Starsector - It's Worth the Wait

[aReclusiveMind]

I consider Starsector to be either the best indie space game people don't know about or the best indie space game people here aren't talking about. Since there's no thread about it, and since the next release (0.9a) is poised to add more 4X-like elements to the game, it seemed like a great time to bring people up to speed.

Summary:

- "Open-world single-player space-combat, roleplaying, exploration, and economic game"
- Has 4X elements (which continue to grow), but is more of a 4X-like / RPG hybrid
- Excellent 2D real-time tactical combat that does not require competitive RTS or arcade game skillsets
- Balanced deployment system and combat mechanics requires tactical use of various ship sizes and styles rather than just using the heaviest battleships available to you
- Modding community is robust and dedicated - entire new ship sets and even additional 4X conquest features have already been included in mods
- In development since at least 2010
- Updates occur infrequently (6 months - 2 years) and are large and feature packed
- (Currently) Only available direct from the publisher


What is the basic premise?
The official line is: "You take the role of a space captain seeking fortune and glory however you choose."
You always control and move a fleet of ships (Mount & Blade style) on the starmap. Soon, you will also be able to manage a faction and colonies.


What types of things can you currently do in the game (as of 0.8a)?

- Strike out on your own or fulfill commissions proposed by other factions
- Build up an impressive fleet from a wide variety of ships each with their own unique special ability and attributes
- Hire, level up, and assign skills to officers and then put them to work flying alongside you
- Survey distance worlds, investigate distress beacons, salvage derelicts, hunt down pirates and other criminals, uncover mysterious <redacted>, and engage in the trade of legal and illegal goods


What things are coming in the not too distant future?

- Establish colonies and setup your own faction. Manage the industries/structures, hire administrators, set up colony defense forces, install hull and weapon blueprints for manufacturing, and use AI cores to boost your colony
- Manipulate supply/demand and the overall market availability of commodities. Make your faction the primary supplier for other factions by establishing waystations or engaging in piracy
- Thematically appropriate factions with better fleet compositions and with officer qualities, behavior, and aggression appropriate for the faction.


Why is this ship combat system better than anything available in the space strategy genre?

- There are many ship hulls in the game and each one has its own unique attributes, weapon hard points, and special systems. There are also variants of these hulls that swap hard points around or swap out the special systems.
- Small ships never become unusable. They can outmaneouver bigger ships and cause significant damage. They also cost less money and command points to deploy.
- Flux is generated when firing weapons and by absorbing weapon fire with your shields. When you over-flux, your ship temporarily shuts down and becomes a sitting duck. You must manage shield and weapon usage and know when to back off and when to go for the throat.
- Ship effectiveness degrades over time during combat. Combat readiness decreases per ship the longer a battle lasts, and this can cause issues like random engine shutdowns and weapon failures. This helps balance ships out as certain higher tech ships are deadly but degrade quickly in prolonged engagements compared to more mid and low tech ships.
- Ship combat AI is ruthless and will eliminate a straggler, including you. On that same note, your friendly ships will help cover you if ordered and can allow you a timely retreat to recoup and vent your flux.
- Officer AI determines how effectively they will pilot certain ships. Don't put an aggressive officer in your lightly armored support ship.


I'll update this when 0.9a is available. Right now you can follow along with the in-dev patch notes: http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=13445.0
Also check out the blogs: http://fractalsoftworks.com/blog/
Mods here: http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?board=8.0

[Mr.Kill]

"Small ships never become unusable. They can outmaneouver bigger ships and cause significant damage. They also cost less money and command points to deploy."

But then... why would you ever deploy the big ships?

[aReclusiveMind]

Mr.Kill の投稿を引用：

"Small ships never become unusable. They can outmaneouver bigger ships and cause significant damage. They also cost less money and command points to deploy."

But then... why would you ever deploy the big ships?

Just because small ships can cause significant damage does not mean they can cause nearly as much damage as a big ship can. :-)

It's hard to generalize as so many of the ships have unique abilities that impact their effectiveness. That is one of the most unique things in Starsector. Each ship hull has its own unique ability which contributes to its playstyle and role.

Tech level also plays a significant role. There are three general tech levels in the game - high tech, mid tech, and low tech.

