|
''Star Saga'' is a series of floppy-based video games which combine a computerized game arbiter with hefty sections of printed text. Released in an era before the availability of the CD-ROM format, the titles make up for the limited storage available at the time by using print to attempt to tell a rich story. In essence, the designers endeavored to blend aspects of paper gamebooks with the complexity of a role-playing video game. Versions of the games were released for MS-DOS and for the Apple II series of computers. ==Games== ''Star Saga: One - Beyond The Boundary'', released in 1988, was the first in a short-lived series of science fiction adventure/role-playing games by Masterplay Publishing. Loosely based on the Rekon pen & paper role-playing system, the game series was designed by Andrew C. Greenberg (co-creator of ''Wizardry''), Rick Dutton, Walter Freitag, and Michael Massimilla. In this first title, players leave their homeworlds setting out to explore the vast unknowns of space. Per the official game text: :''In 2815 A.D., the majority of the human race is afraid of space. They are cloistered in the Nine Worlds (Earth and eight colonized planets) in a region called the Galactic Fringe. Even though space travel has been practical since the invention of the dual-axis hyperdrive in 2257, humankind's attempt to colonize "Beyond the Boundary" came to an abrupt halt in 2490. The "Space Plague," a gargantuan epidemic caused by an organism of alien origin, killed more than half the humanoid population of the galaxy, threatened the extinction of civilization, and forever changed mankind's attitude towards space.'' :''Now, a Space Patrol enforces the "Boundary," that one-way border around the Nine Worlds in order to prevent anything like the "Space Plague" from ever happening again. Now, anyone may leave the area enclosed by the Boundary, but they may not return.'' :''Thus far, the Boundary has proven effective in keeping ships from entering the Nine Worlds for three centuries, keeping humanity safe from the unknown. Of course, this does provide for a bit of stagnation, as well. After all, no new discoveries, no new challenges, and countless lost opportunities hardly seem compatible with a growing standard of living. Finally, there are those who sense that something is amiss...'' The second title, ''Star Saga: Two - The Clathran Menace'' was the sequel, released in 1989. In this title, a gigantic armada of alien ships scours the galaxy, seeking to eliminate any and all sentient life. Players must quickly explore the accessible reaches of space, hoping to uncover technology with which to oppose this threat. The game background text describes this as: :''The ominous approach of the survey line of Clathran battle and colony ships was sweeping through the galaxy, identifying, classifying, and exterminating all in its path. Known collectively as the "Clathran Menace", it meant many things to many people. To most of the human race, it meant nothing, as they were being purposely kept in the dark by their "superiors", so as not to cause any undue panic. What good was it to evacuate a city in the face of impending disaster if the only road out of town wasn't finished?'' :''To Professor Lee Dambroke, Dean of the Department of Xenobiology on the university world of Harvard, the "Clathran Menace" was a matter of science and knowledge; the line must be breached and stopped, or the darkness of ignorance and stagnation would fall over the galaxy for all eternity.'' :''To Laran Darkwatch, mystic Disciple of the Final Church of Man, it was a question of faith; faith in the ultimate triumph of good over evil, faith in the Founders of the Final Church, and faith in their vision of mankind's place in the Cosmos.'' :''To M.J. Turner, the top pilot in the Space Patrol, or the whole galaxy for that matter, it was a question of pride; pride in the abilities of mankind to overcome all obstacles in pursuit of its ultimate destiny ... to rule the stars.'' :''All were impressive goals, solid tenets upon which to build a society and a glittering future. Or were they merely brittle conceits, ready to crumble at the first pressure from the "Clathran Menace"?'' Although ''Star Saga'' was to be released as a trilogy, Masterplay went out of business before the third game was released, leaving only ''Star Saga: One - Beyond the Boundary'' and ''Star Saga: Two - The Clathran Menace''.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Star Saga」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|