Wings 2 Manual

#

## Contents

## Installation and requirements

### Installing in Windows

Run the installer and select your preferred installation path and options.

### Installing in Linux

Use appropriate tools to uncompress the .tar.gz packet to the directory of your choosing.

Wings2/bin/Wings is 32bit version of the game. Wings2/bin/Wings64 is AMD 64bit binary.

The game requires the following libraries to run: SDL, SDL_image, SDL_net, SDL_mixer.

In addition to the installation directory, the game also looks ~/.wings2 for configuration files, levels and music.

You can also define paths by using command line parameters -data_path and -config_path.

### Installing additional levels and music

There are separate level and music packs available, and you can also add your own. Mostly these will be available as .zip packets, which you need to extract to the correct folders.

For example, if you installed the game in C:\Program Files\Wings 2 (this is usually the default in Windows), you need to place the files in C:\Program Files\Wings 2\levels and C:\Program Files\Wings 2\music.

### Minimum system requirements

- Windows 98/ME/2000/XP or Linux
- 300Mhz Pentium II or equivalent processor
- 128 MB RAM
- 8MB video card with OpenGL 3D hardware acceleration

Video card is the most critical part. If OpenGL is not working on hardware, the game will run very slowly (possibly 10fps on otherwise fast computer.) If this happens, you should try updating your drivers.

## User interface and controls

### Ship controls

Control keys are described in-game. Please see Options / Controls. All keys are configurable, supporting keyboard and game controllers.

### Selecting weapons

Ships can use 4 weapons at the same time. During a game, you can change this weapon set by landing on a base (repair platform), and pressing the next weapon key. This will open a weapon list, which can be changed with the menu keys (up/down/left/right.)

In the weapons menu you can define weapon sets which will be used in different game modes. If you define more than one set for the same mode, the game will select one randomly. If there is no set defined for a certain mode, the game will select a set marked with '-', if one exists, or the first set in the list if not.

### Admin controls: Kicking/banning on servers

In start menu: Right click player name.

During game: Open connection list (backspace) and right click player name.

### Console commands

Currently there are few commands which are only available through the console:

    /server_admin_password [password]   - sets password for server administrators
    /admin_login [password]             - logs in as an admin in the server you are connected to
    /admin_logout                       - logs out, ie. gives up admin privileges

    /observe true|false                 - selects whether the server observes or participates in games

    /chat_mode 1                        - in-game chat window is not closed after every message

## Game modes

### Base Defence

The game begins with a base building period where teams are restricted on their own side of the map. After this you get points for destroyed enemy objects. Killed players respawn at their own base (factory).

Note: You can respawn after the ship condition indicator turns green by pressing thrust key. This allows you to start loading weapons while repairing the ship, or wait a bit longer if there is trouble at the base.

The points are as following:

Factory | 250
Ship | 15
Walker | 10
Cannon | 8
Turret | 6
Pilot | 5
Laser wall | 2
Trooper | 1
Mine | 1

Note: Walkers are not available as a weapon in the Free Edition, but can appear when playing on full version servers.

Damaging the factory gives additional 0-100 points, so the total for destroying it is 350.

The game ends when score difference is more than 200, both factories are destroyed, or time limit is reached.

The factory building protects ships of the same from gas and some other weapons, and causes damage to enemy ships.

Digger (full version only) is disabled in this game mode, because it makes destroying defences very easy.

### Deathmatch

You get one point for killing an opponent, -1 for crashing yourself. Killed players get a new ship, and the game continues until time limit is reached.

### Flag Capture

You get one point for holding a flag for 5 seconds.

The team holding smaller number of flags gets 10% loading speed and respawn time bonus for each flag.

The game ends when time limit is reached.

Note: You can respawn after the ship condition indicator turns green by pressing thrust key.

### Last Man Standing

The goal is to survive. When someone dies, everyone else gets a point. He can still continue playing, but will not get any more points and can not use ships. The killer also gets his ship repaired. So, if there are four players (in different teams), their points will end up as 3, 2, 1, 0.

In a team game a team is considered alive if someone in the team is alive, and team counts as one point.

The game ends when there is only one player (who has not been killed yet) or team left.

### The Hunt

One player in turn is hunted by the others. When he dies, next one is selected. The hunted gets one point for every 5 seconds he survives. He is marked by having a red ship, while the others are green.

After time limit is reached, the last round will be finished in overtime (OT), so that all players get the same number of turns.

### Practice

Single player mode. Fight against computer controlled ships. One point for a kill, -1 for death.

## Network configuration

To play in network games, you first need to register at www.wings2.net. Enter your name and password in the network configuration menu, and click the Login-button to check that things are working correctly. (You can also connect directly to servers, without pressing Login first. The name and password must be correct, however.)

You also need to set your upload/download rates correctly. (These of course depend on your network connection.) Too low values mean some extra lag, and too high values mean likely congestion and even more lag. It is not recommended to set upload rate to unlimited unless you are playing a LAN game.

Packet rate and port settings in network config menu only matter if you are running a server.

Packet rate means how many packets the server will send in a second to every client. The default is 20, which mostly seems to work fine. Higher values may help in a LAN game with a fast network and server. Lower values will save bandwidth, but cause some extra lag.

When you announce a server, the information is sent to wings2.net, and can be seen by all other players. If you do not set server IP address manually, the system will use the IP address which is seen by wings2.net. If this does not seem to work, you should try setting the correct address in the server menu. Depending on your network connection, you may also have to change your NAT and firewall settings, to allow incoming connections to the ports the game uses.

