Distant Worlds is a vast, pausable real-time, 4X space strategy game which models a "living galaxy" with incredible options for replayability and customizability. Experience the full depth and detail of large turn-based strategy games, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game. Now greatly enhanced with the new Universe release, which includes all four previous releases as well as the new Universe expansion!
Character spies are an awesome game addition but I think the original spy system could have been kept as well.
You would purchase a spy network (the same thing as a spy in RotS). These networks could be assigned similarly and with the same missions as the spies in RotS.
When you eventually spawn a super spy (character) you could assign them to lead a spy network. This would make the character spies similar to generals and admirals.
Though I like the idea to second it, the original change made the "steal technology" exploit less virulent. So... if we increse the steal difficulty a little more I am all ears for more spy action again.
Though I like the idea to second it, the original change made the "steal technology" exploit less virulent. So... if we increse the steal difficulty a little more I am all ears for more spy action again.
I believe that the odds have been tweaked in this for Legends by Elliot. Also, when you steal
a tech now, you get notification of what the stolen tech was (helps in adjusting your research)!
The AI does not plan research according to what it designs (or the opposite).
I am now playing the Zenox with both automated. They have spent all the energy time on shields, first the full racial line, then proceeding in the normal shield lines. Why research something you will never need?
It also researches blasters never used as it seems to prefer railguns. Having the AI spend research time more wisely will improve it.
Dunno if this has been asked for anywhere yet, but we need the ability to individually control which races with in our empire we resettle, enslave, exterminate, etc.
For example, an insect race can quickly out breed humans in a Human Empire.. so if they have to go to war with that insect race, it can cause revolts all over the place from my experience. But the population controls provided are broad and doesn't allow us to target the individual species we either don't like or are causing us troubles.
I was just reading the Thread \The same leader forever? \ on the main page and it gave me an idea for a sugestion. how about for representetive goverments if your leader gets removed by elections they stay around and become a diffrent typ of leader like an ambasador or planetary govener
A man from my country once said walk softly and carry a big stick. Well I say if you carry a big enough stick it realy doesn't mater how softly you walk.
So, I guess it was asked already, but I guess I can add one more voice:
Design/retrofit system desperately needs improvement.
I do like making my own designs, but only for specific ships, and only when needed. All the other time I would like computer to keep an eye on it. But having only one type of destroyer/frigate/escot/cruiser/capital ship does really cut off a lot of interesting tactics from the game. Especially since an AI empire has only one type of design for each type of ship it is not hard to make a design to counter it.
And retrofit... Even so I made all my designs myself and created like 7 different destroyers, when I got a new component and choose to retrofit ships I have to the latest design, computer retrofits all of them... to the latest design Not just those who uses this type of component. We really need more than one design for each type of ships ( except for carriers and resuply ships).
Thank you for your time.
I would like to be able to add ships to my fleets directly from the fleet screen, also numbers to indicate how many ships of each type(escorts, frigates, etc.) are in a particular fleet. This would make fleet management much easier than doing this from the ships screen, especially later in the game when you have hundreds of ships.
1 instead of a single check box to automate ships after build in the empire setting how about 3. one for military, one for explorationships, one for construction ships that way you can have millitary and exploration still come out autmated but constructers will be on manual after build waiting for your orders
2 a report on how many and of what resources bring in from other empires maby in yearly or mothly figures, this would help in my curent game where my ship yards our out of polymer and thier are no sources near by it would alow me to check if im getting polymer from other empire and plan acordingly it would also help to track down resource shortages maby an import\ export screen
3 maby civillian advisor warnings that let you know thing like you civillian ships need more fuel capacity or better protection or Cheaper ships
A man from my country once said walk softly and carry a big stick. Well I say if you carry a big enough stick it realy doesn't mater how softly you walk.
Multi-racial population impact counter-intelligence mechanism
I have read it somewhere recently on the forum and I think this idea is awesome.
