From Marvin: see Screen Shot
Those who have followed Starfire for years know that I have a special program that I use to generate ships and make sure the costs and designs are legal (it works with Elite, GSF and 3rdR). Until a short while ago, this was in a language and format that was frankly user-unfriendly. It would have been totally unappealing to a hard-core Starfire user. However, Andy Blazdell, from software developer Divide By Zero, has spent most of a summer converting and updating this program to run under Windows 95 (and now XP). Shipyard is the official SDS ship checking program for all Starfire enthusiasts.
GSF Shipyard Shareware
Shipyard is being released as Shareware - you will be able to download the Shareware version of the program for evaluation purposes (it is restricted to systems of maximum HTL 3), and if you like it and find it useful, you can upgrade to the Registered version of the program.
3rdR Shipyard Shareware (download)
3rdR Shipyard Shareware Patch (download)
This program is very smart and designed to help prevent errors when building ships, while speeding up the process of designing ships, enabling you to create better ships faster.. Either version will allow you to design and save your own fleets of starships, bases and planetary defense centers in accordance with the latest Starfire rules. You select what systems you want on board; the program works out the optimum hull size, automatically adjusts the engine sizes to that hull and shows how the systems you have chosen affect the performance of the ship. It calculates nearly every possible number that can be calculated (including those elusive Point Values), gives you error messages about illegal designs, and warnings about certain types of poor design (like no Xr present when the ship has weapons that have maximum ranges greater than 20). The program allows you to load saved fleets and to modify each ship independently, plus you can copy designs, and adjust the order of ships in a fleet. You can view the technologies by tech level, size or function. You can also save out the ships as a text file in the official SDS format or in a battle format used to mark damage effectively, allowing you to print out the ships you have designed.
The Registered version of Shipyard has many additional features than the Shareware version including the ability to modify the technology lists, AND all technologies through to HTL 15. Registered users will also receive .FLT files (the native file format for this program) from some of the major Starfire releases (Stars At War, Alkelda Dawn, and Crusade) to use and modify in your own games. Also by registering, you are helping to support Starfire, which means more and better products released in the future.
The Shareware version of Shipyard is only available from the Internet (address to be supplied later).
The registered version of Shipyard costs $12.00. It comes as an attached zip file that alters the Shareware version.
Note: You MUST have Internet access and down load the shareware version in order to use the registered version which comes as a patch to the shareware version. It is available on CD though.
The Starfire Design Studio direct order number is (517) 669-1999.
Order it now!
Order it now!
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