Distant Worlds: Shadows (Released)

[Darkspire]

Started a new game as a standard empire in the Classic Age.  Was immediately bombarded with protection offers from three different pirate factions...for just 48 credits a month (each).  :o 

WTH?  Not that I'm complaining, but were pirates this cheap before the latest update, and I'm only now belatedly noticing it?  And in any case, why does their protection suddenly cost to little?  Is that due to Shadows' tighter economy?

More likely you are getting stronger and they are grasping at straws, I have noticed the stronger they are than the more they will charge, so use it as an indicator of there strength, the smaller more shattered factions will now give up and join the stronger ones in 1.9.0.6

- weak pirate factions (no spaceport, weak military, negative cash and cashflow) now join stronger nearby pirate factions

Darkspire

[Nefaro]

One of the recent patch notes mentioned that they lowered Pirate protection requests amounts so that they don't take all your income.  It must count totals from all factions, too.  Obviously it's lowered them some, along with the new economy.

[Martok]

Thanks Nefaro.  That would definitely explain it. 


Thanks Darkspire, but when I say I immediately received those three protection offers, I mean immediately -- as in, 0 seconds into my game.  There'd *literally* been no time for me to become stronger yet.  Ergo, I have to believe the smaller protection payments must be a result of the new update as Nefaro indicated. 

[Kushan]

Thanks for the help Darkspire.

[solops]

How is everyone getting on with the pirates with 1.9.0.6? Would have to say these have been the best games to date so far in the 2+years I have been playing,

I just had one of the best games I've played in years on v1905. On hard w/ aggressive AI, pre-warp, all homeworlds the same, some of the AIs with larger starting empires, race victories turned off, pirates one bump up from minimum and R&D slowed to cost 800 and a 1400 star galaxy with all races present. I am retired and had the luxury of playing for four 12 hour days before winning. There was never any credible threat to me, sadly, but it took much longer than usual to win. I guess the next step is, as usual, to keep stacking the deck in the AI's favor. 1906 looks like a step forward, but I can't get enthused about another game yet. I'll play Civ4-Caveman-to-Cosmos and wait on 1907.

[spelk]

Any decent Lets Play videos for Distant Worlds? I've dabbled in the original release (and I think I even purchased Shakari) but I probably got sidetracked with Armada 2526 and then sidetracked again.....

[Darkspire]

Any decent Lets Play videos for Distant Worlds? I've dabbled in the original release (and I think I even purchased Shakari) but I probably got sidetracked with Armada 2526 and then sidetracked again.....

Can only presume you mean the first installment? There are these:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2953353

If not then have a look in The War Room:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=793

Darkspire

[OJsDad]

I've never understood the whole mineral/resource thing.  When I go to ship design, it says I may have shortages.  However, I've never had trouble building anything.  What am I missing.

[Kushan]

Any decent Lets Play videos for Distant Worlds? I've dabbled in the original release (and I think I even purchased Shakari) but I probably got sidetracked with Armada 2526 and then sidetracked again.....

Larry Monte and DAS24680 both have really good let's plays of DW. Watch Larry Monte's Legends and Shadows let's plays is what's encouraged me to try a full micromanage game myself.

Larry Monte:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LarryMonte2011

DAS24680:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Das24680/featured

Someday I'm going to have to try Armada again. I tried playing it when it was first released but found it flat with no personality.

[Nefaro]

I've never understood the whole mineral/resource thing.  When I go to ship design, it says I may have shortages.  However, I've never had trouble building anything.  What am I missing.

I believe it just takes longer while the shortage is filled. 

Don't you also get some extra via civilian trade with other friendly empires, or something?

[Darkspire]

Shadows Updated to 1.9.0.7

This build has the following changes from version 1.9.0.6 to 1.9.0.7:

BUG FIXES
- fixed bug where mining stations marked to not auto-retrofit were still retrofitting
- fixed bug where assigning fleet retrofit would sometimes not work (fleet would simply refuel)
- fixed bug where fleets would sometimes not attack space creatures

BUILD ORDER SCREEN
- added civilian ships (freighters, mining ships, passenger ships) to Build Order screen when playing as a pirate faction
- fixed bug where Build Order screen was building new pirate construction ships at controlled (but unowned) colonies

PIRATES
- pirate factions now build more freighters and less military ships
- pirates now more likely to build new mining stations
- slightly reduced pirate income from controlled colonies
- improved willingness of pirate fleets to engage enemies near controlled colonies

MINING AND RESOURCES
- improved distribution of mining station build locations for AI controlled construction ships
- slightly decreased Steel usage in components

COLONY RAIDS AND INVASIONS
- fixed problems with battles at colonies with pirate raiders and standard troops (invasions sometimes being mistaken for raids, etc)
- reduced population losses during colony invasions, especially at smaller colonies

GRAPHICS
- fixed bug where ringed planets and stars would sometimes not be drawn when near edge of screen

OTHER
- improved damage from Ion Weapons against Bombard weapons and Vectoring engines
- captured ships now consider whether hyperdrive is merely disabled (instead of destroyed) before scrapping at capture point (instead of sending to disassemble at yard)
- slightly increased difficulty of 'Destroy Base' intelligence missions

[Martok]

Wow, that was fast.  Nice to see Elliot coming out with these updates so quickly. 

[OJsDad]

I've never understood the whole mineral/resource thing.  When I go to ship design, it says I may have shortages.  However, I've never had trouble building anything.  What am I missing.

I believe it just takes longer while the shortage is filled. 

Don't you also get some extra via civilian trade with other friendly empires, or something?

Yep, that's it.  I'm getting messages that point out the shortages, and the request for missions to smuggle resources.

[Kushan]

I'm wondering of they teaked some elements of the economy in the new patch. I loaded up my current game, started it in v1.9.0.4. When I last saved I was running a 7k deficit in income, now I'm 26.5k in the black. The reason for the boost was one of my colonies, my first outside my home system, had a revenue of 5-10k (I think) before the patch, and now it has a 22k income.

Edit: Never mind, I missed the message saying I complete the Bakuras Shipyard wonder. My homeworld has a revenue of 364k now.

[Martok]

Since I've not gotten deep into Shadows yet, I'll ask others who have:  How's the AI?  Any better in your opinion?