S.A.G.A

A space adventure by P. Taupin et JP. Biscay

1985 – ERE Informatique

saga.tap

In spaaaaace !

Here the S.A.G.A, we received a S.O.S
coming from a satellite of supply,
you must help it immediately,
we send its coordinates to you.

Your mission is clear, you must help a satellite in distress with your supply spaceship.
You'll cross the solar system to conclude your mission while avoiding as much as possible the dangerous encounters and especially the breakdown of energy.

Spaceship, user manual

This spaceship is sold with a state-of-the-art equipment, here is how it work.

	- The higher part shows the number of missiles available. - The red arrows show that the three engines are working, if an engine is broken down the arrow disappears. - Finally the coordinates indicate where the rescue spaceship is located. It will come to repair you if your spaceship is broken.
	Here a representation of your spaceship, the green arrows flicked when you change course.
	The radar, the central arrow represents the spaceship, the other objects are planets.
	The navigation system : - The numbers in white indicates current speed and that in green the orbital velocity. Speed orbitable, must be follow otherwidr the spaceship will lose energy. - Come then the current coordinates (X,Y). - And energy, it supplies the engines of the spaceship and will be used to refuelling the satellite. if energy runout, the spaceship will be incontrolable.
	Here is the system coordinates, it count in hexadecimal (from 0 to F)

The game

Log book of the captain Arnaud :
now the coordinates write down, i'm looking for the planet, first thing to do look at my coordinates and take the right course, for our mission it's 36-19

								Useless to modify speed in order to go a little more quickly, speed is only used to enter on orbit of a planet and to leave it. A speed not aligned on the orbital velocity will make lose energy for each movement.
Several seconds have occurred and here the first meeting, a flotilla of spaceship appears and after a few seconds request to me energy, "sorry the guy but i need to keep", I answer not. By luck they do not insist and leave without anything to say, they could have attacked to me since I refused to give them what they wanted.
The mission continue, lulled by the BEEP-BEEP of the spaceship I look at ravelling planets and I zigzag between them, it remains still about 70 boxes to travelled.
								Coordinates 36-5B new encounter, these spaceships seem to be in danger et ask to me to give to us 5 missiles, l've got 80, i'll be fair. There're too more numerous than, i wouldn't want to be attacked, i give to us the missiles.
Once again the travel continue, I approach my goal rather quickly and until now I did not encounter any problem.
								Coord. 36-19, i approached the planet, I put the spaceship in orbit by aligning my speed on the orbital velocity as soon as possible in order to not lose energy. I'm now in orbit and I discover the satellite to help, the goal is near. The operation of refuelling is rather delicate, but after some attempts the transfer of energy is carried out.
Is the mission finished? Not yet, because I do not refuelling the satellite enough, now it's up to me to seek supply. So long.
Once the planet behing me, I discover that my own satellite of supply is looking for me, and my instrument panel indicates to me the nearest planet to refuelling. Next objective 18-30. 18-28 I reach the limits of my tank, I have to enter the code to have the energy emergency reserve, i must reach the planet now.
18-30 finally the supply! Once connected to the satellite, i make a complete check-up of my spaceship. I start off again.
36-19 i make new transfer of energy, and once again it's insufficient, i must I go back to fill my tank at 18-30.
								36-19 mission successfuly ! This time the satellite have enough of energy. I stop on this mission, I want to finish on a success.

Conclusion

S.A.G.A is a good small game, the duration of a play doesn't take a long time, the game is easy, too easy because we can't lose. The graphiscs are well colored and the game have different stages (repairing, combat, accosting, etc) wich make the game not too boring.

In the other hand, the game lack of action, the fights are rare, and can't lost reduce the interest of the play.

It's a game to try and to play from time to time.

Annexe : keys in game

Because the keys in game are not obvious to understand, here is small summary of the operation of the keys (the keys are those of the keyboard of the PC)

Help	DEL	Show the help on the use of key in game
	S	Allow to show the next help on a key, in order to leave the help mode, you have to press the key several time.
Navigation	Left and right SHIFT	Change of direction
	; and :	Speed up and down
Fight mode	ECHAP	Activate / deactivate fight mode
	Left and bottom arrow	Move the sight
	SPACE BAR	Shoot
Repair et supply	R, BAR and ;	Press successively this keys to repair and supply your ship with energy and missiles