Space Empires 4X: Solo Review

[@nerdington934]

Awesome review! Just got my copy can’t wait to table it!

[@j_atkinson]

Been on my wishlist for years myself... you're going to make me pull the trigger later this year probably :) I like the comparison to a good book in how your imagination fills in the gaps :)

[@Kili121416]

I too was looking at this for years and finally picked it up. Now for the expansions. Can’t wait to play it.

[@sirknumbskull3418]

Hope, you will love it.

[@jomccune]

Great review! I've been looking at this game and have felt very similar to you in looking at it initially. Going to pick it up now after your review. Subscribed!

[@jomccune]

Very nice job editing too! :)

[@bradfleegle4046]

Great review. I've been on the fence too. Going to grab it, the store down the street has it!

[@RottenMechGaming]

My copy has just arrived and very keen to get it unpunished and in play. With lockdown here in the UK it looks Iike solo is my only option right now, so thanks for sharing the details.

[@jacek_poplawski]

I am on the same side as you, I like games with awesome mood and stuff, but I heard about Space Empires and bought it on Black Friday, so I am watching your review then I will watch your playthroughs :)

[@drewkennewell4267]

Just picked this up with the first expansion. Really looking forward to getting it to the table.

[@drewkennewell4267]

Also your analogy regarding books vs movies. I'm not sure how much of a hex and counter wargamer you are, but you'll find this a lot with war boardgames. Pieces that are nothing but symbols and numbers representing entire armies, with your imagination running wild as it fills in the details. The abstraction of detail allows such a strong internal narrative that it becomes engrossing and addicting.

[@JamesA720]

I was on the fence about getting this for the exact same reasons you stated. Thank you for making this video.

[@boardgamerants]

Save yourself!!! (and get this) I've since been shown an app that makes running the Alien AI solo variant a breeze. Also works for the expansions, which I've just picked up the first one. So. Flippin'. Good!

[@RottenMechGaming]

@@boardgamerants That app sounds interesting, what is it called? Thanks

[@boardgamerants]

@@RottenMechGaming Alien Player 4X.

[@RottenMechGaming]

@@boardgamerants thank you

[@thomasdeitsch9515]

Awesome review; I get my copy this week

[@Panzersonor1967]

Glad you tried it. My favorite game!

[@jacek_poplawski]

Your opinion about low fi visuals and imagination (book vs movie) - please check roguelike computer games like NetHack - exactly this case.

[@boardgamerants]

Great suggestion.

[@CRAZY6256]

Please do a play session

[@bartonleingang]

Have you not played any of the Sid Meier's Civilization games on PC? Those are all 4X. I thought I remember you played Sid Meiers Pirates once upon a time. I know you've played Eclipse, that's essentially 4X. Have you had a chance to play Twilight Emperium yet? Definitely 4X, though can take 8-10 hours for a full playthrough.

[@boardgamerants]

I've got Civilization: A New Dawn, boardgame by Sid Meier, but the fan-made solo variant fell flat for me. Eclipse is awesome with a pretty well developed fan-made solo, though I never really got into it. I've come close to picking up TI 4th Ed. but, again, has only a fan-made solo. Space Empires not only has an official solo variant, it has multiple "official" ways to play solo. :) I've since added both expansions which combined have 5 different solo modes of play! All with varying levels of difficulty and modular-type rules you can add/subtract to taste. And somehow, this game just feels "pure". Like quintessential 4X. No frills, no fancy minis - just brilliant gameplay mechanics with efficient components. Damn near perfection for a sci-fi solo player, I would venture to say.

[@majkus]

I wonder why they chose to create a solo scenario where you start on the opposite side of the map from where the player is likely to be sitting. Just sayin'.

[@4Tforyou]

How is the luck level in this game? Ok, in all games there is luck. But I hate the frustrating part of it. Roll the dice for a skills check... Roll to determine who won the battle. I want some control. Because after you review I really want to buy IT. 🙂 indeed the ugly artwork was preventing me from buying too.

[@OdiousMage]

Not sure if you're still considering this, but the luck is relegated solely to dice rolls in combat. The nice part about it is the technology trees allow you to create ships with better combat values (making it easier to hit others and harder to get hit), as well as allowing you to modify the attack and defense values of weaker ships. So while there is luck, it's really all about mitigating the possibility of bad luck affecting you by advancing the tech of your fleet. It creates a wonderfully deep operational framework, in which you're always having to decide when and where to build ships as opposed to spending CPs on tech progression. Brilliant design.