STAR CONTROL - FROM ACCOLADE SOFTWARE TYPED BY: ZODACT/RAZOR 1911 STAR CONROL is a science-fiction wargame which pits the forces of The Alliance of Free Stars against those of the predatory Ur-Quan Hierarchy. The game is designed so that you can ease into play, familiarizing yourself with menus, options, and player controls. The Alliance and Hierarchy each possess seven different types of warships. Each vessel has its own maneuvering and firing characteristics, plus a unique special power that you can employ when circumstances dictate. [These are the most important docs you need for the game, the other imformation is either incredibly easy to figure out, description, or just plain irrelevent to game play] REQUIREMENTS ------------ o 1 meg of memory o If loading from a hard drive, you need 800K of free RAM after Workbench o Blank formatted disk to save games (if playing from floppies) KEYBOARD CURSOR CONTROLS ------------------------ Arrow keys move the highlighter Return key selects highlighted option JOYSTICK SHIP CONTROLS ---------------------- THRUST UP LEFT UP UP/RIGHT THRUST & ROT LEFT\ | / THRUST & ROT RIGHT \ | / \ | / LEFT-------O-------RIGHT ROTATE / | \ ROTATE / | \ / | \DOWN/RIGHT DOWN/LEFT DOWN SPECIAL POWER (Hiarchy and Alliance joystick controls are identical) KEYBOARD SHIP CONTROLS ---------------------- Default Flight Control (can be reconfigured with KEYS utility) Hierarchy Alliance --------------------------------------------------------------- Special 1 N Rotate Left 2 M Rotate Right 3 , Thrust 4 . Fire 5 ? OTHER SPECIAL CONTROLS ---------------------- [SPACEBAR] Cancels last selection [in FULL game only] [F1] Pause/Resume game [F10] Exit any mode of play SAVING A GAME IN PROGRESS ------------------------- 1) Press F7 2) If running from a floppy disk, insert a formatted disk into DF0: 3) Select a number from 1-9 to identify a saved game, and type it. 4) Type a name for the saved game, then press ENTER. 5) When the save is complete, you're returned to the Fleet Command View. KEYBOARD CONFIGURATION UTILITY ------------------------------ The configuration utility - KEYS - lets you reconfigure the keys you'll use as the control keys in STAR CONTROL. To use, double click the STAR CONTROL Disk 1 icon from Workbench and then double click on the KEYS option. SCENARIO EDITOR --------------- The scenario editor utility - EDIT - allows you to modify the scenarios which came with the game, and even create new scenarios entirely of your own design. To use, double click on the STAR CONTROL Disk 1 icon and then double click on the EDIT icon. SETTING PLAYER OPTIONS ---------------------- CONTROL OPTIONS--> Control options determine who controls the Hierarchy and Alliance sides in both strategic and combat modes. Control options are: HUMAN- The human player [YOU] totally controls the side, making all strategic decisions and fighting all battles. COMPUTER- The computer totally controls the side. The computer controls ship selection in Practice and Melee, as well as Fleet Command in Full Game. CYBORG- The human player makes strategic choices. But when battle occurs, the computer takes over full combat responsibility. PSYTRON- The human player fights all battles, while the computer decides all strategy. FULL GAME --------- Full game combines strategic play with arcade-action combat. You develop resources, build colonies, purchase ships, fortfy stars, and plot moves through space while your opponent is carrying out a similar set of actions. Both sides compete to achieve superior strategic position, so that combat occurs on advantageous terms. Play is divided into turns, alternating between Hierarchy and Alliance. On a players turn he can perform three [3] actions, such as moving a ship, building a new ship, or developing a mine or colony. The game ends when one player fulfills his side's victory conditions. Total destruction of the enemy always results in a victory, though not necessarily the easiest victory. THE ROTATING STARFIELD ---------------------- The rotating starfield is a spatial world, multi-dimensional and moving about a vertical axis. It takes some time before your eyes adjust to this environment, as your view constantly changes. STARS ----- Stars are colored according to the kind of planets which orbit them. Unexplored stars are indicated in blue. When you move a ship to an unexplored star, it changes color. A purple star indicates a mineral planet, a green star a colonizable planet, and a gray star a dead planet. MINERAL WORLDS -------------- Mineral worlds are hot, heavy, dense planets and contain metals, ores, sulphurs, and other compounds which may be exploited for mining. When these minerals are prosessed, they generate starbucks which allow you to build and power new ships. LIFE WORLDS ----------- Life worlds are green and temperate planets resembling the Earth. They contain plenty of water and oxygen, and are ideal locations for a race to build colonies. DEAD WORLDS ----------- Dead worlds are rocky wastes wich never possessed atmospheres - or had them obliterated in some cosmic calamity. A dead world can be fortified by a resourceful planner. SHIPS ----- The number of ships each player starts with depends on the scenario chosen. If you have a starbase, you can buy new ships, and can have up to seven ships in your fleet. STARBASES --------- A starbase is a large, slow-moving space station at which you can build new starships. NOTE: It is recommended that you guard starbases with at least one combat vessel. An undefended starbase is automatically destroyed if an enemy ship reaches it. INSTALLATIONS ------------- A primary activity in the Full Game is building installations which aid the player in conquering star clusters: COLONIES [DIAMONDS] FORTIFICATIONS [SQUARES] MINES [PLUS SIGNS] COLONIES -------- A colony, established on a life world, provides a place for a ship to recruit new members to replace those lost in combat. Colonies also speed ship movement, since moving from a colony world does not cost an action. This benefit does not apply to Starbases. MINES ----- Mines, established on mineral worlds, earn the side developing that world's resources Starbucks at a rate of one per turn. [Your starbase also generates one Starbuck per turn] FORTIFICATIONS -------------- You establish fortifications as a defensive web through which no single ship can pass or easily destroy. [With the exception of the Arilou Skiff and the Ur-Quan dreadnought!]