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Why Isn't There More Games Like 'Star Control'?

Star Control was my favorite science fiction game before Mass Effect came along.

I used to love the Starflight games too.

The new Star Control also looks amazing and just as good if not better than the original.

But besides those games, where the heck are games like Star Control.

Gamed where I explore the galaxy or a large area of space, encountering aliens and discovering planets.

In fact, I'd love a game like Star Control but where you can also land on worlds and explore alien ruins or whatever on foot, sort of like Mass Effect. Except ME doesn't have space battles or bumping into alien ships in space.

Edit: don't recommend No Man's Sky. There's a few things I don't like about that game but even moreso after reading spoilers on the 'big reveal' at or near the end.
 
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StormCell

Member
I never played Star Control--the new one looks really interesting. I had to read up on the originals to gain some understanding of what the games are about. Reading your post, however, made me think of StarCommand. It was a sort of cRPG where you field a team of characters (that you get to create) who pilot a space ship. You're given missions. You explore space. You scan planets and send drop ships to collect samples. Sometimes the planets were inhabited with lifeforms (some of them are intelligent), and that would lead to ground battles. The ship battles were pretty good too. It was a pretty cool game for something published in the '80s.

In general, I miss the older PC RPGs. I miss creating a party of characters and such. In the game I described above, there were insectoids, lizard people, space pirates, and even machines that were taking over worlds. I never got to finish that game, but it was entertaining.
 

BabyYoda

Banned
Although I only played the first Star Control when it released on the Mega Drive, I'm sure I would've loved the sequel as well and I definitely would like to see more in that genre. Most developers just follow trends unfortunately, it'll get it's time again!
 
Although I only played the first Star Control when it released on the Mega Drive, I'm sure I would've loved the sequel as well and I definitely would like to see more in that genre. Most developers just follow trends unfortunately, it'll get it's time again!
The first game is more a strategy game. The second one you actually explore the galaxy and move around like the Galaxy Map in Mass Effect.
 

AmateurPong

Member
Have you played Stellaris? It's more grand strategy/management, but the lore and how the roleplay elements unfold as you explore the galaxy are really what keep me addicted. If this could be combined with landing on planets and actively taking part in the events that unfold via text screens I don't think I'd ever need another game....
 
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Have you played Stellaris? It's more grand strategy/management, but the lore and how the roleplay elements unfold as you explore the galaxy are really what keep me addicted. If this could be combined with landing on planets and actively taking part in the events that unfold via text screens I don't think I'd ever need another game....
I'm not a big fan of strategy games and I suck at them. Exception would be Halo Wars which I had a lot of fun with.
 

cHaOs667

Member
Star Control was my favorite science fiction game before Mass Effect came along.

I used to love the Starflight games too.

The new Star Control also looks amazing and just as good if not better than the original.

But besides those games, where the heck are games like Star Control.

Gamed where I explore the galaxy or a large area of space, encountering aliens and discovering planets.

In fact, I'd love a game like Star Control but where you can also land on worlds and explore alien ruins or whatever on foot, sort of like Mass Effect. Except ME doesn't have space battles or bumping into alien ships in space.

Edit: don't recommend No Man's Sky. There's a few things I don't like about that game but even moreso after reading spoilers on the 'big reveal' at or near the end.
Take a look at Starcom Nexus at Steam, maybe this fits your needs.
 

AmateurPong

Member
I'm not a big fan of strategy games and I suck at them. Exception would be Halo Wars which I had a lot of fun with.

Fair enough. I've heard of Star Control but haven't actually played it. Sort of looked similar in screens.

My dream game would be a scifi version of Mount and Blade, not sure if anything like that exists. Building up an army/fleet from scratch, exploring and carving out your own corner of the galaxy with space/land based combat you can take part in directly.
 

BabyYoda

Banned
The first game is more a strategy game. The second one you actually explore the galaxy and move around like the Galaxy Map in Mass Effect.
Oh don't me wrong I have played the sequel, but only a little, decades after it came out, it was a bit old by then tbh. The first game I was only a kid when I got it, so it was mostly my dad that played the strategy part of the game, the rest of us would mostly stick to the pvp or against AI, which was a blast! LAUNCH FIGHTERS!
 
