/--------------------------------------------------------------\ ( S p a c e V e n t u r e - D e a l w i t h t h e g a l a x y ) \______________________________________________________________/ Guide notes for version 1.3 a game by Kirk Bowe for the Psion 3c/3mx and Siena Copyright (C)1998, 1999 by Kirk Bowe. All rights reserved. This document was updated on 18 Jan 1999 Web site: http://www.kirkboweassociates.com/spaceventure Email the author at: kirk@kirk.net Support queries: svsupport@kirkboweassociates.com Sales queries: svsales@kirkboweassociates.com All comments & suggestions welcome NOTE: The shareware version can be upgraded to the registered version by simply typing in your registration code - there is no need to download any additional software. See the end of this document for the simple registration options. Your code is also good for all future 1.x versions of SpaceVenture. Although every care is taken, there is no guarantee that game positions saved in earlier versions will work correctly in later versions. You are advised to keep backups of your saved games file (playfile.odb) and your registered key file (svlic.odb - only applicable if you have registered). What's new in this version ========================== ** Create your own add-ons to SpaceVenture through the SVAPI (SpaceVenture Application Programmers Interface)! See the end of this document for further details. ** Small performance tweaks and a few glitch fixes Introduction ============ SpaceVenture is a space trading game. In it, you take on the role of a lone space pilot whose desire it is to make some serious money. In fact, it has no real objective as such -- your aim is simply to travel the length and breadth of the 10 galaxies in the system (if galaxies have lengths and breadths!), soak up the atmosphere, and trade in the right goods to make a profit. With that profit, you can afford better craft, which can hold more cargo and travel further in one go. The central concept of the game is of trading. Each planet has, like the markets on Earth, markets dealing in a wide variety of items, ranging from computers to military weaponry. Planets too, of course, vary in their socio-politico-economic makeup, and so different products are in demand on different worlds. Your view on all this is made simple by the TradCom, or Trading Computer. Whenever you arrive at a planet, your on-board computer loads up with the current prices available on that planet. You simply need to decide what's worth buying and - equally importantly - where you can sell what you've bought for a tidy profit. The planet information screen, accessible when you press the Enter key over a planet in your NavCom screen, will give you a full analysis of the planets in your current galaxy. SpaceVenture is currently under continual development, and as such benefits greatly from your comments and suggestions (and registrations!). Getting started - installation ============================== SpaceVenture is normally supplied as a single .ZIP file, called spven01.zip. Note that the "01" part may be higher (e.g. "02", etc.) in your version. The .ZIP contains all the files you need to run SpaceVenture on your Psion. It has the following structure and components: \APP\sv1.opa (The main program itself for the Series 3c and 3mx) \APP\sv1sien.opa (The main program file for the Siena) \APP\SVAPP\svovl*.opo (Additional support modules) \APP\SVAPP\*.pic (many picture files) \APP\SVAPP\readme.txt (a copy of the text of this page) Ensure that the sv1.opa file goes in your \app folder and that all the other files go in your \app\svapp folder (which you should create if necessary). If you have a Siena, make sure the sv1sien.opa file is in your \app folder, and delete the "sv1.opa" file. Once the files have been copied to the \app and \app\svapp folders on your Psion, install SpaceVenture from the System screen by choosing Apps/Install from the menu (or by pressing Psion+I). Select "sv1.opa" and press Enter. The SpaceVenture icon should now appear in your system screen. If you are using a Psion Siena, choose "sv1sien.opa" instead of "sv1.opa". This will ensure that SpaceVenture corrects itself for your Siena's screen. Also make sure that you delete (or move to another directory) the "sv1.opa" file. NOTE FOR SIENA USERS: you can save space by deleting all the ".pic" files that do not have a "s" immediately before the ".pic" part of the filename. For example, you can delete "navcom.pic" (but ensure that you keep "navcoms.pic"). The reverse is also true for Series 3c and 3mx users if you're running out of space. NOTE TO ALL USERS: when upgrading to the latest version, please ensure that you install all the new files from the new .zip. You will of course wish to keep the following two files from your existing installation: playfile.odb This file contains your saved games svlic.odb Your license file (registered users only) You should therefore copy these two files to a temporary directory before installing the new version. Once the new version is installed, simply copy back your saved game and license files to \app\svapp\. Getting started - running the game ================================== Select the SpaceVenture icon on your system screen and press Enter. SpaceVenture will now display a logo screen which will also inform you whether this is a registered or unregistered version. The logo screen will disappear and be replaced by a dialog box welcoming you to the game. The dialog will ask you whether you want to start a new