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1995-05-23
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STARDUEL v1.0 (unregistered version) - (c) 1995 Mark D Sutton - Documentation
Contents
1) Introduction
2) Installation
3) Hardware Requirements
4) Instructions for play
5) Registration
1) INTRODUCTION
Starduel is a two player DOS based space combat game, played on one computer
with the opponents sharing the keyboard. Manouver your ship through the
complex gravity fields of several planets whilst picking up ammunition, firing
missiles and bullets at the enemy, and avoiding his attacks. Features accurate
Newtonian gravity - slingshot around planets to avoid missiles, or park
yourself in a safe orbit while you catch your breath or fire off a volley of
missiles.
2) Installation and Starting the program
As you are reading this, you have already unzipped the file STARDUEL.ZIP,
and obtained this file along with 7 others. Simply ensure they are together
in one directory, then run the game with the command STARDUEL whilst in this
directory. If you are unsure of how to do this consult the relevant manuals
or help files! Whilst Starduel can be run under windows or other multitasking
environments, this is not advised except on fast 486 or Pentium machines, as
it will slow things down considerably.
3) Hardware requirements
Starduel is a processor intensive game. Whilst it absolutely REQUIRES a 286
pased PC (with VGA display), a fast 386 or ideally a 486 or higher,
preferrably with at least a 64K cache, is strongly recommended. Slower
systems may not maintain the frame rate when many objects are on screen at
once, and the game will become slow and jerky. Maths co-processors make no
difference to speed, as Starduel uses ultrafast custom maths routines that
bypass the need for floating point calculations. A crisp display is also
vital, and many portable computers will prove inadequate in this respect.
However, memory is not critical - requirements are less than 64K, and hard
disk space required is similar.
4) Instructions for play
4.1) Front end
On loading, a game configuration screen will confront you. Use the up and
down arrows to select an item to alter, and the left and right arrows to
change it. Configurable items are:
4.1.1) Number of Planets
Anything between 0 and 5. The more planets in the game, the more complex the
resultant gravitational field. Gameplay and strategy are differ considerably
between a 5 planet and a 1 plante game. Increasing the number of planets
increases the computation required, so on a slow machine stick to low values.
4.1.2) Gravity Strength
Varies from 0 to 40. The higher the value, the stronger the pull of the
planets. Vary this in combination with the number of planets to produce
different game setups. Broadly speaking, higher gravity values make for faster
moving games. Whilst gravity can be entirely turned off (set to 0) or raised
to friqhtening levels (40) values of 15-30 are generally best.
4.1.3) Number of lives
Can be set to anything from 1 upwards. The first player to run out of lives
loses the game, so high values make for long games, but even out the luck
factor.
4.1.4) Price per bullet
Can be set to anything from 0 upwards. Sets the price in 'dots held' (see
section 4.2 below) for a bullet. Can be set to 0 for free bullets (in which
case the bullet lifetime is best set low - see 4.1.6), or higher values if
desired.
4.1.5) Price per missile
Can be set to anything from 0 upwards. Sets the price in 'dots held' (see
section 4.2 below) for a missile. Can be set to 0 for free missiles (not
recommended for a serious game!) or to higher values to discourage their use.
4.1.6) Bullet lifetime
Can be set to anything from 1 upwards. Controls how long a bullet lasts for
after it is fired - a value of 5 represents a lifetime of about 3 seconds.
Varying this upwards can create interesting situations, but there is a limit
on the number of bullets the game allows at any given time, so high values
can be frustrating.
4.1.7) Dot regen rate
Can be set to anything from 1 upwards. Dots for picking up as ammunition (see
4.2 below) pop into appearance all the time, and the lower this value the
faster they appear. Raise this value for a 'miserly' game, where ammunition is
hard to come by, and keep it low for a dot rich setup.
4.1.8) Starting the game
Once the game has been configured to your requirements, start it with the
space bar. Alternatively, Q will exit to DOS. If the random planet
configuration is not to your tastes, simply press ESCAPE to return to the
front end screen, then again to restart with different planet positions
4.2) Game play
4.2.1) Basics
Each player controls a ship - player one starting in the top left corner and
player two in the bottom right. Control consists of rotating clockwise or
anticlockwise, and thrusting (accelarating) in the direction faced. A number
of planets are postioned randomly around the screen, and dots (single yellow
pixels) appear one by one about the screen.
To fire missiles or bullets at their opponent, each player must pick up dots
by colliding with them. The number of dots 'held' by each player is displayed
in the status line at the top of the screen. When a player fires a bullet or
missile, his 'held' total decreases by the appropriate amount. Ships, dots,
bullets and missiles are all affected by the combined gravity fields of the
planets and move accordingly, though missiles and ships have their own motive
power as well.
4.2.2) Collisions
If (when) a player collides with a planet, he loses all his points, and is
transported to a random spot on the screen. Note that although he cannot
appear on top of a missile or bullet, he can appear rather close to one...
Collisions between the two players have no effect - the two ships can just
pass through each other. However if either ship collides with a bullet or
missile (no matter who fired it) it will spin out of control and explode.
Bullets and missiles are destroyed if they collide with a planet - indeed this
is the only way to lose missiles that are following you, unless your opponent
collides with them himself, or of course they collide with you.
4.2.3) Screen edge
All objects bounce back when they hit the edge of the screen.
4.2.4) Missiles
Missiles, once launched, home inexorably onto the player they were launched at
until they are destroyed, either by hitting a ship or a planet. If their
target is destroyed, they will simply re-acquire the next life of that player
as a target. In practice, they must be shaken off by leading them into a
planet.
4.2.5) Bullets
Bullets have only a limited lifetime and do not home, simply carry on in the
direction they were fired in. They are destroyed by a collision with missiles,
ships or planets.
4.2.6) Explosions
When a player is killed, he explodes (after first spinning out of control)
and throws out many dots in all directions (all other dots on the screen
vanish at this point). These are normal dots, and can be picked up by either
player. The destroyed player, assuming he has a life left, then reappears
at a random point on the screen after a small delay.
4.2.7) Controls
PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2
ROTATE ANTICLOCKWISE Z LEFT ARROW
ROTATE CLOCKWISE X RIGHT ARROW
THRUST SPACE UP ARROW
FIRE MISSILE M RETURN
FIRE BULLET N DOWN ARROW
Escape exits the game, and returns to the front end screen. the pause/break
key will pause the action.
5) Registration
Starduel is shareware, and the author urges you to register. Apart from the
benefit of a clean conscience, you will receive:
(a) a copy of the registered version of Starduel, which features extra devices
(including shield, hyperspace, mine and starburst), even more configurability,
(including definable keys!) and support for leagues and knock-out tournaments
(b) A 50% discount off any future versions of the game - whether or not these get
written largely depends on the response to v1.0!
Registration costs 5 pounds sterling, plus 1 pound post and packing for UK and
EC customers, or 2 pounds elsewhere in the world. However, the registered
version can be supplied by E-mail, either in 'attached' format or as a
'uuencoded' message. Post and packing costs do not apply to software trans-
ferred in this way, but you must be able to receive a sizeable message (100K
or so) in your mailbox!