I'm always happy to see a new space 4x game in development but I am curious to know what will make your game different and unique from others currently in existence that are inspired by MOO2? As you've stated your foundation will be "turn-based tactical combat; ship design; free space-based movement with range limits; race customization; leaders; deep colony management and espionage." That is great to hear but I know of many games either available now or currently in development with a strong focus on these features. Most of them offer something else that sets them apart from each other somewhat. Lords of Rigel is promising a dynamic "cold war" style diplomatic environment with two elder races trying to recruit the younger species to join their ancient war. Predestination is offering incredibly deep and detailed colony management. Stars in Shadow is sticking very close to the MOO formula, but with unique artwork and some minor changes. There are other projects also in development focused on solely providing an graphically update to MOO2 with enhanced AI features. I won't mention the bigger fish in the genre, like Stellaris, NuMOO, Endless Space 2, since they have all moved away from the basic MOO formula to varying degrees, but they are still out there and offer many unique features of their own. In your introductory post you mentioned some new things like "more meat to the exploration phase, terraforming and to leaders. We also added strategic resources, a social engineering system, modding support and introduced a few novelties to the space combat." Which of these things do you hope will help your game stand out the most? If you are willing to elaborate on any of them now that is great, but if you'd rather wait to reveal them I can understand that. For right now I'm just curious to know your general thoughts and hopes you have for the game that will offer players a unique experience which gives them that "just one more turn" feeling we all love in our 4x games which keep us coming back for more
Hi echo2361, thanks for the topic, which is surely a more than pertinent one. Well, first of all we're making it very clear that our objective is to develop a spiritual successor to MoO2. It may seem subtle, but it's not exactly the same as saying an "inspired by" title or that we're "taking inspiration" or "elements" from it. The key is our foundation, what constitutes our vision for a spiritual successor of MoO2 to be, so it must have all those listed elements, with no exception. Just by itself, I think this already sets our game apart from other games that are inspired by MoO2, because as you'll see, there's always some fundamental that gets violated, or at the very least greatly simplified. But, even if all those fundamental elements are in, if your starting goal is not to make a spiritual successor, but to move away from the formula into a different thing, you'll end up diverging from the feeling of the game, and the right atmosphere (all the little things combined). So, that's what we propose to do, to get the fundamentals in, the feeling right and then and only then go after offering something new, that's what will make our game stand apart. Of course, we count with the support of the community to make it work. It's really the combination of all the novelties in all those elements, which I think will help cover the "new part" need. The exploration offers new mechanics that I've not seen done to this date in a space 4X game, which I think will provide for further depth to the exploration phase, helping bringing it to the mid/late game. Terraforming gains a new meaning as well. You could terraform in Master of Orion 2, and even in the original Master of Orion, but they were quite straightforward tasks. Not anymore. Leaders pickup from MoO2, of course, but were enhanced to give them more personality and more substance to their relation with the game. There's strategic resources now, highly tied with the game's progression, exploration and tech system. A social engineering system ads new meaning to your civ's progression. Modding shall allow to change many things via simple XML changes, for now. The space combat will of course honor MoO2's space combat in true splendour, as it has to be. But, we added a couple of interesting new mechanics to make it even more fun and deep. So, with all this it is our hope that we'll have a game that will offer players a worthy successor to Master of Orion 2, one that will feel true to that game but is also able to offer something new to look for. With, as a say in the announcement post, all the complexity and depth of a big and complex 4X game. The reason for announcing now, as we're still in pre-alpha, is for people who believe in this vision for a master of orion 2 spiritual successor, to come forward and help us shape the experience so that they can make it their own, as well. That's our mission. If in the end people recognize that this was a great spiritual successor, and that it managed to offer something new, then we will have succeeded. Hope this makes it more clear what the game's vision is about and why you should be excited about this project and make it your own. Even if Master of Orion says very little to you, I'm sure we'll deliver a good space 4X experience, since the foundation is strong and all the novel elements will be added to enhance that experience, to make us keep pressing one more turn, in the galaxy.
Thanks for the response Adam! Glad to hear you guys have concrete ideas about the game you want to make and a solid plan for how to go about making it.
"The exploration offers new mechanics that I've not seen done to this date in a space 4X game" exciting! I take a random guess: explored systems no longer grants you perfect stats about the planet from the get go...you have to send a satellite and research folk to establish the planetary resources, etc. I know you have something entirely different,grander and more elegant and whatnot...than what I just wrote..but it's still something to think about: why in the world can a single exploration ship give you ALL the info you could ever ask about a *planet* (those thigns are kinda big...) by simply stopping by for a few months (or is it years)? I get it if there's some super tech that let you do that but it'd be great if some effort is needed to explore planets, not the least so that you actually have to choose what planet you're going for (instead of "colonize everything in sight lightning quick").
I think exploration should take a basic progression here, First is if the Planet can support Human Life a simple Yes or No will do At which point you move on or Explore further, which at some point will require a land base. How long do these take ? Only depends on your level of Tech Advancement. So it could be Quick, even Instant, or take much time. There has to be some Reward for the Time an Expense in Advanceing Your Tech, Or Whats the Point. Basic commone sense to be applied here.
the only thing that will set this game apart is to include all ideas as game play start options. anything else is just a reskin of whats been done before
That seems like a rather pessimistic point of view at this point in time, doesn't it? None of the dev diaries have been released yet and only a very high level overview has been provided. We should hear the whole story before passing judgment. Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you mean though?
I would like to see exploration to be interesting late game, somehow. That would definitely make things different for that X.
I would like to see exploration to be interesting out of the gate, from the moment you send off your first exploration ship. Otherwise your missing a BIG opportunity to add Content, in any vein. I think I mentioned before, elsewhere that this could be a excellent way to allow Modders to add to the Game. And I for one, hope to see Surprise after Surprise, keeping the Game from becoming tedious an repetitive. Exploration and Adventure is what drives Sci-Fi, Star Trek anyone....
