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7 <title>Super Star Trek</title>
\r
12 <firstname>David</firstname>
\r
13 <surname>Matuzsek</surname>
\r
16 <firstname>Paul</firstname>
\r
17 <surname>Reynolds</surname>
\r
20 <firstname>Tom</firstname>
\r
21 <surname>Almy</surname>
\r
24 <firstname>Stas</firstname>
\r
25 <surname>Sergeev</surname>
\r
28 <firstname>Eric</firstname>
\r
29 <othername>Steven</othername>
\r
30 <surname>Raymond</surname>
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66 Produced For Your Enjoyment
\r
74 With Modifications By
\r
89 <para>Permission is hereby granted for the copying, distribution,
\r
90 modification and use of this program and associated documentation
\r
91 for recreational purposes, provided that all references to the
\r
92 authors are retained. However, permission is not and will not be
\r
93 granted for the sale or promotional use of this program or program
\r
94 documentation, or for use in any situation in which profit may be
\r
95 considered an objective, since it is the desire of the authors to
\r
96 respect the copyrights of the originators of Star Trek.</para>
\r
100 <chapter><title>Introduction</title>
\r
101 <para>The Organian Peace Treaty has collapsed, and the Federation is at war
\r
102 with the Klingon Empire. Joining the Klingons against the Federation
\r
103 are the members of the <quote>Romulan Star Empire.</quote> As commander of the
\r
104 Starship U.S.S. Enterprise, your job is to wipe out the Klingon
\r
105 invasion fleet and make the galaxy safe for democracy.</para>
\r
107 <para>Your battleground is the entire galaxy, which for convenience is
\r
108 divided up into eight rows of eight quadrants each, like a
\r
109 checkerboard. Rows are numbered from top to bottom, and columns are
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110 numbered left to right, so quadrant 1 - 8 would be in the upper right
\r
111 hand corner of the galaxy.</para>
\r
113 <para>During battle you will be concerned only with those enemies that
\r
114 occupy the same quadrant as yourself. Quadrants are divided up into
\r
115 sectors: ten rows of ten sectors each. Sectors are numbered in the
\r
116 same way as quadrants, so the sector in the upper right corner is
\r
117 sector 1 - 10. You have a short-range scanner which allows you to
\r
118 look at the entire quadrant in a single display.</para>
\r
120 <para>Enemies recharge during your absence. If you leave a quadrant
\r
121 containing a weakened enemy, when you return to that quadrant he will
\r
122 be strong again. Also, each time you enter a quadrant, the positions
\r
123 of everthing in the quadrant (except your ship) are randomized, to
\r
124 save you the trouble of trying to remember where everything in the
\r
125 quadrant is. Notice that this refers only to the positions of things
\r
126 in the quadrant—the numbers of each kind of thing are not changed
\r
127 (except for black holes and the Super-commander, which move around
\r
128 the galaxy). If you kill something, it stays dead.</para>
\r
130 <para>The Romulans are not as serious a threat to the Federation as the
\r
131 Klingons. For one thing, there are not as many of them. For
\r
132 another, the Romulans are not as treacherous. However, Romulans are
\r
133 not to be trifled with, especially when you are in violation of the
\r
134 Romulan Neutral Zone.</para>
\r
136 <para>There are two kinds of Klingons: Ordinary Klingons, which are
\r
137 bad enough, and Klingon Commanders, which are even worse. Commanders
\r
138 are about three times stronger than ordinary Klingons. Commanders are
\r
139 more resistant to your weapons. Commanders can move about during
\r
140 battle while Ordinary Klingons stay put. And finally, Commanders have
\r
141 a thing called a <quote>long-range tractor beam</quote> which they can
\r
142 use, at random intervals, to yank you away from what you are doing
\r
143 into their quadrant, to do battle with them. There is also a special
\r
144 commander, called the <quote>Super-commander.</quote> This character
\r
145 is so bad he is reserved for the Good, Expert, and Emeritus games.
\r
146 Fortunately, there is just one Super-commander in a game. In addition
\r
147 to the undesirable traits of Commanders, he can move from quadrant to
\r
148 quadrant at will, seeking out and destroying your starbases and any
\r
149 helpful planets he runs across. He also has a spy planted aboard your
\r
150 ship, giving him valuable information about your condition. Using
\r
151 this information, he can do dastardly things like tractor beam your
\r
152 ship when you are in bad shape. And once you've been tractor beamed
\r
153 by the Super-commander —</para>
\r
155 <para>But the advantages are not all on the side of the enemy. Your ship
\r
156 is more powerful, and has better weapons. Besides, in the this
\r
157 galaxy there are from two to five starbases, at which you can stop to
\r
158 refuel and lick your wounds, safe from phaser attack or tractor
\r
159 beams. But you had best not dally there too long, since time is not
\r
160 on your side. The Klingons are not just after you; they are
\r
161 attacking the entire Federation. There is always a finite <quote>time
\r
162 left,</quote> which is how much longer the Federation can hold out if you
\r
163 just sit on your fat behind and do nothing. As you wipe out
\r
164 Klingons, you reduce the rate at which the invasion fleet weakens the
\r
165 Federation, and so the time left until the Federation collapses may
\r
166 actually increase. Since Klingons are the main threat to the
\r
167 Federation, the Romulans do not figure into the <quote>time left.</quote> In
\r
168 fact, you need not kill all the Romulans to win. If you can get all
\r
169 the Klingons, the Federation will abide forever, and you have won the
\r
172 <para>Space is vast, and it takes precious time to move from one place to
\r
173 another. In comparison, other things happen so quickly that we
\r
174 assume the take no time at all. Two ways that time can pass are when
\r
175 you move, or when you issue a command to sit still and rest for a
\r
176 period of time. You will sometimes want to do the latter, since the
\r
177 various devices aboard your starship may be damaged and require time
\r
178 to repair. Of course, repairs can be made more quickly at a starbase
\r
179 than than can in flight.</para>
\r
181 <para>In addition to Klingons, Romulans, and starbases, the galaxy
\r
182 contains (surprise) stars. Mostly, stars are a nuisance and just get
\r
183 in your way. You can trigger a star into going nova by shooting one
\r
184 of your photon torpedoes at it. When a star novas, it does a lot of
\r
185 dammage to anything immediately adjacent to it. If another star is
\r
186 adjacent to a nova, it too will go nova. Stars may also occasionally
\r
187 go supernova; a supernova in a quadrant destroys everything in the
\r
188 quadrant andmakes the quadrant permanently uninhabitable. You may
\r
189 <quote>jump over</quote> a quadrant containing a supernova when you
\r
190 move, but you should not stop there.</para>
\r
192 <para>Supernovas may happen spontaneously, without provocation. If a
\r
193 supernova occurs in the same quadrant you are in, your starship has an
\r
194 <quote>emergency automatic override</quote> which picks some random
\r
195 direction and some random warp factor, and tries to throw you clear of
\r
196 the supernova. If the supernova occurs in some other quadrant, you
\r
197 just get a warning message from starfleet about it (provided, of
\r
198 course, that your subspace radio is working).</para>
\r
200 <para>Also a few planets are scattered through the galaxy. These can
\r
201 sometimes be a great help since some of them will have <quote>dilithium
\r
202 crystals,</quote> which are capable of replenishing the ship's energy
\r
203 supply. You can either beam down to the planet surface using the
\r
204 transporter, or take the shuttle craft <quote>Galileo</quote>.</para>
\r
206 <para>Finally, each quadrant will contain from zero to three black
\r
207 holes. These can deflect or swallow torpedoes passing near them. They
\r
208 also swallow enemy ships knocked into them. If your ship enters one
\r
211 <para>Star Trek is a rich game, full of detail. These instructions are
\r
212 written at a moderate level—no attempt has been made fully to
\r
213 describe everything about the game, but there is quite a bit more
\r
214 here than you need to get started. If you are new to the game, just
\r
215 get a rough idea of the kinds of commands available, and start
\r
216 playing. After a game or two you will have learned everthing
\r
217 important, and the detailed command descriptions which follow will be
\r
218 a lot more meaningful to you.</para>
\r
220 <para>You have weapons: phasers and photon torpedoes. You have a defense:
\r
221 deflector shields. You can look at things: long-range scaners,
\r
222 short-range scanners, and a star chart. You can move about, under
\r
223 warp drive or impulse power. You can also dock at a starbase, rest
\r
224 while repairs are being made, abandon ship, self destruct, or give up
\r
225 and start a new game.</para>
\r
227 <para>The Klingons are waiting.</para>
\r
230 <chapter><title>How To Issue Commands</title>
\r
232 <para>When the game is waiting for you to enter a command it will
\r
239 <para>You may then type in your command. All you have to remember for each
\r
240 command is the mnemonic. For example, if you want to move straight up
\r
241 one quadrant, you can type in the mnemonic (case insensitive)</para>
\r
247 <para>and the computer will prompt you with</para>
\r
250 Manual or automatic-
\r
253 <para>Say you type in <quote>manual</quote>. The computer then responds</para>
\r
256 X and Y displacements-
\r
259 <para>Now you type in <quote>0 1</quote> which specifies an X movement of zero and a Y
