Introduction

The Hideout is an online space game where you act as a freelance pilot in a futuristic environment, exploring an imaginary universe and interacting with other players.
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How it Works: The game is played through a web browser. Each day you have a number of options that you can perform such as trading, carrying out missions, buying weapons and upgrades for your spaceship, and travelling to different star systems using your hyperdrive engines. Money is important - with more money you expand your possibilities to owning to faster and stronger ships, and more powerful weapons. The galaxy is a dangerous place, and it is important to keep yourself protected from pirates who would otherwise board your ship and steal your credits - but... you can always become a pirate yourself!
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The hideout universe is split into four different and important quadrants: The Independent systems, the League of Nations zone, the Consortium territory, and the New Alliance territory. When signing up for the Hideout, it is important to specify your alignment. As an independent player, you are free to travel all parts of the universe, with the League of Nations as a safe-zone where you will be safe from pirate attacks. Being a part of one of the two warring governments, the conservative Consortium or the fanatical New Alliance, will give you access to more ships and internal connections, but you will be at constant risk from enemy attacks. All players are welcome to travel through independent systems.
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If you are new to the Hideout, read a few sections of this guide to gain a basic understanding of the game. Once you know how to play, you may sign up to join the game on the main page. (Please do not sign up multiple characters) After you have signed up, your player should be added to the game shortly. You will start with 300,000 credits (universal currency) and an Explorer (a small trade ship).

FAQ

I signed up, where's my signup notice?
Character setup is done manually and I can sometimes be too busy to get to it everyday. Times can vary from a couple of hours to a couple of days. My apologies to those who have signed up but have not been contacted yet.

Only the top frame is loading, where's the rest?
The rest of the frames are loaded with Javascript, it is therefore necessary that you have Javascript enabled in your browser when playing the Hideout.

I'm getting the error 'Too Many Connections', what's the deal?
The 'Too Many Connections' error means that there are too many users (and therefore scripts) connected to the database at the moment. None of the actions you wished to take when you clicked the "Confirm" button were taken. You may need to wait a few minutes before the page will work.

General

Turns
Hideout gameplay is based on a 20 hour turn system. Each turn begins when you leave port and ends when you dock or land.
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At the beginning of each turn you will be charged for your escorts. If you cannot afford to pay for an escort it will be lost (cheapest ships lost first).
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When you dock/land, your turn is ended and your ship refueled. After docking, you will be vulnerable to attack for 10 hours. Once this 10 hours has passed, you will be un-attackable until you next decide to leave port. (Just so it is said somewhere on this page: you can be attacked when in flight.) Because you are docked, you can buy and sell items, hire escorts, etc. at any time between when you land and when you takeoff.

Planet/Item Tech Levels
Every inhabited planet has developed to some level of technology. This 'Tech Level' is indicated in the information on the Map and Hyperspace console. These numbers correspond to the Tech Levels of weapons and ships. For example: If you go to a planet with a tech level of '2', weapons with a tech level of 2 or below will be available to purchase.
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Some items have special tech/availability levels (ie. the Buzzard with an avail of 42). These special availabilities correspond with the tech levels of certain planets. Special tech levels appear in parentheses after the main tech level of a planet.

Completing Missions
In order to complete a mission, you must first pick up a load of cargo and then deliver it to its destination. If the origin of the mission is the same as your current system, you can head directly for the destination system (It is however, uncommon that this would be the case). When the origin system is different from your current system, you must first go to the origin system and pick up the cargo before it can be delivered (You do not need to land, just fly through the system.). Once you have the cargo, you head to the destination system where you will land to drop it off and recieve payment (Some missions do not require that you land for completion, just a fly by).

Failing Missions
Some actions will result in a failed mission. Most failures occur because you have lost the cargo capacity to handle the mission cargo. Examples of of this kind of situation include: releasing escorts, buying a ship with less cargo capacity, or losing escorts in a battle.

Pilot Skill
Pilot skill is increased by battle experience and has a slight affect on how well you do in combat.

Legal Status
Legal Status is increased or decreased by a variety of game actions. It does not have a major affect on gameplay except that your government leader may reward your good behavior.

Piracy
Pirates are generally defined as players who attack other players. The Hideout definition of a pirate is a player who has a legal status below -20. The main hideaway of pirates is the Narsil system.

Colonization
Uninhabited planets can be colonized by players. These new states can be incorperated into an existing government or can be used to found a new government. Once a colony has been established, it will begin to generate an income daily (This will grow with the colony). To colonize a planet, you must procure a colony ship to ship all the materials and colonists to the desired planet. To send a colony ship, send a message to Admin (or admin@stonefire.net) with your name and password plus the origin and destination of the ship. The price of sending a colony ship is 1 million credits (this can be payed from government accounts if specified). A ship will be created to move through the game to its destination (This ship can be attacked, in fact they are quite the big score.).

Color Coding
Each government is represented by a specific color. Here is a table of the colors:

Independent	Pirate
New Alliance	Consortium
UNSET	Confederation
ATMC

Ship Classes
Ship Class is a numerical value that can be used to describe a ship's size, power, function, and more. Every class of ship is allowed to have a certain number of escorts.
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Here is a table of ship types and classes:

Class I	# Escorts
Explorer Runabout Scout Shrike Secure Transport	4
Class II	# Escorts
Jaeger Mosquito Patrol Fighter Raiden Attack Fighter	4
Class III	# Escorts
Light Freighter Heavy Freighter	6
Class IV	# Escorts
Eagle Njord-Class Cruiser	4
Class V	# Escorts
Buzzard Raptor Goliath	6
Class VI	# Escorts
Attack Corvette Thunderbolt Warhawk Corvette Magellan-Class Gunship D-14	6
Class VII	# Escorts
Hunter Imolator Frigate Scimitar Light Frigate	8
Class VIII	# Escorts
Imperator Nemesis Assault Carrier	8

Combat Immunity
Combat Immunity is a condition in which you cannot be attacked. This state can last several turns and for different circumstances. People who have just joined the Hideout will be unattackable for 5 turns. Players who have just been killed will be given 4 turns to try to rebuild before they are attackable again. (Note: If you attack someone during your period of immunity, that immunity will be voided.)

Transferring Credits
Currently, transfers are done manually. To request a transfer, send a message to CheesEv or Beef (to avoid double transfers, please do not send requests to both) with the following information: the amount of money, where the money is coming from (this would be your character in most cases, but government leaders must specify that the funds are coming from their character's account or from the government), who will recieve the transfer, and a comment (optional).

Interface Overview

The browser window is divided by frames into four screens, each with its own function. (If your browser does not support frames, I suggest you download either Netscape or Internet Explorer) Because of these frames, the Hideout looks best with resolutions of 1024 X 768 or higher.
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The topmost screen displays information about your character. Here are some examples of the kind of info you'll see in the top screen:
Credits - Current System - Legal Status - Ship Type
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The left and right screens of the middle section work together and are the screens where the game is actually played. The left screen contains the forms which are used to control your character. An common thing to see in the left screen is a selectable list of items (ie. ships,weapons,commodities) and another list of commands to perform on this list (such as buy,sell,hire). The right screen is where information (ie. scans, messages, and battle reports) is displayed as a result of your actions/imput.
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You will use the bottom screen to navigate around the Hideout. To change consoles ('consoles' refers to the various pages such as Weapons, Missions, and Trade), you must select the console you wish to see from the list and press the "Go!" button. The bottom screen also contains the Logout button that will remove you from the game section of the site.

