X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 1 1 Table of Contents Introduction Starting the Game Confirm System Requirements Installing Star Control II Start-up Play Controls Menu Controls Keyboard Menu Controls Joystick Menu Controls Combat Commands Default Keyboard Combat Controls Joystick Combat Controls Navigation The Effects of Inertia and Gravity Interplanetary Travel Encounters in Interplanetary Space Entering Planetary Orbit Planet Types and Descriptions “Pushing” Up into HyperSpace HyperSpace Travel Fuel
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 2 2 Biological Scan Energy Scan Dispatching a Lander Planet Surface Exploration Lander Status Display Returning to the Flagship Gathering Minerals Planetary Hazards Collecting Life-form Data Flagship’s Manifest Checking Cargo Using Devices Ship’s Roster Game Options Saving a Game in Progress Loading a Saved Game Changing Game Settings Changing Names Quitting the Game The Earth Starbase The Starbase Commander Transferring Minerals to the Starbase Outfitting Your Flagship
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 3 3 Encountering Alien Races Combat Sequence Conversing with Aliens Attacking Aliens Combat Selecting a Ship The Battlefield Navigating Your Ship in Combat Collision with Asteroids and Planets Ship Status Displays Crew Batteries The Basics of Blasting Victory and Defeat Running Away Analyzing Enemy Wreckage Appendix I: Known Alien Races Races in the Alliance of Free Stars Races in the Ur-Quan Hierarchy Appendix II: Play Tips for Star Control II Maximizing Available Memo
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 4 4 Appendix III: Instructions for SuperMelee 77 Starting SuperMelee 77 The SuperMelee Main Screen 78 Creating a SuperMelee Team 78 Game Settings 79 Who Controls Each Team 80 Input Device 80 Computer Opponent’s Skill Level 80 Leaving Settings Menu 81 Saving and Loading SuperMelee Teams 81 Fighting in Melee 81 Picking Ships 81 Fighting a Battle 82 Winning SuperMelee 82 Replaying Melee with the Same Teams 82 Returning to the Team Edit Screen 82 Appendix IV: Keyboard Confi
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 5 5 INTRODUCTION Welcome aboard. Star Control II will take you on a far journey, a space odyssey encompassing the realms of science-fiction and role-playing. This epic adventure spans hundreds of light years, and evokes a history reaching back over 250,000 years. As you travel out among the stars, your decisions and actions will directly affect the destiny of 18 intelligent, star-faring species, including the inhabitants of Earth.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 6 6 In the Beginning The time is in the year 2155. Yet the story begins over two centuries before, in the 1930’s, a time when surface vehicles on Earth burned fossil fuels. It’s all hard to imagine now, of course, getting from place to place in a dangerous noisy machine with an engine that set fire to spurts of prehistoric goo. Makes one shudder.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 7 7 nuclear combat broke out between several Middle Eastern countries. Fortunately the exchange was relatively small, limited to less than a dozen warheads, and a global conflagration was narrowly avoided. Even so, nearly a million people died. The terrible loss of life and the near-thing of a planetwide Armageddon sobered heads of government around the world.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 8 8 of producing offspring. Meanwhile, a new religious order, known as Homo Deus, or “The Godly Men,” was founded in the aftermath of the Small War and the emotional turmoil caused by the destruction of the Holy Lands. Its charismatic founder, former car salesman Jason MacBride, built his worldwide following on the thesis that the Millennium was near.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 9 9 The Androsynth Rebellion In retrospect, the Clone Revolt of 2085 was inevitable. Stronger, smarter and more adaptable than normal humans, the Androsynths despised and deeply resented their status as slaves. By the late ‘70’s there were tens of thousands of Androsynths distributed across the planet, many of them doing sophisticated scientific and technological research.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 10 10 tem. The Androsynths had somehow modified the huge space-stations for flight, including the recently finished StarLight Hilton. Though Star Control chase ships were never able to catch the space-stations, a ten thruster ore freighter on its way home from an Asteroid Belt mining base with a hold full of titanium was able to make a high-V interception of the ragtag fleet.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 11 11 are called the Ur-Quan. They know you are here. They will make slaves of you as they have made slaves of a thousand races across the galaxy. They will enslave both our species, Chenjesu and Human, unless we stop them now. We are not alone in our struggle. There are others who will fight with us against the Ur-Quan. Together – in an alliance with the remaining free stars – we may yet turn back the enemy, defeating the Ur-Quan and its Hierarchy of Battle Thralls.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 12 12 was placed under the direct authority of the Alliance Command Council. The Chenjesu expected Earth to play a major role in the Alliance, both as combatants and suppliers of war material. Even though Earthlings were technologically primitive, their civilization had thousands of huge modern factories and millions of skilled workers able to manufacture both munitions and spacecraft.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 13 13 Spathi, the Androsynths, the VUX, the Ilwrath, and the Umgah. By 2134 it was becoming clear to both sides that the Ur-Quan and their Hierarchy of Battle Thralls were slowly but surely winning the war. Captain Burton’s Discovery On March 16, 2134, Star Control Captain I.