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Apr 12, 2001
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Civilization designer Sid Meier along with 2K and Firaxis Games have announced a new game, Sid Meier's Starships, reports Gamespot. The interstellar strategy game was developed by a small team at Firaxis who worked closely with Meier on the game's design.

sid-meiers-starships.jpg
Sid Meier's Starships builds upon the success of last year's Civilization: Earth Beyond, moving beyond the initial colonization of planets to the world of space exploration.
"What happens after we colonize our new home and eventually build starships to take to the stars?" he said. "What has become of our long-lost brothers and sisters from the planet Earth? My goal was to create an experience that focuses on starship design and combat within a universe filled with interstellar adventure, diplomacy, and exploration."
The latest chapter in Sid Meier's game lineup allows users to control a fleet of starships as they journey through the universe completing a variety of missions that expand the influence of their federation. Though specific details were not revealed, Beyond Earth and Starships may share some cross-connectivity that will benefit gamers who own both games.

Sid Meier's Starships is slated to debut in early 2015 and will be available on the PC, Mac, and iPad. Pricing and an exact release date will be announced soon.

Article Link: Firaxis Announces New 'Sid Meier's Starships' Interstellar Strategy Game
 
I really wish I had time to play games like this. Between work, kids, and waiting on Halo: MCC matchmaking I don't think I can fit this in.
 
What type of games are these? Are they RTSs like StarCraft or... RPGs or something?

Sid Meier's games such as Alpha Centauri and Civilization are large scale turn based strategies. Sid Meier's Pirates! was a Strategy/RPG however. It would appear this title could have elements of both genres.

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Also, I bet it's gonna have asteroid mining in it.

Hopefully without all the tediousness and theft of EVE Online! :p
 
Hopefully without all the tediousness and theft of EVE Online! :p

I remember reading a little starter guide for EVE way back when I was considering playing it. One of the first things it recommended was to spend at least a couple of weeks mining asteroids to accumulate isk.

...that sounded too much like a chore to me. I don't want to have to slog through a tedious task list to get to the fun parts. It needs to be entertaining and interesting from the get-go, or...bleh.

This is actually one of the major reasons why I don't play MMOs anymore. A friend of mine was in a hardcore raiding guild in WoW, and he had to spend at least a couple hours a night going through a bunch of repetitive "dailies" to earn money for better gear. That sounded about as fun as a kick to the teeth. I don't want to pay $10 a month for that.
 
...that sounded too much like a chore to me. I don't want to have to slog through a tedious task list to get to the fun parts. It needs to be entertaining and interesting from the get-go, or...bleh.
The fine line between simulation games and simulations.

We love games that have a lot of realism but we don't want it to feel like life.
 
The fine line between simulation games and simulations.

We love games that have a lot of realism but we don't want it to feel like life.

Sometimes. Games like Euro Truck Simulator do have their appeal, even though there isn't anything too fantastical about them. All you're doing is driving a big rig down a highway, but for some reason people love them.

I think challenge plays a major part in it. Mining for isk and doing dailies in WoW don't seem to really push you in any way once you've done it a couple of times. It becomes rote pretty quickly. On the other hand, Euro Truck Simulator does require a good bit attention and skill to play it well.

I guess it all comes down to how involved you are.
 
The fine line between simulation games and simulations.

We love games that have a lot of realism but we don't want it to feel like life.

If I wanted realism, I would have 2 kids I can't afford, a job that I hate, an ex-wife who takes all my money, and a faithful dog dying of cancer.

I don't have any of those at this time. So I play unrealistic fantasy/fiction games.
 
I wonder how it will work on the iPad ... starting with Civ IV these games have really been system hogs ...

I love the idea of it, and will play on the Mac, but am definitely interested in a 'real' Civ game for the iPad.
 
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