StarDrive -- 4x "action strategy"

[Anguille]

I am one of the kickstarters too. I received my steam code already but it was in my spam folder, so check that folder.

Cheers

[tgb]

I just found this excellent Let's Play that has a lot of stuff not covered in the manual or tutorials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTGAxaAkOsk

[Tpek]

But no version has been uploaded to Desura.
There are only early alpha builds there that aren't even standalone.

It was a tool the dev originally used to automate the management of alpha builds. But it seems that now that he's got access to Steam he simply dumped it,
and out of sheer laziness/greed decided that all the previous people who pre-ordered should now purchase the game yet again.

[PanzersEast]

I watched the LP and it appears to me that is a simpler version of DW.  I don't mean that in a negative way, but the diplomacy and tech tree seems on the thin side.  It has peaked my interest to see how it continues to be developed.


PE

[panzerde]

Of course, none of this excuses Dan from his obligations to the Desura purchasers -- he owes you guys keys for the Steam version, if nothing else -- and he probably should've done more research and/or found out more info about Desura before putting his game there.  But Desura definitely made things more difficult -- for everyone.  Lesson learned, I guess (I hope!). 

In the meantime, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he does right by you folks in the end.  I'll also see about putting a word in for you guys as well.  (It can't hurt, and KS backers/early testers seem to have a small amount of pull with him.) 

Thanks Martok, that's a stand-up thing to do. 

I do hope his game is successful and I think it definitely has potential.  Certainly I've found myself in unfortunate business situations that weren't directly my fault.  Sometimes it's hard to take your lumps and so what's right, but it's always better in the long haul. 

Agreed that Desura seems to have been the sand in the gears here. 

[Wolfe1759]

I've been keeping my eye on StarDrive for a few months with quite a bit of interest, however hearing how the early backers have been treated I think I'll give it a miss at least until it hits the Steam bargain bin, its not as if it is the only space 4x out there.

[Huw the Poo]

I've been keeping my eye on StarDrive for a few months with quite a bit of interest, however hearing how the early backers have been treated I think I'll give it a miss at least until it hits the Steam bargain bin, its not as if it is the only space 4x out there.

My thoughts exactly.  I'm put off by the action element anyway.

[Nefaro]

I have difficulty believing it's "all Desura's fault" since there are many other indie games there who've had no issues with updating their alpha and beta games.

I suppose most of those indies also didn't sell out their early customers so they could sign an exclusive publishing deal later on.

Sounds like Dan is blowing smoke up people's asses, and pointing the blame elsewhere for what is primarily his mistakes.

[Jarhead0331]

For the record, my desura version appears to be updating now.

[Longdan]

Does that mean everybody will stop crapping on him?  I wanted to look at the other game.

[Cougar_DK]

I truly understand that the Desura people isn't happy and I hope it will be fixed in the future - but the rest of you, if you like 4x then take a look. I can't stop playing  :)

[FlickJax]

I truly understand that the Desura people isn't happy and I hope it will be fixed in the future - but the rest of you, if you like 4x then take a look. I can't stop playing  :)

Have you got endless space and distant worlds? if so is this better or have the potential to be better?  I cant make my mind up on whether to buy this, get endless space whilst on sale or save up for distant worlds...


HELP!

[PanzersEast]

I truly understand that the Desura people isn't happy and I hope it will be fixed in the future - but the rest of you, if you like 4x then take a look. I can't stop playing  :)

Have you got endless space and distant worlds? if so is this better or have the potential to be better?  I cant make my mind up on whether to buy this, get endless space whilst on sale or save up for distant worlds...


HELP!

I took the plunge as I am a fan of 4X games and Stardrive is very good at this point in beta.  I have all the mentioned games and it depends on what you are looking for.  Just some random thoughts

1) Distant Worlds
This is my favorite out of all the 4X games I own.  The game is very deep and highly customizable (not just automation, but how the game is setup).  I find that the diplomacy options are one of the best I have seen in any game and the universe is alive.  It has a very good tech tree, however the ship customization is good, but I feel could be better.  The UI is good, but it can be cumbersome in doing some task, however this is understandable because there are a lot of things going on.  The ground combat is set to get a face-lift with the next expansion which is clearly lacking. There are just so many interesting things that happen to you that it really feels like you are in control/running an empire and not just building ships and taking planets...... You cannot just rush out on your own as you will get owned quickly.  My overall experience with this game is that it is well worth the money and highly mod-able (2D helps)! Watch Das lose below, I play differently than he does but you will find many ways to play.

2) StarDrive
This game is different than Distant Worlds as it stream-lines a lot of the game mechanics and is not as deep as DW.  I like the way the game plays and it setups some interesting scenarios.  The UI is good and a lot of the game is well thought out.  The ship building/design is great and I almost think of this game as if Moo2 and GalCiv2 had a baby as it lends itself to both.  The tech tree is ok and the diplomacy is basic, but you can form Federations which are a great idea and remember that DW has had several Add-ons and is more mature.  The way it handles fleet setup is very good, maybe the best I have come across.  It is just good old fun and the different races are interesting.  It has great visuals and interesting events and artifacts.  You have ground combat that does a decent job and good planets are really tough to take so it makes things interesting...... I do not regret my purchase.  Below is a tutorial.

3) Endless Space
I like Endless Space and the devs have continued to produce free DLC content, however it still feels a little empty.  The combat in the game leaves some to be desired and the tech tree can be confusing.  I do like the clean UI, however it seems to be a sterile game with a small hint of personality.  I like that you can hire heroes in the game and the colony management is good and streamlined.  There are some very good elements to the game, however I would rank it behind the other two at this point.  I think once the next add-on is released it will get there and has steadily improved but just not as good as an experience for me as the other two.  LP below, a new free addon was released yesterday and the video is not up to date.

I rambled through so if you have specific questions just ask...

PE

[FlickJax]

Thanks Panzer great post, will watch the videos.

[Cougar_DK]

Thanks for the post PanzerEast!

I also own DW, EndLess space and Sots 1 & 2. Every game has something for them and I'm a sucker for 4x games.

But right now I'm bitten by the StarDrive bug  :P