From: http://web.archive.org/web/20020623045129/http://mpogd.com/news/?ID=316
June 15, 2002
Starship Traders Open-Source Download Available
From the Katrina Kirelliis SST Console page :
Katrina Kirelliis SST Console
(*The Very Latest Developer Version and Chat can be found in the Yahoo Group: "starshiptraders".*)
Current Stable Version (Fully Tested):
Download Kirellii.zip by right clicking on the name and choosing the 'save as...' option.
Greetings Captains:
As you may already know, the Universe is a dangerous place and you need every edge you can get. As you may also know, I just love helping those in need.
The Starship Traders multiplayer strategy game has been under continual development and improvement. SST2 has a 3D interface and includes an graphical client program. This graphical client has advantages not found in the webmode (www.starshiptraders.com) or in the telnet mode. The latest "Quality-Approved" version of the console is compiled to run under Windows and can be found in the link below. (The very latest is loaded to the Yahoo "starshiptraders" group to be aged. Some of the features in the Yahoo group client version may at times be removed as being too revealing or powerful before being made available in the link below. In either case, the web and telnet modes are kept in complete synch with the game server features inherently. These newest features are always also available through keyboard input on the client.) In short, the SST2 console is considerably faster than its WWW predecessor and integrates a graphical display and point-and-click mouse controls with a complete keyboard interface. The Linux version of the console is even faster than the Windows version.
How it works:
The Windows 32 bit client works on Windows 95 98 ME NT 2000 and XP using the Cygwin Interface, Glut, and OpenGL libraries shipped with the Operating systems. Internet access is required to play. For the curious, the included sourcecode should prove insightful.
How to Play:
To participate in the game using the console you must download the Kirellii.zip file and run Setup.exe as described below. When you run Kirellii.exe, you should connect to the SST2 server automatically and you will be prompted to log in. If you want to see the webmode or telnet mode, go to www.starshiptraders.com and avoid the graphical diversion. As this is a strategy game primarily, you can play fully in client, web, or telnet mode equally.
Aside:
The client IMHO only assists you and provides insight. You can play in all three modes from any computer that has telnet, a browser, or the client installed. You can play using different versions of the client, although I wouldn't have 2 versions on the same machine as it may cause conflicts with itself. No matter the mode you can use the same Usercode and Password and can play up to 16 ships through 16 Usercodes (16 total) currently. There is a timelimit on the amount of play, but it is generous and recycles. In addition, fuel is saved from game session to game session up to a maximum usually set in the game settings. I usually play once a week on the weekend and only drop in to chat otherwise. To be fair, the game manual is included in the server and most easily accessed through web mode. However, the Kat Hints, Katrina Kirellii's Guide to Universal Domination (The Manifesto), and graphical console make things more intuitive and you can start right away. The one thing I would recommend is that you don't take your efforts too seriously as you will start in the newbie game. Other games become available through the communications menu later. Some veterans you will find - like me - will hang out with the newbies and play to recruit or have an edge. I usually only play in the newbie game as I enjoy molding new players and they are the most inspiring about new game enhancements from the client perspective. While you are a newbie and if you are using the console, fly around with the arrow and page up/page down keys (return to the starting view by hitting insert). Beware the Home and End keys as they relog you in and log you out respectively. If your machine is slow or you get too distracted by the graphics, you can toggle them on and off with the F4 thru F9 keys. The F10 thru F12 resize the screen. The F4 toggles the hints. Don't be afraid to experiment. If you do get in the mood to experiment a lot, you might want to save your work in your Word Processing, Email, or other Office Automation Applications. I find late night Entertainment / Dating Shows or Music on my favorite CD to be a comforting companion as I hunt down... Wait a sec - back to the task at hand.
Screenshot:
[Here is a screenshot of a sector with a starbase, a planet, a tradingpost, some sector debris, a few fighters, a wormhole, and, if you look closely, a couple of small starships in the lower left quadrant intermixed with the text. This screenshot is with the window at 640x480. For a less cluttered appearance you can click resize -- while playing -- to expand (or shrink) the window.] This screenshot was from an older version, to see the latest you will have to install the game.
Bugs and Issues:
This is a the graphical client available for Windows. It currently has no identified bugs even though some people can't seem to run it due most likely to obscure Windows features. Some Kirellii features have been added for my playing style and I have included Kat hints which can be turned off with the F4 key.
Other than that, the only issue(s) is(are):
The frame rate is slower than the Linux client due to the lack of a static compile. However, it's quite fast and playable -- still much faster than web mode. I get over 20 FPS on a Celeron 500.
Download
Download:Kirellii.zip by right clicking on the name link and choosing the 'save as...' option. The download is about 700K. Expanded, it still fits on a 1.4M floppy.
Setup Instructions:
When you unzip, run the Setup.exe in that directory and the setup process will install to the C:\Program Files\Kirellii directory. Allow it to overwrite older files in that directory (ONLY) to stay in synch with latest features. Inside that directory is a shortcut you can send to your Desktop or place on your taskbar.
Questions or Comments:
If you have any questions or comments, join the Yahoo Group, send me mail through the game (Send to: Katrina Kirellii) or talk to me on the radio. I just love the radio - even though it seems slow due to my poor quality radio operators. I have been working on this personally and they seem to get the message and have increased efficiency by over 62%. Some captains have reported 220% increases in speed and greater, but they must have newer equipment and better trained operators than yours truly. I plan on speeding up the message entry into the communications deck next as my written words are very important also.
Most importantly - have fun.
Good Hunting Captain!
Your Friend,
Katrina Kirellii
Admin: Edit Posted by: Charles Rector
No comments:
Post a Comment