[A screen reader-friendly transcription of the folio edition manual and "feelie" of Starcross. To report a problem or provide feedback, email golmac@golmac.org.] The challenge was issued eons ago, from light years away, and only you can meet it. Starcross The first Interlogic science fiction mindbender. By Dave Lebling Science Fiction Expert level Documentation and "feelies" [The folio edition of Starcross is packaged in a white "flying saucer." It is white and circular. The view from above reveals lines that suggest machinery or pipes. One third of the top of the disk is covered by a shiny, futuristic substance. From the side, the contours of the saucer slope gently upward toward the center. This center is flat.] ------- [The bottom of the saucer is a flat, cardboard panel covered in text. It can be removed to access the contents of the package.] Average duration of voyage: 35-40 hours* Language: INTERLOGIC Machine Language* Vocabulary: Over 600 words* Understands complete sentences: Yes* Command options: Most in genre* Multiple SAVE feature: Yes Documentation/mission profile: STARCROSS manual and navigation chart included Cargo Space: STARCROSS saucer can be used to store all elements *Only the INTERLOGIC prose series achieves this level of sophistication. STARCROSS Starcross, Infocom's mindbending science fiction first, launches you headlong into the year 2186 and the depths of space. And not without good reason, for you are destined at that point in time to rendezvous with a gargantuan starship from the outer fringes of the galaxy. Upon docking with the strange craft, you must succeed in gaining entry to its mysterious interior. Once within, you will explore as startling, complex, and engaging a world as any in Infocom's universe, and come face to face with other-worldly beings, both helpful and harmful. But the great starship serves a far larger purpose than mere cultural exchange. It conveys a challenge that was issued eons ago, from light-years away--and only you can meet it. And once you've landed, your adventures have just begun. Whether you're ready to go underground to ZORK or up against the real-life thriller DEADLINE, Infocom has great new worlds awaiting you. The ZORK trilogy is designed to be experienced in the most realistic sense. And because the challenges change with every move you make, each time you re-enter ZORK you'll face new intrigues. ZORK 1: The Great Underground Empire confronts you with perils and predicaments ranging from the mystical to the macabre, as you strive to discover the 20 treasures of ZORK and escape with them and your life. ZORK 2: The Wizard of Frobozz takes you into new depths of the subterranean realm. There you'll meet the Wizard, who will attempt to confound your quest with his capricious powers. ZORK 3: The Dungeon Master is the final test of your wisdom and courage. Your odyssey culminates in an encounter with the Dungeon Master himself, and your destiny hangs in the balance. DEADLINE, the first great mystery of the computer age, initiates you into the genre of real-life adventure. When you take on DEADLINE. you're not just pitting yourself against a 12-hour time limit to solve one of the cleverest and most baffling cases in the annals of criminology. You're encountering a totally original concept in interactive adventure that literally puts the case in your hands. Working from an actual dossier on the crime and piecing together the myriad clues along the trail, you face a challenge so sophisticated that your suspects possess independent, flesh-and-blood personalities. And some of those personalities are so treacherous that, should you make the wrong move, one of them may do you in. Limited Warranty: Infocom, inc. provides a 90-day limited warranty for its products. For a complete warranty statement, please see the instruction manual enclosed in the package. Copyright: This software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Infocom, Inc. The distribution and sale of this product are intended for the use of the original purchase only and for use only on the computer system specified. Lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to read the program from its medium into the memory of a computer for the purpose of executing the program. Copying, duplicating, selling, or otherwise distributing this product is a violation of the law. INFOCOM Infocom, Inc. 55 Wheeler Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Copyright 1982 Infocom, Inc. ZORK, DEADLINE, STARCROSS, and INTERLOGIC are trademarks of Infocom, Inc. Manufactured and produced in U.S.A. ---------- [A large, fold-out map