[Phoenix-D]

Would be more appropriate in the SF forum anyway; Space Empires IV and Starshatter have very little in common. Only played the Starshatter demo, but:

SS is full 3d, SF is on a 2d plane. That means SS has more depth (heh) that way but is harder to control. Actually SF is much easier to control all around, and also easier to mod. You pay for that with less flexibility, though.

Starshatter doesn't have trading, but it -does- have dynamic campaigns; the best you can manage with SF is semi dynamic.

SS does have a air-to-ground component but frankly it looks like ***. In space I think the graphics are about even..not 100% sure. SS has a more realistic scale, it seems, especially as planet sizes go. SF doesn't have a fighter combat component, really.

IMHO the two games are in similar but not quite identical genera; you'd be better off comparing Starshatter to Freespace 2 (it fares poorly, but then again ANYTHING fares poorly when you set it against Freespace)

[ July 24, 2004, 23:44: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]