Foundation On−line manual

Foundation On−line manual

Foundation On−line Manual V1.9

Updated August 12th 99
Maintained by Paul Burkey burkey@bigfoot.com
PDF version by Jean Holzammer Development@Holzammer.net

Manual Links
The Story so far...
System Requirements Installation
Game Description
Resource Descriptions
Unit Descriptions
Building Descriptions
General Housekeeping
General Game Play
Control Panels
In−Game Keys
How to be an Expert
Credits

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 Foundation On−line manual

Foundation − Prologue
Written by: Jason Hayman

It was an uninteresting chamber, dark and unassuming, as common as any other lawyers room. Books filled
the shelves that reached to the ceiling and rolls of parchment, yellow with age, pointed awkwardly out of dark
corners, a select few placed uncomfortably inside an umbrella stand fashion in the shape of an elephants foot.

A desk was placed at the far end of the room; dark wood riddled with cracks and creases like the old man who
sat behind it. A single electric lamp illuminated his desk shedding its flickering, electric glow across the paper
that the gaunt old man was furiously scribbling across. The hard light gave the old man a haunted, hallow look
to his weathered face. Behind the writing man, framed by more towering book shelves that seemed ready to
topple over under the weight, was a rather boring door that could easily lead to a toilet, or even worse, an
accountant's office.

Footsteps from the corridor caused a momentary flicker in the old man's writing. He paused for a twinkling of
a heart beat, looked up briefly at the door in front of him, then returned to his agitated writing.

The door opened a crack; a ray of white light filled half the room illuminating the far side of the study and
making the old, dusty books cower deeper into the shadows of their shelves for safety.

"Please close the door behind you, Gibbons," the old man said, a hint of annoyance in his morose voice.

The door creaked shut. The lithe figure of a slim, skeletal man seemed to glide over to the desk. "Good news,
sir!" the figure tried to say in a cheery, but tortuously bothersome voice. To the old man sat behind the desk,
the voice always reminded him of a cat trapped in a washing machine during the spin−cycle.

There was no answer as the man continued his manic writing. Gibbons looked around awkwardly, the whites
of his eyes the only feature discernible in the dark, oppressive gloom of the room. He hated it when his master
ignored him and he self−consciously started to ring his hands together.

"Get on with it, Gibbons. Time is wasting."

"Sir, I believe I have found the remaining people you asked for."

The writing stopped and the pen was put down gently to rest over the paper, then he looked up into Gibbons'
darting eyes. The old man arched an eyebrow. "All of them?" he inquired sceptically, as if he could not
believe that the task was possible. The tall, shadowy figure nodded energetically. It was always happy to
please his master. "Well?" the old man prompted impatiently after a moment of silence.

Gibbons looked blankly at his master until he realised what he wanted. "Ah! I shall show them in shall I?"

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"Yes Gibbons. Please do," came his masters wry answer.

Bowing profusely, the tall figure ambled backwards to the door then left the room. After a few moments there
was a hollow knock.

"Come in!" the old man called in a slightly warmer tone of voice.

The door opened and a tall, well built man with a stone like structure to his face walked into the room. Long,
curly ginger hair trailed over his shoulders, a grey robe etched in a zig−zap pattern along the cuff of the
sleeves and the run of the hem showed a finery to his clothes that some of the other "patrons" that had visited
this room in past had not.

"Please, take a seat," the old man offered to the handsome stranger without rising from his own seat. The man
seemed sceptical at first but then pulled out the seat from under the the desk and sat down slowly, his sharp,
blue eyes not leaving the old mans for a moment.

"I was offered a holiday?" the ginger haired man stated as a half−question. He still sounded suspicious and
looked ill at ease. "A special holiday?"

"Indeed, sir!" the old man behind the desk said in well rehearsed, buoyant voice. "A holiday unlike any other
you have taken before!"

The well built man gave him a long, hard stare before he asked his next question. "And it is for free?"

The old man smiled a winning smile. "Yes, sir. For people such as yourself." The man still did not look
convinced. "See it as a game. When you lose, the holiday is over and you will be returned to where Mr.
Gibbons found you." The old man could see that some of the hard resolve was draining from the strangers
face. "It will be like living another life, starting all over again in a world ruled my magic and gods."

"Gods! Hah!" The big man bellowed. "I have had enough of the Church! They're nothing but bullies and late
payers!"

The old man smiled. "I assure you, sir, no one in this world will bully you. In this world all your dreams will
come true." The hardness suddenly drained away from the big mans face.

"Dreams. Yes! I have plenty of dreams," the big man smiled broadly. "You know, I have this idea for a
balloon filled with hot air. Hot air rises you see, lifting you off the ground!"

"Indeed it does sir. I can guarantee you that in this holiday, that dream will come true." The old man leaned
over his desk. "That is why we want you sir. You are an inventor, a dreamer, those are the sort of people this
world is catered for." He saw that he had the stranger on the proverbial, hook, line and sinker. "Of course, you
can say `no' and none of this would have happened."

The large man snapped out of his day dreaming. "I would like to take the holiday!" He said in a firm,
determined voice.

"Excellent!" the old man beamed. He opened a draw and pulled out a piece of paper. "I just need to take some
details, sir." The old man scribbled across the page then without looking up he asked, "Name please sir."

"Da Vinci." The large man answered. "Leonardo Da Vinci."

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"Occupation?"

"Artist, sculptor, inventor"

"Thank you sir. If you just sign this declaration here at the bottom." He handed the artist the sheet of paper he
had been scribbling across. "Here sir," the old man pointed out, "where the dotted line is."

Flamboyantly, Leonardo Da Vinci signed his name.

"Now sir, if you walk this way," the old man rose majestically from his seat gesturing to the artist to walk
towards the plan wooden door behind the desk. Taking the handle, the old man opened the door and beckoned
Leonardo inside. "If would kindly walk inside sir, you can enter the last phase of the contract."

The room beyond was dark and foreboding. Leonardo looked to the old man who smiled warmly like the cat
who had just got the milk. "Are you sure? It looks rather dark in there."

