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Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace

Review

This AD&D space combat and trading sim challenges you to explore eight worlds, command a ship, and engage in tactical battles.

Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace was developed by Cybertech and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) for DOS in 1992; this is the original platform and earliest commercial release.


							Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace cover
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About Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace

Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace is a DOS title that adapts the AD&D Spelljammer setting, casting the player as the captain of a magical ship capable of traveling between planets. The core loop involves undertaking quests and engaging in trade across eight different worlds within the game's solar system.

Interplanetary travel occurs from a first person perspective and can lead to encounters with other vessels. These meetings may escalate into conflict, initiating a two stage combat system. Ship to ship engagements utilize weapons like catapults or ballistas, and a successful grapple allows for boarding actions.

Once boarding is achieved, the perspective shifts to a top down view for hand to hand combat. In these clashes, the player directly commands the ship's officers while the crew is managed by the game's AI. The objective is to eliminate all opposing personnel.

Victory in such encounters presents the opportunity to claim the defeated spelljammer, adding it to the player's available fleet. Ships can be repaired and outfitted with new weapons or equipment at planetary ports, allowing for customization and progression.

Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace Screenshots

10 images
Main menu
Character (Captain) Creation: choose your class
Character (Captain) Creation: reroll the stats of your character to your hearts content. No stats modifcation here though!
Game start - this is the main navigation screen. Currently overlooking an unknown planet.
Ship Info - this screen provides information about your current vessel. Later in the game, you may acquire many other different ships.
Navigation Screen - here you can set a course to a designated planet or area of space, which you can use to
Welcome to the Port City of Waterdeep!
Waterdeep - Temple of Isis. Among others you can bless your troops...who knows you might need it when coming across nasty pirates in the space realm.
Waterdeep - Council of Lords. Visiting a port requires you to pay taxes, or else the city will confiscate your gold and cargo!
Waterdeep - Harbormaster. Refit and repair your damaged ship.