SunDog: Frozen Progress

Why is it that all these space games all seem to have something that ruins the experience? Actual, proper open-ended space games. Space Vikings is the slowest game I've ever played. Off this blog, I've played many space games, and if they're not "fly here to here" in real-time, they're "you have to wait to do this action or get this item". Anything that doesn't do that just has overarching space as linkage between battles; There's nothing to do there. There's all this talk of space being incredibly big, and that's true, but considering how many problems there are with this kind of stuff already, I think the largeness of space has been simulated well-enough.
So last I left off on SunDog, I was effectively trapped on the starting planet until I figured out how to get my shields working. Since that, is what I assume I'm not getting when it comes to not blowing up through a simple interplanetary journey. I was going to go for 2 control modules, a couple J-junc modules, whatever they were, photon bridge. This is what I was going to fix that wasn't an engine or a gun. Fighting could wait until I didn't die doing something humans have already mastered.
So, I wander around the city, trying to find a bank, until eventually...

Oh, damnation...

This isn't good, all my money's tied up in trade goods. Except, wait a minute, I somehow managed to buy the one item I could barely afford? No matter, I just have to hope that crossing the area in a lander is safer than crossing it by foot.
 

When you get down to it, everything's just a different style of Art Deco

City...eh...its named something or another. Its got a different city style, which is just fantastic. Everything really important is the same, so it doesn't really matter, but its still annoying. Imagine putting in all that effort and only getting annoying as a response. However, luckily for me, I find the commodity exchange and make a profit on my art objects. Score. Now I just have to hope I can figure out what to sell for a high price back where I started.

What kind of madman just puts a maze in their town?

Next, I have to find a bank. I could go back, but I want to get some items first, in case they prove hard-to-find. Besides, this town has an awful layout and I want to get everything done I might possibly do done. There's a unique maze time in here, and I don't know what its deal is, but I just know something bad is going to happen and I'll have to come back.

This is nice for 4 or 5 colors

I have an observation about the world map. Its annoying and feels oddly, the least realistic of any in-game element. There are no real paths or any convenient ways to reach another town. There's no reason why cities without starports need to have a convoluted path to the city with the starport. I realize this was probably all randomized when they created it, but I feel cheated.

Frankly, if space is like this, I don't know how anyone ventures outside their planet

Back at Drahew, my choice of trade good proves an unwise investment. Which means I can go around the planet again, unwise, but possibly necessary, or see if my improved ship can travel through space now without self-destructing. It certainly worked wonders for the stats of my ship, but I'm unsure if that's going to do anything good.

Is this a city or someone's amusement park?

Somehow, I make it to the other planet. For not much point, I estimate the little I made on the trade is going to get eaten up by repairs and the dozens of parts I need to fix the sub-systems. There are also multiple mazes here, including two together, so its not important...okay. This leads to my current problem. Am I getting attacked or is this an error with the project? Turns out I'm expecting sound where it isn't, because I can't read. Oh, well, still better than playing it in a ST emulator.

See the yellow thing? That's the ship

I figure out how to strike back at these guys trying to destroy me. Its typical of the era, in that I don't care for it, I'm just moving my cursor around to hit a target and there's not really any movement in this. The target moves around a lot and is tiny. Its not very difficult to kill...one at a time...but its not fun. Of course my ship loses one of the sub-systems controlling flight, which is ticking me off. After repairing it, and attempting to continue my flight, another ship almost immediately attacks me. Maybe I just had bad luck there, but something tells me this game isn't just throwing bad luck at me. I'm going to be killing pirates all the way to the other planet. I don't see any reason for this. Is this deep in pirate space? This seems like a law-abiding bunch with a few bad eggs? Why is it so bad the second I go into outer space I get attacked? Its just a cruel trick you play on the player.

Reminds me of The Twilight Zone video game, where you can pick up your wallet, but if you go outside with it, you get mugged. Although I accept this slightly more here, since space ships have scanners in most settings. So, I have to just trade on the planet I'm currently on. Oh, joy. Guess I'm just going to have to work my way through this...probably not going to be another entry on this for a few days.

This Session: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours