Starship Traveller
Encyclopedia
Starship Traveller is a single-player adventure gamebook written by Steve Jackson
and illustrated by Peter Andrew Jones. Originally published by Puffin Books
in 1983, the title is the fourth gamebook in the Fighting Fantasy
series. It was later republished by Wizard Books in 2002.
setting. The player must also manage the statistics of multiple characters (Captain and crew) and the vessel itself. It is also possible to finish the adventure without having engaged in combat at all.
commander whose ship and crew
are sucked through a black hole
into an alternate universe. The player's goal is to return to collects clues from several different planets that will allow the plotting of a course to return home.
, rating the title a 9 out of a possible 10. Rowland noted that this book was "apparently inspired by Star Trek
," and that possible events in the game include "capture for gladitorial games, plague, summary execution as an illegal alien, and mutiny".
Steve Jackson (UK)
Steve Jackson is a game designer, writer and game reviewer.-History:In early 1975, Steve Jackson co-founded the company Games Workshop with John Peake and Ian Livingstone....
and illustrated by Peter Andrew Jones. Originally published by Puffin Books
Puffin Books
Puffin Books is the children's imprint of British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s it has been the largest publisher of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world.-Early history:...
in 1983, the title is the fourth gamebook in the Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
series. It was later republished by Wizard Books in 2002.
Rules
This adventure was the first Fighting Fantasy title with a science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
setting. The player must also manage the statistics of multiple characters (Captain and crew) and the vessel itself. It is also possible to finish the adventure without having engaged in combat at all.
Story
The player takes the role of a starshipStarship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
commander whose ship and crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
are sucked through a black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
into an alternate universe. The player's goal is to return to collects clues from several different planets that will allow the plotting of a course to return home.
Reception
Marcus L. Rowland reviewed Starship Traveller for the January 1984 issue of White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
, rating the title a 9 out of a possible 10. Rowland noted that this book was "apparently inspired by Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
," and that possible events in the game include "capture for gladitorial games, plague, summary execution as an illegal alien, and mutiny".
External links
- Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - the official website
- Wizard Books - the Publisher's site