Matrix Games Forums

Everyone here talks about how great DW is. And I read all these great posts about it. So I buy it. And I can't wrap my head around it. There's so much going on and I can't get a handle on it all...

Then an expansion comes out. And everyone here talks about how great it is. And I read all these great posts about it. So I buy it...

I am so weak...so weak...

I hate you all. [:D]

I think it took all of us quite a while to learn the in's and out's of this game - it's very deep.
I still learn new things about the game, and I've been playing for a long time.

Of course with all the changes/improvements Elliot keeps making, each patch makes it almost like a new game [:D]

ORIGINAL: Spacecadet

Of course with all the changes/improvements Elliot keeps making, each patch makes it almost like a new game [:D]

Oh nooessss! [:-]


I really am going to sit down this weekend and learn it. I know there's a great game in here once I get past the learning curve.

When I first got DW, my first game I tried to continue the game from the Tutorial . . . bad move.
There were so many alarms and things going on I didn't know what to do.

I suggest playing on a 100 Star map with just one or two other Races.
Put the Advisors on the suggest setting (middle option) except for Taxes, leave Taxes fully automated.

This should give you a much slower paced game and give you a chance to start figuring out what's going on.
Once you start grasping certain concepts you can make adjustments to the Advisor setting for that area.

This is how I did it.

Now with the Expansion it's a bit more involved with all the new Planetary Facilities added.
I would definitely disable the Shakturi option until you know what's going on.

You really don't need to make an effort to learn it, just play with most automation on, then as you get each bit of the game, turn off that bit of the automation. It really helps to flatten the learning curve, and basically why the game doesn't need a difficulty slider. But I'd still like a choice of difficulty, but only if it isn't cheating AI.

ORIGINAL: Liquid5n0w

You really don't need to make an effort to learn it, just play with most automation on, then as you get each bit of the game, turn off that bit of the automation. It really helps to flatten the learning curve, and basically why the game doesn't need a difficulty slider. But I'd still like a choice of difficulty, but only if it isn't cheating AI.

Well, the thing about DW is it's "cheating" options aren't really like other strategy games cheating.

In DW you can grant other Empires a more advanced starting setup sure, but take for example the Civilization series.
With Civ, upping the level gives them (AI) more of basically everything throughout the WHOLE game, not just starting setup.
Now that's what I call cheating, and it's not limited to Civ, most other strategy games follow the same formula.

You really don't need to make an effort to learn it, just play with most automation on, then as you get each bit of the game, turn off that bit of the automation. It really helps to flatten the learning curve, and basically why the game doesn't need a difficulty slider.

This is how I learnt [;)]

Play the tutorial 2 or 3 times to make sure you absorb it all,  that's what I did and now I'm well under control

As I said in another thread, Distant Worlds is messy. It is messy, confusing, and massive... and that is why we love it. You will never be able to control everything in your empire, and trying to do so will make you go insane. My usual tactic is to leave all of my ships and fleets on automate as a police force.

When I need a fleet to perform a task like an attack, I run through the fleets to find the closest one with fuel (because on automate they worry about their own fuel) and send it out to perform the attack. Once it is done, I set it on automate again and it returns to the empire and repairs/refuels.

I leave fleet formation on auto too. I don't really care what is in each fleet, and the AI does a pretty good job of including troop transports and a good mix of ships in each one. I do design my own ships, and I control how many are built.

I normally leave construction ships on automate, sometimes intervening manually to tell them to build a research base or specific mining base which I need.

The hardest thing is learning to let go. You cannot effectively play Distant Worlds like you would play MOO2 once your empire gets to a certain size.

ORIGINAL: WoodMan

You really don't need to make an effort to learn it, just play with most automation on, then as you get each bit of the game, turn off that bit of the automation. It really helps to flatten the learning curve, and basically why the game doesn't need a difficulty slider.

This is how I learnt [;)]

this is how i learnt too

I learned it quickly by starting with smallest galaxy and all automation OFF. If I needed somthing I just paused the game and found a way to do it. The worst thing you can do to learn the game is start in big galaxy and all auto. It will be hard to learn anything from that.

Any Paradox game players find this hard? I never had much issue with the learning curve but maybe playing EU games helped.

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Any Paradox game players find this hard? I never had much issue with the learning curve but maybe playing EU games helped.

EU Games?

Europa Universalis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Universalis

The hardest thing is learning to let go. You cannot effectively play Distant Worlds like you would play MOO2 once your empire gets to a certain size.

Ok well this is going to be my specific challenge. My favorite 4X game in space is Gal Civ 2, where everything is in the players control.

I intend to give DW a go this weekend.

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Any Paradox game players find this hard? I never had much issue with the learning curve but maybe playing EU games helped.

I'm a Paradox gamer, and have been since the original EU. I find this more challenging because there's so much more going on.

ORIGINAL: forsaken1111

As I said in another thread, Distant Worlds is messy. It is messy, confusing, and massive... and that is why we love it. You will never be able to control everything in your empire, and trying to do so will make you go insane. My usual tactic is to leave all of my ships and fleets on automate as a police force.

When I need a fleet to perform a task like an attack, I run through the fleets to find the closest one with fuel (because on automate they worry about their own fuel) and send it out to perform the attack. Once it is done, I set it on automate again and it returns to the empire and repairs/refuels.

I leave fleet formation on auto too. I don't really care what is in each fleet, and the AI does a pretty good job of including troop transports and a good mix of ships in each one. I do design my own ships, and I control how many are built.

I normally leave construction ships on automate, sometimes intervening manually to tell them to build a research base or specific mining base which I need.

The hardest thing is learning to let go. You cannot effectively play Distant Worlds like you would play MOO2 once your empire gets to a certain size.

The part in bold is the best thing about DW. The fact that one man can not control it all, you must rely on your advisors. It makes you more of an Emperor, and less of the all knowing omnipotent being. This is the way it should be...as Emperor, I control key aspects of my empire, but leave the mundane stuff to my staff.

I leave automation on for everything except:

Ship Design, Ship building, colonizing and Diplomacy. The staff handles the rest...and the AI staff does a decent job of it.

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Any Paradox game players find this hard? I never had much issue with the learning curve but maybe playing EU games helped.

EU III and Vic II. Those are more difficult to learn (to play well) than DW. Vic II is worst (and most enjoyable) (IMHO of course).

ORIGINAL: Wenla



EU III and Vic II. Those are more difficult to learn (to play well) than DW. Vic II is worst (and most enjoyable) (IMHO of course).

You think EU III is harder? Hmm.....

Someone mentioned turning specific categories that you want to control on to 'AI suggests' which is a good idea.

That way the AI asks you to okay what they're going to do and you can see it making decisions to help get a feel of the flow.