. Fortifications protect colonies and mines, and may block an attack route to a starbase. Should a single ship move into a fortification, it is stuck. To free it, it must successfully besiege or be joined by a second ship which will automatically destroy the fort at the end of the turn. DESTROYING ENEMY INSTALLATIONS ------------------------------ You destroy an undefended enemy colony, mine, or fortification by moving onto it with any ship. Alternately, if you defeat all enemy ships in battle which are guarding an installation, you automatically destroy it. In some scenarios, complete destrucation of one type of installation may resuly in the victory of your side. PRECURSOR RELICS ---------------- In full game, you can discover Precursor knowledge tablets conataining the imprint of valuable technological relics. These age-old, still functional devices left in stasis cubbies by the Precursor cultures. There is a random chance you may find a Precursor tablet each time that your ship lands on an unexplored star. When your ship finds a relic, it is added to the ship's structure. The vessel immediately improves in an area of ship performance. Whenever you gain a Precursor tablet, the relic is indicated by a silhouetted letter which appears on the discovering ship. The letters and improvements are: [F] - Fuel Packs Attached. Your ship's maximum fuel is now increased. [C] - Crew Pods Added. You now have increassed crew capacity, but to gain more crew you must recruit at a colony. [D] - Dynamo Attached. Improves fuel regeneration. [T] - Thrusters attached. Improves fuel regeneration. [J] - Control Jets Attached. Improves turning. SCENARIO DESCRIPTIONS --------------------- 1] BEGINNER'S LUCK. An introductory scenario in which you learn to establish forts and mines; few ships and stars are found. Either side is victorious when its forces completely destroy the enemy. 2] FIRST ENCOUNTER. The two sides square off with modest, evenly-balanced forces. A moderate number of stars populate space. You colonize and build ships, and win by achieving total destruction of enemy forces. 3] EXTERMIATE. The Shofixti - starting with a few colonies, a starbase, and six ships - confront an Ur-Quan foe with a sole fortified colony and a single Dreadnought. The Hierarchy player wins by destroying all enemy colonies or eliminating all enemy forces; the Shofixti must kill the Ur-Quan Dreadnought. 4] ESCALATION. Each side starts with a single starbase, 25 starbucks, and no ships. Use your cunning, expanding slowly and building fortifications. Also possible: a "blitzkrieg" against the opponent's starbase. You win by completely destroying the enemy. 5] THE ART OF WAR. Both players begin with a limited number of ships. An overall balance of forces exists; however, Art of War features a series of individual matchups that contrast individual ships' strengths and weaknesses. Win by destroying the enemy's starbase. 6] ONSLAUGHT. A Dreadnought Armade, unattached to any starbase [thus without ship-building powers] rampages through an Alliance stronghold. The Ur-Quans capitalize on an initial advantage to destroy Alliance ships, mines, and colonies. If Alliance forces survive to build new ships, they try to tilt the odds against the Dreadnoughts. Alliance victory occurs with the destruction of all Ur-Quan ships. 7] TOTAL WAR. An enhancement of Melee mode, Total War pits the seven Hierarchy vessels against the full roster of Alliance ships. there are no starbases, so neither side can build new vessels. The player who colonizes, explores, and fortifies most effectively gains the upper hand. Win by total destruction of the foe. 8] SPATHI LESSON. Their Ur-Quan masters have sent the Spathi to destroy a Mmrnmhrm mining outpost. The Hierarchy side wins if the Spathi pulverize all Mmrnmhrm mines; the Alliance must eliminate all Hierarchy ships to triumph. 9] COUNTER ATTACK. This time, the Hierarchy is on the defensive as Alliance vessels invade Ur-Quan space. The Alliance has money and a lone Chenjesu ship. The Hierarchy have ships and income from mines, but no money. You must destroy the enemy to win. Documentation typed by: -=* Zodact/Razor 1911 *=- Finished at: 10:45 PM on November 23rd, 1990 Thanks to RomKernal for obtaining the manual. Call The Pitch - [703]/569-8477 - Razor 1911 USA Or drop us a note at: Razor 1911 PO Box 10714 Burke, Va 22009 USA S t a r C o n t r o l Documentation Docs written by The Byter. This has been an Alternative Release. Star Control is, at its very basic core, a modern version of the arcade classic "Space War". Star Control gives you the option of choosing from a number of ships, different depending on which "side" of the game you are playing, and provides a strategic game as well. The first menu displays the player setup for each side - the Hierarchy (bad guys) on one side, and the Alliance on the other. Control indicates who does the playing, and Using indicates keyboard or joystick (for a human player). The options available from this menu are: Practice -- Action battle between two ships. This is good for getting to know how one ship will fare against another. The battles will continue until you press F10 to exit. When one ship is killed, another of the same type will replace it. Melee -- Practice battle - one fleet against another fleet. You and your opponent get one of each type of ship, and match them up against each other. When one of your ships is destroyed, you get to pick the replacement. A ship will remain in battle until it is destroyed, or no enemies remain. Full Game -- Strategic planning as well as battles. See the section below. Set Players -- Choose player setups. See below. Quit -- No fun. Self-explanatory The first option you will use is Set Players. The screen is replaced by a similar menu, showing Hierarchy on the left, Alliance on the right, and a box marked "OK" in the centre. Moving to the left allows you to choose who plays the Hierarchy forces (and vice-versa to the right). You can choose one of four choices for the player - Human (human controls strategy and battles), Computer (Computer controls strategy and battles), Cyborg (Computer controls battles, human controls strategy), and Psytron (Computer controls strategy, human