4X Space Stragety fans REJOICE. Endless Space is out (via Steam)

[ZeroWashu]

For those who run Macs, there is a version coming soon for that platform.

The game's website is http://endless-space.amplitude-studios.com/ with links to forums, some short clips, and such. There are quite a few videos on Youtube showing game play. This is the game Master of Orion 3 should have been and what many so recent 4X space games wanted to be.

Reviews:
http://www.hookedgamers.com/pc/endle...ticle-930.html
http://n4g.com/news/1027655/endless-...gamers-hideout

Summary, brings back memories of Master of Orion ][. The interesting part of this game's development is that players have had an influence and will continue to do so. It is a neat model and I am looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

Key items from my play time.

1. Turn based 4X space strategy akin to the Master of Orion series, also similar to Civilization series.
2. Space combat is rock/scissors/paper style real time (not too fast). What happens here is that there are three phases to combat and you pick and your opponent pick a "card" which defines your actions for that phase. It can tip some battles but superior fire power trumps all. Very cinematic and you can now pan the camera.
3. Colony management. Far easier than many space games, other than an individual's planet exploitation model (which is for either money, food, science, industry) management is at the system level. So you assign work by systems. Meaning you don't have to watch over a hundred or so planets, just the systems and that through easy to use screens. You can queue items and there are never ending items (like do science all the time)
4. UI. Pretty clean. Select items with left click, sub screens and menus can be exited via right click. Game will inform you of items of note in bottom right of the screen.
5. Ship design. Good but leaves room for improvement. Like with any new game it takes awhile to understand what tech does what and how good it is. You can retrofit existing ships which orbit a planet but only via money.
6. Colony management #2 - there is a full range of planet types and the possibility of random anomalies
(eg, mineral rich, mineral poor, worldwide monsoons - etc)
7. Technology tree. Four side and linked. Can be a bit daunting until you know which techs are the must have techs. You can queue a large number of items.


Oh I am sure there are other things but I just hit you with a wall of text as it is.

[Deleted]

Had it pre-ordered, got to play the Beta.

So far, no dissapointment.

To your points

1. Yes. Bit less character than MoO2 though. Better than MoO3.
2. Combat is similar to GalCiv2, but prettier and the phases are a very nice addition.
3. Agree completely. And the AI isn't bad either.
4. UI is good, but top left could be a little clearer icon wise. Even after 30+ hours play I find myself forgetting what I'm clicking (Other than Fleets and heros).
5. Agreed. I find the icons for modules to be pretty confusing. Some of the mechanics aren't well explained in combat either.
6. No comment needed/
7. Best research since Alpha centauri. Hands down. Absolutely fantastic. One single flaw is that the research tree icons don't always show you the tech/building you receive from the research (It may often show a single hull, star system improvement, etc) but doesn't sum up bonuses etc.

A few more points

Star system wide improvements vs planetary - Systems are now the focus for improvement. For total war players, think Rome/Medieval vs the Napoleon/STW2 model. Most buildings (No limit other than money) are built at the system size - macro rather than micro - and individual planets can be given a focus much like GalCiv2, food, industry, "dust" (money) or science output. It's actually a very pleasing system.

Morale is also a simple enough function to understand, but can be tough to balance. Colonising new planets and moving population (understandably) annoys them. But it's a good system.

The star map is also an interesting experiment. Previously, you were talking one of 2 systems. The MoO3-esque travel lanes only, or MoO2-esque freeform. Now, you start only being able to take pre-defined routes, then gain the ability to travel wormholes, and finally research your way into free travel. It's actually a pleasant approach to things and I think has a massive benefit to the early game.

Fleet management is also GalCiv2 style with "command point" values per ship and fleets holding X command points max.

Basically, I think MoO2 and GalCiv2 had a baby. It has one or two features from MoO2's younger, annoying brother MoO3 and lacks it's parents charisma. But guess what? It's the best 4X game in 16 years tbh. Can't be all bad. Beats GalCiv2 in my book.