of space. It is a black background with occasional points of light depicting stars and clusters of stars. Superimposed on this background are six concentric, widening circles. These circles measure what the map calls "range." There are also lines emanating from the center like spokes on a wheel. These lines measure an angle beginning with zero degrees at the top. This value is designated "theta."] [A blue-white vertical band occupies the right edge of the map. It contains the map's legend and other information] M.C.S. Starcross *** Mass detector output: Time--2186:104:58923 Valid until--2186:104:59287 Legend: Arrow Up: Observer Filled in Square: Asteroid Square with X in center: Inhabited Asteroid Filled in Circle: Planet Asterisk: Ship Filled in triangle: Previously Uncharted Mass Diagonal Line: Vector of Motion Instructions for use: Note: Use direct computer connection {Part #469105}, or for stand-alone models, use oral instructions: Range is {value} Theta is {value} Phi is {value} {Approximate phi-coordinate is printed in parentheses below each object.} [At random intervals, objects are pinpointed on the map. In order to navigate to an unidentified mass location, the player must provide all three coordinate values to the computer. This is a copy protection challenge. The coordinates for every possible mass are listed below.] UM 24 Range: 100 Theta: 285 Phi: 087 UM 12 Range: 100 Theta: 345 Phi: 107 UM 91 Range: 50 Theta: 15 Phi: 121 UM 28 Range: 250 Theta: 45 Phi: 178 UM 31 Range: 150 Theta: 105 Phi: 067 UM 70 Range: 100 Theta: 135 Phi: 101 UM 52 Range: 175 THETA: 165 Phi: 035 UM 08 Range: 150 Theta: 210 Phi: 017 ----- Starcross Instruction Manual COVER [A black background underneath white, widely spaced gridlines. All letters are large and stylized. It is a style associated with science fiction and the future.] The challenge was issued eons ago, from light-years away. And only you can meet it: STARCROSS The first INTERLOGIC science fiction mindbender. ----- Inside Cover [Detailed copyright and warranty information omitted] ----- PAGE 1 STARCROSS All it takes is one final command. Then the surge of power, the thrust--and thousands of miles of empty space go racing into the background... Rocketing through the Asteroid Belt, you still get the thrill of first flight. But as you settle into your seat and look around, you feel that slight insinuation of total aloneness with its tinge of unease. The ship's computer has taken over the functions of navigation and routine maintenance. You watch as the sophisticated mass detector as it unceasingly scans your vicinity for uncharted mass. To assuage the tedium of your long trip, you consider browsing through the compact tape library--a compendium of the knowledge and culture of humanity. But the drone of the ship's systems gradually lulls you, and you close your eyes and relax into a deep sleep. The year is 2186. Humanity has established colonies on the Moon, Mars, and several of the larger asteroids. Earth's sky is dotted with space habitats, and the spaceways always hum and zoom with activity. But as always, there is the urgent need for energy to power this advanced civilization. Based on theories from the 1970's, it has been determined that quantum black holes can provide an inexhaustible source of power. These phenomena resulted from the Big Bang, and are extremely rare; there is approximately one 5mm-diameter hole found per year. Finding and harnessing a single black hole can make a man's fortune. It is a lonely business, fraught with the known and the unknown hazards of the space frontier. You've equipped your ship, the mining vessel STARCROSS, with the best equipment you could afford. You've got a good mass detector to spot the hole, and the right magnets to bring its charges under control and haul it back to a containment tank at the base on Ceres. You've put everything into this venture, and though you've tried before, you somehow sense that this time will be different. Suddenly the strident jangling of the alarm jolts you to attention. Your heart pounds as you stop the noise and see that the mass detector is registering a massive bulk in your vicinity. Pushing the button for the navigation print-out, you eagerly pinpoint the position of the mass. You hope that this is your long- anticipated chance of discovery, little realizing that your quest has taken an unexpected turn. ----- PAGE 2 Pre-Flight Loading STARCROSS To load STARCROSS, follow the instructions on your reference card. The copyright notice and the serial number will appear, followed by a description of the starting location of the