''Begin, A Tactical Starship Simulation'' is a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

released for

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

in 1984 and consists of combat between spaceships. In 1991 it was followed by ''Begin 2''. ''Begin 3'' for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

was released in March 2009.

Gameplay

''Begin'' is a tactical starship simulator where the player commands a fleet of ships against an alien force. The game is set in the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' universe. Players can play as the

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...

Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series ''Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The A ...

s or Orion Pirates. Various weapons and functions are included, such as phasers,

photon torpedoes The ''Star Trek'' fictional universe contains a variety of weapons, ranging from missiles (the classic photon torpedo) to melee (primarily used by the Klingons, a race of aliens in the ''Star Trek'' universe). The ''Star Trek'' franchise consi ...

and tractor beams.

Reception

In 1996, Michael Feir stated that ''Begin 2'' is "the best and most detailed simulator accessible to the blind." According to PC-SIG, the "computer strategy is quite effective."

Legacy

''Begin 2'', released in 1991, is a tactical starship simulator game set in the ''

'' universe released in 1991. It is the sequel to ''Begin''. The screen is similar to the one in ''Begin''. The main difference is that the sequel featured VGA graphics whereas the original used pure ASCII screen characters (text mode). Extra ships and weapons were added as well. However, each ship is individually represented in the game, and can be individually operated and commanded by the player. Each ship has a unique set of weapons and resources. As with the first game, one of the most notable features of this game is its highly mathematical nature, and its lack of random factors.

References

External links

Begin: A Tactical Starship SimulationThe Starfleet Project
''Begin 3'' support site

at

Abandonia Abandonia is an abandonware website, focused on showcasing video games and - where legally permissible – known best for its distributing and discussion of games made for the MS-DOS and earlier Windows operating systems. Abandonia also features ...

{{Star Trek video games Space combat simulators DOS games DOS-only games 1984 video games Starship simulators based on Star Trek Video games based on Star Trek Video games developed in the United States Single-player video games

Gameplay

Reception

Legacy

See also

References

External links