<!--
	Title: (Scorpion's Tale) Starcross: As Told by Scorpia
	Author: Scorpia
	Source: Computer Gaming World, v4(2)
	Date: April 1984
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<img class="float-left" src="/public/img/articles/cgw-scorpions-tale-enchanter/scorpions-tale-enchanter.png" alt="Scorpion's Tale logo">

Ah, glad to see you drop in again! This time, we're off on a hi-tech adventure, far
away from deep and dank dungeons. So, fasten your seatbelt, and we'll liftoff to
*Starcross*!

First, you're going to be needing the map that came with the game. The location
of the alien ship changes from game to game, and without the map, you won't
be able to figure out what the proper coordinates are for getting to it. So, make sure
you don't lose that map!

There isn't too much to do while you're on your way through space to the mystery
ship, so you might just as well enjoy the descriptions as you fly along. Eventually,
you will be captured by the ship, and that's where the game really begins. Leaving
your own vessel, you will find yourself just outside the Red Airlock. Getting
it open is the first puzzle of the game.

The solution to it is really simple. Careful examination of the sculpture,
along with a little thought about your origins, should get the airlock open pretty
quickly. This will also provide you with the first of the twelve rods you will be collecting
throughout the game.

Once past the airlock, you will find yourself in a truly alien world. Much will
be incomprehensible at the start (and perhaps for much of the game, if not all
of it!), so the best thing to do at this point is just save the game, then wander around
for awhile, mapping as you go. Once you have a fair idea of the layout of the ship,
and where you can find certain objects, you're ready to play the game in earnest.

Now, as you went around the ship, you probably found yourself running across
various strange creatures (and even one familiar one.... don't go walking around
in the dark!!). All of them, in one way or another, will be useful to you; the trick,
as always, is finding the right way of dealing with them.

For example, there are the rat-ants. Not terribly intelligent, but they do know how
to protect their nest... and the red rod that's stuck in it. The answer to this problem
is one that you wouldn't ordinarily associate with an Infocom game, and is
the least satisfying of all the solutions in the game. But you do need that red rod for
something, so it's best to get it now.

Once you have that, you might also want to pay a visit to the spider who lives
behind the blue airlock. Unlike the rat-ants, he is quite intelligent, and even
friendly. He has something for you, IF you have something for him. Remember
that he's bored; what might you have with you that could keep him happily occupied
for awhile?

Well, by now you have several rods, and you're probably wondering what, if
anything, to do with them. Don't worry, they all have a purpose. What you need
to do now is pay a visit to the Grasslands. Explore around there, and you should
find a hatch without too much trouble. Once you open it and go inside, you'll probably
get an idea or two about the uses of the rods. A little knowledge of chemistry
is helpful here, but not absolutely necessary. Trial and error works pretty
well, too. Remember to take with you anything you might find here.

Ok, now you need to make your way to the Yellow Airlock; beyond it will be
another rod. You may find that the door is a bit harder to open than the others
were, but don't let that stop you! There is also a basket inside the door; make sure
you pick that up, because it will come in very handy!

Then it's off to the lab in the Blue Hall, where you will find a mysterious silver
sphere, and some strange controls. A little messing around shows you that you
can make the sphere larger or smaller by twisting a dial; when you do that, a blue
rod is revealed inside the sphere! Alas, you can't just pull it out.

Looking around, you see a red disk and a green disk. Pick them up, because they
are needed here, and in some other circumstances as well. It will take a little experimenting
on your part to figure out what the disks do, and quite a bit more to
see how they should be used in this situation. I'll just tell you that neither disk
should be put on the sphere, and that you shouldn't forget what you found in the
Yellow Airlock.

After getting the blue rod (and making sure you have the disks with you!), head
along to the Computer Room. Investigation of the computer should reveal to you
what needs to be done pretty easily, and now you have a gold rod to add to your
collection. Don't worry about all the fancy displays here; once you have the gold
rod, you've done everything necessary in this room.

While you've been moving around, you may have noticed a little mechanical
"mouse" that collects trash. This machine is quite important; it will help
you to obtain another rod. It isn't necessary to follow it around, however;
just be a litterbug. When the item you dropped has disappeared, you'll know the
mouse has been by. Of course, you \*do\* have to drop the right item (does that have
you going in circles?).

Right about now, it's time to pay your respects to the Weasels. Make your way
to their village, and wait until the chief appears. He will be anxious to trade with
you; feel free to give him what he wants... just make sure that you get what you
need, so be assertive!

When you have that, hang around. There is something else the chief can do
for you, so don't let him out of your sight. Eventually, you will see why that is
necessary, when you reach the Green Airlock. This is a tricky spot, in more
ways than one. Make sure you check out everything in the area; you should be leaving
with a couple of extra items. Speaking of leaving, you can't just walk out the
way you came in; try doing that, and you'll find yourself in a whole lot of trouble!
There is, of course, another way out....

Once you've figured out what that is, you'll want to go to the Observatory.
Here, you'll need to look around very carefully indeed; pay close attention to
the room description and your inventory. Don't leave empty-handed.

Which reminds me, somewhere along the way, you should be sure to pick up the
raygun from the Weapons Deck. It will come in very handy, in more ways than
one. Now it's time to look at those mysterious bubbles in the Grasslands.

Getting to the first one should present no problem at all; getting in should be
equally easy. What's that? You say you don't have a silver rod? Sure you do, you
just don't realize it yet! Its location will become obvious after the great shake-out;
just think about that for awhile.

Now, the other bubble is a slightly different matter. You can't just walk over to
it, or climb up to it. However, as you might have suspected, there is a way to
get there. If you recall your physics, for every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction.

Once you arrive at and enter the other bubble, you will find a use for all the remaining
rods. Here you are on your own, as what needs to be done can be determined
only by trial and error (although again, if you know some physics, part of this will
be easier). But, when you figure out the exact sequence of moves, you will bring
the game to a triumphant conclusion!

Well, that seems to be about it for "Starcross". Next time, we'll talk about a game
that is much different and full of magical happenings: Enchanter. 'Till then, happy
adventuring!

<p class="center">* * * NOTE! * * *</p>

Just after the February issue went to press, I was notified that my mailbox
place would be closing at the end of January. They continued to hold mail for
current customers until about mid-February; after that, all mail was returned
to sender. Since CGW was already printed, there was no way to get a notice
in about the change. My apologies to any of you who had letters returned because
of this problem. Of course, I have a new mailbox, and you can now write to me at
the following address: Scorpia, 207 E. 85th St. Suite 240 New York, NY 10028.
I would also like to remind correspondents that, if you want a personal
reply, you MUST include a selfaddressed, STAMPED envelope
(however, this does not apply to readers living in foreign countries where
American stamps are unavailable)!

For those of you who are online, I can be reached on the Source at ST1030, and
on CompuServe on page GAM-310.
