Then my work here is done.
On a scale of 7-9 Norabungas!, where would you rate it? My purchasing decision hinges on this.
I haven’t given it a fair try due to a UI that was not intuitive at all for me. Been holding out on going back to see if that’s an area they address during early access.
I’ve been enjoying it.
That’s tough given that it’s still missing content and not all the systems are complete. It would depend on your tolerance for early access.
I liked the turned-based tactical combat and how they have options for speeding it up by ordering multiple ships at a time. The system where planets have fewer building slots didn’t work as well to reduce micro as I had hoped. Once I got the tech to colonize every rock, I felt that the chore level went way up. I’d also out-expanded the AI, so the feeling of threat was lacking. At that point, I drifted back to try the Stellaris DLC.
I think I’d prefer a model where the civilian economy just grows organically and you just tax it to build your military stuff. Add some global laws and some local incentives and call it a day.
Stars in Shadow leaves early access January 19. I bought it in EA, played it a bit, and thought it has promise so I shelved it to wait for full release. Looking forward to giving it a go.
I’d be interested in hearing people’s opinions on 1.0, when it’s out!
I also shelved it until it gets released so I’ll have to try it again soon.
So, anyone jumped in yet?
Will be jumping in later this evening.
Played it quite a lot…quick rundown here
Decent turn based combat, reminiscing of Moo 2, with a bit more intricate ship designer, I like it.
Same star map as most other in the genre, nothing special ,planets are varied but not overly exciting, like most of the genre.
Tech system is cluttered and not very good, but there is a lot of tech and its not useless, but it takes some getting used to, they could have gone for a better visual here, its still a tree-type tech.
Planet building is simple, its focused and you don’t build many special things, while fine, its maybe a bit light for a game with such small maps compared to say, Stellaris.
Land combat is a numbers game, and I still find the old moo 2 combat to atleast portray a -bit- of excitement…even if its the same.
Overall, a C+ which means, if Moo 2 had updated visuals it would be pointless to play this, as its just a better game…but there you are. That said, I find it strangly more fun than NewMoo, I think its mostly cause the turn times are so quick, I abhor waiting in these types of games, when there is so little to do each turn.
Here is a portion of a post in the Steam forum written by the game designer. His main priority is the third goal. From my limited time with the game in early access I would say that the first two goals are realized and others will decide about the immersion. I find it immersive enough.
Think of it a bit like Age of Wonders III in space.
"I have three essential goals as a game designer. I want Stars in Shadow to be a 4X game that 1) can be played from start to finish in a single evening 2) emphasizes turn based tactical battles and 3) is set in a world worth losing myself in.
As a designer, you need to decide which gameplay elements you’re going to focus on; and which you’re willing to deemphasize. The intended focus, in Stars in Shadow, is turn-based tactical combat. That’s a significant point of divergence from many of the other titles in the genre. Endless Space, for example, is a case where the designers made exactly the opposite choice – focusing on strategy while trimming the tactical game down to it’s most basic form.
In Stars in Shadow, the trimming and streamlining happen in the strategic game. Managing your colonies is not intended to be as deep or consuming an experience as Civilization’s city building. In many situations, simply leaving your colonies to their own devices for a couple turns while you prepare for your next fleet battle should be the best action a player can take."
Just listen to Janster, people. He’s got it exactly right,
really enjoying this. who’d have thought something so retrospective would be so refreshing?
Tom is streaming this right now. (Monday night 1/23).
Here’s the tech tree. Yikes.
I like how some of the connecting lines in the tech tree are squiggly, like they were done using MS paint. :D
Ah, so that explains why it’s not just laid out in the game!
To the game’s credit, it’s pretty manageable once you realize there’s a button to list all the techs by category, where you can read hyperlinked entries and queue up research. It’s the list icon in the upper right of the tech list.
-Tom
I just wish the research tree had a search function. Is there one? I couldn’t find one. Really liking the game though, very Master of Orion 1ish to me.
Thanks for pointing that out. I was looking right at it which explains why I didn’t see it.
The “queue research” feature is helpful so I can go straight for the Stellar Surge Beam and “drill through a planet’s crust, igniting the core and shattering the world.”