## Hi peeps!
As you may know by now, I love **talking** about *games*. Especially games that *impressed me* somehow. However, I want to mix it up a bit. I want to take a look at the **past, present and future** and talk about one game per *part* but not necessarily of the same genre and not necessarily one that is considered *"good"*. This was already the plan from the beginning, but I got *sidetracked* a bit. Also, on a side note, I've never done anything like *this* before and by *this* I mean "*running*" a "*blog*". I've always been playing with the idea of starting one, though, but never really took any real action in it. I guess **it's never too late to try**.

After I posted about **The RTS**, I realized I've played a lot of them. One game in particular was going in *the right direction* on some of its features. When I ask around now if anyone knows or has played that game, I mostly get a negative answer. I found it to be one of the **classics**.

### The Metal

"**Metal Fatigue**" was released about **16 years ago**. It was a *RTS*-game about **giant robots** called "**Combots**" waging war against each other. The *idea* was implemented really well. You needed to *train* special **pilot units** to pilot the *combots* and the *combots* themselves could be outfitted with different parts. There were also vehicles like **tanks** and **bombers**, but the most *epic* part was fighting with those *combots*. 

<center>![Metal Fatigue title](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/metal-fatigue-1.jpg) </center>

There were 2 *resources* in the game:  **Meta-joules** and **Personnel**. *Meta-joules* were the basic "*building blocks*" of everything you could create, while *personnel* was needed to pilot your *combots* or *vehicles*. The *combots* themselves, consisted of *a pair of legs*, 2 different *arms*, *a torso* and *a head*. There were also **alien technologies** scattered around the map and if your *combot* was wielding a *sword*, it would have a better chance at **cutting off** enemy *combot* parts. When a *combot* would be destroyed, the *pilots* ejected and you had to safely get them back to your base. They gained **ranks** as they fought so they were pretty valuable.

<center>![Metal Fatigue Screenshot 1](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/metal-fatigue2.jpg)</center>

Another cool feature of the game was that you could also wage war **underground**. You could go there by building elevators, but were limited to only *ground vehicles* and not *combots*. The biggest resource pools could be found underground, so it was a constant **battle on 2 fronts** where you had to plan how, where and when you would assault and where you would hold your defensive lines.

<center>![MF Screenshot 2](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/536619-metal-fatigue-windows-screenshot-assaulting-an-underground.jpg)</center>

### Make space great again

One of the games I have been following up to its release *this year*, is called **Stellaris**. *Stellaris* is a game all about **Exploration, Expansion, Exploitation and Extermination**, otherwise known as a **4X**-strategy game. In *Stellaris* you take control of a *- custom made -* **civilization** that has just finished building its first **Faster Than Light**-travel system and has launched a **science vessel** into space to explore the *galaxy*.

<center>![Stellaris title](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/stellaris1.jpg)</center>

You can fully customize your race from the way they look, to the appearance of the cities they live in, the climate they can *survive and prosper* in all the way to their *ethics and beliefs*. All races you can create, only differ in appearance, traits and those ethics though. The thing that sets you apart from other civilizations, is the research you invest points in. As your **empire** expands and as time progresses, you will gain access to more technology. That little *science vessel* you send out at the beginning of a playthrough, will find anomalies you can invest research into, unlocking more **research cards** that are drawn out of a pool of cards every time another research finishes. There are 3 branches of research: **Physics**, **Society** and **Engineering**. Each of those branches will lead to specific *events* that happen during the playthrough.

<center>![Stellaris combat](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/stellaris_gamescom_03_combat_2015_07_09-100602818-orig.png)</center>

I very much like the *randomness* of everything, even though you can plan which *path* you will take. The developers are still actively developing new features for the game and are also working hard on expanding on the existing ones.

<center>![Stellaris Universe Map](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/ME3050694015_2.jpg)</center>

The *harvestable resources* in the game are: **Energy Credits**, **Minerals**, **Reserach points (divided into the 3 branches)** and **special resources** that can unlock by researching the *ability to track and harvest* some of them. Those can be a "*special*" power source for "*special*" power plants that will increase the energy gain much more than a normal power plant would. The resources can be **harvested** by either building *mining stations* around *asteroids and planets* or by **colonizing** new planets and build the infrastructure on the planet surface. Off course, you would need **Population** or *Pops* in short to man them.

If you like **Sins of a Solar Empire** or **Homeworld** mixed with a little bit of **Civilization** but with **Real-time** gameplay, I can only advise you grab this gem of a game.

### Islands at war?
**Driftland: the magic revival** reminds me a little bit of the old **Netstorm: Islands at War**, mixed with a bit of **Majesty**. It's still currently in development by the *Poland based* developer **Star Drifters**. *Driftland* will be an *RTS-game* that features a procedurally generated world map and no **micromanagement** of units. Instead, you place objectives on the map and your army will do the rest. 

<center>![Driftland 1](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/Driftland-WIP02.jpg)</center>

You, the player, will take control over a mage who has just been elected as a ruler of a tribe and it is your mission to **4X** your way from your starting island and merge the floating bits and pieces of the world together again. Being *powered by* Unreal Engine 4, means that the graphics will most definitely be a sight for sore eyes.

<center>![Driftland 2](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/Driftland-WIP04.jpg)</center>

There are not a lot more details known about the game yet, but it should give you a small indication of what it will be like. According to [their website](http://www.stardrifters.com/driftland/), it is due for release the **3rd quarter of 2017**.

<center>![Driftland 3](http://www.lonnie.be/steemit/post4/Driftland-WIP03.jpg)</center>

**Tell me**, which games are you most excited about and why? I'm also always interested in expanding my *humble* library, so feel free to comment a playing tip as well. It doesn't matter which genre though. I'm playing everything casually :)

Any way, thank you very much for reading, peeps! Take care!

## Cheers!

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