\r
260 movement of one.</para>
\r
262 <para>When you have learned the commands, you can avoid being prompted
\r
263 simply by typing in the information without waiting to be asked for
\r
264 it. For example, in the above example, you could simply type in</para>
\r
270 <para>and it will be done. Or you could type in</para>
\r
276 <para>and when the computer responds with the displacement prompt, you
\r
283 <para>and it will understand.</para>
\r
285 <para>You can abbreviate most mnemonics. For <quote>move</quote>, you can use any
\r
292 <para>successfully. For your safety, certain critical commands (such as to
\r
293 abandon ship) must be written out in full. Also, in a few cases two
\r
294 or more commands begin with the same letter, and in this case that
\r
295 letter refers to a particular one of the commands; to get the other,
\r
296 your abbreviation must be two or more characters long. This sounds
\r
297 complicated, but you will learn the abbreviations qGuickly enough.</para>
\r
299 <para>What this all boils down to is:</para>
\r
302 <listitem><para>You can abbreviate practically anything</para></listitem>
\r
303 <listitem><para>If you forget, the computer will proompt you</para></listitem>
\r
304 <listitem><para>If you remember, you can type it all on one line</para></listitem>
\r
307 <para>If you are part way through entering a command and you change your
\r
308 minde, you can cancel the command by typing -1 as one of the
\r
309 parameters, with the exception of the manual move command.</para>
\r
311 <para>If anything is not clear to you, experiment. The worst you can do is
\r
312 lose a game or two.</para>
\r
315 <chapter><title>List of Commands</title>
\r
317 <sect1><title>Short-Range Scan</title>
\r
321 Shortest abbreviation: S
\r
322 Full commands: SRSCAN
\r
327 <!-- This is new in SST 2K -->
\r
328 <para>If you are using the screen-oriented interface, it should never
\r
329 be necessary to call this command explicitly; a short-range scan will
\r
330 always be present on the screen.</para>
\r
332 <para>The short-range scan gives you a considerable amount of information
\r
333 about the quadrant your starship is in. A short-range scan is best
\r
334 described by an example.</para>
\r
337 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
\r
338 1 * . . . . R . . . . Stardate 2516.3
\r
339 2 . . . E . . . . . . Condition RED
\r
340 3 . . . . . * . B . . Position 5 - 1, 2 - 4
\r
341 4 . . . S . . . . . . Life Support DAMAGED, Reserves=2.30
\r
342 5 . . . . . . . K . . Warp Factor 5.0
\r
343 6 . K . . . . . * . Energy 2176.24
\r
344 7 . . . . . P . . . . Torpedoes 3
\r
345 8 . . . . * . . . . . Shields UP, 42% 1050.0 units
\r
346 9 . * . . * . . . C . Klingons Left 12
\r
347 10 . . . . . . . . . . Time Left 3.72
\r
350 <para>The left part is a picture of the quadrant. The E at sector 2 -
\r
351 4 represents the Enterprise; the B at sector 3 - 8 is a starbase.
\r
352 There are ordinary Klingons (K) at sectors 5 - 8 and 6 - 2, and a
\r
353 Klingon Commander (C) at 9 - 9. The (GULP)
\r
354 <quote>Super-commander</quote> (S) is occupies sector 4 - 4, and a
\r
355 Romulan (R) is at 1 - 6. A planet (P) is at sector 7 - 6. There are
\r
356 also a large number of stars (*). The periods (.) are just empty
\r
357 space—they are printed to help you get your bearings. Sector 6
\r
358 - 4 contains a black hole ( ).</para>
\r
360 <para>The information on the right is assorted status information. You
\r
361 can get this alone with the STATUS command. The status information
\r
362 will be absent if you type <quote>N</quote> after SRSCAN. Otherwise
\r
363 status information will be presented.</para>
\r
365 <para>If you type <quote>C</quote> after SRSCAN, you will be given a
\r
366 short-range scan and a Star Chart.</para>
\r
368 <para>Short-range scans are free. That is, they use up no energy and no
\r
369 time. If you are in battle, doing a short-range scan does not give
\r
370 the enemies another chance to hit you. You can safely do a
\r
371 short-range scan anytime you like.</para>
\r
373 <para>If your short-range sensors are damaged, this command will only show
\r
374 the contents of adjacent sectors.</para>
\r
376 <sect1><title>Status Report</title>
\r
380 Shortest abbreviation: ST
\r
383 <para>This command gives you information about the current state of your
\r
384 starship as follows:</para>
\r
388 <term>STARDATE</term>
\r
390 <para>The current date. A stardate is the same as a day.</para>
\r
394 <term>CONDITION</term>
\r
396 <para>There are four possible conditions:</para>
\r
399 <term>DOCKED</term>
\r
400 <listitem><para>docked at starbase.</para></listitem>
\r
404 <listitem><para>in battle.</para></listitem>
\r
407 <term>YELLOW</term>
\r
408 <listitem><para>low on energy (<1000 units)</para></listitem>
\r
412 <listitem><para>none of the above</para></listitem>
\r
418 <term>POSITION</term>
\r
420 <para>Quadrant is given first, then sector</para>
\r
424 <term>LIFE SUPPOR</term>
\r
426 <para>If <quote>ACTIVE</quote> then life support systems are functioning
\r
427 normally. If on <quote>RESERVES</quote> the number is how many stardates your
\r
428 reserve food, air, etc. will last—you must get repairs made or get to
\r
429 starbase before your reserves run out.</para>
\r
433 <term>WARP FACTOR</term>
\r
435 <para>What your warp factor is currently set to.</para>
\r
439 <term>ENERGY</term>
\r
441 <para>The amount of energy you have left. If it drops to zero, you die.</para>
\r
445 <term>TORPEDOES</term>
\r
447 <para>How many photon torpedoes you have left.</para>
\r
451 <term>SHIELDS</term>
\r
453 <para>Whether your shields are up or down, how strong they are
\r
454 (what percentage of a hit they can deflect), and shield energy.</para>
\r
458 <term>KLINGONS LEFT</term>
\r
460 <para>How many of the Klingons are still out there.</para>
\r
464 <term>TIME LEFT</term>
\r
466 <para>How long the Federation can hold out against the
\r
467 present number of Klingons; that is, how long until the end
\r
468 if you do nothing in the meantime. If you kill Klingons
\r
469 quickly, this number will go up—if not, it will go down. If
\r
470 it reaches zero, the federation is conquered and you lose.</para>
\r
475 <para>Status information is free—it uses no time or energy, and if you are
\r
476 in battle, the Klingons are not given another chance to hit you.</para>
\r
478 <para>Status information can also be obtained by doing a short-range scan.
\r
479 See the SRSCAN command for details.</para>
\r
481 <para>Each item of information can be obtained singly by requesting it.
\r
482 See REQUEST command for details.</para>
\r
485 <sect1><title>Long-Range Scan</title>
\r
489 Shortest abbreviation: L
\r
492 <!-- This is new in SST 2K -->
\r
493 <para>If you are using the screen-oriented interface, it should never
\r
494 be necessary to call this command explicitly; a long-range scan will
\r
495 always be present on the screen.</para>
\r
497 <para>A long-range scan gives you general information about where you are
\r
498 and what is around you. Here is an example output.</para>
\r
501 Long-range scan for Quadrant 5 - 1
\r
507 <para>This scan says that you are in row 5, column 1 of the 8 by 8 galaxy.
\r
508 The numbers in the scan indicate how many of each kind of thing there
\r
509 is in your quadrant and all adjacent quadrants. The digits are
\r
510 interpreted as follows.</para>
\r
516 <entry>Thousands digit:</entry>
\r
517 <entry>1000 indicates a supernova (only)</entry>
\r
520 <entry>Hundreds digit:</entry>
\r
521 <entry>number of Klingons present</entry>
\r
524 <entry>Tens digit:</entry>
\r
525 <entry>number of starbases present</entry>
\r
528 <entry>Ones digit:</entry>
\r
529 <entry>number of stars present</entry>
\r
535 <para>For example, in your quadrant (5 - 1) the number is 316, which
\r
536 indicates 3 Klingons, 1 starbase, and 6 stars. The long-range
\r
537 scanner does not distinguish between ordinary Klingons and Klingon
\r
538 command ships. If there is a supernova, as in the quadrant below and
\r
539 to your right (quadrant 6 - 2), there is nothing else in the
\r
542 <para>Romulans possess a <quote>cloaking device</quote> which prevents
\r
543 their detection by long-range scan. Because of this fact, Starfleet
\r
544 Command is never sure how many Romulans are <quote>out there</quote>.
\r
545 When you kill the last Klingon, the remaining Romulans surrender to
\r
546 the Federation.</para>
\r
548 <para>Planets are also undetectable by long-range scan. The only way to
\r
549 detect a planet is to find it in your current quadrant with the
\r
550 short-range sensors.</para>
\r
552 <para>Since you are in column 1, there are no quadrants to your left. The
\r
553 minus ones indicate the negative energy barrier at the edge of the
\r
554 galaxy, which you are not permitted to cross.</para>
\r
556 <para>Long-range scans are free. They use up no energy or time, and can be
\r
557 done safely regardless of battle conditions.</para>
\r
559 <sect1><title>Star Chart</title>
\r
563 Shortest abbreviation: C
\r
566 <para>As you proceed in the game, you learn more and more about what things
\r
567 are where in the galaxy. When ever you first do a scan in a quadrant,
\r
568 telemetry sensors are ejected which will report any changes in the
\r
569 quadrant(s) back to your ship, providing the sub-space radio is
\r
570 working. Spock will enter this information in the chart. If the radio
\r
571 is not working, Spock can only enter new information discovered from
\r
572 scans, and information in other quadrants may be obsolete.</para>
\r
574 <para>The chart looks like an 8 by 8 array of numbers. These numbers are
\r
575 interpreted exactly as they are on a long-range scan. A period (.) in
\r
576 place of a digit means you do not know that information yet. For
\r
577 example, ... means you know nothing about the quadrant, while .1.
