Is there a space manager?

[DoctorObviously]

I've been watching the "WTF is..." of a game called "Faster Than Light" and it made me curious about games where, you basically manage your ship. You pick a crew, choose their skills and abilities, design your ship or choose a template and then you just go off in space, managing the ins- and outs of your ship. You explore different sectors, meet new people or enemies...

Is this a concept for a game that hasn't been executed yet or am I just missing out?

 

[teh_gunslinger]

Star Trek Bridge Commander puts you on the bridge of various ships in that universe. It's old by now but I like it.

Another even older one would be I-War which is on gog.com I think. Might be a bit too old by now. I don't know.

Then there are Derek Smarts games which reaches for the moon and consistently fail. Don't play them. That way lies madness.

A bonus: not a space ship but it might as well be: Silent Hunter 3/4. Great submarine sims. Don't get the 5th game though. That way madness also lies.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I remember this game where you were like a owner of this space station/ hotel thing. It was kind of like dungeon keeper as varies alien live on board of your station and everytime you want to expand your section you have to defeat the other alien that are living in that area you don't own first.
I can't remember what that game was called but it was release somewhere in the late 90's/ early 00's.

 

[Kakistos153]

Yeah, X3 is basically what you're looking for. Not exactly what you're after by any means, but its certainly the kind of rich economy resource oriented thing that i can tell someone like you would rather like. A friend of mine also played a LOT of bridge commander, but he was more of a star trek nut than anything else and since i haven't played it myself i cannot attest to its actual quality. but bridge commander certainly had a LOT of mods so i'm sure that even if it isn't the game you're looking for, there's probably a mod for it that will turn it into the game you're looking for.

 

[Ravinoff]

EVE Online is spreadsheets in space, does that count?

 

[Fasckira]

Theres also that game "Space Colony [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Colony_(video_game)]"

The basic premise is similar to The Sims in that the player has to care for the needs of a several individuals - here each with a unique predefined personality and different abilities. However the game is mission orientated and involves setting up a futuristic base and carrying out missions which involve mining minerals, developing relationships, harvesting resources to prevent running out of oxygen and power, collecting food, and fighting back alien attacks.

 

[Tharwen]

I sort of had an idea for a game like that and began making it a little bit but got bored before it was really playable. So... I suppose I share your desire too?

 

[Loop Stricken]

I remember this game where you were like a owner of this space station/ hotel thing. It was kind of like dungeon keeper as varies alien live on board of your station and everytime you want to expand your section you have to defeat the other alien that are living in that area you don't own first.
I can't remember what that game was called but it was release somewhere in the late 90's/ early 00's.

[HEADING=1]STARTOPIA[/HEADING]

Star-fukken'-topia. Awesome game. Awesome.
It took me about a week to get working every time I wanted to PLAY the fucker, but still. Awesome.

Karmarama farmers!
Also the sirens were hot, considering they were only made out of about fourteen polygons.

 

[Redingold]

If you want a more interesting take on this idea, check out Artemis [http://www.artemis.eochu.com/]. It's a multiplayer game where each player has a specific job on board a ship, and their own unique interface and control scheme. The captain doesn't even get a controller, he just has to issue commands to his crew. It's probably the closest you'll come to actually being on the bridge of a space ship until spaceflight or holodecks are readily available to you.

 

[BeerTent]

Like what matthew94 has said, most of these have died out, gone the way of the dinosaur... But if I'm reading you right, OP... These games may interest you.
Ur-Quan Masters - Based on star Control 2. There's a predefined story, but you mostly cover diplomacy and combat.
StarFlight - Found of the Sega Genesis, you manage your ship, crew, and fly away to 2D land to explore space and planets. I like this one the most. It's much more lack in terms of diplomacy and supplies tho... Like UQM.
Freelancer - No aliens/Diplomacy... Dogfighting is the main focus of this one. Once you get far enough, you can explore uncharted wormholes to find the most powerful shit in the game.

 

[Mordekaien]

I remember this game where you were like a owner of this space station/ hotel thing. It was kind of like dungeon keeper as varies alien live on board of your station and everytime you want to expand your section you have to defeat the other alien that are living in that area you don't own first.
I can't remember what that game was called but it was release somewhere in the late 90's/ early 00's.

[HEADING=1]STARTOPIA[/HEADING]

Star-fukken'-topia. Awesome game. Awesome.
It took me about a week to get working every time I wanted to PLAY the fucker, but still. Awesome.

Karmarama farmers!
Also the sirens were hot, considering they were only made out of about fourteen polygons.

I remember this game very fondly too, funny and well executed- definitely worth a look!

On the side note, Kasvagorians (Or how do you spell it) were awesome

 

[Loop Stricken]

I remember this game where you were like a owner of this space station/ hotel thing. It was kind of like dungeon keeper as varies alien live on board of your station and everytime you want to expand your section you have to defeat the other alien that are living in that area you don't own first.
I can't remember what that game was called but it was release somewhere in the late 90's/ early 00's.

[HEADING=1]STARTOPIA[/HEADING]

Star-fukken'-topia. Awesome game. Awesome.
It took me about a week to get working every time I wanted to PLAY the fucker, but still. Awesome.

Karmarama farmers!
Also the sirens were hot, considering they were only made out of about fourteen polygons.

I remember this game very fondly too, funny and well executed- definitely worth a look!

On the side note, Kasvagorians (Or how do you spell it) were awesome

Excellent narration too, very funny.

Oh, and those rat things that, if you didn't exterminate them, exploded into giant black beetle monsters of death.

 

[Zipa]

FTL is a new game coming out soon that is a ship management game.

http://www.ftlgame.com/

 

[Judgement101]

EVE Online is spreadsheets in space, does that count?

This made me laugh a lot, just made me think "Captain Fredrick T. Thurmond, Space Accountant."

Anywho, "Space Manager" sounds a lot like Master of Orion 2 but thats more of Civ in Space. I saw the video in question, that game is pretty unique with it's design the only thing that I could think of that is close is Space Pirates and Zombies but even that is pretty far away, oh, and Flotilla on STEAM.

 

[Loop Stricken]

I've been watching the "WTF is..." of a game called "Faster Than Light"...

FTL is a new game coming out soon that is a ship management game.

http://www.ftlgame.com/

Yeah, he might've heard of it.

 

[Veylon]

Like what matthew94 has said, most of these have died out, gone the way of the dinosaur... But if I'm reading you right, OP... These games may interest you.
Ur-Quan Masters - Based on star Control 2. There's a predefined story, but you mostly cover diplomacy and combat.
StarFlight - Found of the Sega Genesis, you manage your ship, crew, and fly away to 2D land to explore space and planets. I like this one the most. It's much more lack in terms of diplomacy and supplies tho... Like UQM.

I second these two. Excellent games and almost completely forgotten.

It's sad how many ideas there are that would be brilliant and new today, but are said to be impossible based on computer limitations, were executed with vision decades ago. Starflight spans an entire galaxy with at least a hundred solar systems and lets you land your ship anywhere on any of the planets in any of those systems. The planets are completely explorable from ground level and contain a variety of aliens, resources, and artifacts. And this game pre-dates Windows.

 

[dessertmonkeyjk]

I do remember a game called Star Trek: Starfleet Command. It looked kinda like this [http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2002/pc/featurepreviews/starfleet3/star_screen001.jpg].

Damn... that's flatout what I thought of the first time I saw FTL.

 

[Evil Smurf]

EVE Online is spreadsheets in space, does that count?

Yeah, I am gonna suggest this.