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Outer Heaven posted:I just spent two hours just watching the game play itself just so that I can learn better how it works. I think I got the hang of it though I haven't really tried playing myself yet. What's puzzling is that the AI is supposed to be decent because managing everything yourself is supposed to be too daunting. So, can the AI also win without any player input? I still own the base game, though I need to redownload, and maybe get those expansions. The AI can manage well enough, but it's not exactly aggressive enough to win for you. Wonder if they sorted out pirates stealing your(Likely superior) designs even before you've deployed any(thus making them probably the biggest potential threat in the game)? They stopped most of the ways to make a true 'super ship' as I recall, and rightly so. Still, it was good making a 'refinery' that was capable of tearing up fleets and worlds.
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Oct 30, 2011 03:43
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Don't know about the main A.I, but the Pirates could use your own designs for 'standard' ships. Since your designs were usually fairly superior to the AI...
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Feb 2, 2013 05:15
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Bad WolfZxc posted:E: I'm trying to figure out the research rate in this game. I see the numbers followed by a k and I see the empire research potential and the output for each tech tree, but what is that in time. What is the rate of say 140k in time? Hard to say. I DO know that you get a research 'pulse'(When you get your research added to your techs) every 7-14 days or so. But I don't know the costs, and there doesn't seem to be anything in the game folders saying what the base costs are. Unless there's files I'm missing, much as with Defines.lua with Crusader Kings 2(Doesn't look like an editable file, but is). Bloodly fucked around with this message at 07:45 on Feb 27, 2013 |
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Feb 27, 2013 07:40
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I tend to create Research/Resort hybrids. Well, most of the research places are also resort places by default, so why not? It's not like the AI ever builds Resorts.
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Feb 27, 2013 08:47
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Bouchacha posted:What's a good primer on designing ships? I mainly get stuck (just like in Moo2) about which and how many weapons to use, and which balance to strike between shields, armor, and maneuverability. Range advantage can be important, especially for fixed position, so early Torpedoes and Missiles are good. Rail Guns seem to suck royally. I tend to go balanced, but heavy on Fighters, which restricts what else I can put on it thanks to the size of the bays. I can't tell if Fighters are any good, though. I tend to use one ship design for my purposes, usually a escort class. I suppose I should use more classes for different weapons, if only so the AI will use such for attacks(The attack AI wants to make fleets of multiple ship types if it can). Of course, this means an arms race with the pirates-the 'stealing your designs' thing is still a thing. Something I learned recently-give a state ship mining parts, you can mine a place at will, and it will return them to a base/colony once full. Less efficient than a base, but if you want something specific... Bloodly fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Mar 4, 2013 |
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Mar 4, 2013 19:27
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Certainly that's what's said at the official forums, and it seems to be true. Retooling in those cases is a matter of retiring it and rebuilding fresh.
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Mar 5, 2013 08:52
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The concern may be more due to Steamworks than Steam, if that makes sense. Valve have somehow finagled themselves into the position where it's lying over the entire PC gaming industry from biggest to smallest like a lazy cat-god demanding tribute. This despite Steam at start doing terribly at it's start-'it should have died', one could argue. Even old games Steam or Gamersgate or etc sells like UFO:Enemy Unknown, which HAD no 'protection', will say it needs Steamworks now. It's a very concerning thing, personally. How did they get themselves into this position where everyone trusts them with everything that is gaming? And what happens when the whole thing breaks down as it will inevitably?(He says as he plays Warlock: Master of the Arcane. Yes, I'm pretty much a hypocrite after breaking my own 'embargo' for the sake of one game.) ...Regardless, knocking aside GOG IS a very stupid move.
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Apr 3, 2013 00:54
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Hopefully it will mean that races that are weaker in ground combat won't be completely hosed-tech and unlocked forces may help with the weakness better now. As it is now, you can't invade(Not nice, but understandable), and you can't resist invasion(Ridiculous). And war isn't always avoidable.
Bloodly fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Apr 28, 2013 |
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Apr 28, 2013 19:30
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Malcolm posted:Everything is on sale and this sounds so awesome... just tell me this, do you still need to download and install a separate Matrix Games launcher program for all this? As an IT person my favorite type of application is an .exe file that you can run without logging in to anything. I realize this is a lot to ask for these days, but I am curious if you need to run Matrix's wannabe Steam just to launch DW. I have no problem paying for things, but I like to know what kind of DRM is attached which was not made clear on the store page. Thanks! Not at all. They've always been their own EXE. No DRM other than those codes they send you on purchase.
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May 24, 2013 09:09
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quote:pirates no longer blow up mining bases Willingly. Overkill is very much a problem, given you need to drop the shields of a craft. Boarding parties can allow for oddness. Taking derelicts in secret locations without triggering their events. Stealing under-construction ships since they're uncrewed at that point(possibly stations too).
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May 24, 2013 18:58
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There are currently other issues at present pirate-side. There are issues with the automation not working.
