An acquaintance with a unique, immersive RTS experience from an under-appreciated indie developer and community synergy.
Price: $19.99 USD
No DRM!
AI War Fleet Command is a space RTS that revolves around massive fleets. Players can control a fleet consisting of thousands of ships, and games can usually have 30K ships at one time. Although the game doesn't focus around graphics, it operates efficiently, allowing players who don't necessarily have a great PC to play it. Action can also be very entertaining, and the theme of the game is to defend yourself against enemy waves of attacks that grow larger and more advanced as an "AI Progress" level increases--effectively the difficulty of the game.
The game features a diverse palette of units, along with various tiers of units. Units can be as diverse as teleporting units, AOE (area of effect), units with special abilities, larger starships, and many more--starting a game allows players to choose what their starting position(s) will be, and what exclusive technologies they will inherit, diversifying player from player which can effectively change the player's role. Unit caps are exclusive to each tier level, and this is done to encourage players to keep using their lower tiers later in the game when they reach their higher tier caps.
The game is strategic, instead of "TAKE OVER AND OBLITERATE EVERYTHING!" you must be selective upon which planets to take, where to go next, and how to do so. Your decisions will affect the advancing AI Progress: "Should I destroy the Command Station and Warp Gate to take the planet but raise the AI Progress, or leave it be?" Taking a planet provides build and resource control, but may offer strategical advantages as well if it doesn't contain any other significant worth, such as guarding a chokepoint. AI Progress increases when you destroy certain structures or when a set time interval elapses--the AI will punish you depending on your actions, effectively allowing players to set their own pace of game. Necessity is key. Wait--what is AI Progress?
The AI begins with control of most of the galaxy--however, it does not attack you with everything it has. It is the theory explained by the author that Mario is not immediately crushed with everything at once from Bowser's bowels; the AI adjusts its interests and focus onto you when you begin to become more significant to it. Turtling is discouraged, as the player's objective is to attack the two AI homeworlds to emerge victorious (two customizable AI personalities and difficulties), but on the way raiding, capturing, and destroying planets. Tons of defensive structures (which some players contrast it to tower defense genres) are available to the player to protect their inner systems while they fight an offensive front, but they will have to venture out at one point of the game. What if you are playing a friend who loves to turtle, and run out of time?
Featuring a robust save system, online games can be resumed with ease, and you can easily disable that silly turtle of yours and make progress using his or her units and structures, while still preserving all of their units. Easily as reactivating their status in the game allows them to return, and with the ability to give units to players easily, new players can be invited and join in the upcoming battle.
The game is highly customizable, having tons of AI types and difficulties for the player to experience! There are even expansions coming out, and the game has a very active administrator/developer that is always active on the forums, and cares for his customers. Even though this game doesn't have such a large player base at the moment, he is prospective that this game will flourish. A lot of the ideas are obtained from the community, and suggestions are looked at to ensure the players are happy with the game.
The ONLY problem at this moment for v2.000 of the game is the lack of a system where players can easily find and join games. This is at the moment, addressed by a close community on the forums, on IRC (irc.rtsnet.org/#aiwar), or on Steam. Future updates are prospective on implementing GameSpy or some other form of connectivity to organize games. Players at the moment use direct IP connect, or through uses of software such as Hamachi (LogMeIn) VPN.
2010 Addendum
Please note that this was created on November 5 2009--by today, the game is version 3.060 which includes an incredible amount of changes with contrast to 2.000. An expansion has been released already (Zenith Remnant) that includes even more new units and features, and a new expansion is planned during later 2010.
AI War performs well on most machines--even those which lack modern hardware. I highly recommend that, if you have the slightest desire for this game, try it out. A trial is worth a thousand words--you can play for up to 3 hours when you're updated to 3.060 including multiplayer. Chris Park gives you little to no reason in purchasing this title if you are at the slightest enjoying your experience.
Summary: A unique RTS experience: do not be discouraged at all by the graphics--you will appreciate all the work and effort that Chris Park implies upon this wonderful, under-appreciated, indie game; you will realize how indie games can be as equal as the giants in quality productions.
9.5
Based on GAMEPLAY, EFFICIENCY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, COOPERATIVE EXPERIENCE, REPLAYABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, and COMMUNITY. One of the most entertaining and cooperative experiences I have had in a long while--with upcoming expansion packs, this will surely be one of the best RTS games.