does the battles). When Human is selected, you can choose keyboard or joystick control. When one of the computer or computer-assisted players is chosen, you get to choose the skill of the computer player. Make your choices for both sides, and hit the OK button in the centre of the screen. Battles ~~~~~~~ Once you have set the players up, you will want to start a battle. Select Practice to get some combat experience. You will be prompted for one ship and then the opponent. If your opponent is a computer player, the computer will randomly select a ship. Pressing the "Special Action" key (or button #2 on the joystick) will give detailed information about the ship. Pressing the "Fire" key (button #1) will select that ship for the battle. Once you begin the battle, it is to the death. There is no withdrawl (although you may hit F10 to abort it). Control is the straightforward "Asteroids" type control - left, right, thrust, fire, and "Special". The special ability varies from ship to ship, and can be quite useful. Battles take place on a starfield and a planet. Moving off the edge of the screen will move the players onto another section of the starfield. Avoid planets for the most part, as they do have a strong gravitational pull which can pull a ship to its doom. Planets can be used for a speed boost if you approach them in a slingshot manner, and can also be used to "hide" behind if an enemy with guided missiles is after you. Only one ship can square off at a time against an opponent. If there are a number of ships in a battle, they will take their turn, one at a time. To the right of the battle screen, there is a status display showing the Hierarchy ship on the top, the Alliance vessel on the bottom. This display will show a diagram of the ship, the race of the crew, and the name of the ship. On the left side is a black bar with green dots stacked inside. This is a measure of the maximum crew the ship can hold, and the green dots show the current crew compliment. If your ship looses all its crew, it will be destroyed. On the right is a similar black bar, but this one contains red dots. This indicates how much fuel the ship has. Fuel is used for firing the main weapons and for using the special ability. Fuel will regenerate as time goes on. At the bottom of the vessel diagram is a cockpit view of the crew. This serves no practical purpose, but it gives you a feeling for what kind of being serves aboard a certain vessel. Strategic Game ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the strategic game, you will play one of the packaged scenarios or one designed with the Scenario Editor. You will be presented with a three- dimensional rotating star map which will show the relative distances between stars as it rotates. It may take some getting used to, but once you figure it out it is quite easy to understand. Each star is represented by a dot on the screen, and each can have a different planet composition. These are: Dead World - These can be fortified to build a barrier against enemy forces, but are useless for resources. Live World - These can be colonized to provide a source of additional crew for damaged ships. They are represented by a diamond (blue for Alliance, red for Hierarchy) once they have been colonized. Mining World - Building mines provides the local currency - StarBucks - for use in building new ships. A completed mine is represented by a plus sign. Ships and Starbases may only move where there is a world, and can only jump from one planet to an adjacent one. Any planet may be fortified, which puts a small box around the planet (enclosing the diamond or plus, if any) to indicate that it is fortified. A fortification must be destroyed by enemy forces before they may pass beyond it. When you choose a ship to control, you have a few options. The first one is to move to another location. When you select this, one to four blue lines will appear connecting the current star to available destinations. The light blue line is the currently selected one. Pressing the fire button will move to the selected star, moving left/right moves the selection, and the Special key will abort the move. The status of a currently selected ship will be displayed with the ship type, name, and crew/fuel status. Occasionally, when moving into an unexplored sector, a ship may uncover some artifact left by the Precursors. These give better thrusters, more crew capacity, fuel capacity, and the like. Other options include COLONIZE or MINE, if it is an uninhabited world suitable for either purpose, RECRUIT if the ship is low on crew and orbiting a colony, BESEIGE if the ship is orbiting an enemy fortification, FORTIFY, which attempts to build a fortification around the current planet, and SCUTTLE which will destroy a damaged vessel. Options in black are not available for selection. Options in red are "currently in process", and should not be disturbed. Options shown in white are currently available. Starships also have the option to BUILD new starships. At the bottom of the screen are three yellow jewels, which indicate how many "moves" the player has left. Some actions, such as moving a starship, require all moves for that turn. Other actions, such as moving a Shofixti, require a fraction of a move. Strategic Scenarios ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are about 9 scenarios which are packaged with the game, and more can be developed with the included Scenario Editor. The victory conditions for the various scenarios vary, but are usually "Destroy the Enemy" in some form or another. Here are some brief descriptions of the canned scenarios: Beginner's Luck - The Hierarchy has an Androsynth Starbase, and the Alliance has a single Syreen starship. The Syreen must quickly destroy the starbase before more Androsynths can be built. Time is on the Hierarchy's side, as they can produce more ships. The Syreen must act quickly and decisively. Escalation - The game starts with two starbases, and nothing more. Each side must build forces, colonize worlds, build mines, and ultimately destroy the enemy starbase. Total War - No starbases exist for either side. Each side has a full fleet containing ONE ship of each race. Match your ships against the opponent they will be most effective against. First Encounter - Each player begins with a starbase, three battleships, and one colony and one mine. Expand and produce, or quickly trounce the enemy while his defenses are weak. The Art of War - Each side has a starbase and a few battleships. The Alliance can only build Syreen and Arilou ships, while the Hierarchy has access to Androsynth and Mycon vessels. Each ship type is valuable against an enemy type, and nearly totally defenseless against the other. Proving Ground - The Alliance begins with a starbase, a few battleships, and a number of colonies and mines. The Hierarchy has a base and a few Spathi cruisers. The Hierarchy must destroy the poorly defended mines and colonies with only Spathi ships, and the Alliance must defend against the threat with its supply of Mmrnmhrn vessels. The Alliance may build non- Mmrnmhrn vessels if it has the StarBucks. Exterminate! - The Hierarchy has one Ur-Quan dreadnought which must invade the Alliance sector populated by the Shofixti. The Shofixti must somehow destroy the dreadnought with their tiny vessels and may build additional Shofixti to help. Onslaught - The Hierarchy has five Ur-Quan dreadnoughts with which to invade Alliance space and destroy the poorly defended mines and colonies. The Alliance has a starbase to build extra Alliance vessels to defend itself and destroy all the Ur- Quan ships. Counter Attack - The Alliance has one Chenjesu ship (and a starbase) with which to attack Hierarchy space. The Hierarchy has a base, a few ships, and a shitload of mines and colonies. If too much time is spent, the Hierarchy will be able to build a massive fleet. The Vessels ~~~~~~~~~~~ The Hierarchy vessels at your disposal are: Mycon Podship - large ship with long-range homing plasma blast. Slow. Can grow additional crew. Spathi Discriminator - medium sized crew, small fuel bays. Replaces fuel slowly. Fires short range missiles from the rear (good for fleeing) and has a weak blaster. Very quick and agile. Androsynth Guardian - Attacks with homing "bubbles" which are a pain to evade. Can also turn into a "comet". Vux Intruder - Very slow and has a large fuel capacity. Has a VERY powerful short range lazer which destroys nearly anything. Can also generate leeches which attatch to enemy ships causing navigational problems. Ilwrath Avenger - Quick at turning and accellerating. Has a short-range flame thrower which does moderate damage. Has a cloaking device which makes it invisible. Umgah Drone - Small, weak, and slow, but turns quickly. Has a very short range Anti-Matter cone weapon on the front. Very fast forward-firing thrusters for quick escapes. Ur-Quan dreadnought - huge ship and rather slow. Powerful front-firing weapon, and can release small fighters as a special weapon. Stores a lot of fuel and a large crew. Has a very long range weapon, and regenerates fuel quickly. Alliance ships include: Chenjesu Broodhome - Slow and large, but boasting a long range and powerful crystal weapon. Hold down the fire button as long as you want the projectile to travel. When you release the button, it will burst into smaller shards which do less damage, but can hit on a shot which would otherwise miss. Can generate "sheep dogs" which will bump against an enemy vessel draining it of fuel and knocking it off course. Sometimes the dogs will even drive a ponderous enemy into a planet and destroy it utterly. Yehat Terminator - quick and agile, and boasting rapid fire twin missile launchers. Very agile, and can activate a protective sheild. Mmrnmhrn Xform - Two ships in one. In its first form, it is slow ship with a powerful laser. In the second form, it has much quicker thrusters, but cannot turn quickly. In the second form, it has two homing missiles with medium range. Ariloulaleelay Skiff - Small and extremely quick, this craft features an inertialess propulsion system (no coasting after you end thrust). It has a short range auto-aiming laser, and has a quick hyperspace option for getaways. Takes some time to get the control down. Syreen Penetrator - This ship (the phallic shape is intended) has a normal navigational system, a poor quality forward-firing ejaculation weapon, and low fuel capacity. It has a large crew capacity, however it starts out with a skeleton crew. The special ability of the Syreen is to send out a signal which causes enemy crew to abandon ship and join the Syreen. Hit the feature button when you're close to an enemy, and a number of little green dots will "bail out" of the enemy craft. Swing around and pick these up, and add to your crew. Destroying an enemy colony with a Syreen will garner a full crew. Earthling Cruiser - A slow and ponderous ship. It carries a supply of homing nuclear missiles with a long range, and do considerable damage. For short range (and defense) there are the point defense lasers, which can be used most effectively against other missiles and projectiles. This ship can turn quickly, and is one of my favorites. Shofixti Scount - A tiny extremely fast ship. Has a short range weapon. Its special ability is self-destruct, which can damage enemies or even destroy the massive Ur-Quan Dreadnought at close range. Different ships have different capabilities and are strong against different enemies. Experiment with them, and find out which ones you like for specific enemies, and how to control them. Excuse any typos or slight mistakes in this file. It was a quicky, so to speak, and not as polished as my other doc efforts have been. Greetings to everyone out there and their brothers. Special greetings to Sir Reginald B. Magillicutty for releasing this fine ware. Call some of these cool systems: The Lexicon (714) Computer is your Friend! (415) The Slave Den (904) And any other exceptional quality systems I may have missed. SKID ROW presents STAR CONTROL INSTRUCTION CARD FOR AMIGA Important Note: This command card pertains pertinent information for using the Amiga version of Star Control. You should still refer to the enclosed manual, but note the changes indicated here. Any page number below refers to the page number in the manual where change occurs. How to Install Star Control (Page 1) System Requirements To play Star Control, you need the following: o 1 megabyte of memory. o If loading from a hard drive, you will need 800K of free RAM after Workbench is loaded. o A blank formatted disk to save games (if playing from floppy disks). Back up Your Game Disks! The program comes without on-disk copy protection. We highly recommend that you make back-ups of the program disks, and store the originals in a safe, dry place. Refer to your Amiga manual for the correct procedure. Note: Make sure to rename the copies so that they are the same as the originals. For example, after copying Disk 1, rename the copy from "copy of Star Control Disk 1" to "Star Control Disk 1". Do the same for Disk 2. Installation For a Hard Drive To install Star Control on your hard drive, do the following: 1 Enter CLI. 2 Insert Star Control disk 1 into df0:. 