TL:DR - I started this game 16 years ago. I have built lifelong friends, and have my most memorable gaming moments from this game. Its a Niche title that remained hidden for a long time. If you are even tempted a little to give this game a go I strongly suggest you give it a chance. It has such unique features that you simply don't find in other MMOs, and the community is amazing. - Feel free to add my character if you do - "Rascal"

Features:
- Build bases and own entire galaxies
- Mine , Trade , Mission or Combat your way to victory
- Join large teams who complete raids together, build economic trade routes and run galaxies together
- Be a droner , A fleet master , A healer , A sniper , A stealth expert or a fighter pilot
- Create slave ships to defend your trade fleet , or to bodyguard you and your allies
- PVP in a controlled way, that makes large team battles fun but lets you enjoy galaxies in peace when your not feeling it.
- Harvest rare ship and weapon blueprints from your factory planets/galaxies , or as drops in dungeons.
- Hunt down roaming mini-bosses who drop rare augs and resources

I started playing Star Sonata back in 2004. It was the game that I have the most fondest memories of. It had things that even to this day I have not seen in an MMO. You could build bases and load out galaxies with drones and slave ships. Teamwork was vital, you would join a large faction and battle to defend your slice of the universe. Your bases would mine resources for you and rare ship/weapon blueprints. Other teams would try to take the galaxies from you but combat was balanced and politics often meant you could cut deals to trade your galaxies commodities with other teams who also had things you wanted.

Every cycle a team would fight to become the galaxy leaders and put an emperor on the throne. The team would defend their palace and call on alliances to help protect it long enough for them to claim leadership. Other teams would try to wipe them out and delay the galaxy reset. Teams that managed to claim the universe would be forever remembered as the admins would name galaxies after them and award them with the rarest loot. Then the galaxy resets, you re-join and with your team you work to explore and establish new galaxy bases all over again. You keep all of your items and skills from before the reset, and each time you grow stronger as a team.

Fast forward 16 years and I've downloaded the game on steam again. I jumped into the discord channel to check out the community and was pleased to see its still a thriving and friendly place. The game creator is in there. The admins are wicked and the moderators help you with any questions you might have.

The game has come a long way, but everything that made this game great remains today.