StarTrek Instructions ===================== Introduction ------------ Save the Federation! This is your chance to be placed in the honour role with such worthies as Captain James. T. Kirk and Jean Luque Picard. Battle the Klingon Empire in your Enterprise across 64 quadrants! You are the captain of the Enterprise, and have been given a mission to defeat a number of Klingon Warbirds. You will have a number of Bases at which to replenish the Enterprise, should you need it. You can journey among an 8x8 grid of quadrants in search of the Klingons. Each quadrant consists of an 8x8 grid of sectors which can contain either the Enterprise, Klingons, Stars or Bases. You navigate between the sectors and quadrants to place you in an advant- ageous position in relation to the Klingons and fire your phasers or photon torpedos to destroy the Klingons, all the time trying to avoid getting hit yourself. The game is text-based and is played on the Workbench. Just double-click on the icon to start - follow the prompts and you're away! The Game -------- At the beginning, you are given the mission briefing - how many Klingons to shoot, how many Bases, etc. The number of Klingons and Bases can be modified if you wish. Once the game has started, you will see displayed the 8x8 grid of quadrants. The co-ordinates of a quadrant are displayed as 'row-column' (the column co-ordinate is in reversed text). The current quadrant and sector co- ordinates are displayed. The current sector is displayed in the lower- left corner of the screen with the same co-ordinate system as for the quadrant. The lower-right of the screen displays the current status of the Enterprise. The text 'Command?' is displayed (with an audible beep) and awaits your command. Hitting 'enter' at this stage will overlay the status window with the commands available. The Commands ------------ There are nine commands available to the Captain of the Enterprise. They are: 1. Navigation 2. Set shield percentage 3. Damage report 4. Phasers 5. Photon torpedos 6. Load/unload photon torpedos 7. Computer 8. Probe 9. Self-destruct Note that most commands use up some of the Enterprise's energy, which is regained by moving around (I guess it picks up cosmic radiation, or something!). The commands in detail: 1. Navigation. This allows you to move the Enterprise around the galaxy and within each quadrant. You have the choice of either Ion or Warp drive (press the first letter to choose). Ion drive is primarily used for travelling within a quadrant (between sectors), but can be used to move to the next quadrant. You will be asked for the duration of the move (number between 0 and 9 - zero cancels Ion drive). The course will then be asked for. The convention used is: 0 for north (up), 90 for east (right), 180 for south (down), 270 for west (left). You may type in any direction between 0 and 359 (or even greater if you wish - it's moduloed to 360, ie. 370 is the same as 10). The Enterprise will then move in that direction. Warp drive is used for travelling between quadrants. You will be asked for the warp factor (number between 0 and 6 - zero cancels Warp drive), and then the course as above. The Enterprise will then move in that direction. 2. Set shield percentage. This allows you to alter the amount of energy that is available for shielding the Enterprise from Klingon attack and the occasional space storm (which can be quite vicious!). Simply enter the new percentage between 0 and 100. Note that if the shield energy reaches 0 or below, some of the Enterprise's functions could become compromised. 3. Damage report. This gives a list of the Enterprises functions and their current status - either OK or not. If not, it gives the estimated time for repair. If the short range sensors are out, for example, you will only be able to see the sectors immediately surrounding the Enterprise. Of course, if the phasers are damaged, you will not be able to use them. 4. Phasers. Phasers deliver a variable amount of energy to the Klingons. You can set the amount delivered, up to your available energy (does not include shield energy). This energy is delivered equally between Klingons (share and share alike!). Unfortunately, the energy received by the Klingon drops off after a certain distance away from the Enterprise (it becomes dispersed - there is some technical reason for it, but it escapes me at the moment). If you use the computer, you can lock phasers on certain Klingons, and then only they get phasered (see Computer later). 5. Photon torpedos. Much the same as phasers, except they deliver 500 units of energy to the Klingon(s) in question. You can only shoot one photon torpedo at a time (unless using the computer) and will be asked for the direction to shoot the photon torpedo. You have a maximum of 10 photon torpedos available until you reach a base, where they will be replenished. 6. Load/unload photon torpedos.This allows you to either convert your surplus energy (do you have any?) into photon torpedos (up to a maimum of 10), or convert your surplus photon torpedos into extra energy (in case you're in need of an emergency transfusion). Enter the number of photon torpedos to load/unload. 