## Dedicated server

You can start Wings 2 in dedicated server mode by giving it command line parameter -dedicated_server. This will run the game with no graphics output, and it will automatically start server and announce itself. (Of course, name and password must be set correctly in the configuration file (config.xml) for this to work.)

Dedicated server can be controlled by logging in with a client using the same account, or by setting server admin password (see console commands).

## Creating levels

There is a simple example level in the doc\level -folder. You can try it by placing the files somewhere under the levels -folder. You can also pack it to a .lev file by using the Makelev program on ground.xml.

The idea is that the level consist of a data map, which defines terrain types (see data_colors.png for reference), visual map, which defines what the level looks like, and optionally one or more background layers.

Please see www.wings2.net forum and links for more information.

## Debugging functions

    ´ -key (next to backspace) displays some network info:

      ul_rate: current upload rate

      drop: dropped packets

          Some packets will be dropped instead of sending when you (or server) are
          low on bandwidth. This may result in, for example, bullets not actually
          hitting enemy ship even if you thought they did. For the server dropping
          some packets is normal, since players do not always need all information.

      udp: 1 if the game is using udp, 0 if tcp

      ping_t: time in milliseconds since the last ping got through. Normally this
          should count to 1000. At 7000 the game will print "Connection problem".

      s_n: Number of reliable packets sent

      r_n: Number of reliable packets received

      s_b: Send buffer size

      r_b: Receive buffer size

          Some information like "ship created/destroyed" and "terrain changed" is sent
          through a reliable protocol which guarantees that no packets are missed.
          If the receive buffer counter gets high, there has been a connection problem
          or there is not enough bandwidth to sent all data right away. In game this
          can show as terrain changes appearing in delayed manner.

      max_s: Maximum packet payload size in bytes. This is limited by packet rate,
          your upload rate, and download rate of the other end.

## Freesound attribution list

The following samples from the Freesound Project have been used in Wings 2.

    --------------------------------------
     April 11, 2006
         By cognito perceptu (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=57789)
             unknown woodenish bang bang.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=17017)
         By schluppipuppie (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=4942)
             messer - holz - 12.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=12860)
         By lostchocolatelab (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=1402)
             06SWORD04.aif (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=1451)
         By mich3d (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=32482)
             Whoosh_Swish_02.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=12657)
         By SpeedY (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=6479)
             pretty_close_thunder_clap.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=17056)
    ---------------------------------------
     March 4, 2007
         By inferno (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=71614)
             smalllas.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=18397)
             hvylas.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=18382)
    ---------------------------------------

## Software license

The license is available as a separate document in the Wings2/doc folder.

License.txt

## Credits

#### GAME DESIGN & PROGRAMMING

Miika Virpioja

#### WEAPON DESIGN & SCRIPTING

Miika Virpioja
Sami Virpioja
Jarkko Iso-Heiko (JTS)

#### MENU DESIGN & GRAPHICS

Miika Virpioja
DiCola
Pege
Zounas

#### GRAPHICS & LEVEL DESIGN

Eero Kotimäki (seero)
Ilkka Sjöstedt
Jouko Joensuu (Jogge)
Jukka Jokinen (JJ45)
Lassi Hirvisaari (letq)
Miika Virpioja
DiCola
Evil-Ville
Theme

#### SOUND EFFECTS

InferiS
Yle_24

#### MUSIC

Arto Järvinen
Axid
Black Smetana
Janne Sinisalo (Jansku)
Jussi Huhtala
Lassi Hirvisaari (lateq)
Mikko Koivisto (Xns)
Paradigma
SaFter
Sami J
Toni Puronvarsi (Puke)
Touko Jaakkola
NES1
Unholy
Welli
Yle_24

#### WEB DESIGN & PROGRAMMING

Miika Virpioja
Jarkko Iso-Heiko (JTS)

#### TESTING

Eero Kotimäki (seero)
Eero Viitaniemi
Erno Soihtu
Heikki Niemi
Ilmari Kinnunen
Ilkka Sjöstedt
Janne Sinisalo (Jansku)
Jarkko Iso-Heiko (JTS)
Jouko Joensuu (Jogge)
Joshua Szanto
Jouni Joensuu (JTJ)
Juho Saarelainen
Jukka Jokinen (JJ45)
Lassi Hirvisaari (letq)
Mikko Lähteenmäki
Mikko Perttunen (cyndis)
Olli Huhtinen
Otso Korhonen
Sami Salminen
Toni Puronvarsi (Puke)
A1win * Alakala * Andows
Anssi * Anttu * Ape * Aulis
Capsizer * BansiKKaBoju
BigLebowski * DiCola * Grulps
BuGi * Clord * Crimsoni
dicko21 * do45 * Eiskis
EnKeksiMt * Evil-Ville * FearMTC
Final_Frontier * Freshmaker
Hempsa * Heppuli * hopeatikari
Hullumurhari * InferiS
Infernal DJ * Jaztee * Juntunen
Jutaky * knome * lemonade
Lokken * Makkara * MiikaH
mikeful * mooseproduce * Moxie
MP83 * mr.tp * ninnnu
Ohcanep * Onion King * paagi
Pakkanen * Paradigma * Pernicio
Pege * Peruna * rale
Rasse * SaFter * scirmast
Sergeant * Theme * The_Oak
Tomppu * toodles * TonZa
treble * TZ * wille
Yle_24 * Zounas