<p>Many decades ago, when I learned coding, I was also reading a (red) book on the programming the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8080" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8080</a> processor which was full of code listings and their description. I was in particular fascinated by the <strong>astronomical objects references in a text adventure</strong> similar to <a href="https://videogamegeek.com/videogame/105695/invasion-force-trs-80" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Invasion Force</a>, with a central map, and some navigation control on the right, similar to the following <a href="https://videogamegeek.com/image/1479535/invasion-force-trs-80" rel="nofollow noreferrer">screenshot</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/82MHN.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/82MHN.png" alt="Screenshot of Invasion Force TRS-80" /></a></p>
<p>I never played that game (I never had a computer with that processor), but I enjoyed reading the source code and its description. The idea was that you could travel around with your space craft (and non-realistic velocities, pun intended) and beside shooting other star ships, which was probably the actual goal, you had to avoid black holes, and make sure that once you are in a certain solar system, you are not too close to comets, etc. The later part was the thing I am after. There was some interesting distribution function in the code which randomly placed stars (with and without planets) into the game map, as well as comets, rogue planets, black holes (if I remember correctly).</p>
<p>Does anybody know more about the game and the astronomical objects occuring there? Or even about the red book with the programm code listings?</p>
<h3>Losely related</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/321359" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Theoretical Black Hole Mass Distributions</a> is a nice starting point for one kind of object, but I did not find something about the overall black-hole-density in the universe (yet).</li>
<li>Michael Sewell's bachelor thesis <em><a href="https://kola.opus.hbz-nrw.de/opus45-kola/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/670/file/bachelorarbeit_sewell_colorlinks_noproposal.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">&quot;Developing an interactive space
simulation game featuring
procedural content generation&quot;</a></em></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T08:56:47.023Z
Have you tried on the [retrocomputing.se] stack?
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T09:00:04.777Z
Should I repost it there, or could I ask for migration? I would prefer the 1st approach since after all, it is mostly about the astronomical objects appearing in that game. I added a reference, to stretch the fact that I found the distribution function (how e.g. the BHs are distributed over the game map) very interesting, and I was hoping that there was scientific background to it.
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T09:33:36.310Z
Here's what I would do, now that it's already here. This is pretty much not about Astronomy so it will eventually be closed as off-topic, at which point it can be migrated. But the longer it stays here the more chance that a gaming astronomer will see it and potentially add something. I think it will end up in Retrocomputing SE or [Arqade (Gaming) SE](https://gaming.stackexchange.com) and this will also give you a chance to decide on your preference. I think JamesK's suggestion of Retrocomputing is probably the best since this is "retro" and those folks don't give up.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:10:28.987Z
@uhoh Thanks for the hints, can I ask myself for migriation without the post being closed?
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:11:49.817Z
I’m voting to close this question because I got convinced, that it would be better to move to https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:11:51.970Z
@uhoh Arqade unfortunately doesn't allow game identification questions (unless a screenshot is provided, which just means that they only allow 'how to do a reverse image search' questions) but [scifi.se] does allow them and this would probably be on-topic there
Aaron F
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:13:25.383Z
@AaronF Thanks for your valuable hint. I mean, if I had a screenshot, or I knew the book, I would not be asking in first place. I am still searching the attic for the book, but I did not manage to find it in the corresponding boxes with outdated computer books.
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:16:34.060Z
@B--rian "if I had a screenshot, or I knew the book, I would not be asking in first place" - yeah that's the issue I have with Arqade's policy :-D  I'm not sure which of the two - Retro-computing or Sci-fi - would be the best place for your question...it would be on-topic in both sites. I would go for Sci-fi, personally, if only because it has more game-identification questions than Retro-computing has.
Aaron F
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:23:34.190Z
@B--rian also here are some leads which might help you find the game: [Trek](https://www.dosgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=115908&sid=a2630597b6ba638b274fc0652caf42e6#p115908), [EGATrek](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-egatrek), and, linked from that last article, [Star Control 2](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/10/have-you-played-star-control-2/) and [Starflight](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/08/have-you-played-starflight/) - although those two are unlikely as they're graphical and you're looking for a text-based game.
Aaron F
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:42:27.877Z
@B--rian you can also just go ahead and post a link to this question (and image if you want) in the chat rooms of each of those three sites.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T10:59:41.977Z
@AaronF I did indeed find [Trek-80](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trek-80_(1979_video_game)) a possible candidate when searching, but I all those looked like they were all comercially available games, and none of those, where you would painfully type listings from a book.
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T12:27:12.200Z
Ah that'll teach me to be more careful when reading a question - I glossed over the part where you said that the game was only featured in the book. I misunderstood and thought it was a known game that also happened to have its source in the book. Due to the obscure nature of the game (code listing in book about 8080 processor) I think @uhoh 's suggestion of Retro-computing is the best place to ask. It's highly unlikely anyone in the Sci-fi SE would know.
Aaron F
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-19T14:15:48.780Z
@AaronF But your comment was anyhow very hepful :-)
B--rian
<black-hole><comets><distribution-function>
Astronomic objects (and their distribution functions) appearing in an old computer game?
B--rian
# Astronomic objects (and their distribution functions) appearing in an old computer game?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-19)

