Some first impressions

[Poklok]

So, after several hours of gameplay and pretty much winning my first game (it's only question of mopping up by now), I decided to share some of my first impression and suggestions.

First of all, the game is pretty fun It feels somewhat similiar to Sword of the Stars with turn-based combat, which is a good thing in my books. Obviously there is a lot of work to be done, and it's pretty easy at the moment. But it's still enjoyable, the graphics are pretty, I like the music, and basic gameplay is solid. I also love the lore put into the game, I know some players don't care about this stuff, but for me immersive, rich world is a crucial part of a game like this. Still, there are quite a few things I feel I need to point out:

1. Research screen. It really needs some love, right now it feels clunky and hard to navigate, and since there's supposed to be significantly more technologies to work on, it will only get worse. It doesn't necessarily need to be presented as a tech tree, but at least segregating technologies by cattegory would be VERY welcomed change. Some of the descriptions could use more details as well.

2. The AI is not much of a challenge, I have yet to see it create truly threatening fleet, they build up a lot troop transports, but lack combat ships. They also overextend, colonizing worlds they cannot hope to defend, which makes them easy prey. Defending from their attacks feels like swatting flies, they fly from world to world, running away at the first sign of resistance. I've seen AI carrier and battlecruiser retreat when facing a single light cruiser... It's a shame, because I really want to fight epic space battles, and there's every piece nedded - except actual enemy fleets to destroy. Altough I suspect putting in diplomacy system will at least let AI amass some ships I would also like to have an option of arranging my fleet before starting combat.

3. It's probably too easy to avoid confrontation right now. I know there are plans of adding tech that counters it, which is good to hear. But maybe the game would benefit from adding a limit on how quickly you can run away - for example, that you need to spend minimum 3 turns in combat before fleeing. You can even add some fluffy reasoning to it - warp engines cooling off and recharging, and such. It might mess up with scouting, though...

3. Designing ships is fun! It's kinda weird how they all seem to cost the same in upkeep, but I suspect it will change. However, is there any hull planned (or already in the game that I missed) between batllecruiser/heavy carrier, and bloody Deathstar? Seems to be quite a jump here, and right now game feels like it lacks true capital-class ships.

4. Speaking of ships, I'm not a big fan of how their armor/shields etc. is displayed in the battle interface. First off all, it's not obvious which colour represents what - you can figure it out, but it should be more clear IMO. The bars are also not the best looking part of the interface - they almost look like there was no place for them, so they were barelly squizzed in. Also - are there any plans for allowing selecting multiple ships at once during the battle?

5. It's nice that there is an option to refit ships, but I would like to see the interface a little changed. Maybe add an option to refit to already existing design, so you don't have to personally pick what changes are to be made in every single ship. It would also be nice to have an option of upgrading orbitals, for example from space station to fleet command.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. I like the game, I look forward to playing with new features and techs, and I'm rooting for you guys

[Arioch]

Thanks for the feedback!

Research screen. It really needs some love, right now it feels clunky and hard to navigate, and since there's supposed to be significantly more technologies to work on, it will only get worse. It doesn't necessarily need to be presented as a tech tree, but at least segregating technologies by cattegory would be VERY welcomed change. Some of the descriptions could use more details as well.

We have more work to do on the research screen to try to make it more easily navigable.

The AI is not much of a challenge, I have yet to see it create truly threatening fleet, they build up a lot troop transports, but lack combat ships. They also overextend, colonizing worlds they cannot hope to defend, which makes them easy prey. Defending from their attacks feels like swatting flies, they fly from world to world, running away at the first sign of resistance. I've seen AI carrier and battlecruiser retreat when facing a single light cruiser... It's a shame, because I really want to fight epic space battles, and there's every piece nedded - except actual enemy fleets to destroy. Altough I suspect putting in diplomacy system will at least let AI amass some ships

At the moment it has a tendency to lose many ships when attacking planets, and so often has little left by the time you come knocking. Diplomacy will help, but we will continue to work on the AI to help it present more of a threat.

I would also like to have an option of arranging my fleet before starting combat.

This is something that I'm not sure how to implement without really slowing down battles.

Designing ships is fun! It's kinda weird how they all seem to cost the same in upkeep, but I suspect it will change. However, is there any hull planned (or already in the game that I missed) between batllecruiser/heavy carrier, and bloody Deathstar? Seems to be quite a jump here, and right now game feels like it lacks true capital-class ships.

Right now most of the battleships/dreadnoughts are a bit light on the number of weapons they carry. We will do a balance pass on all the hulls to allow for more options (carriers should have more than just 1 hangar slot) and for more powerful capital ships. The Dreadstars should be a late endgame tech that will be harder to get to than it is now.

Speaking of ships, I'm not a big fan of how their armor/shields etc. is displayed in the battle interface. First off all, it's not obvious which colour represents what - you can figure it out, but it should be more clear IMO. The bars are also not the best looking part of the interface - they almost look like there was no place for them, so they were barelly squizzed in. Also - are there any plans for allowing selecting multiple ships at once during the battle?

The tactical combat interface is one of the older UI's in the game, that is planned to get some love.

It's nice that there is an option to refit ships, but I would like to see the interface a little changed. Maybe add an option to refit to already existing design, so you don't have to personally pick what changes are to be made in every single ship.

We plan to add a "refit to class" option, as well as an option to mass refit for cash.

It would also be nice to have an option of upgrading orbitals, for example from space station to fleet command.

