Classics On Deck #9: Starsector (2011) / The Settlers II: 10th Anniversary (2006)

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We're heading into the weekend, so it's time for another Classics on Deck! Last week, we took a look at Jazz Jackrabbit 2, as well as Warcraft III. This week, we're going a little more modern, taking a look at single-player space adventure Starsector from 2011 (by Michael Baker), and The Settlers 2: 10th Anniversary from 2006 (by Oliver Stogden).

Starsector (2011)

• Digital Availability: Not on Steam, but is available on FractalSoftworks for purchase. DRM free
• Version Tested: Latest Version of the game (0.98a)
• Wine/Proton Version Used: Proton Experimental

Installation

Starsector might be the best game that is unavailable on Steam. Developed by a small team led by Alex, Starsector is a massive, open-ended space sandbox where the cosmos is your oyster. While it is unavailable on Steam, it is an installation process that is easy enough once you have purchased the game.

Whatever way of installation, I recommend using the Proton Experimental compatibility layer, as it ran better for me.

Using Lutris, the process is straightforward. Use “Install a Windows game from an executable” when adding a game to Lutris. I named my folder "Starsector”, but you can name it whatever you want. Proceed along the Lutris steps. Select the “Setup.exe” file on the root of the disc as the setup file for the game when Lutris prompts you for one. Proceed with the installation as usual.

Once you’ve saved the new configuration, you can boot the game as normal from Steam if you made a Steam Shortcut, or from Lutris otherwise. If all else fails, or if you run into a problem with Lutris, you can install it on another platform and transfer the installed folder to the Steam Deck through a flash drive, then make a shortcut through Steam. Use the Keyboard WASD and Mouse controller profile, and boot the game. It will request the CD Key you received upon purchase, but you are good to go once that's activated.

Steam Deck Performance & Issues

Starsector runs very well on the Steam Deck, although it has a high power draw when using its full power. Controlling your fleet and navigating menus feels fluid with the base controller profile, and I had no problems seeing the text.

For best results, I recommend keeping a 60FPS framerate lock. The game runs great even on max settings, but it will chew through battery life with no tinkering with an average power draw of 14 watts. Fortunately, it runs well even on a low TDP. If you’re willing to cut out some of the nicer space effects, Starsector is steady at 60FPS even at a 4W TDP, cutting the average power draw to just 7 watts.

Gameplay

Starsector is one of my favorite indie games. This massive space sandbox boasts great combat and fleet management mechanics, with some impressive lore to discover too. Oh, and it has an enormous modding community too. Check out this awesome review from Sseth on the game, but I highly recommend picking this up.

The Settlers II: 10th Anniversary (2006)

• Digital Availability: GOG.com
• Version Tested: GOG
• Wine/Proton Version Used: Wine-GE 8-26

Installation

Installation is really simple for The Settlers II: 10th Anniversary, just connect your GOG Account to Lutris or the Heroic Game Launcher, and install the game from your library. On Lutris, the default "GOG" installer works fine, and once it's installed, just create a Steam shortcut by right-clicking the game in your Lutris library, and you can go back to game mode and play.

Steam Deck Performance & Issues

You'll want to use the Keyboard (WASD) & Mouse layout for this game, but the controls are pretty basic, so it isn't too much of a hassle controlling it on the Steam Deck.

For me, the game defaulted to max graphical settings, which you'll want to keep. However, you will want to change the resolution from the default 1024x768 to 1280x800, which gives us a clearer image and removes any black borders.

Performance is solid, and the game should maintain 60 FPS throughout with fairly low battery drain. I mostly saw the game using around 9- 10W in the early to mid-game. Zooming in on the closest setting saw my frame rate drop to around 40 FPS, but I'm not sure why, as neither the CPU nor the GPU were stressed. There is little reason to ever zoom in on the game in general gameplay.

Gameplay

The Settlers II: 10th Anniversary sticks close to the original regarding gameplay. The game's main focus is to set up an efficient and functional economy. There are a few production chains, but as this is based on a game from 1996, it's a bit basic by modern standards, with only really four or five chains to complete. For instance, it doesn't compare to a modern ANNO title, but it's still fun to plan out.

While a lot of the early game is based around city planning, once your borders touch an opponent's borders, the strategic side of the game kicks in, where you must attack and defend to maintain and expand your territory, with the ultimate goal of taking over the map.

The game does support Direct IP and LAN multiplayer, which may work, although I did not test this on the Steam Deck.

That's it for this week's Classics on Deck. We'll return with more classic games on your Steam Deck next week.

Let us know in the comments below if you want us to check out any specific games, too, and we will add them to the list of games we plan on finding and testing.

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