From: grasso@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (GRASSO CHRISTOPHER A)
Subject: Re: Star Raiders
Summary: Playing tips, sound amp 
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 19:08:47 GMT

Wild Wookie writes:

>Yes!  the Atari 800 was my first computer AT HOME.  Star Raiders was great!
>Have you ever played it on a big screen?

Not a projection screen, but I have played it on a 26" NEC, and piped the
sound through a stereo amp. *Nothing* rumbles like Starcruiser 7 pulling
down warp 8 in pursuit  of a fleeing Zylon.

Did you play by yourself, or did you have a copilot?

Tips for anyone still playing this game:

1) Joystick flip

At the high level Commander games, warping into a sector will often result
in passing the Zylons by. If you do this, immediately switch to aft view and
*rotate the joystick in your hand 180 degrees*. This places the firing button
in the lower right corner, instead of the upper left. However, it compensates
for the reversed controls in aft view, so that pushing left on your flipped
joystick results in rotating left in aft view.

2) Turn the attack computer off and leave it off, except to update targeting
   info and for hyperspace jumps

The computer is more of a distraction than anything, and uses up precious 
energy (albeit only a little). Besides, the crosshairs are off subtly: single
photon bolts will shoot below the intersection point of the crosshairs.
I have found that my aim is better without it. Watch the theta and phi offsets
for the relative location of the incoming ships, and use M (manual target
select) to switch between targets. You can tell when one of them starts a
run, as the range will decrease dramatically and theta ad phi will approach 0.

3) Use rewarp

If the engines are destroyed and the Zylons are hovering well out of range,
switch to long range scan and lock onto them directly forward of your 
position. Engage the hyperdrive, then abort the jump when you get close to the
squadron. It's expensive (200 energy units), but can save critical time.

If the Zylons are fleeing, do not pursue them using the hyperdrive! Instead,
warp back into the same sector. You may pop out of hyperspace next to them.
Also, the computer (unfortunately) randomly determines the type of ships in
the sector whenever you warp in, so they may be changed from those chicken
command ships that run away to fighters or base stars. Note that rewarping
does not require you to access the galactic map, as the jump cursor will be 
resting on your current sector. Simply engage the hyperdrive and hold the
crosshairs steady on the warp cursor. Further note: if you have aborted a 
hyperdrive jump, you must go to the galactic map and reorient your jump cursor
to lay back in the same sector!

4) Accumulate damage until you really cannot go on

Blown engines? Use rewarp. Computer down? You don't really need it anyway.
Long range scan out? Use the computer. (If one is destroyed, the other will
never be destroyed, only damaged.)  Subspace radio destroyed? Estimate how
long it will be until a starbase might be surrounded, and go after slow-moving
groups of 3 or 4 Zylons. Shields damaged or destroyed? WARP OUT IMMEDIATELY!
If you can, steer the ship so that it is offset from the jump cursor
sufficiently that you  might warp into a sector with a starbase. Go in for
repairs at a starbase only when you are in desperate straits, or when too
much time has gone by since the galactic map was last updated via subspace
radio.

5) Empty sectors often leave asteroids in your path

When you hyperwarp into an empty sector, remain alert for asteroids which can
smash into your ship during deceleration. This can be embarassing if the
shields are up, or fatal if the shields are down (especially if you just warped
out of a battle because your shields were destroyed.)

6) The same equipment tends to break

I've (unscientifically) noticed that when shields are damaged or destroyed
once, the chances of them failing again seems to be higher.

7) Don't take direct hits on your shields

You will damage equipment. Besides, it takes 100 energy units to deflect an
enemy photon bolt, vs. 10 energy units to launch your own bolt to destroy
the incoming fire.

8) You can "steer" photon bolts after they have been launched

This is particularly useful at long range. You can nudge the trajectory a
little so that it will impact its target. Whether this is a bug or a feature
is unknown.

9) Perform all combat "dead-stick"

Leaving the engines on uses energy. Most of the time, the Zylons will close
in on your position. Only use engines for pursuit. Besides, if you are used
to fighting this way and your engines are destroyed, you won't be crippled.


Have fun!

	-Chris




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