I love the game but...

[Mozo]

I've played 4 games and one of two things always happens (usually both).

1) I find (through pirates usually) boatloads of old ships that I repair and use. Many of these are large ships that allow me to dominate all other factions I fight (who never seem to have any).

2) I tech all of the other planet types and then colonize a ton of systems. These, added to the ones I take by force because of #1, and the game is over.

My only point here is that I think it would be cool to find 1, 2, or maybe 3 ships total. But many of these test sites, etc. have 5, 10, or 20 ships in them! And I always seem to find 5 or 6 of these sites (I play on 400 system galaxies, turn tech to the slowest, etc.).

I really love the game dynamics otherwise and really enjoyed playing it - but I wonder if there couldn't be a slider for frequency of free ships laying around.

Opinions? Comments? Am I missing something here?

Mozo

[Noble713]

I just play with the "plotlines" or whatever turned off. Instead of finding huge graveyards of ships, you typically stumble upon abandoned starbases, and infrequently find solitary capital ships.

[lordxorn]

If you are finding the difficulty too easy, give the AI players more advantage by adding them manually and boosting them there.

Also increase the cost of tech to max, then you won't be flying through the tech tree.

[Krob]

ORIGINAL: lordxorn

If you are finding the difficulty too easy, give the AI players more advantage by adding them manually and boosting them there.

I have only contemplated it, but you could do this. With the manual configuration you have the option to create well established race, technologically superior races, or both, putting you at an extreme disadvantage straight out of the gate. Give yourself a poor homeworld, use only good/evil races and choose the opposite for yourself. There are plenty of ways to increase the difficulty.


K

[Data]

and be prepare for a really slow start, let us know how much time passes until you get your first tech from the tree [:)]

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: lordxorn

If you are finding the difficulty too easy, give the AI players more advantage by adding them manually and boosting them there.

Also increase the cost of tech to max, then you won't be flying through the tech tree.

Play with the tech cost at 999k, and make the AI at least 2 tech levels higher than you. Vastly increases the difficulty of the game.

[WoodMan]

So playing with plotlines off actually removes the wreck sites, not just the story from them?  Thats handy to know, are you sure this is the case?

[Howard Mitchell]

SPOILERS!!


I fully agree about the debris fields and was going to raise a separate post about them as it is one of the few aspects of the game I don't like. There are too many, too powerful ships. This usually means that my fleets are packed out with 'alien' cruisers and capital ships well before my own technology can build anything like them. This robs me of some of the enjoyment of the technology tree as I can build a powerful battle fleet quite easily and quickly.

@ WoodMan - I started my most recent game with the DW storyline box unticked but the RotS one ticked. I am only a few day's play into the game but I have found no big debris fields, only scattered individual ships. Even these are, in my opinion, too much and I would likle to see fewer.

[Sabin Stargem]

Personally, I think that improving the AI so that it more effectively handles debris fields would be an better alternative.

[Data]

Yes, this is wad.....i think even Elliot or Erik mentioned this once
not entirely sure but i think it's in the pedia also

[aprezto]

I have seen enemy constructor ships streaming out to, and taking, the advanced ships. So I know the AI tries to get them too.

[Fishers of Men]

I just explored a weapons test site that had a blue circle around it. This is part of the story line where I was directed to go. When I arrived, there was nothing to find in the hyperspace reduced field. I believe this was one of the advanced ship graveyards, and I believe that the other empires had found it before me and repaired all the ships.

The story line seems stuck at this point because I continue to be directed there, even though there is nothing left for me to find there. What is my next step to advance the story? It also seems that the alien empires are using these advanced ships.

FoM

[gmot]

I've seen other empire's constructors repairing in debris fields. I didn't know that turning off the storylines gets rid of them - good to know as I agree it can result in overpowered fleets early on. A single ship here and there is okay, but a whole whack (technical term, I know) of ships is too unbalancing.

[Mozo]

Wow - that would be great if turning off the plot(s) removes them (or greatly reduced them). Can we get confirmation on that from someone official?

I have seen the AI taking some ships - but never encountered them in battle - and I'm usually there first and they are getting just the scraps. The point made here is that researching my combat techs makes so little difference when the majority of my fleets are alien created.

I would rather be on an even keel with the AI rather than making them artificially tougher. But I'll try some combination and see how it goes.

Thanks all for suggestions.

Mozo

[ehsumrell1]

ORIGINAL: Fishers of Men

I just explored a weapons test site that had a blue circle around it. This is part of the story line where I was directed to go. When I arrived, there was nothing to find in the hyperspace reduced field. I believe this was one of the advanced ship graveyards, and I believe that the other empires had found it before me and repaired all the ships.

The story line seems stuck at this point because I continue to be directed there, even though there is nothing left for me to find there. What is my next step to advance the story? It also seems that the alien empires are using these advanced ships.

FoM

Hello Fishers Of Men;
That is a bug that will be fixed in the upcoming next patch. Elliot is
aware of this.

[ehsumrell1]

ORIGINAL: Mozo

Wow - that would be great if turning off the plot(s) removes them (or greatly reduced them). Can we get confirmation on that from someone official?

I have seen the AI taking some ships - but never encountered them in battle - and I'm usually there first and they are getting just the scraps. The point made here is that researching my combat techs makes so little difference when the majority of my fleets are alien created.

I would rather be on an even keel with the AI rather than making them artificially tougher. But I'll try some combination and see how it goes.

Thanks all for suggestions.

Mozo

Hello Mozo;

Yes, turning off the storyline plot when starting a new game eliminates
all the ship debris fields AND the 1 to 3 (depending on galaxy size) World
Destroyer/Desolation Moon Vessels. [:)]

[tornnight]

I never use the plot lines. No overpowered ships waiting to get fixed.
Makes for a much more balanced game.

[Mozo]

ORIGINAL: ehsumrell1


Hello Mozo;

Yes, turning off the storyline plot when starting a new game eliminates
all the ship debris fields AND the 1 to 3 (depending on galaxy size) World
Destroyer/Desolation Moon Vessels. [:)]

Awesome news! I'm starting up a new game right now! Thanks again!

[J HG T]

The derelict fleets could use some toning down in general. I like to have them, but it can become serious overkill if you manage to salvage a whole fleet of Shakturis, their allies or the old alliance ships. Less ships on debris fields should be a good fix.

[Data]

since they are already derelicts another idea would be to put a countdown until a reactor breach that will destroy the damaged ship (taking your own ships in the process)
this countdown would be activated by our active sensors triggering a self destruct....i guess even then we could rush a fleet of constructors to workaround this, have to think more on this

anyway, i always found it strange that a derelict ship survives in a gas cloud with storms that destroy my not so well protected constructor ship - the derelict should already be badly damaged, not counting the ones that are in perfect operational shape