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Blog Posts / Re: Save/Load UI, Autosave, Intel Map Markers, and More
« on: April 18, 2024, 04:12:12 PM »
Heh, I always note which stars I'll be using for slipsurge when I start a new game. It's pretty nice to have that planned out.
Fractal Softworks Forum
- April 20, 2024, 07:01:22 AM
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News:
Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Save/Load UI, Autosave, Intel Map Markers, and More (04/10/24)
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2
General Discussion / Re: Aren't phase fleets way too op in their current iteration?
« on: April 18, 2024, 04:11:04 PM »
Phase fleets aren't as bad as they used to be, but they do strike squarely at the weakpoints of typical fleet doctrine.
Instead of letting your fleet spread without orders, you need to use Rally to make several points close together so that your ships don't drift apart. It's largely okay to set frigates to defend a point, but phase fleets will still often pull them away.
So just keep everything more or less together, and you'll do a much better job of fighting phase ships. The advice from Thaago will tell you what kind of weapons you want, but the biggest thing is that phase ships have much less PPT than your ships. A good defense on your part will have most of a phase fleet malfunctioning before your ships even start losing CR. A good portion will even be at 0% CR.
That's how fights with phase fleets go these days.
Instead of letting your fleet spread without orders, you need to use Rally to make several points close together so that your ships don't drift apart. It's largely okay to set frigates to defend a point, but phase fleets will still often pull them away.
So just keep everything more or less together, and you'll do a much better job of fighting phase ships. The advice from Thaago will tell you what kind of weapons you want, but the biggest thing is that phase ships have much less PPT than your ships. A good defense on your part will have most of a phase fleet malfunctioning before your ships even start losing CR. A good portion will even be at 0% CR.
That's how fights with phase fleets go these days.
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Blog Posts / Re: Save/Load UI, Autosave, Intel Map Markers, and More
« on: April 16, 2024, 01:55:52 PM »
One thing I thought might be valuable is noting the calendar date for deadlines somewhere in intel entries. As it is, the player has to translate into the calendar when guessing deadlines.
It would relate to what the player sees in the UI a bit better.
It would relate to what the player sees in the UI a bit better.
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General Discussion / Re: I don't understand the combat AI
« on: April 14, 2024, 08:07:57 PM »
Eh. The core principle of the AI is that an approach at an oblique angle generates the most relative acceleration, thanks to how the acceleration is killed at top speed. So a ship will always move toward or away from a flank both just to approach or avoid incoming fire.
So that's why ships set to engage never seem to approach : all the enemy ships are directly in its path.
The next principle is that ships have both the impulse to move forward and retreat when engaging an enemy. So what will often happen is a fleet with no particular orders will start dividing up to flank enemies and then turn that into retreating to all corners of the map when they get outnumbered by enemy fleets.
So what you want to do is limit how far your ships will move to engage and retreat. Rally is the best command to keep things more or less in place, but flexible. Engage and Defend technically have no discernible limit to how far they will retreat, but engaging will take them back to the point set.
What I often do is set my big slow ships to rally at a point with some selected escorts and then have a defend point right next to it so my faster ships will push forward and take out targets of opportunity.
I've heard Rally Civilian Craft will keep ships more or less in a single position, but that isn't particularly useful.
I'd also suggest learning how to use generalized orders rather than assigning specific ships to particular orders. Putting a low priority escort on vulnerable ships can keep them alive when things get tough and release other ships to fight to their fullest when you're winning. Eliminate is a pretty useful command when you know more or less which ships are going to be assigned to it and check back every twenty seconds or so to repeal it. Engage can be a better order than defend if your fleet is moving faster than the opposition, etc.
It also looks like big ships chase after tiny ones less if they have escorts, but that's something I'm still testing. It seems to work best when the escorts are generalized and not assigned piecemeal.
So that's why ships set to engage never seem to approach : all the enemy ships are directly in its path.
The next principle is that ships have both the impulse to move forward and retreat when engaging an enemy. So what will often happen is a fleet with no particular orders will start dividing up to flank enemies and then turn that into retreating to all corners of the map when they get outnumbered by enemy fleets.
So what you want to do is limit how far your ships will move to engage and retreat. Rally is the best command to keep things more or less in place, but flexible. Engage and Defend technically have no discernible limit to how far they will retreat, but engaging will take them back to the point set.
What I often do is set my big slow ships to rally at a point with some selected escorts and then have a defend point right next to it so my faster ships will push forward and take out targets of opportunity.
I've heard Rally Civilian Craft will keep ships more or less in a single position, but that isn't particularly useful.
I'd also suggest learning how to use generalized orders rather than assigning specific ships to particular orders. Putting a low priority escort on vulnerable ships can keep them alive when things get tough and release other ships to fight to their fullest when you're winning. Eliminate is a pretty useful command when you know more or less which ships are going to be assigned to it and check back every twenty seconds or so to repeal it. Engage can be a better order than defend if your fleet is moving faster than the opposition, etc.
It also looks like big ships chase after tiny ones less if they have escorts, but that's something I'm still testing. It seems to work best when the escorts are generalized and not assigned piecemeal.
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Modding / Re: [0.96a] ElvenSector 0.1.0
« on: April 09, 2024, 02:02:56 PM »Eldar, in my space game?I think they are more like Dwemer in space than Eldar.
Brother, get the flamer.
The HEAVY flamer.
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General Discussion / Re: tell me few things about this game
« on: April 07, 2024, 04:41:52 PM »
Worth noting : this game is more like a 2d X game (like X3, X4, etc) with the combat being a separate mode and focused on fleets of ten to fifteen ships.
