Star Saga

Star Saga! Huzzah!

Characters and Goals

• Valentine Stewart (inky, red token): Stylish playboy with a ship and in some kind of trouble, looking for three cargo units of Super Slip
• Corin Stoneseeker (Ghogg, blue token): Seeking a stone
  • Can build Universal Translator with one each of Synthetic Genius, Computer, Culture, and Tools
• Jean G. Clerc (Jota, green token): Engineer looking for cool alien ship-upgrade technologies (specifically a tractor beam (got it!), photon torpedoes (got 'em!), and a ship shield generator (got it!))
  • can build a Technology Nullifier with one each of Particle Catalyst, Synthetic Genius, Fuel, Tools, Iron, Medicine
  • can build a ship shield generator with one of each phase steel, warp core, munitions, fluids, radioactives, fiber
  • is now trying to learn to build a drone-like jump drive that can be used by living people
• Laran Darkwatch (Matthew, purple token): In search of religious fulfillment and the final Sacred Text File (no, I'm serious)
• Professor Lee Dambroke (vimes, black token), xenobiologist seeking proof of alien life in the form of wacky abilities
  • can build a ship shield generator with one of each phase steel, warp core, munitions, fluids, radioactives, fiber
  • can build a tri-phase drive booster with one of each warp core, gradient filter, iron, crystals, fuel, flame jewel
• MJ Turner (josh_g, yellow token): ace pilot and all-around hotshot, sekritly hunting an infamous space pirate

Planets and Marketplaces

• Types of Commodity: Computers, Crystals, Culture, Fiber, Fluids, Food, Fuel, Iron, Medicine, Munitions, Radioactives, Tools
• Special types of commodity (not available in markets): Primordial Soup, Super Slip, Warp Core, Particle Catalyst, Phase Steel, Gradient Filter, Synthetic Genius
• Very special type of commodity (not tradable): Flame Jewel

Central

• Nine Worlds - 114
  • Stopped by Patrol when trying to enter, but text implies one should be able to get past with stronger ship attack and defense
  • (See "Running the Boundary..." in the Combat Notes section of this wiki)

• Bugeye - 153
  • Market
    • 3 Fuel for 1 Culture
    • 3 Fuel for 1 Munitions
    • 2 Fuel for 1 Tools
    • 1 Fuel for 1 Food
  • Tavern bully
    • Special Attack: Telekinesis 100
    • Defense:
      • Armor: Internal Reorg: 100
      • Mobility: Superhuman Speed: 100
      • Special def: Whurffle: 100
    • No apparent effects from defeating him (cannot choose tavern again)
  • Includes scientific mission studying genetics of bugs - can get Primordial Soup (only once)

• Crater - 67
  • Market
    • 2 tools for 1 culture
    • 2 tools for 1 food
    • 1 tools for 1 fuel
    • 1 tools for 1 iron
    • 1 tools for 1 medicine
  • Shipyard
    • Entanglement mines: 1 food, 1 fiber
    • Warp winder: 1 culture, 1 fluids
    • Pulse inverter: 1 munitions, 1 fuel
    • Boarding robots: 1 radioactives, 1 medicine, 1 iron
  • Munitions
    • Stunner: 1 culture, 1 munitions
    • Hypnotic gas sprayer: 1 food, 1 crystal
    • Molecular disruptor: 1 iron, 1 medicine, 1 radioactives, 1 fuel
  • 3 bay cargo drone for 1 Crystal, 2 Food
• Wellmet - 110
  • Wellmet Market
    • 1 Munitions for 1 Culture
    • 3 Munitions for 1 Fuel
    • 1 Munitions for 1 Iron
    • 1 Munitions for 1 Medicine
    • 3 Munitions for 1 Radioactives
  • Wellmet personal munitions:
    • Trade 1 Piercer - 1 Computer 1 Medicine
    • Trade 1 Exploder - 1 Munitions
    • Trade 1 Laser Reflector - 1 Fuel
    • Trade 1 Force Field - 1 Crystal 1 Culture 1 Fiber 1 Iron
  • Wellmet Torrence Family trading
    • Interested in Primordial Soup, Super Slip, Warp Core, Particle Catalyst, Phase Steel, Gradient Filter, or Synthetic Genius.
    • Give them one of the above and they will trade for any 3 of Computers, Crystals, Culture, Fiber, Fluids, Food, Fuel, Iron, Medicine, Munitions, Radioactives, and Tools.
  • Wellmet Slow Eddie Falstaff
    • There's a trade triangle. At the Ghost Worlds connection, haulers take bulk cargo (food and chemicals) out to the Ghost Worlds, and bring back rare cargo (wine, clothes, meat, glass, chips, ship parts). At the Space connection, prospectors go into space and bring back space stuff (alien stuff, alien materials, phase steel, anti-inertial) and sell it to the smugglers. At the Boundary connection, smugglers take alien stuff to the Nine Worlds and swap it for bulk cargo.
  • Smuggling job with gradient filter reward? (code KVVKKV)

• Supa - 218
  • Market
    • 2 Food for 1 Crystals
    • 2 Food for 1 Fluids
    • 3 Food for 1 Fuel
  • Colony History (???)
  • Tavern (???)
  • Shipyard
    • Ram for 1 Crystals, 1 Munitions
    • Nuclear Rockets for 1 Tool, 1 Fluids
    • Stress Bulkheads for 1 Fuel, 1 Medicine
    • Stealth System for 1 Fuel, 1 Culture
    • Dimensional Eliminator for 1 Computer, 1 Crystal, 1 Fluids, 1 Iron
  • Cargo bay expansion
    • 1 Fiber, 1 Radioactives

• Moiran - 118
  • Market
    • 1 crystal for 1 fiber
    • 1 crystal for 1 tools
    • 2 crystals for 1 food
    • 3 crystals for 1 computer
  • Shipyard
    • Photon torpedos - 1 Munitions
    • Magnetic deflectors - 1 Food, 1 Iron
    • Auxiliary rockets - 1 Medicine, 1 Fiber
    • Turbo navigation - 1 Computer, 1 Munitions, 1 Radioactives, 1 Tools
  • Tony the Shark
    • (Warning, can meet mugger at place to buy weapons.)
    • Blaster - 1 Fluids, 1 Tools
    • Neuron whip - 1 Computers, 1 Munitions
    • Missile toes - 1 Fiber, 1 Radioactives
    • Disintegration gun - 1 Computers, 1 Culture, 1 Food, 1 Medicine
  • Phase Steel Factory
    • Phase steel - 2 Computers + 2 Food + 1 Fiber + 1 Tools

