Trek73
Encyclopedia
TREK73 is a computer game based on the original Star Trek
television series. It was created in 1973 by William K. Char, Perry Lee, and Dan Gee. The game was played via Teletype
. Roderick Perkins adapted the program for the LHS DECISION computer located at the Lawrence Hall of Science
in Berkeley, California
. Dave Pare and Chris Williams translated the BASIC into C and Jeff Okamoto, Peter Yee, and others corrected and enhanced the code.
on a time-shared Hewlett-Packard
2000C
system at Wilson High School in San Francisco. The first version of what was then called $SPACE was introduced in May 1973. In June 1973, Char, Perry, Lee, and Gee started programming TREK73; it was completed October 8, 1973. Roderick Perkins adapted TREK73 for the DECISION computer at the Lawrence Hall of Science
in 1974. The game was played by Homebrew Computer Club
member Steve Dompier, who purchased a Teletype machine for his home so that he could play the game for hours without interruption.
independently translated TREK73 into the C
programming language in 1984. In April 1985, Jeff Okamoto and Peter Yee combined the Pare and Williams versions into one. The command set was expanded to 31. This version had enhancements based on the boardgame Star Fleet Battles
. The player was also capable of designing his own ship.
David Soussan then ported the Okamoto/Yee version to MS-DOS
, having played it in high school.
While at the University of Iowa
, Tom Nelson and Mike Higgins played and made modifications to TREK73 on one of the University HP2000 system. In 1984 they created Begin, A Tactical Starship Simulation
for MS-DOS. Begin was not a port of TREK73. It was written in C and was very much inspired by TREK73. In 1993 Higgins released Begin 2, a VGA version for MS-DOS, and in 2009 Nelson released Begin 3 for Windows.
In 1985 while at the University of Michigan
, Howard Chu wrote a version of TREK73 in Turbo Pascal
for MS-DOS. This may have been the first version to use a screen-oriented interface and function-key command input.
A version of TREK73 was included on Disk 10 of Fred Fish
's Fish Disks for Amiga
computers.
Around 1990, Chu wrote a version in C/curses for the Amiga
. Unlike his Turbo Pascal version, this game is fully implemented. It uses the numeric keys instead of function keys.
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
television series. It was created in 1973 by William K. Char, Perry Lee, and Dan Gee. The game was played via Teletype
Teletype Corporation
The Teletype Corporation, a part of American Telephone and Telegraph Company's Western Electric manufacturing arm since 1930, came into being in 1928 when the Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Company changed its name to the name of its trademark equipment...
. Roderick Perkins adapted the program for the LHS DECISION computer located at the Lawrence Hall of Science
Lawrence Hall of Science
The Lawrence Hall of Science is a public science center featuring hands-on exhibits and activities. Located in the hills above the University of California, Berkeley campus, LHS is also a resource center for preschool through high school science and mathematics education.Established in 1968 in...
in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. Dave Pare and Chris Williams translated the BASIC into C and Jeff Okamoto, Peter Yee, and others corrected and enhanced the code.
Gameplay
The game simulates battles between space ships of the Star Trek franchise. Through text commands, a player may order the ship to perform certain tasks in battle against an opposing vessel.History
In January 1973, William K. Char began programming a space battle game in BASICBASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
on a time-shared Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
2000C
HP 2100
The HP 2100 was a series of minicomputers produced by Hewlett-Packard from the mid-1960s to early 1990s. The 2100 was also a specific model in this series. The series was renamed HP 1000 by the 1970s and sold as real-time computers, complementing the more complex IT-oriented HP 3000, and would be...
system at Wilson High School in San Francisco. The first version of what was then called $SPACE was introduced in May 1973. In June 1973, Char, Perry, Lee, and Gee started programming TREK73; it was completed October 8, 1973. Roderick Perkins adapted TREK73 for the DECISION computer at the Lawrence Hall of Science
Lawrence Hall of Science
The Lawrence Hall of Science is a public science center featuring hands-on exhibits and activities. Located in the hills above the University of California, Berkeley campus, LHS is also a resource center for preschool through high school science and mathematics education.Established in 1968 in...
in 1974. The game was played by Homebrew Computer Club
Homebrew Computer Club
The Homebrew Computer Club was an early computer hobbyist users' group in Silicon Valley, which met from March 5, 1975 to December 1986...
member Steve Dompier, who purchased a Teletype machine for his home so that he could play the game for hours without interruption.
Other versions
Dave Pare and Chris Williams at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
independently translated TREK73 into the C
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
programming language in 1984. In April 1985, Jeff Okamoto and Peter Yee combined the Pare and Williams versions into one. The command set was expanded to 31. This version had enhancements based on the boardgame Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles is a tactical board wargame set in an offshoot of the Star Trek setting called the Star Fleet Universe. Originally created in 1979 by Stephen V. Cole,...
. The player was also capable of designing his own ship.
David Soussan then ported the Okamoto/Yee version to MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
, having played it in high school.
While at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, Tom Nelson and Mike Higgins played and made modifications to TREK73 on one of the University HP2000 system. In 1984 they created Begin, A Tactical Starship Simulation
Begin (computer game)
Begin, A Tactical Starship Simulation is a computer game which was released in 1984 and consists of combat between spaceships. It is a tactical starship simulator where the player commands a fleet of ships against an alien force. In the early 1990s, it was followed by Begin 2. Begin 3 for Windows...
for MS-DOS. Begin was not a port of TREK73. It was written in C and was very much inspired by TREK73. In 1993 Higgins released Begin 2, a VGA version for MS-DOS, and in 2009 Nelson released Begin 3 for Windows.
In 1985 while at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Howard Chu wrote a version of TREK73 in Turbo Pascal
Turbo Pascal
Turbo Pascal is a software development system that includes a compiler and an integrated development environment for the Pascal programming language running on CP/M, CP/M-86, and DOS, developed by Borland under Philippe Kahn's leadership...
for MS-DOS. This may have been the first version to use a screen-oriented interface and function-key command input.
A version of TREK73 was included on Disk 10 of Fred Fish
Fred Fish
Fred Fish was a computer programmer notable for work on the GNU Debugger and his series of Fish disks of freeware for the Amiga. He was a pioneering spirit pervasive in the Amiga community...
's Fish Disks for 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...
computers.
Around 1990, Chu wrote a version in C/curses 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...
. Unlike his Turbo Pascal version, this game is fully implemented. It uses the numeric keys instead of function keys.
See also
- Begin (computer game)Begin (computer game)Begin, A Tactical Starship Simulation is a computer game which was released in 1984 and consists of combat between spaceships. It is a tactical starship simulator where the player commands a fleet of ships against an alien force. In the early 1990s, it was followed by Begin 2. Begin 3 for Windows...
- Star Trek (script game)Star Trek (script game)Star Trek was a text-based mainframe computer game written by Don Daglow on a PDP-10 timesharing computer at Pomona College in 1972, and upgraded periodically through 1974, including contributions by Jonathan Osser...
- Star Trek (text game)Star Trek (text game)Star Trek is a text-based computer game that puts the player in command of the USS Enterprise on a mission to hunt down and destroy an invading fleet of Klingon warships...
- Star Trek gamesStar Trek gamesThe enduring popularity of the Star Trek science fiction franchise has led to numerous games in many different formats, beginning in 1967 with a board game based on The Original Series and continuing through 2010 with online and DVD games.- Board games :...
External links
- Pete Turnbull's Star Trek game page
- TREK73 HP BASIC Source Code, retyped by Pete Turnbull
- TREK73 DOS Version at ASCII-World
- TREK73 Free BSD Version
- TREK73 Page