X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?p=super-star-trek.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=sst-doc.xml;fp=sst-doc.xml;h=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;hp=8510e6db783968e80a07aba275a2dc6d2d05866f;hb=e535e2ef833a03ec84d0f002d684c07ddde893f1;hpb=6faaa79dff2fa3ceec44ef46b79e651f1bd9e0aa diff --git a/sst-doc.xml b/sst-doc.xml deleted file mode 100644 index 8510e6d..0000000 --- a/sst-doc.xml +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1964 +0,0 @@ - - - -]> - - -Super Star Trek - - - - David - Matuzsek - - - Paul - Reynolds - - - Tom - Almy - - - Stas - Sergeev - - - Eric - Steven - Raymond - - - - -Permission is hereby granted for the copying, distribution, -modification and use of this program and associated documentation -for recreational purposes, provided that all references to the -authors are retained. However, permission is not and will not be -granted for the sale or promotional use of this program or program -documentation, or for use in any situation in which profit may be -considered an objective, since it is the desire of the authors to -respect the copyrights of the originators of Star Trek. - - - - - - - SSSSS U U PPPPP EEEEE RRRRR - S U U P P E R R - SSSSS U U PPPPP EEEE RRRRR - S U U P E R R - SSSSS UUUUU P EEEEE R R - - - SSSSSSS TTTTTTTT A RRRRRRR - SSSSSSSS TTTTTTTT AAA RRRRRRRR - SS TT AAA RR RR - SSSSSSS TT AA AA RR RR - SSSSSSS TT AA AA RRRRRRRR - SS TT AAAAAAA RRRRRRR - SS TT AAAAAAA RR RR - SSSSSSSS TT AA AA RR RR - SSSSSSS TT AA AA RR RR - - - - TTTTTTTT RRRRRRR EEEEEEEEE KK KK - TTTTTTTT RRRRRRRR EEEEEEEEE KK KK - TT RR RR EE KK KK - TT RR RR EEEEEE KKKKKK - TT RRRRRRRR EEEEEE KKKKK - TT RRRRRRR EE KK KK - TT RR RR EE KK KK - TT RR RR EEEEEEEEE KK KK - TT RR RR EEEEEEEEE KK KK - - - Produced For Your Enjoyment - - By - - David Matuszek - and - Paul Reynolds - - With Modifications By - Don Smith - - Resurrected By - Tom Almy - - Curses Interface By - Stas Sergeev - - SST 2K polishing and historical research by - Eric S. Raymond - - - -Introduction -The Organian Peace Treaty has collapsed, and the Federation is at war -with the Klingon Empire. Joining the Klingons against the Federation -are the members of the Romulan Star Empire. As commander of the -Starship U.S.S. Enterprise, your job is to wipe out the Klingon -invasion fleet and make the galaxy safe for democracy. - -Your battleground is the entire galaxy, which for convenience is -divided up into eight rows of eight quadrants each, like a -checkerboard. Rows are numbered from top to bottom, and columns are -numbered left to right, so quadrant 1 - 8 would be in the upper right -hand corner of the galaxy. - -During battle you will be concerned only with those enemies that -occupy the same quadrant as yourself. Quadrants are divided up into -sectors: ten rows of ten sectors each. Sectors are numbered in the -same way as quadrants, so the sector in the upper right corner is -sector 1 - 10. You have a short-range scanner which allows you to -look at the entire quadrant in a single display. - -Enemies recharge during your absence. If you leave a quadrant -containing a weakened enemy, when you return to that quadrant he will -be strong again. Also, each time you enter a quadrant, the positions -of everthing in the quadrant (except your ship) are randomized, to -save you the trouble of trying to remember where everything in the -quadrant is. Notice that this refers only to the positions of things -in the quadrant—the numbers of each kind of thing are not changed -(except for black holes and the Super-commander, which move around -the galaxy). If you kill something, it stays dead. - -The Romulans are not as serious a threat to the Federation as the -Klingons. For one thing, there are not as many of them. For -another, the Romulans are not as treacherous. However, Romulans are -not to be trifled with, especially when you are in violation of the -Romulan Neutral Zone. - -There are two kinds of Klingons: Ordinary Klingons, which are -bad enough, and Klingon Commanders, which are even worse. Commanders -are about three times stronger than ordinary Klingons. Commanders are -more resistant to your weapons. Commanders can move about during -battle while Ordinary Klingons stay put. And finally, Commanders have -a thing called a long-range tractor beam which they can -use, at random intervals, to yank you away from what you are doing -into their quadrant, to do battle with them. There is also a special -commander, called the Super-commander. This character -is so bad he is reserved for the Good, Expert, and Emeritus games. -Fortunately, there is just one Super-commander in a game. In addition -to the undesirable traits of Commanders, he can move from quadrant to -quadrant at will, seeking out and destroying your starbases and any -helpful planets he runs across. He also has a spy planted aboard your -ship, giving him valuable information about your condition. Using -this information, he can do dastardly things like tractor beam your -ship when you are in bad shape. And once you've been tractor beamed -by the Super-commander — - -But the advantages are not all on the side of the enemy. Your ship -is more powerful, and has better weapons. Besides, in the this -galaxy there are from two to five starbases, at which you can stop to -refuel and lick your wounds, safe from phaser attack or tractor -beams. But you had best not dally there too long, since time is not -on your side. The Klingons are not just after you; they are -attacking the entire Federation. There is always a finite time -left, which is how much longer the Federation can hold out if you -just sit on your fat behind and do nothing. As you wipe out -Klingons, you reduce the rate at which the invasion fleet weakens the -Federation, and so the time left until the Federation collapses may -actually increase. Since Klingons are the main threat to the -Federation, the Romulans do not figure into the time left. In -fact, you need not kill all the Romulans to win. If you can get all -the Klingons, the Federation will abide forever, and you have won the -game. - -Space is vast, and it takes precious time to move from one place to -another. In comparison, other things happen so quickly that we -assume they take no time at all. Two ways that time can pass are when -you move, or when you issue a command to sit still and rest for a -period of time. You will sometimes want to do the latter, since the -various devices aboard your starship may be damaged and require time -to repair. Of course, repairs can be made more quickly at a starbase -than than can in flight. - -In addition to Klingons, Romulans, and starbases, the galaxy -contains (surprise) stars. Mostly, stars are a nuisance and just get -in your way. You can trigger a star into going nova by shooting one -of your photon torpedoes at it. When a star novas, it does a lot of -dammage to anything immediately adjacent to it. If another star is -adjacent to a nova, it too will go nova. Stars may also occasionally -go supernova; a supernova in a quadrant destroys everything in the -quadrant andmakes the quadrant permanently uninhabitable. You may -jump over a quadrant containing a supernova when you -move, but you should not stop there. - -Supernovas may happen spontaneously, without provocation. If a -supernova occurs in the same quadrant you are in, your starship has an -emergency automatic override which picks some random -direction and some random warp factor, and tries to throw you clear of -the supernova. If the supernova occurs in some other quadrant, you -just get a warning message from starfleet about it (provided, of -course, that your subspace radio is working). - -Also a few planets are scattered through the galaxy. These can -sometimes be a great help since some of them will have dilithium -crystals, which are capable of replenishing the ship's energy -supply. You