GAMEPLAY

How do you play this game?
The best way to learn the game is to get it and play it. Of course, check out our Game Info page to get an overview.  If you don’t want to spend any money right now, check your local sci-fi, gaming, or fan convention.  There's usually a game of Artemis going on.

​And if you do buy the Windows PC license, and decide it’s not what you want, you can always ask for a refund, and it will be provided.

Can I hack or mod this game?
Artemis and Artemis Cosmos are modd-able in several ways.  The forums are a great place to get responses to your specific questions about modding.

For the new Cosmos game: -----------------------------------------------------
In the data sub-directory are several important files.  "preferences.json" has lots of values that you can change to make the game look and play differently.

"shipData.json" contains all the information about how the space objects look, and many aspects of how they behave.  Remember that every 3d space object requires a .OBJ file (for the 3D mesh data), and four bitmap files (.PNG), and they must be named very specifically.  Other files (for each 3d object) will be created by the program, not by you.

The scripting system for Cosmos is the Python language. You can learn it!  It's awesome, and one of the most popular, useful programming languages in the whole world.

Inside the data/ folder is a missions/ folder, and all the missions are folders inside that.  Inside each mission folder MUST be a "script.py" file.  We will have example missions and other help for aspiring scripters.



For the old Artemis 2.8 game: -----------------------------------------------------
There’s a few .INI files in the root directory that are filled with numbers you can adjust.  There’s a DMX lighting system that is very configurable for whatever DMX lighting system you build.

There’s a mission scripting system in the game.  To learn more about how to make your own missions, please refer to the forums.

And there’s a file in the dat/ folder called vesselData.xml.  This can be edited to change the values of all the ships in the game.  Entirely new ships can also be added to this file, though it’s a complicated process.  People on the forums can help.

Can I get a copy of the Artemis code so I can hack or mod it?
No, sorry.

LICENSING
Do you really offer a full, no-questions, money-back guarantee?
Yes. Just use the contact form on this website to ask me for a refund, include the email receipt from your purchase, and I’ll verify your order and happily refund you the money. If you purchased the game a very long time ago, the payment processor companies might balk at a refund. Also, if you bought from Steam or the mobile stores, they have very different (and strict) refund policies.

So if nothing else works, you can send me your paypal email address, and I can refund you with paypal. I can do other payment systems as well.  Or you can give me a mailing address, and I’ll write you a check.

On the Steam store, I can purchase a 6-pack of Artemis or Cosmos.  How does that work?
The 6-pack from Steam simply gives you 6 license codes, so 6 different steam accounts can download and use the software. So if you have 5 friends, they should bring over their laptops, make sure they each have a steam account, and then you give a code to each of them, so they can get the game on their laptop and play with you. You redeem the last code for yourself.

I want to buy a bridge license, and have 5 friends over to play every weekend.  But it won't always be the same 5 friends!  Will I encounter problems with the 6-computer limit of the bridge license?
No.  The game download that you get when you buy the game is completely DRM-free.  You can copy it onto as many computers as you have, any time you want.

The bridge license I sell gives you the right to use the software to make and have ONE “bridge”, which is usually 6 computers and 6 people.  If some people stop playing and others join, that’s okay.

BUT if your Artemis nights expand to 2 or more simultaneous bridges, please buy more bridge licenses.  And congratulations for having so many friends!

If your friend leaves your party with a copy of the game on his laptop, and then you hear that he’s running another bridge with HIS friends, just encourage him to buy his own bridge license.  Remember, the person who bought the license automatically gets to be the captain. 🙂

What about fighters?  Won't that exceed the "5 friends" rule?
Yes. Since Artemis 2.4.0 now supports extra consoles for fighters, the idea that ONE bridge is only made of 6 computers and players is now a bit out of date.

As of 0.7.16, Cosmos doesn't have player fighters, but they will be coming soon.

But the license I sell on this website is still about A BRIDGE, no matter how many players are serving on it. So if you play with more than one bridge, buy more than one license.

Once I buy Artemis 2, how do the upgrades work?
The old Artemis 2 game (latest version 2.8.0) is no longer being updated.  You can patch your Artemis installation to the latest version of the game, by getting the upgrade installer from the download page of this website.  Download it, run it, and it should copy the newer files over your existing installation.

When you buy the Windows PC Bridge License sold on this website, you’ll get an email receipt and a temporary download link.  The link will let you download a self-installing file that contains the full game.  For each of the computers on your bridge, copy the file onto the computer, and use it to install the game.  When the game is installed, the game files will all reside in a directory (usually called Artemis/) that exists on the hard drive of your computer (usually in C:/Program Files (x86)/ or something similar).  I frankly recommend that you install to C:/games/ myself, but there are several reasons you might feel you can’t do that.

Since there’s no DRM, that Artemis directory is your real value.  Every computer of your bridge should have an installed copy of the game.  You should take pains to avoid losing it, or the email receipt you got.

For the past couple of years, the bridge license download has come with unlimited re-download privileges.   You might lose the email with the link, though, so your best bet is still to copy the game installer to a USB stick, so you can always have it.

What if I lose the installer file I downloaded?
Don’t do that. Copy the file so you don’t lose it. If you play the game with 6 computers, that’s 6 copies right there.

