<s>
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2002	O
open-source	B-License
fangame	B-Application
modification	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
action-adventure	O
science	O
fiction	O
game	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
PCs	O
in	O
1992	O
and	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
Interactive	I-Device
Multiplayer	I-Device
in	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
copyrights	O
reverted	O
to	O
creators	O
Paul	O
Reiche	O
III	O
and	O
Fred	O
Ford	O
,	O
they	O
licensed	O
their	O
content	O
to	O
their	O
fan	O
community	O
under	O
the	O
GNU	B-License
General	I-License
Public	I-License
License	I-License
,	O
to	O
keep	O
their	O
series	O
in	O
the	O
public	O
eye	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
open-source	B-License
development	O
team	O
remade	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
as	O
a	O
port	O
to	O
modern	O
operating	O
systems	O
,	O
and	O
allowed	O
fan-made	O
modifications	O
to	O
add	O
improvements	O
absent	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
(	O
the	O
subtitle	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
modified	O
remake	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
downloaded	O
nearly	O
two	O
million	O
times	O
,	O
earning	O
critical	O
reception	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
free	O
games	O
available	O
,	O
with	O
additional	O
praise	O
for	O
a	O
high-definition	O
graphics	O
fan	O
modification	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
is	O
a	O
re-make	O
of	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
science	O
fiction	O
game	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
open	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
includes	O
exploration	O
,	O
resource-gathering	O
,	O
combat	O
,	O
and	O
diplomacy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
top-down	O
perspective	O
,	O
and	O
features	O
real-time	B-Application
combat	I-Application
between	O
alien	O
ships	O
with	O
different	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
diplomacy	B-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
converses	O
with	O
alien	O
races	O
in	O
branching	B-Application
dialog	I-Application
sequences	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
goal	O
of	O
rallying	O
an	O
alliance	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
titular	O
antagonists	O
,	O
the	O
Ur-Quan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
release	O
in	O
1990	O
was	O
a	O
space	O
strategy	O
and	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
1961	O
space	O
combat	O
game	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
the	O
1992	O
sequel	O
,	O
abandoned	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
's	O
strategic	O
elements	O
and	O
greatly	O
expanded	O
the	O
story	O
,	O
wrapping	O
the	O
combat	O
system	O
into	O
an	O
adventure-based	O
narrative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
port	O
to	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
Interactive	I-Device
Multiplayer	I-Device
console	O
in	O
1994	O
added	O
fully	O
voiced	O
dialog	O
and	O
other	O
updates	O
to	O
the	O
sound	O
and	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	O
Control	O
received	O
awards	O
upon	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
received	O
even	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Journalists	O
have	O
listed	O
Star	O
Control	O
among	O
their	O
best	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
with	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
earning	O
even	O
more	O
"	O
best	O
game	O
"	O
rankings	O
through	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
2000s	O
,	O
and	O
2010s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
also	O
remembered	O
among	O
the	O
best	O
games	O
in	O
several	O
creative	O
areas	O
,	O
including	O
writing	O
,	O
world	O
design	O
,	O
character	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
early	O
2000s	O
,	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
copyrights	O
reverted	O
to	O
Ford	O
and	O
Reiche	O
,	O
triggered	O
by	O
a	O
contractual	O
clause	O
where	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
no	O
longer	O
generating	O
royalties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ford	O
and	O
Reiche	O
still	O
owned	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
Star	O
Control	O
I	O
and	O
II	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
could	O
not	O
successfully	O
purchase	O
the	O
Star	O
Control	O
trademark	O
from	O
publisher	O
Accolade	O
,	O
so	O
they	O
chose	O
the	O
title	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
independent	O
studio	O
Toys	O
for	O
Bob	O
hired	O
Chris	O
Nelson	O
as	O
their	O
first	O
summer	O
intern	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
enthusiastic	O
for	O
open-source	B-License
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
open-source	B-License
project	O
officially	O
launched	O
in	O
2002	O
,	O
when	O
Ford	O
and	O
Reiche	O
licensed	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
from	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
as	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
under	O
the	O
GNU	B-License
General	I-License
Public	I-License
License	I-License
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ford	O
and	O
Reiche	O
own	O
all	O
the	O
copyrighted	O
content	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
