Welcome to Continuum's Quick Help guide, originally compiled by Pio.
This guide aims towards getting new players the fastest help possible.
This video will take you through the steps needed to install and run the game:
When you first run the game, it will let you know its updating the active servers in the game. Once it's done this, it will list the various zones or servers that have active players. There are many active zones within the game, but for now, you should be interested in the most popular zone with the most players, which is SSCU Trench Wars
Create Profile
Open Continuum and then press CTRL+P before proceeding. Select "New" on the left tool bar, select a profile name (this can be anything you want), and then select your player name; this name has to be unique as in not already in use by another player, so make sure it is likely to be unique. Now select a password for your name, select your ship you would like to start off in, (we'll explain the ships later). Finish by clicking the 'OK' button. Now make sure SSCU Trench Wars is the highlighted zone on your server list. Push Play to enter the zone, if it says invalid password for specified user then you must go back into Profile and select a new name, it’s already taken.
Up: Up Arrow
Down: Down Arrow
Left: Left Arrow
Right: Right Arrow
Thrust: Shift + Up Arrow/Down Arrow
Bullets: Ctrl
Bombs: Tab
Mines: Shift + Tab
Warbird (wb)
Single Front Bullet, 1 Hit Kill. To Select: Press ESC, Press 1.
Javelin (jav)
Single Front Bouncing Bomb, 1 Hit Kill. Rear Bullet(s), Low Damage. To Select: Press ESC, Press 2.
Spider (spid)
Rapid Fire Front Bullets, Low Damage. To Select: Press ESC, Press 3.
Leviathan (lev or levi)
Mine, Single Front Bomb, High Radius. Front Bullet(s), Medium Damage. To Select: Press ESC, Press 4.
Terrier (terr)
Burst, 1 Hit Kill. Portal. Front Bullet(s), Low Damage. To Select: Press ESC, Press 5.
Weasel (x or cloaker)
Cloaking Device. Front Bullet(s), 1 Hit Kill. To Select: Press ESC, Press 6.
Lancaster (lanc)
Front Bullet(s), Wide Range, Medium Damage. To Select: Press ESC, Press 7.
Shark (fat ship)
Mines, Bombs, 1 Hit Kill/EMP. Repels. To Select: Press ESC, Press 8.
Spectator (spec)
Observation Only To Select: Press ESC, Press S.
Basic Options
Open Continuum and then press CTRL+O before proceeding.
Display: It's suggested you leave everything as default. Changing these options will not harm your game, but will alter it's interface in-game.
Chat: If you use 1280x1240 Resolution, it's recommended to change Font Size to Medium.
Sound: Change "Sound Mode:" to "Engines Off".
Radar: Change "Radar Mode:" to "Large".
Graphics: UnCheck "Backgrounds". UnCheck "Rolling Ship". Change "Color Depth:" to "16".
Menu: It's suggested you leave everything as default. Changing these options will not harm your game, but will alter it's interface in-game.
Other: Check "Multi-Fire Starts On". Check "Show Player Ping Times".
Click "OK" when finished.
Advanced Options
Open Continuum and then press CTRL+A before proceeding. Check "Avoid Page Flipping". Check "Disable Clipping". Click "OK" when finished.
Prize Green (green)
Picking up these items will prize your ship special items. Drive your ship over them.
