Space Engineers - A different kind of game!
Jun 15, 2015 8:37:43 GMT -6
727sky, dirkgently, and 7 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2015 8:37:43 GMT -6
I finally took the plunge and got myself Space Engineers. It's a bit of a plunge because it isn't a simple, shallow simulation or building game. Actually, its still finding itself for ultimate purpose in being a sim or a game, with a survival mode having recently been incorporated. However, for building in a space environment? This looks to be about the best so far, and very deep with content to work with.
This vid is a bit older (2013). The game has been developing (very actively) for a long time now, and has really matured into something I think I'll be in for months. The ships aren't partial builds you fill in with your creativity. Oh...no. Everything but the asteroids is made, block by block and active system by system (Oxygen venting and distribution through a ship, for instance).
That is a good example of the basics of building, and even the giant Capital ships started with a landing gear strut.
(basics of modular building)
There is another series of videos where players hollowed out an entire asteroid and just used the rock as the exterior walls. Nice short cut, and it was coming along well the last I looked.
I'm not much into PvP (Player vs. Player fighting) but that is also an aspect here, if you go into servers that are set up for that. Servers can be persistent (as you might imagine) for keeping constructions ongoing and working as people go. I watched a video last night where the guy had literally stolen a whole small fleet AND their space station in partial construction.
The trick is damage to systems by taking it down far enough to stop functioning, which will then allow repair that changes ownership. Medical bay first..to stop respawning, and then you can board and convert ships at will ..when a group has left them parked in space and not properly defended them anyway. Stealing ships is part of the designed PvP aspect of the game though, and itsn't trolling or griefing, so it makes an interesting feature when I get to that.
First tho...I've gotten killed twice by automated ships cruising through space..so my first real project is to build my own 'Defiance' class of ships for myself. All engines and guns, with nothing else but life support. Muhahaha... I'm going to have a wee little surprise for anything shooting at me.
---
What gives this depth isn't just the immersion of building every block, stairwell and hall in a massive Capital ship. It is the interactive engineering elements. Controls for doors and the ability to improvise parts into new creative systems as well. I saw one earlier with a sliding bay door that used the magnetic locking (absolute) of landing gear placed inside to activate and lock it in place. You'd need to blast through that door..and I might try that! They also have blocks for timers and other functions to make true, interactive engineering systems.
So, if someone is looking for a quickie sim to screw around in..this isn't it. If someone wants to really immerse themselves into the experience of building and operating spacecraft, support facilities and more (planets are being added soon for landing and colonizing, I believe), then this is a great one! It really does make you think everything through, and what won't work..really won't work. No shortcuts to fudge in this one, either.
That is a good example of the basics of building, and even the giant Capital ships started with a landing gear strut.
(basics of modular building)
There is another series of videos where players hollowed out an entire asteroid and just used the rock as the exterior walls. Nice short cut, and it was coming along well the last I looked.
I'm not much into PvP (Player vs. Player fighting) but that is also an aspect here, if you go into servers that are set up for that. Servers can be persistent (as you might imagine) for keeping constructions ongoing and working as people go. I watched a video last night where the guy had literally stolen a whole small fleet AND their space station in partial construction.
The trick is damage to systems by taking it down far enough to stop functioning, which will then allow repair that changes ownership. Medical bay first..to stop respawning, and then you can board and convert ships at will ..when a group has left them parked in space and not properly defended them anyway.
Stealing ships is part of the designed PvP aspect of the game though, and itsn't trolling or griefing, so it makes an interesting feature when I get to that.First tho...I've gotten killed twice by automated ships cruising through space..so my first real project is to build my own 'Defiance' class of ships for myself. All engines and guns, with nothing else but life support. Muhahaha... I'm going to have a wee little surprise for anything shooting at me.
---
What gives this depth isn't just the immersion of building every block, stairwell and hall in a massive Capital ship. It is the interactive engineering elements. Controls for doors and the ability to improvise parts into new creative systems as well. I saw one earlier with a sliding bay door that used the magnetic locking (absolute) of landing gear placed inside to activate and lock it in place. You'd need to blast through that door..and I might try that!
They also have blocks for timers and other functions to make true, interactive engineering systems. So, if someone is looking for a quickie sim to screw around in..this isn't it. If someone wants to really immerse themselves into the experience of building and operating spacecraft, support facilities and more (planets are being added soon for landing and colonizing, I believe), then this is a great one! It really does make you think everything through, and what won't work..really won't work. No shortcuts to fudge in this one, either.
. 
