- Compared to original version, I've changed the "help" command to
- "call" and the "terminate" command to "quit" to better match
- user expectations. The DECUS version apparently made those changes
- as well as changing "freeze" to "save". However I like "freeze".
-
- When I got a later version of Super Star Trek that I was converting
- from, I added the emexit command.
-
- That later version also mentions srscan and lrscan working when
- docked (using the starbase's scanners), so I made some changes here
- to do this (and indicating that fact to the player), and then realized
- the base would have a subspace radio as well -- doing a Chart when docked
- updates the star chart, and all radio reports will be heard. The Dock
- command will also give a report if a base is under attack.
-
- Movecom no longer reports movement if sensors are damaged so you wouldn't
- otherwise know it.
-
- Also added:
-
- 1. Better base positioning at startup
-
- 2. Deathray improvement (but keeping original failure alternatives)
-
- 3. Tholian Web.
-
- 4. Enemies can ram the Enterprise. Regular Klingons and Romulans can
- move in Expert and Emeritus games. This code could use improvement.
-
- 5. The deep space probe looks interesting! DECUS version
-
- 6. Perhaps cloaking to be added later? BSD version
+ In early 1997, I got the bright idea to look for references to
+ "Super Star Trek" on the World Wide Web. There weren't many hits,
+ but there was one that came up with 1979 Fortran sources! This
+ version had a few additional features that mine didn't have,
+ however mine had some feature it didn't have. So I merged its
+ features that I liked. I also took a peek at the DECUS version (a
+ port, less sources, to the PDP-10), and some other variations.
+
+ 1, Compared to the original UT version, I've changed the "help" command to
+ "call" and the "terminate" command to "quit" to better match
+ user expectations. The DECUS version apparently made those changes
+ as well as changing "freeze" to "save". However I like "freeze".
+ (Both "freeze" and "save" work in SST2K.)
+
+ 2. The experimental deathray originally had only a 5% chance of
+ success, but could be used repeatedly. I guess after a couple
+ years of use, it was less "experimental" because the 1979
+ version had a 70% success rate. However it was prone to breaking
+ after use. I upgraded the deathray, but kept the original set of
+ failure modes (great humor!). (Now controlled by OPTION_DEATHRAY
+ and turned off if game type is "plain".)
+
+ 3. The 1979 version also mentions srscan and lrscan working when
+ docked (using the starbase's scanners), so I made some changes here
+ to do this (and indicating that fact to the player), and then realized
+ the base would have a subspace radio as well -- doing a Chart when docked
+ updates the star chart, and all radio reports will be heard. The Dock
+ command will also give a report if a base is under attack.
+
+ 4. Tholian Web from the 1979 version. (Now controlled by
+ OPTION_THOLIAN and turned off if game type is "plain".)
+
+ 5. Enemies can ram the Enterprise. (Now controlled by OPTION_RAMMING
+ and turned off if game type is "plain".)
+
+ 6. Regular Klingons and Romulans can move in Expert and Emeritus games.
+ This code could use improvement. (Now controlled by OPTION_MVBADDY
+ and turned off if game type is "plain".)
+
+ 7. The deep-space probe feature from the DECUS version. (Now controlled
+ by OPTION_PROBE and turned off if game type is "plain").
+
+ 8. 'emexit' command from the 1979 version.
+
+ 9. Bugfix: Klingon commander movements are no longer reported if long-range
+ sensors are damaged.
+
+ 10. Bugfix: Better base positioning at startup (more spread out).
+ That made sense to add because most people abort games with
+ bad base placement.
+
+ In June 2002, I fixed two known bugs and a documentation typo.
+ In June 2004 I fixed a number of bugs involving: 1) parsing invalid
+ numbers, 2) manual phasers when SR scan is damaged and commander is
+ present, 3) time warping into the future, 4) hang when moving
+ klingons in crowded quadrants. (These fixes are in SST2K.)