Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (Full Version)

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robc04_1 -> Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 4:40:46 PM)

Hi,
Civilization is my favorite series of all time, but typically I haven't gotten into space-themed games. I did enjoy GalCiv for a bit. One of my problems is the names given to techs. 'Nano bi carbon titration' just doesn't give me a clue as to its purpose. Masonry is much easier to understand. So I know this is a biased group since if you are here you probably enjoy the game, but in your opinion is this a good 4x game for a non-space 4x fan? Is it so good that it would appeal to most 4x fans? If you have the time to elaborate that would be appreciated.
Thanks!



dlcooper -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 4:52:38 PM)

I only got the game about a week ago but so far it seems very good. It's a very deep game. I tried out a lot of strategy games recently and this one seems a lot more detailed than anything else. What helped me make the decision to go with this game was some let's play videos I watched. I don't think it'll let me post a link but if you look for user DAS24680 on youtube, he has several let's play series on distant stars. They are very good and definitely was what made me decide to go with this game. I've never been a big fan of RTS games; I've always preferred turn based but this game is great even if you're a turn based player.



szabferi -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 5:11:21 PM)

I think DW is the RTS version of the good old Space Empires IV.
While I also prefer turn based concept for games with complexity as DW/SE4, the automation AI in our belowed game is pretty good, so it is not as painful to play with it as I thougth first. To be honest, I tried DW once, then gave up quickly, but tried again and now I'm enjoying it after the initial shock (gosh, I cant control everything, what are those tons of private ships what I cant control at all??? :D) passed.



serg3d1 -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 5:33:14 PM)

Yea exactly, it's RTS Space Empires on steroids. It's not an MOO 3.1 It has some of SE "spreadsheet in space" feeling and it scared me first. But I seems adjusting eventually.



Gareth_Bryne -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 6:03:11 PM)

Space Empires was too "spreadsheatty" for me, even with the newer graphics. If I may say, the mechanics were too out in the open, while in DW you have a feeling of glee discovering them bit by bit.



bryanhbell -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 7:21:47 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: robc04
is this a good 4x game for a non-space 4x fan? Is it so good that it would appeal to most 4x fans?


I've been a Civilization player for years. Distant Worlds is my first foray into the 4x space strategy genre. I spent quite a bit of time recently searching for a modern 4x space strategy game. I read reviews, got input from various online forums, and tried several games before settling on Distant Worlds. I'm quite enjoying it.

Now, my interest in getting a 4x space strategy game was in melding my love for Civilization with my love for science fiction. This doesn't sound like it's the case for you. To be honest, I don't think Distant Worlds has the kind of cross-genre appeal that Civilization does. There are, however, aspects of Distant Worlds that would appeal to Civilization players, such as the in-game Galactopedia. So I think Distant Worlds is a good choice for Civilization players looking for a similar game set in space, but I'm not sure it's a great pick for non-space 4x fans.

I hope this helps you make a decision. I also hope you decide to buy Distant Worlds anyway :)



robc04_1 -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 7:51:15 PM)

Thanks for the input guys. I am leery about getting a space-based game as GalCiv is the only one I can remember really liking. The funny thing is that even with my love of Civ I didn't like Alpha Centauri. I read the Distant Worlds reviews at Space Game Junkie and some other space game site. I wish some of the more diversified sites covered it just to get some opinions from non-diehard space gamers. Other than the amount of AI automation is there 1 or 2 things about Distant Worlds that makes it a great / unique experience.



Wolfe1759 -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/1/2012 10:54:43 PM)

Also don't let the fact that it is an RTS for want of a better description put you off.

It is an RTS that plays at a (pauseable) pace that a TBS die-hard like myself can enjoy.



Gizuria -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/2/2012 4:20:09 AM)

I'm a long-time Civ player as well and Distant Worlds was my first foray into the space empire building genre. I have to confess that it is a very deep and rewarding game as well. The tech trees are very easy to understand. It will take a very long time to master, just like Civ.

quote:

Other than the amount of AI automation is there 1 or 2 things about Distant Worlds that makes it a great / unique experience.


