Distant Worlds: Shadows (Released)

[Darkspire]

I am not to sure what goes on with the tick box for the auto refit check box in the empire options, every time I had that on when I first started playing it used to do the same for me, I leave it unchecked now and the auto designs are made as soon as the tech is available, I manually design state ships, bases and private bases, the private sector ships (freighters etc) I leave to the AI to design, the AI designing in Shadows seems much better, that may have something to do with the new design templates, leave the check box off in empire options and click apply and see how that works for you.
The smuggling missions are selected from any planet in your empire, select a planet and look at the control bar below the planet status box, you have a defend and smuggling mission assign button, one for each, click on the smuggling one and select all, the pirates (if there about) will then fill any resource blanks in your empire.

Darkspire

[Nefaro]

Just remember that hiring Pirates to smuggle goods to one of your locations costs money for each one delivered.

Usually the AI will suggest a pirate smuggling mission to you, if you're hurting for resources.  BUT they won't if you're also hurting for cash.

[JudgeDredd]

Well - after my initial enthusiasm for the pre-warp game - I'm afraid to say that's not really working. Resources are incredibly low, there are a shit load of pirates about who either want to attack you or take money off you, I've got everything on auto as advised (except when my ships seem to be doing nothing) and I've ran out of just about everything (including money). Also because I have no warp capability, I can't intercept a pirate destroying my mining stations - so they always end up deader than a dead thing.

It really is an incredibly difficult start - which is a pit - because I much preferred the pace of the game.

One last wee bitch before I go and try another game on normal....I HATE games that don't tell you why you can't do something and you have to go digging. One I remember from the past was Gary Grigsby's World at War. You'd select a fleet and click on a region to move it there - and it said "You can't move there"...now the game knows why I can't move there - because it just told me - so why not (for the love of god) tell ME why I can't move there...why is it a secret.

Same with this one. Had 3 construction ships doing nothing so I ordered one to build a Gas Mining Station at a planet to get the much needed Caslon - and it started heading home. No message. No warning. It knew it couldn't do what I was asking so simply ignored the order...for the love of god - why not TELL me it's because I don't have the required Silicon and Steel? I had to go looking in the Ship Design page to see what was required to build a mining station and saw that I didn't have the required Silicon or Steel.

I don't know if developers think that's part of the beauty of a game - but it's not.

I know - mountain molehill and given the grand scheme of the game, molehill for sure - but the game excels in information. You have hot tips. You have context sensitive help pages. You have additional links on help pages. The whole game seems to be designed to provide help...and yet it can't tell you why you can't build something?

Anyway - I'm off to try a normal game and watch all the ships fly off in all directions. At least my fleets will be able to intercept enemies at a fairly reasonable rate.

[mikeck]

Don't say I didn't warn you...pre warp is harder. Try normal start with space creatures at none and pirates at the lowest setting (other than none) and put them at "distant". Your not doing anything wrong. It's a hard game. I am in a fight for my pixelated life right now. I have protection agreements with 5 pirate orgs right now. I can't attack any of them because I am preoccupied in a war. If I cancel an agreement, they start raiding my colonies. My defensive bases at coming along slowly due to resource shortages. Money is tight limiting military. This is REAL difficulty...not fake "give the AI a ton of extra money or resources" cheat difficulty.

FYI, construction ships will almost always run home before building something in early games be aide their storage is so small. They can't carry enough...it's normal. Just click on the planet with te Caslon and then in the window click the "build mine here" window. That will send the closest constructor. Just keep queuing them up and let the AI do its thing.

Your "fighting" the Ai...getting frustrated with stuff like that. Just que up your mines, set explorers to auto and drive on.

Another hint...manually set up your AI races. Give them all the same tech level as you. If you leave it at random, some will be very advanced

[Tuna]

Judge, I started my second game with Darkspire's recommendations where I specified each opponent one at a time specifying that they start far away from me, and it's going a lot better than my first game, where I got stomped on quickly!  8)

[Bison]

I need to play the new expansion.  I bought it.  Installed it and just have not gotten around to firing it up yet.

[mikeck]

Bison,
Generally, I am finding Shadows to be much more difficult: even excluding the pre warp start gimmick and increased pirate abilities. The big one for me is the economy changes. Used to be that once I had a few colonies, I was rolling in cash. Also, from the beginning,  I could spam mines. My first game I bankrupted my private sector doing that and with new colony growth rates, you will have chronic financial difficulties and chronic material shortages. Very challenging

[Kushan]

I got a message tonight saying that another empire had hired a pirate faction to attack me. So I go to the diplomacy screen to return the favor in kind and realized that I don't have the option. Am I missing something? Does a pirate faction have to build a base on my planet for that option to open up?

