I am not one for playing 4X or RTS games but I like the premise of this one as in their is no FTL drives or communications between star systems so every thing is done at sub light speeds.

Want to know more head over to the Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bronzite/slower-than-light?ref=live looking for $30K.

website http://www.slowerthanlightgame.com/

A Hard Sci-Fi 4X game based on the first few millenia of humanity's journey to the stars.

Slower Than Light is a computer game based on the assumption that the speed of light in a vacuum is truly a universal speed limit in our universe.  After decades into centuries of trying to find a way around it, humanity has to accept that we will never travel faster than the speed of light, and that if we are going to be exploring and colonizing the galaxy, it is going to be at subluminal speeds.

There are a number of things that make the Slower Than Light engine exceptional among other space-based Strategy and 4X games. First off, the galaxy isn't mapped as squares or hexes or even a Cartesian plane as we normally see in space games; movement happens along orbits, and the speed of a spacecraft isn't just a function of its thrust. Powerful tools help the player plan mission from launching ships piece by piece into orbit all the way to landing on the moons of worlds orbiting distant stars.

Signals propagate at the speed of light in Slower Than Light, and you are always playing from a particular point in the universe; you don't instantly know that a revolution is in progress on Alpha Centauri; it will take over four years for word to reach Earth, and another four before your reply gets there.  It could take over forty years for a ship to get there; direct command and control simply isn't an option.  Thus does the issue of how to run the newly minted Terran Star Empire (or United Earth Colonies, or whatever you choose to call your program) become a driving challenge of the later game.  A system of strong, independent governors can allow problems to be nipped in the bud before word even reaches the Homeworld that there was an issue, but strong leaders often seek to expand their influence, which can cause consider strife and eventually tear an unwary empire to pieces.  On the other hand, a lack of initiative on the part of the local population can allow threats on the outskirts of civilization a chance to grow and thrive before any coordinated reaction is staged.  Careful manipulation of cultural norms and use of influence can make the difference between a Galactic Empire and a set of ruins spread across a few light years marking the grave of a civilization.

While glitches in communications and complex and evolving populations and NPC rulers provide emergent gameplay challenges, STL still employs a narrative director to help avoid the mid- and late-game slumps of boredom that many 4X games run into.  The director works carefully to make sure your play experience has a pacing that fits your desired level of challenge.

Legacy games (games passed from player to player) have full support in STL.  Assume an in-universe personality for yourself, and rule the budding galactic empire.  When your term (or life) is up, the game will stop your play and help you forward it to the next player.  Play together and share your experiences to build a unique world with a history flavored by all of your friends.