StarSector is probably one of the best sci-fi open-world games ever created. Even if you don’t consider it one of the best, it’s still one complex game and a real hidden gem. Initially called “Starfarer”, Starsector is being developed by Fractal Softworks and is still technically in development since it was initially released on April 26, 2013. It’s being developed by a small group of people, and the amount of dedication and attention to detail is amazing. Unlike most games that are still in development, StarSector feels more like a finished product and is only being more and more polished.
Starsector Free Download
StarSector is not focused on your character but is more focused on the game world, more specifically the “Sector”. The game follows the region is known as the “Sector”, relatively untouched after the collapse of the Human Domain. For the last 200 cycles (years), humanity is losing control and is desperately trying to save what’s left.
We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Starsector is set in the year of 3126. Humanity has unlocked intergalactic travel by using so-called stargates. It has rapidly grown all over the universe, reaching a golden age that eventually finds an end as these gates stop working. Benq siemens driver download for windows. The vast Empire of humanity is split across sectors that have been cut off from each other. Starsector (formerly “Starfarer”) is an in-development open-world single-player space-combat, roleplaying, exploration, and economic game. You take the role of a space captain seeking fortune and glory however you choose. Though it is in-development, you can purchase Starsector now at a discount to gain access to ongoing builds. Starsector is a powerful space simulator in which the player takes on the role of ship's captain and sets off to conquer the universe. The title does not impose any specific objectives and is based on freedom of play. The studio Fractal Softworks is responsible for the production. The world in Starsector is extremely extensive. This very indie space sim reminds me of some old school sci-fi RPGs I used to love! Make sure to Subscribe.
You play as a space captain, and your only goal is fame and fortune, and there are numerous ways to accomplish this.
- The universe of StarSector is populated by several factions, all vying for control of the sector. There are:
- Hegemony (a militaristic faction that considers then the successor to the Domain),
- Persean League (an alliance of planets, and a rival of Hegemony),
- Luddic Chruch (a religious movement that blames technology for the collapse of the Domain),
- Tri-Tachyon (a technology sophisticated faction, in conflict with Hegemony and Luddic Church),
- Sindrian Diktat (a military dictatorship, founded by the former Hegemony admiral),
- Independent (a fairly loose alliance of planets, which are scattered throughout the sector),
- Luddic Path (radical followers of Luddic Church, who think the Church is too weak. In conflict with everyone),
- and of course Pirates (they hold several planets and stations, and are in conflict with everyone).
There are also some minor factions, but these are the main ones that you will encounter during your playthrough. You have a reputation with every faction, and they can range from friendly to hostile. The status with the faction can change depending on whether you trade, completing faction quests, fighting their enemies and of course destroying their ships. If the reputation is favorable, you can join the faction (and get a steady pay), have better deals and access to more quality ships. However, if your reputation is lower, the factions will refuse you to land on their planets and stations, scan your ship for contraband more frequently, and if things get worse they will shoot on sight.
Initially, you start with two smaller ships, usually one average ship (frigate, freighter, cruiser, etc.), and one small ship, usually a shuttle. You also have an option of a randomized start, but I would recommend this for your second playthrough. Once you begin the game, you are relatively weak and I would suggest that you complete exploration quests (those involving analyzing planets, probes, etc.), until you can get a more powerful ship.
If you do encounter a hostile ship you can deal with them in two ways. The first one is that you take control of your ship, and destroy the enemy by yourself. The other one is that you can issue orders on the tactical screen, and let the autopilot (AI), take care of the enemy. Also, on the tactical screen, you can give orders to the other ships in your fleet. Now, what is interesting, and a huge plus for the game, is that the tactical screen and issuing orders work perfectly. In the tactical screen, you can issue numerous orders, such as escort, eliminate, rally, defend, etc. Once you issue the order, you can sit back and watch as your ships execute the orders. However, this may take time as captains have different personalities and abilities, and some are more aggressive, while others are more cautious. In larger battles, that involve larger fleets you can expect that the battle will take a while (somewhere around 5-10 minutes), but for the most part, yours and enemy AI is up to the task.
After the successful battle, you can recover enemy ships (and make them a part of your fleet), and pick up whatever loot there was after the battle.
There is also a lot of micromanaging in StarSector, which can get a bit tedious. You must pay attention to your supplies, fuel, and crew. The most important item in the game is the supplies. They vital resource is used for maintenance, repairs and combat readiness. Combat readiness is a measure of ship status, crew fatigue, and so on. If this gets too low, you will at first experience more and more damaged ships and lost crew, and ultimately you will lose your ship and its cargo.
Starsector Steam
You must also have enough fuel before you go anywhere. Fuel is only consumed when you are traveling in hyperspace, and if it runs out, you will begin to drift to the nearest gravity well. This will leave you with one of two options. Either you can reload a previous save, or make a distress call and hope that the help will arrive (and be friendly).
Reading all of this you may think this is too much detail, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you have enough money, you can create your own faction and colonize planets. Once you establish a colony, you can assign a colony governor or assign an AI to run the colony (which is a big problem in StarSector). Establishing colonies will give you income (or expenses if it’s going badly), and you even produce goods and create ships. Eventually, colonies will become the inevitable target of pirate trades, and you can either protect them yourself or hire mercenaries to protect them.
StarSector also gives you the option of doing raids and destroying enemy stations and planets. You can also raid colonies or stations for more luxury goods, or sabotage them in order to weaken them, before attacking them. Destroying stations can be a bit of a challenge, especially if they have defenders, and this can easily turn into prolonged battles.
There are also a large number of items in StarSector. Numerous goods, weapons, blueprints, modules, etc. Every item has a detailed description, stats, price and everything that you need to know. You also have the option of refitting your ships and can choose different roles (such as strike, support, assault, etc.). You can also do this manually, but the game generously gives you the option to this automatically, saving you the headache. You can also buy, sell and repair ships (actually restore their damaged systems, which costs a lot of money). There is a large selection of ships to choose from, all with their roles, different layouts, stats and of course detailed descriptions.
StarSector can be best compared to Sid Meier’s Pirates but only expanded tenfold. At the beginning of the game, you can also select if you want a smaller or a bigger universe, its age and difficulty (choose easy, for your first playthrough).
However, the game is not without problems. The larger battles can last for a while, and you will be begging for a fast forward button. You can encounter several large fleets in one system, which can create a problem if you don’t have a good, and efficient fleet. You must also plan everything accordingly, and if you go on really long expeditions this can be more of a minor nuisance. The only minor problem is the AI captains that command other ships in your fleet. They can sometimes take time to do what you want, but once they level up, they become more and more competent.
StarSector is truly a hidden gem, and it is not available on Steam. Instead, you must purchase it directly from the developer’s website (for around 15 USD), but it’s worth it. The attention to detail, immersion, the freedom that the game gives you, all creates a memorable experience. If you are not satisfied and want more, there are also mods and a very active community. I fully recommend this game to everyone, just be sure to have free time so you can properly enjoy it!
Links :1) My Reviews
StarSector is probably one of the best sci-fi open-world games ever created. Even if you don’t consider it one of the best, it’s still one complex game and a real hidden gem. If you've followed my previous write up for this game and wanted to know more, you'll pleased to know that as of today, you can read my exclusive interview with the lead developer of 'StarSector'; Alexander Mosolov.
1. Why did you decide to start developing games?
It's something I've been interested in for as long as I can remember! I was able to play some games at my mom's work occasionally (the original Warlords, and King's Bounty, to name a couple) and it was just so incredible. I've been trying to make games just about my entire life; Starsector is just the project where it all came together, in terms of my ability to carry it forward. I guess that doesn't really answer 'why', though - the 'why' is because I really, deeply, feel the need to create something. Does that sound insufferably artsy? It probably does, doesn't it.
2. I found StarSector to be a mix between Wing Commander: Privateer and Sid Meier's Pirates, but in space. What was your biggest inspiration for StarSector?
First off - I love both of those games! I've got Privateer installed right now, actually. Pirates was amazing, too - another game I played at my mom's work way back.
As far as Starsector, it's pretty fair to cite both of these as influences. Star Control 2 is another major one. Well, both 1 and 2, actually - I remember playing a bunch of melee against a friend, and those kinds of top-down startship battles were so much fun. Star Control 2 had a huge galaxy to explore, a story that changed it, and was just full of cool moments.
Solar Winds is another one - the top-down shooting in it, I didn't too much care for, but the moment when you activate hyperdrive for the first time and fly to another system.. the feeling of that is something I still remember vividly. It was so impactful because there was no loading screen, you just flew really fast, and hey, there's another star system there! Assuming you were able to aim at it; laying in the right course was tricky - if you didn't, you'd be in the middle of nowhere and out of luck. Realizing that the game world was actually that huge, when you didn't expect it, that's what made it hit.
Mech Warrior (more specifically, MW4: Mercenaries) is another - I loved outfitting mechs in that one, and really wanted to combine that feeling with having a larger, more open sandbox to make use of the loadouts you come up with.
Master of Orion (in particular, the second one), of course - again, not a direct influence as not too many mechanics are similar, but.. I think really, it's less about capturing the specific mechanics of those games, but more trying to reproduce the feelings they elicited in me when I was playing them.
I think that ages better, too, since oftentimes games won't produce that same feeling anymore when you go back to replay them, and just wonder how you ever put up with, I don't know, the UI or a particularly grindy mechanic. Although, I'll say, I think most of the games I've mentioned have stood the test of time very well.
3. StarSector is an incredibly deep and vast game. What was your biggest obstacle during development?
Thank you! I'd say probably the economy. It's been through something like 4 or 5 revisions, progressing from more simulationist to more and more abstracted with each one. Part of the problem there was that it wasn't all that clear exactly what the economy needed to do in the very beginning. And a simulationist approach is appealing, since it seems like if you just get it right, it'll be great and there'll be all sorts of emergent gameplay and so on. Turns out, what 'emerges' usually isn't desirable, and it's all hidden from the player anyway, *and* it eats up CPU cycles; hence the move towards a somewhat more abstracted approach. It's finally in a place where I'm happy with, though.
4. While there are story missions in the game, the story isn't complete. What can we expect to see in the future?
More story missions, events, and more of a story! Beyond that, I don't want to spoil it.
5. Since you're a small team, with no publisher, did you have trouble financing the game?
I had some savings when I started, and was fortunate enough to get good enough sales to keep going. It got pretty close a few times, to where I was wondering if I'd have to get a full-time job again (at least for a bit), but thankfully something or other would always happen and sales picked up. So, overall: no, but it had been stressful at times. Sseth's video coming out (link) was a breakthrough moment, as far as taking the pressure off and feeling more comfortable about being able to keep working on the game full-time.
All along the way, coverage - both by review sites, and youtubers/streamers is what made this possible. TotalBiscuit was the first big one to cover the game; then when Beaglerush covered it - I think around the release prior to the most recent one - it helped *a lot*. More recently, Splattercat, Quil18, Mathas, Robbas - I really can't name everyone, and if you're not on the list and should be, my apologies! What I want to say is that I'm deeply grateful, both to the streamers, youtubers, and writers - and, of course, to the players for their support in actually buying the game, and enjoying it enough to talk about it, and keep word of mouth going - that part's pretty critical!
6. You have a small, but dedicated community around the game? When can we expect your arrival on Steam?
Starsector Steam
Steam is something I want to look at when the game is more or less 'done' - or, at least, 1.0-ish. It's a tough call, actually. How can you tell if the extra sales you get from being on Steam are enough to offset both the increased cut they take (compared to selling directly) and the extra work involved? And, for example, I'm not crazy about things like achievements and trading cards (both are meta-things that I think encourage, generally, bad gameplay patterns and are in place to sell more games, rather than to make the games better), and supposedly you need to have those if you want The Algorithm to give you decent visibility.
And that's another point - once on Steam, you're kind of at their mercy. Will they make a change that suddenly cuts traffic and sales in half? The answer, every day, is 'maybe' - it's happened before! I'm sure there are reasons for the changes they make, but on an individual developer level, there's potential for effectively random events cutting your income, and that's not.. great. To top it off, 'going on Steam' isn't something you can try out and then go back on.
I'll need to spend some time thinking about it, and talk to some other devs, and see how it feels - but so far, I've been kicking that particular can down the road. Right now, I'm comfortable with the length of the release cycle - which is 'however long it takes for all the new features to make sense when taken together, and be reasonably polished' - but I'm not sure that an early access title on Steam would have a great time when releases can be more than a year apart.
Starsector Steam Controller
7. What was the inspiration behind all those ships designs? All of them look great, btw.
You'd have to ask David Baumgart! He's made all the art (and is doing the vast majority of the writing, too, along with now some scripting!) His twitter is here: https://twitter.com/dgbaumgart
8. What would be your advice for up and coming developers?
That everyone's situation is unique, that what works for someone might not work for someone else, and that all advice should be taken with a giant grain of salt. It depends on one's goals, too - making games as a hobby (nothing wrong with that, at all!), or trying to make it a full-time occupation? I guess the main piece of advice would be not to take risks you can't afford to take. There's an element of luck, and if you're relying on something being a financial success without a safety net for when/if it fails, that's not a good idea. So if you're able to, I'd say do it part time. That's how Starsector got started, too - nights and weekends, and all that.
- On that note Cola Powered Gamer/Indie Retro News would like to say thank you to Alexander Mosolov for taking the time to talk to us in this exclusive StarSector interview!
Links :1) Game Reviews 2) StarSector Review