Empires in Space is like all classic 4X strategy games, but in addition to the standard features of the genre it is designed be a massive multiplayer online game.
- all the standard features of normally installed 4X games now online
- play with friend without needing them to be online
- compete with human beings: all other realms are player controlled (and not AI)
- there is no pay to win and never will
- strategic cooperation with friends – defend (or expand) the borders of your realms together
- ally yourself with your friends instead of fighting them – there will be enough opponents against who it would be better to stand as a group
Here are two playable online demos (no login or registration required):
Demo Starting Phase
Demo Advanced Phase
This is what the
Alpha Version looks like at the moment. The screenshot shows a solar
system, where your colonizer space ship arrives at the beginning of
the game.
This screenshot
shows the star map later in the game, when you have discovered a
large area and met multiple other nations:
The game does run
continuously on a server, without the need for a player to log in.
The idea is that
multiple turns are played per day but all benefits of the turns stack
up, so that you don't have to get online after each turn. Depending
on the game settings, there are up to six turns a day. Only the
movement points will be capped after having added up for five turns.
The most important
tasks may be done within five minutes per day, but of course a player
may spend more time on scouting, diplomacy and trade.
These features are
implemented up to now:
- ship movement, combat and colonization of new worlds
- colony management, small chains of productions
- research
- ship designer to create unit templates, and ship building
- alliances (clans)
- diplomacy
- local communication networks (generic ones and new ones from players themselves)
- trade between players
The game ends
shortly after the research tree is fully explored and the players
should be able to influence the ending scenario.
Since it is a
massively multiplayer game, there are some problems with ending
scenarios that affect all players. The
typical scenario would be “Conquest”, which would mean that a lot
of players actually lose the game.
The ending
scenarios are not implemented yet. The first one to come will be
“Research”
which leads to a global “Ascension”: After having researched the
technology, players may start an “Ascension Construct“
or help to build another players construct (and of course try to
destroy rival constructs). The first such construct to be finished
will end the game, and players will get points according to their
contribution to the construct, their spatial distance to the
construct, their population and possibly other factors.
As long as there is
no ending scenario, players can simply enjoy themselves by exploring,
colonizing, exterminating, bartering and negotiating for fun.
You can find the
project's homepage here, feel free to join the current game. I will
enable turn progress as soon as ten players are part of the game.
Game content and
game mechanics may be discussed in the forum, e.g. how to
prevent a blitzkrieg.
I am looking forward
to hearing from you, learn about your ideas, your wishes about
content or your recommendations on changes.
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