Space War

This document is the official DECUS program library write-up for "Space War," a two-player game designed for the Lab-8 computer system, released in 1971. The game simulates space combat where players maneuver ships to destroy one another and become "Supreme Ruler of the Universe."

Key points include:

• Requirements: Requires a 4K Lab-8 or Lab-8L system with an ASR 33 Teletype. The program occupies approximately 2500 words of core memory.
• Gameplay: Players control ship rotation, thrust, and torpedo fire using either the Switch Register or external AX08 contingency inputs. Ships operate on Newtonian-like physics, requiring players to thrust and decelerate to navigate.
• Mechanics: The game includes a "hyperspace" feature triggered by simultaneous left and right commands, as well as "closed" space where objects wrapping around the screen edges reappear on the opposite side.
• Technical Notes: The program is interrupt-driven and relies on the AX08 crystal clock; users are warned that any device flags capable of causing unexpected interrupts will result in an error halt.