Repel (rep)
Repels enemy ordinance and ships away from you. Shift+Ctrl
Portal (port)
Limited warp point Set: Shift+Insert. Use: Insert
Burst
Shoots a burst of energy from your ship. Shift+Del
Stealth
Makes your ship invisible on radar. Home Key
Cloak
Makes your ship invisible. Shift+Home
Rocket
Boosts your ships speed for a short period. F3 Key
X-Radar
While on; ships using Cloak or Stealth can be seen. End Key
Anti-Warp (anti)
While on; the enemy team cannot attach or warp, if they are in the effected radius. Shift+End
Decoy
Creates a clone of your ship (a decoy). F5 Key
Thor's Hammer (thor)
Special bomb that can go through anything. F6 Key
Brick
Deploys a small wall that enemys cannot shoot or go through. F4 Key
Chat
Type a message and press enter to send a Public message. To send other message types, put one of these prefixes before your message:
// or ' - Sends message to your team
/ - Sends private message to ticked player
:: - Sends private message to person who last messaged you
::: - Keep pressing : to cycle through last five persons to message you
:name: - Sends a private message to 'name'
# - Sends a message to all online squadmates
:#sqd: - Sends a message to all online members of the squad called 'sqd'
; - Sends message to first chat channel
;2; - Sends message to second chat channel (up to 9)
?time - Displays time remaining in current game (if timed)
?spec - Lists any persons spectating you
?target=[x] - Sets your radar's minimum target bounty to [x]
?buy - Lists items available for purchase
?buy [item] - Buys the specified item
Chat
?lines=[x] - Changes number of displayed message lines to [x]
?namelen=[x] - Changes number of letters shown in player names to [x]
?ignore - Ignores messages from ticked player
?ignore [name] - Ignores messages from [name]
?nopubchat - Toggles displaying Public Chat on/off
?obscene - Toggles ignoring zone defined obscenities (if any)
?away [msg] - Set an away message. Auto-responds to private messages with [msg]. Type ?away to turn off.
?log - Toggles message logging on/off (Default: %bsession.log)
?log [f] - Starts message logging to text file [f]
?logbuffer - Toggles message logging on/off, includes chat buffer of messages prior to log start (Default: %bsession.log)
?logbuffer [f] - Starts message logging to text file [f], includes chat buffer.
?kill - Toggles displaying kill messages in chat area, center, or neither.
?enter - Toggles displaying player entrance messages in chat area, center, or neither.
?leave - Toggles displaying player leaving messages in chat area, center, or neither.
?messages - Reads any messages you have in your Subspace mailbox
?message [name]:[msg] - Leaves a message with text [msg] for player [name] that will be delivered when that player is online.
Chat Channels
?chat=name - Joins chat channel 'name'
?chat=name,fun - Joins chat channels 'name' and 'fun' (you may join up to 9 channels)
?chat - Lists who is currently on your chat channels
Macros
?loadmacro [f] - Loads your macros from file [f]
?savemacro [f] - Saves your macros to file [f]
Arenas
?arena - Lists open arenas in zone (at top of screen)
?go - Enters a random public arena
?go [name] - Enters arena called [name] (arena names starting with # are private arenas)
User Info
?password=[pw] - Changes your user name's secret password to [pw]
?usage - Displays your total usage time
?userid - Returns your unique UserID number
?find [player] - Returns location (zone and/or arena) of player
Latency
?ping - Lists ping info (current, average, high, and low)
?packetloss - Returns % of game packets lost from s2c (server to client) and c2s (client to server)
?lag - Displays your ping and packetloss statistics
Sound
?music=[x] - Sets your music volume to [x] (0 - 10)
?sound=[x] - Sets your sound volume to [x] (0 - 10)
?alarm - Toggles message beep on/off
Assistance
Your [msg] is sent to any online zone moderators; Enter relevant player name(s) and description of problem in [msg]
?help [msg] - For general game assistance
?cheater [msg] - Use to report cheater activity
Squads
?squadjoin=[name]:[pw] - Joins squad called [name] with password [pw]
?squadcreate=[name]:[pw] - Creates squad called [name] with password [pw]
?squadleave - Leaves your current squad
?squadowner [squadname] - Returns name of owner of [squadname]
?squad [playername] - Displays squad name of [playername]
?squaddissolve - Deletes current squad
?squadpassword=pw - Changes squad's password to 'pw'
?squadkick=playername - Removes 'playername' from squad
?squadgrant=playername - Transfers ownership of squad to 'playername'
?squadlist - Lists all players on your squad