Videosyncrasies
Anyone who has not been a Star Raider might not understand the
fascination that envelops one when playing the game -- many hours that go into
learning how to swerve away from incoming photon torpedoes, the frustration
of losing control of the ship while in hyperspace and then emerging in some
empty nether region of the galaxy while the Zylons surround and destroy your
last starbase. Atari's Star Raider is the first, and so far the best, of a
genre that I call "sit-in-'em" games.
Let me explain that, as a Star Raider, you are actually sitting in your
ship, seeing stars, Zylons, starbases, and the rest of a vast galaxy whiz by
as if you were looking out a window. Don't confuse Star Raider with the more
common "map" games like Space Invaders or Pac-Man, where you look down at a
map of yourself and your opponents. In Star Raider, you are the pilot of a
one-man ship with all the expected properties of a military vessel capable of
roving the galaxy: it has weapons, defenses, and communications equipment;
it has inertia; it can be damaged and, when it is, you are in trouble.
Although the map games have their place (as evidenced by the continuing
popularity of chess), this is the type of game that best employs the power of
the computer, because it uses the computer to give you capabilities that would
otherwise be impossible. It puts you somewhere you could not normally go. I
must admit that "sit-in-'em" games are now the only type I will stoop to
conquer. My jaded imagination can no longer be excited by watching my "blip"
shoot at the computer's "blip" on a screen -- too impersonal.
Star Raider is probably the single greatest contributor to the sale
of Atari's 400 and 800 series computers. People seem to buy the computer just
to get the game, and then find out that it can be useful in other ways too
(but Star Raider still gets top priority). If you're thinking about writing a
game for personal computers, Star Raider is the one to beat.
Here's a collection of notes and observations I have made after,
literally, several hundred hours of playing the game. These tricks and
considerations, as well as those Mr. Harris mentions, are the ones that I now
employ whenever I play Star Raider. If you are a beginner to the game, perhaps
you might want to consider waiting to read this -- a large part of the
enjoyment of the game is learning how to win.
Understanding the Zylons
* Never lose sight of the fact that the name of the game for the Zylons is
destruction of your starbases. To do this, they surround a starbase, cut off
its supplise, and kill it, then build two ships out of the wreckage.
* Once a starbase is surrounded, you have only a certain amount of time to
save it.
Planning
* Remember that while you are docked at a starbase, you can view the galactic
chart and set up for your next hyperspace jump. That way, when "transfer
complete" appears on your screen, you can immediately enter F (forward view)
and then H (hyperspace). Not only does this save time, but you get to watch
the repair ship flash by (and probably scare the dickens out of its crew).
* Zylon task forces vary in size, but the smallest ones always move toward
starbases the fastest; wipe them out first.
* Zylons jump into hyperspace on time units ending with .00 and .50, so check
the time when you're planning your next hyperjump -- if the clock is between
.40 and .49 or between .90 and .99, it's worth your while to wait and watch
time -- they will very likely move from under you if you don't.
* As long as your subspace radio is working, you will get a message whenever
a starbase is surrounded. Early in the game, when there are a lot of fast
Zylon squadrons around, it's best to go to the starbase's aid immediately.
* If you know you can't save a surrounded starbase, admit defeat and go and
blow it up yourself as soon as you can (see the next section on how to
hyperwarp directly to starbases). You'll be penalized, but not as much as if
the Zylons had done it; and this way, they don't get to use the wreckage to
build more ships.
Saving Energy
* If you want to, you can turn off shields, etc., to save energy during
hyperwarps.
* You can usually hyperwarp directly to a starbase by centering the indicator
on the attack-computer display as you enter the starbase's sector. This lets
you "coast" right up to the base.
* If you can't swerve in time, it's best to blast incoming enemy rounds;
photons cost you 10 mergs, but taking a hit costs 100 mergs (plus damage).
Battle Techniques
* Note that your fired torpedoes never go above the horizontal crosshair on
your screen, so it seems advisable to keep Zylon ships below the crosshair too.
* Any hits that you receive toward the center of your screen seem to do much
more damage than those on the periphery.
Damaged Equipment
* Use the sector scanner only as a backup device for the times that your
computer is out of commission. It takes too long to adjust your course by
using the sector scanner; rather, learn to rely on instruments and the
attack-computer display.
* When your ion engines are damaged, note that the velocity indicator flickers
between 0 and 12; if you then try to select a speed, the speed indicator
flickers between 0 and 6. If you're going after a zylon who damages your
engines, don't touch the speed controls.
* Your hyperwarp engines can be used within a sector if your ion engines are
damaged. Simply abort hyperwarp by selecting speed 0 when you get to where
you want to go (you'll lose the speed advantage described above, and it'll cost
100 mergs to abort the hyperwarp).
Videosyncrasies or Things That Happen but Shouldn't
* The animation slows for several seconds after an explosion; it may speed up
at an inopportune moment. The effect is that your ship responds slowly as you
try to line up on a Zylon, then, all of a sudden, his ship zips in and fires
very quickly.
* When looking through an aft view, always turn toward incoming enemy rounds
to avoid being hit.
* At the higher difficulty levels, some energy rounds may seem to go by, but
still score damage.
* The tracking computer is a handy tool; learn to use it, but watch out: if
you destroy a Zylon in front of you after he has fired, the tracking computer
will switch to aft view and the enemy round will score -- learn to swerve if
this happens.
Further Fun
* It seems to help your cause if you call the Zylons by name. Suggestions are:
Vermin Zyloons
Villains Zyklowns
Nasties Zylarks
Dastard Hey You!
* If you think you're getting good at it, try playing Sudden Death (Warrior
level with no shields).
Damn the photons! Full speed ahead! . . . CPF
Videosyncrasies