Saw this one sale today on Steam for $16.74, 33% off. Searched here and found a thread for Star Ruler 2 which mentions this game, maybe a sequel, I wasn't sure. Any comments on this space empire building game.? Appears to be an early access game.
Early access game is early access.
Tautological, yes, but true.
(Actually I just said that to register for comment tracking, in case other people had experience with it... ;D )
This was originally early-released as Star Lords.
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=8316.msg207318#msg207318
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=9937.msg251949#msg251949
...can't believe that was a year ago already. I picked it back then, but haven't checked it out for quite a while...
Quote from: JasonPratt on August 11, 2014, 01:33:26 PM
Early access game is early access.
Tautological, yes, but true.
(Actually I just said that to register for comment tracking, in case other people had experience with it... ;D )
Only here would I see the word 'tautological' used and used correctly...! Well done.
From everything I've heard & read so far, I would say wait. Even by the standards of being in an alpha/beta state, it's apparently a bit underdone at the moment.
Quote from: steve58 on August 11, 2014, 01:43:07 PM
This was originally early-released as Star Lords.
Does it have talking racoons?
Green-skinned athletic space-girls? :smitten:
Looks like the game is now available via Early Access. There's also a launch trailer.
Quote from: Martok on September 15, 2014, 11:31:09 AM
Looks like the game is now available via Early Access. There's also a launch trailer.
Actually it's out of Early Access and officially released, but by all accounts it's nowhere near ready. This is the game that used to be called Star Lords.
I never even got a chance to play the last beta release which was only a week or two ago and they still had quite a list to work on. This doesn't instill me with confidence, but we'll see.
Ouchie! SpaceSector has their review (http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2014/10/lords-of-the-black-sun-review/) up...and it's bad. Very, very bad.
Quote
Overall, the game is a fundamentally flawed. The problem lies in that the game tried to cater for too many of the elements one can expect in a high-budget game but offering each of these mechanics in a very shallow manner. Combat is simple but the AI and elements of the combat system ensure the system does not offer a fully satisfying experience. This is compounded by a shallow ship customizer that seems to only exist to say there is a ship customizer.
The AI in diplomacy and empire management means the AI can easily be tricked even at the higher difficulties or be exploited easily. Opaque game mechanics that are either poorly explained or operate in a way that is counter intuitive, straight-forward colonisation that does not require any 'tough' choices to be made, and pigeonholing the player to play with a single strategy add to the list problems with the game. The game feels incomplete or that each feature was only implemented so that the feature was there.
Furthermore, the numerous technical issues make it hard to recommend the game even as an experiment. It is one of the failings of the game that is harder to forgive.
That makes me sad, although not terribly surprised -- most comments I've been hearing about LotBS the last month or two have been very "meh" at best, if not outright negative. I was never particularly excited by (or anticipating) this game, but I'm still dismayed by how poor it's apparently turned out to be.
What has happened to the space 4x genre lately??
Distant Worlds seems to be the one of the only bright spots at the moment. Otherwise, it seems like the vast majority of offerings from the last couple years are mediocre at best -- or, if they do turn out decent after numerous patches/updates, were utter disasters (or at least extremely anemic) at release.
(C'mon,
Stardrive II...)
Quote from: Martok on October 24, 2014, 02:06:14 PM
What has happened to the space 4x genre lately?? Distant Worlds seems to be the one of the only bright spots at the moment. Otherwise, it seems like the vast majority of offerings from the last couple years are mediocre at best -- or, if they do turn out decent after numerous patches/updates, were utter disasters (or at least extremely anemic) at release.
Sturgeon's Law applies as much here as everywhere else.
(Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap.)
Quote from: tgb on October 25, 2014, 04:56:48 AM
Sturgeon's Law applies as much here as everywhere else.
(Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap.)
Whomever this 'Sturgeon' fellow is, his take on things reminds me of that of the famous writer Kilgore Trout. ;)
^
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon%27s_law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilgore_Trout
Same guy more or less :P
Quote from: Tpek on October 25, 2014, 07:44:23 AM
Same guy more or less :P
Yes. Next time I'll use the [humor][/humor] tags. ;)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi747.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx120%2FStaggerwing%2Fvenus_zps2f622ae7.jpg&hash=60ff1aba79d428f4f4e5c927f3c681a166ef189f)
I don't have the game but also noticed that a patch has been released yesterday:
Version 1.03 released !
