What pirate settings do you use?

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robc04_1
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What pirate settings do you use?

Post by robc04_1 »

I am finding pirates annoying. I constantly wipe out their bases and they keep springing up. I get so many attack notices that I just don't care about them anymore. I'll just let the constructors rebuild if I have to.

I had the setting on normal.

Thanks!
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KAHUNA
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by KAHUNA »

I max them out and then pay them to harass my enemies.Great fun watching them blow up bug bases and ships![:)]
Bingeling
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by Bingeling »

I keep them at normal, and eagerly await Shadows to get rid of the eternally popping pirate bases at the 4 systems with a fuel source not currently occupied by an empire...
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feelotraveller
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by feelotraveller »

Maximum.  They add to the fun and games.  [:'(] 
 
If I want to keep their numbers down a bit then I destroy their ships but not their bases.  [8D]
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ASHBERY76
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by ASHBERY76 »

If you have decent automated escort and frigate force they take care of most of them.I just sometimes use a fleet to take care of the base.I like the hands off meta game.
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Pipewrench
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by Pipewrench »

max

I also set both expansion and other empires to a tech level above mine. It makes for a very interesting game.
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robc04_1
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by robc04_1 »

I'm surprised that you guys like the pirates set so high. They are like playing whack a mole if you try to get rid of them. I kind of think that maybe Distant Worlds isn't a great match for me. I respect what it is doing, but it kind of wears me out.
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feelotraveller
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by feelotraveller »

If the pirates wear you out then turn their frequence down.  It is about fun!  (I suggest not turning them off entirely as this may cause problems in keeping your reputation decent...)  It actually makes the game somewhat harder to have less pirates, since the AI does not deal with them as well as the player.
 
How do you go with the monsters?
Bingeling
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by Bingeling »

I think that pirates works quite well until the game matures and the galaxy is settled. Once settled there can be very few spots available for normal pirates and their big siblings. The reputation mechanism's link to pirates don't work well, though.

I don't mind space monsters so much, apart from what I see when I load a temporary mature quick start to check something. If there is a somewhat mature colony present, the ones setting it up would probably have killed that Ardilus living at the gas giant the colony orbits around. Well traveled paths of mature empires should not have aggressive wildlife present.
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Ralzakark
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by Ralzakark »

Minimum. A few are interesting early in the game, but they become repetitive after that and just a distraction.
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tjhkkr
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by tjhkkr »

Maximum...
I hunt them down and destroy them.
They are a challenging menace. They can be be pesty, but THEN that is part of what makes them fun.
They do seem to spontaneously reappear.
Remember that the evil which is now in the world will become yet more powerful, and that it is not evil which conquers evil, but only love -- Olga Romanov.
unclean
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by unclean »

ORIGINAL: Ralzakark

Minimum. A few are interesting early in the game, but they become repetitive after that and just a distraction.
Same. Really looking forward to what Shadows has in store for them.

Getting terrorized by the occasional super tough derelict ship gone rogue can be really fun though.
martok
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by martok »

I set pirates to either "normal" or "low", depending on my mood at the time.

Taking them out can indeed be like a game of "Whack-a-Mole", but destroying pirate bases also comes with some cool little benefits. Also, as KAHUNA said, it can be fun to pay them off to harass your enemies. [:D]

"Evil is easy, and has infinite forms." -- Pascal

turtlefang
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by turtlefang »

I play with them on nearby and maximum.

It forces several changes in playing strategy:

1) While it can become whack a mole, it forces a build up of smaller ships to deal with them early in the game. At a low level, escorts and frigates just don't have much use. At a high level, at least in early to mid-game, you need these smaller ships to protect your frieghters, constructors, research bases and resort bases.

2) Base construction needs to stay closer to home so your defensive fleets can respond.

3) You have to decide to arm your bases - or uparm your bases - to defend against pirate attacks. At low levels, bases really don't need to be uparmed. Enemy fleets will destroy them anyway and most Empires don't raid with single or double ships. If you don't uparm your bases, you have to factor in a certain amount of losses.

4) You need to send a frigate to a colony planet ahead of time to make sure your ship can land - if you don't, in many cases, it will get run off by pirates. This slows down my colony ship spam in many cases.

In general, I find that they add more complexity and uncertainity to the game.

But to be clear - someone has already stated that you should enjoy the game.

Find the settings - pirate, size of map, number of empires, race, whatever - that you most enjoy and play. That what it is all about. Enjoyment.
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scotten_usa
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by scotten_usa »

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

I keep them at normal, and eagerly await Shadows to get rid of the eternally popping pirate bases at the 4 systems with a fuel source not currently occupied by an empire...

Ha! I hate that! The only times I've used the editor was to delete these systems.
KAHUNA
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by KAHUNA »

I used the editor to add more pirates ships,fortify their bases and whatever else I can do to make the game more "interesting"[:)] I'm thinking of starting a new game soon,delete all the other empires and just make them all independents[mostly bugs and other haters of humans],add more pirates and then see where that takes me.The editor is my friend..not my enabler[:)]
Blueberry
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RE: What pirate settings do you use?

Post by Blueberry »

Actually, with pirates on normal/high settings make for an easy start. Firstly, kind of an abuse, but you can always start ahead of your nearby competition by getting to those independent colonies with much different planet preferential factor. You get the info from pirates about a colony and whether peacefully or not, voila! the planet with a decent amount of completely different alien population is yours to command and help colonize other initially unavailable to you planets.

Don't have to spend all that time on planet research and can concentrate on other areas. The volume and quality of data that one can purchase from pirates is quite impressive and can boost the player into a 'golden age' of fast expansion. Just way too easy. So yes, indeed, the pirate element is more useful at the beginning of the game.

However, different story at a later stage though when the player knows it all about his/her neighbours and the galaxy, and is strong enough to take care of both enemies and 'allies' all by himself/herself. Sure, one can request the pirates to attack an empire without starting a war but without being able to point out a specific target (a base, a ship with a general on it, a research or resort basein a certain system) and considering how weak and predictable the pirates become then there isn't much fun to be had.

Their spawning also becomes quite annoying. Too fast, too small, too close by, the player ends up having to build a mining base in every non-colonized system and cloud with some fuel source in it in order to stop a pirate escort fly brining up that annoying 'red alert' alarm thingie. Pirates are great, the concept is fantastic, always play with pirates on, but think the true potential is yet to be reached. Awaiting shadows with the greatest impatience and hope.

Sorry of I missed and repeated my fellow forum members and excuse my spelling as I am in a big hurry right now. [:D]
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