Star	O
Control	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
granted	O
the	O
fan-operated	O
project	O
a	O
free	O
,	O
perpetual	O
license	O
to	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
content	O
and	O
the	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
trademark	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
version	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
suffered	O
from	O
performance	O
issues	O
,	O
but	O
Nelson	O
knew	O
skilled	O
contacts	O
in	O
the	O
open-source	B-License
community	O
who	O
could	O
make	O
progress	O
on	O
the	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ford	O
and	O
Reiche	O
personally	O
credit	O
the	O
open-source	B-License
remake	O
for	O
making	O
their	O
creation	O
available	O
from	O
2001	O
to	O
2011	O
,	O
before	O
Star	O
Control	O
became	O
available	O
for	O
sale	O
digitally	O
through	O
GOG.com	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
,	O
the	O
fans-turned-developers	O
stated	O
that	O
a	O
for-profit	O
company	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
justify	O
the	O
port	O
and	O
remake	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
without	O
the	O
open-source	B-License
philosophy	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
would	O
never	O
have	O
existed	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
has	O
an	O
active	O
fanbase	O
,	O
maintaining	O
both	O
the	O
open-source	B-License
project	O
and	O
an	O
extensive	O
wiki	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
essential	O
modifications	O
extended	O
the	O
original	O
code	O
to	O
operate	O
on	O
newer	O
operating	O
systems	O
,	O
resolving	O
compatibility	O
issues	O
with	O
the	O
native	O
DOS	B-Device
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
introduced	O
features	O
from	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
that	O
were	O
previously	O
unavailable	O
on	O
other	O
platforms	O
,	O
including	O
improved	O
graphics	O
and	O
full	O
voice	O
acting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
notable	O
fan	O
modification	O
is	O
the	O
high-definition	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
HD	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
2002	O
release	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
has	O
been	O
downloaded	O
nearly	O
two	O
million	O
times	O
as	O
of	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
featured	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
on	O
the	O
cover	O
of	O
their	O
June	O
2005	O
edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
further	O
praised	O
Ford	O
and	O
Reiche	O
for	O
making	O
such	O
a	O
high-quality	O
game	O
available	O
as	O
an	O
open-source	B-License
project	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
this	O
small	O
Californian	O
group	O
has	O
seen	O
fit	O
to	O
grace	O
the	O
gaming	O
world	O
with	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
finest	O
achievements	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
no	O
cost	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2011	O
feature	O
about	O
open-source	B-License
games	O
,	O
Michael	O
Blake	O
of	O
IGN	O
lauded	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
games	O
and	O
a	O
"	O
pitch-perfect	O
port	O
to	O
modern	O
operating	O
systems	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
"	O
completely	O
hooked	O
me	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
genius	O
single-player	O
storyline	O
and	O
the	O
hectic	O
multiplayer	O
of	O
Super	O
Melee	O
mode	O
both	O
good	O
enough	O
to	O
warrant	O
the	O
download	O
on	O
their	O
own	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
has	O
been	O
included	O
on	O
several	O
best	O
games	O
lists	O
since	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
named	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
free	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Developer	O
Magazine	O
featured	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
its	O
2010	O
list	O
of	O
open-source	B-License
space	O
games	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
scale	O
and	O
charm	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
its	O
new	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tom	O
's	O
Guide	O
included	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
in	O
its	O
list	O
of	O
top	O
classic	O
games	O
re-released	O
for	O
free	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
staying	O
power	O
:	O
"	O
few	O
games	O
today	O
feature	O
the	O
same	O
mix	O
of	O
narrative	O
depth	O
,	O
sandbox	O
exploration	O
and	O
enjoyable	O
space	O
combat	O
that	O
have	O
won	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
cult	O
following	O
to	O
this	O
day	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
PCGamesN	O
ranked	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
15	O
space	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
and	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
free	O
PC	O
games	O
you	O
'll	O
ever	O
find	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
its	O
characters	O
,	O
dialog	O
and	O
sense	O
of	O
discovery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
HD	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
HD	O
has	O
received	O
praise	O
of	O
its	O
own	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
HD''	O
has	O
been	O
downloaded	O
over	O
200,000	O
times	O
on	O
SourceForge	B-Application
.	O
</s>
