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Is this a Space Empires clone?

 
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Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 4:20:55 AM   
nukkxx5058


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Status: offline 		Hi, my question is in the title.

Thanks.
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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 4:40:30 AM   
Flaviusx


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Status: offline 		Nope. Far better game.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 4:56:14 AM   
nukkxx5058


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From: France
Status: offline 		I am asking because on screenshots it looks like a SE clone. It might be better than SE but stil a clone, as compared to a new original concept:-)

One question: Is it possible to design my own ships?

For example, in one of this games (maybe MOO? not sure ...) I designed my own ships, I called them "microns". They were so tiny that I could produce millions of them very easily in a cople of turns. I loaded them with bacteriologal weapons and cashed them on enemy planets. I quickly became Master of a devastated universe :-))) Was great fun. (it was probably with MOO)

Is this kind of strategy possible with A2526 ?

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 5:15:46 AM   
jwilkerson


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Status: offline 		It was with MOO - and that was a great feature of MOO - but in reading through the other threads for this game it seems like this game has lots and lots of ship types instead of a "ship designer" so no ship designing in this one.



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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 5:25:38 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
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Status: offline 		It has far more depth and playability than SE, but the financial model so far seems perfectly designed to establish that war does not pay.

I.e., no big sweeping camapaigns. You'll be lucky to have one decent battle per war, and you'll have to work like the dickens to set up a short, sharp war with well a defined and very limited objective every 30-40 turns. Plus you absolutely must pay attention to alliances among the AI's as those may result in boycotts which will ruin you financially if you make surprise attacks on AI empires.

There's a good game in there, but right now its financial model plain sucks.

If you want to have any fun with the game, do not play the humans. They're crippled with unrest.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 6:00:26 AM   
Janster

 

Posts: 54
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Status: offline 		More depth than SE, I don't know that, but SE V is not a working game, this is however...the AI is better aswell, economic model is interesting, even if I question the economic model.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 7:38:47 AM   
Hertston


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom_Holsinger
It has far more depth and playability than SE, but the financial model so far seems perfectly designed to establish that war does not pay.


More playability, yes. More depth, no.

Janster, SEV is perfectly 'working' if far from perfect, even without mods. Have you actually tried patching it?

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 7:41:18 AM   
Wade1000


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Status: offline 		I tried Space Empires 5 for awhile. I used to think it was great; now it is a chore to me and not fun.

It has so many choices. It has nearly everything from all science fiction...except FTL.
It uses old game style warp point travel lines. The user interface is annoying. Nice huge technology tree but a it's bit unorganized. Some weapon techs are redundant and useless compared to another similiar tech. You can get bogged down in micro management and setting combat strategy options.
The AI is mostly non existent...unless you get one of a couple popular mods. I don't prefer to use mods. Too many other good games to focus on instead.

A few SE5 pros:
-has nearly every tech in all science fiction
-somewhat organized and nice to look at ship design that's not too complicated
-one of the most (if not the most) "modable" 4X space strategy games

A few SE5 cons:
-nearly non existant AI that isn't programed to use nearly every tech in all science fiction or to fight well...or to manage planets well. A couple of popular mods are available to improve this if you are into mods
-No faster than light travel in open space. Travel is in system and instantly via warp point lines connecting various systems.
-Unorganized, annoying user interface that consists of several layers of sub screens in some places.


< Message edited by Wade1000 -- 11/30/2009 7:57:50 AM >

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 7:51:14 AM   
Anguille


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Status: offline 		How can it be a clone when there are no starlanes?

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 12:09:34 PM   
Ntronium


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Status: offline 		Armada 2525 (to which this game is the spiritual successor) came out in 1991. Space Empires 1 came out in 1993, so maybe your question is the wrong way round :)


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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 2:21:00 PM   
ETF


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Nope. Far better game.

Well hate to say it so far I would have to lean towards SEV. Seems ARM is a SEV 5 "light".....might be your thing mind you. Early still so you never no. I have played only about 2 hours. Not all that impressed at the start.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 4:39:12 PM   
nukkxx5058


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quote:

Armada 2525 (to which this game is the spiritual successor) came out in 1991. Space Empires 1 came out in 1993, so maybe your question is the wrong way round :)


Oh ! this is a good answer BTW !

Thanks ! Might be that in fact SE is a clone of A2526?

< Message edited by nukkxx -- 11/30/2009 4:40:15 PM >

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 4:47:43 PM   
Flaviusx


Posts: 7750
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From: Southern California
Status: offline 		ETF, SE is a pretty dreadful game, but mileage definitely varies. I'll stick to Armada, the issues it has can be fixed, SE is beyond salvation in my estimation.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 9:02:53 PM   
PDiFolco

 

Posts: 1200
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Status: offline 		Armada is very different from SE4-5, much less mm oriented. The closest comparison I find for Armada is BotF, the Trek 4X from Microprose in 99.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 11/30/2009 11:22:15 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

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Status: offline 		I agree, I don't see all that much similarity between Armada 2526 and SE, except in a more general sense, but I do see the BOTF comparison.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 12:20:06 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

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Status: offline 		The SE similarity is a biggie in one respect - population transport.  BOTF and MOO3 convinced me this feature can be lived without, and I prefer doing so as it involves too much player time.  I very much dislike Armada's population transport system.  While this is mostly a personal preference issue, the Armada/Space empires population transport method is especially cumbersome given the example of MOO2's much simpler method.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 12:53:19 AM   
Zakhal


Posts: 2494
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Status: offline 		Is the SEV balance/AI mod any good?

http://www.captainkwok.net/balancemod.php

Just wondering if I should buy the game after all and try it patched & modded? Is it good for singleplayer now? In the forums they say the AI is bad atleast in the regular unmodded game.

