Offworld Trading Company

Offworld Trading Company is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Mohawk Games and published by Stardock. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in April 2016.

Offworld Trading Company
Developer(s)Mohawk Games
Publisher(s)Stardock
Designer(s)Soren Johnson 
Composer(s)Christopher Tin 
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, macOS
ReleaseApril 28, 2016
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Offworld Trading Company is a science fiction themed real-time strategy video game set on Mars.[1] Featuring economic warfare ranging from hostile takeovers to sabotage,[1] it puts the player in charge of one of four titular offworld trading companies. The players' choice of faction comes after they have their first look at the map, allowing them to tailor their choices to the situation. Regardless of their choice, players land their HQ and begin to construct resource extractors on the neighboring hexes.

There are thirteen resources in the game. Water, Aluminum, Iron, Silicon, and Carbon are extractable from hexes that contain those resources. Power can be generated by building a power plant, with different limitations depending on the type of power plant being built, and is usually used to power buildings. Steel mills generate steel from iron. Farms make food from water. Hydrolysis reactors break water apart into oxygen and fuel. Glass kilns produce glass from oxygen and silicon. Electronics factories produce electronics from silicon, carbon, and aluminum. Chemical refineries produce chemicals from carbon and fuel. Finally, money can be produced by selling stockpiles of resources.

Supply and demand fluctuates constantly. If a player is buying large sums of glass for an expansion, their rival could be gearing up glass kilns to make a handsome profit. The game also offers more direct ways of engaging a player. Through the black market, a player can purchase anything from underground nukes that wipe out resource pockets to mutinies that divert a rival's wealth into their pocket. When a player purchases something from the black market, however, its price rises, giving a wary opponent a chance to prepare a defense, usually in the form of a goon squad. The goon squad protects a single structure from most sabotage actions, capable of stealing the sabotage for yourself.

The end goal of the game is to buy a majority stake in every offworld trading company in the game. If a player loses majority stockholdership in their own company, or is subjected to a very expensive hostile takeover, they are eliminated from the game, but can elect to watch as an observer. Players are warned when an opposing player earns enough money to buy them out (but the opposing player is not alerted), which usually results in tense, desperate races to earn money.[2][3][4]

Development and release

Offworld Trading Company was developed by Mohawk Games and published by Stardock.[1] An in-development version of the game was released via early access.[1] The full game was released for Windows and OS X on April 28, 2016.[1]

The game's score was written by Christopher Tin.

Reception

Offworld Trading Company received "generally favorable" reviews from critics according to aggregate review website Metacritic.[5]

References
  1. Meer, Alec (April 8, 2016). "Offworld Trading Co Comes On-World Later This Month". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  2. Stapleton, Dan (April 28, 2016). "Offworld Trading Company Review". IGN. IGN. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  3. Elliott, Matt (May 5, 2016). "Offworld Trading Company Review". PC Gamer. Future plc.
  4. "Offworld Trading Company". Stardock. Feb 27, 2017.
  5. "Offworld Trading Company". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
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