Civilization Starships Download: A Well-Crafted Strategy Fix

He and Civilization are probably the biggest names in the genre. If you don't know anything about Sid Meier, look him up and what games he did. They were really up front about what this was going to be, and the price point still feels very reasonable to me for how much I see myself playing it.

If you saw Sid Meier's name and thought you were getting a Civ-scale experience for $15, I don't think that warrants some of the negative reviews that are here. This game is not meant to be an epic, Civ-style experience, but rather a way to get your strategy fix when you're crunched for time.

One thing that would go a long way toward adding strategic depth to the game is limiting the number of fleets or ships on the map. Maybe cap it at 3 so the map doesn't turn into a mess that you have to micromanage (think old Total War games where by the end, you'd have dozens of one-unit armies trying to get to the front).

Another thing I would change is allowing multiple fleets instead of just one flying around. This would add more complexity and strategy to the game.

Additionally, it would be great if the consequences of losing ships were more significant. Right now, other than spending energy to repair damage, the consequences are just really marginal. That's so strange to be missing from a game today.

Three things I would change (or at least want to hear why they didn't take this approach) are:

* Add multiplayer

* Allow players to actively lose ships, making it more challenging and rewarding to win

* Give players the option to customize their fleets with different ship types and abilities

Overall, Civilization Starships Download is an engaging, well-crafted game that has a solid degree of customization. It may not be perfect, but it's a great way to get your strategy fix in short sessions.

Civilization starships download