Space Sims/Strategy Games Catch-All

I really like the concepts behind Rogue Systems. Im not sure if I want to back, though, it even though I'd love to see it come to fruition. If I was sure I'd devote the brain space to learning all of the systems that power the space ships, I'd be all for it.

I'm one who has been wondering recently if you can make good gameplay out of being an 'Engineer' in the Scottie/La-Forge sense. You'd have to monitor systems, do damage control, and push your ship beyond specified safety levels without blowing it up. It'd be niche as all-get-out but could be great fun as a part of a larger crew.

polypusher wrote:

I'm one who has been wondering recently if you can make good gameplay out of being an 'Engineer' in the Scottie/La-Forge sense. You'd have to monitor systems, do damage control, and push your ship beyond specified safety levels without blowing it up. It'd be niche as all-get-out but could be great fun as a part of a larger crew.

The closest thing I think you might get to that is the old Rules of Engagement games, as they had detailed crew/repair/power management systems. Other than that, there's nothing else I can really think of to appeal to this niche, but it'd be cool if someone tried to make a game like this.

polypusher wrote:

I'm one who has been wondering recently if you can make good gameplay out of being an 'Engineer' in the Scottie/La-Forge sense. You'd have to monitor systems, do damage control, and push your ship beyond specified safety levels without blowing it up. It'd be niche as all-get-out but could be great fun as a part of a larger crew.

It's on IOS and it's called SpaceTeam.

polypusher wrote:

I'm one who has been wondering recently if you can make good gameplay out of being an 'Engineer' in the Scottie/La-Forge sense. You'd have to monitor systems, do damage control, and push your ship beyond specified safety levels without blowing it up. It'd be niche as all-get-out but could be great fun as a part of a larger crew.

Artemis.

Oh derp, I TOTALLY forgot about Artemis. In related news, there's a similar game that plays in a browser or an iPad called Quintet and since it plays over a browser rather than a Windows executionable, so I've actually been able to try it with a friend using an iPad, and it's pretty fun.

Ah well by the time I got to reading this tab, I refreshed it before I posted. Was going to say there was some bridge simulator game recently, but you guys took care of it. Artemis.

Ha! Didn't even realize I was the third to respond. At least I got the answer right! Artemis is a lot of fun. From the forum it sounds like a pretty major update is in the works too.

Space Team needs to go cross platform so I can play with my wife, but from what I know of it, Tweaking the Penguin Knob isnt what I had in mind.
Artemis, I didnt know it had an iOS version. Is it cross platform?

Yeah, the iOS version works along with the Windows version. So you have a science officer with an iPad while your helmsman is on a laptop for example.

LiquidMantis wrote:

Yeah, the iOS version works along with the Windows version. So you have a science officer with an iPad while your helmsman is on a laptop for example.

Dude, I thought you meant Space Team had a Windows version. BE SPECIFIC.

polypusher wrote:

Tweaking the Penguin Knob isnt what I had in mind.

I was only half-joking. I probably wouldn't fit into the niche Artemis or the game you're envisioning would cater to, because in my mind you could just make a Diesel-repair/Shipwright/Nerdy Aircontroller Dude in Die Hard 2 game and reskin it to whatever theme you want. Creative Engineering is creative engineering. Just change the skins and labels and you're retooling the intake valve from a hemi to act as a makeshift flow-distributor to keep Semi #6 on duty for another haul or two instead of converting an ion-displacement array to act as a makeshift flow-distributor to keep Shuttle #6 on duty for another haul or two.

I think the biggest 'hook' for a space-engineering game would be the thematic callbacks and maintaining the integrity of the established lore of the universe it is set in. Whether it is true-to-life space engineering or fantasy.
I WOULD play the role of a wrench-monkey on the TCS Victory as long as I can occasionally trade witty comments with Mark Hamill.

Veloxi wrote:

Oh derp, I TOTALLY forgot about Artemis. In related news, there's a similar game that plays in a browser or an iPad called Quintet and since it plays over a browser rather than a Windows executionable, so I've actually been able to try it with a friend using an iPad, and it's pretty fun. :)

Thanks for the ROE2 manual scan, that's a great find. And for this link. Does it have voice built in? Or could you use something like a Google hangout? I haven't had a chance to play Artemis with other people, yet. Just the demo.

polypusher wrote:

Space Team needs to go cross platform so I can play with my wife, but from what I know of it, Tweaking the Penguin Knob isnt what I had in mind.

Well he's oiled up if you change your mind.

Mixolyde wrote:

And for this link. Does it have voice built in? Or could you use something like a Google hangout? I haven't had a chance to play Artemis with other people, yet. Just the demo.

