My initial experiences almost made me feel I'd made a mistake. The interface is clunky with scrolling and zooming jumping about rather than providing a smooth experience like SoSE and text on my 2560x1600 is difficult to read (hint hint please allow this to scale!). I do like the way this game seems to run in a full screen window, rather than in full screen mode, so switching to other windows is seamless and I can read manuals and forums on second monitor while the game runs nicely in my main monitor.
My final lament was that even the learning curve is a bit steep for a game that really introduces a new style of play with the macroscopic management approach; tutorials are little more than interface introductions and the manual borrows large portions of text from the inbuilt encyclopaedia adding little overall value.
The only way I finally managed to get the hang of this game was to switch automation onto 'suggest' and then sit back and watch. When I finally 'got' it, I was very impressed. It is a genuinely deep and fun game, that is also quite easy to play. The lack of micromanagement in a game of this scale and style is quite impressive, though I haven't arrived at the end-game of a 1000+ stars galaxy yet. And I am still learning - there is so much hidden in this game, it is truly an experience of discovery.
So I don't regret my purchase at all and I am looking forward to the ongoing support of the developers to polish this gem. Some personal suggestions, that I feel would enhance the game:
- A getting started guide for newbies.
- More information available to players. I can already see this improving, with the introduction of colour coding for ship construction and damage, but info is king in a game of this type. And the information needs to be presented in manageable and navigable displays. Ship design is a classic - the absence of design comparison is a real challenge at the moment. Happy to post more suggestions as I think of them.
- Trust in the underlying model. In a macro style game (think Europa Universalis, HOI), the player must be able to establish an underlying trust in the algorithms supporting the automated gameplay. There is nothing worse than learning that a key gameplay element (combat, diplomacy etc) is fundamentally broken. It totally destroys your immersion in the game. I had this with the initial releases of Hearts of Iron 3 - played for days, only to discover that some fundamental principles were flawed; then put the game away until these items were fixed.
I acknowledge these aren't specific suggestions, but they represent what I feel is important in a game of this style. Anyone sitting on the fence, who enjoys SF 4x style games should consider purchasing this game, merely for the new experience it will bring to you. I would never have thought a game of this scale would be as playable as this one is. You almost feel like you are a galactic emperor, rather than some sort of omnipotent god that needs to manipulate every element of his empire.
G.