\r
578 menas you know it contains a base, but an unknown number of Klingons
\r
581 <para>Looking at the star chart is a free operation. It costs neither time
\r
582 nor energy, and can be done safely whether in or out of battle.</para>
\r
585 <sect1><title>Damage Report</title>
\r
589 Shortest abbreviation: DA
\r
592 <para>At any time you may ask for a damage report to find out what devices
\r
593 are damaged and how long it will take to repair them. Naturally,
\r
594 repairs proceed faster at a starbase.</para>
\r
596 <para>If you suffer damages while moving, it is possible that a subsequent
\r
597 damage report will not show any damage. This happens if the time
\r
598 spent on the move exceeds the repair time, since in this case the
\r
599 damaged devices were fixed en route.</para>
\r
601 <para>Damage reports are free. They use no energy or time, and can be done
\r
602 safely even in the midst of battle.</para>
\r
605 <sect1><title>Move Under Warp Drive</title>
\r
609 Shortest abbreviation: M
\r
610 Full command: MOVE MANUAL <displacement>
\r
611 MOVE AUTOMATIC <destination>
\r
614 <para>This command is the usual way to move from one place to another
\r
615 within the galaxy. You move under warp drive, according to the
\r
616 current warp factor (see <quote>WARP FACTOR</quote>).</para>
\r
618 <para>There are two command modes for movement: MANUAL and AUTOMATIC.
\r
619 The manual mode requires the following format:</para>
\r
622 MOVE MANUAL <deltax> <deltay>
\r
625 <para><deltax> and <deltay> are the horizontal and vertical
\r
626 displacements for your starship, in quadrants; a displacement of one
\r
627 sector is 0.1 quadrants. Specifying <deltax> and <deltay>
\r
628 causes your ship to move in a straight line to the specified
\r
629 destination. If <deltay> is omitted, it is assumed zero. For
\r
630 example, the shortest possible command to move one sector to the right
\r
637 <para>The following examples of manual movement refer to the short-range
\r
638 scan shown earlier.</para>
\r
641 Destination Sector Manual Movement command
\r
646 (leaving quadrant) M M 0 .2
\r
649 <para>The automatic mode is as follows:</para>
\r
652 MOVE AUTOMATIC <qrow> <qcol> <srow> <scol>
\r
655 <para><para>where <qrow> and <qcol> are the row and column
\r
656 numbers of the destination quadrant, and <srow> and <scol>
\r
657 are the row and column numbers of the destination sector in that
\r
658 quadrant. This command also moves your ship in a straight line path
\r
659 to the destination. For moving within a quadrant, <qrow> and
\r
660 <qcol> may be omitted. For example, to move to sector 2 - 9 in
\r
661 the current quadrant, the shortest command would be</para>
\r
667 <para>To move to quadrant 3 - 7, sector 5 - 8, type</para>
\r
673 <para>and it will be done. In automatic mode, either two or four numbers
\r
674 must be supplied.</para>
\r
676 <para>Automatic mode utilizes the ship's <quote>battle computer.</quote> If the
\r
677 computer is damaged, manual movement must be used.</para>
\r
679 <para>If warp engines are damaged less than 10 stardates (undocked) you can
\r
680 still go warp 4.</para>
\r
682 <para>It uses time and energy to move. How much time and how much energy
\r
683 depends on your current warp factor, the distance you move, and
\r
684 whether your shields are up. The higher the warp factor, the faster
\r
685 you move, but higher warp factors require more energy. You may move
\r
686 with your shields up, but this doubles the energy required.</para>
\r
688 <para>You can move within a quadrant without being attacked if you just
\r
689 entered the quadrant or have been attacked since your last move
\r
690 command. This enables you to move and hit them before they
\r
694 <sect1><title>Warp Factor</title>
\r
698 Shortest abbreviation: W
\r
699 Full command: WARP <number>
\r
702 <para>Your warp factor controls the speed of your starship. The larger the
\r
703 warp factor, the faster you go and the more energy you use.</para>
\r
705 <para>Your minimum warp factor is 1.0 and your maximum warp factor is 10.0
\r
706 (which is 100 times as fast and uses 1000 times as much energy). At
\r
707 speeds above warp 6 there is some danger of causing damage to your
\r
708 warp engines; this damage is larger at higher warp factors and also
\r
709 depends on how far you go at that warp factor.</para>
\r
711 <para>At exactly warp 10 there is some probability of entering a
\r
712 so-called <quote>time warp</quote> and being thrown foward or backward
\r
713 in time. The farther you go at warp 10, the greater is the
\r
714 probability of entering the time warp.</para>
\r
717 <sect1><title>Impulse Engines</title>
\r
721 Shortest abbreviation: I
\r
722 Full command: IMPULSE MANUAL <displacement>
\r
723 IMPULSE AUTOMATIC <destination>
\r
726 <para>The impulse engines give you a way to move when your warp engines are
\r
727 damaged. They move you at a speed of 0.95 sectors per stardate,
\r
728 which is the equivalent of a warp factor of about 0.975, so they are
\r
729 much too slow to use except in emergencies.</para>
\r
731 <para>Movement commands are indicated just as in the <quote>MOVE</quote> command.</para>
\r
733 <para>The impulse engines require 20 units of energy to engage, plus 10
\r
734 units per sector (100 units per quadrant) traveled. It does not cost
\r
735 extra to move with the shields up.</para>
\r
738 <sect1><title>Deflector Shields</title>
\r
742 Shortest abbreviation: SH
\r
743 Full commands: SHIELDS UP
\r
745 SHIELDS TRANSFER <amount of energy to transfer>
\r
748 <para>Your deflector shields are a defensive device to protect you from
\r
749 Klingon attacks (and nearby novas). As the shields protect you, they
\r
750 gradually weaken. A shield strength of 75%, for example, means that
\r
751 the next time a Klingon hits you, your shields will deflect 75% of
\r
752 the hit, and let 25% get through to hurt you.</para>
\r
754 <para>It costs 50 units of energy to raise shields, nothing to lower them.
\r
755 You may move with your shields up; this costs nothing under impulse
\r
756 power, but doubles the energy required for warp drive.</para>
\r
758 <para>Each time you raise or lower your shields, the Klingons have another
\r
759 chance to attack. Since shields do not raise and lower
\r
760 instantaneously, the hits you receive will be intermediate between
\r
761 what they would be if the shields were completely up or completely
\r
764 <para>You may not fire phasers through your shields. However you may use
\r
765 the <quote>high-speed shield control</quote> to lower shields, fire phasers, and
\r
766 raise the shields again before the Klingons can react. Since rapid
\r
767 lowering and raising of the shields requires more energy than normal
\r
768 speed operation, it costs you 200 units of energy to activate this
\r
769 control. It is automatically activated when you fire phasers while
\r
770 shields are up. You may fire photon torpedoes, but they may be
\r
771 deflected considerably from their intended course as they pass
\r
772 through the shields (depending on shield strength).</para>
\r
774 <para>You may transfer energy beteen the ship's energy (given as
\r
775 <quote>Energy</quote> in the status) and the shields. Thee word
\r
776 <quote>TRANSFER</quote> may be abbreviated <quote>T</quote>. The
\r
777 ammount of energy to transfer is the number of units of energy you
\r
778 wish to take from the ship's energy and put into the shields. If you
\r
779 specify an negative number, energy is drained from the shields to the
\r
780 ship. Transfering energy constitutes a turn. If you transfer energy
\r
781 to the shields while you are under attack, they will be at the new
\r
782 energy level when you are next hit.</para>
\r
784 <para>Enemy torpedoes hitting your ship explode on your shields (if they
\r
785 are up) and have essentially the same effect as phaser hits.</para>
\r
788 <sect1><title>Phasers</title>
\r
792 Shortest abbreviation: P
\r
793 Full commands: PHASERS AUTOMATIC <AMOUNT TO FIRE> <NO>
\r
794 PHASERS <AMOUNT TO FIRE> <NO>
\r
795 PHASERS MANUAL <NO> <AMOUNT 1> <AMOUNT 2>...<AMOUNT N>
\r
798 <para>Phasers are energy weapons. As you fire phasers at Klingons, you
\r
799 specify an <quote>amount to fire</quote> which is drawn from your
\r
800 energy reserves. The amount of total hit required to kill an enemy is
\r
801 partly random. but also depends on skill level.</para>
\r
803 <para>The average hit required to kill an ordinary Klingon varies from 200
\r
804 units in the Novice game to 250 units in the Emeritus game.
