New Review of SOTS 2 - Gaming Nexus

[G.I.bortin]

http://www.gamingnexus.com/Article/Sword-of-the-Stars-2-Enhanced-Edition/Item3809.aspx

Long story short: 6.5/10

"In summary, “Sword of the Stars 2: Enhanced Edition: End of Flesh” is a confused, sprawling mess of a game. The user will spend most their time confusedly clicking on buttons and crying. But at least it's not buggy."

6.5 again, like a broken record... game... thing. Evil Corporation Video Game SyndicateTM has yet again maligned SOTS2!!!! FANBOIZ, MOBILIZE!

[Imperialus]

I've been enjoying SoTS 2, but a lot of his criticisms are perfectly valid. The one thing I don't agree with is the idea that it feels too micromanagy. He complaints about stuff like customizing ships feels particularly out of place since I'd challenge anyone to point me to a good 4X space game that doesn't allow for ship customization. Even a game like Endless Space that stripped down the customization to abstract weapon categories got blasted for the fact that it did so.

The biggest problem SoTS 2 runs into is the mess of a UI. Once you wrap your head around how the game works, then it's playable, and even fun but the interface is an absolute beast that's going to drive off huge numbers of players. There have been a few occasions that I've screwed myself over completely because I accidently colonized a planet that cost hundreds of thousands of spacebucks per turn to support when I had intended to colonize the verdant fields of some other planet that would cost like 900/turn.

I also quite enjoy the mission system. It adds a nice touch of verisimilitude to know that you can't just leave these ships hanging unsupported orbiting a barren rock for eternity. They need to come home on occasion. Stuff like fleet design can be ignored for most fleets that you don't plan on getting into combat, and by rotating ships in and out of your reserves it lets you build some pretty flexible fleets.

Besides, if you ever want to play a space based 4X game that has a truly brutal UI, try your hand at Space Empires.

[Overread]

Gah I tried Space Empires (I think it was V 4) it wasn't so much bad UI as OMG you really do have to do everything! It just felt overwhelmingly complex for what I enjoy (though I know some who love that)..


And yes if the reviewer is complaining about having to design ships I've a feeling that that person was the wrong one to review a 4* style game in the first place. That said I'm not actually surprised with the score, I think it is still indeed in that solid 6.5 range - maybe pushing up to a 7 toa 7.5 if you really like the game, setting and style.
Hopefully now that most of the bugs are gone and that the big content addition is out the team can really push toward polishing what is there :)

[Llamedos]

fanboi reporting for duty sir

[Rossinna-Sama]

Simple solution. Sell SOTS2 to Activision. Let them place "Call of Duty: Sword of the Stars" name on it and turn it into a FPS with 99% of the same content of the previous COD game and watch reviews like the one linked to in the OP give it a 10\10 for "gaming excellence".

[Thicc Mittens]

To an extent I agree with the review's overall message in that the UI is still pretty terrible and there should really be more feedback and information on a lot of stuff that's just not there - it's all pretty confusing for a new player, with a learning curve that's far steeper than it needs to be.

That said, a lot of the specifics in what he's saying sounds like a) he's just not taken the time to learn the game (it may be more difficult than it should be, but it's far from insurmountable), and b) he's just not really suited to 4X games (the player shouldn't be making decisions on ship design? Or setting individual ship missions? Or controlling ship facing in tactical battle? Really?).

For reference I'd rate the game as 7.5/10 in its current state (which I admit may be biased in that I'm past the learning curve now, so the confusing elements aren't an issue for me much anymore). If the UI and general feedback were resolved I'd bump it to 8.5. And if they updated for his criticisms on what the player should and shouldn't be making decisions on, I'd drop it to 6.

[G.I.bortin]

I checked the "Fix the SOTS2 UI" research path and it had a 5 year completion time and a feasibility success rate of 1%.

[G.I.bortin]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Rossinna-Sama:

Simple solution. Sell SOTS2 to Activision. Let them place "Call of Duty: Sword of the Stars" name on it and turn it into a FPS with 99% of the same content of the previous COD game and watch reviews like the one linked to in the OP give it a 10\10 for "gaming excellence".

Well, SOTS2 and COD both put graphics well ahead of depth (actual) and stability. Kerberos out right lied to their customers who pre-orderd the game at full price, then got ban happy if anyone dared mention the facts of release day. Very Activisiony of Kerberos!

[Llamedos]

Oprindeligt skrevet af G.I.bortin:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Rossinna-Sama:

Simple solution. Sell SOTS2 to Activision. Let them place "Call of Duty: Sword of the Stars" name on it and turn it into a FPS with 99% of the same content of the previous COD game and watch reviews like the one linked to in the OP give it a 10\10 for "gaming excellence".

Well, SOTS2 and COD both put graphics well ahead of depth (actual) and stability. Kerberos out right lied to their customers who pre-orderd the game at full price, then got ban happy if anyone dared mention the facts of release day. Very Activisiony of Kerberos!

ah blashphemer!!!!! fire ze seige drivers.

[G.I.bortin]

I'll have ample time to scamper away to safety while the game loads, fanbois muddle through the UI, wait 5 minutes for turn resolution and loading a combat sequence, only to BSOD after they press the fire button.

[Llamedos]

Oprindeligt skrevet af G.I.bortin:

I'll have ample time to scamper away to safety while the game loads, fanbois muddle through the UI, wait 5 minutes for turn resolution and loading a combat sequence, only to BSOD after they press the fire button.

well im using sots 1 so ha.

[G.I.bortin]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Commander Methos:

Oprindeligt skrevet af G.I.bortin:

I'll have ample time to scamper away to safety while the game loads, fanbois muddle through the UI, wait 5 minutes for turn resolution and loading a combat sequence, only to BSOD after they press the fire button.

well im using sots 1 so ha.

I can totally understand why you're playing SOTS1 instead of SOTS2.

And the planet you're siege driving is the one I stole from you last turn and strip mined to 0 anyways, so ha right back.

[Llamedos]

Oprindeligt skrevet af G.I.bortin:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Commander Methos:

Oprindeligt skrevet af G.I.bortin:

I'll have ample time to scamper away to safety while the game loads, fanbois muddle through the UI, wait 5 minutes for turn resolution and loading a combat sequence, only to BSOD after they press the fire button.

well im using sots 1 so ha.

I can totally understand why you're playing SOTS1 instead of SOTS2.

And the planet you're siege driving is the one I stole from you last turn and strip mined to 0 anyways, so ha right back.

but the planet is a strategiacally vital system that i can use to base my fleets from to decimate your core systems. so thanks.

[G.I.bortin]

By "Core Systems" you mean my sprawling empire that is now situated on your former Homeworld?

[Overread]

The homeworld can never be taken and held - one can return! From the other side of the Galaxy in a few hundred turns; spearheaded by a mighty almost unarmed mothership and a fleet of battleships!

[Llamedos]

that home system wasnt much of loss only had 1 planet. my new home system has 2 size 10's a size 6 and an asteroid belt.

and ive already launched a successful in vasion of your homeworld culminating in the ground occupation of all your terretory b y my armored command units and their robotic hordes.