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Armada 2526 Gold Edition
The folks at Iceberg Interactive sent over
a copy of Armada 2526 Gold Edition, which bundles the space turn based
opera with Armada 2526 Supernova. This packaging also comes with a nifty
poster with the art from the front of the box.
Players guide their race through an intergalactic expansion, colonizing
the vast reaches of the cosmos. During the trek players will be able to
do research into new technologies, conduct diplomacy with other space
races, and of course trade agreements, and all the while expanding and
founding new colonies through peaceful endeavors or weald the power of
your mighty fleets.
If you have played the Total War Series at
all, many of the concepts and controls may seem very similar, the only
difference is we are in space.
The add on in this package, Supernova… brings things a lot more into
perspective and tweaks the game, bringing on some more technologies,
planetary variances, and a couple extra galaxy races. More than that, it
adds some LAN play as well as old school play by Email.
The game looks simple enough but can be rather on the complex side.
Thankfully there is a robust advisor feature that assists the player
along. There is also the option to play through a tutorial that will
help get a grip on the control interfaces. Though even with all this
assistance, some times in a game when trying to issues orders to ships
the game would not take the orders or allow it.
After getting a bit frustrated on this not working, I went ahead and
switched several ships to automatic. This option is the best balance as
it tells the ships to do their best to expand your peoples across the
galaxy.
I found it a bit annoying at times that I could not click on certain
things and issue the orders I wanted. I found myself setting a lot of
the game to automatic; it almost felt like the game was playing me not
the other way round.
Armada 2526 Gold uses a turn based system, it’s a simultaneous order
system so the player can make as many moves as they are able and then
click the button to show they are done, then the computer and or your
living opponent (If you’re playing multiplayer) makes their move.
In the middle of all the exploration and the diplomatic handling of
other space faring races, as noted there is a trading system as well.
There is trading with other races of commodities, minerals, relics,
among other things as the game progresses. There are times when even if
the trade or diplomatic negotiation seemed to be very heavy on the side
of the entities you have encountered. For some strange reason they turn
down the offers. Like with most negotiations, anything can happen…though
I never really saw any hints as to a certain strategy when dealing with
any particular races. If there is any, I never encountered it. Perhaps a
heartier space traveler than I will figure that out; and as a result ace
all of their negotiations.
If you thing thus far it’s all exploration
and negotiation, never fear there are plenty of ship to ship battles to
keep you occupied. The events take place in real time during ship
battles so be fast with that mouse and issuing orders. Especially if you
have a large number of ships in play, once the battle starts you end up
a little hard pressed to issue orders and get things done.
There had been times in the game mode called Battles, where the player
chooses a bunch of ship and then the enemy race you want to fight…then
you battle. In these battles, no matter what level of abilities I made
the battle, I would be decimated….not beat…decimated. Invisible ships
would attack me from behind in droves and I would end up destroyed or
damaged so bad that by the time I got the battle lines into a flank to
attack my target, they had been so damaged that a few laser and missile
volleys just destroyed my ships.
Swinging full circle when it comes to the build trees for ships and
building and tech, there are plenty of varieties to work on and towards
to make things at least interesting as you forage your way through the
stars. I am usually a big fan of these types of games, while the game is
not a total loss, at the same time it is not at the top of my list
either. At the same token, for some reason it did keep drawing me back
in for more. Not just because I was doing an article on it. But because
I wanted to continue playing and learn more of the nuances of the game
and to I hope…eventually master it. It does bring the challenges.
As for the game as a whole, it has its niche and those niche players may
well find a good fit here. Those players looking to try this type of
gaming out for the first time may want to cut their teeth someplace
else, if you are up for the challenge though jump on in.
Have fun play games
Edwin Millheim |
