Lord of Rigel has launched its Kickstarter campaign!

So you know what needs to be done next…

Co-designers and maniacal geniuses James and Adam Rorabaugh are hoping to breathe some new life into the classic, turn-based space 4X genre. While Lord of Rigel certainly follows in the footsteps of Master of Orion 2 in its look and feel, players will experience a lot of changes under the hood.

I was just looking for my friends.

Many of these changes come in the form of quality of life improvements. No one likes endgame colony micromanagement, so the good folks at Rhombus Studios have created customizable (and save-able) build queues to help ease pain of ruling a large, interstellar empire. A handy keyboard command will bring the camera’s focus back to the homeworld from any point on the galactic map. All of these work toward making the game a smoother and less frustrating experience to play than other recent space 4X games.

Lord of Rigel also offers plenty twists on the turn-based combat model of yesteryear. Flanking bonuses encourage careful tactical maneuvers and do extra damage to certain shield arcs in novel ways. The sheer variety of weapon systems and modifications makes for a vast array of death-dealing possibilities. Meanwhile, the developers are busy cooking up race-specific combat behaviors for the AI that will give conflict with each race a distinct personality.

I come in peace.

A compelling strategy game allows players to craft their own narrative, and Rhombus Studios is working hard to provide plenty of material for the player’s imagination. LoR will feature galaxy-wide events, such as the possible appearance of a Borg-like galactic menace. For those who enjoy an asymmetric foe, this should be a god-send.

In addition to the many playable races in the game, Rhombus Studios is also including two ancient races far beyond the younger factions in culture and technology. As the game unfolds, these ancient adversaries renew their age-old conflict and threaten to sweep the budding empires aside in their wake. Combine all of this with some tasteful artwork and great music, and LoR certainly has the potential to create a memorable space strategy experience.

I know where I want to live.

Having spoken to the guys at Rhombus Studios, they assure us that funds raised by this kickstarter campaign will ensure the game’s release in the summer  of 2016. We wish them best of luck in reaching their Kickstarter goals.

Links:

Lord of Rigel Youtube playthrough
Lord of Rigel Twitter
Master of Orion 2 Youtube Play Through
Official Demo Page