So, Endless Space on Steam for $15 is tempting --
Just subjective, but seems like initial excitement about this title fizzled. Any devotees still out there of the "$15 is a bargain for this solid game" variety? I gather the hands-off combat system is still controversial -- and the AI sounds like it leaves a lot to be desired.... ?
I personally thought it was overhyped. The battles were not my cup of tea.
I'm embarrassed to say this because my initial impressions were very positive and I gushed quite shamefully about it on this very forum. However, ultimately I've been disappointed by Endless Space.
It isn't a true turn-based game. There are too many instances where you make a decision - move a fleet or whatever - and suddenly the enemy reacts and buggers up your plans during your own turn. And when you have more than one battle to fight you don't get to choose which to play manually. It's sort of halfway between turn based and real time. That doesn't sit well with me at all. And that's before you get into the silly battle system which requires as much luck as skill.
Still, if you can look past these glaring faults, there's a competent 4X there somewhere. It still has the best interface I've ever seen in such a game. I'd say $15 is worth it if the aforementioned problems don't sound too bad for you.
I definitely hear more negatives about about this title than positives -- Star Ruler is also on sale but seems like a similar story there --
no matter -- got a pretty good game going in SOTS2 at the moment -- think I'll just stick to that --
I found it very shallow. Didn't deem like it at first but after a game, you realize that you can build everything everywhere and combat is too rock paper scissors to require much thought or planning....bleh
From everything I've read, the game's combat system, immersion factor, and (to perhaps a lesser extent) AI are all lacking.
On the other hand, it's supposed to be a well-polished product, and the devs are clearly going to be supporting ES (including expansions) for a long time to come. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it's finally worth buying when the "Complete Super Ultimate Edition" (which includes all 48 expansions/DLC) goes on sale...
I might give it another chance. Apparently, the next update - Echoes of the Endless - which releases tomorrow will do something about battle stacking, which is one of my major bugbears with the game. I'll report back.
While not a bad game, it is just ok. It really lacks character to me and just seems bland and I quickly become bored half way through. Unlike a game like Warlock which keeps you pulled in and busy..... The customization of the ships really seems really odd and just adding a point here and there to an generic area.... and combat is not that interesting. I hope they continue developing it because I still have hope. The UI is very good.... had to get a positive in there.
PE
Quote from: Martok on November 24, 2012, 01:24:17 PM
From everything I've read, the game's combat system, immersion factor, and (to perhaps a lesser extent) AI are all lacking.
On the other hand, it's supposed to be a well-polished product, and the devs are clearly going to be supporting ES (including expansions) for a long time to come. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it's finally worth buying when the "Complete Super Ultimate Edition" (which includes all 48 expansions/DLC) goes on sale...
It was well-programmed, but I think the design just didn't have much kick opr spice or whatever it is that gives a game that
nitty-gritty that can be interesting and immersive even if annoying.
Not annoying, but not all that interesting.
Well, I will say that the game is very polished. The devs did a great job.
Had to pass on Endless Space -- at least this time around (...Lord knows there will be other sales events to get it at a discount...)
Did pick up Star Ruler -- at $4, I figured, what's the risk? Still, my initial impressions are decidedly "meh"... May have to stick to SOTS2 and Sins - Rebellion for my space opera fix...
Star ruler has some cool ideas...I like the newtonian physics and the ship designs but generally, it felt...."weird". Ultimately, I settled on X3 for my fix and have been playing it for about 2 months now...almost exclusively. Not the startegic game I wanted but its fun, immersive and I can do whatever I want.
Quote from: mikeck on November 27, 2012, 10:17:59 PM
but generally, it felt...."weird".
i'm kinda surprised at how very "indy" it feels, and not in the good way... i know it's a small group of dev's who put it together, but it just has a very amateurish, moddish feeling... i guess i'm just surprised at how ugly it is. i'm definitely judging the book by its cover here, but those are my initial reactions --
Regarding Star Ruler; use the in-game IRC interface. The devs hang around in there and would love to hear feedback. Also the other players in there can help you get to grips with the game.
Regarding Endless Space; I still have some hope because I don't share the same criticisms that others in this thread do. For me, it's only the not-turn-based mechanics that irritate, and apparently today's update will go a long way toward addressing the situation.
