Parallax is ”heavily inspired by the feel and simplicity” of Master of Orion, as we lead our fledgling space-faring civilisation into greatness or utter and humiliating ruin.
There are plenty of space 4X strategy games out there but Parallax intends to stand out among the crowd, promising some interesting quirks.
The player will ”direct just about every aspect of their faction’s development, including galactic exploration, expansion of the empire, exploitation of resources and technologies, and extermination of any competitors that refuse to join their empire,” explains the Kickstarter pitch. ”To differentiate itself from the rest of the games in the genre, Parallax will focus on presenting a richer, more varied, gameplay experience.”
Core elements:
• A civilization can be composed of more than one alien race, due to conquest, immigration, aboriginal races that are incorporated into the civilization, etc.
• Decisions will have side-effects, which the player may or may not be able to predict…
• Other factions will have “memories” – betraying them, or offering assistance, will affect the way that civilization deals with you for the rest of the game
• Each game will be, as much as possible, a new experience: minor, often hidden, details will change, and affect the way the game plays out
Timothy Zahn is co-creating Parallax, and he knows a thing or two about sci-fi universes having created Star Wars characters Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade. He’s bringing a number of his alien creations with him, but the studio also want backers to help create new species and define them.
”On the surface, Parallax is going to be a simple game, with a streamlined interface, fairly simple gameplay, etc. Like an iceberg, the vast majority of the complexity will go unseen. As much as possible, it will be an attempt to bring back the fun and simplicity that was so much a part of the original 4X games. Simple, straightforward, and fun - and different enough each time that it’s as fun the 100th time as it is the first.”
”Beneath the surface, however, it will be much more. To include features that even the biggest games of the genre have left out… The Modhri is a prime example: what would you do as a parasitic race? Sure, you could take control of every host you come into contact with and ravage the galaxy like a plague, but you could also play it subtle, infiltrate and influence other races, turn the tide of a battle, affect political negotiations, avert or cause wars.”
”Other races might be found in a prehistoric or medieval state, and you’ll have the option to exterminate them, use them as slaves, incorporate them into your civilization, observe them from afar, etc.”
Check out Timothy Zahn’s Parallax Kickstarter campaign for more and to pledge.
