Xalaria

Xalaria is a real-time strategy text adventure set in one universe shared by every player: 7,804 stars and 48,688 worlds, with 3,690 civilisations, each with its own music, art and celebrations.

Everything is told in words and commanded one key at a time. Each key types its word (c communicate, b build, f fire, i inventory), so once your fingers know them you act faster than any menu allows.

A command starts something that then runs in real time, and the universe never pauses. Set a course and your craft accelerates and travels to its orbit, burning fuel, while the world around you moves on. Plant a farm and it takes root, then gathers a harvest in its till each day, for city guards to protect and thieves to raid. Seed a space station, bring it structural metal, and once it closes it pays you every day. Give your robots orders in your own words: tell one to mine iron and it flies its own craft to the deposit and works it until its hold is full; hand another a parcel for a traveller on a distant world and it flies there, delivers it and comes back to report.

Combat is real time and unusually tense: every shot costs energy, which returns only slowly. Or play without firing a shot: trade, explore, learn a culture's tongue and rites, or build. Two north stars guide every traveller: technology and culture. Programmed in 1998 and refined ever since. Played in the web browser at xalaria.com.