"All will be revealed soon, sir." Again the old man beckoned the artist inside. Gingerly, Leonardo took the
few hesitant steps that led him into the darkness. He looked around and gave the old man an apprehensive
look. "Please be calm sir, all is fine." Suddenly light started to the fill the room. Leonardo looked around,
alarmed at the brilliant glare. "Be at ease sir. Your holiday begins in earnest."

The old man closed the door and walked back to the desk. Rays of light streamed out of the gaps between the
door and it's frame. Quite unperturbed, the old man continued his writing on the sheet of paper then placed it
carefully back into his desk. His room was now filled with rays or rotating light, books harshly illuminated
giving the effect of faces etched along their spines and covers. The books seemed to be smirking.

"Wwwwwaaaaaahhhhhhhh " POP! Fiiizzzzzz! Leonardo's wail was suddenly cut off in mid stroke and the
brilliant rays of light seeping in from the concealed room vanished.

Calmly, the old man closed the draw of his desk then leaned over to a box lined with buttons. He pressed one
of them and the box hissed. "Send in the next one, Gibbons." He spoke woodenly.

After a few moments, there was another knock.

"Come!" the old man called.

The door was swung open and the broad short figure of a man stood in the doorway. Light slowly seeped into
the office, the old man began to make out features. The short, stocky man wore metallic shoulder plates, a
breastplate moulded in the shape of a powerful mans chest. Underneath his armour, he wore a while tunic, the
sleeves ending at his elbows and gold trim around their edges. Another man of wealth, the old man mused.
Surprisingly, the short man in the doorway was wearing a skirt and knee high boots strapped up his hairy
calves. A sword was strapped to his waist and the stocky man had his hand resting comfortably on the hilt like
a man at ease with killing.

"Take a seat, please," the old man offered.

The soldier looked about the room then forcefully pulled out the chair and sat down. "I was told to come
here!" the man bellowed. He cocked his head to the side and glared at the old man with his fierce blue eyes.
"For a game." He leaned over the desk. "A war game devised by the gods," he said ominously with a wink.

"Indeed, sir! And a grand game it is too!"

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The military man looked about the room. "Books!" he shouted in contempt. "Nothing good comes from
books!" He returned his icy stare to the old man. "Where's your swords and shields and heads stuck on poles?"

The old man sat back into his chair easily brushing aside the stray comment from the stranger. "This is a
gateway, sir. Beyond that door," the old man turned slightly in his chair and pointed at the boring looking and
now intimidated door, "lays a word full of violence and war, pestilence and famine. Beyond there, sir, lies
your dreams."

"Women?" the solider asked, squinting suspiciously at the old man.

"Indeed, sir. And alcohol," he said sweetly.

The soldier smiled, a broad smile showing his white teeth. The old man could not fail to see the gaps.

"And if I die, I do not die?" The stranger seemed puzzled at this sentence, as if he was repeating it from a
mind that did not understand.

"If you die in that world, sir, you will be returned to this one, to where Mr. Gibbons found you," the old man
replied.

"The weasely man with the runny eyes who can't seem to focus on one point?"

"Yes, sir! I see you know him quite well."

"Damn girlie he is, man! First sign of trouble, he wee's himself!"

"He has been known to do that," the old man said apologetically. "Something to do with his upbringing I
believe."

"Well, man! Can I go to this New World or not? I have the need to conquer something!" he barked with a
roguish laugh. "A good woman perhaps!" he jeered with a wink.

"Indeed you can, sir!" The old man interrupted quickly. "You are just what we are looking for," the old man
made a point of looking for his desk draw, " brutish", he added to himself as he opened the small compartment
and took out another piece of paper. "You name, please sir. For the records you understand."

"Alexander the Great!" the man shouted and he jumped to his feet and planted his fists on his hips.
"Conqueror of the know world and chosen of the Gods!"

"Quite so, sir, and how well they need you too," the old man leaned closer to his desk as he wrote. "They'll
love you over there," he added in a quieter voice. "Occupation sir?"

"God," Alexander said lovingly to himself. He brushed some imaginary specks of dust from his breastplate
then inspected his manicured nails. "Women fall at my feet and offer themselves to me. What would you call
that?" the man asked, obviously puzzled at his own question.

"Desperate?" the old man offered.

Alexander the Great shot him an acid stare, then a slow smile spread across his face. "Hah! I like you, man!
You have guts!"

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"Indeed I do, and they are staying right where they are!" Alexander let out a huge bellow of laughter. "So
then, sir. Shall I add to your occupation, womaniser and raving alcoholic?" Alexander laughed even louder.

"I like you!" he bellowed. "You have more backbone than any of my commanders!"

"Thank you, sir, I will remember that." He rose from his seat. "Now if you would enter that door, the final part
of the contract will be completed."

Alexander tried to stand taller, and nearly succeed despite the only fact that he was three feet shorter than the
old man. As the warrior walked towards the door, it opened on its own accord. Alexander shot the old man an
alarmed look.

"The Gods are only eager for you to enter," the old man suggested. "Their realm awaits you."

Alexander beamed and confidently walked into the dark room beyond. The door immediately slammed shut
behind the warrior.

Thumping sounded from the other side. "What trickery is this!" Alexander bellowed. "There is nothing here
but darkness" Suddenly light streamed into the office from around the doorframe. "Witchcraft! I have been
betrayed!" More thumping, more urgent this time. "I'll − !" Suddenly his voice was cut off. "Aarrgghhhhhhh −
!" POP! Fiiizzzzzz!

The light vanished and the old man returned to his seat. He pressed the button on his intercom and it hissed
into life. "Next!" he commanded gruffly.

After a short time, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter!" the old man bid.

A head peeked in though the doorway. Well, technically it was head, but it looked like someone had placed a
spiky, frazzled brush on their head. Even the old man seemed surprised.

"Please, come in."

"Is dis the room for the vacation?" the heavily accented voice asked. The old man rummaged around his
memory trying to place the speakers accent. Jewish, with a hint of American, the old man mused.

"Take a seat, please," the old man offered. What entered was comical. The man wore a grey suite that was just
to short for him, a brown tie only loosely knotted about his neck and a white shirt covered in criss−crossing
lines to form squares. Long, grey−white hair somehow lifted off his scalp like the old man had recently had an
electric shock was a prominent feature that the eye and mind found hard to ignore. A thick moustache,
somehow also looking comical, sat like an overweight caterpillar on his lip. Definitely the mad scientist look.