can either beam down to the planet surface using the -transporter, or take the shuttle craft Galileo. - -Finally, each quadrant will contain from zero to three black -holes. These can deflect or swallow torpedoes passing near them. They -also swallow enemy ships knocked into them. If your ship enters one -— - -Star Trek is a rich game, full of detail. These instructions are -written at a moderate level—no attempt has been made fully to -describe everything about the game, but there is quite a bit more -here than you need to get started. If you are new to the game, just -get a rough idea of the kinds of commands available, and start -playing. After a game or two you will have learned everthing -important, and the detailed command descriptions which follow will be -a lot more meaningful to you. - -You have weapons: phasers and photon torpedoes. You have a defense: -deflector shields. You can look at things: long-range scaners, -short-range scanners, and a star chart. You can move about, under -warp drive or impulse power. You can also dock at a starbase, rest -while repairs are being made, abandon ship, self destruct, or give up -and start a new game. - -The Klingons are waiting. - - -Starting the Game - -The program will ask you some setup questions. You can give it -command-line arguments that will be treated as answers. Any token -may be abbreviated to a unique prefix. - -The first question concerns whether you want a regullar, -tournament, or saved game. For discussion, see the description of the freeze command. - -The second question will concern the length of the game. -Longer games include more enemies. - -The third question will set the game's difficulty level. -You should probably start out at the novice level, even if you are -already familiar with one of the other versions of the Star Trek -game—but, of course, the level of game you play is up to you. If -you want to start at the Expert level, go ahead. It's your funeral. -The Emeritus game is strictly for masochists. - -The fourth question, new in SST2K, sets your game options. A -blank answer or 'fancy' enables all SST2K features. The option -'plain' disables a number of features (Tholians, planets & -dilithium, Thingies shooting back, deep-space-probes, Klingon ramming -and movement, time-warping through black holes, death-ray upgrade), -approximating the original CDC 6600 FORTRAN game from UT Austin. The -option 'almy' approximates Tom Almy's C translation from 1979, -disabling Thingies shooting back, base shields, and time-warping -through black holes. - - -How To Issue Commands - -When the game is waiting for you to enter a command it will -print out - - - COMMAND> - - -You may then type in your command. All you have to remember for each -command is the mnemonic. For example, if you want to move straight up -one quadrant, you can type in the mnemonic (case insensitive) - - - move - - -and the computer will prompt you with - - - Manual or automatic- - - -Say you type in manual. The computer then responds - - - X and Y displacements- - - -Now you type in 0 1 which specifies an X movement of zero and a Y -movement of one. - -When you have learned the commands, you can avoid being prompted -simply by typing in the information without waiting to be asked for -it. For example, in the above example, you could simply type in - - - move manual 0 1 - - -and it will be done. Or you could type in - - - move manual - - -and when the computer responds with the displacement prompt, you -can type in - - - 0 1 - - -and it will understand. - -You can abbreviate most mnemonics. For move, you can use any -of - - - move mov mo m - - -successfully. For your safety, certain critical commands (such as to -abandon ship) must be written out in full. Also, in a few cases two -or more commands begin with the same letter, and in this case that -letter refers to a particular one of the commands; to get the other, -your abbreviation must be two or more characters long. This sounds -complicated, but you will learn the abbreviations qGuickly enough. - -What this all boils down to is: - - -You can abbreviate practically anything -If you forget, the computer will prompt you -If you remember, you can type it all on one line - - -If you are part way through entering a command and you change your -minde, you can cancel the command by typing -1 as one of the -parameters, with the exception of the manual move command. - -If anything is not clear to you, experiment. The worst you can do is -lose a game or two. - - -List of Commands - -Short-Range Scan - - -Mnemonic: SRSCAN -Shortest abbreviation: S -Full commands: SRSCAN - SRSCAN NO - SRSCAN CHART - - - -If you are using the screen-oriented interface, this command is -suppressed; instead, a short-range scan will always be present on the -screen. - -The short-range scan gives you a considerable amount of information -about the quadrant your starship is in. A short-range scan is best -described by an example. - - - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - 1 * . . . . R . . . . Stardate 2516.3 - 2 . . . E . . . . . . Condition RED - 3 . . . . . * . B . . Position 5 - 1, 2 - 4 - 4 . . . S . . . . . . Life Support DAMAGED, Reserves=2.30 - 5 . . . . . . . K . . Warp Factor 5.0 - 6 . K . . . . . * . Energy 2176.24 - 7 . . . . . P . . . . Torpedoes 3 - 8 . . . . * . . . . . Shields UP, 42% 1050.0 units - 9 . * . . * . . . C . Klingons Left 12 - 10 . . . . . . . . . . Time Left 3.72 - - -The left part is a picture of the quadrant. The E at sector 2 - -4 represents the Enterprise; the B at sector 3 - 8 is a starbase. -There are ordinary Klingons (K) at sectors 5 - 8 and 6 - 2, and a -Klingon Commander (C) at 9 - 9. The (GULP) -Super-commander (S) is occupies sector 4 - 4, and a -Romulan (R) is at 1 - 6. A planet (P) is at sector 7 - 6. There are -also a large number of stars (*). The periods (.) are just empty -space—they are printed to help you get your bearings. Sector 6 -- 4 contains a black hole ( ). - -The information on the right is assorted status information. You -can get this alone with the STATUS command. The status information -will be absent if you type N after SRSCAN. Otherwise -status information will be presented. - -If you type C after SRSCAN, you will be given a -short-range scan and a Star Chart. - -Short-range scans are free. That is, they use up no energy and no -time. If you are in battle, doing a short-range scan does not give -the enemies another chance to hit you. You can safely do a -short-range scan anytime you like. - -If your short-range sensors are damaged, this command will only show -the contents of adjacent sectors. - -Status Report - - -Mnemonic: STATUS -Shortest abbreviation: ST - - - -If you are using the screen-oriented interface, this command is -suppressed; instead, a full status report will always be present on the -screen. - -This command gives you information about the current state of your -starship as follows: - - - -STARDATE - -The current date. A stardate is the same as a day. - - - -CONDITION - -There are four possible conditions: - - - DOCKED - docked at starbase. - - - RED - in battle. - - - YELLOW - low on energy (<1000 units) - - - GREEN - none of the above - - - - - -POSITION - -Quadrant is given first, then sector - - - -LIFE SUPPOR - -If ACTIVE then life support systems are functioning -normally. If on RESERVES the number is how many stardates your -reserve food, air, etc. will last—you must get repairs made or get to -starbase before your reserves run out. - - - -WARP FACTOR - -What your warp factor is currently set to. - - - -ENERGY - -The amount of energy you have left. If it drops to zero, you die. - - - -TORPEDOES - -How many photon torpedoes you have left. - - - -SHIELDS - -Whether your shields are up or down, how strong they are -(what percentage of a hit they can deflect), and shield energy. - - - -KLINGONS LEFT - -How many of the Klingons are still out