Guide notes for version 1.0f

Introduction

This information is slightly out of date for version 1.3. Please refer to your installation readme.txt file (included in your .zip file) for the latest information.
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.

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)
\APP\SVAPP\svovl1.opo (Additional support code)
\APP\SVAPP\*.pic (11 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).

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.

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.

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.

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 -- 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
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.

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).

Please register your copy of SpaceVenture!

SpaceVenture represents many hours of thought and design. 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.

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 £10 (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, 28 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 $20 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.