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What is Stars!?
Stars! is a turn based space strategy game. Comparisons have been made between Stars! and games like, VGA Planets, Masters of Orion, and Trade Wars. Stars! game can by played as a single player game against computer opponents, but is at its best when played as a multiplayer game against human opponents. The game is usually conducted in a PBEM (Play By E-Mail) format generating about one turn per day and lasting between 2 months and 2 years. Blitz games are another format where all players are connected at the same time, generating a turn every 5 or 10 minutes and lasting a matter of hours.
Other "What is Stars!" pages:
Official Site
Autohost
The Stars! FAQ
How do I get the game?
The game requires each player to input a unique serial number in order to play. The best way to get a serial number is to order a copy of the game from Empire Interactive®.
Once you have a serial number you need to upgrade the game so you are using the same version as the players. When you join a game the game host will explain which version will be used. The 'I' version is the last official version, but 'J' is commonly used as well. You can have multiple versions on your computer at the same time, but game files from one version are not compatible with the other versions. The two releases, 2.6 and 2.7, are compatible with each other because the only difference is that 2.7 uses sound in battle. If the game crashes when viewing battles, (Windows 2000 does this) you need to use the 2.6 release.
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* All version of the 2.7 release require the wavemix.dll file.
* Some files are zipped. If you need unzipping tools, some are available at the bottom of the Autohost downloads page.
* You can upgrade the version you order from Explosiv to the 'I' version using this patch, 2.7 to 2.7I.
I have the game, now what?
You should probably go through the 36 turns of the tutorial. It will teach you a lot! Run Stars, click the "New Game" button, then the "Begin Tutorial" button. I'd also suggest reading through some of the Strategy Guide and playing through a practice game on your own. Run Stars, click the "New Game" button, then select Easy Difficulty and Small Universe Size.
I'm ready for a "real" game!
Stars! is fun even if you are a newbie. The best way to learn is to just play. The first thing you will have to do once you join a game is create a race. While Stars! comes with a number of predefined races, it is vastly more exciting to use a customized race. Run Stars, click the "New Game" button, then the "Customize Race..." button. There are 6 steps in creating a race, but you can go back and forth all you want.
Race Design Info:
The Stars! FAQ
The Stars! Compendium
Race Archives
I want to learn more!
There is an entire universe of Stars! websites out there. Here is a list of my favorites.
WayPoint Zero (The Official Stars! Site)
The Stars! FAQ
Stars! Autohost
Stars! Village
Google Groups Stars! Newsgroup