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 14 14 began to liquify, Burton jettisoned the ship’s entire stock of nuclear missiles and detonated them. From the Androsynths’ perspective, the vessel they were chasing had exploded when it flew too close to the superhot sun. As the Androsynth task force warped out of the system, a severely damaged Tobermoon slowly emerged from its hiding place behind Zeeman’s Star. Burton ordered a damage report. As she’d suspected, the craft sustained severe damage.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 15 15 coating called flowstone that was now five to ten meters thick in places. Artifacts of this powerful and technologically advanced alien species had been found in every quarter of known space. Yet this was the first time an entire Precursor base had been discovered. Captain Burton recognized that the wealth of advanced technology could bring the Alliance victory over the UrQuan – but only if scientists could be brought to Vela II to study the fantastic find.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 16 16 Star Control High Command. As feared, the Ur-Quan had smashed through the defensive lines drawn between the Mira and Indi constellations. Star Control reconnaissance ships reported that a large Hierarchy task force was hurtling toward the Vela star system. Captain Burton was ordered to evacuate all personnel from Vela II and return to Earth immediately. Burton’s heart beat like a hammer in her chest as she read the rest of the message.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 17 17 leave the star system immediately. He was to return to Earth at best speed and brief the High Command on the expedition’s desperate attempt to save the Precursor installation. Chi promised to return with a relief party and supplies as soon as the Ur-Quan attack was repulsed. After the Tobermoon had lifted-off, the team quickly moved all their equipment deep into the cave system and obscured all signs of their presence from the planet’s surface.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 18 18 ply, “our world.” Ten years slipped past, marked by the deaths of a dozen colonists from accidents or old age, and the birth of 42 children. Several of the scientists had now become full-time farmers. Others fabricated old-fashioned bullet-firing rifles and disappeared into the Unzervalt wilderness, appearing months later clad in Ortog skins and bursting with tales of strange landscapes and even stranger life-forms.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 19 19 a cautious reconnaissance mission. Inside the main cavern, the squad came upon the robots assembling the spine of a huge ship – a starship! Although the robots clearly knew the humans were there, turning to focus benign scanners on the volunteers several times, they obviously did not consider the Earthlings a threat. Captain Burton decided it was safe for humans to return to work in the caves, so long as people kept out of the robots’ way.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 20 20 was complete enough to blast off from the surface of Vela II. But it would have to cruise slowly through HyperSpace, lightly armed, and with only enough room for a skeleton crew. There was another problem. The controls for the vessel were not designed for humans. It became obvious from the interior layout of the starship that the Precursors were giants, and seemingly not bipedal.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:35 PM Page 21 21 confidence, then talked the young genius into activating the entire complex. This time, the Captain did throw the Professor into the stockade. Then Burton called the young man into her office and proposed a plan. She would command the starship, and he would serve as pilot, acting as the interface with the starship’s Precursor computer. With trepidation, you accepted.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 22 22 of the past twenty years. She’d been engaged to Captain Chi. Through two decades she’d clung to the hope she’d see him again, kept alive the dream they’d shared of marriage and children and a life together. Now the dream was shattered. She knew he was gone, even though there was no body to mourn over. Strangely, there were no bodies at all on board. And most of the important ship systems were intact.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 23 23 rounded by a crackling energy field. Some kind of glowing rod or energy beam connected the red globes. The alien craft built up speed rapidly as it zeroed in on the starship you commanded. Burton saw the attack coming and signalled you to warp out of the area immediately. A moment later you watched on your command console monitor as the Tobermoon flashed away on a trajectory to intercept the alien ship.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 24 24 to a brilliant yellow star. You knew at once that this was the great star that had given life to your ancestors, the star your Earthling progenitors called the Sun! You warped down out of HyperSpace and took a navigational fix. You were just beyond the orbit of the ninth planet of the yellow star. Earth was the third planet out from the Sun. With all thrusters on, you can reach the blue planet in two days. A horrible thought flits across your mind.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 25 25 STARTING THE GAME It shouldn’t take much more than 5 minutes to install the game and begin playing Star Control II. Although we salute the expression of free will, you will get started faster if you follow the steps below. Confirm System Requirements • An AT-class IBM-PC compatible computer with a hard drive and 2x speed CD-ROM drive is required. A 20 MHz 386 machine or better is recommended. If you have a slower machine see Appendix II.