game is unfriendly to new players

from Sins Forums

I didn't play in the beta and recently bought the game.  I read the manual, then played the tutorials, then played probably 5 single player, random small map, 1v1 games.  First I lost to an Easy Computer.  Then I beat the Easy Computer. Then I beat Normal Computers for 2 games.  And yesterday I beat a Hard Computer after trying to research how to be any good at this game, and following the LRM spam suggestion from the forums.  Now I guess I'll be trying my hand at Multiplayer... but I just played my first game and got destroyed, not knowing his scouts did 200% damage to my LRMs, as he informed me.

My point: this game doesn't do nearly enough to prepare you for human opponents.  The computer AI is easily beaten, especially when pirates are available, since winning the bidding war is a cinch, and keeps them pinned down while you mass a fleet.  The game tutorials do little more than tell you what the various buttons, and how to rotate and focus the camera.  Where are the tutorials telling me how armor works, or giving me a few insights into basic countering techniques, or telling me what I might expect playing against a human opponent?

Basically, this game has been in beta for months.  I'm disappointed that not only is there no single player campaign, but that the tutorials are only basic.  I'm just going to have to research through the forums and try and find replays to watch, and that isn't fun at all.  Sigh.  I doubt I'll be playing this game too long.

4,825 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
In this Im going to write the decent counters to each ship (decent means that they deal enough dps for their supply/cost that they can be used as an effective counter vs the countered unit).

format
ship type:
list of counters not in any particular order (preference depends on what mixed fleet your creating and which race you are).

LRM/Siege has the following counters:
-flak
-scout
-fighter
-heavy (heavy take more damage from illuminators than other LRM's as long as the illuminators hit with at least 2 beams, so they might not be the best option vs mass illuminators)

fighter/bomber has the following counters:
-fighter
-flak

flak has the following counters:
-light frigate
-heavy

light frigate has the following counters:
-LRM
-heavy

scout has the following counters:
-heavy
-light frigate

heavy has the following counters:
-bombers

support cruisers cannot be put into these simple counters due to each having some different support abilities.

I agree that the in-game info and manual is lacking and we did bring this up prior to release.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
this game doesn't do nearly enough to prepare you for human opponents. The computer AI is easily beaten
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
Basic counters were added to the in-game build info cards in the last patch.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
this game doesn't do nearly enough to prepare you for human opponents. The computer AI is easily beaten

Welcome to every RTS game ever.
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Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
I agree its a bit difficult. But i haven't lost hope and been doing some research for new strategies. And, by taking note of MANY suggestions, i have set up my own strategy, not the best one but it works well for me.

And, being a LONG time RTS player(I know its an RT4X, but ill still call it an RTS out of habit), its the most well balanced RTS right out of the box i've ever played. The "venerable"(Hate me, i hate starcraft) took 10 million patches to get to where it is now. And i have yet to see a single CnC game(which i love) be WELL(not perfectly) balanced on release day. Basically, every RTS ive ever known needed patches to correct major balance flaws.

So yeah, your problem could be worse then it is :P