<s>
Starfleet	B-Application
Orion	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1978	O
science	O
fiction	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
written	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Automated	O
Simulations	O
(	O
who	O
would	O
become	O
Epyx	O
in	O
1983	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
appears	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
space-themed	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
sold	O
for	O
microcomputer	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
originally	O
written	O
in	O
BASIC	O
for	O
the	O
Commodore	B-Device
PET	I-Device
,	O
but	O
later	O
ported	O
to	O
other	O
early	O
home	O
computer	O
platforms	O
including	O
the	O
TRS-80	B-Device
and	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
something	O
of	O
a	O
success	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
a	O
string	O
of	O
successes	O
for	O
the	O
company	O
,	O
notably	O
the	O
major	O
hit	O
Temple	B-Application
of	I-Application
Apshai	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
came	O
about	O
in	O
a	O
roundabout	O
fashion	O
when	O
Jon	O
Freeman	O
joined	O
a	O
Dungeons	O
&	O
Dragons	O
game	O
being	O
hosted	O
by	O
dungeon	B-Device
master	I-Device
Jim	O
Connelly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connelly	O
had	O
purchased	O
a	O
PET	B-Device
computer	I-Device
to	O
handle	O
bookkeeping	O
during	O
his	O
D&D	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
interested	O
in	O
finding	O
ways	O
to	O
make	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
money	O
back	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Automated	O
Simulations	O
claimed	O
in	O
advertisements	O
for	O
the	O
$19.95	O
Starfleet	B-Application
Orion	I-Application
that	O
"	O
game	O
mechanics	O
are	O
extremely	O
simple	O
,	O
but	O
play	O
is	O
exciting	O
,	O
challenging	O
,	O
and	O
rich	O
in	O
detail	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
were	O
available	O
for	O
the	O
Commodore	B-Device
PET	I-Device
,	O
TRS-80	B-Device
,	O
and	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
complex	O
setup	O
and	O
requirement	O
for	O
two	O
players	O
was	O
an	O
obstacle	O
to	O
casual	O
play	O
,	O
which	O
led	O
Freeman	O
and	O
Connolley	O
to	O
quickly	O
release	O
the	O
single-player	O
Invasion	B-Application
Orion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
came	O
with	O
twelve	O
pre-rolled	O
scenarios	O
based	O
on	O
this	O
canon	O
,	O
each	O
increasing	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
ships	O
and	O
their	O
variety	O
,	O
eventually	O
ending	O
in	O
a	O
battle	O
with	O
seven	O
ships	O
on	O
one	O
side	O
and	O
nine	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
,	O
the	O
later	O
being	O
named	O
the	O
titular	O
"	O
Starfleet	B-Application
Orion	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Starfleet	B-Application
Orion	I-Application
game	O
manual	O
includes	O
the	O
complete	O
source	O
code	O
,	O
which	O
may	O
allow	O
for	O
a	O
port	O
to	O
modern	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alan	O
Isabelle	O
reviewed	O
Starfleet	B-Application
Orion	I-Application
in	O
The	O
Space	O
Gamer	O
No	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Isabelle	O
commented	O
that	O
"	O
I	O
was	O
quite	O
impressed	O
by	O
Starfleet	B-Application
Orion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
