1. Introduction Login Server selection Character selection Character creation 11

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2 Index 1. Introduction 7 2. Getting started Login Server selection Character selection Character creation Playing the game Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Gameplay Reporting a bug / the latest information Troubleshooting Logging in to the game Performance issues Appendix default keyboard controls 25 Page 2 of 27

3 Quick Start Manual This manual will give you an overview of the functions within the Black Prophecy Game. Installation Before installing the game, please be sure to follow the instructions in the invitation very closely. Doing so will ensure that you have the correct user name and password to log in to the game. Once you have downloaded the BlackProphecy.exe file via the download link provided in the , run the file. Windows Vista and 7 users may need to allow the program to run via the user account control dialogue. Once the game has been downloaded, the installer should run automatically. If it does not, or if you wish to install at a later time, then navigate to the folder where the game was downloaded and run the Autorun.exe or Setup.exe file. Again, Windows Vista and 7 users may need to allow the program to run via the user account control dialogue. Page 3 of 27

4 Select your language and follow the installation prompts, taking time to read and accept the End User Agreement. You will then be asked to set the game installation path. You can use the default path or can change it if you wish. Next confirm the name of the Start menu shortcut. As in the step above, you may use the default name as displayed or change it to something else. Page 4 of 27

5 Next you will be asked to confirm if you wish to add a desktop shortcut and an exception to the Windows firewall for Black Prophecy. We recommend adding the exception to the Windows firewall to prevent connectivity problems later on. You may also wish to add exceptions for any other personal firewall or antivirus software you have installed. Once you have done this, review the details you entered and click Install. Installation of the game will now begin. Page 5 of 27

6 Once the game has been installed you will be prompted to install the latest version of DirectX and Microsoft.NET Framework. We recommend doing this to ensure that the game will run properly. Please note that DirectX9 is also required to run the game and that DirectX10 is not backwards-compatible. Once this is completed, run the Black Prophecy game launcher from your desktop or Start menu shortcut. When the launcher runs, it will check the current game version and attempt to update the game if required. Once the game is up to date the Launch button will light up. You are now ready to run Black Prophecy for the first time! Page 6 of 27

7 1. Introduction Minimum specs As a result, in order to run the game properly, your PC will require at least: CPU GPU RAM OS Internet Intel Core2 Duo 2Ghz / AMD Athlon X2 2GHz or above Geforce 7900 series / Radeon 3800 or above at the bare minimum Geforce 8 series / Radeon 4850 or above recommended At least 2 GB, 3 or more recommended Windows XP, Vista or 7 Broadband Internet connection with less than 100ms latency Page 7 of 27

8 2. Getting started 2.1 Login At the login screen, enter the user name and password of your Black Prophecy Account: Please note that these are the account details that you provided when registering for Black Prophecy. Your gamigo or forum account details won t work unless you decided to use the same details for all of your accounts (we strongly recommend not doing so to ensure greater account security). You can look up your account details by logging in to your gamigo account (here, top right) and selecting 'My Profile'. You can also change your password if you cannot remember it by selecting 'Details' from under 'My Profile'. Your user name and password are case sensitive. Page 8 of 27

9 2.2 Server selection On the next screen, select the server and click Select to proceed: Page 9 of 27

10 2.3 Character selection If this is your first time playing Black Prophecy, you ll need to create a character. Click Create in the character selection screen: Page 10 of 27

11 2.4 Character creation Create a character using the character creation menu. The tabs on the top left are used to switch between the general settings, detail facial morph settings and gadgets/tattoo settings. You ll also need to choose a name for your character. Select Create to finish creating a character: Page 11 of 27

12 You will then be taken back to the character selection screen. Select your new character and click Next to enter the game world with that character. New characters will be taken to the prologue UNLESS a character on the account has already completed the prologue. If a character has already completed the prologue, new characters will be given the option to skip the prologue. After you have created a new character, you will need to take a picture of that character. There are several background scenes to chose from. This picture will be your ingame avatar, appearing in the communicator and private chat windows. Options Page 12 of 27

