Sword of the Stars brings the RTS back into space

For fans of space-based real-time strategy games, there's a new game on the horizon, and it's definitely worth a peek

Kerberos Productions, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and responsible in the development of both Homeworld: Cataclysm for Sierra and Treasure Planet: Battle at Procyon for Disney Interactive and featuring team members that have also worked over a dozen hit games, including Homeworld, Ground Control, Team Fortress, and Counterstrike, is in the final stages of production on Sword of the Stars, a space strategy game that seeks to reinvigorate the genre by combining real-time and turn-based elements.

Sword of the Stars will give players the opportunity to explore planets, manage a star empire and research new technology. According to chief operating officer and designer Chris Stewart, Sword of the Stars is a return to the action-packed roots of the 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) genre with some new twists, including a three-dimensional starmap and real-time combat resolution in a full 3D environment.

"It's one of those games that's easy to learn but hard to master," said Stewart during a preview session at E3.

SOTS allows players to choose between four races - Human, Hiver, Tarkas and Liir - each with technology advantages and disadvantages. Each race has a unique mode of transport between star systems, creating very different styles of play, depending on what race is chosen. For example, humans can travel quickly between worlds but must first establish set routes for their ships, whereas an alien race might be able to go anywhere, but very slowly until they arrive and set up a foothold with a teleporter, making them easy to outrun but hard to eliminate.

Stewart explained the decision to limit the races to four as comfort.

"Instead of having 16 races or whatever, we wanted races that people can sort of identify with," Stewart said.

One of the neatest aspects of the game is the randomization of various elements, from starmaps to the dynamic technology research tree. There are over 150 distinct technologies to research, the ones that are available change from game to game. While the core technology is consistent, certain branches are random from game to game. There is no perfect path up the tech tree to memorize and exploit, because the path keeps changing.

In addition, players are free to customize the ships in their fleets, designing and building ships from three size classes - destroyer, cruiser and dreadnought - by mixing and matching ship sections (command, mission, and engines), then outfitting them with armor and weapons to suit their preference.

While players are free to go up against the computer, SOTS also features a multiplayer element that lets up to eight players can play against the AI and one another over a LAN or online, a feature which seemed pretty standard until Stewart pointed out that each of the slots is hot-swappable, meaning one player can start a game against the AI immediately, while his friends finish whatever they're doing, then join in later. Or, if something comes up, like an unexpected diaper change or dog duty, that player can step out and leave the AI in charge or let another player take over, all without disrupting the game.

Also, there's an auto-complete feature for each turn, so players don't have to wait forever for a distracted opponent to make a move.

SOTS, scheduled for a Summer 2006 release, will be a welcome addition to the space strategy ranks, and one one with the potential to launch a new franchise.