game. Whenever you see the prompt (>), STARCROSS is waiting for you to type in your instructions. When you have finished typing in your instructions, press the RETURN key. STARCROSS will respond and the prompt (>) will reappear. Next to the prompt, try typing the following: >GET OUT OF THE BUNK and press the RETURN key. STARCROSS responds with this: YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN FEET AGAIN. Read the RULES AND STRATEGIES section for further directions and hints. Talking to STARCROSS When you play an INTERLOGIC game, you talk to it in plain English, typing in all your requests at the prompt (>). When you have finished typing a line, press the RETURN key and STARCROSS will digest your request. STARCROSS usually acts as though your sentence begins with, "I want to..." although you should not type those words explicitly. STARCROSS then displays a response that tells you whether what you want to do is possible in the current situation, and if it is, whether anything interesting happens as a result. All words you type are distinguished by their first six letters and all subsequent letters are ignored. STARCROSS "understands" many different types of sentences. Some examples: TAKE THE SPACESUIT. PUT ON THE SPACESUIT. TAKE OFF THE SPACESUIT. DROP SPACESUIT. WEAR SPACESUIT. GO STARBOARD. GO AFT. WALK CLOCKWISE. SB PUSH BUTTON. PUSH THE RED BUTTON. OPEN AIRLOCK DOOR LOOK AT THE SCREEN. LOOK UNDER THE TABLE. LOOK BEHIND THE PANEL. LOOK IN THE CAGE. READ THE PLAQUE. READ ALL THE PLAQUES. FIRE THE RAY GUN AT THE PLAQUE. ----- Page 3 You must separate multiple objects of a verb by the word AND or a comma. For example: TAKE ALL BUT THE ALIEN AND THE RAY GUN. PUT THE SPACESUIT AND THE RAY GUN IN THE DISINTEGRATOR. THROW THE ALIEN AND THE MONSTER IN THE CAGE. You can include several sentences in one input line if you separate them by the word THEN or a period at the end of an input line. For example: TAKE RAY GUN. AFT. DROP TAPE LIBRARY. TAKE RAY GUN THEN P THEN DROP TRANSLATOR. There are only two kinds of questions that STARCROSS understands: WHAT and WHERE. For example: WHERE IS THE CHIEF? WHAT IS A GRUE? You can tell or ask various characters to do something. For example: COMPUTER, LAND ON MARS. COMPUTER, SET COURSE FOR CERES. REPORT STATUS. ALIEN, GIVE ME THE ROD. TURN THE PAGE. STARCROSS tries to be clever about what you really mean when you don't give enough information. If you say that you want to do something, but you don't say what to do it with or to, STARCROSS will sometimes decide that there was only one possible object that you could have meant. When it does so, it will tell you, by displaying, for example, (WITH THE ROPE). If your sentence is ambiguous, STARCROSS will ask what you really meant. Most such questions (for example, WITH WHAT?) can be answered briefly (for example, ROPE). STARCROSS uses many more words than it "understands." STARCROSS's vocabulary consists of several hundred words which are nearly all you are likely to use when conversing with STARCROSS. However, responses may tend toward "purple prose" at times, and STARCROSS will display English descriptions that it couldn't possibly analyze. Indeed, the response may refer to something which you cannot refer (perhaps to your dismay). In that case, it is not essential to the story, and appears only to enhance your mental imagery. Completely mystifying sentences will cause STARCROSS to complain in one way or another. After making the complaint, STARCROSS will ignore the rest of the input line. Unusual events, such as being attacked, will also make STARCROSS ignore the rest of the sentences you typed, since the event may have changed your situation drastically. ----- Page 4 Rules and Strategies STARCROSS, Infocom's mindbending science fiction first, launches you into the year 2186 and the depths of space. And not without good reason, for you are destined at that point in time to rendezvous with a gargantuan ship from the outer fringes of the galaxy. Upon boarding this craft, you will explore as startling, complex, and engaging a world as any in Infocom's universe. In this story, time passes only in response to your input. You might imagine a giant clock that ticks once per move, and the story progresses only at each tick. Nothing happens in the story while you are thinking and planning your next move, so you can plan your moves slowly and carefully if you so choose. STARCROSS keeps track of your score as a rough measure of your progress in unraveling the mysteries of the alien probe, and in gaining mastery of the alien vessel itself. Commands for Exploring The best way to