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

Author Topic: Best way to learn the game...  (Read 2532 times)

atawag

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Best way to learn the game...
« on: January 07, 2020, 11:03:28 AM »

So I just picked up Starsector after seeing it on Quill18’s YouTube channel and I’m really loving it so far.  To me it has an Escape Velocity on super steroids feel to it, which is spectacular.  I’ve done the tutorials from the main menu and while I understand everything that it taught me, I think it will probably take me a while to gain any proficiency in actual manual combat.  I’ve done some exploring and surveying and have defeated a few basic pirate fleets by just issuing orders and leaving things on autopilot.  I have enough money and resources that I could click the “colonize” button on various planets but just based on common sense I know I don’t have the experience or personal infrastructure in place to support a colony, even though I don’t actually know how colonizing works in this game.  Which leads me to my main purpose in writing this post:

What is the best way to learn this game?  I admit that there’s been many other games that I ended up enjoying but I ruined any real sense of discovery or figuring stuff out on my own because I either watched play-throughs and read game wikis to the point where I knew how to play and what to do before I even bought the game.  On the other hand, there are some games (Dwarf Fortress/Aurora 4x) that will absolutely destroy you if you just try to figure things out using only in-game information and experiences.

So my ultimate question is, which type of game is Starsector?  I love “playing” games even when I’m away from my computer by immersing myself in discussion forums, guides and wikis, but will that ruin the experience of starting out in Starsector?  Essentially, am I spoiling the game by not figuring things out in-game?  Or is there so much stuff that it will likely only be an exercise in futility and frustration?  Currently, when I look at the refit screen and as I’ve collected various weapons and subsystems (mods?) and look at all the statistics, my mind boggles...

So what do you think?  I don’t want to ruin the sense of discovery and “holy crap that’s so awesome I didn’t even realize I could do that!?!?”  Aspect of things as I have in the past with other games.  At the same time, I don’t want to be beating my head against the wall.

So, in your opinion, what is the best way to approach this game?  Blind with only in-game tutorials, hints and experiences?  Or go full bore into community support with wikis, guides, lets-plays and so on?
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Lucky33

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2020, 11:25:32 AM »

...is to play the game.
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pedro1_1

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2020, 11:26:38 AM »

So I just picked up Starsector after seeing it on Quill18’s YouTube channel and I’m really loving it so far.  To me it has an Escape Velocity on super steroids feel to it, which is spectacular.  I’ve done the tutorials from the main menu and while I understand everything that it taught me, I think it will probably take me a while to gain any proficiency in actual manual combat.  I’ve done some exploring and surveying and have defeated a few basic pirate fleets by just issuing orders and leaving things on autopilot.  I have enough money and resources that I could click the “colonize” button on various planets but just based on common sense I know I don’t have the experience or personal infrastructure in place to support a colony, even though I don’t actually know how colonizing works in this game.  Which leads me to my main purpose in writing this post:

What is the best way to learn this game?  I admit that there’s been many other games that I ended up enjoying but I ruined any real sense of discovery or figuring stuff out on my own because I either watched play-throughs and read game wikis to the point where I knew how to play and what to do before I even bought the game.  On the other hand, there are some games (Dwarf Fortress/Aurora 4x) that will absolutely destroy you if you just try to figure things out using only in-game information and experiences.

So my ultimate question is, which type of game is Starsector?  I love “playing” games even when I’m away from my computer by immersing myself in discussion forums, guides and wikis, but will that ruin the experience of starting out in Starsector?  Essentially, am I spoiling the game by not figuring things out in-game?  Or is there so much stuff that it will likely only be an exercise in futility and frustration?  Currently, when I look at the refit screen and as I’ve collected various weapons and subsystems (mods?) and look at all the statistics, my mind boggles...

So what do you think?  I don’t want to ruin the sense of discovery and “holy crap that’s so awesome I didn’t even realize I could do that!?!?”  Aspect of things as I have in the past with other games.  At the same time, I don’t want to be beating my head against the wall.

So, in your opinion, what is the best way to approach this game?  Blind with only in-game tutorials, hints and experiences?  Or go full bore into community support with wikis, guides, lets-plays and so on?

It's in the middle ground, tilted to the "needs help" side, some players over extend and buy a Capital them some pirate goes and wipes his fleet, some just have clearer understanding of the game and some watch the game far too much.

I go into the second group just figure things out faster than most(I actualy nailed colonies first try and I had no idea of the forums that time, and the player I was wathing was far behind me at the time, and had never had any expirience with the campain)
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SCC

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2020, 11:35:54 AM »

There's only one genuinely hidden information in the game, and chances are, you are going to discover what's happening just by exploring the sector. Other than that? You can't really spoil anything to yourself, because everything besides that isn't really secret and also most of Starsector's appeal is in gameplay. To see a ship's loadout isn't enough, you have to test it out. I don't think you need to check out external resources, if you're willing to tinker with your loadouts. Maybe except for some obscure stuff (like "what faction uses Medusas", because it's incredibly rare for them to show up and only one faction uses them...).
There are this forum, Starsector Wiki and Unofficial Starsector Discord if you want to know more or ask some questions.

atawag

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2020, 11:42:05 AM »

There's only one genuinely hidden information in the game, and chances are, you are going to discover what's happening just by exploring the sector. Other than that? You can't really spoil anything to yourself, because everything besides that isn't really secret and also most of Starsector's appeal is in gameplay. To see a ship's loadout isn't enough, you have to test it out. I don't think you need to check out external resources, if you're willing to tinker with your loadouts. Maybe except for some obscure stuff (like "what faction uses Medusas", because it's incredibly rare for them to show up and only one faction uses them...).
There are this forum, Starsector Wiki and Unofficial Starsector Discord if you want to know more or ask some questions.

Thanks! This is probably the answer I was looking for. 

Would you say that there is enough information in-game about colonies and diplomacy and what you can do later in the game that I can just learn about all the options from within the game?  I really like this game so I’ll play it regardless, but it’d be real cool if it’s the kind of game you could play for 100 hours and, as long as you’re not looking up every bit of info on wikis beforehand, you might still be learning cool things after even so much time played.
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Plantissue

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2020, 02:56:08 AM »

Just play the game. Make mistakes. Load previous saves. The game does not have an obtuse user interface or have many hidden rules. Not all information is in the wiki anyways. The most useful wiki information are all in the ingame codex. What's the point of watching videos if you will learn slower than trying it out for yourself and ruining the sense of discovery and tainting your perceptions? Also you seem to say you have mods and are overwhelmed by the amount of weapons. Don't play with mods for your first game. That way, you will know what is actually in the game as well as there will be less information to intake of everything.
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DatonKallandor

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2020, 05:58:08 AM »

Save a lot and play the game. Don't read forums or Discord. On your first playthrough if you don't wanna bother with refitting ships, use the auto-refit system.
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SapphireSage

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2020, 06:17:34 AM »

I'd also suggest trying out some of the missions in the main menu too and don't care too much whether you win or lose. They're a good way of learning the combat of the game without risking anything like in a campaign.
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Null Ganymede

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2020, 10:06:23 PM »

Figure out an awesome gimmick, use it to build a surplus of credits/fuel/supplies, experiment within that surplus.

Then find a new gimmick and repeat from 1.
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Flashmek

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Re: Best way to learn the game...
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2020, 02:22:16 PM »

I have watched some youtube stuff but not tons, i have read some forums and some redit posts after playing a bit, but honestly i found i didant want to play how most of them played so i found my own way.

Only when i wanted to understand something better have i come looking for answers....

First time going into a black hole by mistake was fun letting autopath lead me, pathers demanding tithes or attacking a pather base in missions was a pain in the sack compared to pirate bases for example.

Ships others liked i hated, finding how i wanted my fleet to field has been a fun experiment, i saw what fighters and bombers were best but honestly i still messed around with stuff, adding mods for factions to add ship lines that i thought were cool.

Personally i rarely fought at all early game, rushed for the go dark boost, got cerbs or hounds for shielded cargo, got some skola (which i love with a passion boosting speed hitting up to 185 i think? Fastest i seen so far and deal out damage well) or wolfs and shipped illegal goods around till i had enough to build a half decent fleet to then do bounties and colonize stuff.

Next i want to build a drone carrier fleet for lolz and see where that gets me but its all whatever floats.

The "hidden" events ( i have only come across 1 so far) for example was fun and different giving you choices and possibilites wondering if it was going to end bad or good.

Also distress becons, i had two which did not end badly and did not get much out of it, then i had a trap one and saw how bad it could be....... i decided after that i would never consider answering a distress beacon again haha.

You just gotta go off, play the game, have fun, explore and tinker.

Also save scum like a boss, i dont have time in rl to waste loosing fleets to some cruddy pirate armada that just so happens to pop out of a hole as i was heading to it  ..... wiping hours of fun playtime and making it feel a waste of time, whatever makes the game fun and enjoyable?

Wishing you a fun playthrough.

Flash
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