Many decades ago, when I learned coding, I was also reading a (red) book on the programming the [8080](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8080) processor which was full of code listings and their description. I was in particular fascinated by the **astronomical objects references in a text adventure** similar to [Invasion Force](https://videogamegeek.com/videogame/105695/invasion-force-trs-80), with a central map, and some navigation control on the right, similar to the following [screenshot](https://videogamegeek.com/image/1479535/invasion-force-trs-80):

[![Screenshot of Invasion Force TRS-80](https://i.sstatic.net/82MHN.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/82MHN.png)

I never played that game (I never had a computer with that processor), but I enjoyed reading the source code and its description. The idea was that you could travel around with your space craft (and non-realistic velocities, pun intended) and beside shooting other star ships, which was probably the actual goal, you had to avoid black holes, and make sure that once you are in a certain solar system, you are not too close to comets, etc. The later part was the thing I am after. There was some interesting distribution function in the code which randomly placed stars (with and without planets) into the game map, as well as comets, rogue planets, black holes (if I remember correctly).

Does anybody know more about the game and the astronomical objects occuring there? Or even about the red book with the programm code listings?

### Losely related

* [Theoretical Black Hole Mass Distributions](https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/321359) is a nice starting point for one kind of object, but I did not find something about the overall black-hole-density in the universe (yet).
* Michael Sewell's bachelor thesis *["Developing an interactive space
  simulation game featuring
  procedural content generation"](https://kola.opus.hbz-nrw.de/opus45-kola/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/670/file/bachelorarbeit_sewell_colorlinks_noproposal.pdf)*

**Tags:** black-hole, comets, distribution-function

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Have you tried on the [retrocomputing.se] stack?  
> **username_0**: Should I repost it there, or could I ask for migration? I would prefer the 1st approach since after all, it is mostly about the astronomical objects appearing in that game. I added a reference, to stretch the fact that I found the distribution function (how e.g. the BHs are distributed over the game map) very interesting, and I was hoping that there was scientific background to it.  
> **username_2**: Here's what I would do, now that it's already here. This is pretty much not about Astronomy so it will eventually be closed as off-topic, at which point it can be migrated. But the longer it stays here the more chance that a gaming astronomer will see it and potentially add something. I think it will end up in Retrocomputing SE or [Arqade (Gaming) SE](https://gaming.stackexchange.com) and this will also give you a chance to decide on your preference. I think JamesK's suggestion of Retrocomputing is probably the best since this is "retro" and those folks don't give up.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Thanks for the hints, can I ask myself for migriation without the post being closed?  
> **username_0**: I’m voting to close this question because I got convinced, that it would be better to move to https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/  
> **username_3**: @username_2 Arqade unfortunately doesn't allow game identification questions (unless a screenshot is provided, which just means that they only allow 'how to do a reverse image search' questions) but [scifi.se] does allow them and this would probably be on-topic there  
> **username_0**: @AaronF Thanks for your valuable hint. I mean, if I had a screenshot, or I knew the book, I would not be asking in first place. I am still searching the attic for the book, but I did not manage to find it in the corresponding boxes with outdated computer books.  
> **username_3**: @username_0 "if I had a screenshot, or I knew the book, I would not be asking in first place" - yeah that's the issue I have with Arqade's policy :-D  I'm not sure which of the two - Retro-computing or Sci-fi - would be the best place for your question...it would be on-topic in both sites. I would go for Sci-fi, personally, if only because it has more game-identification questions than Retro-computing has.  
> **username_3**: @username_0 also here are some leads which might help you find the game: [Trek](https://www.dosgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=115908&sid=a2630597b6ba638b274fc0652caf42e6#p115908), [EGATrek](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-egatrek), and, linked from that last article, [Star Control 2](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/10/have-you-played-star-control-2/) and [Starflight](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/08/have-you-played-starflight/) - although those two are unlikely as they're graphical and you're looking for a text-based game.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 you can also just go ahead and post a link to this question (and image if you want) in the chat rooms of each of those three sites.  
> **username_0**: @AaronF I did indeed find [Trek-80](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trek-80_(1979_video_game)) a possible candidate when searching, but I all those looked like they were all comercially available games, and none of those, where you would painfully type listings from a book.  
> **username_3**: Ah that'll teach me to be more careful when reading a question - I glossed over the part where you said that the game was only featured in the book. I misunderstood and thought it was a known game that also happened to have its source in the book. Due to the obscure nature of the game (code listing in book about 8080 processor) I think @username_2 's suggestion of Retro-computing is the best place to ask. It's highly unlikely anyone in the Sci-fi SE would know.  
> **username_0**: @AaronF But your comment was anyhow very hepful :-)  

---

## 0 answers

