Space Pirates and Zombies

[Furiously]

http://www.spacepiratesandzombies.com/

It's very Star Control like. Pretty fun, in beta right now. Due to be out on Steam pretty soon. Anyone else played the demo or bought the beta? Great indie game from what I have seen so far.

[Mrbloodworth]

Loved me some Star Control II, and this very much has that feel but with an indi flair. ( Uses one of my favorite engines too )

[kildorn]

I've been playing this for a while via impulse. Quite fun. The steam release in august is supposed to be the 1.0 release, and fix a bunch of quest stuff and make zombies less... obnoxious.

Overall though, great game.

[Amaron]

When you say like SC I assume we're only talking about the combat portion?

[kildorn]

When you say like SC I assume we're only talking about the combat portion?

SCish combat. Very plot light (the plot missions are hard as balls in the current build, too), missions are mostly to up faction to buy things.

I believe there's a demo on their main page, or at least there was supposed to be a demo.

[Pezzle]

This game is fun.  I am still trying to figure out just what a scanner module does other than waste a slot on my ship.  I have yet to lock anything cloaked and it is very annoying. 

[kildorn]

This game is fun.  I am still trying to figure out just what a scanner module does other than waste a slot on my ship.  I have yet to lock anything cloaked and it is very annoying. 

If cloaked things are nearby, it emits a tiny beam at them and makes them visible.

Useless aside from hunting down mine controllers.

[Pezzle]

Ok.  Thank you for the tip.  I will chalk it up to not working or severely underwhelming.  One of my ships has a sensor, the cloaked things are still a serious irritation. 

[Ghambit]

DIAF if you do not love this game.  $15??  Easy purchase.

Loved me some Star Control II, and this very much has that feel but with an indi flair. ( Uses one of my favorite engines too )

Which engine did they use?  Torque2d I assume?

[Mrbloodworth]

Yep, Torque 2d. 

[Pezzle]

I have been playing a bit and it is only a fair game.  Yes it is still in beta, that will not excuse some of the flaws.

The game is very grindy.  I enter a new system and there is often very little to do.  Every system seems to have a set event rotation.  You only gain ship tech from fights and weapon tech from civs, so forget about launcher upgrades by blowing up big launcher ships.  The game is largely figuring out which system level has a chance of new ships and if you can handle the fighting.  Then you shop in systems with the $ and grind for goons and rez.  I feel no desire to explore and there is little incentive to.  Once you have your upgrades, move on.  Outside buying tech it seems to matter little who you side with. 

While the ships are fun to tinker with initially they will quickly become tedious.  Part of that is lack of meaningful options and tactics since your team AI is so stupid.  Perhaps the next update will fix some of these issues.  It is also possible the game gets better later as I am only at level 26.  The game certainly has fun moments and I do not regret the purchase, simply do not expect it to be awesome. 

[Mrbloodworth]

You can you can control your ships ALA RTS yes? Also, no alien interaction? like, none?

[Pezzle]

Ship control is with WSAD + Mouse.  You can customize most controls happily.  In the beginning you get a narrated explanation of the plot and at certain points you get the next sequences based on completing objectives.  There are only two factions so far, UTA (military) and Civ (everyone else).  In each system they will both have a main space station.  Your interaction involves you docking in that station and executing one of 4 commands.  You can trade them goons for whatever resource, trade them goons for better standing so you are not kos, buy whatever tech they have available (not all systems) or bribe the gate guards to let you pass through a system gate(UTA only).  Zombies are somewhere but I have not reached that point in the game yet.  There really is no interaction. 

The game sets your initial system standings before you get there so sometimes you are hostile to both.  You can manipulate that of course but I would not call it diplomacy.  Some mission will pop up and you can perform the task gaining whatever modification there is.  Since you only get new ships by reverse engineering (picking up) the drops from that ship type at some point you have to fight. 

While you gather resources you will pick up xp nodules that will level you and give you points to spend on the various techs like missiles and shields.  There is no ship collision so you can charge right through others.  The tactical combat is not one on one it is groups vs groups and your ships are really, really stupid.  You can issue some limited general orders to your minion ships but they do not seem to work very well.  If you like you can also take control of any ship in your group, allowing your previous ship to be stupid instead.

Your ships can cooperate but it is a tough mix of different weapons and dumb luck. 

Honestly, I am probably being overly harsh on a $15 game made by two people.  It does not crash, the interface is easy and the graphics are certainly tolerable.  Replacing ships is nearly effortless.  The entire game is simple to manage.  I was simply hoping for more?  Star Control came out in 1991* and I remember very tense fights as you played ship strengths against each other.  20 years later we have new elements that still need work.  I am still playing it though. 


*fun fact.  On the back of the Star Control box they mention Star Wars.

[kildorn]

You can you can control your ships ALA RTS yes? Also, no alien interaction? like, none?

Your ship is ASWD + mouse to aim.

Your wingmen either chill with you, or you can go into map mode and tell them to go somewhere/attack something/guard shit.

There are no aliens in the universe. Only UTC (government), Civs (miners and the like) and Zombies.

edit: the way to "cheese" the grind if you can find a good one is that Data(XP) is based on level difference between you and the target. If you find a system where you are friendly or neutral to both sides that is your level or higher, you can just go chill out in the fight zones (not missions, the open area ones) and pick up data/rez/goons for a bit.

You can also clear up lower tech stuff you want by going back and blowing up the station that sells it.

Later on, missions become a better investment, especially the zombie tech stealing one (you can do it in a cloaked anything in two minutes with no combat, for craploads of rez/goons/data)

But oddly, the game is far easier with a giant galaxy size, so you don't get blocked in to a system early on that you can't bust out of.

[Ghambit]

You can you can control your ships ALA RTS yes? Also, no alien interaction? like, none?