Not sure if it has built-in voice, I've only played it in the same room with a friend on her iPad.

Veloxi wrote:
Mixolyde wrote:

And for this link. Does it have voice built in? Or could you use something like a Google hangout? I haven't had a chance to play Artemis with other people, yet. Just the demo.

Not sure if it has built-in voice, I've only played it in the same room with a friend on her iPad.

The web app does have a button for voice, it attempts to grab your built-in webcam device microphone. It's a pretty cool game. Has a few engineering things like hacking enemy ship shields and such that aren't in artemis.

Mixolyde wrote:
Veloxi wrote:
Mixolyde wrote:

And for this link. Does it have voice built in? Or could you use something like a Google hangout? I haven't had a chance to play Artemis with other people, yet. Just the demo.

Not sure if it has built-in voice, I've only played it in the same room with a friend on her iPad.

The web app does have a button for voice, it attempts to grab your built-in webcam device microphone. It's a pretty cool game. Has a few engineering things like hacking enemy ship shields and such that aren't in artemis.

Oh that is awesome. Maybe we should try to get a game together! And record it! HAHAHHA

So, admitting that I've filthily skimmed to the highest extent, I figure you guys are the best ones to ask.

Gratuitous Space battles is Free this weekend, or costs a whopping £2.99. What's the low-down on it? I'll hopefully get a chance to play some of the free weekend, but in case I don't, it may still tickle-my-fancy at less than £3.

You build spaceships, line them up in formation, then they face off with other ships and pew pew lasergun each other into pieces. If you are undecided or can't try the game before the event is over, just buy the base game. Each expansion adds a new set of ships and special equipment for that "race", so you're not missing that much. You can pick them up in a later steam sale.

The GSB games are a great time, totally worth the price just for all the great explosions.

Speaking of explosions, please come watch me flail around Kerbal Space Program as I learn the game in front of you all, embarrassing myself to no end.

http://www.spacegamejunkie.com/previ...

Enjoy, and thanks!

Also guys, I'm thinking of moving solely to video-based reviews and previews, and would love to get user feedback on the idea, so I made this poll thing:

http://www.spacegamejunkie.com/misce...

If y'all could help me out, that would rock. Thank you.

Man, everyone is so into the videos these days. I hate Hate HATE the darn things. I can read content at several times the speed it takes someone to stammer and babble their way through something, and better yet reading never forces me to listen to someone's abominable taste in background or bumper music!

That said, despite me voting "Hell No" on your poll, you have to do what is fun for you to produce because nothing kills a fan site faster than the owner's boredom.

That's fine, I want the honest input, thanks!

GSB is okay, nothing really special. You have X points to build a fleet, you face off against another fleet built from Y points, and you find out who wins. IIRC, you don't have all that much control once the battle starts... I'm not sure about that, but I am sure that I got tired of it pretty quickly.

Thanks! Maybe I'll do my pile a favour and side-step GSB for now, I'm sure it will come around again.

As for reviews, I prefer written as well - I can read as little as a paragraph before being interrupted, but when I come back, I'm straight back where I left off. Video reviews do have benefits of being able to show gameplay footage of what is being discussed by the narrator, but at the end of the day, you gotta do what works for you, as it's your time you're putting into it!

Elycion wrote:

I hate Hate HATE the darn things.

My vote was 'balanced.' But I have a similar feeling simply because of the convenience of text. I am a multi-tasker, and reading something allows me to switch back and forth quickly as needed. Video requires me to a) not be on a phone-call. b) find the headphones that allow me to hear the slight audio-cues from the other things I'm working on. c) quickly find the pause button if an administrator walks in. d) is difficult to refer back to specific sections if I'm trying to share your impressions with someone or I want to compare impressions.
As companion pieces to your normal reports I think video content could shine. As a replacement to your regular content you would join my huge backlog of subscribed youtube channels that I half-heartedly catch up on once in a blue moon when I sit down at my computer and don't have anything else to do.

As companion pieces to your normal reports I think video content could shine

This.

Could you guys please clarify what you mean by "companion pieces", please?

More Rogue System!

Veloxi wrote:

Could you guys please clarify what you mean by "companion pieces", please?

For me it would be a written review with a video segment showing some in-game footage as examples of some of the things you wrote about in the review. For instance, if your review says the game chugs to a halt in large space battles or the particle effects in the nebulas made you drool, you can then cut to a video segment showing those things off.

Hhhmmm, I could try that too! I was thinking on more simplistic lines, like game A might get a textual article while game B might get a video article based on what I think will be more entertaining.