game or load up a previous game save. Since this is your first play, you'll want to press N for New. You must choose a name for your new captain and a difficulty level for the game. There are currently three levels of difficulty. The more difficult you select, the more expensive are the space craft you can buy and there should be less variation in prices between worlds (so that easy profiteering is more difficult). It is recommended that first time players choose the "Easy" level of difficulty. Type in the name of your captain (up to 20 letters) and press Enter. The screen will now show the "OnBoard" window. This is your main screen which gives you most of the important information you'll need to know, such as how much money you have left, which planet you're on and which one you've selected as your destination, your cargo hold weight, etc. Using the menu system ===================== At almost any time during the game you can hit the Menu key. This will bring up the SpaceVenture menu. The menu is divided into 2 main areas: Views: The various screens that your on-board computer has Actions: Commands you will need to carry out at some point Views - OnBoard --------------- As mentioned above, this view provides you with general status information. Use this screen to check: your current planet and your chosen destination (if any), your current cash situation (shown in GCUs - Galactic Credit Units), your ship model, its maximum and current holds, and the amount of fuel left in the tank (shown in LY - Light Years). Several other screens also return you to the OnBoard screen when they've completed their action. Views - TradCom --------------- This is your trading computer screen. This gives you easy access to the markets that go on in the space stations orbiting the planet and on the surface below. The main screen divides into four columns: item, units, current price and quantity available. Generally speaking, the prices will not fluctuate much - unless you hear about it through an "Incoming Message" (see below). The quantity availble is likely to be much less stable, however. If you see an item you want, press the "B" key (buy). This brings up a dialog box which you must use to select the item you want (alloys, driods, etc.) and the quantity. Note that the quantity is usually in tonnes. This is because almost all items (including gold) are shipped within heavy containers designed to withstand deep space pressure. Therefore, although it may say "tonne" next to gold, you're really only paying by the gramme. The amount of money and available cargo space you have are also displayed in a grey box underneath the Buy and Sell buttons. If you have enough money to cover the transaction, enough cargo space and if the space station's container service has enough of the item to sell, the transaction will be complete and your account and cargo hold will be altered accordingly. NOTE: only type numeric characters into the quantity box (i.e., type 1000, do not type 1,000). Press the "S" key if you'd like to sell any of your existing cargo. You do not need to sell all of any item in one transaction (e.g., you could just sell half your alloys here). NOTE: your cargo bay stores cargo in 1 tonne units, so you should only attempt to sell in whole units - e.g., you can sell 5 tonnes of your artefacts, but not 5.22 tonnes. Views -- NavCom --------------- Probably the most complex view to work with is the NavCom (Navigation Computer). Use NavCom to select your next planetary destination. The NavCom comprises two screens - the galaxy view and planet information view. In the galaxy view, use the cursor keys (and the shift key for speed) to move around the planets. As you near each planet, its name will appear next to it, and the distance (in Light Years) between your current planet and this new planet will be displayed in the bottom right hand corner. Obviously you need to check that you have enough fuel for the trip. Once you've decided on your destination, pressing the space bar will indicate it to the computer. When over a planet in the Galactic screen, pressing the Enter key will give you the Planetary Information screen. This is designed to brief you on the social, economic and political nature of the planet and its people. It is wise to heed this information as it normally reflects the market prices available at that planet. For example, an agricultural world is likely to produce food and oil but consume technology. The prices usually reflect this. Views -- Cargo Bay ------------------ This view simply lists all the items you're currently carrying on board, along with the quantity of each. To buy and sell items, go to the TradCom view. Views -- Pilots' Lounge ----------------------- Almost every space station has a pilots' lounge area where pilots can sit back and relax. More often, however, pilots are more willing to trade and haggle with their fellow pilots. By choosing the Pilots' Lounge view, you can partake in all of this. Depending on when you arrive, there could be up to five other pilots in the lounge. Pressing the number button below the pilot will alert his/her/its attention. The pilot will then attempt to sell you an item of their cargo. You have the option of saying "no thanks", of accepting outright or of haggling with the pilot. If you accept outright, you are presented with a dialog box just like the "buy" dialog in the TradCom view. If you try to haggle, enter an offer price, i.e. your bid. The pilot will consider your bid and either accept