SPACE "RPG" 85-89

 🚀 1985

01🧭Psi 5 Trading Company

🕹Psi-5 Trading company puts the player in command of a space freighter crewed by a host of quirky aliens.  

 

🕹The player selects the crew to man the ship. 

🌟Each ship department has various candidates, including aliens and robots. 

🌟Each candidate is described in a short profile. The candidates differ in abilities, for example, in their degree of autonomy, efficiency, foresight for possible imminent problems, obedience, stress tolerance, physical vulnerability and teamwork. 

 

🌟A single "best team" does not exist, since every candidate has advantages and disadvantages. Robots are, for example, particularly obedient and stress-tolerant, but also particularly dependent and poor team players 

 

🕹The player must pilot the ship through pirate-infested space and needs to decide whether to fight off or attempt to evade the space robbers.  

 

 

🕹Time is short and commands must be timely and prudent as numerous emergencies crop up as the ship is attacked and systems fail or are destroyed.  

 

🕹The player is challenged to get the precious cargo to its destination!

02🧭Cosmic Soldier

🕹The year is 3530 AD. The KGD (an obvious nod to the developer Kogado) Star System has fallen into the clutches of the evil Quila Empire. The hero of the game is a soldier of the Galactic Alliance who receives a mission to infiltrate a Quila base with his companion, a beautiful female android, and eventually defeat the enemy.

🕹Cosmic Soldier is an early Japan-made RPG, which still mostly follows the Wizardry template, being a dungeon crawler with first-person navigation. Random enemy encounters lead to simple turn-based battles, graphically displayed at the top of the screen. The player cannot assign individual commands to the party members, but is able to choose various types of elemental attacks, which have different effects on different enemies.

🕹An original gameplay element is the ability to have short conversation with some enemies. It is possible to convince the enemy to join the party; this feature predates the famous demon conversations from Megaten games.

03🧭Total Eclipse

🕹Total Eclipse takes its basic concept from Elite but moves focus from real-time space flight to the trading and navigation aspects.  

 

🕹The game is played through a series of graphical menus, joined by 3D and 2D action sequences. 

🕹It takes place in a universe made up of 12 galaxies divided into 10 sectors of 36 cells (a total of 4 320 cells).  

 

🕹Despite taking place in space, the galaxy map is two-dimensional. The cells may contain empty space, space stations, planets, asteroids, hypergates, black holes and abandoned space cruisers.  

 

🕹You start out on a space station, which offer refueling and repair as well as investment services (recommended only for rich players).   

 

🕹Planets vary in technological level and political system. Travel to anarchistic planets should be avoided by inexperienced players. 

🕹Though all planets offer trading and refueling facilities, services such as repairs and spare parts (as well as the kind of spares) are dependent on the technological level of the planets. This also governs the range of goods on the stock market, and their prices.   

 

🕹Asteroids can be mined for asteroil, a sought-after substance which may be traded at stations. 

🕹Hypergates facilitate travel to other galaxies. Black holes are generally dangerous and should be avoided, though the manual hints at other possibilities. 

🕹The abandoned space cruisers may be visited for claiming salvage money. To do so, you must enter the ship, find the bridge, take the captain's log, and return to your ship before the self-destruct sequence is activated.

🕹Using the short scanner, you may scan 36 cells in your vicinity and identify their contents. Each scan uses up your computer energy level, ultimately leading to operation failure. It is therefore necessary to reload your computer just as you refuel your ship.  

 

🕹Upgrading the RAM of your ship computer activates the long-range scanner, which enables a longer scanning radius and hence a longer operation radius, since all travel is initiated from the scanner menu. A further RAM upgrade opens up the data scanner menu, which can scan an entire galaxy at once.  

 

🕹When you reach a planet, pirates may try to extort you for protection money. Failing to pay may incur pirate attacks in space, which are fought out in a 3D view where you move your crosshairs to try to shoot down the attacking ships. 

🕹In case the enemy is at an advantage, you can try to out-run them, or alternatively attempt a panic hyperjump, which moves you instantaneously to a random position elsewhere in the galaxy, with a chance of survival of 66.6%.  