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 26 26 where D is the name of your CD-ROM drive. This will copy the game from your Star Control Collection CD-ROM to your hard drive, and install Star Control II on your C drive, in a directory called C:\STARCON2. After you launch the game, you will be presented with choices: • Start New Game: The game starts at the very beginning, prompting you to enter your captain’s name. • Load Saved Game: You are presented with a list of saved games to choose from.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 27 27 5 At the C:\STARCON2> prompt, type STARCON2 to launch the game. 6 When you are shown a picture of a star, hit the . PLAY CONTROLS Star Control II can be played entirely from the keyboard, or you can use a joystick for most game activities. Joysticks are automatically detected and calibrated at runtime, so keep your joystick centered and motionless until the game begins. Menu Controls Many aspects of gameplay are accessed by a system of menus.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 28 28 Joystick Menu Controls Up Button #2 ■ Button #1 ● Left Right Down Combat Commands In combat, you can control your ships with either the joystick or the keyboard. You can redefine the control keys with the separate program, KEYS.EXE. The KEYS configuration will not be saved unless you are playing the game from your hard drive. In the SuperMelee bonus game, there can be two human players, and each uses a separate joystick or area of the keyboard.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 29 29 Joystick Combat Control (Up) Thrust Up/Counter-Clockwise Thrust & Rotate CounterClockwise Button #1 Fire (Counter-Clockwise) Rotate Ctr-Clockwise Button #2 Special Power (Up/Clockwise) Thrust & Rotate Clockwise ■ ● (Clockwise) Rotate Clockwise NAVIGATION The core of Star Control II is space flight, both in combat and exploration. Whether you are traveling from planet to planet or from star to star, or engaging in combat, the controls are the same.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 30 30 In normal space, these resisting forces of friction are virtually nonexistent. Any object in motion (like a spaceship) will keep moving at the same speed until something stops it. The only way for a spaceship to stop itself is to turn in the direction opposite its line of travel and thrust until it comes to a stop. Gravity is the natural attractive force that exists between all objects.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 31 31 Encounters in Interplanetary Space Though most of the known area of space is still uninhabited, you are likely to encounter groups of alien starships anywhere in your voyages. In the Interstellar view, these ships are represented as small icons, which can be travelling be-tween planets, or patrolling space. At typical interplanetary distances, you will be unable to ascertain the exact configuration of an enemy task force.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 32 32 increasingly dense fog of gas), ships cannot land on this type of planet. Although there has been some discussion of harvesting the upper atmosphere of gas giants with enormous “scoop-ships,” your flagship is incapable of gleaning any useful minerals from such planets. To date, no complex life-form has ever been found in/on a gas giant; however, research into this field has been minimal.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 33 33 Primordial World Large and rocky, these planets follow the typical metal-core, silicate sheath configuration found in so many worlds of this size. The primordial world gets its name from the conditions found on its surface when the primary supplies enough energy to volatilize the planet’s dense layer of CO2, producing a super-thick, incredibly hot atmosphere.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 34 34 gravitational field of the primary star. To do so, fly away from the star until you reach the outer limits of the system. At this point your flagship will automatically engage its “pushers,” lifting you out of TrueSpace, and projecting your ship into the adjacent dimension of HyperSpace.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 35 35 dimension. Once you cease thrusting, your ship will gradually come to a halt, as though some invisible force were constantly dragging on your vessel. This is, in fact, the case. To continue travel, you have to thrust constantly, and this uses huge amounts of fuel. As a general rule: DO NOT RUN OUT OF FUEL IN AN ALIEN UNIVERSE. Few have lived to tell of the experience.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 36 36 To find out the name of a star, move the flashing highlight on top of it. The name of the star and the fuel necessary to reach it will then be shown in the secondary and tertiary data displays at the top of the screen. The grey oval surrounding your position represents your range with your present fuel supply. Remember, you use fuel landing on planets and escaping from battle, so this range circle can change even if you are not in HyperSpace.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 37 37 To set a course for automatic pilot, start from the Starmap. Position the cursor on your desired destination and press Return. A line of blue dashes will show you the course plotted by the autopilot computer. To engage, press the Spacebar or Button #2. You will automatically enter navigate mode and begin flying to your target. As long as “AUTOPILOT” is flashing, you’re headed for your destination.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 38 38 Sol to Earth is 1 A.U.). Temperature: The average surface temperature in degrees centigrade. The hotter the planet, the more prevalent are “hotspots” on the planet’s surface, making travel there more dangerous. Tectonics: This value gives a general indication of the frequency of large seismic shocks within the planet’s surface. There are 8 classes of activity, with 1 being least dangerous and 8 being a stupendous tectonic upheaval.