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+--- Thread: Solving The Kobayashi Alternative [MSDOS - 1987] (/showthread.php?tid=666)
Solving The Kobayashi Alternative [MSDOS - 1987] - Ellimist - 04-19-2026
Hello everyone,
I am on a quest to try and solve Star Trek - The Kobayashi Alternative, a 1985 and 1987 adventure game. The 1985 version is super buggy garbage, and they released a 1987 version with improvements, which ... is still kind of buggy garbage. Also the MS-DOS version is way different from the Apple II version. This post is about the MSDos version.
I am interested in hammering out a walkthrough that can actually bring you to the completion screen. Ive gotten stuck however, and so I am coming here to enlist anyone who might be interested.
You can get the game as part of the pack from https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/p/star-trek-first-contact.html
Here is my current command guide:
[f10, f1, f1], kirk to scott, lower screens, orbit planet 2, scan ornacraft
kirk to renner, prepare landing party, <down>, deck 7, <up, left until transporter, up>
[f4, f1], renner, beam us down, <up, right, right until meet orna>, can you help us, <left until leave tunnel>
[f5, f2], kirk to renner, beam us up, <down, right until turbolift, up>, bridge, up,
set course 2567.23762.24312, <wait for second klingon>, lock torpedos on klingon, fire, lock phasers, fire, fire, fire
<down>, deck 7, <up, left until transporter, up>, [f2, f1, f1, f1], renner, prepare landing party, set coordinates 7000.7400, beam us down,
At this point the Rirder alien is correctly placed, and you can talk to him. However, all attempts to have Renner beam the Rirder out result in him not being able to find the object. I also cant seem to find a way past the fire of the spacecraft, not sure if I have to.
Another note, this is the bare minimum, its very possible that one of the other planets sets a flag thats needed for me to be able to beam him up. I am going to continue to try to do some of the other planets and see if that may be the issue, but I somewhat doubt it.
I welcome anyone that might have ideas or gumption to try and help solve!
RE: Solving The Kobayashi Alternative [MSDOS - 1987] - Josh_Mandel - 04-19-2026
I wish I remembered more of this game -- maybe I blocked it out because it seemed so incredibly difficult and I was never able to compete it. And maybe it was difficult because it was buggy, I'm not sure I realized that at the time -- I thought I was just really bad at it. I remember being so disappointed, because I was so excited to play an official Star Trek game.
I didn't do much better with the Promethean Prophecy, either.
RE: Solving The Kobayashi Alternative [MSDOS - 1987] - Ellimist - 04-19-2026
Well I have to say, I came here in desperation, but I think it just helped get the juices flowing because I managed to figure it out! I even managed to get around the bug of disappearing items that were widely reported. Here was my the final set of commands needed. This bypasses a ton of the game, so its not really a "full walkthrough" but I hit the win screen so I am happy!
[f10, f1, f1], kirk to scott, lower screens, orbit planet 2, scan ornacraft
kirk to renner, prepare landing party, <down>, deck 7, <up, left until transporter, up>
[f4, f1], renner, beam us down, <up, right, right until meet orna>, can you help us, <left until leave tunnel>
[f5, f2], kirk to renner, beam us up, kirk to bridge,
set course 2567.23762.24312, warp 8, <wait for second klingon>, lock torpedos, fire, lock phasers, fire until destroyed, orbit 3,
renner, set coordinates 7105.7410, beam rirder up, [scott, analyze device], <down, right until engineering, up>, kirk to bridge, set course 8572.27041.27324, warp 8, <get stopped at buyoy>
<wait>, [scott, analysis], engage device, kirk to bridge, warp 8, [f4, f1], [f2, f4], <wait until spock talks>, kirk to spock, mindmeld, kirk to bridge, orbit star
<down, left until transporter, up>, [f2, f3], [f9, f3], renner, beam antimatter down
This completes the damn set of 3 adventure games Ive been working on speedrunning. Managed to get First Contact (https://www.speedrun.com/Star_Trek_First_Contact) and Promethean Prophecy (https://www.speedrun.com/Star_Trek_The_Promethean_Prophecy) fairly easily, but this last one has been a nightmare!
RE: Solving The Kobayashi Alternative [MSDOS - 1987] - Ellimist - 04-19-2026
Hmmm not quite there, something is still missing.
One the attempt where I blundered around trying things this sequence worked. But on a fresh run just executing the optimized build above the star goes supernova and hits a Death Loss screen instead of the win.
Not sure what flag is missing, things Ive tested as the flag that didnt work:
- scan ornacraft
- beam down to the planet to beam rirder up
- scan the protostar
- scan the framework
- setting coorindates to 5000.5000 vs other spots to beam antimatter down
- waiting until 18:00 (when my winning game wins)
More grinding out the solution is needed I guess, something for next weekend.
UPDATE: Think I figured it out, you have to use Spocks mindmeld AFTER you orbit the star, this seems to be the trigger. Final working solution:
[f10, f1, f1], kirk to scott, lower screens, orbit 2, <down>, deck 7, <up, left until transporter, up>
[f4, f1], renner, beam me down, <up, right, right until meet orna>, can you help us, <left until leave tunnel>
[f5, f2], kirk to renner, beam me up,
kirk to bridge, set course 2567.23762.24312, warp 8, <wait for second klingon>, lock torpedos, fire, lock phasers, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire
<wait until aliens talk>, orbit 3,
[renner, set coordinates 7105.7410], beam rirder up, [scott, analyze device], <down, right until engineering, up>, [f4, f1], [f2, f3], kirk to bridge, set course 8572.27041.27324, warp 8, <get stopped at buyoy>
<wait>, [scott, engage device], kirk to bridge, warp 8, <wait until spock talks>, orbit star, mindmeld
<down, left until transporter, up>, [f2, f3], [f9, f4], renner, beam antimatter down
RE: Solving The Kobayashi Alternative [MSDOS - 1987] - Josh_Mandel - 04-22-2026
Congratulations! That must've been a lot of work!
Josh