Starglobe

{{Infobox game

| name = Starglobe

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| other_names = StarGlobe, Starglobe+, Starglobe PLus

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| publisher = Time Patterns (UK), Superior Simulations (US)

| years = 1983 to 2000

| genre = role-playing, science fiction, space opera, play-by-mail

| language = English

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| players = unlimited

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| playing_time = unlimited

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| materials = Instructions, order sheets, turn results, paper, pencil

| media_type = Play-by-mail or email

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{{Italic title}}Starglobe (also StarGlobe, Starglobe+, or Starglobe Plus) is a space-based play-by-mail (PBM) role-playing game. It was open-ended and both computer and human moderated. Time Patterns began publishing the game in the United Kingdom in 1983. U.S. licensees included Superior Simulations and Dragonbyte. Time Patterns stopped publishing in 2000. The game's setting was a cluster of 2,000 stars. Gameplay began at the player's homeworld called Monde. Expansion to other worlds and systems was central, led by the ambitious, morally questionable, Monde-based "Company". Players had a variety of roles they can play as starship captains. Lacking a rulebook or list of orders, players had significant leeway in gameplay and could obtain further game information through text modules obtained during gameplay. The game adhered closely to the theory of relativity, limiting the speed of travel and other aspects of gameplay.

History and development

Starglobe was a space-based play-by-mail game.Rees 1984. pp. 8–11. The game was open-ended and mixed moderated.Editors 1989. p. 16. It was similar to Universe II. Starglobe was designed and run in the United Kingdom by Time Patterns, owned by Ken and Carol Mulholland, the editors of Flagship.Coulshed 1986. pp. 21–23. It began running in 1983.Time Patterns 1989. p. 29. Superior Simulations ran the game in the United States under license.Davis 1993. p. 32. After it went out of business, Dragonbyte offered the game for play in the U.S.

By 1989, the editors of Flagship stated that Starglobe, "one of PBM's oldest games", was newly updated to include Active Aliens, which were non-player characters operating on the periphery of the star cluster. In the February 1989 issue of GM, the editors reported that the third game had finished and its remaining players were becoming Active Aliens in Starglobe 7.GM Editors 1989. p. 7. By 1995, Time Patterns was running the game as Starglobe+.Huyton 1995. p. 42. In the November–December 2000 issue of Flagship, the Editors announced that Time Patterns had stopped running the game.Editors 2000. p. 8.

Gameplay

The game's setting is a cluster of 2,000 stars.Rees 1984. p. 8. Gameplay begins at the player's homeworld called Monde. Expansion to other worlds and systems is central, led by the ambitious, morally-questionable Monde-based "Company". Players can role-play for the company or separately as Bounty Hunters, Empire Builders, Explorers, Merchants, Pirates, and Xenobiologists. As starship captains, players can increase skills in "navigation, computer adjustment, colony control, weaponry, communications and crew management" by accomplishing tasks.

The publisher did not provide a rulebook or list of orders.Smith 1989. p. 20. Players could make non-standard orders which equated to "special requests" in the manner of The Tribes of Crane and Universe II. Significant leeway was available in play ranging from "blowing up stars, to terraforming planets, to conducting psychic research".Davis 1993. p. 33. Various text modules could be acquired through gameplay which provided more information on the game.

The game adhered closely to the theory of relativity related to travel, time dilation, communications, and span of understanding in the star cluster.Coulshed 1986. p. 21. Gameplay progressed slowly as travel speed limited player interaction. There were no due dates for orders, but travel was limited to five light years per week in real time. (The star cluster was 100 light years in diameter.) Players could earn "game points" during play, with free turns for a point leader in a role.Kavanagh 1986. p. 37. Diplomacy occurred outside of the game between players.

Reception

John Rees provided an overall positive review in the August 1984 issue of Flagship stating that gamemaster interaction was good and "For overall realism, the game is very near or at the top of the list."Rees 1984. p. 11. Mark Coulshed reviewed the game in the summer 1986 issue of Flagship, suggesting it was not for everyone, including power players or those lacking patience, but stating that, "For the imaginative, independent-minded player, above all for the player who wants to enjoy his game, Starglobe is well worth a try."Coulshed 1986. p. 24.

Notes

References

Bibliography

{{Cite magazine|last=Beattie|first=Trevor|date=Summer 1986 |title=Starglobe – A Captain's View|magazine= Flagship |number=11 |edition=U.S.|pages= 23–24 |ref=Bea86}}
{{Cite magazine|last=Coulshed|first=Mark|date=Summer 1986 |title=Einstein meets Ford Prefect |magazine=Flagship |number=11 |edition=U.S.|pages= 21–24 |ref=Cou86}}
{{Cite magazine|author=Darkseid|date=Summer 1987 |title=Darkseid Explores Starglobe|magazine= Flagship |number=15 |pages= 51–52|edition=U.S.|ref=Dar87}}
{{cite magazine |last= Davis|first= Henry S.|date=July–August 1993 |title= Starglobe: Why You Should Play|magazine=Paper Mayhem |issue= 61|pages= 32–33|ref=Dav93}}
{{Cite magazine|author=Dragonbyte|date=1989 |title=Dragonbyte [Ad]|magazine= Flagship |number=23|page= 13 | edition=U.S.|ref=Dra89}}
{{Cite magazine|author=((Editors))|date=1989 |title=Starglobe|magazine= Flagship |number=23|pages= 16–17 |edition=U.S.| ref=Edi89}}
{{Cite magazine|author=((Editors))|date=February 1989 |title=GM News: More Time Patterns|magazine= GM|volume=1|number=6|page= 7 |ref=Edi89g}}
{{Cite magazine|author=((Editors))|date=November–December 2000 |title=The Spokesmen Speak: Science Fiction Games|magazine= Flagship|number=88|page= 8 |ref=Edi00}}
{{Cite magazine|last= Huyton|first= Alan|date=Autumn 1995 |title= Starglobe+|magazine= PBMZine|number=2|pages= 42–43 |ref=Huy95}}
{{Cite magazine|last=Kavanagh|first=Brendon|date=Winter 1986 |title=Starglobe |magazine= Flagship |number=13 |edition=U.S.|pages= 36–37 |ref=Kav86}}
{{Cite magazine|last=Rees|first=John|date=August 1984 |title=The Captains of Monde |magazine= Flagship |number=4 |pages= 8–11 |ref=Ree84}}
{{cite magazine |last= Smith|first= Richard L.|date=November–December 1989 |title= Starglobe: An Unusual Universe|magazine=Paper Mayhem |issue=39|pages= 20–21|ref=Smi89}}
{{Cite magazine|author=Time Patterns|date=1989 |title=Time Patterns: Starglobe [Ad]|magazine= Flagship |number=25|page= 29 |edition=U.S.|ref=Tim89}}