13 The options screen can be accessed from the login menu or the main menu in the game ('Esc' key). In the game options tab you can switch languages, reset the interface windows, alter the chat window appearance and switch crosshair models. The sound options control the sound settings. The graphics options allow you to tweak the game s graphics settings to suit your computer. If the performance on your computer is poor, try the following: set Shadow Quality to None set Anti-Aliasing to None reduce the LOD distance with the slider (move it to the left) reduce the Quality Preset setting The controls options allow you to view and change the keyboard shortcuts as well as configure the mouse settings. Flying the ship The ship is controlled by using the mouse and keyboard. W Accelerate S Stop A Strafe left D Strafe right Q Roll left E Roll right 6 Increase cruise speed 7 Decrease cruise speed / reverse Page 13 of 27

14 Flight / Mouse Mode and Menu Page 14 of 27

15 Press 'Space' to activate what is known as mouse mode. This highlights all objects and ships within radar of your ship and lets you select them with your mouse. It also opens the top icon bar that you can use to access various information screens. Left to right: Starmap, Sector Overview, Inventory, Storage, Mission Log, Character, Ship Info, Clan, Encyclopedia & News, Game Menu, Premium Shop Sector target list (keyboard shortcut: U) Hostile targets are on the left, friendly targets in the middle, and neutral targets on the right. A single click on something on the list will target that object, double-clicking will target the object and close the menu. Rightclicking will open a menu with context-sensitive options. Page 15 of 27

16 Targeting You can target any object within radar range (~2000 meters) by entering mouse mode and targeting it with your mouse, by using the sector target list, or by using one of the several keyboard shortcuts available for targeting: T,. Target closest enemy Next target (includes friendly and neutral objects) Previous target Starmap (keyboard shortcut: M) Shows all the sectors you currently have access to. Simply select a sector you want to go to and click Jump. Please note that jumping out of a sector during a mission will cancel the mission, and that if you leave the sector while you are playing the prologue missions, the missions will be reset. Page 16 of 27

17 3. Playing the game What can I do in Black Prophecy? After the first two story missions, you ll find yourself in the Spire hub. Note that hub sectors are no-fire zones. By targeting and docking with the station (keyboard shortcut: P), you can access its vendor and its dynamic missions. Alternatively you can talk to Commander Noah outside the Spire station and access his open world missions (jobs). These will unlock several new sectors that you can jump to in your starmap. Open world sectors are persistent and you can encounter other players to complete the missions with or to fight a PvP battle against. To continue with the story mission, talk to Admiral Gira by using the Contact option on the Spire hub (keyboard shortcut: O). A new mission sector will appear in your starmap - jump to it to start the story mission. Additional story missions are generally unlocked by talking to NPCs in stations in hub sectors. Starting missions Enter the space station by targeting it and selecting the Dock command symbol on the top left of the screen or by choosing the option in the context menu. Inside the station, the topmost icon in the right-hand icon bar opens the mission terminal. By default, all available dynamic missions are listed. Clicking on one of the different mission types listed at the top will select that mission type (i.e. click on group to see only group missions). There are also filters for PvE and PvP missions. Alternatively, you can quickly enter a mission using the Quick Play button located on the radar while you are undocked. To leave an active mission, open the starmap (M key) and jump back to one of the hubs. To start an open world mission (job), talk to an NPC who is offering those missions (like Commander Noah in the Spire hub) and accept his job(s). This will add a new sector to your starmap. Simply jump to the sector and start completing the objectives. Once the objectives are completed, jump back to the hub the NPC is in, contact him, select the job and click Finish. Debriefing When you complete a mission successfully, the Debriefing button will appear and will offer you a reward. You can choose from a small selection of different items. Clicking the Debriefing button will show you the rewards you can choose from. Choose your reward and click OK or Leave sector You will be sent a notification about what has been transferred to your inventory on the screen and chat. Chatting & forming groups Press 'Enter' to type a message directly into the chat box. If you have activated mouse mode, you can switch the active channels and customize which chat is displayed in each by right-clicking on the three chat tabs. To switch between chat modes, just prefix your message with the channel you want to talk in. These are: Page 17 of 27

