After years of work, Star Fleet II version 2.0 is finally here!
Hello there. My name is Brian Rubin and I run Space Game Junkie. For several years now I've been helping Trevor Sorensen and a group of playtesters bring Star Fleet II: Krellan Commander back into existence - it has been quite the journey and one that I learned much from.
Star Fleet II first hit shelves in 1989 under less-than-ideal circumstances. Sped to market by its publisher, it was buggy, broken, and incomplete despite efforts of primary developer Trevor Sorensen to patch it two years post release - although critics often remembered more what it couldn't do than what it could. Some outlets even called Star Fleet II "The Worst Game Ever Made."
And so it was that in 2018, Trevor got his 486 -- on which he still programs the game -- up and running and began developing an updated version. Around early 2020, I started streaming it regularly feeling guilty that I hadn't given it its due. Within minutes though, its fascinating gameplay, complexity, subtleties, nuances and AI were drawing me in, drawing my focus away from streaming other titles that offered similar entertainment value - all seven ranks of which can be managed with only one battlecruiser as your starting position before eventually controlling all seven fleets at once!
Bring this game to Steam and GOG was no small task; hundreds, if not thousands, of playtesting hours, numerous bugs fixed, new features introduced and so much more went into its creation. I can barely describe its monumental success beyond what has already been written herein; no words could do justice.
Yesterday we released the game. My very first launch ever! Up until this point I had only served as an observer or "content creator", reviewing other people's work for critique or judge-ability; now was my time to help bring someone's beloved work directly to audiences; it was overwhelming and terrifying! Although sleep deprivation set in quickly during those three hours-plus streams I kept going!
My hope is that people will experience the magic of this old, barely-graphical game. Its majestic architecture offers layers of gameplay to explore; I particularly enjoy seeing people uncover its many depths for themselves for the first time. Thanks for reading my rant; someone suggested I write about my journey here so here it goes!
