I just wanted to start a new thread to discuss Drox Operative, the new space themed game from Soldak Entertainment. It was mentioned in the other thread by Steven that he’d like to have the thread title updated (since at the time it was created we didn’t know the name of the game), so here it is.
For those of you living under a rock, this game is an ARPG set in space. Like most Soldak games, though, it’s not just a standard ARPG - the universe you inhabit is dynamic and evolves as the game progresses. Think of starting up a new campaign of Master of Orion 2 and how in those games you research technology and expand through the stars. That’s what’s going on here as well, but this time around you’re a mercenary living in this expanding and evolving 4X game. AI races will colonize planets, research technologies, build fleet and start wars with each other, form alliances, you name it. How you interact with this 4X backdrop and win a sector is up to you. Do you try to bring peace by uniting the races diplomatically, or do you prefer to wage war for a chosen patron race, annihilating all their foes and turning their homeworlds into molten slag?
At the time of this posting, the game is currently on it’s 27th (!) beta patch. The game is very polished as-is and purchase will get you immediate access to the Beta. I can’t imagine release being too much further away, as the game is very solid and fun right now as it is.
I’m actually enjoying watching the game take shape with each patch. It’s become so much more…fleshed out, more full, more whole than it was when it started.
If you are familiar with Soldak’s titles, Depths of Peril or Din’s Curse especially, you will understand it is no pejorative when I say that Drox Operative is “Din’s Curse in Space”. But even that praise would sell the title short. Steven Peeler has done much more than simply re-skin his previous titles.
All through the beta Steven has added features at a furious pace, with the game just getting better and better each time.
As I noted in the other thread, I get the feeling that Drox Operative is pretty much cooked. If people have been holding back because of its beta state, it’s pretty much done. And it’s pretty good. Not earthshattering stuff, but a nicely-balanced space ARPG whose systems are all finally clicking together.
I guess I just need to do some reading, but when I see a space-faring ARPG where you pilot around in a living universe and can affect the AI universe battles based on your actions, I think SR2.
I’ll probably just end up buying it and trying it myself anyways. :P
Do you do your ARPG stuff in a spaceship or on foot? All the screenshots on the site are in a spaceship.
Edit: I watched your gameplay video. I get it now. Wondering if I want to play a space game where they don’t put in what I typically like about space games.
The 4X stuff is really in the background and you pretty much don’t interact with it in any significant way. Sure, planets have different attributes and stuff going on with them on their own, but 99% of the time it’s just background noise. As the description says, it’s all about getting the cool-looking spaceship and blowing stuff up.
I know, right?! In regards to a typical ARPG, you have equipment slots for helms, legs, chest, rings, etc. In this, it’s broken up into Heavy/Medium/Light slots. There are weapons and shields and armor plates and hangars for fighter craft and a bunch of other type of equipment, but everything has a cost in terms of Power. A power plant / reactor is also an item to be equipped on the ship, so that’s usually a prime item that I look to upgrade as a bigger reactor typically means more and bigger toys I can fit into my ship.
There’s also the concept of Crew that doesn’t have an analog in other ARPGs. Crew members take up a Light component slot and provide stat increases. They have their own morale and need to be paid but the benefit is they level up as well and their stat contributions increase. This boosts your ship performance and also might allow you to equip a missile launcher or automated repair unit you wouldn’t normally meet the stat requirements for.
So it’s definitely an ARPG in space, but the different setting (you are a spaceship) adds a few twists to the core formula.
How does the ship control? Is it diablo like, or more subspace? I took a quick peek at Brian’s video (with sound off), and it doesn’t seem like he’s clicking all over the screen to move or target, but the weapons auto track?
I would have loved it to have netrek style combat with tractor beams and stuff. Probably wouldn’t work too well in an ARPG, but lots of fond memories playing that game.