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 39 39 Axial Tilt: Axial tilt describes the angular difference between a planet’s rotational axis, and the axis of its orbit around the primary star. Typically, the greater the axial tilt, the greater the planet’s seasonal differentiation. Specific Scans Based on what you have learned from the basic scan, you may wish to make a more focused scan of the planet’s surface.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 40 40 Biological Scan When conditions are right – the temperature, the atmosphere, the amount of water – certain planets develop life. The vast majority of life-forms are simple, viral or bacterial organisms, and present little to interest anyone but a specialist, or someone whose body has become infested with such creatures. Larger, more sophisticated life-forms tend to be more interesting.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 41 41 Note: If you have lost all your landers, you will be unable to visit a planet’s surface. You will have to return to the Earth Starbase for more landers. Planet Surface Exploration When you’ve landed on an alien world, be careful because the conditions there could be quite treacherous. Planet landers, though quick and maneuverable, are not exactly invincible space tanks.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 42 42 the presence of the minerals brought aboard, and show how much room you have left in the lander. If you try to gather a deposit when the lander is full, you will hear an unpleasant protest from your harvesting machinery, and you will be unable to load the deposit. To gather additional minerals, you will have to return to the flagship and off-load the material into your Cargo Bays.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 43 43 ous. You will be unable to ascertain just how dangerous a creature is until it attacks, and it may then be too late. Many life-forms will flee from your lander instead of attacking. Some creatures are sessile and just sit there. Collecting Life-form Data To collect life-form data, you need to thoroughly analyze the creature. To do so, you must first prepare the life-form for study.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 44 44 CARGO, the game will display the different types of minerals and how many units you presently possess, as well as the remaining FREE CARGO space left on your ship. The display also shows how much information you have gathered on life-forms. Should you wish to DISCARD some minerals (perhaps to make room for other, more valuable minerals), select the DISCARD command and then press Enter or Button #1.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 45 45 Game Options By choosing GAME from the Flagship Command Menu, you gain access to several commands which let you SAVE your game in progress, LOAD a game in progress, change play SETTINGS, or QUIT the game altogether. Saving a Game in Progress You can never be sure just when you’re going to be blown to tiny bits by an evil alien, so it is a good idea to save your game as you play – especially right before a battle, or just after you’ve struck it rich mining.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 46 46 Changing Game Settings This command allows you to configure the way the game plays to better suit your personal preferences. Music Level This command toggles music on and off. Sound Level This command toggles sound effects on and off. Reading Speed After choosing READING, you can either pick +SPEED, which speeds up the rate at which text is displayed in the game, or you can choose -SPEED, which slows down text display.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 47 47 similar on most computers. This is the default setting. •No Delay: The program unleashes the full power of the computer, allowing battles to be greatly accelerated on fast computers. •Flicker: The same as No Delay, but now the program shows only a sample of the calculated ship and weapon positions, creating a flickering, fast-forward display. •Fastest: To achieve maximum speed, the program displays no ship-to-ship graphics, just sound.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 48 48 tions for the remainder of the game, providing you with enhancements for your flagship, additional combat vehicles, and crew. To visit the Earth Starbase, go to the Sol star system and approach Earth until the view expands to show you the Earth-Luna system. The Starbase is the object in orbit between the planet and the moon. Navigate your flagship until it touches the center of the Starbase and you will automatically take up position adjacent to the space station.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 49 49 When you choose OUTFIT FLAGSHIP from the Main Starbase Menu, you will see a schematic display of your vessel, its components, its present fuel supply and the landers you have on board. Flagship Characteristics The flagship schematic display also lists the following characteristics: Turning Rate: The rotation rate of your flagship in combat, HyperSpace and interplanetary travel, based on the number of turn jets on your vessel.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 50 50 better than a solid framework ready to accept additional pieces of equipment. These self-contained equipment packages are called “Modules.” You can build additional modules and attach them to your vessel. Modules come in four different kinds: Thruster, Attitude, Lander, and MultiFunction. Thruster and Attitude modules affect how your ship handles in space. The more Thrusters you have affixed to your flagship the faster it goes.