textfiles/apple/DOCUMENTATION/lifestar

Finally!

The Complete Lifestar Documentation
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Written by The Warelord of The Nopg
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Complete Docs typed by Quick Zipper
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Starting the game:

After  loading the game, You choose a mission, and skill level. Missions
are: 

 Outpost 
 Escort
 Plague
 Invasion

Outpost is: 
To protect orbiting space stations. You can land on  them  by  Thrusting
very  slowly  towards  the  opening (White Triangle). When you are close
enough, their tractor beam will pull you into  the  base.  You  will  be
given  ore  (cargo)  to  return  to base planet. Outposts are constantly
under attack and it is your mission to defend them from being pillaged. 

Escort is: 
You have to escort the green envoy ship making sure it makes it  to  the
base  planet  at  the  top left corner of the quadrant map.  The ship is
attacked by various bandits who must destroy it. 

Invasion is: 
All planets are under attack by aliens with joined  forces  of  bandits.
This mission is very difficult to win. 

After  choosing  a  mission,  you will be Thrusting towards base planet.
Depending on what type of mission you choose, different display messages
will inform you of enemy activity. 

Ship commands: 

Pressing any key will call the ship's computer menu  to  appear  on  the
screen. 

[Commands]

Enable Missles/Lasers
Quadrant map      - Described in detail below
Raise/Lower shields
Hyperdrive        - To planet selected from quadrant map
Magnify/Demagnify - Is used to see greater distances from cockpit window
Scan to 10m/1km   - Shows your ships flight pattern or
                    returns to long range radar
Look left         - Enables view from left cockpit window
Look right        - Enables view from right cockpit window.
                    Ship shows up and damage boxes point to either
                    lasers, controlls, engines, and missles. If
                    dwindling number appears in a box, object damaged
                    and not functional until number reaches zero.
                    It also displays fuel in the form of lbs. and 
                    hull % left before destruction.

[Display Screen/Cockpit]

Upper left box is filled with missle count.

Lower left is speedometer.

Middle is radar.

Upper right: (S)hield Power
             (L)aser's ability to inflict damage.

Below Middle is a thin line which is fuel level. 

Lower right is the time clock.

Under every gauge is a small indicator light: 
         Green = Go
         Red = Damaged/Depleted

Joystick commands:

Button 0 - Thrust
Button 1 - Space Brakes
Both 0&1 - Fire Enabled weapon

Keyboard commands:

Ctrl-S   - Sound on/off
Ctrl-;   - Pause game

Ships:

Blue   - These weak vessels always attack you.
Purple - getting tougher, this bandit craft is a formitable foe.
Red    - Top notch alien Terraackian
         fighters that are mean in spirit, and deadly at heart.
Green  - These weak fighters are from the planets own defenses and
         they are your allies. They help in getting ships off your tail.


Objects in space:

Moons          - These annoying rocks in space will damage your
                 craft opon collision.
Planets        - You may only land on base planet (Big, half white
                 half orange planet on map).
Far planets    - These can never be reached.
Space stations - Green and white, 8 sided rotating object
                 which you defend.

Misc bullshit:

To land on home base, fly into it then you will see the pad. Fly towards
yourself  then  pull  down  to the right attempting to land on the pad's
white cross in the center. 

To win a mission, hyperdrive to a planet under attack, help it out,  try
to  land  on  the  station  and  get  10  tons of ore accumulated. After
sufficent ore is stored on your ship, return to base planet to land. 

Quadrant map: 

---------------------------------
!  !..!  !  !  !  !  ! 1!  !  !  !
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!  !..!  !  ! 2!  !  !  !  !  !  !
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!  !  !  !  !  !  !  !  !  !  !  !
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! 3!  !..!..!..!  ! 4!  !..! 5!  !
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!  !  !  !..!  !  !  !..!  ! 6!  !
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!  !BP!  !..!  !  !  !..!  !  ! 7!
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!  !  !  !..!  ! 8!  !  !  ! O!  !
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! 9!  !..!..!  !  !  !  !..!  !  !
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!  !  !  !  !..!  !  !  !..!..!  !
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!..!  !10!  !..!  !  !  !11!..!..!
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!..!..!  !  !  !12!  !  !  !  !..!
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Descriptions:

 ..        - Moons in sector and if attempting warp through
             these, you may encounter a hyperspace storm.
1          - Taurus. (Space station)
2          - Beta. (Space station)
3          - Gryphon. (Space station)
4          - Unknown planet (no ss)
5          - Unknown planet (no ss)
6          - Unknown planet (w/ ss)
7          - B-12. (Space station)
8          - Alpha. (Space station)
9          - Unknown planet (w/ ss)
10         - Quantum. (Space station)
11         - Epsilon. (Space station)
12         - Unknown (no ss)

BP         - Base planet
 O         - Outpost