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Author Topic: Galactic Ruler  (Read 6566 times)

Martok

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on: November 10, 2020, 11:51:53 PM
This one has me simultaneously apprehensive and intrigued.  Battlegoat Studios, the developers behind the Supreme Ruler series of strategy/wargames, are now heading into space.  The game has just released on Steam into early-access, at a discounted price of $29.99. 


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1138440/Galactic_Ruler/











My impression of the SR titles is that they have a reputation for often being unwieldy, unbalanced, and possessing a learning curve at least as steep as (if not steeper than) what you'd find in a Paradox game.  And I cannot imagine the fact that Galactic Ruler is supposed to combine both space *and* land -- while conceptually wonderful -- is likely to make Galactic Ruler any less of a PITA to manage. 

On the other hand, the devs mentioned in the walkthrough video (that I posted above) that they're adding and/or changing a number of systems to accommodate the space part of the game, so I allow myself some hope that GR could still be manageable, despite its greater scope.  Another point in the game's favor is that Battlegoat also has a reputation of providing long-term support to their products; granted, that will be especially necessary for a game like this one, but it's still a point in their favor. 



At least the decision of whether or not to buy right now is an easy one:  However much Galactic Ruler appeals to me, $30.00 is simply too much to pay to be a literal beta-tester.  ::)  I sincerely wish them well, however, and hope to see the game released sometime next year! 


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Steelie

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Reply #1 on: November 11, 2020, 11:59:56 AM
Cartoony graphics....same ol' races.....to me, about as exciting as yesterday's cold oatmeal in a bowl. This one is going to have to make a lot of waves before I break out my wallet. But nice write-up, Martok. You're definitely the man when it comes to sci-fi 4x games.

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bbmike

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Reply #2 on: November 11, 2020, 12:19:02 PM
"...Battlegoat Studios, the developers behind the Supreme Ruler series..."

That's what stopped me from buying it. I could never figure out/get into Supreme Ruler.

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Martok

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Reply #3 on: November 16, 2020, 05:23:20 PM
Cartoony graphics....same ol' races.....to me, about as exciting as yesterday's cold oatmeal in a bowl. This one is going to have to make a lot of waves before I break out my wallet. But nice write-up, Martok. You're definitely the man when it comes to sci-fi 4x games.

Thanks, Steelie:)  Yeah, the game's visuals certainly aren't exciting, but for some reason they don't bother me.  (As to *why* that is could probably be a whole topic in and of itself...) 

Given everything I've heard about the Supreme Ruler series, I'm more concerned about sprawl, and being able to govern that many planets without devolving into that ever-present bane of the 4x genre, micromanagement hell.  What I've seen in the dev diary videos so far doesn't give me a ton of confidence that they've done much to address this yet, but they're going to need to if they don't want Galactic Ruler to be a total hot mess.  (Granted, hot messes can still be fun, but that's neither here nor there. :P







"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Martok

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Reply #4 on: December 19, 2021, 12:34:58 AM
[Casts Greater Thread Resurrection]



One of the lead developers posted a short gameplay video today.  Doesn't look too terrible; however, I'm also not seeing much in the way of tools or functions to help cut down on the micro this game will surely have.  Even on smaller maps, there's almost certainly going to be a lot going on. 






"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


bbmike

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Reply #5 on: December 19, 2021, 08:51:11 AM
It does look interesting.

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BanzaiCat

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Reply #6 on: December 19, 2021, 10:43:28 AM
Oh, good. Another space-based 4x game. We haven't had too many of those lately.

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bbmike

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Reply #7 on: December 19, 2021, 03:01:08 PM
Well, we haven't had too many GOOD space-based 4x games lately.  :whistle:

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ojsdad

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Reply #8 on: December 19, 2021, 03:16:30 PM
[Casts Greater Thread Resurrection]
One of the lead developers posted a short gameplay video today.  Doesn't look too terrible; however, I'm also not seeing much in the way of tools or functions to help cut down on the micro this game will surely have.  Even on smaller maps, there's almost certainly going to be a lot going on. 

This is a huge concern, as this developer has never addressed the micromanagement issues in the Supreme Ruler games.  At least to my knowledge. 

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BanzaiCat

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Reply #9 on: December 19, 2021, 04:33:48 PM
Well, we haven't had too many GOOD space-based 4x games lately.  :whistle:

This is...a fair point.  ;D

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Martok

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Reply #10 on: December 19, 2021, 08:30:46 PM
This is a huge concern, as this developer has never addressed the micromanagement issues in the Supreme Ruler games.  At least to my knowledge.

Yeah, it's the one consistent complaint/critique I've seen across the entire Supreme Ruler series.  It seems like the games generally have a lot going for them overall, especially in finding a balance between realism and gameplay/fun, but they always seem to devolve into micromanagement slogs. 




Well, we haven't had too many GOOD space-based 4x games lately.  :whistle:

You have to go through a lot of coal to get that diamond.  ;) 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Martok

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Reply #11 on: July 16, 2022, 04:22:45 AM
The game is finally exiting Early-Access August 3rd: 


https://twitter.com/BattleGoat/status/1547552503839031296




From what I've seen, the devs have made notable progress, but I don't know if it's enough to warrant purchasing the game yet.  I can see myself possibly picking up Galactic Ruler after it's patched up some more, but I still think this is a "wait and see" purchase, at least for now. 


« Last Edit: July 17, 2022, 05:20:52 AM by Martok »

"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


bob48

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Reply #12 on: July 16, 2022, 08:47:33 AM
So, this Galactic ruler.

Is it metric or Imperial?

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Huw the Poo

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Reply #13 on: July 16, 2022, 10:26:00 AM
I didn't play Supreme Ruler, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing in the context of Galactic Ruler.

So who's going to take one for the team come August 22?



Steelie

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Reply #14 on: July 16, 2022, 11:10:12 AM
So, this Galactic ruler.

Is it metric or Imperial?

Ask her. Go ahead, I dare ya!


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