''Starpoint Gemini'' is a

real-time simulation Real-time simulation refers to a computer model of a physical system that can execute at the same rate as actual "wall clock" time. In other words, the computer model runs at the same rate as the actual physical system. For example, if a tank take ...

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

for PC developed by Little Green Men Games, published by

Iceberg Interactive Iceberg Interactive is a privately held video game publisher based in Haarlem, Netherlands. The company is known for publishing games of independent developers. It publishes video games for Windows, macOS, and Linux through traditional retail chan ...

and released December 15, 2010. It received 4 sequels: Starpoint Gemini 2, Starpoint Gemini Warlords and Starpoint Gemini 3.

Gameplay and Plot

Within the setting of the game, players freely pilot a customizable

starship A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 188 ...

within the Gemini star system, in which

non-player characters A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...

continuously act out their roles with or without player interaction. Players may decide to engage in combat with other ships, or to gather resources by

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

and

trading Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exchan ...

. Players may also conduct research and upgrade and purchase additional ships. Later in the game, players may choose to participate in large-scale engagements against other fleets and battle stations. Available ship upgrades include equipment such as

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

emitters, grappling beams, plasma cannons and shockwave generators. The player can create their

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

at the beginning of the game with some starting maneuvers, which they can later upgrade during the game. Additionally, skills and

maneuvers A military exercise or war game is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat. This also serves the purpose of ensuring the com ...

can be learned by gaining

experience Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these conscious processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience involv ...

. Officers may be hired by the player for additional skills.

History

On December 15, 2010, Starpoint Gemini was initially released. On February 16, 2012, Starpoint Gemini was released on

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

. On January 13, 2020, an update was released restoring Windows 10 support and adding Steam Cloud functionality.

Sequel

'' Starpoint Gemini 2'' is the sequel to the original PC game and was released on September 26 of 2014. Most of the gameplay elements are unchanged, with most of the differences being graphical and technical improvements. Notably, movement is in a full 3D space and combat controls are more direct and action based.

Notes

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References

Some Thoughts On Starpoint Gemini - Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Starpoint Gemini - Review - Test - Gamers.at

Standing out from the sci-fi crowd , MCV

External links

Official Starpoint Gemini websiteOfficial Little Green Men Games website
2010 video games Iceberg Interactive games Little Green Men Games games Science fiction video games Single-player video games Space combat simulators Space trading and combat simulators Tactical role-playing video games Video games developed in Croatia Windows games Windows-only games