Stars!

MidKnight Lament · March 31, 2000, 01:53

Just wondering what everyone thought of Stars!. I downloaded it last night, and I'm pretty keen to get into it. A guy at work seems to love the pants off it. I was hoping to get an Apolyton opinion...

- MKL

John-SJ · March 31, 2000, 10:41

I love Stars! I got it a couple of years ago and have played it to death!

Now I'm waiting for the sequel, Stars! Supernova to come out, looks highly interesting! Check it out at http://crisium.com/

John-SJ

MidKnight Lament · April 4, 2000, 22:26

Don't tell me there's only one person who's played it. What do people think of it?

Perhaps there are some people who should download it and see.

Scouse Gits · April 5, 2000, 05:55

Just been to the Crisium site - looks great - where do I get it?
I'm a great games shop brouser and have never seen this game in the UK - does it go under another name?
Help?

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Scouse Git[1]

"CARTAGO DELENDA EST" - Cato the Censor

Scouse Gits · April 5, 2000, 06:50

OK - just did a web search and located the empire web site - in the UK there are two packages on offer Stars! @ £15 and Stars! (upgrade) @ £12. Do I need both? - Do I wait for Stars! Supernova?

Advice please guys...

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Scouse Git[1]

"CARTAGO DELENDA EST" - Cato the Censor

Scouse Gits · April 5, 2000, 07:58

I have bitten the bullet and Stars! is now speeding down the highway to my abode (delivery normally within 28 days!) - I hope it plays as well as it looks.

While you are at it - have any of you played Space Empires III ? it would appear to be a very similar animal...

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Scouse Git[1]

"CARTAGO DELENDA EST" - Cato the Censor

MidKnight Lament · April 6, 2000, 07:26

I've only been playing the demo, so I'm not going to be much help, but I think I migt be buying Supernova when it comes out. Shogun is looking good too

- MKL

April 6, 2000, 17:23

I played the demo some time ago, it wasn't bad, it even had better and more feautures then other comparable games, but I didn't really payed attention to it afterwards.
I have noticed though that it has a small hardcore band of fans.

If Supernova has a noticable better AI then other (space)strategy games, I might buy it.

April 8, 2000, 07:10

Midknight, could you tell me where downloaded Stars! from ?

John-SJ · April 8, 2000, 08:55

I can, download the Stars! demo here, http://www.gamespot.com/strategy/stars/demos.html

John-SJ

April 8, 2000, 15:01

I was more thinking of the full version... I thought Midkninght was talking about the full version when he said that he downloaded it but I just noticed he was talking about the demo one.

Scouse Gits · April 10, 2000, 05:54

Played the tutorial (in the full game) last night - first impressions are very favourable - a true space based (TBS) Civ game. Will certainly play it some more - there does not (as yet) appear to be any diplomacy, trade or tactical combat - but we shall see.

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Scouse Git[1]

"CARTAGO DELENDA EST" - Cato the Censor

MidKnight Lament · April 10, 2000, 10:03

I should hopefully be acquiring a full version of the game soon. And sorry... I did only get the demo. I thought it had more features than it apparently did though. I couldn't even load an exising game. I think it's strengths are mostly in the customisation of races (which you can't do in the demo anyway) and excellent multiplayer options.

- MKL

John-SJ · April 10, 2000, 10:13

SG,

Hope you enjoy Stars!, I know I have.

As a matter of fact, with the attention this thread has been getting I started a game over the weekend, it's amazing how fast an addiction can re-assert itself!

Last night as I was playing, I was comparing Stars! to some of the more modern space conquest games. While some of the newer games have better graphics and more glitz, Stars! has an incredible depth of play, but it requires more imagination to fully appreciate it, kind of like the difference between reading a book and watching a movie. In many, many cases, even though the movie is more showy, the book does the better job of telling the story.

John-SJ

HyperElite · April 11, 2000, 00:32

I was considering getting the full version of Stars!, but with Stars! Supernova coming along I might hold off for it.

John-SJ · April 11, 2000, 09:35

HyperElite,

In a blatant effort to sway you,

, last I heard SuperNova will not be released until August or September, and this project has been slipping for a year, so who really knows when it will be released.

And, Stars! is a great game! It's one of the few games out there that I find to be as addictive as Civ., and that's saying a LOT!

So, it's up to you, but IMO you wouldn't be disappointed if you bought Stars!.

John-SJ

HyperElite · April 11, 2000, 20:09

John thankyou for that info. I had no idea - last I heard it was supoposed to be released late last year. Obviously I knew it had slipped but certainly not that late. I might take another look at Stars! then.

MidKnight Lament · April 12, 2000, 03:13

What are the chances that Supernova would be released in a pack with the original?

Or would that not come until much later?

Still haven't got me a copy yet either...

- MKL

Scouse Gits · April 13, 2000, 06:40

Would it be improper to suggest swapping Registration Numbers?

April 25, 2000, 18:35

I thought it was OK. I downloaded the demo back in January, and quickly realized that I had demoed the game years ago (on my old computer). I wasted a whole day/night off playing it, and fiddled with it for a couple weeks. But I don't know that I'd actually fork out the $25 for the full game.

JohnT · April 30, 2000, 18:57

I have played Stars! to death and really enjoy the game: almost to the point of putting it on the "desert island" list. It is very complex and the amount of attention (or lack of) you can give your empire is staggering given that the full code of the game is but a mere 7 Megs or so. Since it is a PBEM game, one match can last for months and will definitely take up to a week - even if you and your buds agree to get online at the same time and have a per-turn time limit. You can also play against the computer, and it is claimed that the AI doesn't cheat.

On the bad side, Stars (I'm dropping the "!") can be a micromanagement nightmare, especially for new players who have yet to figure out how to automate properly. I like to play as a Hyper Expansion race that is Immune to All (since I can colonize every planet, I treat Santa Marias like pollen) and when I get up to 50-100 planets it can be quite a b**** keeping it all straight. The amount of detail and the sparse, table-laden layout makes it not uncommon to feel as if you're playing a spreadsheet - especially at 2:00 am!

For gamers who have the patience for it, I recommend Stars wholeheartedly. But it is understandable how it wouldn't be for everybody: those who think Civ2 is slow and complicated shouldn't try Stars.
[This message has been edited by JohnT (edited April 30, 2000).]