Like dlcooper, I would recommend watching some of DAS's Let's Play videos because they will show you this in spades. There's a stickied link on the main page.



robc04_1 -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 3:45:12 AM)

I'm not put off by a pausible RTS. I started watching some of the DAS Let's Play videos. I wish he had a condensed version that just covered highlights.



joeyeti -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 5:40:02 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: robc04

I'm not put off by a pausible RTS. I started watching some of the DAS Let's Play videos. I wish he had a condensed version that just covered highlights.

I am precisely on the other side of the fence here.
I LOVE pausible RTSs, for they give me the option of managing what I want, and not only what I can dash to. AND I would never watch an LP of just highlights - I want the full experience and to see what and how dhe LPer does.



towerbooks3192 -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 12:36:26 PM)

I must say that my first 4x was civ. I started with civ rev on my ds and got into civ iv for pc. I got distant worlds like a month or two ago and I was a bit apprehensive about playing it because it is real-time however the fact that it is pausable is the main selling point for me being a person who prefers tbs over rts since I prefer to think about my moves and make them meaningful rather than clickfests.

If you want a good start to space 4x but don't mind the graphics, I will refer you to Master of Orion 2. I must say that despite its old age master of orion 2 is great for a civ fan (IMHO). If you want something more modern that I think is much closer to civ then go for gal civ 2. I agree with what you said that space techs in space 4x games are hard to understand sometimes compared to your example like masonry enables you to build walls on your cities.

Like Gareth_Bryne said, this game is sort of what space empires would be like if it is in real-time. It is a great game with great AI automation and a nice tech tree and I must say that if you will be playing this one, think of it as the equivalent of games like Hearts of Iron 3 or Europa Universalis 3 in space.

One of the major things I love about Civ games and 4x in general is the opening parts where you start to explore the world around you and see your empire grow and I must say that in Distant Worlds I got more satisfaction in finding some ruins and lost ships or an independent colony than finding the "goody huts" or ancient ruins in civ games. I have to admit that I never finished a civ game in my entire life because I only love the opening parts then I get bored and want to start again trying to grow my empire from scratch.

For more info on Space 4x and some strategy/4x games in general, I would refer you to spacesector since they don't limit themselves with space games but they also write articles on 4x games (like Elemental fallen enchantress just recently)



Lecivius -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 4:20:57 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: robc04

Hi,
Civilization is my favorite series of all time, but typically I haven't gotten into space-themed games. I did enjoy GalCiv for a bit. One of my problems is the names given to techs. 'Nano bi carbon titration' just doesn't give me a clue as to its purpose. Masonry is much easier to understand. So I know this is a biased group since if you are here you probably enjoy the game, but in your opinion is this a good 4x game for a non-space 4x fan? Is it so good that it would appeal to most 4x fans? If you have the time to elaborate that would be appreciated.
Thanks!


As someone with simular interests, I would hold off on this game a bit. It has bugs, a lot of which have been addressed in patches, but many of which have not. It's expensive. And if you do end up with a problem, you have very little recourse in getting it resolved. There are some very good & helpfull people on these forums, but that's about all the support you can find. And (and I was surprised to find this out myself) most of Matrix products do not run well on 64 bit machines.

Of course, if you have lots of spare time & cash, this can be a fun.



robc04_1 -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 7:44:30 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lecivius


quote:

ORIGINAL: robc04

Hi,
Civilization is my favorite series of all time, but typically I haven't gotten into space-themed games. I did enjoy GalCiv for a bit. One of my problems is the names given to techs. 'Nano bi carbon titration' just doesn't give me a clue as to its purpose. Masonry is much easier to understand. So I know this is a biased group since if you are here you probably enjoy the game, but in your opinion is this a good 4x game for a non-space 4x fan? Is it so good that it would appeal to most 4x fans? If you have the time to elaborate that would be appreciated.
Thanks!


As someone with simular interests, I would hold off on this game a bit. It has bugs, a lot of which have been addressed in patches, but many of which have not. It's expensive. And if you do end up with a problem, you have very little recourse in getting it resolved. There are some very good & helpfull people on these forums, but that's about all the support you can find. And (and I was surprised to find this out myself) most of Matrix products do not run well on 64 bit machines.

