Would you consider Star Ruler 2 a failure?

[Alpharius]

Star Ruler 2 is a real time space strategy game. It focuses on grand-scale space empire management in which players have the opportunity to manage entire star systems. They can build customizable fleets, and engage in diplomacy with other factions whenever it's necessary. Although, there was a lot of positive reviews about the game but it didn't achieve a serious sales figure.

What do you think would have been the reason why Star Ruler 2 didn't have much commercial sales success?

 

[Havoc]

I saw an article about this recently while doing so research and I have dug further.
Star Ruler 2's commercial struggles are likely a combination of market timing, limited resources, and design choices.

The game launched in 2015. If you remember, this period was very competitive for space strategy games. Well-funded titles like Stellaris and Galactic Civilizations III were dominating the market at this time. Blind Mind Studios was a small independent studio, so it faced significant challenges in getting its game noticed without the marketing budgets and reach of larger publishers.

Another issue I have seen mentioned is the game's core design. Many gamers say they were happy that Star Ruler 2 offered innovative features like its unique economy system and detailed ship design mechanics. However, these systems turned out to be too complex for some players. The game ended up having a steep learning curve, and this was combined with an interface that wasn't as polished as its competitors. Combining these two led to barriers for casual strategy fans who might otherwise have given the game a chance.

Star Ruler 2's limited post-launch development and support also meant it struggled to maintain player engagement in an era where games are expected to grow and improve over time. Remember, modern strategy games thrive on continuous updates and expansions, building communities around evolving content. Without these, the game is likely to die.

The developers eventually made the bold decision to release Star Ruler 2 as open source, ensuring their innovative ideas wouldn't be lost. This has allowed the community to continue refining and expanding upon the game's unique mechanics. This has created a lasting legacy despite the game's initial commercial challenges.

This move also helped preserve the game's unique innovations and mechanics for future players and developers to learn from.

In many ways, this decision transformed what might have been seen as a commercial disappointment into a valuable contribution to the gaming community and future developers.

 

[Battlemind]

Even though Star Ruler 2 didn't receive the same level of commercial success as some other RTS games, the game has a dedicated fanbase and is quite appreciated for its depth, complexity, and unique features. This is a great game for those who enjoy complex, grand strategy space games.

 

[spongebob]

Personally, I wouldn't label it a big failure because it didn't make so much high numbers in sales. Apart from that, the game was well received and appreciated by so many RTS game's fan. They didn't throw it under the bus for me to consider it a failure.