Startopia Mission 1: The Groulien Workers Party Objective: The Groulien Workers Party, those who pay your bills, require you to turn the vacant segment into a Waystation where the asteroid miners can relax between shifts. VAL, your virtual artificial lifeform, will be of assistance to you throughout this mission. Turning a bland segment on the Technology Deck into a Waystation primarily involves facility placement and staffing. In fact, you will spend the better portion of this mission laying out various items such as a Docking Station, Berths, Dine-O-Mats, and Lavotrons-you know, all of the things that make a Waystation such a nice place to rest after a hard day's work. Follow VAL's instructions and you'll be fine, just be sure to include no less than 5 Slumber Pods in the Berth. You can spruce up both the Berth and the Waystation proper by placing Ultra-lamps on the floor. Right-Click anywhere along the floor to bring up Building List and select them from the sub-list of corridor items. Once you've constructed the Droid Recharger you'll be asked to open the bulkhead doors to a new segment. Right-click the bulkhead and then left-click the lock to access the neighboring segment. Here you'll build and staff a Recycling Plant. Place the blueprint along the rear wall so as to leave plenty of floorspace available for future additions. To staff the Recycling Plant with the requisite 4 Salt-Hogs toggle the Management Screen and scan the list of Salt-Hogs and their attributes. Although you're likely very excited about making your first hiring decision as a supervisor, just remember that this is only to fill a vacancy at a Recycling Plant-not a very demanding job. Select two Salt-Hogs who have moderate skill ratings and two who may be less skilled, but are cheap. In fact, so long as you don't hire any criminals you'll be good to go. Once the plant has been staffed VAL will hint to you that it would be a nice gesture (and good practice, I might add) for you to beam some of the litter directly into the Recycling Plant. Left-click various junk and litter to add it to your pattern buffer and then left-click in the Recycling Plant to dispose of it. You can help yourself tremendously in this chore by setting your Scuzzer Droids to focus on litter patrol. Right-click the Scuzzer and drag the recycling icon to the top of the list. While you're at it, go ahead and lower the levels of energy and health that trigger them to get repairs or recharging. Use the linking button so the changes will effect all Scuzzers. Speaking of scum, err, I mean Scuzzers, Arona Daal will contact you with a couple extra that he's willing to part with. Although you should make a rule of not buying from Arona unless absolutely necessary, your in no risk of running out of energy in this mission so it's up to you. Go ahead and purchase one of his Scuzzers and set it to litter patrol so as to help keep the place tidy. VAL will inform you of the arrival of three Technology Crates. These crates, unlike Hardplan Crates, allow you to build their contents whenever you wish- essentially giving you the technology and know-how to do so. Build each of the three facilities in the new segment, making sure to add plenty of Slumber Pods to the Berth. As you might expect, the sudden increase in traffic through your Waystation has led to more rubbish being left around. Hire 2 more Salt-Hogs when VAL prompts you to. Use the same hiring method as before-anyone will do, just no criminals. Your next task will be to monitor the situation and to add facilities where they are needed. More than likely you will start to see a line of Salt-Hogs forming around your Lavotrons. To ease the pain of the workers, build two or three more Lavotrons where space allows, just keep them away from the Dine-O-Mats as nobody wants to hear those types of noises when they are eating Your next task as Supervisor will be to assist in the building of a communications relay. Targ aliens will dock at the station at the same time two Hardplan Crates containing Communications Sensors arrive. Place the blueprints for the Com Sensors out of the way of your visitors, preferably along an outside wall. It appears that you got your communications devices installed just in time to learn about a seriously ill diplomat headed to your station. Once the issue of a Sickbay is raised, Arona Daal will contact you with an offer to sell you a Sickbay for 6000 energy units. Purchase the Hardplan for it and lay it out similarly to a Berth. Include the waiting couch and diagnosis unit and have your Scuzzer Droids get to work on it ASAP! The last task for you in this mission is to hire a Grey and have him cure the ailing Diplomat. Cost doesn't matter, just make sure you select a Grey who is loyal to the task at hand. Once the Diplomat and the Grey find one another in the Sickbay the mission will end. Mission 2: The Grey Council Objective: The Grey Council has hired you to set up a hospital for them. Considering how well you've handled the sickly diplomat back there at the Waystation, is it any wonder? Unfortunately, there is always fine print when signing a contract, and as VAL points out, this one is no exception. You must cure 100 patients, all the while keeping the mortality rate below 10. Begin the mission by building the Energy Collector, Power Booster, Recharger, and Port. Next up is the task of building your first Sick Bay. VAL's advice is of the good kind, take it easy and build it small. Your first Sick Bay needn't contain more than 4 Diagnosis Units and a couple of Waiting Couches. Hire the Greys that come aboard with the first of the sick aliens and use the crates they provide to erect a Lavotron, Dine-O-Mat, and a Berth. As you will come to see, the Dine-O- Mat creates a lot of litter so place it near the bulkhead door as you'll be getting a Recycler for the neighboring segment soon enough. Expand into the adjacent segment and hire several Salt-Hogs to work the Recycler. Once you have the Comsensor purchased and built, as well as a second Sick Bay- this one with several more Diagnosis Units-set your Scuzzers to recycling duty. So long as you continue to hire enough Greys as doctors, your main challenge will be keeping the Health Inspectors from yanking your license and shutting the hospital down. In addition to the sickly aliens, you will be visited often by Arona Daal, as well as the Health Inspectors of the Grey Council. Regardless of how clean your hospital is being kept VAL will warn you about the dirtiness of it-and with good reason, the third warning from the inspectors will end your reign as hospital administrator! To keep from having to constantly beam litter into your pattern buffer, only to drop it into the Recycler, you should aim to purchase every Scuzzer and Litter Bin Arona Daal is willing to sell you. Also, you would benefit from hiring additional Salt-Hogs in a steady manner throughout the entire