Overview
A spaceship can be of nearly any construction, shape or purpose. Depending on the type of game, spaceships can be the central
quest hub for players or just function as a classy way to get around. Space
Simulation games go a step further and make the ship the central part of the gameplay experience.
Gameplay
Exploration
In the words of Douglas Adams,
Space is
big. And you'll need a fast spaceship to get around. However, the way you navigate varies drastically from one genre to another. Games like
Knights of the Old Republic let players browse through a galaxy
mini-map while on the ship and directly jump from
planet to planet with absolutely no real time control of the actual vehicle. Simulation games like
FreeSpace 2 let players take direct control of the ship with full yaw, pitch and roll rotations.
Strategy games like
Sins of the Solar Empire achieve something like a middle ground by providing real time control of spaceships with a more accessible
point and click control scheme.
Space Combat
Another common use of spaceships is in
space battles. Action oriented games like the
Star Wars: X-Wing series put players directly in control of smaller, more maneuverable space fighters like the titular
X-Wing in a full
3D space.
Real time strategy games approach combat on a much larger scale and give players control over several ships at the same time and the gameplay emphasis is more on the proper
management of resources and tactical play.
The
Galaga model restricts ship movement to only the X-axis in a top-down
2D space. Another classic 2D system is seen in
Ikaruga where players can move their ship along both the X and Y axis and the gameplay combines fast paced action with
puzzle solving elements. The key mechanic here is that players can switch the polarity of their ship to either absorb incoming fire or deal extra damage to the enemies.
As a Location
Some games let you
explore the insides of your ship and make it a location in itself. In the
Mass Effect series,
the Normandy serves as the central quest hub and lets the player interact with it's crew. In addition, it also functions as a research lab and a way to upgrade your playable character. In
Star Trek Online, players have access to just the bridge section of their ship.
System Shock 2 went the full distance and set the entire game inside the
Von Braun.
Dead Space follows a similar trend, as players explore the derelict
USG Ishimura.
Notable Spaceships & their Science
Given the size of space, most science fiction franchises explain space travel using technology that allows
faster-than-light travel. The following list provides a brief explanation of how this is achieved within each franchise with a few notable examples.
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