The Mandate (rather fetchingly subtitled “One Rule; No Quarter”) is a science-fiction role-playing game. It’s also a ship-to-ship combat game. It also has elements of real-time strategy, resource management and base-building in it. So I guess it’s kind of like (and I’m growing increasingly weary of drawing game-mash-up-comparisons like this) Mass Effect meets Home World meets Star Command meets my heart.
In The Mandate, humanity has spread itself across the galaxy using jump-gates that kind of look like the Citadel from Mass Effect and that also behave like the Mass Relays. There’s an empire in control of all of this, and said empire gives off a serious Russian monarchy vibe; that’s probably because of the Russian sounding music, Russian propaganda posters, Russian accents. and the fact that they’re Russian. Funny that. Anyway, we’re space Russians, and we’re busy fighting a rebellion that started in the fringe colonies. I love space rebellions! Too bad we’re playing a disgraced officer who is released from prison in order to aid the empress in her battle against said rebels.
In The Mandate, there’s an emphasis being placed on your crew and the interactions you’ll have with them on board your Mandate ship. There’s a big plotline planned, with multiple characters and it is hoped that you will form some serious attachment to a number of your crew members. That’ll make it all the more gut-wrenching when they’re killed in a boarding operation, or sucked out the ship thanks to a break in the hull because you suck at ship-to-ship combat.
You’ll be able to customise your ship as well as build bases across space. All ship modifactions and base builsing is modular, which means “it’s kind of like LEGOs but with space ships”. Of course, in order to build bases and modify your ship, you’ll need to acquire resources and explore the the galaxy.
The team working on The Mandate is spread all over the world, which must be somewhat of a logistical nightmare. Be that as it may, the team (dubbed Perihelion Interactive LLC) has a Kickstarter campaign in an attempt to collect $500,000 to fund the game. It’s been on for almost the whole month and has managed to rack up just over $190,000 so far. There’s another month to go.
You can check out the Kickstarter pitch below. The game is looking rather enticing, even if there’s an over-emphasis on taking things “to the next level” – aghhh, I hate that expression!
Source: Kickstarter