• Medsun - 63
  • Market
    • 2 Culture for 1 Fiber
    • 1 Culture for 1 Fuel
    • 3 Culture for 1 Radioactives
  • You can learn Phrmm there, but if you do, they'll steal the cargo off of your ship while you're doing it

• Cathedral - 288
  • Offers Fiber
  • Commodity Market
    • 2 Fiber for 1 Iron
    • 3 Fiber for 1 Fuel
    • 3 Fiber for 1 Tools

• Para-Para - 107
  • 1 Fuel for 1 Computers
  • 2 Fuel for 1 Munitions
  • 3 Fuel for 1 Crystals
  • Infiltrate sekrit research labs, get info dump but nothing substantial
  • apparently you can hit on someone when you poke around the main living area (feel free to find out what happens when you "spend more time with Dr. Paterson", I didn't bother; probably robs you blind)

• Gironde - 182
  • Market
    • 2 Computers for 1 Crystals
    • 3 Computers for 1 Culture
    • 1 Computers for 1 Fuel
    • 2 Computers for 1 Radioactives
  • They say they are kept on-planet by mysterious Supervisors who don't let them leave
    • Taking off results in being attacked.
      • A good way to escape is to shut down your ship.
  • On Gnarsh, they claim you can find a gradient filter factory here with the action code FHIA76

North

• Ascension - 17
  • Earth-like. Contains intelligent mantis-like aliens who don't speak Earth Standard.
  • Can teach the "mental shield" ability
  • Taught Jean Clerc how to build a Technology Nullifier
  • Market
    • 1 Crystals for 1 Food
    • 2 Crystals for 1 Culture
    • 3 Crystals for 1 Fluids

• Gen - 12
  • Market
    • 2 Culture for 1 Computers
    • 2 Culture for 1 Fiber
    • 3 Culture for 1 Fluids
  • Temple where they inquire, "How does one know the way to truth?"
    • The answer is I do not know the answer
    • Answering gives you the chance for a 7-action ritual
      • Passing the ritual lets you join the secret brotherhood (which has a tenet about not revealing the answer to the riddle, so hopefully they won't read this wiki)
    • If you learn all you can here, they send you to Dargen to learn more
  • City of Markov which offers LARPing
    • Has teddy bear which you can fight - suggests some treasure if it's defeated

• Storage Station 7 - 1
  • DANGER - causes ship crash with less than 100 strength

• Ouabain - 26
  • They really like games. You may have to solve a puzzle to land. Landing pad C is the safe one.
  • They'll also give you Synthetic Genius if you successfully solve a puzzle. The correct door is NOT on the right. Picking the left door produced a success, unknown if repeatable. A universal translator would undoubtedly help here.
  • Also, they can teach Telekinesis.
  • Market
    • 2 Computers for 1 Fiber
    • 2 Computers for 1 Food
    • 2 Computers for 1 Medicine
    • (If you visit the market and are told to read Text 13, you'll need to get it from here instead, since the scan in the downloadable Passage Finder is wrong. The Passage Finder linked from the map tool has been updated with the correct passage)

• Cordethar - 33
  • Artificial system containing a black hole and a computer that's monitoring all activity to send back to its Owners.
  • The planet where the inhabitants of the Archangel met Vanessa Chang.
  • Infodump planet! Lots of crunchy lot-related goodness. Jean typed it all up and transmitted it to you guys via subspace radio, in the form of texts 75, 607, 16. If you have a Universal Translator or understand High Darscian, then you might get more information out of the colonial period than this.
  • Lost the ability to talk to its Owners thousands of years ago; is gradually getting its abilities back as dual phase interphase levels are recovering

South

• Gazan - 369
  • Darscian world - need to learn High Darscian (as above)
  • Firey world with no nighttime
  • Market
    • 2 Iron for 1 Food
    • 2 Iron for 1 Medicine
    • 2 Iron for 1 Tools
  • 5-bay cargo drone ship available for 2 Radioactives + 2 Fluids + 1 Tools
  • BGYE9M: Vanessa Chang's main ship, defended by Automated Ship (see combat results)
    • Amazingly hard to get into with hand-to-hand skills
    • Texts: 361, 47. Lots of juicy backstory!
    • Also, you can salvage an 8-bay drone and a Hyperbeam weapon.

• Baphi - 247
  • Green and hospitable world, no apparent civilization
  • Abandoned colony
  • Wreckage may include an alien exercise machine granting enhanced speed
  • Can (possibly) harvest one Fluid for 4 phases
  • Can learn to build a ship shield generator for 3 phases

• Jaquar - 241
  • Darscian world - need to learn High Darscian (as above)
  • Market
    • 1 crystals for 1 iron
    • 2 crystals for 1 fuel
    • 3 crystals for 1 radioactives
  • 3-bay cargo drone ship available for 2 iron + 1 fuel
  • investigating inertial tech will get you a personal Mass & Inertial Control Belt

• Hootenaller - 359
  • Uninhabited, hospitable, no intelligent life
  • Free food if you take some time to collect it, it seems
  • Some weird stuff about spatial geometry in the area being messed up; dream sequence after resting here about Hootenaller being a "hole" in the barrier between normal space and "dual space", but that wall is disintegrating (and stuff about dual space being dangerous but powerful whatever blah blah)
  • Can apparently collect one free unit of any basic cargo (once)

• Fiyar - 351
  • Gas giant–type planet; uninhabitable except for... uh... pyramid ball players?
  • Mine for fuel (2 phases)
  • Search for warp core, a substance used in hyperdrives (3 phases)

