new artifact/exploration system

from Sins Forums
"New artifact/planet exploration system allowing players to spend resources to have analysts and scientists survey a planet's geography, indigenous wildlife, and core industries to determine how best to exploit the natural wealth of the planet"

I can't tell anything new about it still...was it included?
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Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top


I can't tell anything new about it still...was it included?


Try going to the planet upgrade menu -- it was there in the last version of beta2, but they've tweaked it a fair bit since then.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Incidentally, I think the system would be better if you could still see if a planet has an artifact - but you had to survey it to get the benefit of the artifact. That way, you don't get instant-boost from capturing the planet, but you also get the rush of competing with other people for control of an artifact.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
"New artifact/planet exploration system allowing players to spend resources to have analysts and scientists survey a planet's geography, indigenous wildlife, and core industries to determine how best to exploit the natural wealth of the planet"

I can't tell anything new about it still...was it included?


At first I thought that the game gave you three options for surveying the planet. But I realise its all included as one thing like it used to be.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
As far as i can tell, the only changes is a decreased cost for exploring, and new artifacts/bonus effects. It still takes 2 "upgrades" to fully explore a planet, and theres no researching of artifacts.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
I think it would be better if level 1 got you the lesser and told you if you had to continue to level 2. That way we wouldn't have to do level 2 on every planet just to be sure.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I think it's smart as is, though I've never gotten anything at level 2. That is my only quibble. HOWEVER! I love the various things you can discover on a world. I got pure glaciers and entertainment expo on an artic world that really helped it boom.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Only suggestion i can make ATM is maybe have a "Ancient ruins" on a planet that has an actual artifact(not bonuses) that way all players know that world has something to fight over. Would make things a little more interesting, especially in MP.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Agreed
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
disagreed, I don't want people just racing for the super spots
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
I wish I had enough money to actually do research on them...
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
The ruins would only be visible after you put a probe on it (scout research), that way its a bit more fair/balanced.
Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
I don't think artifacts should be viewable before they are explored, bad idea imo. I do think there should only be 1 level of exploration that just covers the whole planet 100% instead of having to explore it twice. I usually can't afford 1300 units + minerals at the beginning or even middle of an MP game to full explore 1 planet.

Maybe there could be an option in multiplayer when checked guarantees at least one goodie found on every planet through exploration, but luck of the draw for how many and quality. That way it is still a risk because you could get something not so worth it, but at least you didn't waste a bunch of credits.
Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top
Heres an important question, is it just me or do homeworlds have no chance of getting anything at the start of a game? Having an artifact might be wrong, but a bonus atleast might make sense. Having a homeworld with none of the bonuses seems wrong, it would also spice up the start of the game a bit. Since atm it is to slow and boring, not to mention lacking real variety.
Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top
More special artifacts will be added as we progress.
Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top
is it just me or do homeworlds have no chance of getting anything at the start of a game?


Yep, they get absolutely nothing.

I do think there should only be 1 level of exploration that just covers the whole planet 100% instead of having to

explore it twice. I usually can't afford 1300 units + minerals at the beginning or even middle of an MP game to full explore 1

planet.


Agree. Currently to explore all planets under your control you have to expend a ridiculous amount of resources, especially metal, which stays in no relation to the benefits you get (if you aren't especially lucky and get an artifact every time...).
Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

Agree. Currently to explore all planets under your control you have to expend a ridiculous amount of resources, especially metal, which stays in no relation to the benefits you get (if you aren't especially lucky and get an artifact every time...).


Also agree, as it is, you can't have a fleet and actually be able to try any of the 4X features, there isn't enough money...
Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top

disagreed, I don't want people just racing for the super spots

Why? You already have it with planets. Hotspots is the spice that makes terrain interesting.
Reply #18 from Sins Forums Top
We're working on the money balancing. I think it'll also help if we're able to give the player a bit more control over trade routes to maximize things.
Reply #19 from Sins Forums Top
it doesnt even matter if you have enough money, ive played really big games, had 13 fully explored planets and one artifact that affected my whole civ and two that only affected planets. For the benefits given, that was very much NOT worth it
Reply #20 from Sins Forums Top
Ok, i have to ask this... does the anti-matter regen artifact actually work? im serious, i havent seen any increase in a capital ships regen pre/post discovering that artifact on a world. Also, ive had 2 of the same artifacts appear in the same game, and they dont stack. At the very least if i get 2 artifacts i want stacking, even if its say 50% of the power of 2nd version. Either that or a 100% guarantee of only 1 of a artifact/game.
Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top
Where the heck are the benefits of exploration described?!?! I've gotten a few things, but I cannot find a way to read about WHAT any of them do, or to even see them once I have explored...the announcement just goes down the list until it's gone and then I don't know where I have goodies. A tooltip somewhere would be nice!
Reply #22 from Sins Forums Top
click on research button, then on the last one in the list, labeled artifacts , and hover over the artifact you discovered.
Reply #23 from Sins Forums Top
To the left of the portrait at the bottom, there are three little info sections. The bottom one will show more info on the bonuses if you mouseover it.
Reply #24 from Sins Forums Top
Maybe there could be an option in multiplayer when checked guarantees at least one goodie found on every planet through exploration, but luck of the draw for how many and quality. That way it is still a risk because you could get something not so worth it, but at least you didn't waste a bunch of credits.
End of quote


I could go for something like that. I've played a couple of games and done full exploration (I'm a complete turtle :P) and gotten only a few bonuses (generally 1 artifact on my 10+ planets, 2-4 penal colonies, and 1 other bonus). It's not really worth it when you get right down to it (though since I like to keep my fleet small to minimize the costs I have nothing else to spend the money on :P);