mission. Consider hiring no less than a dozen Salt-Hogs once the hospital really starts getting crowded. Being around sick aliens isn't any fun-not for doctors, the patients, or the cured aliens waiting to go home. For this reason you will be able to construct various facilities such as a motel, General Store, and even a Music Shop on the Pleasure Deck. Although the Pleasure Deck is a great source of energy (aliens are willing to spend lots of it on "Get Well" gifts), it is a giant headache as well. Although your Scuzzers and Salt-Hogs will frequent the Pleasure Deck, and may even pick up some rubbish while they're there, you have got to install several Litter Bins if you are to keep on the Inspectors' good side. Other facilities, such as the Love Nest, also make for nice attractions and help to keep the visiting aliens from getting bored. Just make sure to hire a Siren for each Love Chair you install. Although the mission objectives allow for several patients that "don't make it", there is little reason for anyone to die should you follow these basic tips. For starters, hire more doctors than there are Diagnosis Units. By doing so you will not only allow for Greys to take a stroll up to the Pleasure Deck from time to time, but you can also hire any and every Grey you see, regardless of skill level. As a rule of thumb, hire 50% more doctors than you have Diagnosis Units. Another good strategy is to add plenty of Waiting Couches to each Sick Bay. Monitor the couches to see if you need to add another Sick Bay. Finally, purchase several Dispensers from Arona Daal and use them in a sort of self-help Sick Bay. You will have to include at least one Diagnosis Unit in it, but you can have the majority of it devoted to Dispensers. Last but not least, there is the topic of supplies. Keep at least one crate of Medical and Food Supplies in your Pattern Buffer at all times as you never know when you will need it. Essentially, if you cure every patient that enters your hospital, and pass each inspection, you will have plenty of energy awarded to you that you can go on mini spending sprees should you wish. Purchase a Power Booster early on and continue to add additional Scuzzers, Litter Bins, Supplies, and decorative items. You should also purchase a second Recharger to place on the Pleasure Deck. Keeping your guests from being bored is important if you are to ask them to stay on as residents. Along the same lines, take an occasional glance at the Management Screen to see which of your residents feel they deserve a promotion (indicated by the blinking star). Promote each of them to keep your staff from departing on you when you need them the most. Mission 3: The Targ Collective Objective: The Targ have heard good things about your management skills and have hired you to establish a cutting-edge Cargo Trading Facility. You must be bullish in your deals and strive to accumulate 100,000 energy. As usual, you will begin the mission with a pile of crates lying in a heap on the Technology Deck. Unpack the Scuzzer Droids and build the Energy Collector, Port, and Power Booster. The Targ, willing to help you succeed in your task, will deposit 50,000 energy in your station as soon as the Energy Collector is built. Once the next load of Hardplan Crates is delivered, you should open the Bulkhead doors to the neighboring two segments and construct the Star Dock, Lavotron, Dine- O-Mat, and Berth. Place the Star Dock in a corner, as it takes up a lot of room. Add a Comsensor and staff it with a loyal Targ, as he's going to be there for a while. You will do little construction throughout the rest of the mission, so be sure to re-arrange the priorities of your Scuzzer Droids. Have them focus on repairing and cleaning the equipment and, unless you build a Recycler, give litter patrol the lowest priority. Of course, you will want to purchase a couple Litter Bins when given the chance. Your only true danger in this mission is running out of energy. Should this happen you will lose the ability to power your Star Dock, and hence be without the capability to trade for more energy. To prevent this from happening, try your hardest to control your spending and stay above 15,000 energy as best you can. With the way to avoid your only true peril already having been flagged, it's time to discuss your winning strategy. The key to quickly succeeding in this mission and moving on to the next lies with your ability to exploit the likes and dislikes of your visiting merchants. Throughout the mission, you will be visited by Greys, Sirens, Targs, and Salt-Hog traders, as well as that scoundrel Arona Daal. With the exception of his first visit, at which time you may wish to purchase a Factory or Recycler from him, Arona Daal's inventory should be politely scanned and then hastily be given the boot-especially if the other traders are looking to board. The following list will highlight some of the key trades to make, detailing who to buy various items from, and who to in turn sell them to at high margins. You will find that playing matchmaker between the Greys and Sirens, as well as between the Targ and Salt-Hogs, is your best bet for bringing in the dough. Greys: The Greys are your low-cost source for everything medical-remember, it was them who had you build a hospital. Whenever the Greys come aboard you should be certain to purchase multiple Sick Bays and crates of Medical Supplies, as the Sirens will pay top-dollar for them. Sell the Greys crates of Luxury Items and other things of an entertainment nature, such as Discos and Love Nests. Sirens: The high-pitched, winged, Sirens seem to run an entertainment wholesale house. They sell Discos, Love Nests, and Luxury Items at dirt-cheap prices. On their first visit, you should be sure to buy two of the Discos and Love Nests, as you will need to build them to attract more visitors. Always purchase Luxury Items from the Sirens unless you build a Factory, for they will come in handy when trading with the Greys. Speaking of Greys, sell the Sirens the Sick Bays and Medical Supplies you had purchased from the Greys to make your profits soar. You'll have some time before your next visit to start adding amenities such as a Disco, Factory or Recycler, and a Love Nest. Momentarily switch your Scuzzer Droids back to building mode until these extras are constructed and hire one or two Sirens to work the Love Nest. Feel free to up the admission fee slightly on each of your entertainment facilities. Also, should you build a Factory or Recycler, hire no less than four Salt-Hogs to work it. Avoid hiring anyone for more than 1,000 energy on this mission as all of them are easily replaceable. Finally, build a small Sick Bay with just one Diagnosis Unit in it. Leave room for a Dispenser to be added and hire one Grey to play doctor. Fire the Grey once you add the Dispenser. Although you can build a Factory and staff it with Salt-Hogs to produce your