I like the game, but there's no real "campaign" mode... so it's hard for me get into it. I love a good storyline. There's a kind of background story to the whole thing, but I need an ENDING. Naturally I looked for some sort of campaign mode... but damn
I guess I wish it were more like Homeworld. It had a GREAT storyline.
I guess I wish it were more like Homeworld. It had a GREAT storyline.
SunnyD
Belgian Waffler
pontifex: You do know there are a few maps that have no pirates in them right? And also - build up a fleet and take over the pirate base, another good way to stop the attacks.
I *just* finished my FIRST game last night (8 hours, small map, 1 AI + Pirates). I must say, the AI was a bit anticlimactic at the end. Basically once I decimated his fleet in a very brilliant and yet very lucky move on my part, the AI was then castrated and played very defensively resulting in me pushing him back system after system, taking down one or two of his remaining caps every jump. In fact, even at his own homeworld, when I jumped in his ships retreated across the gravity well before turning around and making a stand. My rush across 9 planets chasing him inflicted 0 casualties on my fleet. His stand at his homeworld with a very minor force (3 caps and a small assortment of others) took out about 5 or so ships out of my fleet, mostly frigates. IF he put up a stand when I first started pushing, the AI could very well have stalled my advance simply by taking out 2 of my 6 caps and a handful of my cruisers. But that's AI for you!
8 hours for a small map, stretched over the span of a week. I am definitely impressed with this game.
I *just* finished my FIRST game last night (8 hours, small map, 1 AI + Pirates). I must say, the AI was a bit anticlimactic at the end. Basically once I decimated his fleet in a very brilliant and yet very lucky move on my part, the AI was then castrated and played very defensively resulting in me pushing him back system after system, taking down one or two of his remaining caps every jump. In fact, even at his own homeworld, when I jumped in his ships retreated across the gravity well before turning around and making a stand. My rush across 9 planets chasing him inflicted 0 casualties on my fleet. His stand at his homeworld with a very minor force (3 caps and a small assortment of others) took out about 5 or so ships out of my fleet, mostly frigates. IF he put up a stand when I first started pushing, the AI could very well have stalled my advance simply by taking out 2 of my 6 caps and a handful of my cruisers. But that's AI for you!
8 hours for a small map, stretched over the span of a week. I am definitely impressed with this game.
- Nov 15, 2006
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Oh yea, i forgot that they put in the v1.02 patch random maps without any pirates. You can also build your own maps if you so with, as well as download some which have already been made.
They are currently working on the AI, it was supposed to only retreat when it is out matched, but it seems it takes this a bit too far. Expect the retreat conditions of the AI to be raised in the next patch.
They are currently working on the AI, it was supposed to only retreat when it is out matched, but it seems it takes this a bit too far. Expect the retreat conditions of the AI to be raised in the next patch.
Malladine
Diamond Member
- Mar 31, 2003
- 4,618
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Excellent game. Played an Advent mirror match against easy AI on a small random and won in 4hrs...it made a big difference for me once I upped the res to 1600x1200. They seem to have hit the right balance as far as time vs reward, at least on the small random.
It took me a while to realize I should be bribing the pirates when i can, but it was fun defending against them. I ended up with only 2 cap ships, kept em both though, lvls 8 and 7. I lost my homeworld to the AI once
I didn't read the manual or do the tutorials...I think if you're a fairly experienced gamer you should be able to pick this game up quickly.
Like SunnyD said the AI seemed to crumble once I smashed his fleet. I'd previously taken out a few cap ships but when i chased his fleet past three planets and finally took em all out it was a simple task to smash the rest of his planets. I noticed a severe lack of orbital defenses...
I just started a small random vs normal ai. I chose TEC vs random ai race which just happened to be TEC as well. So a TEC mirror! We'll see how much more difficult this will be.
It took me a while to realize I should be bribing the pirates when i can, but it was fun defending against them. I ended up with only 2 cap ships, kept em both though, lvls 8 and 7. I lost my homeworld to the AI once
I didn't read the manual or do the tutorials...I think if you're a fairly experienced gamer you should be able to pick this game up quickly.
Like SunnyD said the AI seemed to crumble once I smashed his fleet. I'd previously taken out a few cap ships but when i chased his fleet past three planets and finally took em all out it was a simple task to smash the rest of his planets. I noticed a severe lack of orbital defenses...
I just started a small random vs normal ai. I chose TEC vs random ai race which just happened to be TEC as well. So a TEC mirror! We'll see how much more difficult this will be.
