SPACE STATION ALPHA
by Adam Manning
from Computer Gamer, June 1985

Space Station Alpha is a game set in a time about 700 years from now,
depending upon the year you are told by the program. The planet Earth has
united into one government and is in the process of setting up a small
federation of the surrounding solar systems. To make the naming of new
planets more logical, Earth has been re-named Sol III, Mars is Sol IV, etc.

Recently though, things have been going wrong for this promising start for
intergalactic man. People from the Centauri system (colonised way back in
2350) have become troublesome, if not to say aggressive. They wish to be the
new power in the W.A.S. (Western Alliance of Systems), of which the Sol
system (colonised  100,000) is at the moment the predominant member. They
have cut off all their trade and communication with the rest of the W.A.S.
and several scout ships from the Procyon system (colonised in 2438) have
spotted ship-yards in orbit around Centauri AIV (formerly known as Darcog)
manufacturing large war-ships, similar in design to the familiar Harmis
stormer ship of Eridani system (colonised in 2410, one of the co-founders
along with the Sol and Centauri systems in 2290).

In readiness for the attack from the Centauri system, the Sol system set up
the highly-secret Omega series of space stations. These ranged from the
first and nearest to Sol III, Space Station Alpha made in 2455 to the newest,
Space Base Tau set near Sol VIII in 2490.

The attack began, and the Centaurians swept through the outer fringes of the
Sol system towards Sol III, destroying Space Station after Space Base.

They completely annihilated Sol VI and its surrounding satellites and several
space stations. The only one left is yours, Space Station Alpha, after which
this game is named. You must defend Sol III, by warding off their attack.
After a certain time, the Centaurians will give up. This is because they are
a poor planet, starved by their economic sanctions against the rest of the
W.A.S. and have a few of their star stormers.

If you can survive the onslaught for that time, you will have saved Earth.
Complete game play instructions are included in the program.

Hints and Tips
As the space-ships always start off at the top of the screen, and your sight
begins at the bottom of the game play area, it is a good idea to press the
down key as soon as you start. This will mean that you get to the spaceship
faster because if you go off the bottom edge of the screen you re-appear at
the top.

Keys
The keys used to control the sight are:
	Q-up, A-down, I-left, P-right, 0-fire laser,
	SPACE-fire matter disintegrators, S-turn sound on/off
Matter disintegrators have a chance of blowing up on you. This is because
they are under development and is explained fully in the programs
instructions.

Scoring
You will get more points for destroying a ship the nearer it is to your space
station and the fiercer it is. The ferocity of the space ship is shown by its
colour of class. You will get more points for destroying a white class
spaceship than a green class. You also get a bonus for how long you survive.

Docking
Once the spaceship has got to the outside rim of your space station it will
make a bee-line for your docking portal (the same place as you fire from). If
they successfully dock, they will capture Space Station Alpha and your go
will be over.

Damage
Every time a Centaurian spacecraft fires it inflicts a certain amount of
damage. This is dependent upon how near it fires to your docking bay (the
nearer the more damage). Once Space Station Alpha has taken more than about
95% damage, it will disintegrate and your go will be over.
