The Astra Protocol
Fire up your CRT monitor and dive into this cassette-futuristic space adventure. Battle hostile ships, strange fauna, and an obtuse user interface while serving the whims of the Apex Corporation. Uncover the meaning behind The Astra Protocol as you explore a vast, volatile cosmos.
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Overview
Summary
Fire up your CRT monitor and dive into this cassette-futuristic space adventure. Battle hostile ships, strange fauna, and an obtuse user interface while serving the whims of the Apex Corporation. Uncover the meaning behind The Astra Protocol as you explore a vast, volatile cosmos.
Description
About This Game
Many expeditions had been made to uncover the meaning behind the Astra Protocol. All ended in disaster. Eventually the expeditions stopped, and the Astra Protocol was consigned to the history books. That was until you received a strange transmission:
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The Astra Protocol was not an order.
It was a warning.
We were betrayed.
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What was this warning, why were they betrayed? These questions needed to be answered. With no other options you signed a cruel and punishing contract with the Apex Corporation - the only way to get off-world and begin your investigation. Perhaps this is your chance to reveal the truth behind the Astra Protocol. All you needed to do was keep your new masters happy - and work out how to fly your ship.
The Astra Protocol is a cassette-futuristic space simulator where you control a mixed-commercial vessel using text based commands through a retro interface, supported by a real world user manual.
Mastering your ship means understanding each module and its limitations. You never get a full view of what's happening and must walk a fine line managing systems. Neglect your reactor and it may meltdown. Ignore your shields and your hull might rupture. And whatever you do - watch out for that planet.
Learning to fly is only the beginning. You're saddled with debt and the Apex Corporation aren't going to let you off easily. You'll need to manage contracts, cargo, crew and shipping manifests to carve out enough time and space to discover the secret of the Astra Protocol - and there's a lot of space to get lost in.
Features
First-person control perspective - you're not playing as a captain, you are the captain
Text-based command interface requiring use of a real-world user manual
Cassette-futuristic visuals inspired by retro hardware
Multi-screen user interface
Thousands of star systems to explore
Real-time space exploration and combat
Crew management
Cargo operations and in-universe commerce
Newtonian gravitational physics
Upgradable ship components
Retro-hardware integration including parallel printers and Telnet terminals