3 Type cd dh0: and press Return. 4 Type execute df0:hdinstall and press Return. 5 Swap disks when instructed to do so. Note: Use your copies when installing Star Control to a hard drive. Starting the Game (Page 3) From a Hard Drive System: From Workbench, double click on the Star Control folder, then double click on the Star Control icon. From a Single Floppy Drive System: 1 With your computer off, insert Star Control Disk 1 into drive df0:. 2 Turn on the computer. The program will load automatically. 3 When prompted, insert Disk 2 into df0:. (You will not have to swap disks again.) From a Dual Floppy Drive System: 1 With your computer off, insert Disk 1 into drive df0:. 2 Insert Disk 2 into drive df1: (or df2: for Amiga 2000). 3 Turn on the computer. The program will load automatically. To Boot from Workbench: Insert Disk 1 into drive df0:. Double click on the Disk 1 icon, then double click on the Star Control icon. Keyboard Cursor Controls (Page 7) Up Cursor Arrow - Moves highlight Down Cursor Arrow - Moves highlight Left Cursor Arrow - Moves highlight Right Cursor Arrow - Moves highlight RETURN key - Selects Highlighted Option Joystick Cursor Controls Note: Any reference in the manual to "button #1" means the fire button, since there is only one fire button for Amiga joystick play. Also, the joystick must be plugged into port 2 for one player joystick control. For a two player game using two joysticks, a second joystick can be plugged into port 1 (mouse port), but must be done BEFORE going beyond the copy protection screen (Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette). Joystick Ship Controls (Page 8) UP Thrust UP / LEFT | UP / RIGHT Thrust & Rotate Left \ | / Thrust & Rotate Right \ | / \|/ LEFT --(_)-- RIGHT Rotate /|\ Rotate / | \ DOWN / LEFT / | \ DOWN / RIGHT Special Power and Rotate Left | Special Power and Rotate Right DOWN Special Power (Hierarchy and Alliance joystick controls are identical) Other Special Controls F3 - Does NOT turn sound on / off. Simply turn the volume up / down on your monitor. Saving a Game in Progress 1 Press F7. 2 If running from a floppy disk, insert a formatted disk into drive df0:. 3 Select a number from 1-9 to identify a saved game, and type it. 4 Type a name for the saved game, then press Enter. 5 When the save is complete, you're returned to the Fleet Command View. Keyboard Configuration Utility (Page 49) The Keyboard Configuration Utility - Keys - lets you reconfigure the keys you'll use as the control keys in Star Control. To use, double click the Star Control Disk 1 icon from Workbench (Star Control folder if installed on the hard drive) and then double click on the Keys icon. Scenario Editor (Page 50) The Scenario Editor Utility - Edit - allows you to modify the scenarios which came with the game, and even create new scenarios entirely of your own design. To use, double click on the Star Control Disk 1 icon (Star Control folder if installed on a hard drive) and then double click on the Edit icon. (Page 51) F10 - To exit the program STAR CONTROL TACTIC'S This is not the doc's for "Star Control" but more like a tactical read out of what ship to use against what enemy and what tactic to use: This is taken from: Computer Gaming World (Nov and Dec) issues. The article was written by the author of the game: Brought to you by "Superbeagle" and special thanks to Mrs Beagle for the typing, which took her 2 hours and it would have taken me 2 days. ************************************************************************** SHIP TIPS: The Hierarchy and Alliance fleets are not equal, though in the hands of an experienced player, they have equivalent overall strength. In general, Hier- archy ships are strong, slow, relatively simple to use, and deadly at close range. On the other hand, Alliance vessels tend to be weaker in terms of crew and raw firepower, but are more nimble and possess weapons/special abili- ty combinations whose offense/defense capabilities are more flexible than their Hierarchy counterparts. With either fleet, the key to winning is to know the strengths of your ships and the weaknesses of your opponent's. THE HIERARCHY FLEET: The Ur-Quan Dreadnought is the strongest and most expensive ship in the game. Don't ram it into a planet, or close with a ship that has powerful short-range weapons. In the Full Game, you may want to keep the Dreadnought near or on a colony, so that it can quickly restore any crew lost in battle. Each fighter launched represents a departing crew member, so don't send off all but the last few of your crew if the ship is crippled. Doing so risks defeat through a single, lucky enemy shot. Also, fighters expire if you don't let them return to your ship. Thus, avoid high-speed chases or your fighters could be left far behind. Finally, for experienced opponents, fighters are usually only a diversionary nuisance from long range. Use fighters at short range, in concert with your main weapon, for best results. Against most ships, the MYCON PODSHIP is a dead duck if it sits still. Once it gets moving (a good Gravity Whip works), its commander can kick back,fire a plasma torpedo now and then, and regenerate any damage that comes his way. The most serious flaw to this tactic is the presence of the planet. To give your- self time to respond to an onrushing celestial body, avoid diagonal whip tra- jectories. One of the most serious threats to the Mycon is its own weapon, the expand- ing plasma cloud. Fast ships, like the Arilou, Shofixti, or Syreen will try to lure the plasma weapon back upon the Mycon, especially if it is cooperating by staying in one spot. Alternately, if the Mycon is moving at or beyond its normal maximum velocity (due to a high-speed collision or a skillful Gravity Whip), it