For the past couple of years, the bridge license download has come with unlimited re-download privileges, so you should be able to get it again.

What about Artemis Cosmos?   How do the upgrades work for that?
Upgrades will still be free for the foreseeable future.

There is no upgrade price or path from the old Artemis 2 to Cosmos.  Artemis Cosmos is a ground-up re-write of Artemis, and shares no code with it.  It's a completely new product, and requires a new purchase.

I want to run Artemis at my school or work as a team-building exercise.  How much do I have to pay for that?
On this website, I sell a “bridge license”, which gives the purchaser the right to install and use the software on 6 computers, so a team of 6 players can play together. The license does NOT restrict what you do with those 6 computers. You can have many teams play, so long as they all take turns on those 6 computers.

If you want to install and use the game on more than 6 computers, then buy extra licenses for each set of 6 computers you will run the software on. If you have 24 computers supporting 4 bridges, buy 4 $40 licenses.

If you are purchasing the Windows version from Steam, or buying the IOS/Android versions, those licenses are very different, and generally tied to the account and device. If you had 6 android pads, and you wanted to make a bridge out of them, you’d have to buy and install the game 6 different times from the Amazon or Google Play stores.

You are also free to charge players for the use of your equipment and space. You don’t have to pay me anything beyond the initial license cost.

Why don't you open-source the Artemis game, so others can contribute to the project?
Artemis is a commercial game project. It may be indie, but it’s still a way for me to make money for my hard work. I don’t want to change that right now.

I want to make money with Artemis or Cosmos.  I'll buy some computers, and take them to shows/conventions/events/parties, and let people play Artemis on them.  Is that okay?
Yes. You are free to charge players for the use of your equipment and space. You don’t have to pay me anything beyond the initial license cost (one “bridge license” for each group of 6 computers you have). Please treat your customers well, and please don’t do anything offensive with my software or brand, and please tell your customers about this website, where they can purchase a copy of the game for themselves.

I control an educational situation, like a classroom or planetarium or computer camp.  Can I get a free educational site license for my computers?
Yes, sure. Use the contact form to make your case.

Is there a licensing fee required to create Star Trek type games?  Asking for a friend who wants to make such a game.
I’m sure there is, and I’m sure it’s hugely expensive. I have not licensed the Star Trek brand for Artemis, because I don’t need to. Artemis is its own brand and product, and shares nothing with Star Trek or any other brand. My Artemis game doesn’t have Phasers, Transporters, or Tholian Webs.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
 
What are the system requirements for the Artemis Cosmos game?
DirectX 11 and shader model 5.0. This means practically any computer that runs Windows 10 or newer. If you’re worried that your computer can’t play Artemis, just download the free demo from the download page on this website. If the demo works for you, the full game should too.

Can I play Artemis Cosmos on my Mac?
Artemis Cosmos is currently only built for Windows. However, unlike Artemis 2, the Cosmos code base is much more platform agile, which (in the future) will give us more opportunities to offer the game on different platforms.

Also, Macs are much more powerful and capable of supporting/emulating Windows programs than ever before. You can learn more by reading the forums on this website.

 
What are the system requirements for the Artemis 2 game?
DirectX 9 and shader model 2.0. This means practically any computer that runs Windows 98 or newer. If you’re worried that your computer can’t play Artemis, just download the free demo from the download page on this website. If the demo works for you, the full game should too.

Can I play Artemis 2 on my Mac?
Artemis is currently only built for Windows. Artemis for Windows requires DirectX 9 and shader model 2.0.

BUT, plenty of people run the game on Apple and Linux computers, using one of several emulator/wrapper tools. You can learn more by reading the forums on this website.

When will you provide versions of the old Artemis 2 for other platforms, like Mac, Linux, or mobile?
I do not plan to update the Artemis 2 code any more.



OTHER

Did you really make this game all by yourself?
Yes. Sorta.

I did all the design and programming, all the sound effects and all the original artwork for the 1.0 version of the game (which I released in 2010). I wrote the game in C++ on top of DirectX 9. A good friend of mine, Erik D. wrote the network code for me.

Artemis 2 had nicer 3D art and GUI art, licensed from artists. John Robert Matz made beautiful music for the game. And the dedicated fans of the game were a critical part of the design of the game, as it grew.

Cosmos has come about similarly, with lots of help from a dedicated team of friends and fans, and new art and assets licensed from artists.  It's written in C++ on top of DirectX 11, using several free libraries, and integrating Python as the scripting language.

I’ve been a game programmer all my life, with over a decade of experience working in the game industry, and even more experience as an indie game developer.

What does the version number of Artemis mean?
Starting with 2.1.0, I went to a 3-digit versioning system. The first digit is the MAJOR version number. The second digit is the network version number. The third digit is the revision number.

Two copies of the game can be expected to work together, so long as they have the same major and network version numbers.

The revision number covers very minor fixes and adjustments. The network version number will change every time I have to change one or more of the messages that get sent across the network.

​This scheme is valid for Cosmos as well.

I run a charity event, and I'd like some Artemis games or swag to give away.  Do you do that kind of thing?
Yes, sure. Use the contact form to make your case.