 

🕹Destroying a pirate ship will release its cargo into space, which will be transported to your vessel.

🕹Due to space constraints, the system of Total Eclipse can't be described in further detail, though it is at least as involved as Elite.

🚀 1986

01🧭Starflight 

🕹A long time ago, a great empire comprised of Humans, Velox, Thrynn and Elowan ruled the stars. The Empire's currency was an energy source called Endurium. But something happened and this empire is no more. Furthermore, the small colony world named Arth has forgotten this heritage and technology. A thousand years have since passed and the people of Arth have rediscovered archaeological evidence of their empire. Using these discoveries, they create spaceships and form the Interstel corporation to govern the fleet. It's time to take the first steps back into space... but could it be the same enemy that destroyed the Empire still exists?

🕹Starflight is a space exploration game with role-playing elements. The game is completely non-linear, allowing the player to venture to any star system and explore any of the vast amount of available planets.  

 

🕹The main plot is advanced by following cryptic clues either received as transmissions at the initial spaceport, or obtained as a result of successful communication with various alien races populating the universe.

🕹The player must first form a crew, assign their positions and customize the spaceship before blasting off from spacedock. Besides the captain of the ship, a science officer, a navigator, an engineer, a communicator, and a doctor have to be assigned to the ship.  

 

🕹The player can choose between Humans, Velox, Thrynn, Elowan, and Android races when creating the characters.  

 

🕹Each profession usually has a racial counterpart with the highest proficiency in it. Except Androids, members of every race can be trained in their skills by spending the game's currency.  

 

🕹In the starting location the player can also acquire better weapons, armor, and shields for the ship, as well as outfit it with cargo pods. Terrain vehicle can be customized as well.

🕹Once out into space, the standard interface allows access to different crew members and navigation. 

🕹The entire galaxy is unknown and it's up to the player to travel to distant planets to explore and land on them. Planets may be inhospitable, with harsh weather conditions and various terrain types. 

🕹Using a top-down interface, a planetary lander will venture out with the task of finding minerals and biological data to transport back to Starport. These resources can be sold for MU, the game's currency.

🕹Different alien races control the galaxy and it will be up to the player to approach them diplomatically or face them in combat.  

 

🕹Depending on the communicator's skill, the player may conduct successful conversations by assuming different postures, requesting information, or answering questions posed by the aliens. 

🕹Each race has a different attitude and requires different approaches to peacefully end the negotiations. If all else fails, or if the player so wishes, the player-controlled ship may engage the aliens in combat, which is presented as overhead arcade action sequences. 

🕹Successful exploration of the galaxy and alien cultures will yield clues and new leads as to the fate of the Empire. 

 

🕹The Amiga version adds an auto-mining command. The Genesis version has updated graphics and sound, and is different in several aspects: locations of minerals and artifacts are different; there are new weapons for the ship and upgrades for the terrain vehicle; landing on planets is no longer automatic and must be controlled manually to avoid crashing; terrain vehicle exploration is more realistic, with visible weather conditions and various terrain types slowing down the vehicle.

02🧭Empire! (Also Star Empire)

🕹The ultimate goal in Empire! is to build a great galactic empire protected by a huge frontier shield. Before this can be achieved however, players have to complete various missions, trade with starbases and fight off invading aliens. 

 

🕹The ship is controlled from a top-down perspective, with four gauges indicating its energy level, temperature, radiation level and shield status. 

🕹When the radiation level or temperature reach maximum, the ship is destroyed. The ship heats up when it's near a sun or firing weapons. The radiation level rises when radioactive pods are carried. 

🕹When the ship is running out of fuel, it can be refueled by collecting ore from planets.  

 

🕹Two direction finders at the bottom of the screen point towards the next starbase, mission objective or manually chosen target. 

 

🕹At starbases, players can accept missions and trade minerals, ore or people. These three goods can be found on planets (in form of pods).  

 

🕹In order to land on a planet, players must enter a warp hole. Once on the planet's surface, the game switches to first-person perspective and the player has to dodge or destroy rockets fired at the ship and follow the direction finders towards pods or the "exit". 

