NOTE: If you have structures deployed, as you did in Tutorial 1, pressing <Tab> will show you all of your structures as well as your vehicles.) You may also press <Shift+Tab> to go backwards through the list.

20 - Press <Tab> until Cargo Truck #1-01 is selected again.

21 - This tutorial occurs at night. Like structures, vehicles have floodlights all around them that allow them to see where they are going in the dark. Turn these lights off for the selected vehicle (or for all vehicles in a group-selection) by clicking the light switch button in the upper right corner of the Command Pane.

22 - When your Cargo Truck is in the dark, it is more difficult to see on the Detail Pane except for the “selected” border. Vehicles in the dark move at half normal speed since they must find their way more carefully in the dark. Turning your lights off in the dark can be used for tactical advantage in multiplayer games. If your vehicles have their lights off in the dark, they will not be visible on your opponents' Mini-Maps. They will still be visible on the Mini-Maps of any players you have allied with, and, of course on your own Mini-Map.

23 - Turn the lights of your Cargo Truck back on by clicking the light switch button.

24 - Press <Tab> until you have selected Cargo Truck #1-02. To turn the lights out on a vehicle rather more permanently, move your cursor over the Self-Destruct button in the Command Pane and click it. You no longer have a Cargo Truck #1-02. Each vehicle carries a small self-destruct charge that also does minor damage to any adjacent structure or vehicle.

This is the end of Tutorial 2.