"Ah, good!" the stranger said. He meandered up to the desk, his attention fixed upon the rows and rows of
books before he bumped into the seat and sat down in the chair. "The strange man with the runny eyes, waz a
bit erratic with his directions."

"I will need to have a word with him," the old man behind the desk answered, feeling an afirmity with the new
stranger.

"Yez, indeed, but logic dedicated that dis would be the right room."

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"Is that so?"

"Yez, there waz a big sign outside you door saying, `vacation room'." The stranger smiled slyly, the old man
could not help himself from chuckling.

"Do you understand the terms and conditions of the contract?"

"Yez. Mr. Gibbons explained it explicitly." The stranger leaned over the desk and looked around secretively.
"Is it a parallel world?" He whispered and looked around again. "Dis is one of my current theories I am trying
to prove. Our universe has become so boring recently since I discovered it." He smiled at the old man.

"The details are scarce at the moment," the old man replied. "But then you can find out for yourself. Isn't that
what you want?"

"Indeed!" The man answered. "You know me well, yez?" He looked around again to check that they were not
being watched, which of course they were not so long as you did not count the curious stares of the books,
that is. "I've been told there is magic in this New World. Is that true? I would like that, yez? I am so bored
with proving the conventional. I would like to have some fun for a change! Being a wizard would be much
fun, yez?"

"There is more magic in this world than you can shake a stick at!"

"Wonderful!" The stranger said, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Where do I sign up?"

"Right here," the old man said pulling out a piece of paper. "Albert Einstein isn't it?" the old man asked
although he had already written his name down. For occupation he wrote `Genius' and `Party animal'. "If you
would sign your name right here" Albert did so, quite excitedly.

"It is like signing you soul away to the devil, yez?"

"Not quite," the old man replied. "There's more red tape involved with the devil. He gets fed up with people
breaking their contracts all the time." The old man rose from his seat. "Now if you please walk this way,
through this door."

As Albert Einstein got to his feet, the old man opened the door. Albert quite calmly, with a smile on his face,
walked straight into the darkness.

"Dark in here, yez?" he said.

"That will soon change, Albert," the old man said then closed the door quietly.

"Oh!" Albert exclaimed "A bright light. Like the big bang, yez?" There was silence for awhile. "Oh my!
Wwwaaahhhhh − !" POP! Fiiizzzzzz!

Silence.

The old man sat down, a warm smile on his face. "Next, please Gibbons," he said in a cheerful voice after
feeling buoyant from his encounter with Albert.

There was not even a knock, the door just opened and someone walked in, hidden in the shadow cast by the
door. The old man narrowed his eyes angrily at the impatience of this new stranger.

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"You Hawkins?" the figure asked, still cloaked in the shadow. It was a young voice, younger than his last
three visitors.

"Yes," the old man replied irritably.

"Oh. Good." The voice answered then seemed at a loss at what to do next.

"Close the door," the old man said tiresomely with a wave of his hand as he turned his attention back to the
papers on his desk. From the corners of his eyes he noticed the stranger hesitate then close the door. When he
saw that the newcomer had not moved, he looked up. "Take a seat," he offered in a matter−of−fact tone of
voice.

The stranger did as he was told and as he walked into the little light there was in the room, the old man
scrutinised him carefully. He had light coloured hair with a centre parting that left it hanging over his face like
a pair of curtains. He wore a sort of shirt come jumper decorated in bright colours, a confusing mixture that
was beginning to make the old man go cross−eyed as he stared at the garment. He noticed that the newcomer
was wearing dark jeans and as he watched the boy sit down in the seat, noticed a hint of green in their colour.
Gibbons had said that he had found all of the people needed to fill the four vacant slots. What was Gibbons
doing hiring the last slot to this boy?

Taking the seat, the stranger looked apprehensively to the old man who slowly leant back to the
accompanying nose of creaking leather as he glared at the young man. "Tell me. What do you do for a
living?"

The stranger shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing. I'm unemployed." He looked a bit sheepish sat there with his
shoulders slightly bunched up. He looked around the room. "Books. Cool. Lots of `em." He was never very
good at small talk.

"Yes, indeed," the old man replied leaving an awkward silence hovering above the table. The stranger nodded
his head absently sucking at his teeth as he struggled to think of something else to say.

"That secretary of yours, the ugly one with broken teeth, wheezy breath and a foul tongue dragged me in here
and told me you were giving away free holidays."

"Mr. Gibbons?" the old man questioned.

"It's a man?" the stranger asked shocked. "Then why is he wearing a dress?"

The old man waved aside the ominous question. "His parents got confused when he was born and that has left
him with a mental scar. Don't worry, he's quite harmless."

The stranger nodded sheepishly and looked about the room once more. He caught himself just before he
mentioned how "cool" the books were again. He continued nodding his head like a fool.

"Any future aspirations?" the old man asked putting his hands into a steeple position.

The stranger shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't mind getting a job in the computer industry." The stranger
replied in a firmer tone of voice.

"Really?" the old man said, a glimmer of hope in his voice. "Are you qualified?"

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"Not really, well, not for the area I want to go into."

The old man nodded and found his hand wandering towards his desk draw. "And what's your area?"

"Game programming," the young man replied.

"Hhmmm, really?" the old man found that he had opened his draw and was already fumbling around for a
contract. "Creative is it?".

"Yeah, but I'm lacking a good idea at the moment. I need a game that'll set people alight! Something to make
them buy it in their droves. But I just can't think"

The old man pulled out the contract and put it on his desk. "Well, we have one vacancy left. Do you want to
take it?"

"I'm not even sure what I'm here for."

"If I was to tell you that I could take you to a place that could inspire you, may even give you an idea for a
game. Would you go?"

"Don't know. How many over people are going."

"Oh, hundreds. Thousands," the old man said dismissively. "All like you, creative people although there are a
few there who are not and prefer to destroy things or just let other people do things for them."

"Hhmmm. I don't know."