🕹Starbases need to be supplied with materials to be able to produce "performance pods" and equipment for the ship. 

 

🕹In order to reach other star systems, players have to fly through asteroid belts. Although some systems can only be reached with a special hyperspace pod.

🕹Many star systems are overrun by aliens and can only be reclaimed when all aliens are wiped out. There are also systems that are infected with the plaque and players must take care not to spread it to other systems.

🕹As the game progresses, more aliens, better equipment and new starbases appear. When all systems have been visited, players can buy starbases. When all systems are owned by the player, the game can be finished by constructing the frontier shield.

🚀 1987

01🧭2400 AD

🕹Metropolis was founded in 2213 A.D. by the United Stellar Council as the capital city of the planet XK-120, a mining planet and center of learning throughout the galaxy. That was the past. 

🌟In 2315 A.D., Metropolis is invaded by the Tzorg. The new conquerer leave the planet but install a Robot Patrol System to keep the locals in check. 

🌟Now the only resistance against the Tzorg occupation is a small group of resistance fighters of the Underground network. In the year 2400 A.D. the final hope to overthrow Tzorg rule over the city is to infiltrate the Tzorg Authority Complex through a recently discovered secret route, access the terminals, and shut down the robots; that is, if they had a computer specialist.

🌟That's where the protagonist comes in. As part of yet another shipment of miners from other conquered Tzorg lands to replace the 'disappearances' of past workers, the hero has been contacted by the Underground to join their struggle against the Tzorg. The contact leaves instructions: find Spider, contact the Underground, good-bye and good luck.

🕹2400 A.D. is a top-down role-playing game that has similarities to Ultima games, though with simpler gameplay mechanics.  

 

🕹The city of Metropolis is divided into five areas: Center, North, South, East, West. All of which are indicated by borders, guarded and patrol by different kinds of robots. 

🕹Non-player characters also frequent the city. An attempt to communicate with them will open dialog boxes, where the player must type in keywords for further information.

🕹Exploration and transportation may be conducted via three approaches: walking, using the "slidewalk" (automated sidewalk), or by using subway system. 

🕹The city contains a few merchants where the player may purchase some items. More curious items such as weapons and personal devices, however, are rumored to be sold by the Underground.  

 

🕹Throughout the city, there are also power nodes, which allow the player to recharge weapons and other devices. Use of these power nodes are illegal by the Tzorg Authority, prompting a possible robot dispatch to the area, or if any robots are in the immediate vicinity, to attack the character.

🕹The main character has four primary attributes: Energy (equivalent to hit points and strength combined), Dexterity, IQ, and Affinity.  

 

🕹During character creation, the player may allocate 99 points among these attributes. These attributes will increase during gameplay when the character performs certain actions. Affinity, for example, may increase when the character talks to NPCs.

🕹Combat initiates when the player character attacks or is attacked by an enemy robot. 

🌟Before engaging in combat, the hero must first equip a ranged weapon in the inventory (a maximum of eight items) and recharge the weapon. The character cannot attack if no charged weapon is equipped. 

🌟Combat flows in real time, pausing when the player selects an attack. The protagonist may only shoot in a diagonal or vertical direction, while robots have the advantage to attack in all nine directions. 

🌟If the character is hit, all attributes will be decreased. The attributes will return to their original scores over time. 

🌟If the protagonist succeeds in defeating a robot, he may search the remains and obtain money. 

🌟Defeat will result in imprisonment and confiscation of items at the Rehabilitation Center, where the protagonist must also register regularly to avoid being thrown into prison. Robots will re-spawn after a certain amount of time.

🚀 1988

01🧭Star Command 

🕹Star Command is a sci-fi role-playing game set in a vast fictional universe and featuring tactical space and squad-level combat, similar to SSI's Pool of Radiance released the same year and other games of the Gold Box series. The game has nothing to do with Star Command Deluxe or Star Command: Revolution. 

 

🕹The game plays in a distant future. Earth is a distant memory, having been destroyed long ago.

