Space Trader (Palm OS)
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Pieter Spronck |
| Products | Space Trader (video game) |
Space Trader is a strategic simulation game developed for Palm OS and Windows Mobile handheld devices, launched in 2002 by Pieter Spronck, a researcher affiliated with Tilburg University. Drawing inspiration from David J. Webb's PalmPilot title SolarWars and the renowned 1980s 3D strategy classic Elite, it emphasizes commerce over Elite's three-dimensional flight mechanics. Distributed as free software under the GNU General Public License, the game has been adapted for multiple platforms.
The gameplay revolves around purchasing and vending eleven types of goods across various star systems. Players command assorted spacecraft, engaging with merchants, pirates, and law enforcement entities. In late 2002, Spronck announced a follow-up project titled Picoverse, anticipated for early 2003 release; however, no further information has surfaced as of 2022. Concurrently, Dead Jim Studios introduced an enhanced iOS adaptation named Dark Nova, which has received Spronck’s endorsement.
Players can access the game through a Palm OS emulator hosted on archive.org or via an updated web-based version available since December 2024.
History
The early 1980s Commodore 64 title Star Trader featured a compact planetary system with progressively advanced spacecraft options, laying the groundwork for the Palm OS iteration.
Gameplay
In Space Trader, the objective is to amass sufficient credits to acquire a moon and retire. Players begin with a modest vessel equipped with one laser weapon and 1,000 credits in a procedurally generated galaxy. Wealth accumulation can be achieved through trading, bounty hunting, or piracy.
Trading represents the principal and safest approach, involving ten commodities whose market prices fluctuate based on each system’s technological advancement, political climate, and random events. Players can upgrade to larger ships offering expanded cargo space and purchase additional equipment to increase storage capacity.
Interstellar travel presents encounters with police forces, traders, and pirates across ten distinct ship classes. Along the journey, players may discover unique items or encounter notable space captains and alien species. Defensive measures include various laser models, shields, and cloaking technology.
Upon reaching a balance of 500,000 credits, players have the option to buy a moon in the Utopia system to conclude the game and receive their final score.
Ports
The GNU GPL licensing of Space Trader has facilitated its adaptation to numerous platforms. The initial port for Pocket PC (Windows Mobile) was developed by Jon Welch and released in 2004.
By December 2024, a contemporary web-based version became accessible for direct play within internet browsers.
Multiple Android adaptations exist, with Russell Wolf’s port standing out for its faithful recreation of the original Palm OS gameplay and design. Released under GPL terms, it is available through F-Droid as well as the Google Play Store. The Play Store offers at least two separate Android variants, including Wolf’s version.
A Windows port coded in C# by Jay French is hosted on SourceForge.
Palm OS version
- Space Trader Centre (Official Site)
- Space Trader Source Code
Other versions
- Space Trader for the web
- Space Trader for Pocket PC
- Space Trader for Windows
- Space Trader for Java
- Space Trader for Android - Benjamin Schieder
- Space Trader for Android - Russell Wolf
- Space Trader for Open Pandora
Associated software
- Dark Nova - A follow-up to Space Trader for Palm OS, available on both iOS and Android platforms