Space Pyrates the Game

What is Space Pyrates?

Space Pyrates is a sci-fi simulation of stategic combat between spaceships centuries into the future. Space Pyrates is designed to be a comprehensive rendering of the archetypal sci-fi universe, as if the masterpieces FTL: Faster than Light and Masters of Orion we mashed into a single experience. Of course Space Pyrates is to includes an excess of mechanics and strategic facets merged into a unique interface this is only the beginning. I am have now implemented a significantly more complicated event system based on player affected politics and the legal ramifications of piracy in high space. While all the depth content is still somewhat barebones there is already code written scaffolding all the new mechanics: a mercantile economy, modular ship systems that can be upgraded, items that characters can carry, data schematics, advancing character classes, and more. Even better, there is small fighter combat and a rendered and accessible planet surface as well a more complicated starmap.

The Installer

If you downloaded an installer before you may notice that this is much smaller, because I have linked this as a supplement to some of my grad school applications I have stripped down the game to its core mechanics. While much of the later game content and a host of items and weapons are missing every game mechanic still functions. It should download and install quickly and run 30 fps on any machine. After February I will revert back to the full game hopefully with a bunch of even newer content added. The download file is a stand alone installer which should create a space pirate folder and make a shortcut for you. In any case, "Space Pyrates.exe" is the executable that runs the game and it does need to be in the folder with all the media assets. While everything works works on my computer is would be nice is you find a bug specific to your machine if you could drop an email into the input box below.

Basic Play

The player begins by clicking "New Game" and then is thrust into orbit. The first orbit is very important as it is an opportunity for the player to customize his vessel. While most of the system modules will simply need to be installed to their systems the placement of computers in the ship rooms is of high strategic value. Each system on the space ship is effected by different statistic block elements within each crew character. For example, if a character is working a computer in the room containing the ship's weapon system the character's accuracy stat will be added by formula into the aggregate accuracy stat of the weapons system itself. The engines work the same way except that the engines benifit from the repair stat and the engineering stat rather than accuracy. Characters can equip items which can affect their stats although some items are simply weapons or different types of armors for the different damage types.

The player must install a starmap into a square in any room, by double clicking the installed starmap the player may view the starmap itself. The player must click a planet to plot a course before engaging the warp drive. Left-clicking promtps the user to plot a course and right-clicking scans for information. Simply right-clicking the plotting array will return the player to a view of the orbiting space ship. To engage the warp drive the user must either click the engines system or click the blue slots panel until the engines are active and then simply click the module slot of the nuclear drive to access the warpdrive. The player may warp to stars planets and moons, if the ship is orbiting a body in space the landing button will appear in the orbital array in the starmap screen.

The player will need to aquire credits to purchase things from stores such as fuel to continue warping. While on a planet's surface if the player has aquired and mining vehicle they can delve for ore which can be sold for credits. Some settlements and even peaceful space stations are in need of scrap metal which they will pay credits for. Scrap can be accrued by attacking vessels and destroying them in space, in other words piracy.

Like an old DOS game I have set the "esc" key as an actual escape hatch it will end the game immediately and exit space pyrates

Important Icons

This is the install button which allows crewmen to add computers, airlocks, and the starmap to squares in the space ship.

Star Map This is the icon for the starmap module itself.

This is the computer installation which allows crewmen to work systems of the ship.

This opens the inventory screen.

InfoAnomoly In Space Pyrates the crewmen can gain experience and level but only in the form of consuming these items, the information anomolies collecting on space research computers. This turns the rpg aspect of the game from a survival based challenge to a descision of distribution of resources.

This is the engine system as it appears in a ship's room. I have included this as an example of a spaceship system, all of the other systems have the same computer boxes with the corresponding system symbol. Double click the system to bring up its information array and click it once to set it active in the blue active system panel at the bottom of the screen. By double clicking you can read the names of all the systems except the cockpit and the reactor because they don't have information arrays.

laser This is the icon for the basic laser weapon. To equip a weapon click it once in the cargo section of the weapons information array and then click on one of the weapon slots. When the weapon system is active you will see the slots appear in the active system planel. Click on a weapon powers it and it will begin to arm. Click it again and the mouse will turn into a target which can be placed upon enemy rooms. This is the missile turret weapon which works the same way there are also phasers, ions, and a particle beam.

Shield This is the shield bulb. It functions like a weapon that can be placed into the slots of the shield system. Instead of clicking the slot in the active systems panel the shield will charge if the plasma bulb is in any of the shield system slots and the player puts power into the shield system by simply clicking on the shield icon in the reactor panel in the bottom left corner.

shuttle This is the shuttle which must be armed into the hanger like the laser into the weapon system. Vehicles also need a crew member equiped to their slots before they can be used this is the driver. The driver stays in the shuttle so you have to put other crew men into the shuttle by walking the to it so that they can actually debark onto enemy vessels or stores. The interceptor works similarly but it shoots little lasers instead of docking with other vessels.

airlock This is the airlock which is an installation like the computer which your crew can use to exit the ship, mostly useful when the ship has landed on a planet's surface.

blastoff This is the landing button which appears in the planetary display of the starmap. If the ship is orbiting a planet or moon you can land it and look around. Unless the planet has no water there will be a few seconds of lag as the planet surface loads in the ripple animations so don't be shocked

oredigger This is the ore digger which is equipped in the hangar just like the shuttle and interceptor but you can only use it on planet's surfaces to drill for ore which you can sell at shops and settlements.

credits This is the image for credits which are used for buying and selling items. This scrap is scrap which is collected from destroyed vessels, sometimes settlements will buy scrap in bulk for credits.

This is the personal computer item. Crewmen must have this equipped to their back in order to possess or move data objects such as hypershot which can be activated when put into computers in the room of their system.

Unfortunately, I have yet to implement a tooltip system into the game but I will soon. I plan to add more to these basic instructions as well if not developing a web manual. If you like playing games and have ideas or want to point out any of the myriad of bugs please feel free to drop me a line below: