_____ _ _____ _
/ ____| | / ____| | |
| (___ | |_ __ _ _ __ | | _ __ _ _ ___ __ _ __| | ___ _ __
\___ \| __|/ _` | '__| | | | '__| | | / __|/ _` |/ _` |/ _ \ '__|
____) | |_| (_| | | | |____| | | |_| \__ \ (_| | (_| | __/ |
|_____/ \__|\__,_|_| \_____|_| \__,_|___/\__,_|\__,_|\___|_|
______ ____
| ____/\ / __ \
| |__ / \ | | | |
| __/ /\ \| | | |
| | / ____ \ |__| |
|_|/_/ \_\___\_\
Star Crusader FAQ ver 0.3
by Alshoff
Copyright (c) 2010-2011
Disclaimer since CheatsGuru.com and CheatBook.de stole this FAQ:
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web
site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation
of copyright.
Contact:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Alshoff
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.) Introduction [INT99]
2.) About this FAQ [FAQ99]
a. About Grimnada
b. Saving Bug
c. Changelog
3.) Controls [CONT99]
4.) Ships [SHIP99]
5.) Mission Types, Troubles, and Basic Tactics [TACT99]
6.) Secondary Missions [SEC99]
a. Pilot Academy
7.) Mission Tree [TREE99]
8.) Demo Version [DEMO99]
a. Demo Mission Tree
9.) Bonus Disk [BONUS99]
a. Bonus Disk Mission Tree
10.) Hex Editing [HEX99]
a. Pilots
b. Ships
c. Missions
11.) Thanks [THNX99]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INT99] Introduction
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gorene Empire enters the Ascalon Rift with the intention of conquering it.
They use diplomacy and military force as necessary. The residents of the
Ascalon Rift reject the Gorenes' overtures and form an Alliance to defeat them.
Fighting between the Gorene Empire and Alien Alliance soon breaks out. The
Gorenes send their finest pilot and squadron, Roman Alexandria and Gold
Squadron, to help turn the tide.
Take2 released Star Crusader in 1994. There were two versions, a floppy
version and a CD version. This FAQ is based on the CD version. A twenty-one
mission add-on diskette was later released.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[FAQ99] About this FAQ
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ began in early 2008 in a plain text editor. It originally started as
a walkthrough, but that was scrapped given the large number of missions.
Completion of the FAQ was delayed due to loss of saved games, a computer
upgrade, and general difficulty in maintaining a plain text file. Since then,
however, the FAQ moved to OpenOffice as a preferred word processor. This
enables faster editing with fewer grammatical and spelling errors. Hopefully,
the FAQ benefited from the delays.
The Star Crusader FAQ avoids the second-person pronoun “you” as well as
first-person pronouns “I”, “me”, and “my”. The player is simply referred to as
such or as “Roman Alexandria”.
Star Crusader lacks proper mission names or mission numbers. There is a
limited branching path depending on the success or failure of certain missions.
To simplify matters, missions will contain both a number and letter. For
instance, the player will reach Mission 10c if he or she fails Mission 10b.
Spoilers are avoided in this FAQ save for certain instances. Mission names
might provide spoilers, but just avoid the Mission Tree in that case. The
original Star Crusader manual and associated packaging hinted at certain parts
of the game, however, so there's not much to spoil.
This FAQ summarizes some of the manual, but adds its own tips as well. Read
the Star Crusader Survival Manual for a more in-depth look at the game. The
Computer Room provides much background information on the various races and
technology of the Ascalon Rift.
-About Grimnada-
It's unknown if the Grimnada Expansion was ever made. More than likely, it
wasn't. However, the development team apparently wrote scripts for the
Grimnada expansion. A fan project may one day create those missions, but only
time will tell.
There is a Bonus Missions Disk floating around, but it bears no relation to
Grimnada. In fact, the first set of missions are just the demo!
-Saving Bug-
Star Crusader's bugs prove mostly harmless. Most are simply errors in dialogue
before or after missions.
The largest problem is the save system. The player saves or restores from his
or her custom-named save slots. Sometimes the names get mixed up and the save
slots no longer correspond to their names. It's unclear if the saved games are
lost or just misplaced. To avoid this trouble, it's best to use only one save
slot and manually backup the file PREVIOUS.GAM and use it as a checkpoint.
This file contains only the previously played game/mission-up-to-that-point.
The main save file is CRUSADER.SAV and is the source of most save problems.
-Changelog-
2011-03-20 - Created version 0.3
- Added new information regarding mission count.
- Added Bonus Disk missions and information.
- Added how to hex edit to particular missions.
- Added more keyboard combinations to Controls.
- Added copyright disclaimer.
- Updated information on minefields.
- Notes on Artificial Intelligence.
2010-08-31 – Created version 0.2
- Added notes and Mission Tree for demo.
- Added Hex Editing section.
- Shortened the dash-separators.
- Fixed some minor punctuation errors.
2010-08-01 – Submitted version 0.1 to GameFAQs.
Jul. 2010 – Scrapped any hope of a full walkthrough, FAQ only. Major
cleanups and revisions.
Dec. 2009 – Completed the Mission Tree.
2007/8 – Initiated this as a walkthrough.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[CONT99] Controls
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ctl = Control Key
Alt = Alt Key
-General Controls-
Alt+[1] : Turn panel 1 off in the cockpit.
Alt+[2] : Turn panel 2 off in the cockpit.
Alt+[3] : Turn panel 3 off in the cockpit.
Ctl+[e] : Eject.
Ctl+[s] : Scan (Intruder only).
Alt+[l] : Launch probe (Intruder only).
Alt+[r] : Toggle RADAR modes.
