Feedback on Beta 2

from Sins Forums
I have had a chance to play the beta for several hours now and believe I can leave some feedback.

To echo most of the other posters, this is very impressive for a beta. I am very glad I downloaded the game. Things that are really useful in the game so far are:

1. Pause button. This lets me get a grip on what is going on when I return to a game or after a long combat.
2. Combat graphics are the best, really like how those capital ships explode. I wish the graphics were not replaced by icons so soon when zooming out a little.
3. Each ship really has its own function.
4. You can turn off the pirates.
5. Garda flak frigates chase after fighters and bombers.

Thing that I would consider changing if I was emperor of the world and understood computers:

1. Pirates. Even with pirates nerfed and not over the top, after awhile of squashing them they are still only pirates. Players may get tired of them and turn them off, wasting a lot of the game developer’s time. You might consider expanding the "pirate experience" by changing their graphics to increase variety. You could have, space ninjas, space robots, advanced derelict space ships, space ghouls, and a whole host of space anomalies, ie..monsters. Space dragons that have laser beams, space amoebas, and of course, the dreaded "star fish". They could all follow the same pattern of the pirates and attack installations and planets so perhaps a lot of programming would not need to be done, just models.

I think it is important to get something when you defeat a pirate or monster. Credits when you destroy a pirate (treasure), crystals when you destroy a dragon (jewels), even a remote chance of getting an artifact. Otherwise they will simply become pests. They offer nothing positive; they are strictly on the liability side of the spreadsheet. You might think beating them and avoiding a negative is a positive experience, but if you successfully overcame a new cancer every week for a few months, that sensation of accomplishment would rapidly decline with each occurrence. Now if after so many bouts of cancer you received a super power, then it would be a positive. If after the 15th pirate raid you uncovered an artifact or you acquired some crystals from defeating some dragons that would certainly add to their excitement imho.

2. Perhaps ships in a fleet should jump all at the same time. There probably is some reason for fleets, but their inability to jump based on the speed of their slowest member really makes them just a mass of ships.

3. I believe fighters should act like fighters and not like little bombers. They should have an option to attack bombers and other fighters first, and to keep attacking them until they are gone. I fill all my carriers and hangers with bombers, I stopped using fighters when I noticed they appear to behave just like bombers but with less power. That improvement would really be great and may cause the player to vie for space superiority.

Thanks for a great game experience.
5,942 views 24 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Yeah, it would be nice if fighters gave serious preference to enemy fighters/bombers. In fact, they should only attack other fighters and bombers unless you manually order to attack something else (or if there are no enemy bombers/fighters present).
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

I wish the graphics were not replaced by icons so soon when zooming out a little.

2. Perhaps ships in a fleet should jump all at the same time. There probably is some reason for fleets, but their inability to jump based on the speed of their slowest member really makes them just a mass of ships.


you can change the camera mode so you will still see the ships as ships even zoomed.
-go to options->interface->press on show main icons to disable it.

you can make all ships jump at the same time.
-right click on the move icon of the ships.
Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

1. Pause button. This lets me get a grip on what is going on when I return to a game or after a long combat.


Have you tried pressing the "pause" button on your keyboard? I think that works.

1. Pirates.


Pirates are being massively changed in the patch -- so, IMO, all comments on them should wait for after that (Especially since they've confirmed that the models are placeholders ATM, and are changing a lot of other things about 'em...)



Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Thank RL, my post was vague but my pause button works fine, I was commenting this was one of my favorite items in the game. Infact the reference to it in a game review is what brought me to the forum in the first place.

archpsi
you can change the camera mode so you will still see the ships as ships even zoomed.
-go to options->interface->press on show main icons to disable it.

That's handy to know, I have not altered any of the options in the interface yet, any others you have tried and liked?

you can make all ships jump at the same time.
-right click on the move icon of the ships.


I will try this when I restart the game, that will be useful when I jump into those 9 Gauss platform planets.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Thank RL, my post was vague but my pause button works fine


More like I wasn't careful while reading and somehow thought the pause button was on the suggestions rather than good list -- AKA: I was being stupid because work makes me not able to think. (You try thinking straight after standing, for six hours, on a street corner while holding a sign)
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
A thought about getting a reward for defeating pirates: generally when you attack you suffer, ie; you lose ships or health. If you beat them how about getting remnant equipment or slaves or pirates who swear allegiance....anything would be great.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Why should you get anything back when you kill pirates? You've killed a buncha murderous, economy killing parasitical law-breakers -- isn't that reward enough? Does the US government get cash back on every terrorist head it removes from the equation? Do cops get a bonus for every murderer they throw in jail?
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Of course they get a bonus for catching the murderer. They sell his car, his house whatever else there is inorder to cover the costs of capturing/detaining him! If the coast guard catches smugglers they auction of the boat and equipment. So, yes, they do get something out of it. Does it equal the work they put into it? No. But, they do get something.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
They sell his car, his house whatever else there is inorder to cover the costs of capturing/detaining him!


I'm not so sure of that.

If the coast guard catches smugglers they auction of the boat and equipment.


D'oh, overlooked that one

And, yeah yeah, its true -- criminals aren't allowed to keep the profit from their crimes. But I don't think they confiscates a criminals property just because its his property.
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
It has to be part of the criminal act for them to even start to have the ability to confiscate property.

Such as poaching can result in the loss of your gun, equipment, and truck.
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
Imo it works like this: Anything you purchased with the money you recieved from an illegal activity is fair game. That is why for full time criminals the government can take about everything. For example a big drug dealer could lose his house and all his belongings if it can be shown he made alot of money from selling drugs unless he can prove he had a legal source of income.

Our govenment actually owns brothels and restaurants it seized from criminals who could not prove they purchased these establishments with "legitimate" money.

I was just thinking you recovered the pirates treasure after you blew up their ships but that's in another thread.

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

I was just thinking you recovered the pirates treasure after you blew up their ships but that's in another thread.


Eh, I'm willing to bet that got blown up with the ship
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Well, thats kind of my point. Who REALLY wants to fight to the death? I think that a system that would allow somesort of credit exchange would make sense. I mean, why are they attacking anyway? What do the pirates get out of it other than the loss of ships, time, etc? If they work on the bounty system and they are getting their butts kicked by me I would think they would say hey, we will join with you for half the credits of anything you take...or something like that. Otherwise what is the point other than a distractor? Also, if you take a world that had 1500 crystal mined and in orbit...shouldnt you get some portion of that? I realize that you get the benefit of FUTURE taxes, trade and so on but, what about what is ON the planet/orbit at the time of capture? And speaking of raiding parties....the point of raids is to disrupt enemy supply lines, take revenue/materials and so on. NOT just to destroy ships and structures. What about being able to commandier trade ships to your routes or at least force them to your trade ports? Again I am going back to the NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO DIE theory.

Thoughts?
Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top
yea i agree the pirates are crap and just get wooped by me so i agree they should ally with u if u like agree to give them half of ur bounty u earn
Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top

I was just thinking you recovered the pirates treasure after you blew up their ships but that's in another thread.


Eh, I'm willing to bet that got blown up with the ship


Black Box RL, Black Box   

Seriously, if Spanish Dubloons(SP) can be recovered hundreds of years after the sinking of a pirate ship in the Atlantic Ocean with 1960's technology, they should be recoverable in space moments after combat. Precious objects would be in the most secure parts of the ship in the most secure packaging, IMO they could be recoverable.

And speaking of raiding parties....the point of raids is to disrupt enemy supply lines, take revenue/materials and so on. NOT just to destroy ships and structures. What about being able to commandier trade ships to your routes or at least force them to your trade ports? Again I am going back to the NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO DIE theory.


Yes, in the ideal game situation they would steal or destroy your trade ships, this would provide the player plenty of reason not to ignore them. The pirates do recieve bounty though for destroying your stuff, but they should flee quickly when confronted as pirates would not likely fight to their certain death like the trained military of other empires who are defending their homeland.

As RL points out the pirate experience is being tweaked for the next beta so let's see how the game developers re-envision them, they may behave the same but in much smaller numbers. I currently have them turned off and the ai apperas to be much more competitve.
Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

Seriously, if Spanish Dubloons(SP) can be recovered hundreds of years after the sinking of a pirate ship in the Atlantic Ocean with 1960's technology, they should be recoverable in space moments after combat.


Sitting at the bottom of the ocean (and made of a non-corroding material to prevent the ocean from destroying them) Vs. being literally being blown to pieces. Huge difference.

Don't forget, sinking a ship doesn't involve destroying it, like it would in space. Also, there is a (huge) difference between being protected from cannon balls and not getting exploded by lasers or nukes.

Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top
So what do you guys propose? Maybe having pirates just steal the $ merchant ships carry?
Reply #18 from Sins Forums Top

Sitting at the bottom of the ocean (and made of a non-corroding material to prevent the ocean from destroying them) Vs. being literally being blown to pieces. Huge difference.

Don't forget, sinking a ship doesn't involve destroying it, like it would in space. Also, there is a (huge) difference between being protected from cannon balls and not getting exploded by lasers or nukes.



Hah! That's a good arguement! I still think the pirates would protect their treasure in black boxes capable of withstanding their ships exploding. It would make sense given they could keep it close and they would never know when one of their ships might get destroyed as it is a dangerous occupation. Since current balck boxes with today's technology can survive a plane's explosion and its impact with the ground after falling hundreds of feet with its technology intact, I think solid items of value would be fine. They would have a locator in their black box just like they do today so it could be later retrieved. They might also devise a system to jettison their treasure if the ships explosion is imminent.

So what do you guys propose? Maybe having pirates just steal the $ merchant ships carry?


I think as long as the pirates are collecting bounty for destroying planet structures it would make sense for them to do so. I do like the idea though of them chasing after trade ships and confiscating the wealth and destroying the ship. With all the new changes to pirates though with pirate bases and etc, they may be great for game play now. The fact that they play by the some of the same rules now that the empires do is a big improvement imo and destroying their ships before they return to their base will be worthwhile as it will make the ultimate capture of their world easier.

I'm looking forward to having them back in the game! Although a space amoeba or derelict space craft would be great too.
Reply #19 from Sins Forums Top
Sitting at the bottom of the ocean (and made of a non-corroding material to prevent the ocean from destroying them) Vs. being literally being blown to pieces. Huge difference.


RL your as tenacious as a barnacle yourself  
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top
Don't forget, sinking a ship doesn't involve destroying it, like it would in space. Also, there is a (huge) difference between being protected from cannon balls and not getting exploded by lasers or nukes.


I agree but, the material is still there. A ship can be destroyed in many ways and all of them salvagable to some extent. A ship that lost it atmosphere could be recovered and a ship that exploded still has scrap metal value. So no matter what there could still be SOME extractable value.
Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top

Sitting at the bottom of the ocean (and made of a non-corroding material to prevent the ocean from destroying them) Vs. being literally being blown to pieces. Huge difference.


RL your as tenacious as a barnacle yourself  


Yes, I am stubborn. Stubborn to an excess. Stubborn to the point where I kicked an admin's rear in a discussion... and then he killed the forum. Of course, I had help, and it helps that he was being a complete idiot.
Reply #22 from Sins Forums Top
The Vasari can salvage debris.
Reply #23 from Sins Forums Top

The Vasari can salvage debris.


Only them ? I'd think the TEC would also like the income...
Reply #24 from Sins Forums Top
Yeah, but the Vasari are expert resource scavengers. It only makes sense they be better at it.