• Koursh - 311
  • Crash landing when first arriving - takes a full turn to complete repairs
  • After investigating aliens (which is another full turn), you can leave safely and mine
  • Mine radioactives (3 phases, available after stuff above)
  • Unsure if the solution used to leave planet will let you safely land on returning later

• Arthlan - 339
  • Mine for radioactives (5 phases)
  • no life, but traces of an ancient civilization that angered "The Dictators", who gave them two years to get off planet before they blasted it into the trinary suns
  • exploration yielded lots of interesting story, a planetary-orbit-shifting nuclear explosion, and nothing of real value
    • MJ Turner shares the story with you over the radio, but you owe him a space-ale. Here's how it went down (slightly rearranged to make more sense): #58, #593, #490, #769, #474, #747

• Outpost - 389
  • A once-lifeless rock, granted a mild climate by its star going nova billions of years early. Its location just across the Density Barrier made it an ideal base for exploration in the area; explorers used to use it as a meeting place and materials cache; and Vanessa Chang considered establishing a colony there. The system's lifetime is only in the millions of years; "if intelligent life is ever going to arise here, it will have to hurry."
  • Silverbeard has taken over the planet and guards it with dozens of satellites, too many for any one explorer to take out alone.
    • "If you and one or more players wish to try to attack Outpost together, each of you must plot the LAND option, with your ships in the Outpost sector, during the same turn."

East

• Hemindore - 163
  • Inhabited by monkeys, planet almost entirely covered by water
  • Ships use special maneuverability technology
  • Increase your ship's maneuverability (via Auxiliary Rockets) (4 phases)
  • Install a tractor beam (6 phases)
  • You can also get a free unit of Phase Steel by exploring underground ruins
  • Market
    • 1 Tools for 1 Computers
    • 2 Tools for 1 Iron
    • 3 Tools for 1 Crystals

• Firthe - 226
  • Market
    • 1 Medicine for 1 Computers
    • 2 Medicine for 1 Crystals
    • 3 Medicine for 1 Fiber
  • Inhabited, old underwater cities
  • Translation machine can translate to and from Firthian; technology comes from Tralis
  • Super Space Suit Recipe (H6AP6B)
    • 1 Primordial Soup
    • 1 Super Slip
    • 1 Food
    • 1 Medicine
    • 1 Fiber
    • 1 Fluids
  • With Super Space Suit can get Phase Cannon (go underwater)
  • Purchase Particle Catalyst
    • 2 Computers, 2 Fiber, 1 Crystal, 1 Tools

• Dargen - 294
  • Uninhabited ice world with no oxygen
  • Not clear why Vanessa Chang put this on her map -- "Perhaps if you knew what to look for .."
  • After you've learned all you can at Gen, you can find another Temple here to keep studying
    • Apparently Brother Chang was an advanced student
    • After you finish studying here, you're told to "pursue her path, beyond the Fringe to the planet Margen"

West

• Ioreth - 377
  • Darscian world
  • Poisonous - landing caused poisoning by a flower, currently spending time hallucinating evil things and burning trees and eating more poisons in case they negate the previous poison, against the advice of the computer which said to sleep it off. (No option to sleep it off given.) Spending about 6 or 8 phases doing horrible things wears off the toxin and lets you land normally.
  • Market
    • 1 Medicine for 1 Iron
    • 2 Medicine for 1 Computers
    • 3 Medicine for 1 Tools
  • Will teach the building of a Ship Shield Generator for 5 phases

• Tretiak - 329
  • Um, like, woah, dude.
  • Apparently causes hallucinations for both the person and the ship computer.
  • "Gather Coconuts" to get a free right-side 1-bay cargo expansion full of fiber. (You can select this option again, unknown result)
  • Swim in lake to fight a monster hand-to-hand, unknown reward for winning. (You wake up, no further penalty, if you successfully defend but do not successfully attack) [I didn't get a monster when I tried this.]
  • Takes extra time to take off due to need to detox
  • "Rap with the little green men." gives some information:
    • There was a temple and a small girl visited and tap danced so much she bestowed the gift of madness of Tetiak.
    • For a real bad trip call the Clathrans, only don't call them here because they've never been.
    • The School of Organic Telephones opens all the doors and some windows.
  • "The colors in your eyes are party-like and you want to dress for the occasion." takes 7 phases and has the player find his spacesuit but is bummed because that is all he has to wear (!?) and the option is repeatable (!!?)

• Rialla - 330
  • Must learn Riallan to communicate (14/7 phases)
  • Floating aliens
  • Much more maneuverable starships
  • Can purchase a 5-bay warp drone for 2 culture 2 crystals 1 medicine
    • Drone can warp to any player or commodities market in 1 turn and trade (commodities only on planets, any cargo with players) on your behalf
    • Drone does not take up any cargo hold space
  • Can purchase a 1-unit fore cargo expansion for 1 culture 1 fluids
  • Can possibly research tri-axis drive construction?

• Organu - 260
  • Telepathic aliens (look like large broccoli)
    • Will teach Telepathy (15 phases)
  • Market
    • 1 Munitions for 1 Radioactives
    • 2 Munitions for 1 Fluids
    • 3 Munitions for 1 Fuel
  • Strangways, the leading Organuan expert in biological engineering

• Alkon - 268
  • Must either learn Alkonese (7/14 phases) or hire an interpreter (2 phases, 1 unit of commodities)
  • Jungle world, apparently use lots of Fibers, given the ability to whurffle 60 millennia ago by their gods
  • Teaches Whurffling (hand-to-hand defense)
  • Market
    • 1 Fiber for 1 Munitions
    • 2 Fiber for 1 Culture
    • 3 Fiber for 1 Iron

• Darscold - 125
  • Darscian world
  • Market
    • 3 Culture for 1 Fluids
    • 3 Culture for 1 Radioactives
  • Can teach Serene Contemplation
  • Institute of Extra-Corporeal Sentience: 1 Synthetic Genius for: 2 Fluids, 2 Radioactives, 1 Fiber, 1 Crystals

• Fiara - 145
  • Darscian world - need to learn High Darscian (7 turns with telepathy or universal translator, otherwise 14)
  • Given technology and secret of space flight by "The Mentors" tens of thousands of years ago
  • Market
    • 3 Fiber for 1 Computers
    • 1 Fiber for 1 Crystals
    • 2 Fiber for 1 Medicine
  • Reaching anti-gravity facility requires crawling through high-gravity section, moving quickly required (?)
    • Superhuman Speed gives 50; Serene Contemplation gives another 50; Internal Reorg adds an additional 18 (so SS and SC should be sufficient for success).
    • Super Space Suit gives 100 by itself
    • Entering the facility gets you one stolen Anti-Gravity Ray; previously used as a pencil-holder, now installed on your ship as a Special. (I guess you cranked it up to eleven or something.)

