Iceberg warps into 4x space once more with turn-based sequel to 2013 StarDrive hit
Haarlem, The Netherlands – February 26th 2014 – Following last year’s barnstorming debut for real-time 4x strategy game StarDrive, publisher Iceberg Interactive and developer Zero Sum Games have teamed up again to publish StarDrive 2, the revolutionary turn-based sequel, featuring real-time combat, which will be coming to Steam, other digital channels and boxed retail this year.
Iceberg Interactive is currently plotting a course for a September 2014 release for the sequel, with an SRP of $29.99, and Iceberg and Zero Sum plan to reward their fan-base with a loyalty discount of 33% on StarDrive 2 for owners of the original StarDrive.
"StarDrive 2 represents the culmination of two decades of love for the 4x genre and five years of work on the StarDrive universe. Here we have taken everything we have learned - our successes, our failures, and our passion - and made a 4x game that we are incredibly proud of,” says Daniel DiCicco, CEO of Zero Sum Games.
5 New screenshots accompany this official StarDrive 2 announcement. Check out the first images of the StarDrive 2 universe here.
DiCicco continues, “We believe that fans of this genre will rejoice when they get their hands on StarDrive 2. It will bring them back to the golden age of 4x gaming with familiar strategic gameplay while using the full power of the Unity game engine to push AAA visuals. Furthermore, we are doubling down on our commitment to user-generated content with StarDrive 2 by integrating Steam Workshop support directly into the game. We are dedicated to our community and we're excited to start showing off StarDrive 2 to our fans."
About StarDrive 2
StarDrive 2 is an exciting and evolutionary step forward for the StarDrive franchise. In this eagerly anticipated sequel, the core mechanics have evolved to incorporate a turn-based strategic layer, featuring spectacular realtime battles. As the galactic ruler of your race you will lead your people into a procedurally-generated galaxy, exploring and expanding your space empire to greatness. Exploit planets, navigate asteroid belts and overcome deep space dangers while handling interspecies relations to gain the upper hand. Conduct diplomacy and espionage, make alien friends that will deliver thriving trade treaties – or enemies that will seek to exterminate you at all costs. Research new technologies and design powerful warships to defend your claims. Discover the extensive lore of the StarDrive universe by encountering many dozens of anomalies, heroes, and galactic mysteries that will ensure no two games will ever play the same.
Features:
- Build a space empire turn by turn in an immersive, living galaxy filled with 9 alien races, pirate factions, galactic lore and mystery.
- Hire unique heroes to govern your worlds or to command your mighty fleets in battle.
- Populate the universe and colonize planets, moons, asteroid belts, gas giants, and more!
- Research hundreds of technologies, including technologies that are unique to your race. Find even more technologies through in-game events and galactic exploration.
- Build your own ships in the custom ship design mode and take them into real-time battles featuring stunning visuals and sound effects.
- Enter a Battle Arena mode for quick-fix battles against cunning AI opponents. In this mode, you will earn rewards as you fight through the challenges, allowing you to unlock new weapons, ship hulls, and ship modules to upgrade your ships and to purchase new ships to add to your fleet.
- Created with the Unity engine for simultaneous release on PC, Mac and Linux.
- Will include various Steam features such as Trading Cards, Achievements and Steam Workshop, allowing modders to create and share their own in-game heroes, events, Battle Arena campaigns, ship modules, weapons, sound effects, and more.
About Zero Sum Games
Zero Sum Games is based in Portland, Oregon, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest region of the United States. We are an independent studio with a small and dedicated team possessing a broad and diverse set of skills. Our mission is to deliver hardcore PC games to gamers looking for depth and challenge without sacrificing aesthetics.
Stardrive is a pretty awesome game, for a one man project. It's miles beyond Endless Space, for example, which was released around the same time.
Unfortunately, after its release there were hardly any patches/updates while the game really could do with some improvements, especially in the UI department.
Meh stardrive and endless space is too different to really compare. Both decent with obvious flaws, especially stardrive which was abandoned. No buy this time around, maybe at 75% if I like the yaaar edition. Which is usually how I always do it, but I really wanna give them the middle finger for stardrive 1.
