Star Empires is a space-based play-by-mail (PBM) space opera. Designed and published by Geoff Squibb in 1984 in the United Kingdom, the game was hand-moderated for the first year, later transitioning to computer moderation. Spellbinder Games in the UK later ran the game under license. Later versions included Star Empires II and Star Empires III. Players began with a colony and minimal resources and technology, expanding through exploration within a galaxy of 44,688 sectors. The game received generally positive reviews in Flagship in the 1980s and 1990s. Star Empires III was still active as of 2002.
History and development Star Empires was a play-by-mail space opera.Nixon 1985. p. 30. Designed by Geoff Squibb, the game was open-ended.Bracegirdle 1996. pp. 14, 16. Its first galaxy opened for gameplay in 1984.Nixon 1985. p. 31. A second galaxy opened in August 1985. The game was initially published by Geoff Squibb who hand moderated the game (early turn results were hand-written).Nixon 1985. pp. 31–32. By 1985, turn results were generated by computer.
By 1996, an updated version, Star Empires II, was being developed and run by both Squibb and Spellbinder Games, the latter under license.Editors 1996. p. 8. Both were based in the United Kingdom.Bracegirdle 1996. p. 14. In 1998, Squibb announced his intent to launch Star Empires III.Editors 1998. p. 12. This version was still active as of 2002.Vacos 2002. p. 10.
Gameplay Players led a colony with minimal resources and technology. The two-dimensional game map of the galaxy comprised 44,688 sectors. Galaxies included 30–40 player characters and various non-player elements.Rees 1998. p. 39. Exploration was central to successful early play. Early strategies included a focus on military power versus a focus on technology development.
Reception Wilfrid Nixon reviewed the game in the Autumn 1985 issue of Flagship stating, "If you'd like to try a game that doesn't need a degree in mathematics or accounting. yet poses some very subtle problems, and if like me you are a Sci-Fi nut, then you could do worse than give it a try." Simon Bracegirdle reviewed the game in a 1996 issue of Flagship, saying that it was "an excellent game" and that he was "hooked".Bracegirdle 1996. p. 16. He stated, "If you relish a challenge and are prepared to invest time and effort in a game of some depth then Star Empires is probably exactly what you are after." Space Empires II placed first in the Space Opera Category in Flagship's July–August 1998 PBM game ratings.Lomas 1998. p. 42.
See also List of play-by-mail games
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