• Gnarsh - 91
  • At war. Attempting to land leads to ship-to-ship combat.
  • Market
    • 1 Fluids for 1 Food
    • 3 Fluids for 1 Munitions
    • 2 Fluids for 1 Medicine
    • 2 Fluids for 1 Iron
  • Armory
    • Pin-Rifle for 1 Tools and 1 Iron
    • Rocket Pack for 1 Medicine and 1 Radioactives
    • Immobilizer for 1 Crystals, 1 Fuel, 1 Munitions and 1 Food

• Feldo - 44
  • "Planetary-sized non-motile sentience"
  • First human Feldo met was Vanessa Chang
  • Market
    • 3 Medicine for 1 Fiber
    • 2 Medicine for 1 Fluids
    • 1 Medicine for 1 Food
  • Can purchase Primordial Soup (1 culture, 2 fiber, 2 fluids, 1 food)
  • Can learn Internal Reorganization
  • Can trade for ship equipment:
    • 1 Pressor Beam - 1 fiber 1 iron
    • 1 Black Cloud - 1 fluid 1 tools
    • 1 Anti-Energy Field - 1 computers 1 food
    • 1 Curvature Inductor - 1 crystals 1 culture 1 fiber 1 fluids
  • Can trade for expanded (aft) cargo bay for 1 food, 1 radioactives

• Withal - 137
  • Market in orbiting space station, doing anything on planet requires teaching Withelians Earth Standard (7 turns)
  • 2 Computer + 1 Fiber + 1 Medicine -> 4-space cargo drone, will warp to markets anywhere you've visited, only takes one turn no matter how far away
  • Market
    • 1 Iron for 1 Crystals
    • 3 Iron for 1 Food
    • 2 Iron for 1 Medicine

• Corbis - 191
  • Abandoned world, non-sentient cat-like beings
  • Prior sentient inhabitants killed by volcano with hypnotic power causing desire to fling oneself in
  • Can harvest Fluids
  • Can harvest Super Slip (investigate city, then follow rivulet to source)
  • Can get Tri-Axis drive plans (investigate city, search for lab: 1 Warp Core 1 Gradient Filter 1 Iron 1 Crystals 1 Fuel 1 Flame Jewel, code XMCNUJ)

• FLN-1 - 133
  • Can mine for radioactives
  • Repeating alien message
  • Hatch requires ship weapons to destroy
  • With a super space suit, you can enter the captain's quarters (UWOGFE)

• Yrebe - 82
  • Iron planetoid, can mine for iron
  • Used to be creatures now living in the sun, wise and benevolent race allowed transformation to occur
  • Investigating day side causes ship damage (and no useful information)

• Ethnar - 200
  • Blue and Red Squirrelies battling for mining "green rocks" (Warp Core)
  • Can get "strange weapon" (Ninchuckle) and training from a Squirrelie
  • Market
    • 2 Fuel for 1 Fiber
    • 3 Fuel for 1 Medicine
    • 3 Fuel for 1 Munitions
• Will trade one warp core for 1 Fiber, 2 Medicine, 2 Munitions, 1 Tools

Unknown or general information

• Rialla - 330 (see above)
  • Can trade for Computers

• Darscian worlds
  • Darscold (original planet), Golden Age, trades Culture
  • Fiara, high gravity with anti-gravity technology, trades Fiber
  • Gazan, unstable with planet-quakes, trades Iron
  • Ioreth, poisonous, trades Medicine
  • Jaquar, strewn across cluster of asteroids, trades Crystals

• Organu - ???
  • Offers Munitions

• Arthlan - ???
  • Offers Radioactives

Mysteries and Backstory

Dual Space

• Apparently, there's some sort of dual space thing which might be like subspace or hyperspace maybe?
• Sometimes the connection to it is weaker or stronger; right now, we're becoming more connected to it (or the wall between us and it is weakening)
• There's a hole between normal space and dual space at Hootenholler
• Cordethar (the Monitoring computer planet that's been recording everything for thousands of years) will be able to contact its Owners again soon because of dual space interphase levels recovering

Vanessa Chang

• From Glossary: Vanessa Chang (2435-2505) - Last of the great space explorers, and perhaps the most famous of all. In her expeditions, Chang discovered more than forty inhabited planets, and was the first human being to travel in the Galactic Arm. She returned from space during the years of the Space Plague and helped set up the Boundry to protect humanity from the dangers of unrestricted exploration. Thus, ironically, she held bring the age of the Great Expansion, in which she played such an important role, to an end. A tragic by strangely fitting afternote is that in the political and social chaos of the time, her maps were somehow lost. Despite the efforts of three centuries of historians, they have never been found.
• A legendary explorer from centuries past. It's her maps that we've been given (by a mysterious guy in a bar) to help us explore the galaxy.
• Used to keep a stash of stuff on Cordethar, including flame jewels where she got from the Galactic Arm (on the other side of the Barrier)
• Everyone who had a tri-axis drive bought their jewels from her
• Eventually encountered something so scary out there that she gathered everyone with a tri-axis together on a planet called Outpost to convince them to stop traveling past the Barrier anymore
  • Laran is looking for the Outpost because (a) that's supposedly where his forbears met the Gods, and (b) that's where he can find the seventh and final sacred text of his religion, the one that explains everything.
  • And the Archangel's crew were also freaked out by whatever was out there; they planned the Outpost trip together with Vanessa, after meeting her on Cordethar.
  • Also, Vanessa took all of her flame jewels with her when they left
    • Maybe most—at least one was left with the Highest Disciple of the Final Church of Man on Leucothea.
  • From Glossary: Flame Jewel - A unique and exquisitely beautiful red and orange crystalline artifact, brought to the Nine Worlds by Vanessa Chang from her space explorations in the late 25th century. In her will, Vanessa Chang gave her Flame Jewel to the Chang Museum on Earth. Although the Jewel has been postulated by scientists to have a number of unique physical attributes, its importance in social terms far transcends any scientific usefulness. It is seen as a symbol for Humanity's resurgence after the Space Plague, and as a beacon for the future development of civilization on the Nine Worlds.
    • Flame Jewel works by focusing the power generated by the three drives in a Tri-Axis system.
• On February 28, 2493, Chang crash-landed a shuttlecraft in the Fiaran desert. When the Darscians rescued her, they found her and her crew in desparate straits with no fuel, no food, and practically no working equipment. Chang borrowed a subspace radio and successfully contacted some humans closer to home, hearing about the Space Plague. At this point the humans pleaded with the Darscians for a new spaceship to take them to Cordethar (no indication why). New ship (two-axis) Chang attained she called the Lockerbait, and went to Cordethar.
  • Alien shuttlecraft was a primitive system requiring suspended animation due to length of flight; apparently the shuttlecraft belonged to a "rugged, warlike" race because there lots of places for weapons. She abandoned it in the desert.
  • Crew member died on way to Fiara, buried on Koursh (code B8YH9A).
    • Tried this option, got the message: "Unfortunately, you're going to have to find the place where Vanessa Chang's ship crashed before you can start digging for a buried body. Digging where you are now is not very productive." Does that mean anything to anyone?—Matthew

Tri-Axis Drive

• Can be made from a warp core, gradient filter, iron, crystals, fuel, flame jewel (if you know how) -- but flame jewels are extremely rare
• Can be used to pass the High Density Barrier
• A (maybe?-)relevant quote I came across while exploring the Archangel: "The standard Wamirian hyperdrive in use today is the two-axis drive, which suspends the warp core between two anentropic fields, one for each axis. Back in the flying days of the Archangel, the two-axis drive was only a theory, and all ships had but a single axis. This hull, though, seems to have been modified to mount a second and third anentropic field generator."

Mentors/Others/Etc.

• Various races of aliens have a story about a race of aliens who visited them at a point when their civilization was in trouble, who helped them find a new philosophy/way of life
• May or may not be related to Cordethar's Owners or the roughly contemporary Clathrans
• Gnarsh also visited by beings advising peace who gave them a new communications system, but it's rigged to translate everything the other side says into an insult (although they still don't realize this)

Dreams and Mysterious Map-Giver

• Why were we given these maps, and by whom? Is someone hoping that we'll build a new tri-axis drive, penetrate the density barrier, and discover something in the galactic core?
• And were the dreams that many or all of us had in our bios a form of mind-control that caused us to set out on this mission in the first place? Was it caused by the same person or persons who gave us the maps?

Ship-to-ship items

• Attack
  • Contact
    • Boarding Robots - Computer-controlled attack robots that can occupy and overwhelm an opposing ship
    • Pressor Beam - A ship-to-ship weapon that repulses another ship away from you, with either a descrete "punch" or a steady "push".
    • Ram - A ship-to-ship weapon that allows one to attack an enemy ship by actually crashing into it. The ram is primitive in concept, but highly effective in aciton, particularly if the enemy is taken by surprise. The device itself is a large metal plow mounted on a ship's hull and structurally reinforced to withstand the impact of the collision.
    • Tractor Beam - A ship-to-ship weapon that attracts another ship towards you, with either a sharp "tug" or a steady "pull".
  • Projectile
    • Dimensional Eliminator - A ship-to-ship weapon that folds one of the spacial dimensions out of an enemy ship, causing the enemy ship to flatten out and disappear
    • Hyperbeam - A powerful weapon that shoots a beam of energy through hyperspace, bypassing all normal defenses
    • Nuclear Rockets - Guided missiles carrying gigaton-power nuclear warheads. Compared to more modern weapons, nuclear rockets are slow and inaccurate, but if they reach their target they are still very deadly.
    • Phase Cannon - A ship-to-ship weapon that shoots a steady, piercing energy beam across space.
    • Photon Torpedos - Small but powerful energy packets that travel at faster-than-light speeds across space and explode at a predetermined target.
    • Plasma Beam - A thin, very accurate, lower-powered energy beam useful in attacking small targets.
  • Special
    • Anti-Gravity Ray - A device used to counteract the effects of gravity
    • Black Cloud - A smokescreen of obscuring particles that blocks the functioning of an enemy ship's sensors in a region of space
    • Confuse Enemy Computers - The ability to control or misdirect an enemy ship's computer with transmissions from your own ship's computer
    • Entanglement Mines - Space buoys that, when triggered, project strong hypermagnetic forces, making it difficult for a spaceship to fly past
• Defense
  • Armor
    • Curvature Inductor - A device attached to a ship's hull that creates a curve in the fabric of space, causing matter and energy traveling towards the ship to change direction and veer away
    • Magnetic Deflectors - Powerful magnetic fields projected in front of a ship's hull to absorb energy attacks
    • Ship Shield Generator - An extremely useful device that projects a protective energy field around a ship to absorb both physical and energy attacks.
    • Stress Bulkheads - Extra supports for a spaceship's hull to help it absorb the impact of explosions, collisions, energy blasts, etc.
  • Mobility
    • Auxiliary Rockets - Extra thrusters that give a spaceship more speed and maneuverability
    • Turbo Navigation - Computer algorithms that enhance the speed and maneuverability of a spaceship by carefully coordinating the drive systems, power generator, directional controller, and other components.
    • Warp Winder - A device that dramatically increases a ship's speed for a short time, by initiating and controlling a feedback loop in the warp drive.
  • Special
    • Anti-Energy Field - An item that causes all energy within a region of space to be neutralized
    • E.C.M. - (Electronic Counter Measures) Jamming, interference, and other electronic mechanisms for disrupting the functioning of another ship's navigation, sensor, and computer systems
    • Pulse Inverter - A ship defense system that reverses the direction of incoming energy beams
    • Stealth System - Technology that electromagnetically camouflages a spaceship, making it difficult for enemy sensors to detect.
    • Stress Field - A weapon that creates powerful shock waves in space, alternately pressuring and depressuring an enemy ship's hull and internal supports.
    • Technology Nullifier - A device that prevents the operation of all electronic equipment in its area of effect.

