The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[Syt]

I have played a good 4x space game for quite a while (or a crappy one either, for that matter). What are the best options on the market right now?

MoO2.

Stellaris has the advantage of being quite moddable and having tons of extra content. More recommended if you like to not min/max but are rather into RPing your faction. Has a huge Star Trek mod that runs through the TV show eras: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=688086068&searchtext=star+trek+new+horizons

GalCiv3 is more traditional. It's not bad, but I wouldn't put it too high on my all time list. With expansions it's IMHO better than GalCiv2, but I spent a lot more time with the older title.

I'm partial to Distant Worlds Universe, though #2 is out now. There's a great overhaul mod that does vanilla friendly rebalancing and adding some new races (unlike other overhaul mods for games that tend to make the game ultrahard which holds no interest to me), and some excellent tutorials on YouTube by DasTactic.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is good fun if you like your space 4x planetside and it's IMHO better than AoW3. If you like that but want a heavy war focus check Warhammer 40k Gladius (unlike AoWP it has no tactical combat, though). Or, if you like your sci-fi planet based 4x to be more of a wargame, check Shadow Empire.

I liked Endless Legend 1, but 2 didn't quite spark my interest. Also the reviews on Steam indicate that the expansions break balance and some bad bugs in the base game remain unfixed (doesn't bode well for Humankind from the same studio ...).

Slipways is more of a puzzle/logistics game, but a great game to play during a lunch break or so.

For tactical combat, Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is IMO the best out there. It comes with a campaign that lets you fight the first Human-Cylon war (including 1978 style Vipers and Cylon Raiders/Base Stars ), with add ons adding more scenarios.

If you want to be the evil space overlord, have a look at Space Tyrant. If you want to be a single character inside a 4X that you can only influence indirectly, check Last Federation (which is a bit weird and quirky, overall), or Drox Operative. Part 2 is out now. I played 1 a bit, but I found the game incredibly grindy. Unsure if the 2nd is similar.

And then there's tons of indie stuff, like Stars in Shadow, Stardrive, Star Ruler, Stellar Monarch. And classics like Sins of a Solar Empire, Star Wars: Empire at War (which also has a ton of mods, with the best probably Republic at War which covers the Clone Wars), Homeworld Remastered, Space Empires III & IV ... In some ways, I guess the X games are a bit of a 4X since you can create a trade/manufacturing empire in them, but ever after 2 and 3 the series seems to flounder.

Personally, I'm kinda hoping that Alliance of the Sacred Suns turns out well: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1113400/Alliance_of_the_Sacred_Suns/

And Fragile Existence: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1672320/Fragile_Existence/

Stellar Monarch 2 is in early access: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1437750/Stellar_Monarch_2/
I thought 1 had an interesting concept, so waiting for this to come out of EA and hoping it's good.

My main complaint with the genre is that too many people try to make something "in the tradition of MoO2". If I want that, I can play MoO2 (which was fun). I prefer people trying something new. Stellaris has gone off in its own direction with a long road of refurbishing the game. Distant Worlds is more traditional but has a lot of detail.

[Syt]

Hail to the Queen, played it for the first time in years. I got 33 weeks in, which I think is a personal best.

You mean Long Live the Queen? Nice.

I liked the game, but I felt it relies a lot on learning the optimum path through much replaying.

[crazy canuck]

I liked Endless Legend 1, but 2 didn't quite spark my interest. Also the reviews on Steam indicate that the expansions break balance and some bad bugs in the base game remain unfixed (doesn't bode well for Humankind from the same studio ...).

I think you meant Endless Space 

I really liked Endless Space 2- but I agree, do not get the last DLC.  It broke the game.  If you steer clear of that it is a very enjoyable game and especially if you like that studios' design philosophy. 

[Syt]

I liked Endless Legend 1, but 2 didn't quite spark my interest. Also the reviews on Steam indicate that the expansions break balance and some bad bugs in the base game remain unfixed (doesn't bode well for Humankind from the same studio ...).

I think you meant Endless Space 

I really liked Endless Space 2- but I agree, do not get the last DLC.  It broke the game.  If you steer clear of that it is a very enjoyable game and especially if you like that studios' design philosophy. 

Yes, Endless Space Curse their naming schemes. (I still can't get over them remaking Dungeon of the Endless as Endless Dungeon )

I might get the DLC except the last one, then. It's been a while since I played the game, but after ES1 and Endless Legend I felt it was a bit underwhelming.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Hail to the Queen, played it for the first time in years. I got 33 weeks in, which I think is a personal best.

You mean Long Live the Queen? Nice.

I liked the game, but I felt it relies a lot on learning the optimum path through much replaying.

Ah yes.  And yes, it seems to be more about gaming the game, I'll play it again in a few years.

[Jacob]

Okay... so my wish list is a game that's not singularly focused on military victory, where there's some complexity and nuance but the initial learning curve isn't massively steep, and where it's possible to actually finish a game rather than getting stuck in an endless grind.

Probably something other than a Paradox game, just for a change of pace.

Distant Worlds 2 sounds like it, maybe, with the optional automation? GalCiv4 with governors sounds alright too, but it's not out yet...

[Jacob]

... oh, as a bonus, I'd love to be able to edit the pictures of the races - eps my own - for customization

[Josquius]

I've just bought a game on the switch. Captain Tsubasa.
Its the game of an anime I've never seen. Very anime style.
Butttt....it seems to be something I've been wanting a while. An arcadey football game with super powers and an easy learning curve. Kind of like a old early 90s arcade game.
With possible rpgish aspects. I still await the Roy of the rovers game.

[Syt]

Okay... so my wish list is a game that's not singularly focused on military victory, where there's some complexity and nuance but the initial learning curve isn't massively steep, and where it's possible to actually finish a game rather than getting stuck in an endless grind.

I think Stellaris comes closest, because if you lower the difficulty you can have fun just doing your own thing. You can also build federations and achieve victory that way. The game is ... somewhat intuitive? Best to check some tutorials. The most fun part is the expansion phase, though, when you constantly have anomaly and quest events pop up. The mid and late game are not great if you're not involved in wars. :-/

GalCiv3 has alternate victory conditions (ascension, tech, diplo, influence).

Stellar Monarch is asymmetrical in that you're an old Empire surrounded by smaller ones and have to ensure dominance as Emperor. It has a strong military component, but for the most part you have a "big picture" view of dealing with your courtiers and petitioners, giving general orders to your fleets. It becomes a bit repetitive after a while, but hopefully Stellar Monarch 2 can change that.

The Endless Space games (and esp. 2) have unique play styles and conditions for each race. 2 comes with race specific questlines.

Distant Worlds Universe had (optionally) race specific victory rules. E.g. one race might require you to conduct and intercept the most intelligence missions, plus control a colony that produces a restricted substance and earn the highest trade bonuses. Or you may be required to have the longest lasting mutual defense pact and trade agreement, have the least broken treaties and do the most research. Etc. (Other conditions are destroy the most or lose the least ships, have the most spaceports, own x% of continental worlds, and so on.)

Star Dynasties tried to be Crusader Kings 2 in space, but based on reviews they didn't quite achieve that: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1194590/Star_Dynasties/

Otherwise there's not many space games that aren't "paint the map."

[Syt]

I've just bought a game on the switch. Captain Tsubasa.
Its the game of an anime I've never seen. Very anime style.
Butttt....it seems to be something I've been wanting a while. An arcadey football game with super powers and an easy learning curve. Kind of like a old early 90s arcade game.
With possible rpgish aspects. I still await the Roy of the rovers game.

The 1980s show ran in Germany, apparently. I wasn't sure if I'd seen it, but turns out that was Ganbare, Kickers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganbare,_Kickers!

[Jacob]

Thanks for the breakdowns, Syt

[Sheilbh]

Star Dynasties tried to be Crusader Kings 2 in space, but based on reviews they didn't quite achieve that: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1194590/Star_Dynasties/

That's a shame - sounds like a really interesting idea

[Syt]

Star Dynasties tried to be Crusader Kings 2 in space, but based on reviews they didn't quite achieve that: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1194590/Star_Dynasties/

That's a shame - sounds like a really interesting idea

That's why I hope Alliance of the Sacred Suns turns out better:

A thousand years in the future, humanity's last empire stands on the brink of collapse. Noble Great Houses compete for control over the decaying feudal state, while the lives of ordinary people have already begun the descent into an interstellar dark age.

You are the young emperor or empress, preparing to ascend the throne. You carry the last glimmer of hope for a brighter future among the stars.

Alliance of the Sacred Suns immerses you fully in the role of ruler. You will create your character, selecting from a variety of backgrounds and abilities. You will engage in conversations and develop relationships with your officials. You will make hard choices in illustrated narrative events, some threatening the stability of your fragile reign, others shining the faintest hope of a new dawn for your dying empire.

Your empire's long decline means that you begin as ruler in name only. The nobility has coalesced into a handful of Great Houses, and their power has been growing for generations at the expense of imperial control. Members of the Great Houses dominate the imperial bureaucracy and complicate your rule. Yet, the strength of the Great Houses also provides critical support to your empire. A council of nobles serves as a check on your authority, but also a chance to build consensus for your policies.

You cannot micromanage the daily affairs of each planet in your empire, and you do not have omnipotent control of the economy or military. Instead you can only wield your authority as a real emperor or empress would, by managing relationships and politics to rule through appointed officials. Some serve as your governors, ruling planets and star systems in your name.

There are no build queues to micromanage. Instead, exercising wisdom in whom to entrust with official appointments will be critical to the development of planets within your empire. But you must tread carefully, and you cannot make appointments on merit alone. The scion of a powerful House may prove an incompetent governor, but stripping them of position may have consequences far worse than a badly run colony.

You too are a member of a Great House. Your House and those of the other noble families will each employ a unique playstyle. For example, Houses with a technocratic tradition will research advanced technologies to grow their power, while those with a mercantile culture strengthen their rule through economic growth and trade.

These factors will play out differently depending on which of several available scenarios you choose. Each scenario includes unique political situations and victory conditions.

[Josquius]

That does sound intriguing.

[Tamas]

In Alliance of Sacred Suns, the devs insist on game over-ing you when your character dies. This is guaranteed to sunk their Steam reviews. Also when I tried the demo like a year ago, it seemed quite complicated to operate.

Galciv4 though, sounds interesting with the changes, thanks for bringing it up Syt, I assumed it to be a Galciv 3 clone.