Stars! V2.5a Shareware Version

One world is not enough. The universe is huge and insidiously subtle, 
infinitely dangerous, and more fun than you can swing a mouse at. It's 
begging you to come after it. Look at the night sky. Its dark now, 
but you've been able to see the future since you were a kid: systems 
strung together with fleet routes and wormholes, ripe planets 
glittering with minefields and lit by the warm, cheery glow of space 
battles. Somewhere out there are (other?) nasty beings who feel the 
same way. 

Its the 2400th year of the Planetary Era. Your world is resource rich 
and bustling with technological development. Your political leaders 
are giddy and have just declared this as the first year of the Galactic
Era. Your people are looking for a real leader.

A big voice whispers, "Its your turn".

One to 16 people can play Stars! using one computer or a local area 
network, or by transferring files using a modem, FTP or E-mail for 
BBS or other types of play where the host is at a remote site.

A tutorial and an extensive player's guide will get you up to speed in
no time. To begin the tutorial, start Stars!, press the New Game 
button and select Begin Tutorial.

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What are the system requirements for running Stars!?
----------------------------------------------------

Operating Systems Supported:
   Microsoft Windows 3.11, and 3.11 WFW
   Microsoft Windows NT
   Microsoft Windows 95

Memory requirements:
   4MB RAM
   8MB is preferred

Disk space requirement:
   6MB for program and help files

Video display:
   Color displays only
   The higher the resolution the better: 
   use 1024x768 (or higher!) if possible. 
   800x600x256 or better is strongly recommended
   640 by 480 is playable but cramped
   16 color mode decreases image clarity

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How do I order the full retail version of Stars!?
-------------------------------------------------
Stars! 2.5a can be ordered by phone, mail or over the internet.

Our global internet distributor is:
WebMap Internet Services
Order and download Stars! online at:
http://www.webmap.com/stars!
E-mail: orders@webmap.com

Our global mail order distributor is:
Star Crossed Software
119 Bonwood Dr.
Round Rock TX 78681
E-mail: starcrossed@webmap.com
Phone: (512) 218-1905
Human Hours: Central Standard Time (GMT -6)
       Monday - Thursday 7am-10am and 4pm-8pm
       Fridays 7am-10am
Read ORDER.TXT for more info.

Our mail order distributor in Europe is:
STC Computerservice
Postfach 910 427
90262 Nuernberg
Germany
Call or e-mail for pricing.
phone: 49-911-3 937 937
fax: 49-911-3 937 939
email: 101611,1222@compuserve.com

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What is shareware software all about?
-------------------------------------
Millions of computer users have found shareware to be the safest and 
most risk-free way to buy software. Independent shareware companies, 
like Star Crossed Software, allow computer users to try out a full or 
limited version of a program before deciding whether to buy. Shareware
is distributed at no cost through BBS's, FTP and Web sites or may be 
sold for a small charge by a shareware disk vendor or retail store. 
Shareware can be traded and distributed at no cost by anyone.

This version of Stars! is Shareware. You can evaluate this product for
up to 30 days without obligation; however, if you plan to continue 
using it after 30 days, you must register with a distributor. Stars! 
shareware is a fully playable but limited version of the full retail 
product. When you register with a distributor, you are also buying the
full retail version. You will receive a unique registration serial 
number which overrides the copy protection included in the retail 
version.

As a registered user you will also receive special upgrade prices on 
future versions of Stars!.
 
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What extra features do you get in the retail version?
-----------------------------------------------------
Why should you buy the retail version of Stars!?
 
Why settle for just a taste of the real thing? The price of galactic 
conquest has never been so low. In the retail version of Stars! you 
can design and save custom races, create larger universes with many 
more options and play with technology far beyond what's offered in the
shareware. More options means more strategies, more control and more 
surprises. Here's a short look at what you get when you buy Stars!: 

Custom Race Creation

Only in the retail version can you...