Allthough now I have armada, birth of federation ultimate mod, empire at war mods (many) and sins of solar empire 7sins mod to play out so Im not really desperate for 4x games here. Im just looking for good SP 4x games.

< Message edited by Zakhal -- 12/1/2009 1:27:46 AM >

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 1:37:20 AM   
bbmike

 

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Status: offline 		Beware of SEV. I had Vista and it ran very, very choppy and slow on that. I haven't tried on Windows 7 yet but I suspect it will still be just as bad. On a happier note, SEIV works just find under Windows 7. 

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 2:13:25 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

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Status: offline 		As far as I know, Space Empires V is a multi-player version of Space Empires IV, with no improvements whatever in the enemy AI's or the domestic AI ministers.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 8:46:41 PM   
PDiFolco

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom_Holsinger

As far as I know, Space Empires V is a multi-player version of Space Empires IV, with no improvements whatever in the enemy AI's or the domestic AI ministers.

Not really, SE4 had has much MP than 5, the difference is that the game engine has been redone (in cheap 3d instead of 2d), some fetaures added, plus races and stuff, amongst which bugs..
SE4 shone because of its huge mod database, there's much less material for SE5, partly because it's harder to mod 3d stuff.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 9:06:09 PM   
AndonSage


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Zakhal

Is the SEV balance/AI mod any good?

http://www.captainkwok.net/balancemod.php

Just wondering if I should buy the game after all and try it patched & modded? Is it good for singleplayer now? In the forums they say the AI is bad atleast in the regular unmodded game.

I know people that won't play SE V without the Balance mod, as it really improves the AI. The problem I have with SE V is that, as bbmike mentioned, it doesn't run well on Windows Vista. Even turning off font smoothing as is suggested only makes it barely playable due to mouse lag. I haven't tried running SE V on Windows 7 as I figured it would have the same problem, but since I haven't I can't say for sure if it does.

If only Malfador Machinations were as good with patches for SE V as Illwinter is for patches with Dominions 3... (just a comparison between independent developers)

Anyway, I just had a friend tell me that Armada 2526 was out, so am reading the forums to get an idea of the game :)


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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 9:26:24 PM   
Hertston


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quote:

ORIGINAL: AndonSage

I haven't tried running SE V on Windows 7 as I figured it would have the same problem, but since I haven't I can't say for sure if it does.



It seems fine on Windows 7 at 1680 x 1050. It was never unplayable for me under Vista, but certainly the mouse is smoother and that flashing white screen thingie seems to have gone.

Zakhal, I'd certainly recommend at least trying it if for no other reason than you can get it for the price of a Big Mac if you hunt around!

< Message edited by Hertston -- 12/1/2009 9:29:00 PM >

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/1/2009 10:18:22 PM   
AndonSage


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston

It seems fine on Windows 7 at 1680 x 1050. It was never unplayable for me under Vista, but certainly the mouse is smoother and that flashing white screen thingie seems to have gone.


Good to hear. I guess I'll install, patch it up and check it out.

*EDIT* I installed. While the game is playable, it still has the mouse lag problem in Windows 7 that it did in Vista, which is extremely annoying :( The only way to not have the mouse lag is to play in windowed mode, but then my 24" 1920 x 1200 monitor goes to waste, besides which the game window is small. With full-screen I can see an entire system without having to scroll, with windowed mode less than half a system.

< Message edited by AndonSage -- 12/1/2009 11:28:02 PM >

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/2/2009 2:22:50 AM   
Hertston


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quote:

ORIGINAL: AndonSage

*EDIT* I installed. While the game is playable, it still has the mouse lag problem in Windows 7 that it did in Vista, which is extremely annoying :(


I can see it would be, but the problem seems to be system dependent and not a general one. My Logitech MX 518 is as responsive within SE5 as it is on the Windows 7 desktop, even down to in-game speed selections.


< Message edited by Hertston -- 12/2/2009 2:23:10 AM >

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/2/2009 1:31:00 PM   
nukkxx5058


Posts: 2932
Joined: 2/3/2005
From: France
Status: offline 		talking about SE clones , or more precisely, SE being a clone of other games, did someone tried FreeOrion the open source game? Not that I want to advertize for other games but I am happy with free market concurrence ;-) 

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/2/2009 4:11:12 PM   
Iceman

 

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Status: offline 		Pop transportation IMO kind of dilutes the Habitability differences between system types. Quality is always better than Habitability, and making it easy to transport pop to any system doesn't help balance these factors.

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/2/2009 4:49:22 PM   
PDiFolco

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Iceman

Pop transportation IMO kind of dilutes the Habitability differences between system types. Quality is always better than Habitability, and making it easy to transport pop to any system doesn't help balance these factors.

Agreed, the game should have different max-pop-size planets so that Habitable would possibly have more room than Rich but badly habitable planet. This would also empower "real" terraforming. On this aspect the game is cruelly backwards from most 4X that have these features (MoO, SE, BOTF, all have it).

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/2/2009 4:57:43 PM   
Iceman

 

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Status: offline 		Yep, Terraformers increasing space in systems would be great, while Weather Controllers kept increasing growth rate. Having both do the same is kind of weird.
The game is so streamlined that it's difficult to add variety

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/2/2009 5:12:21 PM   
solops

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Iceman

Yep, Terraformers increasing space in systems would be great, while Weather Controllers kept increasing growth rate. Having both do the same is kind of weird.
The game is so streamlined that it's difficult to add variety


Agreed. And different sized max pops, as suggested, would add variety and a reason to build some things.

All of these items might be implemented by xml file editing, except maybe the max pop (?)

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RE: Is this a Space Empires clone? - 12/2/2009 6:39:24 PM   
Archy

 

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Status: offline 		to op : no, this game has some very nice and original aspects. Lots of Potential.



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