"Sword of the Stars"

[Ishoss]

http://www.gamersgate.com/index.php?...w&sku=DD-SOTSU

Anyone tried this game? It seems fun, sort of like a modern MOO. (I've only played MOO III, heard it was the worst of them)

Might download it later today. Anything published by Paradox is usually very good when you take the price into account

[Carach]

should this be in the paradox section?

[Gwyn ap Nud]

Well, it is published by Paradox...

[Neb]

I don't have the last expansion, but I have the base game and first expansion.

It's good, but has a few problems.

It's set up like TW, in that it has a turn based empire game, with real time battles. The empire game is good, with each race having wildly different technologies and modes of transportation around the universe. Also, the tech tree is slightly randomized each time you play, so some techs are missing from each game... making you mix up your strategies a little bit.

The problem for me was the battles. They're okay, but not great. Fleets start too close together for my liking, often within firing range right off the bat. And some weapons are clearly better than others. Meaning, if your tech tree doesn't have them, and the other person's does.. you're screwed.

But, overall, I liked it.

EDIT - also, I don't think paradox originally published it. It used to be published by lighthouse interactive... but they went under.

-Neb

[Ishoss]

Hmm, I will probably get it eventually then. There's probably some mods fixing combat, right?

[Carach]

Well, it is published by Paradox...

lol duuuuuuh im a fool. totally missed that bit on the post

[Ishoss]

Downloading it from Steam now

[Gwyn ap Nud]

Tell us how it goes, eh?

[Ishoss]

Sure, I tried it a bit on the laptop. Watching the tutorial on the stationary atm

[Keravnos]

An amazing game if I ever played one.
I recommend it to anyone out there for a good ol' 4X PC game.

[HansDuet]

A good new 4X game!?

*Runs to check it out*

[Cougar109]

A good new 4X game!?

*Runs to check it out*

I wouldn't say it's new, been around for 3 or 4 years now I believe. Never played it myself, heard mixed things about it and was strapped for both time and cash when it came out so never got it. Might check it out now since the price is nice.

[HansDuet]

Hmm.

Odd since I don't remember hearing about it.

[Cougar109]

Hmm.

Odd since I don't remember hearing about it.

Publisher blew it really. Zero hype before the release, almost no advertising anywhere after the release. The game wasn't even officially announced until about two months before release in I remember correctly. It's kind of a shame to because the game did have a lot of promise from what I've heard but due to the fact that only a few hardcore space RTS fans ever really found out it existed for the first six months of the initial release. But it spun off two expansion packs and there are rumors of a sequel of sorts in the works so it's had some success despite the inital blunders of Lighthouse. Again one of the worst jobs ever done by a publisher in my eyes and I'm sure a major reason why they went under.

[Keravnos]

Cougar,

honest criticism is fine and dandy, but how about checking for yourself in those video walkthroughs


as for the criticism, as I happened to watch this game very closely before actually managing to acquire a copy

Publisher blew it really. Zero hype before the release, almost no advertising anywhere after the release. The game wasn't even officially announced until about two months before release in I remember correctly.

Making a 4X game with hype=MOO3, aka run to the hills. I think they took the correct course in this one. The game certainly plays great.

It's kind of a shame to because the game did have a lot of promise from what I've heard but due to the fact that only a few hardcore space RTS fans ever really found out it existed for the first six months of the initial release.

The game still holds a lot of potential. To me its 3d star viewpoint is unique as well as very intuitive. The way the naval battles play out is exactly what I would picture space naval combat (I come from starfleet command school so far as naval combat is concerned). Things have only gone better. Right now it is a fantastic game which is bug free.

But it spun off two expansion packs and there are rumors of a sequel of sorts in the works so it's had some success despite the inital blunders of Lighthouse. Again one of the worst jobs ever done by a publisher in my eyes and I'm sure a major reason why they went under.

Publisher going under means squat so far as the game is concerned. The dev team is still going strong (and still producing even more material for the game, which will be included in future patches 1.7 is imminent).

Do yourself a favor and get this game. If you like 4X PC games it will be one of the best decisions you have ever made. See for yourself in the video walkthroughs of the game.

[Cougar109]

Fair points keravnos, honestly I was going off of memory from a few years back. Only point I was trying to make though was the reason the game lacked in sales and is so unheard of even to this day is because of the shoddy job in getting the game out to the general public through advertisments, hype, publicity, ect. and when you do a shoddy job your company generally goes under which is the thing I was getting at.

I did just pick the game up on Impulse though and am giving it a run through as I type, are there any "must have" mods out there I should be aware of or anything of that nature?

[Ishoss]

This is a funny game! I'm still very crappy, but I'm improving

I just love how they've named planets, just came across "Nibiru" lol xD

[Keravnos]

I did just pick the game up on Impulse though and am giving it a run through as I type, are there any "must have" mods out there I should be aware of or anything of that nature?

I admit that I haven't won a single game so far (boo me), but had a magnificent time losing on "Sword of the Stars". The only thing I can say is that even if there are mods, it seems to me that the game simply doesn't need them.

[Pious Agnost]

Certainly looks fun, I might have to get it sometime

And yes, MOO III was definitely the least fun ('It's like doing your taxes, but less fun')

[Cougar109]

Tough game, actually had to go through and do the tutorial which is something I never usually do. Have had some fun with it though and I'm sure I'll have even more once I figure it all out.