SimCopter htm help files converted to plain text, courtesy simcoptercity@yahoo.com

GREETINGS
Wanna fly a helicopter, save lives and property, enforce the law and make some money? Maybe do this in a city you've made yourself? If so, you've come to the right game. SimCopter makes it easy and fun, and you won't have to learn a lot of dials or even get government certification. You'll master the flight controls in just a few minutes and be up and away with the push of a button. 

Helicopter Myth 2: A flight in a helicopter is always bumpier than a flight in an airplane. 
  
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
This manual has a tutorial and a game reference section. The tutorial is short and sweet. It gets you flying around and teaches you how to operate your tools. There are some exercises at the end of the tutorial so you can practice flying, landing and using your tools. 
The game reference section has additional details about your tools, what to do during actual missions, how to advance, how you get paid and spend your hard earned money. There's also the usual file and menu information. 
This manual is also an electronic document on the SimCopter CD, and contains any last minute changes to the game in the Appendix. Open this e-doc by pressing F1 at anytime during the game. 
Throughout this manual: 
When text looks like this, it's an instruction or something to do. 
When text looks like this, it's an explanation or something to read. 
When text looks like this, it's an important little tidbit to consider. 
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TWO WAYS TO PLAY
There are two ways to be a SimCopter pilot. The first is to play the Career Game. All the cities you'll need for a complete and successful career are included in the game. These cities are called Career Cities. In a career, you carry your equipment, helicopters, experience and knowledge from one city to the next. The missions and cities are linked so you can advance along a career path to become a wealthy, master SimPilot. There are ten levels in a Career Game and lots of different paths to take. Early on, life is simple and the missions are easy. By the end, you need to be a real pro to succeed. 
The second way to play is to work in any SimCity 2000 city you have, whether you built it with SimCity 2000, SimCity 2000 Network Edition, or with the SimCity Urban Renewal Kit (SCURK). When you play this way, each city is a career island unto itself. Missions depend on the city's design and living conditions, and parameters you can set within SimCopter. 
Whether you play with our cities or yours, you start with a little money and work your way up to being the owner of a fleet of helicopters. And yes, you'll be able to get out of your copter and walk around, and even go into some of the buildings. 
Just one small note: you'll only see the original graphics from SimCity 2000, not the Future set or any set created with SCURK. 
Using a Joystick Instead of the Keyboard
Joysticks work just fine with SimCopter. Throughout this manual, keyboard controls are used for all examples, but if you're used to a joystick, all the basic controls like turning, flying, landing and moving the cursor on the screen should be intuitive. Give 'em a try. If things works the way you like, that's great. If things don't work the way you like, check out the instructions on changing joystick settings in the game reference section. 
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Helicopter Myth 3: Helicopters are too fragile to fly in strong winds. 
 
Tutorial
Welcome to Copter 101. The Tutorial Lessons will get you up and flying in (almost) no time at all. You'll learn how to use your controls and tools and maybe pick up a tip or three. 
You can go at your own pace. You won't have the time crunch in Tutorial City that you will have during actual missions in the game. Fly around for as long as you want. Experiment with the tools. When you're comfortable with flying and using your tools, do the exercises and activities and then go on to some missions. 
So if you're ready, fasten your seat belt and let's go. 
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FLYING LESSON -- FAST AND DIRTY 
Begin SimCopter as instructed in the Quick Start Guide. 
This opens the SimCopter Main Menu, where you start or continue a Career Game or User Game. 
Use your mouse or arrow keys to highlight Open User Game, and double-click on it or hit Enter. 
Using the standard Windows dialog box, go to the folder which contains Tutorial City. If you used the default installation, Tutorial City is in the My Saved Cities folder within the SimCopter Folder. 
Double-click on Tutorial City to load it. 
The city opens with you on a helicopter pad. Some of the buildings of Tutorial City are in the distance. Your helicopter is ready and waiting for you to climb aboard.
 This is you, ready and wating. 
Hint: As you walk or turn, things can get between you and the camera. Also, both you and the camera follow the contour of the terrain. If "you" are out of camera view, either keep walking or turn to bring yourself back into view.
 
Hold down the right arrow key to turn right until you are facing the side of a helicopter. 
If you turn too far, either continue turning until you come around again, or use the left arrow key and turn the other way. 
When you are facing the side of the helicopter, press the up arrow key to walk into the helicopter. 
If you miss the doors you'll pass through the copter none the worse for wear. Just turn around, aim for the other side of the helicopter and walk forward again. 
As you sit down in the helicopter, your viewpoint shifts to just behind the helicopter, looking forward. This view, with the camera behind you, is called Third Person or "Chase" View. You can still see some buildings of Tutorial City in the distance. You can also see your control panel. 
 
We'll talk about other views and the control panel in just a moment. Right now, the most important thing... taking off! 
Hold down the Q key until it looks like you could fly over the buildings, then let it go. 
You can hear your engines rev up and see yourself lift off the ground. 
 
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FLYING YOUR WHIRLYBIRD
While you're airborne, use the arrow keys (or a joystick, if you have one) to fly your helicopter. 
The default keyboard controls for flying your helicopter are: 
Start and raise your helicopter 	Q 
Move forward 	Up Arrow 
Turn left 	Left Arrow 
Turn right 	Right Arrow 
Back up 	Down Arrow 
Fly left without turning (Slide left) 	A 
Fly right without turning (Slide right) 	S 
Lower and land your helicopter 	W 
Leave/exit your helicopter 	E 
Fly around for a while. 
Your world "wraps around" around. The city occupies a quarter of the world. The rest is wilderness. Pay attention to the terrain. You'll crash into hills if you're not high enough. 
Note: If you fly too high, clouds and fog will obscure your view. 
You can put this flying time to good use trying some things you'll be expected to do in the game. Hover between buildings or try landing on a hospital, fire or police station. Note the medics and cops on certain roofs. 
No room for error here  
You'll be expected to rescue Sims from run-away trains, so try keeping up with a train as it winds through the city. 
 Keep up with the train. 
You can even fly under bridges. It's not required, but it's lots of fun and not against city regulations... yet. 
For pros only!  
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YOUR CITY MAP
Your city map is your most important piece of equipment. It shows you where you are, where important buildings in your city are, and where missions are. 
 