"There's really nothing to fear. We give you a life insurance, everything. If anything happens to you then we
return you back to the point where you started, perfectly intact with nothing but a distant memory left of your
experience."

"Memory?"

"Yes. Like a dream. A dream that may inspire you into creating that lucrative game you were telling me
about."

"I dunno." The stranger said. "How long is the holiday?"

"As long as you make it."

"I only popped out to get some milk. My girlfriend'll get worried if I'm not back soon."

"Nothing to fear, I assure you. You can even bring her along if you like."

"A free holiday? Sounds too good to be true."

"No obligation I assure you. Just tell me your name and sign the contract and the rest of the details can be
sorted out behind that door there to the rear of me."

"Contract?" the stranger, asked suspiciously.

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"Yes. Nothing legally binding, just your signature to say that I approve of you and you approve of me."

"Well"

The old man smiled. "Trust me, sir. Your name please?"

"Paul," the stranger answered hesitantly. "Paul."

"Fine, fine," the old man said filling in the rest of the details. "If you just sign there"

Paul took the pen slowly and looked at the paper in front of him. He saw the words, yet he did not see the
words. It was hard to explain. He clearly saw where he had to sign and he clearly saw his name printed in
block capitals by the old man. Impulsively, he quickly signed the contract and handed the pen back.

"Well done," the old man said clapping his hands together. "Are you a religious man? "

"Not really, why?"

"Oh, just asking," the old man answered absently. He stood up. "Now, if you follow me," he briefly pressed
the button on the intercom and spoke sharply. "Gibbons! Here! Now!"

"Y−yes, sir!" the wheezy voice stammered back.

The old man stood up and opened the door that lead into the mysterious chamber. Just then Gibbons came
running into the room wearing a pink dress with frills on the ends. "Coming sir! Don't forget me."

"Er," Paul said. "It's a bit dark in here isn't it?"

"All will be revealed soon." The old man replied.

The door closed.

"Uh now what?" Paul asked, feeling a little bit intimidated by the tall old man and the ugly, whort ridden,
cross−dresser who started to sign a little childish song to himself that started to unnerve Paul.

"Just wait a moment," the voice of the old man replied from the darkness near Paul's side somewhere.

"Hehehehehe," Gibbon's chuckled shrilly.

"I think I want to leave now, thank you," Paul said resolutely, feeling out of ease and suddenly very, very
afraid.

"Now, now. There's nothing to be afraid of." The old man assured him sweetly.

"Going home, master!" Gibbons shirked like a child.

"Yes, Gibbons. Home."

Light streamed into the room and Paul found himself in the centre of it. "Uh!" Paul exclaimed.

"Not to worry. It's all part of the contract," the old man said.

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Paul had to block out the brilliant light from his eyes by raising his arm to cover his face. When he was able to
peek over his arm he noticed a long white tunnel with a swrilly mass of clouds rotaing around its centre.
Suddenly he felt himself drawn into it like his whole body was being drained down a plughole.
"Wwwwwaaaaahhhhh" The world simply popped around him. His ears tingled from the explosion − or was it
an implosion? − and when he opened them again he saw a vast landscape of islands and islets stretched out as
far as the eye could see.

As he somehow travelled across the landscape, fields swept past him. People worked those fields, roamed
them ploughing up the land. Stone buildings whizzed under him. He came across a wooden fence that zoomed
past he vision. When he looked back to the direction he was facing, he saw a windmill; its blades rotating in
the wind with a whop−whop sound that seemed to beat in time with is heart.

Suddenly he was sucked downwards; the windmill shot past him at neck−breaking speed and the world fizzled
out of his mind. As he lost unconscious, and the world as he had known it slipped from his mind like a stray
thought, he could have sworn he had seen a sign posted on one of the faces of the windmill's structure that
read in a child like script, "Welcome to the land of Foundation!!!!!!!!!" There were more exlamation marks
but at that point his mind exploded and his eyes closed.

Main Menu

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System Requirements:
Foundation Directors Cut requires 6Meg of memory and an AGA or RTG equipped Amiga. The game has
been developed for 68030 Amigas or better; 040 or 060 are recommended. The RTG modes will require a
CyberGraphX or Picasso96 supported graphics card and at least 8Meg of fast memory. Extra memory is
helpful as it reduces the amount of disk access during game play.

Installation:
Foundation Directors Cut will run direct from the CD with no Hard Drive installation required. To install the
game to Hard Drive you must copy the "FoundationPrefs" program to a suitable location. It is recommended
that you create a new directory and drag the FoundationPrefs program into there. When you launch
FoundationPrefs it will create some directories and install the most important files. FoundationPrefs contains
installation options that will allow you to install the rest of the game. The Anim files and Mugshot images are
optional so a minimal installation to the Hard Drive is just over 30MB.

Main Menu

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Game Description:
The objectives of each game will vary but often it will involve completing various tasks. A task may be set to
destroy the enemy team or you may have to rescue some people. The methods used to complete a mission will
change with each task but you will usually be required to setup a village, train some soldiers, develop some
new technologies and compete in battles.

The Small Map

At the top left corner of the main screen you will see the Small Map. This shows your current view position
on the land and provides a way to quickly move this view to other locations. It also shows you the areas that
have been explored and the coloured areas show the location of buildings. Clicking the small map with the
right button will bring up the large Map Window.

The map section contains extra gadgets. The Game Speed gadget allows you to switch between various game
speeds. The Message gadget will light up when you have some important messages to read. This gadget can
be used to open the Message Window when a message is waiting. The Building Spaces gadget will show you
all the available "plots" for building. The next gadget is the Location Notify gadget which is used to take you
to an important location whenever you are warned of an important event. Finally there is an Idea gadget which
will light up when a new invention has been created allowing you to examine the new idea.

The Large Map

This is the big map.

The Resources Panel

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Located at the bottom of the screen, this area gives an instant view of your resources. The figure shown is the
amount of resources or people you have in your Headquarters, Warehouses and other Storage type buildings.

The Main View Area

This is where all the action can be viewed. It is here where you can point and select your people/buildings.
This view is used for almost all of your game control. You can resize the Game View using the + and − keys
on the numeric keypad. Making the view size smaller will speed up the game on slower machines.