I tried the alpha (beta?) a few weeks ago and it was promising though far from finished from what I could tell at least, game has seen a number of updates since then though so it might be in a much better shape now.
Nice!
Gonna isodemo it this time, though. The first game was really fun, but the bugs and annoying UI didn't make it truly memorable. Hopefully there will be (more) support and patches now.
I think the game has been updated like four or five times now, if this was uploaded recently I guess it's the last of those hotfixes or what to call them.
Nice!
Gonna isodemo it this time, though. The first game was really fun, but the bugs and annoying UI didn't make it truly memorable. Hopefully there will be (more) support and patches now.
holy shit the railguns! stick 2 long range and 2 short on a cruiser, and they gonna mop up the floor!
escort the snipers with some arc-wide ships for maximum coverage!
Hi everyone, today we’re announcing StarDrive 2’s first DLC, named “Sector Zero”, which will be launching later this year.
The DLC will bolster the epic turn-based 4x space strategy title with the following additional content and features:
Sectors mechanic. An entirely new way to visualize and conquer the galaxy. The concept of sectors reinvigorates the 4x’s of StarDrive 2. In the early-game exploration phase, Sectors provide short-term goals as the targets of your exploration. As you enter a sector for the first time, its secrets are revealed. You might find one of Sector Zero's new quest lines or events. You may find subspace anomalies, the wreckage from ancient battles, and many more new and exciting terrain features.
Deep Space Construction mechanics. These allow you to claim sectors for your empire and to exploit the resources found there. Build a Star Fortress at the edge of a wormhole to control the passage, or a mining base in a deep space field of precious metals. Every space station can be upgraded with multiple improvements to secure your territory.
Expanded Galaxy size, allowing galaxies up to 4 times larger than those available in the base StarDrive 2 game.
Dozens of new quests and events to continue to bring the lore of the StarDrive universe to life.
New technologies to research.
New Racial traits to further customize your experience.
Two new Victory Conditions: the scientific victory, and a story-based victory.
You're interested in buying this DLC? Well, hold on there bucko - I'm not sure if you're rated on DLC that's this hot. If you think you can handle this kind of horsepower, then what you're looking at here is an incredible new set of features and content for the award-winning* galaxy-spanning PC entertainment experience that is StarDrive 2.
This baby takes the base game of StarDrive 2 and overhauls it with massive changes to the structure of the galaxy. First and foremost, the galaxy is now divided into Hexagonal Sectors, providing new resources, terrain features, chokepoints, and reasons for you to commit genocide on the friendly plant people. New deep space construction mechanics allow you to fortify sectors with battlestations, mining outposts, science stations, and more. Sectors are jam-packed with new anomalies to explore, quests to unlock, and dangers to bravely run away from.
Sector Zero now features several new ways to win the game, including a technology victory, a story-based victory, and a score victory. You can view your progress towards your victory goal on the brand new victory screen. Dozens of new technologies have been added to support these new mechanics and the AI has been given some serious upgrades to help them win the game too!
Planetary Invasion mechanics have received a serious overhaul in this expansion pack as well. While the legacy 3d battle system will remain in place for story-based battles, planetary ground combats will now take place over several turns, allowing you - and the AI - an opportunity to gain space superiority and to reinforce a besieged planet.
But do you think we'd stop there? Because we didn't! We also increased the maximum amount of Star Systems from 100 to 200, while providing you tinkerers with the option to crank that maximum up as high as your PC will allow!
All of this and more can be yours for a mere ten Earth dollars, rounded down to the appropriately psychologically enticing amount.
*PENDING!
FEATURES
New Hex-tile Strategy Map, with deep space terrain features like nebulae, wreckage fields, and more
New Deep Space Construction mechanics that will allow you to fortify sectors with battle stations and economic buildings
Three new ways to win the game
Dozens of new quests, anomalies, technologies, and events
Odd to see such game changing options as a DLC addition, ah well it's free.*
(*Just get the required files from a third party source e.g Cs.rin and that should be it no?)
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