1973 · Flight simulation · Simulation

Trek73

Trek73 is a computer game based on the original Star Trek television series. It was created in 1973 by William K. Char, Perry Lee, and Dan Gee. The game simulates battles between space ships of the Star Trek franchise. Through text commands, a player may order the ship to perform certain tasks in battle against an opposing vessel.

Released: 1973
Platforms: HP 2100 Linux MS-DOS mainframe computer
Genres: Flight simulation Simulation Text adventure
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Text
Themes: Science fiction
Country: United States

About

TREK73 is a video game based on the original Star Trek television series. It was created in 1973 by William K. Char, Perry Lee, and Dan Gee for the Hewlett-Packard 2000 minicomputer in HP Time-Shared BASIC. The game was played via teletype. Trek73 is so big that it needs the CHAIN feature of HP2000 BASIC.

Unlike many other Trek-themed games of the era, Trek73 is not derived from the well-known Star Trek by Mike Mayfield. Trek73 simulates multi-ship starship combat in a smaller play area and does not include the more strategic elements of the original, like starbases and the galactic map layout.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The game simulates battles between spaceships of the Star Trek universe. Through text commands, a player may order the ship to perform certain tasks in battle against an opposing vessel.

Development

In January 1973, William K. Char began programming a space battle game in BASIC on a time-shared Hewlett-Packard 2000C system at Wilson High School in San Francisco. The first version of what was then called $SPACE was introduced in May 1973. In June 1973, Char, Perry, Lee, and Gee started programming TREK73; it was completed October 8, 1973.

Roderick Perkins adapted TREK73 for the DECISION computer at the Lawrence Hall of Science in 1974. The game was played by Homebrew Computer Club member Steve Dompier, who purchased a Teletype machine for his home so that he could play the game for hours without interruption.