Stardrive players

sandman2575 · June 28, 2013, 05:07:36 PM

Is Stardrive worth dropping $15 on? Just noticed it's on sale on Steam.

Wolfe1759 · June 28, 2013, 07:59:43 PM

I was wondering the same thing.

The consensus on the Steam forums seems to be a pretty strong NO.

republic · June 28, 2013, 08:20:23 PM

If you like Distant Worlds but thought it was too complex, and want to design your own ships...you may like it.

I have found StarDrive too similar to Star Ruler in some ways. That is, there is a lot going on and the automation AI isn't quite where it needs to be. So I end up running round trying to micromanage everything. To be fair, I haven't played in awhile as I am waiting for it to get patched up a bit.

sandman2575 · June 28, 2013, 08:32:59 PM

Does seem that Distant Worlds and Endless Space are the reigning champs of the Space 4X genre at the moment. I don't hear much chatter about Stardrive (much less Star Ruler).

Considering that I already own DW and Endless Space, I probably should just pocket the $15 and delve a little more into those two...

mikeck · June 28, 2013, 08:34:14 PM

It's worth it. Yes, it is a distant worlds light. Decent graphics, ship design, planetary improvements. It's not a top tier space 4x but I definitely got $15 of fun out if it

sandman2575 · June 28, 2013, 08:52:20 PM

Damn. Now I'm back on the fence. I guess it is just $15. (...oh how many times have I said that to myself casually browsing Steam, GG and the like...)

Nefaro · June 28, 2013, 09:46:39 PM

I think it's probably worth $15 for a generally lighter foray into 4X than Distant Worlds. The ship creation is pretty cool since you must place components in their actual physical locations, and combat takes this factor into account.

It falls a bit short on UI functionality (there needs to be more in certain areas) and some AI automation (as mentioned). Being in real-time, it can be a pain trying to micro-manage so you may end up having to constantly jockey the pause key, which is something that can get on my nerves with some real-time titles. There isn't a lot to research and I don't recall diplomacy being terribly intricate so like most facets of the game - they're fairly light.

I've played it a little bit, but have waited to see how updates have improved some areas, hopefully in getting some more interface jazz. I've not played lately what with all the new games I've purchased in the last month or two, however, so I haven't revisited the latest versions yet.

Martok · June 28, 2013, 11:43:47 PM

I've shelved my copy of StarDrive til it gets further patched & updated, but I do intend to come back to it.

It still needs more work on planetary invasions and weapon balancing. The AI automation routines need more love as well -- I'm not big on trying to micromanage my empire in real-time strategy game (that I don't have to is one of the reasons I enjoy Distant Worlds so much). And as the other guys have noted, various UI improvements would be welcome too.

Overall, though, it's still a pretty decent space 4x title. Whether or not it's worth playing right now is very much a case of YMMV.