The Legacy Behind Starlorn: A Spiritual Successor to a Forgotten Classic
In the early 1990s, long before the internet was widely available, online interaction took place through Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) — primitive yet vibrant digital spaces that functioned like early forums, message boards, and multiplayer game hubs all rolled into one.
Among the many games that flourished in this era was Ultimate Universe (UU), a richly detailed, multiplayer BBS door game that expanded on the foundational ideas of Trade Wars, the genre’s most iconic title. For many players, UU represented a more advanced and immersive experience, blending trade, strategy, exploration, and combat in a dynamic galaxy of text-based action.
I was one such player and was deeply involved in the UU community, even running my own BBS and contributing bug reports to help improve the game. So many bug reports, and other contributions were submitted that the original creator, Garth Bigelow acknowledged me personally.
Years after the BBS era faded, as the internet rendered those systems obsolete by the mid-90s the memory of UU lingered. I'm still passionate about the game, and eventually reached out to Garth in hopes of purchasing the source code. But the rights had already changed hands. Undeterred, I contacted the new owner and shared a trove of archived UU files, many thought to be lost, with the hope of resurrecting the game. A brief spark of hope followed… but the revival never came to be.
Later, it was revealed that the buyer had never completed the transaction. The rights reverted back to Garth, who by then was facing serious health issues and could no longer pursue a revival himself. In a moment of profound trust and recognition, Garth formally passed the rights to UU to me as I had long championed the game.
Unfortunately, the original source code had been lost by this point. Reviving the game in its original form was no longer possible.
After years of consideration, and growing confidence in my own skills, I made a decision: not to recreate Ultimate Universe, but to honor its spirit by building something new from the ground up, a spiritual successor that carried forward the legacy, while forging a new path in the modern multiplayer space gaming world.
Thus, Starlorn: Rise of the Awakened was born.
It’s a love letter to a mostly forgotten era, built with modern tools, but steeped in the design philosophy that made Ultimate Universe unforgettable. From modular ship systems to deep trading mechanics and sector-based strategy, Starlorn: Rise of the Awakened reimagines what made UU special while introducing new features and ideas for a new generation of players.
It is a game built from passion, memory, and respect.
And when it’s complete, it hopes to stand not just as a tribute to Ultimate Universe, but as the next great chapter in that legacy.
Last edited: