DarkStar One ManualCover NoQS EN.qxp

07/06/2006

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DarkStar One Manual Greyscale EN.qxp

21/07/2006

CONTENTS
EPILEPSY WARNING 1 PROLOGUE 2 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 3 INSTALLING THE GAME

3.1 Installation

GETTING STARTED
4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Main Menu Controls and Difficulty Level The Adventure Begins Savegames Screenshots
SPACE STATIONS IN SPACE TRAVELING
7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Traveling within a System Traveling Through Hyperspace The Navigation Chart Keys and Unlocking Systems

STORY AND FREE GAME

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Assignments Bounty Hunting Trade Smuggling Piracy
9 SPACE COMBAT 10 ARTIFACTS AND SHIP UPGRADES
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Collecting Artifacts Upgrade Points Upgrade Areas Equipment Class The Plasma Cannon

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11 INFORMATION ABOUT
11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 11.10 11.11 11.12 The Galaxy

DARKSTAR UNIVERSE

Political Disputes Types of Government Criminal Records Economic Systems Economic Situation Technology Level of Space Stations Who Owns Space Stations? What is the Legal Status of Space Stations? What are Empires? Currency Language
12 THE CHARACTERS 13 SERVICE & SUPPORT
13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Tips and Additional Information Websites Forum Patches / Downloads Contact Us Exchange of Defective Data Media
14 CREDITS 15 CONTROLS & KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

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GAME MANUAL - GUIDE TO THE GALAXY -

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EPILEPSY WARNING
Please read before playing. A very small percentage of individuals may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights. Exposure to certain patterns or backgrounds on a computer screen, or while playing video games, may induce an epileptic seizure in these individuals. Certain conditions may induce previously undetected epileptic symptoms even in persons who have no history of prior seizure or epilepsy. If you experience any of the following symptoms while playing : dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement or convulsions - immediately discontinue playing and consult your physician.

1 PROLOGUE

The Past Several centuries have passed since the Great Galactic War that had been a devastating escalation of conflicts between the races. It all began with a misunderstanding, the so-called Damokles incident when the Mortok destroyed the Terran cruiser Damokles during a routine inspection. War broke out between the Terran and the Mortok. Arrack and Raptor became involved siding with the Mortok, while the Oc'to supported the Terran. The Thul delivered weapons to all parties involved and then attacked the weakened opponents. The Great War ended after forty years although none of the opponents was declared victorious. The Terran sustained the heaviest losses as all their systems were virtually destroyed; the Thul had gained the most by almost doubling their territories due to their smart warfare: They avoided most of the battles, protected the borders of their territories, and provided the opposing parties with weapons. The Terran promoted establishing a Galactic Union in order to prevent such a devastating war from breaking out ever again. All races should participate. The Thul, however - a people of Terran origin - showed no interest in a Galactic Union. The Great War did not affect them negatively and they regarded the desire to establish an intergalactic body as a weakness of the other races. Moreover, across all races everyone was opposed to the Thul's genetic experiments or despised them. The Thul regarded these morals also as weakness - after all, the Thul regard all other people as undisciplined semicivilized beings driven by organic instincts. This attitude also defined their behavior towards the other races: They ignored

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Recommended Requirements - CPU Intel / AMD 2.6 GHz - 1024 MB RAM - Graphics card with 256 MB RAM, DirectX-9 compatible, supporting Pixel/Vertex Shader 3.0 (GeForce FX 6600 and Radeon X800 or higher) - 5.1 and DirectX compatible surround sound card (with surround speakers or headphones) - DVD-ROM drive - 6.5 GB free hard drive space - Mouse with mouse wheel - Optional: 3-Way-Joystick - Windows XP with Service Pack 2 Note:
- Please refer to the Readme file for the latest information on system requirement changes. - High-end graphics cards are able to increase game performance considerably, especially in conjunction with slower CPUs. - We cannot guarantee that Darkstar One will run on all laptops and notebooks due to the numerous and varied models available on the market. Moreover, mobile chipsets and graphics cards may differ from desktop standards. If your laptop/notebook meets the system requirements, Darkstar One will probably run; however, we cannot guarantee that it will due to differences in system architecture.

