Fractal Softworks Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

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

Pages: 1 ... 66 67 [68] 69 70 ... 90

Author Topic: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes  (Read 574291 times)

Baqar79

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1005 on: November 21, 2015, 07:43:15 PM »

Difficult? Probably not very. Time-consuming? Extremely, especially given that every update would break it horribly. IMO, as much as something like this is eventually needed, it's not worth doing until things are much more stable and full-featured mechanics-wise.


That is understandable.  In that case, the difficulty curve isn't so much of a problem since this type of tutorial might happen anyway for the final release.  Not really much to add here.

That stuff is in the combat tutorials, btw.


I did actually do the tutorials (way back when I first bought the game).  I was just thinking about something a bit more integrated into the actual world.  You pretty much answered that in the first point though, thanks!

Hmm. I feel like there are tooltips pretty much everywhere and I try to add copious tooltips for every new feature. Where in particular do you feel they're missing?


Pretend I never made that comment; most of the information is very clear in game.  I made that comment when I was thinking along the lines of configuring that Cerberus as a way to quickly figure out what the different types of damage are (ie mouse over the Kinetic attribute of a weapon, it would give you a brief explanation on the damage breakdown it does vs shield, armour, etc).  It wasn't a very well thought out comment, since you already have done such a great job, sorry about that!
Logged

Megas

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 12117
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1006 on: November 21, 2015, 07:47:28 PM »

@ Nanao-kun:  Where were they for you?  By the time I could afford some, Tri-Tachyon is inhospitable (or worse) to me (thanks to faction ties), and none of the other markets I can access (military or black market) have them (yet).  I saw some much earlier in the game, when I lacked reputation or money to buy one.  I am sure I will loot some once I fight Tri-Tachyon or Lion's Guard, but I am not ready for that yet.
Logged

Alex

  • Administrator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 23986
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1007 on: November 21, 2015, 07:49:07 PM »

(@Baqar: yeah, the refit screen could really use an explanation for the damage types somewhere on it; it's come up before internally. It's a shame tooltips can't have tooltips!)
Logged

Thaago

  • Global Moderator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 7173
  • Harpoon Affectionado
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1008 on: November 21, 2015, 08:02:55 PM »

You know, it might be a good idea to have those tweaks to the pirates be on easy mode only - once players do figure out how to do frigate fighting its going to really whack out the early game difficulty if its universal. We should encourage people to play on easy mode if they are new (rename it "beginner"?).

I feel that the number of faction fleets is about right in the 'populated' regions - numerous patrols in system and local hyperspace, but you can still sneak around if you're lucky/clever. Its in the 'empty' places that there just isn't enough going on. Hyperspace is ok because you have the storms to navigate, but still feels a bit empty.

For Pirates: I think there need to be more of them. Perhaps I'm having an anomalous experience, but I just don't see them very often at all. Similarly I've only seen a Luddic Path fleet once (haven't visited Ludd space though).
Logged

StarSchulz

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 458
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1009 on: November 21, 2015, 08:25:22 PM »

@Thaago

Do you run with transponder off in hyperspace? I noticed when i ran with transponder off i wouldn't run into any pirates, they wouldn't be able to detect me. If you are looking to grab some attention, you can activate the sensor booster and any in your vicinity will come running. though you might attract some larger foes  ;)

Sy

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1225
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1010 on: November 21, 2015, 08:35:59 PM »

@ Nanao-kun:  Where were they for you?
i'm ~lvl 30 as well and have been able to find/buy 4 so far, all of them on black markets (i don't have positive standing with any factions aside from Pirates). so relative to my experience, a dozen by lvl 16 seems quite a lot, but not a single one by lvl 30 also seems very unlucky.