QuoteThis is it. We will be releasing in the upcoming hours "Echoes of the Endless", after weeks and weeks of hard work, testing, feedback and testing again. You guys have been very patient and helpful: still providing interesting discussions on the forums and supporting us, even months after the release. So really, thank you for being that awesome.
Like we said, we tried (and hope we did it well!) to bring more life, personality and feedback with this Add-On: interactive random events, Endless & Natural wonders, exploration rewards, galaxy anomalies, new audio tracks, endgame illustrations, new heroes, additional lore, sentry mode, auto-cycle through fleets, etc.
One special gift from us: The battle timer (when choosing a participating mode: auto/manual) is now a game option. By default, the battle timer is disabled for a single player session, and it is enabled for a multiplayer session.
Release notes:QuoteECHOES OF THE ENDLESS (1.0.38)
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
The galaxy generation seed is displayed with the pause menu.
Added a sentry mode to the available fleet actions.
Added an auto-cycle button to enable the review of all fleets without orders.
The battle timer (when choosing a participating mode: auto/manual) is now a game option. By default, the battle timer is disabled for a single player session, and it is enabled for a multiplayer session. [G2G vote]
Added a new state for the "end turn button" that notifies the player he has pending encounters.
Refactored the heroes' ability trees.
If a system improvement will never be relevant for a system, hide it from the improvement picklist (credits: by grubnik)
Added a victory/defeat picture and extra information to the 'Continue' panel.
Added a 'Game Introduction' option in game options (to introduce the new content of an add-on).
Updated the tutorial with the new features.
Added 5 new musics.
INTERACTIVE RANDOM EVENTS [G2G vote]
Refactored the game events system:
- The pre 1.0.30 events are compatible
- Added new event effects
- Added interactive random events
- Added a new panel to the Empire Factors panel, which summarizes all the effects of the current random events
- Added an advanced game option to activate/deactivate the random events generation
Added descriptions and pictures to the new random events.
EXPLORATION EVENTS [G2G vote]
Added exploration rewards: small random bonuses for the first player to explore a system.
Some exploration events are now interactive.
Added a GUI feedback in the galaxy view to identify systems with an exploration reward. The Amoeba players have a slightly different feedback.
The effects of the exploration events are now displayed in the Empire Factors panel.
WONDERS [G2G vote]
Added natural and endless wonders. The endless wonders can be restored.
Lowered number of wonders depending on the different size.
Added GFX for natural and endless wonders.
Added a GUI feedback in the galaxy view to identify explored systems with a wonder.
AMBIENCE - GALAXY MAP [G2G vote]
Added more life to the galaxy with the random addition of comets, black holes, pulsars, ...
DIPLOMACY
Removed the waiting period for the cold war status.
Added diplomatic answers when the player trades with an AI and when an AI is offering a proposal.
With the previous diplomatic behavior we could have deadlock involving a permanent cold war state between all the factions.
HEROES
Added a new Pilgrim hero.
Added 4 heroes of new factions (Sheredyn and minor factions).
MULTIPLAYER
Set the Steam regional parameter to 'Worldwide' for the multiplayer sessions.
The game disconnections related to the Steam servers should be less frequent.
All the multiplayer sessions of a given version are now displayed. You can join a game only if you have the same files/mod as the session's host.
AI
Removed growth and fleet upkeep bonus for the AI.
AI for newbie is less aggressive and less militarized.
Lowered normal Pirates difficulty.
During a deal, the AI values a resource depending on the number he already owns.
BALANCING
Reduced the science trade route multiplier from 2 to 0.5.
FIXES
Fixed a potential desync in MP when unlocking a technology by a random event.
Fixed an issue where the random events frequency is not tied to the game speed.
Fixed an issue where entering planet view after scraping a population improvement causes an assert.
Fixed an issue where desert planet does not display all life simulation effects.
Fixed an issue where life simulation effects are not properly displayed on high population planets.
Fixed an issue where the ships created by events don't have the good amount of HP.
Fixed an issue where an assert occurred for a same random event for two empires.
Fixed an issue with the anomaly reduction of the hell gourds.
Fixed an issue where an exploration event causes a desync in a multiplayer session.
Fixed an issue where the constructibles were overridden by the modding.
Fixed an issue where the warning events "no current technology" & "bankrupt next turn" made the battle notifications disappear.
Fixed an issue where the wrong ship design was queued after an advanced defender exploration event was encountered.
Fixed an issue where the advanced defender exploration event used the designs based on affinity.