🌟The small human population is concentrated in a small portion of the galaxy, called "The Triangle" due to its form, and threatened from its neighbors: 

🌟The Alpha border is plagued by pirates, recently united under a certain "Blackbeard", 

🌟the Beta border is frequently ambushed by an intelligent insect-like alien race who is thought to plan an all-out war. 

🌟The third border leads to largely unknown territory with space-faring robots of unclear origin. 

🌟The only hope for mankind is the Star Command, the headquarter of military forces. 

🕹You control a spaceship crew, trying to secure peace by completing missions issued by Star Command. 

 

🕹The game starts at Startport Luna, where you first will have to assemble and equip your crew and buy a starship before rushing out saving humanity.  

 

🕹Assembling the crew, i.e. character generation, is quite detailed and done by first recruiting and then training characters. 

🌟Each character has seven basic stats like Strength and Intelligence. If the stats look okay, you select one of four classes (Pilots for flying ships and communicating with aliens, Marines for espionage, Soldiers for fighting, and finally Espers with strange psi powers). 

🌟The character now has to be trained for eight years; each year, you select a skill to be trained, and, if you're lucky, the character increases his skill -- he may also learn nothing. 

🌟Skills can be trained more than once, increasing the effective skill level. All in all, there are 18 skills, with a different set available for each class. Some trainings does not improve skills, but basic stats -- Special Forces, for example, increases speed and accuracy.

🕹Character usually start out as Privates, but they the rank can be increased by going to Officer's school. There are 13 ranks up to Grand Admiral, with increasing pay -- money is sparse, so this may be a good choice. Then again, it may be not. Later in the game, with enough funds, you can create clones of your character to replace him when he dies. Character also age during play. 

 

🕹After you have created your crew, it's time to spend your money.

🌟First of all, you need a spaceship -- there are nine different ships, with different attributes like armor or fuel capacity. 

🌟The ship may be upgraded by several systems, including from engines, guns, shields, drop ships, computers, etc. 

🌟Finally, you have to equip your crew, again choosing among a vast selection of armor, weapons and miscellaneous items. Having a fully equipped crew at your disposal, you're now ready to get some mission from the Space Command and launch your ship. 

 

🕹While in space, you are shown a view of the environment, with commands at the bottom and the crew or ship status on the right. 

🌟The galaxy is quite big, consisting of 32x32 sectors, each containing several systems, with each one having up to 10 planets.

🌟You can select the view, changing from Galaxy Scan (showing the whole galaxy) to Long Range Scan (showing 8x8 sectors) to Sector Scan (all systems and starports of a sector) to System Scan (the star and its planets) to Visual Scan (direct view of a planet, starport or space station with its statistics).

🕹While travelling through space, you may encounter ships. 

🌟The game then switches to turn-based tactical combat -- but that may include peaceful interaction. In each turn, you first have a selection of communication strategies -- bargain, plead, ask, demand, even impersonate a deity are possible. 

🌟Then you can move and rotate your ship, and finally, you can fire. Some situations, for example when you're boarding an enemy ship or while travelling on land, you can engage in squad combat, which closely resembles spaceship combat, but is influenced gravity, atmosphere and terrain.

🕹One some missions, you will have to explore underground complexes, which may contains traps and other specials events.  

 

🌟There are 17 missions all in all, but they have no time limit, so you can do other things -- and you should, like trying to get some cash. 

🌟Additionally, some missions are randomly generated, so each game differs somewhat. Character get training after each completed mission, but they can also pay for it, which is very expensive.

02🧭Sentinel Worlds: Future Magic 

🕹The merchants who live on the three planets of the Caldorre star system have been recently assaulted and robbed by groups of mysterious space raiders. Giant battleships were set to eliminate the threat; however, the raiders proved to be too agile, dodging them easily. A smaller, interceptor-class vessel is now dispatched to Caldorre to deal with the problem. 

 

🕹Sentinel Worlds I: Future Magic is an open-ended sci-fi role-playing game. It has a combination of role-playing character building, customizable spaceship combat, and exploration.  

