A review that hit the nail, IMHO:


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Review by: Canodre

Proper Space Opera

April 24, 2016 Verified owner

What my partner sees; cute little boxes, firing pixel bullets pew pew pew"

What I see;
"Multiple dradis contact, enemy signature detected. Sir hostiles inbound!"
"Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is not a drill..."
"Scramble all wings and standby for enemy suppression barrage."
"Main batteries lock on your primary target and fire at will!"
and drum music...

If only "Battlestation: Harbinger" was the tactical battle part of MoO2
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that is, it has strong Galactica vibes, you feel like you are in the bridge of Galactica, using the simplified graphics that the military actually uses in tactical systems... Very nice if you take it that way. Starcom chose to make it all look nice, which is valid and cute to see as well!

Call it a Rorschach test :D "What do you see here?"

I liked the game. Everytime you die, you have more cash, that you can use to start with a better ship. You get to choose the initial hull and equipment. You jump from system to system doing errands, er, missions :-) Sometimes you will have allies. Each system is more difficult.

Eventually, you will get the best starting hull you can use... To progress from there, you need to find plans from alien ships. The more you collect, the more options you have.

The game is somewhat simplistic, the starting quest is a bit tongue-in-the-cheek. If you will play it to death for hours, you might feel tired, but taking in portions (like FTL) it can be good.
Also, you are NOT expected to win every combat. Knowing when to run, and when to avoid combat is important, also sometimes you have to think tactically when choosing a route or choosing not to move for some time. But also you have time constraints for your quests.

The bottom line: a light game somewhat in the same light-hearted mood of FTL, with less dialogue. Easy to play in chunks (best played like that, probably). You can call it a coffee-break Galactica simulator.

Thanks for the reply.

I haven't played Battlestar Galactica though, so it may be hard for me to make a comparison. :)

It's stayed on my wishlist this long, can't hurt to stay there a bit longer.
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Sorry, I did not want to mean Galactica the PC game (Deadlock) but the actual series! The original and the great 2009 remake!! :-)
Harbinger helps re-creating that mood (Canodre talks about DRADIS, which is a staple of the tv series), but, and a big but, if you use your imagination, and see yourself in the bridge watching at the control screens...

PS, as you probably know, DRADIS is suppossed to be something akin to an improved version of RADAR. From the Battlestar Galactica wiki:

DRADIS (Direction, RAnge, and DIStance)[1] is a series of highly sensitive detection, identification, navigation and tracking systems used to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, spacecraft, weapons ordnance, celestial bodies, and terrain.

In any case, Harbinger is a light game to play in chunks, really. A bit like FTL, but with less dialogue and adventure elements and more combat.

I played it a few years ago. Good mechanics, but there again the plot is a pale shadow of EV. Maybe they've boosted it since then but at the time it was just the space commies and the much smaller squirrel-people storylet. Both totally linear, and IIRC you had to get at least halfway through the commie plot to unlock jump drives even if you had no roleplay desire to get involved with them.

Well, that's one huge downer...

And what's that about every time you die, and starting over? See no mention of it being a roguelike in description. Does mention saving anywhere though, so one would assume you can avoid dying that way and still play it like a, uh, normal game?

Ah ok, I understand now lol. Speaking of series, those two are my all time favorites. The 1978 series had a lot of charm to it, along with Buck Rogers which was also around that time I believe. What a time for sci-fi shows back then.

Was there a remake it 2009? Or did you mean the 2003 (or maybe 2004) series with Edward James Olmos? That was certainly an awesome remake and the ending left me kinda sad too. I also waited too long to buy the dvd set after it ended lol. Now it's super hard to get, at least at a decent price.
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You know what, next time it goes on sale I'll buy it. The videos I watched and your take on it has me curious now. :)
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TBH, I didn't get too far into ES before I jumped into Starsector. I think they added more story paths to it, but again, I didn't play it long enough to be sure. Though I do recall the Jump Drive quest was quite involved. But disabling ships and boarding to take it over was super fun! :)

The latter game I mentioned though has a very creative modding community that puts out some amazing stuff. I doubt I could describe it better than watching a few gameplay tournaments over on YouTube.
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Starsector sounds interesting, I'll give it some thought this afternoon and maybe pick it up. The FAQ is an entertaining read.

Do not take it the time constraint thing like a big deal. Each turn, each flotilla decides were to go, and then all move simultaneously (WEGO). If at the end of the movement there are hostile forces in the same location, there is combat (you can try evading). So, sometimes it pays off not to move, or to stalk an enemy fleet in a favourable position, or try to avoid the enemy. IIRC (but again, I might be wrong) there minor quests had a number of turns to do that, like taking a message to its destination, or destroying an enemy fleet, things like that, but I might be wrong, it has been three years since the last time I played the game.

Maybe the roguelite tag has been a bit overused. The game expects you to play lots of runs, like FTL does. Each time you have a bit more cash, so you can afford a better starting ship. However in each run you will need to make cash so that you can improve what you begin with. Another thing that stays with you: designs for alien ships. Again, a bit like FTL. It all gives the opportunity that, even if the player is not very good at the game, eventually you have a bit more cash and a better chance to complete your goals. The last ships are powerful but never too powerful. There is a variety of weapons and fighters/bombers to keep anyone busy trying things out.

You start with a random tongue-in-the-cheek admittedly generic main quest in each run. You have to accomplish it. Also you need to move from sector to sector. Again, a bit like FTL, but this game focuses more on tactical 2D combat, and deciding when to jump to another star system and the route that you will follow. There is a tactical element to that is fun. It makes you feel a bit like an Adama (avoiding and running when he must, laying traps and attacking when he can). This element really does add to the game. That is where the heart of the game lies. Besides 2D combat and ship-building, of course.

You do not manage the individual crew members of your ships. Instead, you handle your flotilla in a tactical RADAR, ahem, DRADIS screen. Space is 2D in this game and that is OK. Star Wolves and Nexus are there for the times when you need more complexity and full 3D.

A light game that you can play while having your favourite brew. You can save in any turn, so if you have super little time, you can go on later. Otherwise, each run should not take too long. This is a game that favors those with little time. People who loved FTL should be fine with this. Just, remember that what you see is akin to a tactical display, and they are simplistic IRL.

You are right, it was 2003. Wow, time files! :-D That show subverted a lot of things from the original. Still, it was great. The first handful of episodes, especially, were amazing. Plus, Edward James Olmos is the best... Perchance you had the chance to watch him in Miami Vice?

I hope that you like Harbinger! The review mentioned above was the one that decided me, and it really works like that. Deciding when to jump and when to wait, trying to fool a superior enemy, laying tramps, retiring when the opposition turns out to be too much (better realize that fast!)... Make one feel like a coffee-break mini-Adama :-)

I've watched some of the original Miami Vice series, but the only actor I can ever recall is Don Johnson. It's either on Hulu or Prime, so I may watch a few episodes next week. I haven't watched the remake though.

Haha, a picture of a mini bobblehead Adama holding a coffee mug just popped into my mind. He always did seem to play strong and stirring chars He reminds me of an edgier version of Larne Greene from the original Battlestar Galactica.
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I wish GOG would keep the link on a games store profile to the main forum release link permanently.