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To all SSC Station occupants

Thank you for the donations over the past year (2024), it is much appreciated. I am still trying to figure out how to migrate the forums to another community software (probably phpbb) but in the meantime I have updated the forum software to the latest version. SSC has been around a while so their is some very long time members here still using the site, thanks for making SSC home and sorry I haven't been as vocal as I should be in the forums I will try to improve my posting frequency.

Thank you again to all of the members that do take the time to donate a little, it helps keep this station functioning on the outer reaches of space.

-D1-

I'm 46 years old and looking for a specific, ridiculously old space sim for nostalgia. Any ideas

(@flightgamer)
Active Member

I think it was a dos game but it was basically a whole screen (black and white) full of a spreadsheet with constantly changing values. A complete txt sim.

Very complex but the only graphics was a small square inset map that used characters like )^#@) to represent the surface of the moon for landing (top down).

A flat landing spot might look like this

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^________^^^^^^

^^^________^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I remember it was fascinating because it was so difficult. Any ideas?

 

Thanks for even taking a stab at this   🙂

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Topic starter Posted : July 25, 2014 14:04
Cody
 Cody
(@cody)
Noble Member

No idea - but welcome to SSC.

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Posted : July 25, 2014 15:06
(@flightgamer)
Active Member

Not a problem, I know it will be a tough one to remember.

Thanks for the welcome.

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Topic starter Posted : July 25, 2014 15:50
(@flightgamer)
Active Member

Unfortunately no, but that has a very similar graphical look (especially the map area in the upper left) and I also remember playing that so thank you.

What I remember is less of a game and more of something NASA would have trained people on in terms of complexity.

Thanks again for the try!!!!

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Topic starter Posted : July 25, 2014 17:12
auryx
(@auryx)
Estimable Member

This rings a very vague bell with me somehow....what platform did you play it on? DOS on an IBM PC? And around what year?

 

I'm sure I had something very similar on my Apple ][ but just can't put my finger on it 🙂

 

auryx

You look good through a crosshair.

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Posted : July 26, 2014 04:22
(@flightgamer)
Active Member

Auryx,

Thx for the reply.

Not only am I trying to take a trip down memory lane and maybe play it in DOSBOX, etc but maybe it will be a blast from the past for someone else.

So, I would have to guess it was an IBM-PC program since I don’t recall playing it at home on my commodore 64 and I couldn’t afford the sinclair I wanted 🙂

I worked at an engineering firm and we didn’t have any apples.

I will sadly admit that I started playing it because I could play it on the clock and it didn’t look like a game. It looked like I was running a groundwater simulator :p

I would have to say it was a late 80s thing.

 

Here is a more thoughtful recreation of the left ¼ of the screen (its the least I can do)

 

__________________________________________________________________________

Map


^^^o^^^^%%%^^^^oOo^^^^^^^

^^o^^^^^^^^^O^^^^^^^^^^^^O^

^^^~~~#~~~~^^^^^%%%%^^^

^^o^^^^^^^oOoO^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^%%%%^^^^^^^^^o^^^o^^^^

^^^^o^^^^^^o^^^^^^O^^^^^^^^^

 

LANDER

VEL 12,800

ALT 54,000

P1   132

P2   356

AZ1 345

AZ2 134

 

ORBITER

VEL

.

 

I’m making up the above data but the actual simulation would have 10 times this data and 3 or 4 more columns of pure data but this gives you an idea. As I recall it was a moving/scrolling map.

Map key

o - small crater

O - large crater

^ - mountains

# - Landing site

% - Rocky

~ - Sea

 

I hope this took some of you back. I am searching google for it but so far nothing. I promise if I find it I will post the info here.

Take Care

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Topic starter Posted : July 26, 2014 09:54
auryx
(@auryx)
Estimable Member

Again, this is familiar! Especially the orbiter/lander distinction......bah.......just can't remember it!

 

I shall keep trying and see if it suddenly springs into my mind 😀

 

auryx

You look good through a crosshair.

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Posted : July 26, 2014 10:32
(@pinback)
99 Star General

How about Omnitrends Universe game http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-universe_5617.html Now that's a manual.

 

Came out on the PC as well Atari A8.

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Posted : July 27, 2014 10:34
(@flightgamer)
Active Member

That may not be the game I'm looking for but wow, what a manual.

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Topic starter Posted : July 28, 2014 08:51
(@Anonymous)
New Member

i know exactly the game you're referring to, it's an ascii apollo dos game, the screen was split into four quadrants representing the lem cockpit and the top left quadrant was the view outside, all rendered in ascii. the cockpit of course was a table of animated data. i think it had a complex keyboard layout permitting to orient the apollo/lem module realistically. i must have been 12 when i played it and admit didn't get far with it 🙂

i'll see if i can dig it, but don't hold your breath i can't eve seem to find an image on google...

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Posted : August 2, 2014 13:36
(@Anonymous)
New Member

found it!

enjoy

http://www.jogi.com/schrege-voegel/software/_apollo.htm

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Posted : August 2, 2014 13:49
Geraldine
(@geraldine)
Famed Member

How about Omnitrends Universe game http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-universe_5617.html Now that's a manual.

 

Came out on the PC as well Atari A8.

OoooOOOoooh lots of goodies on there for my old 520 STe Pinback  :girlcrazy: And well done luckluca, good job in finding that. :girlsmile:

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Posted : August 2, 2014 23:22
(@flightgamer)
Active Member

OMG Luckyluca you nailed it.

I totally forgot about the larger screens but the rest is as complicated as I remember.

Thanks so much!!! That is quite a flashback.

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Topic starter Posted : August 4, 2014 04:22
(@Anonymous)
New Member

Luckluca you are the man.

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Posted : August 4, 2014 15:43