But oddly, the game is far easier with a giant galaxy size, so you don't get blocked in to a system early on that you can't bust out of.

You can still get pigeonholed, but the solution is simply to rep-grind both factions in the same system until you've bled them of all their tech.  After that, take on the ambient events, etc.  Regardless, sometimes you're gonna get into situations where you just need to out-rez the competition, as you will die...  often.

[Xanthippe]

I have played the demo most of the way through, and will be picking this up. 

I absolutely love the graphic art on the logo.  Very nice job on that.

[Nebu]

Thanks for this thread.  I'm getting bored with Terraria and was looking at this game for some entertainment.  I may pick it up tonight and give it a few hours.

[Ingmar]

I tried the demo last night after I came down from my SPESS MEHRENE high and found it pretty entertaining in a Star Control-y sort of way. Not sure if I will pull the trigger on a buy just yet, it feels a little more like a $10 game than a $15 game to me.

[Hawkbit]

Just bought it.  Two man team made a fun game, I'm down with paying them.  Hoping for further content. 

[Vaiti]

I bit on the 15€ but I used to play the shit out of games like, Flatspace 1 & 2,  EV: Nova and StarScape.

They are adding alot more into it, and it's done by two guys, who made the game becausel they couldn't find games like it anymore. New content isn't coming as fast as I thought it might, but, well, 2 guys. I'm just hoping content keeps coming for it. I'd even personally be willing to pay for DLC for it down the line, if it adds enough.

[Xanthippe]

Don't lose all your ships and run out of rez.  Ouch.

[Ghambit]

Don't lose all your ships and run out of rez.  Ouch.

Especially after obliterating nearby mining stations.   

[Xanthippe]

Don't lose all your ships and run out of rez.  Ouch.

Especially after obliterating nearby mining stations.   

Or when everybody hates you.

[Slayerik]

I can hear the SC II battle music in my head right now. We played the shit outta that game, and amongst my friends I could not be beat. Druuge ownership. And spathi butt missiles. You can't fuck with this.

[tazelbain]

You guys must be total bastards in your games if you have no mining colonies to fall back on.

[Ghambit]

I blow em up looking for SRM launcher blueprints.  Speaking of which, can you even GET blueprints from stations?   
What a cocktease getting 50% SRM and not being able to find the rest.

[kildorn]

I blow em up looking for SRM launcher blueprints.  Speaking of which, can you even GET blueprints from stations?   
What a cocktease getting 50% SRM and not being able to find the rest.

Yes, a station will drop whatever it was selling if destroyed.

But you get nothing if they weren't selling anything.

[Ghambit]

I blow em up looking for SRM launcher blueprints.  Speaking of which, can you even GET blueprints from stations?   
What a cocktease getting 50% SRM and not being able to find the rest.

Yes, a station will drop whatever it was selling if destroyed.

But you get nothing if they weren't selling anything.

Oops. 
So uh, I just have to 'happen upon' the SRM blueprint is what you're telling me?

[kildorn]

I blow em up looking for SRM launcher blueprints.  Speaking of which, can you even GET blueprints from stations?   
What a cocktease getting 50% SRM and not being able to find the rest.

Yes, a station will drop whatever it was selling if destroyed.

But you get nothing if they weren't selling anything.

Oops. 
So uh, I just have to 'happen upon' the SRM blueprint is what you're telling me?

Yes.

[Vaiti]

Also, on the maps, it will show a $ sign if the station has anything at all

[Xanthippe]

I just hit level 20 and I think I'm doing it wrong.  It's gotten really hard.

I put all my points evenly into everything.  I am thinking that starting over and focusing on certain things might be a lot better.

[Ghambit]

I just hit level 20 and I think I'm doing it wrong.  It's gotten really hard.

I put all my points evenly into everything.  I am thinking that starting over and focusing on certain things might be a lot better.

No need to start over.  You can just respec.
Also, probably the toughest thing to learn is that it's really not possible to take the shortest path to the next mission.  You'll often have to visit out-of-the-way systems so you can buy appropriate tech.  Then come back to the mission with more firepower.

If you hit a blockade with ridiculous tech. (like imba. fighter drones), then maybe buying your way in with goons is best.  If you're hated load up a quick fighter, send in your ai as a diversion and sneak into the base with tradeable goons.

[Xanthippe]

I just hit level 20 and I think I'm doing it wrong.  It's gotten really hard.

I put all my points evenly into everything.  I am thinking that starting over and focusing on certain things might be a lot better.

No need to start over.  You can just respec.
Also, probably the toughest thing to learn is that it's really not possible to take the shortest path to the next mission.  You'll often have to visit out-of-the-way systems so you can buy appropriate tech.  Then come back to the mission with more firepower.

If you hit a blockade with ridiculous tech. (like imba. fighter drones), then maybe buying your way in with goons is best.  If you're hated load up a quick fighter, send in your ai as a diversion and sneak into the base with tradeable goons.

What should I focus on to put my points in?  It seems that some things are really good and some are terrible.  Any particular suggestions?  Thanks.

[Ghambit]

I have no suggestions because it's completely dependent on the available tech. 
For instance, I wanted to focus on missile boats but I just never got the BPs for it.  So I went beams, shields, and reactors with the appropo specialists (for now).  Right now though, I've hit a brick wall dealing with drones I have no point defense for.  Gotta buy my way out.

Eventually I'll probably go gravity bomb with drones.

[kildorn]

There are a lot of viable paths right now. But if you plan on sticking it out, throw a few points in cloak for later.

Right now my most abusive combo is heavy cloak/cannons/hull or armor. The stacking damage bonuses turn crazy once you get particle cannons.

If you're heavy beams/shields, deal with drones by aggroing the carrier, then backing up while sweeping a beam. You'll take out the drones pretty easily.