D

Deleted member 801069

Unconfirmed Member
I do not even think that has aliens but I looked into it and the whole concept sounds very 'meh' to me.
I found it kinda meh but it’s not a bad game

the game is packed with aliens
 
I found it kinda meh but it’s not a bad game

the game is packed with aliens
Everything I have read said there's no intelligent aliens in the game unless they released some DLC that included some.

Edit: From the wiki

  • Humanity is the only known intelligent species in the Milky Way Galaxy—despite conspiracy theorists claiming that aliens are secretly working with corporations in order to further their motives.

You could be thinking of another game called Outer Wilds?
 
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Havoc2049

Member
Star Control was my favorite science fiction game before Mass Effect came along.

I used to love the Starflight games too.

The new Star Control also looks amazing and just as good if not better than the original.

But besides those games, where the heck are games like Star Control.

Gamed where I explore the galaxy or a large area of space, encountering aliens and discovering planets.

In fact, I'd love a game like Star Control but where you can also land on worlds and explore alien ruins or whatever on foot, sort of like Mass Effect. Except ME doesn't have space battles or bumping into alien ships in space.

Edit: don't recommend No Man's Sky. There's a few things I don't like about that game but even moreso after reading spoilers on the 'big reveal' at or near the end.

It is funny that one of the most in depth Space/Sci Fi RPGs is still Starflight. The first Mass Effect almost did it, but like you said, there was no ship to ship space combat. Then the Mass Effect series kept getting dumbed down with each iteration. Hopefully Starfield will take the Space Opera RPG to the next level.

Elite Dangerous has many of the qualities you are looking for in your post, if you haven’t checked that out. Although Elite Dangerous is more of a sim than an RPG. There is tons of lore and set pieces in Elite Dangerous, but the gamer has to role play on their own, as there is no story. Which is both a strength and a weakness.
 
So I made another thread about the X-Universe games.


I know that sort of doesn't count as it's more of a space sim but apparently X Rebirth has some short on-foot sections and X3 Reunion has some indoor areas you fly into which seems cool.

The lore seems decent too.

I'd love a game like this but with more landing on planets or boarding spaceships and stations.
 
It is funny that one of the most in depth Space/Sci Fi RPGs is still Starflight. The first Mass Effect almost did it, but like you said, there was no ship to ship space combat. Then the Mass Effect series kept getting dumbed down with each iteration. Hopefully Starfield will take the Space Opera RPG to the next level.

Elite Dangerous has many of the qualities you are looking for in your post, if you haven’t checked that out. Although Elite Dangerous is more of a sim than an RPG. There is tons of lore and set pieces in Elite Dangerous, but the gamer has to role play on their own, as there is no story. Which is both a strength and a weakness.
Funny you just mentioned Elite Dangerous as I came across another series (of which some of the games I owned but forgot) so see my last reply above this.
 
I love Star Control II, and the new Star Control is really good. Good enough to pretend it’s the third installment. I would like to see it come to consoles.
I really need to get Star Control Origins on GOG. It's on sale but I'm broke af.

I know there was a lot of controversy between the lawsuits of the original creators and the CEO being a conservative. I think that overshadowed it all because from the playthroughs I've seen of Origins, it looks nothing short of great.
 

asocirev

Member
I never paid much attention to the lawsuit drama, so I got it and did t regret it. If you can pick it up it’s really worth it. It looks and plays like my high school nostalgia remembers #2.
 
I find it weird that almost no AAA devs make games about space exploration.
Specially japanese devs (Phantasy Star, Star Ocean and maybe a couple others)

There's Starfield, but we know nothing about it.
The first Mass Effect was pretty good, but it felt way too linear.
No Man's Sky is big, but shallow

I still want a space exploration game that lets me explore planets and have adventures in them. Even if it's not a simulation and ends at some point.
Oh yeah Starfield....

That might be THE space exploration game.

I don't get the lack of space exploration games either. Most are either space sims or 4x strategy games. You'd think with the popularity of SC, there would be a lot more.

Japanese just don't seem to be on the space opera much. The few that do have aliens that look like lolita grils or something.

Even Phantasy Star sort of lacks actual space exploration and sentient aliens.