- Nov 15, 2006
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The modding community is starting to kick into high gear, expect a fix for whatever you don't like in the next month. Sins also supports mods to the degree that there is a option to use or not use a mod in the games menu, and IIRC you only have to place the mod in one folder for it to work.
Just beat a 3CPU + me FFA on a medium map with 4 stars. It was fun! I was actually kind of surprised that I was able to enjoy it without a good storyline fueling my movements (like Homeworld).
The first game I played was just 1v1 on a small map, and I think the computer must have been set to aggressive (had it on random). There were never any CPU missions, which were a great idea - 200 metal for a ceasefire + trade routes? Sounds great to me. I think playing with 3 CPUs on FFA was really great - if I had my biggest fleet in another star system taking over some of computer A's world's, then computer B has sent a fleet to hassle one of my border worlds.
Unfortunately on medium I think the computers were just a little too easy; as the ETC my income and mining income was insane, and as a consequence of that my fleet strength was also insane. I would commonly have 2x as many capital ships attacking as the opponent had anywhere.
Also, the hangar defense building is insanely overpowered. It costs the same number of slots as 4 defense turrets, but the firepower + versatility easily exceeds this (no limited range, tons of damage, fighters rebuild automatically, etc.). Eventually I stopped bribing the pirates because all of my important worlds were swamped with hangar defenses and would simply wipe out the entire pirate raiding party without me having to send a fleet. Tack on some emergency facilities and a shield generator, planet protected. On a planet with 6 hangar defenses and 1 shield generator, I once took out a CPU invading force that consisted of 2 capital ships and numerous frigates (especially planet raiding frigates, which the CPU builds way too many of - the build so many that the fleets themselves are weak against other fleets, and thus only effective in a suicide run against a planet with low HP and no shield generator)
Edit: The CPU flees too easily - it's VERY fun to force a CPU into a sector with only 2 transportation routes. I have one fleet waiting in that sector, ready to rain destruction upon the unknowing ships, and I have the pursuing ships flow right in from behind. It's a fantastic sight. Sometimes I'll even take my defensive fleet into enemy territory for a minute just to do this sort of thing.
The first game I played was just 1v1 on a small map, and I think the computer must have been set to aggressive (had it on random). There were never any CPU missions, which were a great idea - 200 metal for a ceasefire + trade routes? Sounds great to me. I think playing with 3 CPUs on FFA was really great - if I had my biggest fleet in another star system taking over some of computer A's world's, then computer B has sent a fleet to hassle one of my border worlds.
Unfortunately on medium I think the computers were just a little too easy; as the ETC my income and mining income was insane, and as a consequence of that my fleet strength was also insane. I would commonly have 2x as many capital ships attacking as the opponent had anywhere.
Also, the hangar defense building is insanely overpowered. It costs the same number of slots as 4 defense turrets, but the firepower + versatility easily exceeds this (no limited range, tons of damage, fighters rebuild automatically, etc.). Eventually I stopped bribing the pirates because all of my important worlds were swamped with hangar defenses and would simply wipe out the entire pirate raiding party without me having to send a fleet. Tack on some emergency facilities and a shield generator, planet protected. On a planet with 6 hangar defenses and 1 shield generator, I once took out a CPU invading force that consisted of 2 capital ships and numerous frigates (especially planet raiding frigates, which the CPU builds way too many of - the build so many that the fleets themselves are weak against other fleets, and thus only effective in a suicide run against a planet with low HP and no shield generator)
Edit: The CPU flees too easily - it's VERY fun to force a CPU into a sector with only 2 transportation routes. I have one fleet waiting in that sector, ready to rain destruction upon the unknowing ships, and I have the pursuing ships flow right in from behind. It's a fantastic sight. Sometimes I'll even take my defensive fleet into enemy territory for a minute just to do this sort of thing.
Just a Large random map on the Vasari... they're pretty interesting, almost as interesting as the ETC. I really enjoyed all of the bonuses for non-terran planets - my credit income was amazing. I also preferred some of the capital ship abilities - one of the capital ships essentially applies a Damage over Time effect on an enemy ship, which was a fantastic ability against my first capital ship kill. I almost never got attacked by pirates as a consequence of my ridiculous credit income, and then I did the pirate fleet was fairly small since I had researched the right technologies.
This game has high replayability on the random maps. It has become more fun each time I've started up a game.
This game has high replayability on the random maps. It has become more fun each time I've started up a game.
