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  1. To Download Prospector: http://www.prospector.at/forum/dm_eds/dmedsdl.php
  2.  
  3. An Old Wiki: http://prospector.wikia.com/wiki/Prospector_Wiki
  4. Has some old, albeit spoiler-y articles still on it.
  5.  
  6. Quickstart Guide: http://prospector.wikia.com/wiki/Quickstart_Guide
  7.  
  8. How to Not Die 101: http://prospector.wikia.com/wiki/Beginner%27s_Guide_to_Not_Dying
  9. Covers most of the common (or not) methods for dying a stupid death.
  10.  
  11. -----------------
  12. 1. START OPTIONS|
  13. -----------------
  14.  
  15. At the start of the game, you get a choice of ship type. Just about any ship will do, though I personally stuck with the Scout when I was starting out, as it was a fairly simple, well-balanced ship. I do not recommend starting out as a Pirate; you'll be an enemy of most major space stations, and making money (and staying fueled, paid, etc) is CONSIDERABLY more difficult than working as a 'legal' Prospector.
  16.  
  17. You also receive a choice of perks for your Captain. Pick whatever suits your fancy. I tend to grab the +2 spacesuits perk as well as another perk, just to make sure I have enough to suit my starting 5 crew.
  18.  
  19. -------------------
  20. 2. PROSPECTING 101|
  21. -------------------
  22.  
  23. As the name suggests, you play as a Prospector with his/her crew, seeking to make it big and retire in a life of luxury - be that owning your own private planet or a shitty branch of Mudd's out in the middle of nowhere. As most Prospectors begin poor enough that they're forced to set down on dangerous, uncharted worlds on foot, their turnover rate is unsurprisingly high. However, surveying uncharted planets is a fairly consistent method of earning enough credits to keep flying - to that extent, the corporations of the galaxy pay for three main types of data:
  24.  
  25. MAPPING DATA - The easiest to acquire, it's based on how much unknown land you've revealed since your last payoff. Whether you stay in orbit and repeatedly scan a planet's surface to reveal it, or you go down and take a look on foot, you are collecting mapping data. You can receive bonus payment if you can fully map a planet, but this is not always practical or safe to do.
  26.  
  27. MINERAL DATA - Planets typically have mineral samples exposed on their surface, which can be picked up by moving to their tile. You can also find mineral-rich asteroids in space, though bringing them aboard can be risky. Corporations will pay for these.
  28.  
  29. BIOLOGICAL DATA - Basically, samples of the floral and fauna of exotic worlds. The more exotic (and useful) the samples, the bigger the payoff. At first, this is done by (I)nspecting patches of plants, flowers, or trees on a planet's surface. If you manage to slay native life, you can also Inspect its corpse for data. Eventually, you may come across special stasis traps that you can use to subdue and transport live animals, increasing the payout even more.
  30.  
  31. Corporate offices at any major space station or occupied planet will pay for the above data; some more than others, depending on their specialty. Continued service to a specific corporation makes you eligible for long-term service bonuses when delivering data. Also, corporations that like you may send you on special quests or missions, with a sizable credit reward if successful.
  32.  
  33. With this in mind, space stations will be your main base of operations - but chances are you didn't start on a major station with a corporate office. So, how do you cross the vast void of space to find your new home?
  34.  
  35. -------------------------------------
  36. 3. GETTING STARTED - SPACEFLIGHT 101|
  37. -------------------------------------
  38.  
  39. There won't be a whole lot for you to do on your first space station, but (D)ock anyways. They'll charge out the ass for fuel, the people are rude and make travelling the hallways difficult, and it's generally a boring place to be. HOWEVER, there's one thing to do before you leave - find the locker full of emergency spacesuits and empty it for your own purposes. The station's inhabitants don't really give a shit, and if you took the +2 spacesuits starting perk, there's a fair chance you now have at least 5 suits in your inventory, allowing you to bring your entire Away Team to a planet's surface.
  40.  
  41. Done that? Good. Now find your spaceship in one of the airlocks, hop on out, and launch out to space.
  42.  
