Star Fleet I: The War Begins
Encyclopedia
Starfleet I: The War Begins is a 1985
computer game designed
by Trevor Sorensen and developed by Interstel (some versions by Cygnus Multimedia). It was released for Apple II
, DOS
and Commodore 64
. Versions for the Atari ST
and Atari 8-bit were released in 1986
and versions for the Amiga
and Macintosh
were released in 1987
. The game was successful enough to spawn sequels which are collectively known as the Star Fleet series.
in command of a starship
. The Federation
is at war with the Krellans and Zaldrons, so the player has plenty of combatants to engage from the beginning.
Eschewing digital graphics
, Star Fleet I presents all its information in color ASCII characters. Gameplay centers on two main activities: navigation and combat. Navigation takes place on the Main Computer GUI
. It consists of a main star chart map, the player's current position, and visual displays. Other information may be accessed using appropriate commands. Navigation may be conducted manually or automatically.
Each area, or quadrant, on the map is displayed as a series of numbers representing asteroid
s, starbase
s, and enemy ships present. The ship's long-range sensors can detect entities in adjacent quadrants, while short-range sensors detect items in the current quadrant. The ship also has a limited number of probes for very long-range exploration.
Combat is the primary activity of Star Fleet I. Combat is initiated whenever the player's starship enters a hostile area. Each quadrant may contain a number of starbases, space marines, and Krellan (maximum of five) or Zaldron (often just one) enemy ships. The player may find hostile quadrants by chance or may be summoned by a starbase under attack.
Enemies automatically engage the player's ship with phasers. While the player's ship outmatches Krellan starships, several can prove dangerous. Zaldron ships may also be present, but cloaked
. The Zaldron ships must de-cloak before engaging the player, also using phasers as a primary weapon.
The player may either destroy or disable enemy starships. Disabled starships can then be captured and delivered to friendly starbases.
The player has a lethal arsenal at their disposal with which to engage the enemy: phasers, torpedoes, and mines. Torpedoes destroy enemy ships (provided they strike the target), while the other weapons may disable (or ultimately destroy) enemy ships. When disabled, a ship may only be captured by ordering space marines to board the vessel. Automatic combat between the enemy's crew and the marines will then ensue. If victorious, the player receives some power and a number of prisoners. The captured ship may then be towed to a starbase.
During capture attempts, however, enemy spies or prisoners may escape on the player's ship undetected and disable vital systems. Such situations result in an "Intruder Alert", forcing the player to search for the culprit.
As a last resort, the player may to choose to self-destruct his ship, adversely affecting the final score.
After completing a mission, the player is rated on several factors, including number of enemies eliminated or captured and starbases rescued. Successful missions may result in promotions or commendations.
#118 (1987), noting that they were "very impressed with this offering," and stated that "There is a sense of realism to the game that is unmatched by other offerings."
1985 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
computer game designed
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
by Trevor Sorensen and developed by Interstel (some versions by Cygnus Multimedia). It was released for Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
. Versions for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and Atari 8-bit were released in 1986
1986 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:*Namco releases Sky Kid Deluxe, Hopping Mappy, Toy Pop, The Return of Ishtar, which is the sequel to Tower of Druaga, Genpei Tōma Den, and Rolling Thunder....
and versions for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
were released in 1987
1987 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* January 14, Nintendo releases Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in January for the Famicom Disk System in Japan only. The game would go unreleased in America for nearly two years afterwards.* February 20, Konami releases Contra...
. The game was successful enough to spawn sequels which are collectively known as the Star Fleet series.
Description
In the game, the player is a new graduate of Starfleet AcademyStarfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
in command of a starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
. The Federation
The Federation
The Federation may refer to:* Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, often just called "The Federation", a part of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina* The Federation , an interstellar alliance in the Star Trek fictional universe...
is at war with the Krellans and Zaldrons, so the player has plenty of combatants to engage from the beginning.
Eschewing digital graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
, Star Fleet I presents all its information in color ASCII characters. Gameplay centers on two main activities: navigation and combat. Navigation takes place on the Main Computer GUI
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
. It consists of a main star chart map, the player's current position, and visual displays. Other information may be accessed using appropriate commands. Navigation may be conducted manually or automatically.
Each area, or quadrant, on the map is displayed as a series of numbers representing asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
s, starbase
Starbase
A starbase is a facility, often in space, used in science fiction works such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Firefly. Typically they act as drydocks, battle stations or trading outposts.- Star Trek :...
s, and enemy ships present. The ship's long-range sensors can detect entities in adjacent quadrants, while short-range sensors detect items in the current quadrant. The ship also has a limited number of probes for very long-range exploration.
Combat is the primary activity of Star Fleet I. Combat is initiated whenever the player's starship enters a hostile area. Each quadrant may contain a number of starbases, space marines, and Krellan (maximum of five) or Zaldron (often just one) enemy ships. The player may find hostile quadrants by chance or may be summoned by a starbase under attack.
Enemies automatically engage the player's ship with phasers. While the player's ship outmatches Krellan starships, several can prove dangerous. Zaldron ships may also be present, but cloaked
Cloaking device
Cloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...
. The Zaldron ships must de-cloak before engaging the player, also using phasers as a primary weapon.
The player may either destroy or disable enemy starships. Disabled starships can then be captured and delivered to friendly starbases.
The player has a lethal arsenal at their disposal with which to engage the enemy: phasers, torpedoes, and mines. Torpedoes destroy enemy ships (provided they strike the target), while the other weapons may disable (or ultimately destroy) enemy ships. When disabled, a ship may only be captured by ordering space marines to board the vessel. Automatic combat between the enemy's crew and the marines will then ensue. If victorious, the player receives some power and a number of prisoners. The captured ship may then be towed to a starbase.
During capture attempts, however, enemy spies or prisoners may escape on the player's ship undetected and disable vital systems. Such situations result in an "Intruder Alert", forcing the player to search for the culprit.
As a last resort, the player may to choose to self-destruct his ship, adversely affecting the final score.
After completing a mission, the player is rated on several factors, including number of enemies eliminated or captured and starbases rescued. Successful missions may result in promotions or commendations.
Reception
Game reviewers Hartley and Pattie Lesser complimented the game in their "The Role of Computers" column in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#118 (1987), noting that they were "very impressed with this offering," and stated that "There is a sense of realism to the game that is unmatched by other offerings."