Matrix Games Forums

Improved AI both for AI opponents and player AI assistance and advisors

One hopes.

Improved Diplomacy, including many possible first contact outcomes and more options for trade and treaties as well as tracking of diplomatic reputation by empire.

Diplomacy in the first was pretty good for its time, looking forward to checking out this improved version.

Expanded Resource system with resources varying in rarity and luxury resources offering other bonuses beyond just colony development. Resources are also somewhat less abundant and require more effort to extract

Ayy, somewhat less abundant and more effort to extract resources hopefully means having a deeper more meaningful economy to engage with, along the lines of the simulated economy thread i made about DW1 recently.

This means traveling to distant locations often involves “star-hopping” through multiple star systems rather than just following a straight-line route. This creates additional challenges and choke-points in the galaxy.

Great change, this also should make the "world" a little more meaningful and less whack-a-mole when anyone can virtually appear anywhere in any system of yours at any time.

Research by default is both blind (only see the next projects that link to the ones you have already researched) and has probability-based pre-requisite and fall-back paths (alternate paths to unlock projects) which means that each time you play, the Research tree can vary and the paths many not be the same. This can also be changed in the setup options to allow for full visibility and fixed paths for more predictability.

Wayyy out of left field. I don't even.

THIS! OMG im loving it. They are borrowing some stuff from Stellaris, but I like it.

Well i'm glad there's some sort of method to this seemingly madness - i stopped playing Stellaris when i saw the combat was nothing more than a pretty simulation, so i'm not familiar with this style of research but you seem pretty positive about it so i hope it's good. Props to them adding the option for traditional research in case it's not.

Compared to Distant Worlds 1, ships are generally more durable and require more effort to destroy.

Sweet, hopefully this makes combat more meaningful too.

So much goodness in that list, I'm thrilled. I will echo enthusiasm for this one in particular:

Research by default is both blind (only see the next projects that link to the ones you have already researched) and has probability-based pre-requisite and fall-back paths (alternate paths to unlock projects) which means that each time you play, the Research tree can vary and the paths many not be the same. This can also be changed in the setup options to allow for full visibility and fixed paths for more predictability.

ORIGINAL: Miletkir

ORIGINAL: Handbanana

- Research by default is both blind (only see the next projects that link to the ones you have already researched) and has probability-based pre-requisite and fall-back paths (alternate paths to unlock projects) which means that each time you play, the Research tree can vary and the paths many not be the same. This can also be changed in the setup options to allow for full visibility and fixed paths for more predictability.


THIS! OMG im loving it. They are borrowing some stuff from Stellaris, but I like it.

I love that too, but where did you see it? There's no screen with the research tab on the Steam page.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1531540

[Deleted by Admins]

ORIGINAL: Grognerd_INC

I'll withhold my enthusiasm until after watching the presentation.

DW Universe is a very good game but it is not customisable enough for my desires - still a very good game.
A map editor would make me happy enough to act crazy! As I love to create science fiction universes from books/movies and a certain role playing game.
Even without a map editor I'll surely want to play it, as Universe was about is best 3 or 4X best game out there. I just won't be as excited.

Universe does have a map editor already and will hopefully be improved with the new release.

[Deleted by Admins]

https://www.matrixgames.com/game/distant-worlds-2

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

https://www.matrixgames.com/game/distant-worlds-2

Thanks Erik..... looks great.

ORIGINAL: Handbanana
THIS! OMG im loving it. They are borrowing some stuff from Stellaris, but I like it.

I didn't actually realize this was also in Stellaris, but FWIW this was part of the DW2 plan since before Stellaris was released. I guess you pick from one of three or four visible projects there each time you pick, but under the hood, so to speak, it works in a similar way? A version of this has also been done in other games in the past - research where you only see the next possible project and where the paths can change is not a new idea we came up with, but we loved the idea of it as an option for DW and implemented it in the way we felt best suited to DW.

Regards,

- Erik

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: Handbanana
THIS! OMG im loving it. They are borrowing some stuff from Stellaris, but I like it.

I didn't actually realize this was also in Stellaris, but FWIW this was part of the DW2 plan since before Stellaris was released. I guess you pick from one of three or four visible projects there each time you pick, but under the hood, so to speak, it works in a similar way? A version of this has also been done in other games in the past - research where you only see the next possible project and where the paths can change is not a new idea we came up with, but we loved the idea of it as an option for DW and implemented it in the way we felt best suited to DW.

Regards,

- Erik

From what I understand of it, this is better than Stellaris because you can still see where one specific research leads to, without seeing the entire technological tree as a predefined history of science. This is *the* immersive way to do it, close to how science really happens, and I'm thrilled!

I'd also like to congratulate you guys on that beautiful artwork you got for the game. I'll have more to say later for sure, but I'm still in the "this is happening" moment. Thank you Erik and the whole team for your work and dedication.

The second trailer is good, really good.

How DW has matured with time. [&o]

13 minutes to the livestream: https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup

Definitely needs to live play it lol I feel bad for him because he has to rush with the paste of the video speed, but
it's packed full of info so much goodness.

Love the 'proper' space battles.

Love the freight/supply overlays.

Love the real-time supply/demand updates ... per ship!

Just looks excellent.

Brilliant stream. [8D]

[Deleted by Admins]

My view.

It looks almost like DW1 with UI rework and better ship design.The strategic game from what I see is the same.While this doesnt make it bad of course but the 33/33/33 rule seems way off here.

Asherbury, what is the 33/33/33 rule? I am happy with it being DW1 in form and feel but more of it and clearer/cleaner.

ORIGINAL: Secretcode
Definitely needs to live play it lol I feel bad for him because he has to rush with the paste of the video speed, but it's packed full of info so much goodness.

I'll try live-playing in the future, but we were trying to pack as much as we could into an hour, boy that went by quickly!

ORIGINAL: Bleek

Love the 'proper' space battles.

Love the freight/supply overlays.

Love the real-time supply/demand updates ... per ship!

Just looks excellent.

Brilliant stream. [8D]

Thank you!

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76
It looks almost like DW1 with UI rework and better ship design. The strategic game from what I see is the same.

It's certainly true that it should feel familiar to DW1 fans. With that said, there are a ton of changes especially in the details that are hard to bring out but that make a pretty big difference. We'll show more as time goes on.