The pilot
Zed
The game never shows your face, but the manual's prologue gives the pilot a past. Zed grew up in the glass mines of a world run by the Rithans, a "groundhog" from a family of miners; even his name was issued by the miners' Union. But there had been an uncle, Brock, a brother his father never mentioned. Brock died and left him a star freighter, bank accounts scattered across the systems, and a contract to help build a colony called Banville for a religious group on Jondd.
The lawyers handing over the ship expect him to fail. He doesn't intend to.
- Ship
- The SunDog, one-man star freighter
- Job
- Find Banville, supply it, and bring in the cryogens
- Voice
- The distress call from the intro
Portrait made with ElevenLabs from the pilot in David R. Darrow's cover painting, then animated to the transmission.
Explore
Prologue
The story from the 1985 manual: a miner, a dead uncle and a battered star freighter.
Your Ship
The SunDog in 3D, her six systems and how to keep them running.
Flying & Warp
Warp odds, jump range, fuel and in-system travel.
Atlas
Click from the star map to any planet and city, and see each system's hidden ratings.
Trading
What each planet makes and wants, and how prices really move.
Pirates
Where they strike, the seven ship classes, guns, bounties and loot.
On the Ground
Walking, parking, sleeping, and what time costs you.
People & Street Fights
Talking your way out, fighting your way out, and the developers in the streets.
Your Character
Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Charisma and Luck, and how boosts work.
Items & Cargo
Every item and trade good, with its icon and value.
Gallery
Title screens, interiors, city tiles and planet surfaces.
Myths & Secrets
Fan lore checked against the code, plus the hidden numbers.
Five things every pilot should know
- Pirates only hunt ships that carry cargo. Run empty and you'll never meet one (except in Enlie).
- Fly to the rim of a system before you warp. At MARK 100 the jump can't fail.
- Buy each good on the planet that makes it and sell it on the planet that wants it.
- Luck halves every time it's checked. Charisma doesn't.
- Sleep on your ship, in your pod or in a hotel, never on the street.
About this guide
A labour of love for a 1985 classic. Everything here comes from the Atari ST disk itself: the names and numbers are read from the game's data, the pictures are its own art, and the rules come from reading the game's code. Anything not pinned down yet is marked open.
Many thanks to laanwj/sundog, the open-source project that keeps the Atari ST version playable today. The long-running fan site, The SunDog Information Page, and Bruce Webster's SunDog page are well worth reading; the Myths & Secrets page checks their claims.