In part 2 of our features series we will be discussing galaxy generation and what players can expect when they create a galaxy in Lord of Rigel. Obviously the galaxy is a core feature of Lord of Rigel and there are many options a player can choose from to customize a galaxy into a place where they want to play a game.
Lord of Rigel allows players to create galaxies ranging from tiny 16 star galaxies to legendary 1024 star galaxies. Players should choose galaxy size based desired game length, whether they want to have long periods of isolation from other species, how many of species they want on the map, and if they want a complex political system with a galactic council. Larger galaxies will naturally enable more species the galactic council and players can expect to have longer to build their empire in isolation. However players should anticipate enormously long games in a legendary galaxy as well as a lot more management of the various systems in Lord of Rigel.
Besides the size of the galaxy players also have control of the shape of the galaxy. Lord of Rigel allows for two types of galaxy shapes: cluster and spiral. Cluster galaxies are generally circular in shape while spiral galaxies range from 2 to 6 arms depending corresponding galaxy size. Galaxy shape doesn’t impact gameplay, but allows players greater customization.
The galaxy that Lord of Rigel creates is a rather rugged place, much like the universe we live in. Many stars have planets, but few of them are types that would support human life. Lord of Rigel has many planet types but players should quickly become accustomed to seeing lots of barren (similar to Earth’s moon), toxic (Venus like) or gas giants. Players can adjust the odds for various planet types by changing the age and mineral richness of their galaxy. Old galaxies have stars that generally support more Earth like planets and richness aiding in whether you want more Earth-like worlds or mineral rich planets that are less habitable to humanoid species.
Lastly players can adjust the probability of anomalies in a galaxy. Anomalies include stellar objects like nebulas, neutron stars, wormholes, and black holes. Anomalies can have advantages and disadvantages depending on the player's play style. Black holes block any ship from traveling through them, forcing players to navigate around them. Nebulas disable shields in tactical combat. Neutron stars have a higher probability of wormholes which allow players and the AI easier access to random distant parts of the map.
Lord of Rigel offers players a variety of options when creating a galaxy that is tailored to the gameplay that they want. Additionally these options allow the galaxy to shape the game and provide another avenue for players to explore and master.
In the next part of our series we will be discussing Skirmish Mode.