Hand-to-hand items

• Attack
  • Contact
    • Stunner - A common hand weapon that delivers an electric shock when it touches your enemy
    • Piercer - A cheap and easily obtained hand-to-hand weapon that uses a powerful energy "blade" to cut through most materials
    • Kothan - A combat ability that allows one to strike at an enemy with great strength and accuracy
    • Molecular Disrupter - A hand-held weapon shaped like a walking staff, with a metallic tip capable of dissolving the molecular bonds in a living creature's cells
    • Poisoning - An ability which allows you to effectively poison your enemy during combat
  • Projectile
    • Blaster - A common hand-held weapon that shoots an energy beam over a short distance (good against a fierce animal)
    • Exploder - A common hand weapon that shoots chemical explosive charges. Less powerful and less accurate than a blaster, but also less vulnerable to anti-energy and anti-technology defenses (good against someone with a laser shield)
    • Disintegration Gun - A hand-held weapon that uses an ultra high frequency energy beam to cause an object to fade out of existence
    • Ninchuckle - A strangle shaped weapon that, for those with the skill to use it, can be thrown at an enemy, delivering a knockout blow
    • Pin Rifle - A simple projectile weapon that shoots various kinds of treated needles. The needles can be sharp, explosive, poisonous, blunted, or tranquilizing, depending on the effect desired
  • Special
    • Hypnotic Gas Sprayer - A device that sprays a potent brain-relaxing chemical, causing most living creatures to go into a hypnotic trance
    • Immobilizer - A hand-held weapon that generates a stasis field, freezing an enemy in place for a short time
    • Little Puce Alien - A small purplish creature who likes to float above your left shoulder
    • Neuron Whip - An electromagnetic wave designed to interfere with the normal transmission of neural signals between the brain and muscles of living creatures, causing intense pain
    • Telekinesis - The power to exert physical force with the mind alone, causing objects to move around just by thinking about it
• Defense
  • Armor
    • Laser Reflector - A protective shield, worn over the chest and torso, which deflects concentrated energy beams. A laser reflector is a useful defense against most energy weapons, such as blasters and ray guns
    • Skin Armor - Close fitting personal protective gear, designed to combine a high degree of defense with a near-normal freedom of motion
    • Force Field - A protective energy barrier that surrounds a person, creating an "invisible wall" that blocks both physical and energy attacks
    • Internal Reorganization - The ability to move one's internal organs around, making one less vulnerable to attack and speeding up healing
  • Mobility
    • Missile Toes - A colloquial merchandising name for rocket-assisted footwear, designed to give the wearer greater speed and agility in endeavors such as ballet, sports, and hand-to-hand combat (good indoors)
    • Rocket Pack - A rocket-propelled device strapped onto a person's back that enables one to fly short distances (good outdoors)
    • Darthan - A combat skill that enables a person to evade enemy blows with great speed and precision
    • Inertia Control Belt - A device that controls the effects of inertia and momentum on a person, allowing one to instantaneously change speed and direction
    • Superhuman Speed - The ability to run almost as fast as your favorite comic book hero
  • Special
    • Invisibility - The ability to sneak around unseen; especially useful in tiptoeing up behind your friends and yelling "Boo!!"
    • Levitation - The ability to elevate oneself off the floor just by thinking about it
    • Mental Shield - A mentally projected force which protects you from running into walls and keeps other things from running into you (such as bullets, rocks, and knives)
    • Phrmm - The ability to put a living creature in the mood to be peaceful and friendly
    • Serene Contemplation - The ability to meditate calmly under great stress, allowing one to think more clearly and react faster
    • Whurffle - The ability to see a few moments into the future, which comes in handy for dodging projectiles or evading ambushes

