Maximum Space

Maximum Space is a 1999 PowerPC Mac space-combat shooter by Andy Southgate of Alchemist Consultants, distributed in beta as version 0.34b. It pairs hardware-accelerated, light-sourced 3D graphics with a deliberately spare cockpit -- no scanners, no HUD displays -- so the player tracks enemy ships by 3D positional sound and incoming fire.

What makes it unusual

Unlike most 1990s Mac space games, Maximum Space strips out scanners and on-screen radar entirely. As the player rolls and turns the ship, 3D sound effects reveal where alien vessels are; visual confirmation often comes from the muzzle flash of incoming missiles. The author bills the game as effectively a flight trainer, with 60 enemies and 50 missiles inviting players to learn to shoot straight.

Controls and hardware support

Maximum Space uses Apple's DrawSprocket for display and InputSprocket for controls, with joystick support added in 0.34b alongside new missile types. Default keyboard mapping uses the mouse to fly and fire, the up and down arrows for thrust, left and right arrows to slip, the angle-bracket keys for roll, and space for missiles. Optional 3Dfx RAVE acceleration is supported but flagged as "a bit dodgy" in this beta.

System requirements

Required: a PowerMac with 32 MB of RAM, a 640x480 display in thousands of colors, and 3 MB of free disk space. Required extensions are DrawSprocketLib and Quickdraw 3D RAVE; pre-Mac OS 8 systems also need the Display Library, Display Enabler, and ObjectSupportLib, while pre-7.5.5 systems may need still more. A 3D RAVE-compliant accelerator is optional.

Distribution and history

Maximum Space 0.34b was released on 17 July 1999 by programmer Andy Southgate and designer Sam Toms (alc-c.com). It was distributed without a time limit or expiry mechanism, freely redistributable on compilation CDs, and sold optional registrations to fund continued development. The full source tree for 0.34b shipped from the project's website and built with Codewarrior Pro 5.