Interstellar Space: Genesis’ Remote Exploration

Welcome to our first “Throwback Thursday”, where we’ll repost some of our greatest articles and thought pieces. First up, Konstantine’s argument for why eXploration in Interstellar Space: Genesis is a game mechanic worth highlighting!

This article was originally published on June 3, 2020.

Welcome to a new entry in the Mechanical Wonders series! These articles focus on a single game mechanic from a specific game and talk about why the mechanic is noteworthy. (I borrowed this intro from Oliver, much obliged Mez). Admittedly, these articles are few and far between… that’s because many developers keep doing the same thing over and over again with the persistence of the energizer bunny! But there is something new out there, something that deserves a closer look.

Exploration is a big part of any 4X game, this goes without saying. It is more than just one of the four Xs as many times it can bring a sense of wonder to a game and make it seem more vibrant. All too often this aspect of some 4Xs is underdeveloped or ends too quickly. Even worse, it can be un-imaginative and familiar, like something we’ve done before in countless other games, (probably because we have). The reason in my opinion is a lack of innovation and depth.

Interstellar Space: Genesis by Praxis games may have just addressed both of those issues. The exploration mechanic in that game is not only multifaceted, but it is also innovative and deep. IS: G features a traditional approach to exploration,( complete with ruins that can be explored twice if you have a leader with the appropriate skill), as well as a new remote exploration mechanic. This game then does not rely on remote exploration solely, and the more traditional mechanics of exploration are also present. These traditional methods may act independently or in conjunction with remote exploration. The result is that exploration lasts far longer than in most other 4X games, with most sessions ending well before a player can discover everything that is “out there”.

So what is remote exploration exactly? Well, for anyone that played the game, you can skip this part and go grab a snack or something. For those that haven’t played the game… what’s wrong with you? Just kidding, put the pitchforks down and I’ll explain. In basic terms, what you see is not what you get. Take a look at the screenshot below and focus in the immediate area around my Home-world.

Now take a look at the remote exploration overlay, see all those shaded squares? (Don’t count them, just look at them). Each one of those squares represents a sector that has yet to be explored. This is a large map by the way, featuring a little over 100 systems in total. Keep this in mind as it will be relevant later on.

So what’s out there, what can a player hope to find behind those shaded squares? Just the mere fact that I can write that question is exciting but not as exciting as what awaits to be discovered by this innovative mechanic. Let’s look at another screenshot now. This is the same region of space after several successful (and some unsuccessful) remote exploration efforts. What do you see?

That’s right my fellow gamers, three additional star systems that were not visible on turn one are now available for exploitation (Glea, Uslaglai and Agrit). The strategic implications alone are fascinating. Consider that an empire that may have seemed doomed due to poor expansion avenues was not so doomed after all. There are strategic resources uncovered, asteroid belts made available, additional planets to be colonized, and even rogue planets that can act as secret bases. (Rogue planets in IS:G cannot be seen by the AI until they also conduct remote exploration on the appropriate sector. Any ships stationed at a rogue planet are not visible. The opposite also holds true, if the AI has discovered a rogue planet and the player has not, it is the AI that benefits with a secret base).

Sounds pretty neat, huh? Well, it is… but as in all things, (especially when they can be described as pioneering in a particular endeavor), there are some minor drawbacks. These drawbacks however have nothing to do with this excellent concept, but rather the actual execution.

At the beginning of the game on turn one, it takes 18 turns total to explore a single sector, and a player can only explore a single sector at a time. This means that on the map shown in this article, over 1,900 turns would be required to explore the map fully. On the largest map 5,400 (not a typo) turns are needed. When we consider that the largest map in IS:G features 280 systems total, (160 visible, 120 hidden), and that some players feel this is still too small, we may have a problem. This means that a player will almost never see those 280 systems (as the map will never be fully explored in a normal session), making the map seem smaller than it really is.

Now to be fair, there are ways to speed up remote exploration. Space culture allows the player to select a very early choice that enables two remote exploration efforts to be undertaken at once. This would then cut in half the number of turns needed to explore the map. In addition, a latter choice in the Space Culture tree can reduce the number of turns needed for each effort in half. Indeed even a survey ship flying through or being present in a sector can reduce the turns needed. Combine all these options, and guess what happens, the player still needs over 1,000 turns to fully explore the larger maps! And if survey ships are used, enjoy the extra micro! Let us also not forget that if a player chooses to pursue a path to speed up remote exploration, he/she cannot select other cultural choices that may be more advantageous in the early game.

We also have the effort itself interfering with the game flow at times. In the early game when activity is not too frenetic, this is actually beneficial, in the latter stages of the game, it can disrupt the player. Praxis understood this however and has included an option to automate the entire process, but the AI may not make the same clever choices a player would if this option is activated.

Going forward, there are two simple adjustments I hope to see and I think they could benefit the game tremendously. First, I would like to see some research options included in the tech tree that further reduce the time needed to conduct remote exploration. Second, I would like the ability to set a remote exploration queue rather than relying on the AI to determine the order in which sectors are explored. By doing this, Praxis would then give the player additional flexibility in accelerating exploration as well as make the automated option more attractive.

In conclusion, I feel that exploration in IS: G is both fresh and innovative, particularly the remote aspect. And even though I can trace its roots to Birth of the Federation which featured a fog of war concept with un-explored sectors, IS: G gives a new dynamic and relevance to exploration in general. I predict that this is something we will see emulated and refined in many future 4X games as it can be easily modified to work in an RTS game, or even one featuring star lanes. Remote exploration is not only an excellent mechanic, but it is also perhaps the greatest leap forward we have seen from a 4X game in quite some time.

Konstantine

Chris has been playing games since the days when Avalon Hill published games featuring cardboard maps and counters, with a particular passion for space-based 4x titles and strategy games, he also likes to search for indie gems waiting to be discovered.