Distant Worlds: Now on Steam!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Distant Worlds: Now on Steam!

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

I enjoyed this game, for all its rough edges, when I played it back with ROTS, and Legends looks to be solving most of the few issues I had with it (except for the maddening ship design UI/AI, which appears to be next patch's project). I'm glad I'm not alone in hating it, and being able to only redesign some of the empire's ships while leaving some hopefully-improved AI design logic to handle the ones I care less about (civilians mostly. :P) will be very welcome!

Except for one.

I never quite hit the sweet spot between game size and perfrmance, and in lategame my games would tend to get horribly choppy or start crashing when I try and load or save. Since I am a sucker for epic scope I fully concede that I might just be trying to make them too big for my system (i7 quad 1.6Ghz, 4GB RAM) to handle, but is there any sort of guideline to what really makes the game chug and/or what sort of specs certain-sized games require? Is it a better performance/memory gain to reduce the number of stars/physical size of the galaxy or the number of starting empires, for example?

Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 19:43 on Jan 2, 2012

# ¿ Jan 2, 2012 19:39

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 16:14

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

GrossMurpel posted:

I'll just post here, despite the thread looking dead:
Is it normal that this game uses default Windows popups (for example when quitting the main menu)?

Yes, I'm pretty sure all the dialog boxes are windows-standard, with just the font/background as a difference.

quote:

Also, does anyone maybe know the reason why sometimes the windows (tutorial help windows and the likes) act like I'm on 100% RAM usage and leave a trail of half-drawn windows when I drag them around?

You quite possibly are on 100% RAM usage. Resource-intensive does not even begin to describe this game.

I'd kind of shelved it due to waiting for the patch to the ship design system (and also Crusader Kings 2 eating my soul), but has there been any other big updates as yet?

# ¿ Feb 19, 2012 23:19

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

I'd been meaning to pick up Legends (already owned and loved RotS), so getting a deal on it was awesome timing. Maybe I'll even have time to play before hell freezes over!

# ¿ Aug 23, 2012 16:26

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Anyone have any experience with stopping hostile world destroyers? Since deep-space intercepts seem not to actually work, and the things can drop out of hyper in range of their target, turn in five seconds, and destroy the planet and any defending ships that got too close....well.

I won that war because the Slukens only had their homeworld left and I headshot it with three fleets worth of ground troops while they blew up one of my border colonies (and now the Devastation Moon is mine - along with sixteen billion Slukens to slowly exterminate in revenge :black101:

), but for future reference are these things actually unstoppable?

edit: I guess we'll find out because now both me and my BFF Securan allies have one, and from what I can tell our alliance has a World Destroyer monopoly and a shitton of long-term enemies that need to Get Theirs. It's like a galactic-scale version of Legolas and Gimli dickwaving killcounts at Helm's Deep.

Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 15:13 on Aug 27, 2012

# ¿ Aug 27, 2012 13:52

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

allsizesfitone posted:

This is an awesome thing, and out-of-nowhere awesome scenarios like this are why I'm quickly falling in love with this game despite the hours of waiting for something awesome to occur. I'm still in information overload stage, though, so maybe once I can more quickly process the goings-on of my empire I'll be able to speed things along.

Ha, the only reason I even found out the Securans had a world destroyer (well, I already knew there was a derelict one in their territory but I didn't realise they'd finished it) is because the Dhayuts I was genociding were suddenly defeated out of nowhere while my WD was en route and I was trying to figure out why. Thought it was a bug, went to check the last Dhayut world, found a giant battlestation full of really smug not-Asari just leaving the galaxy's newest asteroid field.

As for information overload, I find it helps to take a high level view of the situation (then again I actually kind of liked MOO3 and tend to think of DW as "MOO3 done right", so this is the way I like to play 4Xes in general).

Have a general idea of what you need to do - check Empire Summary to see if your cashflow is good and you can afford colonization or fleet buildup, and what kind of ship numbers you're working with, check the diplomacy and research screens to get a sense of those situations and see how your goals in those areas are progressing, see if there are any pirates or particularly aggressive/annoying AI raiders bugging you, check if your characters are in the right place, etc, etc. There are PILES of information in this game - it's even possible to track stockpiles of specific components that might be bottlenecking your construction projects - but you will go insane if you try and assimilate and micromanage it all.

I was up until 4 AM playing this game last night. :cripes:

Got another war waiting when I get home, the Ikkuro ended up at war with us and have a Diabolical rep somehow, so it's weapons-free on the superlasers for both of us. (with the latest Legends patch, each race has their own Empire Policy settings that govern the way they design their ships, their preferred racial management techniqies, and rules of engagement).

