I just wanted to say how much i love you all who are developing this project. I only recently found this site maybe a few weeks ago. Botf has always been my absolute favorite strategy game. Even with its flaws. i have been heartily saddened ever since my botf disk was somehow magnetized and the installation fails at 52% every time now. so i havent been able to play it in a long time. To see something like this sequel in the works makes me so unbelievably happy. I am eagerly awaiting its release. I've read quite a bit about all the new features and gone through some of the forums. I do have 3 questions though.

1) first off, I've read that a whole new engine was created for the galaxy strategy section of the game. Botf I had the tendency to develop extremely long processing times for turns later on in the game. I was wondering if this is no longer a problem with the new engine. (probably not, just curious. I never quite understood why it took so long in the first one. I mean even when your processor far exceeds the mininum requirements)

2) As to the borg. I've read both that the borg will be a random event like in the first botf, where say a cube wanders into your territory and starts terrorizing your colonies. However, in botf there was never really any borg territory. they just showed up out of nowhere every now and then. I also read that minor and major races(unplayable) may set up their own empires...so I'm just curious as to whether we'll be able to encounter say, the entire borg collective at some point in the game say when our 2 empires collide? (i fervently hope to be smashed to pieces by them. there's something about fighting desperately down to your last ship, knowing your time is at an end. also i like the possibility of encountering the borg and say having them conquer your territory while you take your last ragged fleet with one colony ship to some other part of the galaxy to rebuild) Ok Ive read the "what we've agreed on" thread and answered my own questions. You guys are great when it comes to organizing your info into clear concise lists.

3) Ive read that one of the victory conditions will be domination (which entails conquering 50% of the galaxy), i was just wondering, are you going to give the gamer the option to continue playing after victory is declared? Some other games just stop when u reach their victory condition (like rome:total war. i find it immensely frustrating. what if some fledgeling empire on the distant fringes of the galaxy might someday threaten your huge properous empire?) Just hoping you guys will let us continue after victory conditions are met.

Anyways, i just wanted to say hello and to say thank you to all you people working so hard on this project. there were times when i would have sacrificed my firstborn son to play botf again, except now i won't have to because I'll be able to play a bigger, better version of the game! yay!

Hi! Some of the above can be answered but i would rather let some1 else see this they will be able to give you a better idea at how the below will work.

1) I would imagine that this game will far exceed the quality of the original, as it is a sequal in most respects. I would like to expect the playability will be improved. I guess you will have to wait 4 weeks and find out

2) I have read the borg will be a random (like in BOTF 1) but unlike botf 1 they will take over systems and these systems will then be borg space. So the borg can take over the galaxy unless you pull together and counter there attack.

3) I recently asked the same question and the answer was unsure. Try reading the "Things we all agree on" thread in the game request section of the forum there is a lot of information there on what will/wont be in game and ideas that may be in if possible.

keep posting

Hey there Boxxy, welcome to the site!

As far as I know, Jade's answers are correct. BOTF had many problems, but this is down to the fact that the game was likely rushed. It was the last game made by Microprose afterall, so they did everything they could to make sure it was released on time, before their company fell around their heads. Sadly, they failed to turn their company round with the game, and Microprose is no longer with us.

Many of the faults of BOTF1 were simply because of poor programming - there are several mods that aim to put right the various niggles of the game. However, pobody's nerfect, and there isn't (Yet) a mod that solves EVERY flaw of the game. That's the purpose of BOTF2.

The game is gonna be released very soon, you'll see a time frame of 5-7 weeks batted around a lot, although as Jade said, it is more likely to be 4 weeks by now - this isn't definite though, i'm just a poster like you, i'm not one of the devs, so I can't say the date for sure. It is definitely soon though, so you joined the site at the right time!

BOTF2 is meant as a complete remake of BOTF1. That said, I doubt even after all the hard work that is being put into it, that it will be 100% perfectly free from bugs. You may not have heard this, but the release date comes at a price - the game will NOT be going through BETA testing! (It won't be play-tested! 8O)

It is gonna go straight to general release, because apparently the devs got fed up of requests to join the play testers!

This means that any possible bugs will be found by Joe Bloggs, rather than dedicated play testers before the general release. At least it means that we get the game soon though!

Right then, as to your questions, obviously, the game is a complete rework. New screens, new graphics, hell, it even has new music! As far as I know, it is going to be in a windowed screen - the music will be run from a built-in media player, so if you don't like the music, you can simply play your own. This may have changed though, I really don't know the details for definite.

There will certainly be more options for increased playability, and it will be aimed to be as in-depth as possible. It isn't being designed solely for hard-core gamers though, coz it would be nice if newbies could play as well. Therefore, you'll find your own way of playing the game, and many of the options will be selectable.

The Borg. Feared. Evil. Merciless. Now they are after you! Jade is right, the Borg will be random. You could play an entire game without them appearing. You could play a game and have them appear on turn 2. It will be totally random, but the more advanced you are (Ie. the further you are into the game/more tech you have) the greater the risk of invasion.

You could play the game by keeping at a lower tech level to avoid assimilation, whilst your enemies get obliterated, or you could charge ahead and hope to defeat them with technology. It is up to you.

The Borg wil start off by sending in a single scout ship, probably a Sphere. If you defeat it, eventually, the Borg will send in something bigger. Again, if you defeat it, a bigger ship will eventually appear - possibly even several of them.

If they manage to assimilate a system, that system will become Borg, and they will be able to build their own ships in that system. from that point on, they will spread, and your only hope is to remove them from the Galaxy. You wil not be able to communicate with them. Remember, resistance is futile.

I believe this is how Species 8472 and to a lesser extent, the Sphere builders will also work.

The victory conditions will be different, that is for sure. Some people want more conditions, some people want less. Some want all to apply, whereas others want them to be 'comply with one and you win' type affairs.

It will likely be customisable, so that as many people are happy with the game as possible. What these conditions are exactly though, you'll have to wait and see.

...

If you fancy a look at how the game has progressed so far, take a look at the Database in the downloads section - the Database is the official help system for the game. Whilst the downloadable version is far from complete, it'll give you an idea of what to expect. Oh, and keep an eye out for the joke in the Klingon section!

By the way, if you want to download BOTF1 so you can play it again, go to this link:

http://www.armadafleetcommand.com/botf/index.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=4

There are two versions of an iso copy of the game - be warned though, if you have not bought the game, it is illegal to download it! 8O

It'll let you play BOTF1 without the game disk.

Please don't ask me how to use it though, I haven't got a clue. Sign in (With the same username/password as this site - the addy i've given you links to the parent site for this website) Ask around on the website if you need help, you won't get your head bitten off! There should be a help forum on the site somewhere anyway.

Hope this helps, and happy posting!

(Soorry this post is so long )

Can't give you anymore than that

wow! Thanks for the responses to the questions. You guys are great. also thx matress for that link to the original! I've looked everywhere for a download of the game (mostly on torrent sites) but I've never found a working link, and since I DID buy the game i don't feel guilty at all downloading it. At least this will be something to hold me over until botf2 comes out. Thx!

(by the way if the borg come, I think ill let them take over. who doesnt want to be closer to perfection, i ask you!)

Ahh...just making sure you know the law, I mean, you wouldn't want to break it...would you? 8O

Sorry the post was so long - I tend to get carried away sometimes.

If you have any other questions, i'll be happy to <Try> and answer them for you. And if I can't answer them, i'm sure one of the other guys will be able to, or we'll be able to point you to someone who does.

I know you've only just gotten round to downloading BOTF, but if you want to start modding the game, the downloads section of armadafleetcommand.com has pretty much all the mods you'll ever want:

http://www.armadafleetcommand.com/botf/index.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=2

There is also the tools section that has various editors and things so that you can make your own changes or even mods:

http://www.armadafleetcommand.com/botf/index.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=3

And finally, if you weren't able to get BOTF working properly, there is a patches section:

http://www.armadafleetcommand.com/botf/index.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=1

Have fun.