Conquest is a real-time strategy game set in the deep reaches of space. The player commands a vast armada of ships, refineries, and research facilities to become the dominant force in the universe.

The game was originally announced in 2004, but a group of experienced game designers in Austin, Peezocker, Inc., has turned to Kickstarter to raise money for the sequel: Conquest 2: The Vyrium Uprising.

Contributors will have special access to the game’s development including live design meetings, a private forum and private IRC channels. Other contributor opportunities will include having their likeness and voice in the game and, at higher contribution levels, a personal LAN party provided by the dev team in the contributor’s home town. And everyone who takes part in the Kickstarter campaign will be able to purchase the game at a reduced rate.

“We are huge fans of the RTS genre and we worked on the original game and witnessed its successful launch 11 years ago,” said Eric Peterson, the game’s producer. “But in recent years the support for great RTS games has declined at the publishing level.

“Instead of paying a one-time fee and getting infinite replay ability, players now have to pay for small add-ons or micro-transactions. This can cost gamers hundreds of extra dollars for content that used to come with the original purchase. And while that may be good for the publisher’s bottom line, it feels like a rip-off to us,” said Peterson.

“We have been working on the sequel to Frontier Wars and just need a little help to finish it. Kickstarter offers a unique opportunity to raise the money and as an added bonus, gets our fans more directly involved with project development and ultimately the final product.”

Gameplay revolves around collecting resources, building a fleet, and expanding to neighboring star systems. Take command of one of four different races, construct massive fleets, explore, colonize and gather resources on far-flung worlds, and conduct scientific research and weapons development. But most of all, prepare for the Great War that threatens to destroy the galaxy and bring about a new dark age.

Conquest 2: The Vyrium Upising returns to the Conquest universe forty years after the Frontier War. It has been a time of peace between Terrans and the energy-based Celareons and banishment to the edges of known space for the insectoid Mantis. But a new threat has erupted from within. A reptilian race known as the Vyrium have emerged as an expanding power to be reckoned with. Ill content with any form of control, they are now bent on galactic domination.

The art of Conquest is stylized realism with rich and saturated colors. The world is a fully polygonal 3D environment with particle explosions that include the ships’ own hulls amongst the debris. Damaged hulls display raging fires and out-of-control energy. Full lighting effects illuminate the combatants and surrounding space.

The world of Conquest is saturated with sound - the pulse of industry, the heat of battle, commiques with your commanders - and music that underscores all with tension and power. Audio is used to warn you of threats and attacks in far-off star systems so you don’t let a fleet come to an ill end from neglect.

Key Features:

• Stunning 3D Space - 3rd-person with rotating camera, parallax bump mapping and self-shadowing create hyper-realistic environments.
• Advanced Visual Effects - Particles, animation, sound, and lighting interact easily with a node-based editor and playback system.Unique
• Technologies and Ancient Artifacts - Customize flag ships or special ships in your fleet by researching unique technologies or discovering ancient alien artifacts.
• Random Space Encounters - Surprises in single-player or added spice for multiplayer, encounter unique fleets or massive space monsters.
• Four Races, Four Campaigns - Command one of four unique races, each with their own special tactics.
• Threaded Loading - Play in multiple systems, maintain supply lines, train fleet admirals to handle large fleets.

Team Peezocker is made up of developers who have worked on more than 20 titles on multiple platforms including Wing Commander, Ultima, Starlancer and Conquest: Frontier Wars. Peezocker’s goal is to raise $675,000 in the Kickstarter campaign which is open through June 8.