 

🕹The player will guide his team, flying through space and exploring the surfaces and bases of a few planets to unravel the mystery that's disturbing the known universe. 

 

🕹The game opens with a mission to protect a merchant shipment, which involves space combat against enemy ships. Afterwards, the player is free to explore the planets, mining them for resources, talking to characters to receive clues, trading, acquiring better weapons and armor for the crew, and upgrading the space ship. 

 

🕹The player can use a pre-generated party of five characters or create them from scratch, rolling their attributes. 

🌟There are five character classes, but they have little impact on ground combat, with the exception of the communicator officer, who interacts with NPCs, and the medic, who has access to healing abilities. 

🌟Characters also have skills, including various weapon proficiencies as well as communication skills such as bribery. Skills can be increased when characters level up. 

 

🕹Space travel, combat, and planet exploration are done in 2D. 

🌟The player can land in any spot on the three planets of the star system and explore them by navigating an armored ground vehicle. Certain structures can be entered. 

🌟At that point the game switches to 3D vector graphics, though the party, NPCs and enemies are always superimposed on the radar. 

🕹Both space and ground combat in the game proceed in real time. In indoor locations the player directly controls only the party leader, while the AI manages the actions of the others. 

 

🕹The game features "paragraph books", where characters mention a paragraph number to read from the booklet, instead of getting the text in-game. This functions as copy protection, making the game require guesswork to complete without the manual.

03🧭Starglider 2

🕹The game features open, continuous gameplay without levels or loading screens after the game had started, despite taking place across an entire planetary system. 

🕹The player can fly through space, enter a planet's atmosphere, explore the surface, and penetrate tunnels in one seamless movement. 

 

🕹The goal of Starglider 2 is to destroy an enemy space station with a neutron bomb, and the majority of the gameplay consists of collecting parts for the bomb, or fulfilling other prerequisites (e.g. finding the nuclear professor capable of constructing the bomb, or trade goods for the bombs necessary to destroy the shield generators protecting the space station), while fighting off enemy spacecraft, and delivering collected items to depots inside planetary tunnel systems. 

🕹The various objects needed to complete the game are distributed across the many planets of the solar system, as well as in the intervening space (e.g. asteroids and space pirates), or even in the atmosphere of the gas giant planet. 

 

🕹The flight model is arcade-style as opposed to realistic, as the game features no inertia; the spacecraft banks like an aircraft to turn, in air, outer space, and underground; and it is possible to hover. 

🕹In addition, the game features many graphic display options, including the ability to eliminate roll, or view the game from outside the cockpit from a non-chase-camera, making it difficult to fly but allowing the player to view the polygonal model of the spacecraft. 

 

🕹The construction of the shield generators and the space station itself progresses continuously over the course of the game, and failure to destroy the space station before construction was complete will result in loss of the game (the space station would be used to destroy the player's home planet). 

🕹Successfully destroying the space station will not end the game; instead, it will simply reset the construction of the space station, and the player can again begin attempting to gain possession of another neutron bomb with which to destroy the station.

04🧭Star Cruiser

🕹The game is an early example of an action role-playing game with fully 3D polygon graphics, combined with first-person shooter gameplay and space flight simulation when exploring the open-ended outer space with six degrees of freedom.  

 

🕹All backgrounds, objects, and opponents in the game are rendered in 3D polygons, years before the technique was widely adopted. 

🕹The game emphasized storytelling, with plot twists and extensive character dialogues, taking place in a futuristic science fiction setting. 

 

🕹The game involves the exploration of four solar systems with over 30 planets and dozens of characters.

🕹It is viewed entirely from a first-person perspective, with 3D polygon graphics used to represent outdoor environments  trees, benches, buildings, and other objects, as well as enemies. 

🕹The gameplay can vary depending on the environment.

🌟In a city, the player character can move around town and enter various buildings to interact with non-player characters, who are represented with an anime-like appearance, or leave the city and go into outer space. 

🌟When the player goes into outer space, they can fly to other planets, moving around in free flight, but occasionally encountering enemies and engaging in space combat. 

