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16

Blog Posts / Re: Orbital Stations in Combat

« on: October 15, 2016, 12:28:36 PM »

While we're addressing the codex, combining all hull variants into a single entry would be nice. For example, have a single Lasher entry with information on all the various faction variants contained on one page.

17

General Discussion / Why so many people want detailed boarding mechanics (my best guess)

« on: August 09, 2016, 01:07:48 PM »

I often see requests from players who want to expand the boarding mechanics of Starsector. In-combat boarding using assault boats/drop pods, specialised weapons like ion canons that make boarding more likely/possible, and detailed post-battle systems that add more nuance to the boarding process have all been suggested at various times by many different people. Each post brings a lovely debate about the relative merits of different options, so it is clear that there is player interest in the topic.

That said, I believe many people don't want more complex boarding mechanics for their own sake; they really want more control over acquiring their favorite ships. Diving into a tough fight in the hopes of boarding a Hyperion but being given a Buffalo MkI instead is extremely disheartening. If you aren't allied with the Tri-Tachyon you might not have another chance to acquire this ship for a very long time.

Am I mistaken, or is that the core reason boarding overhauls are so often requested? I hope there are other methods for finding specific (especially rare) ships planned for the future.

18

General Discussion / Re: Starsector Ship Tiers

« on: May 27, 2015, 02:09:25 PM »

This is a nice reference, but I'd rather not see it stickied. When a new player picks up the game, a large part of the fun comes from trying out each ship to see which ones suit their playstyle the best. Having a big tier list locked at the top of the forums takes away much of this exploration.

19

Suggestions / Re: Mass Refitting/Ship Sorter/Scroll bar

« on: May 04, 2015, 11:14:10 AM »

You can set up one ship with all the weapons and hullmods you want and then save it as a custom variant. Then go through all ships of the same type and select the desired variant; the ships will now be appropriately equipped.

If you want to double-check each ship to see if they're all equipped correctly, just scroll through each ship and glance at the Ordnance Points bar. If the bar is full, the ship is good to go; if the OP bar isn't full, there's a weapon missing somewhere.

Also, a 100+ ship fleet is very impressive and beyond the "normal" scope of the game -- I think the biggest fleet I've managed to maintain had around 30 ships

20

Suggestions / Re: Navigation and Burn Speed

« on: December 13, 2014, 04:54:35 AM »

On the subject of Navigation changes, do you think it makes more sense as a Technology or a Leadership skill? Conceptually it fits in either, but the skill bonuses seem out of place among the OP- and flux-boosting Technology skills.

21

Suggestions / Re: AI won't suitably charge extreme-range opponents

« on: December 13, 2014, 04:49:21 AM »

Do ships behave more aggressively when carrying out an Engage/Intercept/Strike order? If so, maybe the Admiral AI could issue such an order when faced with a ship toting long-range weapons. This would help the AI deal with beam-heavy player ships while keeping the player's allies relatively safe.

22

Suggestions / Re: More Events: Ideas

« on: December 12, 2014, 03:24:32 PM »

I'd like to see events that have some permanent effect on the market if they are completed. For example, a planet might seek to expand its production of hand weapons, increasing the demand for ore and heavy machinery. If the player (or an NPC fleet) can deliver enough goods in a reasonable time frame, they'll get a reputation boost and earn a tidy profit from the inflated buying prices. From that point forward, that planet's production of hand weapons would be significantly increased, which would have long-term market implications.

23

Suggestions / Re: Navigation and Burn Speed

« on: December 12, 2014, 03:16:29 PM »

Reducing the difference between small and large ship burn speeds sounds like a very good idea. When my fleet is sufficiently large, I keep the fast-forward button held down almost all the time to counteract the painfully slow travel speed of capital ships. Frigates will still be faster than large ships and retain their ability to pick their battles, but slower ships will move between battles much more quickly.

The current system map speed scale, where frigates are two to three times faster than capital ships, doesn't make much sense to me. Frigates have excellent tactical speed, but I imagine their compact size leaves them with little room for interstellar travel drives. By contrast, slow capital ships would have powerful engines backed up by robust reactor cores that could accelerate to high burn levels outside of combat.