move from place to place is to type the direction in which you want to travel. Acceptable directions are FORE or F, AFT, PORT or P, STARBOARD or SB, Up or U, and DOWN or D. In appropriate circumstances, IN and OUT may also be used. When you enter a particular place (STARCROSS calls any kind of place a "room") for the first time, STARCROSS usually displays the name of the room, a description of it, and then descriptions of any interesting objects in the room with which you might want to interact. The VERBOSE command tells STARCROSS to show the descriptions of rooms and objects every time you go there, not just the first time. The BRIEF command tells STARCROSS to fully describe only newly encountered rooms and objects, as it did initially. For moving through areas you already know well, the SUPERBRIEF command tells STARCROSS to show only the name of the room (even on your first visit there), and not even to mention objects in the room. You can always get a description of the room you are in and the objects in it by typing LOOK (or the abbreviation L). ----- PAGE 5 Suggestions for More Successful STARCROSS Playing It is essential that you draw a map. Remember that there are 6 possible directions. In certain circumstances IN or OUT apply. Read everything carefully. There are clues in some of the descriptions, labels, and books, etc. Most objects in the game which can be taken are important for solving problems. Unlike other games with which you may be familiar, there are many possible routes to the successful completion of STARCROSS. There is no one "correct" order for solving problems. Some problems have more than one solution, or don't need to be solved at all. It is often helpful to play STARCROSS with another person. Different people find different problems easy, and can often complement each other. Don't be afraid to try something bold or strange--you can always save your state first if you want. trying the bizarre can be fun and often give you a clue. A nonsense example: >GIVE THE CATERPILLAR TO THE CHRISTMAS-TREE MONSTER. THE CHRISTMAS-TREE MONSTER IS REVOLTED AT THE THOUGHT OF ADORNING ITS BRANCHES WITH A CATERPILLAR. You have just learned that there is probably something which would be a decoration pleasing to the monster and possibly a solution to the problem. How to Quit If you want to stop playing, and never continue from this particular position again, type QUIT. STARCROSS will respond: YOUR SCORE WOULD BE score (TOTAL OF 400 POINTS) IN number MOVES. THIS SCORE GIVES YOU THE RANK OF rank. DO YOU WISH TO LEAVE THE GAME? (Y IS AFFIRMATIVE):> Type Y next to the prompt (>) and press the return key. If you never want to continue from this particular position again, but you want to keep playing, type RESTART after the prompt (>). STARCROSS responds by starting the game over from the beginning. If you want to continue playing from this particular position, but at a later time, follow the SAVING A GAME POSITION instructions. ----- PAGE 6 Saving a Game POSITION It will take you some time to play STARCROSS through to the end, just as it takes you some time to finish a good book. You will almost certainly not finish in one sitting. STARCROSS allows you to continue playing at a later time without having to start over from the beginning, just as you can place a bookmark in a book you are reading. There is a command, called save, that makes a "snapshot" of your position in the game. If you are a cautious or prudent player, you may want to save your position before you embark upon (or after you finish) any particularly tricky or dangerous part of the journey. Having taken a snapshot, you can go back to that position even though you may get lost or killed afterward When the prompt appears, type: SAVE, then press the RETURN key. Then follow the instructions on your reference card. Restoring a Saved Game Position When you want to continue playing from where you made a snapshot, follow the RESTORE procedure. You can RESTORE a saved snapshot at any time during play. When the prompt (>) appears, type: RESTORE and press the RETURN key. Then follow the instructions on your Reference Card. You may now continue playing from your restored position. You can type LOOK for a description of where you are. List of STARCROSS Commands To simplify your adventuring, you may order STARCROSS to give you information by typing specific commands. The commands can be used over and over again as needed, but they are each considered one complete move. Type your command in sentence form after the prompt (>) appears. The list of commands is: AGAIN STARCROSS will respond as if you had