It was a bit bare-bones when it first released, but Ashdar Games have continued to plug away at Stars in Shadow (SiS) and even released a mini-expansion, Legacies, featuring the Tinkers faction last year. Now I want to take a look at how it stands today and suss out how SiS has improved and also consider areas for improvement.
In The Eye of the Beholder
Stars in Shadow has reminded me just how subjective art styles can be. I’m a huge fan of the comic-book-like aesthetic that SiS employs, but since the game was released, I’ve noticed that most 4X fans are pretty split on it. I’d say most 4X fans either like it or don’t really have an opinion, but there’s a vocal minority that really dislikes the “cartoonish” look.
That being said, I really, really like it and appreciate that it’s consistent along every facet of the game. It really does have a comic-like feel (which makes sense, as Jim Francis, aka Arioch, is a webcomic illustrator and has a comic called Outsider), and I think it makes SiS stand out with a unique look and feel. There’s just one minor (MAJOR TO ME) thing that I don’t like aesthetically and I’ll explain that later.
Management You Can Count On
I’ve mentioned in previous podcasts and reviews that I prefer the colony management system of Master of Orion 1 over its sequel. Simple, yet substantial decisions appeal to me more than building every building I have access to everywhere that I can. SiS manages to combine elements from both games for easily one of the best colony management systems in the entire 4X genre.
Each colony has a limited number of slots available for infrastructure improvements, depending on the size of the planet. These limited slots require the player to preplan their colony builds and also creates some cool opportunities for focused output from colonies with unique modifiers. For instance, a planet with a special resource of rare metals would be a great planet to make a bunch of mines on, as that would greatly add to your overall metal production.
It gives way to some hard choices and does away with the “build everything, everywhere” mentality that too many 4X games fall victim to and that I personally despise.
Tactically Sound Combat
I don’t care what other developers try to tell me, turn-based tactical combat, especially when it’s fast and frantic, is FUN. I truly believe that some of the best moments I had in games like Master of Orion and Master of Magic were when I barely led my fleet or army to a narrow victory on the battlefield, despite how much I love the grander strategy layer of 4X.
That being said, Stars in Shadow has done a fantastic job of bringing back turn-based tactical combat to space 4X. It’s fast-paced, (usually) quickly resolved, and meaningful to your war efforts. Not only that, but it’s fun to see how your new ships function in battle and being able to control them in this way feels satisfying. I have been told too many times by 4X developers that I don’t really want turn-based tactical combat. Well, yes, yes I do. Especially when it’s balanced as well as Stars in Shadow’s combat in its speed of completion and its level of tactical requirements.
So, please, if two guys can do it (mainly just one programmer, really), then you can, too, other 4X developers! (cough Amplitude Studios cough cough)
Have It Your Way
They’re not exactly the quickest to respond (I’m pretty sure they have full-time jobs), but Ashdar games have been incredibly open to making changes to their game at the behest of their fans, even if it’s just adding options. Two things that I’ve campaigned hard for, the option to right-click to close menus and the option to remove fleet destination lines, were both accommodated and genuinely make the game better for me.
I’m not the only one they’ve listened to, either (and hell, it may not just have been me complaining), as they’ve received good, constructive feedback about a few of their design choices and have legitimately improved the game based of that feedback. It’s not often that you see this level of interaction and it’s freakin’ great to see and witness the benefits of. Well done, Ashdar!
Unique and Alien
As anyone who knows me and what I like in a 4X game can tell you, I appreciate faction/race asymmetry more than most. I really want each faction to feel distinct and each playthrough to feel radically different, depending on the faction chosen. SiS does a great job of this.
One of the factions, the Ashdar Imperials get access to a hyperspace gate from the very start, which allows their ships to get anywhere in their range within one turn. Or, you have the Phidi that have exclusive access to a mercenary market that allows them to buy combat ships, but they’re limited in other ways. As another example, the Humans don’t start with any colonies but instead are given better ships to start with and a colony ship. All of these asymmetric starts are explained through their backstories and it does wonder for the game.
