Star Ruler 2

[eRe4s3r]

Eraser, you might get more mileage out of a space game with a storyline. Yeah, there's only one play through, but you would get more hours of enjoyment, and your money's worth out of it. You might like RPG's better.

Yeah, and that right there is the problem isn't it Name 1 RPG in space, with space-ships, that is 3rd or first person, has companions, quests, storyline and isn't called Mass Effect.  Ps.: And do not, please, mention X Rebirth ;p Unless you want to see a page long rant by me ;P (joking ,p.. way too lazy for that)

Ps.: And no, x³ does not count imo Though I played that excessively... certainly not for it's storyline ;P But it was pretty dang emergent at least. .. with mods.

Anyhow, I guess my point is. Nobody makes the game I (think I) want to play. Whether I actually want to play it when I had it in front of me.. oh well. ;p

There are tons of them out there. Here are two of them.



Freespace ( And it has mods)Nexus: The Jupiter Incident

These games are not RPG's Good games in their own right, sure, but not even remotely satisfying the itch Mass Effect (sort of) sated. Also maybe I should have mentioned, but if the game is older than 3 years, then I played it.

[kasnavada]

Hum, not to sound pessimistic but given your cristerias and what you said you liked, I don't think you'll find what you want, like ever. Unless you do it yourself. Or unless a "breakthrough" happens, like someone with a really good idea creates a new genre and make it work.

Due to "human brain are limited" reason above, designers generally will not put a storyline with heavy RPG elements in a 4X. Also due to 4X and RPG generally interacting poorly. What is currently the closest to that for me is crusader kings and the like but it's more of a "create your own" story, and it's entirely possible to play it only by taking into account game mechanics...

Entirely 3d games space games... same problem. Most people can't handle 3 dimensional combat. Freespace was more of an RPG than most of what's called RPG those days (basically anything with an XP system = RPG..., instead of you know, Role Playing Game). But there is a limit to the number of systems which is set in a game. If you want a deep engaging story with heavy RPG elements most designed will limit "gameplay" options.

There are quite a lot of 2.5d space games with claims of a story, like starpoint gemini, or the space ranger series but labelling them "good"... yeah not often. Evochron mercenary was not stated yet, but does not really have a storyline and companions. Legends of Pegasus is not buyable anymore due to the studio producing it closing (and being full of bugs), but they tried (and failed) to make a story in a 4X.

Last... Star Trek and Star Wars games ? Sadly a lot of them... well. But some are good, like Star Trek Bridge Commander.

[eRe4s3r]

Yeah I actually loved Star Trek Klingon Academy and Bridge Commander.... ehem It is definitely possible to merge 4x elements and (dynamic) story properly though. With dynamic i mean that my choices in the 4x element and the rpg element, lead to different mutually exclusive story arcs. But those events ought to be randomized to some extend.

What I want is not hard to do but it is probably beyond INDY devs and normal AAA devs will never take this gamble and do such a genre merge.

Essentially, it could be done taking Littlewitch Romanesque style gameplay and merge it with Total War (in space).

But the chances for that ever happening are very slim. It's true. Either devs make RPG or RTS, imagine merging Homeworld with Mass Effect. You'd have to make 2 games in one, basically.

[Cyborg]

Yeah I actually loved Star Trek Klingon Academy and Bridge Commander.... ehem It is definitely possible to merge 4x elements and (dynamic) story properly though. With dynamic i mean that my choices in the 4x element and the rpg element, lead to different mutually exclusive story arcs. But those events ought to be randomized to some extend.

What I want is not hard to do but it is probably beyond INDY devs and normal AAA devs will never take this gamble and do such a genre merge.

Essentially, it could be done taking Littlewitch Romanesque style gameplay and merge it with Total War (in space).

But the chances for that ever happening are very slim. It's true. Either devs make RPG or RTS, imagine merging Homeworld with Mass Effect. You'd have to make 2 games in one, basically.

It sounds like you want RPG with multiple endings. In space. Sounds like mass effect, although for some reason you don't want to play that.


Eve online.


Just kidding. Believe it or not, AI war meets your definition. Multiple quest lines, multiple endings, giant space battles.

[Histidine]

I'm pretty sure Freespace (2 at least) fits far more neatly into the "space flight action" box than it does the RPG box. Something like the Independence War series would be closer to the RPG mould, at least on account of actually having characters in it (literally the only character I remember from Freespace 2 is Aken Bosch).

Granted Freespace does have the part with some gameplay outcomes persisting between missions, but I don't think that's a defining trait of RPGs (they don't even frequently happen in the genre).

EDIT: though it does kind of meet eRe4s3r's stated criteria

[eRe4s3r]

If you can think of a space related game made between 1993 and 2015 I played it.... That's my problem. I want something new. Which is why I always look at new space related games.

Freespace, Mass Effect all great games I played.. Also Advent Rising (which imo was great sci-fi.. so sad that never continued since it ended on a episode cliffhanger) Nexus Jupiter Incident, Homeworld 1/2/Cata etc. pp. Also Gemini whatever it was called, but I didn't much like that. It was too grindy and repetitive.

Except, Eve Online, also played that (for a free month) and hated it. That's just too much like work, and too little like a game.