Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7/10 at Space Sector!

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Distant Worlds 1 Series >> Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7/10 at Space Sector!

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Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7/10 ... - 10/12/2011 4:26:56 AM

Erik Rutins
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Hi Everyone,

Great new review here:

http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2011/10/distant-worlds-return-of-the-shakturi-review/

Regards,

- Erik

< Message edited by Erik Rutins -- 10/12/2011 4:27:10 AM >

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 6:12:37 AM

lordxorn
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Great news! Great blog!

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 6:50:50 AM

ehsumrell1
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Very good review Erik.....Congrats to you, Sean, Elliot, the Beta team
and Matrix!

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 7:29:42 AM

J HG T
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Good review. And I fully agree with the "Legends" point. The new expansion should put the DW amongst the best 4Xs ever made. We'll see...

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 1:53:45 PM

Bingeling
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Nice review. I never noticed that original the DW interface was useless, though. And I hardly ever pay attention to the empire navigation screen.

And I am pretty darn sure I retrofit my spaceports from the ship list which is not so much hassle.

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 2:42:48 PM

WoodMan
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Nice review, lets hope he reviews Legends sooner than he reviewed RoTS though

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 5:01:06 PM

adamsolo
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Yea, I know, I took a long time (too much) to review RotS. Some months ago I run SpaceSector has a hobby on my free time, but now I dedicate more time to it so I will be more on top of things now. Legends review will come out shortly after release, I can promise you that :)
Cheers

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 5:12:07 PM

adamsolo
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bingeling
And I am pretty darn sure I retrofit my spaceports from the ship list which is not so much hassle.

I can't retrofit my small space ports from the "Ships and Bases" screen, either by double clicking the space port on the selection panel or when you open the screen yourself. I can only retrofit to later designs when I right click on the space port itself and choose retrofit. In the former I only see small space port design, in the latter I see all designs. I have the latest Shakturi version (1.5.0.8).

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 6:26:45 PM

Bingeling
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Dang, you made me launch the game

It is kind of hard to be sure when you have not played for a while.
I am waiting for the expansion to try to build up some more hunger for that one.

Ok, what I do.

I open the ship list.
Filter on Space Ports to make life easier.
Multi select my two completed, medium space ports.
Press Retrofit on the button lower central below.
And get a "Retrofit Selected Items" window.

Here I can select among my non obsolete medium space port designs, and it tells me the cost to retrofit to the one selected.

And indeed, they do retrofit after sending the order that way.

There are quite a few things I would like improved in the interface, but this works quite well.

You complained about meaningful resources, and I agree somewhat on that. I would really like some tools to see the overall supply situation in my empire. Who got Caslon to spare, who are looking for more. That is not so easy to figure out currently.

I would love some more sensible ship design interface.
Torpedoes - Velocity Shard - 5
Not 5 independent items of velocity shards. Change the type to something else, and change all 5 of those torpedoes to that type. It would make manual design so much easier if it was sorted into categories like that...

But I love the game as is, and look forward to more mod options and more options on setting up games. The hard thing is to find the sweet spot between too easy and impossible, and keep the game there for quite some time.

I am running Shakturi 1.5.0.8.

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 6:57:01 PM

adamsolo
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Ok, you can retrofit your medium space port in the bases list, I can't. Thing is I don't have a list of designs to retrofit to in my bases list in my game for my small space port, although I do have a non-obsolete large design available. I can retrofit to the large design space port if I right-click on the space port itself but I'm not shown the large space port design to retrofit to in the bases list. Maybe a bug. What I do is, right in the beginning the first thing I do is to retrofit my space port to the large design, to benefit from more construction power to spread freighters quickly. Somehow I cannot retrofit to my custom design, although if I right-click (again), I can.

Yes, ship design by categories would be great!

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by adamsolo -- 10/12/2011 7:08:42 PM >

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 7:04:27 PM

Bingeling
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I believe that in the ship list I can only retrofit my medium space port to a new medium space port design. If you are already at the latest design, the list is probably empty (I closed my game again).

You can of course make a new medium space port called "MSP - Super Jumbo 1" but this is not a desired solution... In the rare cases I want to upgrade to a larger size, it has not annoyed me to visit the port itself to retrofit.

When I start a game (from one colony) I am usually so poor that a large spaceport is out of the question for a long, long time. But retrofitting a few construction yards on the medium starter one may be within reach.

A quick test if you have a bug or not is to go into the design area and copy the space port design to new. Then give each one a different bonus item or 5 to make an upgrade require materials and have different cost. An extra blaster here, torpedo there, or reactor. I actually did that to get a second design to choose (I had an upgrade waiting, as the design was on auto and the AI is pretty eager on incorporating new stuff in designs. But I may not be so eager in retrofitting).

Otherwise. Need patch, want to play

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 7:09:37 PM

adamsolo
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I uploaded a screenshot that summarizes the retrofit issue in the post right above.

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 7:12:42 PM

adamsolo
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

You can of course make a new medium space port called "MSP - Super Jumbo 1" but this is not a desired solution... In the rare cases I want to upgrade to a larger size, it has not annoyed me to visit the port itself to retrofit.

Of course it's not too annoying, that's why I only listed this as "UI needs minor improvements" :)

Got to get back to play. I'm sure this will hurt my productivity. Oh, well :)

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 7:37:46 PM

Groovynatureguy
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Adam,

Based upon your screenshots you don't have another small space port design... You can't go from small to medium or large unless at the planet. Small to Small you can though.

Funny thing is I bought the game based upon your original review. Now I would buy it for sure

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 7:42:39 PM

adamsolo
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Groovynatureguy

Adam,

Based upon your screenshots you don't have another small space port design... You can't go from small to medium or large unless at the planet. Small to Small you can though.

