Indie Showcase: FTL (Faster Than Light)

Indie games have become a very important part of gamer culture and its advancement. Just like indie movies, indie games are developed with a much smaller budget and usually without the backing of a big proven company. Sometimes this results in games that are broken messes that turn people away from the indie scene.

However, there are some indie games that are worth a gamer’s efforts to look up and play because they offer experiences that bigger titles cannot. Indie development offers more creative control over the finished product and allows the developer to take more risky gameplay decisions. The Indie Showcase section will help to introduce gamers to indie games that, in all honesty, sound like cool ideas. So, without further ado, I present FTL (Faster Than Light).

FTL (Faster Than Light)

The setup for this game is that you are the pilot of starship traveling through various solar systems. However, there are no actual flying segments. Players only control where the ship jumps to while in different sectors. The true meat of the game occurs once you land in a different sector of your current solar system. Once your ship lands in a different sector, a random event happens.

This system is reminiscent of a rouge-like. In one sector, your ship could run into a frigate that will trade you fuel for scrap metal (the currency and upgrade resource for this game). In the next, you could run into a pirate spacecraft attacking a cruiser. Players can choose to help out the cruiser or stay out of the pirate’s way. If you decide to help the cruiser, you will engage the pirate ship in combat.

What’s different?

Now, instead of an epic space battle filled with special effects, players are relegated to the job of management. They choose what weapons they want to use and what part of the ship they attack, whether it is the weapons systems, the shields, sickbay, etc. Players must also move around their ship’s personnel to attempt to repair the damaged facilities of their own vessel. This system is much more strategic than most starfighter games. Instead of flying around performing complicated maneuvers, players need only control the weapons, the crew, or whether they need to jump out of the system to avoid destruction.

FTL

This system will excite people who enjoy management simulators or strategy games will find value in this title. The team also plans on adding some light RPG elements into the final project. Ship will be able to be customized, crew will be hired and named by the player and said crew will gain skills over time, giving them a higher survivability rate. Also, players will unlock different ships, unique crewmates, weapons, and equipment with each subsequent play through.

This game wants to offer the rouge-like experience, but in the guise of a tactical spaceship simulator. This takes the replay ability of a rouge-like and layers that with addicting gameplay and a very enticing setting. If you want to help with the development of the game or view its progress you can check them out at their Kickstarter page. This game is shaping up to be a very impressive project even without all of the money from an AAA-title.