Space 4x titles -- a pet peeve (and silly pointless rant)

[Martok]

SE5 wasn't terrible like Moo3 was, at least to me.  SE5 was fun while I could play it, but once I moved to Win7 it was unplayable and not 'better enough' than SE4 to make me want to suffer through. 

Not sure if this comment was directed at me.  Even if not, though, I'd like to clarify I agree SEV didn't seem to be as bad as MOO3, only that it was also apparently a "franchise-killer". 

SE4 has an almost 'cool retro' feel to it nowadays.

Heck, SEIV had a bit of a retro look/feeling even back then.  ;)  Not that I'm complaining either way; it was part of its charm. 

Moo3 was one of the only games I ever pre-ordered and paid for next day shipping...took off the day it was to arrive.  It was actually a snowstorm and I had to meet the Fedex guy on the highway about a mile away to get the game.  I took it home and worked on it for days before deciding there was something wrong with the game and not just that I didn't know how to play.

I didn't pre-order, but I did run to my nearest brick-and-mortar store (remember when we still had those?) to pick up a copy of MOO3 on release day.  Took me the better part of a month before I finally realized I just wasn't having fun with it. 


I keep thinking I really just need to toss it out.  It seems like every time I'm finally ready to do so, however, Anguille or Jarhead start singing the praises of the chocolate/strawberry mods...  Grr! 

[republic]

lol I understand Martok, I've read AARs about Moo3 and think "is this the same game?  Maybe I should try it now!"  but then I remember spending days trying to figure out why I had hundreds of troop transports but no warships.

I think the best analog for Moo3 in my mind would be Sword of the Stars 2.  Some people can overlook the shortcomings and find a gem...but unfortunately I'm not one of them.

[Martok]

GalCiv2 -- Probably fits the bill of what I'm looking for, but slightly cartoony in a way I'm not in the mood for

For me, it wasn't the cartoonish look exactly, but the "wink-and-nod" sense of humor the game had.  I *did* find it amusing, don't get me wrong, but it also detracted from the immersion factor. 

Unless you're playing a silly beer-and-pretzels title like Spaceward Ho!, you generally want a serious tone in your space 4x games.  And GalCiv2's in-games jokes about it being...a game really hurt my willing suspension of disbelief. 

Armada 2526 -- can't get into it...

Can I ask what it was that kept you from getting into it?  Gameplay?  Aesthetics?  Something else?   

Distant Worlds -- maybe this is the ticket, but the 2D presentation doesn't thrill me, and I find the pirates really, really annoying

Well you can always set the pirates to "Low" or even "None" in the game's settings (same with space monsters, if that also isn't your thing).  Or is it the way they're implemented that bothers you? 

I can understand the 2D issue not being everyone's cup of tea, though.  It personally doesn't bother me, but I can certainly see how that might to be a turn-off to some folks. 

[Huw the Poo]

Still pondering SE4 but Jarhead's warning that he gets wiped out before he can get established is actually exactly what I'm not looking for.

If it makes you feel any better, that's never happened to me.  Besides, there's a stupidly large number of options to start the game with.  Hell, you can play on the biggest map with only one opponent and just build your way to half the galaxy.  By the time you meet your opponent you'll have the game out of your system anyway! ;)

[Jarhead0331]

Still pondering SE4 but Jarhead's warning that he gets wiped out before he can get established is actually exactly what I'm not looking for.

If it makes you feel any better, that's never happened to me.  Besides, there's a stupidly large number of options to start the game with.  Hell, you can play on the biggest map with only one opponent and just build your way to half the galaxy.  By the time you meet your opponent you'll have the game out of your system anyway! ;)

I would be remiss if I did not mention the simple possibility that this happens to me just because I suck.

[Sparhawk]

I picked up Star Ruler over the holidays when it was on sale for some blue coins at Gamersgate. I just got around to learning it recently and once I figured out how to actually build ships I'm having a good time with it. I turned pirates off for now, and set the opponents on easy while I work my kinks out. I enjoy colonization just as any space 4x, but it does pressure you to keep expanding at a break neck speed in order to keep up with your opponents. There is enough technology and possible combos of armaments for ships that I feel it will take me awhile to explore all the alternatives, which should be fun.

[sandman2575]

@Martok --  my reactions to Armada 2526 are admittedly of the knee-jerk variety.  Based on little more than my firing it up a few times, going through the tutorial, and just not feeling drawn into it.  The 2D combat was definitely a turn off. 

I know you are a big proponent of this game --I'm sure there is a ton that I am missing out on.  But just seems to lack that spark of magic that makes me want to spend more time with it.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the simple possibility that this happens to me just because I suck.

ah, but this is how I usually handicap myself as a strategy gamer, so there's a high probability of my having the same experience ...

[Jarhead0331]

What are some of the "must have" SEIV mods?

[Longdan]

What are some of the "must have" SEIV mods?

Yeah. Thanks JH I was trying to think of that.  There are a bazillion mods for SE V but I do not know if any make it work right.
SE IV was made very moddable but I have no talent there.

[Bison]

Two of the best sites for SE4 mods.  Captain Kwok'stuff is highly regarded.

http://www.spaceempires.net/
http://www.captainkwok.net/mods.php

[LongBlade]

I've heard of a Star Trek TOS mod, but not sure which version it applies to.

[Bison]

Well there are several threads on the Star Trek mods.  I had it installed a few years ago, but I cannot remember all the details.  Although spaceempires.net looks like it's an abandoned site; it's not.  Sign up and ask a question and I bet it's answered in the next 24 hours.

[mikeck]

Well, you could try "aurora". I haven't played in two years as I got fed up with the game when it goes into an almost endless loop when a ship was in combat somewhere (occasionally. They said this was fixed but I could never avoid it). Anyway, it has a huge learning curve and basically no graphics so Ymmv.

[bbmike]

Funny, all the talk about Space Empires V got me thinking. I had the lag problems with SEV on Windows 7 and never really played it. So I now have Windows 8 and after reading this thread thought I would try it on that. Well, turns out it runs just fine! I also tried Call To Power and Call To Power 2 and both of those now run fine under Windows 8 (they wouldn't under Windows 7)!
I also tried to install Space Empires IV Deluxe but I can't see to find my serial key.  :-[

[OJsDad]

DW is good, but it needs a lot of UI and game play improvements. 
     
      UI Improvements  - DW suffers like most 4x type games, the UI works well in the beginning and middle games but doesnt scale at all in the later game.  Some other issues is the ship design screen, having to open a screen for all ships (civilian and military) just to filter the military ships out. 

     Game improvements;
                                Economy or lack thereof.  I know there is an economy, but is all behind the scenes.  I have no feel for making my empire grow in the regard.  I agree with Republic and I would love to see a Victoria type of economy where your population needed certain items and you felt the impact of both shortages and overages.

                                Blob combat.  There are no ship formations, ships just jump in among enemy ships and start fighting.  Eventually, there is no need to build smaller ships as there is no point.  This is one thing that MOO3 did well, in forcing you to have to build escorts and picket ships for your capital ships. 

I feel DW is more of military game and a true 4x at this point.  I know there is a lot that  you can do to turn off automation, but it just doesn't have an indepth feel for me.

BTW, DW:Shadows is coming out before too much longer, and its supposed to have the option to start before you have hyper capabilities, thus you deveop your own solar system first.