there. - - - -TIME LEFT - -How long the Federation can hold out against the -present number of Klingons; that is, how long until the end -if you do nothing in the meantime. If you kill Klingons -quickly, this number will go up—if not, it will go down. If -it reaches zero, the federation is conquered and you lose. - - - - -Status information is free—it uses no time or energy, and -if you are in battle, the Klingons are not given another chance to hit -you. - -Status information can also be obtained by doing a short-range scan. -See the SRSCAN command for details. - -Each item of information can be obtained singly by requesting it. -See REQUEST command for details. - - -Long-Range Scan - - -Mnemonic: LRSCAN -Shortest abbreviation: L - - - -If you are using the screen-oriented interface, this command is -suppressed; instead, a long-range scan will always be present on the -screen. - -A long-range scan gives you general information about where you are -and what is around you. Here is an example output. - - - Long-range scan for Quadrant 5 - 1 - -1 107 103 - -1 316 5 - -1 105 1000 - - -This scan says that you are in row 5, column 1 of the 8 by 8 galaxy. -The numbers in the scan indicate how many of each kind of thing there -is in your quadrant and all adjacent quadrants. The digits are -interpreted as follows. - - - - - - Thousands digit: - 1000 indicates a supernova (only) - - - Hundreds digit: - number of Klingons present - - - Tens digit: - number of starbases present - - - Ones digit: - number of stars present - - - - - -For example, in your quadrant (5 - 1) the number is 316, which -indicates 3 Klingons, 1 starbase, and 6 stars. The long-range -scanner does not distinguish between ordinary Klingons and Klingon -command ships. If there is a supernova, as in the quadrant below and -to your right (quadrant 6 - 2), there is nothing else in the -quadrant. - -Romulans possess a cloaking device which prevents -their detection by long-range scan. Because of this fact, Starfleet -Command is never sure how many Romulans are out there. -When you kill the last Klingon, the remaining Romulans surrender to -the Federation. - -Planets are also undetectable by long-range scan. The only way to -detect a planet is to find it in your current quadrant with the -short-range sensors. - -Since you are in column 1, there are no quadrants to your left. The -minus ones indicate the negative energy barrier at the edge of the -galaxy, which you are not permitted to cross. - -Long-range scans are free. They use up no energy or time, and can be -done safely regardless of battle conditions. - -Star Chart - - -Mnemonic: CHART -Shortest abbreviation: C - - -As you proceed in the game, you learn more and more about what things -are where in the galaxy. When ever you first do a scan in a quadrant, -telemetry sensors are ejected which will report any changes in the -quadrant(s) back to your ship, providing the sub-space radio is -working. Spock will enter this information in the chart. If the radio -is not working, Spock can only enter new information discovered from -scans, and information in other quadrants may be obsolete. - -The chart looks like an 8 by 8 array of numbers. These numbers are -interpreted exactly as they are on a long-range scan. A period (.) in -place of a digit means you do not know that information yet. For -example, ... means you know nothing about the quadrant, while .1. -menas you know it contains a base, but an unknown number of Klingons -and stars. - -Looking at the star chart is a free operation. It costs neither time -nor energy, and can be done safely whether in or out of battle. - - -Damage Report - - -Mnemonic: DAMAGES -Shortest abbreviation: DA - - -At any time you may ask for a damage report to find out what devices -are damaged and how long it will take to repair them. Naturally, -repairs proceed faster at a starbase. - -If you suffer damages while moving, it is possible that a subsequent -damage report will not show any damage. This happens if the time -spent on the move exceeds the repair time, since in this case the -damaged devices were fixed en route. - -Damage reports are free. They use no energy or time, and can be done -safely even in the midst of battle. - - -Move Under Warp Drive - - -Mnemonic: MOVE -Shortest abbreviation: M -Full command: MOVE MANUAL <displacement> - MOVE AUTOMATIC <destination> - - -This command is the usual way to move from one place to another -within the galaxy. You move under warp drive, according to the -current warp factor (see WARP FACTOR). - -There are two command modes for movement: MANUAL and AUTOMATIC. -The manual mode requires the following format: - - - MOVE MANUAL <deltax> <deltay> - - -<deltax> and <deltay> are the horizontal and vertical -displacements for your starship, in quadrants; a displacement of one -sector is 0.1 quadrants. Specifying <deltax> and <deltay> -causes your ship to move in a straight line to the specified -destination. If <deltay> is omitted, it is assumed zero. For -example, the shortest possible command to move one sector to the right -would be - - - M M .1 - - -The following examples of manual movement refer to the short-range -scan shown earlier. - - - Destination Sector Manual Movement command - 3 - 1 M M -.3 -.1 - 2 - 1 M M -.3 - 1 - 2 M M -.2 .1 - 1 - 4 M M 0 .1 - (leaving quadrant) M M 0 .2 - - -The automatic mode is as follows: - - - MOVE AUTOMATIC <qrow> <qcol> <srow> <scol> - - -<para>where <qrow> and <qcol> are the row and column -numbers of the destination quadrant, and <srow> and <scol> -are the row and column numbers of the destination sector in that -quadrant. This command also moves your ship in a straight line path -to the destination. For moving within a quadrant, <qrow> and -<qcol> may be omitted. For example, to move to sector 2 - 9 in -the current quadrant, the shortest command would be - - - M A 2 9 - - -To move to quadrant 3 - 7, sector 5 - 8, type - - - M A 3 7 5 8 - - -and it will be done. In automatic mode, either two or four numbers -must be supplied. - -Automatic mode utilizes the ship's battle computer. If the -computer is damaged, manual movement must be used. - -If warp engines are damaged less than 10 stardates (undocked) you can -still go warp 4. - -It uses time and energy to move. How much time and how much energy -depends on your current warp factor, the distance you move, and -whether your shields are up. The higher the warp factor, the faster -you move, but higher warp factors require more energy. You may move -with your shields up, but this doubles the energy required. - -You can move within a quadrant without being attacked if you just -entered the quadrant or have been attacked since your last move -command. This enables you to move and hit them before they -retaliate. - - -Warp Factor - - -Mnemonic: WARP -Shortest abbreviation: W -Full command: WARP <number> - - -Your warp factor controls the speed of your starship. The larger the -warp factor, the faster you go and the more energy you use. - -Your minimum warp factor is 1.0 and your maximum warp factor is 10.0 -(which is 100 times as fast and uses 1000 times as much energy). At -speeds above warp 6 there is some danger of causing damage to your -warp engines; this damage is larger at higher warp factors and also -depends on how far you go at that warp factor. - -At exactly warp 10 there is some probability of entering a -so-called time warp and being thrown foward or backward -in time. The farther you go at warp 10, the greater is the -probability of entering the time warp. - - -Impulse Engines - - -Mnemonic: IMPULSE -Shortest abbreviation: I -Full command: IMPULSE MANUAL <displacement> - IMPULSE AUTOMATIC <destination> - - -The impulse engines give you a way to move when your warp engines are -damaged. They move you at a speed of 0.95 sectors per stardate, -which is the equivalent of a warp factor of about 0.975, so they are -much too slow to