7. Computer. The Enterprise's computer is a marvellous tool. It brings up a list of choices: 1. Calculate quadrant 2. Lock phasers 3. Lock photon torpeds 4. Lock course 5. Calculate trajectory 6. Return to main command The computer choices in more detail. 1. Calculate quadrant. This asks for a co-ordinate of a quadrant, and the computer will calculate the warp factor and trajectory to reach that quadrant. 2. Lock phasers. This allows you to select a number of Klingons whom you want to wreak havoc on, leaving the other Klingons alone. First enter the number of targets, and then for each target, their co- ordinates. When you next use phasers, the computer will intercept and ask you if you want to fire automatically(A) or manually(M). If manually, the Enterprise will fire as above (in Phasers). If automatic, the Klingons get a go to fire at you first (we must be fair!), and then it's your turn. 3. Lock photon torpedos. This is very similar to locking phasers, and is useful to only pick off Klingons that deserve it (in other words, all of them). See 'lock course' for more information. 4. Lock course. This is simply the most important function that the computer has. It allows you to lock phasers or photon torpedos, fire auto- matically, and have a change to not get hit in return! When firing automatically, the computer takes control of the Enterprise in the following manner: First, the Klingons move if they wish (they always get the first go). Secondly, if the Enterpise has a course locked, she moves one unit in that direction, the Klingons have their way (phasering or photon torpedo'ing you), and because you have moved (unknown to the Klingons), and as their photon torpedos are directed to your last known location, they will probably miss! Unfortunately, phasers never miss, due to their nature. After the Klingons have finished firing, the Enterprise fires here locked phasers or photon torpedos. 5. Calculate trajectory. This allows you to determine the exact trajectory that is required to either shoot a photon torpedo or move the Enterprise to a designated co-ordinate. Enter that co-ordinate into the computer, and it will spit out the range and trajectory - most handy. 6. Return. This returns to you main command. 8. Probe. This allows you to probe the Klingons, displaying their current co- ordinates,determining the energy remaining to them, the number of photon torpedos they have, and whether the Enterprise has any phaser or photon torpedo locks on them. 9. Self-destruct. This is only to be used as a last resort. If the Klingons have entirely routed the Enterprise, and you have no other option, you must destroy the Enterprise, as the Klingons must not get her hold of her technology. Enter the self-destruct password entered at the beginning of the game, and if the code matches that entered at the beginning of the game, the Enterprise will be destroyed, sending out the explosive energy in all directions, hitting any Klingons there as well. So, if you're going to go out in a blaze of glory, make certain you take some Klingons with you as well. End Game -------- The game is over when you have destroyed all Klingons (not really an easy task!) or when the Enterprise has been destroyed, or when you commit suicide. Note that if the Dilithium Crystals have been destroyed (due to a lucky hit by the Klingons), the Enterprise cannot survive. You will be given a dispassionate summary by the Federation and your fate will be sealed (not much use if you're already dead!). You can then play the game again or not, as you please. Strategy -------- Some helping hints - not that you'll need them. 1. If you come across a quadrant that is choc-a-block with Klingons, it's a good idea to get in between them if possible no, it's not necessarily suicide to do this!). This allows you to then ove from out between the Klingons and they might then be kind enough to shoot themselves. Remember that they only have your last position (they have very slow scanners), and assuming that you're still where you were, they might shoot a Klingon that was on the other side of you (of where you were). This is very handy and is a good use of the Computer to aid you (via locking course and photon torpedos). 2. To save energy, use the computer to lock phasers on a single Klingon that is close by, and use the exact energy to remove him (use probe to find this out). Remeber that if a Klingon is far away, you're wasting phaser energy on him. For example, if the Klingon is 6 units away (as the crow flies), a phaser shot of 100 units might only hit him with 20 units. Closing ------- I wrote this in Dice C and it was written to only work for OS2+ machines. It works on my A4000 with warpboard, but has not tested on any other machines - but I anticipate no problems. Any bug reports, or comments can be sent to me at 'darrylh@powerup.com.au'. You can also check out my web page: http://www.powerup.com.au/~darrylh It's my second attempt to put something onto Aminet, so I hope someone has some fun with it. I converted the code from an old Apple-II game I played when I first started playing with computers back in High School. One day I might add some sound for the photon torpedos and phasers as was in the game I converted from (a little more up to date sound, though!).