\r
805 Commanders normally require from 600 (Novice) to 700 (Emeritus). The
\r
806 Super-commander requres from 875 (Good) to 1000 (Emeritus). Romulans
\r
807 require an average of 350 (Novice) to 450 (Emeritus).</para>
\r
809 <para>Hits on enemies are cumulative, as long as you don't leave the
\r
812 <para>In general, not all that you fire will reach the Klingons. The
\r
813 farther away they are, the less phaser energy will reach them. If a
\r
814 Klingon is adjacent to you, he will receive about 90% of the phaser
\r
815 energy directed at him; a Klingon 5 sectors away will receive about
\r
816 60% and a Klingon 10 sectors away will receive about 35%. There is
\r
817 some randomness involved, so these figures are not exact. Phasers
\r
818 have no effect beyond the boundaries of the quadrant you are in.</para>
\r
820 <para>Phasers may overheat (and be damaged) if you fire too large a burst
\r
821 at once. Firing up to 1500 units is safe. From 1500 on up the
\r
822 probability of overheat increases with the amount fired.</para>
\r
824 <para>If phaser firing is automatic, the computer decides how to
\r
825 divide up your <amount to fire> among the Klingons present. If
\r
826 phaser firing is manual, you specify how much energy to fire at each
\r
827 Klingon present (nearest first), rather than just specifying a total
\r
828 amount. You can abreviate <quote>MANUAL</quote> and
\r
829 <quote>AUTOMATIC</quote> to one or more letters; if you mention
\r
830 neither, automatic fire is usually assumed.</para>
\r
832 <para>Battle computer information is available by firing phasers manually,
\r
833 and allowing the computer to prompt you. If you enter zero for the
\r
834 amount to fire at each enemy, you will get a complete report, without
\r
835 cost. The battle computer will tell you how much phaser energy to
\r
836 fire at each enemy for a sure kill. This information appears in
\r
837 parentheses prior to the prompt for each enemy. Since the amount is
\r
838 computed from sensor data, if either the computer or the S.R. sensors
\r
839 are damaged, this information will be unavailable, and phasers must
\r
840 be fired manually.</para>
\r
842 <para>A safety interlock prevents phasers from being fired through
\r
843 the shields. If this were not so, the shields would contain your fire
\r
844 and you would fry yourself. However, you may utilize the
\r
845 <quote>high-speed shield control</quote> to drop shields, fire
\r
846 phasers, and raise shields before the enemy can react. Since it takes
\r
847 more energy to work the shields rapidly with a shot, it costs you 200
\r
848 units of energy each time you activate this control. It is
\r
849 automatically activated when you fire phasers while the shields are
\r
850 up. By specifying the <no> option, shields are not raised after
\r
853 <para>Phasers have no effect on starbases (which are shielded) or on
\r
857 <sect1><title>Report</title>
\r
861 Shortest abbreviation: REP
\r
864 <para>This command supplies you with information about the state of the
\r
865 current game. Its purpose is to remind you of things that you have
\r
866 learned during play, but may have forgotten, and cannot otherwise
\r
867 retrieve if you are not playing at a hard-copy terminal.</para>
\r
869 <para>You are told the following things:</para>
\r
872 <listitem><para>The length and skill level of the game you are playing</para></listitem>
\r
873 <listitem><para>The original number of Klingons</para></listitem>
\r
874 <listitem><para>How many Klingons you have destroyed</para></listitem>
\r
875 <listitem><para>Whether the Super-Commander has been destroyed</para></listitem>
\r
876 <listitem><para>How many bases have been destroyed</para></listitem>
\r
877 <listitem><para>How many bases are left</para></listitem>
\r
878 <listitem><para>What bases (if any) are under attack; your subspace radio
\r
879 must have been working since the attack to get this
\r
880 information.</para></listitem>
\r
881 <listitem><para>How many casualties you have suffered</para></listitem>
\r
882 <listitem><para>How many times you have called for help.</para></listitem>
\r
885 <para>This same information is automatically given to you when you start to
\r
886 play a frozen game.</para>
\r
889 <sect1><title>Computer</title>
\r
893 Shortest abbreviation: CO
\r
896 <para>This command allows using the ship's computer (if functional) to
\r
897 calculate travel times and energy usage.</para>
\r
900 <sect1><title>Photon Torpedoes</title>
\r
904 Shortest abbreviation: PHO
\r
905 Full commands: PHOTONS <NUMBER> <TARG1> <TARG2> <TARG3>
\r
908 <para>Photon torpedoes are projectile weapons—you either hit what you aim
\r
909 at, or you don't. There are no <quote>partial hits</quote>.</para>
\r
911 <para>One photon torpedo will usually kill one ordinary Klingon, but it
\r
912 usually takes about two for a Klingon Commander. Photon torpedoes
\r
913 can also blow up stars and starbases, if you aren't careful.</para>
\r
915 <para>You may fire photon torpedoes singly, or in bursts of two or three.
\r
916 Each torpedo is individually targetable. The computer will prompt
\r
917 you, asking for the target sector for each torpedo. Alternately, you
\r
918 may specify each target in the command line.</para>
\r
920 <para>Photon torpedoes cannot be aimed precisely—there is always some
\r
921 randomness involved in the direction they go. Photon torpedoes may
\r
922 be fired with your shields up, but as they pass through the shields
\r
923 they are randomly deflected from their intended course even more.</para>
\r
925 <para>Photon torpedoes are proximity-fused. The closer they explode to the
\r
926 enemy, the more damage they do. There is a hit <quote>window</quote> about one
\r
927 sector wide. If the torpedo misses the hit window, it does not
\r
928 explode and the enemy is unaffected. Photon torpedoes are only
\r
929 effective within the quadrant. They have no effect on things in
\r
930 adjacent quadrants.</para>
\r
932 <para>If more than one torpedo is fired and only one target sector is
\r
933 specified, all torpedoes are fired at that sector. For example, to
\r
934 fire two torpedoes at sector 3 - 4, you type</para>
\r
937 PHO 2 3 4 (or) PHO 2 3 4 3 4
\r
940 <para>To fire torpedoes at, consecutively, sectors 2 - 6, 1 - 10, and 4 -
\r
947 <para>There is no restriction to fire directly at a sector. For example,
\r
948 you can enter</para>
\r
954 <para>to aim between two sectors. However, sector numbers must be 1 to 10
\r
958 <sect1><title>Dock at Starbase</title>
\r
962 Shortest abbreviation: D
\r
965 <para>You may dock your starship whenever you are in one of the eight
\r
966 sector positions immediately adjacent to a starbase. When you dock,
\r
967 your starship is resupplied with energy, shield energy photon
\r
968 torpedoes, and life support reserves. Repairs also proceed faster at
\r
969 starbase, so if some of your devices are damaged, you may wish to stay
\r
970 at base (by using the <quote>REST</quote> command) until they are
\r
971 fixed. If your ship has more than its normal maximum energy (which
\r
972 can happen if you've loaded crystals) the ship's energy is not
\r
975 <para>You may not dock while in standard orbit around a planet.</para>
\r
977 <para>Starbases have their own deflector shields, so you are completely
\r
978 safe from phaser attack while docked. You are also safe from
\r
979 long-range tractor beams.</para>
\r
981 <para>Starbases also have both short and long range sensors, which you can
\r
982 use if yours are broken. There's also a subspace radio to get
\r
983 information about happenings in the galaxy. Mr. Spock will update the
\r
984 star chart if your ask for it while docked and your own radio is dead.</para>
\r
987 <sect1><title>Rest</title>
\r
991 Shortest abbreviation: R
\r
992 Full command: REST <NUMBER OF STARDATES>
\r
995 <para>This command simply allows the specified number of stardates to go
\r
996 by. This is useful if you have suffered damages and wish to wait
\r
997 until repairs are made before you go back into battle.</para>
\r
999 <para>It is not generally advisable to rest while you are under attack by
\r
1003 <sect1><title>Call Starbase for Help</title>
\r
1010 <para>[Originally, this command was called <quote>HELP</quote>, but
\r
1011 these days it might be misinterpreted as built-in
\r
1012 documentation!]</para>
\r
1014 <para>When you get into serious trouble, you may call starbase for
\r
1015 help. Starbases have a device called a <quote>long-range transporter
\r
1016 beam</quote> which they can use to teleport you to base. This works
\r
1017 by dematerializing your starship at its current position and
\r
1018 re-materializing it adjacent to the nearest starbase. Teleportation
\r
1019 is instantaneous, and starbase supplies the required energy—all
\r
1020 you have to do is let them know (via subspace radio) that you need to
\r
1021 be rescued.</para>
\r
1023 <para>This command should be employed only when absolutely necessary. In
\r
1024 the first place, calling for help is an admission on your part that
\r
1025 you got yourself into something you cannot get yourself out of, and
\r
1026 you are heavily penalized for this in the final scoring. Secondly,
\r
1027 the long-range transporter beam is not reliable—starbase can always
\r
1028 manage to dematerialize your starship, but (depending on distance)
\r
1029 may or may not be able to re-materialize you again. The long-range
\r
1030 transporter beam has no absolute maximum range; if you are in the
\r
1031 same quadrant as a starbase, you have a good chance (about 90%) of
\r
1032 re-materializing successfully. your chances drop to roughly 50-50 at
\r
1033 just over 3 quadrants.</para>
\r
1036 <sect1><title>Abandon Ship</title>
\r
1043 <para>You may abandon the Enterprise if necessary. If there is still a
\r
