Starship Data for 8-bit machines

[robject]

The next issue is starship data. And by that I mean the twelve iconic small starships that players operate.

This means HOW to store the data is not a major concern. Strings and integers do just fine. The program that creates this database is maybe 2k, and the "database" itself is of course a bit smaller than that.

Ship Class Templates

A ship template is what the program bases "actual" ships on. It's the unmodified design with standard equipment.

- Class Name, arbitrary length. Prob. No more than 20 characters.
- QSP, extended. Mission, "-", Hull, Configuration, Maneuver, Jump, Hop, "-", Armor, "-", TL, three fuel system codes, three landing capability codes. 17 chars.

The following are numeric fields, which could variously be stored as INTs, or two bytes.
- MCr
- Fuel
- Cargo
- High passengers
- Middle passengers
- Low passengers
- Steerage
- Demand
- Comfort

Finally, these fields are variable sized arrays.
- Sensors: an array of Range + Mount + Type.
- Weapons: an array of Range + Mount + Type.
- Defenses: an array of Range + Mount + Type.
- Small Craft: an array of Hull Code + Configuration + Maneuver + Weapon Type.

 

[robject]

The raw data, from which Perl will write the BASIC program that stores the data on the disk image, is here.

Key: S=fuel scoops. R=refineries. V=volume code. Etc=Wings/Landers/Long-range sensors.

I have to work out which ships have weapon and defense emplacements out of the box.

#TYPE         | QSP     | Fuel | TL| ETC | S | R | CAR | Hi | Mi | Lo | MCR  | Weapons       | Defenses
#===========  | ======= | ==== | ==| === | = | = | === | == | == | == | ==== | ============= | ==============
my @data = split "\n",<<EODATA;
PROSPECTOR    | J-AS11  |  12  | 9 | --0 | 1 | 1 | 20  |  0 |  3 |  0 | 57   |               |         
SCOUT         | S-AS22  |  22  | B | --1 | 2 | 2 | 4   |  0 |  3 |  0 | 52   |               |         
FREE_TRADER   | A-BS11  |  22  | A | --0 | 1 | 1 | 82  |  8 |  0 |  8 | 42   |               |         
FAR_TRADER    | A-BS12  |  42  | B | --0 | 1 | 1 | 65  |  6 |  0 |  4 | 52   |               |         
SAFARI_SHIP   | K-BL22  |  36  | F | WS0 | 3 | 3 | 20  |  7 |  0 |  0 | 95   |               |         
BARGE         | W-CC11  |  33  | 9 | --0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 20 |  0 | 20 | 62   |               |         
PACKET        | U-CA33  |  96  | C | -L0 | 1 | 1 | 5   | 12 |  0 |  5 | 107  |               |         
MERCHANT      | R-DA11  |  44  | 9 | W-0 | 1 | 1 | 200 |  8 |  0 |  9 | 82   |               |         
CORSAIR       | P-DA42  |  90  | D | F-0 | 2 | 2 | 72  |  0 |  0 | 12 | 158  |               |         
LAB_SHIP      | L-DC101 |  74  | G | --1 | 0 | 0 | 50  | 20 |  0 |  0 | 239  |               |         
YACHT         | Y-EU42  |  114 | F | --1 | 4 | 4 | 45  | 14 |  0 |  0 | 275  |               |         
CORVETTE      | E-EA53  |  192 | G | FL1 | 5 | 5 | 40  |  0 |  0 |  5 | 300  |               |         
LINER         | M-GS13  |  192 | C | --0 | 0 | 0 | 120 |  8 | 13 | 20 | 138  |               |         
CRUISER       | C-HU33  |  288 | D | --1 | 5 | 5 | 25  |  0 |  0 |  8 | 323  |               |         
FREIGHTER     | F-KS13  |  316 | C | --0 | 1 | 1 | 410 | 12 |  0 | 10 | 230  |               |         
LONG_LINER    | R-KU14  |  410 | F | --0 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 36 |  0 |  7 | 254  |               |         
MERCHANTMAN   | R-RB43  |  612 | D | --0 | 1 | 1 | 100 |  4 |  0 |  6 | 640  |               |         
ORCA          | R-MS601 |  192 | G | -L0 | 1 | 1 | 250 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 450  |               |
EODATA

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Carried Craft and Vehicles?

Demand!

Ergonomics, Comfort?

Steerage?

Total life support capacity?

Automation? Number and C+S of workstations and computers?

If weapons then armour and sensors?

 

[robject]

Scout/Courier
S-AS220-1-B-TJCFLF
- MCr 40 more or less
- Fuel, 22.
- Cargo, 4.
- High passengers, 0
- Middle passengers, 3
- Low passengers, 0
- Steerage, 0
- Demand
- Comfort
- Sensors: standard?
- Weapons: -1L
- Defenses: none.
- Small Craft: none.