It's a shame tooltips can't have tooltips!
i know i've thought that myself in many other games...

but in SS, we do have an "expand tooltip" hotkey! you could allow the player to expand weapon tooltips with it, to show explanations of things like damage type and primary role, and maybe even more detailed information on some of the weapon's stats, like the exact speed of missiles in su/sec (since there seems to be slight variation even between different missiles that read "very fast").
Logged

Thaago

  • Global Moderator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 7173
  • Harpoon Affectionado
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1011 on: November 21, 2015, 08:39:08 PM »

@Thaago

Do you run with transponder off in hyperspace? I noticed when i ran with transponder off i wouldn't run into any pirates, they wouldn't be able to detect me. If you are looking to grab some attention, you can activate the sensor booster and any in your vicinity will come running. though you might attract some larger foes  ;)

When I was still a little fleet I did so on purpose, partly out of caution and partly because the fleets could still be dangerous to my lone Wolf.

Now I run in hyperspace with the transponder on and freaking blast active sensors trying to get things attention (sometimes cause I feel like fighting, but usually because I'm near a system with a bounty). I sometimes see fleets with 2-3 frigates, but they of course run from my 2 Destroyers + 3 frigates.

I have yet to see any non-bounty pirate fleet with a combat destroyer or above, which is disappointing (Buffalo Mk II a couple of times).

Could I just not be high enough level yet? Are the enemy fleets tied to that like bounties are? If so, I request being able to slide that difficulty waaaay up as part of a 'hard mode'.
Logged

Aeson

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 501
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1012 on: November 21, 2015, 08:40:25 PM »

Rather than make picks at the start to determine the class you play (bounty hunter, trader, etc), start the game off by getting the player to go through some scripted scenario's to introduce all the different aspects of game play.  This would also be a great opportunity as well to introduce the player to the starsector universe and the different factions that inhabit it.

Finally allow the player to choose their desired class and their preferred allegiance (a small starting bonus to relations with that faction, with a corresponding decrease in relations with factions that are hostile to that one).  Now start the player in that factions home system.
Personally, I find that mandatory start of game tutorial sequences get old rather quickly. It's all well and good to have a tutorial available, but if the game's enjoyable enough for me to want to replay it several times, I really do not want to have to run through the tutorial every time I start a new character (and certainly not the same tutorial), and I'd really prefer not to have to keep around an old save file from the end of the tutorial sequence in order to skip it. The 'sink or swim' approach may not be all that friendly to new players, but if the starting conditions are reasonably fair, it's a lot more enjoyable, at least to me, when starting a new character after having already played at least one character a reasonable amount of time than having to go through the same old tutorial sequence yet again.
Logged

SafariJohn

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 3010
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1013 on: November 21, 2015, 08:43:14 PM »

I feel that the number of faction fleets is about right in the 'populated' regions - numerous patrols in system and local hyperspace, but you can still sneak around if you're lucky/clever. Its in the 'empty' places that there just isn't enough going on. Hyperspace is ok because you have the storms to navigate, but still feels a bit empty.

I think integrating stations and planets into the sensor system would help by allowing hidden bases and colonies to actually be hidden. Then the "empty" systems could have stuff going on even though it's not immediately obvious from looking at the system map.
Logged

Teikai

  • Ensign
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1014 on: November 21, 2015, 09:38:00 PM »

Two things:

1. I do miss Auto-saves.(Timed 5-10min;End Battle;Start Battle;In Hyperspace;Out Hyperspace;Leave Station/Planet) At least two all time (i would like 5-10 :D)

2. Better explanation(in tooltips) would be great. And a LOT more intel how things work IN-GAME.


Except that you-all do great work. (Compliments for the LORE makers)
Logged

CrashToDesktop

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 3876
  • Quartermaster
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1015 on: November 21, 2015, 10:17:08 PM »

There is an auto-save mod that can be configured to save after all sorts of actions - you should check it out. :)
Logged
Quote from: Trylobot
I am officially an epoch.
Quote from: Thaago
Note: please sacrifice your goats responsibly, look up the proper pronunciation of Alex's name. We wouldn't want some other project receiving mystic power.

