STARWORLD
General
options
program
tooltips
sound
combat sounds
language
autosave
game
risky hyperspace
desasters
unstable mines
random homesystems
random homeplanets
limited view
random projects
random technology
automatic recruitement
AI-level
number of solar systems
duration
max. tech-level
credits in turn 1
main menu
game
end turn
message
events
discmenu
end
empire
galaxy
planets
war
alliance
statistics
overview
terraforming
fleet
build
send
task-forces
fleets 1
fleets 2
science
projects
features
market
purchase
sales 1
sales 2
pirates/theft
production
General
Starworld is a space-strategy-game based on the tradition of Masters of Orion. It is playable for 1 to 6 players. Each of them
starts in his/her homesystem. Starworld is strongly oriented on the strategy side of the game and the players will have to increase
their resource pool by building more mines on the planets. The game has also a market in it which is really based on supply and demand.
On the other hand, there is the tactical side of the game which perfectly matches with all hobby-scientists and -commanders. Here you'll have to
build space ships and recruit new soldiers to make sure is it you who rules the universe.
All information about own or strange planets or ships are showed as virtual information, which means that the real information
will be gained as soon as the player owns ships or planets in the planet system in question or if he/she swaps information with another player.
So don't be surprised if you visit a planet system that seems to be uninhabited and you actually find someone waiting for you ;-)
Starworld has nearly been optimized in user-friendlyness.
- By pressing the right mouse-key, one will get to the higher menu-level.
- When you're in the investigation-menu, a double-click automatically means the maximum quantity.
>
- ESC = Bosskey minimizes the Starworldwindow immediately.
- During a multiplayer-game, the players can do their input at the same time (not one after another)
Options
Here, the game can be adjusted.
Several Optionsdateien are delievered with this game and can be loaded into it :
"beginner.opt" : For beginners
This is the easiest off all possible adjustments.
All special options have been turned off - you can read on under
the headline 'main menu'.
"professional.opt" : This adjustment offers enough challenge and fun for
ambitious players.
"default.opt" : The configuration that was used the last time you played the game is saved here.
When you play the game for the first time ever, this means the "beginner.opt"
program
tooltips
Most of the buttons and icons have tooltips that are automatically showed if you leave the cursor on them for a while.
You can turn them on or off here.
sound
The game can be turned completely mute here.
combat sounds
The noisy combat sounds can be turned on and off here.
language
At the moment, english and german language is supported.
autosave
Here you can adjust whether and how often an autosave-game will be saved.
game
risky hyperspace
The task forces that are on their way to other planet system might be slowed down while they are in hyperspace (Debris)
desasters
On the planets, the number of inhabitants can be changed by pollution, floodings or earthquakes.
unstable mines
Mines can dry up or new mines can be discovered
random homesystems
Having this option inactivated, every player will have only one planet in their homesystem.
random homeplanets
Without this options, the homeplanets of all players will look the same.
Every player will have the resources to build their first ships.
limited view
(Fog of war)
Only the systems that are in reach of the best and fastest drive will be showed.
random projects
Having this option inactivated, all players will get the same projects for the same price.
random technology
Having this option inactivated, all players will get the next level of technology at the same turn.
Otherwise there is a certain bandwidth for the tech-jumps of every player.
automatic recruitment
As soon as a planet is fully inhabited (People = Sum of weather and size), the growth of the population will
be turned into armies automatically, as long as there is enough money.
AI-level
There are three levels for the AI-players.
number of solar systems
The galaxy can have 30 up to 100 solar systems.
duration
Here, the wanted duration of the game can be set in game rounds.
When reaching the adjusted round, the game is finsihed and the presentation ceremony starts.
max. tech-level
The tech-level can be limited.
credits in turn
Every player starts the first round with the max. mining on his homeplanet.
Here one can set how many credits one would like to have in addition.
Main Menu
Turn
The current turn is displayed here.
Starworld is played in turns.
The next turn will be calculated, when all Players have done their inputs.
Done
During games with more than one human player here will be displayed whether a player has
aready done his inputs or not.
This is pretty useful during networkgames.
Empty circle : Inputs still to be made
Full circle : Inputs done.
Power Indicator
The actual strengt of all players is displayed here.
The more power a player has the more disadvantages he has to suffer at random triggered events like debris, earthquakes an other stuff.
Credits
Die currently available credits are displayed here.
Turnover (Umsatz)
The turnover of the last round is displayed here
(needs advanced economics).
game
end turn
Starworld is a roundbased game.
It has an input-phase, which is ended by this button, an a calculation-phase, which follows automatically.
