Lord Rocket
Erudite
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2008
- Messages
- 1,089
Update #1: FUCK
Update #2: First batch of characters
Update #3: 54 KINDS OF PERSONAL SCALE WEAPONS OH GOD IT'S HEAVAN
Update #4: Maiden Voyage
Update #4.5: Witty line here
Update #5: Still can't think of any amusing titles for the updates, sorry. This time around we fight some guys in spaceships
Update #5.5: Ia m dumb
Update #6.1: Codex Expeditionary Farce (Part One)
Update #6.2: Anything but Star Command
Update #6.3: The Return
Useful Resource: Full Equipment List @pastebin
OK pukeballs, this is Star Command. I know precisely two obscure games and this is one of them, so we're gonna play it. When I say we, I mean me. You're gonna watch.
As you can see it's an old game, with shitty graphics and to be honest it doesn't get much better than the title screen:
Scuse the tiny image size. If anyone knows how to make DOSBox take scaled screenshots then let me know. Without using scrot or some other external sshot taker, I mean. I could do that of course but ha ha fuck you if you think I'm going to edit images for your benefit.
Anyway we'll be playing the DOS version (the Amy version gets a nicer title screen and 1988 vintage 3d rendered graphics for the space stations) because I don't feel like installing E-UAE, kay? Good.
Here's a history lesson off the top of my head: SC is a game by either SSI or SSG. It's based on a boardgame by Avalon Hill called either Star Command or potentially Alpha Something? When I first played this game I scoured the net for information on it but fuck all turned up, and as you can see I've forgotten most of what I did learn.
Anyway, SC is fully sick and surprisingly elegant, given it's era. It has cool (2d) space combat and tactical personal scale combat, each with few but significant variables. We also get Traveller-esque character generation, fun quests, and even some exploration. I first played it in 2k8 and I was delighted with it, although I got stuck after sinking several hours into the game. We'll discuss that later though.
If you didn't skip those last couple paragraphs you're an idiot, though - we're here to play this beast not read the half-remembered ramblings of some bearded fuckwit. Slam the keyboard a couple times and this is what we get:
Press '2'.
Cool beans. As you can see I already generated a 'P' Character. This is the Pilot, named after my good self. More on that a little later.
Basically, in Star Command, you've got a small, triangular section of civilised space, which used to be part of an interstellar empire of humanity if I recall right, controlled by a bunch of guys who are called the space patrol or star command or something. Probably the latter. Right now we're on one of the three space stations that hold the borders of this one bastion of goodness - these, naturally, form our bases of operation.
Outside this area space is 'ruled' by the pirates, who are sort of a loose confederation of dickholes who raid the shit out of everything. The set up is similar to Star Viking by H Beam Piper if any of you have read that. Anyway, our party are agents of the galaxy's civilising influence crusading forth to bring light to the darkest corners of the Milky Way.
To do this, we have a 'P'ilot (pregenerated), a 'C'o-pilot, and a six man hit squad. A character looks like this (we can check up on them, and various other things, by using the Inspect command):
This is all vaguely self explanatory I think. Attributes, Skills, Modifiers, and Equipment screens.
Attributes and skills should be easy to decipher, with the following exceptions: Esper is the psionic attribute/skill, and Esper's gain various powers that duplicate skills/equipment. As you would expect, really. Scout/Recon is sort of like Outdoorsman in Fallout in that it lets you choose to avoid encounters (or not). Hand Weapons means swords and shit, not pistols (as I admit I orginally thought. As a WFRP veteran I should know better though) which fall under Light Weapons. Code Breaking is actually the communication skill - the Co-Pilot can use it in space or one of the hit squad can use it in personal combat. I don't know much about it other than that as I didn't sink a single point into when I first played. Astro Gunner is ship scale weapon usage and is actually more useful in the hands of the hit squad since they're the ones who do the shootin'.
There are a couple of other skills to be aware of. First is Officer School. This raises your rank, which in turn means more money, honey. This game's economy is unusual in that you can't make money while you're on a quest, but when you are, you're earning a sum per game month, per character, which you'll receive on completeion of your mish. You can also grind for cash but resource collecting and capturing enemy ships - if you're indulging in this sort of thing while on a mission then you'll be paid out on completion of your quest, by the way. The no-money while you're on a mission thing prevents you from tooling around too much as well as ammo etc. can put a real drain on your resources. Plus when you complete a mission you get to beef your characters a little.
Then there's survival school and special forces training. These raise attributes - STR and WILL, and SPD and ACC, respectively.
Now - here's what I want. Brave Codexers to fight the good fight against the pirates! We'll need seven volunteers to start with - including at least one Pilot for the Co-Pilot position.
Character generation goes like this:
Marine
Medical
Scouting/Recon
Survival School
Hand Weaponry
Light Arms
Heavy Arms
Officer's School
Special Forces
Pilot
Pilot
Astro Gunner
Code Breaking
Officer's School
Light Arms
Medical
Ship Repair
Soldier
Survival School
Medical
Hand Weaponry
Light Arms
Heavy Arms
Explosives
Officer's School
Special Forces
Chemical Weaponry
Esper
Astro Gunner
Hand Weaponry
Light Arms
Esper
Medical
I'll be outfitting the team myself because otherwise we'll be here forever, so we'll discuss equipment (including my previous SC attempt, and failure) when we're all charactered up.
My finger's hovering over that A key people, so step to it.
Update #2: First batch of characters
Update #3: 54 KINDS OF PERSONAL SCALE WEAPONS OH GOD IT'S HEAVAN
Update #4: Maiden Voyage
Update #4.5: Witty line here
Update #5: Still can't think of any amusing titles for the updates, sorry. This time around we fight some guys in spaceships
Update #5.5: Ia m dumb
Update #6.1: Codex Expeditionary Farce (Part One)
Update #6.2: Anything but Star Command
Update #6.3: The Return
Useful Resource: Full Equipment List @pastebin
OK pukeballs, this is Star Command. I know precisely two obscure games and this is one of them, so we're gonna play it. When I say we, I mean me. You're gonna watch.
As you can see it's an old game, with shitty graphics and to be honest it doesn't get much better than the title screen:
Scuse the tiny image size. If anyone knows how to make DOSBox take scaled screenshots then let me know. Without using scrot or some other external sshot taker, I mean. I could do that of course but ha ha fuck you if you think I'm going to edit images for your benefit.
Anyway we'll be playing the DOS version (the Amy version gets a nicer title screen and 1988 vintage 3d rendered graphics for the space stations) because I don't feel like installing E-UAE, kay? Good.
Here's a history lesson off the top of my head: SC is a game by either SSI or SSG. It's based on a boardgame by Avalon Hill called either Star Command or potentially Alpha Something? When I first played this game I scoured the net for information on it but fuck all turned up, and as you can see I've forgotten most of what I did learn.
Anyway, SC is fully sick and surprisingly elegant, given it's era. It has cool (2d) space combat and tactical personal scale combat, each with few but significant variables. We also get Traveller-esque character generation, fun quests, and even some exploration. I first played it in 2k8 and I was delighted with it, although I got stuck after sinking several hours into the game. We'll discuss that later though.
If you didn't skip those last couple paragraphs you're an idiot, though - we're here to play this beast not read the half-remembered ramblings of some bearded fuckwit. Slam the keyboard a couple times and this is what we get:
Press '2'.
Cool beans. As you can see I already generated a 'P' Character. This is the Pilot, named after my good self. More on that a little later.
Basically, in Star Command, you've got a small, triangular section of civilised space, which used to be part of an interstellar empire of humanity if I recall right, controlled by a bunch of guys who are called the space patrol or star command or something. Probably the latter. Right now we're on one of the three space stations that hold the borders of this one bastion of goodness - these, naturally, form our bases of operation.
Outside this area space is 'ruled' by the pirates, who are sort of a loose confederation of dickholes who raid the shit out of everything. The set up is similar to Star Viking by H Beam Piper if any of you have read that. Anyway, our party are agents of the galaxy's civilising influence crusading forth to bring light to the darkest corners of the Milky Way.
To do this, we have a 'P'ilot (pregenerated), a 'C'o-pilot, and a six man hit squad. A character looks like this (we can check up on them, and various other things, by using the Inspect command):
This is all vaguely self explanatory I think. Attributes, Skills, Modifiers, and Equipment screens.
Attributes and skills should be easy to decipher, with the following exceptions: Esper is the psionic attribute/skill, and Esper's gain various powers that duplicate skills/equipment. As you would expect, really. Scout/Recon is sort of like Outdoorsman in Fallout in that it lets you choose to avoid encounters (or not). Hand Weapons means swords and shit, not pistols (as I admit I orginally thought. As a WFRP veteran I should know better though) which fall under Light Weapons. Code Breaking is actually the communication skill - the Co-Pilot can use it in space or one of the hit squad can use it in personal combat. I don't know much about it other than that as I didn't sink a single point into when I first played. Astro Gunner is ship scale weapon usage and is actually more useful in the hands of the hit squad since they're the ones who do the shootin'.
There are a couple of other skills to be aware of. First is Officer School. This raises your rank, which in turn means more money, honey. This game's economy is unusual in that you can't make money while you're on a quest, but when you are, you're earning a sum per game month, per character, which you'll receive on completeion of your mish. You can also grind for cash but resource collecting and capturing enemy ships - if you're indulging in this sort of thing while on a mission then you'll be paid out on completion of your quest, by the way. The no-money while you're on a mission thing prevents you from tooling around too much as well as ammo etc. can put a real drain on your resources. Plus when you complete a mission you get to beef your characters a little.
Then there's survival school and special forces training. These raise attributes - STR and WILL, and SPD and ACC, respectively.
Now - here's what I want. Brave Codexers to fight the good fight against the pirates! We'll need seven volunteers to start with - including at least one Pilot for the Co-Pilot position.
Character generation goes like this:
- 1) Attributes. They're random, and for starting characters they generally hover around 40-60. If you want to play an Esper for some reason (I didn't use 'em at all when I first played, by the way) I think you need a ESP att of at least 50.
For volunteers, tell me which stats you want above 60 and I'll randomise until I get 'em for you.
2) Class. Pick one from the list below, under
3) Skills. Each class may advance these skills in chargen (as per the manual):
Marine
Medical
Scouting/Recon
Survival School
Hand Weaponry
Light Arms
Heavy Arms
Officer's School
Special Forces
Pilot
Pilot
Astro Gunner
Code Breaking
Officer's School
Light Arms
Medical
Ship Repair
Soldier
Survival School
Medical
Hand Weaponry
Light Arms
Heavy Arms
Explosives
Officer's School
Special Forces
Chemical Weaponry
Esper
Astro Gunner
Hand Weaponry
Light Arms
Esper
Medical
- You get 8 attempts to improve a skill, so pick 8 in the order you want to try and advance them (don't all pick Chemical Weaponry, by the way). There is a chance you won't get the skill you were after, by the way - common consolation skills in this case includes Light Weapons, Medical, and Desk Duty (ie. fuck all) although this seems to be class based.
The Co-Pilot and Pilot only really need Pilot and Code-Breaking, by the way, although in my case I took a level in Astro Gunner because why not, a couple in Officer Training and got Med twice by accident.
Two more things about skills: there seems to be a limit to starting skills, so if they get maxed out and you've picked that skill again I'll choose something for you instead (prolly Off. Training or one of the stat boosters). Secondly, a reminder that Astro Gunner and Code Breaking are useful for hit squad members too, so don't restrict yourself to Soldiers and Marines.
4) A name. There's an eight character limit. If your chosen name is 9 or more characters long, you're outta my squad, maggot!
I'll be outfitting the team myself because otherwise we'll be here forever, so we'll discuss equipment (including my previous SC attempt, and failure) when we're all charactered up.
My finger's hovering over that A key people, so step to it.