Alarms blare and space fighters scramble from docking bays to keep attacking craft away from vulnerable civilian transports.Players must issue frantic orders to protect the rag-tag flotilla of humanity's remnants against everything from bombers to nuclear missiles, as a timer counts down until they can escape in a faster-than-light jump.The scenario is drawn straight from the initial episodes of the 2004 "Battlestar Galactica" TV series, which drew acclaim as a dark, character-driven reboot of the flashy and superficial 1978 original series.The later "Battlestar" was "one of the first big American series, a bit more complex and rich," said Julien Cotret, co-founder of French development studio Alt Shift.There was also "an indie approach, including the resources they had, and that matched well with our indie DNA," he added.Alt Shift put together "Shattered Hopes" with a dozen-strong team backed up by just a few freelancers, chief executive Frederic Lopez said.The Montpellier-based company secured the "Battlestar" license almost by accident, he said, after mentioning it as an ambition in passing as they pitched a different game to publishers.But the franchise had already spurred one of their previous titles, "Crying Suns", which was inspired by the same last-ditch space defence scenario.