Space Engineers goes Alpha on Steam

[JasonPratt]

Squee? 25% off this week for anyone who owns the gonzo modern Descent spiritual remake Miner Wars 2081. (Which I do, though I haven't played it yet.)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/244850

Space Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction and maintenance of space works. Players build space ships and space stations of various sizes and utilization (civil and military), pilot ships and perform asteroid mining.

Space Engineers utilizes a realistic volumetric-based physics engine: all objects can be assembled, disassembled, damaged and destroyed.

Volumetric objects are structures composed from block-like modules interlocked in a grid. Volumetric objects behave like real physical objects with mass, inertia and velocity. Individual modules have real volume and storage capacity.

Space Engineers is inspired by reality and by how things work. Think about modern-day NASA technology extrapolated 60 years into the future. Space Engineers strives to follow the laws of physics and doesn't use technologies that wouldn't be feasible in the near future.

Space Engineers concentrates on construction aspects, but can be played as a tactical shooter as well. We expect players to avoid engaging in direct man-to-man combat and instead use their creativity and engineering skills to build war machines and fortifications. Space Engineers shouldn't be about troops; it should be about the machinery you build.
Features in Alpha

    * Building in creative mode – unlimited resources and instant construction
    * Deformable and destructible objects - real proportions, mass, storage capacity, integrity
    * Small and large ships – build them, pilot them and crush them
    * Space stations
    * Building blocks - light armor (cube, slope, corner), interior wall, small ship cockpit, large ship cockpit, gatling turret, missile turret, cargo container(s), gravity generator, nuclear reactor, thruster, gyroscope, refinery, assembler, drill, reflector light, interior light, catwalk, cover wall, door, stairs, ramp, ladder, small ship gatling, small ship missile launcher, landing gear, window(s), explosive cube, pillar, medical room
    * First-person & Third-person
    * Character animations - run, sprint, jump, climb ladder, crouch, fall, jetpack
    * World management
      - Create new world
      - Save as - branch to multiple copies
      - Auto-save – saves the state of your world every 5 minutes and on exit; can be turned on/off
      - Edit Settings
    * Scenarios
      - Empty World
      - Easy Start - recommended for newcomers – a world is generated with randomly selected green station or basic platform and a few template small and large ships
    * Electricity - all blocks in a grid are wired in an electrical and computer network
    * Gravity – produced by gravity generators
    * Modding - world files, shaders and textures

Video tutorial:

Definitely going in the wishlist. Will keep an ear out for progress.

[Rayfer]

A very interesting tutorial trailer.  I wonder where it goes from there?

[mikeck]

What do I do with a ship once I build it???

[JasonPratt]

Use it to transport more material for building more ships, expanding the space station, exploring the region, shoot other ships with small gatling guns.

What else would humanity do with a ship built in space?  ???

[PanzersEast]

Have to say after watching a video or two it looks like a good concept.... have to wait until it is further along in development but on my watch list for sure.


PE