It's a 4x game, it's the same type of 4x game as all others, with a space setting. It uses the landscape of Sid's beyond civilizations game. The iPad UI is spot on in my opinion, it works very well. Lots of button options but definately my too cluttered. It's more accessible than baldurs gate and ice wind dales layouts, (but I'm a huge fan of those to) The onjectives, some can be completed rather quickly, some do take longer, however, it's turn based, so after each turn you take, your gameplay is saved or recorded, so if you do have to stop and come back, you pick up where you left off. I love it, I think t expands and goes deeper than Civ Rev and feels, looks and runs just like a PC game IMO.
I'll agree with that based on the 1h I have spent this far. I can sum it up to upgrade your ships in 3 area: defensive (shield, armor), attack (weapons, fighters) and detection (radar). Research improves one of the 10 items on your ship... I can see this getting old very very quickly. My biggest problem right now is the ship movement operation is clunky. It is very easy to move a ship while trying to move the map. The game seems to think you want the ship where you placed your finger when you were simply trying to scroll the view to see another part of the map. Since there is no undo button (didn't see one) it is an issue. I have done it 4-5 times already. So when trying to move the map around one has to make sure to start finger movement OUTSIDE of the selected ship range...
You could always say the same about XCOM. I can see the combat being very similar but on a grander scale.
Is this similar in any way to XCom? I mean gameplay-wise and always bearing in mind they're completely different games.
Well SCREW YOU 2K,first of all,you don't release bioshock in Azerbaijan appstore and now you don't release starships in Azerbaijan appstore.Great,fu##### great.
They are similar in combat. You have similar controls as in you move your ship, fire (or use ability), and Hopefully use a little bit of impulse power to get the cover. I know cover in XCOM was usually walls and things you find outside, but in starships they're astroids. Also positioning is also a thing like in XCOM. Hitting a ship from the rear you can do a lot more damage, just like flanking a soldier. You specialize ships for close range combat vs long range like how soldiers are in xcom. But there are differences, like XCOM be more like a checkerboard and starships being more Hex. Also starships you don't have a percentage chance of missing, you just have a damage point penalty if you shoot somebody between asteroids. That is just combat. I haven't played it for very long, but the rest of it seems a lot different. 2k Firaxis made both, so they probably tried to carry on some of what makes xcom fun.
I still contend that it is Ace Patrol with a light Civ wrapping in many ways which is only a good thing in my book.
Here's another good review: http://www.148apps.com/reviews/sid-meiers-starships-review/ I'll wait for the pocket tactics review before i decide.
I wasn 't sure to get this game on steam or on my iPad but after checking some gameplays I believe this game was better for my iPad
Only if you have enough movement points left. One facing change (one shift to the left or right) cost the same as moving one hex.
Are you talking about the direction you face after completing your move? If so, yes, but only if you have any moves left. Let's say you can move 6 spots that turn. You can move up five and then turn the ship once.