Home Computing Weekly


Star Trader

Author: S.P.
Publisher: Computasolve
Machine: Newbrain

 
Published in Home Computing Weekly #12

"Perpetual Insignificance" is the cost of failure in this text adventure game. Starting with a modest 17,500 credits and five cargo shuttles. You have 40 days to make a profit so vast that your sponsors will consider you worthy of membership in the Federation of Space Traders.

Three well-presented text displays give full information on the current prices in the solar system, details of shuttle journeys and cargoes, and distances between the planets. Helpful prompts assist in buying and selling. and 'news flashes' tell you of events affecting prices, journey times, or cargoes.

After 40 'days' the computer evaluates your performance.

The program loaded easily from cassette and included .a page of on-screen instructions and information before starting the game. No bugs were found, but there was one annoying spelling mistake (WNAT instead of WANT) and when playing at the fast speed some of the news flashes 'flashed' so briefly it was impossible to read them.

Generally an interesting and unpredictable, but slightly overpriced game of interplanetary commerce.

S.P.