Free Trader

Free Trader is a video game in the strategy genre developed by Microcomputer Games, Inc. and published by Avalon Hill Game Company, The originally released in 1984. It is currently playable on Atari 8-bit.

Yes, it's a beautiful ship. Sublight Ion Engines, Gamma Ray Lasers, Rifter Pods that can rip through space itself - not to mention any hostiles - and a Hyperdrive that will take you and 50,000 pounds of cargo from one corner of your star map to the other in the blink of an eye. And now it's yours. The problem is, you've almost run out of money. The galaxy is out there waiting - deals to do, star systems to explore - and you've got an empty warehouse and 500 megabucks. It's enough to buy a few hypercells and some small-time cargo like monopoles or wine, but the yield on those things won't pay for the ion fuel to dock, not to mention the holes Thoft's raiders will blow in your shield between ports of call. Unless you know how to calculate markups and targeting corrections like a pro. That's the galaxy; it's not for the faint of heart.

Avalon Hill's Free Trader is a space merchant game with no safety net and against the galaxy. Profit margins are minuscule, the market fluctuates mercilessly, Thoft spider attack cruisers are deadly accurate, and everything costs Megabucks. The Atari version has an arcade side, combat requires a quick eye and a light touch, while on the Apple careful estimation - laser range, angle and impact - wins the day. Uniquely, you don't aim your lasers or Rifters, but correct them based on your bridge computer's report of the previous shot. The target is invisible and your correction must be the inverse of the report, which gives rapid-fire combat on the Atari a thought-provoking verisimilitude.

Regardless of the platform, however, combat is just another drag on your bottom line. Profit is the measure of survival: keep your shields intact and you'll have plenty of time to obliterate the occasional Thoft cruiser. However, the days fly by like minutes on the clock, which means that the bulging margin you've explored may be negative when you finally arrive with the cargo. The fourteen planet types-discernible when you arrive in a star system-each have fixed imports and exports between thirty-five different trade goods (which include the various fuel cells for your ship). The planets and star map are fixed from game to game, allowing you to necessarily fine-tune your strategy.

The sequence of screens in the game varies by platform, but mainly consists of a ship status screen, a cargo manifest, a map of your local star system, a hyperspace map leading to sixty-three other star systems, a planetary market screen when you're on the ground, and a first-person view of your main portal whenever the Thoft come to visit. Some simple sounds, such as your ion engines in subspace, the ticking of passing days, and the relentless zapping of the Thoft's lasers, serve to heighten the tension by reminding you that the Megabucks are running low.

Saved games? This is the galaxy, baby; it's not for the faint of heart.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.