own Luxury Goods, among other things, it is more cost-effective to simply purchase the Luxury Goods from the Sirens. This will save you in terms of the cost of buying and maintaining the Factory, as well as the cost of labor and materials. Rather, you should consider building a Recycler, as it will help to actually make a return on your investment by converting litter into energy. Another topic of concern is the chance that Arona will offer you a loan. Should you fall below 10,000 energy units he will happen by and offer you an energy loan. Should he do this, and you accept, be sure to maintain at least 30,000 energy until he comes back to collect on it. In other words, don't buy anything! Rather, just sit tight and allow your visitors to spend their monies on your attractions. Also, it is likely that a Solar Flare will occur, giving you a chance to get back on your feet. And now, back to trading. Targ: The Targ, as you know, are a technically-oriented bunch. They sell Comsensors, Cargo Holds, and Power Boosters at relatively affordable prices. Purchase an extra Cargo Hold from them for yourself to use and grab as many Comsensors as you can afford. Although the Targ are really looking for Industrial Supplies, you can turn a decent profit by unloading Black Market Goods and Litter Bins as well. Salt-Hogs: The Salt-Hogs are excellent trading counterparts to the Targ. Although the choices they offer you aren't as good as some of the other merchants, they sell Recycling Plants and Industrial Goods on the cheap. Be sure to pick up several crates of Industrial Supplies. Like the other races, the Salt-Hogs have their weakness, and it's Comsensors. They just can't get enough of those things. Sell them as many as their willing to buy. As you surely have noticed, your Pattern Buffer doesn't allow for properly storing too many items. Although you'll be free to continue purchasing goods, the overflow will pile up beside the Star Dock where it will slowly deteriorate should you not do something about it. To help solve this problem, erect a Cargo Bay and beam all of the items out of your Pattern Buffer into it. Then you can beam items off the floor of the deck and into your Pattern Buffer where they'll be safe. Once your current energy and value of cargo totals in the neighborhood of 100,000 energy, VAL will inform you that it's time to cease buying and sell everything you got. VAL may be a bit precocious, but he's often right. From here on in, just dump your goods on whomever is willing to purchase them, provided the offering price is at least in green font. You'll be at 100,000 before you know it. Mission 4: The Galactic Rehab Authority Objective: In your first true test, the Galactic Rehab Authority (GRA) has hired you to establish a Rehabilitation Station where you are expected to rehabilitate 100 criminals. Although you may not know it early on, but you will be relieved of your duties should 10 or more criminals escape prior to being completely rehabilitated. You will be rewarded 1000e for each rehabilitated criminal, and 2000e will be deducted for each criminal that escapes. Unlike the previous missions, which could each be completed in a roundabout fashion, success with the GRA requires that you bring a very planned, methodical approach to the position. As you will see, you will be building several Lockdown Brigs to house and rehabilitate the criminals that arrive at your station. Security Scuzzers will be responsible for escorting the "crims" back and forth from their cells to the Port. Although you will have reinforcements to help with the occasional enemy agent, they will not dirty their hands with the common criminal seeking rehabilitation. The difficulty in this mission presents itself when you have more criminals than available jail cells. Crims don't like to wait around for rehab and will occasionally make an escape attempt should your Security Scuzzers take their eyes off them. This being the case, having adequate Security Scuzzers and jail cells in place, as well as knowing how to manage the limited energy stores, are the keys to completing this mission. Begin by opening up one of the Bulkhead doors to an adjacent segment. Build the Energy Collector, Power Booster, and Security Control facilities in the same segment, leaving the other one vacant for the time being. Having an army of Security Scuzzers wobbling about is not enough to keep the overflow of crims from escaping. Rather, you must position all facilities strategically so the traveling distance for your armed Droids can be kept to a minimum. Build the Port against the back wall of the empty segment and then place the Recharger very close by to it, preferably along the back wall as well. This is critical in keeping your Security Scuzzers from gallivanting throughout your station. Now, for your last major building, erect a large Lockdown Brig lengthwise along the side wall of the segment. Place no less than 9 jail cells within it and install only one door as near the Port as you can-again, keeping everything as closely spaced as possible. You can add the Dine-O-Mat and other essential facilities in the other segment near the Energy Collector. Leave room for another Lockdown Brig near the Port as you will eventually need to up your housing ability to about 16 or so crims. Despite the numerous visits from Arona Daal, you should not even consider purchasing a Recycler, Sick Bay, or any other high-dollar facility that does not pertain directly to the task at hand. Also, do not open the door to the third segment. Crims will congregate in the third room, creating unnecessary travel time for your Security Scuzzers. Should this happen, you can count on a mass exodus by the Crims still standing near the Port. Staff-wise, you will start with a couple of Kasvagorians, a Salt-Hog, and a Grey. The 'Gors will man the Security Control facility, leaving the Salt-Hog and Grey to stand guard. In addition, you will begin with a few Security Scuzzers. Make sure they are set to "Apprehend" and not "Eliminate". Early on, you should make a point of purchasing as many Security Scuzzers as you can from Arona Daal, provided you don't drop below 6,000 energy. As criminals get rehabilitated and depart the station you will be rewarded 1000e. Use this energy to purchase additional Scuzzers, as well as a Security Column, second Recharger, and a second Power Booster. Gradually increase your security force to 10 to 12 Security Scuzzers and a half dozen Salt-Hogs and Kasvagorians. You can hire the aliens as they make their way back to the Port upon being rehabilitated. Do not hire any Greys, as they are the weakest As more and more criminals get rehabbed the game will start to become more difficult. Not only will the influx of crims increase, but so will the frequency of Enemy Agents. Enemy Agents are the only ones who will pay to use the Port (set it to 400e, the maximum, and keep your eye on it), and are also the only aliens to arrive via the Port without having the red, devilish "criminal" icon over their heads. Although your Security Columns will sniff them out, you should left- click them as soon as you see them to prevent them from committing any mischief. Once you've had about 50 or 60 criminals leave to start their "new lives", consider adding an additional 5 jail cells. If energy is tight, build a small Lockdown Brig and add only 2 cells, you can always add more later. Nevertheless, the floodgates are truly opened by the time 70 have been released and a understaffed, and ill-prepared rehab center will be overrun by impatient criminals. Keep watch of your Scuzzers to make sure that they are not all running around with the "no available jail cell" icon over their heads. If this happens, build extra cells at once! Although a couple of aliens can leave without threatening your removal, the 2000e penalties can add up very quickly, thus causing you to power-down parts of your station. Keep from spending energy unwisely, maintain a proper staff, and provide plenty of jail cells-these are the keys to winning this mission. Mission 5: The Turakken Committee Objective: The scientists of the Turakken Committee have agreed that you should be the one to lead the way in their technological revolution. You are charged with the task of providing adequate laboratory facilities for a team of scientists, who you must then help research 20 new technologies. The always- appreciative Turakkens will pay you 10,000 energy for each technology you discover. As is the case for real-life scientists on the edge of breakthrough discoveries, you're biggest challenge here is patience. The results are there, you know they are, but finding them can be a tad bit frustrating. Don't fret, a list of all 20 discoveries is provided below, along with the materials that were analyzed to achieve them. This mission will require the building of the essential facilities as well as some entertainment amenities on the Pleasure Deck-after all, a bored scientist is a. well. umm.. a scientist. The integral components of a research center is, of course, the Laboratory. Erect the Laboratory in the corner of one of your main Technology Decks. Build the lab large enough so as to accommodate the Analyzer Unit and 8 Worktables. Each Laboratory is able to support as many scientists as there are Worktables, so the more Worktables there are, the faster the research is carried out. Throughout the mission the Turakkens will provide you with scientists, however you can-and should-hire as many as you can. This will keep the work flowing; even when the love-starved ones are off getting lap dances on the Pleasure Deck. To conduct research you must beam various crates into the Analyzer Unit within the lab. Pay attention to what you've provided the scientists to research, and definitely take notice of what their findings are. Oftentimes, the results will just be a slight improvement on a pre-existing item or facility, other times, a new and wonderful item will be born. Since Arona Daal can not only get pricey, his selection of goods in this mission is pathetically poor. You will need to build a Factory as soon as you can, so as to not only keep a steady supply of materials crates coming, but to also manufacture Hardplan and Droid Crates, which are excellent for conducting research on. As you will see, many times an item needs to be improved upon several times before it will lead to a discovery. For example, Medical Supplies had lead to "Improved Medical Supplies" on several attempts before finally yielding the discovery of a Sick Bay. No, my friend, "improvements" do not count towards your goal. Right about now, you're probably wondering where the challenge is, right? Well, a steady stream of Spies will start making their way to your station. These little buggers' whole intent is to disrupt the work of your scientists. Hire Kasvagorian and Salt-Hog visitors to act as security personnel and target any and all Spies as soon as you see them. With 10,000 energy coming in for each discovery, you'll be able to afford anyone you see. Not only that, but it will all but guarantee an adequate number of workers for your Factory. The other complicating element pertains to the rampant spread of litter and Space Vermin. You will want to consider manufacturing a small band of Scuzzer Droids to keep the place as litter- free as possible. If not, many of your employees will leave for tidier pastures. Although you can refer to the full-length Technology Chart on the Technology Page of this guide, the following list details what was used to reach each of the 20 requisite discoveries. 1) Food Supplies = Dine-O-Mat 2) Mineral Ores = Bench 3) Hardware Supplies = Slumber Pod 4) Industrial Supplies = Factory 5) Luxury Goods = Love Chair 6) Industrial Supplies = Scuzzer Mk1 7) Berth = Star Motel 8) Hardware Supplies = Comsensor 9) Scuzzer Mk1 = Recharger 10) Luxury Goods= Music Shop 11) Hardware Supplies = Port 12) Factory = Cargo Hold 13) Recreational Bar = Recreational Bar Unit 14) Love Nest = Disco 15) Recharger = Power Booster 16) Music Shop = General Store 17) Medical Supplies = Sick Bay 18) Power Booster = Energy Collector 19) Analyzer Unit = Dispenser 20) Scuzzer Mk1 = Security Scuzzer Mission 6: The Karmarama Commune First Objective: Mission 6 is a two-part mission, with two separate objectives. Your first task, the more challenging of the two, is to cultivate 50 crates of food out of the plants your farmers will grow in the Biodeck. Arona Daal will be by after 100 rotations to retrieve his stock, you had better have it ready. The second objective is explained on a need-to-know basis. Complete the first objective, and only then will you need to know! The Karmarama are a happy-go-lucky bunch who have a love of farming that supersedes all but their passion for catching Z's. Although the Commune will send you a few farmers to get started with, you'll have to hire as many of the purple, dread-locked aliens as you can if you want to ensure timely delivery of Arona's food crates. Before you start concentrating on the Biodeck, you had better get the essential facilities in order down on the Technology Deck. As you'll learn early on from VAL, all of the neighboring segments on board the station are in a state of disrepair-conditions are so bad, you'll be charged 20,000 energy for every Bulkhead Door you open. Expand slowly but definitely open the doors to each the neighboring segment on all 3 decks. you'll know why later. Once you've got things in working order downstairs, head up to the Biodeck, it's time to start plowing the fields, so to speak. An absolutely astonishing variety of species of plant will grow when planted in a Biodeck. However, many of these plants will not yield food, but everything from crates of Black Market Goods to Industrial Supplies. The challenge is this mission is to determine which soil temperature and moisture combination is most conducive to growing food-producing plants. Regardless the conditions, the Karmarama will be busy planting and shoveling. To harvest the plants, simply right-click them to view their growth chart. When fully "ripe" they will automatically package themselves into the various crates and await pickup. You're going to need no less than two Cargo Holds and a small army of Scuzzer Droids. When possible, purchase the Mk2 from Arona Daal, as it's wheeled and much faster than the base model Mk1. It's planting time! The faster you can get the right conditions dialed in on the Biodeck, the more likely it is you will be successful. Open the door to the neighboring Biodeck Segment, as you're going to use one Segment for your "cash crop" and the other for variety and recreation. The most reliable source of food crates are the Drickling and Mopani plants, which grow in dry, semi-humid environments. Using the soil moisture and soil temperature controls, create a large swath of land that is brownish orange in color. It should give the feeling of slightly moist, but warm dirt. The Drickling will grow well in this soil. In the other area, create a large, deep, lake and surround it on all sides by hilly terrain, both of a warm, humid type, and of a cold, dry variety. Assorted plants and trees will grow both in and around the water, all of which will yield some sort of crate for you to sell or give to Arona. Light green colored grass surrounding water will often yield Bazack, Amakinda, and Mangotana plants-all of which grow food, albeit at a slower rate. As the plants begin to be harvested, be sure to beam up any and all Food Crates into your Pattern Buffer to shield them from decomposition. Arona Daal will visit frequently, be sure to sell him all of your Luxury Goods, Industrial Supplies, and Black Market Goods. From him you will want a host of entertainment facilities, a Sick Bay, Cargo Holds, and several Scuzzer Droids. Once you can get the Cargo Holds in place, empty your Pattern Buffer into it and return to the Biodeck. Let the Scuzzers take care of the non-perishables, while you ensure the safe storage of the Food Crates. Should you work quickly and efficiently, and remember to promote your Karmaramas on a regular basis, you can produce 50 crates worth of food while there are still over 40 rotations on the clock. Second Objective: Once the 100th rotation has passed and Arona is given the 50 crates of food, you'll be given a new assignment. The Turakkens have decided to race you to total space station ownership. The first of you to completely occupy 4 Segments will be declared the new owner of the station. Each Bulkhead door you open will cost 20,000e. To help you get started in your quest of space station ownership, the Karmaramas have given you a Star Dock. Used in conjunction with a Comsensor, you'll be able to trade with other merchants who happen by. Although the extra trading is important, should you keep the farms growing in the Biodeck you should have plenty of goods to sell Arona. Nevertheless, a Grey will likely visit you shortly after constructing the Star Dock. Sell the medical-supply toting alien all of the Luxury Goods you can, as he can never seem to get enough of them. Make an effort to not fall below 10,000 energy and open every door you can with the spoils from your harvest. Return to the Biodeck and turn large areas to a very humid and warm soil. Lillith plants will grow exceptionally well in this soil and will provide you with a never-ending supply of Luxury Goods. Also not to be discounted are the Lilyenta plants that grow on the water in the lake and the dark green Succulus plants which produce Luxury Goods and Black Market Goods, respectively. Don't worry about providing additional facilities to your new rooms, rather you should increase the cost of your current attractions. Be sure to hire any Karmaramas you see to keep them from working for the Turakkens (their Biodeck will adjoin yours) and continue to promote the ones you already had working for you. Once you get within one or two Decks of winning, sell everything you have and use all of the energy to open the last remaining Biodecks. The mission is won as soon as the last deck of the fourth Segment is occupied. Mission 7: The Kasvagorian Kingdom Objective: You're going undercover as a squatter in this combat-oriented mission to forcefully remove two squatters from the Kasvagorian station. Doing so will require you to use all of the skills you've learned in the previous missions as well as gain an understanding of battle. This mission will start you out like all the rest: you get a couple Scuzzers, an Energy Collector, and some basic facilities. As if building an impressive army wasn't a big enough drain on your energy stores, you should be forewarned that each Bulkhead door will cost you 15,000e to open. With all of these large expenses, you're going to have to buy a Star Dock and Comsensor from Arona Daal so as to take advantage of the capricious buying patterns of passing merchants. Once you get your trading abilities in gear, and visitors are coming and going, you should set to the task at hand. Your first priority should be to get a handful of Karmaramas onto the Biodeck to start planting. While they busy themselves in botanical bliss, you should put the finishing touches on the Technology Deck. Add a Cargo Hold, several more Scuzzers to retrieve the cargo from the Biodeck, and you will definitely need a Sick Bay, after all you are going to have a lot of wounded soldiers on your hands. A look at the station map will reveal that you have been positioned between the squatters, with a couple of empty segments between you all. Although there are three decks which you can take from the opposition, occupying the segment containing their Energy Collector is the way to completely expel them from the station. Start hiring as many Salt-Hogs, Kasvagorians, and Greys as you can. The Greys are not only willing to mix it up with the other laser blasting races, but they also know when their needed in the Sick Bays. Likewise, the Targs and Kasvagorians will divide their time between battle and the Comsensor and Security Control, respectively. By having a Comsensor in place, not only will you be able to trade with other races (with the Star Dock), but you will also have the chance to heal radiated aliens from time to time. The good news about this is that you will receive 1000e for each alien you heal. Put to use your trading expertise and purchase Sick Bays and Medical Supplies from the Greys, Security Columns from the Kasvagorians, and any entertainment facilities from the Sirens. Once again, concentrate on selling large quantities of Luxury Goods to the Greys for big profits. When it comes to readying for combat, you should have no less than two dozen aliens ready to fight. Of course, the more Kasvagorians