The Space Game
From CC Wiki
| The Space Game | |
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| Code | Critters |
| Graphics | Critters |
| Music | Somatone |
| Sound FX | Somatone |
| Release date | 2009 |
| Current version | 1.07 |
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| Singleplayer | yes |
| Multiplayer | no |
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The Space Game (TSG) is a 2D single player game created for the Casual Collective by Critters. The goal is to build a base in a remote solar system without being destroyed by Space Pirates, enemies that attack throughout the game. This is done by building a multitude of buildings, such as the Solar Station which creates energy, the Mineral Miner that retrieves building materials (minerals) from asteroids , and defensive laser cannons. All buildings are connected using Energy Relays, which transport energy from one place to another. Careful balancing of a mixture of buildings can be necessary on dome levels.
The Space Game was released in 2009. It was released to the Casual Collective and a large number of other sites and hit large popularity. An improved version with more functionality was later created, named The Space Game: Missions.
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History
The Space Game was released in 2009, after beta testers had tested it for a few weeks. First it was released only on the Casual Collective. A week later or so it was distributed amongst other gaming sites as well. Its reception was very positive, ranking amongst the highest rated games on Kongregate for example.
In the second quarter of 2009, work was started on an expansion of The Space Game. This is TSG: Missions. TSG was released on the 20 of July and is already a big hit.
Gameplay
The playfield consists of space filled with numerous asteroids. These asteroids contain minerals which are used as the building material for all structures. The player starts with one solar station and a number of minerals. The solar station creates solar energy, which is consumed by other buildings in order to function. To gain more resources the player has to build mineral miners close to asteroids. These mine a set amount of minerals per minute, as long as they are fed by energy and the asteroid has not run dry. In order to supply buildings with energy and minerals, they have to be connected to each other. When built near a solar station buildings will automatically linked. In other situations energy relay structures can be used to create links. All these do is transport energy and minerals from one building to another. Using energy relays and solar stations, every building needs to be connected in order to function. When a link is destroyed, buildings will eventually run out of energy and stop working.
Energy relays, mineral miners and energy stores are the very basic elements of The Space Game. Using these a functional base can be set up, that supplies its own energy and minerals. In most game modes however, the player will have to defend the base using defensive structures. These cost minerals and use energy as well, and will defend against various incoming enemies ('space pirates') by firing at them. There are two other structures that are used; energy stores and repair stations. Energy stores store the energy produced by solar stations. Since defensive structures use large amounts of energy, in this way sudden energy consumption increases can be compensated. When reaching the player's base without being shot, pirates will start damaging structures until they are destroyed. When a structure is damaged, the repair station can send out drones that repair it.
When the game ends depends on the game mode chosen. In survival modes the player has to survive as long as possible while the attacking enemies become stronger over time. Losing is inevitable, but surviving as long as possible is the goal. In mining modes the target is to mine a certain amount of minerals as fast as possible, while some enemies attack. When this amount of minerals has been mined the game ends. In this mode building as many miners as possible is the key to success. Enemies should however not be underestimated; if left unwatched they can destroy the base. In mission mode specific targets are set for each level that have to be reached in order to continue to the next level. There are nine levels thatn can be completed.
Scoring for mining, survival, and special modes is stored in the form of the amount of in-game time it took to complete the objective of the game mode chosen.
Structures
As explained in the gameplay part there is a multitude of structures that can be built in this game, each assisting to the final goal. These are:
- Energy Relay - Energy relays assist in relaying energy and minerals from one part to another. These are used to connect every building.
- Mineral Miner - Mineral miners are a basic structure that extracts minerals from asteroids. Minerals are required to build other structures. Can be upgraded to improve its mining ability.
- Solar Station - The solar station is the producer of energy. It is required to produce energy, which is needed to build, upgrade and operate other structures.
- Energy Store - The energy store stores excess energy produced by solar stations. In the event that it is needed to power structures or for defending structures it gets unloaded. Often required as Solar Stations tend to produce excess power in the long run.
- Repair Station - The repair station is a special structure that creates drones that can repair damaged structures.
- Basic Laser (can be upgraded to Pulser or THEL) - Basic defense laser that can be upgraded to two different branches, each with different pros and cons. Protects the base from pirates.
- Missile Launcher - Fires a splash damage missile at a target. Costs minerals to build and to produce the missiles it fires. Useful for clearing out grouped enemies or to dish out large amounts of damage.
Game Modes
A number of different modes are available. These modes differ in the goals set in order to finish the game. In order to archieve a good score, adjusting tactics to this is necessary. The times on all modes are saved in highscores for logged in users, except for the missions.
- Nine missions - Each mission has a different objective to complete, ranging from survival to building defenses.
- Four mining modes - Mine out the quote of minerals from the asteroid belt as fast as possible whilst being attacked by pirates!
- Three survival modes - Survive for as long as possible without being destroyed!
- Two bonus modes (Wave and Speed Miner) - In wave mode the player must survive 6 waves in order to win. The waves are sent on request by the player.
- Sandbox mode for members who have purchased the TSG bonus pack - In this mode a big base can be built with 100,000 minerals, after which pirates can be sent at the user's request.
Enemies
The base is attacked in waves of enemies. These waves consist of a number of a certain enemy type. The longer the game lasts, the stronger the enemies become. Every enemy type has its strengths and weaknesses. These have to be kept in mind when defending.
- Small Red Fighters - These small red fighters are armed with a laser that damages buildings also very low health
- Missile Launcher Ships - Missile Launcher ships are equipped with missiles that can cause splash damage to buildings. Large amounts can easily tear down the thickest of structures. Pulsers and basic lasers can counter the threat. They can both destroy missels with one shot.
- Self Destructors - Known as Exploders in game, these kamikaze ships are willing to get near structures to explode and cause damage. They have to be destroyed as fast as possible, or else their splash explosion could leave gaps in the defenses.
- Yellow Ringers - These fast ships are equipped with shields that weaken the damage from missiles. In addition to this annoyance, they can cause significant damage with their lasers.
- Swarmers - Safety in numbers. They have to be tackled quickly, else they can overwhelm the base.
- Mother Ship - The mother ship is the big mother of all attackers. It is equipped with high health, long range lasers and attack fighters. Be careful!
- Mother Ship Attack Fighter - These ships are small little fighters that are released by Motherships to increase the amount of damage done.
Bugs
There is currently a major bug that allows a player to get unlimited energy from their single starting Solar Station. This bug affects all modes, but is most important for the Miner modes, as it allows much faster times. For example, The fastest known legitimate Miner 1 time to date is 3:51 by bb70, however some players have posted lower times (as low as 2:33) that exploit the bug (those players have acknowledged the exploit and want it fixed as well). There is another bug that allows basic lasers to be upgraded while under construction while it is not made yet. Pause it then press T or P and put it from pause, once made it will be a THEL or Pulser. also there is a bug that can make a distraction if a repair station is destroyed and bots are in it then they will just stay in one spot and will have unlimited health which can destract the enemy