The Control Panel

This panel is where all the statistics and game control can be accessed. If you have selected a building or any
of your people, you can issue orders or alter the settings for you buildings. From the icon panels you can also
set up your trading and many other game controls. The Control panel together with the View Area is where
the whole game is controlled.

Quick Locate Buttons

Sometimes you may need to refer to a particular location on the map many times. For example you may want
to keep a check on a Fort close to the enemy territory while at the same time carry on with regular gameplay.
In this case you would position your view to display the Fort and press Shift−F1 to mark that location onto
`Quick Locate 1'. Now you can recall this view at any time by pressing the F1 key.

A similar system is available for selected groups of people. If you have a small number of people selected and
you press Shift−1 it will mark this group as `Quick Locate 1'. You can now re−select this group at any time
using the `1' key.

There is also a mouse short−cut for this system using the right button to initiate the `quick locate' and the left
button to utilize it. If a quick locate button is not yet used, the left mouse button can also be used to initiate it.

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Main Menu

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Resource Description:
Materials...
Gold
Used as a basic currency for buying and selling goods. It is also used in the training of soldiers, Wizards and
Scientists. Another use for gold is in the payment of repairs to your buildings. It is good to keep a supply of
gold for emergencies.

Wood and Stone

Two of the most basic building materials. The Stone can be mined or recovered from around the landscape.
You will need a Foresters Hut to collect wood from the trees.

Coal, Steel and Ore

The Coal is used in the refinery to create Gold and Steel. It is also used in the process of making armour. The
Ore is broken down in the refinery to form Gold and Steel. The steel is used to create Armour and sometimes
as a building material.

Water
A very important resource. Used for refreshing your people in it's basic form and used in the Brewery to
create Wine. The water is also used by some buildings as part of production.

Oil
Used in the Laboratory as a part of experiments and it is also used by the Peasants to set fire to buildings.
Without this element you will not be able to develop new technologies and the torch building command will
not be available.

Armour
Armour is sometimes used in the Building process to create strong forts. It is also used in the process of
training Soldiers.

Food...
All foods work in the same way but certain activities require different groups of food. The soldiers working in
the forts will enjoy eating Bread and Wine while the scientists like to eat Fish and Vegetables while they are
working. The Wine can be used to increase morale among your population but it doesn't have a good affect on
health.

Vegetables, Fruit Water

Vegetables, Fruit and Water forms the basic food supply of your Settlement. Always ensure a good flow of
these items. Never allow your Stores to run out of these items unless you have a very good supply of other

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food.

Bread, Wheat Fish

You should try to supply a good amount of Bread or Fish. If you can supply a little of each type then that is
even better. Make sure that your Bakery has enough Wheat and Water to create the Bread.

Wine Meat
These are the least important food types but a settlement that can provide them will gain a lot of strength and
morale from the wide range of foods. The Meat is only available in higher Tech Levels where a Food Factory
in present. The Wine is easy to make once you have a Brewery and can help to raise morale and supply the
Tavern building with good supplies.

Others...
Magic
Used by the Wizards to create buildings, trees and other Wizard type activities. Without Magic the world of
Foundation will be out of your control and you will become defenceless to attacks such as fire. Magic is also
needed as part of ongoing building repairs.

Ideas
The Idea element is really just a Blue Print containing new ideas developed by the scientists. As soon as the
idea arrives in a Storage building it can be used to upgrade your technology in the form of new buildings,
character commands or upgrades.

Cross
The Cross represents the Soul of a dead person. When a member of your population dies the Cross will appear
as the last remains. These Crosses can be recycled in the Crematorium to produce Magic.

Index to Resource Production

Coal Gold Fruit Bread Magic
Stone Steel Vegetables Wine Idea
Oil Armour Wheat Meat
Ore Water Fish

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Unit Description:
People/Units are split into two groups, Working Units and Fighting Units.

The Peasant
This is your most important Unit. The Peasant can be used in many tasks such as mining, fishing and farming.
They are used to transport resources about your land. The Peasant can take on most jobs in your kingdom and
once trained they can be upgraded to higher level Units. A good supply of Peasants in your Storage buildings
will play a big part in a successful game.

The Maiden
Another important Unit. Without the Maiden your people cannot reproduce and your numbers will soon
shrink. The Maiden provides you with fresh blood and a good supply of Maidens is needed in order for you to
generate a large healthy band of people. For your people to breed and reproduce you will need to give them
some privacy. The Headquarters is not the best place to raise a family but it is possible. The newborn people
in the world of Foundation have the ability to work in the same way as the older people. In the world of
Foundation you take on the character rather than the character taking on you.

The Wizard
The Wizards are highly trained in the use of Magic. For many years they have replaced the Peasants skills in
the area of Building and transforming the land. With a good supply of magic they can provide you with all the
buildings you require. You still have to provide the necessary resources but the use of Magic has speeded up
the building process and indeed the removal of buildings.

The Scientist
Without science you cannot expand your technologies and your enemies will soon surpass your knowledge.
With a good team of scientists you can create a flow of fresh ideas that will keep you ahead of the opposition.
Scientists are also the key to discovering cures to any health problems that can arise with overcrowding and
the problems of war.

The Soldier/Guard
Every building in your land will have room for at least one Guard. If you have a guard in a building it will
protect you from attacks. When the guard has served enough time and he has proved himself in his work he
will be promoted to a Knight.

The Knight

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The knight is a powerful fighter. He is strong and brave but he is not happy to be reduced to the lower ranks of
a Guard. He will happily serve to your demands on the battlefield and after he has reached a high level of
experience he will be promoted to Black Knight.

The Black Knight

The strongest of all fighting units. He will usually survive until his days are over and he has the power to
protect himself from most attackers. He is immune to the arrows of the archer and it is rare for a Peasant to
approach him.

Main Menu

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Building Descriptions:
HeadQuarters
Class: Storage/HQ.
Stores: Everything.
The Headquarters is used as storage for resources and people. It is also the home of your good
self so it is important that you protect it against the enemy. Storage space is limited so you will
probably need at least one Warehouse to store a large bulk of your goods. If this building is lost the game is
over − so guard it well!