[JudgeDredd]

Don't say I didn't warn you...pre warp is harder. Try normal start with space creatures at none and pirates at the lowest setting (other than none) and put them at "distant". Your not doing anything wrong. It's a hard game. I am in a fight for my pixelated life right now. I have protection agreements with 5 pirate orgs right now. I can't attack any of them because I am preoccupied in a war. If I cancel an agreement, they start raiding my colonies. My defensive bases at coming along slowly due to resource shortages. Money is tight limiting military. This is REAL difficulty...not fake "give the AI a ton of extra money or resources" cheat difficulty.

FYI, construction ships will almost always run home before building something in early games be aide their storage is so small. They can't carry enough...it's normal. Just click on the planet with te Caslon and then in the window click the "build mine here" window. That will send the closest constructor. Just keep queuing them up and let the AI do its thing.

Your "fighting" the Ai...getting frustrated with stuff like that. Just que up your mines, set explorers to auto and drive on.

Another hint...manually set up your AI races. Give them all the same tech level as you. If you leave it at random, some will be very advanced

You did say it was harder...I was liking the calmer beginning and got sucked in.

Two games down in pre-warp and it's a no go - way too difficult for me at the moment.

And I think you're right - I am fighting the AI to a certain extent. I have a habit of wanting to micro manage (Command Ops is a prime example) and rather than let the AI get on and do things I'm continually questioning it.

There are "some" reasons for that though...
1. AI advising me to cancel a deal with pirates - then they come in and destroy my bases - so I NEVER listen to those anymore
2. AI Telling me Warp Bubble Generator is available and immediately after I am asked if I want to build 4 exploration ships...I guess it's because there's Hyperdrive available - so I say yes - only to see 4 Exploration ships sitting there with no hyperdrive fitted AND nothing to do (my system is explored...I only agreed because of the previous message about hyperdrive!)
3. AI continually (and I mean pretty constantly) advising me that I should build ships for X amount of money (value of X varies) and quite often I click on that message to open up the ship building dialogue only to see NO ships being recommended for build

Those are just some examples off the top of my head which makes you doubt the games AI and starts you along the path of wanting to control everything and second guessing what the AI is doing.

As for the construction ships - it's fair enough it's down to my lack of understanding. For example I didn't know they had to carry components in order to build something (don't ask me how I thought they built something - with fairy dust I expect)...but if you tell something in game to do something (regardless of what kind of ship it is or what task) and it can't do it - the game should report that to you. There's no reason for a game to NOT tell you that information. If the ship had a lack of resources a message should've been displayed saying "Not enough resources - job queued" or something

I know...this from the guy who was saying he was bombarded with messages...but that is the kind of message that I want to see - in place of, say, advisor messages telling me I should build ships and then not let me know what ships they were advising I should build  :P

BUT - I'm not giving up quite yet. I'll give it another go tonight or tomorrow (going to see Star Trek again tonight!) and hopefully have something positive to report by the weekend.

I should point out I am still reading the manual - though I find that as infuriating as jumping into a game because I often forget just about everything in the manual!

[ERutins]

Hi Judge,

You should also try the settings I posted for an easy introductory game in the Age of Shadows.  The Age of Shadows is difficult by default but can be made much easier.

Regards,

- Erik

[JudgeDredd]

Thanks Erik - I may just do that. I did like the pre-warp start I have to say...

[mikeck]

Lol....yeah, I turned off the "build ship" Notifications along time ago...otherwise You are constantly getting messages that you need to build 27 destroyers and 56 frigates or it's finally time to build five aircraft carriers when you have  3000 credits and reserve.

If you get a message that a new technology has been unlocked, like a new hyperdrive system,  you can go to your existing ship and in the little display window click the icon for retrofit. when you put your mouse over a tooltip should tell you whether a new model is available. if so it's probably a new model with the updated component

[Cougar_DK]

Hi JD,

Not sure its going to help you - but it sure did help me....

I saw these videos by Larry Monte:

He is a total micro manager and I now follow his steps in a game of my own.  If you are playing in the prewarp era as a normal empire then remember to set your starting resources to max, it really helps in the beginning. And set research to very expensive, so you have time to get a feel for the different designs.

I'm really a turtler that builds slowly and defend my self, but the new bubble drive has opened up for my race to get stuff they need and kill some of those pirates (which I pay as soon as I encounter them!)

Cheers
Mark

[Nefaro]

I'm really a turtler that builds slowly and defend my self, but the new bubble drive has opened up for my race to get stuff they need and kill some of those pirates (which I pay as soon as I encounter them!)

Cheers
Mark

Kill pirates with showers of cold hard cash, you say??  :P

[Cougar_DK]

Hehe, first I pay and now I'm going to kill them  ;D

I'm playing as the wekkarus and their race specific beam weapon, the Pulse Wave cannon cuts throug the pirate ships pretty easily  :)