Game Manual COSMIC BALANCE is a simulation of tactical combat in deep space. You design your ships, give them their orders, and then see how they perform in combat against enemy ships. There is very little involved. The outcome will depend almost entirely upon your judgement as a designer and your skill as a commander. The game is played in three phases: THE SETUP PHASE You choose one to six different tactical scenarios, and then design up to four different ships on each side to fight them. THE ORDERS PHASE Your map will show you the positions of your ships and the enemy ships. You give each ship its orders for a sixteen-second turn. Your ships may maneuver, change course, fire weapons, or try to beam a boarding party onto an enemy ship Your Opponent will then give his orders for the same turn. THE EXECUTION PHASE You will now watch the ships battle each other, each following the instructions given them during the orders phase. The scenario will end when all of your ships or all the enemy ships have been destroyed. When one or both players have run away, or when one player has achieved the victory conditions given for that scenario. SOLITAIRE LEVEL If you decide to play solitaire, you may decide the level of sophistication, from 1 to 4, of your enemy's ships. A level One enemy will have a ship technology equal to your ship; a level Four enemy will have a crew efficiency 3 better than the ship's design and 3 more power points per engine. To raise the level of difficulty, continue pressing 2 until the level you wish is highlighted. SCENARIO ONE: DEEPSPACE ENCOUNTER In one famous deepspace battle the Starship Enterprise fought the Starship Reliant just inside the remote boundary of the Alliance. Player One commands the Enterprise. Player Two commands the Reliant. By Paul Murray