It's clear the devs are trying to make a strategy game that has a different dynamic from the typical 4X or RTS. Once they threw a few of the tried and true game dynamics out the door, they soon realized they have to figure out good alternatives and balancing becomes a whole new problem. We just need to be patient. The devs did a great job so far and I have faith it'll work out in the end.
Heh, thanks! There is no onscreen indicator of speed or any buttons so I thought it was static. I should have spent more time looking at the manual, instead of assuming the feature was missing. Glad I found out now after I've only played a handful of games...rather than an year from now. :)
For tech, it does depend on your race. I play Advent and the tier 3 ships and the disciple leeching ability are big upgrades. As for hanger defense, I'm not sure I agree with the 1:3 or 1:4 fighter:bomber ratio. If you are playing the AI, it likes to bring a lot of siege and fighters do a much, much better job. Turrets are good at keeping the non-siege busy and give you enough time to bring your defensive fleet. The important thing is stopping the AI siege from killing off your plan
It's weird to argue 'realism' in a sci-fi game, so in a way, it's hard to argue how the game should be. In a traditional war game, there should be a front line. It should be difficult to bypass defenses. Skipping planets should mean that you leave your retreat/rear vulnerable. In many cases, this game ignores these standard conventions. At the same time, this is set in outer space which is unimaginably vast. It would seem near impossible to build an impassable front line in
The ability to change the speed of the game at will in a single player is the top of my wish list. I can fiddle with maps/settings/teams/etc to get a sufficient challenge, but some parts of the game are far too slow paced.
It's easy to say that a mobile defense fleet or fighters are the counter. Most people have a mobile defense fleet, but it can't be everywhere at one time. Even having a lot of fighters doesn't make a difference if the siege spam fleet just runs away. The core problem is the fact that 20-30 siege ships can destroy a planet before your defensive fleet can respond. Once that planet is gone, the siege spam moves to the next planet and the next, completely ignoring the defenses. Once you
I completely agree that siege spam is a broken game dynamic. It's really obvious because it's a favorite AI tactic to mass siege, completely ignore defenses and kill the planet first. The planet is long dead before your defensive fleet has a chance to return. I don't think improving PJI's is the solution though. That would dramatically change the way the game is now and make it into a turtling match. Siege just needs to be made far more vulnerable to stationary defenses.
