I picked this one up awhile ago, but played it only briefly until this weekend. It's still under development, but receives regular updates. It is definitely worth a look for you Harpoon/Cold Waters fans...it's very similar in feel to those games, but in space!
It's very retro and much of the game is spent pointing and clicking. This may turn some off, but the space travel and combat is very authentic and this is where the game shines. Maintaining your ship, optimizing it, upgrading components, managing comms and emissions, etc. It's all pretty detailed and feels every immersive.
I haven't been in combat yet, but I love how it is described and based on how the scanner and radar work in general, I think it's going to be really awesome and suspenseful.
Quote
you've been detected...
Your ship is exposed...
An alarm blares...
"Torpedo incoming!"
Objects in Space is an open world 2D stealth-action space trading game set in Apollo – a huge cluster of star systems dozens of lightyears away from Earth. You are a ship's captain, buying and selling wares in order to keep your bucket o' bolts afloat and stay one step ahead of pirates, organised criminals, corrupt governments and shady laws.
A galaxy of characters await you in Objects in Space. The game focuses on a myriad of short stories rather than one main storyline with a hero's journey, so it's up to you how much or how little narrative you want in your game.
Combat in Objects sees ships treated more like Cold War submarines than WWII dogfighters. You'll be running silent, planning manoeuvres far ahead of time and engaging in deadly games of cat-and-mouse with nebulous enemies, but only for those players who seek it out. Combat-averse players can pay attention to the news and avoid pirate-heavy systems and choose not to explore the deadly uncharted areas of space where greater numbers of pirates lurk.
It'll be up to you to keep your ship's systems running as quietly as possible, going fully 'dark' if you have to, just floating with your current trajectory and speed hoping to avoid showing up on anyone else's scanners as you traverse some of the most dangerous shipping lanes in space.
To make your money, there are over fifty employers and your reputation with each one will dictate how many passenger, cargo or bounty-hunting contracts are available to you. But be warned - failure to complete a contract might see your rep plummet with that employer. So when you get an SOS signal from a nearby ship but have a deadline to keep, what will you do?
Your ship is completely customisable down to the tiniest component of each module. If your battery dies, it's your own fault. You decided to go with a cheap Ventarii battery in the first place, and it was out of your stubbornness that you bought a Connext Hap Node when the mechanic recommended a Xiao Sa brand model. Silly you.
You can play it safe in the central systems or design your ship with the ability to outrun, outfight or out-hide your opponents and make your fortune in the outer rims. But be careful! You are just as easily prey as predator in deep space...
Features List:
Massive open world to explore full of NPCs to interact with
Complex contract-based economic system with over 50 employers
Time-based open world - opportunities, stories and events happen at certain times as well as certain places, so each play through will be different
Tense submarine-influenced combat
Fully customisable ships - design your vessel for combat, shipping, stealth and more
Mostly avoidable combat for more pacifistic players
A world of side quests - no single linear story players are required to follow
Explore 12 hand-crafted populated star and 20 uncharted systems full of unknown threats and treasures
Find derelict ships, wreckages, cargo pods and communication beacons adrift in space
Be a trader, bounty hunter, explorer, pirate or all of them at the same time
Sandbox mode - play the game without narrative content in an endless version of the game (coming soon)
Scenarios - tense combat scenarios task the player with overcoming impossible odds and testing their skill (coming soon)
Multi-player Scenarios - compete or cooperate in a variety of multiplayer modes and situations (coming soon)
Build your own DIY controllers at home using Arduinos - anyone can construct their own ship bridge with physical switches and buttons with just a little bit of soldering know-how. Easy to learn and fun to do!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/824070/Objects_in_Space/ (https://store.steampowered.com/app/824070/Objects_in_Space/)
I'd have to echo everything you said, Jarhead. I've only played a bit while I wait for 1.0, but what I saw was extremely promising. It really does feel like submarines in space! From my short time with it it seems like one of those curious games where despite its freeform nature everything you do seems to have been anticipated by the developer and the universe reacts accordingly; quite remarkable. I was enjoying the story and the very real feeling of being an actual captain of a ship. Oh and also the developer actually responds to (and fixes) bug reports you send by email!