0-3 : Adjust speed of craft (0 is stop, 3 is fastest).
4 : Match target speed.
[-] : Decrease speed of craft.
[=] : Increase speed of craft.
[tab] : Boost (consumes more fuel).
[b] : Toggle stealth battery charging.
[c] : Activate stealth generator (Intruder only).
[p] : Game pause.
[i] : Insult opponent.
[j] : Activate jump engines (must be stationary).
[n] : Bring up navigation menu (communication, repair, etc.).
Right-click with mouse to exit (or [Escape] key).
7-9 : Rotates through different screens for each panel in the cockpit.
(7 = panel one, 8 = panel two, 9 = panel three)
The screens can contain damage control information, radar, etc.
[F1-F8] : Change view.
Shift+[>] : View right of ship.
Shift+[<] : View left of ship.
[F9-F12] : Change texture detail and such.
Shift + [F10]: Activate phong shading.
-Combat: Targeting-
[a] : Cycle through allies.
Alt+[a] : Previous ally.
[e] : Toggle between two nearest enemies.
[l] : Target vessel in crosshairs.
[t] : Cycle through all targets.
-Combat: Weapons-
[space] : Fire primary weapon.
[enter] : Fire secondary weapon
[r] : Tractor beam on/off (current target).
[w] : Toggle various weapons (lasers, missiles, Disruptors, etc.).
[s] : Shields on/off.
Shift+[l] : Overcharge lasers.
Shift+[s] : Overcharge shields.
-Simulator Keys-
Ctl+[r] : Resupply ship. (With weapons, not fuel.)
Shift+[Tab] : Toggles invincibility.
[Page Up] : Ultra speed. (Ship moves faster without consuming fuel.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[SHIP99] Ships
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Almost all enemy ships lack auto-repair systems, while the Gorene ships always
contain them. The player and wingmen can capture enemy craft and fly them on
later missions. The player must disable enemy fighters with Disruptors, EMP
Torpedoes, or kill the pilot with a Neutron Cannon, then tow the craft with a
tractor beam.
There are three types of playable ships: fighters, strike craft, and scouts.
Fighters generally maneuver better and fly faster than strike craft, but don't
carry as many weapons and contain smaller power plants. Strike craft hold more
weaponry and armor, at the cost of speed and maneuverability. The third type
are scouts, but there is only one ship in that class and is only used for recon
missions.
Note that the Gorenes add auto-repair systems to any ships they capture and
operate. Also, Nomen ships are copies of Gorene ships, but slightly more
maneuverable.
Gorene Scorpion
Type: Fighter
2nd Weapon: Torpedoes (8)
3rd Weapon: Tractor Beam
Summary: Fast and maneuverable, the Gorenes' premier dog fighter.
Gorene Liberator
Type: Strike
2nd Weapon: Disruptors (Disable enemy ships)
3rd Weapon: Torpedoes (20)
4th Weapon: Tractor Beam
Summary: Useful and effective on nearly any combat-oriented mission in
the game. Provides excellent protection and firepower.
Gorene Intruder
Type: Scout
Other: Stealth System
Summary: Not built for combat.
Tancred Samurai
Type: Fighter
2nd Weapon: Plasma Torpedoes
3rd Weapon: Vector Cannon
Summary: A fast and maneuverable fighter fitted with a powerful Plasma
Torpedo launcher, a Vector Cannon, and twin lasers. Common
tactic is to fire a Vector Cannon and knock opponent off-
balance. Follow-up with a torpedo and lasers.
Tancred Warlord
Type: Strike
1st Weapon: Lasers (4)
2nd Weapon: Plasma Torpedoes (two launchers)
3rd Weapon: Vector Cannon
Summary: Causing massive damage to both fighters and capital ships, it
ranks first in raw destructive power. Capture these as soon
as possible.
Zemun Harbinger
Type: Fighter
2nd Weapon: Hellfire (Shield drain)
Summary: The Hellfire Cannon causes heavy damage to shields, but no
hull damage whatsoever. Both front and rear shields are
damaged. It has a 2 kvm range, but does weaken at long
ranges. Not very effective against cruisers and bases with
high shield-ratings and high shield-recharge rates, but
potentially devastating in a dogfight.
Zemun Paladin
Type: Strike
2nd Weapon: Hellfire
3rd Weapon: Energy Siphon (energy drain)
Summary: The Energy Siphon drains power from an enemy craft and causes
some damage, but only when the enemy ship's shields are down.
Might assign this to a wingman.
Mazuman Buccaneer
Type: Fighter
2nd Weapon: Tractor Beam
Summary: The Buccaneer is fast and highly maneuverable, but lacks
armor and high-damage weapons. It carries only its lasers
and a tractor beam. Frequently destroyed by accidentally
ramming into other ships.
Mazuman Capitalist
Type: Strike
2nd Weapon: Neutron Cannon
3rd Weapon: Tractor Beam
Summary: The Neutron Cannon kills the pilot of a craft without harming
its electronics. The enemy's shields must be lowered first
which is best done with laser fire. Useful for the
occasional capture mission, but not a good candidate in heavy
dogfighting* or strikes on bases/cruisers.
*It might be useful against heavily-armored fighters (e.g.
Tancreds) given that the effect is permanent compared to
Disruptors or EMP Torpedoes, but the ship is quite fragile.
Amien Starwolf
Type: Fighter
2nd Weapon: Aegis Shield (10 seconds)
3rd Weapon: Tractor Beam
Summary: A fighter that is temporarily invincible when it raises its
Aegis Shield. It can also use the shield as a weapon by
ramming into targets and discharging its energy.
