Star Control manual
STAR CONTROL is a science-fiction wargame which pits the forces of The
Alliance of Free Stars against those of the predatory Ur-Quan Hierarchy.
The game is designed so that you can ease into play, familiarizing yourself
with menus, options, and player controls.
The Alliance and Hierarchy each possess seven different types of warships.
Each vessel has its own maneuvering and firing characteristics, plus a
unique special power that you can employ when circumstances dictate.
[These are the most important docs you need for the game, the other
imformation is either incredibly easy to figure out, description, or just
plain irrelevent to game play]
KEYBOARD CURSOR CONTROLS
Arrow keys move the highlighter
Return key selects highlighted option
JOYSTICK SHIP CONTROLS
THRUST
UP LEFT UP UP/RIGHT
THRUST & ROT LEFT\ | / THRUST & ROT RIGHT
\ | /
\ | /
LEFT-------O-------RIGHT
ROTATE / | \ ROTATE
/ | \
/ | \DOWN/RIGHT
DOWN/LEFT DOWN
SPECIAL POWER
KEYBOARD SHIP CONTROLS
Default Flight Control (can be reconfigured with KEYS utility)
Hierarchy Alliance
Special 1 N
Rotate Left 2 M
Rotate Right 3 ,
Thrust 4 .
Fire 5 ?
OTHER SPECIAL CONTROLS
[SPACEBAR] Cancels last selection [in FULL game only]
[F1] Pause/Resume game
[F10] Exit any mode of play
SAVING A GAME IN PROGRESS
1) Press F7
2) If running from a floppy disk, insert a formatted disk into DF0:
3) Select a number from 1-9 to identify a saved game, and type it.
4) Type a name for the saved game, then press ENTER.
5) When the save is complete, you're returned to the Fleet Command View.
KEYBOARD CONFIGURATION UTILITY
The configuration utility - KEYS - lets you reconfigure the keys you'll use
as the control keys in STAR CONTROL. To use, double click the STAR CONTROL
Disk 1 icon from Workbench and then double click on the KEYS option.
SCENARIO EDITOR
The scenario editor utility - EDIT - allows you to modify the scenarios
which came with the game, and even create new scenarios entirely of your
own design. To use, double click on the STAR CONTROL Disk 1 icon and then
double click on the EDIT icon.
SETTING PLAYER OPTIONS
CONTROL OPTIONS-->
Control options determine who controls the Hierarchy and Alliance sides in
both strategic and combat modes. Control options are:
HUMAN- The human player [YOU] totally controls the side, making all
strategic decisions and fighting all battles.
COMPUTER- The computer totally controls the side. The computer controls
ship selection in Practice and Melee, as well as Fleet Command in
Full Game.
CYBORG- The human player makes strategic choices. But when battle occurs,
the computer takes over full combat responsibility.
PSYTRON- The human player fights all battles, while the computer decides
all strategy.
FULL GAME
Full game combines strategic play with arcade-action combat. You develop
resources, build colonies, purchase ships, fortfy stars, and plot moves
through space while your opponent is carrying out a similar set of actions.
Both sides compete to achieve superior strategic position, so that combat
occurs on advantageous terms.
Play is divided into turns, alternating between Hierarchy and Alliance. On
a players turn he can perform three [3] actions, such as moving a ship,
building a new ship, or developing a mine or colony.
The game ends when one player fulfills his side's victory conditions.
Total destruction of the enemy always results in a victory, though not
necessarily the easiest victory.
THE ROTATING STARFIELD
The rotating starfield is a spatial world, multi-dimensional and moving
about a vertical axis. It takes some time before your eyes adjust to this
environment, as your view constantly changes.
STARS
Stars are colored according to the kind of planets which orbit them.
Unexplored stars are indicated in blue. When you move a ship to an
unexplored star, it changes color. A purple star indicates a mineral
planet, a green star a colonizable planet, and a gray star a dead planet.
MINERAL WORLDS
Mineral worlds are hot, heavy, dense planets and contain metals, ores,
sulphurs, and other compounds which may be exploited for mining. When
these minerals are prosessed, they generate starbucks which allow you to
build and power new ships.
LIFE WORLDS
Life worlds are green and temperate planets resembling the Earth. They
contain plenty of water and oxygen, and are ideal locations for a race to
build colonies.
DEAD WORLDS
Dead worlds are rocky wastes wich never possessed atmospheres - or had them
obliterated in some cosmic calamity. A dead world can be fortified by a
resourceful planner.
SHIPS
The number of ships each player starts with depends on the scenario chosen.
If you have a starbase, you can buy new ships, and can have up to seven
ships in your fleet.
STARBASES
A starbase is a large, slow-moving space station at which you can build new
starships.
