Playing with random maps...

[KG Erwin]

...is a lot of fun. Once you get familiar with the routines and various nations, there are an infinite number of variations.

After comparing the other space games at Origins, I picked this one. Why? Because every thing else that followed was a just a variation on the theme. I'm also a big fan of the Age of Empires series, so it didn't take me long to get comfortable with the basics.

As of now, I'm gearing toward random maps, the enormous size, with 4 clusters. Playing against maybe 4 or 5 civs gives me some challenges.

I choose to play as Humanity. Like other games, I lock into a particular side, and stick with them.

The Hive seem to be unbeatable. The AI in SSG games has always been very good, and this was another factor is my decision to buy this game. So far, I have not been disappointed.

[Zap]

As I look for other types of entertainment I found myself looking here. Thanks for your prelimanary assesment. Don't see much traffic here, so I wondered why. I noticed you did not get a reply to your other thread. Hmmm not a very popular game?

[Warspite3]

I remember I bought this game when it was released (about 5 years ago I think) and I loaned it to a friend and never got it back. Anyway, I had a blast with it! I just liked how it all worked, the battles were fun. Its like you either go all long range, close range weapons, half and half or a combination. Sometimes I would take a gamble and design ships with all long or short range, get lucky sometimes. Like I would build a big laser gunned vessel, tons of turrets and man when and if I was able to close in, it would be a disaster! Other times I would get caught with all long range ships with missile weapons, then then enemy would close in and tear them apart. I need to call that friend of mind to see if he even has it anymore, its been a while. If not I am going to get it again on here because its worth it. I also have Galactic Civilizations, another fun one and has great AI too.

[KG Erwin]

For a while, I was getting CTDs when using 8 civs (1 human-controlled) on an enormous random map after 140-150 turns--well, last night I tried the same thing, but with only 6 civs--this time, no CTD--I stopped the game after 170 turns or so.

So, it seems that the game has limitations on how much the AI routines can handle at one time.

[Zap]

Thanks Warpsite3 for your input. I have not played a sci-fi game for years.


KG Erwin have you found the AI good enough? Do the limitations on the AI seriously hamper game enjoyment?

[Elric]

The AI is REALLY good. In fact, that's the main reason I like the game so much. (Expect the AI to be as good as you are if not better for a long while)

[Zap]

Elric did you encounter the same limitations as KG Erwin in regards to the 8 civilizations after 150-150 turns?

[matt3916]

I am also experiencing the CTD problem -- On Turn 7 of the last scenario of the second campaign game (Enter the KlaaKeen). This is a 60 x 100 map with about 170 systems. I've settled 79 of those system with 208 colonies. Total fleet size between the four sides is 1500-2000 ships. I've got around 800 as does the KlaaKeen. The Trogarchs and Saurischi fleets are much smaller.

I schedule my builds and plan my moves and when I hit the end of turn icon I get an immediate crash to desktop. Attempting to reload from the most recent save positions results in a system hang.

If I restart my computer, I can load any of my save positions, but I still have the CTD problem around the same time, even if I try to vary things a bit.

Started a thread in the troubleshooting folder and sent copies of saves to Matrix and SSG.

[Elric]

odd. I have never had a CTD in my life. However I never played a really huge 8 player map or the enter the Klaa Kleen campaign end. However in the mission where u fight the trogarchs I had similar empire sizes and I didn't have any problems once I got the patch.

[RocketMan]

I get the same thing as jon. After SSG sent me an updated campaign file that let me complete scenario 18, I get a CTD on scenario 20.

[Hrothgar]

KG Erwin,

I agree--playing on random maps is fun. I set up a number of random scenarios, of different map sizes and turn limits, with different numbers and mixes of races, and save them. Then, I pick one at random and play it. That way, I never know which, or how many, races are in the game, nor how long the scenario will last. I think it makes it more exciting to play this way, with no knowledge of the parameters of the scenario.

Unfortunately, I have the CTD problem. To avoid it, I run msconfig and turn off everything that's not necessary. This means I have to play the game without sound, but at least I avoid the CTDs.

[pargen]

Yes tha AI is excellent. In fact I am throughly impressed, I usually stomp the computer in strategy games at any AI level. In medium here the computer is beating me, for now.
Of course one of the things in a game such as this is how the production is handled, that makes a lot of difference as to who wins or loses. I have noticed that the computer AI CHEATS also. The computer fires at your biggest ships and you shoot at his smallest shipa, there is no way to change this either.