New Preview of Distant Worlds 2 by Rock Paper Shotgun

[Erik Rutins]

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/code-f ... -is-strong

[btd64]

Not bad....GP

[USSAmerica]

Pretty good review. I'm ready. [:D]

[SirHoraceHarkness]

I don't even need a review at this point. Just let me have the game. [:'(]

[Galaxy227]

After reading, I've compiled a list of new things revealed in this article:

Each ship needs fuel too, although this time there's just one fuel type, which I'm mildly disappointed by, but is probably a better design decision.

Up until reading this article, I thought Distant Worlds 2 was going to have two fuel resources, similarly to its prequel, DW:U. I am not exactly sure why the author of the article, Sin Vega, thinks removing the second fuel resource should equate to "better [game] design," or why Elliot thought this change was necessary at all. I'm surprised, to say the least.

...the new ability to set immigration policy on a per-planet basis rather than just empire-wide, and the same is true for resource storage policies. Civilian transports will manage deliveries and stock levels as before, but you can alter their priorities to stockpile or clear out any given resource from any planet or station.

We've already been told DW2 will provide finer controls over resource & population management, but the above quote really hits the nail on the head.

Exploration ships have new, more nuanced AI settings to differentiate between basic exploration, prospecting, and spying.

This is new. This is good.

One of many details that experienced players will recognize as a potentially huge problem solver is the replacement of fiddly and unreliable supply ships with fuel tankers. These too can be supervised and manipulated from an accessible list, but more crucially will now seek out and deliver fuel directly to fleets, keeping them from abandoning their posts to fly back to a fuel source.

These new fuel tankers are a really unique way of tackling fuel-logistics during wartime. DW:U's supply ships were broken, and so fuel tankers are a welcome change.

...destroyed ships can now leave behind debris, from which you can salvage resources, money, or scraps of knowledge.

Debris is a great addition, but I hope it doesn't despawn. The thought of having skeletons of ships floating aimlessly through ravaged systems excites my inner-nerd like nothing else.

Planets are no longer icons only a few sizes larger than a ship, but big ol' orbs, which "does affect the tactics too, because you can't cover the planet with just one spaceport anymore. You usually need a defensive fleet, or several orbital bases to fully cover it from attack."

This is an incredible change, and one not noted by the developers until now. I cannot wait for the new tactical depth DW2 provides.


Lastly, I also have questions regarding two particular quotes from the article:


Quote #1:

The list of playable factions has been cut from 20 to seven "because each faction frankly is a huge amount more work than it was in Distant Worlds". It's a small disappointment, but should still allow wide range of playstyles, and the remaining species will be available as independents who provide bonuses if conquered or peacefully assimilated.

Considering each of the seven playable races have their own ship & station models, having the other 13 races as independents or pirates gets me thinking: what 3D assets will these minor factions be using? Do minor factions have their own, separate 3D models to appear different from the seven playable races? Do pirates differ visually from the independent colonies?

Quote #2:

Sensor stations will help with this, as should the new "dangerous locations" menu, which records threats like space monsters and pirates, plus when you last scouted the area.

Sins of a Solar Empire has a menu where you can hover over locations and be briefed on the last-known ships in said location. How similar is DW2's "dangerous locations" menu relative to my description of Sins? I imagine an interface displaying all last-known ships & stations, hostile or not, could prove incredibly useful to the player in DW2.

[zgrssd]

Up until reading this article, I thought Distant Worlds 2 was going to have two fuel resources, similarly to its prequel, DW:U. I am not exactly sure why the author of the article, Sin Vega, thinks removing the second fuel resource should equate to "better [game] design," or why Elliot thought this change was necessary at all. I'm surprised, to say the least.

Two upkeep resources - especially if you are just going to fully transition between the two - add nothing but confusion and uncertainty.
I mean I could see it becomming sometimes relevant (needing to rush the tech that used the 2nd Fuel). But mostly, it was just unessesary detail. More a annoyance, then a factor. Something that tankers would just take care off either way.

[Galaxy227]

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

Two upkeep resources - especially if you are just going to fully transition between the two - add nothing but confusion and uncertainty. I mean I could see it becomming sometimes relevant (needing to rush the tech that used the 2nd Fuel). But mostly, it was just unessesary detail. More a annoyance, then a factor. Something that tankers would just take care off either way.

If Elliot ever cared to make resources less abundant (and therefore more consequential), suddenly an alternate, second resource for fuel could be particularly useful when an empire's preferred fuel reserve is running dry. I imagine there would be pockets of either fuel type sprinkled throughout the galaxy, pressuring certain empires to naturally gravitate towards whatever fuel type is abundant in their local cluster of stars. Gameplay wise though, I understand how this might not add enough value to be worth implementing, as both fuel types are functionally the same... (they get ships from A to B). As you said zgrssd, it adds "nothing but confusion and uncertainty." For the sake of the argument, to make two fuel types worthwhile, I would allow for one fuel type to be objectively better than the other, but also significantly more rare. This way, all empire's would want to design their ships with the better fuel in mind, but only some could guarantee a healthy supply of it (and even then, maybe only for a select few ships).

Regardless, I don't especially hate having only one fuel type in DW2. In fact, I prefer this if Elliot's alternative was to simply copy & paste what DW:U offered. Again, let's avoid "confusion and uncertainty."

P.S. If you couldn't tell, I really hope resources in DW2 are more scarce. [:D]

[zgrssd]

For the sake of the argument, to make two fuel types worthwhile, I would allow for one fuel type to be objectively better than the other, but also significantly more rare. This way, all empire's would want to design their ships with the better fuel in mind, but only some could guarantee a healthy supply of it (and even then, maybe only for a select few ships).

They kinda did that in DW1
Tier 1-3 were Fission Reactors, using Caslon
Tier 6-8 were Fusion, using Hydrogen

Tier 4-5 you could choose if you wanted to early adopt Fusion or stay with Fission a bit longer.
And there was a racial reactor for Fusion as a early T3 line.

So Hydrogen was clearly the T2 Fuel. Meaning that depending on your Caslon and Hydrogen Supplies you eiher:
1) Could not conceivably use the later reactors
2) Were forced to rush into early Fusion (which were inferior to Fission of the same Tier), just to have enough fuel

Maybe if there was some way to make one fuel from the other? Large scale fission reactor, used to to make more Hydrogen? Hydrogen used as a "booster" for Fission fuel? That sort of thing.

[deMangler]

There were so many different ways to play DWU that the changes with DW2 will completely improve the game for some, worsen it for others and make no difference to some, it seems to me.
It is easy for me to forget that it took me months to find the perfect game for me within DW.
Personally I loved fixing the supply bottlenecks and construction delays due to mats being distributed or not in a way that was badly planned by me or otherwise disrupted. Seems like that game might be very different, or just gone, in DW2. I also liked some of the design choices and other requirements that having two different fuel techs threw into the mix. That looks to be a big change for me, not for others though, or maybe an improvement for some.
I think if I don't compare DW2 with DWU I will have a much better experience. There is loads of new stuff that I am very excited to see how it plays. And I am looking forward to finding the game within it that works for me.