Star Traders: Frontiers Spice-All

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Star Traders: Frontiers is the latest from the Trese brothers, who have put out a number of crunchy mobile games that emphasize mechanics and systems over graphics and presentation. ST:F synthesizes many of the ideas they've explored in these earlier games, only with a cleaner UI and some time and energy put into presentation.

The potential for this game is staggering, and its already the brightest spot of 2018 in my personal gaming-verse.

So take a seat in the spice hall and let's boost some morale while talking about this gem of a game!

This video might give people a good idea of what's in the game.

Thanks for making this thread Harpo.

Yay individual space game thread!

Also, that Waypoint video is what sold me on the game. Veloxi got me me interested but I am far too savvy to fall for his wiles any more (otherwise I would have 3000 space games ).

tboon wrote:

Also, that Waypoint video is what sold me on the game. Veloxi got me me interested but I am far too savvy to fall for his wiles any more (otherwise I would have 3000 space games ).

I'll get you back. THEY ALL COME BACK.

A new company has been founded: Capella Freight Co.

This is a mobile game?

*runs to App Store*

*runs back*

Ok it’s not there but I just read the Steam store page! Cool!

Maclintok wrote:

This is a mobile game?

*runs to App Store*

I think this game is not mobile, but they started out making mobile games. And it looks like they might all be in the same universe.

Wow, this game looks great from what I've seen.

The Trese brothers have a bunch of mobile games, this is their first non-mobile one (though I think they plan to port it eventually.)

It is really fun right now, even in Early Access. The systems work together in an interesting way (even though they need to do more balancing) and there's a lot of depth already in terms of what you can do and how you can play.

There is a Star Traders mobile game. It's a bit like an old 80's DOS game. I haven't gotten that deep into it. I'm not in a good mindset for multiple menu games when I'm playing something on mobile.

This game is very similar to that one, only the UI and graphics are significantly improved.

Just realized that you can replace weapons with utility or other equipment. It doesn't all have to be torpedoes. Kind of a game changer in some ways. I had just assumed that every component upgraded to a similar component.

Maq wrote:

A new company has been founded: Capella Freight Co.

No-one respects the classics.

https://www.myabandonware.com/game/s...

Oh my, this is a wonderful game. Sucks you right in.

The art is a little weird, and the interface too, but nothing to stop me playing for hours today.

Looks like a little Elite, a little FTL, a little Darkest Dungeon.

And some Space Rangers HD thrown in, too.

Yeah - I have to restrain myself from firing it up. I want to fiddle and explore the mechanics, but i’m interested in playing the complete game and I can’t just pop in for twenty minutes. It sucks me in thoroughly every time.

I have just the one session under my belt, and it ate most of my day today. Tempted to just put it aside till it's done.

Yeah, the other interesting thing about it is that so far, the story is actually pretty well written. I'm doing my best to just ignore it and run around Star Trading.

There are a few typos in some scenes (and one where the wrong character keeps speaking) but otherwise it is surprisingly well written.

I'm sort of at the hold off until its more feature complete, but damn if their constant updates don't tug at me.

My understanding is it is feature complete (aside from some balancing and UI stuff), it is just not content complete (as in more story stuff - last thing I saw was 40% content complete).

I'd be surprised if they didn't end up adding more weapons/ship components/ships. It's a smidge bare-boned at the moment, and I can't imagine a whole lot of resources would go into creating those assets.

I dunno if it's feature complete yet. As an experiment, I let hostile police onto my ship during an encounter in space. At the end of it, I was told that I was arrested and sentenced to several years in prison. And then the game went on as if nothing had happened....

Robear wrote:

I dunno if it's feature complete yet. As an experiment, I let hostile police onto my ship during an encounter in space. At the end of it, I was told that I was arrested and sentenced to several years in prison. And then the game went on as if nothing had happened.... :-)

The date moves forward by a year and you end up owing your crew like 10 grand in back pay. But yeah, a touch under baked.

I played this all night (since I bought it yesterday). Playing a custom Smuggler/spy in a small ship. I haven't done more than a few of the "story missions" (2 or 3).

From what it seems, Attributes will never(?) improve, so I boosted them as high as I could. #1 pick, for me.
I went Skills #2 - these can improve over time (as you drop points into Jobs), but I suppose you end up with a (theoretical) maximum... I might have been better off with, maybe Contacts (maaaaaybe Experience).
#3 went to Experience - starting off with a couple officers is nice.
#4 was Contacts (start with 2), but I feel like I should have put this higher... rng stuck me with a "black market" access contact in a backwater planet, with no black market (says that the goods on this world's b#5 went to ship, as I felt that I didn't want to be overwhelmed with crew, and components as I'm just learning.

I went pretty heavy on the Command-style stats, instead of the brawling - so high charisma, and mental toughness. Pretty minimal on the physicality.

The plan was to run packages, snoop intel, and run away from as much combat, as possible. So far, it's going pretty well. I've never met a ship I didn't try to run away from, I've even managed to repel a few boarding parties, and win a handful of ground combats. I've been arrested once, but their case didn't stick

At one point I was up to 130k (mission rewards, and some side trade-route activity). I've upgraded my engines, maxed out my current torpedo-launchers, replaced a small gun for a brig (couldn't transport prisoners without), and now looking to save up for a bigger ship (or maybe just a hella-expensive cargo hold - more fuel, and trade-good space).

Overall I'm having fun, but I also had a blast with Rebel Galaxy - a game I feel mirrors some of the gameplay loop, but I like the added Darkest Dungeon bit too :).

I will play more.

*That's* why their pay went up so high, and my mission suddenly had less time left! Thanks!

Star Traders is currently on sale in Steam - 20% off. At $12, it is an absolute steal and probably well worth the snag now, even if you are waiting for 1.0.

TheHarpoMarxist wrote:

Star Traders is currently on sale in Steam - 20% off. At $12, it is an absolute steal and probably well worth the snag now, even if you are waiting for 1.0.

Absolute steal for $12

I picked this up a couple of days ago by using my Steam wallet money gotten from selling PUBG crates. I needed something to play with one hand, while my newborn is sleeping in the other arm. I have to say, for the money, the game did not disappoint.

I do struggle with some of the concepts behind the game. Does anybody know about some proper documentation to go with it? In that video posted above, the guy is reading from and quoting some sort of a background document. Do we all have access to that, or was that some sort of a review exclusive thing?

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