Amien Guardian
Type: Strike
2nd Weapon: EMP Torpedoes (10)
3rd Weapon: Tractor Beam
Summary: Its EMP Torpedoes allow it to quickly and accurately disable
a target, but the limited number means said torpedoes must be
conserved. An enemy's shields need to be weakened beforehand
or else the EMP will have limited or no effect.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[TACT99] Mission Types, Troubles, and Basic Tactics
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To avoid repetition in the guide, tips for common mission types,
pitfalls, and environmental obstacles are listed here.
Artificial Intelligence
The AI of wingmen has a few quirks. Wingmen will never rapid-fire
torpedoes even if the carry a sufficient supply. Thus, they may fight
better using more powerful, but slow-firing, secondary weapons such as
Plasma Torpedoes or Hellfire Cannons. Oddly, Gorene capital ships unleash
all their torpedoes on the first target they see, making them incredibly
dangerous.
Wingmen maneuver well against moving targets, but against static targets
they just hold still. Bear this in mind when sending them to attack
bases.
Wingmen will also ram escape pods if they are assigned to Tancred
fighters. This is likely due to an old version in which Tancred craft
carried tractor beams. Be mindful as to who picks up escape pods.
Attacking Bases/Capital Ships
These crewed space vessels carry multiple turrets of lasers and special
weapons such as Plasma Torpedoes. Ideally, Roman Alexandria engages a
capital ship or base with his wingmates aiding him. This is difficult to
pull off due to wingmen retreating, dying, or refusing orders. As a
result, Roman frequently destroys a capital ship by himself rather than
relying on his teammates.
One tactic using the Gorene Liberator is to follow the capital ship at 1.5
kvms (the maximum range of torpedoes) and attack until the shields fall.
The capital ship may be destroyed due to the volume of fire or it may be
weakened enough to destroy with lasers.
The Tancred Warlord follows the same tactic as the Liberator with its
Plasma Torpedoes, overwhelming a capital ship's defenses and destroying
it. However, it is quite time consuming waiting for the torpedoes to
regenerate. The Warlord's advantage over the Liberator lies in its
unlimited Plasma Torpedoes. The Warlord can engage many capital ships in
a prolonged battle.
Another way to destroy a capital ship is to knock down its shields, then
disable it with Disruptors, EMP Torpedoes, or a Neutron Cannon. It can
then be destroyed at the player's leisure, but this usually requires
assistance from wingmates.
Capturing Ships
An objective needs to be captured, whether it be a shuttle, fighter,
freighter, or capital ship. Some are better defended than others.
Wingmates prove a nuisance as they habitually use lasers to destroy the
target rather than disable it. It's best to order them away once any
escorts are destroyed.
Outside of mission requirements, Roman Alexandria and his wingmates can
capture enemy ships and pilots. There is no benefit to capturing a pilot,
but captured ships are available in the simulator or subsequent missions.
Defend Base
One of Roman's allied bases falls under attack and must be defended.
These are the hardest missions of all. The enemy attacks with fighters
and assault ships as well as capital ships. It's up to the player and a
group of pilots to hold them off. Roman should concentrate on destroying
any strike craft attacking the objective while his wingmates deal with the
fighters. With luck, the objective should survive the mission.
Dog Fighting
Practically every mission requires ship-to-ship combat. The best tactic
is to avoid or weaken the initial salvo of enemy fire. Enemy fighters
generally attack with their special weapons as soon as possible. Plasma,
EMP, and Gorene Torpedoes can all be destroyed or weakened with laser
fire, though only Plasma Torpedoes can realistically be hit.
It's better to be well-armored and well-armed rather than fast and agile.
Ships, even allies, frequently crash into each other during battle.
Mazuma Buccaneers can crash and explode on a collision even with full
shields. Extra firepower allows for quick destruction of enemy ships,
saving wingmates' lives and making the mission easier.
A mix of both strike craft and fighters should be deployed on multi-ship
missions to cover each others' weaknesses. Some wingmen perform better in
agile craft, but exercise caution in deployments. Scorpions are a good
compromise between firepower, defense, and maneuverability.
If Roman flies a craft equipped with a tractor beam, he can lasso faster,
more maneuverable opponents with it and reduce their advantages. Bear in
mind, tractor beams require power and reducing velocity somewhat is the
best way of maintaining a tractor-lock.
Escort Strike Drones
Strike Drones may not strike the target unless Roman Alexandria is near
said target. This may extend to allies as well.
Invincible Pilots
Most enemy fighters lack pilots with names or portraits. Most have skill
ratings such as “Ace”, “Veteran”, or “Poor”. However, there are named
pilots with portraits, speaking roles, and some relevance to the plot.
Typically, they rank as aces and cannot die in battle or face capture*.
(Sometimes NPC pilots do eject, but even if captured they remain with
their allies.) Their ships can be damaged to the point of near-
destruction, but never truly destroyed. They are the best enemy pilots on
nearly any mission and pose the greatest threat. Disabling with
Disruptors is the fastest way to be rid of them, as they will take maximum
damage before retreating.
The one benefit to Invincible Pilots is that some of Roman's own teammates
belong to this category and cannot die or be captured during battles. A
savvy player can assign these immortal pilots to secondary missions with
an almost guarantee of victory. Said pilots include Marsh Lawton, Hela
Selrase, Krugon Dept, Kara Helmar, and Kayla Brool.
*There are a few exceptions in which a plot-important pilot can be
captured. They may be rescued, though.
Mines
Combat or recon can occur in areas with mine fields. Mines function by
targeting the energy output of enemy craft. To avoid them, reduce thrust,
as velocity is related to energy. However, the entire minefield can be
disabled by locating the mine controller satellite and destroying it. The
satellite is usually difficult to detect and will disappear from RADAR
frequently.
