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Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

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Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#71

Post by jandrese »

wheelerof4te wrote: post #37

Would I need a fairly powerful machine to run this? I can run Starcraft 2, is that enough? I've toyed with Total Annihilation, but the graphics were too old, even for Brood War fan such as myself.

According to the Steam page:

    Processor: 2.0 GHz dual core CPU with SSE (Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent)
    Memory: 4 GB RAM
    Graphics: 512 MB graphics card with OpenGL 3 support (GeForce 8800 or equivalent)
    Storage: 6 GB available space
I would guess that you can run this game.

Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#72

Post by loufe »

dmos62 wrote: post #8
liotier wrote: post #7

Is Zero-k still popular now that its cousin https://www.beyondallreason.info has matured ?

Wasn't aware there's a successor. Screenshots make it seem very similar. Anyone played it?

It's THE game with my friend group right now. We play FFA, team v team, team v bossAI. Great polish, watching playbacks is sweet, observer seats is great.

Overall fantastic experience, really impressive for FOSS

Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#73

Post by badosu »

wheelerof4te wrote: post #54
notahacker wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tbf the unit designs (those solar panels!) were pretty weird at the time, looks like this has a similarly odd-looking ships and factories and the same penchant for big coloured panels on everything Looks like the big advantage of this is that the unit AI is supposed to be quite clever rather than really stupid at how it carries out the tasks you give it...

They are bragging about having a challenging AI. We will see, I've just downloaded the game. Hopefully, the AI is better than Blizzard's 98's Brood War brain-dead computer :)

I didn't have direct experience with the AI on ZeroK, but if it uses some variation of BarbarianAI that is available on BAR (cousin project mentioned in other posts here) it's as impressive as being a decent benchmark for beating a human that has a borderline decent grasp on the game (which makes it an actually good challenge).

Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#74

Post by thinkingtoilet »

As someone who still watches the Korean Broodwar scene, how are the mechanics in this game? Is there micro? Or is it more sc2 style where you put all your units in a single control group and then death ball them into the other death ball?

Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#75

Post by BlueTemplar »

jader201 wrote: post #55

I hadn’t heard of this before, and was excited that a new RTS was being announced, given that RTSes seem like a fading genre. Of course it’s just a link to an older game. I guess the days of the RTS really are behind us. :(

It's a bit like calling Magic the Gathering «just» an older game. («It came out in 1993, how old, must be bad !»)

Your complaint would have more merit if the many innovations of Spring-Recoil engine games had been adopted more widely in the genre, but even Supreme Commander 1 came short (except for polish maybe).

You cannot expect RTS to become one of the biggest genres again, but it's still quite lively (yes, even outside of SC2 and AoE2) :

RTS is fun, actually (and you can learn it): a video essay - CloudCuckooCountry :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl4myN8q_KM

A list of upcoming(ish) RTSes :

The Most Anticipated RTS Games in 2023 & 2024... SO MANY! - GamerZakh :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKujSK4FRWk

(Notably, including BAR, another Spring-Recoil game.)

(Yes, most of them will suck and fail, such is life.)

Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#76

Post by Pannoniae »

thinkingtoilet wrote: post #74

As someone who still watches the Korean Broodwar scene, how are the mechanics in this game? Is there micro? Or is it more sc2 style where you put all your units in a single control group and then death ball them into the other death ball?

The game is much less click-intensive, but you need really good situational awareness for it. It doesn't have "traditional" micro, you don't need to manually queue units or babysit every single unit so it doesn't die immediately, but to win, you need to micro in key areas and most importantly, manage your economy well.

Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#77

Post by brucethemoose2 »

jader201 wrote: post #55

I hadn’t heard of this before, and was excited that a new RTS was being announced, given that RTSes seem like a fading genre. Of course it’s just a link to an older game. I guess the days of the RTS really are behind us. :(

The Planetary Annihilation devs are coming out with a factory-rts hybrid game akin to Mindustry.

That seems the direction RTS is heading in general, hybridizing with other genres.

Re: Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy

#80

Post by astrobe_ »

Buttons840 wrote: post #56
liotier wrote: post #7

Is Zero-k still popular now that its cousin https://www.beyondallreason.info has matured ?

To compare the two: Zero-K allows 16 vs 16 battles (and it works!), each player controls a relatively smaller number of units. In Beyond All Reason, there are 8 v 8 battles and each player controls a larger number of units, maybe 200 or so at the peak of battle. (There are some strong, but predictable AIs for both games.) Zero-K has more units that are less realistic and have more variety. BAR has more realistic unit…

To clarify, ZK doesn't population caps like e.g. Starcraft. The actual limit is actually the CPU/GPU (and maybe your bandwidth too). ZK's 16vs16 host, the "lobster pot" as they call it, can barely be playable if your rig is too weak.
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