I'm not sure I follow you. Why is that obvious? Ha, you're joking. Got it :)
The space port is at the planet, so the retrofit function must know this irrespective if you order to retrofit from the space port icon or from the ship and bases list.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Groovynatureguy
Funny thing is I bought the game based upon your original review. Now I would buy it for sure

Glad I could be of help ;) And, it's not the same game.

< Message edited by adamsolo -- 10/12/2011 8:05:01 PM >

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 8:10:49 PM

Bingeling
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I am hunting other bugs than your issues, I have my own application to worry about :-)

I think it is a good thing that you can't retrofit to different category on the ship list based on other behavior.

You can mark all your space ports, and they will all retrofit to the newest design in their category.

Imagine, you got a powerful alien tech cruiser, and some wimpy cruisers that you can build yourself. The alien one is worth a lot to you. If you run the right automation you will be prompted "There is a new design, blah, blah, I suggest we upgrade our ships and bases for x credits". The stupid thing is to answer yes, because afterwards your fancy alien cruiser will be of your own crappy design.

However, you can safely go to the ship list, and retrofit all your space ports by one order (select all, press upgrade). They will each go to their newest design. Actually, you can safely do this across multiple categories (for instance escorts, frigates, destroyers, capital ships, space ports, defensive bases). Just make sure never to give the retrofit order to your fancy alien cruiser.

But as I said, if you have more than one type selected, you get no options on what to go to. Because if you select both a msp and a lsp, they head for two different designs.

I imagine that if it was easy to flip categories from the bases list, you could soon enough discover that all your mighty battle fleets have been turned into swarms of escorts. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 8:19:30 PM

adamsolo
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My point is only that you should be allowed to retrofit space ports in the bases list the same way as you can by right-clicking in the spaceport icon. But I will not bother you with my little issues. Go on with your important stuff :)

I understand your multiple ship retrofit category issue, however you must be aware that that is achieved by hurting functionality when someone just wants to retrofit their single space port design to a larger model. Maybe a new button could be designed or something, like "Retrofit All to Same Category" or something.

Cheers

< Message edited by adamsolo -- 10/12/2011 8:40:07 PM >

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/12/2011 9:05:51 PM

Bingeling
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I guess it is just a matter of navigating the game differently. I often visit my space ports to keep the commander under surveillance. Better have them on their toes.

If I need a space port I typically get them by the star map, zoom in and select. I don't locate them by the ship list.

Of course, obscure space ports never get av visit, but I know where my main ones are.

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/14/2011 7:33:07 PM

Groovynatureguy
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I see what you are saying now. My point was that you can uprgade them the same way unless you are changing the size...

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/14/2011 8:35:05 PM

adamsolo
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Yes, I meant when increasing space port size. It's not logical to be able to retrofit in one place and not in the other but again it's a minor issue. Although some people will find this odd, like I did.

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/15/2011 7:00:13 PM

Shark7
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quote:

ORIGINAL: adamsolo

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bingeling
And I am pretty darn sure I retrofit my spaceports from the ship list which is not so much hassle.

I can't retrofit my small space ports from the "Ships and Bases" screen, either by double clicking the space port on the selection panel or when you open the screen yourself. I can only retrofit to later designs when I right click on the space port itself and choose retrofit. In the former I only see small space port design, in the latter I see all designs. I have the latest Shakturi version (1.5.0.8).

It does work Adam.

It may not start immediately though. There is always a short delay before it starts. Also, keep in mind that the planets also build constructors, colony ships, and defensive bases. If any of these are queued up, the planet must first finish these before starting its starport upgrade...the planets have to build according to their queue just like the shipyards.

My advice is try it again, give it a little time and see if it starts. It should as the queue is cleared.

Here is an illustration:

1. I clicked the upgrade icon.
2. I can see it is queued but not yet building.
3. The retrofit has started.

Attachment (1)

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/15/2011 8:08:41 PM

adamsolo
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Thanks for your feedback Shark7 but that was not the point. The point is that you can only retrofit your small space ports to larger designs in the space port itself. You cannot retrofit small sp to large sp, for example, via the the action-button you mention nor from the ship and bases list screen. In this last two places you can only retrofit small space ports to other small space port designs (if you have them).

But this discussion has come out of proportion I think :) This is a minor issue that you can handle if you like/can, because it may cause confusion on people (it may give the impression that you cannot retrofit to larger designs because you don't have the required construction techs or something).

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/16/2011 2:31:44 AM

Shark7
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quote:

ORIGINAL: adamsolo

Thanks for your feedback Shark7 but that was not the point. The point is that you can only retrofit your small space ports to larger designs in the space port itself. You cannot retrofit small sp to large sp, for example, via the the action-button you mention nor from the ship and bases list screen. In this last two places you can only retrofit small space ports to other small space port designs (if you have them).

But this discussion has come out of proportion I think :) This is a minor issue that you can handle if you like/can, because it may cause confusion on people (it may give the impression that you cannot retrofit to larger designs because you don't have the required construction techs or something).

Yep, the way I understood what you said was that you couldn't upgrade at all, which obviously you can. So this is more a communications error than not.

And actually, if you set your policies, it *should* allow it when you reach the required population level. Check your policies screen to see what the auto-build settings are (the AI can actually handle it without you needing to micro-manage it). But I do agree, I should be able to easily choose myself to upgrade to larger early, and it should be from the UI, not from having to go to the planet itself.

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RE: Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi receives 8.7... - 10/17/2011 5:41:32 AM

tjhkkr
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Congratulations... or Bravo Zulu as they say!

I am sorry I have been on vacation. I am glad your hard work has been appropriately acknowledged!

Congratulations!

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