Indie developer Cliff Harris from Positech Games has released “The Outcasts“, the seventh DLC/expansion pack for his space strategy game Gratuitous Space Battles.

Gratuitous Space Battles combines simulation and strategy elements with a particular focus on ship design and space battles. In GSB you arrange your ships into fleets, instruct them what they need to do in battle, and then sit down and enjoy the fireworks. It’s a lot about watching your spaceship creations in action with minimal human interaction. The game is fun but this lack of combat interactivity didn’t allow it to reach its full potential. Check out our GSB review for more information on the base game.

The Outcasts brings the following new content:

• 10 new ships: 4 cruisers, 3 frigates and 3 fighters – by the same artist who did the original GSB artwork;
• 6 new ship equipment modules – mostly for the new Outcasts race;
• 2 new scenarios: two new maps to fight against the Outcasts (in three difficulty modes each), and to use in online challenges.

See here for the details.

This new DLC/expansion pack requires the base Gratuitous Space Battles game. The Outcasts is currently on launch sale on GamersGate and Steam for $4.79. Full price will be $5.99. Alternatively, you can also buy the DLC directly from the dev’s website. This expansion runs on the Windows PC.

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7 Comments

1. SQW says:

   January 16, 2013 at 8:18 pm

   I absolutely LOVE the aesthetics of the game but the set piece battle really turned me off after just a few hours (I AM okay with the spectator part of the combat though). The attempt to give the battle more context in that other empire building expansion fell way short too. =(

   Someone licence that engine and put it in a traditional 4X game! A 2D SOTS game in this vein would be the one game that might just break my no-prepurchase rule. =)

   • Jeff P says:

     January 16, 2013 at 8:27 pm

     Good idea, SQW, but I would suggest that Gal Civ II as the beneficiary. I enjoy the tactical combat game too much in SoTS to exchange it for spectator-only.

   • SQW says:

     January 16, 2013 at 9:24 pm

     Large SOTS battles with bring most PCs to their knees…and that’s just the original! Arming the ships with swarm launchers and the like is just begging to play the game as a slide show. =)

     But yeah, active control is good. I’m just saying I’d trade the realism of SOTS II for the less demanding but no less gorgeous aesthetics of GSB in a 4X game.

2. Mark says:

   January 17, 2013 at 8:10 am

   I don’t like the fact that you cant control anything at all in the actual battle, cant believe the dev though this would be a remotely good idea. Its no fun to be stuck twiddling my thumbs while I watch all my ships fight. Epic fail. :(

3. Alien JD says:

   January 17, 2013 at 10:54 am

   Cliffsky added direct control of the ships months ago. The game is about designing and planning rather than twitching but you can twitch now if that’s your thing :)

   • Mark says:

     January 17, 2013 at 10:02 pm

     I have a much older version and haven’t been keeping up with the progress since I found that version about as interesting as watching grass grow.

     Good move on the Dev’s part to allow you to do something during combat.

4. Janek says:

   January 18, 2013 at 2:22 am

   There was also a kind of sequel to gsp – Gratuitous Tank Battles which was kind of a modified tower defence game.

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