FTL Meets Dwarf Fortress: Universe Edge
Faster Than Fortresses
When we asked readers how they had chosen to spend their eggstra long weekend (for those in countries without a Holiday Eggfest, my apologies), I learned one thing - with the release of the expanded edition, FTL has ensnared the crew of the good ship RPS once again. I enjoy the game - Captain's Edition, naturally - but I crave a more complex ship management and construction component. Universe Edge may have me covered. Citing Gnomoria, The Sims and EVE Online as inspirations, the space exploration simulation is seeking Kickstarter funding right now.
If anything, Universe Edge might be too complicated. There's a small pre-alpha demo but with 14 months of development left to go, it doesn't contain a great deal of the planned content or possibilities. When (and if) it's finally done, Universe Edge should have block-based shipbuilding, mining, fleet control, crew management, planetary exploration and base construction. It could be huge.
The initial alpha release, which won't be ready until June 2015, should contain the following:
An extensive collection of different shaped blocks for ship building.
Manage your crew, set their task, provide their needs, guide them to survive.
Build and design your power-grid, hydroponics, life-support, weaponry system, waste-disposal, water recycling, crew recreational activities, food production, and other item crafting production chains.
Several star-systems that contains planets, asteroids and other structures.
Roaming AI ships that you can interact / trade / fight.
Control multiple ships. One could be in another star-system, and the other on a different star-system. One could focus on gathering resource, the other could focus as a Battleship.
Crew visual customization and skill progression.
The target is minuscule considering the length of development. One-person development squad Albert Olivera is seeking $26,400 and the campaign has just begun. I'm not entirely convinced but I admire the ambition on show and now I'm thinking about Space Station 13 with procedurally generated planets to explore and hyperventilating all over my screen.