An interesting idea, but I'm not sure it makes sense within our system, as they're different hulls. It would be like upgrading a cruiser to a battleship.

[Poklok]

So basically, most of the issues that I've mentioned are already on your to-do list. It's good to hear that

This is something that I'm not sure how to implement without really slowing down battles.

Maybe add another option, alongside autocombat and manual combat? This way, player can arrange his ships, but is not forced to do it. Also, having the otpion to save templates for formations would be pretty sweet too, though I'm not sure if it's feasible to implement.

An interesting idea, but I'm not sure it makes sense within our system, as they're different hulls. It would be like upgrading a cruiser to a battleship.

Well, it wouldn't be refit for sure, but given there's a limit number of slots for orbital installations there comes a time when you might want to scrap old station and replace it with new, shiny Fleet Command. Adding an shortcut for it would basically reduce the numbers of clicks needed. It's obviously very minor thing as the system that's already in place is perfectly functional

Also, I have one additional piece of feedback: options menu is kinda bare at the moment, and the gray font of non-selected options makes them a little hard too see, at least at my monitor.

[Arioch]

The current options menu is just a kludge. The final version will have proper radio buttons and the like.

[Poklok]

I've started a new game, this time as Human on a small map. So far it's much more enjoyable than the first playthrough I like that the starting situation of Humans feels very desperate. It realy helps in building intresting narrative, and switches things up gameplay wise. I also like thier artwork - they look like they've been thorough some serious stuff

Currently, the map is split roughly in half between me and Yorals. I was suspecting they would attack me for quite some time, especially that the fabled globe of Gaia is currently under my control, close to the systems conquered by the enemy. (By the way, next time I'm deffinetly nuking those annoying Gaiads to the oblivion - I don't suppose there's a way to eradicate them once they are under your control?) Given the Yoral threat, I've spent several turns using every available shipyard for refitting my fleet with new, shiny distruptors in place of obsolete lasers. There were still few cruiser rocking old weaponary, but I've run out of time - the enemy was coming, and in numbers. Fleet of over 20 ships - and that's not even counting troop transports. 5 heavy cruiser, each one pride of the Yoral navy, with staggering power of heavy lasers alpha strike at their disposal, and swarm of lesser ships loaded with missiles and torpedoes. They had me outnumbered nearly 2:1, but I've had them outgunned and outmuscled. It also quickly turned out that upgrading targetting efficiency of my fleet's point defence during the rushed refitting was a right call. There were casualties, unfortunately, and for the moment things looked grimm. But then enemy run out of projectiles, and once I've took care of his heavies, it became clear that the rest of his fleet is hopelessly outmatched. Battle slowly turned into slaughter, Yoral flotilla was obliterated, and now Humans - bloodied, but with core fleet still intact - are preparing the counteroffensive. Of course, I still haven't even found the enemy homeworld, but if there ever was time for decisive action...

Did I mention that this game is fun? Anyway, there's a buch of new observations:

1. I would prefer if camera followed enemy unit that's currently moving, it's not an issue during skirmishes, but in large battles it would help a lot in keeping track of the situation.

2. It would also be helpful to have a clear confirmation when the enemy's turn is over. Or when all of your units have moved and attacked possible targets. Maybe some list of the ships in player's fleet that are still flying could find a way into new battle UI, too.

3. Some kind of a political starmap, with each empire's territory clearly marked, would be pretty sweet. And possibly helpful. But sweet for sure.

4. Mixing populations is intresting and useful mechanic, but the game needs some kind of a moral system that takes the species of citizens into the consideration, since right now it's way too easy to take advantage of. It's probably already planned - since there's even non-working tech for alien psychology. While I'm at it, some kind of a demography screen, with info about each separate world and the empire as a whole, would be useful and intresting. I'm pretty sure that in my current playthrough, Humans are minority in their own space hegemony

5. Shields are possibly a little too strong. Especially when enemy can't focus full firepower in one direction. Maybe they should be more expensive, or consume more energy.

6. I like that each faction get's it's own hull designs. But I'm not sure why Humans can build Assault Cruisers - which include hangar (and are pretty awesome, btw) - without having tech that's needed for Carriers? Also, said Carriers are kinda weaksauce. It's good that you are planing to buff them since right now they are almost completly outshined by other options.

[Gyrfalcon]

6. I like that each faction get's it's own hull designs. But I'm not sure why Humans can build Assault Cruisers - which include hangar (and are pretty awesome, btw) - without having tech that's needed for Carriers? Also, said Carriers are kinda weaksauce. It's good that you are planing to buff them since right now they are almost completly outshined by other options.

Carriers are useful against targets that don't have PD, but do have heavy weapons. Which describes the way the AI builds its planetary defenses these days. But, yes, if the AI starts adding PD to planetary defenses they'll be almost useless.

[sven]

Speaking of ships, I'm not a big fan of how their armor/shields etc. is displayed in the battle interface. First off all, it's not obvious which colour represents what - you can figure it out, but it should be more clear IMO. The bars are also not the best looking part of the interface - they almost look like there was no place for them, so they were barelly squizzed in. Also - are there any plans for allowing selecting multiple ships at once during the battle?

The tactical combat interface is one of the older UI's in the game, that is planned to get some love.

It's also worth pointing out that right now, you can select multiple ships in tactical combat -- the trick is to hold down shift while left-clicking or band-boxing. The feature isn't fully fleshed out (moving multiple ships works, but attacking with multiple ships doesn't. But, completing the feature, and better advertising it to players, is on the todo list.)