use except in emergencies. - -Movement commands are indicated just as in the MOVE command. - -The impulse engines require 20 units of energy to engage, plus 10 -units per sector (100 units per quadrant) traveled. It does not cost -extra to move with the shields up. - - -Deflector Shields - - -Mnemonic: SHIELDS -Shortest abbreviation: SH -Full commands: SHIELDS UP - SHIELDS DOWN - SHIELDS TRANSFER <amount of energy to transfer> - - -Your deflector shields are a defensive device to protect you from -Klingon attacks (and nearby novas). As the shields protect you, they -gradually weaken. A shield strength of 75%, for example, means that -the next time a Klingon hits you, your shields will deflect 75% of -the hit, and let 25% get through to hurt you. - -It costs 50 units of energy to raise shields, nothing to lower them. -You may move with your shields up; this costs nothing under impulse -power, but doubles the energy required for warp drive. - -Each time you raise or lower your shields, the Klingons have another -chance to attack. Since shields do not raise and lower -instantaneously, the hits you receive will be intermediate between -what they would be if the shields were completely up or completely -down. - -You may not fire phasers through your shields. However you may -use the high-speed shield control to lower shields, -fire phasers, and raise the shields again before the Klingons can -react. Since rapid lowering and raising of the shields requires more -energy than normal speed operation, it costs you 200 units of energy -to activate this control. It is automatically activated when you fire -phasers while shields are up. You may fire photon torpedoes, but they -may be deflected considerably from their intended course as they pass -through the shields (depending on shield strength). - -You may transfer energy beteen the ship's energy (given as -Energy in the status) and the shields. The word -TRANSFER may be abbreviated T. The -ammount of energy to transfer is the number of units of energy you -wish to take from the ship's energy and put into the shields. If you -specify an negative number, energy is drained from the shields to the -ship. Transfering energy constitutes a turn. If you transfer energy -to the shields while you are under attack, they will be at the new -energy level when you are next hit. - -Enemy torpedoes hitting your ship explode on your shields (if they -are up) and have essentially the same effect as phaser hits. - - -Phasers - - -Mnemonic: PHASERS -Shortest abbreviation: P -Full commands: PHASERS AUTOMATIC <AMOUNT TO FIRE> <NO> - PHASERS <AMOUNT TO FIRE> <NO> - PHASERS MANUAL <NO> <AMOUNT 1> <AMOUNT 2>...<AMOUNT N> - - -Phasers are energy weapons. As you fire phasers at Klingons, you -specify an amount to fire which is drawn from your -energy reserves. The amount of total hit required to kill an enemy is -partly random. but also depends on skill level. - -The average hit required to kill an ordinary Klingon varies from 200 -units in the Novice game to 250 units in the Emeritus game. -Commanders normally require from 600 (Novice) to 700 (Emeritus). The -Super-commander requres from 875 (Good) to 1000 (Emeritus). Romulans -require an average of 350 (Novice) to 450 (Emeritus). - -Hits on enemies are cumulative, as long as you don't leave the -quadrant. - -In general, not all that you fire will reach the Klingons. The -farther away they are, the less phaser energy will reach them. If a -Klingon is adjacent to you, he will receive about 90% of the phaser -energy directed at him; a Klingon 5 sectors away will receive about -60% and a Klingon 10 sectors away will receive about 35%. There is -some randomness involved, so these figures are not exact. Phasers -have no effect beyond the boundaries of the quadrant you are in. - -Phasers may overheat (and be damaged) if you fire too large a burst -at once. Firing up to 1500 units is safe. From 1500 on up the -probability of overheat increases with the amount fired. - -If phaser firing is automatic, the computer decides how to -divide up your <amount to fire> among the Klingons present. If -phaser firing is manual, you specify how much energy to fire at each -Klingon present (nearest first), rather than just specifying a total -amount. You can abreviate MANUAL and -AUTOMATIC to one or more letters; if you mention -neither, automatic fire is usually assumed. - -Battle computer information is available by firing phasers manually, -and allowing the computer to prompt you. If you enter zero for the -amount to fire at each enemy, you will get a complete report, without -cost. The battle computer will tell you how much phaser energy to -fire at each enemy for a sure kill. This information appears in -parentheses prior to the prompt for each enemy. Since the amount is -computed from sensor data, if either the computer or the S.R. sensors -are damaged, this information will be unavailable, and phasers must -be fired manually. - -A safety interlock prevents phasers from being fired through -the shields. If this were not so, the shields would contain your fire -and you would fry yourself. However, you may utilize the -high-speed shield control to drop shields, fire -phasers, and raise shields before the enemy can react. Since it takes -more energy to work the shields rapidly with a shot, it costs you 200 -units of energy each time you activate this control. It is -automatically activated when you fire phasers while the shields are -up. By specifying the <no> option, shields are not raised after -firing. - -Phasers have no effect on starbases (which are shielded) or on -stars. - - -Report - - -Mnemonic: REPORT -Shortest abbreviation: REP - - -This command supplies you with information about the state of the -current game. Its purpose is to remind you of things that you have -learned during play, but may have forgotten, and cannot otherwise -retrieve if you are not playing at a hard-copy terminal. - -You are told the following things: - - -The length and skill level of the game you are playing -The original number of Klingons -How many Klingons you have destroyed -Whether the Super-Commander has been destroyed -How many bases have been destroyed -How many bases are left -What bases (if any) are under attack; your subspace radio -must have been working since the attack to get this -information. -How many casualties you have suffered -How many times you have called for help. - - -This same information is automatically given to you when you start to -play a frozen game. - - -Computer - - -Mnemonic: COMPUTER -Shortest abbreviation: CO - - -This command allows using the ship's computer (if functional) to -calculate travel times and energy usage. - - -Photon Torpedoes - - -Mnemonic: PHOTONS -Shortest abbreviation: PHO -Full commands: PHOTONS <NUMBER> <TARG1> <TARG2> <TARG3> - - -Photon torpedoes are projectile weapons—you either hit what you aim -at, or you don't. There are no partial hits. - -One photon torpedo will usually kill one ordinary Klingon, but it -usually takes about two for a Klingon Commander. Photon torpedoes -can also blow up stars and starbases, if you aren't careful. - -You may fire photon torpedoes singly, or in bursts of two or three. -Each torpedo is individually targetable. The computer will prompt -you, asking for the target sector for each torpedo. Alternately, you -may specify each target in the command line. - -Photon torpedoes cannot be aimed precisely—there is always some -randomness involved in the direction they go. Photon torpedoes may -be fired with your shields up, but as they pass through the shields -they are randomly deflected from their intended course even more. - -Photon torpedoes are proximity-fused. The closer they explode to the -enemy, the more damage they do. There is a hit window about one -sector wide. If the torpedo misses the hit window, it does not -explode and the enemy is unaffected. Photon torpedoes are only -effective within the quadrant. They have no effect on things in -adjacent quadrants. - -If more than one torpedo is fired and only one target sector is -specified, all torpedoes are fired at that sector. For example, to -fire two torpedoes at sector 3 - 4, you type - - - PHO 2 3 4 (or) PHO 2 3 4 3 4 - - -To fire torpedoes at, consecutively, sectors 2 - 6, 1 - 10, and 4 - -7, type - - - PHO 3 2 6 1 10 4 7 - - -There is no restriction to fire directly at a sector. For example, -you can enter - - - PHO 1 3 2.5 - - -to aim between two sectors. However, sector numbers must be 1 to 10 -inclusive. - - -Dock at Starbase - - -Mnemonic: DOCK -Shortest abbreviation: D - - -You may dock your starship whenever you are in one of the eight -sector positions immediately adjacent to a starbase. When you dock, -your starship is resupplied with energy, shield energy photon -torpedoes, and life support reserves. Repairs also proceed faster at -starbase, so if some of your devices are damaged, you may wish to stay -at base (by using the REST command) until they are -fixed. If your ship has more than its normal maximum energy (which -can happen if you've loaded crystals) the ship's energy is not -changed. - -You may not dock while in standard orbit around a planet. - -Starbases have their own deflector shields, so you are completely -safe from phaser attack while docked. You are also safe from -long-range tractor beams. - -Starbases also have both short and long range sensors, which you can -use if yours are broken. There's also a subspace radio to get -information about happenings in the galaxy. Mr. Spock will update the -star chart if your ask for it while docked and your own radio is dead. - - -Rest - - -Mnemonic: REST -Shortest abbreviation: R -Full command: REST <NUMBER OF STARDATES> - - -This command simply allows the specified number of stardates to go -by. This is useful if you have suffered damages and wish to wait -until repairs are made before you go back into battle. - -It is not generally advisable to rest while you are under attack by -Klingons. - - -Call Starbase for Help - - -Mnemonic: MAYDAY -(No abbreviation) - - -[Originally, this command was called HELP, but -these days that might be misconstrued as an attempt to browae built-in -documentation! In some later versions it was CALL.] - -When you get into serious trouble, you may call a starbase for -help. Starbases have a device called a long-range transporter -beam which they can use to teleport you to base. This works -by dematerializing your starship at its current position and -re-materializing it adjacent to the nearest starbase. Teleportation -is instantaneous, and starbase supplies the required energy—all -you have to do is let them know (via subspace radio) that you need to -be rescued. - -This command should be employed only when absolutely necessary. In -the first place, calling for help is an admission on your part that -you got yourself into something you cannot get yourself out of, and -you are heavily penalized for this in the final scoring. Secondly, -the long-range transporter beam is not reliable—starbase can always -manage to dematerialize your starship, but (depending on distance) -may or may not be able to re-materialize you again. The long-range -transporter beam has no absolute maximum range; if you are in the -same quadrant as a starbase, you have a good chance (about 90%) of -re-materializing successfully. your chances drop to roughly 50-50 at -just over 3 quadrants. - - -Abandon Ship - - -Mnemonic: ABANDON -(no abbreviation) - - -You may abandon the Enterprise if necessary. If there is still a -starbase in the galaxy, you will be sent there and put in charge of a -weaker ship, the Faerie Queene. - -The Faerie Queene cannot be abandoned. - - -Self-Destruct - - -Mnemonic: DESTRUCT -(no abbreviation) - - -You may self-destruct, thus killing yourself and ending the game. If -there are nearby Klingons, you may take a few of them with you (the -more energy you have left, the bigger the bang). - -In order to self-destruct you must remember the password you typed in -at the beginning of the game. - - -Quit Game - - -Mnemonic: QUIT -(no abbreviation) - - -Immediately cancel the current game; no conclusion is reached. You -will be given an opportunity to start a new game or to leave the Star -Trek program. - - -Sensor-Scan - - -Mnemonic: SENSORS -Shortest abbreviation: SE - - -Utilizing the short-range sensors, science officer Spock gives you a -readout on any planet in your quadrant. Planets come in three -classes: M, N, and O. Only class M planets have earth-like -conditions. Spock informs you if the planet has any dilithium -crystals. Sensor scans are free. - - -Enter Standard Orbit - - -Mnemonic: ORBIT -Shortest abbreviation: O - - -To land on a planet you must first be in standard orbit. You achieve -this in a manner similar to docking at starbase. Moving to one of -the eight sector positions immediately adjacent to the planet, you -give the orbit command which puts your ship into standard orbit about -the planet. Since this is a maneuver, a small amount of time is -used; negligible energy is required. If enemies are present, they -will attack. - - -Transporter Travel - - -Mnemonic: TRANSPORT -Shortest abbreviation: T - - -The transporter is a device which can convert any physical object -into energy, beam the energy through space, and reconstruct the -physical object at some destination. Transporting is one way to land -on a planet. Since the transporter has a limited range, you must be -in standard orbit to beam down to a planet. Shields must be down -while transporting. - -The transport command is used to beam a landing party onto a planet -to mine dilithium crystals. Each time the command is given the -landing party (which you lead) moves from the ship to the planet, or -vice-versa. - -You are advised against needless transporting, since like all -devices, the transporter will sometimes malfunction. - -The transporter consumes negligible time and energy. Its use does -not constitute a turn. - - -Shuttle Craft - - -Mnemonic: SHUTTLE -Shortest abbreviation: SHU - - -An alternate way to travel to and from planets. Because of limited -range, you must be in standard orbit to use the shuttle craft, named -"Galileo". Shields must be down. - -Unlike transporting, use of the shuttle craft does constitute a -turn since time is consumed. The time naturally -depends on orbit altitude, and is equal to 3.0e-5 times altitude. -Shuttling uses no ship energy. - -You should use the same travel device going from the planet to the -ship as you use to go from the ship to the planet. However it is -possible to transport to the planet and have the Galileo crew come -and pick your landing party up, or to take the Galileo to the planet -and then transport back, leaving the shuttle craft on the planet. - - -Mine Dilithium Crystals - - -Mnemonic: MINE -Shortest abbreviation: MI - - -Once you and your mining party are on the surface of a planet which -has dilithium crystals, this command will dig them for you. - -Mining requires time and constitutes a turn. No -energy is used. Class M planets require 0.1 to 0.3 stardates to mine. -Class N planets take twice as long, and class O planets take three -times as long. - -Dilithium crystals contain enormous energy in a form that is readily -released in the ship's power system. It is an excellent idea to mine -them whenever possible, for use in emergencies. You keep the -crystals until the game is over or you abandon ship when not at a -starbase. - - -Load Dilithium Crystals - - -Mnemonic: CRYSTALS -Shortest abbreviation: CR - - -This is a very powerful command which should be used with caution. -Once you have dilithium crystals aboard ship, this command will -instruct engineering officer Scott and Mr. Spock to place a raw -dilithium crystal into the power channel of the ship's -matter-antimatter converter. When