or reject. When deciding how much to offer, try and get into the other pilot's mind: if you make a low bid and there' four other pilots in the room, he/she/it is far less likely to sell to you. NOTE: only type numeric characters into the quantity box (i.e., type 1000, do not type 1,000). Actions -- Check inbox ---------------------- During the game you will receive a large number of messages, whether they be notifications of stock price changes on planets or other things. These can be difficult to keep track off, so version 1.1a introduces a special email inbox where all these messages are stored. Choosing this menu option takes you to the Inbox screen. Use the up and down arrow keys to list through the messages that you have received so far. The messages are individually date and time stamped for your convenience. As the messages are currently only applicable while SpaceVenture is running, the inbox is deleted whenever a new game is started or a previously saved game is loaded. NOTE: you may periodically wish to delete the inbox file - inbox.odb - in the interests of disc space. Actions -- Launch ----------------- If you have selected a destination, this menu item engages your craft's hyperdrive. Of course, you can only do the trip if you have the fuel to cover it - i.e., your fuel (shown in Light Years in the OnBoard view) must be greater than or equal to the Distance to travel. Actions -- Buy new ship ----------------------- If you've got the money (and the registered version) then you can obtain a better ship. They may seem amazingly expensive at first, but once you're in the swing of things you're cash-flow situation should improve dramatically! Each of the craft offer progressively larger cargo bays and bigger fuel tanks. That means you can carry more cargo and travel much further in one go. Actions -- GalDrive (REGISTERED VERSION ONLY) ------------------- The good news: all the craft featured in SpaceVenture are capable of intergalactic travel. The bad news: the ISF (Inter-stella Federation) tax on any intergalactic travel is 1000 GCU. The even worse news: the current temporary upgrades to your ship are still in their technical infancy and cannot predict or dictate exactly which galaxy you'll end up in! Still, sparing use of GalDrive is a great way of changing the scenery - nothing like another 100 or so planets to trade on! And remember that SpaceVenture features 10 such galaxies! Incoming messages ----------------- Occasionally you will receive news flashes from the Intergalactic Monetary Union's watchdog arm. These reports often indicate that there has been a sharp rise or fall in a particular price on a particular planet. If it looks interesting to you, you may like to re-think your plans and head in that direction. As from version 1.1a, Incoming Messages are automaically added to your inbox - which you can check from the Actions/Check inbox menu option. Police raids ------------ The more civilised the planet (e.g. democracies), the more likely you are to be inspected at regular intervals by the local law enforcement teams. If you carry contraband goods (mostly slaves, narcotics or firearms) you run the risk of having them confiscated. You may be lucky, as sometimes they do not take all your goods -- only what they can find. Missions (REGISTERED VERSION ONLY) -------- It seems like everyone has a cause these days, and the galaxies of SpaceVenture are no exception. Occasionally you will receive messages from planets offering handsome rewards in return for quantities of certain goods. Copies of these messages will appear in your inbox for future reference. You may only accept one mission at a time, although if a better one comes along you may override your previous choice. HINTS AND TIPS ============== 1. If you've seen the name of a planet but can't find it anywhere, press F while in the NavCom and you'll be able to type the name in. If found, NavCom will automatically place the cursor over the planet. 2. Pilots will almost never accept a really low bid if there are four other pilots in the lounge. Try a more realistic offer. 3. If you've seen an interesting planet far away and are making your way there in short hops, keep an eye on your fuel level. It's often better to get in to the habit of spending a few credits on fuel at each stop, which probably means you'll have to do some minimal "safe" trading too. 4. The big profits are likely to be made from highly polarised trading: computers to agricultural planets, oil to post-tech planets, etc. SUPPORT ======= The SpaceVenture web site contains all the latest information and bug fixes. If you encounter any problems that cannot be answered by the web site, please send an email to svsupport@kirkboweassociates.com (registered users please supply your full name when emailing). FEATURES SLATED FOR FUTURE 1.x VERSIONS ======================================= Siena & S5 versions ** IR beaming interaction for two players ** Missions. The S5 version is likely by the end of April 1999. VERSION INFORMATION =================== Details of major changes and bug fixes to this version are given at the end of this document. Please ensure that you have the latest version of SpaceVenture! Either check the web site or email svsupport@kirkboweassociates.com for the latest version number. CREDITS & THANKS ================ Concept, development, design & programming: Kirk Bowe Many thanks of course to the many SpaceVenture players who have supported the development of the game with their constructive