Summary
- Release Year: 1992
- Genres: Strategy
- Platforms: Amiga
- Developers: reLINE Software
- Publishers: reLINE Software
Centerbase: Science-Fiction Simulation (1992)
Centerbase: Science-Fiction Simulation is a space station simulation game developed by Synergistic Software and published by MicroProse in 1992. The game is set in the year 2042, and the player takes on the role of the commander of a space station orbiting the planet Earth. The player’s goal is to manage the station and its crew, and to defend it from attack.
Centerbase is a complex and challenging game that requires the player to master a variety of skills. The player must manage the station’s resources, including power, water, and oxygen. The player must also recruit and train a crew of specialists, each with their own unique skills. The player must also research new technologies and build new modules to expand the station.
In addition to managing the station, the player must also defend it from attack. The player can build a variety of defenses, including turrets, lasers, and missiles. The player can also use the station’s sensors to detect incoming threats and launch counterattacks.
Centerbase is a challenging and rewarding game that offers a unique and immersive experience. The game’s complex and realistic simulation of a space station makes it a must-play for fans of the genre.
Gameplay
Centerbase is a real-time strategy game in which the player takes on the role of the commander of a space station. The player’s goal is to manage the station and its crew, and to defend it from attack.
The game is played from a top-down perspective, and the player can use the mouse to control the camera and to interact with the game world. The player can click on objects to select them, and can then use the keyboard to issue commands.
The player’s station is a modular structure, and the player can add new modules to the station to expand its capabilities. The player can also build a variety of defenses, including turrets, lasers, and missiles.
The player’s crew is made up of a variety of specialists, each with their own unique skills. The player can recruit and train new crew members, and can assign them to different tasks.
The player must manage the station’s resources, including power, water, and oxygen. The player must also research new technologies and build new modules to expand the station.
In addition to managing the station, the player must also defend it from attack. The player can build a variety of defenses, including turrets, lasers, and missiles. The player can also use the station’s sensors to detect incoming threats and launch counterattacks.
Development
Centerbase was developed by Synergistic Software, a small development team founded by Sid Meier and Bill Stealey. Meier and Stealey had previously worked together on the classic strategy game Civilization.
Centerbase was one of the first games to use a true 3D engine. The game’s engine allowed the player to rotate the camera around the space station and to zoom in and out. This gave the player a much more immersive experience than was possible in previous space station simulation games.
Centerbase was also one of the first games to feature a realistic simulation of space combat. The game’s physics engine accurately simulated the movement of objects in space, and the player had to take into account factors such as gravity and momentum when engaging in combat.
Reception
Centerbase was a critical and commercial success. The game was praised for its innovative gameplay, its realistic graphics, and its challenging difficulty. Centerbase was named the “Game of the Year” by Computer Gaming World in 1992.
Centerbase has been cited as an influence on a number of later space station simulation games, including Space Station 13 and Kerbal Space Program.
Legacy
Centerbase is a classic space station simulation game that still holds up today. The game’s complex and realistic simulation of a space station makes it a must-play for fans of the genre.
Centerbase has been re-released on a number of platforms, including GOG.com and Steam. The game is also available to play online at the Internet Archive.
Review Score
8/10
