Games where you command a starship

[Lehesu]

It is a strategy game set in the Star Wars universe that encompasses the entire galaxy (a lot of planets). You can play Rebel or Imperial. You start out with few ships, planets, troops, and characters, and work to increase planetary membership and strengthen fleets.

To this end, the discerning strategist utilizes fleets of capital ships, snubfighters, loyal characters, special forces, diplomacy, ground troops, and scientific development to beat the other side. Both factions have completely unique fleets, troops, characters, and spec forces, but they serve similar functions. But in order to build troops, fleets, and special forces, you must carefully cultivate planets and create troop training facilities, stardocks etc. You must also provide defense for these valuable investments. This all takes place in real time measured in days (the speed of the days can be changed...on the lowest setting, time moves very slowly and should give you more than enough time to issue orders).

The fleet combat takes place in a tactical setting. The graphics are crude, the ships are slow to respond, and the system is just plain inelegant. Nonetheless, it can still manage to make for some exciting battles. Combat takes place in a 3d box representing the space that the battle is being fought in. Orders can be given to individual capital ships (which can be named for whatever strikes your fancy) and snubfighter squadrons. Combat is actually reasonably complex: each ship has different ratings in weapons, shields, hull, damage control, etc.

For example, a Victory class Star Destroyer is excellent at orbital bombardments (pounding planets into submission) but is rather slow and has only turbolasers, which are effective against capital ships, but not so much against fighters. On the other hand, the Lancer class frigate is specifically designed to wipe out fighters; it is equipped with large numbers of laser cannons to shoot them down, but no turbolasers.

Another example: Although a Mon Cal cruiser is undergunned when compared to an Imperial Star Destroyer, redundant systems makes the ship highly resilient in combat. This allows the Mon Cal to "stick around" and end up destroying the Imp. However, the downside to so many redundant systems is that is takes so long to repair.

The game is an acquired taste, but the manual is thick and does a reasonable job of explaining things. If you can stomach some of Paradox Entertainment's stuff, than you should have no problem with this.