Looking for something specific...

[roblakov]

Alright everybody, I have googled more than I would admit looking for a particular type of game. Hoping to pick your brains on if it exists! I'm hoping to find a sandbox space game where you begin with next to nothing and, through colonization, industry, combat etc, build an empire. Think along the lines of the X3 series but add colonization and planetary interaction. I'm hoping to start with one ship, land on one planet/asteroid, build a larger ship/colony, small fleet and move on to another planet. Continue until large empire! Anything out there like that? Thanks!

[Bouitaz]

Spore? sort of..or maybe Escape Velocity Nova, by "conquering" planets.Smugglers IV & 5?...Unending Galaxy possibly?Any 4X game would fit as well really.That's all I can think of at the moment. ,)

[Pinback]

Moved the thread to this forum. I would say any 4X games would give you that but if you looking for something more like an X Games with a first person view?, then I think Shores of Hazeron did this if it's still going. StarLord, it's a very old game and can be found on Steam right now in it's weeks long sale, going very cheap.

[XenonS]

Steam (Valve) is full of this genre of games, most of ones are in Early Access without a lot of features. Take a look but be careful, most of them will remain pre-releases forever.The thing with your 'Empire' is a little problematic, but for example Empyrion - Galactic Survival goes towards your mood I think, but again, it's not a finished game. Else Master Of Orion II or Endless Space Disharmony or similar games are focused on Strategy rather than heavy 3D combats, and come close to an 'Empire' you can build. But these are not open-world sandbox games because their world altough huge is not build at random, but constant. The same applies to the latest Egosoft title, here you fight in 3D in your ship with a cockpit, you can visit all these stations in FP mode, and you can build an economic empire by building stations all over the place, produce and sell your goods, but I would say that's the final scope of the game, it will set the final point of what you can do. Take a look at Planetbase on Steam, it's a finished game and about Colonization of planets and building features.I do not recommend Space Engineers, it may fit your case, it has a lot of nice building features but nothing other to it, MP is broken since the planet introduction AFAIK, and single player is said to be boresome (because not enough features aside building). There are also plenty of 2D visual games of the genre 'land on a planet, build your colony, fight enemies etc.', again take a look at GOG or Steam, I don't know one that really gets me out of my chair, maybe Rimworld. XenonS

[McAule]

Some of them "might" fit the bill: Ascendancy (video game)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascendancy_(video_game)[/url] Spacewrights (Early Access)http://spacewrights.com/[/url] The Spacials and The Spatials: Galactologyhttp://thespatials.com/[/url] SPACE COLONY HDhttps://www.gog.com/game/space_colony_hd[/url] This one is the closest to X series after Unending Galaxy:Distant Worlds: Universe (my favourite after X series)http://store.steampowered.com/app/261470/[/url] New Void Destroyer 2 is now on EA. Worth checking too. There's also Endless Sky free to download and play. Which is like Escape Velocity and NAEV. You can check them too. The new Starpoint Gemini: Warlords also almost fits the bill. Then there's Limit Theory hopefully, someday

[Pinback]

I don't think Empyrion really fits what the OP is looking for as I would define it more as a block building game, same as Space Engineers and a number of others similar games on Steams EA.

[roblakov]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I will be sifting through them all over the next few days. There are a lot of games you all mentioned that I hadn't heard of before. Thanks! And any more suggestions are also welcome!

[curlsworth]

So I'm late to the party here, but I'd say consider StarMade. While it probably fits more the block building games, there is a lot of automation to it.You can control fleets of ships (though that is still rudimentary) and have ship yards assemble new ships for your fleets.

[roblakov]

Starmade is a great game. But it's not really empire building. I thought of a bit more info on what I'm looking for. Ever played Aurora? If that game wasn't so clunky and even had a little more optimization and graphical representation, it would be PERFECT. Does Aurora make you think of any other games out there that are a bit more polished?