Quick Look: FTL

This is like Space Alert, it is just as hectic, or maybe more so because you can't pause, it is in real time! :) you should really try it out if you like board games !

@SamDrugbringer said:

Oh, and I don't know if anyone's said this yet but:

Brad, put your third guy on Shields, not Engines when you start. Shields are WAY more important to have powered and running then the 10-15% dodge chance you get from engines. Heading into an asteroid field with no shields is what screwed you over.

Unless you're facing an enemy with missiles. Having high dodge (somewhere around 45%) saved me so many times.

@gladspooky said:

Uh, Spelunky isn't a Roguelike. It doesn't even describe itself as a Roguelike. Where do you guys get this shit? This isn't one, either.

YES! ...for people who are confused, a roguelike is basically a turn-based Diablo with more character customization, simple/text based grapics and usually permadeath. That's it. Calling Spelunky a roguelike makes less sense than calling it Diablo clone.

@paulunga said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

Oh, and I don't know if anyone's said this yet but:

Brad, put your third guy on Shields, not Engines when you start. Shields are WAY more important to have powered and running then the 10-15% dodge chance you get from engines. Heading into an asteroid field with no shields is what screwed you over.

Unless you're facing an enemy with missiles. Having high dodge (somewhere around 45%) saved me so many times.

Oh for sure. High dodge is GREAT especially later in the game. It's just the 5% boost in the beginning of the game that's not as important as having the shields up faster. Heck, the game defaults to only having one power to the engines, and half the players I know don't even bother to power it up all the way until they upgrade their reactor.

Its amazing to watch brad play this game and not even manage to figure out it's probably better if you shoot 2 different systems with your weapons and not 1 system with both weapons.

This game looks pretty fun. Might have to check it out if there's a Mac version.

Uh, last I recall, a roguelike is an umbrella term for "RPG elements with permadeath, and randomized game play each play through". Trying to cut out other games because they specifically lack turn based methods is a super grognard-y thing to do.

GOOD! The game is great and a quicklook should help it's circulation even further. Thanks guys.

@SamDrugbringer said:

@paulunga said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

Oh, and I don't know if anyone's said this yet but:

Brad, put your third guy on Shields, not Engines when you start. Shields are WAY more important to have powered and running then the 10-15% dodge chance you get from engines. Heading into an asteroid field with no shields is what screwed you over.

Unless you're facing an enemy with missiles. Having high dodge (somewhere around 45%) saved me so many times.

Oh for sure. High dodge is GREAT especially later in the game. It's just the 5% boost in the beginning of the game that's not as important as having the shields up faster. Heck, the game defaults to only having one power to the engines, and half the players I know don't even bother to power it up all the way until they upgrade their reactor.

Powering up the engine has nothing to do with dodge.

More power to the engine = faster chargerate to the FTL jump.

Manning the enginestation = more dodge

So in lets say an asteroidfield where your time is running short more power to the engine would be a good thing to get out of there quickly.

@rethla said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

@paulunga said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

Oh, and I don't know if anyone's said this yet but:

Brad, put your third guy on Shields, not Engines when you start. Shields are WAY more important to have powered and running then the 10-15% dodge chance you get from engines. Heading into an asteroid field with no shields is what screwed you over.

Unless you're facing an enemy with missiles. Having high dodge (somewhere around 45%) saved me so many times.

Oh for sure. High dodge is GREAT especially later in the game. It's just the 5% boost in the beginning of the game that's not as important as having the shields up faster. Heck, the game defaults to only having one power to the engines, and half the players I know don't even bother to power it up all the way until they upgrade their reactor.

Powering up the engine has nothing to do with dodge.

More power to the engine = faster chargerate to the FTL jump.

Manning the enginestation = more dodge

So in lets say an asteroidfield where your time is running short more power to the engine would be a good thing to get out of there quickly.

Powering up the engines gives more dodge :) Having a man back there is a 5% boost, and any power to it increases it. Being able to jump faster is a bonus too, but in most fights you're looking to win, so the dodge is more important, IMO. And asteroids are 0 trouble when you're not fighting anyone because just 1 shield will block every asteroid. Hence why Shields are more important early on.

Though even as I say this I'm thinking about trying a full engine power run and see if I can make my ship a dodging machine...

Why is Giant Bomb giving me the finger? Oh wait it's a spaceship.

I'm really interested in this game and it seems cool, but for some reason I can't bring myself to actually play it. Seems a little daunting.

I like this new breed of roguelikes.