Mine controllers are difficult to find on radar. Watch for an infrequent
flashing question mark (“?”) and home in on it. As Roman approaches, it
should appear as a standard mine symbol, but visually look like a
satellite.
Nebula
Nebulae disrupt computers, sensors, targeting, and weapons. Combat in
them is difficult and short-ranged dogfights are standard. Torpedo
strength is not affected, but the targeting of them is. It's best to set
all the cockpit panels to display a targeting reticule and overcome the
interference.
Power Management
Recharging shields or weapons, running the auto-repair system, or
generating thrust all consume power. A ship's power output is fixed, so a
pilot must prudently control which system receives priority over the
others. If the pilot uses lasers or Plasma Torpedoes frequently, those
should be elevated in the power control screen. Simply cutting thrust to
two-thirds frees up a lot of power for recharging shields or weapons.
Shields and lasers can be overcharged, allowing them to recharge twice as
fast. However, both systems may be damaged by overcharging, limiting
their maximum power/capacity. The ship's computer will automatically
disable the overcharge once the lasers/shields reach maximum power.
Recon
Turn on the stealth system and avoid expending too much energy as it
triggers sensors. Energy output such as the firing of lasers or the speed
of the craft increase the chances of detection. Reduce engine output
whenever enemies approach. Study the map to fly around enemy patrols and
approach the target. Scan or launch a probe. Escape by using an
afterburner and jumping to hyperspace.
Velocity should be increased gradually, as sudden changes increase the
chance of detection.
The stealth system on the Gorene Intruder runs from a battery and thus
needs to recharge after some time. Do so as far away from enemies as
possible. Most missions can be completed without recharging.
Since the scout craft is the fastest of all ships, the player can outrun
enemy patrols, then activate the stealth system so said opponents lose
track of the craft. In this fashion, enemies are lead away from
patrolling a particular area.
This is one of the best missions in which to use a Contingency Mission in
the Computer Room.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[SEC99] Secondary Missions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roman Alexandria can launch Secondary Missions that occur parallel to the
Primary Mission. These are split between Defensive and Offensive Missions.
Defensive Missions simply allow friendly territory to be protected from enemy
attack. Roman places some or all of his spare pilots on defense. After a
Primary Mission, Blois Fulcher alerts Roman to the Tactical Map Room. Blois
identifies which party attacked, how many sectors were lost, any lost defending
pilots, and if the opponents were repulsed. If repulsed, the enemy gains no
territory.
Offensive Missions permit Roman and his squadron to acquire resources or
territory, rescue pilots, or perform a contingency mission in case the Primary
Mission failed. Only one type of Offensive Mission is allowed per Primary
Mission.
Offensive Missions allow a maximum of six pilots. Roman may launch the
following activities:
1.) Combat
Launches a raid on an enemy to seize their territory. Controlling more
territory is supposed to generate weaker opponents in later missions, but
isn't that important unless Roman is losing the war by a massive degree.
2.) Contingency
Allows a Primary Mission to succeed even if Roman Alexandria fails. Quite
useful on very hard missions or very boring missions such as Recon.
3.) Rescue
Retrieve captured pilots. Useful if any highly skilled pilots end up
captured.
4.) Resource Acquisition
Capture whole enemy ships or parts to build new ships such as Liberators.
Very useful to replace lost ships or gain alien ships.
Offensive Missions are assigned an associated Risk Level: Conservative,
Tactical, Conventional, Dangerous, and Reckless. These determine the chance of
success and the rewards. Winning a Combat mission on Reckless earns four
sectors, while Dangerous earns three. Reckless missions are very tough, even
Invincible Pilots will lose them frequently. It's best to stick to Dangerous
when sending out a group entirely composed of Invincible Pilots. Use
Conventional or below when sending out low-skilled pilots.
-Pilot Academy-
Roman Alexandria may assign some of his pilots as trainers at the Pilot
Academy. The more trainers he assigns, the faster new recruits will join his
squadron's ranks. The recruits' skills will be based off their trainers'
skills. Don't waste any Invincible Pilots here as they are more useful on
Primary and Secondary Missions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[TREE99] Mission Tree
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick explanation: Down or down-left means the mission was won. Right or
down-right means the mission was lost.
Example:
99 Parent Mission --> 99a Lost Parent Mission --> 99b Lost Previous Mission
| \ / \
| \ / Game Over
| 99c Lost Parent Mission 100 Won Above Mission
| / \
| / \
100 Won Mission 99d Lost Above Mission
The first ten missions are linear, but the rest tend to branch off in different
directions or loop around. The strategy for many missions can be found in
“Mission Types, Troubles, and Basic Tactics”.
-Main Path-
1 (Mazuma/Tancred)
|
2 (Mazuma) [Recon]
|
3 (Mazuma) [Destroy refinery satellite]
|
4 (Tancred) [Destroy escorts of Kuntow]
|
5 (Recon Enemy Positions)
|
6 (Cut Off Supplies)
|
7 (Full Scale Attack)
|
8 (Rescue Commander Nishmar)
|
9 (Strike behind enemy lines)
|
10 (Attack enemy repair dock)
|
|
11 (Retreat)
| \
| \
| 11a (Attack on Base) --> Game Over
| /
| /
12 (Aliens Attack the Dock) --> 14 (Raid on Xeridun) [See below.]
|
|
13 (Search For a New Base)
| \
| \
| 13a (Capture Mazuma pilot) --> 13b (Defend Base)--> Game Over
| / |
| / 13 (Search For a New Base)
|/ | \
| | 13a (Capture Mazuma pilot) [Loops.]
