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Please help - 2/5/2014 1:52:55 AM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		I'm at my wits end. I've been trying to get good at this game for weeks and I'm getting nowhere. I've tried full automation and I've tried handling things myself and every single time I get steamrolled within the first 5-6 minutes (real time).

1) The main problem I'm having is with losing planets. I can win the war in space with good ships, but I'm just hopeless at defending planets.

I recruit 10+ troops and 3-4 Planetary defense units. The computer wipes them out effortlessly and my troops make no progress at invading planets (they don't kill anything).

I've set defense fleets to guard planets (and set it as their home base). I kid you not I had a planet with the aforementioned defenses with 14 ships defending it and within about 30 seconds they saw something shiny somewhere in the system, abandoned the planet against my orders and a Sluken troop transport (one) landed on the planet and conquered it 10 seconds after they left. Is there any way to make the computer leave my fleets completely alone? I've turned off automation, but they still fiddle with them.

2) It's also rather annoying that enemy fleets can buzz around my space and I can't stop them. It's kind of like in MoO2 where unless you have a fleet ready and waiting in system to intercept you can't catch the enemy fleet. They just bounce around from target to target one step ahead. Is there any way to catch fleets without just putting hyperdeny on every station? I gave all my ships long range scanners, but I can't see where the bad guys are going so I can head them off.

3) As a quality of life improvement when I click on a system and it shows me all the resources in that system is there any way to go to the planet/moon with the resources I'm interested in?
Post #: 1
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 2:41:36 AM   
tjhkkr


Posts: 2428
Joined: 6/3/2010
Status: offline 		The one thing I can tell you is that when you set a home planet for a Task Force, what ends up happening is that they defend the entire system. I recommend you just manually place your task force there or stop the task force there. I do occasionally have to move the task force as the planet orbits...
One thing I have not tried, but you can try is to put a base there and set your task force to defend it... that should keep the fleet close at hand.

I have AEW ships as well, but not every ship; recommend you use intelligence agents to get an empire map to learn where their targets are... even pirates can be tracked this way...

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Remember that the evil which is now in the world will become yet more powerful, and that it is not evil which conquers evil, but only love -- Olga Romanov.

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 2
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 4:38:10 AM   
Hawkeye_BF


Posts: 78
Joined: 1/20/2014
From: Austria
Status: offline 		You have to research ground assault technologies and i think you need more troops on your planets.
The secound thing is to built powerfull defense bases or spaceports in the orbit of your best planets.
Please design bases and ships by your self with newest weapon, shield and armor components. To get the ressources of other systems just klick on the moon or planet with the ressoureces and than klick the button "send construction ship" or klick right on the planet/moon and select "built at moon/planet ... Mining/Gas mining station". You could give your fleets the command to patrol a specific Planet or Spaceport ;)

< Message edited by Hawkeye_BF -- 2/5/2014 5:43:16 AM >

(in reply to tjhkkr)
Post #: 3
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 5:06:33 AM   
elanaagain


Posts: 254
Joined: 6/6/2013
Status: offline 		Distant Worlds is among the most difficult games to master... I'm still learning and I started with the original release.. a long time. So don't berate yourself at your (frustrating) learning experiences. :) Take some time and read some of these player guides. Also, IMHO, learning is easier in a smaller galaxy. So, in game set up, make the galaxy small, fewer independents, few pirates, and fewer monsters. (In fact, turn off the monsters for now! I do, cause I hate the silver mist... eats entire planets! LOL. Many players skip the monsters anyway - a hassle mostly.) Here are the guides:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3497284

Thx to icemania for making the list of guides!

(in reply to Hawkeye_BF)
Post #: 4
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 6:48:26 AM   
Darkspire


Posts: 1986
Joined: 6/12/2003
From: My Own Private Hell
Status: offline
quote:

In fact, turn off the monsters for now! I do, cause I hate the silver mist


A Silver Mist is activated by the disasters on the last setup screen, victory conditions, it is not a monster and can not be removed from the game by having no monsters on the first setup screen.

Darkspire

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(in reply to elanaagain)
Post #: 5
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 9:17:36 AM   
Bingeling

 

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Keep in mind that there are many ways to play this game... I can automate a lot of things, but I refuse to automate fleets and their composition. This also means that I can follow AI build suggestion of build amounts, but not build what the AI suggests.