🕹There is an autopilot feature available, setting the spacecraft to automatically go to a set destination, but the player may still encounter enemies along the way.  

 

🕹There is also a warp feature available, allowing the player to warp to different locations, but this requires energy. 

🕹On various planet surfaces, the player will explore enemy bases and combat enemies on the ground. 

🌟At enemy bases, the game plays like a first-person shooter, exploring a dungeon while moving, strafing and shooting enemies in a first-person perspective. 

🌟Enemy bases usually need to be cleared by finding hidden keys, unlocking doors and finding key items and objects. 

 

🕹It does not use a traditional levelling system, but uses various role-playing game elements. 

🌟The player can acquire different weapons and can customize craft to an extent, while needing to upgrade equipment, the shields that behave like hit points,the space craft's speed of movement in outer space,and the energy needed to move around, shoot, travel and warp between destinations.

🌟The player can also go to a mechanic to repair equipment and shields as well as restore energy.

05🧭Federation

🕹It is going to be hard to review FOFT without mentioning Elite. But I will give it a go. FOFT is very like Elite. Oh, darn it! 

 

🕹Well it is true. To say that the author borrowed some concepts is putting it mildly, but since nearly everything which has been borrowed has been improved upon, this is not necessarily a bad thing. I keep expecting to meet Commander Jameson every time I dock and be able to buy him a drink.

🕹You start docked at a space station in orbit around a rather dull planet. You have nothing but a ship and 150 credits to your name.  

 

🕹Your ship comes equipped with two computers, one for navigating and one for general use. 

🕹Your ship is kitted out with a second computer through which you can save and load games to and from disk, view a ship library and access the SIMPLE line editor which lets you fill 16K of memory with your own computer programs written in a miniature programming language. During the docking sequence players can create their own programs for automated functions, using a built-in BASIC like language called SIMPLE.

🕹It also offers you access to the outside world by using GalacticNet, the 21st Century equivalent of MicroLink, where you can talk to other pilots, deal in cargo or arrange to re-fuel and equip your ship. 

 

🕹Conversations with other pilots are of a taxing nature because they all seem to have the same grasp of the English language as a certain Spanish waiter in a certain Torquay hotel. If you do manage to get your point across you will be able to make some lucrative black market deals. Like this: 

 

Me: Where are you going?

Them: Don't know.

Me: Why are you going?

Them: Because!

Me; Erm. Want to buy some drugs?

(The rest of this conversation is strictly business). 

 

🕹The FOFT universe (+30K galaxies, +8M planets) contains the regulation number of dimensions. 

🌟Instead of a flat 2D collection of stars, we are presented with a 3D rotating spiral galaxy. 

🌟Plotting a course involves zooming in and picking the shortest distance between two stars, taking depth into account.

🌟Animated scans of the multi-planet solar systems are interesting to watch and very useful because they give vital data on the planet you are visiting and what sort of cargo they may want to buy from you. 

 

🕹No expense has been spared in your spacecraft, which comes complete with the latest interstellar jukebox: 

🌟Press a key and a menu of 20 classical tracks appears for your delight. Everything from my favourite Vivaldi pieces - the largo and allegro from Spring - to some Swan Lake care of Tchai... Tchaicof... that Russian bloke.

🌟The Blue Danube is extremely conspicuous by its absence. It may take you some time to get out of the habit of humming it on final docking approach.

🕹Trading is as prominent a feature as it was in Elite, but the range of commodities is rather larger in Federation Of Free Traders, running to 28 items in six categories. The price of each is determined by the attributes of the planet, as you would expect, and changing supply and demand causes prices to fluctuate as you watch, so there is even a timing element to trading success.

🕹Once you have wheeled and dealed your way to riches life may become rather dull. Time to phone FOFT HQ and ask for some freelance hero-type work. Sure enough, you will be appointed to a mission which will earn you some more money and street-cred points. If you complete it successfully.

🕹A typical first mission will have you acting as escort to a group of unarmed cargo craft. Looks like we got ourselves a convoy. Yee-hah! 