| | | \
| | | 13b (Defend Base) -> Game Over
| | | |
| | | 13 (Search For a New Base)
| | 14 (Raid on Xeridun)
| 14 (Raid on Xeridun)
|
14 (Raid on Xeridun)
|\
| \
| 14a (Meet with Pirates) --> 14b (Combined Tancred/Zemun Attack)->GameOver
| | |
| 14c (Capture Zemun Fighters)14c (Capture Zemun Fighters)
| | | \
| | | 14d (Last-Ditch Suicide Mission)
| | | | \
| | | | Game Over
| | | 14e (Tancred/Zemun Joint Attack)
| | | | \
| | | | 14f (Suicide Mission) [Recon]
| | | | / \
| | | | / Game Over
| | | 17 (Recon Hattin Satellites)
| 16 (Fake Zemun Attack) 16 (Fake Zemun Attack)
|
|
15 (Capture Weapons Freighter [Klipmore])
|\
| \
| 14c (Capture Zemun Fighters) --> 14d [See above.]
| /
|/
16 (Fake Zemun Attack)
|\
| \
| 14b (Combined Tancred/Zemun Attack) --> Game Over
| /
|/
17 (Recon Hattin Satellites)
|\
| \
| 17a (Rescue Escaped Gorene Pilots) --> 17b (Attack Mazuma Pilot School)
| | |
| | |
| | 18 (Destroy Hattin)
| |
| |
| 17c (Recover Stolen Ships) --> 17b (Attack Mazuma Pilot School)
| | | \
| | | \
| 18 (Destroy Hattin) 18 17d (Mazuma-Pirate Attack)
| |\
| | \
| | 17e (Last-Ditch Suicide Mission)
| | | \
| | 18 Game Over
| 18 (Destroy Hattin)
|
18 (Destroy Hattin the Easy Way) --> 19 (Capture the Amiens)
|
|
|
19 (Capture the Amiens)
|\
| \
| 19a (Amien Command Post Recon) --> 19b (Intercept Strike Force)->GameOver
| | |
| 19c (Attack Amien Command Post) 19c (Attack Amien Command Post)
| | | \
| 21 (Nomen Investigation) 21 19d (Ambush Massing Forces)
| | \
| | Game Over
| 21 (Nomen Investigation)
|
20 (Amiens Attack in Force)
|\
| \
| 19c (Attack Amien Command Post)
|
21 (Nomen Investigation)
|\
| \
| 21a (Attack Fleet) --> 21b (Nomen Lead Combined Attack) --> Game Over
| | |
| 22 (Summit Meeting) 22 (Summit Meeting)
|
|
|
22 (Summit Meeting)
| \
| Gorene Path
|
Alliance Path
Mission Count: 43
After Mission 22, Summit Meeting, the game branches off into two different
mission sets. There's nothing to spoil here. The back of the box even listed
this as a feature. The manual spelled it out as well, not to mention the
medals touted on the CD version.
The Alliance Path comes first as most players probably select that one. It is
also much easier. The Alliance has about eight Invincible Pilots on its side
along with some near-invincible ones. From here on, alien ships include
auto-repair systems.
-Alliance Path-
23 (Recon AR-1)
|\
| \
| 23a (Kill Gorene Pilots) [Cinematic-win]
| | \
| | 23b (Zemun Paranoia Attack)
| | | \
| | | Game Over
| | 25 (Recon AR-2)
| 25 (Recon AR-2)
|
24 (Strike AR-1)
| \
| 23a (Kill Gorene Pilots) [See above.]
|
25 (Recon AR-2)
|\
| \
| 25a (Cut Off AR-2 Supplies)
| | \
| | 25b (Tancred Challenge)
| | | \
| | | Game Over
| 25c 25c (Defend Satellite)
| | \
| | 25d (The Cloaking Program)
| 27 | \
| 28 25b (Tancred Challenge)
|
26 (Blow up AR-2)
|\
| \
| 25a (Cut Off AR-2 Supplies) [See above.]
|
27 (The Explosive Drone Ship) [Bug: Restarting game loading from PREVIOUS.GAM,
thinks cruiser was struck, no idea what effect this is? Might just be a
dialogue error. However, reloading from PREVIOUS.GAM then saving and restoring
acknowledges the correct outcome.]
|\
| \
| 28 (The Space Graveyard)
|
28 (The Space Graveyard) [No punishment for failure.]
|
|
|
29 (Grimnada)
|
|
|
30 (Mazuma Spy)
|\
| \
| 30a (Capture Q-Berth)
| | \
| 31 30b (The Amien Attack)
| | \
| 31 30c (Tancred Challenge) [Turok] (Check mission count)
| | \
| | Game Over
| 30d (Amien Anti-Propaganda)
| | \
| 31 31
|
31 (Take Out Minefield near AR-3)
|\
| 32 (Attack AR-3)
|
32 (Attack AR-3)
|\
| \
| 32a (Defend Mazuma Freighters)
| | \
| | 32b (Full-Scale Gorene Attack)
| | | \
| | | Game Over
| | 33 (Defend the Zemun Temple)
| 32c (Attack on Overlord Klool)
| | \
| | 32d (The Nomen)
| | | \
| | | 32b (Full-Scale Gorene Attack)
| | 33 (Defend the Zemun Temple)
| 32e (Rebuilt AR-1)
| | \
| | 32 (The Nomen)
| 33 (Defend the Zemun Temple)
|
33 (Defend the Zemun Temple)
|\
| \
| 33a (Attack on Zemun Base)
| | \
| | 35 (Attack on Prajna-7)
| 35 (Attack on Prajna-7)
|
34 (Finish off the Gorene Pilots)
|\
| \
| 35 (Attack on Prajna-7)
|
35 (Attack on Prajna-7)
|\
| \
| Victory
|
Victory (Best Ending)
Mission Count for Alliance Path: 29
Subtotal Mission Count: 72
Next is the Gorene Path. It is quite a bit harder even assuming Roman
Alexandria did well on all missions before Summit. It's important the the
Gorenes acquire enough ships and pilots. Running secondary missions to capture
resources will be important as well as training new recruits via the Pilot
Academy.
