HSC Season 4 Week 26: Shuttle Orbiter

[Ze_ro]

Important Note: This weeks competition is over, and no further scores will be accepted.

 

You are the pilot of the space shuttle Challenger. Your mission is to complete the construction of a space station in as short a period of time as possible. There are ten sections remaining to be transported to and installed in the space station. The sections are available at the orbiting Factory. Additional fuel is available at the orbital Depot.

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Cosmic Ark
  
• Released By: Avalon Hill, 1983
  
• Left Difficulty: B / Novice
  
• Right Difficulty: B / Novice
  
• Game Mode: Game 1
  
• Chosen By: the 5th ghost
  

Post your scores right here in this thread, and I will add them to the list. Remember to play the game with the recommended game mode and difficulty settings as shown above so that your scores will be consistent with everyone elses. The deadline for posting scores is Thursday, October 26th at 1:30 AM (CST).

 

If you want to suggest a game for future weeks, please send me a private message and let me know! I will add your game to the list. One one game per person will be kept on the list, so you will not be able to suggest a game until your first game is played!

 

Anyone can play! Just post a score and I'll add you to the list! Please read the Rules & Information if you haven't already done so!

 

Current High Scores

1. Station complete, 12:57 (Rom Hunter) [+11]
   
2. Station complete, 14:41 (SpiceWare) [+10]
   
3. Station complete, 16:37 (vdub_bobby) [+9]
   
4. Station complete, 16:59 (Deteacher) [+8]
   
5. 0 Sections, 5:11 (JacobZu7zu7) [+7]
   

Best Tips

• the 5th ghost [+2]
  

Bounties and Challenges

• Fleet Admiral - Complete the space station and beat the 5th ghost's best time (6:59) to get 10 bonus points!
  • No one managed to do it!
    

TwinGalaxies Top 3

(Game 1, Difficulty B)

1. TG does not have this game in their database!
   

Current Standings

1. Rom Hunter [258]
2. SpiceWare [184]
3. keilbaca [172]
4. Deteacher [111]
5. vdub_bobby [106]
6. LarcenTyler [103]
7. BrianC [78]
8. shawnb [71]
9. the 5th ghost [66]
10. Malc74 [63]
11. scogey [59]
12. Cybergoth [42]
13. Christophero Sly [39]
14. theKLT [37]
15. 128bytes [34]
16. atari2600land [32]
17. rheffera [31]
18. Jred [26]
19. Goochman [25]
20. doctorclu [22]

• SeaGtGruff [21]
• phaxda [21]
• shadow460 [21]
• Lord Helmet [19]
• mojofltr [17]
• Random Terrain [15]
• Lord Thag [15]
• Nathan Strum [12]
• rjchamp3 [11]
• ResOGlas [11]
• Thomas Jentzsch [11]
• Gabriel [8]
• Hiryu [7]
• supercat [5]
• JacobZu7zu7 [5]
• Recycled [4]
• Biter [2]
• Omegamatrix [1]
• Dan Iacovelli [1]
• ewing92 [1]

Scoring Points Shuttle Orbiter

• This game is based on time. The faster you manage to connect all the sections to the space station the better.
  

Hints and Tips

As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy available online. You REALLY should read it, as this is a very complicated game! Here are the hints it provides:

 

- Any time the shuttle hits the Factory, Depot, Space Station, or debris it will be damaged and leak fuel. The greater the number of hits, the greater the rate of fuel loss.

 

- Any time the Challenger hits an object there is at least a 25% chance you will damage your cargo. Due to packing constraints, if you are carrying two sections and hit an object, you will definitely damage one section – possibly both. You can only examine the sections at the Factory or Space Station. If the section has no prongs on the right-hand side, it is damaged and cannot be used. If one of the two sections being carried is damaged, the good section will be brought out first by the astronaut.

 

- The shuttle consumes more fuel carrying two sections (damaged or not) than carrying one section, and more fuel carrying one section than with no cargo.

 

- Only one refueling should be necessary for the truly proficient pilot.

Play game 0 to practice. There's no debris field, so you can get in some practice changing orbits and learning how to fit the pieces into the station. Once you figure that out, go on to game 1 and get a score entered. Best of luck to you all.

