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--- en:games:star_trek_-_armada_1 [2022-04-07-15-33] – [Screen Shots/Windowed Mode] 7saturn
+++ en:games:star_trek_-_armada_1 [2024-01-30-17-49] (current) – [Gameranger] 7saturn
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 ====== Star Trek: Armada ======
-===== Downloads =====
-  * [[http://armadafiles.com/files/armada/official-releases/patches/star-trek-armada-12-patch/details|Star Trek - Armada 1 - Patch 1.2]]
-  * [[http://armadafiles.com/files/armada/mods/patches/star-trek-armada-patch-1-3-project/details|Star Trek - Armada 1 - Community Patch 1.3]]
-  * [[https://github.com/elishacloud/wiki-attachments/raw/master/dxwrapper/Games/Star%20Trek%20Armada%201/Armada-fix.zip|DirectDraw wrapper]]
 ===== Info =====
 <block classes right info>
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 </block>
 ==== Overview ====
-Armada is a real-time strategy game in which you build fleets of starships, research weapon systems and all that for four different parties, but without a complicated economy, such as in [[Stronghold Crusader]]. In particular the [[.star_trek_armada_1:special_weapons|special weapons]] offer a rich strategic moment. Basically, it's all about overpowering the enemy with good attack tactics and a good selection of special weapons. In multiplayer, however, you quickly notice that [[..:gaming theory:macro management]] also contributes a lot to who wins and who doesn't.
+Armada is a [[..:gaming_theory:real time strategy]] game in which you build fleets of starships, research weapon systems and all that for four different parties, but without a complicated economy, such as in [[Stronghold Crusader]]. In particular the [[.star_trek_armada_1:special_weapons|special weapons]] offer a rich strategic moment. Basically, it's all about overpowering the enemy with good attack tactics and a good selection of special weapons. In multiplayer, however, you quickly notice that [[..:gaming theory:macro management]] also contributes a lot to who wins and who doesn't.
-The game was developed by [[..:publishers:Activision]] and also released by them on 22nd of March 2000. It is actually the last game being developed by Activision itself. After //Star Trek: Armada// Activision did not develop own games any longer, working only as [[..:publishers|publisher]]. The game got a re-release on [[..:gaming platforms:GOG]] on 13th of December 2021.
+The game was developed by [[..:publishers:Activision]] and also released by them on 22nd of March 2000. It is actually the last game being developed by Activision itself. After //Star Trek: Armada// Activision did not develop own games any longer, working only as [[..:publishers|publisher]]. The game got a re-release on [[..:gaming platforms:GOG]] on 13th of December 2021. It is based on an altered engine derived from the engine of [[Battlezone 1998|Battlezone]], the [[en:game_tech:Storm3D engine]]. Text files from the game also reference [[Dark Reign - The Future of War|Dark Reign: The Future of War]], which suggests at least a partial inheritance from this game, too.
+The storyline starts after the Dominion War and covers the four [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions]] [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Borg]], [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Federation]], [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Klingon|Klingons]] and [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Romulans]]. While the first tries to assimilate the Alpha Quadrant (and take possession of the Omega particle), the Federation fights against those very attempts. The Romulans also have an interest in the Omega particle. The Klingons, on the other hand, are driven by Toral, who tries to install himself as ruler of the Klingon Empire with the help of a fake Sword of Kahless.
+{{:en:games:star_trek_armada_1:campaign_example.png?direct&250 | Image of a campaign mission}} {{ :en:games:star_trek_armada_1:super_weapon_fired.png?direct&250|Super weapons rig havoc}} {{ :en:games:star_trek_armada_1:multi-player_example.png?direct&250 |Multi-player gives additional game-player experiences}}
+----
+[\_**Star Trek: Armada**\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Game Play]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Technical Support]]\_]
+[\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Units]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Hero Ships]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Ship Types]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Stations]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Station Types]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Special Weapons]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Factions]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Modding]]\_]
+----
-The storyline starts after the Dominon War and covers the four [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions]] [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Borg]], [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Federation]], [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Klingon|Klingons]] and [[.star_trek_armada_1:factions#Romulans]]. While the first tries to assimilate the Alpha Quadrant (and take possession of the Omega particle), the Federation fights against those very attempts. The Romulans also have an interest in the Omega particle. The Klingons, on the other hand, are driven by Toral, who tries to install himself as ruler of the Klingon Empire with the help of a fake Sword of Kahless.
 ==== System Requirements ====
 The installer mentions the following minimum system requirements:
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 This section focuses on the GOG version of the game (as this is probably the prefered version today) on modern Windows. If you want to know how to get the CD version to run or wanna use the GOG version on older Windows versions, have a look at [[.star_trek_armada_1:installation|the installation article]].
 ==== The GOG Installer ====
-The game is installable comfortably with the GOG installer on any Windows from XP on. You should not encounter any problems with the actual installation.
