Endless Space (4X)

[blubart]

Has anyone else heard about this game? I stumbled over it just yesterday. The game is currently in alpha, but from the gameplay i have seen it is already leagues ahead of the supposedly release version of Sword of the Stars 2.

The developer amplitude studios created a quite intriguing system called Games2Gether for the development of the game where users can take part in the decision-making process.

It's a 4X space game with a quite beautiful looking and streamlined user interface and even though it is not feature complete yet seemingly quite complex.
The aspect i probably like the most about it is the fleet combat. most 4X games settled in space nowadays opt to switch to a real time style battlemap where you have to control every single freaking ship because their AI tends to be plain horrible (which is to be expected considering the focus of the game is on something different).
Endless Space goes a more cinematic route where you set different tactics for different engagement phases (long, medium, close range) which then play out with your opponent who also selects tactics for each phase. some tactics cancel each other out, others trump the opposing tactic, etc. pp.
So if you have for example build a fleet equipped with mainly long range missiles and short range ballistic weapons you likely want to use a missile overdrive tactic in the long engagement range, use a sabotage or defensive tactic in medium range and to finish the opposing fleet off with an all power to weapons tactic in the close engagement range.

Homepage:
http://endless-space.amplitude-studios.com/

Alpha Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wr19Ln9sO4

Explanation of the Games2Gether System:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOexT0kDhNc

Alpha Gameplay Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM1AFpN6rh4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5V0zXc5SLc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ3tNQZHH7k

[TMRNetShark]

Judging by the videos, does this game play out like Galactic Civilization but with the jump lanes of Sins? The game actually looks quite good and I've very interested in seeing how good it is. Maybe when it reaches beta I'll preorder it, but already... it looks like it's leaning more towards GC than Sins. Even though technically a 4X game, Sins was made great because it was real time. However, I will definitely check this game out and I would really love to have a Play-by-Email feature so I can play with people from around the world whenever I get 10-15 minutes each day. If they have that feature, I'm sold.

[nstgc]

Yeah I saw this game last week at imediately added it to my wish list. I'll wait for it to go on sale then buy it. Its nice to see these large indie games instead of the smaller odd ball games. This is the sort of thing needed to get the big game publishers/developers (who are bitches to the pubs) to wake up and stop pushing us their shit.

[TMRNetShark]

Hey, blubart... I bought the game myself and I'm really liking it! It's really satisfying!

[nstgc]

I don't own Sins or GE, but I do own Sword of the Stars. Could you liken Endless Space to that?

[TMRNetShark]

The game is more like Master of Orion. I would say that the gameplay is very much like Civilization in the sense of movement, planet developments, and research. Basically, you have to keep your citizens happy while either setting the planet to research improvements OR convert a resource into dust (gold/cash) OR make ships.

What I really like about it is that you can make your OWN ships (by picking modules to customize the firepower/shields/armor/special attacks) and the fact that you can make pure production planets while still having pure resource generating planets. It's basically the coolest 4X space game I have ever played (SoaSE comes in second... but that's real time 4X).

[blubart]

I don't own Sins or GE, but I do own Sword of the Stars. Could you liken Endless Space to that?

it pretty much plays out exactly like SotS, only that you don't have the real time combat element and at the moment the movement methods of the different races are not as diverse as in SotS. (there are more races to come though)

[Bob2004]

I hear it's not dissimilar to Galactic Civilisations either (GalCiv 2 is still one of my favourite games ever).

Personally, I haven't played this yet, but I really really want to. I'm waiting for it to get slightly closer to being finished, so I can enjoy the full experience properly when I play it for the first time. Hopefully I won't have too long to wait.

[nstgc]

I don't know why I bothered asking. I'm getting this game when it comes on sale, I already decided that.

[TMRNetShark]

I hear it's not dissimilar to Galactic Civilisations either (GalCiv 2 is still one of my favourite games ever).

Personally, I haven't played this yet, but I really really want to. I'm waiting for it to get slightly closer to being finished, so I can enjoy the full experience properly when I play it for the first time. Hopefully I won't have too long to wait.

The majority of the game mechanics are in the game... I would say all that's left is the rest of the races and multiplayer. And probably balancing too.