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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows

 
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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/14/2013 2:23:42 AM   
Erik Rutins

 

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Hi Das,

Just discussed with Elliot again - this one's a function of the new graphics systems and will be a bit trickier to entirely resolve than we expected. We're going to give it another look post-release, but it's on our list.

Regards,

- Erik


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/14/2013 11:04:38 PM   
DasTactic

 

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Distant Worlds Shadows ~ Preview Ep6 ~ Raid at Ilukas

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 12:50:22 AM   
Bingeling

 

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This is a nice Let's Play, and 30 minutes is a good length for each episode.

I am not sure you noticed that you have 2 intelligence agents. And also, looking for a raid option on mining stations may be worthwhile.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 1:39:52 AM   
Jim D Burns


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I think Erik said in the shadows thread that the AI now makes use of refueling waypoints for long hauls, so you should be taking any and all smuggling missions on offer no matter how far away they are. You can easily build a gas mining station mid way between yourself and the independents down south (you may already have one, not sure), so your freighters can then make the runs no problem. Heck you might even be allowed to refuel at regular empire planets if you are at peace with them, try and get diplomatic refueling rights if not.

Then queue up about 20-30 more freighters and you should see a nice increase in your resources and shortages will be much rarer. They'll make tons of cash when they deliver smuggled goods and should bring back anything produced at those planets that is in short supply in your stocks.

It's risky to rely on just your own bases, as they'll be easy to take out if you go to war. A large freighter fleet should keep your economy humming along in both peace and wartime. And unlike bases you don't have to pay maintenance on the civilian ships so you can afford freighters more easily than new mining bases right now.

Jim


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 12:19:47 PM   
Modest

 

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It seem that You have too small civilian sector. I think that creating 10 more freighters would be a good idea (or even more than 10). Maybe that would partly solve Your gold problem.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 9:41:07 PM   
Mansen


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I seem to recall, Das cycling through game creation to get a race he wanted. Is there a way to force a specific race for your pirate empire, or is it forced auto? Would love to have the option to pick a race for AARs and Roleplay.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 9:56:37 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

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You can pick your race as a pirate, absolutely. While it's not quite as important as for a normal empire it still has significant effects.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 9:57:42 PM   
Mansen


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Awesome

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 10:14:23 PM   
DasTactic

 

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Distant Worlds Shadows ~ Preview Ep7 ~ Boskar (And a new version)

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 10:56:41 PM   
ASHBERY76


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The other A.I pirate factions are doing terrible in the VC's.A bit of a concern considering your weak start.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 11:28:41 PM   
Bingeling

 

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He has too few independents for pirates to thrive, I believe.

I wonder why the pirates are so eager for troop tech . He got colony control ambitions, this one.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/15/2013 11:39:37 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

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I believe Das reduced the number of pirates and independents, which will mean that the pirates are a bit weaker overall, but I'd guess there are some pirates he hasn't discovered yet that are doing better than the ones he knows. The pirate game is definitely survival of the fittest, you can have say 20 pirate factions of which 4-5 will actually survive the early era in good shape and become strong enough to contest with the empires. Das' focus on Braugele and the construction of a pirate base and fortress there uninteruppted, thanks largely to his early attack on the Nispes Intruders, is a good strategy. He also ended up in what looks like a bit of a gap between empires, which is a very good place for a pirate to be.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/16/2013 12:05:16 AM   
Mansen


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He changed it to Normal from Many - So unless "Many" in the preview will change to become the new "Normal", then he should be playing the game as "designed" as we're seeing it.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/16/2013 12:39:43 AM   
Erik Rutins

 

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First, all settings are viable, they just result in a different experience.

Das reduced the pirates from Many (the Age of Shadows default) to Normal (the Classic Age default) and reduced independent and alien life from Plentiful (Age of Shadows default) to Normal (Classic Age default). He also chose the "Destroyed Pirates do not Respawn" option (normally off for all eras). In effect, this means he's playing in the Classic Age rather than the Age of Shadows as far as the settings that affect pirates, except that the empires did have the pre-Warp start which is better for pirates than the full Classic Age where empires start with Hyperspace capability.

This is all fine but I wanted to clarify that he's not playing with the Age of Shadows defaults and the settings he chose do make pirates weaker in all cases.

Regards,

- Erik


< Message edited by Erik Rutins -- 5/16/2013 12:40:45 AM >


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/16/2013 12:49:59 AM   
Erik Rutins

 

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Actually, I should modify that statement - Many Pirates helps make sure there are more strong pirate factions, but it doesn't necessarily help any single pirate faction because it also gives them more competition especially in the early game. Pirates fight among themselves, so more pirates means more conflict in general, which tends to result in a few stronger factions surviving. The other settings help all pirates in general though.

Regards,

- Erik


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/16/2013 7:14:49 PM   
Mansen


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So what are "your" options a bit later on as the game progresses? Some of the independent colonies will break free of control and start exploring space on their own. Some pirate factions will become much stronger than others.

I believe the option to become an "empire" was mentioned? - Can you stay a pirate for the entire game or will the empires eventually get the upper hand (as is the case in Legends from what I can tell), or are you forced to adapt and conform? Can you become an empire as soon as you fully control a colony or are there more steps involved?

< Message edited by Mansen -- 5/16/2013 7:26:57 PM >

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/16/2013 8:08:37 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

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The Age of Shadows is basically an alternate history for the Distant Worlds universe... potentially. In the original game, the way things worked out was that the Planetary empires gained the upper hand and only the Legendary Pirates were a reminder of how things used to be. But it didn't have to work out that way.