There are four zoom modes, each showing a different amount of area and detail. 
Change city map zoom modes by clicking on the "+" or the "-" button on the city map control panel, or by pressing the "-" or the "=" key on the keyboard. 
North is always the top of the city map, and you are always in the center. (Tutorial City has lots of bodies of water that form blue arrows pointing North.) A yellow line extends in the direction your copter is facing. 
HINT: Note how the yellow line on the city map pivots as you turn. 
Here's a basic list of what your city map shows: 
Airports 	Purple 
Developed Areas 	Light gray 
Hospitals 	White 
Fire Stations 	Orange 
Police Stations 	Light blue 
Roads 	Tan 
Water 	Dark blue 
Open Areas in City 	Green 
Fire 	Glowing red 
Wilderness 	Green, Light and dark brown, and White 
Try all zoom modes and use the one which is the most comfortable. 
    
When a mission occurs, a line extends from you to the mission location. If there is more than one mission active, mission icons will appear on the map for each additional mission. 
Head for the airport to practice your navigation. 
Tutorial City International Airport is at the Southeast corner of the city. You should always locate your airport when you first start a city. Every city has its airport in a different location. 
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CHANGING YOUR VIEWPOINT
You have three views in SimCopter: Third Person (also called "Chase"), First Person and Overhead. Third Person View lets you see the world as though you were behind the helicopter. You've been in the Third Person View so far. 
Change your view by pressing the T key. 
Now You're in First Person View, looking straight ahead from inside the cockpit. The cross-hair on your screen is straight ahead. 
 __First Person View 
Change your view again by pressing the T key. 
Now You're in Overhead View, looking straight down from above your copter's tail. 
Overhead View __  
The cross-hair is over the area directly beneath your copter's tail. 
Your control panel and city map do not change as you change views. 
Press T again to get back into Third Person View. 
Changing Camera Angles
Aim the camera to suit your personal tastes. Change to Third Person View to see how the following commands affect your view: 
Move Camera In.......... 	I 
Move Camera Out ...... 	K 
Move Camera Up........ 	J 
Move Camera Down.... 	L 
Aim Camera Up........... 	O 
Aim Camera Down ...... 	P 
Note: Changing the position and aim of your camera affects your view of your water bucket and rescue harness. 
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TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Your training copter is fully equipped with a water cannon in front, and carries a water bucket, megaphone, rescue harness, and tear gas canisters. These tools help you complete missions and earn big bucks and points. You must buy them during your career, but for training they're free. 
You can use your tools by clicking your mouse or joystick cursor on a tool button, or with keyboard commands. The default keyboard commands are: 
Shoot Water Cannon.......... 	Spacebar 
Lower Water Bucket.......... 	V 
Raise Water Bucket............ 	C 
Dump Water from Bucket... 	B 
Lower Rescue Harness........ 	G 
Raise Rescue Harness......... 	F 
All tools work in all views, but it's easier to use some tools in certain view modes. 
Note: The bucket must be lowered to dump water. If you're out of water, you can't use the bucket or the water cannon. 
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RECEIVING DISPATCHES
Your radio is your source for dispatches, in addition to music and entertainment. All missions (except the speeder) begin with a radio dispatch to you. You're told what the problem is and its location in the city. Additional information in the dispatch may or may not be helpful. 
When dispatchers describe a location, they do it by "area." All cities are divided into nine areas. Outside of the city, wilderness is divided into four areas. 
 City and Wilderness divisions 
Your Spotlight and Sending Dispatches
You use your spotlight primarily to dispatch police cars, fire trucks or ambulances. You can dispatch these vehicles at any time by pressing their assigned function key. Let's dispatch a police car. 
Aim your spotlight at the area where you want a police car to go. 
Your spotlight points forward and toward the ground.  
You can aim your spotlight by pointing your helicopter. For additional control, use the joystick on the control panel. 
 Grab the spotlight controller with your cursor. 
To Dispatch a Fire Truck 	Press F2 
To Dispatch an Ambulance 	Press F3 
To Dispatch Police 	Press F4 
Press the key for the vehicle you want to dispatch, in this case the F4 key for a police car. 
A dispatch pylon marks your dispatch. The nearest available vehicle you requested will be sent to the pylon. You can see it on your city map when it's "in range." 
 Police Dispatch Pylon 
Fire Truck Dispatch Pylon  
 Ambulance Dispatch Pylon 
Emergency vehicles can only travel on roads, so you can't make them go into the wilderness or into a city area that has no roads. You'll get a message if a vehicle you requested cannot be dispatched. 
When emergency personnel arrive, they perform their duties automatically. When they are done, or if they find nothing to do, they eventually remove the pylon and return to their base. You can also "clear" a dispatch and free up the vehicle yourself. Aim your spotlight at the pylon you want to clear and press the proper key: 
To clear a Fire Truck dispatch 	Press Shift F2 
To clear an Ambulance dispatch 	Press Shift F3 
To clear a Police dispatch 	Press Shift F4 
There nothing for your Police car to do here, so you can send it on its way. 
Aim your spotlight at the police dispatch pylon and press Shift F4 to release the police car. 
HINT: Each fire station in a city can supply one fire truck. Each city hospital can contribute one ambulance, and each police station provides one police car. You can have a maximum of ten of each type of emergency service vehicle, regardless of how many emergency service buildings you have. 
SPECIAL DISPATCH
F5 issues a special dispatch that allows police to follow your spotlight. Use this dispatch to help catch a criminal you are chasing who won't stop. Cancel the "Chase dispatch by pressing Shift F5. 
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A CRASH COURSE
No matter how careful you are, you're going to bump into buildings, power lines, buildings, water, more buildings, land and occasionally buildings. Fire and smoke can also damage your copter. Even simple flying produces wear and tear. 
As your copter takes damage, it sputters and smokes and becomes difficult to control. Your damage indicator lights go from "off" to yellow to red. When all five are red, your copter is nearly destroyed. One or two more crashes and you lose your helicopter and all the equipment it carries. Sorry. At least when that happens you are returned to your hangar, embarrassed, perhaps, but otherwise unharmed. 
 Damage Indicator 
Note: If you lose your copter and don't have enough money to buy a new one, you've lost the game. You'll have to start over again. 
You've probably crashed your copter at least once already, but if you haven't, do it now. 
Aim for a building, close your eyes, and fly into it. 
Repeat as necessary until the helicopter is destroyed. 
That was fun, wasn't it? 
Get into another helicopter, fly around a little, then continue with the lesson. 
BRING IT ON HOME
It takes no great skill to crash, but it takes finesse to land properly. Part of your training is learning how to land, and now is as good a time to learn as any. 
Fly your helicopter to your airport landing pad and hover about a thousand feet over the tarmac. 
Remember, Tutorial City Airport is outside the southeast corner of the city. 
When you are over the tarmac, press W for just a second or two. 
You must ease yourself to the ground. If you land too quickly, you'll crash. 
Press W again for a second or two. 
Note that you continue to drift a little bit even after you release the W key. 
Ease your copter to the ground until you hear a soft woosh as your engines rev down. 
Press E to leave your helicopter. 
There, that wasn't so bad. Walk around a little and stretch your legs. Check out the hangar, as long as you're here. 
HINT: If the townsfolk you encounter seem only mildly interested in you, it's because they know your time with them is most likely temporary. 
NEXT


