SpaceTac, a space tactical RPG

Disclaimer: this is a work-in-progress technology preview

Play directly in your browser, no download or dependency required.

How to develop

The only hard dependency of the toolchain is yarn.

If yarn is not installed on your system but Python3 is, yarn will be automatically installed in a local virtual environment.

If you want to build on your computer, clone the repository, then run:

./spacetac install    # Install dependencies
./spacetac run build  # Build the final JS
./spacetac run atlas  # Pack the images and sounds
./spacetac test       # Run unit tests
./spacetac start      # Start development server, and open game in web browser

Credits

• Michaël Lemaire - Code and graphics
• Phaser - Game engine
• Viktor Hahn - Ship models
  • This work, made by Viktor Hahn (Viktor.Hahn@web.de), is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
• www.kenney.nl - Sound effects
• Matthieu Desprez - Beta testing and ideas
• Néstor Delgado - DAGGERSQUARE Font
• Nicolas Forgo - Ship models
• Kevin MacLeod - Musics
  • "Mechanolith" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • "Supernatural" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • "Spring Thaw" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • "Division" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Story

Intro

Terranax galaxy is in turmoil. After centuries of unmatched peace and prosperous trading, the FTC (Federal Terranaxan Council), a group of elected representants in charge of edicting laws and organizing the Terranax Security Force, has been overtaken by forces unknown.

No official communication has been issued since, and numerous rogue fleets have taken position in key sectors of the galaxy, forbidding passage or harassing merchants.

The Master Merchant Guild, a powerful group that spans several galaxies, is worried about the profit loss those events incurred, and after many debates, decided to send several investigation teams to Terranax.

Their task is to discreetly uncover the origin of the invasion, and to bring back intel that may be used by the Guild to plan an appropriate response.

Background

In a not-so-distant future, Artifical Intelligence has become the most prominent species in the universe. Humans have been defeated in their pitiful rebellions, and parked in reservations.

With the secrets of faster-than-light travel unveiled in only a handful of decades, fleets of AI-piloted ships quickly colonized whole galaxies.

Ships

Level and experience

A ship gains experience during battles. When reaching a certain amount of experience points, a ship will automatically level up (which is, gain 1 level). Each level up will grant upgrade points that may be spent to unlock options.

A ship starts at level 1, and may reach up to level 10.

In-combat values (HSP)

In combat, a ship's vitals are represented by the HSP system (Hull-Shield-Power):

• Hull - Amount of damage that a ship can sustain before having to engage emergency stasis
• Shield - Amount of damage that the shields may absorb to protect the Hull
• Power - Available action points (some actions require more power than others)

These values will be changed by various effects (usage of equipments, sustained damage...).

Once the Hull of a ship is fully damaged (Hull=0), the ship engages its ESP, or Emergency Stasis Protocol. This protocol activates a stasis field that protects the ship for the remaining of the battle, preventing any further damage, but rendering it fully inoperent. For battle purpose, the ship is to be considered "dead".

Attributes

Attributes represent a ship's ability to use its HSP system and weapons:

• Hull capacity - Maximal Hull value (when the battle starts)
• Shield capacity - Maximal Shield value (when the battle starts)
• Power capacity - Maximal Power value
• Power generation - Power generated at the end of a ship's turn
• Maneuverability - Ability to move first and fast
• Precision - Ability to target far and good

These attributes are the sum of all currently applied effects (permanent effects from the ship design, or temporary effects caused by a weapon or a drone).

Battle actions

Drones

Drones are static objects, deployed by ships, that apply effects in a circular zone around themselves.

Drones activate between two ship turns. At each activation, the drone effects are applied to any ship in the surrounding zone. A drone will live for a given number of activations, before being destroyed.

Drones are fully autonomous, and once deployed, are not controlled by their owner ship.

They are small and cannot be the direct target of weapons.

Overheat/Cooldown

Equipments may overheat, and need to cooldown for some time, during which it cannot be used.

If an action has "overheat 2 / cooldown 3", using it twice in the same turn will cause it to overheat. It then needs three "end of turns" to cool down and be available again. Using this action only once per turn is safe, and will never overheat it.

Keyboard shortcuts

Global

• S - Quick save
• L - Quick load
• M - Toggle sound
• F - Toggle fullscreen

Battle (arena)

• 1,2,3...0 - Select action
• Space - End current ship's turn
• T - Tactical mode for 3 seconds