The trick to the Station pieces is this:

 

First, get the Shuttle close enough to the station and make sure you are centered. Then hit the button to release the astronaut with the piece. (as long as you didn't hit anything in the debris field on the way up, the piece will be undamaged)

 

Second, when your astronaut is next to the Space Station, hold down the fire button to slow down the Station. (realeasing the button will start to Station "revolving" again.) So, in essence, you control the revolutions of the Space Station with your fire button

 

Third, (most important!) Look carefully at the center markers on the Space Station. They indicate where each piece lines up, so use them to line up your piece, matching the notches in the side along with the markers in the center! The top of your piece will line up directly with a center marker, and the bottom of your piece will line up directly above the next marker down.

 

Once you get the hang of it, it becomes a lot of fun! Like putting a puzzle together

 

--Ze_ro

[Ze_ro]

Scoring for this game is going to be a little bit tricky... I guess the important factor is how many sections you manage to install in the space station, and secondary ranking will be by elapsed time (lower is better, meaning you did the job faster).

 

Anyways, good luck!

 

--Zero

[the 5th ghost]

Scoring for this game is going to be a little bit tricky... I guess the important factor is how many sections you manage to install in the space station, and secondary ranking will be by elapsed time (lower is better, meaning you did the job faster).

 

Anyways, good luck!

 

--Zero

 

There are no points scored in this game.

 

Basically, you try to complete the Space Station as quickly as possible. So, the only thing we need to track for this week is the completion time, just like we did for Superman for example.

 

As soon as you successfully insert the final piece, the clock stops, and U.S.A. will scroll up the Space Station.

 

So for screenshots, this is the scene you need to see, showing the completed space station and the final elapsed time at the bottom (see attached screenshot of my personal best time!)

 

Ze_ro, do not count this time, since this was done months ago. I cannot compete this week because I have since sold my game

 

But, if anyone can beat my time, I will post a bounty of 10 points to the winner! (it can be done )

[JacobZu7zu7]

Scoring for this game is going to be a little bit tricky... I guess the important factor is how many sections you manage to install in the space station, and secondary ranking will be by elapsed time (lower is better, meaning you did the job faster).

 

Anyways, good luck!

 

--Zero

 

*sigh* what am i doing? lol.. here's my best first try,

[Ze_ro]

Basically, you try to complete the Space Station as quickly as possible. So, the only thing we need to track for this week is the completion time, just like we did for Superman for example.

My guess is that there will be a decent number of people who aren't able to attach all 10 sections, so I'm going to track that too.

 

Jacob: What on earth are you using to take your pictures? MS Paint?

 

--Zero

[Deteacher]

Yay! I actually got a piece in the station!!! Gotta celebrate the small victories, sometimes.

 

Man, this is tough! I'll see what I can do this week, but I'm not holding much hope.

[JacobZu7zu7]

Basically, you try to complete the Space Station as quickly as possible. So, the only thing we need to track for this week is the completion time, just like we did for Superman for example.

My guess is that there will be a decent number of people who aren't able to attach all 10 sections, so I'm going to track that too.

 

Jacob: What on earth are you using to take your pictures? MS Paint?

 

--Zero

 

YES! lol.. if you wanna teach me a better method.. be my guest

[Deteacher]

FINALLY! It took me all day, but I finally finished that game. 16:59 is my time and I'm not going to try to better it. My neck is killing me, my eyes are all blurry from dodging the debris field and I think I've developed carpal tunnel syndrome. I'm sure it won't be the best time (10 minutes off of 5th Ghost's time) but I'll take it!

 

This isn't a hint per se, but it seems easier to get through the debris field when heading down, toward the factory. Don't know why.

 

Anyway, here's my hint:

 

Play game 0 to practice. There's no debris field, so you can get in some practice changing orbits and learning how to fit the pieces into the station. Once you figure that out, go on to game 1 and get a score entered. Best of luck to you all.

Edited October 21, 2006 by Deteacher

[Christophero Sly]

I hate to sit this one out because I love timed games, but I haven't picked up a copy of this one yet.

[Deteacher]

I hate to sit this one out because I love timed games, but I haven't picked up a copy of this one yet.

 

You could always play it on an Emulator. I don't own it either, so the Emu is the next best thing.

[+SpiceWare]

Tough game. I can maneuver the shuttle w/out too many problems but haven't had any luck putting the station pieces in place.

Edited October 23, 2006 by SpiceWare

[the 5th ghost]

Tough game. I can maneuver the shuttle w/out too many problems but haven't had any luck putting the station pieces in place.

 

The trick to the Station pieces is this:

 

First, get the Shuttle close enough to the station and make sure you are centered. Then hit the button to release the astronaut with the piece. (as long as you didn't hit anything in the debris field on the way up, the piece will be undamaged)

 

Second, when your astronaut is next to the Space Station, hold down the fire button to slow down the Station. (realeasing the button will start to Station "revolving" again.) So, in essence, you control the revolutions of the Space Station with your fire button

 

Third, (most important!) Look carefully at the center markers on the Space Station. They indicate where each piece lines up, so use them to line up your piece, matching the notches in the side along with the markers in the center! The top of your piece will line up directly with a center marker, and the bottom of your piece will line up directly above the next marker down.

 

Once you get the hang of it, it becomes a lot of fun! Like putting a puzzle together

Edited October 23, 2006 by the 5th ghost

[rheffera]

The game looks interesting but ill pass this week...

[bretthorror]

Just want to put my name on the list. I don't have this game, but wanted to get my name in so maybe I could choose one I actually had some day.

 

EDIT: Guess the rules changed. I was looking at the Skiing thread it got picked by a guy in the order of membership. Nevermind.

Edited October 23, 2006 by bretthorror

[+SpiceWare]

Third, (most important!) Look carefully at the center markers on the Space Station. They indicate where each piece lines up, so use them to line up your piece, matching the notches in the side along with the markers in the center! The top of your piece will line up directly with a center marker, and the bottom of your piece will line up directly above the next marker down.

 

Ah :!:

 

I'd finally gotten a piece installed last night before I went to bed, but couldn't repeat it as I wasn't sure what I'd done differently to make it work.

[the 5th ghost]

Ah :!:

 

I'd finally gotten a piece installed last night before I went to bed, but couldn't repeat it as I wasn't sure what I'd done differently to make it work.

 

Good to hear

 

Once you get the hang of this game, it's a blast! Especially when you discover how to maximize your time

 

It took me some time to "get it" but once I did, I was very glad that I didn't give up on this game. It really is a gem.

Edited October 23, 2006 by the 5th ghost

[vdub_bobby]

This game is a lot of fun, but it can be frustrating...so annoying to go through the debris field, get hit once or twice, go all the way up and match orbits with the station only to discover that the pieces were damaged. By that time I'm leaking so much fuel that I have to go all the way back to the bottom to refuel, then repeat.

 

Eventually I couldn't take it and after one last useless trip to the station, I tried to escape orbit:

 

Oh @#$@#

 

Just realized that my screenshot didn't get saved...well, that was 30 minutes wasted.

[Rom Hunter]

Challenging game indeed.

 

Never played it before.

 

 

Edited October 25, 2006 by Rom Hunter

[the 5th ghost]

Challenging game indeed.

 

Never played it before.

 

 

 

Excellent work!

 

You're on your way to a sub 10 minute time!

[vdub_bobby]

Victory!

 

My first

 

16:37

[Lauren Tyler]

I'll be sitting out this week's competition, due to the complexity of the game and the fact that I've got RL to deal with.

[+SpiceWare]

14:41

 

Finally had time to play again, was busy adding stuff to Medieval Mayhem for VGXPO. I hope to have time to play another round later tonight.

[Rom Hunter]

I'll be sitting out this week's competition, due to the complexity of the game and the fact that I've got RL to deal with.

This game has the complexity of a doorhandle.

 

It just takes a while to complete, that's all.

 

[+SpiceWare]

Yeah, it was fairly easy once the 5th ghost mentioned how to line up the pieces.

[Lauren Tyler]

Well it's more of the fact RL has been taking priority right now.