Try the Next Skotos Strategy Game: Space Federation

[ShannonA]

Folks,

The next Skotos strategy game, Space Federation, is now available for beta-test. You can visit it here:

http://www.skotos.net/games/federation

This is a strategy game of resource management, exploration, technological development, and warfare.

The best thing to do is just to click "Play Now", create an empire, and get going. The online docs are all available in-game. In addition, if you click "Overview", you'll see a "Missions" link, which will help guide you through the introductory steps in the game.

If you see any problems, mail me at shannona@skotos.net

Shannon

[dunstvangeet]

Personally, I think this game would be a perfect match for the Galatic Emperor series. Any chance on getting them to bring it exclusively to Skotos, and renaming it Galatic Emperor: Space Federation, or something like that?

[ShannonA]

Although not an exclusive, we've got a very close relationship with the designer of Space Federation. He's running limited trial servers, and we're his main paid service. We could potentially bring documents and other info on the game closer into Skotos if it looked like a good idea.

We actually kicked the idea of naming the game GE around a bit, and ultimately decided against. I suspect people will be just as interested in playing SF if they realize it's another cool science-fiction game, and it allows us to preserve the GE brand name for a group of games with very similar interfaces and gameplay ideas (which I hope to eventually be able to write).

Shannon

[Carrot Flower]

Yay! Even though I have no clue what I am doing, thanks for the addition.

[stickyjellypoo]

Heh likewise. What the heck am I doing? *scratches his head* So many numbers. It's like Master of Orion except more confusing. At least, initially.

[stickyjellypoo]

*scratches his head*

Err... problems Shannon. When I go into SF and click the Play Now button it takes me to the Play Now page where I can choose to play the normal game I'm already in or start a new type of game. I click the normal game link and it takes me to the skotos login. I fill inmy user name and password and then it takes me back to the Play Now page. I click normal game again and it takes me to the skotos login...etc, ad nauseum.

Kind of an annoying loop. Goes forever. Hmm... but maybe it'll work after the 51st try... *tries again*

Finder of bugs,
Locke

[Carrot Flower]

Kinda getting problems when I made a different empire for the blitz server. I can no longer access that one (though I can still access the normal one). It gives me inproper password error.

[ShannonA]

Originally posted by stickyjellypoo
Heh likewise. What the heck am I doing? *scratches his head* So many numbers. It's like Master of Orion except more confusing. At least, initially.

Go to "Overview" and take a look at the Missions. They offer some good first steps.

Alternatively, go to "Manual" at the top and look at the 1-2-3 guide for Terrans.

There's also a little "?" next to most values, which explains what it is.

Shannon

[ShannonA]

Locke & Carrot,

Please send me mail at ce@skotos.net. Let me know your skotos id, the name of the empire you've created, on what server, and what the exact error is.

If it looks like Greek to me, I'll pass it on to the game designer.

Locke: I notice you keep choosing "upgrade". Let me know in the email if that's intentional, or if you're just trying to create a new empire.

Shannon

[Peraspera]

Originally posted by stickyjellypoo
Heh likewise. What the heck am I doing? *scratches his head* So many numbers. It's like Master of Orion except more confusing. At least, initially.

Was that the original Moo, the really good two cows and a sheep version (Moo Moo Baa, otherwise known as Moo2: Battle at Antares) or the execrable third installment, which required no player involvement and had worse ship combat graphics than the first two?

My first Empire last night didn't do too well. Need to do some number crunching and more research.

Shall we start a Hegemony Federation, Locke? And show those other victims...er, players...what the game's all about?

When we figure it out, that is?

At your service,

Kazak

[Klocker]

Originally posted by Carrot Flower
Kinda getting problems when I made a different empire for the blitz server. I can no longer access that one (though I can still access the normal one). It gives me inproper password error.

I get a few different errors myself, but I click on the login button and log in again and it all works fine. Great game by the way

[stickyjellypoo]

Why Sir Kazak, I would be delighted to stomp about the galaxy mooshing poor, defenseless, unsuspecting empires into sticky paste.

Oh, and Shannon I'll try getting in again here in a sec. If the problem persists I'll send an email. And yeah, i tried upgrading a lot because that's the only way I could figure to get in.

You so crayzeh,
Locke

[Carrot Flower]

I think we should form a GE federation.

[Foxcub15]

Er... how do I do anything...?

[Carrot Flower]

Ok. Here is what I have figured out. First you have one planet. You want to develop it a bit. Each building costs 1 labor, 1 ore, 1 land, and 10 credits. You want your population to grow a bit and agriculture is taken care of for a bit (keep an eye on it if your population grows or you get planets that you can't farm on). Build 4 mines, some housing and invest the rest in commerce (how you make your money.) Ignore industry (I guess you use that if you're a certain race in advanced play). Next go to research and research commerce until you are level 10. Check your planet, you might want to build more commerce/housing. Now go to build ships. I build 20 scouts then go to explore. In the box type 50 turns (won't use them all but I am too lazy to figure out how many for each planet discovery). Repeat this until you have found 3 planets for a total of 4 planets. Now disband your ships. You need to keep your power rating under 5000 to prevent getting attacked while you develop, and number of ships and planets are how that is figured.

Now, go check your new planets. Develop them as much as you can. Now go to research and research Terran mineral. Go back and check your planets and adjust accordingly. When a planet runs out of ore, take down the mines. Keep an eye on consumption (it is a 1 to 1 with housing. So if you have 50 housing, full with inhabitants, you need a total of 50 agriculture in your empire.). After that you can research Small Terran Hull, Medium Terran Hull, Large Terran Hull, Terran Destroyer,Terran Cruiser in that order before you leave protection, all the while gaining credits for later exploration and warring.

That is as far as I have gotten. Remember, you can start over. I will post the leaving protection stage once I figure it out if you all need it.