Shadow Empire Poll posted

[Vic]

Feel free to hop on over to:

https://www.vrdesigns.net/?p=2014

To give me your thoughts.

A lot has been posted here on the forums. Including the Suggestions subforum! I am reading that one when I can.

But a poll allows for a bit more quantitative feedback.

Although employing Democratic means here my Profile will stay mostly Meritocratic and the majority is not going to decide per-se what will happen next Just want to form a better picture of what has support and what not.

Best wishes,
Vic

[AttuWatcher]

Voted!

Stay meritocratic. [;)]

[diamondspider]

-Adding New Features
-Realism Level (esp. around biohazards and such)
-Diversity in play style (I like the AI quite a bit as is, but this would be super cool)
-Just much more of the existing features, please

Will purchase DLC probably in any case, if it is created.

[Jdane]

Some hard choices indeed.
I hope many people will participate and am looking forward to the final results.

[WeaverofBrokenThreads]

I think I should clarify one of my votes, at least. I think on extreme difficulty Minor AI has an overwhelming advantage due to supplies and reinforcement rate, and the Major AI spends like 200 AP per turn to move. I understand the game is probably not tuned for a reasonable increase in challenge, but I think adjusting the AI rules a bit to make it seem like we are at least playing the same game would have advantages for regular difficulty AI as well.

[76mm]

I've voted, although honestly it was difficult to choose an answer for most of the questions, so while in most cases the majority/plurality chose differently than me, I can't say that I object to their answer either.

[Vhalor]

I would agree that caution is advisable when trying to make the AI play more with the same rules as Human Majors do. A lot of time and effort could be spend with little to no benefit. Also, great care should be kept to ensure the higher difficulties do not suffer.

Instead a more elegant solution may be in the introduction of more options to fine tune the difficulty and user experience. Then one could lessen or even remove some of these advantages the AI gets over the players. Let's call it "Custom Difficulty" or such. Other games did great with such an offering, especially when it comes to more controversial settings. Let the player have it their way.

At the same time, it could also aid on the other end of the spectrum and allow us to setup a truly heroic difficulty. One where victory itself is but a distant dream and mere survival a monumental undertaking already. An experience in which we'll have to fight for our very existence against all odds, surrounded by truly fanatical enemies hellbent on our annihilation!

[Laiders]

Done with a very long comment too. I was lazy and logged in with FB so you now all know who I am too.

[L0ckAndL0ad]

Voted. I'm not ready to provide proper, detailed feedback yet before I've played the game some more, but I do really appreciate all your hard work, Vic. Thank you!

[eddieballgame]

Air Forces & Navies (especially Air Forces) are not an interest/priority for me, as generally, the AI fails to handle these types of units very well in many war-like games.
In the case of an Air Force, even too well, if allowed to 'cheat'.

Increasing the 'rare %' chances per alien life forms on a Seth Class planet, or at least an option to do so, would be most welcome.
Other than that...the game, for me, is superb.

Oh yea...some modding offerings would be great.

[Frostwave]

Tough choices. I appreciate a developer who reaches out to his player base to get some input

[ramnblam]

Would like to see polishing and expanding the game as is. I don't want the AI to strictly abide by the same rules as a human player because that often isn't fun.

[Kamelpov]

As expected airforce is on par with the navy. Somehow navy is needed for more kind of planet but airforce is used in every kind of planet and is the main damage dealer,support. AI following the same rule as human well it's obvious people won't like playing different rule ( like monopoly vs anti monopoly rule)

[kosmoface]

Regarding AI: I am also voting for AI personalities like in AI WAR (first game). This was and is always fun and gives personality to the AI, which I really like.

I like it when the AI follows the same Fog of War rules I have to follow - other than that - AI needs sometimes a little bonus here and there to stay competitive. I really don't care as long as long as the gameplay is challenging and not overpowering.

[KingHalford]

ORIGINAL: ramnblam

Would like to see polishing and expanding the game as is. I don't want the AI to strictly abide by the same rules as a human player because that often isn't fun.

Seconded. I completely understand why it is people hate to learn that the AI doesn't play fair and part of me agrees, but I'd much rather the AI was competitive and difficult to beat: I can't think of a single example of a game outside of simple games like Chess where the AI can beat a player well versed in the game consistently without some kind of advantage.

[Stelteck]

ORIGINAL: KingHalford
Seconded. I completely understand why it is people hate to learn that the AI doesn't play fair and part of me agrees, but I'd much rather the AI was competitive and difficult to beat: I can't think of a single example of a game outside of simple games like Chess where the AI can beat a player well versed in the game consistently without some kind of advantage.

True. Also adding rules for the AI increase turn processing time......

[Jdane]

It's striking me though how much this option of having the AI play more along the same rules as the human is popular.
I personally tend to think it's wishful thinking, and that merely making it look like it does more is a better option, but I'm just a bad person.
It's pretty much tied with « Diversity in personality, play styles and tactics » at the moment though. THAT would be fun. (And I can't be accused of trying to sway the vote since I didn't elect this option either.)

[The Gnome]

I voted for mostly UI enhancement, but wanted to be more specific here. Unless it's a massive time sink, any improvement to the current font would be received by my eyes with gratitude. An increase in size, and in readability across the board would be fantastic.

[Laiders]

ORIGINAL: Jdane

It's striking me though how much this option of having the AI play more along the same rules as the human is popular.
I personally tend to think it's wishful thinking, and that merely making it look like it does more is a better option, but I'm just a bad person.
It's pretty much tied with « Diversity in personality, play styles and tactics » at the moment though. THAT would be fun. (And I can't be accused of trying to sway the vote since I didn't elect this option either.)

Clearly I'm a masosadist [damn dyslexia I inverted the usual order; actually kinda funny but I mean sadomasochist in case that's not clear; god I need a proper night's sleep], I voted for the AI to get deadlier. Maybe, I should play on a higher difficulty, not start scum any more or play on harder planets...

Seriously, more diverse AI, particularly more apparent diversity in majors as minors are reasonably diverse already, more story events with AI, somewhat deadlier AI all great.

AI playing by the same rules as us... If that were easy to do Vic would have already done it. He's spent at least 3 years building this game already. As long the the rules the AI plays by are clearly set out and have good justification, the AI can play by whatever rules make it work. I don't want to end up in a position where the AI plays by the same rules but has to have massive compensatory buffs to accommodate that. I'd rather play on a level playing field, especially economic, where the AI's economy is simplified to the point that the AI can effectively manage it but can also get itself into trouble.

Eg. some players find the AI logistics buffs unreasonable, even cheating. I think the forums over the past few days have pointed out that understanding logistics in this game is not trivial for intelligent, motivated humans with a gigantic manual and the benefit of cooperation. The odds the AI will be able to play by the same logistical system we do and play well are not great. This means we play with an easier/simpler system, something players don't seem to want or are ambivalent about, the AI gets compensatory buffs possibly of the more classical variety (free production, resources, units etc) or the AI becomes less challenging.

I wonder how many players have voted for that option considering those ramifications. Of course if the AI could play by human rules as well as the average non-skilled human at least, then I would want it to play by human rules. I just don't think this is possible and this is why the AI does not currently do this.

[ramnblam]

Yeah 100% Laiders. My favourite part of this game is seeing the diverse shit it throws at you, I was complaining to my friend on discord for 20 minutes about how these giant carnivores were just wrecking me and my city was on verge of rebellion. Would love to see more flavour of majors with differing motivations.