IGN 6.6 Review

[Fyron]

AstralWanderer said:
Rather than a lack of "focus" I would suggest that SE has rather a "generic" feel to it, due to lacking a strong background story and atmosphere.

Which, incidentally, is one of it's biggest strengths; it's not saddled down with some cheesy story that detracts from the gameplay. It allows you to come up with your own stories, unencumbered by "official" muck. Even MOO had hardly any "story" to it, which was good. Just some general background stuff is all you need.

[Artaud]

AstralWanderer said:
Rather than a lack of "focus" I would suggest that SE has rather a "generic" feel to it, due to lacking a strong background story and atmosphere. The likes of Imperium Galactica, Haegemonia, Homeworld and Galactic Civilizations all had a background with a campaign to complete which provided players with a good introduction to the game.

I prefer the lack of a background story and the lack of a campaign. Me, I want to create my empire and rule it, without my game play shoehorned into someone else's idea of a story.

For me, the "sandbox" style is infinitely preferable to the scenario or campaign approach. I prefer to be the one to decide when I've won.

IMHO, far too many games today are oriented toward people whose only goal is to "beat" the game and move on.

For me, the purpose of a strategy game like SEIV (I don't own SEV) is to create my own little sci-fi fantasy to do with as I please.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Artaud said:
...I want to create my empire and rule it, without my game play shoehorned into someone else's idea of a story.

For me, the "sandbox" style is infinitely preferable to the scenario or campaign approach. I prefer to be the one to decide when I've won.

Bravo, well said!

As I said, they are main stream dumbed down generic games. SE5; in no way shape or form, can be called generic by that understanding. Now I stand by what I said!

[AstralWanderer]

Artaud said:
I prefer the lack of a background story and the lack of a campaign. Me, I want to create my empire and rule it, without my game play shoehorned into someone else's idea of a story.

Whoever says that a campaign or background means shoehorning? You can still have free-form play and the ability to create your own empire/race/ideology - but having a background with real in-game consequences makes it more compelling and believable.

To take another example, Alpha Centauri is a 4X where the background benefits the game (dealing with the lifeforms on Planet and the option to win the game via the Transcendence path) and the factions differ in diplomacy as well as gameplay.

With SEV, there is virtually no difference in diplomacy - all the races have the same responses (even though they have different files) and none of the racial history has any impact. Dealing with the Eee while allied with the Drushocka? No problem! Developing energy weapons also? "Hey the Drushocka ate our people with those, but we don't mind you using them... eeek!!". Indeed the only difference between SEV aliens seems to be with ship designs and weapon types.

Aside from the not-too-different aliens, you have the random events and ruins in SEV. The events are simple and could be improved upon by even basic scripting (for example having a renegade group of your own people forming a pirate base in a nearby nebula, resulting in a random loss of resources until it is destroyed). Ruins could similarly offer more than a tech grab-bag (artifacts allowing communication or limited, ultra-speed travel, access to new quadrants if researched properly or ability to contact/ influence outside races, like the Dread Lords or Antarans from other games).

Saying that imagination can cover this is a cop-out - you can dispense with SEV (and computers generally) if you choose to rely on imagination enough. Adding atmosphere (in terms of gameplay, not just the breathable stuff) can create a new dimension to SEV making it a more believable (and less antiseptic) experience. Some has been done in terms of the racial backgrounds, but this needs to be built upon further for best effect. Mods can certainly cover a lot of the ground - but the stock game needs some toning up too (after the bugfixes, UI improvements, AI enhancements, etc).

[SunDevil]

Atrocities said:
Well everything he learns in SE V will help him with SE VI.

Sorry. But this was said a ton of times when SE IV was released in its buggy very similar state back in 2000.

[AminMaalouf]

Some of the older lads and maidens may remember what worlds of quality have once separated EU I to EU II.