Roguelike-likes?

Nah, roguelikes.

Sold!

This game caused me to travel in time to a ridiculously late hour of the night. They should warn people about that.

Seems cool... I'd like if they made a version with upgraded graphics and more visual flair with the space battles in the future...

Heard so much about this over the last few days and simply had no idea what it was. This QL has sold me.

@gladspooky said:

Brad: "People keep calling this a Roguelike. I don't have much experience with that, beyond something like Spelunky..."

Uh, Spelunky isn't a Roguelike. It doesn't even describe itself as a Roguelike. Where do you guys get this shit? This isn't one, either.

I feel like their definition of Roguelike is "does it have perma-death?" But it's not like they're the only ones that go that route.

Aaaaaanyway, this game looks awesome! It's like how I always wanted those Star Trek simulators to be.

"Jack of all trades,

master of none,

though oftentimes better than master of one"

Human's being sold short my foot.

The peoples elbow disables all your ships systems.

Been playing this non-stop since release. It's fucking incredible!! So pleased you guys are QLing it!! Get on it people!!

The menu music made me think of Earthbound. I'm okay with this.

@cyberhugger said:

Man im really getting bored of these indie games.

what? Most indie games have nothing in common apart from being made by a small team. Therefore, your statement is completely ignorant.

Either that or you just hate the little guy for trying to break from the norm (EVERYONE SHOULD ONLY BE PLAYING BORING FIRST PERSON SHOOTERS AND ACTION RPGS UNTIL THE END OF TIME!)... in which case, um, fuck you.

@Dberg said:

I'll stop for a second to tell BlackLagoon why we're laughing at him.

[..]

...well, maybe you wouldn't, but those of us without autism are probably keeping up.

How charitable of you. You're a real credit to the community.

But, yes, you can call anything anything if you really want to, but why would you? You could for example call the new X-Com a third person shooter with side-scrolling sections, but again, why would you when there are far more evocative descriptions of what the game is actually like, like say turn-based strategy game?

Roguelike is a specific genre with 30 year history going back to the game Rogue, and the name has a very clear meaning (Rogue-like). That was how it was until this year (and still is on Wikipedia for what that's worth), when some people out of nowhere attach the term to Spelunky. And as far as I can tell this being repeated by others had nothing to do with communicating its similarity to other roguelikes, rather it was because it became a quick and convenient way for Spelunky fans to pitch the game as something different from horde of other tough retro-platformers, attaching this little known and almost "legendary" genre to it. A marketing bullet-point more or less.

I guess they were successful, but they're still wrong.

Seems neat, tho i think i'll wait and try it in a few months when its 5 bucks on a steam sale. Too many other games im playing right now.

@Majkiboy said:

This is like Space Alert, it is just as hectic, or maybe more so because you can't pause, it is in real time! :) you should really try it out if you like board games !

Very nice comparison! Only played Space Alert once or twice, but I totally see it. Could play FTL just like it too, if you don't pause.

As for other game comparisons, reminded me of Flotilla by Blendo Games. One focuses more on the combat, the other more on the management of your crew/ship.

Would be playing more of FTL, but... Borderlands 2. Least I can come back to it or use it to take a break from BL2.

@Carlos1408: There's a Mac version (the game is SteamPlay, so buy it once on there for both versions), and it runs just fine on hardware as old as my late 2007 MacBook Pro. An actual mouse is a near-necessity, though - trackpads aren't quick enough when things get hectic.

@BananaofDoom said:

The menu music made me think of Earthbound. I'm okay with this.

Oh good, I'm not the only one.

@cyberhugger said:

@damnable_fiend: Action rpgs are cool cant wait too play borderlands 2.

...what does that have to do with anything at all?

do you want them to keep quick look-ing borderland 2 over and over?

TEAM BRAD!

Ive been loving the game so far. Ive made it to sector 8 and beat the first part of the boss fight but then got completely destroyed on the second.

@Brad you need to use your missiles more sparingly. Its best to use them once to take out an important item like the shields/drone control or FTL while usually using lasers on their weapons.

@Oginam: im with you team brad

At some point a guy called Scoops joined my crew. He was killed when trying to save some people from a giant spider attack. What's awesome about this game is that everyone finds their own play style and swears by it, no you gotta do this, no you gotta do that. It's been fun watching people stream and talk about it.

This QL makes me want to get FTL and write TNG-style fanfic about the adventures my crew goes on.

This is one of those rare times when I finish a QL and go purchase the game immediately afterward.

Just wondering, any word if they are planning an IOS release?

So the plot is just Battlestar Galactica, just a slightly different premise? First thing I thought of when I read about this game.

I played a couple of hours of it. It is GREAT! Love it!

Okay, I'm totally into this game.

@BlackLagoon: I just assumed the word changed meaning.

This looks interesting. It reminds me a bit of a very old Apple II+ game called 50 Mission Crush where you would control the crew of a B-17 bomber during WWII.

It'd be nice if they could combine the interior ship mechanics of this game with the exterior, three dimensional combat of Flotilla and flesh out both games to allow for longer play sessions.

Game is fantastic. Hours go by before you realise. Be careful!

Love this game. Well worth the $10. Buy it everyone!

@AndrewB said:

@gladspooky said:

Brad: "People keep calling this a Roguelike. I don't have much experience with that, beyond something like Spelunky..."

Uh, Spelunky isn't a Roguelike. It doesn't even describe itself as a Roguelike. Where do you guys get this shit? This isn't one, either.

I feel like their definition of Roguelike is "does it have perma-death?" But it's not like they're the only ones that go that route.

Aaaaaanyway, this game looks awesome! It's like how I always wanted those Star Trek simulators to be.

A Roguelike is a clone of Rogue. It's right there in the name. There is no broader genre that encompasses the whole of video gaming and furthers the "spirit" of the Roguelike or whatever. Is it like Rogue or not? No? Then it's not a Roguelike. Come up with another name, industry.

Also, @Brad check out the Doom Roguelike. It's the simplest Roguelike and also the funnest. It'll take like a minute or two. Just do it.

@SamDrugbringer said:

@rethla said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

@paulunga said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

Oh, and I don't know if anyone's said this yet but:

Brad, put your third guy on Shields, not Engines when you start. Shields are WAY more important to have powered and running then the 10-15% dodge chance you get from engines. Heading into an asteroid field with no shields is what screwed you over.

Unless you're facing an enemy with missiles. Having high dodge (somewhere around 45%) saved me so many times.

Oh for sure. High dodge is GREAT especially later in the game. It's just the 5% boost in the beginning of the game that's not as important as having the shields up faster. Heck, the game defaults to only having one power to the engines, and half the players I know don't even bother to power it up all the way until they upgrade their reactor.

Powering up the engine has nothing to do with dodge.

More power to the engine = faster chargerate to the FTL jump.

Manning the enginestation = more dodge

So in lets say an asteroidfield where your time is running short more power to the engine would be a good thing to get out of there quickly.

Powering up the engines gives more dodge :) Having a man back there is a 5% boost, and any power to it increases it. Being able to jump faster is a bonus too, but in most fights you're looking to win, so the dodge is more important, IMO. And asteroids are 0 trouble when you're not fighting anyone because just 1 shield will block every asteroid. Hence why Shields are more important early on.

Though even as I say this I'm thinking about trying a full engine power run and see if I can make my ship a dodging machine...

First off: All that had nothing to do with Brad getting killed, he got killed because he has no clue how to use the weapons. Missiles penetrate shields, that's why you use a missile to take down their shields and blast their weapons with lasers directly after shields got hit.

From that point on the enemy ship would have been shred to pieces by the asteroids without any way of dealing damage to Brad's ship.

And manning engine first is always better, dodge is way underrated all over the place. Manning shields will only increase their recharge time but not their actual damage migration. An unmanned 1 bubble shield can easily recharge fast enough to hold out in an asteroid field.

Putting 1 bar in engines adds 5% dodge (until later levels) having it manned adds 5% extra dodge, if the crewman has mastered his engine skill that will grant additional 5-10% dodge (for every mastery level 5%). Having engines manned also leads to faster FTL recharge which is always good.

The same also applies to pilot mastery, it increase dodge chance by 5% per level and having a pilot is a requirement for any kind of dodge at all. That's why the bridge and the engine need to be manned always first. Having experienced crewmember on these stations leads up to 20% extra dodge which is ALOT. Especially considering that dodge gets checked before shields, so having a high dodge also makes shields stronger overall.

Targeting the enemy bridge can be a great strategy late game if you have trouble actually hitting them. It will reduce their dodge to zero and guarantee hits with missiles and bomb weapons trough shields.

The Kessler. ),:

I LOVE YOU BRAD YOU ARE MY HERO

I've been thinking about buying this game ever since release. Doubt I'll be able to hold back now. ;)

#teambrad

This looks really cool.