Distant Worlds 2 - Dev Diary #5

[zgrssd]

How do you raise the exploration level? Well, in Distant Worlds 2 there are a few ways to do this:

An exploration ship with a planetary scanner (the most advanced types go up to around Exploration Level 50). Planetary scanners are the quickest way to explore a planet.
An exploration ship with a planetary survey module (these can go up to the maximum exploration level). Surveys take longer to explore a planet, but can explore it more thoroughly.
A mining station at the planet. Over time, a mining station can raise the exploration level up to around 30.
A colony at the planet. Depending on population, a colony will increase the exploration level over time, eventually up to the maximum possible level.

Some questions:
1. Will there be something like a "Exploration Station"? Or "Exploration Mission" for colonized Planets?
A way to buff Exploration (all the way to 100) even if we do not have the population or ship modules to reach 100 normally?

Just in the case we miss the tech and a critical resource, but hope to find something to help us in our own space.

2. Will we be able to prioritize what Exploration Ships with Planetary Scanner and Survey Modules will do?
Sometimes I might want a planet to be scanned and surveyed to the max, no mater the time.
Sometimes I want as much space Scanned as possible, only surveying if there is nothing else left to do.
Sometimes I want to survey in my owned space first, to find rare things I already have control over.

[elliotg]

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

How do you raise the exploration level? Well, in Distant Worlds 2 there are a few ways to do this:

An exploration ship with a planetary scanner (the most advanced types go up to around Exploration Level 50). Planetary scanners are the quickest way to explore a planet.
An exploration ship with a planetary survey module (these can go up to the maximum exploration level). Surveys take longer to explore a planet, but can explore it more thoroughly.
A mining station at the planet. Over time, a mining station can raise the exploration level up to around 30.
A colony at the planet. Depending on population, a colony will increase the exploration level over time, eventually up to the maximum possible level.

Some questions:
1. Will there be something like a "Exploration Station"? Or "Exploration Mission" for colonized Planets?
A way to buff Exploration (all the way to 100) even if we do not have the population or ship modules to reach 100 normally?

Just in the case we miss the tech and a critical resource, but hope to find something to help us in our own space.

Colonized planets will keep slowly exploring up to the maximum level. No need for anything extra. It just happens a lot slower than with an exploration ship. However you can also scan or survey a colonized planet with an exploration ship.

2. Will we be able to prioritize what Exploration Ships with Planetary Scanner and Survey Modules will do?
Sometimes I might want a planet to be scanned and surveyed to the max, no mater the time.
Sometimes I want as much space Scanned as possible, only surveying if there is nothing else left to do.
Sometimes I want to survey in my owned space first, to find rare things I already have control over.

Yes, you can control when to send a survey team in your empire policy settings. So if exploration scanners get you to a certain level, but you detect hidden items in the scan, you can then send a survey team (takes longer, but uncovers more deeply hidden items).

You also have Scout missions versus Explore missions for your exploration ships. Scout means just quickly visit systems to get a basic idea of planet types, whereas Explore means a detailed scan of all items in a system. The automation settings for exploration ships include Auto-Explore and Auto-Scout settings (in addition to the default Fully Automate and Manual Control options).

[SirHoraceHarkness]

ORIGINAL: elliotg

You also have Scout missions versus Explore missions for your exploration ships. Scout means just quickly visit systems to get a basic idea of planet types, whereas Explore means a detailed scan of all items in a system. The automation settings for exploration ships include Auto-Explore and Auto-Scout settings (in addition to the default Fully Automate and Manual Control options).

Ah very nice with the extra granularity. So in your opinion would you say that generally the pace of the game has been slowed down over dwu? As in it takes longer now to fully expand and exploit any given map size and star density and get through all the techs to reach endgame but still have surprises left even then due to the difficulty of finding them? One of my minor gripes in dwu was that you and the opposing ai empires could tech out and fully explore the entire map long before you could wipe each other out and it got a bit boring end game.

[elliotg]

ORIGINAL: SirHoraceHarkness

ORIGINAL: elliotg

You also have Scout missions versus Explore missions for your exploration ships. Scout means just quickly visit systems to get a basic idea of planet types, whereas Explore means a detailed scan of all items in a system. The automation settings for exploration ships include Auto-Explore and Auto-Scout settings (in addition to the default Fully Automate and Manual Control options).

Ah very nice with the extra granularity. So in your opinion would you say that generally the pace of the game has been slowed down over dwu? As in it takes longer now to fully expand and exploit any given map size and star density and get through all the techs to reach endgame but still have surprises left even then due to the difficulty of finding them? One of my minor gripes in dwu was that you and the opposing ai empires could tech out and fully explore the entire map long before you could wipe each other out and it got a bit boring end game.

Yes, most things take longer, e.g. travel is a bit slower with multi-jump travel and navigating around nebulae. And as outlined in this dev diary, exploration takes time in addition to the travel between locations.

There are also more gating mechanisms to various things. For example, to reach higher techs you need research bonus levels in the relevant category. You get these mainly through exploration, i.e. finding a special research location and building a research station there.

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: WiZz

Do you plan to do something with usual player's abuse with ancient ships? You find full field of broken ancient ships, repair them and get fleet of advanced ships for free. Then you just steam roll any AI player.[:(] In worst cases even Guardians.

Yeah this is my biggest request is that these game changing discoveries be made optional. Nothing worse than a great game ruined by something OP and unstoppable...

[SirHoraceHarkness]

ORIGINAL: elliotg


There are also more gating mechanisms to various things. For example, to reach higher techs you need research bonus levels in the relevant category. You get these mainly through exploration, i.e. finding a special research location and building a research station there.

Neat. So will the AI be aware of these locations once discovered and contest you for it if its not in your empires direct territory? As in be more willing to pull off limited conflict short of open war to take over a very wanted site? Possibly the pirates wanting a slice too? I always thought that out of empire bounds mining and bases should be under a different diplomatic rule set since you are in 'international waters' so to speak and not subject to the same level of diplomatic blowback if you take over or blow up some distant backwater station.