-Gorene Path-
36 (Booby-trap AR-1)
|\
| \
| 36a (Stop the Tancred Shuttle) [Can't actually capture.]
| | \
| | 36b (Full Force Attack) --> Game Over
| 37 |
| 37
|
37 (Capture Enemy Ships)
|\
| \
| 37a (Mazuma Test Flight Program) [Cloak Ships]
| | \
| 39 37b (Distress Call) [Not losable.]
| | \
| 39 39
|
38 (Xeridun Uprising)
|\
| \
| 37a (Mazuma Test Flight Program) [See above.]
|
|
39 (Defend Drone Ship)
|\
| \
| 40
|
40 (The Space Graveyard)
|
|
41 (Grimnada)
|
|
42 (Pinpoint Metastable Hydrazine)
|\
| \
| 42a (Meet the Zemun Diplomat) [Capture the Paladin]
| | \
| | 42b (Full Attack)
| | | \
| | 44 Game Over
| 42c (Launch the Virus Weapon)
| | \
| | 42b (Full Attack)
| 44 (Jam the Amien Satellite)
|
43 (Strike the Refinery)
|\
| \
| 42a (Meet the Zemun Diplomat)
|
44 (Jam the Amien Satellite)
|\
| \
| 44a (Attack Amien Space Dock)
| | \
| 45 44b (Full-Force Alliance Attack)
| | \
| 45 Game Over
|
45 (The Tancred Pirates)
|\
| \ [Destroy the pirates in #45.]
| 45a (The Tancred Explorer) [Could capture Samurai.]
| | \
| | {{Bug: Goes to #20: “Amiens Attack in Force”}}
| | 47b (Full Attack) [45a should lead to this.]
| | | \
| | | Game Over
| | 48 (Capture Amien Pilot and Ship) [See below.]
| |
| 47 (Strike Klool's Hidden Base)
|
46 (Fight Tancreds for Pirates)
|\
| \
| 45a (The Tancred Explorer) [See above.]
|
|
47 (Strike Klool's Hidden Base)
|\
| \
| 47a (Tancred Battle)
| | \
| 48 47b (Full Attack) {{45a should have lead to here.}}
| | \
| 48 Game Over
|
|
|
48 (Capture Amien Pilot and Ship)
|\
| \
| 48a (Fake Attack)
| | \
| 50 50
|
49 (Infiltrate Spy)
|\
| \
| 50
|
50 (Strike Zemun Shrine)
|\
| \
| 50a (Attack Zemun Dreadnought)
| | \
| | 50b (Full Force Attack)
| | | \
| | | Game Over
| | Victory (Best Ending)
| Victory (Best Ending)
|
Victory (Best Ending)
Gorene Path Mission Count: 30
Total Mission Count: 101
The “104 missions” touted on Star Crusader's box is not entirely accurate.
Some of those are copies of each other. For example, the Grimnada missions on
each path count as separate missions. There are 104 missions, but they aren't
necessarily unique. See the Hex Editing section for a full breakdown.
Of note is Mission 45a: The Tancred Explorer. Losing it causes a bug which
returns the player to a bit before Summit. There is supposed to be a proper
mission after failing it (47b “Full Attack”), but doesn't work for an unknown
reason. Exploiting this is probably the only way for the Gorenes to conquer the
entire map.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[DEMO99] Demo Version
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take2 released a demo of Star Crusader in 1994. It acts as a sort of prequel
to the main events of the game. Oddly, Roman Alexandria leads the Gorene
forces when he shouldn't be anywhere near the Ascalon Rift.
Additionally, the Gorenes only fight the Tancreds. Tancred ships contain
tractor beams in this version and Plasma Torpedoes seem less powerful than in
the completed game.
The DOS Museum offers the demo for download. (
http://www.dosmuseum.com/)
Note: The demo's sound may be misconfigured when run in DOSBox. The setup
utility should be run in order to correct it.
There are ten playable missions in the demo, but, as per the Star Crusader way,
access depends upon which missions the player wins and loses. The demo's
mission tree is provided below.
-Demo Mission Tree-
1 (First Contact)
|
|
2 (Hit-And-Run)
|\
| \
| 2a (Under Siege)
| | \
| | \
| | 2b (Final Assault) -> GameOver
| | |
| | Demo Ends
| |
| 2c (The Cloaking Device)
| | \
| | 2b (Final Assault) [See above.]
| |
| 4 (Duel with Lord Kraw) [See below.]
|
3 (Strike Drone)
|\
| \
| 2c (The Cloaking Device) [See above.]
|
4 (Duel with Lord Kraw)
|\
| \
| 4a (Rescue Commander Zaxalt)
| | \
| | 5 (Fish in a Barrel) [See below.]
| |
| 5 (Fish in a Barrel)
|
5 (Fish in a Barrel)
|\
| \
| 6 (Unfriendly Fire) [See below.]
|
6 (Unfriendly Fire)
|\
| \
| Demo Ends
|
Demo Ends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[BONUS99] Bonus Disk
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A bonus disk containing 21 extra missions does exist. However, it is not the
Grimnada Expansion Pack. Even worse, half of it is just the previously listed
demo. Since it works with the release-version of Star Crusader, all other
alien ships can be hex edited into a PREVIOUS.GAM file.