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 51 51 now move back to the module list so that you can add more modules, if desired. When you are done adding modules to your flagship, press Spacebar or Button #2 to return to the Command Menu. There is no perfect configuration of modules, so at times during the game you will want to replace a module on your flagship. To remove a module and recover most of its value, choose -MODULE from the Command Menu.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 52 52 Menu. A flashing cursor will appear on the schematic of your flagship. Move the cursor using the Cursor keys to the ship to which you want to add crew, and press Enter. Additional crew are shown as green dots on your flagship. Your maximum crew level depends on how many Crew Pod modules you have attached to your flagship. Each Pod holds up to 50 crew. For combat vessels, the present/maximum crew levels are shown in text beneath the image of each ship.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 53 53 purchase and press Enter. A hangar will then open, showing the newly commissioned ship. Remember, ships arrive in their hangar with only one crew member (the captain) onboard. It is highly recommended that you immediately add maximum crew to each new vessel as it is built. When you are done building ships, press the Spacebar to return to the Command Menu. Note: The selection of ships you can build will be very limited at the beginning of the game.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 54 54 ENCOUNTERING ALIEN RACES You can encounter alien ships in HyperSpace, in interplanetary space, and in orbit around certain planets. Some encounters you can avoid, others are inescapable. In some situations, you may have to chase down the aliens to make contact with them. Such an encounter may lead to a friendly conversation, or you may immediately find yourself in battle. In most situations, you will make the choice to talk or fight.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 55 55 Conversing with Aliens When you choose CONVERSE from the Command Menu, you automatically open a hailing frequency to the enemy vessel. The advanced Precursor computer system aboard your vessel will translate messages to and from your ship with near perfect clarity. When the alien commander responds, his/her/its image will appear on your screen.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 56 56 Attacking Aliens If you choose ATTACK! from the Command Menu, or your conversation ends on a sour note, you will automatically go into COMBAT MODE. COMBAT One of the most important and fun parts of Star Control II is ship-to-ship tactical combat. If you played Star Control, you already know how this part works.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 57 57 will suddenly shift. At first this may be disorienting, but you will soon grow accustomed to the transitions. Navigating Your Ship in Combat Maneuvering your ship in combat is similar to travelling in interplanetary space. You rotate your ship in a desired direction and thrust forward. All of your ship commands (i.e. thrust, turn, fire, and special power use) may be triggered simultaneously.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 58 58 Batteries To the right of the large ship icon is the battery charge bar which shows the current and maximum energy levels in the ship’s batteries. Firing weapons or using a special power consumes energy (the amount depends on each ship’s specific characteristics). Unlike crew, batteries recharge gradually over the course of the battle. The speed of energy regeneration varies from ship to ship, and is a significant factor in a ship’s unique combat strategies.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 59 59 Victory and Defeat When you eliminate the last crew member from an enemy vessel, it is destroyed. If there are other ships in the enemy’s task force, a new ship will warp in immediately. Since each ship’s combat entry position is random, be prepared for immediate hostilities. If one of your combat vessels is destroyed, you must pick another ship with which to re-enter the fray, unless your flagship was destroyed. WHEN YOUR FLAGSHIP IS DESTROYED, THE GAME IS OVER.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 60 60 Note: The emergency warp technology for escaping from combat has NOT been included on your ships at the very beginning of the game. However, this feature will become available early on in play. Analyzing Enemy Wreckage If you defeat all the enemy vessels in an attacking task force, you will scavenge and analyze the enemy wreckage. A scavenging report will tell you how much you have reclaimed.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 61 61 APPENDIX I : KNOWN ALIEN RACES Races in the Alliance of Free Stars The first Alliance race to become aware of the Ur-Quan threat was the sophisticated, crystalline race, the Chenjesu. In 2098 their ultra-sensitive HyperWave receivers began recording strange broadcasts, unshielded and strong, from the direction of the Cygnus star cluster. Soon after, the Chenjesu listened as the Ur-Quan brutally conquered the first race they encountered, the Umgah.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 62 62 Chenjesu are entirely non-aggressive, preferring calm philosophical discourse above all other activities. Mmrnmhrm: The Mmrnmhrm’s origin is mysterious. Less than a thousand years ago, the first Mmrnmhrm awakened, alone, on the surface of a dark, airless moon.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 63 63 allowed them to adapt to new situations with lightning speed. Like Earthlings, the Yehat entered space without the assistance of a more advanced race. It is not surprising that they grant Earthlings such high honor and status for the same achievement. The Yehat have great pride that they did not go through this uplift process, and that their culture is totally intact.