AotS State of the Game

from AshesoftheSingularity Forums

Ashes is a game I really want to love, and I have been holding out on reviewing it on Steam. But as a game it plays more like a technical demonstration of what the nitrous engine can do then a full-fledged game in its own right. I probably will not review it, because I want to see Stardock succeed, especially given they publish Sins of a Solar Empire.

 

Is this game still being worked on? Or have dev resources moved on to better things? It's a shame because I feel like Ashes has potential, but really seems to have languished recently. It just misses the mark in a few ways.

 

 

118,851 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Curious why you feel that. I think that as the game has evolved, its a better pure strategy game than anything I've played in the last few years. 

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Reply #2 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top


it plays more like a technical demonstration of what the nitrous engine can do then a full-fledged game in its own right. 

Is this game still being worked on? 
 

 

You're entitled to your opinion. I can't understand why you would think that though.

Yes, it is still being worked on. There are some things that will be ported back from Star Control, starting in October, I believe. 

Among some of the upcoming changes... I thought I saw something about weather (cool!!!) and linux.

Quoting xyphonic, reply 1

I think that as the game has evolved, its a better pure strategy game than anything I've played in the last few years. 

 

Yes. This is more along the lines of how I feel.

Unless you really really like microing units, this is quite possibly the best RTS out there.

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting fantstc1, reply 2


Quoting ,
quoting post

it plays more like a technical demonstration of what the nitrous engine can do then a full-fledged game in its own right. 

Is this game still being worked on? 
 



 

You're entitled to your opinion. I can't understand why you would think that though.

Yes, it is still being worked on. There are some things that will be ported back from Star Control, starting in October, I believe. 

Among some of the upcoming changes... I thought I saw something about weather (cool!!!) and linux.


Quoting xyphonic,
reply 1

I think that as the game has evolved, its a better pure strategy game than anything I've played in the last few years. 



 

Yes. This is more along the lines of how I feel.

Unless you really really like microing units, this is quite possibly the best RTS out there.

 

It is vastly inferior to Sins:Rebellion. :P  

I agree though, there was no better RTS game lately, at least i am not aware about anything. In past few years i bought Homeworld Remastered, Deserts of Kharak, Act of Aggression, Grey Goo, Cossacks 3 and Empires Apart...HW, while awesome, was the same old game, so no point to compare, Cossacks 3 was pretty much the same, C1 in new graphics, Deserts of Kharak might have had superior campaign, but i hesitate to call it superior game...and Empires Apart does nothing to me, while not a bad game, it brings nothing to the table either. Same goes for GG and Act of Aggression - far cry from awesome games of the past like old Zero Hour.

Seems like the art of creating exciting and innovative RTS games has been lost. Or maybe i became just too picky.

Reply #4 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Quoting Timmaigh, reply 3
 

It is vastly inferior to Sins:Rebellion. :P  

I agree though, there was no better RTS game lately, at least i am not aware about anything. In past few years i bought Homeworld Remastered, Deserts of Kharak, Act of Aggression, Grey Goo, Cossacks 3 and Empires Apart...HW, while awesome, was the same old game, so no point to compare, Cossacks 3 was pretty much the same, C1 in new graphics, Deserts of Kharak might have had superior campaign, but i hesitate to call it superior game...and Empires Apart does nothing to me, while not a bad game, it brings nothing to the table either. Same goes for GG and Act of Aggression - far cry from awesome games of the past like old Zero Hour.

Seems like the art of creating exciting and innovative RTS games has been lost. Or maybe i became just too picky.

I know you're being a bit tongue in cheek, but I think Sins isn't as good a pure RTS but is a more fun game overall. There's just more going on Sins.

But to my mind, Ashes is what Starcraft II could've been. Starcraft unfortunately become all about "actions per minute", while Ashes lacks flash it might be the best strategic game I've ever played. And part of that is due to its simplicity - games that get too complicated become mired down in it. Like chess, its about finding that balance of simplicity while also using what benefits a computer brings to strategic games. 

 
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Reply #5 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Quoting xyphonic, reply 4


 

But to my mind, Ashes is what Starcraft II could've been. Starcraft unfortunately become all about "actions per minute", while Ashes lacks flash it might be the best strategic game I've ever played. And part of that is due to its simplicity - games that get too complicated become mired down in it. Like chess, its about finding that balance of simplicity while also using what benefits a computer brings to strategic games. 

Nice to see someone with the same viewpoint as my own! The only game that I consider even remotely comparable to the act of actual strategy is Total Warhammer, and even then, only played from the singleplayer perspective (Where economy and separate forces need to be managed). Literally every other modern real-time strategy I've played is inferior to Ashes, which plays like an evolution to Supreme Commander - the previous great RTS.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

We are not "done" with Ashes. Due to our limited resources we have to be careful what we put engineers on but Ashes of the Singularity is a major title for us and now that we have launched our newest games (Star Control: Origins) we are looking at what steps we are taking for the future of our other titles including Ashes.

So watch this space :)

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Reply #8 from Stardock.net Forums Top

Honestly I'm not sure how Ashes is an evolution of Supreme Commander, it is a good game, and one I love, but it feels like a step backwards in most regards to me.

 

It lacks a Commander unit.

 

It lacks multiple tiers of Engineers.

 

and it lacks the expanding battle fields of Supreme Commander.

 

What it does do well, is the ability to build units directly to an army once you get second and third tier units. (Cruisers and dreads,)  But I wish there were More of those dreads, or they had the level cap removed.  Juggernauts were cool, in that they had no level cap, but also lacked abilities, so It doesn't feel like those levels DO anything.

Reply #9 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Ashes falls far behind Supreme Commander in Gameplay strategies. It really lacks something huge, but it is hard to put my finger on it. It's just not as fun as other games? I don't know what it is. I wish SINS had the performance of Ashes, I wish supcom had it too. 

Reply #10 from Stardock.net Forums Top

You know... Ashes is a good game, but all the units Look samey I think that's part of it... everything hovers.