Vega Strike
| Vega Strike | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio | Vega Strike Team |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
February 12, 2005 |
| platform | Windows , macOS , Linux |
| Game engine | Vega Strike game engine |
| genre | Space trading & combat simulation |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer (Internet & LAN ) (from 0.5.0) |
| control | Keyboard , mouse , joystick |
| system advantages preconditions |
Pentium 200 MHz or Apple G3 400 MHz 512 MB RAM 16 MB 3D graphics card |
| medium | Download |
| language | English |
| Current version | 0.5.1 (April 1, 2012) |
Vega Strike ( VS for short ) is a free computer game for Windows , macOS and Linux . The game is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Gameplay
Vega Strike follows the same game principle as the classic space flight simulations Elite and Wing Commander: Privateer . The main objective of the game is to earn money to upgrade your spaceship and buy better ships. To this end, the player has a number of options, for example trading goods, carrying out missions or piracy.
A large number of goods are available for trading in goods. These are divided into various categories and sub-categories. The profit margins in the last category are always the same, but since the player has differently expensive goods at his disposal, he can effectively use the cargo space available to him.
The player can accept missions in two ways, via a central mission computer or via clients (English. Fixer ), which he meets in bars. The latter offer more lucrative but also more dangerous jobs. The missions include the tasks that are usual for this type of game such as the transport of goods, escorts, combat missions and bounty hunts, but also, for example, rescue missions.
In the currently available version of Vega Strike, the second goal of the game is a campaign that, similar to Privateer, involves completing a number of missions. However, this campaign has not yet been completed.
Game world
universe
The Vega Strike universe comprises more than 5000 solar systems, divided into almost 60 sectors. The game world is thus far larger than most commercial space flight simulators. The systems are interconnected by wormholes. Within the systems, the movement and rotation of the planets, moons and space stations is simulated.
Only a small number of the solar systems, such as the start system or Sol (the solar system of the earth) are firmly defined. All remaining systems are created randomly when the player first visits them. This makes the gaming experience different for each person. The systems are also dynamic, space stations can be destroyed in the fighting between the individual factions, they are then partially rebuilt.
Factions
There are 39 different factions in Vega Strike. These differ both in species and in their political and social views. Relationships exist between the factions, and many of them are at war with one another.
Every system in Vega Strike is owned by one of the factions. As a result of the wars between the factions, the owner of a system can change. The program continuously simulates the battles that take place in the systems in the background. Through the message system, the player learns about the course of the various conflicts.
The player does not belong to any of the factions, but has a certain relationship with them that is dynamic. It is expressed by a numerical value. Here 0 stands for neutral, positive values for friendly and negative values for hostile. The higher the amount of the value, the more pronounced the friendship or enmity is. The actions of the player influence the attitude of the respective factions towards him. By interacting with a certain faction, the relationship between other factions and the player also changes at the same time, depending on whether they are allied or enemies with this faction.
Spaceships
Ancestor-class fighter cruises in front of planet (as of 2005)
"Llama" spaceship docks to a space station (as of 2008)
Outer shell of the "Llama" demonstrates normal mapping capabilities of VS (as of 2008)
Vega Strike includes a large number of different spaceships. In contrast to most other space flight simulators, the player can fly any spaceship himself. The ability to steer large ships also opens up a different style of play, as steering these immobile ships requires more planning in advance, and turrets that aim and fire automatically are used during battles. The player can also transport hunters in large ships, which he then sets down in combat and controls himself if necessary. In practice, the player cannot buy the largest military spaceships, they are only available by editing the scores.
The equipment that the player can buy for his spaceships is also very diverse. Guns, reactors and shield generators are available in different sizes due to the different spaceship types. In addition to simple guided and unguided rockets, there are also rockets with special functions, torpedoes for fighting large ships and various mines. In addition to the additional equipment typical of this genre, such as ECM and repair systems, modifications are also available that improve the maneuverability and speed of the spaceship.
In Vega Strike, the player can build a fleet of any number of ships. The program records exactly where the individual spaceships of the player are.
In order to overcome the great distances within the solar systems, every spaceship has a so-called SPEC drive, which multiplies the speed of the spaceship the further away it is from gravitational sources. The autopilot also prevents the player from colliding with an obstacle when using the SPEC drive. Alternatively, the player can manually control his ship in SPEC drive, but this should be left to more advanced players. In order to open the wormholes for a journey between systems, the player must purchase a jump drive.
Modifications
Vega Strike was programmed in such a way that modifications can be made relatively easily. One of the most popular modifications is the Wing-Commander - extension , which enables Wing Commander ships in the Wing Commander universe to fly.
Another well-known modification is VegaTrek, which implements the Star Trek universe with the Vega Strike engine .
Web links
- Vega Strike (English)
- Vega Strike at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alan Berg: Vega Strike - My kind of fun ( English ) In: Free Software Magazine . Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2012.