Memory Alpha
Advertisement
Memory Alpha
Real world article
(written from a production point of view)

Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative was an interactive fiction game set in the Star Trek universe. It featured dialog and input boxes in addition to the traditional command-line interface associated with interactive fiction games.

The player is Captain Kirk and must command the crew through star systems and planet away missions. Exploration of the USS Enterprise is also required to complete missions. The overall aim of the game is to solve the Kobayashi Alternative Command Performance Evaluation.

Credits[]

Micromosaics Productions, Inc.[]

  • President: Lary Rosenblatt
  • Software Designer: Mark Sutton‑Smith and Alain Benzaken
  • Text and Story: Diane Duane
  • Apple Software Designer: Waren Tucker
  • Artist: Josie Koehne
  • Commodore Software Designer: Sonam Gyato

Other crew[]

  • Cover and book design: Ellen Rongstad (Artdepartment Design Studio)
  • Cover and color illustrations: Hovik Dilakian
  • Black‑and‑white illustrations: Daniel Pelavin
  • IBM Windows: VSI Window Machine and Amber Systems Inc.
  • The Kobayashi Alternative is dedicated to: Greg Thometz, We have been, and will be, his friends. We are grateful for that. Live long, and prosper.

Background information[]

  • The storyline of the game is to locate the USS Heinlein (β), a starship lost in the 145-Trianguli sector.
  • According to game author Diane Duane, "The Kobayashi Alternative is being framed as the successor or supplement to the Kobayashi Maru scenario. Once you know how to die like a hero, that's real great. This test determines whether or not you can keep your ship alive like a hero, which is much more difficult. This alternative situation tests synthesis – the ability to handle large amounts of data over a prolonged period of time, to laugh, to avoid crying occasionally, and to put together things you would not be able to handle where you not starship captain material." (Starlog #106, May 1986, p. 27)

External links[]

Advertisement