[AllenGould]

Did anyone else pick it up on the winter Steam sale?

[Boffo97]

I didn't, but I'd like to when I upgrade my computer (as I plan to do within the next few months as more and more games are beyond my specs at the moment.)

Do the non-VR controls work well in it?

[AllenGould]

I didn't, but I'd like to when I upgrade my computer (as I plan to do within the next few months as more and more games are beyond my specs at the moment.)

Do the non-VR controls work well in it?

I've only done one session thus far, but the controls in non-VR is pretty much point and click. My biggest complaint is that Helm has the wrong vertical axis (which I discovered only when I had to jump to that station in the middle of battle...) Not sure what it looks like to the VR players, but no-one mentioned anything.

Gameplay was fairly low-key as well. (But again, we were doing beginner missions because Newbie On Board, so I presume they get more convoluted). No noticable lag.

[AllenGould]

OK, played a few more sessions:

Controls are fine once you get used to it. They're designed for people flailing in VR, after all.

I'd actually go so far as to say that mouse&keyboard is a bit superior, since Helm and Tac get some (very limited) keyboard shortcuts. So Helm can actually fly the ship with WASD, plus a few keys for throttle, and the only thing you need mouse for is plotting courses and going to Impulse/Warp. Weapons is almost better, since while your only shortcuts are "fire weapons", it means that you can keep your mouse on the targeting and disruption screens.

Also helps that the pace is fairly slow. Everyone fires like a fighter-plane but moves like a cruiser. Everyone's weapons and shields take time to load (and even to come up - there's a full ten seconds between raising the shields and when the shields come up!). So you've got plenty of time to think (or make bad jokes).

The big "gotchas" seem to be (a) folks who don't communicate properly (both in the "I just never say anything" and the "I'm not Captain but bossing people around" senses), and (b) some younger folks who are enjoying flailing their arms around and just exit games without warning. I've noticed when a lot of the folks my age are proactively starting to kick the "kiddies", but I did a run with a bunch of pre-teens and while we lost (and lost *horribly*), everyone had a good time.

I don't know if I'd recommend it at $60 worth of fun (but then I generally dislike paying that much for a game), but the $30 I got it for during the Steam Sale - totally worth it.

[Boffo97]

I just picked it up on PS4, though it's supposed to allow PS4/PC crossplay.

[AllenGould]

I just picked it up on PS4, though it's supposed to allow PS4/PC crossplay.

Absolutely does - I've been on a few missions with PS4 folks.

[Maelwys]

Anybody still playing this one?
My eldest son saved up all his birthday money and bought himself an Occulus Rift, so now I'm looking for VR games that I can play when I "borrow" it from him. This one came up on the list. Does it have a single-player mode at all, or is it multi-player only? If it's only multi-player, is it still worth getting or has everybody moved on away from it, so it'll be hard to put together a crew?

[Boffo97]

Anybody still playing this one?
My eldest son saved up all his birthday money and bought himself an Occulus Rift, so now I'm looking for VR games that I can play when I "borrow" it from him. This one came up on the list. Does it have a single-player mode at all, or is it multi-player only? If it's only multi-player, is it still worth getting or has everybody moved on away from it, so it'll be hard to put together a crew?

You can play it single player, in which case the other crew members are bots and sometimes you'll have to take over their station.

It's primarily meant for multiplayer, but public lobbies (unless one gets really lucky) are full of little kids screaming, racists being racists or little racist kids screaming. So finding a group is highly advised.

Thankfully, it does have crossplay capability. We found out last time we played as a group that PS4 and PC can play together, and I think the Oculus Family can as well. If not, I have an Oculus Quest I was planning to use anyway.

So far, the only other ones on the board known to have the game are AllenGould and BCSWowbagger. Between the four of us, that'd be a full crew anyway.

Oddly enough, the best job for the one that doesn't know what they're doing seems to be Captain. You end up repeating what the computer says a lot like you're Sigourney Weaver in Galaxy Quest.

[AllenGould]

Oddly enough, the best job for the one that doesn't know what they're doing seems to be Captain. You end up repeating what the computer says a lot like you're Sigourney Weaver in Galaxy Quest.

Well, and also deciding what the plan is so the other three don't try to do three different things at the same time.

[Boffo97]

That does imply that the other three don't already have another plan and just politely ignore you suggesting deviation from it.

Which is what happened in the recent public lobby game I played. Great fun as I lucked upon a great trio of guys. But they knew how they wanted to solve the mission. Got the feeling they played and replayed the game.

[AllenGould]

That does imply that the other three don't already have another plan and just politely ignore you suggesting deviation from it.

True, but usually they tell you upfront that they know how they want to tackle it. I'm thinking of the times where Tactical wants to snipe while Helm just floors the throttle.