# What was this "interstellar stock trading" game I used to play? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 10, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-interstellar-stock-trading-game-i-used-to-play/520794 "2009-12-10T23:54:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-interstellar-stock-trading-game-i-used-to-play/520794/1 "2009-12-10T23:54:58Z")
When I was a kid I had this computer game which went as follows. At the beginning of the game, a random star field was generated. (Basically, asterisks were stars, dots were empty space.) On a turn you could start a trading post, and you could buy stock in companies. Companies were formed (if I recall correctly) any time a trading post was placed next to a star, or next to another trading post. Companies grew as trading posts were added to them, and when they touched, they merged. Your goal was to maximize the value of your portfolio. I can’t remember what the obstacles in the game were. Other players? Some rules about mergers and such that made navigating them some kind of puzzle? Something else? I don’t remember. Is this ringing a bell with anyone? Is this thing available for download somewhere, for nostalgia’s sake? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-interstellar-stock-trading-game-i-used-to-play/520794/2 "2009-12-11T00:06:21Z")
Further searching found a version [here](http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/game/starlanes.html), but it’s one of those tar.gz files that runs (I take it) in Linux, not windows. Any way I can make it run on Windows? ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-interstellar-stock-trading-game-i-used-to-play/520794/3 "2009-12-11T01:25:29Z")
I remember the game. It was a knock off of the old 3M/Avalon Hill board game [Acquire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquire). Which incidentally is still available for [purchase](http://www.amazon.com/Avalon-Hill-221920000AVH-Acquire/dp/0786950072/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1260494307&sr=8-2). I highly recommend it. I don’t know of any computer versions but you might find them if you searched for Acquire. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-interstellar-stock-trading-game-i-used-to-play/520794/4 "2009-12-11T01:57:39Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Further searching found a version [here](http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/game/starlanes.html), but it’s one of those tar.gz files that runs (I take it) in Linux, not windows. > > Any way I can make it run on Windows? Use any compressed file viewer other than the native Windows one. I have no idea why it’s lacking such a basic feature. I like [7-zip](http://www.7-zip.org/) cause it’s free. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-interstellar-stock-trading-game-i-used-to-play/520794/5 "2009-12-11T03:43:45Z")
It was called ‘Trade’ on my Kaypro 10 running CPM. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-interstellar-stock-trading-game-i-used-to-play/520794/6 "2009-12-11T06:28:03Z")
[man page here](http://mail.python.org/pipermail/winnipeg/2006-April/000106.html).