DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

The Galaxy Lives On! Distant Worlds, the critically acclaimed 4X space strategy game is back with a brand new 64-bit engine, 3D graphics and a polished interface to begin an epic new Distant Worlds series with Distant Worlds 2. Distant Worlds 2 is a vast, pausable real-time 4X space strategy game. Experience the full depth and detail of turn-based strategy, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game.

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strawberry
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by strawberry »

Hi! I have some questions I'm struggling to work out myself in game.

Is there a setting to dictate how strong of an opponent a fleet is allowed to attack?

What are the best settings to get a fleet to respond to pirate raids? I've tried a variety of them but can't get anything to work.

What do commerce and recreation centers do when placed on ships?

Is there a way to auto collect debris from destroyed ships?

Thanks.
arvcran2
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by arvcran2 »

strawberry wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:32 pm Hi! I have some questions I'm struggling to work out myself in game.

Is there a setting to dictate how strong of an opponent a fleet is allowed to attack?
Military - Overmatch is the only thing I can think of.

There is the fleet and ship tactics for 'retreat when' attribute but it only takes effect if there is an engagement condition.
strawberry wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:32 pm What are the best settings to get a fleet to respond to pirate raids? I've tried a variety of them but can't get anything to work.
Ships within the same system not in a fleet with engagement range of system should respond.
A fleet on 'Defense' auto with adequate strength, fuel range, and engagement range tactics attribute should respond.
strawberry wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:32 pm What do commerce and recreation centers do when placed on ships?
Probably nothing.
strawberry wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:32 pm Is there a way to auto collect debris from destroyed ships?
Auto-Salvage automation mode on Construction Ships should target debris pickup.
AKicebear
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by AKicebear »

arvcran2 wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 9:02 pm
strawberry wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:32 pm What do commerce and recreation centers do when placed on ships?
Probably nothing.
Recreation Centers on ships reduce their maintenance cost.
HateVagueManuals
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2022 1:23 am

Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by HateVagueManuals »

Emperor0Akim wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:04 pm
HateVagueManuals wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 3:38 pm
zgrssd wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 3:27 pm
No.
And by your logic we should never ask for it to be changed, because clearly that limitation is there intentionally. ;)

I for my part keep reporting it as a issue, so it is fixed.
Thanks for clearing that up. Didn't know if there was a way to do it. Now I know.
I read in the comments of one of Scotts youtube-videos, that if you order the troop transports to bombard,
the go into position around the planet.
After this you get a pretty decent coordinated drop.
Great idea, thanks
HateVagueManuals
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by HateVagueManuals »

What does it take to make Assault Pods viable? I have designed a couple of ships with them, but they never show up as buildable ships.
HateVagueManuals
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by HateVagueManuals »

This is hilarious
A fleet had “No mission,” supposedly parked at home base. I saw the fuel tankers from this fleet attacking an enemy base in another system. Wonder where the rest of the fleet was, since it may, or may not be at it's home base. Are they off on missions as single ship all over the map. I am aware that fleets doing whatever they want (weather set to manual, or auto) is a design feature, but shouldn't a fleet do whatever it wants as an actual fleet?
The dictionary definition of “fleet”: a group (as of ships, planes, or trucks) operated under unified control.
This would imply that these ship operate as group. I get it that single ships are destined to commit suicide, shouldn't fleets commit suicide as a fleet, not as single ships? Just asking for a friend.
HateVagueManuals
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by HateVagueManuals »

HateVagueManuals wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 11:03 pm What does it take to make Assault Pods viable? I have designed a couple of ships with them, but they never show up as buildable ships.
Can't delete post. So I will answer it myself.
You don't need troop ships, with, or without assault pods. Attacking bases, ships, or fleets is the job of fuel tankers, the all everything of ships.
BeefLeg
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by BeefLeg »

Speaking of fuel tankers... can someone tell me how I should be using them? I just attach them to my fleet and hope they're doing good things, and have a couple unattached to any fleet on automatic. I'm hoping they're just taking care of problems around my region?
arvcran2
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by arvcran2 »

BeefLeg wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:18 am Speaking of fuel tankers... can someone tell me how I should be using them? I just attach them to my fleet and hope they're doing good things, and have a couple unattached to any fleet on automatic. I'm hoping they're just taking care of problems around my region?
You want your fleet ship fuel tankers on automatic if you want them to continuously keep your fleet fueled. They are somewhat functional and do strange things sometimes. If you want to micro them don't expect them to do much if you don't tell them to :).
strawberry
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by strawberry »

arvcran2 wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 9:02 pm
I'm pretty sure that overmatch dictates how ships within a fleet focus targets, not what they engage.

Auto-salvage does nothing but perma afk and my defense fleets never seem to respond to pirates.

Maybe there's something wrong with strength calculation? I'll get lone escorts suiciding pirate stations and space monsters but in the target menu pirate ships with 100 strength are greyed out saying no fleet has enough strength to attack them, even though i have a defence fleet within range with 4000 strength and the correct tactics selected. Same thing with colony invasions no matter how overwhelming my troop count is.
HateVagueManuals
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by HateVagueManuals »

strawberry wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:58 am
arvcran2 wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 9:02 pm
I'm pretty sure that overmatch dictates how ships within a fleet focus targets, not what they engage.

Auto-salvage does nothing but perma afk and my defense fleets never seem to respond to pirates.

Maybe there's something wrong with strength calculation? I'll get lone escorts suiciding pirate stations and space monsters but in the target menu pirate ships with 100 strength are greyed out saying no fleet has enough strength to attack them, even though i have a defence fleet within range with 4000 strength and the correct tactics selected. Same thing with colony invasions no matter how overwhelming my troop count is.
You just described exactly how they work. In my view that is how they are supposed to work, since there doesn't appear to be a plan to fix this. it's normal content. My fleets/ship go on suicide runs all the time, I had fuel tankers (only fuel tankers) leave the fleet they were assigned to, go to a different system, and attack a pirate base. How is it possible to have fuel tankers go on a suicide run without that being the way they are supposed to work. It has to be in the code. Why are fuel tankers coded to attack anything. During a big battle my fuel tankers (who had plenty of fuel) refused to refuel ships (one was completely out of fuel, did the tankers try to give it fuel, never going to happen). I thought fuel tankers kept your fleet fueled when they needed it. I thought wrong.
What is needed, is for there to be fuel for the entire fleet. Not individual ships. Since the tankers are not going to refuel any actual ship, it needs to abstracted to everybody get the fuel automatically. Is it too much to ask, to have reasonable fuel allocations while the fleets goes on their suicide runs.
HateVagueManuals
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by HateVagueManuals »

arvcran2 wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:27 am
BeefLeg wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:18 am Speaking of fuel tankers... can someone tell me how I should be using them? I just attach them to my fleet and hope they're doing good things, and have a couple unattached to any fleet on automatic. I'm hoping they're just taking care of problems around my region?
You want your fleet ship fuel tankers on automatic if you want them to continuously keep your fleet fueled. They are somewhat functional and do strange things sometimes. If you want to micro them don't expect them to do much if you don't tell them to :).
So your choices are:
1) have your fleets on automatic suicide.
Or
2) mircomanagement on a grand scale
Can someone come up with an option 3
Like have the tanker automatically fuel ships. Also why do they refuse to refuel ships they are ordered to. If the game is going to have manual fuel tankers, they should at the very least fuel a ship when you tell it to. Or it (manual fuel tankers) should not be in the game.
zgrssd
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by zgrssd »

HateVagueManuals wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 3:36 pm
zgrssd wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 3:24 pm
HateVagueManuals wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 3:21 pm
So you really didn't read the posts. Not having control over your fleets "was" the entire conversation. Having control over fleets is hit or miss in DW2. Single ships go on suicide missions as a base part of the game. That sadly is the way it's done. It is part of the game, if it's not by design, why is it in the game. So yeah, I think it's intentional. It's probably looked at as content. Ships get destroyed on suicide missions is a way the game lasts longer. Longer equals more content.
You just declared every single Bug in every single Programm on this Planet as intentional.
"Because if not intentional, why would Windows format the disk in rare circumstances?"

I am sorry, but there is no nice way to say it: That "logic" is insane.
Just stating the fact that the game "was" programmed to have fleet control hard to do. Single ships going on suicide missions was also programed into the game (they wouldn't do it if there was some code telling them to do it).
Yes, and that argument is still insane.

Beta allows you roll back to 1.0.1.6. Which you want Because clearly, everything past 1.0 was not supposed to be part of the game. So you need to minimize the "unintended" parts of it. Aka every patch.

This is not my logik. that is yours.
strawberry wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:32 pm Hi! I have some questions I'm struggling to work out myself in game.

Is there a setting to dictate how strong of an opponent a fleet is allowed to attack?

What are the best settings to get a fleet to respond to pirate raids? I've tried a variety of them but can't get anything to work.

What do commerce and recreation centers do when placed on ships?

Is there a way to auto collect debris from destroyed ships?

Thanks.
1. Overmatch Factor.

Note that the calculation breaks on any "Investigate Danger" missions, so be realy carefull allowing them.

2. Defend automation. Decent range.
However, responses to pirates are generally too late, unless it is a single Escort that has issues dropping the targets shields.
They will have raided and run off before a fleet can respond.

3. Commerce does nothing afaik.
Recreation Center reduces Upkeep.
Medical adds damage reduction

4. Not that I know off.
But arvcran2 has a idea worth trying.

Note that every automated ship not ina fleet seems to collect debris, unless they got something better to do.
Colonisation is not better then debris for a autoamted colonyship, so the priority is pretty high.
BeefLeg wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:18 am Speaking of fuel tankers... can someone tell me how I should be using them? I just attach them to my fleet and hope they're doing good things, and have a couple unattached to any fleet on automatic. I'm hoping they're just taking care of problems around my region?
You are suppsoed to attach them and run them on Automatic.
However, their automatic is busted 7 different ways. And I mean literally 7 ways:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 6&t=381858
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Thineboot
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by Thineboot »

Can someone please explain me Damage?

AI designer prefers Hail Cannon (S) over Rail Gun (M) (v3).
Why? So I took a look and the first two columns did make sense, a nice high Damage only refers to a single shot while Damage Rate takes all shots of a volley into account. But that are only two data points and thus 0.72 - which doesn't make sense to me as I've expected a nice 1 - can be a coincidence.
Adding Particle Beam (M) wasn't helpful, so add Thuon Beam (M). While all are Close-in Weapons for obvious reasons it's Slugs vs Beam. Rail Gun (S) (v3) again shows 0.72 like the other slugs. How about Maxos Blaster (M)... oh, now it's 0.80...

Code: Select all

 RGM	 HCS	 PBM	 TBM	 RGS	 MBM	
16.00	34.00	12.00	28.00	16.00	19.00	Damage			[dmg]
 2.20	 5.00	 7.00	 7.50	 2.20	 4.50	Fire Rate		[dmg/sec]
 7.27	 6.80	 1.71	 3.73	 7.27	 4.22	/			[1/sec]
 2	 1	 2	 1	 1	 2	Shots per Volley	[1]
14.55	 6.80	 3.43	 3.73	 7.27	 8.44	*			[1/sec]
10.47	 4.90 	3.02	 3.29	 5.24	 6.76	Damage Rate		[1/sec]
 0.72	 0.72	 0.88	 0.88	 0.72	 0.80	/ 1/			[1]

RGM ...	Rail Gun (M) (v3)
HCS ...	Hail Cannon (S)
PBM ...	Particle Beam (M)
TBM ...	Thuon Beam (M)
RGS ...	Rail Gun (S) (v3)
MBM ...	Maxos Blaster (M)
So, can someone please explain me Damage?