18 /s, /sector - sector chat message /f, /faction - faction chat message /t, /trade - trade chat message /w, /whisper - private chat message /p, /team - team chat message /c, /clan - clan chat message /a quit - quit game /a show_connection [0 1] - show network statistics (latency, packet loss) The chat box will then remember your last channel for subsequent typing. An icon above the chat box opens the Communicator window. By default it will display all players in the sector you are in, friends, and team members. Use the drop-down box on top to switch between the different display modes. Right-clicking a player s name will open the context menu with all the available options, like adding the player to your friends list or inviting the player to your group. Please note that you cannot start a single-player mission if you are in a group with other players. Mission Log Select the mission log button to review missions you have completed, that are active, and that are not mailable. Click on one of these missions to see a detailed description of the objectives of that mission. Starting a group missions Invite up to 3 other players, target the station, and dock. Select the group mission and then click on AutoAssign to assign the players to the mission slots. Please note that only the group leader can start a group mission. Starting a PvP missions PvP missions are only available in hub sectors after the prologue because all players are Sapiens (human) in the prologue. A PvP mission requires 2 players from each faction. Each faction s players have to form a team and they should also meet in the same sector. The team leader of one team docks in the station and selects a PvP mission. To do so, click Auto-Assign and then Start. If it was a mission with a gray icon, you will see the message Mission starting... and need to wait for the other team. The leader of the other team will now see a PvP mission that has a blue icon in his mission list. This is the same mission as the one the leader of the first team just initialized. Select that mission and click Auto-Assign, then Start. This launches mission. Quick Play missions To join a Quick Play, select the Quick Play button on the top right of the screen. Once you decide on either PvP or PvE, you will go into "waiting for mission" mode. Once a Quick Play mission starts, you will be able to join the Quick Play mission. Buying items Dock in a station to get access to its vendor. The second icon in the icon list on the right opens the vendor s item list and the third icon from the left in the top icon list opens your ship s inventory. To purchase items, simply drag them into your inventory and click Accept when you re done shopping. Please note that the number displayed in the item icons is not the price, but the item s level. The three yellow symbols indicate the item s mass: one symbol means light, two means medium and three means heavy. If an item is red, it means you do not meet the skill requirements to equip it. If you press Shift while dragging an item stack, a dialogue will appear that allows you to choose the number of units to move. If you don't press Shift, only one item will be moved from the vendor. Page 18 of 27

19 Specials You can make use of special items to enhance your ship during a battle. Dragging them into the consumption bar on the bottom of the screen before joining a mission makes them available via key bindings (Default F1F6; can be changed within the Game controls). Specials can be obtained as mission rewards or from enemy NPCs. Ship configuration menu Ship set-ups can only be modified when docked in a station. The hangar is accessed by using the third icon on the icon bar on the right. To equip an item from your inventory, simply drag it from the inventory window into the corresponding ship slot. The total mass of the ship as well as the engine s mobility values greatly influence how your ship handles and turns. If your ship feels sluggish and turns slowly, you probably built a very heavy ship with high armor values and heavy weapons. Ships like that work well when combined with lighter ships in group or PvP missions, but are not really recommended for single-player missions, so you might want to try out how the ship feels with some lighter equipment. The meter on the bottom right of the ship configuration menu shows an approximation of the ship s mass/mobility ratio. Character menu The character menu is opened through the top menu or by pressing the 'C' key. The first tab shows general information as well as character stats. When you first start the game you will have a small number of skills points you can assign. You can do this under the Skills tab. As you level up, you will gain more skill points that you can distribute amongst the various skills. To equip higher level items, you will need to level up the appropriate skills. For example, with an engine skill of 10, you can equip engines up to level 10. Skills Ship (unlocks cockpits) Energy (unlocks energy weapons) Mechanical (unlocks projectile weapons) Engine (unlocks engines) Shield (unlocks shields) Hull (unlocks wings and missile launchers) Explosives (unlocks missiles) Tactics (unlocks different tactics, but not any items) Concentration Concentration describes the character s stamina and ability to learn. Each character is only receptive for a certain amount of time each day, which is displayed in the concentration bar. This bar is refilled each day regardless of the amount consumed on the previous day. Once the concentration bar reaches zero, the character will only receive the regular amount of XP. If the character is concentrated enough, the character will receive a bonus in addition to the regular XP. The chance of success in constructor processes also increases if the character has enough concentration. Each player has 160 concentration points at the beginning of each day. As long as you have one concentration point, the bonuses will remain active. The following actions reduce the concentration level: Page 19 of 27

