StarDrive

mikeck · July 26, 2013, 01:59:15 PM

"One thing I think is overrated in a lot of games is the ability to design your own ships. I would rather have pre-deisgned ships. Mainly because I think its hard for the developer to get the AI to do it correctly and after awhile all it becomes for the player is to simply hit upgrade all once you find a weapons mix you like."

Yep, this is why having the AI use your own designs is so great

Huw the Poo · September 15, 2013, 12:51:30 PM

How do you use subspace projectors properly? At first I thought you just had to have one in each system, but apparently you have to build a whole lane of them. OK, so I've done that...but it doesn't seem to have done anything for my fleets at all.

W8taminute · September 15, 2013, 05:22:27 PM

Hey Huw have you made sure that you've built the projectors on a straight line between systems? The projectors radii must overlap with each other slightly. Then when your ai controlled ships travel between those two systems they should get there faster. I haven't played in a while but I seem to remember that they do make a difference vs. travelling in empty black space.

Huw the Poo · September 15, 2013, 05:26:24 PM

Thanks W8. Yep, I've done precisely that. I ran an interesting experiment actually. I had a scout fly to a system that was on a line perpendicular to my space lane. The scout automatically plotted a route halfway down the lane before making a 90 degree turn to head to the destination. This meant I was able to easily observe its speed both in and out of the lane.

It didn't seem to make a difference. As the scout emerged from the lane its speed seemed to stay constant. Either it just isn't working, or the speed boost is very small.

W8taminute · September 15, 2013, 05:31:38 PM

^Interesting. I'll have to conduct my own experiments as well then. What a waste of resources and time if what you're saying is true. The thing that gets me though is I see the Ai players build these lanes all the time. Sometimes even with a pretty decent network. Maybe they cheat and we don't get to use this feature?

Huw the Poo · September 15, 2013, 05:52:47 PM

It may well be a bug introduced with a recent patch, so you've seen it work before but it doesn't now. Maybe it's something unique to my game for whatever reason. I'll double-check and take screenshots so we can compare notes.

Martok · September 16, 2013, 01:33:35 PM

Quote from: Huw the Poo on September 15, 2013, 05:52:47 PM
It may well be a bug introduced with a recent patch, so you've seen it work before but it doesn't now.

I'm wondering if this isn't the case. I've not played StarDrive in a while now (it's on my "to do" list, I've just had too many other games to play!), but I do know the projectors allowed your ships to travel faster...or at least they used to.

Huw the Poo · September 16, 2013, 04:30:03 PM

Hmmm. I tried the experiment a few more times this evening, and I did notice a very small speed increase. Very small though; so difficult to detect that I may as well not have bothered. The fact that I had to look so hard says it all.

W8taminute · September 16, 2013, 06:57:53 PM

That's interesting indeed Huw. I conducted my own experiment this evening as well. I pick a fleet of ships that consisted of 2 fighters and 4 frigates. First I started them well inside the projector 'blue zone' and sent them off a fixed distance down the space lane. I timed the flight using the fighter craft, since they were the fastest ships in that fleet. It took them about 11 seconds to reach the destination.

Then I moved this fleet out to the black area of space well away from my projector network. Sent the fleet moving the same fixed distance and timed the flight. This time it took the fighters 23 seconds to reach the destination.

I do think that the space lanes generated by those projector networks do make a difference however small it may seem.

Huw the Poo · September 17, 2013, 12:51:37 AM

Interesting! What on Earth is up with my game then? Perhaps it's ship type - I've only been using scouts. This evening I'll try with other ships. Thanks for checking it out, W8.

Yskonyn · September 17, 2013, 01:42:18 AM

How are you all finding the game to be? Is it fun? Is it up there with the better 4x games? Will you play this for a long time to come?
any interest in MP? Spill the beans, please! :)

Huw the Poo · September 17, 2013, 02:20:36 AM

Ysk I'll post impressions soon. In a nutshell it's worth buying, but not for the usual asking price of £25 in my opinion. It's fun but it needs more work (which is ongoing).

No MP I'm afraid.

Yskonyn · September 17, 2013, 03:08:17 AM

Thank you, Huw. I am looking forward to reading your impressions.
I've already bought it in a sale for a few bucks. But with all the other great games out there at this time, I was merely trying to gauge if its ready to deserve my time.
I have an ongoing 4x itch, which is still pretty much taken care of by DW, but I think StarDrive might be a stellar (pun!) game if it can live up to its full potential.
I guess I'll wait a bit longer still.

Huw the Poo · September 17, 2013, 04:48:37 AM

To be honest Ysk, if you're enjoying DW and already own StarDrive, I'd wait. Some stuff is missing, and the developer is currently porting the game to a new engine before continuing development.

It's a good game and I'll have as much positive as negative to say about it later, but if you can wait, you should wait. That's my advice anyway.