Each faction in the game has a tech level they prefer. Some ships are high tech and have very powerful abilities that can easily change how a battle plays out. They also tend to perform poorly and break down during prolonged battles, so there are pros and cons with everything. These small ships can shut down an enemy ship opening it up to heavy weapons fire from a larger ship though, for example.


Here are some general guidelines:

Large ship pros:

- Some capital ships can take on entire fleets on their own due to their unmatched offensive and defensive capabilities

- They carry a heavier amount of firepower, better armor, and better shields. There are weapons in the game that just can't be mounted on smaller ships. Their armor and shields can take a very long time for smaller weapons to crack.

- Can serve as fighter carriers

- Can protect your high level officers from being killed and benefit more from the abilities these officers possess

- Fit more cargo and goods you can sell for profit

- Are the focal point of battles and can't be safely ignored


Small ship pros:

- Are highly maneuvable and can flank around slow enemy ships. Ships without omnidirectional shielding can be particularly vulnerable to having their engines taken out

- Can dodge projectiles and outrun many of the missiles

- Can harass ships causing them to keep their shields up and raise their flux level. Similar to fighters in that regard

- Can quickly capture strategic points on the battlefield to grant minor bonuses throughout the battle.

- Cost less to puchase and maintain and cost less command to deploy in battle, so you can deploy more of them concurrently in battle. The enemy can't face in every direction at once. :)

[Bou]

Will they eventually release this on steam? Any info on that?

[aReclusiveMind]

Bou の投稿を引用：

Will they eventually release this on steam? Any info on that?

The answer was, and I suspect still is, yes. It does not appear that the developer has any interest in doing so until the game is finished (or at least 1.0) though.

It has been brought up many times, going back to 2012 at least. The game is a lot of fun but updates are very slow to come out. It is a one man show aside from art and sound, and I believe the dev prefers it that way. This slow development pace is ill suited for the general Steam audience. Imagine if 5 or 6 years later the game were still not at 1.0, as would be true today, and the outcry that would ensue. The developer, Alex, does not want that pressure and evidently does not need the additional capital to continue development.

[AK_icebear]

I found this very interesting a few years ago, especially the combat. Making it 4X has it on my radar again. Still, I'm waiting for final release + don't want to burn out early.

[athelasloraiel]

Game looks really something. Been following it awhile now.

[aReclusiveMind]

athelasloraiel の投稿を引用：

Game looks really sth

No ides what "sth" is supposed to mean, but the game is really fun and continues to improve.

[Blue Boogers]

Never heard of it, thanks for sharing.

[aReclusiveMind]

Blog post is up covering Raids and Bombardment. "Invasions" are still being decided on and won't be in the next release. You will be able to completely destroy colonies though from the sounds of it.

http://fractalsoftworks.com/2018/08/16/raids-bombardments-and-planetary-defenses/

I'm happy to hear this is the last major feature for version .9a, but it will still be awhile before it releases.

[BBB]

Flux system sounds like either a fun mechanic, or busywork.

Intrigued I am.

[aReclusiveMind]

BBB の投稿を引用：

Flux system sounds like either a fun mechanic, or busywork.

Intrigued I am.

Its role starts in ship design and continues into combat. When designing the loadout of your ships, you have to account for flux generation of your weapons and shields. Poor planning will lead to a ship that quickly disables itself in prolonged firefights.

In combat, the only way to take down some ships is to overwhelm them with fire so they either flux out or turn off their shields. There are weapons designed specifically to add flux to enemy ships.

It is definately not busy work. It is a resource to be carefully managed and plays a huge role in combat tactics. Whenever you choose to rapidly vent flux, you are temporarily unable to move or fire. Time this poorly and you are a goner.

[grubsteak]

Sounds interesting. Might be interested once it hits full release...but sounds like that might be even years away...?

[aReclusiveMind]

grubsteak898 の投稿を引用：

Sounds interesting. Might be interested once it hits full release...but sounds like that might be even years away...?

Yes, that is certainly a possibility. I would not recommend anyone buy the game right now with the expectation that release is right around the corner.

I will report on how much content has been added once .9a releases. I have easily gotten my $15 worth out of the game over the years, but I understand some people want to wait for the more complete experience.

[Winterification]

this game is awesome even more with the 0.9 update!!!

[Masacre]

Apparently I bought this back in 2012 when it was named Starfarer and forgot about it. Perhaps I should check if the code still works hehe.