Kirschbra

  • Lieutenant
  • **
  • Posts: 76
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1016 on: November 21, 2015, 10:37:36 PM »

I LOVE YOU!!!!
Logged

Troll

  • Lieutenant
  • **
  • Posts: 50
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1017 on: November 22, 2015, 04:41:31 AM »

@Thaago

Do you run with transponder off in hyperspace? I noticed when i ran with transponder off i wouldn't run into any pirates, they wouldn't be able to detect me. If you are looking to grab some attention, you can activate the sensor booster and any in your vicinity will come running. though you might attract some larger foes  ;)

When I was still a little fleet I did so on purpose, partly out of caution and partly because the fleets could still be dangerous to my lone Wolf.

Now I run in hyperspace with the transponder on and freaking blast active sensors trying to get things attention (sometimes cause I feel like fighting, but usually because I'm near a system with a bounty). I sometimes see fleets with 2-3 frigates, but they of course run from my 2 Destroyers + 3 frigates.

I have yet to see any non-bounty pirate fleet with a combat destroyer or above, which is disappointing (Buffalo Mk II a couple of times).

Could I just not be high enough level yet? Are the enemy fleets tied to that like bounties are? If so, I request being able to slide that difficulty waaaay up as part of a 'hard mode'.

I am around level 10 I believe and Hyperspace is really intense at times.
Running an Enforcer for war and Hound + Mule for freight, I often stumble upon fights, sometimes as large as 5 pirate fleet vs 1 large merchant convoy, or Lud vx independents.

EDIT : Actually I'm around 15, not 10.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2015, 04:51:16 AM by Troll »
Logged

Serenitis

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1458
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1018 on: November 22, 2015, 05:21:14 AM »

Making the expanded F1 tooltips the default seems to be good idea.

I wanted to play pirate, because that's where I had the most fun previously.
But this has kinda turned into a Heag. mercenary thing because I feel as though I am in way over my head, and staying near big orange blobs is marginally less stressful.
As far as atmosphere goes this is some top-tier stuff.
Gameplay kind of rollercoasters between GRINDING TEDIUM and EMARGHERD WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE though.
Eh. Keep going see how it goes.

The second hurdle is needing some proficiency at frigate-flying; if you can't beat 2-3 (D) frigates in your starter Wolf, things get significantly more difficult as the range of viable targets shrinks dramatically.
This. This is why I took so long to get anywhere.
Simply, I am bad at frigates because the way you have to play them to not die AND do anything useful is something I am really ill suited for. I don't have either the reactions nor the mindset for that kind of fast twitchy play. :sadbrains:

Previously you could avoid anything you didn't like the look of because you could see things BUT ALSO you were much faster than most things that wanted to kill you, so flying a frigate was pretty forgiving even if it was something I tried to get away from asap. Essentially you could pick your battles.
Now you get trapped, for want of a better word.
You can't avoid things because you can't see them until they're on top of you. This wouldn't really be a bad thing except for the things that want to kill you are now not only as fast as you, but can be faster whenever they feel like it.
Which leads to lots and lots of reloading.

Making pirate ships even worse I think isn't the answer, they're plenty bad enough as it is.
It's the combination of almost parity with speeds, and random infinte speed boosts which becomes one of the most efficient newbie traps I've ever seen.
If you're going to change anything, look at the speeds first before messing with the p. cool submarine simulator.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2015, 05:23:47 AM by Serenitis »
Logged

Megas

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 12117
    • View Profile
Re: Starsector 0.7a (Released) Patch Notes
« Reply #1019 on: November 22, 2015, 05:38:55 AM »

A solution for early-game woes for newbies:  Give a special, player-only bonus to sensor range and burn speed in Easy difficulty only, and tell them in-game to play Easy.

Serenitis explains why early-game is harder:  The enemy is or almost as fast as you and you often cannot see them in time before you can run away.
Logged
Pages: 1 ... 66 67 [68] 69 70 ... 90