Atari ST

Empire: Wargame of the Century

Why is this game part of the group "Star Fleet series"? Just having the same core designers doesn't seem to be enough to me.

Check out the back cover: Alliance controlled space, Krellan induced hostilities..

Not sure if that background is reflected in the game in any form. And "Star Fleet universe" or something would make more sense (but two groups, series and universe, aren't that great either with only four games total).

Yeah, strange. I judged by our screenshots where the game looks like a pure Earth wargame. I think I will fire up the game and see for myself.

Okay, I played some hours into the game, and for me this is pure marketing blurb to connect a simple war game to a successful franchise. There's nothing sci-fi here. You produce earthly panzers, naval units, and jets, move them around trying to conquer the map.

But, heck, when Interstel wanted this to belong in the series, we should just let it be. :o)

It's not uncommon for companies to find a way to cram or ret-con properties in to the continuity of pretty darned unrelated earlier series in their stable -- Dynamix tried to tie 20 years of games together, from Stellar 7 and Nova 9 to the MetalTech, EarthSiege and StarSiege games leading through to Tribes, with a detour in the middle to incorporate Hunter/Hunted also. But where did Deathtrack fall in that continuum, I ask! (And, huh, Willy Beamish? 8)

Broderbund did it worse with their in-house baddies the Bungelings being the antagonists of Choplifter, Lode Runner and of course Raid on Bungeling Bay.

If they'd called it Stellar 7, Stellar 8 and so on, we'd have something similar to today's Final Fantasy, right? :o)

No, bad comparison. At least, the games you mentioned aren't connected here on MobyGames, although we should seriously consider a Bungeling game group then. :-)

I noted it in their trivia sections, and consider it all the wholly nominal connection warrants.

Ah, I didn't see that, thanks for the heads-up. And you're right, enough connection it is.