can overrun its own weapon immediately after launch, suffering grievous casualties. Solution: shoot backwards. In the Full Game, Mycons are especially useful for cleaning-up lone, vulnerable ships, because Mycons regenerate full crew between turns. The SPATHI DISCRIMINATOR is most dangerous when running from the enemy, from which position it can launch BUTT (Backward Utilized Tracking Torpedo)missiles directly into its enemy's path. Thus, it behooves the Spathi commander to en- tice his opponent into chasing him. Taunts and jeers being one of the Spathi commander's most important tools,the design of a Spathi ship rewards an exper- ienced commander (that is to say, one who knows which way is the front). The otherwise ineffective "main weapon" can become quite deadly with practice. If you need to kill only a few more crew for victory, as when fighting an undam- aged Arilou, don't shoot your wad in a single facing. Instead, rotate as you fire to increase your chance of a lucky hit. The ANDROSYNTH GUARDIAN does the most damage when hitting an enemy in Blazer form, especially if it gets a lucky "critical" strike,inflicting several rapid successive blows. To achieve maximum damage, strike the enemy from the direc- tion of least relative velocity (usually from behind), so as to minimize the scattering effect. The more fuel you have when you transform, the longer you stay in Blazer form, but if you are very close to your enemy, transform when- ever possible. Such sporadic, lurching advances are disconcerting to the enemy (hopefully screwing up his aim)and let you travel faster than your normal max- imum velocity. The Androsynth's molecular acid bubbles are useful both as a defensive shield (the Androsynth ship cannot be hurt by its own bubbles), and as an offensive weapon, provided they are deployed en masse in the path of a nearby enemy ves- sel. The VUX INTRUDER has the advantage of always appearing nearby an enemy vessel when combat begins. The VUX commander must be ready to fire instantly, and make course adjustments to keep his laser on target. If the enemy escapes and possesses any long or intermediate range weapons,the VUX must immediately seek out the planet and engage in a Gravity Whip. Once at a comfortable cruising speed, the VUX can recharge its huge batteries, and launch the occasional lim- pet. If the enemy launches a seeking weapon, don't forget to shoot at it as it approaches. When the VUX nears its target, it should slow by rotating to face the enemy and thrusting. Never engage your enemy unless you have lots of fuel! To make effective use of your limpets, deploy them in a curtain, then turn and thrust ahead of where your enemy must flee to avoid them. Once a few lim- pets have affixed themselves to enemy ship, pour 'em on! When the enemy is really gunked-up, and you are fully recharged, go for the kill. Remember, though the Yehat's shield is proof against your laser, your limpets pass through its defenses unaffected. There is nothing more rewarding than zapping an ever-so-invulnerable Yehat ship which is floating dead in space covered in green slime. In the Full Game, always attack with a VUX first, if possible.If the VUX arrives in mid-battle, his opponent will probably have considerable velocity, and will move out of laser range almost immediately. The secret to using the ILWRATH AVENGER is to learn where it is when it is invisible. Since the screen always centers on the midpoint between the two ships, the Ilwrath is always diagonally opposite its opponent. This means when your enemy gets near the center of the screen, you must be there too, so open fire! It is an unknown fact that when you uncloak by firing your hell- blast, your ship is automatically oriented to point at your opponent's ship! Thus, if your enemy has maneuvered around behind you, you can turn around instantly by cloaking and immediately firing your hellblast (and this is the recommended way to toast Arilou Skiffs). When fighting Earthlings, simply close (you are marginallly faster) and breathe fire continuously to inter- cept incoming nukes. The UMGAH DRONE can defeat any ship in the Alliance Fleet given just a few seconds at close range - the trick being to get those few seconds. A favor- ite Umgah tactic is to zip backwards right up next to its enemy. If the anti-matter cone is up through the maneuver, there is a chance of it grazing the enemy as you zip past for a few bonus points of damage (especially im- portant against the Arilou). For precision retro-movement, thrust at the same time as you zip backwards. The result is a jerky, half-speed maneuver which many commanders find more useful than the normal mode. The Umgah's anti-matter cone also makes an effective shield against most Alliance mis- siles. Notable exceptions are the Chenjesu's whole photon crystal and the Earthling's nuclear missile which pass through the conical field unharmed. The only reason not to keep the cone up all the time is its negative impact on fuel, which you need for retro-propulsion. Unlike all other vessels which regain fuel continuously in small increments, the Umgah receives all its power in ong big whack, after a considerable delay. Each time the Um- gah uses its anti-matter cone, this delay is reset to maximum, so if you keep the cone up, you will never regain fuel. THE TACTICAL ANALYZER: So, an Androsynth Guardian has just made monatomic hydroden gas out of your Earthling Cruiser (bummer). All is not lost! To determine what ship you should pick to toast the pesky Androsynth with, just consult your handy-dandy Star Control(TM) Tactical Combat Analyzer (a.k.a. the "Greg- o-Matic"). Find the Androsynth Guardian in the Hierarchy Ship list, then look along the line of boxes which indicate how it fares against Alliance ships. Find where the Androsynth's row intersects with the Earthling's column, and observe the provided data. Ah-ha! You didn't have a prayer against those clones with odds like 80/20 against! Looking at these statistics leads you to the conclusion that the Syreen Penetrator is your best bet, with a whopping 80/20 advantage. The percentages listed assume that both combatants are experienced with their ships, make use of their respective special abilities, and use the tactics suggested in the next chapter (yes, the Alliance Fleet ship breakdowns and specialized tactics