it works, this command will -greatly boost the ship's energy. - -Because the crystals are raw and impure, instabilities can occur in -the power channel. Usually Scotty can control these. When he -cannot, the results are disastrous. Scotty will use those crystals -that appear to be most stable first. - -Since using raw dilithium crystals for this purpose entails -considerable risk, Starfleet Regulations allow its use only during -"condition yellow". No time or energy is used. - - -Planet Report - - -Mnemonic: PLANETS -Shortest abbreviation: PL - - -Mr. Spock presents you a list of the available information on planets -in the galaxy. Since planets do not show up on long-range scans, the -only way to obtain this information is with the SENSORS command. - - -Freeze - - -Mnemonic: FREEZE -(no abbreviation) -Full command: FREEZE <FILE NAME> - - -The purpose of the FREEZE command is to allow a player to save the -current state of the game, so that it can be finished later. A -plaque may not be generated from a frozen game. A file with the -specified <file name> and type '.TRK' is created (if necessary) in -the current directory, and all pertinent information about the game -is written to that file. The game may be continued as usual or be -terminated at the user's option. - -To restart a game created by the FREEZE command, -the user need only type FROZEN in response to the -initial question about the type of game desired, followed by the -<file name>. - -NOTE: A tournament game is like a frozen game, -with the following differences. (1) Tournament games always start -from the beginning, while a frozen game can start at any point. (2) -Tournament games require only that the player remember the name or -number of the tournament, while the information about a frozen game -must be kept on a file. Tournament games can be frozen, but then they -behave like regular frozen games. - -A point worth noting is that 'FREEZE' does not save the seed for the -random number generator, so that identical actions after restarting -the same frozen game can lead to different results. However, -identical actions after starting a given tournament game always lead -to the same results. - - -Request - - -Mnemonic: REQUEST -Shortest abbreviation: REQ -Full command: REQUEST <ITEM> - - - -If you are using the screen-oriented interface, this command is -suppressed; instead, a full status report will always be present on the -screen. - -This command allows you to get any single piece of information -from the <STATUS> command. <ITEM> specifies which -information as follows: - - - - - - Information - Mnemonic for <item> - Shortest Abbreviation - - - -STARDATE DATE D -CONDITION CONDITION C -POSITION POSITION P -LIFE SUPPORTLSUPPORT L -WARP FACTOR WARPFACTORW -ENERGY ENERGY E -TORPEDOES TORPEDOES T -SHIELDS SHIELDS S -KLINGONS LEFTKLINGONS K -TIME LEFT TIME TI -BASES LEFT BASES BA - - - - - -Experimental Death Ray - - -Mnemonic: DEATHRAY -(No abbreviation) - - -This command should be used only in those desperate cases where -you have absolutely no alternative. The death ray uses energy to -rearrange matter. Unfortunately, its working principles are not yet -thoroughly understood, and the results are highly -unpredictable. - -The only good thing that can result is the destruction of all -enemies in your current quadrant. This will happen about 70% of the -time. Only enemies are destroyed; starbases, stars, and planets are -unaffected. - -Constituting the remaining 30% are results varying from bad to -fatal. - -The death ray requires no energy or time, but if you survive, enemies -will hit you. - -The Faerie Queene has no death ray. - -If the death ray is damaged in its use, it must be totally replaced. -This can only be done at starbase. Because it is a very complex -device, it takes 9.99 stardates at base to replace the death ray. -The death ray cannot be repaired in flight. - - -Launch Deep Space Probe - - -Mnemonic: PROBE -Shortest abbreviation: PR -Full command: PROBE <ARMED> MANUAL <displacement> - PROBE <ARMED> AUTOMATIC <destination> - - -The Enterprise carries a limited number of Long Range Probes. These -fly to the end of the galaxy and report back a count of the number of -important things found in each quadrant through which it went. The -probe flies at warp 10, and therefore uses time during its flight. -Results are reported immediately via subspace radio and are recorded -in the star chart. - -The probe can also be armed with a NOVAMAX warhead. When launched -with the warhead armed, the probe flies the same except as soon as it -reaches the target location, it detonates the warhead in the heart of -a star, causing a supernova and destroying everything in the -quadrant. It then flies no further. There must be a star in the -target quadrant for the NOVAMAX to function. - -The probe can fly around objects in a galaxy, but is destroyed if it -enters a quadrant containing a supernova, or if it leaves the galaxy. - -The target location is specified in the same manner as the MOVE -command, however for automatic movement, if only one pair of -coordinates are specified they are assumed to be the quadrant and not -the sector in the current quadrant! - -The Faerie Queene has no probes. - - -Emergency Exit - - -Mnemonic: EMEXIT -Shortest abbreviation: E - - -This command provides a quick way to exit from the game when you -observe a Klingon battle cruiser approaching your terminal. Its -effect is to freeze the game on the file 'EMSAVE.TRK' in your current -directory, erase the screen, and exit. - -Of course, you do lose the chance to get a plaque when you use this -maneuver. - - -Ask for Help - - -Mnemonic: HELP -Full command: HELP <command> - - -This command reads the appropriate section from the SST.DOC file, -providing the file is in the current directory. - - - -Miscellaneous Notes - -Starbases can be attacked by either commanders or by the -Super-Commander. When this happens, you will be -notified by subspace radio, provided it is working. The message will -inform you how long the base under attack can last. Since the -Super-Commander is more powerful than an ordinary -commander, he can destroy a base more quickly. - -The Super-Commander travels around the galaxy at -a speed of about warp 6 or 7. His movement is strictly time based; -the more time passes, the further he can go. - -Scattered through the galaxy are certain zones of control, -collectively designated the Romulan Neutral Zone. Any -quadrant which contains Romulans without Klingons is part of the -Neutral Zone, except if a base is present. Since Romulans do not show -on either the long-range scan or the star chart, it is easy for you to -stumble into this zone. When you do, if your subspace radio is -working, you will receive a warning message from the Romulan, politely -asking you to leave. - -In general, Romulans are a galactic nuisance. - -The high-speed shield control is fairly reliable, but it has been -known to malfunction. - -You can observe the galactic movements of the -Super-Commander on the star chart, provided he is in -territory you have scanned and your subspace radio is working. - -Periodically, you will receive intelligence reports from -starfleet command, indicating the current quadrant of the -Super-Commander. Your subspace radio must be working, -of course. - -Each quadrant will contain from 0 to 3 black holes. Torpedoes -entering a black hole disappear. In fact, anything entering a black -hole disappears, permanently. If you can displace an enemy into one, -he is a goner. Black holes do not necessarily remain in a quadrant. -they are transient phenomena. - -Commanders will ram your ship, killing themselves and inflicting -heavy damage to you, if they should happen to decide to advance into -your sector. - -You can get a list of commands by typing -COMMANDS. - - -Scoring - -Scoring is fairly simple. You get points for good things, and you -lose points