The heart of StarDrive is its ship design and combat engine.  StarDrive takes a module-based approach to ship design, allowing the player to create custom ship designs where the composition and placement of ship modules really matters to the performance of a ship in combat.  In combat, if your portside armor is taking a beating, then rotate around and show them the starboard side!  Hide behind a friendly capital ship's shields, warp into and out of the fray, launch fighters, lay mines, and so much more. 

Multiplayer in StarDrive will come in two different flavors.  StarDrive will ship with a multiplayer battle arena mode in the DOTA tradition.  In this mode, there will be no researching or designing; instead, players will have to choose how to allocate their starting resources to purchase a fleet comprised of ships which they have previously designed offline.  Killing enemies or achieving objectives will bring you more money which you can use to buy more and better ships.  

The second mode will be a full multiplayer campaign mode.  However, this mode will not be released with the initial versions of StarDrive because it is going to take a little longer to code.

Key Features

• Customize your Race by selecting from a large list of physical traits, socioeconomic traits, and traits relating to your history and tradition
• Deep, module-based ship design as described above
• Lead your forces into battle with your own flagship that you control like an arcade shooter; command your fleets like you would in a real time strategy game with simple mouse commands
• Tactical ground combat to take over enemy planets
• A deep research tree with many dozens of technologies
• Alien Artifacts to find and collect, which give bonuses to your empire
• Rich diplomacy options, allowing you to make and break treaties with alien races; trade technologies and artifacts, sell ships, declare wars, and design joint operations with your allies.
• Finally, MULTIPLAYER.  Do this all with your friends online.  

In order to fund the development Zer0sum games has started a Kickstarter campaign and is looking for $7,500.