repeated your previous sentence. BRIEF This commands STARCROSS to fully describe only newly encountered rooms and objects. Rooms already visited and objects already seen will be described by printing the room name and the object names only. ----- PAGE 7 INVENTORY STARCROSS lists your possessions. You may abbreviate INVENTORY by typing I. LOOK STARCROSS describes your surroundings in detail. You may abbreviate LOOK by typing L. QUIT This gives you the option to quit playing. If you want to save your position, first read the instructions under SAVING A GAME POSITION. You may abbreviate QUIT by typing Q. RESTART This ends the game and starts the game over from the beginning. RESTORE Restores a game position on your storage diskette. See the section SAVING A GAME POSTITION. SCORE STARCROSS shows your current score with the number of moves you have made, and your rank. (Your rank is your rating as a professional STARCROSS player and is based on the number of points you have.) SCRIPT This command assumes you have a printer. It commands the printer to begin printing a transcript of your game session. SUPERBRIEF This command tells STARCROSS to show you only the name of the room you have entered, and no other information. It is briefer than BRIEF. UNSCRIPT This command stops your printer from printing. VERBOSE This command tells STARCROSS to show you a long description of the room and the objects in it whenever you enter a room. VERSION STARCROSS responds by showing you the release number and serial number of your copy of the game. WAIT This command causes time in the game to pass. Normally, between moves, no time is passing as far as STARCROSS is concerned--you could leave your computer, take a nap, and return to the game to find that nothing has changed. WAIT is used when you want to find out what will happen in the game if you do absolutely nothing while time passes. For example, if you encounter an alien being, you could wait and see what it will do. ----- PAGE 8 APPENDIX STARCROSS Responses STARCROSS may occasionally have a few words for you when it wants to clarify your instruction. Some Responses are: I DON'T KNOW THE WORD "your word." The word you typed is not in the game's vocabulary. I CAN'T USE THE WORD 'your word' HERE. STARCROSS knows the word you typed, but the word made no sense where you put it in the sentence: "Open the take," for example. YOU MUST SUPPLY A VERB! Unless you are answering a question, each sentence must have a verb (or command) in it somewhere. THERE IS A NOUN MISSING IN THAT SENTENCE. This usually indicates an incomplete sentence such as, Put the lamp in the," where STARCROSS expected another noun and couldn't find one. TOO MANY NOUN CLAUSES. An example is "Put the troll in the basket with the shovel." A valid STARCROSS sentence has, at most, one direct object and one indirect object. BEG PARDON? You did not type anything after the prompt (>) and before you pressed the RETURN key on your keyboard. IT'S TOO DARK TO SEE. In the story, there was no light to see objects in the room. I CAN'T SEE ANY 'object' HERE. In the story the object you referred to was not accessible to you. MULTIPLE OBJECTS CANNOT BE USED WITH 'your verb.' It is legal for you to use multiple objects (that is, nouns or noun phrases separated by "and" or a comma) only with certain verbs. Among the more useful of these verbs are "take," "drop," and "put." I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT SENTENCE. You typed a sentence that is gibberish: for example, "Give alien with ray gun." You might try rephrasing the sentence. ----- PAGE 9 Command Summary The following commands can be entered when the prompt (>) has appeared on screen. (For explanations, see LIST OF STARCROSS COMMANDS section). AGAIN BRIEF INVENTORY LOOK QUIT RESTART RESTORE SAVE SCORE SCRIPT SUPERBRIEF UNSCRIPT VERBOSE VERSION WAIT Sentence Syntax * A STARCROSS sentence must contain at least a verb or a command (e.g. AGAIN). * Separate multiple objects of the verb by the word AND or a comma (,). * Several sentences typed to STARCROSS at one time must be separated by a period (.) or by the word THEN. A period is not needed at the end of a line of input. * Only two kinds of questions may be asked: WHAT and WHERE. * For the shortest abbreviation of directions, use F (FORE), AFT, P, (PORT), SB (STARBOARD), U (UP), and D (DOWN). * The letter L may be used to abbreviate the LOOK command. * The letter I may be used to abbreviate the INVENTORY command. ----- BACK COVER [A plain, black field covered by a widely-spaced grid of white lines. No other words or markings appear on the back cover.]