for bad things. - -You gain— - - -10 points for each ordinary Klingon you kill, -50 points for each commander you kill, -200 points for killing the Super-Commander, -20 points for each Romulan killed, -1 point for each Romulan captured. - -100 times your average Klingon/stardate kill rate. If you lose -the game, your kill rate is based on a minimum of 5 stardates. - - -You get a bonus if you win the game, based on your rating: -Novice=100, Fair=200, Good=300, Expert=400, Emeritus=500. - - - -You lose— - - -200 points if you get yourself killed, -100 points for each starbase you destroy, -100 points for each starship you lose, -45 points for each time you had to call for help, -10 points for each planet you destroyed, -5 points for each star you destroyed, and -1 point for each casualty you incurred. - - -In addition to your score, you may also be promoted one grade in rank -if you play well enough. Promotion is based primarily on your -Klingon/stardate kill rate, since this is the best indicator of -whether you are ready to go on to the next higher rating. However, -if you have lost 100 or more points in penalties, the required kill -rate goes up. Normally, the required kill rate is 0.1 * skill * -(skill + 1.0) + 0.1, where skill ranges from 1 for Novice to 5 for -Emeritus. - -You can be promoted from any level. There is a special -promotion available if you go beyond the Expert range. -You can also have a certificate of merit printed with your name, date, -and Klingon kill rate, provided you are promoted from either the -Expert or Emeritus levels. This -plaque requires a 132 column printer. You may need -print the certificate to a file, import it into your word processor, -selecting Courier 8pt font, and then print in landscape -orientation. - - -Handy Reference Page - - - ABBREV FULL COMMAND DEVICE USED - ------ ------------ ----------- - ABANDON ABANDON shuttle craft - C CHART (none) - CO COMPUTER computer - CR CRYSTALS (none) - DA DAMAGES (none) - DEATHRAY DEATHRAY (none) - DESTRUCT DESTRUCT computer - D DOCK (none) - E EMEXIT (none) - FREEZE FREEZE <FILE NAME> (none) - I IMPULSE <MANUAL> <DISPLACEMENT> impulse engines - IMPULSE AUTOMATIC <DESTINATION> impulse engines and computer - L LRSCAN long-range sensors - MAYDAY MAYDAY (for help) subspace radio - MI MINE (none) - M MOVE <MANUAL> <DISPLACEMENT> warp engines - MOVE AUTOMATIC <DESTINATION> warp engines and computer - O ORBIT warp or impulse engines - P PHASERS <TOTAL AMOUNT> phasers and computer - PHASERS AUTOMATIC <TOTAL AMOUNT> phasers, computer, sr sensors - PHASERS MANUAL <AMT1> <AMT2> ... phasers - PHO PHOTONS <NUMBER> <TARGETS> torpedo tubes - PL PLANETS (none) - PR PROBE <ARMED> <MANUAL> <DISPLACEMENT> probe launcher, radio - PROBE <ARMED> AUTOMATIC <DESTINATION> launcher, radio, computer - REP REPORT (none) - REQ REQUEST (none) - R REST <NUMBER OF STARDATES> (none) - QUIT QUIT (none) - S SRSCAN <NO or CHART> short-range sensors - SE SENSORS short-range sensors - SH SHIELDS <UP, DOWN, or TRANSFER> deflector shields - SHU SHUTTLE shuttle craft - ST STATUS (none) - T TRANSPORT transporter - W WARP <FACTOR> (none) - - L. R. Scan: thousands digit: supernova - hundreds digit: Klingons - tens digit: starbases - ones digit: stars - period (.): digit not known (star chart only) - -Courses are given in manual mode in X - Y displacements; in automatic - mode as destination quadrant and/or sector. Manual mode is default. -Distances are given in quadrants. A distance of one sector is 0.1 quadrant. -Ordinary Klingons have about 400 units of energy, Commanders about - 1200. Romulans normally have about 800 units of energy, and the - (GULP) "Super-Commander" has about 1800. -Phaser fire diminishes to about 60 percent at 5 sectors. Up to 1500 - units may be fired in a single burst without danger of overheat. -Warp 6 is the fastest safe speed. At higher speeds, engine damage - may occur. At warp 10 you may enter a time warp. -Shields cost 50 units of energy to raise, and double the power - requirements of moving under warp drive. Engaging the high-speed - shield control requires 200 units of energy. -Warp drive requires (distance)*(warp factor cubed) units of energy - to travel at a speed of (warp factor squared)/10 quadrants per stardate. -Impulse engines require 20 units to warm up, plus 100 units per - quadrant. Speed is just under one sector per stardate. - - - -Game History and Modifications - -Origins - -The original Star Trek seems to have been written by Mike -Mayfield at the beginning of the 1970s. His first version was in -BASIC for a Sigma 7 in 1971; in 1972 he rewrote it in Hewlett Packard -BASIC. The source is available on the -SST2K website. In January 1975 it became part of the DECUS library -under the name SPACWR. - -While some people claim to have recollections of playing Trek -games in the late 1960s, the earlier ones seem actually to have been -variants of - -SPACEWAR, the earlier space-combat game on the -PDP-1. Mayfield wrote -in 2000 that he invented the Trek-style galactic grid, and the -evidence seems to back that up. Some of the confusion probably stems -from the fact that Mayfield's original and several early descendants -were distributed under the name SPACWR. - -Many different versions radiated from Mayfield's original; most -of the ones in BASIC are descended from a SPACWR version that David -Ahl published in 101 BASIC Computer Games, -July 1973. This was a port of Mayfield's version obtained from the HP -Contributed Programs library. - -Our SST2K is descended from a Taurus BASIC program by Grady -Hicks dated 5 April 1973. This does not appear to have been derived -from Ahl's SPACWR. The header says "GENERAL IDEA STOLEN FROM -PENN. U.", and the game has several features not present in SPACEWR: -notably, the Death Ray, ramming, and the Klingon summons to surrender. -And, of course, it predates Ahl's book. The source is available on the -SST2K website. - -Dave Matuszek, Paul Reynolds et. al. at UT Austin played the -Hicks version on a CDC6600, but disliked the long load time and -extreme slowness of the BASIC program. (David Matuszek notes that the -Hicks version he played had a habit of throwing long -quotes from Marcus Aurelius at the users, a feature he found -intolerable on a TTY at 110 baud. It must, therefore, have been -rather longer than the one we have.) The Austin crew proceeded to -write their own Trek game, loosely based on the Hicks version, in -CDC6600 FORTRAN. At that time, it was just called "Star Trek"; the -"Super" was added by later developers. In the rest of this history -we'll call it the "UT FORTRAN" version. - -At the time the UT FORTRAN source was last translated to C it emitted -the message "Latest update-21 Sept 78". Thus, it actually predated -(and may have influenced) the best-known BASIC version, the "Super -Star Trek" published by David Ahl in his November 1978 sequel -BASIC Computer Games. - -This 1978 "Super Star Trek" had been reworked by Robert Leedom and -friends from (according to Leedom) Mayfield's HP port. There is -internal evidence to suggest that at least some features of Leedom's -SST may have derived from the UT FORTRAN version. In particular, Dave -Matuszek recalls implementing command words to replace the original -numeric command codes, a feature Leedom's SST also had but the -1973 and 1975 SPACWRs did not. - -One signature trait of the UT FORTRAN game and its descendants -is that the sectors are 10x10 (rather than the 8x8 in Mike Mayfield's -1972 original and its BASIC descendants). The UT FORTRAN version also -preserves the original numbered quadrants rather than the -astronomically-named quadrants introduced in Ahl's SST and its -descendants. - - - - -Eric Allman's BSD Trek game is one of these, also descended from -the UT FORTRAN version via translation to C. However, the mainline version -(now SST2K) has had a lot more stuff folded into it over the years -— deep space