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 64 64 The Arilou may have visited Earth often in the past, especially in the period between 1950 and the year 2000, during which they are suspected of having been responsible for flying saucer sightings, cropfield circles, alien abductions and similar prankish behavior. The Ariloulaleelay maintain great secrecy about themselves and their motivations. The location of their home-world, or even their native region of space, is unknown, as is much else about these beings.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 65 65 The Syreen became unofficial members of the Alliance in 2120, after suffering repeated Ur-Quan attacks on their fleets of slow-moving Habitats. Adapting their remaining Patrol vessels for combat, the Syreen became a potent force in the fight against the UrQuan.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 66 66 permitted to maintain a small amount of autonomy. All other independent species are simply known as prey. Ur-Quan: Physically, Ur-Quan resemble the predatory caterpillar native to Earth’s Hawaiian Islands, only grown to over ten meters in length. The Ur-Quan equivalent of a face is rich in sensory organs, and its expressions are varied and horrific.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 67 67 spores. Mycons are most comfortable in a hellish environment of hot rock and poisonous vapors which would kill most other species in seconds. Culturally, the Mycon are baffling. They appear to be born adult, instantly able to assume responsibilities. In addition, all Mycons occasionally undergo temporary but dramatic personality transformation, as though they were “possessed” by a different Mycon personality.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 68 68 of open spaces. Before they were enslaved by the Ur-Quan, the Umgah culture was relatively peaceful, content to expand slowly through the surrounding Orionis constellation. The most serious conflicts caused by the Umgah are the result of their incessant practical jokes, such as clogging a fleet of Spathi Eluders’ life-support systems with fast-growing foul-smelling goo.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 69 69 reproduction and armament. The Androsynths were totally unaware of the Ur-Quan invasion until the aliens were on top of them, capturing their home star system in a few short weeks of intense interplanetary combat. Androsynths now fight for the Ur-Quan and many Earthlings fear that should the Alliance lose the War with the Ur-Quan, the Androsynth’s hostility toward Humanity could result in great suffering for Earth.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 70 70 APPENDIX II: PLAY TIPS FOR STAR CONTROL II Star Control II is mostly self-configuring, and most players will never have to do more than type the program name. However, in a few circumstances, you may have to adjust either your computer system or the program. Maximizing Available Memory If you receive the error message, “Not enough memory to play Star Control II.”, you will need to free up memory on your computer.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 71 71 mance as much and sound lots better, or shut down sound and music altogether (see Specifying Sound Card on the Command Line, for details). Solving Possible Conflicts with TSRs Some TSRs and device drivers do not cooperate with the Star Control II program. The most common such problems occur on 386 machines with older, extended memory managers. The symptoms include system lock-up when the program first fires up, or INCREDIBLY slow performance.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 72 72 have to add a code to the command line: STARCON2 /s:DEVICENAME where DEVICENAME is one of the following: Code DISNEY1 DISNEY2 LPT1 LPT2 Sound Device Disney Sound Source on parallel port #1. Disney Sound Source on parallel port #2. Covox Speech Thing or other sound peripheral on parallel port #1. Covox Speech Thing or other sound peripheral on parallel port #2.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 73 73 Garbled Graphics or Blank Screen Star Control II supports VGA or MCGA graphics only. If your computer does not have these graphic cards and a color monitor, this game will not work on your system. If you do have these and still experience a blank screen or garbled graphics, see the Booting Clean section below. Graphic Adapter Fix Certain computers, (i.e. Tandy 4850 EP) have unusual video hardware. Therefore, colors in the game might not look quite right.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 74 74 First, copy Star Control II to your hard drive. 1 At the DOS prompt, type C: 2 At the DOS prompt, type CD\ 3 Type MD STARCON2 4 Copy the Star Control II files to your hard drive. At the DOS prompt, type COPY D:\STARCON\STARCON2\*.* C:\STARCON2 Note: If you enter this command and receive the message, “Invalid Drive Specification,” your CD-ROM drive is not properly set up for use in MS-DOS mode.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 75 75 7 Only some of these lines are necessary for your game to run properly. The lines we need can usually be left just as they are. Keep the following lines intact: • The line with HIMEM.SYS (or any other upper memory manager) • The line with EMM386.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 76 76 turn on or reboot your computer. At the A: prompt, type C: . Type CD\STARCON2 , then STARCON2 to launch the game. When you finish playing, remove the boot disk from the A: drive and either turn off or reboot your machine. Technical Support (408) 296-8400 If you still need help with this – or any other – Accolade product, please give us a call between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm (Pacific Standard Time).
