VGA Planets is a graphical, multi-player, play by electronic mail, space war game. This game simulates combat in space between galactic scale empires. The game emphasizes colonization of space and the development of the planets that you will find, colonize and/or conquer. How well you develop these resources will determine what kind of starships (freighters and capital ships) you will be able to produce and how well you will be able to defend your space and attack your neighbors.
This game is designed to be a strategic and tactical game of warfare, but you will also need to be able to build an economy and service your empire. With a well-developed economic base you will have a greater potential for winning the game.

As the leader of your empire you are responsible for all of the decisions that affect your growth and production (except, of course, being attacked by your neighbor). You will decide how to best develop your planets with the resources available to you. You will decide what type of starship(s) to be built at your starbase(s). You are the mastermind behind your race and you are in a race to see which empire can first conqueror the universe.

At the start of the game you are left with a homeworld, a low tech starbase, and two low tech starships. These are the only things left of your former empire since the nastiest Ion Storm ever recorded hit the Echo Cluster. You will need to manage your planet’s population, money, minerals and other resources wisely, for these are your only sources of production early in the game. If you manage them well you will be able to quickly expand and broaden your economic and mineral base, while still keeping a wary eye on your potentially dangerous neighbors. Remember, while you are growing and becoming stronger, so are your neighbors.

Vga Planets is designed to be able to handle from two to eleven players in a play by mail (electronic mail) game format. The game is designed to be played as a Net or Bulletin Board System (BBS) game (as long as file transfers are permitted and available), although it can be played solely on one computer. Many of the Net players are playing using E-mail and UUENCODE.