you have, the better. Keep one or two Security Scuzzers in your Pattern Buffer to use when necessary, but try to guard the one you use to rush the opponent's locking mechanism. Declare only one of the squatters your foe (whichever one is expanding towards you) and breach the door to his segment. Remain patient and continue to have your large army eliminate all of the opposition's defenses. Hire any and all Salt-Hogs and Kasvagorians wandering about your enemy's segment not already belonging to his army. Gradually move your soldiers into the segment you are trying to occupy and send your Security Scuzzer to the next locking mechanism to have him shut the door. It may take longer, but working one segment at a time is an effective way to limit your losses, and to provide you with an opportunity to take stock of your energy situation. In between battling over segments, harvest your plants, promote your soldiers, and conduct more trading. A reprieve between battles will also allow your soldiers to rest and heal. Place a Security Column near your locking mechanism just in case the opposition tries to reclaim their segment, and purchase one or two additional Security Scuzzers. Power-up any new facilities you've acquired, especially any Power Boosters or Cargo Holds. When it comes time to attack again, muster your troops together near the Bulkhead door and right-click the locking mechanism to open it. This time, rush in and target their Port. If you succeed in destroying their Port (you'll have to destroy the Scuzzers that try to repair it) you will effectively pinch off their supply of defenders. Send in your Scuzzers to take over the segment, thereby knocking the squatter off the station. Once you succeed in knocking one of the squatters off the Technology Deck, you may be ready to rush into a fight with the other one. Do not do this. Take your time, occupy a few additional Biodecks, and continue trading. Your next enemy has been building his army while you were fighting his counterpart and you'll need a larger army to eliminate him. Once you have the requisite energy stores, 30 or more aliens mustered together for combat (of which, 15 or so should be Kasvagorians), and a couple Security Scuzzers ready and waiting, you should only then open the Bulkhead door. Hold your ground and let the opposition run into your swarm. Provided you had placed a Security Column near your locking mechanism, you will not have to worry about guarding it. Continue hiring any unaffiliated aliens you see and target all of the enemy's Kasvagorians. Once you can gain a foothold in his segment, send in your Scuzzers to take over the segment. Target everyone with an enemy icon that goes near your Scuzzers-yes, even Sirens and Turakkens. If you had taken care of the squatter expanding towards you earlier on, this first segment of the second squatter will likely contain the Energy Collector and therefore be the only one of his you need to occupy. Hoist up your flag and kiss the riff-raff goodbye! Mission 8: The Zedem Conclave Objective: In a complete 180 from the previous mission, your goal here is to aid the religiously-oriented Zedem Monks in their performance of the Ascension ritual, a holy event requiring 12 Monks and 12 Penitents. Once your basic Technology Deck is assembled, two Zedem Monks will arrive and make their way to the Biodeck where they will begin to erect a Star Temple. For each Monk you have working for you, a large Rune will emerge from the ground. To complete the construction of the Star Temple, you must have 12 Monks employed and praying for you. As religion becomes more widespread throughout your segment aliens will come to repent their sins and cleanse their souls. Should an alien feel so overwhelmed with religious enlightenment, they may decide to dedicate their remaining years to the cloth and become a Penitent. In addition to 12 Zedem Monks, you must also have 12 aliens convert to Penitents. There's little that you can do in a hands-on way that will make more aliens convert to Penitents. Likewise, the number of Zedem Monks who arrive on your station will do so under their own free-will. What you can do, however, is strive to make your station a more attractive destination for both the passersby and the Zedem Monks. In case you miss VAL's warning, there is a bit of friendly competition taking place in this mission-another administrator trying to accomplish the same task is positioned opposite you on the space station. You can move the camera through the windows of the Biodeck, and around the space doughnut to the other side. There you can look through the glass to see how the competition is doing. For each alien to convert to a Penitent you will be given 5,000e from the Zedem Conclave. Use this energy to expand your station and to build several attractions. Consider adding a Star Dock and Comsensor so as not to have to rely on Arona's exorbitant prices. To give yourself something to barter with, expand the Biodeck and hire a couple of Karmaramas to grow some cargo. Use this money to purchase a Bar, General Store, and Star Hotel among other things. The only thing you should not do is erect a Love Nest. Zedem Monks do not approve of this type of entertainment and will not be as quick to visit your station. In addition to not building a Love Nest, you should consider lowering the price to use your Port, possibly below 100e. As time goes by, and the popularity of your Station grows, Enemy Agents will show up. For this reason you should keep several Security Scuzzers around, as well as a small band of Kasvagorians to instill law and order. Should criminal activity start to occur, consider building a Lockdown Brig with a couple of cells. If you get to work quickly, lower the cost of the Port, and resist the urge to build a Love Nest, you should complete the Ascension Ritual before crime gets too rampant. Mission 9: The Polvakian Aristocracy Objective: The Polvakian Aristocracy have arranged for you and three other administrators to compete in a test to see which of you can establish the most profitable, and enduring, high class pleasure station. The Polvakians will collect 1,000e per Deck you occupy once every 10 rotations. Those who fail to cover their fees will be booted out of the station. Be the last organic standing, and you'll win the mission. In case you have a short attention span, allow me to repeat the conditions for this mission: you must have 1,000e for each Deck you occupy ready to hand over to the Polvakians every 10 rotations. Fail to budget your energy and, as VAL would say, it's "goodbye to the weakest link". Outlive your competition in this financial battle of attrition and it'll be on to the next mission for you. Spend your energy like a "software trillionaire just released from prison" and you'll never advance to Mission 10-and the Sirens really want you to make it to Mission 10. Ok, so you've undoubtedly picked