+The game is installable comfortably with the GOG installer on any Windows from XP on. You should not encounter any problems with the actual installation. Once the installation is completed, you will not need a CD or any other kind of system to prove you have the original game. So once installed, you are always already good to go.
 Be aware: The GOG version 1.2 is **not** compatible with the CD version 1.2. So just from comparing version strings you cannot see if all players have compatible versions. See section [[#Hashes of the Different Versions]] for a comparison of the binary hashes.
@@ Line 57: / Line 65: @@
 ===== Known Problems =====
 There is a number of [[.star_trek_armada_1:known_problems|Known Problems]] with Armada. Most of them can be solved. If you want to play Armada on Windows XP or Windows 2000, you will definitely want to have a look at them.
-===== Graphics =====
+===== Game Improvements =====
-==== Problems When Using High Resolutions ====
+There are several options for improving the game experience. See [[.star_trek_armada_1:Tweaking the Game]] on the matter.
-The game is in general a bit sluggish when it comes to controls. But you can compensate with lower resolutions, especially on slower systems. It doesn't look so great, but it's certainly more pleasant than dropped inputs and slow reactions. See also [[.star_trek_armada_1:in-game_settings#Graphics Settings]] on the matter.
-By default the game only offers 4:3 resolution. With the [[en:games:star_trek_-_armada_1#patch_13|1.3 patch]] is also allows for wide-screen resolutions.
-**Important**: It is a known problem for the Armada 1 CD version to not run with resolutions beyond full HD (1920x1080). The game let's you set higher resolutions but when trying to actually start a game, the game crashes to the desktop and resets the setting to safe 640x480. See also section [[.star_trek_armada_1:known_problems #Too High Resolutions Crash the Game]] on the matter.
-==== GOG DirectX Wrapper ====
-The GOG release of the game comes with the [[..:game_tech:gog.com DirectX Wrapper]]. It allows for an adjustment of the game's optical properties. However, it is recommended to use the following settings:
-  * //Display mode//: Do not use a particular resolution or the desktop resolution. Instead, set it to //Set by application//. This way the game selects the resolutions and it will work as expected. Otherwise you might end up using not the desired resolution (e.g. setting 3840x2160 in-game is well possible with the 1.3 patch and similar techniques, but when you override this with another resolution with the wrapper, let's say, full HD, then the game will use full HD instead).
-  * //Presentation//: Should work either way, but if you encounter problems, you might want to switch the setting.
-  * //Aspect ratio correction//: Use it.
-  * //Scaling method//: Use //Screen fit//.
-  * //Antialiasing//: Do not over-do that! On high resolutions it will enhance the experience. On low resolutions too high of an AA value will make the game look fuzzy.
-The rest of the settings does not seem to make a whole lot of difference, except maybe the //Gamma correction// (if you need that).
-==== Increase Zoom ====
-One small annoyance can be remedied if one is not completely satisfied with the standard overview. Armada starts by default zoomed in quite far, which doesn't exactly improve the overview of the events at all. In principle, you can now adjust this zoom by holding down both mouse buttons at the same time or use the ''-'' and ''+'' keys //of your numbers block//. (The mouse control of this are a bit bumpy, but once you got the hang of it, it works. First the right button, then the left one, in between make sure that you don't move the mouse.) But you can also adjust this setting in the ''RTS_CFG.h'' file. There you can find this line:
-''float OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT = 1000.0;''
-That is the value of how far the game //starts// zoomed out when a match or campaign mission is loaded. It is in general useful to use the maximum value here. You can set the maximum value in this line:
-''float OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT = 1000.0;''
-The values ''1000.0'' are deliberately chosen in this example. If you configre higher settings, parts of the map my start to disappear, due to clipping. You can also increase the clipping distance by adjusting the //ART_CFG.h// file accordingly. The line with:
-''float FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE = 1400.0;''
-is the reason why you can't see anything on the map that is beyond a certain distance. You can set it generously to ''20000.0''. Then you can increase the //OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT// value accordingly. Normally it is sufficient to be in the range of 5000. With this you can already see practically the whole map.
-At this point, a warning is in order: The larger overview of course requires more computations from the system, so the CPU/GPU load will increase and the game may start to jolt. Especially if many nebulae and other elements have to be rendered, the game jolts even on current computers. Also some people consider this change to be cheating, as it gives a player the advantage of a bigger overview over the battle field. The default value for //OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT// is 400 and //OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT// is 700. While setting //OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT// to ''700'' will certainly not hurt, as you can achieve this without any changes in-game as well, the //OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT// might be a matter for discussion.
-===== Scrolling Speed =====
-If one uses such increased zoom levels, one will notice very quickly that even at maximum scroll speed, the scroll is rather slow. This can be changed by turning up the parameters //FAST_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED// and //MAX_SCROLL_SPEED// in the //RTS_CFG.h//, e.g. to ''20''. This is not only useful when zoomed in, but also at higher resolutions, e.g. when playing on full HD. The scrolling always feels a bit slow otherwise.
