Starshatter: The Gathering Storm

Jarhead0331 · February 21, 2019, 11:51:04 AM

I'm giving this old classic another look. I go back to it on occasion and I always find it enjoyable. Its one of the few space combat games that actually "feels" like a space fleet operations simulator.

You start off as a new pilot assigned to a carrier squadron and work your way up through the ranks until you are controlling whole fleets including destroyers, frigates, carriers, etc.

There are several different campaigns to choose from, but they use a dynamic campaign engine to custom build an unlimited number of unique missions based on the current state of the war, and the type of ship you are commanding. Missions vary greatly and you may get patrol, sweep, bomber escort, ground strike, starship strike, fleet engagement, blockade, etc. type objectives.

The AI basically plays a giant strategic campaign across multiple systems and planets with multiple fleets. Eventually, when you reach the rank of lieutenant commander, you are given permission to take command of a destroyer squadron. As you rise in rank, you'll be approved to command cruisers, and ultimately entire carrier battlefleets. At this point, you can create and assign missions for your squadrons of fighters and capital ship escorts. Loins moist yet?

Dying in Starshatter matters since there is ship perma-death in campaigns. If you successfully destroy and enemy capital ship the loss can cripple its entire fleet for the balance of the campaign. Similarly, capital ship subsystems are modeled and damage to the hull and systems repairs slowly over time, of course, each subsystem may be targeted and attacked directly with special weapon loadouts that you can select. You get to pick the missile and weapon loadouts for your ship and your wingmen (wing-persons, in case anyone from RPS is reading).

In essence, I can't really think of any other game like this that has tried to model fleet operations in space with an authentic feel. Its a little dated in the graphics and sound department, but it still totally holds up ok.

The best part...its FREE.

Where to get it for FREE: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=80935.0

Gusington · February 21, 2019, 12:59:38 PM

That is quite loin moistening. How would you compare it to the Freespace 2 mods out there?

Jarhead0331 · February 21, 2019, 01:02:26 PM

Quote from: Gusington on February 21, 2019, 12:59:38 PM
That is quite loin moistening. How would you compare it to the Freespace 2 mods out there?

Freespace 2 is a timeless classic, but the missions are scripted and it does not feel like a true space combat game with fleet operations. Starshatter is much more "naval" in character then FS2, and I always feel like a part of a much larger operation when playing Starshatter, which is not really a feeling I ever really got from FS2.

Gusington · February 21, 2019, 01:03:49 PM

Loins moistening further...I should probably get this.

SirAndrewD · February 21, 2019, 09:28:37 PM

I totally forgot about Starshatter. I might have to give it a modern go.

Kushan · February 21, 2019, 10:05:37 PM

Funny, I was thinking about this game the other day. Thanks for the link JH! Didn't know it was available for free. I think it used to be sold by Matrix but IIRC the developer abandoned it and they removed it from sale.

jomni · February 21, 2019, 10:12:29 PM

Jarhead is ready to join the US Space Force with all the Space games he's playing.

I never played this game but it seems conceptually good. Thanks for pointing it out.

JasonPratt · February 21, 2019, 10:23:56 PM

Quote from: Kushan on February 21, 2019, 10:05:37 PM
Funny, I was thinking about this game the other day. Thanks for the link JH! Didn't know it was available for free. I think it used to be sold by Matrix but IIRC the developer abandoned it and they removed it from sale.

Starshatter goes back a lonnnnnnng way to the early days of Matrix! Never got it myself, but I'm glad someone is keeping it up!

FarAway Sooner · February 21, 2019, 10:56:27 PM

That looks very cool. Is it turn-based, or RTS?

JasonPratt · February 22, 2019, 08:33:54 AM

I'm pretty sure it's a sim, not RTS (much less TB).

glen55 · February 22, 2019, 11:40:35 AM

I loved playing this game back in the day, but I had the impression it was a no-go on modern systems. If not, I'll definitely give 'er another whirl.

Jarhead0331 · February 22, 2019, 11:50:17 AM

Quote from: glen55 on February 22, 2019, 11:40:35 AM
I loved playing this game back in the day, but I had the impression it was a no-go on modern systems. If not, I'll definitely give 'er another whirl.

I'm running it without any problems on Win10 system with a 7th generation i7 (4.20 ghz) and a GeForce 1070.

Destraex · February 22, 2019, 11:41:26 PM

shame milo is nowhere to be seen these days.