After the calculation, the input-phase of the next round begins.
message
Here, text messages can be sent from player to player
(only available in the multiplayer-mode).
Events
The events of the current turn can be replayed here.
Discmenu
Here you can load, save or delete a savegame.
End
After the end of the game, there is an honour to the winner and a replay, during which you can watch how the players increased
their empires, round by round.
empire
galaxy
A known system has its name displayed on the upper right side.
The color of the system's name tells you which player owns planets in this system.
In case that several players own planets in a system (mixed system), the system's name will be displayed in white color.
Grey systems are either unexplored or uninhabited.
The map is only 2D, but the distances between the systems are displayed correctly (system distances).
The ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) is calculated on the system distances and the speed of the spacedrive when you send your ships.
Space ships are displayed as small coloured dots near the planet system.
This information is only available if the players has got planets or ships in the system that is in question.
meaning : upper left : ships player 1
upper right : ships player 2
middle&left : ships player 3
middle&right: ships player 4
downer left : ships player 5
downer right: ships player 6
Fleets that have recently arrived are displayed blinking.
You can exit the map by clicking the right mouse-key.
This is the way a galaxy looks like in a later state of the game :
planets
To take a look at the planets of a solar system, simply click at it and a planet menu will open :
Every planet has its own coloumn.
The coloumns are built like this :
. Information : number of the planet
the empire the planet belongs to
. Conditions : energy (Is / Max)
weather(Is / Max)
size (Is / Max)
. Defense : number of armies
number of forts
. Ressources : . uninhabited planets (grey)
. possible production if you have the max. inhabitants
. inhabited planets (black)
. production of the mines every round
. inhabitants
. taxes in credits per round
Conditions
With the planetal conditions, the conditions that actually are are displayed at the left side, the conditions that should be are displayed
at the right side. If the number is small, the conditions are bad, bigger numbers mean better conditions (90 = maximum).
. Energy
This describes how much erergy can be generated on a planet.
Energy increases the taxes (credits) every round.
and also affects the quantity of ressources that is actually produced in the mines on an inhabited planet.
. Weather
The weather describes the atmospheric conditions.
It affects the growth of the population.
. Size
The size affects the output of the mines and the max.possible peoples on a planet.
Depending on the weather there are 5 different types of planets :
|
rock, not habitable, growth of people between -9 und - 4 per turn |
 |
desert, not habitable, growth of people between -4 und 0 per turn |
|
water, habitable, growth of people between 0 und 3 per turn |
|
earthlike (cold), habitable, growth of people between 3 und 6 per turn |
|
earthlike (warm), habitable, growth of people between 6 und 9 per turn |
The real growth of a planets people depends on the IS-Conditions.
Defense
Planets can only be gained from space by sending down invasion troups.
For defending the planet in such a case, there are infantery troups and forts on the ground.
Each fort has 5 armies.
These armies can't be taken up to space anymore.
Ressources
. mining
. on uninhabited planets, the max. number of mines (with full population) is displayed (in grey)
. on inhabited planets, the production per round is displayed (black)
. inhabitants (people)
The number of inhabitants affects the production in the mines quite stronge.
Only full inhabited planets (people=Sum of weather and size) are able to produce the max. ressources.
If you have more than max.possible people on a planet,either the birth-control becomes active or you have enough credits to make the settler soldiers
and put them in the armies.
As soon as there are just 5 or less people in a colony, it is given up.
. taxes (creadits)
The taxes from each planet will be paid to you roundly in credits, the intergalactic money.
These taxes are only some basic-income. If you want to make the real money, you'll have to
trade at the ressource-market.
Now how do I affect those things?
It's easy :
You can choose a planet by clicking on its button.
In the window that opens now, you can affect all conditions - as long as you have enough credits.
. improve conditions
Conditions can be only improved to the max. value of each planet.
If you want to give up a planet, just take as many people as possible into orbit (see fleet / send) and pull the conditions down to zero.
The colony will be lost in the next round.
Every increasing of the conditions costs you one credit.
As soon as the value is 80 or better, the planet is safe from catastrophes :
pollution : destroying : energy conditions
floodings : destroying : weather conditions
earthquakes : destroying : size conditions
Because after a catastrophe, a planet can be built up a little bit better than it was before the catastrophe,
the max. value of the planetal conditions increases a bit, too.
. improve up to the max. values of the conditions (terraforming)
On uninhabited planets, the max. values of the planetary conditions can be increasedby terraforming.
Terraforming means that the countryside and atmosphere of a planet are changed so they are as similar as possible to
earth. For changing them, the actual values are increased to max.
During the next round, the max. value has increased by 1-3 points.
Terraforming is quite expansive, so make sure the planet you are terraforming is either in a good, important position or has great ressources.
All terraforming-buttons increase the values only up to the safe value of > 80.
If you want better values (max. 90), you'll have to increase them one by one.
Exkurs : Homeplanets
The production of all your mines is available on all planets of your empire,
so you won't have to send them 'round the galaxy per space ship.
The ressources are sent from planet to planet using a teleporting system which is located on your homeplanet, so if you
loose it, all your credits and ressources are lost, too.
You get a new homeplanet automatically.
. raise armies
You need armies to defend your planets, to settle down on uninhabited planets you have discovered or to invade
planets of your enemies (see another point).
Every army costs you 10 credits and one point from the population.
. build forts
Each fort costs you 50 credits plus you'll need 5 armies onthe planet.
Shortkeys :
This button builds a fort with 5 armies on every one of your planets.
This button terraforms every uninhabited planet in a system.
Summary : How do I affect the parameters?
Waether ===> peoples growth
(from Weather 41 peoples grow on a planet)
Weather + ===> max. possible people on a planet
Size
Energy + ===> output of the mines
current + Credits
people
war
Space ships meeting in space will only fight if the empires they belong to are in war.
There are still some things that are similar to a declaration of war, such like attacking a planet which has forts.
The tables show the current situation of politics in the galaxy.
alliance
You can offer alliance to all players whom you haven't declared war to. But remember you can only have one ally.
An alliance actually is, when BOTH players offered it to each other.
Having an alliance means :
- The enemy of your ally will attack your ships, too.
- During a space fight, the allies will help each other.
- Space fights and invasions your ally is involved to will be displayed and showed to you.
These following affects of an alliance depend on your diplomacy level (see developments):
- The allies change statistic information so ech of them has topical information.
- The systems of your ally are displayed on the map of the galaxy.
- The planets of your ally are displayed on the map of the galaxy.
- The fleets of your ally are displayed on the map of the galaxy.
- Offers and prices of your ally are displayed at sales 1.
statistics
The following aspects are displayed in a summary :
. victory points of each player
. loss od each player
You can see how present the information is by looking at the number of the round that is displayed after the player's name.
Black : present information
Grey : old information
You get statistic information about other players from them - if you are allied with them - or by taking
one of their planets.
The player who's best at the moment (Gamewinner) has a laurel crown next to his/her name.
What you get victory points for :
Development : Every project and every new space ship-component gets you 5 victory points per turn.
Every skill earns you 2 victory points per turn.
Planets : Every planet earns you 2 points per round.
For every 20 credits you spent for terraforming, you get a victory point, too.
Ressources : Evaluation of the actual ressources in stock.
Fleet : Evaluation of the actual firepower of the fleet.
Info :
Some informations about a players empire.
Population statistics :
You can take a look at your population grow (and at the population of other players, if you have the information).
Statistic of victory points :
You can take a look at your victory points (and the points of other players, if you have enough information) here.
overview
An empires overview is provided here. Every system with planets of your own in it is listed here.
terraforming
You can terraform all your planets at once by clicking this button as long as you have enough credits (see excourse terraforming).
fleet
build
First pick a system on the map on which your ships shall be built.
Now the actual window for ship-building pops up.
You can have up to 5 classes of spaceships; they are to chose on the upper right.
These classes need four components :
. Drive
. Weapons
. Shields
. Shiptype
Every class is free to be defined. The ressources you need to run a ship are displayed on the right.
Ships must have some things, you can't have e.g. a class without a drive. Other components can be added more ressource- and availability-oriented.
In the middle, there are the buttons you have to use to build +1 or +10 new ships or to scrap -1 or -10 ships.
Scrapping a ship gets you 2/3 of the ressources, but no credits back.
The warvalue of the chosen class and the number of ships in this system are displayed.
Underneath, there are the buttons to define or delete classes.
To define a new class, do this :
. pick a free class
. pick the components you want the class to have
(but think of your ressources and the Kampfwert you'll get)
. if you are pleased, select 'Define class', choose a name and type it in.
Send
All troups and every movement of the ships are controlled using this window.
First you pick a system where you have ships to send.
Now the screen for sending ships, troops and colonists pops up.
To send your ships, you also have to set this things :
. the system of destination
. class and number of the ships you're about to send
To do this, you have to move the ships from orbit into a task force.
The estimated time of arrival (ETA) is displayed if the drives used in the task force ships are able to reach the destination
system.
The ETA of mixed fleets is calculated on the slowest drive with the shortest range.
. then click the liftoff-button
A leaving task forces always takes the troups from orbit with it.
To send a task force, you have to have a planet either in the source or the destination system.