Also, thumbs up to the auto-retrofit options in the 1.7.0.16 patch, but by god does it spam the message window. Still need to wrap my head around the changes to managing ship designs, but they definitely seemed overdue.

Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 18:51 on Aug 27, 2012

# ¿ Aug 27, 2012 18:47

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

It does need a search bar, but I think that answer is under Diplomatic Relations with the rest of the treaties.

You get...10%, I think, of their state income, you have visibility on all their stuff, and I think that's it. There may be some restrictions on their diplomatic flexibility as well?

# ¿ Aug 28, 2012 21:55

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Bold Robot posted:

If I have a Planet Destroyer in a fleet, and I tell that fleet to attack an enemy planet, will the Planet Destroyer automatically blow that planet up?

Yes. (this actually happened in the LP, with hilarious effect)

What you can probably do is set the fleet to blockade the planet or patrol the area, they'll clear all the orbital infrastructure/defending fleets but not attack the planet automatically, then you can send in the transports or whatever.

On a slightly related note: the downside of having AI allies with planet destroyers is that they will destroy planets with your fleet in orbit and your troops in the middle of an invasion. :stare:

# ¿ Aug 29, 2012 21:59

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Tubgirl Cosplay posted:

Yeah there's no way you're going to be running more than one or two very specific things at a time when you get to the lategame and poo poo starts to look like this:

Man, the AIs in your game have clearly never heard of coherent borders.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2012 15:18

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

There's a game startup option to limit colonization to X sectors away frome one of your existing colonies, that might moderate things a little for those who care (though that would also bring the "not enough colonizable worlds" problem into sharp relief.)

# ¿ Sep 4, 2012 15:47

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

oogs posted:

Silly question, but do you guys think a LP (in the LP subforum) would be worthwhile? I'm wrapping up my game - just need 2 more continental colonies to win.

One just finished (for certain definitions of finished) but I imagine a non-participating LP is different enough.

And at least it'd show that the game won't always crash before you win.

# ¿ Sep 10, 2012 22:08

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Looks like the download link for the Gloom mod is broken, which is a shame because the new laser effects look awesome.

Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Feb 2, 2013

# ¿ Feb 2, 2013 22:09

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

They might be too big to build away from a planet (I think you can see those limits on the fourth tab in the research screen).

# ¿ Mar 5, 2013 03:33

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Bouchacha posted:

Yep, I had forgotten about that. But how do you retrofit bases not at a colony? The button is there, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

I'm pretty sure the answer is "you don't", but I can't confirm that.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2013 07:52

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Upgrading mining stations means "let the constant stream of pirates blow it up and then let the AI rebuild it sometime (or do it yourself if you MUST but I would go insane)."

# ¿ Mar 5, 2013 15:48

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

V for Vegas posted:

May 21 is the release date.

e: The new ground combat mechanics are very granular. You actually build lots of different troop types (armour, infantry, special ops) which seem to work in a rock paper scissors configuration. Seems like a lot more micro for little gain.

Whoa. Is that shortage notifier new, or has my economy always been such a well-oiled machine that I never noticed it?

(as for ground combat, well, as long as the AI can still manage it competently and there's a policy or something to tweak force mixes I give no fucks how much micro is involved. All this game's crazy micro is optional, that's the best part.)

# ¿ Apr 28, 2013 18:57

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Achievement Unlocked: Destroy a hostile World Destroyer :black101:

(there isn't an achievement for thus but there SHOULD BE GODDAMNIT.)

Still lost a couple of border planets because my battle fleets were refuelling nearby when it first arrived, but really all it takes is decent timing, enough hyperdeny platforms, and not minding losing a few ships to the thing's insane DPS while you chew through the size-2700 hitpoint wall.

I'm not sure yet if you can keep it from using the superlaser against a nearby planet by engaging it in combat, I only caught it because it lingered after its first kill to blow up random mining stations and civilian ships rather than blow up the other planet in the system and leave.

# ¿ Jun 1, 2013 20:07

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

$70 is probably not currently available: Matrix occassionally, halfheartedly does sales (major holidays, expansion releases) but otherwise you're probably stuck paying sticker.

Travic posted:

Looks like I can get the entire thing for $85. Though I might just get the original like someone suggested and see if I like it. I remember that MoO3 was roasted over how the AI took control over everything and was generally poo poo at it (Troop Transports!). Does the AI in Distant Worlds do a good job at managing parts of my empire?

