Stars! comparison

Adastra · #1 October 17th, 2003, 09:13 PM

Muliplayer turn-based strategy games are my choice. I have been playing Empire (Deluxe) for over 15 years. I have been playing Stars! for 4 years. I have recently found a few features in Stars that I think can destroy a game, so even though I believe in sticking with and mastering a game, I want to consider trying something new.

How does SE4 compare to Stars for multiplayer?
Any other games I should consider?

Suicide Junkie · #2 October 17th, 2003, 11:26 PM

Play By Web is probably the biggest multiplayer feature for SE4.

You can upload and download your order and turn files right from the web interface, or you can have the server email your turns to you and you can reply with your order file attached.
You can of course do it manually if you want, but PBW automates all the busywork of collecting and distributing game files.

Hotseat play is great fun if you can find a partner or organize an SE4 night with your friends.
Sequential turn with tactical combat vs your buddies can be quite entertaining. The ability to control all your pieces during combat head to head with another human is great

The demo should give you a good idea of the interface and some gameplay action. Definitely try it out, and stop by to visit the PBW site

narf poit chez BOOM · #3 October 17th, 2003, 11:43 PM

hi, welcome to the forums.

cheese? according to a tally i did, cheese makes better curency than gold!

in hotseat, you can fight tactical against another human? neat!

Merry Jolkar · #4 October 18th, 2003, 12:18 AM

I played Stars! for ages (VGA Planets before that -- even wrote C code to create special maps etc.!), and really loved it. In fact, I even a three-way team game against the Jason Cawley and his friends, and won! I think it was because our slow start out of the gate led him to underestimate us -- I doubt I could win again.

I now play SEIV gold exclusively. One big difference is that in Stars! you simply move through space. In SEIV, systems are connected by wormholes, which has major strategic consequences. Also, I think SEIV is better balanced (though I would rule out the use of the Talisman).

John

Hugh Manatee · #5 October 18th, 2003, 01:18 AM

*points to sig*

I've played 1000s of hours solo play, and I'm about to get my first *** whupin' in stars multiplayer this weekend. Stars!, SE4 SE3, SE2, and Alpha Centauri are the coolest space scifi strategy games IMO, only beatem out by the crown champions MoO and MoO2.

SpaceBadger · #6 October 18th, 2003, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
Sequential turn with tactical combat vs your buddies can be quite entertaining. The ability to control all your pieces during combat head to head with another human is great

How do you do tactical combat in multiplayer? Is that in a hotseat game?

SpaceBadger

Cyrien · #7 October 18th, 2003, 02:19 AM

Yes. Head to head against another human would be hotseat for combat. Real fun.

I remember wooping on my room mate in the original SE4.

And I would have to say that I think SE4 is a better game than Stars. I loved Stars and played it for a year or two but haven't played it since I got SE4 Gold. I think SE4 Gold would have been a competitor for Stars SG if it had ever come out. Sadly it hasn't and probably won't and Stars! by itself really can't compete with SE4G in my opinion.

Stars! has a few features I would like to see in SE4 but SE4 has many many more to make up for it. I'm feeling too tired to get into it point by point right now...

Well... try the demo and if you like that then the real Version is even better (several patches more advanced than current demo I believe).

Just my opinion and thoughts on it.

[ October 18, 2003, 01:20: Message edited by: Cyrien ]

Erax · #8 October 20th, 2003, 04:30 PM

Stars! had better race and planet design. The way Stars! handles planetary conditions may not be ideal (I still don't understand how a planet with too little radiation can be inhospitable to your race), but it's still miles ahead of any other game I've played.

That being said, I think SEIV has the advantage in every other area.

narf poit chez BOOM · #9 October 20th, 2003, 06:50 PM

i think our bodies rely on a certain minimum background radiation.

Suicide Junkie · #10 October 20th, 2003, 07:17 PM

There are studies that show too little radiation can increase the risk of cancer.

The graph of risk vs radiation looks like a rounded checkmark.

http://www.sciam.com/media/inline/00...41890000_2.gif
from
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?art...890000&catID=2