1044 starbase in the galaxy, you will be sent there and put in charge of a
\r
1045 weaker ship, the Faerie Queene.</para>
\r
1047 <para>The Faerie Queene cannot be abandoned.</para>
\r
1050 <sect1><title>Self-Destruct</title>
\r
1053 Mnemonic: DESTRUCT
\r
1057 <para>You may self-destruct, thus killing yourself and ending the game. If
\r
1058 there are nearby Klingons, you may take a few of them with you (the
\r
1059 more energy you have left, the bigger the bang).</para>
\r
1061 <para>In order to self-destruct you must remember the password you typed in
\r
1062 at the beginning of the game.</para>
\r
1065 <sect1><title>Quit Game</title>
\r
1072 <para>Immediately cancel the current game; no conclusion is reached. You
\r
1073 will be given an opportunity to start a new game or to leave the Star
\r
1074 Trek program.</para>
\r
1077 <sect1><title>Sensor-Scan</title>
\r
1081 Shortest abbreviation: SE
\r
1084 <para>Utilizing the short-range sensors, science officer Spock gives you a
\r
1085 readout on any planet in your quadrant. Planets come in three
\r
1086 classes: M, N, and O. Only class M planets have earth-like
\r
1087 conditions. Spock informs you if the planet has any dilithium
\r
1088 crystals. Sensor scans are free.</para>
\r
1091 <sect1><title>Enter Standard Orbit</title>
\r
1095 Shortest abbreviation: O
\r
1098 <para>To land on a planet you must first be in standard orbit. You achieve
\r
1099 this in a manner similar to docking at starbase. Moving to one of
\r
1100 the eight sector positions immediately adjacent to the planet, you
\r
1101 give the orbit command which puts your ship into standard orbit about
\r
1102 the planet. Since this is a maneuver, a small amount of time is
\r
1103 used; negligible energy is required. If enemies are present, they
\r
1104 will attack.</para>
\r
1107 <sect1><title>Transporter Travel</title>
\r
1110 Mnemonic: TRANSPORT
\r
1111 Shortest abbreviation: T
\r
1114 <para>The transporter is a device which can convert any physical object
\r
1115 into energy, beam the energy through space, and reconstruct the
\r
1116 physical object at some destination. Transporting is one way to land
\r
1117 on a planet. Since the transporter has a limited range, you must be
\r
1118 in standard orbit to beam down to a planet. Shields must be down
\r
1119 while transporting.</para>
\r
1121 <para>The transport command is used to beam a landing party onto a planet
\r
1122 to mine <quote>dilithium crystals</quote>. Each time the command is given the
\r
1123 landing party (which you lead) moves from the ship to the planet, or
\r
1124 vice-versa.</para>
\r
1126 <para>You are advised against needless transporting, since like all
\r
1127 devices, the transporter will sometimes malfunction.</para>
\r
1129 <para>The transporter consumes negligible time and energy. Its use does
\r
1130 not constitute a <quote>turn</quote>.</para>
\r
1133 <sect1><title>Shuttle Craft</title>
\r
1137 Shortest abbreviation: SHU
\r
1140 <para>An alternate way to travel to and from planets. Because of limited
\r
1141 range, you must be in standard orbit to use the shuttle craft, named
\r
1142 "Galileo". Shields must be down.</para>
\r
1144 <para>Unlike transporting, use of the shuttle craft does constitute a
\r
1145 <quote>turn</quote> since time is consumed. The time naturally
\r
1146 depends on orbit altitude, and is equal to 3.0e-5 times altitude.
\r
1147 Shuttling uses no ship energy.</para>
\r
1149 <para>You should use the same travel device going from the planet to the
\r
1150 ship as you use to go from the ship to the planet. However it is
\r
1151 possible to transport to the planet and have the Galileo crew come
\r
1152 and pick your landing party up, or to take the Galileo to the planet
\r
1153 and then transport back, leaving the shuttle craft on the planet.</para>
\r
1156 <sect1><title>Mine Dilithium Crystals</title>
\r
1160 Shortest abbreviation: MI
\r
1163 <para>Once you and your mining party are on the surface of a planet which
\r
1164 has dilithium crystals, this command will dig them for you.</para>
\r
1166 <para>Mining requires time and constitutes a <quote>turn</quote>. No
\r
1167 energy is used. Class M planets require 0.1 to 0.3 stardates to mine.
\r
1168 Class N planets take twice as long, and class O planets take three
\r
1169 times as long.</para>
\r
1171 <para>Dilithium crystals contain enormous energy in a form that is readily
\r
1172 released in the ship's power system. It is an excellent idea to mine
\r
1173 them whenever possible, for use in emergencies. You keep the
\r
1174 crystals until the game is over or you abandon ship when not at a
\r
1178 <sect1><title>Load Dilithium Crystals</title>
\r
1181 Mnemonic: CRYSTALS
\r
1182 Shortest abbreviation: CR
\r
1185 <para>This is a very powerful command which should be used with caution.
\r
1186 Once you have dilithium crystals aboard ship, this command will
\r
1187 instruct engineering officer Scott and Mr. Spock to place a raw
\r
1188 dilithium crystal into the power channel of the ship's
\r
1189 matter-antimatter converter. When it works, this command will
\r
1190 greatly boost the ship's energy.</para>
\r
1192 <para>Because the crystals are raw and impure, instabilities can occur in
\r
1193 the power channel. Usually Scotty can control these. When he
\r
1194 cannot, the results are disastrous. Scotty will use those crystals
\r
1195 that appear to be most stable first.</para>
\r
1197 <para>Since using raw dilithium crystals for this purpose entails
\r
1198 considerable risk, Starfleet Regulations allow its use only during
\r
1199 "condition yellow". No time or energy is used.</para>
\r
1202 <sect1><title>Planet Report</title>
\r
1206 Shortest abbreviation: PL
\r
1209 <para>Mr. Spock presents you a list of the available information on planets
\r
1210 in the galaxy. Since planets do not show up on long-range scans, the
\r
1211 only way to obtain this information is with the <quote>SENSORS</quote> command.</para>
\r
1214 <sect1><title>Freeze</title>
\r
1219 Full command: FREEZE <FILE NAME>
\r
1222 <para>The purpose of the FREEZE command is to allow a player to save the
\r
1223 current state of the game, so that it can be finished later. A
\r
1224 plaque may not be generated from a frozen game. A file with the
\r
1225 specified <file name> and type '.TRK' is created (if necessary) in
\r
1226 the current directory, and all pertinent information about the game
\r
1227 is written to that file. The game may be continued as usual or be
\r
1228 terminated at the user's option.</para>
\r
1230 <para>To restart a game created by the <quote>FREEZE</quote> command,
\r
1231 the user need only type <quote>FROZEN</quote> in response to the
\r
1232 initial question about the type of game desired, followed by the
\r
1233 <file name>.</para>
\r
1235 <para>NOTE: A <quote>tournament</quote> game is like a frozen game,
\r
1236 with the following differences. (1) Tournament games always start
\r
1237 from the beginning, while a frozen game can start at any point. (2)
\r
1238 Tournament games require only that the player remember the name or
\r
1239 number of the tournament, while the information about a frozen game
\r
1240 must be kept on a file. Tournament games can be frozen, but then they
\r
1241 behave like regular frozen games.</para>
\r
1243 <para>A point worth noting is that 'FREEZE' does not save the seed for the
\r
1244 random number generator, so that identical actions after restarting
\r
1245 the same frozen game can lead to different results. However,
\r
1246 identical actions after starting a given tournament game always lead
\r
1247 to the same results.</para>
\r
1250 <sect1><title>Request</title>
\r
1254 Shortest abbreviation: REQ
\r
1255 Full command: REQUEST <ITEM>
\r
1258 <para>This command allows you to get any single piece of information
\r
1259 from the <STATUS> command. <ITEM> specifies which
\r
1260 information as follows:</para>
\r
1266 <entry>Information</entry>
\r
1267 <entry>Mnemonic for <item></entry>
\r
1268 <entry>Shortest Abbreviation</entry>
\r
1272 <row><entry>STARDATE</entry> <entry>DATE</entry> <entry>D</entry></row>
\r
1273 <row><entry>CONDITION</entry> <entry>CONDITION</entry> <entry>C</entry></row>
\r
1274 <row><entry>POSITION</entry> <entry>POSITION</entry> <entry>P</entry></row>
\r
1275 <row><entry>LIFE SUPPORT</entry><entry>LSUPPORT</entry> <entry>L</entry></row>
\r
1276 <row><entry>WARP FACTOR</entry> <entry>WARPFACTOR</entry><entry>W</entry></row>
\r
1277 <row><entry>ENERGY</entry> <entry>ENERGY</entry> <entry>E</entry></row>
\r
1278 <row><entry>TORPEDOES</entry> <entry>TORPEDOES</entry> <entry>T</entry></row>
\r
1279 <row><entry>SHIELDS</entry> <entry>SHIELDS</entry> <entry>S</entry></row>
\r
1280 <row><entry>KLINGONS LEFT</entry><entry>KLINGONS</entry> <entry>K</entry></row>
\r
1281 <row><entry>TIME LEFT</entry> <entry>TIME</entry> <entry>TI</entry></row>
\r
1287 <sect1><title>Experimental Death Ray</title>
\r
1290 Mnemonic: DEATHRAY
\r
1294 <para>This command should be used only in those desperate cases where
\r
1295 you have absolutely no alternative. The death ray uses energy to
\r
1296 rearrange matter. Unfortunately, its working principles are not yet
\r
1297 thoroughly understood, and the results are highly
\r
1298 unpredictable.</para>
\r
1300 <para>The only good thing that can result is the destruction of all
\r
1301 enemies in your current quadrant. This will happen about 70% of the
\r
1302 time. Only enemies are destroyed; starbases, stars, and planets are
\r
1303 unaffected.</para>
\r
1305 <para>Constituting the remaining 30% are results varying from bad to
\r
1308 <para>The death ray requires no energy or time, but if you survive, enemies
\r
1309 will hit you.</para>
\r
1311 <para>The Faerie Queene has no death ray.</para>
\r
1313 <para>If the death ray is damaged in its use, it must be totally replaced.