3 INSTALLING

3.1 Installation 1. Insert Darkstar One into your DVD-ROM drive. 2. If the autorun option is enabled, the installer will start automatically. Simply click "Install" and Darkstar One will install on your system. 3. If the installation does not automatically begin, double click "autorun.exe". 4. Follow the instructions on your screen. Important technical information and last-minute changes will be available in the Readme file. We recommend reading that file before starting the game. You can access it from the autostart menu. For the latest news about Darkstar One, please refer to the official homepage www.darkstar-one.com

4 GETTING STARTED

4.1 Main Menu You can choose between starting a new game and loading a previously saved game. Under "Options" you may configure your game options such as keyboard, mouse and joystick controls.

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4.2 Controls and Difficulty Level You can control the game with either mouse or joystick. We recommend using the keyboard in addition to both devices. It will help you to access important ship functions quickly during battles in space. In "Options" you will find a "Gameplay" tab. Adjust your difficulty level here and do not worry, you may change the difficulty level at any time during the game. 4.3 The Adventure Begins Once a new game has started, the adventure will begin to unfold with several video sequences. When they are finished, you will find yourself on a bustling trade station. First, you should select the training missions at the terminal. They will lead you straight into the game world and they will familiarize you with the controls of the "Darkstar One". 4.4 Savegames As soon as you have landed on stations as well as during long-lasting missions in space, the game will save automatically. Additionally, you may save the game manually at any time. Savegames are stored in "My Documents\Ascaron Entertainment\Darkstar One". 4.5 Screenshots Pressing the "Print" key will store a screen shot in "My Documents\Ascaron Entertainment\Darkstar One".

5 SPACE STATIONS

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Landing on Stations

In order to land on a station you must establish audio contact with the station first and ask for permission to land. If your criminal record is too high (more than two points), permission will be denied.
Leave. You will leave the station. If you own any cargo drones, they will follow you automatically. Dock. If you are searching for weapons or equipment for your ship, this is the place to look. Depending on the economic system (i.e. Agricultural) and the wealth of the system, the supplies and the quality of the items on offer will vary. This will become increasingly noticeable later in the game. Please refer to 11.7 "Technology Level of Space Stations" Trade. The import and export business of a system is handled exclusively on its trade station. Goods that are produced in abundance within a system are classed as 'Export Goods' - all other goods are classed as 'Import Goods'.
Tip The dynamic economy in Darkstar One's game world will calculate all prices in real time based on supply and demand. The higher the available amount of any particular class of goods, the lower the demand within a system, the lower the price will be. Tip Small bars in the Trade window illustrate the relation between supply and demand. Tip Export goods are usually low in demand and therefore cheaper than import goods. You should preferably purchase these goods.
Terminal. Read the latest news of the galaxy here, choose an assignment from the bulletin board or offer escort protection to undocking cargo ships. Panorama. The observation window offers a stunning view into space and down to the docking bays. Contact. You will be able to contact special people who are important for your mission. Additionally, you will be able to sign up for side missions (Special assignments).
Tip In each cluster (amassment of several solar systems) - with the exception of the starting cluster - a special assignment will be offered. Once the assignment is completed, it will yield a substantial reward and uncover a hidden system. Tip Special assignments tend to be difficult; however, they will continuously be on offer for you until they have been completed successfully.

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Tip Once you have accepted a special assignment, leaving the cluster will abort the mission. If you want to change to another assignment (maybe your current mission is too difficult, or you simply wish to take a new mission) then you may cancel your current assignment by leaving the cluster and returning for a new assignment. Of course, it is not possible to cancel missions for the main storyline. Tip If you do not complete a mission successfully, it may become available again in the future. This applies as long as none of the important NPCs involved in the assignment have died. Hyperspace jumps and time acceleration may shorten the waiting time.
Smuggling. If you have purchased goods on another station that are illegal in the current system, you will be able to sell them to a smuggler here.

Tip Press and hold the <Space> key to enable you to click on interface buttons Tip During fast-paced battles, you might find keyboard shortcuts very useful. Refer to Chapter 15 "Controls and Keys" for more information.