20 Repairing items and removing modifications Playing missions Sector jumps (will not be added when playing missions) Constructing clan stations Ship menu The ship menu shows the ship's equipped items (it is, however, impossible to equip different items in this menu. That can only be done in a station's hangar). Clicking on one of the numbers next to a weapon activates or deactivates a weapon for that particular weapon group. Weapon groups allow you to fire a particular combination of weapons at the same time. To switch between the different weapon groups during combat, use the 1-5 keys. Weapon groups Weapon groups can also be assigned by activating or de-activating a weapon in the lower right corner of your screen. 1-4 and S are your available weapon groups. Only one out of 1-4 can be selected at any given time. S is also enabled because it is assigned to your Special Attack key (default is RMB). Encyclopedia Accessible via the menu at the top, the encyclopedia is a detailed guide to everything in the Black Prophecy universe! Information is added as you encounter things in the game. Stellarvox News Accessible via the menu at the top, visit the Stellarvox News to keep up-to-date on the latest in-game news and stories. Tactics Tactics are special flight maneuvers that can be used during combat. While a maneuver is being performed, the player has no direct control of the ship other than its weapons. Tactics are triggered by using the analog stick on a gamepad or the movement keys on a keyboard. Tactics are unlocked at specific skill levels of the Tactics skill. To use these tactics, a certain amount of adrenaline is required (represented by a rising bar next to the speed bar on the HUD). Adrenaline is gained while shooting at other ships and while being shot at. The following tactics are currently implemented (based on default key mappings): Boost WWW Tactics level 1 Stop SSS Tactics level 1 Looping down WSS Tactics level 14 Looping up SWW Tactics level 14 U-Turn left WAS Tactics level 1 U-Turn right WDS Tactics level 1 Double Bend left AAA Faction 1 only Tactics level 1 Double Bend right DDD Faction 1 only Tactics level 1 Barrel Roll left ADD Faction 2 only Tactics level 1 Barrel Roll right DAA Faction 2 only Tactics level 1 Page 20 of 27

21 Strafe left SAA Faction 2 only Tactics level 8 Strafe right SDD Faction 2 only Tactics level 8 Feint Up AAS Faction 1 only Tactics level 8 Feint Down DDS Faction 1 only Tactics level 8 Counter-attack WWS Tactics level 12 Zigzag ADW Tactics level 10 Fervor Passive Tactics level 1 Retaliation Passive Tactics level 1 Combat Readiness Passive Tactics level 8 Note: Double Bend left/right are only available to the Tyi faction only and Barrel Roll left/right are only available to the Genide faction. Repair kits (Repair Drones) Repair kits can be bought from vendors on stations and provide you with an essential lifeline during battle. You can use these kits both during and out of combat. Note that there is a cool-down timer to prevent misuse of these kits. They can also be bought at various levels. By default, these are assigned to your F5-F8 keys. You can assign them to other keys using the control settings in your options. Also note: Repair kits will not work when you are warping to another sector. Crafting You can create your own ship parts and weapons by choosing from a variety of blueprints for different levels. These can then be combined with the materials required for crafting in the constructor. Materials can be found by looting enemy ships, wrecks and other objects in space. How long it takes to craft a specific item depends on the level of the blueprints. Items can also be improved by modding them. The process requires a mod, resources and a skill level equal to the item you would like to mod. Each mod will increase or decrease certain stats on the item. The number of mods that can be added varies from item to item. Achievements & Rankings You can always keep track of your accomplishments by checking the Achievements tab in the Character Information page. Completing them will require time and effort as these are no easy task. The Rankings tab, found in the Character Information page, is a ladder-type system that keeps track of active PvP players in the game. The rank is defined by the number of kills gained. What's next? After finishing the 10 story missions, you can join either the Tyi or Genide faction. After that, continue leveling up to unlock new mission hubs at various points. You can also create a clan and develop your own sector with a station. Forming a clan To create a clan: Have a character of Level 14 or higher with 20,000 corons (credits). Go to the Spire station and contact the Spire Administration NPC from space. Agree to the NPC's price to obtain a Clan License. Page 21 of 27

