Hey, I got this game a few days ago and tonight I finally got a chance to give it a full spin. Previously I had been dipping my toes in and seeing what it was like, today I fell in... And God was it good.



First off, taking into account this game is still in alpha I instantly noted the sheer level of polish that this game has over other games like it which I play. The latest of them being Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion, which seems barren in comparison to the sheer depth of this game. The other being Sword of the Stars II, which I am ashamed to even bring up in conversation when describing Endless Space.



I love the complexity of planet management and how research actually allows you to develop your systems how you want them, instead of the standard "Resource Gather/Builder/Army Creator/Defensive Buffer", every system had it's own reasons for being important and I actually found myself to grow fond of them as they developed.



The battle system... Admittedly I was scared at first, then I realised how superior a system it was. I wasn't having to deal with clunky pathing systems, I was literally pitting my designs against an AI's designs, then using tactics to prepare and react according to what I found.



Finally, the ethos of the world. Never before has a 4X game actually pulled me in and made me interested story wise. I mean, the races are amazingly detailed and I do actually have my reasons for liking some, disliking others and fearing a few. The heroes are a shining star when it comes to immersing you and making your pay attention. And finally, the Dust. Got to admit, as someone who is currently reading the third book in the Dune series by Frank Herbert, it's hard not to draw parallels and enjoy it even more.



So yeah, dear Amplitude, thank you for putting this game together and providing the means for me to access the Alpha. I'm actually really glad I pre-ordered the Emperor Edition now! Money well spent, and this game hasn't even finished growing yet!

P.S. Please forgive my friend's nerdgasm.



P.P.S. Is there any official word on the final three races?

I formally second Felldian's post.



Lots.

Greetings space-farer! I found your post very interesting, and you're a fan of the Dune series too? (You can obviously tell I'm a fan myself :P)



First off, I really love the game's combat too. Admittedly, I found it quite terrifying myself, having gotten so used to the combat in games like Sword of the Stars. Admittedly, the second was a horrible game like you said, I considered asking for a refund, but decided to give them a chance.



So far, I've been quite pleased with the updates they made (but wish they would fix some of the crashes and stop my old save games becoming unusable :P) There was this sense that something was different about this game during my first time, but admittedly I couldn't put my finger on it.



I love that you've pointed out the planet management and how complex it is! The story is admittedly amazing! It is an incredible web that Amplitude's writers have woven!



So yes! thank you Amplitude for creating this admittedly great game and letting me play it early!

Nadoth wrote:
P.S. Please forgive my friend's nerdgasm.



P.P.S. Is there any official word on the final three races?

Damn it Nadoth! I am in love!



Cheers Duk, and yes Mighty Muad'Dib I can tell. May you find shade and water.

True story.

Well, I can third/fourth that or whatever. I find the clean UI and great visuals and interesting races really engaging. Usually I'm only a moderate fan of the genre (Alpha Centauri was the last 4x game I really dug), but this one's blowing me away, even in the early phases :P

Kriedler wrote:
Well, I can third/fourth that or whatever. I find the clean UI and great visuals and interesting races really engaging. Usually I'm only a moderate fan of the genre (Alpha Centauri was the last 4x game I really dug), but this one's blowing me away, even in the early phases :P

I'm in the same boat your are. I'm a casual fan (that's interested in playing more of these games) and I really like what I see so far!

i will 5th it.

great game - just not enough time in the day to play

Same for me. I also have the SoaSE Rebelion Beta and it is nothing against ES.

Same here, has been ages since a game trapped me like this one. Superb work!

I'd love to chime in and echo this - so far I'm left awed!