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FAQ
Many of these taken from the Space Trader for Palm site.
Gameplay
How do I get quests?
Sometimes on the System Information frame (the top-left frame in the main game
window) in the lower right-hand corner there is a button marked "Special". Click
this button to access special features, like quests. Note that most quests have
special requirements, and you only see the button if you meet these
requirements. Notably, most quests are not given to criminals (since they aren't
trustworthy). On the other hand, there are also a few quests which only
criminals can get.
How do I do damage to the Scarab?
This is explained in the game, but it seems some people miss this. The Scarab
can only be damaged by Pulse lasers. On Beginner, Easy and Normal level, this
will solve your problem. On Hard and Impossible level you may find that Pulse
lasers are a bit too weak to best the Scarab. However, the game offers you a
solution for that which I will leave for the player to discover.
How do I claim a moon?
Usually when I get this question, the person who asks has not discovered the
"Special" button. The moon is a quest. You get it just like the other quests.
The previous answer explains how. Incidentally, there are four systems in the
galaxy that sell a moon. You need to be worth at least 400,000 credits to get
the offer, though. The moon itself costs half-a-million credits. When you have
bought a moon, you have to travel to the Utopia system to claim it, by tapping
the Special button when docked there.
At which system can I buy a moon or sell
tribbles?
Sorry, I can't tell you. This is decided randomly at the start of the game.
However, four systems sell a moon (if your net worth is at least 400,000
credits) and three systems buy tribbles (if you have them on board). So if you
just coast from system to system you are bound to encounter one of them
eventually. Also, newspapers may give information on where to find a moon seller
or tribble buyer.
I can't find professor Berger. Where is he?
He should be on some Hi-Tech system, but it's determined randomly which system.
If you can't find him, you can surrender to the aliens and they will take the
artifact from you without harming you any further.
How do I get rid of those annoying
tribbles?
The tribbles are kind of a joke, added as a tribute to the original C64 version
of Elite (which is a tribute to Star Trek, of course). The best way to get rid
of them, is to find a place to sell them. Three solar systems in the galaxy
enable you to do that, and they can bring great profits. You can also get rid of
them by selling or destroying your ship, but that'll cost you. It's up to you to
think of a way to reduce those costs considerably. There is one more method of
removing tribbles, which ties in with one of the quests. You discover this
automatically if it applies to you.
I don't understand what the scoring percentage
means!
It's an indication of how well you played the game. It is tuned so that when you
win the game by claiming a moon in average time with an average amount of money
on Normal difficulty level, you score 100%. If you play on Beginner or Easy
level, you will probably never reach 100%. If you play on Hard or Impossible and
win the game, you will probably score a lot higher than 100%. I have had reports
of people scoring close to 300% on Impossible level.
I have a huge debt but I don't pay interest!
I am sorry to disappoint you, but you actually do pay interest. It's just
that the interest is not, like in similar games, added to your debt, but
automatically deducted from you cash balance as soon as you warp. Only if you
don't have enough cash is your debt increased. You can see this on the Status
Bar, where you can get a specification of the warp costs. I did this in order to
not let players run around gathering debts and then finishing the game without
ever paying them off again.
This game is too hard!
That's why there is a difficulty level which you can set from the New Commander
screen. "Beginner" level is definitely easy, indeed, it's too easy, and it's
only meant to get a feeling for the game without dying every few days. "Easy"
level is a bit challenging for new players, but after a game on this level
you'll probably want to switch to "Normal". "Normal" is the way the game was
originally implemented, before the difficulty levels were added. This level is
definitely playable: I for one have no problems playing this level to the end.
You have to find the right tactics, though. "Hard" level is indeed hard. I find
it very challenging. "Impossible" level is a lot harder than "Hard", and to be
honest, I have never tried playing it. I have had many reports of people winning
this level, though.
I can't seem to make any money!
The best way to make money is to use the special events which sometimes occur in
solar systems. For instance, when there is a drought people pay a lot for water,
when they lack workers they pay huge prices for machinery and robots, and when
it's very cold, they crave furs. The documentation gives the specifics on all the trade
goods in this respect.
I'm a crook/criminal/villain/psycho. How do I
get rid of that rating?
