Lost In Translation/Star Trek - Strategic Operations Simulator

About The Game
Star Trek - Strategic Operations Simulator is a 3-D arcade video game, based on the TV series of the same name.

The player finds himself the Captain of the Starship Enterprise, his mission being to rid the universe of a number of threats to the United Federation of Planets.

The game has a unique method of displaying the information vital to the game play. This method involves the separation of the CRT into three completely separate screens.

The Scanner is where the player sees a top down or plan view of local space, with the Enterprise always in the centre of this screen. The Viewer is where the player sees actual apparent 3-D images, as if he were looking out the ships front window. The Status screen displays player score in addition to Shield strength, number of Photon Torpedoes, and amount of Warp energy remaining.

The game begins by introducing Klingons, Starbases and the Enterprise into the Scanner with an exciting shrink down animation sequence. The Enterprise starts with one to four Shields and Photon Torpedoes (switch selectable). By actuating the rotary knob and depressing the Thrust button the player may maneuver about the Scanner screen.

In order to destroy enemies the player may use either of two weapons : Phasers (the Fire button) or Photon Torpedoes. Each has unique properties.
 * Phasers are instantaneous, can destroy only one enemy at a time, and are in unlimited energy supply.
 * Photon Torpedoes require time to travel, can destroy many enemies, and are in LIMITED supply. Displayed in the Status screen, Photon Torpedo supply appears as a red bar (squares).

For high speed, the player may depress the WARP button. While this button is held down the Enterprise moves very quickly and cannot be damaged in any way by anything. A blue bar in the Status screen displays the amount of Warp energy available, and shrinks as the Warp button is held down.

The Enterprise is shrouded by an automatic Shield, which protects the Enterprise from enemy fire and collisions. The Shields are displayed in the Status screen as green line segments (a bar). Once the strength of the Shields is depleted, the ship can sustain damage. When damaged, the Enterprise looses ship functions in the following order : Shields, Photon Torpedoes, Warp Drive. If all of these are damaged, the next hit will destroy the Enterprise and end the game.

In order to repair this damage the player may choose to dock with a Starbase. Docking is accomplished by merely flying into a Starbase. The DOCKED message appears, all damage is repaired, and a Shield unit, Photon Torpedo, and some Warp time are added to the ship’s supplies. Although only four of each supply unit is displayed at any one time, 255 can be collected.

The primary enemy is the Klingon Battle Cruiser, which comes in three colours :
 * Red Klingon - ignores the Enterprise and sets out to destroy a Starbase, after which the Klingon turns purple.
 * Purple Klingon - ignores Starbases and attempts to destroy the Enterprise by firing plasma energy balls. Purple Klingons will stop a certain distance away while attacking so as not to risk collision. After a certain period of time (depending on round), purple Klingons turn white.
 * White Klingons - sometimes known as Maniac Klingons, these Klingons will move VERY QUICKLY and attempt to ram the Enterprise.

Anti-Matter Saucers appear randomly and move about the screen in a confusing fashion. These saucers can be destroyed only with Phasers. If the saucer collides with the Enterprise, it will attach itself, drain your ships Warp energy, then leave quickly.

After a number of rounds, the player advances to the Nomad round. In this sequence Nomad zips about the screen depositing dangerous mines. The mines cause chain reactions which should be avoided. Nomad can only be destroyed with Phasers. Once Nomad has delivered its total load of 30 mines, it waits for the last mine to detonate, leaves the screen, and ends the round.

Every 10,000 to 40,000 points (operator selectable) the player is awarded a bonus Shield unit, Photon Torpedo and Warp time unit. The two player game is played with players alternating with each complete round. Whenever a player is eliminated, the other player continues and finishes the game.

Additional Technical Information
Players : 2

Control : Dial (to rotate the Enterprise right and left)

Buttons : 3 (IMPULSE, PHOTON TORPEDO, WARP)

Trivia
Star Trek is Sega's vector colour game that came upon the scene in 1982. It featured a screen that was broken down into three parts. It also featured pseudo-three-dimensional graphics. The game is fast paced and in addition to keeping track of all that's going on, you must also be pretty good with the controls. This is another 'sleeper' game that didn't gain a real big following.

A Star Trek machine was shown at the 2003 classic arcade games show 'California Extreme' in San Jose, California.

Tips and tricks

 * When you start the game, the Enterprise will be placed into the sector. You will have a 1-2 second delay so take a good look at where everything is at on your radar screen. Your first priority should always be to defend your starbase.


 * Try to use your warp as little as possible. On the early waves, you can make it to your starbase and defend it without having to warp to it. On the later waves, however, you will be needing that warp to get to your starbase quickly. Also, you will also be using your warp to get away from the Klingons, especially when they go into suicide mode (turn white).


 * As the game progresses, the Klingons get quicker and they manoeuvre faster to keep out of phaser range. When you do have a target within your phaser sight, a spinning yellow ring will outline the target.  In addition to faster movement, the Klingons also fire faster so you can lose a ship very quickly in the later sectors.


 * It takes 5 shots to destroy a starbase. After the Klingon bomber has achieved that objective, it will change from red to purple and become a normal Klingon fighter that will attack you. Also, you can collide with the Klingon bomber causing the loss of 1 unit of shield energy.


 * After sector 20, there are random numbers of Klingon fighters in the sector. If the number is below 4, they may instantly turn white and attempt to ram your ship instead of firing on it. Before sector 20, if you take too long destroying the Klingons, they will also turn white.


 * You want to, as much as possible, avoid resupplying at the starbase. If you don't resupply, you will get a much larger score then if you do resupply. Plus, if you get enough points, you will get additional things anyway. So, bottom line, use the starbase only in the most dire of circumstances.


 * You will notice a blue, oval shaped ship on your radar. That is an antimatter UFO and the only thing you can destroy it with are phasers. If you notice, when you attempt to close in on it, the UFO moves away.  The best way, if you can safely do it, is to move diagonally until the UFO is within your phaser range. Sometimes you get a lucky break and the sector starts with the UFO already in phaser range.


 * The NOMAD sectors are probably the most difficult sectors to deal with. NOMAD rapidly moves around the sector laying mines. These mines either detonate after a certain time period or when you hit them with phaser or photon torpedo fire. Keep in mind, if there are a lot of mines packed together, they will all detonate and your ship may be in the middle of it all. The best strategy is to hopefully put up a phaser barrage at the beginning of the sector and take NOMAD out quickly. If this fails, don't move around unless your ship is in danger. NOMAD will eventually return within range. In the later sectors, NOMAD moves very quickly so you have to be very quick on the controls.


 * Use your photon torpedoes sparingly since you have a limited number. If you see an enemy grouping of three or more, shoot a torpedo into the middle. Since photon torpedoes have a blast radius, you can probably take out those three ships with one shot. Again, use only on tight groupings of enemies or when desperate measures require desperate actions.


 * Become very familiar with the controls since a moments hesitation could end the Enterprise's 5 year mission prematurely.

Staff

 * Designed & Programmed By:
 * Sam Palahnuk

Ports

 * Consoles :
 * Atari XEGS


 * Computers :
 * Commodore C64 (1983, "Star Trek : Strategic Operations Simulator")
 * Tandy Color Computer (1984, "Space Wrek")
 * Texas Instruments TI-99/4A (1983)
 * Apple II