This means that I am not happy if a fleet "takes off on its own". How to prevent it? With the fleet selected, notice the buttons below (that starts with the refuel button). Towards the right are two buttons to set fleet stances. Change from default offensive to defensive stance. Then change its range to the minimum.

They will still hunt enemies in the system, and fail to sit on top of the colony, though.

If a powerful defensive fleet has been "left behind" by the colony, and the colony suddenly is attacked, they will not be there in time to stop forces landing. That is my experience, at least. And keep in mind that I micro manage fleets and their operations.

Get long range scanners on the enemy approaches. That way you will be warned of attacks. Have long range scanners on the target you are defending to see their close approach. Once the attackers land, manually order groups of your ships to shoot down the transport ships of the enemy. That should limit the forces dropped .

What to defend during war? The AI usually attack colonies they have already tried to attack. The closest ones, or at least somewhat close ones. They love trying to retake what you have previously taken from them. Keep in mind that with some warning of attacks, a fleet can protect several close colonies, but not more than one at a time. And if they are powerful and attack really hard, you may need to rotate defensive fleets to keep them repaired and refueled...

The defensive fleets should be stronger than the enemy ones, I would try something like 15 ships or a bit less, cruisers, capitals, and carriers, only. They also work equally well as attacking fleets, even though you may want to use two of them to bust defenses of a major colony (large spaceport and 4 defensive bases).

If you are bored, you may try to read this AAR. As far as I remember, my defensive fleets killed a lot of troop transports in vicinity of my colonies as the game matured a bit. Keep in mind that it is "Legends".

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3230074&mpage=1&key=

(in reply to Darkspire)
Post #: 6
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 10:18:08 AM   
Tcby


Posts: 342
Joined: 12/16/2013
From: Australia
Status: offline 		The smallest fleet posture setting for range is "Home Base". I suggest setting going one setting higher and leaving it at "System", and in Defense as Bingeling suggested above. That way the fleets will only respond to attacks, and will never leave the system they are posted in unless chasing a ship they are currently engaged with (or do they quit the engagement to remain in system? I can't remember). By setting the range to System, you ensure that the fleet will continue to protect things in the area outside your space port. Remember that you need to automate the fleet for this posture to take effect.

As for the amount of troops you need to defend a base, that is really based on tech level and the degree of development in your game. Can you provide the settings you play on that result in you losing in the first five minutes? If you provide enough detail I'm positive people here will be able to solve your problem. It is probably a minor mistake that can be easily corrected...Distant Worlds is a complex game, but not a super hard one once you understand the mechanics

< Message edited by Tcby -- 2/5/2014 11:19:29 AM >

(in reply to Bingeling)
Post #: 7
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 10:43:12 AM   
Bingeling

 

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Never trust the AI to do anything with a fleet ;-)

If a fleet sits in the system, it will attack ship by ship by engagement stance. I prefer to order them around myself, anyways.

(in reply to Tcby)
Post #: 8
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 4:23:34 PM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Tcby
As for the amount of troops you need to defend a base, that is really based on tech level and the degree of development in your game. Can you provide the settings you play on that result in you losing in the first five minutes? If you provide enough detail I'm positive people here will be able to solve your problem. It is probably a minor mistake that can be easily corrected...Distant Worlds is a complex game, but not a super hard one once you understand the mechanics


I'm playing on default settings I think.

700 star galaxy 10 x 10
Random position
Disasters on
Monsters on
Normal difficulty
Starting Expansion
Human Republic

The past few times I've lost due to meeting aggressive insectoid species first thing and wiping me out as soon as they see me. Literally our ships meet, they declare war then show up with 30-ish ships and a few troop transports.


quote:

ORIGINAL: Hawkeye_BF
To get the resources of other systems just click on the moon or planet with the resources and than click the button "send construction ship" or click right on the planet/moon and select "built at moon/planet ... Mining/Gas mining station".


What I meant was I click on the star and see that the system has Steel or some other thing I need then I have to zoom into each planet and moon looking for the one that has the Steel I want. I use the F3 expansion planner at the moment I'd just like to able to do it from the map.



A few other things:

1) I've lost trade partners because the computer takes my fleets on a romp through their systems on a regular basis. They went from trade partner to full war in a few minutes. I gifted my mining stations in the area to them (The computer also built mining stations in their territory) so my ships wouldn't try and defend them. How do I make the computer just leave my stuff alone?

2) Is there any way to set up rally points for building ships? I've built fleets, but as soon as each ship is built the computer scatters them to defend stations. Fleet management is on manual.

3) A few games ago two of my systems had this huge purple circle around it. Kind of like the system influence view except purple instead of the blue I'd chosen. What was that? I thought it might have been a long range scanner, but in future games I built them and the circle didn't appear.

4) How do I tell the computer that when I say no to a suggestion I mean no? Even if I say no the computer just keeps asking me again every few minutes until I say yes.

It's kind of sacrilege, but so far this is reminding me of MoO3 where I spend all my time fighting the computer for control of my empire.

(in reply to Tcby)
Post #: 9
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 5:04:22 PM   
Bingeling

 

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		For the questions...

1: Why do you let the computer take your fleet on a romp? Turn attack targets to suggest or manual. If there is territory, you can only build in other empire's territory if you got mining rights, so I am not sure what that is about.

2: What I do is add new ships to a temporary fleet. It helps to now that the default mode for a fleet member is to "go to leader". So if you put all builds in a fleet and make sure the lead ship is being build where you want them, it should sort itself out. It should be easy to make such a fleet from the ship list, just sort by for instance firepower after building them, it will be 0.

3: Long range circle is a light grey overlay. You can toggle what is shown by the buttons above the minimap. My guess is that you saw fleet postures.

4: If you don't want advice, turn it off. Manual control rather than suggest.

Just about everything can be turned to manual in this game. The few overrides that exists are that ships like to attack nearby enemies and go home for fuel when empty.

Steel is very common, so this does not work so well for that, but the way I find a source is to use galaxy map, filter by known resource, click around to find one. Then select go to selected item. I then scroll in at it. It does not work so well if there are many sources in the system, though.

To have this work, I have the interface option for mouse wheel scroll to "no movement", the default is to scroll to cursor. A necessary thing with no move on mouse scroll is to know that the map centers on the selected item if you click the selection panel (down left).

< Message edited by Bingeling -- 2/5/2014 6:12:23 PM >

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 10
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 5:13:33 PM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		Oh they weren't attacking anything. They were just flying around my trade partner's systems. I never could figure out why. Got a lot of nasty-grams from about removing military ships from their space. I would order them out, then a few minutes later they'd be back roaming the wrong systems. I even resorted to gifting the ships to their empire then the computer sent more.

I do like the suggestions because it reminds of things, I just don't like how the computer won't take no for an answer.

< Message edited by Travic -- 2/5/2014 6:14:54 PM >

(in reply to Bingeling)
Post #: 11
RE: Please help - 2/5/2014 6:32:13 PM   
Bingeling

 

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		I guess you run automated ships, they pick their own protection orders. I usually have no ships (apart from resupply ones) outside fleets, and run my fleets on "manual". Another exception is that I automate single, not full, transports to have them automate their way around to pick up troops. I bring them back to fleet when full. And troop transports luckily won't run of to patrol something...

The problem with your suggestions, is that the AI probably have no memory. The AI "job" that checks for stuff to do, will suggest anything it wants done when it runs. Even if you rejected it last time.

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 12
RE: Please help - 2/6/2014 2:27:10 AM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		Ok I just tried a smaller map with no pirates or monsters and I'm rocking socks. Still having trouble invading planets though. I normally glass planets in other 4x games so this is fairly new to me.

The only other question I have is starports. I was told before not to build too many starports because it will crash my economy, but, but from what I've seen on these forums it seems like the more starports the better. Especially if I outfit them with medical and recreational centers to increase population growth. Thoughts?

(in reply to Bingeling)
Post #: 13
RE: Please help - 2/6/2014 5:25:48 AM   
DeadlyShoe


Posts: 217
Joined: 6/2/2013
Status: offline 		Starport spam will indeed soak huge amounts of money. And any money you throw at defending a planet that isn't enough to stand off a fleet is mostly wasted money. Although they might at least help with pirate escorts (but not pirate fleets).

