Files Used in Stars!
Host file -- gamename.hst
gamename.hst -- This is the file containing the information the host program needs for a specific game. This file should be available only to the person playing the host. If the file is password-protected, you will be asked for a password.
Universe file -- gamename.xy
This is the universe file, containing information about the positions of all the planets. It does not change over the course of the game. Individual players as well as the host program need to have this file available to them.
Turn file -- gamename.mN
These are the turn files. N is a number from 1 to 16, representing the player number. This is the individual file for each player, containing all the data about that player's race and state of the player's empire at the beginning of a turn.
Race Description file -- name.rN
This file contains a race description created and saved using the Custom Race Wizard. N can be any number (you can actually use any extension, the default is r1.) You can specify a race file for each non-computer player in the game from step 2 of the New Advanced Game dialog. Once the universe has been created the race file is no longer needed. If you open this file from File (Open), the Custom Race Wizard opens.
The extension of .r1 is the default, and is not required.
Log file -- gamename.xN
These are the log files. N is a number from 1 to 16, representing the player number. This is the log of orders given by a player for the current turn. This file is submitted, either automatically or manually, to the host program. The host adds the changes to the player's .mN file, and returns that file to the player when the new turn is generated. The host needs these files to update the information about each player from the .hst file before turn generation. Each time the player opens (or continues) a game, the .mN file is loaded. If a corresponding log file exists, it will also be loaded to update the game's current state.
History file -- gamename.hN
These are history files. N is a number from 1 to 16, representing the player number. The player creates this file as he sees universe data. It is a history of the things the player has seen or learned on previous turns. Typically, only the player maintains a copy of this file. If a player will be absent for a few turns, and wishes to be temporarily replaced by the "Housekeeper" AI, a copy of this file should be given to the host so the absent player's view of the universe can be updated.
If this file is lost, corrupted or moved to another directory, the player will not see what's been done in past turns.
Universe dump file -- gamename.map
This file is a tab separated values file suitable for loading into a spreadsheet program such as MS Excel containing a complete listing of every planet's ID, X coordinate, Y coordinate and name in the current game universe. This file remains the same throughout a game.
To create a universe dump file click on Dump to Text File(Universe Information) in the Report menu or use the -dm option when launching Stars!.
Planet Data dump file -- gamename.pN or gamename.pla
This file is a tab separated values file suitable for loading into a spreadsheet program such as MS Excel containing a complete listing of all explored planets' known information. N is a number from 1 to 16, representing the player number. The data contained changes each turn as your knowledge of each planet changes. gamename.pla contains the following information (if known) for each planet:
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If you have included newreports=1 in your stars.ini, gamename.pN will also contain:
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To create a planet data dump file click on Dump to Text File(Planet Information) in the Report menu or use the -dp option when launching Stars!.
Fleet Data dump file -- gamename.fN or gamename.fle
This file is a tab separated values file suitable for loading into a spreadsheet program such as MS Excel containing a complete listing of all your fleets and any of your opponents' fleets you have scanner coverage of(ie you can see them). N is a number from 1 to 16, representing the player number. The data contained changes each turn. gamename.fle contains the following information (if known) for each fleet:
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If you have included newreports=1 in your stars.ini, gamename.fN will also contain:
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To create a fleet data dump file click on Dump to Text File(Fleet Information) in the Report menu or use the -df option when launching Stars!.
Ini file -- stars.ini (in the Windows directory)
The stars.ini is located in the c:\windows directory or wherever else you installed windows to (c:\win95 etc) and contains the non game-specific settings for Stars!, and a hashed record of your game's serial number and machine configuration. If stars.ini is missing or the serial number/machine config do not match you will see the enter serial code dialog when you run stars.exe. For Stars! to remember these settings the user needs to have write access to the c:\windows directory(admin rights or access specifically granted by an admin), however stars will run quite happily without the stars.ini file ever existing - it will just ask you for your serial code every time and won't remember any of your settings.
The following settings are stored in stars.ini:
- window layout
- all zip orders(custom transport tasks)
- all stored queues, including the default queue
- current scanner view and overlays
User-definable Options
The following items in the [Misc] section of stars.ini are user changeable:
DefaultPassword=Foo
Where Foo is whatever password you generally use. If you are sure that your opponents will not have access to your stars.ini file you can set this to your password. Whenever you open a game file that is protected by this password you will not be prompted to enter it.
Backups=N
Where N is a number between 1 and 999. Backup directories will be named Backup1 to BackupN and old game files will be stored there according to the turn number. For example with backups=4 then the first turn would be backed up to the directory backup1, the second to backup2, the third to backup3, the fourth to backup4, the fifth to backup1 and so on.
By default Stars! saves one previous turn's data in a directory it creates named Backup.
- Backup happens when the game is generated - this only applies to the host player or when playing alone vs AI.
newreports
Adding newreports=1 to the [misc] section will give increased information in your text dumps and change the name of the dump files from gamename.pla to gamename.p## (## being the player number)
- generally recommended and required by some utilities
logging
- (Version j or higher only)
Adding Logging=1 in the [MISC] section of the stars.ini file will turn on logging for all command line actions. Enabling logging will prevent any dialogs, alerts or other user interface elements from halting an automatic turn server. Logging is ignored if the host dialog or player interface is visible. It is only meaningful for command line actions such as turn generation and game creation via a .def file. A .log file looks like this:
Stars! Version 2.60j 09/28/98 12:01:17 - Generating year 2400 09/29/98 12:01:22 - Succeeded 09/29/98 15:55:41 - Generating year 2401 09/29/98 15:55:44 - Succeeded 09/30/98 15:48:37 - Generating year 2402 09/30/98 15:48:41 - Succeeded
There are a large number of possible things that might get recorded in a log file including any error message that could normaly pop up during turn generation. You can also enable logging by use of the -l commandline option.
fonts
Adding (or editing) a [fonts] section can cure some font problems. Here are the default settings for the various languages, though others can be substituted.
English:
- [fonts]
- Arial=Arial
- ArialBold=Arial Bold
- ArialItalic=Arial Italic
- ArialBoldItalic=Arial Bold Italic
German:
- [fonts]
- Arial=Arial
- ArialBold=Arial Fett
- ArialItalic=Arial Kursiv
- ArialBoldItalic=Arial Fett Kursiv
Danish:
- [fonts]
- Arial=Arial
- ArialBold=Arial fed
- ArialItalic=Arial kursiv
- ArialBoldItalic=Arial fed kursiv
Finnish:
- [fonts]
- Arial=Arial
- ArialBold=Arial Lihavoitu
- ArialItalic=Arial Kursivoitu
- ArialBoldItalic=Arial Lihavoitu Kursivoitu
Swedish:
- [fonts]
- Arial=Arial
- ArialBold=Arial Fet
- ArialItalic=Arial Kursiv
- ArialBoldItalic=Arial Fet Kursiv
Russian:
- [fonts]
- Arial=Arial Cyr
- ArialBold=Arial Cyr
- ArialItalic=Arial Cyr
- ArialBoldItalic=Arial Cyr
Default Location
3.11/95/98/ME/2000/XP: C:\Windows
Vista/7: [drive]:\users\[user]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows
When the ini file is Written
The stars.ini file is written the first time you play Stars and save a game. If you start Stars! and exit from the splash screen without saving a game, the file isn't written. You can delete this file, if you find a need. This will cause Stars! to ask for your registration number again, however. An absent ini file is just one of the conditions that triggers Stars! copy protection.
This is a Frequently Asked Question
