Trailblazer

Trailblazer is a 1 - 4 player intergalactic exploration and trading game for the Apple II.

1 - 4 players battle to maximize profits and exploration on an intergalactic scale, while also competing against a defined number of computer opponents over a predetermined number of rounds. Based upon a boardgame, each round of gameplay is divided into 4 discrete phases.

At the beginning of the game, each player is defined one system in the galaxy as their head office, with Sol as the primary trading point. Players must bid against each other for limited supplies on the market of Sol, to acquire resources which will later be sold to other systems.

In the second phase, the player must load their purchased goods on individual trading ships, and send them to the location they wish to trade. This is influenced by the number of ships the player owns, and there is a risk on longer journeys that ships will be lost. During this phase, ships can also be sent to unexplored regions to discover new markets for trade.

In the third phase, the player unloads their cargo at foreign ports, at must use their profit to repair ships, purchase more cargo, and expand their business.

In the final phase, the player can make changes to their business, including opening new head offices and investing in ports. The final victor is the player with the greatest cash reserves at the end of the predetermined number of rounds.