await in next issue's installment). The computer oppo- nent is especially good at shooting long distances with great accuracy, and at maneuvering fast ships. Consequently, when fighting a computer-controlled Ur-Quan, Androsynth, Spathi, or Arilou, adjust the numbers in favor of the computer, especially if it is set to the "Awesome" skill level. THE ALLIANCE FLEET: The CHENJESU BROODHOME is dominant against just about any ship, except the Ur-Quan. The main weapon on the Chenjesu, the photon crystal shard, is versatile in both offense and defense. As long as you have the fire con- trol pressed, the shard will continue on its way. While it's better to hit an enemy with the whole crystal, missing by a tad will still do some dam- age. Crystals do not harm the Chenjesu, they can be exploded at point blank range to create a kind of Ack-ack, which is useful for cleaning off incoming Ur-Quan fighters or inflicting some damage on ships which have maneuvered behind the Chenjesu. Sometimes it helps to rotate as you deto- nate the crystals, because this disperses them over a wider area. Whenever you aren't pressed, launch the DOGIs. These autonomous little pests can really annoy your enemy, especially if he is a heavy energy user like the Ur-Quan, Mycon, or VUX. If you are fighting a VUX and he appears right next to you, your only hope is to have a DOGI bump him off-line and steal his fuel to give you time to escape. Even if you are fighting a Spathi-class ship, which is generally unaffected by DOGIs, it is a good idea to get those DOGIs out there if there is any possibility of addition- al ships appearing in the battle along with the Spathi. If you do keep "them" DOGIs movin', your little buddies will be all over the next ship in a second, the moment she appears. Like the Ur-Quan, the Chenjesu is an expensive ship, so protect your investment with colonies, and give planets a wide berth whenever engaging a home fleet in battle. The YEHAT TERMINATOR is a strong, versatile ship which can deliver either moderate damage over a wide area at medium or heavy damage at close range. The distance you will want to maintain between you and your target depends on your enemy's kill zone - the area in which he can hit you effectively. If your range is superior, don't bother closing. Strike from afar. The only trick to using the Yehat effectively is not to grow over-confi- dent of its protective shield. Often, your barrage of ion-cannon missiles will be just as effective in stopping incoming threats and will, in turn, have the added bonus of occasionally striking the enemy ship as well. Your shield's weakness, particularly versus the Mycon, occurs during that period when it flickers off for an instant. If you are maintaining the shield continuously, this interval of vulnerability is predictable and a skillful opponent will time two weapon strikes. The first is designed to force you to bring up the shield and the second is timed to strike just when your shield flickers off. By all means, remember that your shield has no effect against VUX limpets! The MMRNMHRM X-FORM is a workhorse. Given its moderate price and its dual combat configuations, you can hardly ever go wrong buying one of these transforming starships. In general, remaining the Y-Wing form is safest, since you can damage the enemy from a safe distance, as well as dart off in a hurry should anything dangerous approach you. TIP: To make a quick turn, transform momentarily to X-wing configuration, rotate to the desired facing, then switch back to Y-Wing form. The X-Wing form is best at taking care of the Mycon, because the Pod-ship can regenerate crew faster than the Y-Wing can eliminate them with its missiles. The Ilwrath is also best dealt with in this form, because the Y- Wing's missiles will not track on the enemy vessel when it is cloaked. The ARILOU SKIFF is best played after drinking 4 or 5 cups of coffee. Your success with this ship relies almost entirely on fast reflexes and snappy threat evaluation. If you hyperspace away every time the enemy fires his weapon, you will never get close enough to unleash your laser weapon. If you get hit a few times with any weapon, you're vapor. If you get a good strike on the opponent's vessel, don't hang around pinging his ship. Retreat, recharge, and return for another attack run. If you find it difficult to control this ship with a joystick, switch to the keyboard. It's much easier. It is always a good idea to keep at least one Arilou around in a Full Game to "pop" Mycons, which should be relatively easy once you've mas- tered tactic H, the "Homing Weapon Ha-Ha". It is also possible to make an uncontested lightning strike against the enemy, provided he has forgotten about the Arilou's ability to move through enemy Forts, and has left a route to his Starbase (or other key installation) unguarded. The trick to using the SYREEN PENETRATOR is to get close enough to your enemy to use your Syreen Song repeatedly, while simultaneously blasting away with the Syreen's main weapon. The reason for the combination strike is to take care of the last one or two crew members who will not leave the enemy's ship. Remember that, in the Full Game, any crew left floating in space after a battle will be retrieved automatically by the victor. Never- theless, concentrate on destroying the enemy ship, not on retrieving his crew (unless it is absolutely safe). Don't succumb to "crew greed". The EARTHLING CRUISER is a high-tech expression of that famous ancient Human adage, "Run away from the bad guy, puck up a rock and throw it at his head, then repeat this until the bad guy falls down or goes away". In other words, stay away from the enemy ship, and fire your seeking nukes constantly! Use a Gravity Whip if necessary to keep your distance, but be careful not to collide with the planet. The only reason ever to get close to an enemy vessel is to make an honor- able, point-defense lasser "coup de grace", to eliminate the opponent's last crew member. SHOFIXTI SCOUTS are great for colonizing and mining in the early stages of a Full Game due to their low cost. They can also be effective against the most powerful enemy vessel, if they attack in a squadron of 2 or 3 scouts, and can get close enough to do near-maximum damage with their self- destruct explosion. Three good Shofixti kamikaze attacks will