Space Rangers

Space Rangers (Russian: Космические рейнджеры) is a multi-genre computer game by the Russian company Elemental Games, released by 1C Company in 2002. It is critically lauded and popular in its home country, Finland and parts of Eastern Europe, although not so popular elsewhere due to lack of marketing. In 2004, 1C Company published a sequel, Space Rangers 2: Dominators.

The game is dynamic and open-ended in a fashion that has been compared to Elite and Star Control 2. Trade prices on planets follow supply and demand, the wars are ongoing non-scripted conflicts, computer-controlled ships have individual capabilities, goals and relations, etc. There are even several ways to complete the storyline. The games have turn-based space travel and combat, optional shoot 'em up sequences and occasional bits of text adventure.

Plot
In Space Rangers, a relatively peaceful  interstellar coalition is invaded by a powerful enemy; the organic  warships of the Klissans. The player is a Ranger, one of a group of non-military volunteers who are given small ships, free rein and the task of helping  to battle, understand and ultimately defeat the menace.

Background
Long ago now wise and peaceful Gaal race was very aggressive and was creating a huge number of colonies. Due to large space distances it created hyperjumper which could make holes in the galaxy. Soon one of the colonies met with Klissan fleet. Although Gaal colony ships tried to communicate with Klissan ships they failed to do that and were destroyed. Soon Makhpella, the mothership of all Klissans and Klissan fleet invaded all outer Gaal colonies. Gaal colony fleet was completely helpless and in order to save original Gaal territories and Gaal motherland itself from invasion they decided not to jump back and make Makhpella trace the route there but to blow up the remaining other colonies using the hyperjumper.

Not very long ago everything was started by Peleng captain called Rachekhan who was one of commanders of Peleng fleet. He was thrown out of the fleet and became a pirate. Since he had an access to secret documents and weaponry he stole a hyperjumper. While travelling with it he met Makhpella. It considered Rachekhan's pirate fleet as an enemy and started chasing it. During the chase Rachekhan and Klissan fleets went through interstellar coalition sectors so Makhpella spotted IC sectors and now knew its location and identified all IC races as foes. So the war started.

Races
Space Rangers features 6 races in total: the Interstellar Coalition races and the Klissans. The Interstellar Coalition consists of 5 races: Maloc, Peleng, Humans, Fei and Gaal. The Klissans are the new and unresearched form of life.


 * Maloq
 * The Maloq race is very strong physically, but mentally weak. They are physically very big and eat a lot of food. Their equipment is the cheapest but it is also the most delicate, and deteriorates much quicker than other races'. The race is named after the C standard library function malloc.


 * Peleng
 * The four handed Pelengs are usually very artful and Peleng criminals are the most successful. Also Pelengs have the strongest intelligence agency called "Dzuhallag". Peleng equipment is the 2nd cheapest and the 2nd most delicate.


 * Human
 * Humans are the best economists. If not for the humans there would be no unified interstellar currency called "credits". Human equipment is in the middle of the spectrum for both price and robustness.


 * Faeyan
 * Faeyans are very good technicians and scientists. Faeyans are hermaphrodites. Their equipment is the 2nd most expensive, and 2nd only in robustness.


 * Gaal
 * The three eyed Gaals are leading philosophers and scientists. This race is the wisest compared to the other Interstellar Coalition races. Their equipment is the most expensive and the most robust.