Shattered Galaxy Preview

Clout influences what level of units you can control. Each unit in the game, of which there are dozens, has an influence-required rating. Your influence rating is based on your experience level and your clout. So, if happens that all other things are equal, if there are two players of the same level, the player with higher clout will be able to access higher-level troops first, which will mean that he'll be in the position to buy more advanced war machinery. Education level influences how quickly you can research new technology at the laboratory, which is another building situated in the headquarters area. Mechanical aptitude determines how soon you can add new equipment to your existing units, as well as how much extra equipment you can put on a single chassis or body.

There are four types of units: Infantry, Mobile, Aviation, and Organics. You can advance through each of these categories by earning and spending attribute points. These attribute points are gained in combat. As you advance in level and spend your attribute points, new possibilities open for your character - you can create new units, develop new technologies and upgrades and gain more slots to add to your squad. When you gain a new technology, you can upgrade the entire unit or just a specific part of it.

The action commences on a planet of your choice. Some planets are reserved for newbies, and some for experienced players. Each planet is divided into provinces, and the color o the province on the map shows which fraction is currently controlling it. Each province has to pay tributes to the fraction which owns it. The tributes are being gathered in equal intervals, and the most zealous and active members of the fraction get the biggest peace of the cake.

When you select a territory you wish to move to, the commander on the field will decide whether he wants to let you pass or not, and if he doesn't, the fight starts. The combat control uses the well-known Select & Click method (you select units with the left-mouse-button, and issue orders with the right-mouse-button). As your forces are usually small, you have to be careful about choosing your tactics. The best way to serve your fraction without getting killed in the first couple of minutes is to specialize into a certain area of combat, meaning that it is best if most of your units are of the same type.

Victory is achieved by conquering all points of control. Each map has up to four of those points, and you win the battle if you manage to control all of the points for thirty seconds. This means you shouldn't rush into battle. Not only does your opponent have the same goal, but you should also keep in mind that you cannot build new units in combat. If all your units are destroyed, you'll have to get back to the base to get reinforcements.

This game has no structure building or classical resource management. There are resources in the game, like Credits, Ore, Silicon, Uranium, and Sulfur and they are used for upgrading units and purchasing new equipment. Different types of equipment require different types of resources. For example, computer-controlled systems require Silicon. Resources are scattered around each planet, with a certain amount of designated areas that contain large quantities of a certain resource. Those spots are, naturally, the objects of biggest clashes between involved factions.

Units don't require resources in battle. However, they need energy for general operation, firing weapons, and special abilities. Shattered Galaxy has several different types of power supplies. Solar cells have very low storage capacity but constantly generate more power. Batteries have moderate maximum capacity but recharge very quickly at recharge stations on the battlefield. Methane reactors can store a lot of power, but refuel rather slowly at methane gas vents. More advanced power types are also available.

All units have combat-oriented skills and special abilities. Their weapons include: flamethrowers, afterburners, disguises, missiles (both short range and massive long range attacks), shield generators, energy-draining attacks, sensor sweeps, bombing, mines (both land and aerial), teleportation, repairing, self-destruction, cloaking, flares, levitation, lasers, missile defense systems, artillery, and much more.

As for the terrains, the game currently features: underground caverns, barren landscapes, and rocky lava fields and some more terrain (and planet) types are planned for the future.

What is there more to say? Shattered Galaxy must sound promising to everyone who loved both Diablo and StarCraft. This is a bold mixture of different concepts, in an on-line game, whose good and simple gameplay is capable of giving you hours and hours of fun in spite of its less than perfect graphics and interface.