Armada 2526: Supernova

**frogbeastegg** · 01-31-2012, 13:22

Armada 2526 is a 4X turn based space strategy game from one of the brains behind the original Total War titles. Supernova is the expansion pack and the best version of the game.

We have at least 2 players here and I'm intending to learn the game myself as soon as I get chance. Discussion is scattered all over the place, in different threads and PMs. Time to bundle it all together.

Would one of the experienced players be kind enough to post a detailed description or mini-review of the game for the numerous people who have never heard of it? ~~Indoctrinating~~ Attracting new players will be impossible with my pathetic little description.

**Voigtkampf** · 02-02-2012, 16:05

I got it, never came around to testing it/reviewing it. I'd be happy to join you lot if you get the game going.

**Martok** · 02-09-2012, 20:50

Gelatinous Cube's synopsis of the game is pretty spot-on.

Armada 2526 is indeed very much a traditional "old school" 4x title. While this admittedly means it doesn't offer much in the way of new/radical mechanics/features (in contrast to Distant Worlds, for example), it does boast a tight, streamlined design. (It's is easily one of the most polished games I've ever had the pleasure of playing -- even while beta-testing the Supernova expansion, I experienced very few major bugs.)

The mechanics and gameplay are such that there are truly meaningful choices to be made while playing -- what to build/upgrade, where to colonize, which races to cozy up to (and which ones you tell to pound sand), where to spend your (often limited) funds, etc. -- which is a real plus in my book. As GC noted, the research tree is short, but the various technologies are also generally significant & meaningful (particularly when research is scaled to map size and you're playing on a bigger map). Diplomacy is simple but effective, and the diplomatic screen is very good at presenting the information to you in a clear way and allowing you to conduct negotiations in a straightforward manner. Each race plays out differently, not only because of them all having differing bonuses, penalties, and special abilities, but also because there are different victory conditions for each race well. The visuals and artwork are quite appealing, and the soundtrack is top-notch; very atmospheric and immersive, which always gets brownie points from me.

In addition, I always feel a special mention should be made of Armada's excellent AI (which is partially helped by the game's simplified design). It's not brilliant per se, but it is competent, and feels more "human-like" than the vast majority computer opponents I've played with/against in various PC strategy games. Some feel it's not aggressive enough, but that's often because it's generally pretty cautious about going to war (either against you or another AI player) -- this is *not* your stereotypical (and frustratingly) suicidal AI found in a lot of strategy titles, which I find to be refreshing.

Of course, not all is peaches & cream. Some find the game to be a bit too dry and/or lacking "flavor", and the lack of ship design has undoubtedly caused some folks to stay away from this one (which is fair enough). Also, the base game lacked multiplayer; it wasn't until the Supernova expansion was released that we were able to go head-to-head online.

Most of all, though, I strongly concur with Gelatinous Cube's assertion that combat is Armada's biggest weakness. If there was any single aspect of the game I would magically fix if I could, this would be it. It looks decent enough, ships & defenses are balanced fairly well (which mercifully makes the auto-calc function a reasonably attractive option), and the battle music is very atmospheric. However, combat is also too short -- battles can last no longer than 5 minutes (there's no option to increase/decrease battle length), and tactics seem to determine the victor far less than who has the bigger/better fleet. Given Armada was designed by one of the guys who worked on the original STW & MTW, combat is something of a disappointment.

Still and all, Armada is a very good game, especially if you also have the Supernova expansion (although I found even the base game to be quite a lot of fun). It's actually earned a place equal to (if not *quite* surpassing) my beloved old Birth of the Federation in my heart, which I thought would never happen. Even Distant Worlds -- much as I love it -- doesn't give me as much enjoyment. Whether or not it's worth the price is obviously up to you, but there's no question I personally have gotten my money's worth (and more!) over the last two years.

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Martok's the expert, I think. I enjoy the game a lot, but I'm not very good at it.

Heh. Neither am I, believe me! But then, I'm generally not very good at strategy games (despite it being my favorite genre), even with games I play a lot of.