Info about Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game:

Official game description:
  
_It is the Year of Our Lord 2754…  
You will never feel the sun’s warmth under a blue sky, never hear the wind in the branches of a tree, and never swim in the ocean, all because you had the misfortune to be born on the Ship, chained to a fate you didn’t choose. You have never seen Earth and you’ll never see Proxima Centauri either. You’re doomed to live and die on the Ship in the name of the Mission, like your father before you, like his father before him.  
The Ship is old. She had already been twenty years in service when she was rechristened Starfarer - a pretty name for a retrofitted interplanetary freighter. No one is certain the Ship will actually reach its destination, and nobody much cares, since no one alive now will live to see it. Might as well get on with your life and try to make the best of it._  
Colony Ship is an isometric, party-based RPG inspired by Heinlein’s Orphans of the Sky. Your character's world is a “generation ship,” a massive spacecraft on a centuries long voyage to colonize a distant planet. The Ship's original government has been disbanded following a violent mutiny and you must negotiate a treacherous path among your fellow passengers and the contentious factions striving to dominate the Ship. Your choices will determine who your friends and enemies are.  
Your adventure starts in the Pit - a sprawling heap of vacant cargo containers slowly getting filled up with those who couldn't afford to stay in the Habitat or needed to get away from its bosses and factions. Out here, folks live free and die fast...  
_You open your eyes to a grey hull-metal ceiling, one panel of which flickers yellow, indicating dayshift. You overslept, not that it matters. With a grunt you roll off your stained mattress and open the "window" to let some fresh air in. Like everything else around here, fresh is relative. The Ship does its best to recycle air and water, but cargo holds aren’t high on Her priority list. You breathe in metal and burning oil and look up. Four of the bridge's six projectors are still operational, shining dully down on the container towers of Cargo Hold 3, better known as the Pit, the Free City.  
Calling the Pit a city is a bit of a stretch, but so is calling this reddish-brown liquid water. You've read that water is supposed to be clear and cities are supposed to be big, but no ship-born has ever seen either. Maybe in another hundred years water will look and taste like oil and people will be talking about the good old days when it was the color of rust and tasted refreshingly bitter and tangy. That's the kind of optimism that keeps you going.  
The elevator crawls up a groove in the cargo hold's wall like a black steel bug that's worn a path traveling to the bridge and back. It’s time to get up there and earn a few credits, but first you need a drink._
Once tasked with adapting Terran plants and grasses to the alien environment of Proxima Centauri, Hydroponics was abandoned during the Mutiny. Quickly overwhelmed by out-of-control mutant vegetation, it more closely resembles deep jungle than a research complex. In addition to the abnormal plants, oversized pest control species –bioengineered to safeguard the colony's farmlands– are also on hand to punish the careless.  
_Plants were sacred to the Founding Fathers. They represented our connection to Mother Earth, our sustenance, and our future. Picture rippling fields of wheat, rye, and barley to the horizon, mighty oaks and cedars, children eating apples right from the tree. That was the vision for Proxima.  
But they didn't anticipate how many seedlings would fail in the Ship's simulated environments. And unless they found a way to make good those losses, it would be catastrophic. Alien fauna and poor soil were deemed the biggest threats, so they matched the most important plant species with customized, symbiont fungi. The latter were meant to act as pest killers. Unfortunately, the fungus did its job a little too well. We’re the pests now._
Before the Mutiny, the rooftops of the Habitat supported a sprawling amusement park. There, the people of the Ship could experience at least a few of the novelties they would never enjoy on Earth or Proxima: walk barefoot on real green grass – courtesy of Hydroponics – or soft, red-tinted 'Proxima' sand; sit under tall, artificial trees; and watch the sunrise on gigantic screens suspended all around. This last was said to be indistinguishable from the real thing, not that anyone aboard had ever seen it.  
Nowadays, the three remaining rooftops are heavily fortified platforms, patrolled by armed guards. The sky-screens went dark long ago, a frivolous luxury in a decaying world. The grass underfoot and simulations of golden fields have likewise vanished, replaced by watchtowers and checkpoints. With enemies on all sides, cheap entertainment is a useless distraction from reality and its harsh demands.
The Armory - Among the stars, the children of Earth wish most of all for peace. Nevertheless, the wise prepare for every eventuality – we should not survive long without the means to protect our territory and interests, with violence if every other method is exhausted. To that end, the Ship launched with a wide assortment of peacekeeping weapons and armaments, most of it looted and spent during the Mutiny and the hundred lesser skirmishes that followed.  
Mission Control - The century-old wreckage of the Ship Authority government complex that once controlled every aspect of life on the Ship. Now scavengers infest this ancient seat of power, a grim reminder that nothing lasts.  
The Shuttle Bay - Noah relied on doves to find a landing place, the Ship carried twelve survey shuttles for that same purpose. Even though the Shuttle Bay survived the Mutiny intact, it was looted in the interim, the life support systems and emergency supplies stripped, and the shuttle interiors used by generations of squatters.  
The Factory - An abandoned industrial complex that once worked 'round the clock to produce tools for the Ship and the future colony. Why squander your precious shekels on second-hand Earth machinery, when your captive workforce will have three hundred years to manufacture everything you need?  
And many others.  
Combat is difficult. You’ll be outnumbered and outgunned, so you’ll have to figure out how to even the odds or avoid fights you can't win. There are 3 main factors determining the difficulty of any combat encounter and your character's life expectancy: Accuracy, Evasion, Damage (both dealt and taken). To succeed in combat, you must learn to control these factors.  
Accuracy = 50 + bonuses from (stat + skill + feat + implant + helmet/goggles + weapon). You can easily neglect a couple of items from this list and still be a competent fighter, meaning you don't need to min/max your stats because it's only 1 item out of 6. The attacker's accuracy is further modified by the attack type (different attacks have different pros and cons), the weapon's gun's effective range, and inflicted penalties.  
Evasion = bonuses from (stat + skill + feat + implant + armor handling – armor penalty). The defender's evasion is further modifier by cover (the exact bonus depends on the angle), gadget bonus (i.e., using a Disruptor Field), and smoke/spore cloud (smoke grenades and certain critters). More detailed information can be found on the character and inventory screens (which show your accuracy and evasion), and in combat, where you can press ALT when targeting while targeting to learn what is affecting the accuracy of a particular attack.  
The damage depends on both the weapon and the target's defense. Incoming damage is reduced by damage resistance (feat + implants + armor) and energy shield (gadget and/or energy armor). Weapons with good penetration and/or aimed attacks can reduce enemy's damage resistance, dealing more damage.  
When you enter the stealth mode all tiles are automatically assigned detection values, determined by the distance from the guards, which way they're facing, their Perception, and thermal vision gear, if any. Green - safe (you remain undetected), yellow - risky (if you end your turn there, you'll be spotted), red - instant discovery. High sneaking ability (modified by skill, feats, gear) turns more tiles green and opens up more options, whereas a low level thief might see nothing but yellow and red tiles.  
Each step and action (lockpicking, climbing, using computers, killing guards in stealth mode, etc) generates noise. Not a whole lot of noise to instantly alert the guards the moment you do something, but enough to add up over time and raise the guards' suspicions. The higher the guards' Perception, the faster the alert bar is filled. An alerted guard turns towards the last noise generated, meaning a lot of safe tiles will turn red and if you're in the line of vision you'll be instantly discovered.  
If fighting isn't you thing, you can avoid ALL combat by relying on speech skills: Persuasion, Streetwise, and Impersonate. Not every solution is in your face, but it is there. We check stats, skills, reputation, deeds, and track your choices to deliver appropriate consequences.  
Ten party members (max party size is 4) and well over a hundred different characters, some less friendly than others.  
