<s>
Starflight	B-Application
is	O
a	O
space	O
exploration	O
,	O
combat	O
,	O
and	O
trading	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
created	O
by	O
Binary	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
and	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
in	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
developed	O
for	O
IBM	B-Device
PC	I-Device
compatibles	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
later	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
,	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
Macintosh	B-Device
,	O
and	O
Commodore	O
64	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
fully	O
revamped	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
in	O
1991	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
4620	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
puts	O
players	O
in	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
starship	O
captain	O
sent	O
to	O
explore	O
the	O
galaxy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
no	O
set	O
path	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
switch	O
freely	O
between	O
mining	B-Application
,	O
ship-to-ship	O
combat	O
,	O
and	O
alien	O
diplomacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Starflight	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trade	I-Application
Routes	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Cloud	I-Application
Nebula	I-Application
,	O
and	O
influenced	O
the	O
design	O
of	O
numerous	O
other	O
games	O
for	O
decades	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
sources	O
of	O
income	O
are	O
selling	O
minerals	O
,	O
artifacts	O
,	O
and	O
lifeforms	O
and	O
recommending	O
planets	O
for	O
colonization	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
science	O
officer	O
's	O
analysis	O
shows	O
a	O
planet	O
to	O
be	O
within	O
acceptable	O
parameters	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
have	O
the	O
captain	O
log	O
a	O
planet	O
for	O
colonization	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starflight	B-Application
has	O
270	O
star	O
systems	O
,	O
each	O
containing	O
from	O
zero	O
to	O
eight	O
planets	O
for	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
800	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
star	O
systems	O
can	O
be	O
entered	O
and	O
all	O
planets	O
landed	O
on	O
,	O
though	O
this	O
destroys	O
the	O
ship	O
if	O
the	O
gravity	O
is	O
greater	O
than	O
8.0	B-Application
g	I-Application
.	O
The	O
science	O
officer	O
can	O
scan	O
and	O
analyze	O
the	O
planet	O
for	O
information	O
about	O
it	O
,	O
including	O
its	O
temperature	O
,	O
gravity	O
,	O
and	O
chemical	O
composition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
galaxy	B-Application
is	O
composed	O
of	O
eight	O
space-faring	O
races	O
,	O
five	O
of	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
hired	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
crew	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
species	O
include	O
Veloxi	O
,	O
large	O
insects	O
who	O
demand	O
bribes	O
from	O
ships	O
that	O
violate	O
their	O
space	O
;	O
Mechan	O
,	O
androids	O
left	O
over	O
from	O
the	O
days	O
of	O
the	O
Old	O
Empire	O
;	O
Elowan	O
,	O
a	O
pacifistic	O
race	O
of	O
sentient	O
plants	O
;	O
Thrynn	O
,	O
reptile	O
creatures	O
who	O
are	O
primarily	O
interested	O
in	O
money	O
;	O
Spemin	O
,	O
gelatinous	O
blobs	O
who	O
are	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
cowardice	O
;	O
Gazurtoid	O
,	O
octopus-like	O
religious	O
zealots	O
who	O
regard	O
all	O
"	O
air-breathers	O
"	O
as	O
infidels	B-Application
;	O
and	O
Uhlek	O
,	O
a	O
destructive	O
fleet	O
of	O
ships	O
with	O
a	O
hive	O
mind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Humor	O
also	O
plays	O
a	O
role	O
within	O
Starflight	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Interstel	O
employees	O
are	O
instructed	O
to	O
seek	O
information	O
about	O
Arth	O
's	O
history	O
,	O
alien	O
artifacts	O
,	O
and	O
planets	O
with	O
optimum	O
environments	O
for	O
colonization	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Arth	O
scientists	O
discover	O
that	O
stars	O
throughout	O
the	O
local	O
region	O
of	O
the	O
galaxy	B-Application
are	O
flaring	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
home	O
planet	O
of	O
Arth	O
is	O
in	O
danger	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Centuries	O
ago	O
,	O
the	O
leaders	O
of	O
the	O
Old	O
Empire	O
realized	O
something	O
was	O
causing	O
hostile	O
aliens	O
to	O
flee	O
from	O
the	O
center	O
of	O
the	O
galaxy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
Crystal	O
Planet	O
is	O
slowly	O
moving	O
through	O
the	O
galaxy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starflight	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Binary	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
,	O
a	O
five-man	O
team	O
consisting	O
of	O
Rod	O
McConnell	O
,	O
Greg	O
Johnson	O
(	O
lead	O
designer	O
)	O
,	O
Alec	O
Kercso	O
(	O
programming	O
)	O
,	O
Tim	O
C	O
.	O
Lee	O
(	O
graphics	O
and	O
programming	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Bob	O
Gonsalves	O
(	O
sound	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
McConnell	O
hired	O
colleague	O
Dave	O
Boulton	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
an	O
idea	O
for	O
using	O
fractals	B-Application
to	O
generate	O
an	O
endless	O
virtual	O
universe	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Kercso	O
,	O
Gonsalves	O
,	O
Lee	O
,	O
and	O
Johnson	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
whom	O
were	O
first	O
time	O
game	O
designers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
coded	O
the	O
game	O
mostly	O
in	O
Forth	B-Application
with	O
a	O
few	O
key	O
routines	O
written	O
in	O
x86	O
assembler	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Forth	B-Application