I think that as designed today, you should always go for multi-racial empire. There is no 'back-fire' to this (not enough):
> If you are a warmonger you will have to deal with moral issues, ok, but you will also have huge bonus from enslavment, so it is still very interesting
> If you are a peacefull you will have to deal with nothing, and you will have bonus from new racial attributes, so very interesting (and free)
The idea is, to reflect the huge share of informations and culture in multi-racial population, to add a 'multiracial' negative factor to counter-intelligence empire capability, in order to decrease counter-intelligence ability of a multi-racial empire. I think it is simple, 'quite realistic' and it could balance the multi-racial choice the player would have to do. Of course it would need some balancing test, but considering the awesome balance we have already, I am sure that Erik and Elliot would be up to the task!
for UI, (unless its already available but I don't know how or already requested)
Can there be a lock button for the map window (on the lower right of main screen)?
I don't like how it changes zoom in proportion with the main screen zoom.
I would prefer to just leave the map window at/near full galaxy (locked) view.
A zoom feature on the pop up galaxy map. with the new 15x15 if you have alot of stars ist difucult make out individual stars let alone select them when your looking for resource ising the find resouce overlay
Also how about direct ordes overiding evrey thing else including retreat settings
1 example form my latest game where this would be helpful. one of my mining stations was under attach by pirates shields down armor dwindling with only on crusier in the area the crusier manged to kill all but one pirate ships wich was badly damaged and would have probably been efectivly disabled with a 1 or 2 more volleys but my cruiser's shields dropped below th 20% mark and it began to retreat I clicked on it and tried to order it to finish of the pirate but my cruiser kept running away so I lost the minning Station to A severly Damged Pirate Ship
captain: shield have dropped 20% per fleet docterine reteart
Helmsman: but captain we nearly crippled the pirate ?
Captain: Be that as it may our standing fleet orders tell us to retreat
Helmsan: Captain I'm getting a message from fleet comand ordering us to contiune the attack sir!
Captain: Ingnore those orders we are folowing fleet protocol
Helmsman: More incoming orders Sir direcltly from the emeror himself it say contiue the attack or else it also mentions something about public executions if we dont obey sir !
Captain: I know my orders helmsman fleet protocol clearly states retreat when shields reach 20% so we retreat and thats final!!!
( in The distance the minning Station Blows up and the pirate limps homw)
Direct orders should overide everything else
A man from my country once said walk softly and carry a big stick. Well I say if you carry a big enough stick it realy doesn't mater how softly you walk.
1) Auto-resupply construction ships: if a construction ship runs out of resources before finishing whatever it's building, it should run off to find the resources needed automatically.
2) In Construction icon from the ship screen
3) Fleet Fill Troops button: A command you can give at the fleet level that will have them go off and fill their troop holds at the nearest possible place. Bonus points if they coordinate so as not to step on each others toes.
4) Fuel tankers: A ship that can be automated so that all it does is deliver fuel to ships in the field. Unlike a resupply ship in that it doesn't actually create it's own fuel, just gets it from elsewhere. Maybe this could be part of the private economy.
I like these!
With number 4, I'd be happy if the private ships had tankers dedicated to transferring fuel to locations you designate or to ships you allow them too. For instance, allow them to transfer it to construction ships but not to military ships that are active in a war.
Or perhaps be able to build remote bases in dead space, and assign the ships, or designate the base itself as a supply depo. Which would get them to automatically keep it stock with fuel. Don't always have a gas planet in a good spot to use as a staging ground for attacks.
Would like to have further settings that control the map set up. Such as the ability to control how many empty solar systems that are generated on the map. I see way too many of them at times, and I don't like empty solar systems. They need to have asteroids in them or something at least >.<. Maybe monsters nests!
Hmm which makes me think of a new map setting.. a Spiral with all empires around the edge, and the center monster and debris field land.
Create technology preference for each empire. More or less random. This should of course be modable. One can create many pre-defined sets of technologies for the AI to choose among. This will enable the AI to mix weapons that work together, and to research for the wanted technology.
I am not sure if this is actually already done for design, but research is not well connected...
Lets pick examples from primary weapons.
You need to decide if you.
1: Want to stay at maxos blasters. In that case "Efficient Blasters" is relevant, otherwise not.
2: Want to focus primary on Beam Superflow, Extreme Energy Beams, Massive Missile Assaults, or Plasma Hardening.