THE HANGAR IN GENERAL
The hangar is your base for buying helicopters and equipment, and for getting promotions. Get to know and love your hangar. 
 Your home away from home. 
In any city, you have one assigned hangar: the one where you begin. You can land at other hangars, but you won't be able to perform any activities in them. Walk into your hangar by pressing Ctrl-H while you are on the tarmac near your hanger. 
Note: If the city you load has no airport, one is automatically built at the southeast corner of the city. 
Inside  
Maintenance
Engines need fueling, damage needs repairing, windshields need cleaning and rotorheads need checking. All this happens when you land, exit your copter, then get back in. Bring your copter back to the ground every now and then and let the mechanics work their magic. 
Buy only what you need.  
Note: You can get maintenance for your copter anywhere, but the farther you are from your hangar, the higher the cost of maintenance. Bob's Gas Delivery ain't cheap. 
If you run out of gas while flying, use the Auto-Rotation maneuver or you'll crash big time. There's an Auto-Rotation exercise at the end of this lesson. 
Catalog
You must be in the hangar to buy equipment and copters from the Catalog. Press Ctrl-C or click on the Catalog button to open the Catalog. 
Prices for equipment and copters are as posted. No negotiation is necessary, and no sales tax is added. 
Any equipment you buy fits on any copter you own, and is automatically installed on whichever copter you choose to fly. 
  
 
Click on the equipment or copter you want, then click "buy." 
If you can afford it, it's yours. 
To close the catalog, click on the "Done" button. 
Logbook
 
The Logbook records the missions you have completed. You must be in the hangar to open the Logbook. You can press Ctrl-M, or click on the Logbook button. 
Summary
Now you can take off, fly, dispatch, use your tools and land. You can jump into the missions if you want and try your hand at saving lives and property, or you can play it safe and do the following exercises. 
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EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES
This section has exercises and activities to get you familiar with your copter and to give you a working knowledge of tools and missions. 
This section is optional, but it would be nice to go through it at least once. Sims expect their pilots to be proficient. you'll be guided through some actual activities required by the missions. The only difference between these activities and the game missions themselves is that you won't be timed during these activities. After you do the exercises, you'll have a working knowledge of your spotlight, megaphone, rescue harness, water bucket and water canon. 
SimVolunteers have generously donated their time and energy to aid you in your training. No expense has been spared in the construction of this practice city, and no Sims were injured during the performance of these exercises. 
When you're ready, get into a helicopter, start it up, and fly toward the city. 
NEXT


GET DOWN! THE TUTORIAL CITY LANDING EXERCISE
Landing on the ground
It's not the fall that gets you, it's the sudden stop. Sure it's an old joke, but it's still true. You'll need to land in a tight space lots of times, so practice now. The SimCopter Tutorial City Landing Practice area along the eastern edge of the city has a variety of target sizes surrounded by roads and buildings. The exercise is simple-choose a flat empty area and land in it. Watch out for any trees. 
 Tutorial City Landing Area 
Here are the basic steps for efficient, safe landing: 
Approach the area you want to land using the Third Person View. 
Change to the Overhead View as you pass over your target. 
Stop your forward motion and turn a few times with your right or left arrow key to reduce forward momentum. 
Use your cross-hairs to "spot" your target area as you descend. 
"Slide" left with the A key or right with the S key to correct as necessary. 
Change views frequently to see how you're doing. 
Descend slowly until you touch down. 
You can't land "all at once." You must descend little by little, or you'll hit the ground and take damage. 
You'll land where the cross-hairs are aimed. 
HINT: There's plenty of room to land in parks and other large flat areas. Trees will interfere with you, and landing on a hillside almost assures damage. 
Landing on a roof
Missions often begin by getting a medic from a hospital roof, or a cop from a police roof, and end by taking injured Sims to a hospital roof. To land on a roof, you must score a bull's-eye when seconds count. 
Near the Landing Practice Area are more emergency service buildings than you can shake a stick at. Use these buildings to practice touch and go landing. Fly from one roof to another. Sound easy? 
Note: Whenever you land on a hospital or a police roof, a medic or cop will approach your copter and become a passenger, unless you already have one. If you don't want a medic or a cop, take off before he or she gets into your copter. 
At some point during this exercise, when you land on a roof, leave your helicopter and walk to the edge. 
 