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 77 77 APPENDIX III: INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUPERMELEE SuperMelee is pure Star Control combat. In this bonus game you can fight against the computer opponent, or even better, battle another human player. SuperMelee battles are fought between two rival teams, composed of up to 14 ships, using any combination of the 25 alien vessels from Star Control and Star Control II.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 78 78 STARCON2.EXE (see Specifying Sound Card on the Command Line, for details.) Note: The Melee program tries to run at the same speed on all computers. If you would like to unleash your computer’s power and play at maximum speed, add /frenzy on the command line after Melee.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 79 79 up or down. The list shows not only the names of the ships, but their values as well. Ship values are useful when two or more players want to compose different teams with the same overall strength. When you have highlighted the ship you want to add to your team, press Enter and the ship will appear in the Team Display region. The cursor now returns to the Team Display region. 4 Continue placing as many ships as you like on both teams by repeating steps 2 and 3.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 80 80 against a computer controlled foe. To change who controls a team, highlight the setting and press Enter or Button #1. You can set both teams to have computer control. In this case they will fight a totally automatic series of battles against each other during which you can study their techniques. Input Device You can play SuperMelee with joysticks, keyboard, or a combination of both.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 81 81 you continue along your present course. The computer now uses its special power at maximum effectiveness. Leaving Settings Menu When you have established your desired settings, press the Spacebar to return to the main SuperMelee Command Menu. Saving and Loading SuperMelee Teams To save a team, highlight SAVE from the Main Menu and press Enter. Type in the name of your team (8 letters maximum) and press Enter.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 82 82 Winning SuperMelee When all of one player’s ships are destroyed, the Melee is over. Each player’s menu will then appear, allowing the winner to gloat over his many victories. This final display also shows the winner’s remaining ship points which indicate the margin of victory. Use the following guidelines to determine the quality of the victory: Winner’s Remaining Ship Points 5% 10% 25% 50% 75% and up Quality of Victory By the skin of your teeth.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:36 PM Page 83 83 1 Boot your computer as normal 2 Type CD \Starcon2 and press Enter. 3 Type keys and press Enter. The following options will appear onscreen: F1 Select a new keyboard layout F2 Experiment with different keyboard combinations F3 Information on keyboard configuration F10 Quit to DOS When you press F1 to change the keyboard layout, you are given the option of changing the Player 1 or Player 2 controls. Press the corresponding function key to select your option.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 84 84 sustain only a minimal amount of damage itself. A successful captain will use the teleport function, as well as an opponent’s inertia, to move in quickly along the rear or flank of the enemy ship, unload from a full store of energy, and then fly or teleport quickly away to recharge. Chenjesu Broodhome – The main weapon of the Chenjesu, the photon crystal shard, is versatile for both offense and de-fense.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 85 85 collide with the planet. The only reason ever to get close to an enemy vessel is to make an honorable, point-defense laser “coup de grace”, to eliminate the opponent’s last crew member. Mmrnmhrm Xform – The X-form is actually two ships in one. Its special power allows it to transform from one form into the other. The Y-Wing form of this ship is fast but not very maneuverable, and it fires long range homing missiles that do only a small amount of damage.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 86 86 always to get close to the opposing ship and use the Syreen call. This causes the enemy crew from the opponent’s craft to jump ship and drift through space towards the Syreen ship. The Syreen can then pick them up and use them as her own crew. One very effective trick is to use the Syreen call and fire simultaneously.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 87 87 comet-like ball of energy. When it does this it travels at high speed, until all of its energy is used up. When the Androsynth is in this comet-like “Blazer” form, it can ram an opponent’s ship and do a large amount of damage. Another use of the Blazer form is for escape. Ilwrath Avenger – The Ilwrath ships are only moderately powerful because they are not very fast, and their weapon is only effective at short range.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 88 88 celestial body, avoid diagonal whip trajectories. One of the most serious threats to the Mycon is its own weapon, the expanding plasma cloud. Fast ships, like the Arilou, Shofixti, or Slylandro, will try to direct the plasma weapon back upon the Mycon. If the Mycon is moving at or beyond its normal maximum velocity, it can overrun its own weapon immediately after launch, suffering grievous casualties. Solution: shoot backwards.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 89 89 right up next to its enemy. If the anti-matter cone is up through the maneuver, there is a chance of it grazing the enemy as you zip past for a few bonus points of damage – especially important against the Arilou. Another way to use the retromovement is to thrust at the same time you zip backwards. This results in a jerky, half-speed maneuver which opponents often find difficult to deal with.