Originally published at: http://statelyplay.com/2016/11/29/netstorm-successor-hitting-steam-early-access/
1997 might have belonged to the triumvirate of genre-stompers – Total Annihilation, Age of Empires, and Myth – with a hearty sci-fi Blizzard chaser the following year, but there was one game that fought adversity and lived on. Netstorm: Islands at War was an innovative strategy effort that earned the title ‘Best Game Nobody Bought’, largely due to anyone owning the demo being able to convert it to the full game. Ah, those halcyon days. Netstorm did however garner a small but dedicated fan-base, who praised its interesting and comparatively static tactics in contrast to the build-rush nonsense of its peers.
If you never had the chance to play Netstorm, the game is abandonware and enjoys community support to this day.
All is not lost if motivated exclusively by the glittering technology of today. Storm Isle Productions and Longshot Studios are heaving Stratus: Battle For The Sky into our laps soonish. Have a blurb from the Early Access page.
Stratus: Battle For The Sky is a unique RTS reboot the game style mechanics of the old RTS, Netstorm: Islands at War with the help of the original developers under a new IP and game work.Enter the world of Stratus, ruled by the powerful and fickle Tempest gods of Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Sun.
The world of Sonus is torn by powerful, eternal storms. The native inhabitants live on the majestic islands hovering high above the billowing maelstrom. Even though the inhabitants normally live in the calmer skies, their islands, over time, will be called down to the lower levels by the Tempests during what the natives call “Times of Descent”. There, they battle to prove their faction’s worthiness to the Tempests and in so doing ascend once more to the peaceful higher realms.
Take control of a high priest of Sonus. Your faction’s priest may align to any one of the Tempest by constructing a temple dedicated to one of your choosing. Your priest is your avatar, and through your priest you may cast powerful spells to turn the tide of battle and aid your units.
Though your priest is your avatar in-game, he is also your enemies number one goal to capture to submit as an offering to their chosen Tempest through an altar they construct.Stratus: battle for the sky will be released as early access and will continue to be developed and updated over time as we roll out further game features beyond first early access release, what to expect in EA
- Account creation for the access and logging on to the online 3D battle server.
- Basic island capture working with construction of temples and shrines.
- Resource collection for collecting resources for your economy
- Bridging and island connection with bridges.
- Basic element of combat of placed units.
- Two complete factions with Sun faction and Rain faction with all of their faction aligned units.
Soon enough, we’ll once again be planting turrets and temples on the precipices of high-altitude archipelagos. Rest assured, I’ll give you the skinny when it drops.