Being a villain or psycho can be tough. The police will send strong ships after
you. But you deserved it: you attacked police ships or innocent traders. And not
just one, a whole lot of them. Your police record will slowly revert back to
clean over time. However, if you are a psycho this can take something like three
game months (and a lot longer on Hard or Impossible level). So what can you do?
Apart from stopping attacking police ships and traders (every attack will hurt
your record), your best bet is to go hunt pirates. Every pirate you kill will
help your record. If you are lucky, you might encounter a hacker who is willing
to reset your record to clean for a price. And if all else fails, surrender to
the police and you will be punished, after which you can resume your life as an
honest trader. Psycho's don't have that last option, though.
Bugs
I noticed a bug. Should I send you a
snapshot?
I am interested in hearing about any bugs. If they are serious, I will fix them
fast. If they are minor, I might wait a bit, but I will fix them in time. About
reporting bugs: there is no need to send me a snapshot at first, I will ask for
it if I need it. Describe the bug to me. Send me the most recent saved-game
file. Maybe I have already solved it. And I tend to delete attachments on the
spot out of fear of viruses. You can, of course, make a snapshot as soon as you
notice a bug in case I ask for it later.
How do I take a snapshot and send it to
you?
Press your Print Screen button (PrtSc). This copies the image on your screen to
the clipboard. Paste this into your email program, or a word processing
document or graphics program.
It seems I can't finish a particular
quest!
I don't think this is a problem in the Windows version. Let me know if that
assumption is wrong.
General
Can I put your game on a CD-ROM that is delivered with
a book, magazine or piece of hardware or sold separately?
Thanks for asking. Space Trader is released under a GPL license. That means you
are free to distribute it in any way you like. However, if you make changes to
the source code and create a new game, you are obliged to also release it under
the same GPL license. That means the source code should be available to anyone
who desires it and it should allow them to change the game to their liking, and
distribute it. But there are no restrictions on publishing the game in any
manner you like. However, as a personal favor to me, I would very much
appreciate if you would send me a complimentary copy of the book, magazine or
CD-ROM on which the game is published. That's not a requirement, though, just
something I would like. You can get my address by emailing me.
When are you going to update the game?
[Pieter is] working on a sequel
game. Space Trader will probably not get major updates, except for bug
fixes.
Can I play Space Trader on a PC?
You can now!
How about a CE version of Space Trader?
I don't have a CE based PDA and don't intend to get one, so I won't be creating
a CE version. However, the source code of Space Trader will be released and
since it's in .NET, it should be fairly easy for someone to port it to CE.
Can I install the new version of Space Trader
over the old one without losing my current game?
Since the "previous version" in this case is the Palm version, this issue
doesn't apply. Since it may be asked when a new version of Space Trader for
Windows is released, though, I'm leaving it in.
What did you use to develop the game?
I wrote it in C#, and used Microsoft's Visual Studio.NET. You wouldn't need
Visual Studio (it's pretty expensive) as long as you have the .NET SDK (which I
think is available for free).
Can I take a look at the source code?
The source code of Space Trader will be made available on the download page. It
will be released under a GPL license, which protects my copyrights but allows
you to use the code for your own purposes, provided you also release your
program under the same conditions, that is, free and with source code
available.
Why don't you ask money for this game?
The conditions that allowed me to port the game to Windows and make it
available (the GPL) prohibit that. I reused a lot of the logic code, so I
wouldn't feel right charging for it.
Can I send you something as a thank-you for making
this game available?
Space Trader is freeware, and as such all contributions are entirely
voluntarily. However, if you wish to show your appreciation you can make a
donation with PayPal. If you played the Windows version after having played the
Palm version, you can give a donation to Pieter (details are on the SpaceTrader for Palm site).
I have thought of a nice feature you can implement in
the game.
Great. I love to hear it. I am not promising that I will add it, but I might if
I think the idea is good, it isn't too difficult to implement, and it is in the
spirit of the game.
Are there cheat codes for this game?
