Re: Sword of the Stars? (New 4x game apparently)
 

Actually I'm ambivalent about SoTS. The strategic side is a bit too abstracted for my taste, as I mentioned in the "Sins of a Solar Empire" thread. A good tactical game could make up for all the strategic abstraction, but there's a problem with SotS tactical combat: I really, really suck at it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

However, so far I've only played one of the two demo races, I've only played 1 vs 1 against the AI, I haven't found the end of the demo tech tree, and I've never played more than about half way to victory or defeat. So I intend to play the demo a lot more before making up my mind.

Re: Sword of the Stars? (New 4x game apparently)
 

Most games for me...if I'm hooked, or like it in the first hour of play, then it probably will be a good game...if it turns me off, or even worse pisses me off, int the first hour, then I probably never play it again...

Re: Sword of the Stars? (New 4x game apparently)
 

Played the demo for several hours yesterday; it has potential, but I certainly don't see it as a replacement or even competition for SE:V. They could do a little better job of explaining how combat works, I never did figure it out. There's a reason I usually avoid RTSs...

Re: Sword of the Stars? (New 4x game apparently)
 

Mecron's idea for the game was the "ooooo.... shiney" of Homeworld with the simplicity of SpacewardHo!. It's a mass-market game designed for broad appeal, not the nit-picky hardcore SE-fan. That was stated from the beginning.

Re: Sword of the Stars? (New 4x game apparently)
 

Well, the "ooooo.... shiney" aspect may capture the impulse buyers, but it wears off pretty fast when, like DarkHorse and me, you're trying to figure out how combat works and the game just isn't helping. Similarly, the voice responses are cute at first, but lose their charm with repetition (although I still get a kick out of the shipyard guy; he sounds just like Fat Bastard).

From recent posts on the Kerberos forums I gather that the manual won't clarify a lot of the game's nuts and bolts, perhaps on the theory that prolonging the learning curve will prolong the game's longevity on customers' hard drives. For "mass-market" gamers, however, I would expect just the opposite. Yes, all the answers will probably be available on the Kerberos forums, just as so much of Space Empires' lore is found here. But how many "mass market" players will bother with the forums?

Re: Sword of the Stars? (New 4x game apparently)
 

I've been playing the demo, off and on, for two days and I must say, I'm not impressed. Random techs, RTS combat, even the Main Map conspire to turn what could be a fun game into more of an irritation than anything else.

Re: Sword of the Stars? (New 4x game apparently)
 

Guess I am in the minority....liked the demo and love the full game.

*shrug* different strokes/tastes, different folks I guess.

Tactical combat DOES take some getting used to.