probes, dilithium mining, the Tholian Web, and so -forth. - - -Tom Almy's story - -Back in (about) 1977 I got a copy of the Super Star Trek game for -the CDC 6600 mainframe computer. Someone had converted it to PDP-11 -Fortran but couldn't get it to run because of its size. I modified -the program to use overlays and managed to shoehorn it in on the 56k -byte machine. - -I liked the game so much I put some time into fixing bugs, mainly -what could be called continuity errors and loopholes in the game's -logic. We even played a couple tournaments. - -In 1979, I lost access to that PDP-11. I did save the source code -listing. In 1995, missing that old friend, I started converting the -program into portable ANSI C. It's been slow, tedious work that took -over a year to accomplish. - -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. - -Modifications I made: - -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. - -I added EMEXIT from the 1979 version. - -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. - -It also had some added logic to spread the initial positioning of -bases. That made sense to add because most people abort games with -bad base placement. - -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!). - -I put in the Tholian Web code from the 1979 version. - -I added code so that Romulans and regular Klingons could move in -advanced games. I re-enabled the code which allows enemy ships to -ram the Enterprise; it had never worked right. The 1979 version -seems to have it all fixed up, but I'm still not overly happy with -the algorithm. - -The DECUS version had a Deep Space Probe. Looked like a good idea -so I implemented it based on its description. - - -Stas Sergeev's story - -I started from an older Tom Almy version and added features I had -seen in other mainframe variants of the game, I wrote a screen-oriented -interface for it based on the curses library. - - - -The Space Thingy can be shoved, if you ram it, and can fire back if -fired upon. - - -The Tholian can be hit with phasers. - - -When you are docked, base covers you with an almost invincible shields - (a commander can still ram you, or a Romulan can destroy the base, - or a SCom can even succeed with direct attack IIRC, but this rarely - happens). - - -SCom can't escape from you if no more enemies remain (without this, - chasing SCom can take an eternity). - - -Probe target you enter is now the destination quadrant. Before I don't - remember what it was, but it was something I had difficulty using. - - -Secret password is now autogenerated. - - -Victory plaque is adjusted for A4 paper rather than 132-column greenbar -:-) - - -Phasers now tells you how much energy needed, but only if the computer -is alive. - - -Planets are auto-scanned when you enter the quadrant. - - -Mining or using crystals in presense of enemy now yields an attack. -There are other minor adjustments to what yields an attack -and what does not. - - -Ramming a black hole is no longer instant death. There is a -chance you might get timewarped instead. - - -"freeze" command reverts to "save", most people will understand this -better anyway. - - -Screen-oriented interface, with sensor scans always up. - - - -My changes got merged into SST2K in 2005, and I work on it now. - - -Eric Raymond's story - -I played the FORTRAN version of this game in the late 1970s on a -DEC minicomputer. In the late 1980s Dave Matuszek and I became -friends; I was vaguely aware that he had had something to do with the -original Star Trek game. In October 2004, sitting in Dave's living -room, we got to talking about the game and I realized it would make a -great exhibit for the Retrocomputing Museum. - -A few quick web searches later we found Tom Almy's page. We -downloaded his code and Dave verified that that it was a direct -descendent of UT Super Star Trek — even though it had been translated -to C, he was able to recognize names and techniques from the FORTRAN -version he co-wrote. - -This game became an open-source project; see the project -site. - -After I launched the Berlios project, Stas Sergeev contacted me. -We worked together to merge in his changes. - -Modifications I've made: - - - -I converted the flat-text SST.DOC file to XML-Docbook so it can be -webbed. (That's what you're reading now.) - - -The command-help code needed a rewrite because the flat-text form of -the documentation is now generated from XML and doesn't have the -easily recognizable section delimiters it used to. I wrote a script -to filter that flat-text form into an sst.doc that's easy to parse for -command descriptions, and changed some logic in sst.c to match. - - -I've cleaned up a lot of grubby FORTRANisms in the code internals -- -used sizeof(), replaced magic numeric constants with #defines, -that sort of thing. - - -I fixed a surprising number of typos in the code and documentation. - - -All the game state now lives in one big structure that can be -written to and read from disk as one blob. The write gives it an -an identifiable magic number and the thaw logic checks for same. - - -I made the internal pager work, and in the process got rid of a number -of platform dependencies in the code. - - -The HELP/CALL/SOS command is now MAYDAY. - - -Status report now indicates if dilithium crystals are on board. - - -At Dave's prompting, restored the Space Thingy's original elusive behavior. - - -Clean separation of game engine from the UI code, improving Stas -Sergeev's excellent work on the curses interface. - - - -Here are some good pages on the history of Star Trek games: - - - -http://www.dunnington.u-net.com/public/startrek/ - - -http://www3.sympatico.ca/maury/games/space/star_trek.html - - -http://www.cactus.org/%7Enystrom/startrek.html - - - - -Authors' Acknowledgments - -These are the original acknowledgments by Dave Matuszek and Paul -Reynolds: - -The authors would like to thank Professor Michael Duggan for his -encouragement and administrative assistance with the development of -the Star Trek game, without which it might never have been completed. - -Much credit is due to Patrick McGehearty and Rich Cohen, who assisted -with the original design of the game and contributed greatly to its -conceptual development. - -Thanks are also due to Carl Strange, Hardy Tichenor and Steven Bruell -for their assistance with certain coding problems. - -This game was inspired by and rather loosely based on an earlier -game, programmed in the BASIC language, by Jim Korp and Grady Hicks. -It is the authors' understanding that the BASIC game was in turn -derived from a still earlier version in use at Penn State University. - - -References - - -Star Trek (the original television -series), produced and directed by Gene Rodenberry. - -Star Trek (the animated -television series), produced by Gene Rodenberry and directed by Hal -Sutherland. Also excellent, and not just kiddie fare. If you enjoyed -the original series you should enjoy this one (unless you have some -sort of a hangup about watching cartoons). - -The Making of Star Trek, by -Steven E. Whitfield and Gene Rodenberry. The best and most complete -readily available book about Star Trek. (Ballantine -Books) - -The World of Star Trek, by -David Gerrold. Similiar in scope to the above book. -(Bantam) - -The Star Trek Guide, third revision 4/17/67, by Gene -Roddenberry. The original writer's guide for the television -series, but less comprehensive than (3) above. -(Norway Productions) - -The Trouble With Tribbles, by -David Gerrold. Includes the complete script of this popular show. -(Ballantine Books) - -Star Trek, Star Trek -2, ..., Star Trek 9, by James -Blish. The original shows in short story form. -(Bantam) - -Spock Must Die, by James Blish. -An original novel, but rather similar to the show The Enemy -Within. (Bantam) - -Model kits of the Enterprise and a Klingon -Battle-Cruiser by AMT Corporation are available at most hobby -shops. - - - - -