_Lord's Mercy was her given name. Though he wasn't a priest, her father had called himself a Man of Scripture, and never tired of reminding his only child of God's wrath, His vengeance, His untiring thirst for retribution. If that’s what her name meant, Mercy did her best to live up to it._
_"Are you now?" Bartholomew looks at you with interest. "I assume you were on your way to the Habitat, but now you're stuck here... Your odds aren't looking good, my friend,” he gives you a salesman's smile. “Attacking the Black Hand's stronghold is suicide, with or without our help. If Stanton loses...” He makes a pause, letting you work it out on your own._
_“You may address me as Harbinger. I no longer have a name." The bitterness in her voice is unmistakable. She must not have been doing this Harbinger thing for long. One of the guards removes his helmet to reveal an oddly leathery face with deep-sunk eyes and a lipless mouth. He grins as he savors your discomfort.  
“I wonder if the Neanderthals were as shocked by your outlandish appearance,” the woman says. “I wonder if they foresaw their own doom.”_
A generation ship is a perfect ant-farm where different societies can coexist within a limited space, influencing and affecting each others' development while fighting for that limited space, which adds 'the end justifies the means' pressure.  
The Protectors' one truth is the Mission, and the sole way to ensure successful completion of the Mission is to follow the Old Ways. The ways of the fathers, forefathers, and Founding Fathers are together the beam upon which the Ship travels to our ultimate destination. The mutiny, which through their steadfast and timely intervention was thankfully aborted, was the ultimate betrayal of the Old Ways, of everyone who had come before, the nullification of every sacrifice and every life dedicated to the Mission.  
The Brotherhood was formed to liberate the people from the iron shackles of the Ship Authority. Though their first sally -which the fossils of the old world denigrate with the term "mutiny"- failed to completely achieve this aim, the Brotherhood was successful in establishing themselves as a power to be reckoned with. The Brotherhood's initially pure goal, to free the enslaved wherever they may be, has unfortunately been sullied by the practical concerns of democracy. To bring freedom to the Ship entire must involve war, and no war may be won without sacrifice, nor may battles be managed by committee.  
As inevitably happens in dark and challenging times, some citizens turn to God for reassurance, the promise of an end to pain and hunger. Or failing an end, at least a purpose. The Church of the Elect rejected both the Protectors of the Mission and the Brotherhood of Liberty as worldly fools distracted by politics and their own egos. Teaching their adherents that they were chosen by God, the Church frames the journey of the Ship as a centuries-long test of faith. When the Ship arrives at her destination, Judgment Day awaits every citizen. The righteous will be welcomed into the Promised Land of Proxima Centauri, while the unrepentant will be returned to the Hell from which we fled - Earth - to suffer for all eternity.
Plus lesser factions and groups: People of the Covenant (the mutants), the House of Ecclesiastes, formerly known as ECLSS - the Environmental Control and Life Support System, the Pit's Freemen, Thy Brother's Keepers, the Grangers, Jackson's Riflemen, and more!

Release date: 9 Nov, 2023

Categories: Turn-based RPG, Party-based Combat, Single-player Story, Choice-based Narrative, Character Progression, Stealth Gameplay, Exploration, Resource Management


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Immersive Sci-Fi World & Story (weight 0.99): The game is highly praised for its unique, grim sci-fi setting aboard a generational colony ship. Reviewers consistently highlight the exceptional world-building, detailed environments, and a compelling, well-written narrative with deep lore and philosophical themes.
- Stylistic Visuals & Atmosphere (weight 0.93): Reviewers consistently praise the game's distinctive and aesthetically pleasing art style. The detailed environments and strong, immersive atmosphere significantly enhance the grim sci-fi setting, contributing to the overall player experience.
- Tactical Combat & Deep Progression (weight 0.93): The game features a challenging yet rewarding tactical turn-based combat system that requires strategic planning. This is complemented by a deep and flexible character progression system, allowing for diverse builds and effective party management.
- Highly Engaging & Polished (weight 0.83): The game is widely regarded as a high-quality, polished, and deeply engaging experience. Reviewers frequently describe it as addictive and a standout title, offering significant value for its price.
- Authentic Classic RPG Experience (weight 0.79): The game successfully captures and revives the spirit of classic isometric CRPGs, drawing strong comparisons to Fallout 1 & 2. It offers a deep, challenging, and immersive experience while incorporating modern quality-of-life improvements.
