Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Data

ORIGINAL: tjhkkr
Where in the known galaxy is Data when we need him? Uh oh... he is probably raiding your Romulan Ale again...

Data, my friend, is buried under a ton of critical work....damn my employer and his lack of understanding for my needs [:)]

Yeah I hear you. I know your pain!

I thought of something that might be kind of cool... being able to name space sectors...
For those who want to leave it alone, they could leave it letters and numbers, but for those of us who enjoy such things, we could have names across the axis and it could be like...

Alfa Bravo Charlie
Alfa Alfa-Alfa Alfa-Bravo Alfa-Charlie
Bravo Bravo-Alfa Bravo-Bravo Bravo-Charlie
Charlie Charlie-Alfa Charlie-Bravo Charlie-Charlie

A thought anyway...
It may take too much to code though....

I love the idea of naming sectors, but wouldn't the way you described above seem a little...convoluted?

Well, the forum did not space it out as I had hoped...
But the idea was for the X-Axis, you would have one set of names, and the Y-Axis would have another set of names.... And the sector name would be the X-word/Y-Word.

Of Course, you could have a table/index system that had an X/Y coordinate pair point to a name... that would be cool to... Sector 4-4 points to a name in a table...

Anyway, I doubt it will happen, but it would be fun... and very Star Wars

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
The circles are spheres of influence and that's one of the new overlays that can be turned on and off. Explored systems within your sphere of influence are considered to be under your control and define your "borders" within the galaxy. When you negotiate mining or refueling rights, or consider whether another species is trespassing in your systems, it's control rather than sphere of influence that matters.

Regards,

- Erik

What is the factor that spreads the spheres of influence?

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

It should be posted anytime now, I'm sorry it took so long.

Here's one of the new screenshots:

It would be nice to actually see higher res shots on the product site.The screenshots are very hard to make out.

I noticed in the most recent version that if you wanted to tweak an AI designed ship you had to

1) turn off auto-deign
2) copy the ship (as it still doesn't let you change the original version)
3) Tweak the ship
4) Delete the old ship
5) turn the auto-design back on

Any chance that will be stream lined?

1) turn off auto-deign
2) copy the ship (as it still doesn't let you change the original version)
3) Tweak the ship
4) Delete the old ship
5) turn the auto-design back on

You do not have to delete the Old Ship; you can just mark it obsolete, and then hit the update key... that will update the ship.
OR you can mark it obsolete, copy it and go forward... that would take out a couple of steps...

Also, you can not change the design of a design that is in "existence" (that is, that has ships using the design).

I would figure the easiest is to "copy as new" and do your modification on that one? No need to turn anything of as far as I can remember.

Binge is correct, no surprise there [:)]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76
Can have some details and screenshots about the major selling point of the game, ie leaders.[8|]

This is the main area we are still working on, so more details on this are still a week or two away.

Regards,

- Erik

It is probably way too late for suggestions but...

How about a 'Freighter Pilot' character who allows you manual control of one freighter (could come with own ship if you want to limit exploitability)? You could even limit this capability to missions only involving colonies and spaceports.

As I said, probably way too late, but thought it wouldn't hurt to mention my current pet frustration .

That's actually an...awesome idea. I also think it might be too late now but you sure have to wishlist it for a future expansion, we need something like this.

Interesting idea indeed. Not sure how easy that would be to implement, but I'd be very happy about it.

I would rather they make a proper logistics system.

Space station having minimums and maximum levels of materials, and shifting wares between themselves. Mines send their wares (or freighters bring their wares) to nearest space station, and other space stations grab them from there. A natural hierarchy of small, medium and large space ports (that make sense), and large haulers shifting huge stores between the large ones, with the smaller working on the local level.

No more seeing freighters going point to point across massive ranges, getting out of fuel in the process. Space stations that send out requests to its neighbors to make sure it meets it minimum levels, and who push others to receive within their maximum levels when they got loads of stuff.

If you want to drive a lorry, there are other games for that [;)]

I would love to discover "duh, I really need to build a medium space port here to make the wares flow better". The only problem would be what happens to the AI when I go on my space port busting sprees [:'(]

Yes Bingeling, a proper logistics system could be good. I wonder if the designers have not done one on purpose, though, forcing us to deal with a somewhat recalcitrant private sector? What I am sure about, though, is that if such a system is not already in the expansion it would be too much work to include now.

By the way, what is wrong wanting to drive a truck?

Nothing, a matter of taste. Both avenues can be implemented so that the game appeals to both space truckers and logistics people [:)]

Nothing wrong with wanting to drive a truck. But I have issues with people wanting to drive one in Distant Worlds [:D]

Just a thought about your issue, you said you had many steel mines. Maybe too many is bad for you?

I don't know how freighter priority works, but imagine if it is like.

The freighter goes do the work for the "highest bidder". The bid depends on...

Locations scream for what they want.
Space ports and mines scream about what they have in surplus.
Distance from the freighter is included to adjust the strength of the "bid".

This would be a simple way to organize freighters. A freighter finishes its job, and it does what has highest priority. Its own urge to refuel. And the strength of every spaceport/colon/mining base's "scream" adjusted with distance to that location.

Maybe a mining base get really loud if its stores are full (it can't produce anymore). Do you have excessive stores on your bases? Imagine this tiny little space port construction business whimpering "could I get some polymers, pretty please?". At the same time 3 steel mining bases scream "I need to get rid of this steel NOW!!!". The freighter all goes to pick up steel, with nowhere to deliver it, or just distant locations wanting more (noone wants steel).

IF the game works this way, having too much supply of resources is bad for you logistics business. Peek around the store levels of your mining bases to check if it may be the case. The resource to watch for is the one all your freighters are carrying (for no apparent reason). If this is a problem, scrap mining bases.

I don't think new features of any size are added to the expansion now. But there is always future patches, and I think I have wishlisted a proper logistics system before. Trade lines should mean something (the actually trade routes used, where goods are transported). From Large to large, from medium to nearest large (or medium if no large is anywhere near), from small to nearest medium/large.

I hate to say it... I have been building a Space Port at every planet I get... Usually a medium one. If the planet is in a rear area, I might go with a smaller port in a system with multiple habitable planets. I have not seen any improvements in logistics.
The best I have ever done for logistics is to build MANY construction ships... 15 is minimum.
And do I need to say it, I still run out of...
Fuel [:D][:D][:D][;)]

In the expansion at least, just use the "queue constructor to build gas mine here" button on the fuel planets in your systems. Or in a nearby system if your colony system lack one.

The AI seems to work fine apart from fuel, so just book the extra ones. I usually book on both planets if there are two fuel source planets in my system...

Once the game is mature, it seems the AI don't build too much. If I conquer into a new part of the galaxy, nothing is built (apart from my manual gas mines) as I expand in a new "cluster". There is probably enough resources by the AI estimation, and it probably does not care too much where its gas mines are (which should be everywhere and then some).

I dislike the whole fuel system giving unlimited range.I wanted the range scaled better making exporation a much longer process.One can explore the whole galaxy in 5 mins.