Iceberg warps into 4x space once more with turn-based sequel to 2013 StarDrive hit


Haarlem, The Netherlands – February 26th 2014 – Following last year’s barnstorming debut for real-time 4x strategy game StarDrive, publisher Iceberg Interactive and developer Zero Sum Games have teamed up again to publish StarDrive 2, the revolutionary turn-based sequel, featuring real-time combat, which will be coming to Steam, other digital channels and boxed retail this year.

Iceberg Interactive is currently plotting a course for a September 2014 release for the sequel, with an SRP of $29.99, and Iceberg and Zero Sum plan to reward their fan-base with a loyalty discount of 33% on StarDrive 2 for owners of the original StarDrive.

"StarDrive 2 represents the culmination of two decades of love for the 4x genre and five years of work on the StarDrive universe. Here we have taken everything we have learned - our successes, our failures, and our passion - and made a 4x game that we are incredibly proud of,” says Daniel DiCicco, CEO of Zero Sum Games.

5 New screenshots accompany this official StarDrive 2 announcement. Check out the first images of the StarDrive 2 universe here.

DiCicco continues, “We believe that fans of this genre will rejoice when they get their hands on StarDrive 2. It will bring them back to the golden age of 4x gaming with familiar strategic gameplay while using the full power of the Unity game engine to push AAA visuals. Furthermore, we are doubling down on our commitment to user-generated content with StarDrive 2 by integrating Steam Workshop support directly into the game. We are dedicated to our community and we're excited to start showing off StarDrive 2 to our fans."


About StarDrive 2
StarDrive 2 is an exciting and evolutionary step forward for the StarDrive franchise. In this eagerly anticipated sequel, the core mechanics have evolved to incorporate a turn-based strategic layer, featuring spectacular realtime battles. As the galactic ruler of your race you will lead your people into a procedurally-generated galaxy, exploring and expanding your space empire to greatness. Exploit planets, navigate asteroid belts and overcome deep space dangers while handling interspecies relations to gain the upper hand. Conduct diplomacy and espionage, make alien friends that will deliver thriving trade treaties – or enemies that will seek to exterminate you at all costs. Research new technologies and design powerful warships to defend your claims. Discover the extensive lore of the StarDrive universe by encountering many dozens of anomalies, heroes, and galactic mysteries that will ensure no two games will ever play the same.

Features:
- Build a space empire turn by turn in an immersive, living galaxy filled with 9 alien races, pirate factions, galactic lore and mystery.
- Hire unique heroes to govern your worlds or to command your mighty fleets in battle.
- Populate the universe and colonize planets, moons, asteroid belts, gas giants, and more!
- Research hundreds of technologies, including technologies that are unique to your race. Find even more technologies through in-game events and galactic exploration.
- Build your own ships in the custom ship design mode and take them into real-time battles featuring stunning visuals and sound effects.
- Enter a Battle Arena mode for quick-fix battles against cunning AI opponents. In this mode, you will earn rewards as you fight through the challenges, allowing you to unlock new weapons, ship hulls, and ship modules to upgrade your ships and to purchase new ships to add to your fleet.
- Created with the Unity engine for simultaneous release on PC, Mac and Linux.
- Will include various Steam features such as Trading Cards, Achievements and Steam Workshop, allowing modders to create and share their own in-game heroes, events, Battle Arena campaigns, ship modules, weapons, sound effects, and more.

About Zero Sum Games
Zero Sum Games is based in Portland, Oregon, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest region of the United States. We are an independent studio with a small and dedicated team possessing a broad and diverse set of skills. Our mission is to deliver hardcore PC games to gamers looking for depth and challenge without sacrificing aesthetics.

Play it Cool!

Congrats on the official announcement to Iceberg and Zero!

I can already see the game catching some flak on Facebook and Space Sector saying SD1 is unfinished, but most of those people probably haven't touched the game since launch so try not to let them get you down. As the press release says SD2 will learn from the original's successes and failures and I think that is the best way to address any criticisms. Keep up the good work!

Looking forward to getting my hands on StarDrive 2. I hope that there is a significant beta period. Even small bugs and oversights can do more harm to a games nearly permanent reputation than cool features can do good for it. Since SD2 is being programmed with a better engine, having a polished product on release day should be alot easier. But it will still require the insight and game breaking skills of players who will play it to the max, do the unexpected, rip it a new one.

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Tech Level Mod it's the tech tree on mathoids. (Also new armors, reactors, buildings and much more)

RamboOwl FTW:)

I must say the pics look really nice, much cuter then SD1.

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If someone asks you for the bit depth of a boolean, look them straight in the eye and say, "That's virtual-machine dependent." They'll be impressed.

This is excellent news! It already looks better than 99.9% of 4X games out there, so I'm just uber excited to test it out.

Please let that be soon

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Woo Hoo! Finally some news, if there's a beta sign me up, and Zero don't rush it.

So soon?
I was expecting a release in 2015.

I guess the sooner the better!

Can't wait to pre-order and play the game.

SpaceSector picked up coverage here: http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2014/02 ... announced/

I definitely got my money out of the first one, despite it being somewhat unfinished and also uniquely broken on my machine, which is certainly saying something. I'll no doubt preorder SD2, but there's a lot of skepticism (see comments in link above) about Zero's credibility. I hope SD2 is considerably more bug-free and feature-complete than SD1.

Yay. Just want to say I m looking forward to SD2. Go zero. I have faith in you

Thanks guys. Yeah, SD2 is on a completely different level than SD1. It's going to be so much better. More polished, more content, deeper strategy, better combat. There's a lot of negative energy out there about StarDrive. If someone feels shitty about StarDrive, then I can't argue with them about their feelings. Their feelings are true. But there are some weird ideas about what StarDrive is or isn't, what SDU/SD2 is or isn't. Who I am and what my motives are.

My motive is to make the best space 4x game. I think that people who are upset at me, a lot of that is they believe that I was on the right track, but failed them. That I abandoned the quest and left them hanging. You know, if they think that, then it's true. At least to them.

But to me, StarDrive not only lives but thrives here in SD2. The tech I'm building right now is going to be able to support StarDrive for years to come. We're going to do a ton of cool shit with it. So haters gonna hate, but StarDrive is going to improve. Haters can come along for the ride or not. I suspect they will. You can see the play-time of the most vocal haters and it's always way above the average.