3: In going for the primary target, it should also know which secondary targets its want. All of these have "two requirement techs". The AI should know which one is to be used, and which is only researched to reach the next tier. A titan beam AI with Veolocity Shard priority should head for Total Energy Acceleration, and only start High Energy Cohesion once it decides it is time to get "Advanced Plasma Physics".
Pre defined profiles can make sure the AI has a good mix of primary, secondary and ship default attitudes (hug enemy or keep distance). For instance a "hugger" tactic may also want faster ships...
Even if it focuses its research it still needs to balance its primary and secondary weapons, ion weapons, fighters, shields, point defenses... But it won't waste early time on obsolete tech.
The AI should of course have a secondary weapon.
There is exactly the same decision to make for:
1: Reactors
2: Shields
3: Hyper drives
4: Engines
If the AI was more focused, the human would have less to gain from manual research, and it would more about "getting what you want" rather than "becoming more powerful".
And again, what it wants to research should be linked to what it wants to design. Have the r and d in r&d work as a unit.
This can be created as many sets of pre-set choices, and a race can specify one of them or pick one at random. And of course, some things are less connected, like engines and primary weapons, and a pre-set choice can decide something is random. But do pick one.
I am a sad camper. My AI has research prerequisites for Fusion Balance, Advanced Shields, and advanced hyperdrives, but does not research any of them currently... And really, advanced shields when the first it research was Pure Energy Discharge?
Create technology preference for each empire. More or less random. This should of course be modable. One can create many pre-defined sets of technologies for the AI to choose among. This will enable the AI to mix weapons that work together, and to research for the wanted technology.
I second this. For example, from the end of WWII until well after the cold war the US Navy's paradigm was stuck on open ocean conflict centered around the carrier battle group. Like all paradigms it took a lot to shift focus.
So each race could have their own military paradigm, which can be shifted, but only at significant cost.
This feature would add a lot of immersion to the game.
Chief of the Watch... Over the 1MC, pass the word... "DIVE!" "DIVE!"... sound two blasts of the Diving Alarm ... and pass the word, "DIVE! "DIVE!"
I second this. For example, from the end of WWII until well after the cold war the US Navy's paradigm was stuck on open ocean conflict centered around the carrier battle group. Like all paradigms it took a lot to shift focus.
So each race could have their own military paradigm, which can be shifted, but only at significant cost.
This feature would add a lot of immersion to the game.
But then if you know what their military paradigm is you could easily counter it. Eg. Dhayut prefer carriers as they are an insect race. So you build your own carriers with fighters and ships with point-defence, strong shields, fast, that can chase down carriers and destroy them.
Been reading through this thread some and gathering good ideas to second and proposition, but this one can't really wait.
What I'd like to see is - improvement in the escape routine.
Granted I was playing with Teekans and their rat(her) low intelligence but still... If there are four meanies on your tail
and you have no means to effect them I'd guess anyone, especially of rodenty cunning would just hit the pedal to the metal
and zoom out of the system with as much hyperspeed as possible and NOT to inch along with the leisurely pace of cruise speed
waiting for the shields to be gone and the armor and the engines and oh, no. Especially so for EX-model of ships that are told to skeddaddle
when sighting trouble. Even more so when ordered to hightail it by the player.
The space creatures are another story. Especially the Sand Slugs (did I mention playing Teekans earlier, how selfish of me -
truth to be told - applies to other races as well in my books) that are quite sluggy and I'd like to see the
escaping done only if it's clear that the ship is slower than the creature. Also the ships still should keep their safe distance
even if they were faster (hey, no reason to go to the kaltor's jaws when it is speed 35 and THIS ship is speed 36, let's just keep to our
max range and have a target practice. I could develop this idea further but there's no time atm.
One other thing on the combat side of things seems sometimes strange - since I'd imagine if a ship is ordered to attack and they are less than a hyperjumps
distance away from an enemy - they'd propably get up to combat speed asap and not cruise along. I mean... What's the use of combat speed
if it's not used. And yes, I know it is - but it could be utilized a littttttle bit more. Or earlier at least. Like around the minute the opfor goes
for the combat speed themselves. If the point is not to have the players ships save their fuel on the AIs expense.
Not just those who uses this type of component. We really need more than one design for each type of ships ( except for carriers and resuply ships).
