Welcome to Trade Wars 2002 version 3.05! This will prove to be a very challanging game for you. This is not your average shoot 'em up graphics intensive game, though it has become the most popular local bbs games, and now one of the most popular internet MUD (Mulit User Domain) games in existance. The premise is simple. Survive, build up, and conquer. The play is difficult. Here I'm going to try to help you out with some words of wisdom that I was never given when I was a newcommer. Stick with me as some of this will prove almost vital to your existance in trying to become a major galactic political and military power.
This game, as I have already implied, is not by any means graphics intensive. There is some animation, but is largely text. This will at first probably turn most avid gamers off. Most games today try to make a name for themselves by stretching technology. This game stretches you. You'll need a good head for military stratagy, you'll need to know how to make friends out of potential enemies, and you'll need to know how to keep a good flow of money comming into your opperation.
When you start off you will be given a small, well rounded, commercial trading ship, a planet, and a little bit of money. You'll want to go from port to port, buying and selling Fule Ore, Organics, and Equipment, trying to make a profit so you can buy more a better ship, more cargo space, and military equipment. Once you have enough rescources, you can turn yourself into a purely military opperation. Though some try to do this on their own, the best route is to form a corperation and take the universe as a team.
As with most MUD games, you may choose (by the deeds you do) weather you are good, or evil. Both sides have particular advantages, and both will allow you ways of making it to the top. Again, with most MUD games, you will not simply enter the universe and start shooting... not if you're smart anyway. Usually, the best way to get killed on your first day is to go around threatening people, attacking a starport, and antagonizing Ferrengi and Aliens. You'll develop your ship, yourself, and your planet somewhat slowly at first, and then gain momentum.
The universe is laid out in individual sectors, you can move from one to the other by typing in the sector number to which you wish to move. The sectors connect with one another like a web, and it is best to find some dead end sector somewhere in which to hide. If you are a good trader, then you can find limited security in Fedspace. This is space (sectors 1-10 and Stardock) policed by federal agents (you will meet them, and know this... they are indestructable). Here, if you have less than 100 fighter onhand, you can stay the night without ever worrying if someone is going to hurt you (with two very obscure exceptions).
I would encourage you to read the game documentation by pressing (z). This
will give you the basics of game play and movement. If you would like to see
some stratagy guides you can go to http://web.olivet.edu/users/mfraley/tw.htm.
Good luck!