Distant Worlds -- A new 4x space strategy game

[Martok]

Is it known whether they'll be different races with differents tech trees and UI, or only cultures a la EU3?

As I understand it, the races will mostly share the same tech tree, but will each sport a couple unique technologies that only they have access to.

Edit: Wow, and start systems are actually star systems, with a star and various planets orbiting around. The systems in Sword of the Stars and SoaSE seemed a bit meh.

Yes, star systems appear to be very robust in this game. Within a single system, you can potentially have multiple colonies (both on planets and moons!), multiple space stations for various purposes (mining, research, tourism, etc.), and asteroid fields that can be exploited for raw materials and other resources.

There is a built in Game Editor? Wow, I think I like this game!

Yeah, and it looks like it's going to be fairly robust too. Apparently DW is also going to be easy to mod, although as usual I can't comment directly on that (as I have the modding abilities of a rock).

As long as the AI is good I don't care about the graphics.

FWIW, a lot -- and I mean a *lot* -- of folks (including myself) have brought up the AI as a concern, and most of the beta-testers have said the AI is very competent and will give you a real run for your money if you piss it off. (No small number have admitted to actually having been beaten by the AI and needing to start a new game!) Obviously, we can only take their word for it for the time being that the AI is any good, but I'm encouraged by what I've read so far.

Also, Elliot (the game's lead/main developer) has said the AI does not cheat, and that it knows how to use all the game's features. He's a big believer in not adding features unless he can program the AI to use them as well.

Intriguing, though that video is way too choppy for me to sit through.

Yeah, the video-capture program they used apparently doesn't work the greatest. I think they were going to try and use a different program for when they put up the next video (which is supposed to be out in a couple days and will focus on combat).

I looked at the intro video; I'm not sure I like how the FTL travel lets you surprise attack enemy worlds.

Apparently the video is somewhat misleading in that respect, as all it's really showing is the visual representation of what ships look like when they drop out of light-speed and revert to normal space. It sounds like we'll have sensors/scanners on our colonies, stations, and ships that allow us to detect ships/fleets in deep space. Elliot and the beta-testers have indicated that unless the player isn't paying attention, it's pretty hard for a fleet of any real size to approach/enter a system undetected.

Of course, there (apparently) will be cloaking technology that can potentially defeat scanners/sensors....