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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

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Author Topic: Returning player with questions  (Read 2435 times)

planeswalker

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Returning player with questions
« on: May 13, 2019, 02:42:30 PM »

Hey all, back for the new update. I got a few questions, some gameplay some mod advice, thanks for any answers.

1. How soon should you start colonies? Start with 1 and grow that to 4/5 size first then start the next or just sprinkle a few at the same time? I try to hunt for a system with at least 2 stable zones and 2+ planets that are 100-150 habitability so their patrols can cover each other. I think (can't remember) Alex reduced profits from industries so colonies need a lot of input before they can become profitable now?

2. How far do your own faction fleets roam/patrol/run around? I know Patrol bases only spawns small patrols in the system they are based in. The description for military bases and high command seems to imply they will patrol in hyperspace and even go to other sectors? So if I have a military base or high command on one planet in System A, will that planet send a response/patrol/backup to a friendly neighbouring system B that's under attack from a raid or expedition? If yes how far do they help friendly systems, I don't expect them to fly across the sector.

3. Can Pirate bases attacking your colonies safely be ignored? They are quite annoying as they tend to spring up again quite fast once I destroy them and they tend to be right across the sector and travel time is a pain.

4. Pather bases are very scary. What kind of ships are good for attacking/sieging one and what kind of tactics are recommended (also what sort of fleet size)? I hate pather cells as spring up in my colonies but trying to take out their main base is quite hard if you don't have a few battleships. I tried attacking one with 2 Falcons, 2 Eagles, 4 Herons and 5-10 Shrikes + Wolves several times (save reloading) and I cannot crack the base, usually end up losing more than 80% of my fleet.

5. I remember reading somewhere that if you sell hull blueprints to faction markets, those factions will eventually adopt these hull types etc into their fleets. Also if you sell these hull blueprints to the blackmarket, the pirates will eventually get those hulls also. Is this a bug or WAD? Where is a safe place to sell these blueprints or you have to hold on to them so other factions don't get all sorts of weird hulls.

6. Where do you edit the player/officer skill effects? I remember back in the days the skills etc were in a xml file iirc so I could increase the burn speed bonus from 2 to 4 and the ordnance points given by the skill to a higher number. They don't seem to be easily editable now?

7.What is a good 'Vanilla+ mod'' you can recommend. I remember playing quite a few that add new hulls and weapons that are quite vanilla like so they didn't feel out of place as some mods go crazy with their designs and weapons. I also remember playing Nexerelin a few years ago before colonies are officially in. Is it much better now?

Thanks all, its a lot of questions but the wiki doesn't really answer them and searching the forums isn't that easy.
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SCC

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2019, 03:17:53 PM »

1. Previously you needed at least 500k credits and some fleet, now that prices of all industries have increased it's hard to say. Habitability matters less now, since upkeep is smaller and upkeep reductions are more common.
2. Patrols patrol entire home system and hyperspace around it. I suspect that there are a couple of spots of varying priority and you need to get more patrols to increase the patrolled area.
3. For some time. You should smash them eventually.
4. You can get some carriers with piranha bombers. In most situations they are bad, but since they have a tremendous total damage and stations by definition can't dodge, it's going to deal a lot of pain. You must also get some ships that can tank or else the station will pick off your fragile ships quickly.
5. Major factions don't learn blueprints, only pirates do, and only when you sell blueprints on the black market. Intended.
7. Ship & Weapon Pack is the best vanilla+ mod. Underworld is useful for expanding your options as a pirate. Nexerelin is great for creating some endgame for the player.

planeswalker

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2019, 03:35:50 PM »

Thank you very much for the info. I'll check out that mod you recommended, I might have used it before in the past.

Edit: Yeah actually this was the mod I used to play, good to find an old gem hehe.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2019, 04:17:24 PM by planeswalker »
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Megas

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2019, 03:38:56 PM »

Can probably start around midgame provided you are content with farmland or other low output industry.  Probably want to get a orbital station as soon as possible.  However, given how expensive colonies are now, game needs to be close to endgame just to afford most structures.  With only farmland, I was bothered only by pirates.  After I built a heavy industry (with pristine nanoforge), Diktat came for my head.