NOTE: It is recommended that you guard starbases with at least one combat
vessel. An undefended starbase is automatically destroyed if an enemy
ship reaches it.
INSTALLATIONS
A primary activity in the Full Game is building installations which aid the
player in conquering star clusters:
COLONIES [DIAMONDS]
FORTIFICATIONS [SQUARES]
MINES [PLUS SIGNS]
COLONIES
A colony, established on a life world, provides a place for a ship to
recruit new members to replace those lost in combat. Colonies also speed
ship movement, since moving from a colony world does not cost an action.
This benefit does not apply to Starbases.
MINES
Mines, established on mineral worlds, earn the side developing that world's
resources Starbucks at a rate of one per turn. [Your starbase also
generates one Starbuck per turn]
FORTIFICATIONS
You establish fortifications as a defensive web through which no single
ship can pass or easily destroy. [With the exception of the Arilou Skiff
and the Ur-Quan dreadnought!]. Fortifications protect colonies and mines,
and may block an attack route to a starbase. Should a single ship move
into a fortification, it is stuck. To free it, it must successfully
besiege or be joined by a second ship which will automatically destroy the
fort at the end of the turn.
DESTROYING ENEMY INSTALLATIONS
You destroy an undefended enemy colony, mine, or fortification by moving
onto it with any ship. Alternately, if you defeat all enemy ships in
battle which are guarding an installation, you automatically destroy it.
In some scenarios, complete destrucation of one type of installation may
resuly in the victory of your side.
PRECURSOR RELICS
In full game, you can discover Precursor knowledge tablets conataining the
imprint of valuable technological relics. These age-old, still functional
devices left in stasis cubbies by the Precursor cultures.
There is a random chance you may find a Precursor tablet each time that
your ship lands on an unexplored star. When your ship finds a relic, it is
added to the ship's structure. The vessel immediately improves in an area
of ship performance.
Whenever you gain a Precursor tablet, the relic is indicated by a
silhouetted letter which appears on the discovering ship. The letters and
improvements are:
[F] - Fuel Packs Attached. Your ship's maximum fuel is now increased.
[C] - Crew Pods Added. You now have increassed crew capacity, but to gain
more crew you must recruit at a colony.
[D] - Dynamo Attached. Improves fuel regeneration.
[T] - Thrusters attached. Improves fuel regeneration.
[J] - Control Jets Attached. Improves turning.
SCENARIO DESCRIPTIONS
1] BEGINNER'S LUCK. An introductory scenario in which you learn to
establish forts and mines; few ships and stars are found. Either side is
victorious when its forces completely destroy the enemy.
2] FIRST ENCOUNTER. The two sides square off with modest, evenly-balanced
forces. A moderate number of stars populate space. You colonize and build
ships, and win by achieving total destruction of enemy forces.
3] EXTERMIATE. The Shofixti - starting with a few colonies, a starbase,
and six ships - confront an Ur-Quan foe with a sole fortified colony and a
single Dreadnought. The Hierarchy player wins by destroying all enemy
colonies or eliminating all enemy forces; the Shofixti must kill the
Ur-Quan Dreadnought.
4] ESCALATION. Each side starts with a single starbase, 25 starbucks, and
no ships. Use your cunning, expanding slowly and building fortifications.
Also possible: a "blitzkrieg" against the opponent's starbase. You win by
completely destroying the enemy.
5] THE ART OF WAR. Both players begin with a limited number of ships. An
overall balance of forces exists; however, Art of War features a series of
individual matchups that contrast individual ships' strengths and
weaknesses. Win by destroying the enemy's starbase.
6] ONSLAUGHT. A Dreadnought Armade, unattached to any starbase [thus
without ship-building powers] rampages through an Alliance stronghold. The
Ur-Quans capitalize on an initial advantage to destroy Alliance ships,
mines, and colonies. If Alliance forces survive to build new ships, they
try to tilt the odds against the Dreadnoughts. Alliance victory occurs
with the destruction of all Ur-Quan ships.
7] TOTAL WAR. An enhancement of Melee mode, Total War pits the seven
Hierarchy vessels against the full roster of Alliance ships. there are no
starbases, so neither side can build new vessels. The player who
colonizes, explores, and fortifies most effectively gains the upper hand.
Win by total destruction of the foe.
8] SPATHI LESSON. Their Ur-Quan masters have sent the Spathi to destroy a
Mmrnmhrm mining outpost. The Hierarchy side wins if the Spathi pulverize
all Mmrnmhrm mines; the Alliance must eliminate all Hierarchy ships to
triumph.
9] COUNTER ATTACK. This time, the Hierarchy is on the defensive as
Alliance vessels invade Ur-Quan space. The Alliance has money and a lone
Chenjesu ship. The Hierarchy have ships and income from mines, but no
money. You must destroy the enemy to win.
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