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Target Info. Displays important information about the selected ship / object. Scanner Info. Press this button to scan the cargo hold of your selected target. The target must be within a certain range; advanced scanners increase this range. Video Screen. Whenever ships or space stations contact you, an animated video image of the contacting person will appear here. Appropriate, dialogue options will also be displayed. Press keys 1, 2 or 3 to select your answer.
Buttons and Info Bar. The buttons and icons from left to right: - Logbook (Missions, Reputation, Status) - Ship Equipment and Upgrades 10 - Criminal Record (up to five stars: Felon) - Current Cash (credits are the given currency for the known universe) - Navigation Chart (navigation and information) - Options HUD. The HUD ("Head-Up-Display") offers useful information: i) The left quarter of the circle indicates the charge status of the plasma cannon. 11 ii) The right quarter of the circle indicates the charge status of the afterburner. iii) The four LEDs are aids for locking onto targets. When a guided missile is active and the target is in the center of the HUD, the missile will be locked onto that target. When all four LEDs are lit, the missile can be launched. 12 Target Direction. The arrow by the HUD indicates the direction where the currently selected target is located. Velocity / Distance to Target. Below the HUD on the left, the percentage of your 13 current velocity is displayed. On the right, you can read the distance to your selected target.

7 TRAVELING

7.1 Traveling within a System Once you have left a station or hyperspace (see below), you are located within a solar system. In order to shorten your traveling time, you should always travel at maximum velocity (when using a mouse with mouse wheel, the wheel will adjust your velocity) and use your afterburner. In many cases, time acceleration can be activated (see Chapter 6 "In Space")

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7.2 Traveling Through Hyperspace The game world of Darkstar One consists of more than 300 solar systems. The distance between the systems is usually several light-years. Therefore, the default propulsion that is used to travel inside of solar systems would be far too slow. Each journey would take decades. Fortunately, field drives exist. Each ship of long-range hunter and higher classes is able to induce the folding of space in order to enter into hyperspace. The flight through hyperspace is considerably shorter. The navigation computer will calculate the exact data for the flight, as every mistake would mean substantial diversions - or even death. Traveling through hyperspace poses one problem: How do you leave hyperspace? Creating an opening from hyperspace to normal space requires more energy than a ship smaller than a cruiser could muster. Therefore, each system has a hyper jump gate. They enable ships to leave hyperspace and return to normal space. However, this is not quite as easy as it sounds. You require the exact position of the hyper jump gate and additionally, you need a key! The chapter 7.4 "Keys and Unlocking Systems" describes how you will be able to meet these requirements. 7.3 The Navigation Chart The navigation chart shows all data that the navigation computer has collected and stored. In order to fly through hyperspace, you have to select a target within the range of your field drive. Once you have selected your target system, you initiate the jump from your cockpit.

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Current System. Target system: Left click on a solar system with available key. The system must be within range (see 8 and 9) Border of races' territories. Known system; key for jump gate available. Unknown system. You will receive the key, when you enter a neighboring system (see also 7.4 "Keys and Unlocking Systems"). An artifact is hidden inside an asteroid in this system. (In order to reach it, you must have a key to that particular system). Pirates occupy this system. Liberate it (simply travel there and defeat the pirates) and you will receive a substantial reward and an artifact. Current range: The drive will be depleted after the journey; however, it will recharge over time. Maximum range: Advanced field drives increase the traveling range. They become available throughout the story.

10 Cluster border.

7.4 Keys and Unlocking Systems You require a key to the jump gate in order to enter a solar system via hyperspace. Usually, you will receive the keys to neighboring systems when you enter a system. Exceptions to this rule: 1. Storyline Friends and clients will give you specific keys for certain areas and tasks. 2. Hidden Systems In each cluster (with the exception of the starting cluster) is a hidden system. You will only be able to obtain its key by completing a side mission. These special assignments will be offered via a special button on certain stations within the cluster.

