What was the inspiration for this game?
Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 1:52 pm
I'm a big fan of games like this and I'm curious what sources were called on during development.
From the FAQ on the HomePage:
What is FTL?
FTL is a spaceship simulation roguelike-like. Its aim is to recreate the atmosphere of running a spaceship exploring the galaxy (like Firefly/Star Trek/BSG etc.) In any given episode of those classic shows, the captain is always yelling “Reroute power to shields!” or giving commands to the engineer now that their Warp Core is on fire. We wanted that experience, as opposed to the “dog fighting in space” that most videogames focus on. We wanted a game where we had to manage the crew, fix the engines, reroute power to shields, target the enemy life support, and then figure out how to repel the boarders that just transported over!
What is the gameplay like?
The game is split into two major parts: exploration and combat. You explore by travelling instantly with your FTL drive between discrete “Jump Beacons;” every location contains a text-based event that has a variety of choices and outcomes. Your ship can be upgraded with advanced weaponry and equipment purchased with collected scrap metal, while your crew will improve with experience. Fighting enemy ships involves real-time management of crew, power distribution and weapons. It can be frantic with many problems thrown at you at once, but you can pause the game at any time to give orders to your crew (much like Baldur’s Gate). Check out the video on the front page to see it in action.
That’s too long, what’s a shorter description?
Tom Francis of Gunpoint described it as “Firefly by way of Spelunky.” It has also been compared to Weird Worlds and Battlestations.