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General Discussion => The Speakeasy: OOG/Off-topic Discussion => Topic started by: Ken on 20 May 2011, 21:17

Title: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Ken on 20 May 2011, 21:17
Anybody else here a fan of this game?  I do love it so...  :D

http://www.positech.co.uk/gratuitousspacebattles/
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Casiella on 20 May 2011, 21:18
I bought it on Steam a while back, I think. Don't think I ever actually played it. /o\
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Saede Riordan on 20 May 2011, 21:20
looked at it, thought it looked neat. But I have none of that money thing, so I didn't buy it.
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Ken on 20 May 2011, 21:20
Check out the new expansion: http://www.positech.co.uk/gratuitousspacebattles/galacticconquest.html

Adds a conquerable map and dynamic enemy fleets based on set ups automatically uploaded from what other player's deploy in their games.

Quote
There will be a time for peace in the galaxy, where life-forms can skip through the fields and read poetry, unworried by the threat of war, but this is not that time. There will be a time for song, time for cakes, time for long afternoon strolls, but this is not that time. There will be time for love, time for joy, time for writing that novel you know you have in you somewhere, but this is still not that time.

This is a time for war. Huge war, galaxy-spanning war, where the cries for mercy from the citizens of captured worlds will reverberate around the bridge of your flagship. A time for honor, for glory, for huge profits for people in the defense industry. This is a time for galactic conquest.
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Lyn Farel on 21 May 2011, 03:26
I find it definitly ugly.

Is the gameplay cool or good ?
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Half Cocked Jack on 21 May 2011, 05:36
Gratuitous Space Battles is awesome. I only payed something like 5 bucks for it back in the day--and it was a hell of a lot more satisfying than a happy meal. I love the humor built into the game. The ship names and weapon descriptions crack me up. The guy used to make a lot of little tweaks every month or just to keep it fresh, and the result (at least over the first-half of last year) was a quintessentially balanced game with just enough little things changing every month to keep it fresh.

As for being "fun," it is a different kind of fun--like EVE! But not really. You design your ships, line them up, give them orders, and press GO--then just watch your team fights to the last man/spider/space hippy/whatever. I didn't realize there had been a new expansion. Now I know what I'll be doing this afternoon.  :lol:
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Ken on 21 May 2011, 08:15
it is a different kind of fun--like EVE! But not really.

But sort of!  :)  You give your ships capabilities using modules not dissimilar to EVE, and limits like power and crew limit what you can fit without using other slots to boost those attributes.  Ship hulls have various stats and bonuses that they receive with particular modules.

So, confident the enemy fleet has ignored its point defenses in favor of fitting bigger main guns?  Build a fleet of fast missile spamming frigates and fighters that can duck the big cannons and lob rockets without fear of their being shot down.  Order them to concentrate fire on the smaller enemy vessels first, leaving the lumbering cruisers for last.  Individual ships and fighter wings can be given rather specific tasks and conditional orders, but there is no real control over the course of a battle once it's begun.  In that, it's more of an "admiral's game" rather than ship captain's.

Still, the dynamics of ship and fitting choice and limited resources to achieve victory is right at home for anyone who loves the dynamics of small gang PvP or the alliance tournament in EVE.

Winning battles earns honor, which can be used to acquire new and upgraded module types, new ship hulls, and entirely new races with their own fleets and specialties.
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Lyn Farel on 21 May 2011, 08:33
Sounds awesome. May try it soon(tm).
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Cheiftan on 24 May 2011, 23:57
me and one of my corpmates purchased this on steam a while back, i was awful at it though.

Fun lil game imo
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Wanoah on 25 May 2011, 02:55
I have dabbled at this. Naturally, my fleets consisted of Rifters, Ruptures and Tempests in short order. :)

Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Mizhara on 25 May 2011, 03:15
Is it just me or is a Frigate swarm ridiculously overpowered early on?
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Mizhara on 25 May 2011, 05:20
Yes... yes it is. I've beaten every damn challenge by just swarming it with shieldless armortanked frigates with long range weapons, and similarly fitted fighters when the opponent brings fighters/bombers of his own. When the game finally comes down on me like a ton of bricks, I'm really going to regret now having experimented and tried out different things, I'll bet.
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Casiella on 25 May 2011, 07:48
Funny. Sounds like an AGONY frigate gang....
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Mathra Hiede on 31 May 2011, 06:08
See I love this game.

I use the standard, tried and true tactic of Drake-Spam.
Lots of heavily shielded cruisers with massive missile spewing death.
Couple of Anti-Fighter ships.

Sit back and watch things explode
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Dex_Kivuli on 01 Jun 2011, 02:41
If I want to give this game a spin (but I don't want to spend $40 on the Complete Pack), which version should I be buying off Steam?
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Ken on 01 Jun 2011, 09:00
Just download the demo off the GSB website!
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Ken on 08 Jul 2011, 18:33
By the way, a GSB and faction expansions bundle is on sale for $12.50 this weekend from Stardock.

http://www.impulsedriven.com/products/ESD-IMP-W586
Title: Re: Gratuitous Space Battles
Post by: Ken on 17 Aug 2011, 15:16
Another GSB bundle with all of the expansions is on sale for $10 on Steam for the next ~20 hours.

http://store.steampowered.com/sub/7803/