NEXT


AUTO-ROTATION EXERCISE
When landing on roof tops becomes routine, it's time to practice auto-rotation. This is a specialized type of landing for when you run out of gas. No pilot can claim to be a true professional without having auto-rotation down pat. 
Fly around until you run out of gas. 
 Not enough gas for a cross-country jaunt 
When you run out of gas, your copter will begin to fall to the ground. 
As you are falling, maneuver your copter as though you were flying toward the ground. 
When you aim your helicopter toward the ground while falling, you use gravity and air to keep your rotor blades turning. This actually slows you down. 
Just before you hit the ground, maneuver your copter as though you want to fly backwards. 
This is called flaring up. 
 About to crash, but not so badly 
If your timing is correct, you'll hit the ground with less of a crash than if you just dropped. Bob's Gas Delivery service will make an appearance, and supply you with enough gas and maintenance to get you going. It's expensive and tricky, but your copter will live to fly another day. 
In SimCopter, you can only practice this maneuver if you have run out of gas. 
NEXT


WATER USE AND FIRE FIGHTING EXERCISE
Fires happen for lots of reasons: rioters, arsonists, plane crashes... it's a wonder there are any cities left. You must become familiar with your bucket and water cannon. This exercise gives you a chance to practice getting a water supply and using it on a fire. 
Fly to one of Tutorial City's many water areas. 
When you're over the water, change to Third Person View, then lower your water bucket. 
Your Third Person View follows your bucket as it lowers. 
 Bucket down and ready 
Note: You can't fill or use your water bucket if it's completely inside your helicopter. 
If necessary, descend until you hear the bucket splash in the water. 
 
Be careful, or you'll crash in the water. 
The bucket fills automatically when it hits the water. 
Keep your bucket in the water until the gauge reads full. 
Raise your helicopter a little. 
Dump the water from your bucket with the B key. 
Water dumps from the bucket for as long as you hold the "B" key or the Dump Water button, or until you're out of water, so keep an eye on your water gauge. 
Fill your water bucket again, raise your helicopter a little, then press the spacebar to shoot a stream of water. 
Notice that you are pushed backwards when you use the water cannon. To counter this, you must fly forward at the same time you use the water cannon. Practice makes perfect. 
Speaking of practice, this might be a good time to try your hand at dousing an actual fire. To do that, we'll have to start one. 
Press the Escape key. 
This opens the Settings panel. 
 
We'll talk more about this panel in the reference section. For now, click on the City Settings button to open the Settings screen. 
Use the sliders on the Settings screen to set the number and difficulty of various missions. 
Note: To prevent complications during a practice session, make sure only the mission you are practicing has its slider raised, with all the other mission sliders set at the bottom. 
Set the number of fires to about a half of the way up, and set the difficulty to low (near the bottom). 
 
Click OK to close the Settings screen. 
In a short while, a fire will start. You'll hear the dispatch and see a line on the city map from your location to the location of the fire. If there is more than one fire at a time, icons will show additional locations. Fires are randomly set, so yours might be anywhere, even where there are no buildings. 
 
When you arrive at the fire, dispatch a fire truck to a nearby road with the F2 key. 
You may not need the fire truck, but it's good to have one there just in case. 
Use the bucket and water cannon skills you have developed to douse the fire. 
Dump water on the fire from overhead. Shoot water right at it. As long as it's burning, you can't put too much water on it. If you run out of water, you'll need to get more. 
 Dump water from above 
A direct attack!  
When the fire goes out, you'll hear a hiss and the sweet sound of you being paid. That's it. 
HINT: You must be at the proper altitude for a water drop to be effective on a fire. If you're too high, the water evaporates before it hits the fire. If you're too low, your propeller accelerates the fire and you can take damage. Hot air rising from a fire can also make control difficult. If you hear a popping sound, you are too close to the fire and are taking damage. 
NEXT


RESCUE EXERCISE
During your career, you'll rescue Sims from overturned boats, burning buildings and runaway trains. In this exercise, we'll rescue a few Sims from a fishing trip gone bad. 
Open the Settings panel as before, by pressing the Escape key and selecting City Settings. 
Set the difficulty and number of rescue missions to suit your level of confidence. 
 
Close the panels. 
In a few moments, you'll receive a dispatch that Sims are in trouble and need your help. A line appears on your city map, showing you the location of the accident. Icons show additional rescue missions. 
 
You can fly directly to the scene, or you can land on a hospital roof along the way and pick up a medic. Even though a medic occupies a seat in your helicopter (which could otherwise hold a rescue victim), you can't know in advance how extensive injuries are. A medic can prevent injuries from becoming worse, and is usually worth the time and expense. 
For this exercise, when you arrive at the rescue area you should dispatch an ambulance to the area. 
Aim your spotlight at a nearby road square and press F3. 
Note: Remember, emergency vehicles can only travel on roads. 
Search the area until you find the Sims in need. 
 Help! Help! Help! 
When you find them, change to Third Person View and lower your rescue harness. 
Note: In Third Person View, the camera follows the rescue harness. 
Maneuver your helicopter so the hapless Sims can grab the harness. 
Women and children first  
Notes: Over water, the wind from your helicopter blades can push the boat away, which make things difficult for you and the Sims. 
Sims automatically grab the harness when it's close enough. The harness holds one Sim at a time. 
Bring the Sim into your helicopter by raising the harness, then lower it again if there are other Sims to rescue. 
The Sim automatically becomes a passenger. 
Repeat until there are no more Sims to rescue, or until your helicopter is full. 
 All aboard, safe and sound 
You must now take your Sims to a place of safety: 
Take injured Sim to a hospital roof for full payment. 
Take healthy Sims to any place in the city for full payment 
 Healthy Sim 
 Shaken up Sim. Consider a hospital 
 A hospital roof is this Sim's only hope. 
Sims leave your copter when you land. 
After taking rescued Sims to a place of safety, return to the site for Sims who were left behind, and take them to a safe place. Repeat the rescue process until there are no more Sims to rescue. 
When you're done, take the medic back to a hospital roof. It doesn't have to be the same hospital where you got him or her, but it would be nice. 
NEXT


RIOT ACTIVITY
Left unchecked, riots will cause traffic jams, fires and medical evacuations. You'll want police and fire trucks to help you. 
Open the Settings screen and increase the riot mission number. 
By the time you hear about it, a riot is already well developed. 
When you receive a riot dispatch, fly toward the trouble area. 
On the way, stop by a hospital roof and pick up a medic. 
Rioters hurt themselves and innocent Sims, either deliberately or by accident. 
When you arrive on the scene, dispatch police and fire trucks at strategic locations. 
 It doesn't take many Sims to cause problems. 
Police and fire trucks help contain and diffuse the rioters. 
Use the proper message from your megaphone to discourage additional people from joining the riot. 
For this exercise, use a Disperse message. The message have the greatest effect within your spotlight. 
Small groups at the fringe are less committed than people near the center. Still, a few people may ignore your warnings. 
Use your water cannon on larger groups of people near the center. 
Your water cannon breaks large groups into smaller groups. The smaller groups will have second thoughts about continuing to riot, and are more easily discouraged by your megaphone. There is a slight chance they may also become more angry and violent. 
Use tear gas as a last resort on those rioters who are still active. 
Tear gas will immobilize large groups for a while, but it can cause panic and injury. 
Police diffuse a riot when it is small enough. You job, however, is not yet over. 
Clean up those problems the riot has caused. 
Traffic jams, fires and medical evacuations still require your services after the rioters have left. 
NEXT