If pirate base targeting you is ignored, they will send fleets to raid your system eventually.  Better to kill them early while the base is a one section wimp.

I avoid pather bases until I have a big fleet.  With tweaked pather interest (along with industry limits), it is easier to avoid attracting them in the first place.
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planeswalker

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2019, 03:42:49 PM »

I see, ok so basically try to live in the stone age (colonies wise) until your fleet is strong enough to really take on a Pather base then?

Also I guess editing the player/officer skill numbers isn't as easy anymore?
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Megas

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2019, 03:52:45 PM »

Pather interest thresholds before 0.9.1 were 3 for sleepers and 4+ for active.  (Back then, there was a bug where nanoforges did not raise interest like synchrotrons did.)  Today, those thresholds are now 7 and 8+, so you can have any one industry without aggravating them.  You get problems when too much aggro is in one place, like fuel production with synchrotron plus heavy industry with a nanoforge, or too many cores.  With the new industry limits, it is not too hard to avoid pathers unless you want cores.
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planeswalker

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2019, 03:57:56 PM »

I see, that's good info to know. If only there was a passive 'police' building of some sort that will remove the cells automatically, I remember in my short play through last year they were springing up everywhere and got very annoying very fast.
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Thaago

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2019, 05:32:01 PM »

Other fighters good for killing stations, pathers and otherwise: Broadsword fighters. Less for their damage potential, but for a) confusing the pd with flares and b) keeping the shield flux high c) drawing fire. The last point is actually very important: a lot of the dangerous guns on stations are slow turning larges with significant retargetting time. Yes they will kill fighters, but that will allow your other ships to get close without getting dead. And fighters regenerate.
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planeswalker

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2019, 05:40:17 PM »

Oh I see, totally forgot about their flare launchers. Yeah I'm very old school and about 60-70% of all my fighters are Thunders because I'm too used to having my fighters fly really far and help. Since they changed the engagement range of all of them to 4000, only thunders are left at 8000 so I just default to them. I'll try broadswords in my next playthrough
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Thaago

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2019, 05:52:29 PM »

Thunders are pretty great because of their range and ion too, but they are a bit "light" for station work imo. Broadswords are nice and beefy!
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planeswalker

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2019, 08:22:23 PM »

Last question today, Militarised subsystems: it says it "Removes the penalties from a civilian-grade hull". If i combine that with Expanded Cargo Holds which says "For civilian-grade hulls, also increases maintenance supply use by 100%" does this mean that I don't need to pay the 100% extra supply use or even if a say a Tarsus is militarised it still counts as a civilian hull for that mod cost?

I normally try to run fleets at burn 8 minimum so I can't take the huge but slow cargo clunkers. Normally for my civilian ships I use militarised subsystems and efficiency overhaul as standard but was wondering if Tarsus with Mil subsystems and expanded cargo holds might be better.
Thanks
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Thaago

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2019, 10:21:27 PM »

I'm not sure off the top of my head, sorry!

But just as a heads up, be on the lookout for the Augmented Drive Field hullmod. You can install that and militarized subsystems on a Colossus to get it up to burn 10. Sounds weird to have a cruiser freighter going along with a frigate wolf pack, but it works extremely well.
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goduranus

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2019, 10:54:36 PM »

I can’t imagine what goods you are trading in to need multiple freighters, cuz most markets don’t demand more than 1000 units of anything, so that one is just 1 Colossus.

As mentioned above, instead of Militarized Subsystem+Expanded Cargo, get Militarized Subsystem+Augemented Drive Field. With Expanded Cargo you get a mere 6% extra cargo space at speed 8, so that is 6% bonus throughput. But with Augmented Engines you go from speed 8 to 10, which is 25% faster, giving you 25% increased throughput. What about your cruisers? Just put Augmented Engines on those, or use tons of frigates for escort.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2019, 11:00:18 PM by goduranus »
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planeswalker

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2019, 07:17:57 AM »

I see, ugh, my mind is still stuck on the older versions of starfarer where you can soup up your ships as much as you like with no 2 hull mod max limitation, heh.
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Hussar

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Re: Returning player with questions
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2019, 07:34:49 AM »

The 2 hullmod limit applies only towards the hullmods from Logistics category. Other categories are without limits other than the OP available on the ship.
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