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 90 90 ments to keep his laser on target. If the enemy escapes and possesses any long or intermediate range weapons, the VUX must immediately seek out a planet and engage in a Gravity Whip. If the enemy launches a seeking weapon, don’t forget to shoot at it as it approaches. When the VUX nears its target, it should slow by rotating to face the enemy and thrusting.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 91 91 Kohr-Ah Marauder – The Kohr-Ah ship is one of the few ships that is a good match for an Ur-Quan Dreadnought. The two ships are comparable in speed, maneuverability, crew, and energy regeneration. However, instead of firing plasma blasts, the KohrAh vessel fires missiles which continue to move away from the ship until the Fire Button is released. Once the Fire Button is released, these spinning, metal bladedisks remain where they are placed.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 92 92 being tricked into shielding unnecessarily and wasting his energy. The best strategy for the Utwig is to close with the opponent’s ship using a Gravity Whip when necessary, and time the shielding to catch any incoming shots. DOGI’s from the Chenjesu are an Utwig commander’s greatest fear, as they quickly turn his ship into a sitting duck. Thraddash Torch – The Torch is a difficult ship to master, but can be quite potent when it is flown well.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 93 93 as that ship is in range, the Supox reverses the direction of its thrust and flies backwards, shooting at the ship that is all of a sudden following it. To travel backwards, press the Thrust key and the Special key simultaneously. Another capability of the Supox ship is to move laterally. To perform this maneuver, press the Special key and a Turn key simultaneously.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 94 94 resurrection is due to a trace of the blood of the gods, which flows through each Pkunk as the result of some divine indiscretion on their home world several thousand years ago. Other alien races believe that the “resurrected” vessels are in fact a mere projection generated by Pkunk vessels which are cloaked with some kind of invisibility field. To date, no one has explained why a “projection’s” weapons are genuinely destructive.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 95 95 The laser strikes an enemy vessel’s hull with twice the destructive force of the feared VUX laser. Orbiting around the Avatar are three ZapSats – sturdy satellites that automatically fire their own laser weapons at incoming ships and missiles. The Chmmr Avatar’s special power is a tractor beam which generates a focused beam of artificial gravity, pulling in an enemy vessel like a fish on a line.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 96 96 simultaneously), each departing Marine decreases the Nemesis’ crew by one. Once inside the enemy ship, the Space Marines employ basic searchand-destroy tactics, wreaking havoc on the soft targets within. When an enemy ship is destroyed, any Marines onboard will jet out of the exploding hulk, and return to the Nemesis for more fuel and ammunition.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 97 97 blank range attack. Should the Stinger maneuver adjacent to an enemy vessel, it can quickly extend a rigid, alloy tube from the front of the ship, similar to an insect’s proboscis. If the tube strikes the enemy ship’s exterior, it bores a tiny hole through the hull metal and injects a high-pressure stream of hot plasma into the interior of the vessel.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 98 98 APPENDIX VI : FLAGSHIP MODULES The Multi-Function Modules initially available at the Starbase are: Planetary Lander Maximum: 10 This Module is actually a separate vehicle which you can launch from your flagship and send down to a planet surface. Although a planet lander appears to have been built to carry a crew of 2 Precursors, 12 human crew members can fit inside.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 99 99 Fuel Tank Maximum: 16 Each Fuel Tank Module holds 50 units of fuel which is enough to take your flagship halfway across known space. Of course, if you are making a lot of planet landings, or are employing a powerful device, you may wish to increase your fuel capacity with more Tanks. Fuel Tanks are purchased empty, but can be filled from the Earth Starbase OUTFIT menu. You cannot remove a fuel tank module unless it is empty.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 100 100 vessel with 1/3 to 1/2 as many Dynamo Modules to provide your ship with an adequate rate of fire in combat. Other Modules Maximum: Unknown New types of Modules will become available at the Earth Starbase as the game progresses. The function and cost of such Modules will be explained as they are made available.
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:37 PM Page 101 101 Game Credits Programming Game Design and Fiction Additional Design Art Sound Effects Music Producer Assistant Producer Testing Manual Manual Illustrations Online Manual Adaptation Manual Updates Fred Ford Paul Reiche III Greg Johnson, Fred Ford, Robert Leyland and Greg Hammond George Barr, Paul Reiche III, Erol Otus, Kyle Balda, Greg Johnson, and Armand Cabrera Paul Reiche III, Erol Otus, Fred Ford Riku Nuottajarvi, Dan Nicholson, Marc Brown, Aaron Grier, Eri
X14 S2 Manual 5/6/96 1:38 PM Page 102 102 90-DAY WARRANTY Accolade, Inc. warrants for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase by the original purchaser of the Software that the recording medium on which it is recorded will be free from defects in materials and workmanship. Defective media which has not been subjected to misuse, excessive wear or damage due to carlessness may be returned during the 90-day period without charge.
