The 1993 computer game Wing Commander: Privateer wasn't the first to merge free market trading with exciting space combat, but it was the first to combine them in a lovingly rendered sandbox where your ethics and goals are up to you.
Set in the larger Wing Commander universe, the game takes players out of a military cockpit and puts them in the shoes of a civilian pilot trying to make a living in the gritty Gemini Sector. You start off in a jalopy and can earn money for ship upgrades through trading, mercenary work, piracy, or smuggling. You face factions to please or enrage, distinct bases and planets to visit, and a storyline you were invited to follow. But the real fun is being your own boss and flying where you wish. Plus, you can taunt your enemies.
