Since I found out that this game was happening, I absorbed as much media as I could; what I've seen so far tells me that this game is being built by people who loved Star Control 2. Even though there are obvious differences--and there were gonna be!--I think they've managed to capture the feel, the spirit of it.
Now, I feel as though we've seen less character interaction and more exploration/combat, which is both good and bad; no spoilers, but less data on which to base an assessment of that part of the game. That said, though, the interface looks similar enough, the vibe is there; if we didn't already know that this is its own game, I could see it be the beginnings of Star Control 2 being given a facelift, re-built with today's tech.
What I wonder about most, actually, is how our interactions with NPCs affect the galaxy.
We've been told that the game world is a "living" universe, but what does that actually mean? How much can we affect it?
Apparently there are trade routes or something--if I read that right--and it looks as though empires can grow or shrink, as though borders can shift...again, if I correctly interpreted what I saw.
So, how much can we affect that? Can we disrupt trade by going on a killing spree? Can we wipe out an empire's colony on some world, reducing their borders? Or, when w're involved, will those things only happen via dialogue/quests (but possibly happen due to NPC behavior)?
Maybe I'm fantasizing too much--I'm always wishing for a space game that incorporates elements from Star Control 2, Master of Orion 2, Spore, and Elite: Dangerous--but what I saw intrigued me, and I want to know more. What can we expect from SCO in terms of empire-building-or-manipulation?
