What's the point to this game?

[RegnorVex]

I'm thinking of getting it, it gets great reviews and I've played around with the demo and like the overall character and feel. But I have some questions about the objectives.

What's the object of the game? I can't figure it out. Is the point simply that you travel around and acquire goodies and fight bad guys until time runs out and then you run back to your starting point and check your score? If you don't heed the warnings and keep playing, you can just go on as long as you'd like and the only penalty is a lower score?

[S.R. Krol]

Originally Posted by RegnorVex

What's the object of the game? I can't figure it out. Is the point simply that you travel around and acquire goodies and fight bad guys until time runs out and then you run back to your starting point and check your score?

Pretty much. You explore, you meet critters, you kill critters, and you get phat lewt, all for the glory of the score. Of course the score is really secondary, it's just fun to zoom around and unleash your inner Captain Kirk.

If you don't heed the warnings and keep playing, you can just go on as long as you'd like and the only penalty is a lower score?

Yes, you lose points based on how long you're overdue. Bear in mind that even on a large map you'll probably explore everything in about 45 minutes, so even if you're not playing for a score there is a finite amount of exploration you can do. Of course, you'll also find that the more you explore the greater you chance for destruction is, all depending on how the universe was randomly created for that particular game. Some sessions you'll barely have any hostile contact while others the universe will be a harsh and unforgiving mistress, and the more you're out there, the more likely you'll end up as floating space dust.

[RegnorVex]

Thanks for the reply, S.R.Krol. Cute little game and I can see the replay value, but it seems like it could have been a lot more fun with a more concrete objective and less of a sandbox feel.

[Bluevoss]

I'm new on this base, but I'll tell you what I think - I started playing Strange Adventures in Infinate Space last week (didn't know there had been a new version released). Loved it so much I bought WW too.

There is a concrete goal - accumulate the most money by gaining technology and discoveries. The time limit is solid - you miss it and you blow the game. Sure you can wander around, just as I can play a game for the German invasion of Russia in WW2 and run my counters in circles.

As a freelance writer, I love this game - it gives me a solid 10-15 minute break to clear my head. Its fun and dosn't take hours and hours of micromanagment. And, like any good solitare game, its about taking a number of components and using them in ways to maximize your return.

Really, in the long view, what's the point of any game. It all vanishes when the computer is turned off.