----------[REFERENCES HTM 16-41]----------

Helicopter Myth 4: Helicopters need two engines, one for the top propeller and one for the rear propeller.
Table of Contents Index 
Missions, Should You Choose to Accept Them
This reference section has the details you'll need to complete missions, and make lots of SimDollars. 
There are eight missions in SimCopter. Each mission reflects the trials of a dynamic city and has activities which you must complete within a certain time. You are responsible for a mission as soon as you receive its dispatch. More than one mission can happen at a time. 
You receive the full SimDollar bonus and all of the points only when you complete a mission. 
Some missions provide partial bonuses and points for certain actions during missions. 
You collect a salary for your flying time whether or not you complete any missions. You don't lose money for not completing a mission, but you are charged for picking up a medic or cop, dispatching emergency vehicles, using gas, maintenance and various other nominal expenses. 
NEXT


SPEEDER
Every city has at least one speeder at all times. Speeders drive down the middle of roads and are faster than other cars and you can hear their tires squeal. You do not receive a dispatch message for speeders. You must find them during your normal patrol duties (unless a police car finds one for you). 
Shine your spotlight on the speeder and use an appropriate megaphone message to order the scalawag to the side of the road. This will automatically dispatch the nearest police car to your area. A speeder will usually pull over. To receive full payment for catching a speeder, you must keep the speeder in your spotlight until the police arrive. If you fly off before the police arrive, the speeder will drive away almost immediately. No bonus or points for you. 
 Get this speeder off the road! 
NEXT



Traffic Jams
Traffic jams happen when something -- anything -- blocks a busy intersection. 
You'll receive a dispatch message, and a line on your city map extends from you to the traffic jam. A traffic jam icon will appear on your city map for each additional traffic problem. 
 Traffic jam reported! 
Use your spotlight and megaphone to re-route traffic from intersections near the jam. 
You should also dispatch police to help clear the traffic jam. Police "unjam" traffic by being near it. The jam is considered cleared when traffic flows freely. 
If the traffic jam is caused by burning debris, you must put out the fire, after which the debris disappears. Even after debris is cleared, cars may still be jammed and need messages to become "free." 
You receive your bonus payment and points if the jam is cleared within a certain time. 
 This is rush hour? 
NEXT




FIRE
Fires happen for lots of reasons, from careless smokers to airplane crashes. 
You'll receive a dispatch message, and a line on your city map extends from you to the fire. A fire icon will appear on your city map for each additional fire. 
 Fire reported 
You must put the fire out with your water bucket or water cannon to receive full bonus points. The larger a fire is when it starts, the more money and points you earn when you put it out. 
A fire that starts small and spreads will not earn you more money, but you will lose points and it will take more work to put out. 
Fires can cause many additional missions. Dispatch emergency vehicles as may be necessary, but be frugal. You'll be charged for emergency vehicles you dispatch whether or not they are actually needed. If fire trucks do all of the work, you'll receive a partial bonus and points. 
If you do nothing, the fire will eventually burn itself out, but you'll receive no bonus or points. If the fire spreads while you do nothing, you will lose points. 
 Another hot time in the ol' town. 
NEXT




RESCUE
Sims are subject to overturned boats, burning buildings and runaway trains -- things you wouldn't even wish on a Congressman. 
A line on your city map extends from you to the Sims in need, and you'll receive a dispatch message. A rescue icon will appear on your city map for each additional rescue. 
 Rescue reported 
Use your harness to rescue Sims and bring them into your helicopter, then fly them to a place of safety. Only one Sim at a time can use your harness. 
Your bonus and points are awarded on a "per Sim" basis. Where you must take Sims for payment depends on their injuries: 
 Injured Sims must be taken to a hospital roof for full bonus and points. 
 Healthy Sims can be taken to any safe area in the city for full payment. 
When you land, healthy sims, cops and medics will automatically leave your copter. Use your cursor to drag injured Sims from your helicopter. 
There is a chance that injuries can worsen with time, and Sims can eventually die. A medic will slow but not prevent this deterioration. 
To get a medic, land on the roof of any hospital. Medics charge a nominal fee when they enter your helicopter. You need not return the medic to the hospital where you got him or her. If you don't want a medic, leave the roof before the medic enters your copter. 
If you were too slow and someone got on, you can drag them from your copter before you take off. 
 A pilot's work is never done. 
NEXT



MEDICAL EVACUATION
Lots of things cause a need for medical evacuations, from home and industrial accidents to food poisoning at a Bed and Breakfast. Whatever the cause, there's no time to lose. 
A line on your city map extends from you to the emergency, and you receive a dispatch message. Any additional medical evacuations will produce icons on your city map. 
 Medical evacuation 
Medical evacuation almost always implies severe injury. A medic can help you save lives. Acquire a medic from the roof of any hospital. 
 
Whether or not you are carrying a medic, you must fly to the medical evacuation site and land. If you have a medic, he or she will then walk to the victims. Otherwise you must get out and carry the injured Sims yourself. 
 