A newly established colony soaks you -3k tax income. After a few years and a bunch of people this will null out, but even a small space port will cost you a few thousand in maintenance fees on top of that. I can only consider it worth it if you are getting a lot of trade out of it (if i understand trade bonuses correctly.)

Your problem invading planets might stem from the race you are attacking. Ground troops have natural strength that varies from race to race and then tech is piled on top of that. Never attack with anythin less than a huge amount of troops unless you know you can overwhelm them anyway. Bear in mind that strength ratings can sometimes prove misleading, in the same way that the firepower rating of a fleet does not reflect its shielding or armor.

The AI tends to use ridonculous amounts of troops to attack even backwater planets, the only thing heavy defenses will really gain you is time. You might also be attacking planets the AI has just captured, which might still have aforementioned ridonculous amounts of troops on them.

Some race populations (such as Boskara) seem to put up a much tougher fight as well which you will need to account for.

The more successful invasions you conduct the better off you will be. Experience GREATLY increases the combat power of troops and if you get cloning tech you can produce a much stronger force.

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 14
RE: Please help - 2/6/2014 2:31:13 PM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		Ok cool. I know I was having trouble with the Naxxilians because...well...T-Rex. Then I had Sluken x2 and Dhayut x2 and a Haakonish.

Thanks for all the advice. :)

(in reply to DeadlyShoe)
Post #: 15
RE: Please help - 2/6/2014 2:55:56 PM   
CyclopsSlayer


Posts: 583
Joined: 2/11/2012
Status: offline 		Build ONLY as many Space Ports as you absolutely need. (many games I only have 2-3) They are expensive and confuse Freighters into stockpiling resources at every Port.

Instead design a StarBASE. Shields, Weapons to fend off small attacks, and NO Yards. Be sure to Add Commerce, Medical, and Recreation modules to get the most out of a world, make them grow faster. (my most recent design 10 Fighter bays, 20 Shields, 2 Energy Collectors, 1(2) Reactors, Comm/Med/Recc centers, no guns, much later a LRSensor)
These bases initially cost 8-9K and developments drop the price to ~8K, 10K with LRS.

My Ports I place strategically, a big yard cluster on or near the front is very useful. But even then it is a Medium, no larger, that I will scrap and move it if necessary when the front moves on.

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 16
RE: Please help - 2/11/2014 2:00:06 AM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		So I have been king of the galaxy for a while now thanks to all your help and I seem to have run into a new problem. I can't seem to advance the story. The last thing that I got was the new government type. Then I ran out of abandoned things to explore. How do I advance things?

(in reply to CyclopsSlayer)
Post #: 17
RE: Please help - 2/11/2014 3:35:02 AM   
Ardilus


Posts: 53
Joined: 12/30/2012
Status: offline 		Have you explored the planet with the Black Gate ruins yet? Eventually a new race will show up, and things quickly get interesting. I honestly can't remember if you have to explore them yourself or any empire will trigger the event.

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 18
RE: Please help - 2/11/2014 5:20:47 PM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		I dont think I've explored the Black ruins yet. I finished off the map through a combination of exploring and map trading. Do I just have to manually look through every planet with ruins? It's about 2200 in my game and I've researched almost everything.

(in reply to Ardilus)
Post #: 19
RE: Please help - 2/11/2014 7:41:58 PM   
Ardilus


Posts: 53
Joined: 12/30/2012
Status: offline 		Assuming something didn't go wrong when setting up victory conditions (RotS story events box is checked), the black gate will be somewhere. It should set off a story event when explored. So long as you have the latest patch, explorers set to automated will seek out unexplored ruins after the galaxy has been explored (they don't always explore planets when exploring a system). Try looking up ruins on the galaxy map tab. When the filter is set, you can click through the highlighted systems, and planets with ruins will be auto-selected on the detail map. Not the most efficient for finding stuff, but helpful.

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 20
RE: Please help - 2/13/2014 3:27:16 AM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		Found a "Beacon of Shaktur" on a planet. Gonna go out on a limb and say that's it.

Strange though. The planet had been explored before...

:edit: aaaaaaand... the Ugnari just wiped them out instantly. Oh well. New Game Start!

< Message edited by Travic -- 2/13/2014 4:36:09 AM >

(in reply to Ardilus)
Post #: 21
RE: Please help - 2/13/2014 4:36:56 AM   
Ardilus


Posts: 53
Joined: 12/30/2012
Status: offline 		Heh, well I suppose at 100 years in, that was inevitable. New game starts are also exciting!

