Before space tactical combat simulation computer games and simulation computer games in general, such games were played on paper with hex maps, die, counters, pencil, and paper. One such game that was very similar to Cosmoteer is Starfire. Starfire was a space fleet ship design and tactical combat game that grew over many editions into a 4x empire game. The original 1st edition of the game was fairly simple. It was published in 1979 and it came with a slim rule book, counter sheet, hex map, and die packaged in a zip lock bag. Ships and warp points were represented by counters on the hex map. The rule book described how movement and combat was conducted and how ships were designed on paper. The game evolved over many editions with more detailed and complex rules, lore, scenarios, technology and so on and was still being developed into the 2010s. Folks here might find the associated Starfire lore to be of interest. It is described throughout the different editions of the game and in associated novels. I bought the first edition a few years after it came out and enjoyed many hours playing it. I later bought the 2nd and third editions. Many more editions came out after that. Later as computer gaming took off, I always wished for a computer game version of Starfire where you designed and built starships and played scenarios. I loved games like Master of Orion II, the Homeworld series and Sins of a Solar Empire (check them out if you haven't yet!). Though they helped scratch that itch, they never fulfilled that desire for a computer game like Starfire until Cosmoteer came along. It recreates the technology, designing and game play in a very similar way. With the added lore provided by the talented Cosmoteer community, Cosmoteer is an excellent successor that carries on the Starfire tradition. I look forward to its continued development and growth of the game and its community and lore. Anyway, I thought Cosmoteer fans might find this bit of game history interesting at least for the lore. For more information see theses links:
http://www.starfiredesign.com/starfire/
http://www.starfiredesign.com/starfire/introduction/index.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfire_(board_wargame)
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2891/starfire
https://www.wargamevault.com/browse/pub/9056/Starfire-Design-Studio