Much better than MOO3 (this is admittedly faint praise) and genuinely good, I think. At the very least I can't think of any incredibly stupid mistakes the AI routinely makes - and there's always "Suggest" mode as an alternative where the AI will run its decisions in whatever areas you select like "send this diplomatic gift" or "colonize this planet" or "launch this military attack" by you for you to veto.

I like to call DW "MOO3 done right" in that it takes the macromanagement paradigm that MOO3 tried to do, with a more streamlined design and an AI that can actually handle it.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2013 22:40

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

a!n posted:

Oh dear, it's finally time for me to pick this up. Should I just get/play everything at once or should I start with an older version?

Not only is Distant Worlds basically a Paradox-alike in its real-time gameplay, it is also a Paradox-alike in that you want to get every expansion if at all possible.

# ¿ Nov 25, 2013 20:09

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Sheep posted:

How do you stop your fleets/ships from attacking anything/a specific target?

I had a mining base that was captured by pirates, and about five seconds later my fleet arrived, at which points they just started laying into the thing (why?).

I haven't played in a while, but I think you should be able to use "Blockade" or "Patrol" commands on colonies or bases instead of Move or Attack, so that your forces will just clear the area and not attack the specific target.

# ¿ May 25, 2014 01:36

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Rhonyn Peacemaker posted:

That is unequivocal bullshit.

I play everything else on max settings with zero hiccups. If they have an unoptimized piece of a game, it isn't my fault it cannot run it.

Most other games are graphics hogs so your GPU is more in control of how well you can run it. This game is more memory and CPU bound. Your CPU is literally five and a half years old, and was two and a half years old the day the game was released. I wouldn't be surprised if you were having issues.

(edit: maybe I should be surprised then!)

Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 23:02 on May 25, 2014

# ¿ May 25, 2014 22:08

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Ynglaur posted:

Is there any point to Space Monsters other than "random thing to blow up?" Is there really anything to distinguish them from a random pirate raider?

Not really, which is why I tend to turn them off or down. I suppose they can slow down how quickly you explore some systems or salvage that massive capital fleet/World Destroyer you run into?

Re: defending isolated civilian ships and stations, what I tend to do myself is set all my escort/frigate/destroyer sized ships on automatic - they'll run patrol routes out towards those hundreds of civilian mining stations or trade routes a growing empire comes with, and in the meantime I organize fleets of cruisers/carriers/capitals to sit at bases (up to you whether you set them up with postures or just direct them yourself) so I can send them out to smack anything too big for escorts to handle or prosecute offensive campaigns.

There was a really good guide on the Matrix forums to using postures but I can't recall where it is right now. I always thought the fleet needed to be automated for them to work but maybe I was wrong?

# ¿ May 27, 2014 22:37

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

nutranurse posted:

My trouble is that the AI will never auto-upgrade a design you build, or it least it's never done that in my experience (I hope it's changed, please tell it has changed).

Isn't there a setting for that? I haven't played since around when Legends came out but I feel like there's a way to mark designs to be auto-upgraded. I'll have to check when I get home.

# ¿ May 28, 2014 16:01

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Hot Sexy Jupiter posted:

The race graphics are so much better in the Extended mod, though I think it's kind of a shame the modder chose to replace the stock Naxxilian picture with a brutal-looking humanoid guy. Goofy as it was, I liked the space T-rex.

On the other hand, replacing the stock Securan photo was inspired and I give them all the kudos for that.

# ¿ May 29, 2014 02:50

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere (though this thread is a ton more active since the Steam release and it's great to see) but there's a new beta patch out on Steam with some changes a few people may be interested in:

Beta patch notes posted:

CRASH FIXES
- Fixed crash in ship design screen when changing image scaling
- Fixed crash when generating ship designs
- Fixed rare crash in game editor when adding asteroid fields
- Fixed rare crash with fleets
- Fixed rare crash with processing empire messages
- Fixed rare crash when identifying raidable colonies for pirates

BUG FIXES
- Steam Achievements fixed, should be working again now!
- Manually cancelled Deep Cover intelligence missions no longer continue to reveal enemy map for rest of game
- Fixed bug with loading troops when first non-garrisoned troop is too big for troop bay
- Fixed research and ship designs to not auto-update when edit empire in game editor, unless player has ship design automated
- Fixed occasional invisible space monsters
- Ensure empires properly cleared when using existing savegame as galaxy map for new game
- Ensure that ruins with delayed events also getting properly investigated

DISPLAY AND USER INTERFACE
- Reviewed all in-game font scaling and anti-aliasing and reworked font support to take newer Windows operating system scaling into account. Font size and clarity should now be more consistent across all systems.
- Enlarged and clarified fonts: Diplomacy screen, scrolling message list, tutorial screen, cash and income display
- Added Introductory Game button in Start New Game screen, we recommend this as a first game for all new players
- Moved PreWarp tutorial to last based on player feedback

