STAR COLONY 
      by Ted Greenhalgh & Blizzard


INTRODUCTION:
In the late 21st Century, planet colon-
ization has become common place.  The
lure of unreliable rumors promising un-
told fortunes lead you to sign a colony
charter.

Each colony is given a 15 year charter.
At the end of this period, the most
successful member will be appointed 
Governor of the colony.

MULES:
Of course by now the use of robotics
has become standard and the Galactic
Council has adopted a standard robot
to assist you in colonization.  The 
Wiz-Bang Corp. won the low bid contract
and delivered thier first M.U.L.E. two
years late and 2 billion dollars over
budget.

M.U.L.E. (Multi Purpose Labor Element)
Mules come in four different varieties
based on the same chassis.  All are of
dubious reliability and have caused the
loss of more than one colony.

Agri-Mule - Used to produce food for 
the colony.  They work best near the 
river and worst in the mountains.

Sol-R-Mule - These provide the energy
for the rest of the mules.  They need
flat open spaces to work properly.

Mine-R-Mule - Used to mine the raw 
metal ore used to build new mules.  
They produce more in mountains and 
and least in rivers.

Mega-G-Mule - Hibrid version of the 
Mine-R.  These only mine for rare gold
ores to be sold off world.  Terrain is
unimportant because gold can be any-
where.

PLAYING THE GAME:
The game will begin once you click on
the title screen. The colony will be
shown with the town in the center of 
the map.  The player information will be
displayed to the right of the colony.
Below this are the four mule types.  
the top mule is an Agri-Mule followed 
in order by a Sol-R-Mule, Mine-R-Mule,
and finally a Mega-G-Mule.  Directly
below the colony is the command line.
This shows what happens if you press
either mouse button or the space bar.

TURN SEQUENCE:
The first thing you will be asked to do
is select a free plot.  This plot is 
given at no charge by the Galactic 
Council to each developer.  Once you 
have chosen a plot, the computer play-
ers (Mechitrons) will choose thiers.

Now it will be your turn again.  You
will have three options; Buy Mule,Pros-
pect, or Gamble.

BUY MULE:
Once selected the computer will ask 
which type of mule you want.  Select a
mule from the right of the colony.  The
computer will tell you how much that
particular mule cost and ask if you 
want to buy it.  If the house is out of
mules or the mule cost more than you 
can afford, you will not be able to buy
it.  Once you buy a mule you'll be ask-
ed where you want it.  You can place it
on any property you own.  If you al-
ready have a mule there, it will be re-
placed.  If you put on someone else's 
property, the mule will run away.  This
option uses up two food units.

PROSPECT:
Once selected the computer will ask you
to indicate which property you would 
like to prospect.  You can prospect any
property on the map.  Once you select a
property the surveyor will tell you if
there is gold there.  Each prospecting
option cost $50 and uses 1 or 2 food
units based on how far from the house
you prospect.

GAMBLE:
This option will end you turn.  If your
food goes below 1 you will gamble auto-
matically.  The more food you have left
the more you'll win.

After you use up your food, the Mechi-
trons will do thier thing.  They are
very efficeint.  They can also get 
credit, which you can't.

PRODUCTION:
Now the mules will go to work.  If a
mule is properly placed, i.e., an Agri-
Mule on a river plot, it will generate 4
units.  Improper use will decrease the
output.  Also, occasionally the colony
will be affected by an outside influ-
ence such as a drought or solar flares.
This will change the production values
of some of the mules.  You'll be told
when this happens.

MARKET:
Now you get to buy and sell colony pro-
ducts.  All buying and selling is done
with the colony storehouse.  The store
will mark up all sales 30%, so only 
sell as much as you can live with, be-
cause when you by it back it will cost
you more.

The prices of the colony products are
directly controlled by colony need.  
Each colonist can use up to 4 food per
turn, so having less than 16 in the 
colony drives the price up.  Every mule
uses energy except Sol-R-Mules.  Any
shortage will increase the price.  The
colony only starts with 8 mules in the 
store.  The rest will be made with ore
mined by the colonist.  The store will
pay premium prices if the number of 
mules it has gets low.  This will also
increase your cost per mule, however.
A bucks a buck, right?  Gold is sold 
off planet so the price fluctuates from
$50-$250 per unit.

SPOILAGE:
After each turn 25% of all food and en-
ergy will be lost due to poor storage.

STOREHOUSE FIRES:
Wiz-Bang Corp. also designed the store-
house.  It will self-destruct for no 
apparent reason.  If you don't like it
write to your Galactic Councilperson.

BERZERK MULES:
I told you they were unreliable!

PIRATES:
These are planet killers.  When they
raid the colony they will take all the
gold.  This can really hurt late in the
game.

THEN IT'S TURN TWO....
And on it goes until the charter runs out.

HINTS & STRATEGY:
Select a RIVER PLOT early.  You need an
amply supply of food to win.
Select a MOUNTAIN PLOT early.  Mules 
dry up quick in the beginning of the
game.  This causes the price to sky-
rocket.  
COLONY BALANCE will be maintained by 
the Mechitrons to some extent but you
will have a lot of control over how the
end colony comes out.  Sure you can 
horde all the energy this turn and let
the Mechitrons dry up, but in the long
run the colony suffers.  Who wants to
be Governor of a hole in the ground?
PROSPECT-PROSPECT-PROSPECT He who has
the gold makes the rule!

That's about it.  The rest you can fig-
ure out on your own.  The game will be
challenging everytime you play.  I've
tried to find all the bugs, but you may
still find one or two.  If you do, just
drop me a line.  I'm working on some 
new stuff for shareware.  If you would 
like to see something in particular,
EMAIL me the idea.  If I can work it,
I'll give you credit.

CREDITS:
Original concept was based on Ozark 
Software's game 'MULE'.  Programmed
and compiled with Hi-Soft's Basic Com-
piler.  Programmed by Ted Greenhalgh.
Special Assistance by Blizzard.

Email GENIE         J.BROWN1
Business address    T. Greenhalgh
                    144F Garden Ave.
                    New Cumberland, PA
                                 17070