Stellaris

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Doesn't look very strong from that screenshot, but you don't seem to have a decent fleet yet.  Is that early game?

Fairly early on.  I have 8 planets at this point.  The thing is tough because each strongpoint has shields that rapidly regenerate.  Each point also has overlapping fields of fire with its neighbours so what ends up happening is that you can't order your ships to just concentrate on one point due to the game's AI.  As soon as your ships start drawing fire from other strongpoints, they disperse and try to engage each station that's firing at them.  It's very frustrating.

[ghostryder]

One thing to note is research types is somewhat tied to your races leanings. Your get far more planet techs being passive than being military---which the later will get far more weapon picks tech wise. Spiritual/passive/comformist will build up a much stronger government than a militant/xenophobe/individualist------smart and intelligent picks will yeild techs for research more often...etc etc.

As an example: pulled from the steam guide on race setups:

Netraxi (aka "The Wise Elders")
Individualist + Materialist + Pacifist.
Talented + Enduring + Sedentary
Indirect Democracy

These guys are casting a wide net in terms of the areas of potential bonuses. Their leaders start very experienced and live very long. From governors of your worlds, through scientists in charge of your research to admirals and generals of your fleets and armies, everyone will be performing way better than their counterparts in other races - and it really makes a difference. On top of that, their ethical versatility allows to construct a wide array of special and unique buildings, doubling on the leader bonuses.

Recommended for:
* People who don't have a strict plan and want a good all-around race with bonuses to all areas of the game.
* People who want to see as many empire unique buildings as possible in one game.
* People who want to explore leaders mechanics and role-play with them.

[Huw the Poo]

Fairly early on.  I have 8 planets at this point.  The thing is tough because each strongpoint has shields that rapidly regenerate.  Each point also has overlapping fields of fire with its neighbours so what ends up happening is that you can't order your ships to just concentrate on one point due to the game's AI.  As soon as your ships start drawing fire from other strongpoints, they disperse and try to engage each station that's firing at them.  It's very frustrating.

Hehe...sounds like fun! :D

Ghostryder, thanks for that; I didn't realise your race options had such a huge effect on research options.

I finally had my first war last night (I've never played a 4X in which the AIs are so determined to live peacefully!).  I was running out of expansion space so I declared on one of my neighbours.  Since it was my first time I chose only a couple of border planets as my war goal, to which my ally readily agreed.  To my joy, as soon as I sent my fleet in they found themselves joined by fleets from my ally and my vassal, and they followed me around throughout the whole war.  It was awesome!  We went on a grand tour of enemy space while my troop transports followed and started occupying the planets I wanted.

Soon we came up against the enemy fleet which - on paper - matched ours.  However I had been spending plenty of time in the ship designer, and my battleships and cruisers packed an enormous punch.  We made short work of them.  As soon as one planetary siege ended, my enemy surrendered and ceded control of both worlds without a single soldier having set foot on the second world.  I wish I'd chosen more goals now!  I was glad for the victory though.

So now, of course, I have two worlds more than my cap which is eating into my resources and will force me to redefine my sectors, and some rebellious factions to deal with who hate my guts, opening up some more lovely game mechanics.

I love this game.

[jomni]

Here's one I've been picking away at.  I've knocked out maybe 15% of the total defences so far.

That ring.  Is that even possible in real life?

[Huw the Poo]

2.  When I click on a ship or planet on the right hand panel, center me on it.  Don't make be go looking for it.

Just double click.  Or click the camera focus icon.

Realised today that right-clicking something in the outliner moves your camera there but doesn't select it, which is sometimes useful.

[Nefaro]

Here's one I've been picking away at.  I've knocked out maybe 15% of the total defences so far.

Looks like a Dyson Ring to me.  :o


Must be one of those highly advanced Old Civs in the game.  Have they not been threatening you with demands?

[jamus34]

Here's one I've been picking away at.  I've knocked out maybe 15% of the total defences so far.

Also, while ships aren't quite as precious as they are in Polaris Sector - once you get past the beginning designs and get better weapons, shields and armor it's worth it to slow combat down and pull ships out that are damaged and send 'em home. While they are out of the fight it's typically cheaper to do that than to lose them (I think)

I'm also wondering on the viability of floating tanks - IE ships that have very power low weapons systems so you can build up shields and armor. Probably not viable but a thought.

I also wish there was a way to set up engagement ranges - IE if you have missile / torpedo ships, set them to standoff range while your knife fight laser ships get in close and start cutting the fat. It seems like they should be able to add this in fairly easily.

[sandman2575]

Also, while ships aren't quite as precious as they are in Polaris Sector - once you get past the beginning designs and get better weapons, shields and armor it's worth it to slow combat down and pull ships out that are damaged and send 'em home. While they are out of the fight it's typically cheaper to do that than to lose them (I think)

Speaking of slower battles -- anyone using this mod?
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=682776251
Sounds like it makes battles less of a furball and maybe a little more meaningful - ?

[Huw the Poo]

I also wish there was a way to set up engagement ranges - IE if you have missile / torpedo ships, set them to standoff range while your knife fight laser ships get in close and start cutting the fat. It seems like they should be able to add this in fairly easily.

They already do this, as far as I can tell.  Granted my battles of 10K-20K fleets get rather hectic, but I always seem to see my smaller ships wading in while the battleships sit back and hurl torpedos from a distance.

[FarAway Sooner]

I'll agree with JD and Barth/Faraway. 

I do agree that a lot of times, research and discoveries are random.  However, a lot of times your driving toward a goal that requires inventions that don't exist yet.  Think of all that was invented with the goal of getting man on the moon.  Or even today with the self driving cars.  How much is having to be invented to accomplish that one invention.  If I know that I want to expand my space station, then that's my goal.  It's all of the inventions and development work that is needed to get to that goal.

Man, I wish my dad were still alive for me to ask this very question.  He and I only had conversations like this on a couple hundred occasions (he taught History of Science for 33 years, with an eye towards the 4,000-year view).  I think there's a difference between Research (where people figure out what science can do) and Development (where people figure out how to do things safely, affordably and on a massive scale).  Development tends to be very deliberate, but research is much less so.

The big problem at this point with the research game, it sounds like, is that it is simply too opaque.  I get why that makes for less-than-satisfying game play.  The question then becomes:  How do they introduce enough transparency to give people some idea what the long term impacts of their research might be, but keep the "god game" concept out of reach?

[ghostryder]

Ghostryder, thanks for that; I didn't realise your race options had such a huge effect on research options.

In my current game I created a race called Orion--set them up to be passive, spiritual and Materialist--picked autocratic materialist---note you can get extra points by picking negative traits that have little impact--Sedentary (-1 point)-Pops that plan to migrate are not penalized in any way, so having to wait a bit longer for them to move has no real effect. Your Empire's policies do not allow Resettle or Migration? Well, even more reasons to pick this. Repugnant (-1 point) - A free trait point if you do not plan to play a happiness game with other species present in your empire (which should be the case in most games). At worst a minor Diplomatic penalty.

up to 14 planets and some of the great techs I've gotten early on is government welfare programs, mapping stellar lanes even though I use warp---so I can see invading points to build my defense stations- some super leader palace I built on my homeworld with great bonus's to happiness, research, minerals and energy-- pretty much a lot of mass driver and torpedo tech even though I'm lazer based-so my ships can arm with all three types- really early upgrades to all basic needs buildings-already have the third levels in minerals, science and so on-as well as living armor---which is why ringworlds are so damn hard to conquer as the armor regenerates during battle---so having my ships outfitted with this makes a huge difference--

So now I'm building defence posts to all points entering my empire--so those random flying shard creatures or whatnot are regularly picked off by them so often I have a research ship working full time on researching the debri- thus I can now throw red, blue and green shards on my ships.

My military leaning race in previous games never got so powerful so fast--so don't let the name of the trait fool you---passive and peaceful are pretty strong militarily. and if you throw in intellegent with the extra points thanks to early upgrades in the planet buildings your end up ahead tech wise to other races.

In conquering your purging instead of inslaving seems to be the difference between passive and military picks---which in the end winds up with a much happier population. Gandi would be proud---- O0

[OJsDad]

I'll agree with JD and Barth/Faraway. 

I do agree that a lot of times, research and discoveries are random.  However, a lot of times your driving toward a goal that requires inventions that don't exist yet.  Think of all that was invented with the goal of getting man on the moon.  Or even today with the self driving cars.  How much is having to be invented to accomplish that one invention.  If I know that I want to expand my space station, then that's my goal.  It's all of the inventions and development work that is needed to get to that goal.

Man, I wish my dad were still alive for me to ask this very question.  He and I only had conversations like this on a couple hundred occasions (he taught History of Science for 33 years, with an eye towards the 4,000-year view).  I think there's a difference between Research (where people figure out what science can do) and Development (where people figure out how to do things safely, affordably and on a massive scale).  Development tends to be very deliberate, but research is much less so.

The big problem at this point with the research game, it sounds like, is that it is simply too opaque.  I get why that makes for less-than-satisfying game play.  The question then becomes:  How do they introduce enough transparency to give people some idea what the long term impacts of their research might be, but keep the "god game" concept out of reach?

I would have liked to of talked to him also.

As for research in Stellaris, I like the random chance on three options.  This makes sense.  The microwave you find in most kitchens today was invented by accident.  But there is also a need for some tech trees.  You have spaceport and you want to expand them, you should have an understanding on what its going to take to get there.  Where the random research choices helps is that those underlying research projects haven't come far enough along to into final development and the engineering processes that are needed to make it a reality. 

[OJsDad]

I'm starting to see my sectors build spaceports.

Really? What's the trigger?
:o

I think just time.  I do check my sectors once in awhile to make sure they have energy and mineral if I have plenty, I feed some down to the sectors.  I wonder if they focus on developing planets first, then start out to space.  I'll be interested if they start to build Builder ships and start on defenses.  I've already got mines and research facilities on all of my planets, to won't see if they would develop those. 

[Barthheart]

I'm starting to see my sectors build spaceports.

Really? What's the trigger?
:o

I think just time.  I do check my sectors once in awhile to make sure they have energy and mineral if I have plenty, I feed some down to the sectors.  I wonder if they focus on developing planets first, then start out to space.  I'll be interested if they start to build Builder ships and start on defenses.  I've already got mines and research facilities on all of my planets, to won't see if they would develop those.

Huh.... I wonder if you set a sector to Military output if it would start off with building spaceports.....  ???

[ghostryder]

ingame you want to build spaceports when you build a plantetary capital---I would guess this might be the trigger in sectors--but it's just a guess.