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So how many people are aware that the term "4X" was coined by Alan Emrich for Master of Orion?

Based on this list of 4x video games, my first 4x game was Spaceward Ho!. I still have a shrinkwrapped copy of that game It's a red box with "The space race will never be the same" at the top, and "Spaceward Ho!" over "A Game of Stellar Conquest" at the bottom of the box. It's the Windows 95 version. I got it for free from somewhere.

I do have Reach for the Stars, which came out before Spaceward Ho!, but my copy is the Windows 95 version.

So my list of 4x sci-fi games, based on the wikipedia list, in order of publication:

• Reach for the Stars
• Spaceward Ho!
• Master of Orion
• Ascendancy
• Stars!
• Emperor of the Fading Suns
• Master of Orion 2
• Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri / Alien Crossfire
• Space Empires IV
• GalCiv w/ all expansions
• Master of Orion III
• GalCiv II w/ all expansions
• Space Empires V
• Sword of the Stars w/ all expansions
• Sins of a Solar Empire w/ first two expansions
• Distant Worlds w/ all expansions
• Star Ruler
• Sword of the Stars II
• Endless Space

Then other sci-fi strategy games:

• Star Control III
• Starflight
• Starflight II

And last, I want to mention a sci-fi exploration/RPG game that I wonder if anyone else played Star Saga. I have both One and Two

I thought I was bad [:D]
Built my first computer late 70's, think ive had every system since, anyone remember the Enterpriseback in the mid 80's? If that had taken off the 4x era might have arrived sooner and we would be about 25 years ahead of where we are now ...

Respect [&o]

Darkspire