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8 STORY AND FREE GAME
Story and free game coexist equally in Darkstar One. The story will lead you to unknown areas, new adventures and more artifacts. It enables you to enhance the "Darkstar One" and to upgrade your ship's technology. However, in order to use the new opportunities that the story offers you, you will also need the free game. Each new weapon, each additional piece of equipment will cost credits. Fortunately, there are many ways to earn these. 8.1 Assignments A bulletin board is available at terminals on trade stations. Various assignments will usually be on offer there. 8.2 Bounty Hunting You can accept assignments in order to earn bounties. Whenever you encounter pirates and eliminate them, you will automatically receive a bounty from the Galactic Union. Some say that rebels also pay bounties - however, they will demand the destruction of GU cruisers. 8.3 Trade Have you ever seen a battle ship that is able to load large amounts of goods? You're right - there aren't any. However, due to the cargo grabber technology that is not necessary. Whenever you purchase goods, you will receive an appropriate container as well. A cargo drone in the Darkstar One's back beam will tow this container. Unfortunately, this will render the ship sluggish. If a fight is imminent, you can simply drop the container and pick it up again once the fight is over. Tip See 'Tips' in Chapter 5 "Space Stations". When a police scan is imminent and you have both illegal goods on board as well as a container in tow, you will not be able to prevent a positive scan by simply dropping the container. This is because the ship carries some of the goods in its cargo hold and the police will still be able to detect the illegal wares. 8.4 Smuggling Smuggling is similar to trading. You purchase goods for favorable prices in one place and sell them for higher prices elsewhere. Depending on the system governments, certain luxurious goods are illegal. If you manage to get past the police and reach the trade station with illegal goods, you can sell them to a smuggler on the station. See 'Tips' in Chapter 5 "Space Stations". 8.5 Piracy Whoever steals a container from someone else in order to sell it qualifies as a pirate. If you intend to steal a container, shoot at a cargo vessel and hope that it will drop its containers. Collect these containers with your cargo grabber and disappear into the next system.

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9 SPACE COMBAT
Fights will usually ensue when you attack a hostile target run into trouble with the police become the target of pirate attacks.
Here are a few useful hints how to survive these fights: - Make good use of afterburners and reverse thrust. Activate the afterburner when enemies attempt to flee and use reverse thrust when you are unable to keep your enemies within your line of sight. When you slow down, your turning radius will decrease. - Your opponents will attempt to predict your movements during battle (just as you attempt to predict theirs) in order to score better hits. Therefore, it is important not to fly in a straight line when engaged in combat. Use the ability to move sideways or roll the ship as that will mislead your enemies - Use the plasma cannon! Discover how to apply the various effects efficiently. - In difficult battles use missiles as often as possible in order to eliminate your enemies quickly. - The further you advance into space, the more difficult your opponents will become. Remember to upgrade your ship and to maintain the latest available technology level. - Special missions that are offered on various stations are usually very difficult. If you fail, you should perhaps apply another strategy. - Some special opponents are capable of unusual tricks, which they will apply when they cannot get rid of you. Tip Don't be afraid to try out weapons other than the laser! Advanced weapon systems, such as those incorporating missile and plasma technologies, often have distinct advantages over the standard laser. Tip Evade shots from your enemies by frequently "Rolling" your ship and using "Strafe". Just as you use a 'point of impact' when targeting your enemies, so do your opponents. As such, your enemies will attempt to predict your flight path! Even if you were flying in circles, they would monitor this and still be able to score perfect hits. If you maneuver your ship sideways or perform a sudden 'roll', they will find it much more difficult to lock onto their target. Tip The target radar at the bottom left of your screen features a display, indicating the difficulty level of your opponents in five levels. Knowing the strength of your enemy might be useful when you have to decide whom to attack first: When all five levels of the bar are filled, you are facing a most difficult enemy.

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ARTIFACTS AND SHIP UPGRADES
10.1 Collecting Artifacts
The Darkstar One is an extraordinary ship. Kayron's father constructed it with the utmost secrecy from artifacts of an ancient people. These artifacts are of organic origin and they are able to merge with various parts of the ship in order to improve their attributes considerably. Many of these artifacts can still be found all over the universe. In order to facilitate the search for these artifacts, the Darkstar One features a special scanner. As soon as you enter a new cluster, all artifacts, which are located in this cluster, will be marked on your navigation chart. These artifacts are usually hidden inside asteroids. The Darkstar One has to fly into the inner areas of the asteroid and approach the location of the artifact. The artifact will be absorbed as soon as the Darkstar One is sufficiently close. Liberating occupied systems (pirate symbol on the navigation chart) will also yield an artifact as a reward. 10.2 Upgrade Points Not every artifact will enable you to upgrade the "Darkstar One". The number of artifacts needed for the next upgrade is noted in your logbook. 10.3 Upgrade Areas You can upgrade the hull, wings and engines of the "Darkstar One". A combination of upgrades in all of these areas is also possible. Therefore, you have the choice to select the advantages that suit your style of gameplay. Hull Increases the resilience of the "Darkstar One" (hull armor and shield bonus). Increases the number of turret mountings Wings Increases the number of mountings for fore weapons. Increases the ship's agility. Engines Improves the general energy supply. Afterburners, weapon systems and shields will recharge faster. Increases maneuverability towing containers. 10.4 Equipment Class Whenever you upgrade one area of the "Darkstar One", the maximum class of the other areas will also increase. Example: Upgrading the engines of the "Darkstar One" will also increase the maximum weapon class for fore weapons, turrets and missiles. The same applies for the energy class etc.