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General Discussion / Re: Looking for a list of vanilla-like mods
« on: April 05, 2024, 07:51:59 PM »
Legacy of Arkgneisis works fine if you just update the version in mod_info.json, and it has some of the best faction music!
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Bug Reports & Support / Re: How to use the game on Steam Deck?
« on: April 03, 2024, 07:42:53 PM »
Try searching the community layouts for "Brain's Starsector Layout."
It uses the left stick for numbers, click to select, and the left shoulder mode switches the d-pad, face buttons, left stick, and touch pad to various other functions. Also, double click L5 for alt (which transfers inventory items when you mouse over). You may need to increase the interval on that one, as I had trouble clicking it fast enough when I first started using it, but it will vibrate when it does switch to alt.
You may have to modify a few parts, but I would warn you Steam Input has always been a bit broken, especially when using its more complex features. Some settings may overlap, and you'll have to delete the setup you're using. Just start fresh again and quickly change to what you want without fiddling around too much.
The problem appears to be old settings aren't really deleted when you change to something new, and it can overlap in strange ways.
It uses the left stick for numbers, click to select, and the left shoulder mode switches the d-pad, face buttons, left stick, and touch pad to various other functions. Also, double click L5 for alt (which transfers inventory items when you mouse over). You may need to increase the interval on that one, as I had trouble clicking it fast enough when I first started using it, but it will vibrate when it does switch to alt.
You may have to modify a few parts, but I would warn you Steam Input has always been a bit broken, especially when using its more complex features. Some settings may overlap, and you'll have to delete the setup you're using. Just start fresh again and quickly change to what you want without fiddling around too much.
The problem appears to be old settings aren't really deleted when you change to something new, and it can overlap in strange ways.
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Mods / Re: [0.97a] The Knights of Ludd
« on: April 02, 2024, 07:10:59 PM »
Yeah, I'm not getting this.
I tear into Knight ships because they are brawlers, and I'm a better brawler.
A lot of the Knight ships are have a lot of forward momentum and are not quite maneuverable enough to avoid being surrounded. More like a variation of low tech with Burn Drive than anything.
So yeah, baseline Knight ships are not that bad. The destroyers have much more endurance than I expected, but they are not great at killing things.
So the larger ships are the greater focus, like most of Low Tech.
I tear into Knight ships because they are brawlers, and I'm a better brawler.
A lot of the Knight ships are have a lot of forward momentum and are not quite maneuverable enough to avoid being surrounded. More like a variation of low tech with Burn Drive than anything.
So yeah, baseline Knight ships are not that bad. The destroyers have much more endurance than I expected, but they are not great at killing things.
So the larger ships are the greater focus, like most of Low Tech.
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General Discussion / Re: Does anything genuinely benefit from the existence of story points and s-mods?
« on: April 02, 2024, 07:03:22 PM »
Eh... just no?
Retreat fights are already *** broken. You should never want to to do a retreat fight, as you will lose most of your logistics craft. Most of the largest and most vulnerable craft start within range of enemy guns. It's a punishment, not a game mechanic.
Spending a story point to reduce grind in raising officers is a good thing. Don't mess this up. Though the elite mechanic is really more for fleet officers, not the player. Players are always going to elite their skills. There's no reason not to.
As for the permanence of s-mods, this isn't a problem for 99% of ships in Starsector. Scuttle the old, rebuild or pirate the new.
The fact is, there are many times in a person's life when they, "give it their all," and do something extraordinary. Story points reflect that. Since so much of Starsector lets you decide the angle you want to approach the story, a generic title is appropriate.
There are things wrong with Starsector, and story points are not high on the list.
Retreat fights are already *** broken. You should never want to to do a retreat fight, as you will lose most of your logistics craft. Most of the largest and most vulnerable craft start within range of enemy guns. It's a punishment, not a game mechanic.
Spending a story point to reduce grind in raising officers is a good thing. Don't mess this up. Though the elite mechanic is really more for fleet officers, not the player. Players are always going to elite their skills. There's no reason not to.
As for the permanence of s-mods, this isn't a problem for 99% of ships in Starsector. Scuttle the old, rebuild or pirate the new.
The fact is, there are many times in a person's life when they, "give it their all," and do something extraordinary. Story points reflect that. Since so much of Starsector lets you decide the angle you want to approach the story, a generic title is appropriate.
There are things wrong with Starsector, and story points are not high on the list.
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General Discussion / Re: sword duels we are gonna have more of them, potentially expands upon it or
« on: April 02, 2024, 10:54:40 AM »
I mean, the biggest question is how would you top the original background? Can't just have it take place in Eventide every time!
Simple, you can't! Not even worth trying. Beautiful background.
Simple, you can't! Not even worth trying. Beautiful background.
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Mods / Re: [0.97a] Arma Armatura v3.0.6 BETA [4/1/24]
« on: April 01, 2024, 09:19:10 PM »
There is no commission like in the normal game. All you get are contacts within Arma Armatura as it isn't really a faction.
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Bug Reports & Support / Ta'Xet does not have a Corona
« on: March 31, 2024, 05:10:03 PM »
In multiple games, I've found Ta'Xet in the Tia system does not have a corona, allowing the player to travel across it like normal space.
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General Discussion / Re: I love the slipstream mechanics
« on: March 31, 2024, 04:46:16 PM »
Also worth noting, you get around +40 in hyperspace topography for scanning a phenomenon called Ion Storm that was introduced in the last update. Usually, the gas giant in Dukat will have one generated between itself and the star. Those are the conditions where it usually occurs, but notably, it doesn't always happen in Magec where there is a similar situation.