was	O
chosen	O
since	O
it	O
is	O
easier	O
to	O
use	O
than	O
assembler	O
and	O
more	O
compact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Johnson	O
was	O
guided	O
by	O
his	O
friend	O
and	O
office-mate	O
Paul	O
Reiche	O
III	O
,	O
the	O
designer	O
of	O
Archon	B-Application
,	O
during	O
a	O
period	O
where	O
Reiche	O
was	O
"	O
supposed	O
to	O
be	O
working	O
on	O
Mail	B-Application
Order	I-Application
Monsters	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
group	O
designed	O
what	O
they	O
called	O
a	O
"	O
fractal	B-Application
generator	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
took	O
six	O
man-years	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
allowed	O
them	O
to	O
increase	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
planets	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
50	O
to	O
800	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starflight	B-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
PC	O
on	O
August	O
15	O
,	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
available	O
only	O
on	O
IBM	O
,	O
Tandy	O
,	O
and	O
compatible	O
PCs	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
and	O
Commodore	O
64	O
in	O
1989	O
and	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
and	O
Macintosh	B-Device
in	O
1990	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
published	O
in	O
1991	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
version	O
has	O
new	O
graphics	O
,	O
modifications	O
to	O
the	O
ship	O
,	O
and	O
upgrades	O
for	O
the	O
Terrain	O
Vehicle	O
,	O
including	O
equipment	O
to	O
allow	O
amphibious	O
mining	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
December	O
1987	O
Starflight	B-Application
sold	O
over	O
100,000	O
copies	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
eventually	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
sell	O
over	O
a	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critical	O
response	O
to	O
Starflight	B-Application
upon	O
its	O
release	O
was	O
extremely	O
positive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
named	O
Starflight	B-Application
its	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
for	O
1987	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
August	O
1988	O
,	O
it	O
joined	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
Hall	O
of	O
Fame	O
for	O
games	O
highly	O
rated	O
over	O
time	O
by	O
readers	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
third-highest	O
rating	O
for	O
action/adventure	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
list	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
fourth-highest	O
overall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Science	O
fiction	O
writer	O
Jerry	O
Pournelle	O
named	O
Starflight	B-Application
his	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
for	O
January	O
1987	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
as	O
much	O
a	O
career	O
as	O
a	O
game	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
fascinating	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fellow	O
writer	O
Orson	O
Scott	O
Card	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
Starflight	B-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
science	O
fiction	O
computer	O
game	O
that	O
actually	O
gives	O
you	O
something	O
of	O
the	O
experience	O
of	O
roaming	O
through	O
the	O
galaxy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
listed	O
it	O
in	O
May	O
1988	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
"	O
Our	O
Favorite	O
Games	O
"	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
Starflight	B-Application
captures	O
the	O
feel	O
of	O
a	O
certain	O
type	O
of	O
science	O
fiction	O
...	O
the	O
game	O
can	O
take	O
hundreds	O
of	O
hours	O
to	O
play	O
fully	O
,	O
yet	O
those	O
hours	O
are	O
anything	O
but	O
boring	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
declared	O
Starflight	B-Application
the	O
55th-best	O
computer	O
game	O
ever	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starflight	B-Application
had	O
a	O
1989	O
sequel	O
,	O
Starflight	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trade	I-Application
Routes	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Cloud	I-Application
Nebula	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
create	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
,	O
with	O
Johnson	O
coding	O
three	O
of	O
the	O
alien	O
species	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
;	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
called	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
Starflight	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
director	O
Casey	O
Hudson	O
tweeted	B-Application
in	O
2011	O
that	O
"	O
Starflight	B-Application
was	O
a	O
key	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
ME	O
series.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Starflight	B-Application
is	O
often	O
cited	O
along	O
with	O
Elite	B-Application
,	O
which	O
appeared	O
two	O
years	O
earlier	O
with	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
,	O
as	O
early	O
open	O
world	O
space	O
exploration	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dwarf	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
's	I-Application
forgotten	O
beasts	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
procedurally	O
generated	O
lifeforms	O
within	O
Starflight	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starflight	B-Application
was	O
mentioned	O
among	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
list	O
of	O
ten	O
games	O
that	O
should	O
be	O
remade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Exoplanet	O
is	O
a	O
virtual	O
reality	O
game	O
created	O
in	O
2018	O
by	O
Gregg	O
Brzozowski	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Starflight	B-Application
.	O
</s>