17. November - MikeDomingues
Hello everyone !
We're back with the biggest update that we have released so far since the game's launch 2 months ago.
We've focused mostly on stability, with many major changes under the hood, but we also put a lot of work on balancing several areas of the game, like the tech tree and AI for example as well as fixing several bugs.
Here's the changelog for 1.03:
-Improved stability
-Story events races now start with 4 planets instead of 1
-The Arka'avi and Osian races now have much better technology, making them significantly harder to beat
-Raze planet crash fixed
-It's now harder to have the AI accept long term payment deals, making it much harder to lead the AI bankrupt by asking or giving several loans. Additionally it also takes its current debt into account when making a decision.
- Added new Background music track
- Implemented a series of experimental stability fixes
- Added Space Key to skip cinematic intro
- Going back from the game to the main menu now restarts the new game settings
- Made the AI use diplomacy more actively
- Rebalanced the tech research time of several technologies in all branches
- Added Plasma Weapon Z-IV technology and ship part
- Fixed non working Technology Level tooltip when a pirate faction is
selected in the Diplomacy menu
- Fixed non working Enter Key in initial intro
- Fixed General without weapons bug
- Fixed events that are triggered when right after starting a new session
- Fixed non working "Broken Chains" speech
- Fixed barely noticeable effect of the Emergency Chip, Improved
Medical Care and Pharmaceutics technolgies
- Fixed Minor Race menu not showing the state of your relations when
they really like you
- Fixed "too much weight" window bug when leaving the ship design menu
- Fixed non working Enter Key in initial intro
- Fixed "can't estabilish trade routes with empire X" due to embargo or war message popping up when trying to move a ship to one of your planets
As always, we are listening to your feedback and really appreciate any report of issues you may find.
That said, we really hope you enjoy this update !
Cheers !
Eh...you can't polish a turd.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 18, 2014, 05:02:15 AM
Eh...you can't polish a turd.
Guess not... ;)
As said...don't have the game but will still keep an eye on it...once they remove the bugs, improve the ai and if the game is really ship (edit: i meant
cheap of course ::)) at my retailer, i might still get it for a few hours of gameplay.
Now just waiting on some feedback if by any chance someone has the game and still want to check the new patch... :coolsmiley:
Quote from: Anguille on November 18, 2014, 05:14:45 AM
As said...don't have the game but will still keep an eye on it...once they remove the bugs, improve the ai and if the game is really ship at my retailer, i might still get it for a few hours of gameplay.
I'm thinking I might get it as well under those conditions -- that, and it's on sale. Given the overwhelmingly negative feedback this game has received thus far, I wouldn't risk paying even half-price for it.
Quote from: Anguille on November 18, 2014, 05:14:45 AM
if by any chance someone has the game
...Anyone?
Bueller? Bueller?
Quote from: Martok on November 18, 2014, 09:01:39 AM
Quote from: Anguille on November 18, 2014, 05:14:45 AM
As said...don't have the game but will still keep an eye on it...once they remove the bugs, improve the ai and if the game is really ship at my retailer, i might still get it for a few hours of gameplay.
I'm thinking I might get it as well under those conditions -- that, and it's on sale. Given the overwhelmingly negative feedback this game has received thus far, I wouldn't risk paying even half-price for it.
I think the game is fairly dull (what i've seen on youtube so far) but i think that most negative reviews come from the CTDs....if that is fixed, it might be fun for a few hours...
Quote from: Martok on November 18, 2014, 09:01:39 AM
Quote from: Anguille on November 18, 2014, 05:14:45 AM
As said...don't have the game but will still keep an eye on it...once they remove the bugs, improve the ai and if the game is really ship at my retailer, i might still get it for a few hours of gameplay.
I'm thinking I might get it as well under those conditions -- that, and it's on sale. Given the overwhelmingly negative feedback this game has received thus far, I wouldn't risk paying even half-price for it.
Quote from: Anguille on November 18, 2014, 05:14:45 AM
if by any chance someone has the game
...Anyone?
Bueller? Bueller?
I have it. It is a major let down. There is no reason to get it if you have other 4x classics. LotBS brings very little to the table.