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Frogboy
Frogboy
Join Date 03/2001
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Brad's Beta Report

First Impressions

March 27, 2007 7:10:18 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

We're going to try to have as much of our own "internal" feedback be on the beta forums as well so that beta testers truly become part of the team.

As the beta mentions when you load it, this beta program isn't a marketing thing or a "Demo", it exists so that players of this genre can help IronClad and Stardock craft Sins into the definitive real time space strategy game.

So with that in mind, here's a few items:

1) The constructor frigate should be something you can build from the frigate factory initially. I couldn't figure out easily how to build another one.

2) I should be able to select my construction frigate and move it around like any other ship. It's cool that I can click on an asteroid and tell it i want something built, but that should just add to the end of the nearest construction frigate's build queue. I should be able to click on a frigate and then right click on an asteroid to build (or select from the Construction Frigate's command window, select build mine and then click on the asteroid).

3) I'm not sure about the zoom out display on planets having a metalic looking wedge thing (for showing ships and structures). It seems to stick out. It seems like it would be more consisten to have it look like the HUD display still. I like the functionality, just not metal sticking on what one assumes to be a tactical display.

4) I think it would be a little easier to start out if the camera was slightly more over head. Right now, it starts nearly flat with the horizon.

5) Suggestion: The big ship players start out with shouldn't be able to leave the system right away. It could be an upgrade to the ship once you have the right technology. But that way, there isn't some capital ship running around right off the bat.

6) Suggestion: The pirate ships (and ships in general) take a bit too long to kill. I watched my big capital ship taking on pirates for several minutes thinking "Wow, this is taking awhile".  It's not way way too long or anything but it seems the capital ship should have more of a punch (which is why I also think it shouldn't be able to initially travel around).

That's all for now. Having fun!

 

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Frogboy
Yarlen
Join Date 01/2005
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Reply #1 March 27, 2007 8:54:19 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

For everyone's benefit: Constructor frigates are built on the planet. You get one Constructor ship per development level of that planet. If a Constructor is destroyed, a replacement will launch from the planet after a few moments.

For #6, wow, I've had totally the opposite experience. The Pirates provide virtually no challenge at all to me, but perhaps that's because I build up a small fleet before heading off?

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TheGreatEmperor
Join Date 06/2006
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Reply #2 March 27, 2007 9:26:20 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
Everyone will have their different strategies.

Its nice to see a constructive(and organized) thread.
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kryo
Join Date 05/2003
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Reply #3 March 27, 2007 9:51:25 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I should be able to select my construction frigate and move it around like any other ship. It's cool that I can click on an asteroid and tell it i want something built, but that should just add to the end of the nearest construction frigate's build queue. I should be able to click on a frigate and then right click on an asteroid to build (or select from the Construction Frigate's command window, select build mine and then click on the asteroid).


I generally just pick the planet and queue up jobs myself. Much easier than trying to keep track of the individual builders.
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Frogboy
Space Voyager
Join Date 12/2005
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Reply #4 March 28, 2007 2:16:30 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
Not that I have a say in this, but just a thought on no.6; ships should take some time to kill. Otherwise you get the celestial popcorn with no epic feeling.
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Frogboy
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Reply #5 March 28, 2007 9:55:34 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

For #6, wow, I've had totally the opposite experience. The Pirates provide virtually no challenge at all to me, but perhaps that's because I build up a small fleet before heading off?

I was referring to how long it takes to kill one. Not how tough they are.

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Reply #6 March 28, 2007 10:56:20 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Not that I have a say in this, but just a thought on no.6; ships should take some time to kill. Otherwise you get the celestial popcorn with no epic feeling.

I agree. But the default dreadnought ship taking over a minute to kill a pirate scout seems excessive.

It's just a question of finding the rigth balance.

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Grumble314
Join Date 04/2003
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Reply #7 March 28, 2007 11:10:46 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I have to agree with Brad I think the capital ships should have a bit more fire power shouldn't take that long to kill a scout frigate.
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Astax
Join Date 04/2003
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Reply #8 March 28, 2007 12:58:14 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
As far as the construction ships, sure giving you the ability to change the order of construction queue via clicking the ship and sending it to another structure first would be awsome. But also leave the current system in place for people who prefer hands-off approach. Once again this will benefit the game when the galaxies are a lot bigger.

#3) The panes could use a bit work. But I'll leave that to polish.

For #4 I have camera woes too. Mostly because I want the rotation to be reveresed. I will get used to this then play another game that has the other rotation and I will be wierded out again.

As far as #5 is concerened, it's not a problem because the ship isn't that powerful, it is just good at surviving And no they aren't able to leave the system, only the planet, to leave the system you need to research long jumps

#6)I think the reason the capital ships don't have too much firepower is obvious. The game seems to be designed around the idea that targeting multiple ships at once should yield benefit. Otherwise we will end up with the same kind of BS like in EVERY RTS game where targeting one unit with all your units is the best strategy.

I like how the battles take time to resolve. It may not seem important now but once we play retail game with huge galaxies, you will have many battles going on at the same time. Having them last longer will give you the opportunity to actually go into the battle and give some orders before it is over! This is also necessary for multiplay. You need to have hte time to retreat
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dracop
Join Date 02/2007
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Reply #9 March 28, 2007 4:35:30 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I rather like the length of battles, they are not insta kills like so many other games. And the above posters point about multiple battles is accurate; I had several fleers and battles going on at the same time last night at one point and if they were going any faster, I would ahve missed em.