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Tip Upgrading vs. Equipment. Upgrading the "Darkstar One" with artifacts permanently increases the ship's attributes. However, this does not mean that new equipment is not required. On the contrary: When a new mounting for weapons becomes available after an upgrade, you have to purchase a new weapon that you can fit to it! 10.5 The Plasma Cannon The plasma cannon is a weapon unique to the "Darkstar One". You will be able to upgrade the plasma cannon with each ship's upgrade. The corresponding technology tree is available from the logbook.

INFORMATION ABOUT

11.1 The Galaxy
Darkstar One actually contains a part of the Milky Way itself from where the Terrans originate and where the solar system with a planet called "Earth" is located. Yet, there are more than three hundred solar systems available for exploration. Each system has a political orientation, an economy system, a ruling government and a financial status. The characteristics of these basic conditions vary from system to system thus affecting the activity of traders, pirates, police and the availability of goods and ship equipment. Each system features several planets as well as space stations and asteroids, but only one trade station. The entire exchange between systems takes place on these trade stations. A cluster consists of several solar systems. Clusters come in various sizes and the distance between them is usually longer than the distance between systems within same cluster. Therefore, many traders will only do business within their home clusters. Each of the six races that inhabit this part of the galaxy owns several clusters. 11.2 Political Disputes Galactic Union (GU) After the Great War, the interracial Galactic Union formed to prevent large-scale wars from ever breaking out again. Initially, the GU was founded as an alliance between the races; however, a race cannot speak for all the people within a solar system as each system is independent and has a different government. Most of the solar systems (more than 50 %) joined the Galactic Union though and envoys represent them in the Galactic Council. As each member of the GU is autonomous, the Council will only pass resolutions that do not interfere with government issues inside each of the various systems. Therefore, the Galactic Council will only come to decisions in each of the following 5 areas:

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Exchange of goods and technologies Economic agreements between the systems Police and military treaties (shared database for criminal offenses) Taxes and subsidies Military alliances The GU's predominant objective is to have a platform where all people may exchange their views and settle conflicts peacefully. Above all there is the intention to settle conflicts that have been smoldering since the Great War such as borderline conflicts. Another objective is the consistent economic growth of the entire galaxy. Wealth is generally regarded as the best preventive measure against war. Therefore, wide-ranging economic agreements were signed and a political environment was created that allowed the foundation of extremely large, interracial trade empires. These empires act far beyond the borders of clusters or races. Independent Systems Approximately 25 % of all systems are owned outside of the GU and they have reserved the right whether to follow GU resolutions or not. These systems have a fragile bond of arrangements and agreements. Independent systems also maintain a shared database for criminal offenses. However, in order to stress their independency, they do not share a database with the GU. Rebel Systems The remaining systems are rebel systems. Initially, these systems were opposed to the economic policies of the GU, realizing that such politics paved the way for the empires to become increasingly more powerful and influential. They denied the empires access to certain resources and prevented them from mining in some of their systems, which inevitably led to conflicts between the empires and the renegade systems. The empires gained economic and military influence and used these powers to put pressure on the opposing systems. Some empires were even successful in taking over the governments of certain systems and they proceeded to install empire governments. Faced with this enormous pressure, the renegade systems formed an alliance of their own. Due to the long-lasting conflict and the terror-like acts of this alliance, the members became known as "The Rebels". Eventually, the GU realized that it had to act and it cut down the rights of the empires. Finally, the conflicts between the empires and the rebels died down. Empires would deliver goods to the rebel systems and the rebels guaranteed the safety of all cargo vessels from the empires.