I'm surprised how often I get this question. While there are games where
cheating won't have to detract from the fun, I think Space Trader is a game
where it is is a way to get bored quickly. Think of it: I have added the moon
quest to end the game in a satisfying way around the point where you have the
best ship and the best weapons, simply because the game becomes boring at that
point. If you cheat and give yourself the best stuff, what's the point of
playing the game? But anyway, yes, there are cheats, which I built in for
testing purposes. Since the source code will be available, anyone can look up
what they are. And because that's the case, I can also reveal the cheat codes
here. In order not to spoil the fun for people who don't want to know what they
are, I have hidden the text. If you really want to cheat, go ahead and highlight
the following text (note that if you cheat you won't make your high score list):
You stinking cheat! Just kidding. I'm going to release cheet codes one at a
time instead of all at once. I'm planning to release one cheat code every week
or so, or when I get around to it. The release is now automatic! Every week a
new code will magically appear here.
NOTE: Cheat codes are entered into the Find dialog box.
December 8, 2003
- To enable the cheat system, you have to enter "Cheetah". This doesn't do anything except allow the other cheat commands to be entered. December 18, 2003
- This was a cheat in the Palm version. Type "Go " and the name of a system and instantly warp to that system, without any encounters along the way. December 25, 2003
- If you type "Monster.com" you'll get a list of planets that have quests available (the job listings) and a list of mercenaries available for hire (potential employee listings). ;) January 7, 2004
- If you type "Varmints" followed by a space and then an integer, your ship will now have that number of Tribbles. You can use this to either get Tribbles or rid your ship of them by setting the number to 0. January 20, 2004
- If you type "Events", you'll get a list of the Very Rare encounters you have not experienced. Typing "Events Reset" will reset the list to allow all the encounters again. January 20, 2004
- Okay, there was no code last week, so this week I'll add two. The second one is this: if you type "Rarity X" where X is a number between 0 and 1000, your chance of having a Very Rare encounter will be that number in 1000 (assuming a police, trader, pirate, etc. encounter has not already been determined for that "turn", you have rare encounters left to experience, and you've been trading for over 10 days). The default for this number is 5 (in 1000, or a 0.5 per cent chance). January 28, 2004
- If you type "IOU X" where X is a number >= 0, your debt will be changed to that number. This can get you out of debt by typing "IOU 0" or, if for some reason you want to get deaper into debt without getting any cash for it, you can use a larger number. February 9, 2004
- If you type "DeLorean X", where X is a number greater than or equal to 0, the time of your game will be set to that number of days. Note that this will not give you more time to complete the timed quests, as they each use their own counter. February 9, 2004
- I'll do two codes again this week, since I'm feeling generous. This weeks will be a good one, too. Most of the codes so far have been fairly minor, but this one is very powerful. And very dangerous. You could really mess up your game if you're not careful.
If you type "Status", you'll get a list of all quests and the numeric status value for each. A status of 0 indicates the quest has not been started (or was started but ended prematurely and cannot be done again). Anything greater than 0 indicates that the quest is in progress or completed (maybe successfully, maybe unsuccessfully). If you enter the name of the quest as the second parameter, you can then enter the value to set that quest's counter to as the third parameter. The quests' names and possible values are:
- Artifact - 0 = not started, 1 = Artifact on board, 2 = Artifact no longer on board (either delivered or lost)
- Dragonfly - 0 = not started, 1 = Go to Baratas, 2 = Go to Melina, 3 = Go to Regulas, 4 = Go to Zalkon, 5 = Dragonfly destroyed, 6 = Got Shield
- Experiment - 0 = not started, 1-11 = days from start; 12 = performed, 13 = cancelled
- Gemulon - 0 = not started, 1-7 = days from start, 8 = too late, 9 = in time, 10 = done
- Japori - 0 = not started, 1 = Go to Japori (with 10 bays of medicine cannisters), 2 = Assignment finished or canceled
- Jarek - 0 = not started, 1-11 = on board, 12 = delivered
- Moon - 0 = not bought, 1 = bought, 2 = claimed
- Reactor - 0 = not started, 1-20 = days of mission (bays of fuel left = 10 - (ReactorStatus / 2), 21 = delivered, 22 = Done
- Scarab - 0 = not started, 1 = not destroyed, 2 = destroyed - upgrade not performed, 3 = destroyed - hull upgrade performed
- SpaceMonster - 0 = not started, 1 = Space monster is in Acamar system, 2 = Space monster is destroyed, 3 = Claimed reward
- Wild - 0 = not started, 1-11 = on board, 12 = delivered
One more thing to note is that some quests have multiple parts. For instance, setting the Jarek quest to 5 when it is currently 0 will not put Jarek on your ship (another cheat code not yet released would do that). Experiment with the codes to see what works on its own and what doesn't.
For example, type "Status" to get the list of current counters, or "Status Experiment 1" to change the status counter of the Experiment quest to 1.
March 8, 2004
- If you type "Bazaar X", where X is a number between 0 and 1000, your chance of having a Trade in Orbit encounter will be that number in 1000. The default for this number is 100 (in 1000, or a 10 per cent chance). March 8, 2004
- If you type "Cover X Y", where X >= 0 and < the number of Shield Slots on your ship and Y is a number between 0 and 2 (0 = Energy Shield, 1 = Reflective Shield, 2 = Lightning Shield), Shield Slot X will be set to contain Shield Y. March 8, 2004
- If you type "Diamond", your hull will now have the upgrade you normally after defeating the Scarab. If your hull is already upgraded, typing "Diamond" removes the upgrade (it's a toggle). March 8, 2004
- If you type "Energize", the Portable Singularity will be added to your ship (or removed if you already possess it). March 15, 2004
- If you type "Fame X" where X is a number >= 0, your reputation score will be set to that number. March 22, 2004
- If you type "Ice X Y" where X is "Pirate", "Police", or "Trader" and Y is a number >= 0, your kills counter for type X will be set to Y. March 29, 2004
- If you type "Indemnity X" where X is a number >= 0, your No Claim will be set to X. April 5, 2004
- If you type "Juice X" where X is a number >= 0 and <= the number of fuel tanks in your ship, your fuel level will be set to X. April 12, 2004
- If you type "L'Engle X" where X is >= 0 and <= 25, the probability of a rip in the space-time fabric (related to failing the Experiment quest) is set to X / 100. April 19, 2004
- If you type "LifeBoat" your ship will either receive an escape pod if it does not already have one, or lose its escape pod if it does. April 26, 2004
- If you type "Iron X Y" where X >= 0 and < the number of Weapon Slots on your ship, and Y is between 0 and 3, Weapon Y (0 = Pulse Laser, 1 = Beam Laser, 2 = Military Laswer, 3 = Morgan's Laser) will be stored in Weapon Slot X. May 3, 2004
- If you type "PlanB" the autosave feature (saving a file automatically every time you Warp) will be turned On. It cannot be turned off. May 10, 2004
- If you type "Knack X Y" where X >= 0 and <= 30 and Y is a comma-separated list of four numbers, all of which are between 0 and 10, the skills of Crew Member X will be set to Y. The Commander (current user) is Crew Member 0. The skills are in the order Pilot, Fighter, Trader, Engineer. May 17, 2004
- If you type "RapSheet X" your Police Record score will be set to X. May 24, 2004
- If you type "Skin X" where X >= 0 and <= your ship's max Hull Strength, the current Hull Strength will be set to X. May 31, 2004
- If you type "Yellow" "easy encounters" will be turned on. It cannot be turned off. Easy encounters enables the X button in the upper right corner of the encounter window, letting you skip an encounter if you want to. June 7, 2004
- If you type "Tool X Y" where X >= 0 and < the number of Gadget Slots on your ship, and Y is between 0 and 5, Gadget Y (0 = Extra Cargo Bays, 1 = Auto-Repair System, 2 = Navigating System, 3 = Targeting System, 4 = Cloaking Device, 5 = Fuel Compactor) will be stored in Gadget Slot X. June 14, 2004
- If you type "Posse X Y" where X is > 0 and < the number of Crew Quarters on your ship and Y is > 0 and <= 30, Crew Quarter X will be set to contain Crew Member Y. June 21, 2004
- If you type "Swag X Y" where X >= 0 and < 10 and Y is >= 0 and <= your free cargo bays (minus the number of units already in your cargo bays of type X), your ship's cargo will now contain Y units of Trade Item X (0 = Water, 1 = Furs, ... 9 = Robots). June 28, 2004
- If you type "Scratch X" where X >= 0, your Cash will be set to X.
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