StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

[Mar 08, 2013, 9:56 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

StarDrive is now available for pre-purchase on Steam, offering the chance to get a 15% discount on Zero Sum Games' upcoming 4X space strategy game, as well as immediate access to the game's beta testing (thanks Mark). There's a StarDrive Beta Mission Statement on the game's website outlining the goals for the beta. Here's word: "StarDrive has a solid foundation and this Beta will demonstrate to you the full power of our engine. I am making this game for you. So tell me what you want. The best ideas that have the most support will get into the game. First I want to focus on usability features - things to make your life easier. But I also want to add more meat to the areas you most enjoy."

View

12 Replies. 1 pages. Viewing page 1.
< Newer [ 1 ] Older >

12.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 10, 2013, 22:22

Crustacean Soup

I took a chance and bought it. The game is pretty fun, though I can see there's room for balancing before release. Still making up my mind, but so far I'm liking it. The game feels a bit more like a typical 4X and less like an RTS than does, say, SOASE. You get a set number of tiles on planets on which to build improvements, and you can further specialize by tweaking the % of a planet's population that works on research, production, or food, and whether to import or export food and production. Freighters auto-trade resources or colonists between planets. You can have a pure research planet that depends on agriculture and mining planets to survive. There's ship design (2D grid with parts), typical 4Xy diplomacy (with fairly reactive AI who declare war when you're weak, suck up when you're strong, etc.), and bog standard tree research, but all taking place in real time. There don't seem to be as many things to do to influence a battle. There are no RTSy unit powers or whatnot. You can try to micro, but there are so many fast-moving ships and so many different firing arcs... Problems? Ships avoid engaging enemies in the same star system unless they're nearly adjacent or on "empire defense" mode (which does what it says if you forget to manually set up an AO). The research tree feels like it could be fleshed out a bit (or it's just too fast to move through it at the default Pace setting). I hit one event that unlocks some powerful ship parts, and it wasn't clear if the AI did too -- if they did, their designs weren't making great use of them. Launching/using troops is a little weird, and it seems a bit too easy to get them past enemy ships and straight to the planet. And it's easy to get into debt without noticing and then lose everything to rebels.

11.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 21:07

Dev

I wanted to update that I got my key. Also, since that sword of the stars pit game came out and I found out about it in the meantime (think sci-fi roguelike like dungeons of dremora), I've started playing that while waiting for the key. So I dunno when I'll get around to stardrive now.

10.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 12:29

Dev

I've played both real time and turn based 4x, and enjoyed them both. The real time ones usually let you pause and do orders. I won't judge before playing them.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 08:17

Slashman

Think I've been spoiled by SotS. I like my 4x games to be turn-based with combat in 3d realtime and highly detailed ships and weapons.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 08:03

JaguarUSF

Here's video of me playing the beta for twenty-two minutes and forty-eight seconds, if you are interested.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 07:52

Angrius Maximis

Real Time? No thanks

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 03:39

Dev

Bubicus wrote on Mar 9, 2013, 03:30: Dev, It's been playable on Desura for the Kickstarter supporters for months. You didn't get a key for that? Pretty sure that was closed beta and indev versions, neither of which were for the $10 tier. I'm just a little peeved that we didn't get our keys even a little before the mass public could get them. And yes, I know he's having trouble figuring out a mail merge on an excel spreadsheet with the addresses and keys. That's why I'm only a little peeved at the moment. This comment was edited on Mar 9, 2013, 03:51.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 03:30

Bubicus

Dev, It's been playable on Desura for the Kickstarter supporters for months. You didn't get a key for that?

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 9, 2013, 01:10

Silicon Avatar

Kind of bad timing. I already spent my cash on two big Kickstarters.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 8, 2013, 22:29

Cutter

Pfft, I might be interested if I check out the game but I'm sure as shit not paying to beta.




"Are you crazy? Is that your problem?" - Jack Burton

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 8, 2013, 22:06

jdreyer

This looks like it has potential.

Let us know how it is, Dev.




Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.

Re: StarDrive Pre-Purchases Get Beta Access

Mar 8, 2013, 21:15

Dev

I kickstarted this for $10, now if they'd only get around to sending me my key

12 Replies. 1 pages. Viewing page 1.
< Newer [ 1 ] Older >