up on the importance of maintaining enough energy in your stores to pay the fees to the Aristocracy. Now for the part that you might not have figured out: expand slowly. Take your time setting up your station and resist the urge to expand until your Bulkhead doors are about to burst from the outflow of carbon. Since this mission is all about attracting passersby by showing off a good Pleasure Deck, you're provided a Love Nest, Space Inn, and Star Motel right off the bat. Not long after you start receiving pleasure-seekers will Arona Daal pay you a visit. Resist the urge to purchase a Star Dock and opt for a Disco, a General Store, and one of the bars. You should also purchase a Sick Bay and a Comsensor from him. Allow some of your Scuzzers to focus on litter patrol while the others build and repair your facilities. Although you are going to forego the ability to trade with other merchants by not purchasing the Star Dock, a large Sick Bay and a Comsensor will allow you the opportunity to heal the tens of diseased aliens traveling through space. Welcome the sickly aboard every chance you get as not only will you receive 1,000e for each one you heal, but a 10,000e bonus each time you manage to cure the whole shipload of them. As you will see, the Comsensor will not only receive calls from the infected, but will also give you the chance to signal large parties of tourists that it's ok to come aboard. Cha-ching! There are essentially three true challenges to this mission: 1) managing your energy, 2) keeping litter under control, and 3) keeping security tight. The penalties for running out of energy are obvious-you will lose. To keep this from occurring, you must build slowly. Monitor the Station Overview screen to track what your visitors and residents are in need of and only add those facilities. Likewise, you should gradually add up to 4 Power Boosters to your station, as well as a Recycler. Of course, you will need to hire several Salt-Hogs to keep the Recycler humming. Finally, in terms of energy, don't expand beyond 5 decks until there are only two of you left in the game. The pie-chart displaying popularity on the Station Overview screen does not necessarily correspond to who's station is the biggest. Remember, it's what you do with what you got that matters. While providing your guests with fancy inns and a raging disco scene is key to getting them to come aboard, keeping a clean and well-maintained station is the only way to get them to stay. Hire additional Scuzzer Droids throughout the mission and split them between litter patrol and repairs. Should litter get out of hand, you will soon be overrun with Space Vermin, the cosmic equivalent of earthly rats. Have a handful of Karmaramas work the Biodeck so you have things to stock your stores with as well as sell to Arona, and purchase the Litter Bin Technology Crate when you get the chance. Place Litter Bins around each Dine-O- Mat and store on your station. Also, help out your Droids by beaming up any litter you encounter including corpses of dead Space Vermin and aliens (you don't want it to smell in here, do you?) and beam them into the Recycler. This will not only help to keep the station sparkling, but will help ease your energy woes at the same time. Last but not least is the issue of security. You should never have less than 3 Security Scuzzers and a handful of Kasvagorians and Salt-Hogs on your payroll. Not only will Spies sneak aboard and place bombs throughout the station, but Enemy Agents and criminals will occasionally come aboard and go on a shooting spree. Although you don't need to purchase a Security Control room since everyone's friends on this ship, you should purchase at least one Security Column and place it near the Port. The Security Column will not only blast Enemy Agents but will help with your Space Vermin extermination. Unfortunately, what the Column does not do well is detect Spies. Should a Spy slip past your defenses and place a bomb on board your ship, you should search all over for it, beam it into your Pattern Buffer, and then dispose of it in the Recycler. Be careful, though, as one unintended left-click will drop the bomb back onto the deck, thereby blowing up whatever is near it. There is one final instance worth warning you about-possibly something to consider keeping a large army on hand to prevent. You may be boarded by a band of Skrashers, large spider-esque alien creatures whose sole purpose it destroy everything they see. Not only will they kill your residents and visitors, but they can actually destroy your facilities as well. Should they invade, left-click them to target them (with high priority, I might add) and go about hiring every gun-toting alien in the vicinity. Take your time going about rebuilding after they are gone and keep in mind the fee the Gem Slugs will be collecting on. Mission 10: The Siren Agency Objective: VAL wasn't pulling your chain, this is the big one! You've been asked by the Siren, ahem, Agency to help rid their station of a group of aggressive administrators. This mission will call on all of the skills you've learned as a managerial mastermind to expand your power throughout the entire station, giving each of the other administrators a hefty kick in their intergalactic nether regions. Who knows, you just might be able to take out your reward in trade. When playing this mission, the final one in Mission Mode, you may begin thinking that it is no tougher than the previous nine. Oh, sure, it starts out that way- and then you reach the third and final administrator who's been biding his time and growing stronger throughout the game. Yes, then it can get tough very quickly. However, the strategy detailed in the following paragraphs, when carried through, will all but guarantee your smooth sailing success. But first things first, my little Snarg. patience is everything in this mission. You begin the mission with a host of facilities, a gaggle of Scuzzers, and a whopping 100,000e in the kitty. Get started hiring everyone that comes aboard your station. Yes, everyone-even the Zedem Monks! As you'll soon find out, you get 5,000e each time one of your visiting aliens (or your residents) convert to a Penitent. Get the holy rollers rolling quickly to help bolster your energy reserves. Arona will be by momentarily to relieve you of some of that hefty energy allowance the Sirens have given you. Ignore his outrageous prices and purchase a Sick Bay, Security Control, Cargo Hold, Recycler, Comsensor, and Star Dock. This equipment will allow you to come to the rescue of dozens of aliens passing by, thus giving you a chance to cash in on some sweet rewards floating around the galaxy. The Segment you begin in is the one that is the most secure, as everything else is on the fringe of your control. With regards to this, keep the Star Dock and Comsensor close by as they are not only expensive facilities, but imperative