Warehouse
Class: Storage.
Stores: Everything.
This is a very important building. Without the Warehouse you may find that resources and
people are delayed in the process of leaving your Headquarters. Don't underestimate the
usefulness of this Building.

Mine
Class: Production.
Output:
This is an important building for the collection of Stone, Ore, Coal and Oil. A good production
of Ore is needed to create Gold for wealth. A good production of Ore is also the key to producing Steel. You
will need a good supply of Oil to fund Research and a good supply of Stone is always required as it is the
main building material.

Farmhouse
Class: Production.
Output:
Important building for the creation of Wheat, Fruit and Vegetables. This should be one of the
first buildings to be built. The Farmhouse will supply the most basic food supply which is
needed in most buildings and a good supply of Wheat is used for the Bakery and Brewery buildings.

Armoury
Class: Production.
Input:
Output:
The place where your Steel is turned into Armour which is the important resource of War.

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Pump House
Class: Production.
Output:
The Water source. Water is needed for drinking and well as various production buildings. Without
a good supply of water you will have many health problems.

Wizard Hut
Class: Home.
This building will become useful when your land expands. It allows you to place Wizards closer
to your expanding areas. Wizards are also required for the extinguishing of fires so be sure to
have Wizards available throughout your settlement.

Peasant Hut
Class: Home.
A nice peaceful building which gives the Maidens the privacy they need and it also stops the
Headquarters from becoming too overcrowded. Population reproduction rates can be raised by
building Peasant Huts.

Foresters Hut
Class: Production.
Output:
The source of your wood collection. Your forester will happily collect up the wood from the
surrounding trees. As the wood is collected it is also distributed about the local buildings.

Stone Mason
Class: Production.
Output:
The Stone mason will search the land for rocks. This is probably the best source of stone you
will have. Many rocks will contain Coal and Ore. This is a good way to collect resources when
there are no available mining areas.

Refinery
Class: Production.
Input:
Output:
This is yet another important building where your Ore is refined to become Gold and Steel. Gold is always
needed to fund repairs, pay for buildings and for training new units. Steel is also a popular building material
as well as the necessary resource for creating Armour. Without a Refinery you will have very little use for
Ore.

Fishery
Class: Production.
Output:
The Fishery must be built close to the sea or lakes. The Fishery will not provide a lot of fish
but it is important to provide a wide range of food. This building is not available in the Lava
regions because there are no Fish to be found in the Lava lakes.

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Crematorium
Class: Production.
Input:
Output:
This is where the last remains of your people (the Cross) can be refined to become a single
element of Magic. The magic is then used to aid you in future developments an as a part of ongoing repairs.

Laboratory
Class: Special Building/Research.
Input:
Output:
The important base for advancing technology. This is where your Scientist will be housed and provided with
the resources to develop new technologies and any other helpful advances to aid you on your mission.

Bakery
Class: Production.
Input:
Output:
This is where the Bread is formed from the Wheat and Water. While it is possible to live
without the Bread it is worth providing it to improve the diet of your people. The Bread is even more
important when fresh Fish in unavailable.

Brewery
Class: Production.
Input:
Output:
The Wine is not the most healthy food source but it helps to keep your people happy. It is
possible to live without this Food type but if your Population get unhappy you may be forced to provide them
with this building.

Food Factory
Class: Production.
Input:
Output:
Modern day living has inspired the use of a simple approach to creating food. This is the easiest way to
provide a good range of food but it is also the most expensive method so keep a watch on your Gold supplies.

Barracks
Class: Special Building/Training.
Input:
This is where you will train your Peasants to become other Units. You can train a Peasant to
become a Guard at the cost of one Gold and one Armour. You can also train a Peasant to
become Scientist or a Wizard at the cost of one Gold.

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Hospital
Class: Special Building/Storage/Health.
Stores: People/Food.
The Hospital works in a similar way to the Warehouse. It acts as a storage of people and food.
There are some important differences. The healthy living will allow your people to recover
health quickly. If you have many Peasants in the Hospital and you request for a Peasant to leave the building
then the most healthy Peasant will leave first. Any time during the game you find a sick person you should
always send him/her to the Hospital to recover.

Gun Tower
Class: Fort.
Input:
This is one of the offensive buildings. When the building houses a Guard and a supply of Stone
you will see the Tower appear. The Tower will automatically aim at any enemy building or Unit that is in
range.

Other Storage Buildings

Class: Storage.
You will develop more storage buildings that will help to distribute materials and food. The
Food Store building will allow you to store large amounts of food where it is needed. The
Water Tower will allow you to store Water where it is needed. These buildings don't seem very useful at first
but the use of specialised buildings will lower the traffic problems caused by a large network of buildings
controlled by a few storage buildings.

More Buildings
Your scientists will invent more buildings. It is your duty to discover these yourself. In future Conquest packs
there will be additional buildings and more technologies to develop.

Main Menu

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General housekeeping
Most building are put into one of two groups. There are the Storage buildings which are used to store large
amounts of people and resources. There are also general purpose buildings that are used for things like
production, farming and small forts and special houses. A good example of a typical Storage building is the
Headquarters.

The Warehouse building works in the same way as the Headquarters and can store 40 of each resource and 40
of each unit. You can setup a desired level of each element or person. The Peasants will always use this
desired level to decide which storage building requires which resources. In the picture above we see that the
Water has been selected and it has been given a desired level of 15. We can also see that we have 31 units of
water in stock so if there are other storage buildings close by with less than their desired levels of water, the
peasants will distribute the extra water.

The other buildings work in a different way. They have a very much more restricted design with three types of
contents.

1. Food Group.
2. Input Group.
3. Output Group.

Food Group.
The small area on the left is the food group. There will be three types of food and one element of each can be
stored here. If a particular food type is available it will be lit up. If that type of food is not available it will be
shown as a dark icon. In the following two pictures you can see a building with full food and a building with
only two items of food.

Input Group.
The Input group is the materials and workers group. These are the people who work/live in the building and
also the place where raw materials are kept. The Refinery would have Coal and Ore as its materials along with

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a number of peasant workers and also a Guard.

Output Group.
The lower section is the output group. This is where the resources are created ready to be taken out to a place
of need. In the following picture you can see the Barracks building with the three potential output items which
are Wizards, Scientists and Guards. There is also a picture of the Laboratory where you will see only one
Output element which is the Idea.

The input group can be changed to fit your needs so if you are running short on peasants you can lower the
number of Peasant workers in certain buildings. This can be seen in the Foresters Hut in the above food
example. If you want to create a slow supply of Bread then you could give the Bakery just one Wheat at a
time.

Variable Output.

The output group is not always restricted to resources. The Barracks has an output group that contains
Wizards, Scientists and Guards. These Units are created by training the Peasants found in the input group. If
you find you need to train 4 Scientists then you can set the level of scientists to 4 and that is how many you
will get. You can set the level to "Full" and the Barracks will train your Scientists until you turn it off. In the
above Barracks picture we can see the output of Guards has been set to 5. In he following picture you can see
the Oil output has been turned off. This is useful if you have many mines and only a small requirement for
Oil. This allows the mine to produce more of the other resources.

Main Menu

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General Gameplay:
Topics covered.
• Summon your people
• Create a new building
• Food and health
• Guards
• More Magic
• Control your people
• Fighting
• Dropped Resources

Summon your people

The first task you must learn is that of commanding your people to leave a building. This is done in two main
ways. The easiest method is using the Quick Orders panel. You can call up this panel by clicking in an empty
space in the play area. The Quick Orders panel will show you how many spare people you have in your Store.
Selecting one of these people will command that character to leave his home and walk to your chosen
location.

Another way to command a person to leave a building is via the Occupants panel. You can call this panel up
by selecting the same building twice. The Occupants panel will provide you with a simple list of the people in
the current building and it is possible to select any one of these and command him to leave using the leave
icon.

Create a new building

Creating buildings is quick an easy. You must first choose a suitable location on the play area. The first click
will bring up the Quick Orders panel but a second click with bring up the Choose Building Panel. You must
have enough of the necessary resources to be able to select a building and you must be in a valid location. The
Mine for example must be on high ground where the rock landscape is found. The Pump House building must
be built where the ground is soft. You can't build in areas that are not fully explored. In some cases it is
possible to reserve your building even if there is insufficient resources.

One you have chosen a building to create you will be given a Foundation and a Wizard will soon arrive to
Magic the building in place. If you do not have enough Magic in storage then this stage will be have to be
delayed.

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Food and health

You will have to provide enough food for you people and you must also ensure that there is a good variety. It
has already been mentioned that those Peasants working in the mine will require a different diet to the
Scientists working in the laboratory. The Storage buildings usually contain the full range of food and it is
usually in plenty supply but other buildings have a limited menu. If your people become unhealthy they will
not reproduce and they will become easy targets for attackers. If they become too unhappy then they may start
to disobey orders and generally become inefficient and worthless. This it is not essential to provide a full
range of food it is recommended to attempt to supply as much as you can whenever possible.

Guards
Every building will contain at least one space for a Guard. It is good to keep someone guarding your buildings
because without a guard you are open for an easy takeover. Without a guard it is possible for an enemy team
to enter the building at will. When there are enemy people in the building it usually turns into a fight and the
strongest group will take control. While you building is guarded you are still subject to thieves.

More Magic
The Magic is a useful element in the world of Foundation. It is not only the commonly used system of
building but it is also used for landscaping. When you advanced your technology to a good level you'll be
given extra Wizard Spells. These spells will allow your wizard to summon extra rocks and trees. These trees
and rocks can be scattered about the land for the Forester and Stone Mason to collect. The rocks are a good
source of Coal and Ore but the most common rocks are made of pure Stone. Extra Magic must be created
using the Crematorium. This special building will turn the last remains of your people into fresh Magic. This
gives you an almost endless supply of Magic to last you for as long as you continue to have a population.

Control your people

The control system for organizing your people and issuing commands is a very simple one but from a simple
method you have a very complex array of commands ready for controlling your populous.

The first lesson to learn is the select. This is done by clicking the mouse in an empty area of the world with
thew Left Mouse Button and dragging the pointer across the View area to form a box on the screen. Any
people that were inside the box during hat time will become selected and they will form a group. Another trick
to learn is the SHIFT select option which will allow you to add more people to the group.

Now you have a group selected you are able to issue commands. The most basic of these is the MOVE
command. The MOVE command is issued using the Right Mouse Button to click in an area on the playfield.
Now your whole group will start their journey to your selected location. When they arrive you will see they
are waiting for your next command. The MOVE command is the most useful command of them all. It gives
you the power to command any of your people to go to any valid destination including buildings. If you send
a person into a building it will then become his home. This is where he will stay until you command him to
another place. If this building is a production building (for example a Mine) then he will start to work there.
This is where he will spend the rest of his days unless you command him to move somewhere else.

Fighting
The fighting side of the game works in the same way as all other control features. You simply select a group

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or a single fighting unit and command them to attack. Selecting one Soldier with the left mouse button and
selecting an enemy building with the right mouse button will send the Soldier into attack. Selecting a group of
Soldiers with the drag technique and then selecting an enemy Soldier with the right button will command your
group to attach the single Soldier. This simple point and click technique is used for all battle commands.

Dropped Resources
At the start of each game there will be various resource items scattered about the land. You will also notice
resources are left/dropped on he ground after a death. A soldier may leave some Armour on the ground, a
Peasant may leave some carried objects on the ground and quite often people will leave a cross behind after
death. These items may be collected by commanding a Peasant to walk to that exact location. The easiest
method is to select the location with the mouse revealing the `Quick Orders' Panel and then command a single
Peasant to come to that location. When the Peasant collects the element, he will take it to the most suitable
building.

Main Menu

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The Control Panels:

A lot of the game is controlled from a wide range of control panels. They provide Statistics as well as an
interface to control your world in every last detail.

The Main Panel, Statistics Panel and Trading Panel

The First Panel you see is known as the Main Panel. From here you can access all of the other Panels. The
Main Panel also shows some of the most important Game statistics including your Total population, The
Percentage of Mission complete and The amount of land you directly control.