comments and suggestions. Please register your copy of SpaceVenture! ****************************************** SpaceVenture represents many hours of thought and design, and is regularly updated on the basis of your many requests. By registering SpaceVenture, you will get access to 10 galaxies, each with around 100 planets to trade on. You will also be able to upgrade your ship to ones which can carry more cargo and hold more fuel. On registration you will receive a unique code which you type in under Special/Enter Key. Registration also help fund further development, and incorporation of your many suggestions! You can register in two main ways: direct to the author or on-line with a credit or debit card: REGISTER DIRECT WITH THE AUTHOR: the cost is 12 GBP (twelve pounds sterling). You can send this by cheque (UK banks only), by UK Postal Order or by International Money Order. Make cheques etc. payable to Kirk Bowe and address to Kirk Bowe, 20 Watts Lane, Teddington, TW11 8HQ, United Kingdom. Please state YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS clearly and state whether you would like your registration code by email, fax or post. REGISTER ONLINE: you can pay by credit or debit card by going to this Internet address: http://www.reg.net/product.asp?ID=2710 . The cost in US dollars is $25 and this is inclusive of RegNet's handling charge. In both cases, orders are normally acted on within 24 hours of receipt in London. Registration codes requested by email or fax are normally sent out within those 24 hours; registrations requested by post are typically sent out by first class mail within 48 hours of receipt in London. IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE: SpaceVenture, its program code and graphic design is copyright (C)1998 by Kirk Bowe. All rights reserved. Unauthorised use is prohibited by applicable laws. DISCLAIMER: SpaceVenture is provided as-is without any warranty or guarantee of quality or fitness for any particular purpose. The author cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or damage caused as a result of installing or operating SpaceVenture. Bugs may, however, be reported to svsupport@kirkboweassociates.com, and every effort will be made to attend to them. As in all situations, you are strongly advised to make regular back-ups of all data stored on handheld devices before installing new software. CHANGES IN VERSION 1.2a ======================= Fixed a minor issue which meant that completing certain missions would cause the program to crash CHANGES IN VERSION 1.2 ====================== Fixed number of small bugs ** Police raids ** simple missions CHANGES IN VERSION 1.1b ======================= Added automatic upgrading of player game files ** Further work on getting the Siena screen right ** Fixed some currency display issues CHANGES IN VERSION 1.1a ======================= Added first version of the "inbox" concept ** Added 3 levels of difficulty concept ** Corrected issue with GalDrive CHANGES IN VERSION 1.1 ======================= This is the first version to work with the Siena's screen size. Some minor keyboard control issues resolved ** TradCom now updates properly when you repeatedly buy more of the same item on the same planet CHANGES IN VERSION 1.0f ======================= TradCom now visibly updates quantities available when buying and selling ** Fixed some inconsistencies in the Pilots' Lounge ** Loading a saved game fixed ** Some text tidied up ** General game stability increased CHANGES IN VERSION 1.0e ======================= Fixed bugs in NavCom/TradCom modules which meant that trading information would update with the destination's info without having to travel there Added handy status (GCU, cargo bay) info to the TradCom screen to avoid having to go back to the Status screen to refresh your memory! Fixed several other minor issues CREATE YOUR OWN SPACEVENTURE ADD-ONS WITH THE SVAPI! FREE!! =========================================================== As promised in earlier versions, v1.3 now allows you to create your own add-on routines in the OPL language. In order to do this you must be competent at writing in the Series 3/Siena OPL programming language. Please see Psion's web site for more information on programming with OPL. What will I be able to do? ========================== With the information supplied in the SVAPI documentation, you will be able to create your own routines which can look as though they are a seemless part of SpaceVenture. This is a brief summary of what you could do: ** Customize the items available to buy on planets (change their names, make them cheaper or more expensive) ** Customize the available craft (names, cargo sizes, etc.) ** Create your own launch routine (perhaps add an arcade-like aspect to the game!) ** Have your own menu item on the main menu In all, the possibilities are endless. And best of all, you're free to distribute your efforts to other SpaceVenture users! All registered users (please make sure you download v1.3!) will be able to take a copy of your file and add it to the SpaceVenture folder. You must abide by the distribution instructions which are supplied as part of the SVAPI. I'm hooked! What do I have to do to get the SVAPI?? ==================================================== It's free, so don't worry! The documentation isn't supplied with the standard distribution purely to save disc space. To obtain your copy, simply email svapi@kirkboweassociates.com. In reply you will receive the SVAPI Guide (plain text).