Документ взят из кэша поисковой машины. Адрес оригинального документа : http://crydee.sai.msu.ru/ftproot/pub/rec/games/unsorted/faqs/spaceward.ho.faq Дата изменения: Thu Oct 13 01:00:00 1994 Дата индексирования: Mon Dec 24 11:01:47 2007 Кодировка: Поисковые слова: rigel

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& **..****..........**..**** H H O O F A A Q Q &
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& **..****..********..** The Spaceward Ho! FAQ File &
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& **........**......** by Ben Beecher &
& **........****..** and Brian Davies &
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"Spaceward Ho!" is a strategy game of awesome scope, casting you as the
leader of a spacefaring race. Your goal is to explore and colonize the
galaxy. Of course, you are not alone. As you discover new worlds to
colonize and terraform or mine, you'll find aliens bent on their own
galactic conquest opposing your expanding empire. Ally with them, or
fight them using ships built with your latest technological advances.
And if you use your resources (both limited and renewable) cleverly,
you'll conquer the galaxy.

- The Back Of The Box


CONTENTS

FAQ ADMINISTRATIA
GENERAL INFORMATION
NET GAMES & EMAIL GAMES
GAME SPECS
THE ART OF WAR (game strategy)
MISCELLANY (Easter eggs, star names)


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* FAQ ADMINISTRATIA *
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This FAQ file was last modified on September 26th, 1994

It is available by anonymous FTP from
host: ftp.cc.columbia.edu
file: /pub/beecher/spaceward-ho-faq

There will also be a hypertext version on the World Wide Web. This
FAQ is a joint effort by Ben Beecher and Brian Davies. Corrections
and suggestions should be sent to

Ben Beecher


******************************************************************************
* GENERAL INFORMATION *
******************************************************************************

Q: What is the current version of Spaceward Ho!?
A: The current version is 3.0.1

Q: When is the next version coming out?
A: Version 4.0 for Macintosh is scheduled for release in October 1994. An
IBM port is also in the works.

Q: What will be changed in the new version?
A: There will be two new ship types, dreadnaughts and tankers, new radical
technologies, faster networking, free-form messages, new graphics and
sounds, alliances where all information is shared and, of course, improved
computer intelligence.

Q: Can I get a demo of the game?
A: A demo version is available at sumex-aim.stanford.edu, in the
info-mac/game/com directory.

Q: How do I order Spaceward Ho!?
A: You can place orders directly with Delta Tao over the phone or via paper
mail. Here are their address and phone numbers:

Delta Tao Software, Inc. Toll-Free: (800) 827-9316
760 Harvard Avenue Reg. Phone: (408) 730-9336
Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Fax: (408) 730-9337

Q: Is anyone from Delta Tao on the net?
A: They can also be reached via e-mail at either "joedelta@aol.com" or
"deltavee@aol.com". The company also maintains a presence on the
comp.sys.mac.games newsgroup.

Q: Why should I buy software from Delta Tao?
A: The folks at Delta Tao are committed to providing quality software for the
Macintosh, they are friendly and honest, and they trust their customers.
They ship software before receiving payment. When a customer calls and
says he or she is registered, Delta Tao takes their word for it. Their
software is not copy protected. They use packaging that is environmentally
friendly.


******************************************************************************
* NET GAMES & EMAIL GAMES *
******************************************************************************

Q: How can my friends and I play over an Appletalk network?
A: One person is designated the game administrator. That person creates a new
galaxy and saves the file on their Mac with file sharing enabled. Or the
file can be saved on a file server. Be certain that all players have read
and write access to the game file.

Q: OK, then what?
A: Each of the other players should open the game file and take their first
turn. When all players have taken their first turn, the game administrator
will start the game. The results of each move are computed and the new
game file is saved automatically. After that, players take their turn and
then select "End Turn". When the last player has taken his or her turn the
results are computed and saved.

Q: Where can I find email Ho! players?
A: John Woodburn and Jim McQuillan
and others have been playing Ho! games by email.
John created a mail server to facilitate email play; it is used to announce
new games being formed, pass on strategy tips, and post the game results.
For more information, send a message to woodburn@indirect.com with the
subject "SPHO Info". Everyone is encouraged to join. Twelve games were
started, two of them have ended decisively and five are still going.

Q: How does Ho! by email work?
A: It's very similar to network Ho!, except the game file must be saved and
mailed to the next player after each turn. The game file moves to each
player in a round-robin fashion until there is a winner.


******************************************************************************
* GAME SPECS *
******************************************************************************

Q: What different radical technologies are there?
A: Mine additional metal from each of your planets.
You can terraform more efficiently.
You can mine more efficiently.
Raise the maximum population of your planets.
Strange weather formations allow you to explore distant planets.
Your generals are now smarter; you get lucky during combat more often.
A certain technology leaps several levels.
You get a new set of ships without paying any development costs.
You steal technology from another player.

Q: How does The Ho! determine the difficulty rating of a game?
A: On page 40, the manual lists computer intelligence, skill level, number of
allies, galaxy size and game duration as factors. The last of these does
not appear to be true. For a precise computation, look up the base
difficulty on the following chart, then add or subtract the modifications
listed below it.