The buttons on the Main Panel will take you to the other game panels. These include, Selected People,
Selected Building, Total Storage report, Trading Panel, Statistics and the Game Options Window.

The Trading Panel is used to setup a simple stock exchange or a trade with other teams. This feature can be
used if you need an emergency supply of a certain resource. The Stock Exchange method is an instant
exchange with a poor exchange rate. The Setup Trade method will give you a better exchange rate but it may
take a while for other players to consider the trade and eventually the trade may be refused. The trade options
are only to be used in emergency situations or when you have too much of a certain resource.

The Statistics Panel is packed with buttons that will lead you to vital information to aid you in your game.
These include Production Charts, Team Statistics, Building Count, Death Reports, Production and Transport
Priority, Mission Statistics, The `Best and Worst' Panel and the Multi Statistics Chart.

Production Charts

The Production panel will display a simple production chart for resources. This is where you can predict any
sharp changes in resource usage and attempt to avoid a situation where you're making too much or too little of
one element. The `In and Out' chart will display the amount of resources comming in and the amount going
out.

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Building Count

Here is a simple display showing how many of each building you have created. This will allow you to make a
quick calculation of the building you may need to create next. The building count panel can also be used to
quickly locate your buildings. If for example you have three Farms and you click on the farm icon, you will be
taken to the location of each of the three Farms in turn.

Death reports

To aid you in the process of cutting down on the number of casualties it is useful to see the causes of the
recent deaths. A quick glance at the last 4 deaths can often give you a clue to what can be done to improve
your population life expectancy. The Popular Deaths chart will display the most frequent causes of Death.
This is an extra help in discovering problems with health and other troubles.

Production and Transport Priority

Here you can arrange the various elements in order of need. If you have many Farms you can decide which
food you prefer to make. An item with a higher priority will be produced more often than a lower priority
element. The Production priority has another use. When you send a Peasant into an enemy building he will
leave the building with some stolen goods. The preference of goods to steal is based on the Production
Priority.

People and resources must be moved from place to place. This is all taken care of by the people who work in
the different buildings. While you are always free to take control over a person at any time, it is still very
useful to let them get on with their business. Quite often a building will contain many different items and
many different people. Only so much can be removed from a building at any time so some form of preference
must be done. The Resources always come before the people in the Priority list so quite often you will see
Peasants leaving a building before a Knight, even though the Knight may be above the Peasant in the Priority.
This is because the Peasant is moving an important high Priority resource which gives him the advantage over
a Knight.

The Mission status

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This Panel will show you a simple chart with the current percentage of Mission Completed. The CPU players
may have a slightly different Mission Objective to you, for example they may have an objective to remove all
other teams from the island or to destroy your team. If a CPU team reaches 100% on this panel the game will
end.

The `Best and Worst' panel

This is a simple but effective statistic panel. At a quick glance you can see which elements you have too much
of and which elements you have too little of. The Percentage is calculated by taking the current population
and generating some ideal figures for each element. A figure of 200% would indicate that you have twice the
recommended amount at this current stage in the game while a figure of 50% means you need to double the
production of this type.

Multi Statistics Chart

This is where you get some comparisons between the players in the current game. The figures shown are
based on the last 15 years of gameplay. You can get an idea of how stable the other teams are with figures like
land ownership, Gold reserve, Population, Production rates and Army size.

Main Menu

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In−Game Keys:
Shift F1 − F5 = Remember map position for recall
F1 − F5 = Recall map position
Shift 1 − 5 = Remember current group of Units for recall
1 − 5 = Recall group of People
P = Pause
O = Select all people outside border
G = Select all people
H = Alter view to Headquarters
E = Select all people in view or select one enemy person
N = Cycle through selected People
C = Centre on current Person
S = Quick Save Key
L = Quick Load Key
X = Scatter selected People
− = Shrink View Size
+ = Enlarge View Size
* = Toggle Goraud Shading Mode
Enter = Message Mode

Main Menu

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20 ways to become a Foundation expert

• Quick early attacks are usually a bad mistake.
• Build Peasant Huts to speed up population growth.
• Provide a good range of food (not only fruit, water and vegetables)
• Use the 'game speed' option at your own risk.
• Keep at least 10 Maidens in your Headquarters.
• Keep at least 10 Peasants in every Stores Building (HQ, Warehouse etc..)
• Turn excess Peasants into soldiers early to build experience.
• Don't over work your Stores Buildings, learn when/where to build more Warehouses.
• Don't build too many buildings before you see good population growth.
• When possible, avoid supplies going to stores, 'delivering direct' is good!
• Learn to retreat when soldiers are low on health, this builds experience.
• Use the Priority settings to avoid over supply of unnecessary resources.
• Try to avoid trading altogether!
• Small scale attacks are more efficient than mass raids.
• Repair buildings frequently to improve production speeds and safety.
• Learn to use the 'Best Worst' panel to keep a well balanced stock.
• Remove unnecessary buildings to recover building supplies and finetune settlement.
• Keep plenty of Wizards and use the Wizard huts to distribute them.
• Taverns and Churches are good for morale but you shouldn't need them!
• Hospital is good for Health but if one isn't enough you're doing something wrong!
• Killing enemy Peasants that loot your buildings is good for experience.

Main Menu

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Foundation Credits:
Design, Graphics Programming: Paul Burkey
Additional Design: Kristian Philips, Richard Brown
Sound Effects: Paul Burkey, Martin Halberg
Game Speech: Barry Swerdlow, Sally Burkey, Jeremy Kelly
Original Soundtrack: Simon Ravn
Additional Music: Kevin/Stephen Ewbank (Tracks 4, 5 6)
Compression Routines: Andrew 'Oondy' King
Additional Programming: Daniel Allsopp, Julian Kinraid
Storyline: Jason Hayman
CD Artwork: Paul Burkey
Translations: ATO Members
Special Thanks: Peter 'JC' Mulholland, Daniel 'Stipey' Platt, Peter Michael Price, Dennis Smith, Andrew
Kellett, all the beta testers, everyone on the Blitz−List and the Amiga community for their patience and
support.

Main Menu

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