What is Stars! you ask?

Most of this page was copied from Stars! R Us as that had the best Stars! description out there.


An example of the Stars! Map

 Simply put, Stars! is the single most awesome strategy sci-fi game ever created, infinitely different in its complexity, yet beautifully simple in its design. It operates on a turn-based system, allowing players to play solo, hot-seat, e-mail, and "blitz" style games. Up to 16 players can participate in each game, or be substituted by the Computer Artificial Intelligence which, as far as computer AI goes, is some of the best out there.

 Each turn represent one year of actual time. Over e-mail, turns are usually played at the frequency of one per day, with one player (called the host), coordinating the collection of every player's log files, processing the new turns, and mailing them back to the players. Of course, solo and hot-seat games are also possible, where multiple turns can be played in a short span of time.

 Game parameters include the ability to choose the size of the universe, number of players, victory conditions, etc., and a detailed race setup wizard allows virtually endless combinations in the types of races available to play. Combine this with free form starship and starbase design, planetary assaults, minelayers, mineral excavation vessels, scouting and data collection, population growth, and planetary habitability factors, and you have one detailed universe. We're not even talking about all the game politics that take place in multi-player games, like posturing, threats, alliances and the like. Given the amount of time to play a typical game (several months), and the ability to confer with one's fellow players via e-mail, very complicated and exiting political situations can arise, with deals for planets made over lunch, and the fates of billions determined by the success of one's bluff.


 A detailed ship construction system allows one to use "drag and drop" methods of laying out starship components, easily allocating weaponry, shields, armor, electronic components, engines, and more. Pre-designed hulls allow for varying design philosophies to be tested and, when fleet composition and battle orders are taken into acount (plus the tactics of the enemy), who knows what the outcome will be? You will have to survive in this game by your political savy and military wit. Remember, you advesaries are not very forgiving.


 Race creation flexibility allows one to alter many different factors for their prospective race, such as Primary Racial Trait (PRT), Secondary Traits, planetary habitability factors, growth rate, production and mining efficiency, and technological proficiency. Every PRT (10 in all) has exclsuive ship designs and technology of its own in order to help it become the dominant race in the game. The PRTs (as of version 2.6/7g) are:

The Different Predefined Races Available

Hyper Expansion
The ultimate in reproductivity, HE races grow twice as fast as other PRTs, yet are limited to half the maximum population per planet. Their high growth rate allows many extra benefits not available to other race types.

Super Stealth
Advanced cloaking technology makes this PRT the Romulans of the game. Virtually invisible ships can strike easily into heavily defended areas, and armed Rogue class vessels can steal cargo from unsuspecting freighters.

Jack-of-All-Trades
The most "humanoid" of the bunch, JOAT races do not excel in any one particular area, but do have a generally higher production ability and possess advanced scanning technology not available to anyone else.

Inner Strength
Inner guidance allows this PRT to defend with supernatural ability and to develop other defensive technologies far beyond those of other races. They have exclusive armor and shielding, as well as the reveared Super-Freighter design.

War Monger
No other race can match the War Monger PRTs ability to fight. Advanced warship technology gives major advantages in ship design, although this race suffers in the defense department.

Space Demolition
This race's ability to self-destruct their own mine-fields, and to produce exclusive Heavy Mine Dispensers makes them a difficult foe to conquer, at best.

Packet Physics
Able to destroy an entire planet's population in a single blow, this PRT should be the most feared, although it is usually overlooked by players looking for a battle rather than doomsday weapon.

Claim Adjuster
This race types strongest asset is the ability to terraform planets in a fraction of the time that its neighbors can, giving it a decisive advantage in the political arena.

Interstellar Travel
Jump gate technology reaches its high point in the development of this PRTs evolution, eventually allowing infinite distances to be traversed with any sort of vessel.

Alternate Reality
These two-deminsional beings prefer to live in starbases rather than on planets, and their populations can reach incredible proportions. Once they can build the Death Star, the other races may have a problem on their hands.

© 1998, Stars R Us