[computer games] Sword of the Stars

[Trithemius]

So, I am given to understand we have some burgeoning space tyrants in the crowd.
I was wondering if anyone wanted to have a stab at a multiplayer game of Sword of the Stars? A couple of hours for a couple of weekends of, generally, PvE-type play?

I envisage mostly playing nice with the other human factions (maybe picking a single Empire to play?) and using the tech development projects and the like to develop and fight some Hard AI.

Anyone keen?

[The_Exile]

Yes I would be interested as I just got a special delivery of my arse courtesy of the hivers

[Trithemius]

I am not sad at all to hear that the space-marsupials got a kickin'

[AtheistCrusader]

The Zuul are jerks to the end.

Anyway, I am down for a regular session of SotS multiplayer.

[The_Exile]

Worse I woz the hume-es

[Aranador]

I would be keen on this plan.

[Trithemius]

I would be keen on this plan.

Glad to hear that, since it was your plan and I stole it!



Are people keen to do the "pick one Empire" thing? It means we can use the varying tech trees and share research (also we can diplo to the max right at the start) but not to the point of getting all-powerful tech-tree dominance.

I thought the Tarka might be good since (a) they have Nine Emperors in the fiction, and, (b) their FTL doesn't force you down narrow channels. Space-Whales or Space-Chooks might be okay too? Anyone else got ideas?

[lexifab]

Trith, do you know of any good reviews of SotS? I'm vacillating based on the fact that I (a) have enough games to be getting on with at the moment and (b) suck at big strategy games, but I do like the odd spot of friendly competition and spaceships going zoomkapowboom.

[Trithemius]

Trith, do you know of any good reviews of SotS? I'm vacillating based on the fact that I (a) have enough games to be getting on with at the moment and (b) suck at big strategy games, but I do like the odd spot of friendly competition and spaceships going zoomkapowboom.

Nope, I don't sorry. It's great though!

EDIT: For our game I am imagining a friendly cooperation really, not competition. The idea is to make it hard enough that we need to back each other up.

[lexifab]

EDIT: For our game I am imagining a friendly cooperation really, not competition. The idea is to make it hard enough that we need to back each other up.

I am even more intrigued!

[Trithemius]

More scenario thoughts: allied Tarka empires vs. Hard AI Hiver empires. The Hivers are allowed to bash each other if they want.

I vaguely imagine it as a resistance against a bunch of lunatic post-societal collapse Hivers. The Tarka are trying to work out what to do with it.

Maybe toss in an advanced Spacechook empire for good measure?

[Jammer]

I'm up for some of this action too. Though my experience is mostly limited to sucking out loud and starting games where I am totally surrounded by Alien Derelict, the Swarm and some other dudes I don't get the name of before I'm reduced to a fine spray.

I'll leave the "plot" to thos who know something about the universe, though the Hivers sound like a good opponent group. Can they use each other's Jump Gates? Might be hardcore if they could.

Hmm, we'd need to make fleets that specialise in blowing gate ships so the Hiver scum can't escape for when the main fleets arrive.

[Trithemius]

I'll leave the "plot" to thos who know something about the universe, though the Hivers sound like a good opponent group. Can they use each other's Jump Gates? Might be hardcore if they could.

I don't think they can - each empire has it's own gate network capacity that gets consumed each turn to gate ships around.

I believe that the problem then is that you could have several allied hivers, each with many "safe" networked systems each generating heaps gate network capacity... "I'll put one in all your systems, you put one in all of mine" etc.

[Jammer]

That would probably be a fairly tough nut to crack as they could reinforce around their network pretty damn fast.

[Trithemius]

That would probably be a fairly tough nut to crack as they could reinforce around their network pretty damn fast.

Whether the AI has my keen sense for exploitation of game mechanics or not is an important question!