destroy an Ur-Quan Dreadnought, eliminating twice their worth in Starbucks. Shofixti ships can defeat slow or short-range enemy vessels, if you are very patient and are content to use the Shofixti's light weapon from long range and slowly "plink" your enemy to bits. SPECIALIZED TACTICS: The Tactical Analyzer lists the indicated percentages of success for com- bat between any two opposing ships in the game, as explained in part one of this article. What follows is an explanation of the different suggested tactical maneuvers to best insure that success. A = ATTACK! Engage in relentless pursuit of your enemy. Open fire as soon as you are in range, and maintain until the enemy is destroyed. B = SPATHI CHARGE Turn and flee. When your opponent chases you, turn (without thrusting) and fire backwards. Your effective range is increased, while the enemy's is diminished. When the enemy tires of this situation, taunt him until he is willing to recommence the chase. C = C.U.R.R.R. (C)lose with enemy, (U)nload weaponry until fuel is depleted, (R)etreat out of enemy's attack range, (R)echarge your fuel supply, and finally (R)epeat this maneuver. D = DUCK HUNT Sit still and take pot shots at the enemy's ship as he approaches to attack. If he gets behind you, thrust away, then turn, slow to a stop, and continue shooting. E = PACK O' HOUNDS Launch D.O.G.I.s immediately and continuously. In sufficient numbers (a maximum of 4) their interference with your enemy will give you a strong tactical advantage. F = FIGHTER REMOVAL Put the planet between you and an oncoming wave of fighters, forcing them to collide with the planet. G = LEYLAND GRAVITY WHIP To exceed temporarily your ship's normal maxi- mum velocity, pass near the planet while thrusting in a single direction. To decrease speed, turn and thrust in a different direction. Warning! This maneuver can cause a ship to travel faster than its launched weapons and may result in a ship being damaged by its own attack! To avoid this effect, turn to facce backwards (without thrusting) and launch weapons to the rear. When traveling at high speeds, beware striking the planet. If you get caught in the planet's gravity, don't thrust directly away from the planet. To escape, thrust in an outward spiral around the planet, until you leave its gravity field. H = HOMING WEAPON "HA-HA" Using your superior mobility, you can lure an enemy's homing weapon back upon him. Execution: as you approach your enemy, he may fire a homing weapon. Instead of fleeing away from the enemy, maneuver around his homing weapon, toward the enemy vessel. Move to the far side of the enemy ship and maintain this position until the homing weapon strikes the enemy ship, then laugh like this: "Ha-ha!" I = BOB AND WEAVE Use your ship's superior maneuverability to keep the enemy from getting a good bearing on your vessel. Change course often. Note: the computer player is less affected by this tactic than a human opponent. J = JUST OUT OF RANGE Your weapons have a longer range than your enemy's. Try to stay in your kill zone, without entering your enemy's by continuously circling his ship at a fixed radius. K = KAMIKAZE! You can do more damage by self-destructing than with your light missile weapon. The closer you get to your enemy, the more damage you will do. On your final attack run, fire your main weapon as you come in, the WHABOOM right in his face. If you are playing against another per- son, some kime of scream ("Ai-Yeeee!" will do) or other expression is recommended. L = LAUNCH FIGHTERS! Launch fighters from medium and long range. For best results, launch a wave, then turn l80 degrees and accelerate to catch the enemy (who is probably fleeing) from behind. M = MAINTAIN MAXIMUM RANGE Keep your ship out of danger by staying as far away from your enemy as possible. Use your long-range weapon to inflict damage on your opponent. If your opponent is faster than you, consider using the Leyland Gravity Whip (tactic G). N = BLAZE! Your blazer form is very effective in this particular situ- ation, so use it continuously, unless your opponent is moving so fast you can't catch him. Should your opponent have the speed advantage on you, simple stop and save up fuel. Then, hope he slams into the planet. O - DROP WEAPONS IN ONCOMING ENEMY'S PATH Maneuver in front of your enemy's line of travel and deposit homing weapons. P = POINT-DEFENSE! Your point defense laser can be of great use in this fight. Remember, it is not effective against powerful missiles, though can be used to destroy fighters or any enemy ship with only 1 or 2 crew remain- ing. Q = CRYSTAL ACK-ACK To avoid being overwhelmed by multiple incoming threats, explode many crystals at point-blank range while turning. Con- tinue until threat is eliminated. R = DODGE WITH RETROS Use your unique retro-propulsion system to dodge incoming guided weapons. Jump perpendicular to the path of the missile, activating your special power at the last moment before the missile hits, and only for a short duration. S = SING SYREEN SONG Your ability to lure enemy crew from his ship is your most effective weapon in this battle. Remember, you don't always need to pick up your enemy's affected crew; his loss is often bad enough. T = BUBBLE CLOUD Travel in a tight circle, launching bubbles continuous- ly. Stay inside the resultant cloud until the enemy charges in after you, or until the situation changes and you can make effective use of tactic N or O. U = USE BOTH FORMS The enemy is susceptible to both Mmrnmhrm ship forms. If the enemy nears, blast him with the twin lasers of the X-Wing, otherwise whittle him down with the long-range missiles of the Y-Wing. V = LIMPET OPPORTUNITY Your opponent is especially open to limpet attack. Even if you lose your VUX, remember that any limpets which hit remain attached to the enemy ship, so your subsequent attackers in this battle will have an advantage. W = INTERCEPT WEAPON Use your weapon to intercept the enemy's incoming missile. It is easiest to hit an incoming threat in the moment just before it strikes your ship. X = X-WING Your X-Wing form is the most effective in this match-up. Use the Y-Wing form only to escape otherwise unavoidable dangers. Y = Y-WING Remain in your Y-Wing form whenever possible. The Death House a Possessed HQ's. 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