in maintaining a source of energy through trade, curing ailing aliens, and for enlisting the services of various underground guilds, aka spies. Take your time and ignore the rapid expansion of your competition. Instead, work on amassing the enormous army of Salt-Hogs and Kasvagorians you will need. Although the first two administrators will be easy to remove from the station, the third and final one will give you a bit of trouble with less than a 50-alien army. The last thing you want to end up happening is finding yourself being attacked on both sides. You can keep this from ever being an issue by progressing, segment-by- segment, in one direction. However, in order to make this a viable strategy, you must cover your backside. Expand one segment (along the Technology Deck) in a clockwise direction. Use this segment as your buffer zone from the administrator in the 3 o'clock position and lay down an intricate network of Security Columns. Start with two near the locking mechanism and expand their numbers throughout the mission so that there is not one place an enemy can step without being lit up by two or three Security Columns. Should an enemy attempt to make a breach into that segment, they will have one hell of a time ever getting near your Energy Collector. Once your backside is covered, start spreading out in the counter-clockwise direction to take out your first opponent. Take him one segment at a time and be quick to power-up any Power Boosters or other facilities that become yours during the breach. With any luck you'll gain a Laboratory and a handful of Power Boosters, and maybe even a Cargo Hold. Check the Tech Chart at the Laboratory and add extra Workbenches to the facility. Staff it with several Turakkens, promote your army, let them heal, and then breach the next segment. This time, once you have the initial defense eliminated, target their Energy Collector with your entire squad. This tactic is especially helpful if they have placed Security Columns near their locking mechanism. Once the first administrator has been expelled from the station, you may be itching to start expanding your Pleasure and Biodecks. Go ahead and expand them one segment each, in the counter-clockwise direction, but don't spend all of your energy trying to expand along with your Technology Deck. Rather, you should continue building Security Columns in your buffer zone and near your Ports, promoting your staff, and hiring every single gun-toting alien you see. Increase the numbers of the other aliens as well, just not as aggressively as you will the Salt-Hogs, Kasvagorians, Targ, and Greys. If you haven't inherited one through combat, you should definitely consider adding a Factory to your station. In addition to providing yourself with a never- ending supply of Luxury Goods to sell the Greys, the Factory is key once you acquire any Technology plans. Speaking of which, you should snatch up Technology Crates for Security Columns, Security Scuzzers, and Litter Bins. I know, I know, Litter Bins may not sound that exciting, but they are an integral part in keeping a clean station-a station that won't breed an army of Space Vermin! For the second enemy, likely in the 6 o' clock position on the map, you should bring no less than 35 aliens into combat. Take his segments one at a time and keep two or three Security Scuzzers in your pattern buffer so as to keep them out of harm's way until the coast is clear. Remember, the further your aliens are from the Energy Collector, the weaker they are, This being the case, resist the urge to ambush this administrator's Energy Collector. Instead, you'd be better off taking your time and seizing control of the segment through the locking mechanism. Once the initial combat has subsided and you can rush the locking mechanism, muster your troops together near the lock. Beam the Security Scuzzers out of your Pattern Buffer and take control of the segment. Provided you have a half-dozen or so Kasvagorians watching their back, the little Security Scuzzers should be able to carry out their business uninterrupted. As was mentioned in the opening paragraph, the third administrator is not such a push-over as the first two-quite the contrary. Take reprieve from the battle, save your progress, and allow your army to head up the Pleasure Deck for some extra-curricular activities. After all, this is the Siren's station! While they're busying themselves in the Love Nest, you should be swindling the various merchants out of extra Security Columns, a Recycler, and even a Lockdown Brig. Advance until you've got one empty segment between you and the final administrator and place your new facilities there. Add more Security Columns to your backside buffer zone, and around each of the Ports. Construct a small Lockdown Brig and set your Security Scuzzers to "arrest" if they hadn't been set that way already. It might not seem like much, but you will be given 1,000e for each rehabilitated criminal. Sound familiar? Take inventory of your visitors needs and add extra Lavotrons, Bars, Discos, Berths, etc. to accommodate their wishes. Continue hiring every unaffiliated, combat-ready alien you see and open the door to the segment abutting your final opponent. Although you don't need to worry about losing this particular segment, you should definitely place a couple of Security Columns near your locking mechanism in your last "built-up" segment. Once you can amass 50 or so aliens at the gates, send in the Security Scuzzers to breach the door. You can count on a very strong push by the other administrator's army. Keep your troops mustered together in the empty room and left-click every Kasvagorian bearing an enemy insignia. Once the opposition is reduced to several stragglers, un-muster the troops and rush their Energy Collector. Hire any unemployed aliens you see wandering about and continue targeting their Energy Collector. Regardless of how many Scuzzers they have trying to repair it, they will not be able to counter the firepower of 40 pissed-off aliens. The mission doesn't end once their Energy Collector is reduced to a burnt, charred, mess. Instead, you are told that the complete station must be taken over. Don't fret, if everything had been going well you will likely have over 200,000e in your stores and can buy your way through each and every bulkhead door. For those "grayed-out" on the map, simply right-click the locking mechanism and then left-click the icon to hang your banner there. Move quickly and sneak in between the closing doors to take control of the next segment without having to wait for the doors to re-open. Once every last Deck in the station is painted your color on the map, the mission will be complete and you'll be done with the Single Player Mission Mode. Take all of the skills you learned here to the internet to prove your powers as leader of the Intergalactic Trade Federation to everyone in cyber-umm-space?