![homeworld ships homeworld ships](http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/l5tfgon8ldzziey6xmiz.jpg)
Part resource management, part space combat sim, part wargame, Homeworld is one of those games that wasn't born with a genre in mind on the desk of a management executive with degrees in Market Trend Spotting and Bandwagon Jumping. It's hard to pin down to one particular category. And play it you should, because if you haven't already figured it out (or glanced at the score), Homework! is a superb game. There are plenty of other moments like this and I'm sure you'll have your own stories to tell when you play the game. I feel genuinely sad and just a little bit proud of his noble effort.
![homeworld ships homeworld ships](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/homeworld/images/a/af/VaygrBattlecruiserRM.png)
He's really putting up a brave fight, giving it his all, but finally succumbs and bites the dust. I switch the tactics to 'evasive' and watch helplessly as he begins to duck and weave erratically, trying to fend off the inevitable for as long as possible. I have no reinforcements anywhere near him and the enemy is just too great in numbers to escape. Very impressive.Īnother battle has gone badly and there's just one of my fast-attack fighters left. I honestly think it's the first time I've seen a computer AI actually work to preserve its forces in a strategy game. It turns out they've fled towards a couple of support frigates just out of my sensor range to repair, refuel and rearm.
![homeworld ships homeworld ships](http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070428115808/homeworld/images/6/61/Hiigaran_carrier.jpg)
Incidentally, out of curiosity I send a scout to follow them. The sight of them bugging out is enough to make me feel totally euphoric and I actually give a cheer. This is too much for the enemy ships and they actually turn and run. I've already got the upper hand and suddenly my freshly built reinforcements arrive on the scene. I'm totally lost in the moment.Ī large battle is, for a change, going pretty well. I'm grinning from ear to ear like an insane child. I tell them to attack while the fighter escort takes care of the smaller ships and can almost hear the weapon systems powering up.Ī searing bolt of blue light screams from one of the frigates and slices into the assault ship. I've just built my first two ion cannon frigates and have sent them into a pitched battle against several enemy fighters, supported by a large assault vessel. A complete feeling of relief sweeps over my whole body at the mere sight of them. But then, emerging out of the distance, I spot a couple of my heavy assault craft, slowly entering the field of battle like the proverbial cavalry. I'm on the run, using evasive manoeuvres to try to stay alive, but I have totally underestimated my opponent's firepower. Those Moments In Fullįor Instance: a battle between several dozen fighters is going badly for me. You forget everything that's going on around you and become completely swept up in the moment. Those moments when, just for an instant, you're suddenly hopelessly lost in the totality of the gaming experience.
#Homeworld ships mod#
Once the single-player game is completed, there's plenty of life in the skirmish games, but most of all, Homeworld has a thriving mod community, and if we haven't convinced you to invest in this classic game yet, be aware that somewhere out there are mods for Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Star Wars. While the Cataclysm sequel refined the interface and buffed up the graphics, Homeworld has managed to retain its beauty. The excellent tutorial gently guides you through the interface and perfectly sets the pace for what's to come which soon unfolds into an epic struggle through space, as you research new ships and send them to crush the enemy.
![homeworld ships homeworld ships](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/homeworld/images/d/d1/Qwaar-Jet.jpg)
Of course it all takes some getting used to, about 30 minutes should do. Homeworld was and still is superb, and to ask a fiver for it is as big a bargain as you will ever find. There are still a great many developers who remain unconvinced that a fully 3D, real-time strategy game can be user-friendly and yet evidence to the contrary has been under their very noses for years. Along With Total Annihilation, Homeworld will go down as one of the most underrated strategy games of all time.