

                              OVERLORD Glossary
                             Virgin Mastertronic



CRAFTS
======

Cargo Cruiser
 This is the craft you should use when you set up a trucking operation to
 move Resources around a planet system. It can carry a payload of 2250 tons
 and 1850 civilians. It has a long range - its fuel tanks can hold 1250
 tons  of fuel.  If you can afford it, a good tactic is to but a Cargo
 Cruiser and use it as a backup ship for the Atmosphere Processor. Fill
 the Cargo Cruiser with people and Resources and send it to orbit the planet
 the Processor is formatting - as soon as the colony has been established,
 land the cargo cruiser, unload everything and then scrap it to reclaim some
 more resources. You've just provided your colony with an instant starter
 pack.

Solar Satellite Generator
 An automatic, nuclear-powered device that does not require a crew or fuel.
 In the Mittsu and Yottsu planet systems, Energy is required as part payment
 for purchases made on the Buy Screens. It is worth buying several Solar
 Satellites early in the game and launching them into orbit around Starbase
 so that you can be sure of funding purchases. Make sure you have at least
 one Solar Satellite in orbit around each planet on which you have placed a
 Mining Station or Horticultural Station.

 The yield from a Solar Satellite is greatly increased if it is placed in
 orbit around a desert planet.

Battle Cruiser
 You need Battle Cruisers to move your Platoons from planet - and you are
 likely to need quite a few as the game progresses, because each Battle
 Cruiser can only transport four Platoons at a time.

 A Battle Cruiser can also be used to carry a small quantity of cargo - 600
 tons. By remembering to load cargo for a trip you are going to make to
 deliver Platoons, or by stopping off to load cargo on the return journey
 to pick up fresh Platoons from Starbase, you can sometimes save yourself a
 trip with a Cargo Cruiser.

 Up to 4500 passengers can be carried on a Battle Cruiser, in addition to
 Platoons and cargo, which makes it the ideal vehicle for moving people
 around.
 
 Don't forget that you can also use the craft to put people in cryogenic
 storage in times of economic crisis, or to ship people off one of your
 planets that is about to be conquered by the enemy.

Atmosphere Processor
 A very expensive piece of equiptment - its price reflects its
 sophistication.  An automatic, nuclear-powered device that does not
 require a crew or fuel, the Atmosphere Processor turns lifeless,
 unformatted planets into seed colonies. Once all the planets in a system
 have been formatted, remember to scrap your Atmosphere Processor and
 reclaim some of the Resources you paid for it. And  don't leave it lying
 on the surface of a planet - if the enemy captures that planet, he will
 scrap your Atmosphere Processor and you may have to pay dearly for
 another one.

Mining Station
 Capable of mining Minerals and Fuel from the core of a planet, this
 refines the products of excavation and delivers Fuel and Minerals into the
 reserves of the host colony. It draws energy from the colony's reserves in
 order to operate.

 A crew of 294 people is needed for a Mining Station. With a fuel capacity
 of 950 tons, it can travel between planets and can transport resources on
 the journey; there is no passenger accommodation.

 Mining Stations work comparatively slowly, so it is worth establishing at
 least one on Starbase as soon as you can, then look for a volcanic planet
 on which to station further Mining Units - yield is significantly improved
 if mining operations are undertaken on Volcanic planets.

Horticultural Station
 Uses hydroponic and cell-culture techniques to produce supplies of food
 for your people, drawing energy from the colony's reserves to do so. Yield
 is much improved if you locate a Horticultural Station on the surface of a
 Tropical planet - flora and fauna are used to increase the rate of
 production.

 A crew of 175 people is required to operate a Horticultural Station, which
 has a cargo payload of 950 tons and a fual capacity of 750 tons. A Farming
 Station can travel between planets under its own power, carrying resources
 as cargo but no passengers.

 Horticultural Stations produce the prime resource in any planet system -
 without food, life cannot be sustained so it is worth acquiring several
 Horticultural Stations as soon as you can.

MILITARY EQUIPMENT
==================
 Three weapon systems and four grades of body armor are available for
 purchase on the Platoon Management Screen. While the temptation is usually
 to give your Troops the very best equiptment when you commission them into
 a Platoon, this is not always expedient - you may not have the cash to
 hand, or you may have to commission fewer Platoons than you would like to
 if you choose the most expensive kit.

 The choice of weapon system and body armor can have a significant effect
 on the performance of a Platoon, and unless you are awash with Credits,
 you should experiment with the options to discover the most cost-effective
 way of equipping your fighting men.

Armor
 The most basic suit - little more than your Trooper was born with! For a
 mere 20 Credits per man, this is the least protective garb that can be
 purchased. Losses in combat are likely to be quite heavy.

 Carbon Fibre Armor - Affords a reasonalbe degree of protection against
 low-power weapons and chemical attack, and gives your troopers a serious
 advantage in hand-to-hand combat but does little to reduce the
 debilitating effects of nuclear fall-out. Cost: 100 credits per man.

 SynthAlloy armor - Gives complete protection against low-power weapons,
 chemical attack and nuclear fall-out and provides a reasonable defense
 against fire from plasma and laser weapons. Renders the wearer almost
 invincible in hand-to-hand combat. Cost: 200 credits per man.

 Personal Force Field - the best protection that money can buy or tecnology
 can provide. When new, this suit makes the wearer imervious to all forms
 of  attack apart from localized (or direct) nuclear strikes. Battle
 conditions  tend to degrade this suit however, and after a while its
 protective capacity will equal that of the SynthAlloy suit.

Weapons Systems
 Recoil Cannon - the general infantryman's personal weapon. Employs
 simplistic technology to hurl a solid projectile with a reasonable degree
 of accuracy in the direction in which it is pointed. Basic equiptment for
 a basic price: 50 Credits per man.

 Self-Loading Gas Cannon - a multi-purpose infantry weapon that can be used
 as a rapid-fire plasma cannon, a highly accurate sniper's rifle and a
 grenade launcher. Capable of adapting itself to a wide range of ammunition
 types - so captured enemy munitions can be re-cycled. Cost: 120 credits
 per man.

 Nuclear Mortar - the most powerful infantry armament in the planet system.
 Can  hurl a variety of large projectiles - from nuclear grenades, though
 high-explosive shells to to rocks and scrap metal shrapnel if ammunition
 is  running low. Can be used as a hand-held or traditional mortar, and
 does not  require an explosive propellant. Cost: 250 credits per man.
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