  43. You might notice that space is really, really dark. In fact, if you move around a bit (don't) you'll eventually notice you can't see shit until you're about to ram into it. This is because you don't start with any upgraded scanners or nav computers. However, if you open up your (L)ogbook, the galaxy's three major spacestations will be marked in the empty void. Locate the nearest one and fly towards it.
  44.  
  45. You'll eventually notice that space isn't as empty as it first appeared, so some cautionary advice:
  46.  
  47. GAS CLOUDS - These bastards are scary. There's a good chance you'll damage your hull if you try to fly through them and your scanner's won't penetrate them. You may also encounter extradimensional space predators while sailing through them. When starting out, don't go through gas clouds unless absolutely necessary.
  48.  
  49. SOLAR SYSTEMS - Your main source of income. These include PLANETS, which you can (S)can to reveal their surface as well as atmospheric data (more on that later). You can also (L)and or perform a specific (CTRL-L)anding on a spot of your choice. Solar systems also include ASTEROIDS, which can yield extensive mineral deposits when scanned (or more extradimensional space predators). There are GAS GIANTS as well - sources of almost limitless fuel, if you have the right equipment, a skilled pilot, and enough balls for - you guessed it - extradimensional space predators.
  50.  
  51. SHIPS - Any ship should be dealt with caution, especially early on, as they could very well be pirates. Chances are your starting ship isn't outfitted for combat, making you susceptible to extensive hull damage in the best case, death in the worst. Either outcome puts a dent in your starting budget, which you really don't want.
  52.  
  53. Chances are your target space station isn't so far away that you can't take a pit stop on the way, so why not scan some planets and maybe pay one a visit in person?
  54.  
  55. ---------------------------------
  56. HOW TO NOT DIE - EXPLORATION 101|
  57. ---------------------------------
  58.  
  59. When scanning a planet, there are some important features to note:
  60.  
  61. ATMOSPHERE - Planets with thin, exotic or corrosive atmospheres require the use of spacesuits and breathers to safely navigate. To refill your crew's oxygen, simply revisit your landing pod. Corrosive atmospheres gradually corrode your weapons and equipment, making them extremely dangerous. Earth-like atmospheres are rare, and may indicate the presence of a settlement - or something less benign.
  62.  
  63. TEMPERATURE - While (currently) not a life-or-death matter by its own right, temperature extremes can indicate tectonic or volcanic activity taking place on the surface. When landing on a planet, ALWAYS wait a few turns and survey the landscape. Volcanos can spew streams of lava and gas, making the return to your landing pod extremely dangerous or impossible, leaving you stranded. Previously frozen lakes may unthaw, or vice versa. Don't move until you know it's safe, and avoid landing near potential hazards.
  64.  
  65. VEGETATION - No vegetation, no biodata; easy as that. Exotic atmospheres tend to produce exotic vegetation, which produce more biodata.
  66.  
  67. LIFEFORMS - Under certain conditions, live may evolve on a planet. You cannot determine whether or not said life wants to eat you until you visit the surface yourself. If the creature isn't trying to kill you, your Science Officer can try and (C)ommunicate with it - potentially learning the location of hidden tunnels or mineral deposits as a result.
  68.  
  69. SPECIAL - Your Science Officer may occasionally chime in after observing something unusual about the planet. Is there evidence of a pre-spaceflight civilization? Old ruins? Excessive radiation or a strange atmosphere? Unique planets are basically the vaults of Prospector, and can be extremely dangerous or extremely rewarding depending on their contents. They tend to be an adventure in and of themselves.
  70.  
  71. --------------------
  72. UPGRADING YOUR SHIP|
  73. --------------------
  74.  
  75. Provided you didn't meet a terrible demise, you should arrive at then nearest space station and deliver your data to the corporate offices. You want to turn your paychecks into something useful - better gear to start, eventually upgrading into a better ship entirely. Each space station can have several different shops, but almost all of them have one shop that sells brand new ships, one shop that sells ship modules and upgrades, and another that sells ground-based prospecting gear.
  76.  
  77. To make your life easier, browse the ship equipment shop and check its 'SENSORS, SHIELDS & ENGINES' section. Most items have popup text explaining their general use, but the first thing you want to get is a NAVIGATIONAL COMPUTER. This will essentially 'light up' space, marking sectors you've traveled through, displaying your sensor radius (yellow-tinted tiles), in addition to displaying your current coordinates on the lower-left side of the HUD. A nav computer should be the first purchase for any ship that doesn't have one.