Fixed some issues of GUI and localization.
Endless Space is now Free to Play this weekend on Steam and %50 off..... give it a go and see what you think.
PE
man, it's like this game is just taunting me to buy it --
any veteran impressions on the newly patched version? looks like a list of significant changes --
Quote from: sandman2575 on November 29, 2012, 02:07:09 PM
man, it's like this game is just taunting me to buy it --
any veteran impressions on the newly patched version? looks like a list of significant changes --
Have not had a chance to play it yet.... maybe will get to take a peek tonight.
PE
I will be playing the latest version for several hours tomorrow and possibly this evening as well. I will report back.
Got 30-odd turns in this evening. Only had one skirmish with a scout so far, so I can't comment much on the update. Here's the current state of the map:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcloud.steampowered.com%2Fugc%2F542945375797907926%2F56D1A7E0205A1FCDC2893A7469B18CBBD190D871%2F&hash=7f82349fca8d0497fbd0102fc3b005b5c622c2b2)
I'm the blues in the top-left; we're Sophons, chosen mainly because they have the coolest-looking ships. :)
My immediate neighbour, the yellows, are the Cravers! No chance of diplomatic relations there, and the only way around them is via a wormhole to the east of Centaurus, which we can't use because we don't yet have wormhole technology. Therefore I'm going to need to firm up my military a lot sooner than I'd hoped. I intend to use the Sophons' tech advantage to quickly diversify my weaponry and go in all guns blazing - perhaps I'll overwhelm the buggers before they get going.
As usual, I went for the infinite supermarkets tech very early, to counteract the expansion approval penalties; with two level 3/4 heroes and two fleets on the go, I needed to do something to allow me to keep tax rates up and ensure some dust was rolling in!
The good news is that the other two empires I've met, another Sophon empire and the Sowers, have taken a liking to me. I have open borders agreements with both, and the other Sophons are now friendly with the Sowers right behind. If I can persuade at least one of them to attack the Cravers when I do, things will be a lot easier. Of course, once the Cravers are dealt with I'll almost certainly stab my allies in the back. :D
So far I'm enjoying it. The slickness of the UI really cannot be overstated. It's amazing. Tooltips are everywhere, and so much information is conveyed on each screen without resorting to walls of text. The battle screen that pops up now has the option of not having a timer (why the hell was that even there in the first place?), allowing you to analyse the enemy fleet composition at your leisure.
I intend to play a good few hours tomorrow, and I'll update my report when I do. Anyone even remotely interested should at least play the free weekend, which is on now.
The Cravers kept hanging around my system Cheng. I didn't like it. So:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcloud-2.steampowered.com%2Fugc%2F542945375813106467%2FAC5C3153D247DB6D283B21C614215BB1AFED1FFC%2F&hash=0c26f64a4954480b0e88570fb7fb1a7eb0ec310d)
And then:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcloud.steampowered.com%2Fugc%2F542945375813095978%2FB70FCC5C7ECB65057E06F3D138B7D13F14B4B1E1%2F&hash=1e8909c3bcbf60aea22fe338db1bd6d2bad7d8ed)
That is what is commonly known as an arse-kicking. We declared war on each other shortly after that. Then, as a happy result of researching more ship hulls, we discovered the "Casimir Effect" which allowed wormhole travel.
(I really like that about Endless Space. Some people say that the tech tree is crap or doesn't make sense, and I couldn't disagree more. Techs are perfectly natural. In researching better hull materials or shielding, say, you will also be able to colonise new types of world. It makes sense. If your ships are better protected, it becomes more feasible to colonise lava worlds, for example.)
Cutting a long story short, after going through the wormhole we discovered a couple more empires which seemed well established, and despite some small skirmishes (it was all a misunderstanding) we've established peace for now.
I'm happy to report that my initial plan is working. We've raced through the military branch of the tech tree and, after a lucky find of some rare resources, are now building laser boats. The Cravers' ships pack a lot of punch but they're concentrating on missile technology and have no shields. Therefore my latest laser boat design has lots of flak protection and is bristling with lasers. We're campaigning in Craver space at the moment and cutting through their fleets like a hot knife through butter. I have a new hero - a combat expert - who I immediately assigned as an admiral to one of my main task forces, and together with two other fleets they really have the Cravers on the back foot now. We've even captured two of their systems.