Base difficulty: opponents: 1 2-3 4-8 9+
difficulty: 3 4 5 6

Computer Intelligence Galaxy Size Galaxy Shape
Dumb -3 Small +1 Circle 0
Average -1 Medium 0 Random 0
Smart 0 Large 0 Ring 0
Diabolical +2 Extra Large 0 Spiral -1
Humongous -1 Grid 0
Player Level Cluster -1
Novice -2 Galaxy Density
Beginner -1 Dense 0
Normal 0 Sparse -1
Advanced +1
Expert +2

The effects of alliances and armageddons have not yet been quantified.


Q: What happens when I win?
A: You can enter the name of a planet (up to seven characters) to be used in
future games. (The Ho! also remembers the names of all human players, and
any novel ship names you type in, and it will uses those names in future
games.)

Q: Why does it take longer to reach the higher tech levels?
A: Spending requirements increase exponentially, so it costs twice as much to
advance to the next level as it did to get to the current level.


******************************************************************************
* THE ART OF WAR *
******************************************************************************

Q: What's the best way to win?
A: A winning strategy involves balancing the goals of defending your planets,
exploring new planets and colonizing those which are hospitable,
eliminating the assets of your opponents, maintaining superior technology,
and ensuring your own flexible response capability by stockpiling metal
and adding to your ship savings.

Q: Is The Ho! a war game or a game of economics?
A: You can decide that for yourself. Your short term goal is to protect your
assets, while your long term goal is to increase your income.

%% Many strategic principles were first described by Sun Tzu in "The Art of
%% War" during the fourth century B.C. These principles are still used today
%% by military strategists and in other competitive arenas. Several relevant
%% quotes from his book have been included throughout this section, like this:

%% Your aim must be to take All-under-Heaven intact. Thus your troops are not
%% worn out and your gains will be complete. This is the art of offensive
%% strategy. When ten to the enemy's one, surround him. When five times his
%% strength, attack him. If double his strength, divide him. If equally
%% matched you may engage him. If weaker numerically, be capable of
%% withdrawing. And if in all respects unequal, be capable of eluding him,
%% for a small force is but booty for one more powerful.

Q: How do Sun Tsu's strategic principles apply to The Ho!?
A: Attack where the enemy is weakest. Avoid fighting heavy battles on two
fronts simultaneously. Deceive the enemy before your attack by feigning an
attack somewhere else first. Try to get the enemy to attack you where you
are strong, such as a well defended planet.

%% All warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when capable, feign
%% incapacity; when active, inactivity.

Q: What can I do to deceive the enemy?
A: Before launching your attack send a few ships to explore some other planets
that are some distance away. The enemy will respond by toughening the
defense of those planets.

%% MORE NIFTY QUOTES FROM SUN TZU

%% Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage on them; make trouble for
%% them, and keep them constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements, and
%% make them rush to any given point.

%% That the impact of your arms may be like a grindstone dashed against an
%% egg, use the science of weak points and strong.

%% He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what
%% establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that
%% is already defeated.

%% A wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy.

%% Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks;
%% numerical strength from compelling our adversary to make these preparations
%% against us.

Q: What's all this stuff about diminishing returns?
A: The best way to advance your technology, extract metal, and terraform
planets is to keep your spending nearly constant over a period of time.
Make your adjustments gradually. A small allocation that continues over a
long period has a much greater effect than the same money spent in a few
turns.

Q: How should I budget my spending on new technologies?
A: The weapons technology is most important, with speed and shields close
behind. Range tech should get some money, too, and if you have extra cash
spend it on radical tech. Be sure to spend plenty on weapons and shields,
even if you don't expect any battles soon. Mini tech is less important in
the beginning, but it becomes more important as the game goes on. Speed is
very important because the faster fleet shoots first in a battle, and that
can be the deciding factor.

Q: How does galaxy type affect the game strategy?
A: In circle, random, and spiral galaxies, the central portion is the most
desirable and hence the most bitterly fought region of the galaxy. If you
colonize any planets in the central region you must defend them strongly.
This is true to a lesser extent in the grid galaxy. The ring and cluster
galaxies have no central region, so you can only be threatened by one or
two enemies at a time. In those galaxies you don't need to expore very
many planets, just grit your teeth and prepare for a fierce battle with one
of your neighbors.

%% When he prepares everywhere he will be weak everywhere.

Q: What are ship savings for?
A: If you maintain a stockpile of metal and plenty of ship savings you will be
ready to respond to an attack. This gives you the flexibility to leave
some planets unprotected.

Q: Which phase of the game is most important?
A: Getting a strong start is very important. On your first move you want to
send scouts to some or all of your neighboring planets. If you're playing
at novice level you will start with plenty of metal, so you can send scouts
to all reachable planets. When you find a good planet, send your colony
ship immediately. Keep sending scouts while you are terraforming your
first colony, so you can find any nearby enemy planets.

Q: What are the advantages to playing aggressively?
A: If you locate an enemy's home planet before he or she finds your home
planet you have an advantage. You can press that advantage by sending a
fleet to destroy their home planet. That will only succeed if you commit a
large portion of your metal and money to the task, and you'll have to leave
your home planet lightly defended during this operation. If you are
willing to take some risk you can often get a jump on the enemy.

