The story is almost the same too: The defeated Klissan mothership Makhpella has given rise to three separate races of machines that now seek to destroy the Interstellar Coalition as well as each other - so now you have three major enemies instead of one, but everything else is largely the same. The second game ( Space Rangers 2) can be seen as an advanced version of the first game, offering many features that the first game did not have while keeping the same gameplay style. In fact, on the easier difficulty levels it is possible for the Coalition to push the enemy to the brink of destruction all by themselves! The enemy and the Coalition send ships at each other, attempt to stay technologically ahead of each other, and prices change according to the lively traffic of trading ships across all sectors of space.
While the player may be passing time waiting for his satellites to finish scanning a dead planet, entire battles are fought over star systems on the other side of the quadrant. The program controls all enemy ships, civilian and military ships, and even a slew of other Space Rangers who are constantly competing for the highest ranking. Very importantly, the game world is constantly being simulated in the background regardless of what the player is doing. Of course, since the game is extremely open-ended, no one forces you to play any of these if they do not suit your style. Overall it's no surprise That Other Wiki classifies it as a "Multi Genre" game. The second game even features a rudimentary Real-Time Strategy mini-game with giant robots for units (inspired by ZX Spectrum game Nether Earth). Wormholes take you to another dimension which plays like a classic Shoot 'em Up. Major diplomatic quests require playing text-based mini-adventures (some of which are remarkably complex). However, at many points in the game, gameplay changes radically, incorporating mini-games that are very different from this style. Everything is done using a simple point-and-click interface. You fly your ship from star to star, planet to planet, fighting the enemy (whoever you choose it to be at any given time), upgrading your ship, trading cargo, and so forth. On the whole, Space Rangers is played as a top-down, turn-based tactical game coupled with considerable RPG Elements. Whichever way you choose, your ultimate task is to become powerful enough to drive the Klissans back and eliminate the Makhpella.
You can raid civilian ships as a pirate, and you can even perform diplomatic errands.
You can trade commodities between planets and earn enough money to turn your ship into a juggernaut. You can fight the Klissans directly on your own, salvaging their technology and researching ways to defeat them.
Space Rangers are tasked with defeating the Klissans, but are given full freedom in deciding how to do so. The player takes the role of a young pilot voluntarily enlisting into the titular organization known as the Space Rangers.
Five races have formed a loose confederation against it, known as the "Interstellar Coalition": The brutish Maloq, the lawless Peleng, the tech-loving Faeyans, the enlightened Gaalians, and the business-minded humans. In Space Rangers, a powerful alien ship called "Makhpella" and its fleet of battleships known as the "Klissans" invade our region of the galaxy.