  78.  
  79. Better sensors or engines may also be on your to-do list, as well as a shielding module so pirates don't outright blow you out of the sky. Pressing '@' will show you the current level of your ship's equipment, as well as the state of its crew and cargo. The starter ships cannot be upgraded too extensively, though, so you'll eventually have to upgrade to a new ship entirely.
  80.  
  81. The 'WEAPONS & MODULES' sells weapons and accessories. Each of these takes up a cargo slot on your ship.
  82. The 'CHANGE LOADOUT/ARMOR TYPE' options let you refit your ship. While it will deal more damage and have more health, replenishing these stocks will cost much more than the standard loadout.
  83.  
  84. ---------------------
  85. GEAR AND MISC. GOODS|
  86. ---------------------
  87.  
  88. Beyond the standard weapons & armour your crew uses to defend themselves, you can stumble upon or purchase a variety of equipment to make your prospecting life easier.
  89.  
  90. ROVERS & ROBOTS - Rovers and robots can be left behind on a planet to mine or explore the planet's surface of their own accord. When you next return and retrieve them, they will upload any gathered data to your current stores.
  91.  
  92. PROBES - Probes can be fired off into space, scanning nearby sectors and returning the data to your ship's computers. This is probably the safest way to see if there are any star systems inside gas clouds. There are also special gas mining probes that let you draw fuel from gas giants without putting your ship at risk due to piloting mishaps; the warning about extradimensional space predators still applies.
  93.  
  94. NOTE: Space probes worked fine in R165, but as if this writing (R180), they don't seem to function correctly.
  95.  
  96. HOVER PLATFORMS & JETPACKS - A must-have for prospectors. Hover platforms allow you to safely carry a limited amount of crew over water. Note that some liquids, such as ammonia, still let out dangerous gasses that make passing over them dangerous or fatal. Jetpacks are typically used by larger away teams, and can jump over mountains, but they have their own fuel supply and can cause death or serious injury during failed jumps.
  97.  
  98. BINOCULARS, FLOODLIGHTS, ETC - Items like these, including radar, provide a bonus to your away team's vision, allowing them to see farther and notice nearby creatures sooner. You only need to carry one of these items to receive their effect, and they stack.
  99.  
  100. SCIENCE & MEDICAL GOODS - Disease kits and medical kits can be used in the field to patch up injured crew. Botanical examination kits (and their animal equivalent) allow for better biodata retrieval, but have limited uses. Stasis traps and cages can be used to capture live animals, with guaranteed success if the animal is sleeping. Finally, purchasing an infirmary will greatly improve the survival odds of any sick or wounded crew members you bring back to your ship - provided you have a medic or science officer to man it.
  101.  
  102. Everything not listed here tends to have an information pop-up explaining its general use.
  103.  
  104. -------------------------------------
  105. OTHER THINGS TO DO IN SPACE STATIONS|
  106. -------------------------------------
  107.  
  108. Beyond the corporate office and shops, space stations typically include:
  109.  
  110. SICKBAY - For the treatment of the injured and sick. They also sell medical supplies and augmentations for your crew members to improve their physical potential. Overly-augmenting your soldiers can lead to surgical complications resulting in their death!
  111.  
  112. FUEL, REPAIR, AMMO - Self explanatory.
  113.  
  114. HIRING CREW - Aside from starting officer positions, you can also hire grunts like Security, Snipers and Paramedics. You can form away teams composed of grunts alone to explore the more dangerous planets; this way, your Captain will not be at risk of death and, with that, a game over.
  115.  
  116. TRADING - If Prospecting is too dangerous for you, you can play the commodity or stock markets for cash.
  117.  
  118. CASINO - In addition to gambling away your life's savings, you can find various NPCs here. They can sell you special quest items, give you hints about nearby planets or pirate hideouts, and grant you quests of their own.
  119.  
  120. RETIREMENT - Allows you to purchase assets of your own and, eventually, retire. The epilogue you receive varies with assets owned and your accumulated wealth. A good retirement is the ultimate goal of a Prospector that doesn't meet a terrible death.
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