Distant Worlds 2 - State of the Game and Update Roadmap

[zgrssd]

Have I missread it that there would be a beta patch today?
Or am I just to impatient?

[jaweknee530]

Have I missread it that there would be a beta patch today?
Or am I just to impatient?

I'm hoping for the same. There's a few things that are keeping me from enjoying the game. With the potential the game has though I'm desperate for some updates to fix those few key things.

[sanch]

Have I missread it that there would be a beta patch today?
Or am I just to impatient?

Not for those who don't use steam - GROWL

[zgrssd]

Have I missread it that there would be a beta patch today?
Or am I just to impatient?

Not for those who don't use steam - GROWL

I am using Steam and I do not get a Beta either.
So it is save to say that thus far nobody has a beta.

[Erik Rutins]

The beta update is available on Steam and GOG today. You may need to exit and restart Steam to see it. More info here:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 1&t=382205

[Erik Rutins]

The beta update is available on Steam and GOG today. You may need to exit and restart Steam to see it. More info here:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 1&t=382205

[Scotias]

Thanks for the update and insight to the goings on behind the curtain. Big fan from DWU so I'm fine to wait patiently on fixes and updates etc, we waited a long time for this game already

It is a shame for newcomers though, experiencing such issues. I hope not too many are put off

[indrkl]

I would also like to provide some constructive feedback regarding gameplay, especially for parts which were not covered in the initial post. I have quite enjoyed my time playing the game, though it seems to be a bit rough around the edges. But I do hope you keep it up, as this game is definitely something that should exist in the space of strategy games, so I really hope this will get better with patches and in the future with DLCs / Expansions

It is possible that some of the things listed below are because I have yet to realize some part of the game. I have played it for 39 h. and currently decided to come back to it in a few months when there are more updates. Anyways, feel free to let me know, if some of the pains can already be adressed somehow in current state of the game.

What I really like about the game is the ability to automate away lot of micromanagement, which I personally quite hate to do, especially if it becomes repetitive and therefore tedious.

1. Lack of control with regards to migration. It is not possible, as far as I know to push private sectors to have more passanger ships, or prioritize on migration instead of tourism, or to even prioritize populating certain worlds. I understand that this is a private economy thing, but I think there should be possibility to do something about that by spending some resource, I guess state money or smth (would be cool, if then that goes back to private economy).

2. Lack of control with regards to exploration. I often notice that planets remain unexplored in even very close sectors. While all explorations are already away in some distant lands. Also, it might be more valuable to have faster exploration of nearby sectors, since it is logistically easier to extract resources from them, but there is no way as far as I know to incentivise that.
Suggestions,
* control the automation with regards to: how many exploration ships are allowed to explore a system at a time.
* Separate asteroids exploration, and you can control how many exploration ships you dedicate to asteroid exploration?
* Similarly to mining, you can mark systems that you want to prioritize exploration to, and can differentiate between full exploration, and everything but asteroids and hostiles, so that you can control which direction you explore to. Maybe early on you don't want to spend any resources to exploring already other empire controlled territory etc.
* Also control if explore ships will just do the initial scan, or will attempt to go further if there might be something to discover as they do currently.

3. I don't think the races are very balanced. The suitability seems to play a major role in the growth rate of populations and can play a mayor role in getting the economy up and going. For example, for me it seems that the Boskara are OP in that regards as they enjoy an insane growth in the early game compared to for example Humans, Ackdarian, Haakonish or Zenox which I also tried out, and therefore I currently hold the position that Hivemind Boskara are just OP. Because if you are able to run all science with 100 % uptime for the boost then whatever research penalties you have, don't really matter.

5. Research. Unless I seriously misunderstand something, then research stations seem to be the main way for acquaring sciense. And that seems to be the only way to reliably grow your research output (asides for also having positive balance), making first of all... luck super important, as that determines how many research station spots you find, and also just spamming explorers and exploring the only viable strategy when it comes to research growth and that kind of takes away from the identity from the research race Ackdarian and the technocracy government type.

[OrnluWolfjarl]

5. Research. Unless I seriously misunderstand something, then research stations seem to be the main way for acquaring sciense. And that seems to be the only way to reliably grow your research output (asides for also having positive balance), making first of all... luck super important, as that determines how many research station spots you find, and also just spamming explorers and exploring the only viable strategy when it comes to research growth and that kind of takes away from the identity from the research race Ackdarian and the technocracy government type.

Just wanted to add that limiting research stations to only certain locations adds a level of strategic depth to the game, that I find fun.

The problem is that the AI doesn't really understand that it needs to prioritize building research stations, even if it explores a lot. It grabs the Research Location of its system, and maybe 1-2 more in neighboring systems to the homeworld, but that's it.

Another problem, is that the AI prioritizes troop research and building troops way too much, which is causing their economies to stagnate.

As such, the player will often be WAY ahead in tech, compared to the AI. That means it's hard to actually assess whether research locations are a good mechanic or not, because whatever race the player picks, it will always be OP compared to the AI.

[zgrssd]

5. Research. Unless I seriously misunderstand something, then research stations seem to be the main way for acquaring sciense. And that seems to be the only way to reliably grow your research output (asides for also having positive balance), making first of all... luck super important, as that determines how many research station spots you find, and also just spamming explorers and exploring the only viable strategy when it comes to research growth and that kind of takes away from the identity from the research race Ackdarian and the technocracy government type.

A few corrections:
1. Colonies grant research.

2- Science stations only give research potential. Which decides how much money you can actually add to reserach.
The same potential is gained from spaceports.

3. You also seem completely oblivious to the fact you need higher bonuses to unlock thecnology. And that the general bonuses do count here. Which are what those "research focussed races" excell in.

4. You also seem to think it is impossible to capture science stations? Which makes no real sense.

[mordachai]

1. Lack of control with regards to migration.

Yes Please!

2. Lack of control with regards to exploration.

Breadth vs. depth first would be nice (in this context, depth = fully explore a system before moving on, vs. quick scan and immediately go to next system leaving the prior just skimmed)

3. I don't think the races are very balanced. ... I currently hold the position that Hivemind Boskara are just OP. Because if you are able to run all science with 100 % uptime for the boost then whatever research penalties you have, don't really matter.

FWIW, this is also my experience as a player. They were like mega-expansion super-econ for me. But I've only played one game, and on one map arrangement - the could be much harder in other circumstances? but yeah, they were stupid-easy for my one experience so far.

[ncc1701e]

Wow - me coming here to find out how the game was compared to DW:U.

[Emperor0Akim]

2. Lack of control with regards to exploration.

Breadth vs. depth first would be nice (in this context, depth = fully explore a system before moving on, vs. quick scan and immediately go to next system leaving the prior just skimmed)

Thats Survey Modules and Ressource Scanners.

[mordachai]

Thats Survey Modules and Ressource Scanners.

Yeah, exactly! So, now if we had two separate types / classes of exploration ships - not sure what to call them - but ones with Survey Modules and others with Scanners, then that might be a way to control that?

All of this can be manually micro-managed, of course - but in a game of this size, it would be nicer to have an automation setting for favoring one or the other or a balance, something like that!

I mean, it could be as simple as a ratio edit for Prospectors vs. Surveyors (yeah, names could be better)...

[btd64]

Thats Survey Modules and Ressource Scanners.

Yeah, exactly! So, now if we had two separate types / classes of exploration ships - not sure what to call them - but ones with Survey Modules and others with Scanners, then that might be a way to control that?

All of this can be manually micro-managed, of course - but in a game of this size, it would be nicer to have an automation setting for favoring one or the other or a balance, something like that!

I mean, it could be as simple as a ratio edit for Prospectors vs. Surveyors (yeah, names could be better)...

A survey ship and a resource scout ship....GP

[zgrssd]

Wow - me coming here to find out how the game was compared to DW:U.

I would say it is DW:U with better engine and everything.

The downside is that some parts of the game - several races, playable Pirates - had to be cut due to time constraints. But they are going to come back.

[R_TEAM]

It would be a "better" engine ....
if it would be stable .... performant .... smart .... it is none of this ...
And as one recension on Steam right on the point say ...
Is is DW:U Light around top down 3D view with horrible engine and many game design flaws ...
So yea .... in an esotheric aspect it is better as DW:U ...

[Erik Rutins]

It would be a "better" engine ....
if it would be stable .... performant .... smart .... it is none of this ...
And as one recension on Steam right on the point say ...
Is is DW:U Light around top down 3D view with horrible engine and many game design flaws ...
So yea .... in an esotheric aspect it is better as DW:U ...

Please try the latest 1.0.3.1 update and let us know if it helps on your system.

[mordachai]

Hey - just wanted to say

WOW!

Great job quelling most of the crashes! I've had hours & hours & hours of play with exactly one crash since 1033 came out.

[EsoEs]

I notice on the roadmap there is no mention of improving the AI, do the devs have any thoughts on this? The AI is really quite weak, and may even be bugged in the sense that AI empires seem to cripple their own economy over-building troops.