By the way it came to my attention because of a certain similarity to Deep Sixed, another game I need to devote more time to.
Wow..been waiting for a game like this for some time. Yeah, I wish the graphics were better but the idea of "burning" in different directions to attack, controlling emissions and systems malfunctioning here and there is great. I'll pick it up
Man...I just flew through a debris field and got pelted with asteroids. Not fun...
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 19, 2019, 02:50:49 PM
Man...I just flew through a debris field and got pelted with asteroids. Not fun...
Yeah they're very easy to miss (or should I say hit HAHA) unfortunately. You have no choice but to take it slow when you're clearing fog of war.
Quote from: Huw the Poo on February 19, 2019, 03:01:32 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 19, 2019, 02:50:49 PM
Man...I just flew through a debris field and got pelted with asteroids. Not fun...
Yeah they're very easy to miss (or should I say hit HAHA) unfortunately. You have no choice but to take it slow when you're clearing fog of war.
Yeah...I was reading emails and monitoring comm chatter. Silly me. I figured, space is so big, what are the chances of running into something?
Interesting. I have been pondering this one.
I don't have any "Spaceship-Spaceship" ones.
Plus the submarines in space /Expanse-vibe sounds intriguing.
I feel as a Public Service Announcement, I should remind all y'all playing this game that the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field are approximately 3,720 to 1.
8)
Never tell me the odds!
Quote from: IronX on February 19, 2019, 05:44:20 PM
Never tell me the odds!
Give that man a cigar! Or should I say, that "Han" a cigar!
:D
(...OK I'll stop now)
This would have never popped on my radar.
Wishlisted. Does it ever go on sale?
Quote from: Toonces on February 19, 2019, 07:49:13 PM
Wishlisted. Does it ever go on sale?
Yes, but not by much (https://isthereanydeal.com/game/objectsinspace/history/). I think it's worth the full asking price though.
Quote from: Toonces on February 19, 2019, 07:49:13 PM
This would have never popped on my radar.
Wishlisted. Does it ever go on sale?
Would it help if they called it "Space Force Simulator"?
Quote from: DoctorQuest on February 20, 2019, 09:17:42 AM
Quote from: Toonces on February 19, 2019, 07:49:13 PM
This would have never popped on my radar.
Wishlisted. Does it ever go on sale?
Would it help if they called it "Space Force Simulator"?
I think that would be Children of a Dead Earth. https://store.steampowered.com/app/476530/Children_of_a_Dead_Earth/
Objects in Space is more like a "Rebel Scum Simulator". ^-^
Quote from: DoctorQuest on February 20, 2019, 09:17:42 AM
Quote from: Toonces on February 19, 2019, 07:49:13 PM
This would have never popped on my radar.
Wishlisted. Does it ever go on sale?
Would it help if they called it "Space Force Simulator"?
The Department of Defence will be looking to get a professional version of this game soon.
I played around with this one over the weekend. So far, I really enjoy the game. I found a couple of vids by the developer which explained some of the systems and game mechanics.... basically, cutting power reduce emissions (running silent, even red light), emissions meter (noise meter), emission spikes from other ships (Sonar), hiding in a gas cloud to scramble sensors (going beyond thermal layer), staying in known shipping lanes (convoy, escort system) etc.....
So far I like it, and after doing some story lead missions, I am trying to figure out how to make some really money. I have to say kudos to the developers because being able to move around your ships, the way the screens are presented, really good emersion. So far, I dig it.
I always said I wanted silent hunter five in space. This is about as close as I'm going to get. The graphics...yeah..but beggars can't be choosers and he did a pretty damn good job on
Just watched Brian Rubin (Spacegamejunkie) do a let's play of it.
Impressed. He had a person who needed to get off a station and was willing to pay 10,000 credits. He took the job, flew her to the station this character needed to go to, and then was surprised he had the authorities and everyone in this one system after him.
Fun times. But he did show a lot of the features of the game. How to do repairs, buying parts, etc.
So, yeah its going on the wishlist.