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- STARFLEET BATTLES RULES Copyright W.Jordan 1990 All rights reserved
-
- INTRODUCTION
- Starfleet Battles is a 1-4 player game of space exploration and conquest.
-
- When one player is playing, the computer plays the role of a second player.
-
- Starfleet Battles is a fast moving and easy to play game.
-
- The game is both abstract and simple, but still provides plenty of scope for
- strategy and tactics.
-
- OPTIONS
- Before the game you can select from a number of different options.
-
- You may choose between 1 and 4 human players. If you select 1 then you will
- be playing the computer.
-
- When playing the computer you may select a level of difficulty between 1 and
- 10.
-
- The higher the number, the stronger the computer player will be.
-
- You may choose to generate a completely different star system each game or
- you may select 1 from 100 different set star systems.
-
- If you wish to play a star system only once then it is suggested you
- choose the random option.
-
- Choosing a number between 1 and 100 allows you to replay the same setup.
-
- You may wish to use the same star system with a different level of
- difficulty or try the same star system again if you were beaten by the
- computer, or in a multi-player game.
-
- The following rules explain both the one player, and the multi-player modes.
-
-
- HOW TO WIN
- A player is eliminated from the game when his home planet has been lost.
- The last remaining player is the winner.
-
- INSTRUCTIONS
- Starfleet is a mouse driven game in which decisions are made by clicking the
- left mouse button when the mouse pointer is over a particular point on the
- screen.
-
- When the instruction "OK" appears click in the box to continue the game.
-
- THE TURN
- Starfleet is a doubleblind game, in which a player does not know the
- location of an opponent, and must explore to find him.
-
- In the multiplayer version, only the player to move looks at the screen
- during his turn, but all players may look at the screen while combat is in
- progress.
-
- STARMAP
- Space is represented by a 16x16 grid called the starmap.
-
- A key to the right of the starmap explains the different contents of each
- space.
-
- SHIPS
- There are 6 types of spaceships:
-
- CLASS SHIP
- 1 Cargoes
- 2 Scouts
- 3 Destroyers
- 4 Cruisers
- 5 Battlecruisers
- 6 Battleships
-
- A player may have up to 6 of each type of ship.
-
- The cost of a ship is double their class.
-
- The combat value is the same as the cost.
-
- INCOME
- A player's income is equal to the total current income of all his planets.
-
- Income can be accumulated from turn to turn.
-
- Income is used to build ships.
-
- SHIP BUILDS
- To build a ship, click on the ship name during the build phase.
-
- You are not allowed to spend more than you can afford, or have more than 6
- of each type.
-
- You may build any number of ships within these restrictions.
-
- To finish building, click in the OK box in the lower portion of the screen.
-
- SHIP MOVEMENT
- Ships are moved individually, by clicking on the starmap.
-
- A drawing representing the ship that was moved will be displayed on the map.
-
- Ships can only move to spaces that have been explored.
-
- There can be any number of ships in the same space.
-
- EXPLORATION
- At the start of the game, all spaces are considered unexplored except for
- the home planet and the spaces adjacent to it.
-
- Scouts have a special exploration ability.
-
- They explore all adjacent spaces and 2 spaces away in perpindicular lines.
-
- In other words, their exploration pattern is a diamond.
-
- Of course, you have no idea where your opponent/s have explored.
-
- COLONISING
- A planet is colonised by landing cargoes there.
-
- For each cargo that has been landed, the income of that planet increases
- by one.
-
- A planet's income cannot exceed its maximum.
-
- You cannot colonise a planet owned by someone else.
-
- COMBAT
- Combat happens whenever ships of different sides are in the same square.
-
- If the combat strength of both sides is equal then the battle is a tie.
-
- The weaker side loses up to the difference in strength of the two sides.
-
- Multiplayer combat is slightly more involved, but follows the same
- principle.
-
- If there are 3 or 4 players in the same square then the strongest player
- attacks everyone else.
-
- CAPTURING PLANETS
- A planet is either owned by one of the players, or by player 0(unowned).
-
- Moving any ship to an unowned planet will capture it.
-
- A planet remains owned until captured by another player.
-
- To capture a planet owned by another player, the class of the strongest
- attacking ship must EXCEED the current value of the planet.
-
- Once a planet is captured the capturing player recieves
- the current income for that planet from the next turn on.
-
- Combat occurs before capture of planets.
-
- ATTACKING A HOME PLANET
- Capturing a home planet is similar to capturing another planet.
-
- The defender defends with the strength of a battleship(32) in addition to
- any other ships present.
-
- If a home planet is captured, all planets owned by the defending
- planet are also captured and the defending player is eliminated from the
- game.
-
- 'If players simultaneously attack each other's home planets then the game is
- 'a draw(if there are 2 players).
-
- STRATEGY AND TACTICS
- What to build is an important decision.
-
- Sometimes it may be worthwhile to save credits from turn to turn.
-
- Scouts and cargoes are important early in the game, but become less useful
- as the game continues.
-
- You will need to decide whether to build many weak ships or fewer strong ships.
-
- Strong ships are useful for capturing opponent planets.
-
- In a 3 or 4 player game a possible strategy is to build no cargoes at all!
-
- In all versions you will need to outguess the other player/s.
-
- Careful deployment of scouts will maximize the area you can explore.
-
- Cargoes are both important and vulnerable and need to be well defended.
-
- Later in the game, whether to defend your home planet or not can be a
- critical decision.
-
- There is some chance involved in the star distribution and some star systems
- will create a more difficult game than others.
-
- With 3 or 4 players this should balance out.
-
- There will range between 15 and 45 stars.
-
- The computer should be a very tough opponent at the higher levels in most
- star systems.
-
- The 4 player version creates a very interesting game.
-