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11.3 Types of Government A system's government type is just as important as its political alignment when it comes to the safety from pirate attacks. Some types of government will turn a blind eye to criminal offenses in space and therefore, they do not have a large police force on patrol. The classification, whether goods are illegal also depends on the type of government. Stable types of government such as democracies or empire leaderships usually rule GU systems whereas anarchy and federation can be found predominantly in rebel systems.
Government Democracy Description A superior government led by an elected president represents the entire system. The citizens of a democracy are content and concentrate on the preservation and prolongation of life. The society is opposed to androids and drugs. Empire Leadership After the Great War had ended and the empires had been established, conflicts broke out between rebels and empires. The empires have established governments in several rebel systems with rich resources after years of disputes about the mining rights. Systems under empire leaderships are totalitarian and authoritative. They are similar to dictatorships; however, they have strict laws, which they enforce meticulously. Pirates avoid these systems due to the high police presence. Arriving ships are always scrutinized. Traditionally, empires were founded from mining companies; therefore, they are usually found in former mining colonies. Another important branch of economic activity is the production of industrial goods. Illegal Goods: Video games Drugs Security: High Notes Illegal Goods: Androids Drugs Security: High

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Government Dictatorship
Description This is a non-democratic, authoritative type of government. An elite leadership or a single dictator rules the solar system. Several systems are under the rule of the military powers. Their constitutions are rudimentary at best and the lack of governmental control bodies is an ideal prerequisite for corruption, which - in turn - leads to unlawful citizens. Dictatorships focus on the preservation of military strength. Therefore, the economic branches of industrial goods and research are predominant.
Notes Illegal Goods: Video games Luxury goods Security: Medium

Monarchy

Ramirez A pirate with lots of honor and even more courage. These are characteristics of the Mortok who are always prepared for battle. Just like most of his fellow Mortok, he is straightforward and courageous. When he speaks, his voice is booming and his jokes are crude. His father was a warrior, so was his mother. Still, Ramirez was not comfortable with the strict hierarchy of the army and he chose the free life of a pirate. He has been in this trade for many years now and he will only accept assignments that he deems 'honorable'.
Zarkov Doctor Zarkov is an extremely intelligent, obsessively working Raptor scientist who begins to investigate the recent Thul attacks on his own account, as he is becoming increasingly frustrated with the lackluster attitude of the Galactic Union. He completely ignores the fact that he might endanger his own life because he feels compelled to find out the truth. This attitude is not typical for the average Raptor, whose life is affected by morals, traditions and religion, but - as he frequently states: One must not be pedantic.

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Nicolai Just like Zarkov, Nicolai is a Raptor. He is the chief security officer of a research station. Due to his strong faith and his ideals, he has a distinct sense of justice and righteousness. He is an excellent pilot and he is always aware of his duties but he can be careless - or so it seems to outsiders. At times, he is scatterbrained and he attracts bad luck like a magnet.
Jowson Jow'son is an Oc'to diplomat and son of Jow'hal, one of the outstanding geologists of his time. Jow'son is an extremely logical and rational individual just like all Oc'to are. Jow'son usually appears to be disinterested and bored; however, behind that faade he is hiding a keen intelligence that enables him to analyze his conversation partners quickly. That is the secret of his diplomatic success. Like most Oc'to, Jow'son despises violence in any way, shape or form. However, he would never hesitate to defend his friends - if need be with the force of weapons.
Jiju Jiju is an Arrack soldier and like all Arrack he is timorous, hesitant and jumpy. These characteristics manifest in the jerky movements of his head and antennae. He would never willingly disobey a law and he craves rules and hierarchy. However, once he has committed himself to fight he gives one hundred percent for his comrades-in-arms. Jiju prefers to be a strategist who plans and organizes matters.
Naara Naara is a Thul - that says it all: Imagine a Terran, double his striving for perfection, take away emotions and ethical beliefs, add a great amount of logic, and increase his feeling of superiority. However, this does not do Naara justice. She is an outstanding scientist and an exceptional fighter pilot. Contrary to most Thul, she has realized that arrogance does not constitute diplomatic adroitness.

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Service & Support
Due to the large number of hardware and software components as well as system configurations available on the market, it is not possible to entirely eliminate the possibility of program installation and operation problems. Although we endeavour to prevent such problems through extensive testing and numerous beta tests, issues may occur. These issues can often be quickly resolved. Should you experience technical problems with the installation or operation of Darkstar One, a variety of information sources are available:
13.1 Tips and Additional Information
The Readme file in the game's installation folder contains tips, additional information and technical information which may not have been available at the time of printing the manual. Default installation path: C:\Program Files\Ascaron Entertainment\Darkstar One\

13.2 Websites

Ascaron Entertainment Darkstar One Official Homepage Darkstar Forums (fan site) www.ascaron.com www.darkstar-one.com www.darkstarforum.com

13.3 Forum

You may use the forum to discuss or exchange your ideas and experiences with other Darkstar One fans. The developers of the game are also often available in these forums. Visit: www.darkstar-one.com and click on "Forum"

13.4 Patches / Downloads

A patch is a program that optimizes the performance of an installed program. You can check on the Darkstar One website (as well as the Ascaron home page www.ascaron.com) whether any updates are available for Darkstar One.

