r/4Xgaming

Strategy gaming YouTuber quill18 shows off what he’s been working on. An aurora4x/Factorio inspired space sci fi game with Newtonian physics.

Check out the full video here ! https://youtu.be/J4fQcr9MAOE?si=OZ8lKRg48rbf7s\_s

A game long in the making.

See eXplorminate play it blind here, close to release date.

And here is a more considered look, an eXamination.

Seems like a lot of folks are launching stuff in the Space 4X genre lately, which is both exciting from an interest standpoint, but also terrifying as someone who has been working on a web-based Space 4X MMO since 2020 😅

Something I've built in Galactic Impact, which I hope sets it apart somewhat, is a mechanism I've termed "Discoveries"; beyond the standard tech tree with its canonical branching dependencies, there are techs and even whole branches that are hidden at the outset for a new player.

Ships with "Science Skill" can conduct Research actions at locations they're exploring, gathering actual in-game data about the area: Star attributes, Planetary systems, etc. and by combining interesting 'sets' of this data, they can thematically discover some particular hidden aspect of the tech tree.

A handful of Discoveries are live now, and almost 150 others are on the roadmap. I'm expecting it to give some interesting variation to different Empires, since these aren't quite so linear as a tech tree, so the order/likelihood in which a given Empire will find each may vary.

What do y'all think? Novel? Interesting? I'd love for y'all to check it out at let me know!

When played Stellaris looong ago (before the constant mechanical reworks and DLC bonanza),
I liked a lot the concept of multiple FTL travel methods.

Then I was sad when they opted for Star Lanes, like almost every other space strategy game. This decision is mostly to accomplish something like "space terrain", already present in terrestrial/planetary games. Choke points and other strategic terrain considerations arise naturally in land-based games, but space is too free.

I think this was more of a loss, in creativity regards. Sure, Star Lane is an option and has its place, but it has become too ubiquitous.

As something that only lived in my memories, I was inspired by this and brought back an ("improved") interpretation of this concept to the game I am working on: HARD VOID.

This is a work in progress, but currently there are "sublight","warp","subspace", and "wormhole" travel methods, with distinctive mechanics:

• Sublight: the slowest one, cheap, but moves freely. Limited by speed and has to accelerate.
• Warp: standard movement. free movement between astros in the same universe, but can be slowed down by the universe's dark matter distribution.
• Subspace: movement is required to go between "normal" and "subspace" universes, but it's fast. Also affects the crew's minds (debuffs). Also is the main way to arrive at subspace dimensions.
• Wormhole: high freedom movement, can move between universes freely. Engines are bulky, slower, and power hungry.

What do you think about this?

If you are interested on HARD VOID:

Trailer: https://youtu.be/YWFbsyiLbp8

Latest battle demonstration: https://youtu.be/xxI0FgK6xwU

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978460/HARD_VOID/

Website: https://hardvoid.com

Discord: https://discord.gg/teV8Jfm552

Hi guys!

I am currently developing a turn-based 4x game with one-hour matches.

We are getting closer to our demo and need to plan the rest of the project.

How important are Steam achievements for yourself? I like them, but of course it is some work you have to do as a game developer so I want to evaluate whether it's worth the amount of time or not :D

So please let me know if achievements are something that you need/like/dislike in a 4x game.

Cheers,
Eric

I'm liked a lot The Battle of Polytopia, but I always felt the multiplayer was a bit too slow for my taste. I wanted something more dynamic.

The game is still in Beta and I need your feedback. What do you think should be done to make the game better? Any balance issues, UI feedback, or features you'd like to see?

After winning any battle you given a choice to ransom, spare, or execute the war captives. Then if its a settlement battle you're given the option to occupy, sack or raze the settlement. If you had chosen spare any of your enemies they will retreat to the nearest settlement they own.

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4632210/Heroes_Warlords_and_Ruin/

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/YMvFzcRDxV

Hi, I’m making a supervillain organization management game with real-time 4X elements, but I’m not sure if my hooks are exciting enough. My main hooks are:

• The fantasy of creating and customizing your own supervillain organization
• A living world that reacts to your villainous deeds
• Letting the player create chaos and destruction

Right now, I’m focusing more on a campaign experience rather than a pure sandbox, but I still want players to be able to create any evil organization they can imagine, from Lovecraftian cults, to secret military groups like Hydra or Cobra, to full-on supervillain leagues like the Legion of Doom.

It’s a PC game that I intend to release on Steam. It leans more into 4X and combat than traditional management games because a pacifist evil mastermind is a bit too evil, even for me. Combat is handled through autobattling, with a stronger focus on unit composition and strategic planning rather than moment-to-moment tactics.

I also made a vibe check video to explain it better. I would love your feedback 😄

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaKCXLwoXQQ

This is its first GOG sale since we launched the Enhanced version of the game. https://www.gog.com/en/game/machiavelli_the_prince

Hey everyone! :)

I am a solo developer working on Pax Astra, a political RPG set in a space opera universe.

You play as the first elected President of Altara, a once grand empire built on conquest and supremacy, now completely shattered after losing a war against half the galaxy.

The war is over, but the consequences are not. You must face economic collapse, political instability, foreign relationships, threats from outside the galaxy and a population divided. You have to decide what Altara becomes next.

The game combines a deep branching narrative with 4X strategy elements. You can build national industries, develop your military, pass laws, explore unknown space, colonize planets, pursue forbidden science and a lot more. Thematically it draws from Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Star Wars and Dune.

Now, I know this community takes the RPG label seriously, so let me be straightforward about what makes Pax Astra one.

You are not playing an abstract nation or a floating cursor. You are playing a specific person, with a build you construct from character creation. You distribute attribute points, choose personality traits that open and close story paths, and roll dice on skill checks that reflect how you built your president. Your stats determine what you can say, what you can attempt and how the world responds to you.

Beyond the mechanics, roleplaying is genuinely the core of the game. Pax Astra gives you real freedom to define who your president is, that includes their ideology, their morality and their leadership style.

You are free to be a principled democrat, a communist revolutionary, a fascist authoritarian, a theocrat, or something else. All that along with a branching narrative!

It is free and still in early development. Would love to hear your thoughts.

The current early version already has a few hours of content, you can play it for free here on itch: https://ben-cardino.itch.io/paxastra

You can check the steam page here! (if you can, please wishlist my game, it really helps me as solodev)

And I am also building a community over at my subreddit :)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pax_Astra/

My biggest inspirations, in terms of other games, were Suzerain, Stellaris and Life and Suffering of Sir Brante!

Join the Discord server: https://discord.gg/Fzg422ZF

Esse é um pequeno vídeo da guerra sendo travada com navios