If you really want to speed up the battles, level up your battleship and dreadnoughts and max out their anti-capital ship abilities; 2 Battleships and a dreadnought, levled up and maxed out on anti-cap weps, make VERY short work of frigates (they sorta just evaporate after about 20 seconds). The carriers loaded out on bombers with heavy fighters ability also do ALOT of dmg and quickly; my strike force had 6 squads of bombers and they also made quick work of frigates.
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lordkosc
Join Date 12/2006
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Reply #10 March 28, 2007 7:34:42 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I'd like construction ships to report back to a preset location after they are done building. I hate when they finish building a cannon and then just sit next to it waiting to be destroyed by the next incoming fleet.
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Astax
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Reply #11 March 28, 2007 8:49:30 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
@ABOVE POSTER

Funny thing, i scuttled them, and for some reason they were rebuilt or reapeared near my shipyard :/ I was hopping scuttling would send em back to the planet.
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Join Date 10/2006
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Reply #12 March 28, 2007 8:51:02 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
*shrugs* They're free to replace anyways.
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lordkosc
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Reply #13 March 28, 2007 8:56:07 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I know they are free to replace, but i like ORDER in my space empire, and I hate when they just park where they finish building.
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TheGreatEmperor
Join Date 06/2006
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Reply #14 March 28, 2007 9:25:40 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
It is the beta after all.
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lordkosc
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Reply #15 March 28, 2007 9:29:06 PM
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magus
Join Date 08/2001
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Reply #16 March 30, 2007 1:14:06 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I echo Brad's comment on the length of time it can take to kill a ship. Yes it may be realistically depicting turn-rates and arcs of fire but it drags the game play down.

My chief wish at the moment is for the screen to scroll when the mouse hits the edge of the screen. It's very annoying to have to zoom-out, find the whatever, click on it to center the screen, then zoom-back in.
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Reply #17 March 30, 2007 6:53:39 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
My chief wish at the moment is for the screen to scroll when the mouse hits the edge of the screen. It's very annoying to have to zoom-out, find the whatever, click on it to center the screen, then zoom-back in.


...It already does.
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Hizaed
Join Date 03/2007
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Reply #18 March 30, 2007 7:01:08 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
My chief wish at the moment is for the screen to scroll when the mouse hits the edge of the screen. It's very annoying to have to zoom-out, find the whatever, click on it to center the screen, then zoom-back in.


...It already does.


Not if you have the camera locked with the "m" key. A little annoying to me. Just press M to unlock your camera and you can scroll by mousing to the edge.
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DeadlyShoe
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Reply #19 March 30, 2007 7:08:34 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
upgrade your gauss cannon as much as possible to put the kibosh on the pirates quickly.
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MortalPlague
Join Date 01/2007
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Reply #20 March 31, 2007 6:00:31 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I'm with Brad on this one. I think the ship weapons should deal more damage overall. Not too much more, maybe 1.25-1.5x as much as they do right now, but I find that my ships take a good long while to take down any enemies, no matter how badly they outnumber my foes.

Early game battles against pirates can get very tiresome this way.
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Ashbery76
Join Date 02/2002
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Reply #21 March 31, 2007 8:16:41 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
Battles should be epic and take time,smaller ships should not be taken out with one shot,it makes them pointless cannonfodder,Brads being watching the battle simulater in GC2 for too long.I prefer slower paced RTS games like Totalwar,Nexus,etc,these games require strategy and not just who can click the fastest.

Pirates offer no challenge and are destroyed quickly in my test games.I would like to see cloaking stealth pirates that only target trade ships,pirates that can actually hurt your economy.Pirates just seem to be there for you to meet in unexplored systems and nothing more.
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DeadlyShoe
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Reply #22 March 31, 2007 5:10:09 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
If it really bothers you, you can fiddle with the ship stats or adjust the damage types in gameplay.constants so that everything does more damage.
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archpsi
Join Date 02/2006
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Reply #23 March 31, 2007 9:04:45 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
flagship starting combat superiority
I dont agree that a level one flagship should cut thru enemies as though they are butter.

The best example I could think of in the realm of rts where theres a main hero, is wc3.
*at lvl 1 the hero can just barely kill low units, but going vs 2-3 and its doomed.
*at lvl 10 the hero can kill a whole group of units.

*this depends on hero type/spells/items...

combat length

Even though I disagree about the flagship going thru enemies fast, I do think battles should be like ~7x% of the time they are now (14 seconds to kill a unit instead of 20).
This can be implemented easily by just upping dmg of most wpns by 35%-55% as someone already suggested and can be done in a later patch (only reason to ask for a patch to do this is for MP games where ppl will need to use the same stats).
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TheGreatEmperor
Join Date 06/2006
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Reply #24 March 31, 2007 9:19:11 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums
I just have to mention that this after all is meant to be quite an epic game.

If battles ended in just a few minutes, it would be a lot less interesting, plus a lot of players wouldnt be able to catch most of the action in those battles because they would be off somewhere else wagging war on other fronts or managing the empire itself.
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