Stellar Reach

[Jarhead0331]

This game caught my attention as a new 4x title, but I didn't take too close of a look at it initially. I've been playing for a few hours now and I'm hooked.

Not since Polaris Sector has a game really captured the sense of time and distance in deep space. Before you acquire some early propulsion tech, it takes millennia to reach neighboring star systems. Once the necessary tech is acquired, it still takes years. I love the strategic implications of this. Battles can take years...wars? Decades or centuries. Thus, construction of new ships and armies and transporting them where they are or may be needed becomes a very important and intriguing strategy.

There is a lot of crunchy stuff going on underneath the hood. Its got everything one would expect in a 4x. Populations, economy, resources, planetary improvements, research, fleet and armies. Some elements seem basic at first, but grow in complexity as technologies and systems are unlocked. The UI can seem clustered with a lot of information and therefore confusing, at first. But as you get more familiar with the game systems, the data starts to make much more sense.

It feels like a real labor of love from a solo developer. If you're interested in these types of games, I strongly encourage you to take a look. $17.99, presently on sale with a 10% discount.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2578670/Stellar_Reach/

[SpaceGameJunkie]

I'm a couple hours in, still in the tutorial, and I am REALLY enjoying it. I'm now just waiting for cloud saves to be implemented before playing more.

[Destraex]

Loved the orbital movement mechanics but the battles seemed to be auto resolve? Is their a way for the play to "play" the battles?

[Jarhead0331]

Loved the orbital movement mechanics but the battles seemed to be auto resolve? Is their a way for the play to "play" the battles?

Fleet combat needs some work. So far, the only thing that can be managed to influence the outcome other than weight of numbers is fleet formation. There are three battle lines. Front, center and rear and the player can move ships between the three. Ships in the front line cause full damage and can sustain full damage. Damage is halved for ships in the center and ships in the rear do not cause or sustain any damage unless ships in the first two lines are destroyed.

This mechanic is useful if you have colony ships in the formation that you want to protect, or other vessels that have some kind of specialization.

There may be some other strategy involved in bringing fleets into the battle from different vectors while the battle is already underway.

Would be nice if ships could be designed by the player, but such a system has not been implemented yet to my knowledge.

My biggest beef is the length of time on which even the smallest ship battles take place. 1v1 battles can carry on for years. It's hard to conceive of a scenario where two ships would be locked in battle for years. Perhaps this will change with more advanced technology and larger ship hulls?

I also don't like that scout ships cannot be targeted or destroyed. This seems like a lost opportunity for another strategic layer or consideration.

This aspect of the game will hopefully be fleshed out and improved during EA.

[SpaceGameJunkie]

I actually LIKE that scouts can't be detected. Keeps exploration flowing.

[Destraex]

Loved the orbital movement mechanics but the battles seemed to be auto resolve? Is their a way for the play to "play" the battles?

Fleet combat needs some work. So far, the only thing that can be managed to influence the outcome other than weight of numbers is fleet formation. There are three battle lines. Front, center and rear and the player can move ships between the three. Ships in the front line cause full damage and can sustain full damage. Damage is halved for ships in the center and ships in the rear do not cause or sustain any damage unless ships in the first two lines are destroyed.

This mechanic is useful if you have colony ships in the formation that you want to protect, or other vessels that have some kind of specialization.

There may be some other strategy involved in bringing fleets into the battle from different vectors while the battle is already underway.

Would be nice if ships could be designed by the player, but such a system has not been implemented yet to my knowledge.

My biggest beef is the length of time on which even the smallest ship battles take place. 1v1 battles can carry on for years. It's hard to conceive of a scenario where two ships would be locked in battle for years. Perhaps this will change with more advanced technology and larger ship hulls?

I also don't like that scout ships cannot be targeted or destroyed. This seems like a lost opportunity for another strategic layer or consideration.

This aspect of the game will hopefully be fleshed out and improved during EA.

Great reply. I agree about the scout ships, that was the first tutorial wth moment for me. Also agree about the battles taking years thing. Years to engage though makes sense.

[W8taminute]

Thanks for the info JH. 

I just removed this game from my wishlist the other day because it looked boring.  Couldn't find any more information regarding combat but your report has peaked my interest again.