It installs on both the diskette and CD versions of Star Crusader, but the CD
version can't access it by default for some reason. The CD version can run it
if a PREVIOUS.GAM from the diskette version is used. (PREVIOUS.GAM merely
notes which files to load.)
WARNING: Installing the Bonus Disk on the CD version breaks the medal system.
The game remains playable, but Roman will never earn a medal in the main
campaign. Reinstalling the CD version presumably fixes this.
-Bonus Disk Mission Tree-
The first half of the mission tree is an exact duplicate of the demo. New
missions start after “Unfriendly Fire” by encountering the Zemun.
This tree contains hexadecimal codes for each mission. Change the first byte
in PREVIOUS.GAM to switch missions.
1 (First Contact) [0x01]
|
|
2 (Hit-And-Run) [0x02]
|\
| \
| 2a (Under Siege) [0x03]
| | \
| | \
| | 2b (Final Assault) [0x06]
| | | \
| | | Game Over
| | Campaign Ends
| |
| 2c (The Cloaking Device) [0x05]
| | \
| | 2b (Final Assault) [0x06] [See above.]
| |
| 4 (Duel with Lord Kraw) [0x07] [See below.]
|
3 (Strike Drone) [0x04]
|\
| \
| 2c (The Cloaking Device) [0x05] [See above.]
|
4 (Duel with Lord Kraw) [0x07]
|\
| \
| 4a (Rescue Commander Zaxalt)[0x09]
| | \
| | 5 (Fish in a Barrel) [0x08] [See below.]
| |
| 5 (Fish in a Barrel) [0x08]
|
5 (Fish in a Barrel) [0x08]
|\
| \
| 6 (Unfriendly Fire) [0x0A] [See below.]
|
6 (Unfriendly Fire) [0x0A]
|\
| \
| 6a (Enter: The Zemuns) [0x0B]
| |\
| | 6b (Defend the base) [0x0F] --> Game Over
| |/
| 6c (Your enemy is my enemy) [0x0D]
| |\
| | 6d (The dreadnought) [0x10] --> Game Over
| |/
| 6e (Attack on Satellite) [0x11]
| |\
| | 6f (Assault on the base) [0x13] --> Game Over
| | |
| | 6g (Destroy Tancred Base) [0x14] --> 11
| | |
| | 10 (The Gauntlet) [0x15] [See below.]
| 9 (Encounter with the Nomen)[0x12] [See below.]
|
|
7 (The Zemun Encounter) [0x0C]
|\
| \
| 6b (Your enemy is my enemy) [0x0D]
|
|
8 (Enter the Big Guns) [0x0E]
|\
| \
| 6e (Attack on Satellite) [0x11]
|
|
9 (Encounter with the Nomen.) [0x12]
|\
| \
| 6g (Destroy Tancred Base) [0x14]
| /
|/
10 (The Gauntlet) [0x15]
|\
| \
| Game Over
|
Victory (Campaign Complete)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[HEX99] Hex Editing
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A hex editor can be used to change save files to give players more ships or
change pilot stats. Generally, players should only change the PREVIOUS.GAM
file as that only stores data for one game, while CRUSADER.SAV stores dozens
and proves rather difficult to edit.
-Pilots-
Players can change the stats of pilots, but this may not affect game play much.
Pilots with high discipline still ignore orders.
Pilot skill data isn't neatly arranged in PREVIOUS.GAM, though there should be
exactly 0x2c bytes between each occurrence. Since new pilots can be added at
any time, only a few example addresses are listed. First, an example:
00000190 Kara Helmar
The next five numbers always relate to the pilot's stats.
Kara's stats start at 00000190 and continue until 00000194.
00000195 determines how many missions she's flown.
Gorene pilots:
00000190 Kara Helmar
000001bc Marsh Lawton
000001e8 Krugon Dept
00000214 Hela Selrase
00000240 Horus Klep
0000026c Stas Kemp
00000298 Shyke Samso
000002c4 Kayla Brool
000002f0 Lanthor Merlock
Alliance pilots:
00000558 Tuta Phona
00000584 Zena Milia
000005b0 Oppo Silvo
0000068c Lord Kraw
000006b8 Stellerex
00000710 Urco
00000794 Turok
000007c0 Overlord Klool
00000818 Gorar Belius
00000920 Vonric Blacklost
A bit before each pilot's skill section is a byte that determines the pilot's
allegiance. A simple letter identifies the pilot's side: “G” for Gorene, “T”
for Tancred, “A” for Amien, etc. The byte to the right of allegiance
identifies the pilot's status: living, captured, instructing at the flight
school, or dead.
For Kara Helmar:
0000018d – Controls her allegiance. Default is “G” for Gorene.
0000018e – Controls her status: living (01), captured (05), assigned to the
pilot academy (07), or dead (ff).
-Ships-
These addresses control the number of ships accessible to Roman:
000014cd – Scorpion
000014cf – Liberator
000014d1 – Intruder
000014d3 - Samurai
000014d5 - Warlord
000014d7 - Harbinger
000014d9 - Paladin
000014db - Buccaneer
000014dd - Capitalist
000014df - Starwolf
000014e1 - Guardian
000014e3 - Avenger
000014e5 - Retaliator
000014e7 – (Unused?)
-Missions-
The first byte in the PREVIOUS.GAM file identifies the current mission.
Possible values range from 0x01 to 0x68 (104 in hex). Here is the list of hex
values and which mission each corresponds to:
Items marked with * are duplicate missions that vary slightly.