All movements of troups or people are controlled here using the orbit.
To move troups or people, you need at least one space ship in the system.
All possible things you could want your troups from the orbit to do are :
. move them (Orbit -> Armies)
. recruit them (Armies -> Orbit)
(if there are no more armies, people are recruited)
(People -> Orbit)
. settle down on a planet (Orbit -> Colonists)
. increase the population of a planet (Orbit -> People)
. invade a planet (Orbit -> Attackers)
You can take troups from the chosen planets to the orbit here :
Task Forces
Fleets flying to another planet are called task forces.
The ETA, the ships and their classes and the troups sent with them will be displayed.
A + after the ETA shows the hyperspacedelay (Debris) that affects a task force right now.
Fleets 1
This is a summary that shows all fleets of all players in a chosen system.
The nice coloured blobs on the map tell you only that there are own or alien ships, but here you can see all details.
Own ships under construction are displayed in brackets.
Fleets 2
This is a summary about all ships of a player that are not travelling at the moment.
Own ships under construction are displayed in brackets.
science
Projects
You have to develop the components for your space ships.
Components that you already have developed are displayed in black.
Components that you are able to develop are displayed in grey.
You can only develop one component at once (the one that you are developing in the moment is displayed in your colour).
Clicking the traffic light-button means starting to develop the chosen component.
Click the ressource- and investiagtion-button to put your ressources into a project.
Cancel a project and all ressources you have put into it are gone for good.
It's always good to have good technological skills to build ships that are most efficient, but also not to expansive.
features
Mattertransmission
The ressources of a colony are transferred to your homeplanet.
Basic : 60 % of the ressources are delivered
Advanced : 80 % of the ressources are delivered
Expert : 100 % of the ressources are delivered
Every player starts with the Basic - Mattertransmission skill.
Industrial economics
Basic : You have a summary of all ressources. All planets earn double credits.
Advanced : details of your returns are available. All planets earn quadruple credits.
Expert : All planets earn sixfold credits.
Diplomacy
Basic : You can have alliances. The space fights of your ally are displayed (see alliances) and the allies swap informatioon.
Advanced : You see your ally's solar systems.
Expert : You see the fleets and planets of your ally.
In Sales 1 you can see his stocks and offers.
Pirates
Basic : You can hire pirates who try and steal ressources from other players.
Your own "get-the-pirates-off" value gets +10 %
Advanced : +20 % to the success chances of the pirates you hired and your pirate-defense-system.
Expert : +15 % to the success chances of the pirates you hired and your pirate-defense-system
plus the success chances are showed to you.
Market
If you need ressources you don't produces or if you don't have enough ressources, you can buy them at the market.
You earn the money you need for this buy selling some ressources you have left and you don't need (the planets won't help you that much in the
early game). Just click Market/Purchase.
So it is a quota market.
Every offer is made to just one player.
The market is also round-based. Remeber this :
You get everything you buy immediately in the current round.
Every offer you make is displayed to the other players in the next round, but this way you are able to change the offer till the end of the round.
The market is the place to fight economic battles. Take a look at the prices and offers and you can see which player needs which ressource.
Embargos or affecting prices by mass-offers (dumping) are the weapons to use here.
Purchase
Here you can see all offers made to you, either from the merchandising guild or from other players.
You get the ressources you buy here immediately, but the credits you have to pay are also immediately transferred to
the player you bought from.
Sales 1
Using sales 1, you can make offers to players. They can see the offers the next round.
You are able to change or cancel offers till the end of the round.
If you want to change an offer that is already active, the player you made the offer to is allowed to buy the old quantity
for the old price until the next round.
Sales 2
Using sales 2, you can make up to 6 offers at once (in case you'd like to sell every little piece of a ressource)
Pirates/theft
If you own the feature "Basic - Pirates", you can hire pirates who steal some ressources from the other players every round.
You can also see which ressources have been stolen and how many pirateships were destroyed.
Click the theft-button to see how successful other pirates were robbing you.
Production
To make the best decisions concerning your marketing strategy or scientific development, you have to know everything about your ressources.
This is where the following information about chosen ressources is displayed :
. current ressources
. Vorkommen der Rohstoffe
. capacity of the mines
This depends on the Industrial conditions on a planet. If
you have the value at 90, the capacity of the mines is what you are able to get.
. production per round
The number of people on a planet is the major affect for the production of ressources.
Have max. people (Sum of weather and size of a planet) to have a production that corresponds with the capacity of the mines.
. profit made from the mines
Your mattertransmission feature affects what you actually get from your mines. (see features)
. number of mines
Pick a ressource to toggle a map of the galaxy that shows you where it is found.