OTHER
- Added a way to disable the intro movie in the Startup.ini file in the DW installation folder. This may help with some startup black screen issues by manually disabling the intro movie.
- Significant performance improvements
- Improved look of in-system background nebula clouds
- Pirates retain protection arrangements for minimum period before cancelling, this should also help with the pre-warp tutorial.
- Improved randomness of starting government types in new games (for other empires, when random govt selected)
- Increased maximum event delay to 32000 days (from 10000)

# ¿ May 29, 2014 18:20

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

V for Vegas posted:

Thanks for letting me know, Matrix.

Wasn't there a $10 "preorder discount" until tomorrow anyway? So the celebratory sale is just extending the preorder discount for another week?

# ¿ May 30, 2014 00:08

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Travic posted:

Also, bow down before the god that is Long Range Scanners. I'm not kidding. Design super cheap stations with a long range scanner and place them throughout your empire as well as along your front-line so you can see out into the dark beyond (above your mini-map is a button that will show your scanner range as grey circles). If an enemy ship is detected (you will get an alert) and is headed into one of the zones you designated to be protected earlier the fleet will be dispatched automagically to intercept them at the target.

Alternatively, redesign the stations you'll build anyway. Space port? Long range scanner. Mining base? Long range scanner. Research or resort station the automated constructors set up on some supernova in the middle of nowhere? You'd better BELIEVE it has a long range scanner on it. Ideally, you'll be informed when a space raptor farts on the other side of the galaxy and see incoming fleets with enough warning to set up a goddamned party. With cake. And lasers.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 08:57

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Zilkin posted:

I wouldn't really recommend putting long range scanners on mining stations. They add over 400 credits to the construction cost, and about 200 to the maintenance.

Yes, but those extra construction/maintenance costs go on the private sector balance sheet so I don't have to care too much about the mumbers. If they're going to depend on my fleets to safeguard their mining operations they can certainly pay for some extra redundancy in my sensor network (and time I don't have to spend designing and placing the things myself). :colbert:

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 14:29

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Selecting a gas cloud will say in the "system" screen in the lower left corner what it's made of and what resources are available. What your ships use as fuel depends on what reactors they have - it will usually be Caslon but some advanced reactors use Hydrogen.

I've never been able to figure out how to deploy resupply ships in a gas cloud, though. Maybe there's some spot to click that isn't clear, but I've always had to use gas giants.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2014 16:30

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

MagnumOpus posted:

Do I need to add Mechanoids to get Ancient Guardians in the game, or are they automatically added if RotS events are enabled (meaning that adding them would result in two Mechanoid empires)?

They and the refugees are automatically added if RotS events are enabled, yes.

# ¿ Jun 5, 2014 15:58

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

dtkozl posted:

How do fighter bays and the newer fighters work? When I upgrade a new fighter, do my ships get them immediately or do I need to retrofit?

What about when I have say upgraded torpedos and fighters, will it only use these or will it still use the old lovely missile fighters as well?

Generally your carriers will get access to new fighters when they're researched, but it will take some time to (automatically) replace the old fighters with the new models.

I vaguely remember there being some way to specify the exact makeup of a ship's fighter complement (say if you want half interceptors and half torpedo bombers) but I've never cared enough to drill that deep.

Dark_Swordmaster posted:

There's a lock button on the top-left side of the lower-left window where the information about whatever you have selected is. That's exactly what you're looking for.

You can also hit the L key on the keyboard to do this.

WYA posted:

Is there any way to have built military ships join a fleet immediately, or rally somewhere?

If you assign a ship under construction to a fleet (say, from the ships window), it will head to join that fleet once it's finished.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2014 17:24

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

Comstar posted:

What is the difference between ordering as fleet to "Attack that system" and "Prepare to Attack that system"? I now understand how Grey Hunter did an attack on a planet, and blew it up "by mistake".

Prepare and Attack will regroup the fleet at the lead ship, then make sure that at least a certain percentage of the ships are refuelled, then moves to attack the target. Basically it exists to make sure the fleet hits the target at more or less the same time and with most of its combat power fuelled up when it gets there.

# ¿ Jun 7, 2014 20:45

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 16:14

Dallan Invictus: Oct 11, 2007; The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.

If you're having pirate problems that can definitely also slow cargo throughput. Even if you're not losing them, if enough freighters are constantly fleeing then it can trigger shortages if their shipments are delayed - that might be another angle to attack the problem from.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2014 20:21

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Distant Worlds: Now on Steam!