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 22
RE: Please help - 2/13/2014 7:06:30 PM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		Oooooh man Pre-Warp start is incredible. I dare say that now that I've got the game mechanics under control that Distant Worlds has de-throned Master of Orion 2. Which is no small feat.

One last question: In my war of revenge against the Dhayut last game they took some of my planets and set them as penal colonies. When I took them back they were still listed as penal colonies. How do I change them back?

(in reply to Ardilus)
Post #: 23
RE: Please help - 2/13/2014 7:13:16 PM   
Bingeling

 

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		I don't think they are penal colonies, but the colony name has changed. Just rename them.

And make sure the population policy is not enslave or similar, but that should not be the case.

(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 24
RE: Please help - 2/13/2014 11:08:03 PM   
CyclopsSlayer


Posts: 583
Joined: 2/11/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

I don't think they are penal colonies, but the colony name has changed. Just rename them.

And make sure the population policy is not enslave or similar, but that should not be the case.

While I have never used them myself, the is a Policy option to use Penal Colonies when Enslave is in use.
Here is a quote from the wiki;
"If you have enabled the empire policy setting "Use Penal Colonies to implement Enslave policy" then these unwanted races will be migrated to Penal colonies for enslavement there."

and...

"If you have enabled the empire policy setting "Use Penal Colonies to implement Enslave policy" then some of your colonies will automatically be set as Penal Colonies (policy set to Enslave). Your other colonies with policy set to Resettle will migrate their unwanted races to the Penal colonies for enslavement."

< Message edited by CyclopsSlayer -- 2/14/2014 12:11:37 AM >

(in reply to Bingeling)
Post #: 25
RE: Please help - 2/14/2014 9:22:23 AM   
Bingeling

 

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Yes, but he does not enslave, the bad guys did. Now the colony is his and still says "Penal Colony". Which should be just a colony name change away from being fixed, since the name is the only thing wrong with it.

(in reply to CyclopsSlayer)
Post #: 26
RE: Please help - 3/6/2014 3:45:01 AM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		Hey again. So thanks to everyone's help I am now "Good At This Game". I did have a question about the storyline. I just defeated the Shakturi and nothing happened. I was the under the impression that the Ancient Guardians were going to drop some legendary wisdom/secrets on me once the bad guys were gone. I've already won the game technically so maybe that has something to do with it.

(in reply to Bingeling)
Post #: 27
RE: Please help - 3/6/2014 2:50:09 PM   
Sirian


Posts: 174
Joined: 11/29/2012
Status: offline 		Did the Shakturi reveal themselves as Shakturi, or did you defeat the "Eruktah Refugees"?

Did they get their "big things"? Did you get "something" from the Guardians?

Because, if all these things happen, after you defeat the Shakturi (every last Shakturi, that is) there will be some story event.

Regards, Sirian

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Post #: 28
RE: Please help - 3/6/2014 4:42:51 PM   
Travic

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/5/2014
Status: offline 		"Yes John, the dead body in my you-know-what is still there." Sorry couldn't resist. Just re-read that book.

Yes I defeated the Shakturi after they revealed themselves. They did get their big toys (they were very mean) and I did get a nice present from the Guardians. We've taken all their colonies, though the Atuuk did ninja the last one before I could get there. They are no longer listed on the empire screen. Is it possible that on of their big toys is still floating around somewhere? Do I have to hunt down every last ship?

Pour out a fourty for the Ugnari. They lost all but one back water colony tying up a lot of the Shakturi invasion fleets so I could deep-strike their homeworld (After I bribed them into the war in the first place )

(in reply to Sirian)
Post #: 29
RE: Please help - 3/6/2014 5:42:25 PM   
Sirian


Posts: 174
Joined: 11/29/2012
Status: offline 		I don't know it you have to eliminate each and every ship, I just meant each and every colony. What you describe should lead to the final story event, at least that's how I experienced it. If they're gonr from the empire list, they're done.

Maybe... maybe you were'nt the one that took the last planet and maybe that confused the game. A lot of maybes, I know...

Regards, Sirian

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(in reply to Travic)
Post #: 30
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