Also, bear in mind that the computer opponents are somewhat predictable.
They will send a single scout to investigate before sending their fighters
to attack. Human opponents are much less predictable, and they might send
a big fleet to check out the neighborhood. This strategy works quite well
if there are several planets close to your home planet. You can send a
colony ship to refuel your big fleet of fighters, then move on to the next
planet. Don't get too far from home, though. The key to this aggressive
strategy is to commit a lot of money and metal to the assault fleet. In
the beginning phase of the game you can wreak havoc with around 5 fighters
at 3/3.

Q: What if my home planet is off in a corner someplace?
A: If you start out with few close neighbors you can take more risks, because
you are probably some distance from your nearest enemy. The bad news is
that you don't have many planets to explore and colonize. Take advantage
of the relative safety by sending a colony ship to explore your closest
neighbor. Send scouts to the other neighbors, if any. This saves a lot of
time, metal, and money. This situation can occur in a sparse galaxy, or
sometimes in a dense galaxy. You can find yourself at the edge of the
galaxy in circle, random, and especially spiral galaxies.

Q: My assault fleet was crushed and my colony ship is following close behind.
What can I do? (suggestion courtesy of Donald Wong)
A: Create a meteor shower! While your ship is en route to a planet scrap the
ENTIRE ship type. On the next turn a meteor shower will occur at the
destination planet. Meteor showers will go through satellite defense.
When you scrap your ship type, no matter what your ship speed is, the
meteor storm will occur in the next turn. The down side is that your ship
type is gone, so new colony ships must be built at full development cost.

Q: Should I delay my counterattack?
A: The general consensus is that an immediate counterattack yields the best
results. The enemy's colony ship will arrive around the same time as your
counterattack, and the enemy's attack fleet will still be there, unless it
has enough fuel for a double hop.

DEFENSE

Q: What if I'd rather play defensively?
A: A defensive strategy works quite well, and should be used when your
neighbors are strongly defended. You will save money and metal by building
satellites instead of fighters.

Q: What other principles fit into a defensive strategy?
A: Strip mine all the planets you find, making it harder for the enemy to find
metal (the scorched earth tactic). Create satellite traps where you expect
an attack. Spend little on range tech, favoring weapons and shields.

Q: Where can I expect to be attacked?
A: When you destroy an opponent's colony you can expect a counterattack.
Also, if your opponent finds one of your colonies lightly defended, and is
rebuffed, you can expect a big attack there shortly.

SPYING

%% What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer,
%% and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men is foreknowledge.

Q: How can I find my opponent's home planet as quickly as possible?
A: When you encounter enemy scouts early in the game you know several things.
1) their speed is 2,
2) their range is 8,
3) they were launched from the home planet, and
4) they were probably launched on the first turn
Therefore, you can determine the distance from point of contact to the
enemy's home planet. Sometimes it only takes one or two contacts to
pinpoint the location of the enemy.

Q: What about later in the game?
A: After a planet has been explored and possibly strip-mined it is common
practice to leave a lone satellite or scout before abandoning the planet,
especially if it is near a large colony or the home planet. If you find a
planet with enemy ships abandoned on them, check out the weapon/shield
levels of those ships. Lower tech levels indicate earlier discovery, hence
the closer you are to the enemy's home world.


******************************************************************************
* MISCELLANY *
******************************************************************************

Q: Does The Ho! have any Easter eggs in it?
A: Try these...

If you abandon the planet Hope, you will see the message: "Dost thou truly
wish to abandon Hope? All is not yet lost!" If you abandon a planet named
Ship, you will see: "Abandon Ship? Abandon Ship! All hands abandon ship!
Women and children first!"

If you play The Ho! on Christmas Day, your home planet will have a white
beard and a Santa hat.

If you give your name as Falkien and your password as Joshua, you get:
>Greetings, Professor Falkien.
>Would you like to play a game of Galaxial Thermonuclear War?

There are two special ship graphics; a 10/10 ship looks like a shark, and
a x/x (13?) ship looks like a skeleton.

Q: What are the limits on the various statistics?
A: Each technology has a maximum of 50, although the ship graphics stop
changing well before that. Ship savings will go up to $1 billion.

Q: Where did all those planet names come from?
A: Here are the origins of a few:

Sol, Sirius, Rigel, Altair, Antares, Deneb = real stars
Regulus (?), Risha, Binar, Romula, Vulcan = Star Trek
Kessel, Sith, Yavin = Star Wars
Remulak = The home world of the Coneheads
Krypton = Birthplace of Superman
Klah = From the Myth Adventures books and the Pern books
Zaphod = From the character in The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy
Arrakis = The desert world in Frank Herbert's Dune
Foundat = From Asimov
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Pisces
= astrology
Calvin, Hobbes, Pooh, Tigger, Bambi, Dumbo, Tweety, Bugs = cartoons
Smaug, Gollum, Thorin = The Hobbit
Ender = From Ender's game by Orson Scott Card


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