Yes, very.

Isn't it called Alpha Centauri?

eobet wrote:
I was just thinking about this theory that if a sci-fi story can be translated to a western without a problem, it's bad sci-fi (like for example, if the space ships could just as well be replaced by horses).

I'm sorry, did you just call FIREFLY a bad sci-fi!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Jacrench wrote:
I'm sorry, did you just call FIREFLY a bad sci-fi!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Hah this thread, reminds of the Serenity tabletop role playing game that me and my friends used to play our Game Master just ripped off Clint Eastwood westerns for scenarios/quests it was awesome, theory disproved.

I think there are a few features that make ES a space 4X compared to a terrestrial/historical game:



First, space games generally have more unrestricted movement. The space lanes in ES notwithstanding (and they can be bypassed with Warp tech), this is very different from planning your strategy based on terrain movement modifiers in Civ, or having to go into a whole different travel mode when crossing oceans. How your units move is a core part of strategy gaming. The movement model in Civ wouldn't feel right if it was used in ES, and the ES system would be silly in a Civ game.



Second difference: unit upgrades are sequential in Civ, based on a fixed historical progression. You get galley, trireme, caravel, frigate, etc. Units can gain experience, but you're locked into historical designs. Space games like ES usually have fewer types of units, but far more customization of space ships with plug-in modules. Weapons and defenses can be swapped around as your research progresses. You're not bound to a rigid sequence of one historical design, then another. It's part of the open-ended flavor of space games.



Third difference: the factions you deal with in a sci-fi game have non-human motives and personalities (or at least, they should!). It remains to be seen how developed that will be in this game... how "alien" the aliens actually are, as you deal with them. But at least the potential is there. The closest thing to an alien in a Civ game is 'ol bloodthirsty Montezuma, and he's still recognizably human. He's weird, but he's not weird enough.



If you step back far enough, then sure; you can iron out the differences and say that all 4X games are interchangeable. But it's the details that provide flavor, and distinguish a sci-fi game from a historical one.

stevenmc409 wrote:
our Game Master just ripped off Clint Eastwood westerns for scenarios/quests.

I can't think of Clint Eastwood without thinking of the simpsons Paint Your Wagon spoof.

"We're gonna paint our wagon, we're gonna paint it good, we're gonna use oil based paint because the wood is Pine!"

Jacrench wrote:
I'm sorry, did you just call FIREFLY a bad sci-fi!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I sure do hope he didn't. Them there's fightin' words.

I didn't misinterpret your point. I took it and went beyond it.



To state more directly: You have put out a question and quite firmly decide that when the question can be answered with "yes", the game can be qualified as "bad sci-fi". That really is to shorthand in my opinion. There are many examples that disprove this thesis.



Until this point, your comparison limits itself to the story, but than you move on:

eobet wrote:
So as I was playing this (and noticing how much things from Civilization I was missing) I began to wonder what unique things in this game I could do that I can't do in Civilization.

This has nothing to do with the story, but all to do with the gameplay. Even Civ 1 can be fully paletteswapped into another setting and it would still remain a great game. So even your personal favorite (if I'm not mistaken) is guilty of your charge.



To emphasise: This game will not win awards on its storyline, and I firmly believe they can't be bothered with that. As far as I can determine, they are striving for good ambiance and gameplay.



But maybe after some more playing time, are you (still) lacking a decent sci-fi feel with this game?

We are still with an alpha today and that's why players propose a lot of suggestions and ideas. It's to have a great game at the end. And even after the release, I'm sure the devs planned a lot of additionnal features to make this game stands out.