heartburnron: I really want to play this game but didn't play this type of game back in the day and I'm completely clueless as to what to do even though I've read through the manual. Anyone know of a walkthough of basic guide to get me started?
There is a clue book included with the download. It offers step-by-step walkthroughs as well as walkthroughs of the episodes written up as short stories. The sections "notes on ground combat" and "notes on space combat" are helpful for basic starting advice.
Basically every episode follows the same basic structure. You will be instructed to investigate a sector (you will have to use the map included with your download to find out where to click on the map), and there will usually be some kind of quick space fight, and some kind of longer planet point-and-click exploration. At the end of every episode you will be ranked; solving puzzles peacefully will give you a higher ranking than puzzles solved with violent solutions.
Really, the best way to play is to play the first episode. You can always start the first episode to practice space combat, and you can try to replay the first episode to get a higher score. Consult the guide if you get stuck, but definitely check out the "notes on ground combat" and "notes on space combat" sections of the guidebook before you start.
Hope this helps.