\r
1314 This can only be done at starbase. Because it is a very complex
\r
1315 device, it takes 9.99 stardates at base to replace the death ray.
\r
1316 The death ray cannot be repaired in flight.</para>
\r
1319 <sect1><title>Launch Deep Space Probe</title>
\r
1323 Shortest abbreviation: PR
\r
1324 Full command: PROBE <ARMED> MANUAL <displacement>
\r
1325 PROBE <ARMED> AUTOMATIC <destination>
\r
1328 <para>The Enterprise carries a limited number of Long Range Probes. These
\r
1329 fly to the end of the galaxy and report back a count of the number of
\r
1330 important things found in each quadrant through which it went. The
\r
1331 probe flies at warp 10, and therefore uses time during its flight.
\r
1332 Results are reported immediately via subspace radio and are recorded
\r
1333 in the star chart.</para>
\r
1335 <para>The probe can also be armed with a NOVAMAX warhead. When launched
\r
1336 with the warhead armed, the probe flies the same except as soon as it
\r
1337 reaches the target location, it detonates the warhead in the heart of
\r
1338 a star, causing a supernova and destroying everything in the
\r
1339 quadrant. It then flies no further. There must be a star in the
\r
1340 target quadrant for the NOVAMAX to function. </para>
\r
1342 <para>The probe can fly around objects in a galaxy, but is destroyed if it
\r
1343 enters a quadrant containing a supernova, or if it leaves the galaxy.</para>
\r
1345 <para>The target location is specified in the same manner as the MOVE
\r
1346 command, however for automatic movement, if only one pair of
\r
1347 coordinates are specified they are assumed to be the quadrant and not
\r
1348 the sector in the current quadrant!</para>
\r
1350 <para>The Faerie Queene has no probes.</para>
\r
1353 <sect1><title>Emergency Exit</title>
\r
1357 Shortest abbreviation: E
\r
1360 <para>This command provides a quick way to exit from the game when you
\r
1361 observe a Klingon battle cruiser approaching your terminal. Its
\r
1362 effect is to freeze the game on the file 'EMSAVE.TRK' in your current
\r
1363 directory, erase the screen, and exit.</para>
\r
1365 <para>Of course, you do lose the chance to get a plaque when you use this
\r
1369 <sect1><title>Ask for Help</title>
\r
1373 Full command: HELP <command>
\r
1376 <para>This command reads the appropriate section from the SST.DOC file,
\r
1377 providing the file is in the current directory.</para>
\r
1381 <chapter><title>Miscellaneous Notes</title>
\r
1383 <para>Starbases can be attacked by either commanders or by the
\r
1384 <quote>Super-Commander</quote>. When this happens, you will be
\r
1385 notified by subspace radio, provided it is working. The message will
\r
1386 inform you how long the base under attack can last. Since the
\r
1387 <quote>Super-Commander</quote> is more powerful than an ordinary
\r
1388 commander, he can destroy a base more quickly.</para>
\r
1390 <para>The <quote>Super-Commander</quote> travels around the galaxy at a speed of about
\r
1391 warp 6 or 7. His movement is strictly time based; the more time
\r
1392 passes, the further he can go.</para>
\r
1394 <para>Scattered through the galaxy are certain zones of control,
\r
1395 collectively designated the <quote>Romulan Neutral Zone</quote>. Any
\r
1396 quadrant which contains Romulans without Klingons is part of the
\r
1397 Neutral Zone, except if a base is present. Since Romulans do not show
\r
1398 on either the long-range scan or the star chart, it is easy for you to
\r
1399 stumble into this zone. When you do, if your subspace radio is
\r
1400 working, you will receive a warning message from the Romulan, politely
\r
1401 asking you to leave.</para>
\r
1403 <para>In general, Romulans are a galactic nuisance.</para>
\r
1405 <para>The high-speed shield control is fairly reliable, but it has been
\r
1406 known to malfunction.</para>
\r
1408 <para>You can observe the galactic movements of the
\r
1409 <quote>Super-Commander</quote> on the star chart, provided he is in
\r
1410 territory you have scanned and your subspace radio is working.</para>
\r
1412 <para>Periodically, you will receive intelligence reports from
\r
1413 starfleet command, indicating the current quadrant of the
\r
1414 <quote>Super-Commander</quote>. Your subspace radio must be working,
\r
1417 <para>Each quadrant will contain from 0 to 3 black holes. Torpedoes
\r
1418 entering a black hole disappear. In fact, anything entering a black
\r
1419 hole disappears, permanently. If you can displace an enemy into one,
\r
1420 he is a goner. Black holes do not necessarily remain in a quadrant.
\r
1421 they are transient phenomena.</para>
\r
1423 <para>Commanders will ram your ship, killing themselves and inflicting
\r
1424 heavy damage to you, if they should happen to decide to advance into
\r
1425 your sector.</para>
\r
1427 <para>You can get a list of commands by typing
\r
1428 <quote>COMMANDS</quote>.</para>
\r
1431 <chapter><title>Scoring</title>
\r
1433 <para>Scoring is fairly simple. You get points for good things, and you
\r
1434 lose points for bad things.</para>
\r
1436 <para>You gain—</para>
\r
1439 <listitem><para>10 points for each ordinary Klingon you kill,</para></listitem>
\r
1440 <listitem><para>50 points for each commander you kill,</para></listitem>
\r
1441 <listitem><para>200 points for killing the <quote>Super-Commander</quote>,</para></listitem>
\r
1442 <listitem><para>20 points for each Romulan killed,</para></listitem>
\r
1443 <listitem><para>1 point for each Romulan captured.</para></listitem>
\r
1445 <para>100 times your average Klingon/stardate kill rate. If you lose
\r
1446 the game, your kill rate is based on a minimum of 5 stardates.</para>
\r
1449 <para>You get a bonus if you win the game, based on your rating:</para>
\r
1450 <para>Novice=100, Fair=200, Good=300, Expert=400, Emeritus=500.</para>
\r
1454 <para>You lose—</para>
\r
1457 <listitem><para>200 points if you get yourself killed,</para></listitem>
\r
1458 <listitem><para>100 points for each starbase you destroy,</para></listitem>
\r
1459 <listitem><para>100 points for each starship you lose,</para></listitem>
\r
1460 <listitem><para>45 points for each time you had to call for help,</para></listitem>
\r
1461 <listitem><para>10 points for each planet you destroyed,</para></listitem>
\r
1462 <listitem><para>5 points for each star you destroyed, and</para></listitem>
\r
1463 <listitem><para>1 point for each casualty you incurred.</para></listitem>
\r
1466 <para>In addition to your score, you may also be promoted one grade in rank
\r
1467 if you play well enough. Promotion is based primarily on your
\r
1468 Klingon/stardate kill rate, since this is the best indicator of
\r
1469 whether you are ready to go on to the next higher rating. However,
\r
1470 if you have lost 100 or more points in penalties, the required kill
\r
1471 rate goes up. Normally, the required kill rate is 0.1 * skill *
\r
1472 (skill + 1.0) + 0.1, where skill ranges from 1 for Novice to 5 for
\r
1475 <para>You can be promoted from any level. There is a special
\r
1476 promotion available if you go beyond the <quote>Expert</quote> range.
