LCARS Tactical Simulator Instructions



Welcome to the LCARS Tactical Simulator, Cadet!

Your mission is to destroy all enemy ships in the current area of the galaxy in the given amount of time. The structure of this game is based on the classic text based adventure game "Star Trek" and "Super Star Trek" that originally ran on old mainframe computers. That game has been re-written in over a dozen different programming languages, each introducing new elements to the game, but very few every had an interface to interact with.

The LCARS Tactical Simulator re-imagines this classic game for Windows 8/Windows Phone and the LCARS Interface with touch support. This simulator has been written from scratch, and adds an entirely new experience by letting you get your hands on the controls instead of having to type everything manually with the keyboard. If you have played the old text based game, or some variation of it, you will know how to play this game already and will discover some key differences. If you have not, read on and learn how to play!

Navigation:
The game area of the LCARS Tactical Simulator is made up of an 8x8 grid of Planetary Systems. Within each Planetary System is another 8x8 grid of Sectors. Sectors can contain objects such as enemy ships, stars, or starbases. The layout of a Planetary System is determined when your ship enters it, so an enemy ship may not reside in the same Sector location if you leave and return. Enemy ships and starbases can not move between Planetary Systems, only to different Sectors within the same one.

To move between Planetary Systems, you will use a system of headings and speed. The heading can be set using the directional pad, with the Up/Down controls moving a full number unit and Left/Right moving in 1/10 of a number for fine tuning.  For speed, one war factor will move you one Planetary System in the direction you are pointed. To move within the same Planetary System, you will be using sub-warp speeds, or fractions of a warp speed. A warp speed of .015 should move you about 1 Sector. If you set a course and engage, but your ship does not move, double check that no objects are in your path and that you are not on the edge of the galaxy (at a X or Y value of 8 for Planetary System coordinates).

Navigation Calculators:
To make getting started with this system a little easier, I have added autopilot functions that did not exist in the original game. You can enter Planetary System coordinates into the Navigation Calculator under the "Computer" controls and it will calculate the Heading and Speed that you need, and the autopilot can then enter them for you to get there. The starbase calculator is similar, but it calculates the course you need to reach the starbase located in the current Planetary System (if there is one).

Keep in mind that the computer can be damaged sometimes and you will have to navigate manually! The calculators also do not account for moving around objects that may exist in your path, in which case you will be notified while traveling that an object is in the way. Starbases, enemy ships, and stars can not be passed through inside a Planetary System, but once you leave a system at warp speed, objects will not stop you until you reach your new destination.

Starbases:
Starbases serve several functions. They will re-fill your energy to the maximum value, restock your torpedoes, repair your systems, and also serve as protection from enemy ships. Enemy ships can not hurt you while you are docked. To dock at a starbase, simply plot a course which puts you in an adjacent Sector to it on any side. You will also dock if your course tries to go through the starbase and you run into it. Starbases can be destroyed if you fire a torpedo that hits it, so fire carefully! Starbases do not come back if they get destroyed. Enemy ships do not hurt the starbases, so leaving a Planetary System when enemy ships are near a base does not matter. They can protect themselves until you return.

Sensors:
Sensors are how you will know what is going on at any time. Short Range sensors will show you the locations of you, enemy ships, stars, and starbases within your current Planetary System. Short Range scans are done automatically when you first enter a Planetary System. You will want to look at Short Range sensors often while navigating around inside a Planetary System, as it will help you get used to the Navigation and Torpedo directions to see how things move in a visual way.

Long Range sensors tell you what is happening in Planetary Systems adjacent to your current one in every direction.  They will tell you how many enemies and stars are in the Planetary System, as well as whether or not you have a starbase there. You will want to do a Long Range scan at least once in each Planetary System that you visit, as this data helps populate the Star Map which can be accessed from the Computer controls.

Shields:
Shields are what will keep your ship from being destroyed by enemy ships. Each time you are fired at, your shields will lose some strength. If you are hit and your shields are at 0, your ship will be destroyed! Note that your shields will return to 0 when docking at a starbase, so remember to raise them again after departing!

Weapons:
Weapons are how you will destroy enemy ships and complete your mission. Let's see what types we have:

Phasers use Energy to fire, and require no targeting. You just need to lock on and hit fire after setting an amount of energy to use. Phasers require more energy to do damage if you are far away from the target, but they can fire through objects. Watch your energy levels, as if there are multiple targets, the amount of energy you select will be used on each one!

Torpedoes do not use Energy to fire, but are limited in quantity. They also cannot pass through objects such as stars, and will destroy your own starbases if you hit them! One torpedo will destroy an enemy with a successful hit. The targeting for the torpedo is done with the same directional system as Navigation, but does not require a distance. The torpedo will travel until it hits something or reaches the edge of the current Planetary System. You can use the computer (select Lock on the controls) to target for you if it is not damaged, but as with the Navigation Calculator, it isn't perfect because it will not account for objects. Torpedoes can only travel straight, so you will need a clear shot. If you do not have a clear shot, you can move your ship or use the Phasers. Keep in mind that moving around while enemies are present will cause them to fire at you!

Energy and Torpedoes can be refilled by docking at a starbase!

Computer:
The computer can be used to display information about your system, such as how much damage your current systems have. The computer also contains the Star Chart, which shows you information similar to what the Long Range sensors show, but only shows information for Planetary Systems which you have scanned. This is why you should Long Range scan when you travel to new areas. The information about each Planetary System does stay up to date without scanning, though. You do not need to repeat scans after destroying enemy ships, for example. The number that the Star Chart shows will always be accurate.

Already covered above, the Navigation and Starbase calculators will help you get started with moving your ship around the galaxy. Make use of these systems while you can, but don't rely on them forever because they can be damaged! After a little bit of trial and error the directional system will start to make more sense.


If you have any questions, or encounter any issues while working with this simulator, please contact me and I will assist you!

Have fun!

No comments: