Hi all - and thank you for your interest in Stellar Tactics. A few answers to questions posted here:
IronArcturus - Every time you start a new game the universe is generated from a random seed you input in a field. Every location in the game is handcrafted, enemies are manually placed in "sets". Story locations are all handcrafted and not used in the games procedural mission generator. The faction mission generator creates objectives, selects enemy sets, enemy types, and locations that you explore. You can choose the length of these missions from around 45 minutes all the way up to 6 hours or so in length. This game has a beginning and no end - missions are generated forever and you choose when/where to take them. Faction missions award loot, experience, faction and tokens that can be used to purchase faction armor from faction vendors.
The game is not linear other than the prologue up to the point where you can purchase your FTL drive. So, it is not a game that leads you by the nose through content. You set your own goals, explore at your own pace and develop your main character, crew, and ships any way you want. For now, until more story goes into the game, you are set free in an open universe with no goals other than the ones you make for yourself.
darktjm - Space combat is real-time with pause. When you pause space combat, you can scan ships to view their equipment/stats, adjust your shields, power levels, turret targets etc. It plays out and you make adjustments as needed by pausing the game (or in real-time if you want). Space combat is not twitchy or reflex-based.
A Linux version is planned. I have heard that you can run the game in Wine flawlessly right now.
IronArcturus - "Are the star systems randomized?" - Yes, as a solo developer there is no way for me to handcraft 160,000 star systems ;)
Anothername - I will be adding a permadeath mode option for players before the final release - fully optional. As it is, there are quicksaves, autosaves between area transitions and full save-game support anytime, anywhere other than in the middle of combat. There has never been a save-game wipe and there never will be. The save system is fully stable and designed for all future content.
smuggly: Is there a roadmap? I see it's been in EA since 2016. Thanks
Is it true there are no saves/saving in game?
See above regarding saves.
There is a roadmap and "What's next" pinned to the top of the Steam forums. I also post what I'm working on in the game itself (as of the last patch) in the lower right corner of the games main menu so you can always see what I'm working on.