Console Functions and Use

News and Communications
The news system is designed to announce the important or interesting events of the game to the game community. The news can be viewed by pressing either of the two buttons under the heading "Intergalactic News Network" (The news system is currently not functioning, please tell me what events you would be interested in hearing about through this system).
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You can go to the Hideout Message Board or read your private messages by clicking the 'View' buttons.
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Private messages can be sent from the News/Comm page. To address the message, simply enter the name of the recipient into the "To" field. To address a message to multiple recipients, separate their names with an "&". So, if you want to send a message to Killer Bob and Evil_Dan, enter "Killer Bob&Evil_Dan" into the "To" field. (Note: names are case-insensitive)
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Here's a list of HTML that is legal in messages:
<font [face] [size] [color]> ... </font>
<a [href] [target]> ... </a>
(Please set target equal to "_top" or "_blank", this will cause the linked site to fill the entire browser window)
<br /> or <p> ... </p>
<img [src] [height] [width] [alt] />
<b> ... </b>
<i> ... </i>
<u> ... </u>
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You can delete your messages by clicking the checkbox to the left of the message and then clicking the "Delete Messages" button at the bottom of the page. (Please go through your messages routinely and delete the ones that you don't need. Messages take up a large amount of database space and too many could interfere with gameplay.)

Star Map and Hyperspace
To get information about the systems in the Hideout universe, select the system that you want to learn about and click the "Get Info". The information should appear in the right screen. Once you have finished with this information you can click the "Clear Info Window" button to return the right screen to black.
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Click the "View Large System Map" button to make the full sized version of the map appear in the right screen. (this can be cleared in the same manner as other information)
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The console will display your current system and how many hyperspace jumps you can make. To make a hyperspace jump, you must select the desired destination system from the small pulldown list at the bottom of the page. Once you have done this, just press the "Jump!" button and you're there. (You cannot jump if you are out of fuel or if you are docked.)

Missions
Click on the "Independent" or "Government" buttons to view a list of available missions on the right screen. Independent missions are defined as either Independent or Pirate missions, they are available to all players. Government missions are available to only members of a specific government or group.
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To accept a mission, click the checkbox in the Accept column of the desired mission and then click the "Confirm" button. You can accept multiple missions using this method. (Missions can only be accepted when docked.)
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Under the Current Missions header there is a list of missions that you have accepted. To review the mission information (ie. briefing, destination, payment), select the mission and click the "Get Info" button at the bottom of the page.
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You can abort the mission by selecting it and clicking the "Abort Mission" button. Aborting has no negative consequences, it simply removes it from your cargo holds. (Missions can be aborted anywhere.)

Weapons Systems
To get information about a weapon, select it from either the list of independent weapons or the list of government weapons and click the "Get Info" button.
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You can buy or sell a weapon by selecting the weapon and then selecting the transaction (Buy or Sell) from the small drop down menu near the bottom of the page. Next, input the amount of the selected weapon that you want to buy/sell into the field and press the "Confirm" button.
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Weapons surrounded by brackets ( [Item] ) are unavailable. You may not have clearance to buy that weapon (such as with government weapons), the planet you landed on may not have a high enough tech level, or you may be in space.

Interstellar Trade
The Trade interface is slightly different from the rest of the Hideout, this is because the other style couldn't handle what I wanted to do.
Commodities are listed on the trade console in the order: Name, Value, Price. Every commodity has an upper and lower price limit, the price of the commodities varies between these limits daily. The value is an expression on how much the price varies within the whole range. (the whole price range is divided into three ranges: low, medium, and high) Because of this, you can be assured that the price of a commodity from a system where the value is high will always be greater than the price in a system where the value is medium or low.
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The price listed in the console is the price of 10 tons of that commodity.
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To view a list of values and prices for every other system where a commodity is available, select the desired commodity (In some browsers, all you need to do is click on the commodity's row to select it, but other browsers such as Netscape require that you click on the text in the commodity's row itself) and click the "Get Additional Info" button.
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To buy or sell a commodity, first you must select it in a fashion appropriate for your browser (described in previous paragraph). Next select whether you would like to buy or sell the commodity and input the amount that you wish to buy or sell. When you change the number that you wish to buy or sell, the "Final Price" field should change to give you an idea of how much you will be charged or credited. (The "Final Price" field has no interaction with the processing of your order, so changing its value will have no affect.)
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Trade is only possible when you are docked.
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You can Jettison your trade cargo by clicking the "Jettison Cargo" button. Beware, this removes ALL trade cargo from your ship (does not affect missions) without reimbursement.

Ships & Escorts
To get information about a ship, select the ship from either of the (non-escort) lists and click the "Get Info" button. Since your escorts are the same as regular ships, you might at well just get info on the ship from the two main lists.
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To buy a ship, select it from either the independent or the government list, make sure that the small pull down menu is set to "Buy Ship" and click the "Confirm" button. The "Trade-in" value of you ship is calculated from what kind of weapons you have onboard, this value will be deducted from the price of the ship that you are purchasing.
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To hire escorts, select the type of ship that you wish to hire from the the independent or government lists and set the pull down menu to "Hire Escort". Input the number of the escorts that you want to hire and click the "Confirm" button. There are maximum numbers of escorts, your maximum is determined by the type of ship you own. You will be charged 10% of the escort's full price upon hiring and 5% each following turn. You cannot hire escorts that are of a higher class than your own ship.
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To release an escort from servitude, select the ship from the Current Escorts list and set the pull down menu to "Release Escort". Enter the number of escorts you want to release into the field (you can release multiple escorts of the selected type only) and click the "Confirm" button.
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Ships surrounded by brackets ( [Ship] ) are unavailable. You may not have clearance to buy it (such as with government ships), the planet you landed on may not have a high enough tech level, or you may be in space.
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Fleet commanders should know that they should buy the ships that they wish to add to the fleet.

Ship Command
The sensors of the Command console allow you to get information about other players. There are two sensing types: A Local System scan will return detailed information about all other players in your system. A Universal scan will only be able to return basic information (such as location) about other players because they are not near enough to examine thoroughly.
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To scan, simply select the type of scan that you wish to make from the pull down menu and click the "Activate Scan" button. Click the "Clear Scan Window" button to remove the scan information from the screen.
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The Command console will inform you of your status: docked or in space. To change your status , click the radio selector of whichever status change you wish to perform (Dock/Land or Leave Port) and click the "Do It!" button.
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Landing ends your turn. (more about turns can be found in the Turns section) You will be charged for any escorts in your service when you leave port.

Combat
The Combat console is the most complex of the Hideout's consoles (this is what took so long). It has many features that help to make battle outcomes variable but realistic (Unfortunately, some of these features are not readily visible or being used in the current version.).
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Once you have selected a target, you must then decide how you will fight the battle. (You must be in flight to attack.)
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Strategy mainly determines what weapons will be used and how effective those weapons will be. Medium ranged fighting uses all weapons but, since you are not very close to your opponent, some weapons (mainly guns) will not be able to deal as much damage. Short ranged fighting uses only gun type weapons and unguided missile weapons. Since you will be in close quarters with your opponent, however, these weapons will do maximum damage. Long ranged fighting uses unguided missile weapons only. (With this strategy, you will automatically begin to run from the battle when you run out of guided weapons.)
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You can select from a variety of Boarding Objectives. These are things that can be done to or taken from your opponent's ship if you beat them. You can take your opponent's Credits, Fuel, Cargo, and Weapons. Additionally, you can take their ship as your own or as an escort.
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Your Cowardice determines when you will leave a battle. A high cowardice percentage will make you try to leave the fight as soon as you take damage while a low cowardice percentage means that you will fight until you are near death. (Running from battle does not always mean that you will get away, if your opponent is much faster or more powerful than you are, you will most likely not get away.)
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Once you are ready, click the "Attack!" button. You will recieve a brief (I hope to make it longer) message informing you of the outcome of the battle along with a chance to send a comment to your opponent.

Government Info
Only government leaders can view the Government Info Page
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The Government Info console is used by government leaders to manage the treasury of their government.
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The left column manages how much of the government's daily income (listed at bottom) each fleet gets. The right column lists/manages how many credits each fleet has currently.
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Once you are satisfied, click the "Confirm" button. (Please make sure that the sum of the fields does not exceed the totals at the bottom of the columns before you submit the changes.)