Of course, if you have lots of spare time & cash, this can be a fun.


Thanks for your input as I do have 64 bit windows. So far I haven't had problems with the handful of Matrix games I have, but it is good to know the experiences of others.



WoodMan -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 8:47:43 PM)

Um....

Distant Worlds runs better on 64bit than it does on 32bit windows. One of the patches a while back enabled it to take advantage of 64bit systems to improve performance. My memory is rusty, but I think this is correct. Anyway, playing it on 64bit here and no problems whatsoever. In fact I have yet to have a single crash since they introduced the final patch of the original Distant Worlds, and we are two expansions and many patches down the line since then. [8D]



robc04_1 -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 9:00:23 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: WoodMan

Um....

Distant Worlds runs better on 64bit than it does on 32bit windows. One of the patches a while back enabled it to take advantage of 64bit systems to improve performance. My memory is rusty, but I think this is correct. Anyway, playing it on 64bit here and no problems whatsoever. In fact I have yet to have a single crash since they introduced the final patch of the original Distant Worlds, and we are two expansions and many patches down the line since then. [8D]


Thank's for clarifying that. I typically don't have very many crash issues with games on my machine.



Pipewrench -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/4/2012 9:02:18 PM)

+1
I5 toshiba r850 and I am able to run till the end.

Lecivius,

Could you please go back to the tech support forum and elaborate on what exactly the problems you are having and the system you are using. Upload a saved game file if necessary and then you might get a response.



Lecivius -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/5/2012 4:40:31 PM)

It's good that folks can play it on 64 bit machines. I can, too. I went through the Support process, which refered me to a Microsoft site, which took me to a support tool, and none of my Matrix games (WiTP:AE, Eagle Day, DW, WITE) passed. That was my surpise.



Erik Rutins -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/5/2012 10:31:09 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lecivius
As someone with simular interests, I would hold off on this game a bit. It has bugs, a lot of which have been addressed in patches, but many of which have not. It's expensive. And if you do end up with a problem, you have very little recourse in getting it resolved. There are some very good & helpfull people on these forums, but that's about all the support you can find. And (and I was surprised to find this out myself) most of Matrix products do not run well on 64 bit machines.

Of course, if you have lots of spare time & cash, this can be a fun.


I'm sorry to hear that you've had a bad experience.

We do offer official support, but the forums are not the primary place for it. We read the forums and sometimes have time to respond, but we always reply to Help Desk requests. We gather all the issues reported through the forum and other methods and incorporate those into our update plans. We just released a new official update, the latest of many since the original release, so I'm not sure how you see the game as unsupported.

Also, our games in general have no issues with 64-bit systems. I don't want folks to get the impression that this is true. We test every release on all common versions of Windows, including Windows 7 and Windows Vista 64-bit before release and make sure it works fine before we release it.

Regards,

- Erik



Lecivius -> RE: Distant Worlds for 4x fan, but not space fan? (9/6/2012 5:08:31 PM)

Erik,

I have no wish to get into a thread issue. I have several Matrix Games, some good, some not so good, and all of that is a personal opinion. However, you mention here that I need to open a ticket as "the forums are not the primary place for it". I have. And in my ticket it states

"Hi Lecivius

If you've experienced a problem with the patch can you please post this issue to the games forum at http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=792 where the developer can look at the issue."

So there is a conflict of some sort. I also followed the link on your support page & went to the Microsoft support page. I spent quite a while navigating that conundrum & came across a site showing supported games. I know Matrix is a re-seller for various packages, so I was not surprised to see any products listed, supported or not. I continued to poke around & found a untility to run to see if a program is supported. I found WiTPAE, DW, WITE to fail. I know they work, as I love AE, and I have not run into any issues with WITE, and just this one in DW. And it is my fault I did not keep the utility, or the link.

I believe that to be a certification issue, as Microsoft charges to be listed as "Supported", but there it is. And this will be my last mention of this, as I do not wish to flame a problem.

Thanks for your time.



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