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

[Martok]

Why, oh why, does the game insist on starting me right next to another race's homeworld (relatively speaking)?  With only a dozen races distributed among a thousand star systems over 225 sectors (on a 15x15 map), you'd think we could be a little more evenly spread out. 

Argh. 

[Huw the Poo]

Some games thoughtfully include an option to ensure races are evenly spaced out; Space Empires 4 comes to mind and I'm fairly sure Endless Space includes the option too.  But yeah, for those that don't it's a bit of an oversight, and not limited to space-based games either.

[JudgeDredd]

And Distant Worlds from what I recall

[Martok]

As a matter of fact, Distant Worlds is the game that just did this to me...which is what makes it doubly frustrating, as it's a newer release (just over 2 years old). 

Games that are several years older (such as Galactic Civilizations 2 and Sword of the Stars) generally don't have this problem, and even fairly ancient 4x titles like Birth of the Federation and Spaceward Ho! IV usually do a better job of equitably distributing homeworlds' starting locations.  So to see this kind of thing in DW makes me especially crazy. 


I always read about how creating algorithms for reasonably-spaced starting locations are tricky in 4x titles.  While I don't doubt for a second that it is indeed difficult, I don't understand why some newer games seem to have issues with this (for another example, Armada 2526 has this issue as well, as much as I love it otherwise).  Oh well. 

[Bison]

Sometimes in the universe the bugs who want to destroy humanity are in the solar system next door.  And sometimes the kiadians are on a system in between.

[Staggerwing]

^Those SpaceBugs wouldn't be tech-tree researching toward Guides Asteroid Strikes, now would they?

[bbmike]

Alpha Centauri is also bad about starting players too close. Even if you choose a large or huge planet.

[republic]

I'm glad Huw brought up Space Empires 4.  I sometimes am sad that no game yet has come up with the "I can do anything" aspect of that game.  You can create and destroy entire solar systems once your on the top of the tech tree.  Its the only game that once your on the top of the tech tree you really feel like your working with technology thousands and thousands of years separated from us today.  Ala the Ancients from Babylon 5 or the Protheans from Mass Effect.

I wish a 4x game would have an Anno 1404/Dawn of Discovery style resource chain.  Need x and y for z, need z and a for b, etc.  It would really give you a REASON to explore and hold worlds.  We also need limited resources.  Limited resources actually make for more fun games.  But the game needs to communicate with you, like Anno.  You need a grid of resources and green for surplus generation red for deficit spending, so you can see quickly "Ahh, I need more unobtainable, gotta go nuke the Navi"

Thats my rant.

[Huw the Poo]

Republic, that's why SE4 remains one of my all-time favourite games.  You said it really well.  It does mean that I rarely finish a game of course, but by god I have fun while I'm playing!  I've yet to see a game with the sheer breadth of options that SE4 has.  I love it.

[Martok]

Talk about over-correcting... 


In my newest campaign I began an hour ago, the game put me on the very eastern edge of the map.  The only way I could be any more on the ass-end of space would be if I'd started in a corner.  *sigh* 

Oh well.  We'll see how it goes. 

^Those SpaceBugs wouldn't be tech-tree researching toward Guides Asteroid Strikes, now would they?

Yeah, but it's okay.  I'll just get Casper Van Dien and Michael Ironside as troop generals; they can take it from there.  8) 

Republic, that's why SE4 remains one of my all-time favourite games.  You said it really well.  It does mean that I rarely finish a game of course, but by god I have fun while I'm playing!  I've yet to see a game with the sheer breadth of options that SE4 has.  I love it.

I wanted to love SEIV, but it was too much for me.  The very breadth of options you so love (and for which I can easily see the appeal, don't get me wrong) completely overwhelmed me...and that was just playing the demo! 

[Huw the Poo]

In my newest campaign I began an hour ago, the game put me on the very eastern edge of the map.  The only way I could be any more on the ass-end of space would be if I'd started in a corner.  *sigh* 

Oh well.  We'll see how it goes. 

There's just no pleasing some people!  ;D

I wanted to love SEIV, but it was too much for me.  The very breadth of options you so love (and for which I can easily see the appeal, don't get me wrong) completely overwhelmed me...and that was just playing the demo!

Yeah it did take me a bloody long time to get into it, I must admit.  Totally worth it though!

[Staggerwing]

^Those SpaceBugs wouldn't be tech-tree researching toward Guides Asteroid Strikes, now would they?

Yeah, but it's okay.  I'll just get Casper Van Dien and Michael Ironside as troop generals; they can take it from there.  8) 

I was also thinking of RL Current events.  :D

[JudgeDredd]

I thought DW had an option to start close/near/far to other civs - no?

[mikeck]

This is a pet peeve of mine with distant worlds as well. I would love an editor that would allow me to place the races. Also, a slider to reduce the availability of resources

[Rayfer]

I thought DW had an option to start close/near/far to other civs - no?

Yes, it does, and it works!