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Shattered Galaxy is a unique MMORTS game that was released in 2001. It combines the attributes of an MMORPG and an RTS game.
The game consists of two planets with about one hundred territories each. Battles rage in these territories as each faction tries to hold their ground while taking land from the others. The maps themselves consist of multiple "Points of Contention" (known as POCs) on an area of land with cliffs, ramps, and anything else that happens to be there. To capture a territory, a faction must capture all the POCs, or hold a majority at the end of the battle.
General information
Although the game may sound simple, the immense variety of items and units makes for a very interesting and fun gameplay experience. Unit design becomes a series of milestones, with players sticking around for just one more battle in order to unlock the next new piece of equipment. With all of this variety, the game rarely becomes repetitive — every battle is different. Shattered Galaxy also incorporates a level and statistic system, both of which help determine which units and items your character can access, adding an RPG element to a game that is, for the most part, entirely about real-time battles.
The game's goal-oriented nature sets it apart among most RTS games. Instead of the broad, vague "Destroy the enemy base" objective seen in more standard games, Shattered Galaxy players are told to control the POCs, a much more direct goal allowing for highly refined strategy. Battles, which normally last 20 minutes, can be ended prematurely by controlling all POCs on the map, and a well-coordinated team can rack up an impressive number of victories in a short time. However, the POCs can also spell the downfall of a team. Destroying the enemy is not synonymous with victory in Shattered Galaxy, and some players have trouble making this adjustment, wasting time haring off after enemy soldiers instead of defending or attacking the POCs. Assembling a well-coordinated team with which to capture POCs can also be difficult, since there is no incentive (aside from victory) for your allies to join you in harm's way, and plenty of incentive (due to quirks of the experience system) to stay out of it. A "regiment" system has been implemented, allowing players to band together under game-sanctioned organizations, and providing a supply of dependable teammates, but they tend to be cliquey and it can be hard to obtain membership.
The game's Massive Multiplayer aspect also adds a unique flavor. Most RTS games involve eight, at most ten people at a time, each player wielding a large, self-sufficient army. In Shattered Galaxy, each player controls a squad of six to twelve specialized, single-purpose units; players frequently find themselves under attack from enemy forces that are impervious to return fire, due to an alignment system not dissimilar to rock-paper-scissors. Furthermore, you are only one commander in an army that frequently involves ten or more people, with an equal number on the enemy side; battles involving twenty people to a side are the norm at certain highly-contested zones. Each player is relatively impotent, and it is nearly impossible for one single player to salvage a battle; communication and teamwork are crucial to success. Being saddled with unresponsive allies, then, is a fate worse than death. However, there is an enormous allure to playing alongside ten or fifteen friendly allies, and a well-coordinated and well-fought Shattered Galaxy battle is much more rewarding than in any other game. It is this lure, that of becoming a valued and esteemed member of a team, that makes the game stand out.
As of late 2003, the game has become partially free. The game can be played for free (the normal fee is $10 USD per month) for any length of time, but the player suffers a handicap of 10% less damage, 25% less experience, the inability to use gold weapons, the inability to vote in elections, a limit of 100 on each type of stat (instead of 120) and the inability to acquire super-organic units. However, the game is quite playable and almost as fun without the monthly fee, and doesn't put a huge handicap on non-payers — a non-payer can decide the course of a battle as well as a paying player.
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