LeapDrive Tactics
Command a small fleet of ships and drones defending Sol from an ancient alien probe in LeapDrive Tactics. LeapDrive Tactics is a single-player turn-based tactics game developed by SquareDog Studios. The player takes command of the Heavy Cruiser Chicago as you engage the ships and structures built by the Myrathen probe that has been lurking in the Sol system for millions of years.
You will control The Chicago, a heavy cruiser, two wings of combat drones, and a fourth mission-based ship at various locations throughout the Solar system. Battlefields range from the scorching edge of Mercury’s orbit to Neptune’s icy moons to the Trojan dust clouds trailing Jupiter and the chaos of the asteroid belt.
Between missions the Chicago will refit and upgrade at Sylvia Station in the asteroid belt and then be presented with a choice of missions that have implications for the rest of the campaign.
LeapDrive Tactics has a combination of procedurally generated and hand-crafted cinematic missions that combine replayability and a narratively memorable experience.
Background
It has been 80 years since a scientific experiment caused the collapse of Earth into a singularity, forcing a small group of survivors to make the greater solar system their home. While only 40,000 could leave Earth, they also carried the genetic library of nearly all of Earth’s biosphere and millions of human embryos (the ‘ghosts’). The century-long project was to crash-terraform Mars and attempt to build a new Earth.
An accident during departure caused a rift between the survivors that only grew as the terraforming project fell further behind. One group demanded that the survivors abandon the project and instead take their resources and build a sleeper fleet to a Ross 128b where they believed a habitable planet existed. This would necessitate abandoning the ghosts for the cryogenic equipment. This conflict eventually led to violence that culminated in a campaign around Europa where Mankind discovered a new and utterly unique form of life.
Instead of life in the ocean under the icy shell of Europa, the crew of The Chicago discovered light-based life that lived in a matrix of ice and metal molecules that permeated the crust. The Europans advanced theories of mathematics, combined with humanities practical knowledge of physics, led to the discovery of the LeapDrive - a method of instantaneous travel over solar system scale distances.
The use of the LeapDrive by The Chicago ended the war and showed that both the Mars program could be put back on track and a group could journey to Ross 128b to see if it would truly be viable to colonize.
As Humans and Europans work together to understand the LeapDrive, they didn’t know that triggering the effect activated one of the thousands of ancient Myrathen probes that had seeded every star system in this neighborhood of the galaxy…
Gameplay / Key Features
Tactical: Control a small fleet of mixed ships in turn-based combat on a hex grid
Modifying units: Drones are not just capable of combat, but can also form around friendly and enemy ships to modify their capabilities.
Battlefield flexibility: The Chicago has a programmable ordnance system that allows huge flexibility on the battlefield.
Strategic decisions: Determine where in the solar system to engage the Myrathen forces. Different locations will have environmental effects on both your fleet and the enemies. Your decisions will also decide which resources go back to your base.
A developing base: Your base will improve based on the locations you engage and the results of your battles.
Customize your fleet: Use your base to customize and improve your cruiser and drones. Improve your ships, focus on your favorite style of play, or try a completely different style when you replay it again.
Randomized missions with fixed cinematic events: The campaign is a combination of procedural generated missions and hand-crafted cinematic missions to maximize replayability and fun.