<s>
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
is	O
a	O
science	O
fiction	O
multidirectional	O
shooter	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
American	O
studio	O
Lava	O
Lord	O
Games	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Linux	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
focuses	O
on	O
players	O
designing	O
star	O
fighters	O
to	O
fight	O
against	O
other	O
players	O
 '	O
ships	O
in	O
an	O
overhead	O
melee	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
is	O
continuous	O
;	O
New	O
ships	O
and	O
weapons	O
are	O
continuously	O
added	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
is	O
available	O
for	O
beta	O
testing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
basic	O
gameplay	O
in	O
the	O
sequel	O
remains	O
the	O
same	O
,	O
and	O
adds	O
in-game	O
tutorials	O
,	O
new	O
design	O
tools	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
3D	O
graphics	O
engine	O
,	O
and	O
support	O
for	O
Linux	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
objective	O
of	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
is	O
to	O
destroy	O
other	O
player	O
's	O
ships	O
in	O
multi-player	O
online	O
matches	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
's	O
gameplay	O
deviates	O
from	O
that	O
of	O
traditional	O
Shoot	O
'	O
em	O
ups	O
in	O
that	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
provide	O
pre-designed	O
space	O
ships	O
which	O
are	O
then	O
customised	O
by	O
a	O
limited	O
selection	O
of	O
weapons	O
on	O
pre-selected	O
hardpoints	O
,	O
players	O
must	O
design	O
a	O
star	O
fighter	O
in	O
the	O
included	O
ship	O
editor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
gives	O
you	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
parts	O
,	O
including	O
cockpits	O
,	O
trusses	O
,	O
thrusters	O
,	O
guns	O
,	O
batteries	O
and	O
fusion	O
power	O
reactors	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
attributes	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
attributes	O
of	O
spacecraft	O
are	O
determined	O
entirely	O
by	O
the	O
modules	O
used	O
in	O
construction	O
and	O
the	O
arrangement	O
of	O
these	O
modules	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
in	O
this	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
2	I-Application
melee	B-Application
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
many	O
guilds	O
in	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
,	O
each	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
only	O
a	O
loose	O
collection	O
of	O
players	O
interested	O
in	O
playing	O
together	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
has	O
a	O
consistent	O
artistic	O
theme	O
,	O
with	O
heavy	O
use	O
of	O
stylized	O
icons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
by	O
Lava	O
Lord	O
Games	O
and	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
stand-alone	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
online	O
version	O
of	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
1.08	O
available	O
on-line	O
comes	O
with	O
the	O
expansion	O
pack	O
included	O
for	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
2	O
expansion	O
pack	O
has	O
been	O
withdrawn	O
due	O
to	O
lack	O
of	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
to	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
is	O
in	O
public	O
beta	O
testing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
World	O
considered	O
Astro	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
in	O
their	O
overview	O
of	O
"	O
15	O
Great	O
Free	O
Game	O
Sites	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
its	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
top-down	O
2D	O
view	O
.	O
</s>
