VEGA Conflict

Overview
VEGA Conflict is a free to play massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game by the gaming company Kixeye that was launched in 2013, available to play on Facebook initially and on Steam as of 2016. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have disabled the NPAPI plugin which VEGA Conflict uses for playing the game in-browser, but Internet Explorer can still be used to play the game directly from their webpage if you have Unity Web Player. In the game, you can "stake your claim, customize your fleet, and wage epic war in space". VEGA Conflict is very similar to Battle Pirates, except the setting is in space.

Players start as a young aspiring Miner Rebellion commander. They can engage in battle with the many divisions of the oppressive VEGA Federation as well as numerous other extraterrestrial threats such as the unrelenting Xeno Virus, the malevolent Altairians, the sinister Umbra, and the rogue Pharmakon A.I., or fight other rogue players in a battle for resources and survival.

Players can choose from a wide selection of hulls and equipment and construct over 80 different types of warships ranging from fast and maneuverable frigates to massive dreadnoughts and carriers, and customize them with special armor and other unique weapons. Manage fleets, and launch them into orbit to attack other player fleets, raid their bases, or journey into deep space to destroy enemy faction targets.

Players can also participate in exclusive special events to unlock new ship hulls, and obtain new weapons and defenses. Engage in real-time, synchronous player-versus-player and player-versus-environment combat with thousands of players around the world. They can Join in or form their own alliances with other players in your sector.

Gameplay
As a real-time strategy game, players are expected to strategize their base development, fleet setup, battle tactics, as well as diplomacy, in order to successfully flourish in VEGA Conflict.

Players can choose to battle with NPC Targets or other players on their planet, in their sector, or even their galaxy. Defeating NPC Targets typically result in Resources, Fleet Commander XP, and possibly Blueprints or Reusable Items. On the other hand, defeating player fleets reward Fleet Commander XP, while defeating player bases reward Medals, which determine a player's leaderboard ranking.

During specific events, players are given the opportunity to test their base defense against NPC attackers to earn event points.

Synopsis
It all started when Miners working for the VEGA Federation's Mining Division chanced upon asteroids rich in resources and begun mining them for their own use. VEGA Federation capitalised on it, claiming the resources from the rebels on the grounds of official property, leaving them with nothing for themselves. The rebels, unhappy with this, initiated an uprising and have since begun open war with the VEGA Federation, openly attacking either their resource cargo fleets in the planet or their sector cargo fleets carrying resources to distant sectors.

Despite VEGA Federation bringing in backup in the form of VEGA Security and the VEGA Demon Corps military division, the rebels have refused to back down, and continue to oppose their rule on the galaxy. Since then, powerful new threats such as the Xeno Plague, as well as the Altairians and Pharmakon have emerged from within the deepest reaches of space, and the rebels must adapt to survive what lurks in the darkest reaches of the void.

Read more about the storyline in the respective faction and event pages.

Development
KIXEYE begun closed beta for VEGA Conflict in early 2012, at that time, only a select group of players were allowed into the game. Over time, KIXEYE allowed more and more players to join, and they officially launched the game to the public in early 2013. VEGA Conflict's first special event, Uprising debutted soon after in early 2014, and many more have been held after that.

In 2015, KIXEYE has expanded the scope of the game and made it cross-platform, making it available on Google Play in May 2015, and on Apple in Aug 2015 soon after. This was followed by a large rebalance to many of the hulls and weapons soon after in 2016, and since then, KIXEYE has continuously updated the game with new features and content as well as factions.

Community
While small compared to most other games, VEGA Conflict has a large player base. Many top Alliances have set up groups on Facebook, Discord and many other social media platforms, and many players have also produced fan-made content for the game in the form of Youtube Videos, walkthroughs and websites dedicated to assisting budding players with progressing through the game.

KIXEYE has also launched initiatives to allow players to preview upcoming content and provide feedback such as the Trusted Testers Initiative as well as the Preview Program, now officially known as the Internal Feedback Server.

In addition to the forums, there is also an official Discord server for the game, where players can chat with the game developers of KIXEYE and interact with other players.

Reception
While the initial reception of VEGA Conflict was quite positive, the current direction of the game has caused the community to display significant distaste. With the introduction of Mk. upgrades, the game has morphed into a grind-intensive experience, rewarding those who have many hours to spend on upgrading their ships, or those who have the money to buy the upgrades directly.

KIXEYE has since toned down the difficulty of NPC Targets in the game as well as the speed at which new content is introduced, thus making it easier for players to progress, although it still remains to be seen if the game has truly taken a step in the right direction.