You and the medic will automatically pick up an injured Sim when you're next to one. Only one Sim can be carried at a time. 
You must take injured Sims to a hospital roof to receive bonus and points. You are paid on a "per Sim" basis. You are penalized if a Sim dies. 
You can leave any medics behind, or be a real sport and return them to a hospital roof. 
NEXT



CRIMINAL
Even Sims have their bad apples. The malefactors of SimCopter are an unsavory lot who prey on the weak, the unsuspecting and the infirm. 
 Burglar 
A line on your city map extends from you to the scene of the crime, and you receive a dispatch message. Additional criminals produce criminal icons on your city map. 
 Crime reported! 
Criminals include thieves, muggers and such, who may cause medical evacuation missions, and arsonists who often cause fire missions. Frequently, you may see only the result of criminal action. Criminals stake out specific territories to ply their tawdry trades, and continue their crimes until caught. Diligent patrolling with a medic and cop can be effective. 
If you spot criminals while they are on foot, dispatch police to nearby roads to trap your quarry. A cop, if you have one, will spring into action when you land, so plan carefully. 
If the criminal is leaving the scene as you arrive, keep your spotlight on the speeding car. Try ordering the crook to the side of the road (some criminals are very stupid). Alert police to follow your spotlight with the F5 key. The tighter your spotlight is on the criminal's car, the slower the car travels. You might even second guess the escape route and fly ahead to dispatch police to key positions. They'll wait on stake out for a little while. 
On foot or in a car, a criminal makes a U-turn when it sees a cop up ahead. When criminals are blocked, they may surrender, flee as best they can, or shoot it out. Leave this part of the action to the pros. When the police actually capture the criminal, you get your bonus and points. 
 Scum like this are a real problem. 
NEXT



TRANSPORT
Important people have no time or patience for street level traffic and often hire you to take them above the fray. 
A red line on your city map extends from you to the place where the request is being made and you receive a dispatch message. Additional transport missions produce transport icons which appear on your city map. 
 Request for transportation 
If you arrive in time, VIPs will enter your copter. If you don't arrive in time someone else gets the assignment. 
The delivery location is shown by a white line on your city map. You must take the person to the marked location within a certain time. VIPs are not interested in problems your Sims may have. If you allow another mission to divert you and make you late, you do not get your bonus, you can lose points, and don't expect a tip. 
 Making money the easy way. 
NEXT


RIOT
Sims riot for many reasons. Property is put at risk by fires, and injuries can abound. Traffic can become a mess if the riot goes on for too long. 
A line on your city map extends from you to the riot. Additional riots will show as icons on your city map. 
 There's a riot goin' on. 
By the time you arrive, the riot has already developed. Rioters are always on the street, throwing debris and causing mischief. There can be several dozen of them. 
To receive full bonus and points, you must use your megaphone and spotlight first, then your water, and then your tear gas. If you use your tools out of this order, you may end the riot quickly, but you will lose points. 
Your spotlight and megaphone can discourage new rioters on the fringe and break up small groups. Your bucket or water cannon will discourage and break up larger groups closer to the center. Use tear gas to immobilize the largest groups at the center of the riot. 
Strategically placed police and fire trucks can contain and diffuse the riot, and ambulances can help treat injuries. When rioters leave the area, they cease to riot. When enough of them leave, the riot is over. 
You receive incremental bonuses and points as you diffuse the riot. When the riot is over, take care of any secondary missions that the riot may have caused. 
 Riots can be common. 
NEXT


------------------------[REFERENCE 2]---------------------------

Stuff on Your Dashboard
A fully equipped copter has lots of tools and equipment. 
 
NEXT



DASHBOARD ITEMS
 This shows your money (top) and points (below) 
 Fuel gauge, and not much fuel 
Altimeter
 
Radio
 
Your radio comes with several stations. Change stations by clicking the frequency indicator. 
Check out the Odds and Ends section to learn about adding your own radio stations. 
Compass
The Compass indicates your current direction relative to Geophysical SimNorth as defined by various international agencies, treaties and all other such hoopla. 
Spotlight Joystick
 
Grab this with your cursor to aim your spotlight without turning your copter, or use Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2, Ctrl-3, or Ctrl-4. 
NEXT



SPOTLIGHT
Aim your spotlight where you want your megaphone to be heard, or where you want emergency vehicles to go. Keep your spotlight on speeders and criminals to track them. The higher your elevation, the more ground your spotlight covers but the less effective it is when tracking criminals. Your spotlight is never turned off. 
 
NEXT




CITY MAP OVERVIEW
Here's a basic list of what your city map shows: 
Airports 	Purple 
Developed Areas 	Light gray 
Hospitals 	White 
Fire Stations 	Orange 
Police Stations 	Light blue 
Roads 	Tan 
Water 	Dark blue 
Open Areas in City 	Green 
Fire 	Glowing red 
Wilderness 	Green, brown, white 
Mission icons appear on your city map when there is more than one of any particular mission. Dispatched emergency vehicles also show up on your map. 
 
NEXT




TOOLS
There are five tools that you can buy from the catalog. Each tool has its own control panel, and is automatically installed in your helicopter when you buy the tool. When you sell a tool, the control flap is removed from the cockpit. 
 
You can only buy what you can afford. There are no business loans in SimCopter. 
NEXT



Water Bucket and Cannon
The water bucket (also called a "Bambi Bucket") can be filled or dumped only when lowered to some degree. When fully lowered, it is about fifty feet below you. It shares its water with your water cannon. 
 
A full water bucket makes taking off more difficult and makes you descend more quickly when landing. When the bucket is lowered it makes flight control more difficult. 
The bucket and cannon must be purchased separately. Water buckets are a standard size, but larger copters can carry more water. Bucket must be purchased first. Cable and winch included. 
 
Rescue Harness
Lower your rescue harness to Sims in distress, and snatch them from the jaws of death. When fully lowered, the harness is about fifty feet below you. 
 
Sims automatically grab the harness when it is close enough to them, and hang on while you lift them into your copter. They never fall off. Only one Sim at a time will fit on the harness, no matter how desperate the situation. 
The rescue harness is fireproof, non-conductive, and comes in one color only. 
 

Megaphone
The megaphone broadcasts your instructions to the area illuminated by your spotlight. Use it to clear traffic jams, pull over speeders and diffuse riots. Click on the button to open a menu of message types, and click on the type you want in order to send a message or press a key for the same results. The following is a guideline for message types and the situations they work with: 
Report Traffic 	Traffic Jam 	F6 
Stop Criminal 	Criminal & Speeder 	F7 
Evacuate 	Evacuate an area 	F8 
Disperse 	Riot 	F9 
Greet 	Try it and see 	F10 
Results can vary. Sims generally do as requested, but some may try to "beat the odds." Good luck. 
NEXT


Tear Gas Launcher
The tear gas launcher holds ten canisters of tear gas. Its primary use is for riots, but it can be effective against criminals on foot. 
 
When you are out of tear gas, you'll get replacements during normal maintenance. 
 Canister away! 
Warning: Improper use of tear gas violates Federal, State and Local laws, and results in severe point loss. 
NEXT




Passenger Seats
Each helicopter has a fixed number of seats. Each passenger takes a full seat. Click the upper right corner of the seating area to see who's sitting where. 
 
Adding seats to helicopters is a violation of Federal regulations. The only way to get more seats is to buy a bigger helicopter. 
NEXT




Menus and Game Settings
SimCopter has the usual suspects of menus and game setting options. 
Main Menu
 
The Main Menu has items to begin, continue or end a game. 
New Career Game
Select this to begin a new career. You'll choose one of three cities. When you choose your city, you'll be treated to a fly-through of that city. When the fly-though is over, you're at your helicopter pad, ready to go. 
Open Career Game
Select this to continue a career you started and saved earlier. You'll pick up where you were when you saved it, with your Sims unaware of any lapse in time. 
New User Game
Select this to open a standard dialog box so you can load any city from SimCity 2000, SimCity 2000 Network Edition or SimCity Urban Renewal Kit. You'll begin at the city's airport. If the city has no airport, one will be built just outside the southeast corner of the city. Perform services and daring-do, earn money and become a local hero. Sorry, no fly-throughs for User Cities. 
Open User Game
Select this to continue with a User City you started and saved earlier. 
Quit
Select this to close the Main Menu panel and exit SimCopter. Handy when the boss walks by. 
NEXT



Settings Panel
Press Escape at any time during the game to open the Settings panel. From here you can tweak city and game aspects. 
 
City Settings
City settings increase or decrease the number of missions and their difficulty. 
Note: City settings are available only with User Cities and Tutorial City, not with Career Cities. 
 
Graphics
Graphics settings let you change ambiance and flavor of how things look. 
Note: Turning off textures, using lower resolution and moving the fog closer can improve performance. 
 
Sound
The Sound panel gives you control of the sound and music. 
Note: You can't turn off your dispatch radio, but you can turn the volume down so you can't hear it. 
 
Controls
This screen shows the complete list of assigned keyboard and joystick commands. Change them to suit your tastes. 
 
Changing Commands for Keyboards
1. Scroll through the list to the command you wish to change, then click on that command. Any keys currently assigned to that command are shown in green on the on-screen keyboard. Keys assigned to other commands are red. Unassigned keys are white. The gray keys are reserved (you can't use them). 
2. To assign a command, click on an unassigned key. To remove an assignment, click on the green key for that command. 
Note: You can have multiple keys assigned to one command. 
 
Changing Commands for Joysticks
Make sure you have installed any driver that may have come with your joystick, and that you have calibrated your joystick using the Joystick settings on your Windows 95 Control Panel. 
Your joystick may not have or use all the buttons on the joystick graphic. To see which buttons your joystick uses, note the graphic as you operate each of your joystick's buttons. If a single button on the graphic "depresses" when you use a button, that button can be assigned a command. If no buttons on the graphic depress, or if more than one button depresses, that button on your joystick cannot be assigned a command. 
Commands can only be assigned command to buttons which do not have a command assignment. Buttons that have assignments are red in the graphic. To assign a command to a button which already has a command, you must first remove the command assigned from that button. 
1. Click on each command in the list of commands. When a button in the graphic changes to green, it means that button has been assigned that command. 
2 Click the mouse cursor on the green button to "unassign" that command. 
3. Scroll through the list of commands to find the command you want assigned to that button. Click on that command to highlight it. 
4. Click on the button in the graphic that you want the command assigned to. The button will turn green. The highlighted command is now assigned to that button. 
Commands which are not assigned to a joystick button can still be accessed from your keyboard. No matter how you configure your joystick, you may still need the mouse cursor. 
Save Game
Saves your game (Career or User City) under its current name and location. The first time you save a game, a standard dialog box lets you give it a name and location. 
Save Game As
Opens a standard dialog box so you can change the name or location of your current game (either Career or User City). 
Leave City
Closes the Settings panel and opens the Main Menu. 
Continue
Closes the Settings panel and returns you to flying duties. 
NEXT



Career Game Promotions
When you complete a city, you'll have the choice of going to another city at the same level or to a city at the next level. The number of points you need to advance stays the same as you advance. The points are more difficult to get at higher levels. 
You'll get a fly-through every time you pick a new Career City. Hit the Escape key to bypass the fly-through and get right to work. 
Odds and Ends
Quick Changes to User Cities
You can change the complexion and flavor of a User City by loading it into SimCity 2000 or SCURK, rotating it 90, 180 or 270 degrees, then saving it. SimCopter will assign North to a different side of the city. 
Damage done to buildings in a User City in SimCopter will still be there when that city is loaded back into SimCity 2000. 
Adding Your Own Radio Station
Here's how to create and add your own radio station. 
Place your favorite tunes in a folder called MUSIC. These tunes must be .WAV files. 
Place this MUSIC folder into a folder which has a "station" name that you have given to it. 
Place your Station folder into the folder named "Stations" which is in the Radio folder, which in turn is in the SimCopter sound folder. 
Day and Night
Patrolling a city at night has some rewards. City skylines take on a singular beauty, and fires can really light up a sky. Toggle the day and night views with Control-D for a whole different look at things. 
Sharing the Skies
The skies over most cities are busy. You share the skies with other aircraft. In the last city, there's a... well, we're not exactly sure what it is. Not to worry. There's plenty of room for all of you. 
Unfortunately, other aircraft tend to crash and start fires. 
Cheat Codes
What? Cheat codes in SimCopter? Press CTRL-ALT-X to open a dialog box. Enter "Gas does grow on trees". Any others? You bet. Will you read about them here? No way. 
Want More User Cities?
You can find a plethora of cities to fly in. People all over the world have created cities. Some of them are on the Maxis web site. Check them out. The address is: 
http://www. maxis.com/the_store/creations-simcity2000.html 
You can even fly in SimCity Classic cities. Load a SimCity Classic city into SimCity 2000, then save it as a SimCity 2000 city. Now you can load it as a SimCopter User City. 
NEXT