0x01 Mission 01 Mazuma/Tancred
0x02 Mission 02 Mazuma [Recon]
0x03 Mission 03 Mazuma [Destroy refinery satellite]
0x04 Mission 04 Tancred [Destroy escorts of Kuntow]
0x05 Mission 05 Recon Enemy Positions
0x06 Mission 06 Cut Off Supplies
0x07 Mission 07 Full Scale Attack
0x08 Mission 08 Rescue Commander Nishmar
0x09 Mission 09 Strike behind enemy lines
0x0A Mission 10 Attack enemy repair dock
0x0b Mission 11 Retreat
0x0c Mission 11a Attack on Base
0x0d Mission 12 Aliens Attack the Dock
0x0e Mission 14 *Raid on Xeridun
0x0f Mission 13 Search For a New Base
0x10 Mission 13b Defend Base
0x11 Mission 13a Capture Mazuma pilot
0x12 Mission 14 *Raid on Xeridun
0x13 Mission 15 Capture Weapons Freighter [Klipmore]
0x14 Mission 14a Meet with Pirates
0x15 Mission 14b Combined Tancred/Zemun Attack
0x16 Mission 14c Capture Zemun Fighters
0x17 Mission 16 Fake Zemun Attack
0x18 Mission 14d Last-Ditch Suicide Mission
0x19 Mission *Defend from joint Zemun-Tancred Attack
0x1a Mission 17 Recon Hattin Satellites
0x1b Mission 18 *Destroy Hattin
0x1c Mission 14f Suicide Mission
0x1d Mission 17a Rescue Escaped Gorene Pilots
0x1e Mission 17c Recover Stolen Ships
0x1f Mission 17b Attack Mazuma Pilot School
0x20 Mission 17d Mazuma-Pirate Attack
0x21 Mission 17e Last-Ditch Suicide Mission
0x22 Mission 18 *Destroy Hattin
0x23 Mission 19 Capture the Amiens
0x24 Mission 19a Amien Command Post Recon
0x25 Mission 19c Attack Amien Command Post
0x26 Mission 20 Amiens Attack in Force
0x27 Mission 19b Intercept Strike Force
0x28 Mission 21 Nomen Investigation
0x29 Mission 19d Ambush Massing Forces
0x2A Mission 22 Summit Meeting
0x2b Mission 36 Booby-trap AR-1
0x2c Mission 37 Capture Enemy Ships
0x2d Mission 38 Xeridun Uprising
0x2e Mission 39 Defend Drone Ship
0x2f Mission 42 Pinpoint Metastable Hydrazine
0x30 Mission 43 Strike the Refinery
0x31 Mission 44 Jam the Amien Satellite
0x32 Mission 45 The Tancred Pirates
0x33 Mission 46 Fight Tancreds for Pirates
0x34 Mission 47 Strike Klool's Hidden Base
0x35 Mission 48 Capture Amien Pilot and Ship
0x36 Mission 49 Infiltrate Spy
0x37 Mission 50 Strike Zemun Shrine
0x38 Mission 36a Stop the Tancred Shuttle
0x39 Mission 36b Full Force Attack
0x3a Mission 37a Mazuma Test Flight Program
0x3b Mission 37b Distress Call
0x3c Mission 40 *The Space Graveyard
0x3d Mission 41 *Grimnada
0x3e Mission 42a Meet the Zemun Diplomat
0x3f Mission 42c Launch the Virus Weapon
0x40 Mission 42b Full Attack
0x41 Mission 44a Attack Amien Space Dock
0x42 Mission 44b Full-Force Alliance Attack
0x43 Mission 45a The Tancred Explorer
0x44 Mission 47b Full Attack [From losing Tancred Explorer or 47a]
0x45 Mission 47a Tancred Battle
0x46 Mission 48a Fake Attack
0x47 Mission 50a Attack Zemun Dreadnought
0x48 Mission 50b Full Force Attack
0x49 Mission 23 Recon AR-1
0x4a Mission 24 Strike AR-1
0x4b Mission 23a Kill Gorene Pilots
0x4c Mission 23b Zemun Paranoia Attack
0x4d Mission 25 Recon AR-2
0x4e Mission 26 Blow up AR-2
0x4f Mission 25a Cut Off AR-2 Supplies
0x50 Mission 25b Tancred Challenge
0x51 Mission 25c Defend Satellite
0x52 Mission 21a Attack Fleet
0x53 Mission 21b Nomen Lead Combined Attack
0x54 Mission 27 The Explosive Drone Ship
0x55 Mission 25d The Cloaking Program
0x56 Mission 25b *Tancred Challenge [Following cloak ship destruction.]
0x57 Mission 28 *The Space Graveyard
0x58 Mission 29 *Grimnada
0x59 Mission 30 Mazuma Spy
0x5a Mission 31 Take Out Minefield near AR-3
0x5b Mission 32 Attack AR-3
0x5c Mission 30a Capture Q-Berth
0x5d Mission 30b The Amien Attack
0x5e Mission 30c *Tancred Challenge [Turok]
0x5f Mission 30d Amien Anti-Propaganda
0x60 Mission 33 Defend the Zemun Temple
0x61 Mission 32a Defend Mazuma Freighters
0x62 Mission 32c Attack on Overlord Klool
0x63 Mission 32e Rebuilt AR-1
0x64 Mission 32d The Nomen
0x65 Mission 32b Full-Scale Gorene Attack
0x66 Mission 34 Finish off the Gorene Pilots
0x67 Mission 33a Attack on Zemun Base
0x68 Mission 35 Attack on Prajna 7
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[THNX99] Thanks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to Take2 and GameTek for creating Star Crusader and the DOSBox team for
making games such as these compatible with modern systems. Thanks also to the
DOS Museum for preserving the Star Crusader demo, something the author never
knew existed.
Thanks to Starlord for figuring out how to run the bonus disk and information
on Grimnada.
