READ.MEAUG-17-92

TREK-N is "the Nth iteration" of the classic Star Trek game started by
Mike Mayfield and others clear back in 1972.

This version really requires a 286 AT or better, but it will get by on a
turbo XT with 512K. The program automatically adjusts to the display. VGA
is preferred, but MDA will work along with everything in between.

A fast processor is required to produce the relatively high-fidelity
sound from the PC's one-bit speaker. The sound quality is degraded if the
print spooler is installed, which occurs if you printed anything using
the PRINT utility. Windows 3.0 also has an adverse effect. While it is
not surprising that TREK-N runs slow under Windows, it will run too slow
if Windows 3.0 was ever run at all since booting up. (Windows 3.1 does
not have this problem.) For these reasons, you might get better
performance by rebooting before running TREK-N.

If you do attempt to run TREK-N on a slow computer such as an XT, this is
detected and the sound is automatically turned off. Turning off the sound
makes the program faster. You can use the /S switch to turn off the sound
when the program starts, which is the way Windows starts it. For example:

CD \TREK-N
TREK-N/S

Windows assumes that TREK-N is in a directory called "TREK-N". The sound
also can be turned off (and on) with the "Tab" key.

TREK-N must be run from the current directory. Starting it using a path
name such as: "C:\GAMES\TREK-N" won't work since it won't find the sound
files.

If you can't see legends such as: "STARDATE" and "QUADRANT", check the
intensity. Some monitors have the intensity turned down so low that the
black lettering on the gray panels is invisible. Unfortunately, there is
at least one type of display adapter that can't handle the gray back-
ground color - sorry.

The keys work like push buttons, but some keyboards don't give the
correct scan codes when two arrow keys and the spacebar are all pressed
at once. For these keyboards you might find that the "Ctrl" keys work
better than the spacebar for firing the phasers. Also try turning off
"Num Lock" before starting the game.

You can record your score by pressing the "Print Screen" key while the
Captain's Log is displayed at the end of the game. (Unfortunately, the
seven-segment character fonts are not printed). What level can you make
it to? I can't get past level 10 without cheating.

TREK-N.EXE is public-domain. You may freely copy and distribute it. If
however you insist on throwing away your money, for $25.00 I'll send you
the sources to the latest version. I'll even throw in a compiler with
lots of documentation so you can run your own version of TREK-N. Specify
5-1/4 or 3-1/2 inch disk. TREK-N is written in assembly language and
XPL0, which is a dialect of Pascal. Microsoft MASM version 5.10 or 6.00
is required.

Even if you're not throwing money, I'd enjoy hearing any comments or
suggestions (and even bug reports). Would you like to know how to become
invincible and take on the entire Klingon empire (i.e. enable cheat
mode)? My address is:

Loren Blaney
Magnolia Star Route
Nederland, CO 80466

Thanks!


P.S:

There seems to be some confusion about how the navigational compass
works. As any starfleet cadet can tell you, the compass provides the
heading to the starbase. This is the angle, measured clockwise in
degrees, from the direction the ship is going to the direction of the
starbase. Thus, if the compass displays "0", the starbase is straight
ahead; if it displays "180", the starbase is behind you; and if it's
"90", the starbase is starboard. (Of course you do know what "starboard"
means, don't you?)

Sometimes novices are also confused by galactic map nomenclature. "420"
means that the quadrant contains 4 Klingons, 2 dilithium crystals (handy
for refueling the matter/antimatter reaction chamber), and no tribbles.
When there are more than 9 objects, the alphabet is used. For instance
"B3" means there are no Klingons, 11 crystals, and 3 tribbles.