Maybe it's because Star Wars or Star Trek is big in the U.S. so it's more of a thing here.
 

AJUMP23

Member
I enjoyed Star Control 2 a lot back in the day. I have not played the new one. But I am sure their would be more of these type of games if they earned more money.
 

Hnjohngalt

Member
I really need to get Star Control Origins on GOG. It's on sale but I'm broke af.

I know there was a lot of controversy between the lawsuits of the original creators and the CEO being a conservative. I think that overshadowed it all because from the playthroughs I've seen of Origins, it looks nothing short of great.


Sc Origins is awesome btw. It is a remake of SC2. With some gameplay tweaks. Great game awesome story.

As for other games similar to SC, try Halcyon 6.. it is on steam and Switch. It is more rpg than strat game. Yet it reminds me of Starcontrol.

Here is a vid on gameplay for switch.

 
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Holammer

Member
Never got into Star Control, but I feckin' loved Star Flight on the Megadrive.
Mining, upgrading and interacting with aliens, it was way ahead of its time, and early sandbox title along with Shadowrun.
 

down 2 orth

Member
I kind of think the Halo universe would be a good setting for an RPG. If 343 didn't make it. And Microsoft didn't fuck it up as they tend to do. So... zero chance of that happening.
 

Nickolaidas

Banned
I never played Star Control--the new one looks really interesting. I had to read up on the originals to gain some understanding of what the games are about. Reading your post, however, made me think of StarCommand. It was a sort of cRPG where you field a team of characters (that you get to create) who pilot a space ship. You're given missions. You explore space. You scan planets and send drop ships to collect samples. Sometimes the planets were inhabited with lifeforms (some of them are intelligent), and that would lead to ground battles. The ship battles were pretty good too. It was a pretty cool game for something published in the '80s.

In general, I miss the older PC RPGs. I miss creating a party of characters and such. In the game I described above, there were insectoids, lizard people, space pirates, and even machines that were taking over worlds. I never got to finish that game, but it was entertaining.
Star Control II was the highlight of the series, mainly because of the awesome (back in the day) characterization of the alien species (who were written in a way that felt like each race was one character rather than an entire species). For example, you would talk with an alien pilot, kill him, then if you encountered another spaceship of the same species, the conversation would go on as if you had spoken to the same person before. This would lead to some really funny conversations which somewhat remind chat messages in social media between two frenemies.

There was also an entire galaxy made like a sandbox adventure, lots of exploration to be done, a great deal of lore, one of the best side-quests ever (which was so awesome they turned it into the main quest in the sequel) and quite possibly one of the best arch-villains ever made in pop culture. Trust me when I tell you that the Mass Effect Reapers don't blow a candle to the Kohr-Ah. Star Control II was a prime example of how you do a Chaotic Evil villain right.

All in all, my favorite game when I was 15 years old (25 years ago), although truth be told, the game DIDN'T age like fine wine. I replayed it five years ago (the remastered fan-made version) and I can't say it holds as well as it did back then.

But those guys? Man, they are still awesome. Video is divided in two parts.

Star Control 2 - The Thraddash (part 1) - YouTube

Star Control - The Thraddash (part 2) - YouTube
 
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There was also an entire galaxy made like a sandbox adventure, lots of exploration to be done, a great deal of lore, one of the best side-quests ever (which was so awesome they turned it into the main quest in the sequel) and quite possibly one of the best arch-villains ever made in pop culture.

Let's not forget the incredible plot twist on top of all that.

You build up a hatred of the Ur-Quan for the whole game only to find out they're desperately trying to protect everyone from the genocidal Kohr-Ah and that there's a far greater conflict happening way above your pay grade.

Some of the most memorable stories and characters in any game I've played. I still queue up the music on YouTube.

 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Never played Star Control.

But watching vids, each game seemed you could cheese unlimited wins using ultra unbalanced ships and weapons. Looked as bad as Archon Ultra when you sailed to victory having a phoenix spam that golden feather attack.
 

Greirat

Member
Mass Effect was actually heavily inspired by Star Control and was originally a lot closer to it during early development. You can still see little hints and nods to Star Control in the released games, like sending the probes down to the planet surfaces to gather minerals in ME2.
 
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