13.5 Contact Us

In the unlikely event that you encounter a technical problem with Darkstar One you can use our internet service at: http://www.ascaron.com/gb/gb_service/gb_service_kontakt.asp. - Please fill in the form for further information. If you contact us via the online form or via email, please remember to provide your computer's basic hardware details. In addition, please also attach the file "DxDiag.txt"

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To create your DxDiag.txt file, proceed as follows: - Click on the Windows "Start" button - Open the command line by clicking on "Run" - Type "dxdiag" and click on "OK" - The DirectX diagnosis program should now start up. Please be patient as this may take a little while - Click on "Save all information". A file named "DxDiag.txt" will be created in your chosen location. You can reach our Service Department by using the following telephone number: + 49 (0) 5241 / 0 (Monday through Friday, 2 - 5 p.m. CET) Note: The service number is hosted in Germany and will be charged at a rate according to the terms and conditions of your telephone provider. Please be at the computer when you call and have your computer hardware information ready. We are also available for contact via mail and fax: Ascaron Entertainment (UK) Ltd 19-21 High Street Coleshill B46 1AY UK Fax: + 44 (0) 1675 465570

13.6 Exchange of Defective Data Media
Please read this section (13.6 Exchange of Defective Data Media) in its entirety for details on faulty returns, associated requirements, costs and warranty information. We will exchange defective or faulty DVDs. This warranty does not extend to damage caused by improper handling. However, if your DVD does suffer scratches or other damage from mishaps we do offer an exchange for a handling fee of 10 (GBP 7). Please enclose your name, postal address and a cheque for 10 (GBP 7), made payable to "Ascaron Entertainment (UK) Limited", when you return your DVD to us. This warranty expires 1 year after your first purchase of the title. For older titles, we are unable to provide any warranties. The exchange service is a voluntary service of Ascaron Entertainment and does not constitute a legal claim. Whilst Ascaron Entertainment (UK) Limited is happy to assist with English enquiries originating from within Europe, we regret that we are unable to offer assistance with non-English enquiries, or enquiries from outside of Europe - in such cases, please contact your local distributor directly. Defective DVDs and all necessary items required to facilitate the exchange, including postal information and payments, should be sent to: Ascaron Entertainment (UK) Ltd 19-21 High Street Coleshill B46 1AY UK

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Credits
Concept and Lead Design Daniel Dumont Project Lead Kay Struve Programming Lead Bernd Ludewig Logic Peter Grimsehl Interface Andreas Mller Graphics Boris Fornefeld Stephan Hodes Engine Bastian Clarenbach Michael Kopietz Sound Tobias Berghoff Script Lead Andreas Schmieschek Scripting Jan Langermann Michel Dumont Christian Altrogge Tools Lead Ulf Winkelmann Team Daniel Balster Maik Delitsch Bastian Rolf Thorsten Bentrup Matthias S Story and Game Design Story, Dialogues and Screenplay Claudia Kern Story Production Sebastian Neuhaus
Mission and System Design Peter Hann Armin Bttcher Tunnel Design Mirko Worsley Additional Design Mario Endlich Graphics Lead Artist Alex Conde Research and Shader Design Mark Klker Character Animation and Object Adaptation Guido Neumann Models, Interiors, Cutscenes - The Lightworks Tobias Richter Arne Langenbach Oliver Nikelowski Iring Freytag Peter Hecker Oliver Stark Kian Saemian Cutscenes and Characters - Virgin Lands Animated Pictures GmbH Volker Jcklein Vito Lamanna Ralf Httinger Stefan Spatz Frank Hessefort Christian Hotze Bjrn Harhausen Oliver Weirich Marc von der Brggen Alexey Danilkin Planet Textures, Tunnel 1+2 - Twisted Pair Michael Reuter Thorsten Wallner Hans-Jrg Keim Manuel Simon Marc Reuter