Okay, just started a huge map with the Advant... they kind of suck in comparison to the Vasari (who have incredible fleet abilities) and the ETC (who get great bonuses to trade + mining and have the best superweapon).
And now I feel like there's nothing left to do. I'm playing on hard mode, and the computers are always pushovers. As the Vasari no one even stood a chance - it seems I was the only one building any reasonable defense (ie the computer rarely uses its tactical slots) and my fleets easily rolled over any opposition whether I was on defense or offense. I have lost the occasional planet (when there were no tactical slots being occupied) but no one has come in and ever claimed a planet for themselves.
Does anyone else feel like they're completely done with the game? I've reached the end of each tech tree, and it already feels like I've "won" the single player skirmish mode - I have to convince some friends to buy the game, because this would be a TON of fun. Unfortunately most of my friends aren't big on computer gaming, but I don't want to play total strangers online since the game will probably take a fairly long time.
And now I feel like there's nothing left to do. I'm playing on hard mode, and the computers are always pushovers. As the Vasari no one even stood a chance - it seems I was the only one building any reasonable defense (ie the computer rarely uses its tactical slots) and my fleets easily rolled over any opposition whether I was on defense or offense. I have lost the occasional planet (when there were no tactical slots being occupied) but no one has come in and ever claimed a planet for themselves.
Does anyone else feel like they're completely done with the game? I've reached the end of each tech tree, and it already feels like I've "won" the single player skirmish mode - I have to convince some friends to buy the game, because this would be a TON of fun. Unfortunately most of my friends aren't big on computer gaming, but I don't want to play total strangers online since the game will probably take a fairly long time.
- Nov 15, 2006
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-The v1.03 patch should include fixes to the AI so they run away less and build more defenses, should be early March.
-Also talk of adding a cheating AI that will get resources at a higher percentage then you.
-Multiplayer is a lot different then single player, for starters there are no front line planets as they are easily bypassed in favor of your juicy core worlds with little or no defense. Fleets battles are also very challenging compared to the assault frigate/random capital spam of the AI.
-The advent specialize in culture, shields and fighters/bombers. Although i like TEC capital carriers better myself.
-Try single player with only capitals and see how that goes? You could also face off with the AI in a 1v5 and see how that goes.
-Within a year SD/IC plans on releasing a expansion (not free) that will include a campaign.
-Also talk of adding a cheating AI that will get resources at a higher percentage then you.
-Multiplayer is a lot different then single player, for starters there are no front line planets as they are easily bypassed in favor of your juicy core worlds with little or no defense. Fleets battles are also very challenging compared to the assault frigate/random capital spam of the AI.
-The advent specialize in culture, shields and fighters/bombers. Although i like TEC capital carriers better myself.
-Try single player with only capitals and see how that goes? You could also face off with the AI in a 1v5 and see how that goes.
-Within a year SD/IC plans on releasing a expansion (not free) that will include a campaign.
SunnyD
Belgian Waffler
I got bitchslapped last night in the finale of my 3 on 1 AI match. That Rakoun went down first - they were annoyingly aggressive so I took a break once I ran into them and smashed them hard and pushed them back. After about 20 minutes one of the AI's finished him off. From that point on, things started to go down hill. I had a constant trading of border colonies with the Advent on one side, and the other TEC AI scared the crap out of me when I jumped into one of his previously Rakoun conquests to find about 8 caps and about 70 or so frigates. Needless to say I got pushed back to all but two of my worlds.
I must say, the homeworld defense was impressive. The TEC threw everything they had at me, and while I lost all my caps, 30 light carriers held their own and took out 6 caps and scores of frigates, until they became the target of choice.
I must say, the homeworld defense was impressive. The TEC threw everything they had at me, and while I lost all my caps, 30 light carriers held their own and took out 6 caps and scores of frigates, until they became the target of choice.
That sounds glorious! I wish the AI could have done that against me - for some reason they just lay down and died without ever really doing anything
Maybe I'll start up another Vasari game tonight
Malladine
Diamond Member
- Mar 31, 2003
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yeah Vasari do seem pretty powerful. I'm playing a FFA vs 3 AI right now, as TEC. One of the advent has gone down but i'm being pushed on both sides by advent and vasari...I lost my first capital ship and the advent took my homeworld. I'm in the process of reclaiming it, at 1/3 the credit income of my enemies. ugh. funOriginally posted by: Eeezee
That sounds glorious! I wish the AI could have done that against me - for some reason they just lay down and died without ever really doing anything
Like you were saying, if victory comes easy i always lose interest fast...I had a weird thing happen where i'd send a fleet back to a planet i owned, to escape a stronger enemy fleet, but they'd almost immediately phase right back to their destruction...cost me the capital ship. I didn't hold shift, bug?
