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The Echo Cluster is a distant point in our galaxy dotted with the blood globules of a trillion life forms, and it forms the exciting backdrop of the space opera known as VGA Planets. Yet, what is the origin of this mysterious group of dots and circles? We find out today.
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In Planets you can choose between 11 Races that are inspired by well-known Sci-Fi civilizations. Each race has its unique character and abilities and all need to be played differently on their way to victory. Some of the races in the Planets universe rather Continue reading
Giant Melee Games are Classic or Campaign Games with a bigger Starmap and up to 30 active players. Players in Giant Melees step right into the action of a densely populated universe and don’t have that luxury of time for development as there is in Classic Games. Giant Melee Games often have a running start; players who join late will receive more than the usual ‘Starter Kit’ of one Homeworld and one freighter in order to keep up with the crowd. Often a large alliance and complex diplomacy is required to survive a Giant Melee as you never know who will show up when, how and from where.
Campaign Games are Standard Games that have additional features enabled. Each player can choose between several race abilities and ships that can be brought into the game. The choice needs to be made before going into the game and cannot be changed while the game is running. Each choice costs a number of so-called ‘Advantage Points’ that are limited for each game. These limits ensure that no excessive use of special advantages is possible and to maintain the game balance among each player. All advantages need to be researched by the player before they can be activated for the Campaign specials. The necessary ressources can be collected through active gameplay and successful battles.
Campaign Games can also include ‘Stellar Cartography’ Maps that have additional objects on the star map, such as nebulae, star clusters, cloudy ion storms, or asteroid fields. Each of these objects has its own rules and behaviours, what raises the map and game complexity.
Blitz Games are 1 on 1 Planets Games with a much smaller starmap and – depending on the turn frequency – often require only a few hours to days to complete. Blitz Games can be played vs. one live opponent or an artificial intelligence called ‘Hiatus’. Due to their relatively short game length, Blitz Games are the only format that is used for tournaments. While alliances and cooperation are extremely important in the larger game formats the Blitz Game version mainly focuses in military strength and strategic abilities. Furthermore it is an ideal set-up for tactical training or sandbox tests.
Planets can be played in various game formats, ranging from 1-player games vs an artificial intelligence up to Giant Melee Games with up to 30 players. For each game Continue reading
Planets Magazine 