Combat Notes

• Against the mugger on Moiran, using a blaster and no armor: attack was 125 (or 150?), defense was 0, and overall was successful
• Against the bear on Gen, using a blaster and a forcefield: attack was 100, defense was 100, and overall was successful
• Running the Boundary (100 total strength is required to succeed)
  • Tractor Beam (contact) is 16 attack, Photon Torpedoes (projectile) were 50 attack, and Black Cloud (special) was 34 attack. Ship Shield Generator (armor) was 66 defense, Auxiliary Rockets (mobility) were 17 defense, and Pulse Inverter (special) was 34 defense. Both attack and defense succeeded.
  • Photon Torpedoes (projectile) are 50 attack, Boarding Robots (contact) is 33 attack, Entanglement Mines (special) is 17 attack, Warp Winder (mobility) is 66 defense, and Pulse Inverter (special) is 34 defense. Attack and defense both succeeded.
  • Dimensional Eliminator = 66 attack, Confuse Enemy Computers = 67 attack, Curvature Inductor = 50 defense, Stealth System = 50 defense, Turbo Navigation = 66 defense
  • Boarding Robots (Contact) - 33, Dimensional Eliminator (projectile) - 66, Entanglement Mines (special) - 17. Stress Bulkheads (armor) - 16, Warp Winder (mobility) - 66, Pulse Inverter (special) - 34
• Against the hungry dog on Cathedral, Exploder (projectile) is 150 attack, and Telekinesis (special) is 50 attack. 100 total strength was required to succeed, so attack succeeded while defense failed.
• Trying to land on Gnarsh. Tractor Beam (contact) is 50 attack, Photon Torpedoes (projectile) were 50 attack, Ship Shield Generator (armor) was 100 defense, and Auxiliary Rockets (mobility) were 50 defense. 100 total strength was required to succeed, and so both attack and defense succeeded.
• Storage Station 7 defense system: ATTACK Ram 75, Photon Torpedoes 75, AntiGravity Ray 50 / DEFENSE Curvature Inductor 100, Warp Winder 50, Pulse Inverter 75
• Against Silverbeard's satellites around Outpost:
  • Jean's run
    • Tractor Beam (contact): 2
    • Photon Torpedoes (projectile): 4
    • Black Cloud (special): 4
  • Laran's run
    • Boarding Robots (contact) 4
    • Photon Torpedos (projectile) 4
    • Confuse Enemy Computers (special) 8
  • MJ Turner's run
    • Ram 4
    • Photon Torpedos 4
    • Anti-Gravity Ray 8
  • Prof Lee's run
    • Boarding Robots (contact) 4
    • Dimensional Eliminator (projectle) 8
    • Enganglement Mines (special) 4
  • Jean's second go:
    • Pressor Beam (contact): 2
    • Hyperbeam (projectile): 12
    • Anti-Gravity Ray (special): 8
  • Corin
    • Boarding Robots (contact) 4
    • Phase Cannon (projectile) 6
    • Anti-Gravity Ray (special) 8
• Silverbeard second round - defense (total strength 88)
  • Corin:
    • Curvature Inductor (armor) - 5
    • Turbo Navigation (mobility) - 5
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 6
  • Valentine:
    • Curvature Inductor (armor) - 5 -> Ship Shield Generator - 6
    • Turbo Navigation (mobility) - 5
    • Stealth System (special) - 6 -> Technology Nullifier - 10
  • Jean:
    • Ship Shield Generator (armor) - 6
    • Auxiliary Rockets (mobility) - 3 -> Turbo Nav - 5
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 7
  • Laran:
    • (n/a) -> Ship Shield - 6
    • Warp Winder (mobility) - 3
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 7
  • M.J.:
    • Curvature Inductor (armor) - 5
    • Warp Winder (mobility) - 3 -> Turbo Nav - 5
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 7 -> Pulse Inv - 6
  • Lee:
    • Stress Bulkheads (armor) - 3 -> Ship Shield - 6
    • Warp Winder (mobility) - 3 -> Turbo Nav - 5
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 7
• Silverbeard third round - individual passive defense
  • Corin
    • Curvature Inductor (armor) - 40
    • Turbo Navigation (mobility) - 40
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 30
  • Valentine
    • Ship Shield -50
    • Turbo Nav - 40
    • Tech Null - 50
  • Jean
    • Ship Shield - 50
    • Turbo Nav - 40
    • Pulse Inv - 30
  • Laran
    • Ship Shield - 50
    • Warp Winder - 30
    • Pulse Inv - 30
  • MJ
    • Curvature Inductor (armor) - 40
    • Turbo Navigation (mobility) - 40
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 30
  • Lee
    • Ship Shield - 50
    • Turbo Nav - 40
    • Pulse Inv - 30

• Silverbeard fourth round - individual attack
  • Corin
    • Boarding Robots (contact) - 16
    • Phase Cannon (projectile) - 41
    • Anti-gravity ray (special) - 34
  • Valentine
    • Boarding - 16
    • Dim El - 50
    • Anti-Grav - 34
  • Jean
    • Pressor Beam - 25
    • Hyperbeam - 75
    • Anti-grav - 33
  • Laran
    • Ram -25
    • Dim elim - 50
    • Conf computers - 25
  • MJ
    • Ram - 25
    • Dim El - 50
    • Anti-Grav - 33
  • Lee
    • Boarding robots - 16
    • Dim elim - 16
    • Anti-grav - 34

• Silverbeard fifth round - group attack-and-defense against phallic alien hypodermic rocket - totals 102 attack, 101 defense
  • Corin
    • Boarding robots (contact) - 0
    • Phase Cannon (projectile) - 8
    • Anti-gravity ray (special) - 4
    • Curvature Inductor (armor) - 5
    • Turbo Navigation (mobility) - 4
    • Pulse Inverter (special) - 5
  • Valentine
    • Tractor - 2
    • Dim Elim - 8
    • Entanglement Mines - 8
    • Ship Shield - 7
    • Turbo Nav - 4
    • Technology Null - 9
  • Jean
    • Pressor - 2
    • Hyperbeam - 14
    • Anti-grav - 5
    • Ship Shield - 7
    • Turbo Nav - 4
    • Pulse Inv - 5
  • Laran
    • Ram - 2
    • Dim elim - 8
    • Entangle - 8
    • Ship shield - 7
    • Warp wind - 5
    • Pulse Inv - 5
  • MJ
    • Ram - 2
    • Dim elim - 8
    • Conf comp - 6
    • Curvature - 5
    • Warp Winder - 5
    • Pulse Inv - 5
  • Lee
    • Boarding robots - 0
    • Dim elim - 8
    • Entanglement - 7
    • Ship Shield - 7
    • Warp Winder - 5
    • Pulse Inv - 5

• Against the automated defenses on Vanessa Chang's ship:
  • First attempt:
    • Automated Defense System on Gazan: TO ATTACK YOU USED Stunner (contact) 0 Ninchuckle (projectile) 33 / TO DEFEND YOU USED Laser Reflector (armor) 33 Superhuman Speed (mobility) 22 Serene Contemplation (special) 0
  • Jean's attempt:
    • Exploder (projectile): 33
    • Telekinesis (special): 22
  • MJ Turner's attempt:
    • Piercer: 22 (picked over stunner)
    • Exploder: 33
    • Force Field: 33 (over Laser Reflector & Internal Reorg)
    • Inertia Control Belt: 22 (over Superhuman Speed)
    • Serene Contemplation: 0
  • Jean, later:
    • Kothan (contact): 44
    • Exploder (projectile): 33
    • Immobilizer (special): 45
    • Internal Reorganization (armor): 0
    • Inertia Control Belt (mobility): 22
    • Phrmm (special): 0
    • Skin Armor (armor): 22
    • Whurffle (special): 22
• Versus gravity on Fiara:
  • Jean's attempts:
    • Internal Reorganization (armor) 16
    • Inertia Control Belt (mobility) 34
    • Phrmm (special) 1
    • Serene Contemplation (special) 51