22 Proceed to a faction-friendly station and dock there. Click on the Clan Admin button Fill in your clan details and click Create Now you will be able to click on the Clan Admin button and access clan features such as members, accounting, ranks and sector creation. Clan Station Construction As a leader of a clan you have the opportunity to build a station in your clan sector with features like a dealer, a hangar, a mission terminal and a constructor. To upgrade your modules, the faction module will need to be at least one level above the other modules. You will need materials like gas, metal and plasma to upgrade the modules. Warzones & Honor Warzones are PvP zones in which you have to fight for control of Command Centers. Command Centers can be conquered by taking over all Domination Points in it. In order to get access to a Command Center, your faction needs to control all three of its outposts. Controlling a warzone will grant powerful buffs to the faction that holds it. Every warzone provides different benefits from its buffs. You will also receive Honor Points for taking control and killing other faction players. These can be traded for special blueprints. To do so, visit a station that belongs to a warzone and look for the Honor Dealer. Good luck, pilots! Page 22 of 27

23 4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 4.1 Gameplay Can I use my joystick to play Black Prophecy? Joystick use is enabled but there is not currently a list of supported models. So it is possible that not all buttons can be utilized. The mouse controls are very sensitive and I'm having a hard time aiming at enemy targets. How can I improve the controls? You can adjust your mouse settings in the Options menu. You can adjust mouse sensitivity and mouse deadzone to fit your needs. I spent my skill points on the wrong skills and would like to reset them. Is this possible? This is not currently available. In the future we will offer a special item that will allow you to reset your skills. I m not finding any new prologue missions after finishing Commander Noah s missions. What can I do? Fly to the Spire Station sector and contact the station. I always have to have W pressed to keep up my speed. Is there some kind of Autorun available? Yes, hit the keys 6 and 7 to adjust your ship's cruise control to the speed you want. How can I select a faction? You will be able to select your faction after you have completed the prologue. No matter how much I fly towards a waypoint, I can t reach it! Why? You may need to target the waypoint, then either enter mouse mode and click the Autopilot button under your target info (top right) or press G. I am trying to remove my cockpit, wing, or engine in the hangar. Why won't it let me? These items are essential to the stability of the ship. You will need to REPLACE each one with the appropriate type of equipment to remove it. I am trying to find another clan's station. Why don't I see it on the starmap? By default, you will only see your own clan station. To navigate to other clans' stations, you will need to choose "Show clan stations" in the drop-down for the starmap view. How do I use enhancer items? Once you have obtained an enhancer item, drag it down to your quickbar. When you are out in space, use the corresponding shortcut key to activate it. I'm trying to find my friend but I don't see him. How can I find him? Click on "Player search", complete the dialogue and then click "Search". Once the player is found, you can right-click on their name to contact (talk to), invite to your group and other options. I purchased a store item and I would like to use it. Where is it? Premium store items are placed in your Premium Storage. When you click on storage, you will see another tab called "Premium Storage". Click on that to see premium Items. Page 23 of 27