- Diverse Playstyle Options (weight 0.79): Players appreciate the extensive freedom in how they approach challenges and objectives. The game robustly supports various playstyles, including combat, stealth, diplomacy, and hacking, allowing for diverse and often non-violent resolutions.
- Engaging Faction System (weight 0.79): The game features a well-developed and engaging faction system. Each faction is distinct with believable motivations, and there are no clear 'good' or 'bad' sides, forcing players to make morally complex and impactful choices.
- Challenging & Rewarding Exploration (weight 0.36): The game offers a challenging, non-handholding experience that rewards strategic thinking and exploration of its densely packed maps. It emphasizes effective resource management and problem-solving without requiring excessive grinding.
- Improved Successor to AoD (weight 0.22): The game is consistently viewed as a significant improvement and worthy successor to the developer's previous title, Age of Decadence. It enhances core systems, visuals, and overall polish while retaining the distinctive style and depth fans appreciate.

Common complaints:
- Shallow Companion System (weight 0.11): Companions are largely seen as underdeveloped, lacking depth, meaningful interactions, and personal questlines beyond their recruitment. They often feel like "hired guns" rather than integral party members, with limited dialogue and progression, leading to them being forgettable.
- Confusing Quests & Navigation (weight 0.1): Players frequently reported getting lost or stuck due to vague quest logs, lack of clear objectives, and the absence of helpful navigation tools like a proper map or direct teleportation. This often forced reliance on external wikis or extensive backtracking and save-scumming to progress, leading to significant frustration.
- Rigid Character Building (weight 0.1): The character progression system is seen as overly restrictive and punishing, forcing players into min-maxing specific builds to succeed. Issues include unbalanced skills/weapons, lack of respec options, clumsy inventory UI, and skill checks that prevent progression for non-optimized characters, creating an illusion of choice.
- Tedious Stealth Mechanics (weight 0.09): The stealth system is widely criticized for being tedious, janky, and unintuitive, often leading to forced failure states and repeated reloads. Players found it unreliable and poorly explained, with tiny sneaking areas and ineffective cover, making it less enjoyable than direct combat.

Gameplay feedback:
- Combat is Optional (weight 0.35): A significant feature is the ability to complete the entire game, including major plot points and even the final fight, without engaging in combat. Players can achieve this through high persuasion, stealth, or other non-violent skills, offering a unique pacifist playthrough experience.
- Crucial Character Builds (weight 0.12): Character creation is fundamental, with extensive options for stats, skills, and perks (feats/talents) that significantly influence gameplay and narrative paths. The game is unforgiving to unoptimized builds, often requiring careful planning and specialization to succeed, especially on harder difficulties.
- Use-Based Skill Progression (weight 0.11): The game features a dynamic skill system where abilities improve through actual use, rather than just level-ups. Skill checks are heavily integrated into dialogues and exploration, requiring players to specialize as they cannot master everything in a single playthrough, often leading to "fail-forward" scenarios.
- Varied Difficulty Settings (weight 0.11): The game offers two distinct difficulty modes: "Hero" (easier) and "Underdog" (harder). While "Hero" allows for a more casual experience, "Underdog" is significantly more challenging, often requiring highly optimized character builds and strategic play, with some players finding its balance broken.
- Flexible Save System (weight 0.05): The game allows players to save at almost any moment outside of combat, and reviewers strongly recommend frequent saving across multiple slots. This flexibility is crucial for managing resources, retrying difficult encounters, and navigating choices that can lock players out of future options.

Performance notes:
- Minor Technical Glitches (weight 0.02): While generally stable, some players report occasional technical issues such as FPS drops in specific areas, levels not loading properly, or missing interaction triggers. Companion pathfinding can also sometimes cause characters to get stuck.
- Instant Loading Screens (weight 0.02): Players consistently highlight the game's exceptionally fast loading times, noting that transitions between sections and saving/loading within the same area are virtually instant. This contributes significantly to a seamless gameplay experience.
- Accessible System Requirements (weight 0.01): The game is praised for its low system requirements, making it highly accessible and capable of running smoothly on a wide range of PC configurations without needing high-end hardware.
- Beneficial Unreal Engine Shift (weight 0.01): Players acknowledge the game as a significant technical advancement over its predecessors, largely attributing this positive evolution to the successful transition to Unreal Engine.
- Simple, Beautiful Music (weight 0.01): The game's music is described as simple and primarily serving as background ambiance, yet it is also praised for its beauty, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere.
- Dialogues Unvoiced (weight 0.01): A key characteristic of the game is that its dialogues are not voiced, requiring players to read all conversations. This is a design choice that may appeal to some players more than others.
- Convenient Fast Travel (weight 0.01): The game incorporates a fast travel system that allows players to quickly navigate between unlocked areas, significantly enhancing convenience and reducing travel time across the game world.
- Functional, Not Cutting-Edge (weight 0.01): Some players note that while the game is technically functional and stable, it may not be considered 'technically rich' in terms of pushing graphical boundaries or complex, cutting-edge features, aligning with its simpler visual style.
- Workable Game Size (weight 0.01): The game's installation size is considered reasonable and manageable by players, indicating it does not consume excessive disk space.

Recommendations:
- Challenging Difficulty, Requires Patience (weight 0.3): Reviewers frequently discuss the game's high difficulty, recommending specific modes like "Hero" for a first playthrough or warning that "Underdog" is brutal. Players are advised that the game requires significant patience, planning, and potentially multiple restarts or external research to succeed.
- Support Developer, Desire Sequel (weight 0.29): Many players express a strong desire for a sequel or more games from the developer, Iron Tower Studios. They encourage supporting the studio, sometimes even viewing their purchase as a donation, to enable future projects and expansions.
- Consider Price/Sale Purchase (weight 0.28): Many reviewers suggest buying the game on sale, indicating that its value is perceived differently at full price. While some feel it's worth the full asking price, a significant portion recommends waiting for a discount.
- Demo Recommended, Save Compatible (weight 0.27): Reviewers frequently advise potential players to try the game's demo, noting that it covers a substantial amount of content. A key benefit highlighted is that demo save files are compatible with the full game, allowing for a seamless transition.
- For CRPG/Sci-Fi Fans (weight 0.27): The game is highly recommended for fans of classic isometric CRPGs, tactical turn-based combat, and grim sci-fi settings, often compared to games like Fallout 1&2, Age of Decadence, and X-COM. It appeals to players who enjoy deep role-playing and challenging experiences.
- Not For Everyone (weight 0.25): The game is frequently described as a niche title that is not for the average player. It is specifically warned against for those who dislike difficult games, require hand-holding, or are unwilling to engage in external research or repeated attempts.
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.11): Many reviewers express strong positive sentiment, rating the game highly (e.g., 8-10/10) and encouraging others to play it, often calling it a "must-play" or "worth a shot."
- Utilize Consumables, Avoid Combat (weight 0.03): Reviewers offer specific gameplay advice, such as not hoarding items like grenades and using them frequently. It's also noted that combat can often be avoided, suggesting alternative approaches to challenges.

Other player notes:
- Responsive Developer Team (weight 0.04): The developers are highly praised for their active engagement on platforms like Steam and Reddit, addressing bugs, complaints, and suggestions. This responsiveness was particularly noted during its two-year Early Access period.
- Passionate Indie Project (weight 0.04): Reviewers highlight that the game is a low-budget project from a small studio, often described as a "labor of love." This context is appreciated, especially given the game's quality despite resource constraints.
- Community Translations Available (weight 0.02): While primarily in English, the game benefits from active community efforts, with unofficial fan translations available for languages like Russian and Italian. New translation patches are also being integrated into the game.