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May 26, 2013 04:23
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Take your maximum total potential. Divide it by three. That's how much each area can generate total, which is why it notes how much is in each area. The game never tells you this. Uncertain whether research bonuses can break that cap.
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May 27, 2013 13:51
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Sankis posted:In my current game, three of the pirate factions near me have hundreds of ships. Well, when playing as a Pirate, you keep getting asked to spend all your money on ships. As a player, you can ignore it. AI, not so much. And things can get very lucrative after a time. Pirate-way mostly through smuggling, empire-side through your own economy. It's kinda funny, really as a Shadows Empire-you spend so long trapped in your own system your money just stacks up because there's nothing to use it on. All to the good.
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Jun 2, 2013 16:50
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One has ~100, the other has 300, and the last one has 524 with a combined firepower of 17k. How the hell do I fight against that? Their stations have about 7k shields and I can't imagine how many ships around it.
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I forget, I think there is one, but you have to go into the files or something, I forget. Certainly you can switch out and back easy enough; it's using the base Windows interface, though prettied up. It's most obvious if you load or save.
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Sep 2, 2013 07:34
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...The AI does this by default. Why worry about this yourself?
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Oct 17, 2013 00:49
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Do they have the money? Do YOU have the resources to build them? Do the previous designs still exist to use?(They think they're being sensible and saving money, but they ain't.) Is auto-design on?(They'll recreate the crappy designs, too.)
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Oct 20, 2013 02:30
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NewMars posted:Well, uh... I actually just turn them off. That'd be interesting. No one else, but the Shakturi events on. No one else to help you when they eventually show up, but no-one else to join them, either. I dunno if I could ever play quite like that...but then again, I play Securans regularly, who are all about the resort trade. AIs are in part my money-makers and I'm always left alone because everyone likes the Securans.
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Feb 12, 2014 16:36
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Advice to all concerned: The game comes with DirectX 9 in it's data files, in the 'redist' directory. If you're on Windows 8.1(And thus are on 11), and the game don't run out of the box(As it were), run it, let it install stuff, then try again.
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May 23, 2014 17:30
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There's a limit to how much you can extract. It's something like 4 extractors is the most you ever need for gas or metals, and luxuries only need 1 in any case. An occupied planet needs no extractors, of course. It's probably more important to make sure they stay up, but that's a personal view.
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May 24, 2014 07:56
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Mining stations, yes. They're unrestricted in what they can mount.(Reminder, make damm sure they get Missiles-it sucks to not hit something due to range). Civilians like cargo ships, not so much. They're only allowed one weapon, can't have fighter bays, and their tactics are hard-locked to evade(Somehow they're not restricted on Assault Pods, though). It used to be unrestricted, then people realised the best defence was reconfigured civilian ships. It also caused diplomatic problems because such things counted as military ships to the AI. So it was changed. Point to note, there's nothing stopping a military ship from equipping mining stuff. There's been a few things like that over the game's history. Not many, but some. It's also why there's a size restriction on bases 'not at a colony'. I recall you used to get people making super-bases of sorts with ridiculous size. Bloodly fucked around with this message at 03:45 on May 26, 2014 |
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May 26, 2014 03:19
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Cantorsdust posted:I love Distant Worlds and have played since it first came out, but man gently caress its pirates. You're best off playing with the slider set to few or none, because even on normal you will feel constantly hounded. And yet playing as one is about as painful.
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May 26, 2014 19:46
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quote:Also, never not put up resort and research bases. Resort bases attract migrants from across the galaxy to shop at your tourist traps. While research bases are the core of your empire's advancement, especially on epic settings where just having phasers is an accomplishment. Doubly so on those "dark age" settings I posted up above. To that end, consider merging your resorts, research bases, and mining bases. Often, scenic places are places of high research, or are on planets with resources. There's little reason they can't do double or triple duty. It helps that even the baseline AI resort base designs are well-defended and just need a little extra.
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May 28, 2014 15:42
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Not a counter system. First were Lasers vs Torpedoes. Short-range, constant damage vs heavier, slower damage. Then came Shadows, which introduced Phasers(Shorter ranged lasers, targeting boost, rapid fire, bonus vs armour), Missile(Extreme Range, penalty vs armour), Mass Drivers(even worse range, partial shield penetrating, inaccurate, penalty vs armour) and tractors(Push and pull, also shield penetrating damage). Gravitic weapons seem new to me. Weapons that ignore armour and shield and have no penalty, but are short range. Then there's fighters, which even now I can't be certain of the true effectiveness of. Though I love them to death.
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May 28, 2014 16:07
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ProfessorGroove posted:How do you guys design and use your starports? I find myself making big battle stations for large, slightly smaller battle stations for medium and I don't really use small. I guess my philosophy is if I'm going to spend the money and maintenance on a starport I want it to be able to hold its own somewhat. I put the larges in the most important hubs and the mediums on the outskirts of my empire for refueling. I use defensive bases to defend colonies that don't get a starport. I'm not sure if this is the best way to go about it though which is why I'm asking for other ideas. Well, starports hold medical and recreation, which are very important for growth and money. So Starports everywhere is viable. Sizing is something I fall relatively flat on myself. I'm perfectly willing to build Large Starports no matter what, as they are often first, last, and only defence, especially in the early days. Some people just put down small ports and upgrade later.