24

Announcements / Re: Starsector 0.65.2a (In Development) Patch Notes

« on: December 05, 2014, 03:49:43 PM »

I'm in favor of the upcoming changes. Beam weapons needed a change to bring them in line with other energy weapon options, and increased range is an easily implemented solution. The zero-flux damage boost was cool but produced some jarring mental images: "Gun decks three through eight, fire all energy weapons into empty space! We need our reactors at the brink of overload before engaging the enemy!"

Regarding people's concerns about not having the orders to retreat all low-CR ships, try investing in the leadership skill that grants extra command points. This is not meant to be condescending but rather a simple suggestion. I imagine a novice admiral with limited leadership experience would have difficulty managing all his ships to keep the fleet fighting at full efficiency, and I am glad to see this reflected in the game mechanics.

25

General Discussion / Re: Shields, flux em.

« on: November 30, 2014, 08:26:40 AM »

Shields are most useful on high-tech ships not just because they have the best shield efficiency but because their offensive potential actually increases as they gain flux. Energy weapons gain a damage boost based on how much flux you have in your pool, up to 50% IIRC when you are near max flux levels. Holding your shield up and letting your flux build when using energy weapons can provide a spike in damage output, so for optimum performance it helps to keep your shield up throughout prolonged fights and vent only when you're in danger of overload. This is a risky tactic and requires practice to get right, but it can give you an edge against generally more heavily-armed low-tech ships.

26

General Discussion / Favorite fighter wings

« on: November 26, 2014, 11:30:07 PM »

What are all your favorite fighter or bomber wings? I'm particularly curious about people's thoughts on the more unusual ones like the Gladius or Warthog -- are they worth acquiring, or is spamming Broadsword wings more effective?

27

General Discussion / Re: How do you guys fly the High tech ships ? like the wolf

« on: November 26, 2014, 11:13:50 PM »

The Hyperion is an excellent ship. Its long range teleporter and great flux dissipation means that you can support two heavy blasters plus your choice of small energy weapons. I go with burst PD lasers to deal with fighters or antimatter blasters to destroy targets even more quickly. Missiles aren't realy necessary, but some torpedos help crack the armor of hard targets. Really any combination of hard-hitting weaponry (not beams) can get the job done, so equip it however you prefer.

In combat, you can choose your engagements at will. There's a reason the Hyperion costs as many fleet points as a cruiser: nothing smaller can survive against two heavy blasters that teleport into your blind spots with impunity. It is VERY fragile though, so one wrong move or well-timed sabot hit can overload your shield and blow you to pieces.

28

Suggestions / New Skills to Improve Fighters

« on: May 11, 2013, 05:00:52 AM »

After playing version 54.1a for a while, I've found that while I often a few fighter wings and a carrier for support in the early-mid game they eventually lose usefulness as I  gain levels.  Many of the benefits gained by the Technology aptitude (better hullmods, extra OP) do not apply to fighters, and the percentage benefits to flux dissipation/capacity are not quite as helpful for shieldless fighter wings as they are for shielded ships.  As a result, I find myself using a couple high-speed frigates for point capture and harassment duties, and my once-proud fleet of fighters ends up gathering space dust in an abandoned space station.

Personally, I'd like to see a skill or two that specifically helps fighters, helping them scale better into the late game.  Any thoughts on this matter?

29

Discussions / Re: Rate the Avatar of the Person Above You

« on: May 02, 2013, 07:02:22 PM »

I must say, that new G in your avatar looks quite smashing!

Spoiler

[close]

It was a little difficult to make out the G shape at first glance though -- I'd give it a 7.5/10 overall, but you have had the old G as your avatar for quite a long time now

30

General Discussion / Re: Patch frequency?

« on: March 03, 2013, 06:28:38 PM »

Alex doesn't like to give specific details of what will be in an upcoming patch because he doesn't want to promise features that may or may not survive playtesting.  This makes development much less stressful and keeps fans from being disappointed if a mechanic they were very excited for doesn't make the cut, ultimately resulting in a better game and happier fans.