Final Theory

Fantastic game! Quite easy to access and play casually, but also has more than enough strategy and tactics for when you decide to get serious. Its one of the best I've played, and without the sometimes annoying fluff. Final Theory sets you up with a clear objective and ample tools - there's some resource management both on the fleet battles and map play, but just enough to be interesting, not all-consuming . Map-wise you manage your main ship-building resource (Tacknium), your fleet tech resource, fleet development resource, your limited refined resources for warheads and your propaganda drones - this of course in addition to your owned regions and stations. Its all quite intuitive and you don't need a Masters degree in political science. - most of the resources accumulate essentially as a function of expanding and holding territory and although you do control where and how to gather the Tacknium, its not a resource farm with hundreds of "workers" to manage like say Starcraft or AOE - this is simpler, and arguably better given the setting - different game really than those two. Fleet-wise during battles, you manage ship-board resources that take the form of abilities - things like launching a ship from your carrier or when to use a special shield / armor restoring ability. Some ships also have (or can tech into) power reserves, jump capability, repair functions, etc - all of these are turn based and replenish overtime, depending on the level of tech and how you've chosen to develop each ship type. The key resource to manage of course are your fleet(s) themselves - there are multiple classes of ship to choose from and you can construct a fleet with any arrangement that suits your strategy - providing you have the resources of course. The game is visually excellent, combat mechanics work well, weapons and abilities all look and sound very good.
Things I'd change: 1) I would add a "domination" end-type. Like most games, Final Theory has its lore and end game objective, but sometimes its nice to just crush all enemies in total galactic conquest - a simple "I win because everyone else is space debris" 2) Many of the ships have a similar look - I'd like to see some radically different models .....Babylon 5 Mod anyone?
I recommend playing some quick or custom games first to get used to the way space works, and how combat strategy is as much about position as it is having the biggest guns. Check out the various fleets and their weapons options, then have fun! Highly recommended.

This is really weirdly addictive game. I have seen it compared to chess and I would agree. It may seem like you are "only" getting to move once per turn, but what that means is everyone moves at the same pace, and that is like real life, no? So I really like the gameplay. What I would suggest is:
Allow a greater zoom depth in battle. You can see the ships with details much larger on the research screen, so why not larger in battle?
Have a status indicator showing the status of your ships being built over multiple turns. Maybe down bottom left. Along with this, total production capacity/what is being used that turn.
Have an option to make it 2/3 moves a turn or non-turn-based.
For some cost of credits you should be able to recall, not just scap, ships and move them back into your pool, or make this an option. You could actually have a global research tree to improve extraction/extraction efficiency/reduce research costs/global buffs. Have the corvette be upgradeable, maybe to a lesser extent. What about vetern status ships based on kills - would add pressure to maybe let an enemy live so you almost promotable battlecruiser can kill it instead of the wimpy frigate. realizing the promotion could again cost credits. Would also add pressure to move a fleet around instead of spawning a new one. Could be a toggled option.
Ok thanks bye!

Tragically underrated. Fun tactical combat. Mechanically simple yet strategically deep galactic map.

Выиграл на Грандмастере. Рисунок игры в целом тот же: усиление игроков-конкурентов не чувствуется, потому что сильная империя не даёт им подняться. Да, как я уже сказал, ИИ играет честно. Как справедливо пишут коллеги, на ранней стадии важно выносить по имперскому гарнизону каждый ход. Или хотя бы через ход.
В тактическом отношении рецепты те же: выходишь на фланг, концентрируешь огонь, убиваешь сначала вырвавшиеся вперёд юниты (обычно крейсера и линкоры), потом всякую шушеру, потом наваливаешься на дредноуты. Обязательно выводить из боя подранков. Инженерные очки на шелупонь тратить не имеет смысла; рекомендую усиливать сначала крейсера (до 4-5 уровня), потом линейные крейсера (так же), потом линкоры (до конца) и дредноуты (тоже до конца). Но вообще можно справиться одними линкорами. После выставления первого флота в 8-9 линкоров игра сводится к чисто техническому передвижению фишек. Только не вздумайте таким флотом идти против других игроков - убьют ядерной боеголовкой. Только против Империи. Авианосцы бесполезны; возможно, я просто не увидел их возможностей.
Споткнуться можно, только если Империя рано оккупирует узлы, увеличивающие размер флота. Если твой флот 4-5 линкоров, то против трёх имперских дредноутов + поддержка (стандартный флот, выставляемый империей на этом уровне) много не навоюешь. Тогда выжидать их ухода + отбирать у других игроков.
Выиграл на Мастере. Простая и хорошо сделанная игрушка. Приятная графика; анимацию делали с любовью. Что важно, ИИ играет честно, не "против человека". По-настоящему раздражает только невозможность выключить анимацию (нет, на автобой тут ставить нельзя – понесёте потери на ровном месте). Надеюсь, ребята сделают ещё что-нибудь, посложнее.