Frustratingly, I still have not had multiple battles at one location, so I can't yet comment on whether battle stacking now works the way I want it to. However, now that you can pause the battle timer, you don't have to just fight as soon as two fleets collide. In fact you can even minimise the pre-battle screen and do whatever else you like until you're ready to fight. I can confirm that includes moving other fleets into the system. Much better!
---
I feel the same way I did playing Fallen Enchantress after the horrible mess that was War of Magic. Endless Space is now much better than it was, and I really only have one gripe remaining, namely that enemy fleets haven't necessarily finished moving when you begin your turn. If they'd just change that, this game would be close to perfect. As things stand, I'll have to settle for "extremely good". I haven't finished a game yet so I reserve final judgement, but I'm very optimistic right now and really enjoying playing.
I've been taking screenshots as I play; if you want to see any more just check them out on my Steam profile.
Great write-up, Huw --
So, 'close to perfect' is a pretty strong endorsement !
Any thoughts about the combat system? I know the hands-off style bugs a lot of people. What do you like about it?
The combat system takes some getting used to. Let me begin by saying it's a lot better than some other TBS games by default, since some don't allow any input in combat at all. The central premise is the cards system; you choose a card to play in each of the three combat phases (long, medium and short range). So during long range, where missiles are most effective, you'll probably want to play a card that boosts missile damage. However your opponent is also doing the same, and cards can counter each other. So if your opponent counters your card, you'll receive a penalty rather than a bonus.
It took me a long time to like this system. For a while I thought it was too close to rock paper scissors. However I now believe (although I haven't actually crunched the numbers) that the cards aren't really a deciding factor; they can maximise damage or minimise losses, but ultimately it's what you bring to the fight that decides it.
For example, referring back to my current game, those Craver ships that didn't have any shields (laser protection) were just getting torn apart by my lasers, even when my cards were being countered.
The other thing I like about the battles is that they're exciting. You watch the two fleets warp in as an ominous, military/futuristic tune kicks in, and then watch them slug it out while frantically deciding which cards to play. It's all over in under two minutes each time. I just think it really adds spice to the game and gets the blood pumping. They've now also implemented a free camera for the battles (the default is a cinematic camera which I prefer).
I'll just reiterate that I haven't played a full game yet so I'm reserving final judgement, but I'm having a blast at the moment. The tech tree is great (with really well-written flavour text), the economic systems are just the right depth, graphics are pretty and the interface is bloody superb.
And it's free to play at the moment on Steam!
Quote from: Huw the Poo on December 01, 2012, 12:41:01 PM
It took me a long time to like this system. For a while I thought it was too close to rock paper scissors. However I now believe (although I haven't actually crunched the numbers) that the cards aren't really a deciding factor; they can maximise damage or minimise losses, but ultimately it's what you bring to the fight that decides it.
Bring to the fight in terms of both fleet makeup and ship design, I take it? Have you spent much time designing ships? Do the player's custom designs have a real impact on combat results, or does it seem more like 'flavor'? Guess I'm just wondering how deep design is in comparison, to say, SOTS or Star Ruler --
You make a good case for the combat system. It sounds like if the player had just a little more input into how the combat plays out, it would be great. I like hands-off 'just issue orders and let it play out' in theory, but there is something about boiling down combat to playing cards that seems a little disappointing. playing cards would be fine if you could also have a little control over tactics, like how to position and deploy your fleets ...
Quote from: sandman2575 on December 01, 2012, 02:24:39 PM
Bring to the fight in terms of both fleet makeup and ship design, I take it?
Yeah, that's right.
QuoteHave you spent much time designing ships?
I have, which is unusual for me as I normally prefer to use pre-made ships in games like this. There's a lot to consider. As you research new techs, you get more powerful versions of modules you already have, and you also get new support modules - things like hull plating which increases hitpoints, long-range sensors etc. When designing a ship you need to choose a hull, and which modules to bolt onto it. Different hulls have different bonuses; combat hulls, for example, make it easier to fit weapon modules. See, you have two concerns when adding modules, which are the cost (in terms of manufacturing output required and any special resources) and the weight. So a combat hull will mean weapon modules weigh 20% less, allowing you to add more. Once the number of modules you have gets large, you can thus spend quite some time in the ship editor choosing just the right design for whatever you expect your ships to encounter. It's similar to Space Empires in that regard.
