Combat is the crux of the overworld interactions, the flux system is the crux of combat. Starsector's greatest achievement is in how it is able to provide satisfying friction to the gameplay in every facet of its design. The secret to that is the incorporation of the sandbox elements in every pore through extreme dynamism. In short: the hands-off elements feed into the hands-on ones and vice versa which provides some kind of friction to every action the player does. What this means for the player is constant reevaluation of their choices and decisions if they want to succeed in whatever goal they set for themselves. It's incredibly immersive in that regard, reaching heights i've never seen reached before in a video game. Add to that the clever inclusion of arcadey abstractions where it counts in a genre that usually screams realism and you've got yourself a winner.

One of the greatest and rawest games ever made without the shadow of the doubt. The fact that everything gameplay related was basically made by one dude is insane to me.