 

🕹The alternative to fighting is to talk your attacker out of killing you . To do this, you have to deactivate your weapons systems and go into communications mode, which displays an orientation bar at the centre of the main screen. If you can manoeuvre an enemy ship into this sight, you are given its twelve digit Galnet ID code, so you can contact him.

🕹Graphics are solid 3D, smooth and fast. All the spaceships whiz past at a frightening rate, and you have only a few nanoseconds to sight wistfully at the loss of the look left/right/behind option of Elite before you are fighting for your life as some pirates try to steal your collection of towels. It is a hard life being a hero.

🕹If your ship gets damaged - perish the thought - you can assign some repair droids to fix it. 

 

🕹There is even an unexpected bonus in the form of a planet landing sequence. 

🌟Re-enter and skim over the glorious 3D scrolling surface until you reach the airport. 

🌟Landing on the planet will enable you to get better prices for your cargo. This section of the game pays more than a passing resemblance to Virus, but who is complaining?

🕹Everything you possible wished for while playing Elite has been granted in FOFT. Talking to aliens, landing on planets, more music, more weapons, a selection of star drives - the lot! You even get a docking computer as standard.

🕹Criticising FOFT would be petty. Everything is great: The graphics, the music and the incredible gameplay. FOFT has obviously been written by someone who was not content to play the best space game available - he had to write it himself!

🚀 1989

01🧭Space Rogue 

🕹Space Rogue is a hybrid game that combines space flight and combat simulation with trading and RPG elements such as interaction with characters and a quest-based structure with a main plot line.  

 

🕹Space flight takes place in two different modes: Cruise Flight, which is ideal for travelling quickly, and Newtonian Flight, which works best for combat and precision flying. 

🕹There are also three different camera views for the 3D exploration and combat. 

🌟Each planetary system has a variety of destinations and obstacles to travel through via a top-down navigational map. 

🌟Traveling to an outpost, a space station, or any other location with the star system can be done simply by selecting it and charting a course, or in real-time 3D flight mode. 

 

🕹Interstellar travel between systems, is done by finding a Malir Gate and using it to reach hyperspace. 

🌟While in hyperspace, the game becomes a simple 'tunnel' game where the player must manually control the ship not to hit any of the walls. 

🌟Also hyperspace travel eats away at the ship, so the faster the player can get through them, the more armor the ship retains.  

 

🕹While traveling in space the ship may get attacked, or the player may opt to assault any other ships first.

🕹It is also possible to buy and sell various goods, earning money and spending it on outfitting the ship with weapons and various upgrades, such as for example a device that allows it to move more stealthily through space and avoid detection by hostiles.  

 

🕹The player character has a reputation rating with various factions such as the Imperium, the pirates, and others. This rating is affected by the player's actions towards them and can be raised or lowered by helping specific factions fight others. 

 

🕹When docked at outposts or stations, the view shifts to top-down, and the player navigates the protagonist through the location in an adventure or RPG-like fashion, examining objects and talking to characters. 

🌟Conversations may have multiple choices, and a few instances require the player to type in keywords, though for the most parts responses are selected from a menu. 

🌟The game has a main plot line that requires finding, talking, and performing tasks for characters, as well as sub-quests that may result in various rewards such as money or ship upgrades.

02🧭Starflight 2

🕹It features a combination of space exploration, role-playing and strategy within a futuristic setting.  

 

🕹The player commands a spaceship capable of traveling to the game world's 150 solar systems, communicating with or attacking other spaceships, and landing on planetary surfaces which may be explored with a crewed rover for plot clues, minerals and alien lifeforms.  

 

🕹Game mechanics and the overall look and feel closely resemble the earlier Starflight game, but many new features are introduced including an interstellar trade-based economy, new sentient alien races, and new spacecraft accessories and artifacts.  

 

🕹The player is tasked with discovering the ultimate source of the advanced spacecraft technology and unlimited fuel supply which provide a military advantage to the Spemin, a hostile alien race threatening to annihilate or enslave humanity.  

 

🕹A major part of the game consists of earning enough money to pay for spaceship upgrades and crew training by engaging in interstellar trade and barter with various alien cultures at their planetary trading posts.