   * design custom races using 10 primary and 14 lesser racial traits
     (each trait includes special abilities and technologies) 
   * specify your race's tolerance or immunity to gravity, 
     temperature, and radiation 
   * specify how fast your race can propogate 
   * choose how efficiently your people mine and building factories 
   * specify how quickly or slowly your scientists use planetary 
     resources to research new technology 

Universe Creation Options

Only the retail version lets you...

   * create medium, large, and huge universes 
   * increase or decrease the number of planets in the universe 
   * choose the proximity of player's starting positions 
   * slow technological advances to extend the game and force 
     different strategies 
   * select unlimited minerals to eliminate mineral shortages while 
     learning how to play 
   * make player scores public after the first 20 turns 
   * disable randon events such as new mineral and artifact 
     discoveries, comets, habitability shifts, and traders 

Technology 
Research levels increase from 10 to 26, making many more exotic and 
powerful tech items available. 

Only the retail version has these toys...

   * Thicker Armor: Neutronium, Valanium and the dent resistant 
     Superlatanium that can absorb up to 1500 points of damage
   * 3 Super-tough Shields: the Elephant Hide Fortress, Gorilla 
     Delegator and Complete Phase 
   * 15 Advanced Beam Weapons: the Gattling Gun, Mini Blaster, 
     Bludgeon, Mark IV Blaster, Phased Sapper, Heavy
   * Blaster, Gattling Neutrino Cannon, Myopic Disruptor, Blunderbuss
     (592 d.p.), Disruptor, Syncro Sapper, Mega Disruptor,
   * Big Mutha Cannon, Streaming Pulverizer and the Anti-Matter 
     Pulverizer. 
   * Four Advanced Torpedos: the Epsilon, Rho, Upsilon and Omega. 
   * Four Advanced Missles: the Jihad, Juggernaut, Doomsday and the 
     (shudder) Armageddon. 
   * Seven Bigger Boom Bombs including the parking lot generating 
     Anihilator , the shrewd Peerless smart bomb and the deterraforming
     Retro Bomb. 
   * Five exotic engines including the Galaxy Scoop which can travel 
     at speeds up to Warp 9 using NO FUEL 
   * Bigger Starbase Hulls: The Ultra Station and massive Death Star 
   * Longer range Stargates including the unlimited range gate 
   * More Powerful Mass Drivers which can fling mineral packets up to 
     warp 13 
   * An Overthruster for gaining initiative in battle 
   * Fearsome warship hull designs like the Battleship, Dreadnought, 
     B-52 Bomber 
   * Large utility hull designs: the Super Freighter, Galleon, 
     Maxi-Miner, Ultra-Miner and Super Mine Layer 
   * The huge, mysterious Nubian Hull 
   * Super-efficient mining robots: Robo-Super and Robo-Ultra 
   * Powerful planet-based scanners that can see fleets in open space 
     up to 620 light years away and remote planetary activity up to 
     310 light years away 
   * The dense Planetary and Neutron shields to protect your planets 
     from enemy bombers and storm troops 
   * Powerful ship-based scanners: basic scans up to 500 light years, 
     penetrating scans over long distances, detection of fleets behind
     planets, remote scans of planet compositions and hidden 
     penetration of enemy defenses 
   * The highly effective Ultra-Stealth cloak 
   * Advanced Battle Computers: the Battle Super Computer and the 
     awesome Battle Nexus 
   * Advanced Jammers 30 and 50 
   * The doubly effective Flux Capacitor for giving your beam weapons 
     that extra punch 
   * An Energy Dampener to give you that small but deadly edge in 
     combat 
   * A Tachyon Detector for finding enemy ships hiding under cloaks 
   * An Anti-Matter Generator which generates and stores fuel on board 
   * Misc. Goodies: More effective Mine-layers, higher levels of 
     Terraforming and the Super Fuel Tank module 

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Stars! World Wide Web site
http://www.webmap.com/stars!
----------------------------

Waypoint Zero, the Stars! home site, has player support, reviews,
documentation, and links to other Stars! web sites, BBS's and online 
services which host games, offer utilities and strategy info.

If you don't have web access, you can still get more info and 
support by sending e-mail to stars@webmap.com.
