ZERO-K (AKA, Total Annihilation the 4th)

[UltimatePaladin]

So, I've been playing a game called Zero-K recently. It was free on Steam (and their website) so I figured I'd give it a go and see what happens.



The result was a game that I think proved itself a worthy successor to Total Annihilation, sticking to the core features of its predecessor while also exploring some new ideas. Haven't had an opportunity to play online yet, but the campaign AI (even on normal) is fairly intelligent and will exploit your weaknesses (RIP my many metal extractors, wind turbines, and energy pylons when the AI skated around my turrets and into my base.) Some notable features:

• 12 Different Factories. Each geared to producing a different class of unit. There are no tiers in Zero-K, as the game expects you to be economically-conscious enough to decide when it's suitable to build your higher-end units.
• 4 Different Commanders. Each Commander type has their own In addition, each Commander body can equip different weapons and modules to suit their needs. This can be used to create Commanders that range from assassins, to brawlers, to engineers, to walking weapons platforms.
• Terrain. Mountains will block radar. Bots can climb up steep surfaces where conventional vehicles can't. Explosions will deform and shape the terrain, sinking islands, and the players themselves can terraform the map to their advantage.
• Unit AI. Units in Zero-K have fairly sophisticated AI. When engaged in combat, units will automatically micro themselves, attempting to dodge incoming projectiles, running towards and away from enemies to keep them in optimum engagement range and trying to avoid overkill.

The only problem with the game is that it feels a little too complex at times, and the in-game tutorial is of minimal help. The phrase "I wish I knew that when I started playing," has become familiar to me. This sound like something anyone would be interested in?