Nebulous: Fleet Command is basically The Expanse: The Game

As many of its fans, The Expanse, I’m feeling a little lost right now. In December, the TV series with nine episodes and the six-season TV program ended. Then again, what could possibly be filled the void? Roci Is there a hole that is shaped in my heart? The answer to that question is Fleet Command: Nebulous.

Steam Early Access recently releasedFleet Command: NebulousThis is a deep and 3D real-time strategy game. Command a small number of spaceships to give attack orders or movement commands. All six directions. The controls can be finicky in their immense complexity, but that’s only in service of giving you the widest possible set of tactics to choose from.

Also, it feels almost like an. ExploreRTS is everything, except for name.

This sensation begins in battle when ships approach the field with engines seemingly pointed the wrong way. This is normal, however. The Expanse isn’t the first sci-fi series to use a “braking burn”, but it effectively sets the same tone: This is It is hard Sci-fi with an emphasis upon realism

Thinking in 3D space is a good way to achieve this goal. Your ships must be moved in six directions. However, your ship will also need to roll in order for its railguns to line up properly. Rotating your ship can be used to prevent one side from getting smashed during battle.

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Speaking of wounds — their locations matter! Instead of a single health bar, all of your ship’s systems have actual physical locations on your ship (complete with their own hitboxes) and can be individually damaged by enemy fire. It’s just like the Rocinante has Amos Burton, you’ve got engineers who can repair and rebuild injured components mid-battle. It’s just like in The Expanse, If you’re not careful (or just unlucky) your fusion reactor can go critical and your spaceship will temporarily be replaced by a small star. All ships that are caught up in the stunning explosions of (I) still gasp every time) will be heavily damaged and nearby ships’ radar will be temporarily scrambled.

This brings me to the next. Expanse/NebulousSimilarity: Both radar and electric warfare are essential parts of any tactical plan. For weapon accuracy, it is crucial to lock onto enemy vessels. Radar jammers fill your screen full of false enemy icons. You’ll soon feel like Naomi Nagata, setting up jamming on enemy fleets and trying to find the real enemies amongst the radar noise. It’s simply impossible for me not to hear her yelling “fast movers!” anytime you see a barrage of missiles appear on the HUD.

Nebulous, Different missiles permit for different strategies: While one might be less susceptible to jamming, the other requires you to use your ship to target the enemy using a laser targeting device (a tactic used by the Rocinante The first book. You can send another on a path you choose before the enemy locks onto it. This gives you the opportunity to fire from behind an asteroid or attack your enemies. Think they’re safely out of sight). All of these missiles are a precious commodity since you won’t be able to reload in battle. There are numerous countermeasures to these missiles, even though they may be powerful.

Fans of Expanse will instantly recognize close range PDCs. These “point defense cannons” fill the battle space with beautiful arcs of amber as they attempt to swat down incoming missiles. Also, you can use interceptors and flak cannons to take out missiles. You can also use radar jamming or flak cannons to destroy incoming missiles.

Even though the game can seem ponderously slow at first, once you’re in the heat of battle, the number of things that suddenly Not required It must be done All in oneIt can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, the game has a customizable “action-pause” that can be activated with a simple press of Ctrl-Space. I have it reduce the game to 10% speed (for cool slow-motion explosions, naturally), but you can also set it to any percentage you want — or even pause the game completely.

I love the action-pause. Instead of being overwhelmed by intense moments, it allows me to feel more like Captain Holden (or Camina Drummer). I have the breathing room to coordinate complicated fleet maneuvers or missile paths without feeling like I’m ignoring the rest of my fleet. It’s also helping me better understand the game’s tactics while I get the hang of the complex controls.

The controls are likely to be the greatest barrier for many people. The challenges of manipulating objects within 3D space are complex. Sometimes I feel like my goal is to do the exact opposite. The possibilities are endless. HomeworldSeries still uses the eleganter control scheme. Nebulous’ complexity is only a reflection of the larger number of tactical options you’re given. The game doesn’t yet have a campaign, but there is an effective six-part tutorial that will get you on your feet.

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Experimenting with the tactical toolbox is extremely satisfying once you are able to comprehend it. My tactic was simple: I climbed around the top of an asteroids to be able to strike an enemy fleet from high above. Because my 250mm cannons had been placed on top of and bottom my heavy cruiser, it was necessary to have it rotate 90 degrees in order for both turrets to be available. My missile corvettes were to stop at the top of the Asteroid, out of sight. I then drew the path that would allow their missiles rain down from the above. My timing was perfect as I got my cruiser line of sight at an enemy frigate right before my missiles went down. My armor-piercing rounds ripped through the outer hull of their ship, and I used radar jamming against their counter missiles. After my barrage ravaged their interior components, I used radar jamming to blast their counter missiles. Not long afterwards, lifeboats began erupting like a dandelion.

While I eagerly wait for the game’s campaign, I’m content for now to start diving into the game’s ship and fleet customizer. You have the option to interchange many components, weapons and six ship hulls. This makes it very interesting. I’ve already built a super speedy destroyer with a Possibly slightlyA battleship with missiles and advanced jamming abilities will have a higher chance of going supernova. Once you’ve made a fleet you’re happy with, you can try it out in a multiplayer skirmish (if you can handle playing the game without action-pause).

It is up to me now to determine if my ships should be UNN or MCRN.