Edit: last line corresponds to Point Blank Accuracy...
Last edited by Thineboot on Mon Mar 28, 2022 6:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
inf666
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by inf666 »

Hello, new player here. I've got a few questions:

1. Is the research stealing from pirates balanced? Playing on hard, it feels too strong. I just research everything and destroy my neighbours with superior stuff. I am thinking of playing with pirates turned off.

2. Why are the ships so badly outfitted? See the light transporter. You can add two additional cargo bays right at the start of the game (I start on tech level 0, not pre-warp). Or add a second construction yard to your initial SSP. Am I missing something?

3. Is there a way to tell exploration ships to scan the planets first and asteroids later in a new system? Honestly, if the AI always scans asteroids first as well it is no wonder they are expanding so slowly.

4. Is it worth it to retire ships with better tech as that blocks a construction yard for eternity? Would be nice if construction ships could retire other ships too.

5. How do I scuttle ships that have been disabled?

6. What do the difficulties I can set before a game (hard...) actually do? I can't seem to find a description.

Thanks!
zgrssd
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by zgrssd »

inf666 wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:43 pm Hello, new player here. I've got a few questions:

1. Is the research stealing from pirates balanced? Playing on hard, it feels too strong. I just research everything and destroy my neighbours with superior stuff. I am thinking of playing with pirates turned off.

2. Why are the ships so badly outfitted? See the light transporter. You can add two additional cargo bays right at the start of the game (I start on tech level 1, not pre-warp). Or add a second construction yard to your initial SSP. Am I missing something?

3. Is there a way to tell exploration ships to scan the planets first and asteroids later in a new system? Honestly, if the AI always scans asteroids first as well it is no wonder they are expanding so slowly.

4. Is it worth it to retire ships with better tech as that blocks a construction yard for eternity? Would be nice if construction ships could retire other ships too.

5. How do I scuttle ships that have been disabled?

6. What do the difficulties I can set before a game (hard...) actually do? I can't seem to find a description.

Thanks!
1. There are several arguments about tech stealing being too OP. But personally, I hardly ever get to use it.
Unless the enemy is a super open Democracy, my spies have nearly no success.

2. Because the designer is a piece of software that needs more work

3. Not that I know off, but I am confused about this "slow exploration". Exploration Speed for asteroids just recently got buffed. Are you running without the Resource Scanner?

4. I retire every abandoned or captured ship that is not bigger then what I can build.
If I can build it, it goes to Scrapping for technology.

5. Construciton Ships will repair disabeled ships. In fact, the definition of "disabeled" was recently increased to cover all ships that lost their FTL - rather then loosing FTL and STL engines.

6. Propably AI bonuses. This is a computer strategy game not even a month out. Eco Bonuses are the best they can do.
HateVagueManuals
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by HateVagueManuals »

Thineboot wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:36 pm Can someone please explain me Damage?

AI designer prefers Hail Cannon (S) over Rail Gun (M) (v3).
Why? So I took a look and the first two columns did make sense, a nice high Damage only refers to a single shot while Damage Rate takes all shots of a volley into account. But that are only two data points and thus 0.72 - which doesn't make sense to me as I've expected a nice 1 - can be a coincidence.
Adding Particle Beam (M) wasn't helpful, so add Thuon Beam (M). While all are Close-in Weapons for obvious reasons it's Slugs vs Beam. Rail Gun (S) (v3) again shows 0.72 like the other slugs. How about Maxos Blaster (M)... oh, now it's 0.80...

Code: Select all

 RGM	 HCS	 PBM	 TBM	 RGS	 MBM	
16.00	34.00	12.00	28.00	16.00	19.00	Damage			[dmg]
 2.20	 5.00	 7.00	 7.50	 2.20	 4.50	Fire Rate		[dmg/sec]
 7.27	 6.80	 1.71	 3.73	 7.27	 4.22	/			[1/sec]
 2	 1	 2	 1	 1	 2	Shots per Volley	[1]
14.55	 6.80	 3.43	 3.73	 7.27	 8.44	*			[1/sec]
10.47	 4.90 	3.02	 3.29	 5.24	 6.76	Damage Rate		[1/sec]
 0.72	 0.72	 0.88	 0.88	 0.72	 0.80	/ 1/			[1]

RGM ...	Rail Gun (M) (v3)
HCS ...	Hail Cannon (S)
PBM ...	Particle Beam (M)
TBM ...	Thuon Beam (M)
RGS ...	Rail Gun (S) (v3)
MBM ...	Maxos Blaster (M)
So, can someone please explain me Damage?
I am far from being an expert, from your chart it looks like the Rail Gun is the way to go.
inf666
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Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by inf666 »

zgrssd wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:55 pm
1. There are several arguments about tech stealing being too OP. But personally, I hardly ever get to use it.
Unless the enemy is a super open Democracy, my spies have nearly no success.

3. Not that I know off, but I am confused about this "slow exploration". Exploration Speed for asteroids just recently got buffed. Are you running without the Resource Scanner?
Thank you for your answer.

@1: I steal from the pirates. I literally get a chance over 90% for 'Basic colonization' from half the pirates (12 months). If you are lucky and get many spies stealing multiple techs per year is common (though admittedly with a bit of save scumming). The developer should change the mechanic entirely. Stealing should be like retiring a ship; you constantly get research points which are allocated randomly to techs you do not have.

@3: I research 'Stable Warp Fields' before 'Resource Scanner' because I want to explore the surrounding area asap. Depending on the planets I find, my strategy changes. Also, 'Resource Scanner' or not, going for asteroid fields first is simply inefficient. Not if there is a juicy planet to colonize hanging around or a giant gas planet for a caslon station. Currently I have to manually control the explorers which is a chore. Alternatively a queing system could alleviate the issue.
zgrssd
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Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:02 pm

Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by zgrssd »

inf666 wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 3:23 pm
zgrssd wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:55 pm
1. There are several arguments about tech stealing being too OP. But personally, I hardly ever get to use it.
Unless the enemy is a super open Democracy, my spies have nearly no success.

3. Not that I know off, but I am confused about this "slow exploration". Exploration Speed for asteroids just recently got buffed. Are you running without the Resource Scanner?
Thank you for your answer.

@1: I steal from the pirates. I literally get a chance over 90% for 'Basic colonization' from half the pirates (12 months). If you are lucky and get many spies stealing multiple techs per year is common (though admittedly with a bit of save scumming). The developer should change the mechanic entirely. Stealing should be like retiring a ship; you constantly get research points which are allocated randomly to techs you do not have.

@3: I research 'Stable Warp Fields' before 'Resource Scanner' because I want to explore the surrounding area asap. Depending on the planets I find, my strategy changes. Also, 'Resource Scanner' or not, going for asteroid fields first is simply inefficient. Not if there is a juicy planet to colonize hanging around or a giant gas planet for a caslon station. Currently I have to manually control the explorers which is a chore. Alternatively a queing system could alleviate the issue.
1. I only get 14%. 33% if the same species as the spy.

3. Back when I still started at TL0, I got the Resource scanner and survey module right after the Warpdrive.
And that was before 1.0.1.9 changed this:
EXPLORATION
- asteroids are now explored much quicker than planets, moons or stars (for both scan and survey)
and I never felt I had a issue.

1 month and even 1 year is not going to make a difference in getting the colonyship out.
If anything, you have to delay colonyships because you lack the economy to actually support a colony from scratch.
inf666
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 8:26 am

Re: DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

Post by inf666 »

zgrssd wrote: Sun Mar 27, 2022 3:40 pm
1. I only get 14%. 33% if the same species as the spy.
Humans get +10% Espionage bonus. I assume that's the reason for the difference. Ok, so Humans are op not tech stealing by itself :D
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