Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Preview: Elemental: War of Magic]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/preview-elemental-war-of-magic/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/preview-elemental-war-of-magic/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/preview-elemental-war-of-magic/#comments Stardock's Elemental: War of Magic is already extraordinary, smashing genres together that may have been too big on their own in the first place. At its heart, it's a 4X game in the style of Civ or Galactic Civilizations, but it's also a fantasy RPG with a deep and long story, and a tactical battle game. It has a huge singleplayer campaign, a sandbox mode that creates gigantic maps at random, and even a multiplayer mode. It's vast and confusing and intricate, and while there are certain gamers who just won't vibe with all of the numbers and how open the gameplay is, there are others - probably old-school strategy types - who will love it for everything it is.

Stardock's CEO Brad Wardell is one of those for sure -- as he showed me the latest beta of the game earlier this month, his enthusiasm for the game he's built was quite clear. Elemental: War of Magic, like all of Stardock's titles, is as "homespun" as any video game can be, and Wardell's personality and preferences shine through almost all of its (sorry) elements.

Gallery: Elemental: War of Magic

Continue reading Preview: Elemental: War of Magic

JoystiqPreview: Elemental: War of Magic originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4xbrad-wardellcivilizationelementalelemental-war-of-magicfantasygenremagicpcstardockstrategyMon, 23 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sins of a Solar Empire 'Trinity' set coming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/09/sins-of-a-solar-empire-wormhole-y-trinity-set-coming/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/09/sins-of-a-solar-empire-wormhole-y-trinity-set-coming/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/09/sins-of-a-solar-empire-wormhole-y-trinity-set-coming/#comments
Stardock has announced that an all-inclusive collection featuring its fab Windows-based 4X strategy title Sins of a Solar Empire, its first expansion, Entrenchment and the upcoming Diplomacy expansion will release on February 9 for $39.99. In addition to availability on Stardock's own Impulse digital distribution service, the set will make its way onto shelves across the US in something called a "box."

Anyone who pre-orders Sins of a Solar Empire - Trinity via Impulse will get instant access to the beta version of the Diplomacy expansion, which seems like a good strategy to us.

JoystiqSins of a Solar Empire 'Trinity' set coming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4ximpulseironclad-gamesSins-of-a-Solar-Empiresins-of-a-solar-empire-diplomacysins-of-a-solar-empire-entrenchmentsins-of-a-solar-empire-trinitystardockWed, 09 Dec 2009 23:15:00 EST<![CDATA[GalCiv II expansion Twilight of the Arnor coming April 23]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/galciv-ii-expansion-twilight-of-the-arnor-coming-april-23/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/galciv-ii-expansion-twilight-of-the-arnor-coming-april-23/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/galciv-ii-expansion-twilight-of-the-arnor-coming-april-23/#commentsFiled under: ,


Galactic Civilizations II remains one of PC gaming's best kept secrets, something that has more to do with the game's single player focus than its ability to lurk in shadows. Now the game is set to get its second and last expansion, dubbed Twilight of the Arnor, an addition that publisher/developer Stardock has confirmed to us will be released as a digital download on April 23.

The expansion details the final chapter of the game's Dread Lord wars, and builds upon last year's acclaimed expansion, Dark Avatar. Like that game, Twilight will introduce numerous improvements and tweaks to GalCiv II, from new technology trees to map and campaign editors. Could this finally be the game to pry us from Ironclad's Sins of a Solar Empire? Ask us on April 24. Until then, check out a partial list of additions promised by the expansion after the break.

Gallery: Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor

Continue reading GalCiv II expansion Twilight of the Arnor coming April 23

JoystiqGalCiv II expansion Twilight of the Arnor coming April 23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4x4xstrategygalacticcivilizationsgalcivgalcivIIPCstardockstrategytwilight-of-the-arnortwilightofthearnorTue, 08 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sins of a Solar Empire finally gets demo treatment]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/sins-of-a-solar-empire-finally-gets-demo-treatment/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/sins-of-a-solar-empire-finally-gets-demo-treatment/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/sins-of-a-solar-empire-finally-gets-demo-treatment/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sins of a Solar Empire might just be the best game you've never played. Then again, maybe you have, considering how well the PC game has been selling since its early February debut. Still, if there's one thing that's been missing from the experience, its how to court those players still on the fence, with a demo for the 4X strategy hybrid being noticeably absent. Until now that is, as Iron Clad and publisher Stardock have finally pushed out a demo, which is currently available for download from Gamespot.

The news is great, really, but the question as to why the demo took so long to produce had to be asked. So we did. We broached to topic with Stardock president and CEO Brad Wardell, who told us that "when Sins of a Solar Empire was released, Stardock and developer Iron Clad felt that our first priority had to be to existing customers...once we released v1.03, we were able to spend the necessary time to put together a quality demo." Quality is a word people throw around too easily, so those of you who pick up the demo, drop us a line below and let us know if Wardell's comments are justified.

JoystiqSins of a Solar Empire finally gets demo treatment originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4xiron-cladironcladIronclad-StudiosPCRTSSinssins-of-a-solar-empiresinsofasolarempirestardockStrategyFri, 21 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq interview: Ironclad talks 4X strategy with Sins of a Solar Empire]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/joystiq-interview-ironclad-talks-4x-strategy-with-sins-of-a-sol/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/joystiq-interview-ironclad-talks-4x-strategy-with-sins-of-a-sol/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/joystiq-interview-ironclad-talks-4x-strategy-with-sins-of-a-sol/#commentsFiled under: , ,


PC strategy games come in a variety of flavors, from casual to hardcore, though it's those dubbed 4X that are the most exhausting, and arguably the most fun of the lot. The term 4X has some interesting roots, having first been coined in a magazine review for Microprose's classic Masters of Orion, the label is now used to call out an entire sub-genre of strategy games that exhibit four underlying goals: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate.

Traditionally, though not always, these games are played in turns rather than in real-time, though it's extremely rare to see a title subscribe to both schools of gameplay, something that Ironclad Games' upcoming 4X release Sins of a Solar Empire takes to heart. With the game set to be released on February 4 by GalCiv publisher Stardock, we decided to sit down and speak with Ironclad's producer and lead designer Blair Fraser to get some added insight into what appears to offer an unique take on this particular class of PC strategy.

Gallery: Sins of a Solar Empire

Continue reading Joystiq interview: Ironclad talks 4X strategy with Sins of a Solar Empire

JoystiqJoystiq interview: Ironclad talks 4X strategy with Sins of a Solar Empire originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4xgalcivironclad gamesIroncladGamesPCrtssins of a solar empireSinsOfASolarEmpirestardockstrategyturn basedTurnBasedFri, 01 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST