History VideoGame / StarCommand

''Star Command'' is a game developed for [=iOS=], Android, and PC/Mac (Coming sometime later). It's a mix of [[SimulationGame simulation]] and [[RolePlayingGame RPG]] with the player assuming command of a starship and managing its functions and various rooms in order to fulfil missions. Originally pitched by the developer War Balloon Games on Website/{{Kickstarter}} as a mix between ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Videogame/GameDevStory'', the project received double the requested amount and was released in 2013 by [=14Bricks=]. Like ''Game Dev Story'', ''Star Command'' employs pixel graphics in a deliberate attempt to re-create the retro feel of old games.

* BirdPeople: Avarians are birds. Their ships, called Preying Birds, even have wings. They also ''really'' like practical jokes. When they walk, they bob their heads like chickens (this part actually [[http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/?quid=472 makes sense]]).

Much of the game involves combat with another ship (always 1-on-1). The combat interface shows enemy stats such as the state of their armor and shields and the charge level of their weapons and transporters. Unlike the player's ship, enemy shields don't recharge and, instead, act as more armor. When the player's ship's shields are knocked down (usually after a single hit) below a certain threshold, the enemy can beam in {{board|ingParty}}ers who attempt to kill your crew and destroy your rooms. Weapons are usually targeted pretty randomly. A hit on a normal section will usually result in some damage to the ship's health and this area being on fire (which does no harm to anyone). A hit in a room may damage this room and make it unusable (as well as its function) until repaired. A hit on the outer hull is likely to result in ExplosiveDecompression. Anyone in the vicinity of a hull breach will be sucked out. Unfortunately, the AI doesn't quite grasp that, so both the enemy and your crew will happily walk past an exposed section and will be breathing vacuum before they know it. The only way to avoid being hit by enemy weapons is to use the dodge generator to evade (the ship's animation doesn't show it; both just [[StandardStarshipScuffle hang in space and trade blows]]). Each ship design features two weapons rooms with three possibilities on the type of weapons: [[FrickinLaserBeams laser]], plasma torpedo, and [[MoreDakka machinegun]]. Different weapons must be chosen for each weapons room. When a weapon is charged, it can be fired, provided the player passes a [[QuickTimeEvent targeting mini-game]], which is different for each weapon. Lasers are medium-level weapons with the fastest recharge rate but only a max of three shots per charge. Plasma torpedoes are the most powerful and can potentially fire four shots per charge. The machinegun can potentially fire up to 30 shots per charge, but each shot is weak.

* FrickinLaserBeams: The laser fires up to three slower-than-light bolts that deal medium damage. The animation for the weapon appears to eject a shell of some sort every time it fires and experiences recoil.

** The whole game is one big ShoutOut to ''StarTrek''. Some randomized captain names are plays on Trek characters and RealLife actors (e.g. Kirk Norris).
** The Grol are a HigherTechSpecies with incomprehensible goals who live in blocky space structures and whose ships have numerical designations instead of names. They also wish to preserve superior races, claiming that inferior races are "irrelevant". An obvious ShoutOut to the [[StarTrek Borg]]. However, there are other aspects of them that are decidedly not Borg-like, such as their SecretTestOfCharacter and the fact that their troopers have a decidedly [[Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill1951 Gort]]-like appearance.

* PettingZooPeople: Avarians are birds. Their ships, called Preying Birds, even have wings. They also ''really'' like practical jokes. When they walk, they bob their heads like chickens (this part actually [[http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/?quid=472 makes sense]]).

''Star Command'' is a game developed for [=iOS=], Android, and PC/Mac (Coming sometime later). It's a mix of [[SimulationGame simulation]] and [[RolePlayingGame RPG]] with the player assuming command of a starship and managing its functions and various rooms in order to fulfil missions. Originally pitched by the developer War Balloon Games on {{Kickstarter}} as a mix between ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Videogame/GameDevStory'', the project received double the requested amount and was released in 2013 by [=14Bricks=]. Like ''Game Dev Story'', ''Star Command'' employs pixel graphics in a deliberate attempt to re-create the retro feel of old games.

''Star Command'' is a game developed for [=iOS=], Android, and PC/Mac (Coming sometime later). It's a mix of [[SimulationGame simulation]] and [[RolePlayingGame RPG]] with the player assuming command of a starship and managing its functions and various rooms in order to fulfil missions. Originally pitched by the developer War Balloon Games on {{Kickstarter}} as a mix between ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''GameDevStory'', the project received double the requested amount and was released in 2013 by [=14Bricks=]. Like ''Game Dev Story'', ''Star Command'' employs pixel graphics in a deliberate attempt to re-create the retro feel of old games.

Much of the game involves combat with another ship (always 1-on-1). The combat interface shows enemy stats such as the state of their armor and shields and the charge level of their weapons and transporters. Unlike the player's ship, enemy shields don't recharge and, instead, act as more armor. When the player's ship's shields are knocked down (usually after a single hit) below a certain threshold, the enemy can beam in [[BoardingParty boarders]] who attempt to kill your crew and destroy your rooms. Weapons are usually targeted pretty randomly. A hit on a normal section will usually result in some damage to the ship's health and this area being on fire (which does no harm to anyone). A hit in a room may damage this room and make it unusable (as well as its function) until repaired. A hit on the outer hull is likely to result in ExplosiveDecompression. Anyone in the vicinity of a hull breach will be sucked out. Unfortunately, the AI doesn't quite grasp that, so both the enemy and your crew will happily walk past an exposed section and will be breathing vacuum before they know it. The only way to avoid being hit by enemy weapons is to use the dodge generator to evade (the ship's animation doesn't show it; both just [[StandardStarshipScuffle hang in space and trade blows]]). Each ship design features two weapons rooms with three possibilities on the type of weapons: [[FrickinLaserBeams laser]], plasma torpedo, and [[MoreDakka machinegun]]. Different weapons must be chosen for each weapons room. When a weapon is charged, it can be fired, provided the player passes a [[QuickTimeEvent targeting mini-game]], which is different for each weapon. Lasers are medium-level weapons with the fastest recharge rate but only a max of three shots per charge. Plasma torpedoes are the most powerful and can potentially fire four shots per charge. The machinegun can potentially fire up to 30 shots per charge, but each shot is weak.

* MeaningfulName: The [[Literature/TheBible Biblical]] Lazarus was raised from the dead by {{Jesus}}. So, naturally, a planet called Lazarus is likely to have hordes of zombies on it.

* NewGamePlus: After beating the game, you are sent to the Phobos shipyard to get a new ship. After this, you start over, which the game {{Handwave}]s by claiming a NegativeSpaceWedgie. However, you get to keep all your current crewmembers and their XP.

** The Cortex are vaguely reminiscent of [[DoctorWho Cybermen]] in their goal to "upgrade" everyone to immortal metallic bodies with only the brain remaining from the original being.

* CriticalExistenceFailure: Averted for your ship. As more enemy shots hit, rooms can be damaged and crew can be killed, reducing your ship's effectiveness and disabling certain functions. Played straight for the enemy.

[[caption-width-right:300:Left-to-right: Antorian, Cortex, Vocar, human (science officer), Trilaxian, canine (not in the game), Midorian. In case you were wondering, they're all standing in line to the bathroom.]]

** For a more specific example, there's Kooolok, the commander of the Trilaxian Axion you meet when you visit Pip for the first time. If you visit Pip before you visit Cranus, you will see the wreck of an Axion before a Cortex ship shows up. The Cortex who talks to you then will reveal that he is Kooolok whose brain was forcibly extrated and placed into a Cortex body. But now he's glad it happened and can't wait to do the same to you. Interestingly, if you visited Cranus before Pip, there won't be any wrecks or introductions; however, you wills till refer to the Cortex you talk to as Kooolok.

''Star Command'' is a game developed for [=iOS=], Android (Coming soon) and PC/Mac (Coming sometime later). It's a mix of [[SimulationGame simulation]] and [[RolePlayingGame RPG]] with the player assuming command of a starship and managing its functions and various rooms in order to fulfil missions. Originally pitched by the developer War Balloon Games on {{Kickstarter}} as a mix between ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''GameDevStory'', the project received double the requested amount and was released in 2013 by [=14Bricks=]. Like ''Game Dev Story'', ''Star Command'' employs pixel graphics in a deliberate attempt to re-create the retro feel of old games.

The storyline starts with the player receiving a ship to command and sent by Admiral Micari of Star Command to Mercury to locate a missing cargo ship. Upon ariving, the player finds its wreck and is immediately attacked by an [[BeePeople Antorian]] scout ship. Next, the Admiral sends the player to Mars to investigate a strange spacecraft that has appeared there, which turns out to be an old Soviet spaceship filled with zombie cosmonauts, who immediately start beaming themselves aboard your ship, ignoring shields. The next mission involves saving a ship of peaceful Midorians from an Antorian dreadnought whose princess offers to join your crew. After that, the player comes upon a destroyed Star Command ship and is accused by Admiral Micari of treason. Barely escaping from being destroyed by his flagship the ''Olympus'', the player flees to the Midorian homeworld of Noorfoo in the Tarsus system (the game calls it a galaxy but it's clearly not). After fighting enemies at every location in Tarsus (and doing one TimedMission at Deimos back in Sol), the Midorians inform you that Sol is under attack by a large Antorian fleet. The player returns to Sol only to find out that traitorous humans are helping them and are, in fact, led by Admiral Micari. He survives the destruction of the ''Olympus'' and flees to Antoria in an EscapePod. The final battle involves first facing off the most powerful Antorian dreadnought yet and a heavily-upgraded ''Olympus''-class ship under Micari's command, one right after another. The player can then fly to the Phobos shipyards to select a new ship design and replay the campaign at a higher difficulty level (while keeping all the existing crew with their XP).

** The Grol are a HigherTechSpecies with incomprehensible goals who live in blocky space structures and whose ships have numerical designations instead of names. They also wish to preserve superior races, claiming that inferior races are "irrelevant". An obvious ShoutOut to the [[StarTrek Borg]]. However, there are other aspects of them that are decidedly not Borg-like, such as their SecretTestOfCharacter and the fact that their troopers have a decidedly [[TheDayTheEarthStoodStill Gort]]-like appearance.

* HigherTechSpecies: The Grol are a race of MechanicalLifeforms whose technology is light-years ahead of anyone else. They live aboard a giant black rectangular object. When you encouner them, they will explain that they only wish to preserve those who are worthy. They will offer one of three tests, and the resulting battle will depend on what you choose. For example, if you choose the test of war, your task will be to destroy the ship the Grol send against you. If you choose the test of peace, the Grol ship will be far too powerful for you to destroy (and you weapons won't work anyway), so you have to survive for 3 minutes. After the battle, the Grol will reward you with some tokens. You can come back for more tests (and tokens). Unlike other races, Grol boarding parties only consist of one being, who can OneHitKill your crewmembers (on the hardest setting) and is ''very'' difficult to kill. If you don't kill Grol invaders quickly, they will duplicate themselves. For bonus points, the Grol invaders look a lot like [[TheDayTheEarthStoodStill Gort]], including the iconic CyberCyclops eye that also fires beams.

* MeaningfulName: The [[TheBible Biblical]] Lazarus was raised from the dead by {{Jesus}}. So, naturally, a planet called Lazarus is likely to have hordes of zombies on it.

The storyline starts with the player receiving a ship to command and sent by Admiral Micari of Star Command to Mercury to locate a missing cargo ship. Upon ariving, the player finds its wreck and is immediately attacked by an [[BeePeople Antorian]] scout ship. Next, the Admiral sends the player to Mars to investigate a strange spacecraft that has appeared there, which turns out to be an old Soviet spaceship filled with zombie cosmonauts, who immediately start beaming themselves aboard your ship, ignoring shields. The next mission involves saving a ship of peaceful Midorians from an Antorian dreadnought whose princess offers to join your crew. After that, the player comes upon a destroyed Star Command ship and is accused by Admiral Micari of treason. Barely escaping from being destroyed by his flagship the ''Olympus'', the player flees to the Midorian homeworld of Noorfoo in the Tarsus system (the game calls it a galaxy but it's clearly not). After fighting enemies at every location in Tarsus, the Midorians inform you that Sol is under attack by a large Antorian fleet. The player returns to Sol only to find out that traitorous humans are helping them and are, in fact, led by Admiral Micari. He survives the destruction of the ''Olympus'' and flees to Antoria in an EscapePod. The final battle involves first facing off the most powerful Antorian dreadnought yet and a heavily-upgraded ''Olympus''-class ship under Micari's command, one right after another. The player can then fly to the Phobos shipyards to select a new ship design and replay the campaign at a higher difficulty level (while keeping all the existing crew with their XP).