\r
1477 You can also have a certificate of merit printed with your name, date,
\r
1478 and Klingon kill rate, provided you are promoted from either the
\r
1479 <quote>Expert</quote> or <quote>Emeritus</quote> levels. This
\r
1480 <quote>plaque</quote> requires a 132 column printer. You may need
\r
1481 print the certificate to a file, import it into your word processor,
\r
1482 selecting Courier 8pt font, and then print in <quote>landscape
\r
1483 orientation</quote>.</para>
\r
1485 <para>You should probably start out at the novice level, even if you are
\r
1486 already familiar with one of the other versions of the Star Trek
\r
1487 game—but, of course, the level of game you play is up to you. If
\r
1488 you want to start at the Expert level, go ahead. It's your funeral.
\r
1489 The emeritus game is strictly for masochists.</para>
\r
1492 <chapter><title>Handy Reference Page</title>
\r
1494 <literallayout format='linespecific' class='monospaced'>
\r
1495 ABBREV FULL COMMAND DEVICE USED
\r
1496 ------ ------------ -----------
\r
1497 ABANDON ABANDON shuttle craft
\r
1499 CALL CALL (for help) subspace radio
\r
1500 CO COMPUTER computer
\r
1501 CR CRYSTALS (none)
\r
1503 DEATHRAY DEATHRAY (none)
\r
1504 DESTRUCT DESTRUCT computer
\r
1507 FREEZE FREEZE <FILE NAME> (none)
\r
1508 I IMPULSE <MANUAL> <DISPLACEMENT> impulse engines
\r
1509 IMPULSE AUTOMATIC <DESTINATION> impulse engines and computer
\r
1510 L LRSCAN long-range sensors
\r
1512 M MOVE <MANUAL> <DISPLACEMENT> warp engines
\r
1513 MOVE AUTOMATIC <DESTINATION> warp engines and computer
\r
1514 O ORBIT warp or impulse engines
\r
1515 P PHASERS <TOTAL AMOUNT> phasers and computer
\r
1516 PHASERS AUTOMATIC <TOTAL AMOUNT> phasers, computer, sr sensors
\r
1517 PHASERS MANUAL <AMT1> <AMT2> ... phasers
\r
1518 PHO PHOTONS <NUMBER> <TARGETS> torpedo tubes
\r
1520 PR PROBE <ARMED> <MANUAL> <DISPLACEMENT> probe launcher, radio
\r
1521 PROBE <ARMED> AUTOMATIC <DESTINATION> launcher, radio, computer
\r
1523 REQ REQUEST (none)
\r
1524 R REST <NUMBER OF STARDATES> (none)
\r
1526 S SRSCAN <NO or CHART> short-range sensors
\r
1527 SE SENSORS short-range sensors
\r
1528 SH SHIELDS <UP, DOWN, or TRANSFER> deflector shields
\r
1529 SHU SHUTTLE shuttle craft
\r
1531 T TRANSPORT transporter
\r
1532 W WARP <FACTOR> (none)
\r
1534 L. R. Scan: thousands digit: supernova
\r
1535 hundreds digit: Klingons
\r
1536 tens digit: starbases
\r
1538 period (.): digit not known (star chart only)
\r
1540 Courses are given in manual mode in X - Y displacements; in automatic
\r
1541 mode as destination quadrant and/or sector. Manual mode is default.
\r
1542 Distances are given in quadrants. A distance of one sector is 0.1 quadrant.
\r
1543 Ordinary Klingons have about 400 units of energy, Commanders about
\r
1544 1200. Romulans normally have about 800 units of energy, and the
\r
1545 (GULP) "Super-Commander" has about 1800.
\r
1546 Phaser fire diminishes to about 60 percent at 5 sectors. Up to 1500
\r
1547 units may be fired in a single burst without danger of overheat.
\r
1548 Warp 6 is the fastest safe speed. At higher speeds, engine damage
\r
1549 may occur. At warp 10 you may enter a time warp.
\r
1550 Shields cost 50 units of energy to raise, and double the power
\r
1551 requirements of moving under warp drive. Engaging the high-speed
\r
1552 shield control requires 200 units of energy.
\r
1553 Warp drive requires (distance)*(warp factor cubed) units of energy
\r
1554 to travel at a speed of (warp factor squared)/10 quadrants per stardate.
\r
1555 Impulse engines require 20 units to warm up, plus 100 units per
\r
1556 quadrant. Speed is just under one sector per stardate.
\r
1560 <chapter><title>Game History and Modifications</title>
\r
1562 <sect1><title>Tom Almy's story</title>
\r
1564 <para>Back in (about) 1977 I got a copy of this Super Star Trek game for
\r
1565 the CDC 6600 mainframe computer. Someone had converted it to PDP-11
\r
1566 Fortran but couldn't get it to run because of its size. I modified
\r
1567 the program to use overlays and managed to shoehorn it in on the 56k
\r
1568 byte machine.</para>
\r
1570 <para>I liked the game so much I put some time into fixing bugs, mainly
\r
1571 what could be called continuity errors and loopholes in the game's
\r
1572 logic. We even played a couple tournaments.</para>
\r
1574 <para>In 1979, I lost access to that PDP-11. I did save the source code
\r
1575 listing. In 1995, missing that old friend, I started converting the
\r
1576 program into portable ANSI C. It's been slow, tedious work that took
\r
1577 over a year to accomplish.</para>
\r
1579 <para>In early 1997, I got the bright idea to look for references to
\r
1580 <quote>Super Star Trek</quote> on the World Wide Web. There weren't
\r
1581 many hits, but there was one that came up with 1979 Fortran sources!
\r
1582 This version had a few additional features that mine didn't have,
\r
1583 however mine had some feature it didn't have. So I merged its features
\r
1584 that I liked. I also took a peek at the DECUS version (a port, less
\r
1585 sources, to the PDP-10), and some other variations.</para>
\r
1587 <para>Modifications I made:</para>
\r
1589 <para>Compared to original version, I've changed the
\r
1590 <quote>help</quote> command to <quote>call</quote> and the
\r
1591 <quote>terminate</quote> command to <quote>quit</quote> to better
\r
1592 match user expectations. The DECUS version apparently made those
\r
1593 changes as well as changing <quote>freeze</quote> to
\r
1594 <quote>save</quote>. However I like <quote>freeze</quote>.</para>
\r
1596 <para>I added EMEXIT from the 1979 version.</para>
\r
1598 <para>That later version also mentions srscan and lrscan working when
\r
1599 docked (using the starbase's scanners), so I made some changes here
\r
1600 to do this (and indicating that fact to the player), and then
\r
1601 realized the base would have a subspace radio as well — doing a
\r
1602 Chart when docked updates the star chart, and all radio reports will
\r
1603 be heard. The Dock command will also give a report if a base is under
\r
1606 <para>It also had some added logic to spread the initial positioning of
\r
1607 bases. That made sense to add because most people abort games with
\r
1608 bad base placement.</para>
\r
1610 <para>The experimental deathray originally had only a 5% chance of success,
\r
1611 but could be used repeatedly. I guess after a couple years of use, it
\r
1612 was less <quote>experimental</quote> because the 1979 version had a 70% success
\r
1613 rate. However it was prone to breaking after use. I upgraded the
\r
1614 deathray, but kept the original set of failure modes (great humor!).</para>
\r
1616 <para>I put in the Tholian Web code from the 1979 version.</para>
\r
1618 <para>I added code so that Romulans and regular Klingons could move in
\r
1619 advanced games. I re-enabled the code which allows enemy ships to
\r
1620 ram the Enterprise; it had never worked right. The 1979 version
\r
1621 seems to have it all fixed up, but I'm still not overly happy with
\r
1622 the algorithm.</para>
\r
1624 <para>The DECUS version had a Deep Space Probe. Looked like a good idea
\r
1625 so I implemented it based on its description.</para>
\r
1628 <sect1><title>Stas Sergeev's story</title>
\r
1630 <para>I started from an older Tom Almy version and added features I had
\r
1631 seen in mainframe variants of the game, I wrote a screen-oriented
\r
1632 interface for it based on the curses library.</para>
\r
1636 <para>The Space Thingy can be shoved, if you ram it, and can fire back if
\r
1637 fired upon.</para>
\r
1640 <para>The Tholian can be hit with phasers.</para>
\r
1643 <para>When you are docked, base covers you with an almost invincible shields
\r
1644 (a commander can still ram you, or a Romulan can destroy the base,
\r
1645 or a SCom can even succeed with direct attack IIRC, but this rarely
\r
1649 <para>SCom can't escape from you if no more enemies remain (without this,
\r
1650 chasing SCom can take an eternity).</para>
\r
1653 <para>Probe target you enter is now the destination quadrant. Before I don't
\r
1654 remember what it was, but it was something I had difficulty using)</para>
\r
1657 <para>Secret password is now autogenerated.</para>
\r
1660 <para>Victory plaque is adjusted for A4 paper rather than 132-column greenbar
\r
1664 <para>Phasers now tells you how much energy needed, but only if the computer
\r
1668 <para>Planets are auto-scanned when you enter the quadrant.</para>
\r
1671 <para>Mining or using crystals in presense of enemy now yields an attack.
