Off Topic. About Other Games.

[mbar]

Pre-Orders for Endless Space are open!
http://store.steampowered.com/app/208140/

With DW getting an expansion too, this is a good year for space 4x.

[drillerman]

Pre-Orders for Endless Space are open!
http://store.steampowered.com/app/208140/

With DW getting an expansion too, this is a good year for space 4x.

Bought the emperors version from steam! Plays very nicely, very stable, looks great, UI is nicely done if slighty quirky!. Really enjoying it atm. Absolutely well worth a look for £20! Very professionally done, on par with AAA products at double the price.

[J HG T]

I was sceptic, but on the fence about the Endless Space when I first saw it. After noticing it on Steams news today and watching the trailer I'm very, very interested. Probably will pre-order it in a day or two. Looks really polished for an 4X.
Been playing SoaSE: Rebellion BETA and Shogun 2, but a great turn-based 4X is something I haven't played for a loooong time.

To those who have played it: Does it play somewhat similar to SotS? Turn-based empire management with real-time combat? My only worry is that combat is too much emphasized like in SotS, making the empire management a bit simple and dull. That was my only real complaint about SotS.

[adamsolo]

I wouldn't compare it much with SotS but more with MoO2 or GalCiv2. Combat is way less tactical as SotS, Sins, MoO2 but more cinematic like GalCiv2 combined with a few (but probably still important) decisions you can make during the different combat phases. It's a new combat system. At least one I don't remember seeing in a 4X game.

So, combat unfolds in real-time (your decisions have an affect) but is mostly cinematic. I'm still digesting the combat system, have a few mixed feelings about it. But it's too soon to tell yet. And the game is still on Alpha, although one easily forgets about it due to the quality the game build already offers.

I have a first look preview of Endless Space on my blog that I've just published by the way, in case you're interested.

[drillerman]

Hi Adam
Yeah nice write up. Been dabbling with the game also. I like the combat system as it makes you feel more of a decision maker and less of a "Q" like god

[J HG T]

Thanks for the tip Adam!
The game sure looks and sounds good. Gonna pre-order it today and see how it is myself.

[adamsolo]

ORIGINAL: drillerman

Hi Adam
Yeah nice write up. Been dabbling with the game also. I like the combat system as it makes you feel more of a decision maker and less of a "Q" like god

Thanks! Yea, I guess combat will grow on me also with time. And, as long as it doesn't get way too repetitive, that is with different camera shots offered, perhaps have a choice to choose different cameras or have full freedom as combat director I think it will be ok.

[adamsolo]

ORIGINAL: J HG T

Thanks for the tip Adam!
The game sure looks and sounds good. Gonna pre-order it today and see how it is myself.

You're welcome. Glad I could be of help. I'm also interested to read what you think of it.

[drillerman]

Thanks! Yea, I guess combat will grow on me also with time. And, as long as it doesn't get way too repetitive, that is with different camera shots offered, perhaps have a choice to choose different cameras or have full freedom as combat director I think it will be ok.

As it's Alpha we can assume that they'll reading the feedback and adding more ship models, more cameras and expanding on the combat. It is however, a great starting point.

[2guncohen]

Im playing the following games the last couple of weeks.

1. I am replaying Emperor Of The Fading Suns and even mailed Holistic that they have to consider to search funds from concepts like kickstarter to relaunch the game.
2. World of tanks => IS4 grinding ...
3. MoO2
4. Legend Of Grimrock

And now I alm Fascincated about Endless Space ^^ Ill have to skim youtube for some good ingame footage now.


( I have to reinstall Starruler one of these days i buyed it when it was still in beta and did not played it again since then )

[Moltrey]

I just saw Endless Space on Steam last night- looks quite intriguing.

Lately I have been playing Lord of the Rings Online which is quite doable solo (thank goodness). Minecraft when I don't have a lot of time or brainpower to spare. My friends and I are starting to use Google+ Hangouts to play our Pathfinder RPG game. There are tools available to use as a virtual tabletop and character sheets. I looks like it will work pretty well for people separated who want to game together. Just need a webcam basically.

My other list of games is a bit long, but mostly dabbling with Shogun 2, Out of the Park Baseball 13 and a couple of other oldies. Like a lot of you, real life is looming large in my rearview mirror right now...

[mbar]

ORIGINAL: 2guncohen
I have to reinstall Starruler one of these days i buyed it when it was still in beta and did not played it again since then )

Give SR another try. It has improved greatly. Scouts are automated and the galaxy map gives much more useful information at a quick glance.

[J HG T]

Well, pre-ordered Endless space, intalled alpha, played for about 50 turns as Sophons (Yeah, the egg-heads of Endless Space) and enjoyed every minute of it.
Must say, for an alpha version, this game has huge amount of potential. Especially if what I've read about upcoming features and other stuff that will be added before full release is true. Endless Space is more than cabable of becoming another worthy 4X. Very much waiting for the full version.

First of all, the audiovisuals are excellent if you consider that this is an "indie" game. Art style is clean, beautiful and unique enough.
The game mechanics seem well balanced and not too microing-heavy. Inspirations fom Civs and Alpha Centauri are clear, but as I haven't played Civs much that doesn't bother me in the least. And copying from
Alpha Centauri is the best kind of copying if you ask me.
UI works very well once you get used to it, which should not take long.

The battles sure are something different if you are used to RTSs or turn-based fights. In the first battle I was pretty much like "what the heck I'm doing?", but no later than in the second battle I understood the concept fully and honestly started to like it quite a lot. Mainly because it's just something new and different. In a nutshell, I'd say it's like three-phase rock-paper-scissors with customizeable ships, possible heroes and variety of tactics cards deciding the outcome. I can see that some/many people may not like it, but I definetly won't be one of those people.

The only thing that bothered me was a bit simplified diplomacy screen. But, as this is alpha I won't raise a storm in coffee-cup (I don't like tea. Don't ask).

Bottom line: Can't wait to play the full, finished version with all the features. 2012 seems to be a great year for 4Xs and space-strategy. If c. 20€ don't hurt your future survivability in any way, and you love 4Xs, I'd say go for it.

[adamsolo]

Nice overview, thanks. I agree that battles felt like "What a hell is happening?" in the first or so encounters but it has the potential to be good. Now, I guess when/if there are more camera options then it can be ok. Right now as the shots are always the same it can become way too repetitive and even annoying (where was the auto-resolve button again?). But I'm not rushing into conclusions on combat, it's too soon.

[Tophat1815]

Hmmmn.............so Star Ruler or Endless space?

[Jaimoe_MatrixForum]

Is SotS2 playable yet? I bought it when it first came out and it was such a mess that I haven't touched it since.

[ASHBERY76]

In my opinion both SOTS and DistantWorlds really added innovation to the space 4x genre in different ways in recent times.I am liking the ES beta build as a possible solid traditional style 4x but I see nothing new in the game mechanics and I am very skeptical about the combat models long term fun value.They also seem to make a big deal about the dust but to me it is just money with a different name,heh.

[adecoy95]

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

In my opinion both SOTS and DistantWorlds really added innovation to the space 4x genre in different ways in recent times.I am liking the ES beta build as a possible solid traditional style 4x but I see nothing new in the game mechanics and I am very skeptical about the combat models long term fun value.They also seem to make a big deal about the dust but to me it is just money with a different name,heh.

supposibly later in the game you are supposed to be able to play dust cards in combat, but i haven't gotten that far in the game yet

[Falokis]

ORIGINAL: Tophat1812

Hmmmn.............so Star Ruler or Endless space?

Star Ruler.

[JosEPhII]

Civ IV BtS Mod Caveman2Cosmos. What CiV should have been.

JosEPh