24 NOTE: This storage is WITHDRAW only. Once you remove an item to your character, it CANNOT be placed back into storage. 4.2 Reporting a bug / the latest information In order to improve the quality of Black Prophecy, we need feedback from you about any issues or bugs you may encounter while using the software. Please report these issues and bugs in the Forum. There you will also find all the latest information about the game as well as help with any technical problems you may encounter. How do I report bugs? Rules for reporting bugs: 1. Check that your issue has not already been reported by searching the forums. 2. Try to find the correct sub-forum for your bug report. 3. Make a new thread for every issue and give it a self-explanatory thread name. Do not put several different issues in one thread. 4. Check the bug reports you have posted to see if a developer or the GM team has any more questions. Information that you should provide with your bug reports: Client version (can be found in the launcher) Character name (do not post account names) Name of the sector or mission If you are having issues with the graphics, post your video hardware and the graphics settings at which you are running Black Prophecy A thorough description of where the bug was encountered Frequency (always happens, sometimes happens, happens randomly) Latest error log files, which are found under \Documents\Reakktor Media\Black Prophecy\LOG\BlackProphecy\GameClient You should copy the error log file when a crash or an error occurs. Make sure you attach the log file from your latest play session - check the file timestamp to determine the latest one. Please convert images to.jpg or.png and attach them directly to your post. Please do not use public image hosting services. Please try and provide as much information as possible in your original post. Page 24 of 27

25 What do I need to consider when reporting bugs? Please make sure to stick to the aforementioned rules and always attach your game client log files to each bug report. Where can I find the game client log files? You can find the game client log files at \Documents\Reakktor Media\Black Prophecy\Log 5. Troubleshooting 5.1 Logging in to the game Which account details do I need to use to log into the game? You will need the Black Prophecy account details you provided when you registered for Black Prophecy testing. You can look up your account details by logging into your gamigo account here. You can find all your active game accounts under Account System and then My Profile. I keep receiving the error message Account not registered when I try to log in. What s the problem? Please make sure you are using your Black Prophecy game account details and not your forum or gamigo account details. You can look up your game account details under My Profile after logging into your gamigo account here. If you still have trouble logging in, it might help to change the password of your Black Prophecy game account via the Details button. It may take a few minutes for the password to change. I keep receiving the error message Wrong password when I try to log on. What s the problem? Please make sure you are using the correct password for your Black Prophecy game account. You can change your password under My Profile after logging into your gamigo account here. I crashed out of the game and when I try to log back in I receive the error message "Account is online". What can I do? Your account remains online on the server if you instantly quit the game client and also if you crash to the desktop in order to prevent character data loss. Please wait 5-10 minutes to allow the system to log out your account properly. 5.2 Performance issues When I enter the game, the textures load very slowly. What does that mean? Texture pre-loading is still a work in progress, so it might take a few seconds to load all textures entirely, depending on your PC. The game is crashing frequently. What can I do? Please lower the quality settings in the graphics options for "Texture Quality" and "Shadow Quality". Using very high settings for this can be a reason for frequent client crashes I am encountering network lag while playing. How can I see my connection information? Write the following command in the in-game chat line: Page 25 of 27

26 /a show_connection 1 (displays connection details) /a show_connection 0 (hides connection details) You can then see your connection details in the right-hand corner at the bottom of your screen. Please include this information along with your geographical location when reporting lag issues to the forum. The game runs very slowly in terms of its graphics. How can I improve performance? If the performance on your computer is poor, try the following: set Shadow Quality to None set Anti-Aliasing to None reduce the LOD distance using the slider (move it to the left) reduce the Quality Preset setting 6. Appendix default keyboard controls You can customize all key-bindings to your liking in the Game menu, by clicking on the Controls section. Speed up W Brake S Strafe Left A Strafe Right D Roll Left Q Roll Right E Left Left Right Right Down Down Up Up Ascend Page Up Descend Page Down CC (cruise control) up 6 CC (cruise control) down 7 Fire LMB / X Fire (secondary) Pulse Wave Quick Chat Enter Quick Selection Ctrl-L Mouse Mode Space Page 26 of 27

27 Target Enemy T Select closest friend Next Target, Previous Goal. Sector overview U Starmap M Inventory Log L Character Information C Ship info Clan information Stellarvox News Scan F Interaction G Loot R Trade I Contact O Dock P Weapon group [prev.] Weapon group [next] Weapon group 1 1 Weapon group 2 2 Weapon group 3 3 Weapon group 4 4 Weapon group 5 5 Special 1 F1 Special 2 F2 Special 3 F3 Special 4 F4 Show names Shift-L Screenshot F11 Change View V HUD Details Page 27 of 27