\r
1672 There are other minor adjustments to what yields an attack
\r
1673 and what does not.</para>
\r
1676 <para>Ramming a black hole is no longer instant death. There is a
\r
1677 chance you might get timewarped instead.</para>
\r
1680 <para>"freeze" command reverts to "save", most people will understand this
\r
1681 better anyway.</para>
\r
1684 <para>Screen-oriented interface, with sensor scans always up.</para>
\r
1689 <sect1><title>Eric Raymond's story</title>
\r
1691 <para>I played the FORTRAN version of this game in the mid-1970s on a
\r
1692 DEC minicomputer. In the late 1980s Dave Matuszek and I became
\r
1693 friends; I was vaguely aware that he had had something to do with the
\r
1694 original Star Trek game. In October 2004, sitting in Dave's living
\r
1695 room, we got to talking about the game and I realized it would make a
\r
1696 great exhibit for the <ulink
\r
1697 url='http://www.catb.org/retro/'>Retrocomputing Museum</ulink>.</para>
\r
1699 <para>A few quick web searches later we found Tom Almy's page. We
\r
1700 downloaded his code and Dave verified that that it was a direct
\r
1701 descendent of UT Super Star Trek — even though it had been translated
\r
1702 to C, he was able to recognize names and techniques from the FORTRAN
\r
1705 <para>Thus, this game is a cousin of Eric Allman's BSD Trek game, which is
\r
1706 also derived from UT Super Star Trek. However, this one has had a lot
\r
1707 more stuff folded into it over the years — deep space probes,
\r
1708 dilithium mining, the Tholian Web, and so forth.</para>
\r
1710 <para>One signature trait of this group of variants is that the sectors are
\r
1711 10x10 rather than the 8x8 in Mike Mayfield's 1972 original and its
\r
1712 BASIC descendants) Also, you set courses and firing directions with
\r
1713 rectangular rather than polar coordinates. It also preserves the
\r
1714 original numbered quadrants rather than the astronomically-named
\r
1715 quadrants introduced into many BASIC versions.</para>
\r
1717 <para>This game is now an open-source project; see the <ulink
\r
1718 url='http://developer.berlios.de/projects/sst/'>project
\r
1719 site</ulink>.</para>
\r
1721 <para>After I launched the Berlios project, Stas Sergeev contacted me
\r
1722 me. We worked together to merge in his changes.</para>
\r
1724 <para>Modifications I've made:</para>
\r
1728 I converted the flat-text SST.DOC file to XML-Docbook so it can be
\r
1729 webbed. (That's what you're reading now.)
\r
1730 </para></listitem>
\r
1732 The command-help code needed a rewrite because the flat-text form of
\r
1733 the documentation is now generated from XML and doesn't have the
\r
1734 easily recognizable section delimiters it used to. I wrote a script
\r
1735 to filter that flat-text form into an sst.doc that's easy to parse for
\r
1736 command descriptions, and changed some logic in sst.c to match.
\r
1737 </para></listitem>
\r
1739 I've cleaned up a lot of grubby FORTRANisms in the code internals --
\r
1740 used sizeof(), replaced magic numeric constants with #defines,
\r
1741 that sort of thing.
\r
1742 </para></listitem>
\r
1744 I fixed a surprising number of typos in the code and documentation.
\r
1745 </para></listitem>
\r
1747 All the game state now lives in one big structure that can be
\r
1748 written to and read from disk as one blob. The write gives it an
\r
1749 an identifiable magic number and the thaw logic checks for same.
\r
1750 </para></listitem>
\r
1752 I made the internal pager work, nd in the process got rid of a number
\r
1753 of platform dependencies in the code.
\r
1754 </para></listitem>
\r
1756 The HELP/CALL/SOS command is now MAYDAY. SOS and CALL are still accepted.
\r
1757 </para></listitem>
\r
1760 <para>Here are some good pages on the history of Star Trek games:</para>
\r
1764 <ulink url='http://www.dunnington.u-net.com/public/startrek/'>http://www.dunnington.u-net.com/public/startrek/</ulink>
\r
1765 </para></listitem>
\r
1767 <ulink url='http://www3.sympatico.ca/maury/games/space/star_trek.html'>http://www3.sympatico.ca/maury/games/space/star_trek.html</ulink>
\r
1768 </para></listitem>
\r
1770 <ulink url='http://www.cactus.org/%7Enystrom/startrek.html'>http://www.cactus.org/%7Enystrom/startrek.html</ulink>
\r
1771 </para></listitem>
\r
1775 <sect1><title>Authors' Acknowledgments</title>
\r
1777 <para>These are the original acknowledgments by Dave Matuszek and Paul
\r
1780 <para>The authors would like to thank Professor Michael Duggan for his
\r
1781 encouragement and administrative assistance with the development of
\r
1782 the Star Trek game, without which it might never have been completed.</para>
\r
1784 <para>Much credit is due to Patrick McGehearty and Rich Cohen, who assisted
\r
1785 with the original design of the game and contributed greatly to its
\r
1786 conceptual development.</para>
\r
1788 <para>Thanks are also due to Carl Strange, Hardy Tichenor and Steven Bruell
\r
1789 for their assistance with certain coding problems.</para>
\r
1791 <para>This game was inspired by and rather loosely based on an earlier
\r
1792 game, programmed in the BASIC language, by Jim Korp and Grady Hicks.
\r
1793 It is the authors' understanding that the BASIC game was in turn
\r
1794 derived from a still earlier version in use at Penn State University.</para>
\r
1797 <sect1><title>References</title>
\r
1800 <listitem><para><citetitle>Star Trek</citetitle> (the original television
\r
1801 series), produced and directed by Gene Rodenberry.</para></listitem>
\r
1803 <listitem><para><citetitle>Star Trek</citetitle> (the animated
\r
1804 television series), produced by Gene Rodenberry and directed by Hal
\r
1805 Sutherland. Also excellent, and not just kiddie fare. If you enjoyed
\r
1806 the original series you should enjoy this one (unless you have some
\r
1807 sort of a hangup about watching cartoons).</para></listitem>
\r
1809 <listitem><para><citetitle>The Making of Star Trek</citetitle>, by
\r
1810 Steven E. Whitfield and Gene Rodenberry. The best and most complete
\r
1811 readily available book about Star Trek. (Ballantine
\r
1812 Books)</para></listitem>
\r
1814 <listitem><para><citetitle>The World of Star Trek</citetitle>, by
\r
1815 David Gerrold. Similiar in scope to the above book.
\r
1816 (Bantam)</para></listitem>
\r
1818 <listitem><para><citetitle>The Star Trek Guide</citetitle>, third revision 4/17/67, by Gene
\r
1819 Roddenberry. The original writer's guide for the television
\r
1820 series, but less comprehensive than (3) above.
\r
1821 (Norway Productions)</para></listitem>
\r
1823 <listitem><para><citetitle>The Trouble With Tribbles</citetitle>, by
\r
1824 David Gerrold. Includes the complete script of this popular show.
\r
1825 (Ballantine Books)</para></listitem>
\r
1827 <listitem><para><citetitle>Star Trek</citetitle>, <citetitle>Star Trek
\r
1828 2</citetitle>, ..., <citetitle>Star Trek 9</citetitle>, by James
\r
1829 Blish. The original shows in short story form.
\r
1830 (Bantam)</para></listitem>
\r
1832 <listitem><para><citetitle>Spock Must Die</citetitle>, by James Blish.
\r
1833 An original novel, but rather similar to the show <citetitle>The Enemy
\r
1834 Within</citetitle>. (Bantam)</para></listitem>
\r
1836 <listitem><para>Model kits of the Enterprise and a <quote>Klingon
\r
1837 Battle-Cruiser</quote> by AMT Corporation are available at most hobby
\r
1838 shops.</para></listitem>
\r
projects / super-star-trek.git / blob