SunnyD
Belgian Waffler
Originally posted by: Malladine
yeah Vasari do seem pretty powerful. I'm playing a FFA vs 3 AI right now, as TEC. One of the advent has gone down but i'm being pushed on both sides by advent and vasari...I lost my first capital ship and the advent took my homeworld. I'm in the process of reclaiming it, at 1/3 the credit income of my enemies. ugh. funOriginally posted by: Eeezee
That sounds glorious! I wish the AI could have done that against me - for some reason they just lay down and died without ever really doing anything
I had a weird thing happen where i'd send a fleet back to a planet i owned, to escape a stronger enemy fleet, but they'd almost immediately phase right back to their destruction...cost me the capital ship. I didn't hold shift, bug?
Yeah, Vasari strike cruisers (forget what they're called) simply rock. My first game I built up my fleet with about 20 of them and just steamrolled anything that came my way.
I can't seem to get the hang of the Advent though. They appear to be very fighter/bomber oriented, but seem to also do a good deal less damage. Of course the fact that I'm playing a 3-way with two other Advent AI's doesn't seem to help the matter. Also, I seem to have found another bug with the tech tree - one of the Advent skills upgrades the hangars to give them extra squadrons. The first upgrade level worked, the second didn't give me any bonus even though it said it was supposed to.
Malladine
Diamond Member
- Mar 31, 2003
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Can't answer really as I didn't play the beta, but I believe there's a demo of the latest build...
I'm enjoying it!
SunnyD: yeah I haven't played Advent other than a mirror match on easy. I'll have to try em again and see what's up. I usually don't build much in the way of fighters/bombers and Flak Frigates and the like destroy them pretty handily, but it should be fun to try.
I'm enjoying it!
SunnyD: yeah I haven't played Advent other than a mirror match on easy. I'll have to try em again and see what's up. I usually don't build much in the way of fighters/bombers and Flak Frigates and the like destroy them pretty handily, but it should be fun to try.
Just finished a Vasari game with 5 computers on a large random map. Same old same old - the computer puts up minor resistance at first. I made the mistake of way overexpanding in the beginning, so I ended up losing maybe 1/4 of my planets once the AI found me. It also appeared that some of the sides had struck a ceasefire (hadn't seen it happen before) as I had a TEC and an Advent destroying my worlds. Soon enough I had phase stabilizers, and they pretty much put an end to that.
Phase stablizier + that capital ship with the gravity warhead (can also colonize planets, it's the first ship thanks to colonization ability) = win
The AI will try to run away if you bring a fleet that is slightly superior (or if you just focus fire on one capital ship to destroy it, the whole fleet will suddenly flee). Once the computer tries to run, it doesn't stop for any reason. Send the colonization capital ship next to the fleeing ship with Gravity Warhead on autocast. Its cooldown is such that every time the ships are about to jump system, a gravity warhead fires and stops them. The ships don't even fire back - there is no resistance, and you wipe out the entire fleet with almost no effort. I have to intentionally disable the gravity warhead autocast in order to not make the game too easy, since my ships will often be faster than theirs (thanks to another Vesari capital ship ability).
Once I had completely taken a star and half of each of the other 2 stars, I just stopped playing. My income was ridiculous, I had over 2/3 of the planets (including every race's starting capital) and enough ships to wipe out any resistance without the use of the superweapon.
I think my install is bugged or something, every other forum I've read has had people commenting on the AI being pretty challenging. I SUCK at games like these - in Civ4 I can barely play on Monarch difficulty, and there have been plenty of times when I've lost. In Civ3 I could only beat Warlord difficulty (and only if I managed to get a general - those armies were amazing).
Phase stablizier + that capital ship with the gravity warhead (can also colonize planets, it's the first ship thanks to colonization ability) = win
The AI will try to run away if you bring a fleet that is slightly superior (or if you just focus fire on one capital ship to destroy it, the whole fleet will suddenly flee). Once the computer tries to run, it doesn't stop for any reason. Send the colonization capital ship next to the fleeing ship with Gravity Warhead on autocast. Its cooldown is such that every time the ships are about to jump system, a gravity warhead fires and stops them. The ships don't even fire back - there is no resistance, and you wipe out the entire fleet with almost no effort. I have to intentionally disable the gravity warhead autocast in order to not make the game too easy, since my ships will often be faster than theirs (thanks to another Vesari capital ship ability).