That sort of asymmetry gets me really excited and encourages me to play as many different factions, thus increasing replayability beyond your normal 4X game. Few games have done it better than SiS and I hope to see more of it as they introduce new races.
Development That Doesn’t Stop
While glacially slow, Ashdar Games have continued to work on Stars in Shadow even almost three years after release. The changelog for the development build isn’t necessarily something to write home about, but it’s still being updated even as recently as a couple of short weeks ago. Hell, for those that don’t know, here are the last half-dozen updates:
2019-09-06(38550) ‘in_development’
- Fix for a bug that could cause transports from destroyed empires to wander the map endlessly.
- Increased the starting population of Gremal by +1 Enfi.
- The “Raider Activity” setting now also affects the number of Pirates/Marauders/Harpies present at the start of the game.
- Added a “None” option to the “Raider Activity” setting.
- ‘Fatalin Stims’ and ‘Thiozil Tranquilizers’ have been replaced by a single merged technology: ‘Chattel Pharmaceuticals’.
2019-08-23(38544) ‘in_development’
- Algorians and Lummox can now be enslaved.
- Fixed the coloring of Tinkers ground units.
2019-08-11(38529) ‘in_development’
- Adjustments to the AI logic for starting wars.
- Added the Gremak-exclusive ‘Fatalin Stims’ technology, which improves forced labor yields.
- Added the Gremak-exclusive ‘Thiozil Tranquilizers’ technology, which improves experiments yields.
- Gremak empires now receive additional resources when sacrificing slaves for forced labor and experiments.
2019-08-08(38526) ‘in_development’
- Attempted fix for a rare bug triggered by annexing empires.
- Increased the build costs of Stargates.
- A warning icon will now appear over understaffed improvements.
2019-08-02(38523) ‘in_development’
- Stations orbiting a settled colony now never cost upkeep.
- Outposts in orbit of unsettled planets now do cost upkeep.
- Adjusted upkeep costs for Tinkers mobile bases.
- Fix for a bug that could cause rushed ship production projects to be cancelled.
2019-08-01(38520) ‘in_development’
- Crew bonuses from a designs pre-loaded ground units should now be better reflected in the UIs.
- AIs should once again favor placing assault shuttles in ships with the “Berth” hardpoint.
– From Stars in Shadows’ Changelog Forums Post
There’s also talk of another expansion on their forums. I say HELL YES! I’d love for SiS to continue to get more content and polish!
A Hidden Story
They’re deep beneath the surface, but there are some really cool story elements present in the Star Harpy encounters. I won’t say much more, but I do hope to see more of this in SiS. Here’s hoping that there’s a bit more added in whatever DLC comes next.
What’s there now is subtle and a bit light on content, so I’m hoping that they can add more as they add more expansions. Well, when they add more expansions, as that might take a while (see comment above).
Diplomatic Currency
While there is certainly an attempt made here to be “different”, the diplomacy is, at best, wonky, and at worst, broken. Diplomatic exchanges focus primarily around the use of influence. Influence is used to establish embassies, make research pacts, and create alliances. Once you have the influence required to suggest any of these agreements, one simple click is all that’s required to make it so. The AI player cannot deny you.
All too often, it makes me feel very little investment in the process, as you can just spam these requests once you’ve accumulated enough influence. You can actually go from normal relations to as far as allied in one turn. It feels very detached for me.
Also, you can use influence to sue for peace during war. However, it doesn’t stop your AI enemy from immediately attacking you again next turn. There’s no cooldown, there’s no minimum length to the peace treaty, etc. Sure, there might be a diplomatic penalty, but that has little bearing on the grand scheme of the game. It feels jarring and decidedly not fun.
All of these issues are compounded by how easy influence is to accumulate and how it’s not used outside of diplomacy, save for buying slaves and ships as two of the factions, so there’s little to balance my decisions with. Frankly, the whole system feels like it needs a serious overhaul. The good news is that Ashdar Games is well aware of it and is currently hard at work tackling it. I’ll certainly report on it further when that update is released.
Bliiiinded by the Blue
Yeah, I know, this seems a bit petty, but GOOD GOD does SiS rely too much on the color blue, aesthetically speaking. So much so that I really feel it takes away from an otherwise fantastic-looking game. The menus are blue, the strategic map is blue with some more blue, the tactical maps are mostly blue, and the whole damn UI is blue. SiS could really use some variety to its strategic maps, much like Endless Space 2, where there are about 10 different maps and some mesmerizing color choices to boot.
It sounds a bit strange until you consider just how long you look at that same blue strategy map in a 4X game. I’ve put some 80 hours into it since release (and probably another 20+ before that) and it just starts to turn me off.
This is such an easy fix that I can’t imagine that it won’t be done. Eventually. Hopefully soon. Maybe tomorrow?
Genre Issues Remain
Imagine that, a 4X game with a late-game problem. As you may know, and as I’ve documented in my opinion piece, “The End Game and Its Follies”, the 4X late game is usually a mess. Stars in Shadow suffers here, too, as the tech tree tends to dry up a little earlier than most games and there’s not much excitement in the end game, either. No super units, nothing new to discover, no changes to gameplay, or anything to keep you interested.
It’s something that definitely needs a hard look after diplomacy, so I’m hoping that either DLC or future content additions will address this. I sure hope so, because I think I’ve only ever finished one or two games that went beyond a couple of hours in SiS as my interest begins to wane. Bait me with a carrot, please, Ashdar!
Conclusion
It’s hard to believe that those are my only real complaints right now, but the game hits a lot of the right notes for me. The game length is perfect for me, as I prefer shorter games, and it can be adjusted – by generating bigger maps and adding more AI players – to most players’ desires. Sure, bigger games will probably lead to getting through the research tree a little too quickly, but it still allows for longer games as needed.
If Ashdar can properly shore up diplomacy and continue tweaking weapon and ship balance, SiS could be a game that I play for a good long while. It’s great for shorter play sessions and I love the turn-based battles. The great thing, too, is just how consistently Ashdar has worked to improve the game, so I can see it being even better 2, 6, 12 months from now.
If you haven’t already picked this game up, it’s an easy recommendation for me. It’s perfect for space 4X fans that love asymmetric factions and good combat. It’s not expensive and is still being supported. A game like this should be selling gangbusters, but unfortunately, it didn’t sell a whole lot of copies. Still, the devs have stuck with it and have made it one of my favorite 4X games to date.
Give it a shot. It might just be one of yours, too!
PSA: If you’re low on funds, consider joining our Discord Channel, as we have a giveaway going on RIGHT NOW (Sep 23, 2019) for copies of Stars in Shadow!
TL;DR: Stars in Shadow has become an incredibly solid 4X game, especially if you enjoy shorter matches and enjoy or can look past the art style. If you’re allergic to the color blue, you might want to look past it, though. For everyone else, Stars in Shadow should be in your 4X library, full stop.
You Might Like This Game If:
- You enjoy tactical battles that are quickly resolved but involve a truly tactical mindset
- You enjoy 4X games that don’t waste so much time with colony development but remain elegant
- You want to support the little guys. Ashdar Games consists of two people who continue to support their game
You Might NOT Like This Game If:
- You don’t like the art style. It’s subjective, for sure, but I personally love it
- You don’t like the color blue as this game has way too much of it
- You don’t like diplomacy systems that can be easily manipulated
Rob has played over 100 hours of Stars in Shadow on various gaming desktops, most recently his MSI Trident-X with absurd system specs.
Rob founded eXplorminate in 2014 as his passion for 4X needed an outlet. You can find Rob in just about every 4X game beta and 4X game forum, too. He’s equally obsessed with the strategy and tactics genres and constantly combs the internet for new and exciting titles in those genres. He’s proud to be a member of Amplitude Studios’ VIP program and the concept creator of Endless Space 2’s Unfallen.
Some of the screenshots are outdated, things like “farm”, “mine”, “refit”, and “garden terraforming” no longer use placeholder icons.
I just used stock photos. Sorry!
The maps and speed of research are what drive the shorter play times. The maps are pretty small, but the game was made to be completed in shorter game sessions and it becomes that way almost every game.
It’s definitely more combat-driven. There are a few victory conditions, but you will absolutely find yourself at war through most of the game with someone. The empire management is very enjoyable and the various races and minor factions you’ll encounter have a surprising amount of backstory and lore, but the game is definitely focused on combat, much like the AoW series 🙂
Thanks, that very much answered my question. I’ll keep an eye on further DLC plans and sales. Might be too combat-heavy for my taste, but I can still see myself enjoying it.
Thank you for a well thought through re-examination. In particular in 4X games, these are really important for account for all the post-release tweaks that take an imperfect game to a very different level.
I noted your comments around this being (more) suited to shorter sessions than many other titles, which would be quite appealing. What do you reckon drives such a shorter playtime primarily: smaller maps, fewer turns until victory, or just quicker turns, e.g. due to streamlined colony management.
In that context, I am curious, what is the balance and feel of the game? Is it very combat/conquest focused and most of the empire layer is just to get you to fights? Bit like AoW series. Or is the empire layer enjoyable in its own right?
There is a mod out there that changes the space background to black. I don’t remember where I found it though but it makes the game look much better.
Since reading this I’ve gotten back into SIS and am really enjoying it. It seem to me like a ‘goldilocks’ game – not too big, not too small. I’m pretty tired of space games that are way too complex. It’s just a game, folks.
They have improved the A.I and economy balance a lot in the devs builds.
The game should be a must for space 4x fans imo.The macro city building is what I am after these days and I just feel tired with the Civ system which never fits imo.This is a planet and not a city.
A pretty thorough and, I think, accurate reexamination. I don’t agree with some of your opinions, of course; I don’t mind all the blue at all, and I find that the combat fails to offer meaningful choices beyond just overpowering the enemy with superior dakka. For the most part though, my opinion echoes yours.
One detail that bugs me inordinately is that in combat, ships explode when their hull drops below 30%. What’s the point of that? Just reduce all hull values by 30% and say the ship explodes at 0 hull. Same mechanical behavior, easier to read and understand for the player.
I largely concur with your Re-eximination as well, Rob (which given how often our opinions regarding games seem to be at opposite ends, says a lot!).
I’ve never been a fan of SiS’ visuals or art style, but neither do I loathe it. (I agree on the overuse of blue, although I don’t think to the same extent.) And you’re absolutely correct about diplomacy being a weak spot.
However, the game does so many other things right, and is so much fun to play, that it really is easy to overlook its faults. Stars in Shadow is another under-appreciated gem IMHO, and it truly deserves all the recognition it’s received…and more.
I look forward to the new DLC. Whenever Ashdar Games decides to release it, I’ll be ready!
A broken clock is right twice a day 😉
Thank you for your kind words, friend. I, too, am excited for whatever comes next.
I think I just read about another Perfect Game for me. I play solo TBS. I play very few RPG. I don’t play RTS. I can’t stand Shooters. I won’t play MP. My all-time favorite is Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri and Alien Crossfire. Closely following is Space Empires IV. I’m so picky about what’s in my games that I might never buy another – after Stars in Shadow.
This is one of several games I’ve been meaning to get to. This article has moved it to the top of my list, thanks!
Thanks for a good write-up! To me, the biggest problem with the presentation layer (more than the colour blue!) was the inconsistent placing of GUI buttons. Some of them are closed in the top-right corner, some in the top-left. Overall, it’s a nice game which achieves what it aims for, but still, I rarely would choose it over Endless Space.
The diplomacy isn’t that shallow anymore (for a long while), specially on a harder difficulty (I assume, have been only playing on “Brutal”). The “influence” isn’t easy to acquire. Agreements aren’t possible below certain “level” of relationships (some aliens just hate you from the beginning). There are penalties for trading with parties which are at war with each other, demands, etc.
As for the colors – too many modern games (and not only games) look just motley. It’d rather consider the color palette of SiS to be stylish. The only time it hurts is than you are trying to look at the history graph – many lines of bluish-greenish variety looking almost indistinguishable.