Space-based Pirate Empires that become very successful can indeed transition to planetary empires where they actually own colonies along with their populations and can build ground troops and colony ships. They are not quite identical to planetary empires due to their different origin and goals, but they can become equally powerful. Victory-wise, you are playing against the other pirates and on the default victory conditions you'll win before you take over the galaxy. You can keep playing though or play in a more sandbox mode from the start and see if you can end up in complete control. It's doable - I've taken the pirates very far along the road to galactic domination and I've seen the AI do it as well. If played well, they can be absolutely fearsome.

You are always forced to adapt and conform. The planetary empires are the "NPCs" when playing as a pirate, but they are powerful and don't want you to win either. The longer you let them develop, the tougher they will be but you can keep ahead of them.

In the current AAR Das is doing, with the income he has, if he built more military ships and hit one of those early pre-warp transitioning to warp empires with everything he has, he would likely knock them back to their planets and end up taking control of their system. It would cost him, but given he currently doesn't have much competition he could absolutely pull it off. With repeated planetary raids to whittle them down, he could keep them under control for a long time.

Regards,

- Erik


< Message edited by Erik Rutins -- 5/16/2013 8:51:42 PM >


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/16/2013 8:24:09 PM   
Mansen


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Interesting.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/17/2013 1:36:34 AM   
DasTactic

 

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Distant Worlds Shadows ~ Preview Ep8 ~ Long Range Scanner Ships

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/17/2013 12:15:45 PM   
joeyeti


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I do wonder (if that has not been explained elsewhere), the red arrows, sometimes flashing on and back off for ships, are indicators of some shortage for that ship?

Just watching ep. 6 and noticed that in ep. 5 also...

EDIT:

Or, even better, does it mean that that ship is carrying critical resources??? :)

< Message edited by joeyeti -- 5/17/2013 12:30:43 PM >


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 11:54:12 AM   
Bingeling

 

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I think that what you see may be red travel vectors. I am not sure if they are 100%, but it seems that if you got a base selected, the travel vectors for freighters heading towards it will be red.

I am not quite comfortable that I have found a pattern in the red ones, though.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 12:24:30 PM   
ASHBERY76


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Red arrows usually mean attacking fleet.Maybe a bug.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 12:26:57 PM   
Bingeling

 

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I believe your Snoop designs have some flaws.

1: They lack power to run the hyperdrive at full speed. This may or may not be important, depending on whether they are stationary or travelling scanners.

2: They lack energy collection to cover the static use. This means they will burn fuel while sitting passive (and scanning). Unless you plan to always run around in circles, this will be bad.

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 9:05:57 PM   
DasTactic

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

I believe your Snoop designs have some flaws.

1: They lack power to run the hyperdrive at full speed. This may or may not be important, depending on whether they are stationary or travelling scanners.

2: They lack energy collection to cover the static use. This means they will burn fuel while sitting passive (and scanning). Unless you plan to always run around in circles, this will be bad.


My thinking at the time was just to have a cheap craft that would allow me to track down constructors. They would move into position (no need to speed) and sit outside systems so they couldn't be intercepted (hence no collectors).

In hind sight they didn't have enough staying power as you pointed out. :)

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 10:33:55 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Das123
My thinking at the time was just to have a cheap craft that would allow me to track down constructors. They would move into position (no need to speed) and sit outside systems so they couldn't be intercepted (hence no collectors).


That plan actually worked well - it's just that the policy setting messed things up for you.


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 11:19:31 PM   
joeyeti


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That destruction of the "captured" construction ship in part 9 (not yet advertised but already available on Youtube) was nasty...

Can it then happen that you capture a ship (winning the onboard fight), but it gets destroyed? Or is it a bug?

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 11:27:30 PM   
StarLab


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I believe the act of boarding ships does some damage on its own. I think both of those ships were very heavily damaged so the act of boarding provided just enough additional damage to finish them off.



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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/18/2013 11:48:56 PM   
peddroelm

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: joeyeti

That destruction of the "captured" construction ship in part 9 (not yet advertised but already available on Youtube) was nasty...

Can it then happen that you capture a ship (winning the onboard fight), but it gets destroyed? Or is it a bug?


08:12 Game log
We have boarded and captured ship BoldWhim (constructor) of the Sluken Conformity!
Inline with our empire policy we have immediately scrapped the captured ship BoldWhim in place for a money bonus of 888 credits.

EP 9

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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/19/2013 2:31:13 AM   
Erik Rutins

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: joeyeti
That destruction of the "captured" construction ship in part 9 (not yet advertised but already available on Youtube) was nasty...
Can it then happen that you capture a ship (winning the onboard fight), but it gets destroyed? Or is it a bug?


No, that's what I was saying, his empire policy was set to automatically scrap those ships for money once captured. Just requires a change to the empire policy setting to keep them once captured. Ships can also take damage during boarding and capture of course, but in this case he captured them but lost them (and gained money) due to the empire policy.

Unfortunately the preview build came without a manual, just with tutorials, so Das has had to figure things out as he goes along.

Regards,

- Erik


< Message edited by Erik Rutins -- 5/19/2013 2:32:50 AM >


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RE: Let's Preview Distant Worlds: Shadows - 5/19/2013 2:32:01 AM   
Erik Rutins

 

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Here's Episode 9:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNppGRPOtc

And Episode 10:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK8gnXzOQd0

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