QuoteDo the player's custom designs have a real impact on combat results, or does it seem more like 'flavor'? Guess I'm just wondering how deep design is in comparison, to say, SOTS or Star Ruler --
A massive impact. When choosing modules, you're striking a balance between damage types, damage outputs, protection, maximum hitpoints, and in the case of support modules, much more than that. The cards you play in battles have an impact (and you can research new cards) but a ship that's weak against missiles will fall apart if you pelt it with missiles, no matter what cards your opponent plays. Like I said, in my above example the Cravers were sometimes "winning" the card battles but still being torn to shreds simply because they couldn't counter my lasers.
It's been some time since i last played Star Ruler and I can't remember enough to compare. I suspect Star Ruler is a bit deeper, but there's still plenty to consider in Endless Space.
QuoteYou make a good case for the combat system. It sounds like if the player had just a little more input into how the combat plays out, it would be great. I like hands-off 'just issue orders and let it play out' in theory, but there is something about boiling down combat to playing cards that seems a little disappointing. playing cards would be fine if you could also have a little control over tactics, like how to position and deploy your fleets ...
The combat isn't perfect. Personally I could have done without the cards system altogether - I don't particularly like it, I've simply grown to "not mind" it. I suspect the reason it was designed was to make sure battles were always snappy and never took more than two minutes to play out. Also, allowing for free movement and tactics can result in some bizarre AI behaviour, usually (in my experience and opinion) resulting in you figuring out ways to cheese your way through battles you ought to lose.
Was surprised the combat was real time, and there was no option to pause to select a combat card.
Thanks for all the details, Huw. You sold me. Amplitude Studios owes you a commission.
Quote from: sandman2575 on December 01, 2012, 05:02:04 PM
Thanks for all the details, Huw. You sold me. Amplitude Studios owes you a commission.
Heh, you're welcome and I hope you enjoy it now!
I wish we could merge SoTS II and Endless Space.... wished ES had SoTS tech tree and customization of ships...
PE
I wish Space Empires 4 had Endless Space's interface and graphics!
Quote from: sandman2575 on December 01, 2012, 12:12:04 PM
Any thoughts about the combat system? I know the hands-off style bugs a lot of people. What do you like about it?
I kinda like the different style, myself. Now that they've gotten rid of the time limits for making your 'card' play each round, I just wish there were a bit more variety in the options. That
does expand with certain techs, though. It just takes time & research to have more than your basic 3 or 4 options.
I'd rather have a mini-game of this sort than some half-assed RTS tac battle that kinda sucks. I just think the concept could be expanded upon quite a bit, into a more CCG-oriented mini-game. Having abilities, and notably armaments & equipment, as collectible 'cards' to be researched/discovered & used in this style of tac battle would be far more preferable to the crappy old rock-paper-scissors theme it has in common with other games of the genre.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 01, 2012, 07:50:18 PM
Now that they've gotten rid of the time limits for making your 'card' play each round
They have?
" The battle timer (when choosing a participating mode: auto/manual) is now a game option. By default, the battle timer is disabled for a single player session, and it is enabled for a multiplayer session. [G2G vote] "
from the patch changelog -- is this what you are referring to, Nef? I'm not sure that refers to the card-choosing timer 'in' combat -- does it?
Quote from: Huw the Poo on December 01, 2012, 08:10:13 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on December 01, 2012, 07:50:18 PM
Now that they've gotten rid of the time limits for making your 'card' play each round
They have?
Yep. I read it in the patch notes.
You may need to uncheck the option somewhere. I've not messed with it in awhile - haven't been very 4X-y lately.
I recall someone else mentioning this, too, because they also wondered why it was even there in the first place for single-player mode.
OK, well that's cool. Hadn't noticed it myself though.
In the game I have going, the Cravers are fighting back! It was taking me ages to invade one of their key systems, and sure enough, some fleets eventually arrived. Now they're starting to add shielding and use lasers themselves. Back to the ship design drawing board for me!
Huw, how do you find the atmosphere? I've seen so many comments/complaints about Endless Space being "bland"; aside from perhaps its combat system, it's the number one reason I've held off on getting it.
Also, what about the AI? I'd read it wasn't so great early on, but how about now?
Quote from: Martok on December 02, 2012, 01:16:35 PM
Huw, how do you find the atmosphere? I've seen so many comments/complaints about Endless Space being "bland"; aside from perhaps its combat system, it's the number one reason I've held off on getting it.