-===== Sound Settings =====
-The sound settings may be of some concern, because Armada causes problems with Windows XP and 2000. The unit messages and notifications sound choppy. So if the following tricks shown in [[.star_trek_armada_1:known_problems#Sound Stutters on XP or Windows 2000]] don't work and the sound still sounds terrible, just set [[.star_trek_armada_1:in-game_settings#Sound Settings|the speech volume to 0]]. You are not required to hear that, if it sounds crappy anyway.
 ===== Mods =====
   * [[https://www.armadafleetcommand.com/get-files?cw_action=fileview&file_id=412|Dark Alliance 2]]: 12 playable races in 4 alliances and some new features
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   * [[https://www.aaai.org/Papers/Symposia/Spring/2000/SS-00-02/SS00-02-004.pdf|AAAI Technical Report SS-00-02, Warp Speed: Path Planning for Star Trek®: Armada]]
   * [[https://www.aaroncurley.com/debugging-patching-star-trek-armada/]]
+  * [[http://www.calrissian.com/star_trek_armada.htm|Star Trek Armada @ Calrissian.com]], a real retro page concerning Armada 1 & 2.
 ===== Network =====
 ==== General Information ====
@@ Line 127: / Line 100: @@
 If you want to limit the forwarding to only a handful of ports, then it might suffice to open ports 2300 and 47624 ([[..:network_terms:TCP]]) as well as 2350 ([[..:network_terms:UDP]]). Tests with Wireshark suggest, that these ports are the only three, that are actually required to be forwarded (unconfirmed). They are used by all involved players.
+=== IPX ===
+Similar to the already mentioned TCP/IP connection, via LAN/VPN IPX is also an option. And, when using an IPX server, not even a VPN is required. For more details on how to set up an IPX connection, see [[en:games:star_trek_armada_1:setting_up_matches#using_ipx|Using IPX]].
 === Gameranger ===
 For GameRanger it is sufficient to forward port 16000 (UDP) only.
 === Former WON Network (Obsolete) ===
 The game offers only the [[..:gaming_platforms:world_opponent_network|WON]] servers for the Internet game (not available any longer) and in the LAN it searches automatically for open servers, using [[..:game_tech:directx#directplay|DirectPlay]]. Unfortunately it is not possible to enter an IP address. This requires LAN games, games via [[..:network_terms:VPN]], or via [[..:game_tech:Gameranger]]. The port forwarding for routers below makes little sense, apart from GameRanger. Known ports that the game used at some point:
-  * 2300, 2936, 2937 (TCP)
+  * 2300, 2936, 2937 ([[..:network_terms:TCP]])
-  * 2350, 2550, 2902, 2927, 13365, 16562, 62223 (UDP)
+  * 2350, 2550, 2902, 2927, 13365, 16562, 62223 ([[..:network_terms:UDP]])
 So it doesn't seem to be just the DirectPlay area that is used, but something more.
@@ Line 138: / Line 113: @@
 The game checks its own binary file (//Armada.exe//) before entering multiplayer menus. Only games with the same checksum will find each other on the network. That is the reason why the original CD version cannot find GOG matches and the other way around. Also cracks and other altering of the binary will require having the same alterations present at all players sides.
-The CD version is known to be rather unstable on network play. Frequent desyncs are not unheard of. The GOG version also suffers from those problems, but apparently to a far lesser extend. Also the GOG version comes with an [[..:network_terms:IPX]] wrapper, that allows IPX network play via UDP. Both have a tendency for descyncs, so it does not really matter if you use IPX or UDP.
+The CD version is known to be rather unstable on network play. Frequent desyncs are not unheard of. The GOG version also suffers from those problems, but apparently to a far lesser extend. Also the GOG version comes with an [[..:network_terms:IPX]] wrapper, that allows IPX network play via [[..:network_terms:UDP]]. Both have a tendency for descyncs, so it does not really matter if you use IPX or UDP.
+===== Downloads =====
+  * [[http://armadafiles.com/files/armada/official-releases/patches/star-trek-armada-12-patch/details|Star Trek - Armada 1 - Patch 1.2]]
+  * [[http://armadafiles.com/files/armada/mods/patches/star-trek-armada-patch-1-3-project/details|Star Trek - Armada 1 - Community Patch 1.3]]
+  * [[https://github.com/elishacloud/wiki-attachments/raw/master/dxwrapper/Games/Star%20Trek%20Armada%201/Armada-fix.zip|DirectDraw wrapper]]
 ===== See also =====
   * [[Star Trek Games]],
@@ Line 144: / Line 123: @@
   * [[..:mods:star_trek_-_armada_3|Star Trek Armada 3]].
-----
-[\_**Star Trek: Armada**\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Game Play]]\_]
-[\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Units]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Hero Ships]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Ship Types]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Stations]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Station Types]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Special Weapons]]\_] [\_[[.star_trek_armada_1:Factions]]\_]
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