History VideoGame / StarTrekTextGame

The first ''Franchise/StarTrek'' computer game [[note]]The original version used teletype for output, so it was a few years before it became a "video game"![[/note]] is a TurnBasedStrategy game written by Mike Mayfield in 1971 on a [[UsefulNotes/MainframesAndMinicomputers Sigma 7 mainframe]], using the BASIC programming language. It became one of the big hits of the early home computer era in the late [[TheSeventies 1970s]] and early [[TheEighties 1980s]].

BASIC was a very common programming language in the '70s, so the game was ported to minicomputers, and distributed in books and magazines as a type-in program. Later versions deepened the gameplay with exploration, mining missions, and (in some cases) "real time" play where the Klingons acted once every few seconds instead of once per turn.[[note]]A UsefulNotes/TRS80 adaptation named ''Graphictrek 2000'' even included steerable torpedoes[[/note]] It became one of the most popular games of the pre-PC college minicomputer era. In 1978, it was ported to Microsoft BASIC, the emerging standard for microcomputers. Versions appeared for the UsefulNotes/AppleII, UsefulNotes/TRS80, and UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer, and it was one of the most popular games on those platforms too. Derivatives with graphics and sound started appearing, in particular ''VideoGame/StarRaiders'', and the original faded into history.

** When Radio Shack wanted to sell the Sol-20 variant "TREK 80" for its UsefulNotes/TRS80 microcomputer, they renamed it "Invasion Force", and had it feature the starship U.S.S. ''Hephaestus'' firing its masers and triton missiles at Jovian warships.

* BossInMookClothing: Mongol Bases in ''EGA Trek'' scarcely look any more intimidating than their usual array of ships -- until the player gets anywhere close and has to deal with the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking ungodly amount of damage]] that they quickly dish out, which usually causes a whole mess of SubsystemDamage since they only show up on higher difficulty levels. If the ''Lexington'' is not at full strength confronting one, and there are multiple Mongol ships around it (which is usually the case), it's often a good idea to pull a TacticalWithdrawal, go find a friendly starbase and resupply or repair, or keep on fighting elsewhere until a Mongol supply ship or planetary supply base yields a [[OneHitKill Plasma Bolt]] or two, and ''then'' come back and crack the StoneWall.

* InterfaceSpoiler: In ''EGA Trek'', at least, a player can enter orbit around a planet to be told there is a "destroyed settlement" there, which can be confusing if the planet has never sent a DistressCall during the mission. At some later point, the planet ''will'' call for help, and if the player arrives in time, it will now have a settlement on it (or a destroyed one again if the player [[YouAreTooLate arrives too late]]).

** Can occur in ''EGA Trek'', when the player has damaged one or more enemy ships [[HPToOne nearly to destruction]] and a "Vandal Death Pod" or two just happens to enter the quadrant and deal ScratchDamage to everybody, [[NoSell barely affecting]] the player's shields but putting the enemy ships over the edge to a CriticalExistenceFailure. Particularly frustrating if the enemy ships in question were [[PinataEnemy supply ships]] that were ''almost'' at the point of surrendering.
** Allied ships can also pull this off when you come to their rescue, as unlike starbases, they do chip away at the enemy ships with their energy weapons. They can also invert this trope, however, as they don't last long in combat, so the player can warp into a sector to [[BigDamnHeroes attempt a rescue]] only to see [[HopeSpot the allied vessel become debris]] the next turn.
** Supernovae, which can randomly occur in any sector without the player's ship ever disturbing a star, also destroy NPC ships and {{space station}}s instead of throwing them free. This denies the player credit for eliminating the ships in question, although this can actually help the player's score by not requiring spending time to go to the sector at all.

* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The answer to an incoming [[OhCrap Mongol plasma bolt]] in ''EGA Trek'' is generally to raise a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin plasma bolt shield]] ''[[PressXToNotDie right away]]''. These are generally obtained from raiding planet-based Mongol supply bases, or getting their supply ships to surrender in combat.