Contents
StarScan,
version 1.0, by scv

CONTENTS

 There are a few games out there where the player looks for hidden objects on a grid.  After brainstorming for a while, I came up with MineScan, which is a blend of elements designed to be challenging.  There are 25 levels, each with a few more mines than the last, and each with its own pattern of islands to make your guesses difficult.

 Starting on level 10, there are DOUBLE MINES ... spaces which have 2 mines each, just to throw off your balance.

 Later on, I thought an outer space theme would liven it up a bit, and STARscan was born.

How to Play
Basic Strategy
Menu Options
About the Program


PlayingIt
How To Play?

  The basic idea is simple: click on the various squares, and try to find the mines.

  Here are the details:

        and [image] are ISLANDS.   If you click on these, nothing happens.  The islands are there to block out clues and make the game a bit harder.

   squares are "unknowns".  You must click these to see what's underneath.  When you click one of these squares, you uncover either a blue NUMBER square or a mine.

  BLACK squares, like [image] , tell you how many mines are one square away.  A blue square with no  number is a "zero".

  When you click on a mine, you get a RED [image] square,  and lose a life.  On the higher levels, if you click on a DOUBLE MINE, you get a square that looks like this:  Either way, you only lose one life.

  Each time you get 200 points, you GAIN a life.

  Click the LEFT BUTTON to uncover a square.
  Click the RIGHT BUTTON to mark a square.  When you think you've found a mine, MARK the  square so you don't click on it!  Marked squares look like this:

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MainMenu
Menu Options

These are the options available on the main menu.

New Game - click here to start a new game

Goto Level - click here to select a level to play.  A window will come up with the numbers 1 through 25.  Click any number to go to that level.

Options: First Move - when checked, the computer will make the first move on each level for you.  This move will always be a blank square.

Options: Islands - when checked, each new level will include islands.

Options: Sound FX - turns sound effects on/off.

High Scores - shows the high scores window.

Quit - exits the game.

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Strategy
Strategy in StarScan
   The idea of the game is to turn over all the "unknowns", without hitting any MINES along the way.  Your only clues are the numbers you uncover.  Here are some tips:

   If you see a blue square without a number, then EVERY square around it is safe.  Because it has no number (which means ZERO), there are no mines within one square of it.

   If you see a blue square with a 1 on it, then only ONE of the eight squares around it can possibly be a mine.  If you think you know which one is the mine, mark it (with the right mouse button), then turn over all the others.  These "ones" are the most useful tiles you'll run into.

   Important: Turn over all the squares which you think are "obvious" first.  There will always be some squares with not quite enough clues to figure them out.  Save these for last.  At the top of the screen is a count of how many mines are left.  This may help you figure out where the last few mines on the level are hiding.  If you mark a space that isn't a mine, you will end up with a negative number of mines at the end of the level, and you will need to go back & figure out your mistake.

   Try to think a few steps ahead.  Here's an example:

 In the game shown, follow the BLACK arrow.  This "2" tells us that both of the squares marked "x" must be mines.  Now look where the GREEN arrow is pointing.  This "2" is already satisfied by the mines we've found at the x's. Thinking ahead, the 2 squares marked "z" must be blank.  Likewise,  follow the RED arrow.  This "1" means that one of the two squares marked "c" must be a mine.

   How many levels can you get through?

   It is interesting to see how the various patterns of numbers help guide you, and how certain patterns interfere with each other.

   After level 9, there are DOUBLE MINES -- 2 mines on a single square.  Level 10 has one double mine, Level 10 has 1, level 11 has 2, etc.  Wait until you see how these change your tactics ...

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About the Program
 StarScan 1.0 is copyright 1997 SCV Systems.

  Design, Programming and 3-d starship by s.c.virtes.

  Opening graphic by Mitch Boyer.

  Product testing by Jared Coffin, Jon M. Virtes, Kenneth Hill, Cynthia Ortiz, Harushi Matsui, Zoe Somebody and the rest of the gang.

SCV Systems
1313-K Simpson Way
Escondido, CA 92029
USA

visit us online at www.scvs.com !


Registered Version
About the Registered Version
   The registered version of StarScan (v1.0) contains 25 levels, and you start with 7 lives instead of 5.  If you can get to level 25, you are OBVIOUSLY a StarScan expert!