- Morally Ambiguous Factions (weight 0.02): The game's narrative design features factions that are often authoritarian and morally ambiguous, presenting players with choices between "greater and lesser evils" rather than clear good or bad options. This design choice is a notable aspect of the game's tone.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.38): Players felt satisfied due to the game's high overall quality, including its deep and engaging story, rich world-building, and impactful player choices. The challenging yet rewarding tactical combat, combined with flexible RPG mechanics and high replayability, contributed significantly to their enjoyment. The unique setting and immersive atmosphere further enhanced the positive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Disappointment stemmed from the game not meeting player expectations, often due to a perceived lack of depth in factions, companions, and story content. Players also cited issues with clunky combat, unbalanced progression, and a general lack of polish or missing quality-of-life features, which detracted from the overall experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Players experienced frustration primarily due to the game's overly difficult and often unfair combat encounters, compounded by poor balance and reliance on RNG. This was exacerbated by clunky UI, confusing quest tracking, and a lack of clear guidance on character progression and skill systems, leading to frequent restarts and a feeling of being punished.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players found enjoyment in the game's overall fun and engaging experience, particularly appreciating its compelling story, immersive dystopian sci-fi setting, and challenging combat. The flexibility offered by player choices and customization options, along with strong replayability, further contributed to their positive gameplay experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): Players appreciated the developer's dedication and unique vision, recognizing the high quality of writing, game design, and strategic systems, especially for an indie title. The game's non-handholding approach, challenging gameplay, and strong thematic setting were also significant factors in fostering this appreciation.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement primarily stemmed from the game's high replayability, offering various approaches and impactful choices that encouraged multiple playthroughs. Players also expressed excitement for future content and the developer's upcoming projects, driven by the game's overall quality, engaging narrative, and immersive world-building.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Admiration was directed towards the developer's ability to deliver a highly polished game with exceptional writing, world-building, and immersive design, especially impressive for a small studio. The game's unique setting, deep systems, and adherence to classic RPG elements further solidified this positive sentiment.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy was a result of the game's overall high quality and the positive experience it provided, including stunning environments, fitting soundtracks, and engaging combat. The freedom of choice offered within the game and the sheer enjoyment of discovering its lore and setting also contributed significantly to this emotion.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Players felt engaged due to the game's compelling story, impactful choices, and deep character interactions within an immersive world-building. The challenging tactical combat and resource management, combined with the game's philosophical themes, further drew players into the experience.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love for the game stemmed from its exceptional overall quality, particularly its captivating story, immersive setting, and well-developed characters. The challenging combat and meaningful choices, combined with an appreciation for the developer's unique vision and previous works, fostered a deep affection for the game.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope was primarily driven by the desire for future content, including sequels and expansions, and the continued success and funding of the development studio. Players also expressed hope for the resurgence of the classic CRPG genre and the potential addition of missing features or graphical updates to the game.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arose from the inability to progress due to perceived unfair and poorly designed combat, often exacerbated by excessive RNG reliance and a lack of clear information on game mechanics. Players also expressed frustration with the game's failure to deliver on core features like multiple viable paths, leading to a sense of being cheated.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion stemmed from the game's lack of hand-holding and clear guidance, particularly during the early game where mechanics were unintuitive and characters/factions were introduced rapidly. This led to players feeling overwhelmed by complex systems and unclear objectives.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players were surprised by the game exceeding their initial low expectations, particularly due to its unexpected high quality in storytelling, immersive atmosphere, and lack of bugs or performance issues. The engaging narrative and meaningful side quests also contributed to this positive surprise.
- Nostalgia (weight 0): Nostalgia was evoked by the game's strong resemblance to classic CRPGs like Fallout, particularly through its old-school RPG elements and atmosphere, reminding players of beloved titles from the past.
- Interest (weight 0): Interest was primarily sparked by the game's unique concept, original setting, and compelling story, particularly within its specific genre, drawing players in with its distinct premise and intriguing factions.
- Support (weight 0): Players expressed support driven by a desire to see the indie studio succeed and produce future titles, particularly sequels, indicating a strong belief in the developers' work and their contribution to the genre.
- Anticipation (weight 0): Anticipation was primarily focused on the release of a sequel and future games from the developer, with some players also looking forward to specific quality-of-life features or expanded character options in upcoming content.
- Desire (weight 0): Players expressed desire for more content, including a longer game length and deeper companion interactions, indicating a strong liking for the game's specific genre and style.
- Amusement (weight 0): Amusement arose from unexpected humorous moments, such as bad dice rolls or specific character limitations, as well as the quirks of the economic system and the game's ending situation. Sometimes, initial frustration with skill progression even evolved into amusement.}