Well it's tough to answer this because it's so subjective. I suppose the negative I can think of is that despite cosmetic differences, all empires' ships will ultimately be the same. There are no unique ships or technologies that I know of, so although they look different they fight the same.
However each empire does have its own bonuses and penalties...you know the Sophons are going to be technologically advanced because they get massive science bonuses. You know the Cravers will try to kill everything because that's what they do.
And speaking purely of atmosphere, I find that Endless Space has no problems there. The soundtrack is really nice, there are plenty of futuristic and spacey effects all over the game, the battles are sufficiently pulse-quickening, etc. I've never really understood why some people call the game bland, but as I said, it's all subjective innit?
QuoteAlso, what about the AI? I'd read it wasn't so great early on, but how about now?
To be honest, I'm not the best judge of this. I only really notice when AI does something colossally stupid (like the suicidal sovereigns in War of Magic). For what it's worth, I haven't noticed any AI do anything stupid in Endless Space yet. Indeed, in my current game, as described above, they even adapted to my ship designs.
Yeah, this is one of those games that I really want to like. I just can't get into it...just get bored...like, "what am I supposed to be doing right now instead of hitting end turn constantly". Dunno, maybe I will try again.
Quote from: Martok on December 02, 2012, 01:16:35 PM
Huw, how do you find the atmosphere? I've seen so many comments/complaints about Endless Space being "bland"; aside from perhaps its combat system, it's the number one reason I've held off on getting it.
Also, what about the AI? I'd read it wasn't so great early on, but how about now?
I think it's as bland as
most 4X games are. It doesn't really stand out as terribly different. There's no separate screen that pops up with an animated pic of the alien race you're negotiating with, and I think that colors people's impressions. The diplomacy isn't terribly involved, either, but it's passable and has more than something like SOTS.
Here's what the "fluff" part of the diplo screen looks like:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.savingcontent.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FEndless_Space_Diplomacy_View1.jpg&hash=459e37a5f36aa3cb0606fc26fce053649b612949)
I usually don't find the races backgrounds in 4X games terribly enthralling in the first place. They're usually the same kinds of Apeman-Bugman-Dogman-Reptiledude-Fishman-Bubbleboy kinds of filler. There is only a rare few that use slightly different game mechanics (SOTS, maybe SoaSE?). At least this one has an interesting race or two, as in the Horatio:
Quote"Incredibly wealthy and only slightly less deranged, Horatio was an Imperial trillionaire who left to discover his own star cluster. Finding a planet sprinkled with labs of ancient cloning technology left by the Endless, the boredom soon drove Horatio to create a race of allies, servants, and slaves who were every bit as gorgeous as the most beautiful person in the universe -- Horatio. Once the planet was repopulated, Horatio the First had only to look up, regard the stars and realize how much more beautiful they, too, would be if they were filled with... Horatios. The rest, as they say, is history."
Some of the extra touches, like the things (cravers?) flying around Craver ships in 3D battles that look like mosquitoes is pretty cool. The biggest issue with the races is actually the tech tree. While it's huge, and you'll definitely have to pick & choose certain areas to specialize in, it's open to all races. Each race starts out with certain ones along with bonuses & penalties, but everything's open to each one. So, again, the race techs are all the same and that's probably what most people are complaining about when criticizing the races. It would probably be less of an issue if they just add a handful of individual research nodes that can only be used by a certain race, as is the case in
Distant Worlds. I dunno if it would make a big gameplay difference, but could give a bit extra individuality to the races.
It's a great effort at a game. Having played the demo much of the weekend, I'm still decidedly on the fence!
I like the way they've handled resources. The combat works OK for me, although I'd be lying if I understood exactly what was happening. The combat mechanic itself is OK to me, but not understanding combat results even after having read the rules makes me wonder whether I'm solving tactical puzzles or just playing slot machines.
The ship design is interesting.
Ultimately, my impression after a weekend is that there's too much micromanagement for me to enjoy. The tech tree is rich and offers nice combinations of abilities. But it suffers from the same fate as GalCiv and SoaSE--cryptic tech names. I can't bring myself to care, much less remember, the difference between techs with names like Tachyon Wave Theory and Sub-Baryonic Physics. Some call this challenging, but I just call it annoying.
If I could get myself up the learning curve, I might enjoy it a lot. But I'd have to spend the money and the time to find out. So I'm still dillemanated.
Which leaves me now stuck between X-COM, Fallen Enchantress, and Endless Space. Maybe I'll pick my next game based on whichever one releases a demo that I like? :D
Noticed Endless Space On-Sale at Amazon... I am digging the latest update.
Endless Space Admiral Edition $7.49
or
Endless Space Emperor Special Edition $8.74
PE
It's a steal for that price. Brilliant game since the latest update.
3rd Free Add-on "Lights of Polaris" should be available sometime on Steam today...
http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2012/12/endless-space-3rd-free-add-on-on-steam-today/
Note that your saves may not be compatible with this new update.Quote
According to the publisher, this third free add-on will now bring:
Holiday Special
•New Polaris Factory Wonder
•New Oros Gec Faction Hero
Steam Features
•Steam Achievements
•Steam Cloud
Community Feedback & Balancing
•Battle Actions in Auto (auto battle cards)
•Enhanced Battle Action AI
•Refactored Faction Traits
•"No Pirates" Option
•"Hide exploration flags in the galaxy view" Option
So, after that third update...any thoughts? I am looking to jump into this and the game's reputation in this thread went from 'meh' to 'cool' in three pages! :)
I still think it's a great game. My only remaining issue is that there's still some simultaneity in the turn structure, but the rest of the game is good enough to compensate.
Quote from: Gusington on January 20, 2013, 11:25:54 AM
So, after that third update...any thoughts? I am looking to jump into this and the game's reputation in this thread went from 'meh' to 'cool' in three pages! :)
It's pretty easy to get into, IMO, but still has all the 4X staples. I recommend it, as it's easy to just pick up and play whenever you want without having to reacquaint yourself every time.
I play this and SoTS II and I enjoy both... I almost wish I could introduce the two and they have a child. Both fill my niche at the moment, however I still revisit MOO II from time to time.
PE
Quoteas it's easy to just pick up and play whenever you want without having to reacquaint yourself every time.
Now that is key...and as I age it gets even more important.
Quote from: Gusington on January 20, 2013, 05:28:56 PM
Quoteas it's easy to just pick up and play whenever you want without having to reacquaint yourself every time.
Now that is key...and as I age it gets even more important.
I'm sorry, what were we talking about? I forgot.
^YES!
Quote from: Nefaro on January 20, 2013, 06:25:06 PM
Quote from: Gusington on January 20, 2013, 05:28:56 PM
Quoteas it's easy to just pick up and play whenever you want without having to reacquaint yourself every time.
Now that is key...and as I age it gets even more important.
I'm sorry, what were we talking about? I forgot.
Ummm.....naked chicks? Mind you, I'm simply going with the percentages here.
^YES!
one the loose, murderous boobies?
Somebody said boobies?
This thread certainly deserves more perky boobies..
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-PNbjaDw57Qs%2FTt2I5X-Y-SI%2FAAAAAAAAANU%2F73FwQpBuM40%2Fs1600%2Fboobie_bird.jpg&hash=ae94240d1f596205b90603d28df6009a144b9624)
I have enjoyed Endless Space for the last 3 weeks... Some folks dont like the battle system, but i find it helps move the game along quickly....For that price, it is a steal!
Thanks. Opinions have really turned around on this...much more positive after the last few updates.
and i saw the best replies once the offer had ended DOH!!
Word of the next expansion is released: Fighters, Bombers, enhanced combat...oh my!
http://forums.amplitude-studios.com/content.php?245-Endless-Space-Expansion-1st-Info-1st-Vote
QuoteWe're also very excited to give you the first official info about the Endless Space Expansion.
As you might have heard already, the Expansion will focus on bringing a new battle experience to Endless Space (in addition to other surprises).
The first info we want to reveal is something we have been talking about with the VIPs for some time now, which is the arrival of Fighters and Bombers!
We'd like to have your opinion on the design behind these additions!
In a nutshell Fighters & Bombers are a new kind of armament which are treated as ships during a manual battle. They bring a new strategic dimension, and can be used to launch an instantaneous invasion on systems.
Bombers are meant to deal heavy damage to the opponent's fleet, whereas Fighters are both the first defense against Bombers as well as their primary protection. Note: Fighters deal little damage (Sub-note: Unless they get a direct hit on the exhaust port... ).
Sounds interesting. I hope this expansion is priced reasonably because I believe ES needed this from the beginning.
Cool, thanks for posting!