Once I had completely taken a star and half of each of the other 2 stars, I just stopped playing. My income was ridiculous, I had over 2/3 of the planets (including every race's starting capital) and enough ships to wipe out any resistance without the use of the superweapon.
I think my install is bugged or something, every other forum I've read has had people commenting on the AI being pretty challenging. I SUCK at games like these - in Civ4 I can barely play on Monarch difficulty, and there have been plenty of times when I've lost. In Civ3 I could only beat Warlord difficulty (and only if I managed to get a general - those armies were amazing).
Malladine
Diamond Member
- Mar 31, 2003
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and you're on hard ai? hmm, i'm having a fun challenge against 3 normal ai on a 29 planet 1 star map (convergence is the name). Maybe you just rock that much?
As a counterpoint I've seen the AI fight through the destruction of one of their capital ships, to the point where they actually forced me to retreat.
I like this game a lot. The game speed makes it feel like a nice balance between regular RTS and 4x games.
As a counterpoint I've seen the AI fight through the destruction of one of their capital ships, to the point where they actually forced me to retreat.
I like this game a lot. The game speed makes it feel like a nice balance between regular RTS and 4x games.
Originally posted by: Malladine
and you're on hard ai? hmm, i'm having a fun challenge against 3 normal ai on a 29 planet 1 star map (convergence is the name). Maybe you just rock that much?
As a counterpoint I've seen the AI fight through the destruction of one of their capital ships, to the point where they actually forced me to retreat.
I like this game a lot. The game speed makes it feel like a nice balance between regular RTS and 4x games.
That's exactly why I think my install is just buggy or something (even if I don't think that explanation makes much sense). My AI opponents always retreat at the first sign of trouble... but no other post I have read has mentioned this problem.
I love this game, multiplayer is a ton of fun. I've been trying to get my friends to buy it.
SunnyD
Belgian Waffler
- Nov 15, 2006
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Originally posted by: Eeezee
Originally posted by: Malladine
and you're on hard ai? hmm, i'm having a fun challenge against 3 normal ai on a 29 planet 1 star map (convergence is the name). Maybe you just rock that much?
As a counterpoint I've seen the AI fight through the destruction of one of their capital ships, to the point where they actually forced me to retreat.
I like this game a lot. The game speed makes it feel like a nice balance between regular RTS and 4x games.
That's exactly why I think my install is just buggy or something (even if I don't think that explanation makes much sense). My AI opponents always retreat at the first sign of trouble... but no other post I have read has mentioned this problem.
I love this game, multiplayer is a ton of fun. I've been trying to get my friends to buy it.
Discussion on this topic died off once the devs stated that they intend to fix the AI in the coming patch (early march). The AI was supposed to build the most efficient force and retreat only when they are well and truly outmatched. Instead they spam frigates and low level caps (they don't pay to level them up), don't build static defense structures and flee unless they have you horribly out matched.
The AI also displays very bad tactics such as running away until they have nothing left rather then stand and fight to bye time while they bring in reinforcements or fortify. I do not know if this will be addressed.
I think they will raise the retreat conditions for the AI, tweak its build priorities so they don't spam frigates so much, and put more emphasis on defense structures and research.
I have mostly stopped playing single player and opt for co-op online with a friend against 8 other hard AI's (next game it'll probably be 8v2 to make it interesting). Multiplayer against humans is a totally different experience, only issue is people quitting at the first set back.
Malladine
Diamond Member
- Mar 31, 2003
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This is good news, re: the AI. I'm going to try a med. vs some hard AI i think, see how that goes. I crushed the normal AI, claimed 90% of the planets and lost interest before actually acheiving the victory banner. The last two joined forces against me, but too late!
how does game matching work? is there a ladder/scoring system? and how does co-op matching work?
One sneaky thing the AI does is the phase trick, where i'll jump into a system with a decent fleet and he'll simultaneously jump into the system i just left with his (weaker) fleet and do some damage before i can get back. I've even had em do the phase switch several times in a row...it's especially irritating when he uses a fleet of 10-20 bombardment frigates...i could just leave part of my fleet behind i guess, but still.
Just finished my first game, as Advent. What an incredibly fun game. This is why PC games still have their place. You couldn't pull off something like this on a console.
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