Star Dynasties
Infidelity is more effective than a Death Star in this strategy game
IT’S A SLIMMER STRATEGY GAME, BUT THAT ALSO MAKES IT A LOT LESS DAUNTING
Space tyrants always seem like they’re having fun, just going around shooting lasers at planets they don’t like. But it’s all a facade. I’ve been trying to conquer the galaxy in Star Dynasties, but I’ve been too busy dealing with scandals and feeling sorry for myself.
Things aren’t going well for Duke Fraser. My mum, who was also my best general, just died. I had to exile my brother after he had an affair with my wife. I’m having an affair of my own, and it might be a little bit responsible for a civil war. And you know what? I don’t think we even know how to make lasers. I’m pretty sure I can salvage this disaster, however, because I’ve played quite a bit of Crusader Kings.
StarDynasties invites the comparison, but as an Early Access game being created by a small dev, expecting something with the scope of Paradox’s massive strategy games is unrealistic. Instead of trying to match the breadth of CrusaderKings3, it focuses even more on its conniving nobles, while empire management and military strategy play more of a supporting role. It’s proving to be the right balance.
It’s a slimmer strategy game, but that also makes it a lot less daunting. I love the chaos of CK3, knowing that as soon as I unpause it the whole world will spring to life and start unraveling my plans, but I also appreciate the structure of StarDynasties. Being turn-based, it’s more orderly, giving you something to hold onto when things threaten to get messy. An action point system encourages you to prioritize, because there are only so many times you can exert your influence per turn.
Despite this limitation, I frequently find myself with excess points. I’m craving more ways to influence the galaxy and a sense of progression that goes beyond expanding borders and developing relationships. I quite fancy the idea of slowly fleshing out my realm with laws and cultural traits, but any kind of meaningful improvement would be welcome. ‘Get big’ is a nice, simple objective, but an elaborate strategy game like this deserves some more nuanced paths to victory.
WAR GAMES
When the drama and intrigue turns into open conflict, StarDynasties takes an abstract approach. Instead of building ships, recruiting armies, and moving your armadas around the galaxy, combat can be kicked off with just a few clicks. When you’re ready for war, you select the vassals you want to call on, assign a commander, and then the battle begins immediately. When the fleets meet, you get to make decisions based on the commander’s abilities, with the aim being to counter your enemy or find their weakness. You get to make the important calls, but you don’t have to worry about military admin. StarDynasties has its own ideas about how to marry strategy and roleplaying, and it’s shaping up to be a bit more than CrusaderKings in space, but it could do with borrowing one more thing from its historical counterpart: Flavor. The text is often terse and there’s hardly any evidence of the sci-fi setting. Despite not being the space opera I was hoping for, however, it can still be a capable storyteller, creating galaxy-shaking events out of even seemingly insignificant moments, like my love life. I could not have predicted that hooking up with my liege to bolster my standing would inspire a civil war, but here we are. Sorry, galaxy.
Though there are gaps, and it still needs an identity, I’m invested in the lives of these dysfunctional nobles. Pawley Games estimates that it will be in Early Access for six months, and I look forward to discovering new ways to ruin the galaxy. In the meantime, I’ve got a civil war to fight.