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May 28, 2014 21:40
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You outright cannot even start the warp drive research without the 'visit the outskirts of the system' bit-the topic is locked.
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May 29, 2014 09:51
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But then you'd miss out on the "THAT'S a 'FRIGATE?!". Also not being able to mount fighters on everything is not something I could endure. Those things are huge.
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May 29, 2014 20:59
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Blinks77 posted:See, i'd do that but...well... i don't even know where to start with some of them. A bit more of a framework, or suggestions perhaps, for the various roles would not go amiss. You're thinking too hard, perhaps. The game itself tells you what you NEED for it or 'should consider'(You NEED a reactor, Shields are 'should consider') in the design screen, anything past that is your own will. Small frieghter with capacity of a large? Why not? Civilian ships don't have much you can mess with beyond raw capacity or mining, though, given their restrictions. Under default AI settings(These are modifiable), Escorts are going to be everywhere, as are frigates. Transports need lots more troop storage than the standard design grants, but also wants to be able to land it's troops even under heavy bombardment. Lots of engines, shields? For fixed points, missiles are outright required. It sucks to not be able to defend your station because the wretched attacker outranges you.
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May 30, 2014 05:37
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Half the time the allied AI strikes with transports along side. Besides which taking a planet either removes the nearby starbases or has it join you, I forget which. So generally the idea is, it needs to drop it's troops, afterwards it doesn't matter. Sometimes they can even sneak a planet out from under someone.
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May 30, 2014 09:28
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None, as long as you have the Recreation Centre part. Check how big you've built the base-these WILL be 'not-at-colony' and thus subject to size limits.
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May 30, 2014 14:17
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I can agree with this, but it's probably my race choice. The Securans get lots of happiness, and lots of money, somehow. It gets more so once they finally(Research set to 999K, so everything takes FOREVER) get resort bases going.
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May 31, 2014 22:30
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The Xarator IS as you describe it, at least in the initial phases. It's clear it was unleashed early. There's several pieces of research on the Xarator virus to decrease the lethality on it on non-Shakturi in the Ancient Galaxy. The initial form is massively leathal to all.
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Jun 1, 2014 05:28
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Yes, that's right. The race of the ship will factor into what it can colonise. Humans finding a Securan colony ship, that Securan ship would be able to colonise Desert worlds. BUT, even so, you shouldn't colonise a low-quality world. Less than 50% is asking for trouble. And Planet Quality is independent of anyone. A bad world is a bad world. 13% is 13% regardless of whether it's a Shandar or a Human doing the colonising.
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Jun 1, 2014 19:03
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Hot Sexy Jupiter posted:Yeah, don't piss them off, especially in the early game. They are pretty much the Vorlons/First Ones in this setting. Or take appropriate steps. You can send ambassadors to them as per usual, you can give mining rights and refueling rights. Maybe wait between stealing attempts.
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Jun 4, 2014 04:35
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What to focus on? Hmm. Research and ship design would be good first points. Research so you can out-tech guys, ship design so you can put the tech to work and let the AI handle actual deployment. The baseline designs the AI comes up with by default are workable, but you can generally do better.
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Jun 6, 2014 20:34
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1. Not always, but you'll certainly give the order faster. The best thing to do is to order a lot more Construction Ships than you think you need, so you don't get a logjam on orders. 2. Enough to cover maximum weapons fire as well as static energy requirements. Many will put Energy Collectors on ships also so when they're at rest they aren't burning fuel. 3.Check the design screen, see what the 'latest design' is. You can also use the 'ships and bases' screen to force a retrofit.
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Jun 7, 2014 05:51
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WYA posted:And why airnt people going to my resorts? The game has it that 'wealthy people'(I.E, from highly developed worlds) relatively nearby will come to your base. Sometimes your own people, sometimes other people.
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Jun 8, 2014 03:43
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Can only place one weapon on civ ships. Behaviour is locked to 'Flee when attacked' and 'Evade'. This was because people were using the private forces as defence forces by loading them up with weapons. It also caused issues with diplomacy because armed ship=military ship.
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Jun 11, 2014 07:13
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For me, it's currently phasers. Energy hogs, but they pack quite a punch, seem to inflict their damage fast, and even have targeting boosts and bonus vs armour. Mid-range, too.
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Jun 11, 2014 19:16
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Uncertain, since I've barely used it. The problem is that area weapons do friendly fire.
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Jun 11, 2014 19:22
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Or a heavy resupply ship(Which I always end up using not as a refuelling point but as a mobile starbase for killing things).
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Jun 11, 2014 20:55
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