The WhirlyBirds of SimCopter
Helicopters, like cars, people and cats, have both subtle and noticeable differences. Here are some specs of the helicopters available to save your city. Speeds are given in kilometers per hour (km/h) and knots (kts). Seating capacity is in addition to the pilot. Range is in kilometers and nautical miles (nm). Weight is for empty helicopter in kilograms and pounds. Rotor diameter is in meters (and in feet and inches for our friends still using the English system): 
Schweitzer 300
 
Engines: Single piston (190hp) 
Seats: 2 
Speed: 153 km/h (82kt) 
Range: 360km (195nm) 
Weight: 474kg (1046lb) 
Rotor Diameter: 8.18m (26 ft 10 in) 
McDonnell/Douglas 500
 
Engines Single turbine (278shp) 
Seats: 1-6 
Speed: 232km/h (125kt) 
Range: 422km (228nm) 
Weight: 493kg (1088lb) 
Rotor Diameter: 8.03m (26 ft 4 in) 
McDonnell/Douglas 520 Notar TM
 
Engines: Single turbine (375shp) 
Seats: 4-5 
Speed: 250km/h (135kt) 
Range: 402km (217nm) 
Weight 742kg (1636lb) 
Rotor Diameter:8.33m (27 ft 4 in) 
McDonnell/Douglas Explorer
 
Engines: Twin turbine (629shp) 
Seats: 8-10 
Speed 274km/h (148kt) 
Range 600km (325nm) 
Weight: 1458kg (3215lb) 
Rotor Diameter: 10.3m (33 ft 10 in) 
Agusta A109
 
Engines: Twin turbine (400shp) 
Seats: 7-8 
Speed: 285km/h (154kt) 
Range: 648km (350nm) 
Weight: 1418kg (3126 lb) 
Rotor diameter: 11m (36 ft 1 in) 
Bell 212
 
Engines: Two coupled turbines (1290shp) 
Seats: 13-15 
Speed: 206km/h (111kt) 
Range: 450km (243nm) 
Weight: 2765kg (6097lb) 
Rotor Diameter: 14.69m (48 ft 2 in) 
Dauphin 2 (Eurocopter)
 
Engines: Twin turbine (680shp) 
Seats: 13 
Speed: 260km/h (140kt) 
Range: 900km (485nm) 
Weight: 1806kg (3980lb) 
Rotor Diameter: 11.68m (38 ft 4 in) 
Bell 206 Jet Ranger
 
Engine: Single turbine (420shp) 
Seats 7 
Speed: 232km/ (125kt) 
Range: 666km (360nm) 
Weight: 844kg (1861lb) 
Rotor Diameter: 11.28m (36 ft)


Commands and Default Key Assignments
Help 	F1 
Fire projectile 	M 
Exit helicopter 	E 
View next mission 	N 
Cycle chase views 	R 
Rotate (turn) left 	Left arrow 
Rotate (turn) right 	Right arrow 
Move forward 	Up arrow 
Move backward 	Down arrow 
Slide left 	A 
Slide right 	S 
Increase altitude 	Q 
Decrease altitude 	W 
Lower bucket 	V 
Raise bucket 	C 
Dump water 	B 
Lower winch 	G 
Raise winch 	F 
Change view 	T 
Dispatch fire truck 	F2 
Dispatch ambulance 	F3 
Dispatch police car 	F4 
Police follow helicopter 	F5 
Camera in 	I 
Camera out 	K 
Camera up 	J 
Camera down 	L 
Camera focus up 	O 
Camera focus down 	P 
Move fog in 	Ctrl-K 
Move fog out 	Ctrl-L 
Toggle object textures 	Ctrl-O 
Toggle ground textures 	Ctrl-G 
Toggle day and night 	Ctrl-D 
Low/high resolution 	Ctrl-Q 
Helicopter panel display 	Ctrl-P 
Toggle sky display 	Ctrl-S 
Toggle SimCopter priority 	Ctrl-Alt-R 
Toggle full-screen 	Ctrl-Enter 
Bring up Keyboard default commands 	Ctrl-I 
Options panel 	Esc 
Cancel fire dispatch 	Shift F2 
Cancel ambulance dispatch 	Shift F3 
Cancel police dispatch 	Shift F4 
Cancel police follow 	Shift F5 
Report traffic 	F6 
Stop criminal 	F7 
Evacuation 	F8 
Disperse 	F9 
Greet 	F10 
	


Oops
The manual was 100% perfect when it was sent to the printer's, but a group of gremlins got hold of it on the way and performed dasterdly deeds to the text. Even worser, their cousins tinkered with the program code. As a result, there are a few discrepencies between what the manual says and how the game works. Nothing egregious, but certainly worth mentioning: 

1. The manual states that your helicopters can get fuel and maintenance anywhere within the particular world you are flying in. This is not true. Fuel you can get anywhere, but you must return to your assigned hangar for repairs. 

2. Control-M no longer toggles the radio on and off. 

3. To send a greeting to your Sims, use F10, not F0. 

4. An overturned boat is likely to drift. This means that when you arrive at a boat rescue site, you may have to search for the victims. 

5. If your game appears to be "chunking" and your helicopter seems difficult to control, here are a few ways to make it run smoother, with much better response: 
Bring in the fog closer to your view. You can do this from the graphics control panel with the fog slider, or you can move the fog in with the CTRL-K key combination or out with the CTRL-L key combination. 

If your game is still slower than you would like, turn off the ground textures (wavy water, green house lawns and the like). Again, you can do this at the graphics control panel, or you can turn it off with the CTRL-G key combination. 
You can also make a big improvement by turning off the building textures. This is all the windows and brick-like appearance that wraps the buildings. Visit your graphics control panel or use the CTRL-O key combination. 
None of these changes will affect the way you play the game. 
 

NOTE: "Oops Line 1" is still incorrect. You can in fact refuel and repair anywhere by landing, exiting your chopper and press Ctrl+C to bring up the maintenance console. The only disadvantage is it will cost considerably more money than returning to an airport. JM, 1/1/2010











 