Miscellaneous Vocabulary

• Archangel
  • The spaceship used by the Founders of the Final Church of Man in their journey to discover the Perfect Truth about humanity.
• Arm
  • See "Galactic Arm."
• Atlantis
  • One of the Nine Worlds. Atlantis is lightly inhabited, mostly water-covered, and provides Food to most of the other Nine Worlds.
• Barratry
  • A breach of duty on the part of the captain or crew of a ship to the injury of the owner of the ship or cargo.
• Boundary
  • A border encircling the Nine Worlds. The Boundary was established in 2498 A.D. to protect the human planets within it. The Boundary Laws prohibit any spacecraft from entering the area enclosed by the Boundary. The Boundary is demarked by robot buoys that record the passage of any ship and alert the Space Patrol if anyone attempts to cross inside.
• Cargo Bay
  • The space on an interstellar ship used to transport a unit of cargo.
• Cargo Drone
  • An unmanned remote-controlled ship equipped with cargo bays and a jump engine, capable of instantaneously transporting cargo (but not people) from one place to another.
• Chang, Vanessa
  • (2435-2505 A.D.) Last of the great space explorers, and perhaps the most famous of all. In her expeditions, Change discovered more than forty inhabited planets, and was the first human being to travel in the Galactic Arm. She returned from space during the years of the Space Plague and helped set up the Boundary to protect humanity from the dangers of unrestricted exploration. Thus, ironically, she helped bring the age of the Great Expansion, in which she played such an important role, to an end. A tragic but strangely fitting afternote is that in the political and social chaos of the time, her maps were somehow lost. Despite the efforts of three centuries of historians, they have never been found.
• Commodity
  • Any one of the twelve common types of cargo that serve as the basis for interplanetary commerce: computers, crystals, culture, fiber, fluids, food, fuel, iron, medicine, munitions, radioactives, and tools.
• Computers
  • One of the twelve standard commodities that serve as the basis for interplanetary commerce. Computers are machines that emulate thought processes to perform useful tasks. (See also "ship's computer.")
• Core
  • See "Galactic Core."
• Core Stone
  • A mysterious and powerful artifact found by the explorer Soulsinger in the 25th century, and later stolen from him by an alien creature.
• Crystals
  • One of the twelve standard commodities that service as the basis for interplanetary commerce. Crystals are used to collect and control energy, and are used in power generators, spaceship hyperdrives, and navigation equipment.
• Culture
  • One of the twelve standard commodities that service as the basis for interplanetary commerce. Culture is generally equated with native artifacts or artwork, and may include music, videos, literature, and so on.
• Density Barrier
  • The dividing line between the Galactic Fringe and the Galactic Arm. On the outer (Fringe) side of the Density Barrier, the density of interstellar matter is low enough to allow faster-than-light travel with a dual-axis drive. On the inner (Arm) side of the Density Barrier, the density of interstellar matter is too high for a dual-axis drive, and a tri-axis drive is necessary in order to travel at super-light speeds.
• Drone
  • See "Cargo Drone."
• Dual-Axis Drive
  • A spaceship propulsion system that allows a spaceship to travel faster than the speed of light. Invented by Dr. Anton Wamirian in 2257 A.D., the dual-axis drive made it practical for people to travel between stars, thus starting the period in history known as the Great Expansion. The dual-axis drive system works by collapsing two spacial dimensions into one along the path of the propelled ship.
• Earth
  • The home world of humanity, now one of the Nine Worlds. Before the Space Plague in 2490 A.D., Earth was the unchallenged center of all human activity. However, civilization on Earth was virtually wiped out by the Plague. Earth was later rebuilt, but few traces of its pre-2500 civilization remain. It is no longer more important than any other human planet, and it shares an equal status with the other eight of the Nine Worlds.
• Endaur
  • One of the Nine Human Worlds. Endaur is the seat of the Nine Worlds Government and supports a large administrative bureaucracy. It also serves as the headquarters of the Space Patrol, which owns an entire continent covered with military bases.
• Environmental Suit
  • A standard space suit, capable of resisting vacuum, cold and background radiation.
• Families
  • Powerful merchant clans, based on the planet Wellmet, who control almost all commerce in the Ghost-worlds. The Families are also rumored to operate a massive illegal smuggling trade across the Boundary.
• Fiber
  • One of the twelve standard commodities that service as the basis for interplanetary commerce. Fiber includes many kinds of generally useful synthetic and organic "soft" materials, such as plastic, rubber, and wood.
• Final Church of Man
  • The principal organized religion of the Nine Worlds, to which the majority of the populace belongs. The Church teaches that it is a sin for human beings to explore space, and that people must instead strive to improve themselves so they can attain perfect souls.
• Flame Jewel
  • A unique and exquisitely beautiful red and orange crystalline artifact, brought to the Nine Worlds by Vanessa Chang from her space explorations in the late 25th century. In her will, Vanessa Chang gave her Flame Jewel to the Chang Museum on Earth. Although the Jewel has been postulated by scientists to have a number of unique physical attributes, its importance in social terms far transcends any scientific usefulness. It is seen as a symbol for Humanity's resurgence after the Space Plague, and as a beacon for the future development of civilization on the Nine Worlds.
• Flexion Glove
  • A specially lined glove, used to safely handle objects emitting harmful radiation.
• Fluids
  • One of the twelve standard commodities that service as the basis for interplanetary commerce. Fluids consist of industrial chemicals of all kinds, including acids, lubricants, coolants, and others.
• Foods
  • One of the twelve standard commodities that service as the basis for interplanetary commerce. Foods can mean any sort of edible and nutritive compound, ranging from baked stuffed lobster to new mown hay.
• Founders
  • The group of people who were responsible for the establishment of the Final Church of Man.
• Fringe
  • See "Galactic Fringe."
• Frontier
  • One of the Nine Human Worlds. Frontier was the last of the Nine Worlds settled prior to the Plague and the establishment of the Boundary. Even today much of Frontier is undeveloped, with a small population clustered in a few large cities.
• Fuel
  • One of the twelve standard commodities that service as the basis for interplanetary commerce. Fuel refers to all energy-producing substances, most typically the refined plasma gases suitable for use in fusion generators, but also simple combustibles such as gas, oil, and coal.