Modeling Equipment MBA Studios GmbH & Co. KG - Markus Baader Pixelstorm - Bleick Bleicken Modeling Interiors - Animation Arts Marco Zeugner Christian Fischer Sound and Music Sound Supervision Dag Winderlich Sound Design and Effects Stefan Ruthenberg Music - Dynamedion Pierre Langer Tilman Sillescu Alex Pfeffer Alexander Rder Markus Schmidt Christian Hartung Michael Schwendler Additional Music - Nugel Bros Music Ingo Nugel Henning Nugel Andreas Adler Voice Recordings - M+S Music Ulrike Strzbecher Sven Hasper Stefan Lupp Corinna Viel Michael Torunsky Benjamin Hessler Voice Talents (German) Renier Baaken Achim Barrenstein Gisa Bermann Rolf Birkholz Stphane Bittoun Steffen Brmel Erik Borner Michael Deckner Sonngard Dressler Roy Fromlovitz Dieter Gring Andreas Grber Mario Hassert Peter Heusch

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Helge Heynold Rolf Idler Wolff von Lindenau Martin Schfer Jochen Ntzelmann Abak Safad-Rei Marko Schmidt Karl-Jrgen Sihler Johannes Steck Aart Vedder Gero Wachholz Peter Wenke Steffen Willhelm Susan Zeller Voice Talents (English) Donald Arthur Stewart Booth Dave Bowman Tony Clark Andrea Dewell James Fisk Phil Lewis Mike McAlpine Clayton Nemrow Joseph Rippier Alison Rippier Mike Shiels Susan Tackenberg Chris Tucker Geoffrey Steinherz Carl Andernson Tracy Grey Quality Assurance Lead Lars Berenbrinker QA-Team Sebastian Walter Denis Rehbock Piotr Kostrz Philip Gamerschlag Sebastian Henke Martin Lukaszek Felix Schuller Kevin Brepohl Beta Test Lead, Proofreading Torsten Allard Alan Wild Helga Parmiter Hardware Testing Mark Kieschke Jan Walczak
Quality Four GmbH, Potsdam, Germany QA Director Bernhard Ewers QA Team Leader Michael Hhndorf Sebastian Nachtigall QA-Team Potsdam Matthias Lorenz Enrico Ausborn Jrg Theirich Oliver Sturm Mirko Schmidt Steven Meinhardt Hans Joachim von Feilitzsch Michael Andraschek Christoph Rothenberg Robert Gondro Andre Blunert Christopher Grothe Sven Rosenkranz Florian Reisert Henrik Schnittger Matthias Schulz Thomas Schwan Production and Publishing Localization Manager Tim Plger Translation / Localization Helga Parmiter Web Design and Layouts Jrgen Venjakob Community Management Christiane Clarenbach Creative Director Hans-Arno Wegner Development Supervision Eric Labelle Marketing Manager Christian Franke Publishing Director Heiko tom Felde
Managing Director Holger Flttmann Marketing and International Distribution Managing Director Roger Swindells International Product Manager Alan Wild Business Development Manager Glenn Davies SPECIAL THANKS Our special thanks go to: - More than 200 avid beta testers - The Darkstar One Community - The partners and families of our team members and their infinite patience and devotion throughout the entire project. Additional thanks go to: - PestControl for his unerring support, testing, terminology and ideas - Stillz for his dressing up skills - Blackstaff for his hosting and distribution ideas - Wickesy for his inimitable and infectious humor - The members of Lancersreactor.com, especially Wouter Schippers (alias Eraser) and Keith Palmer (alias bakedpotato) for their contributions and support of the Darkstar One team

finished BioShock Call of Duty DarkStar One Fallout Fallout 2 Freespace Half-Life Half-Life 2 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Half-Life 2: Episode One Half-Life 2: Episode Two Half-Life 2: Lost Coast Half-Life: Blue Shift Half-Life: Opposing Force Jade Empire: Special Edition Max Payne Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Myst Portal Psychonauts realMYST Riven S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl The Longest Journey unfinishable Beat Hazard Day of Defeat: Source Droplitz Left 4 Dead Team Fortress 2 Team Fortress Classic unfinished Beyond Good & Evil Bully: Scholarship Edition Call of Duty: United Offensive Celtic Kings DiRT DiRT 2 Earth 2160 FUEL Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto 2 Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto: Vice City GRID Mirrors Edge Original War Osmos Railroad Tycoon 2: Platinum Sacred Gold Sacrifice The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion The Manhole The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom ToCA Race Driver 3 Wild Metal Country unplayable Freespace 2 Manhunt Midnight Club II