31
General Discussion / Linked Fire/Alternating Fire Toggle Key?
« on: July 07, 2023, 03:09:13 PM »
Is there a key to change between firing modes for a specific weapon group during combat? Thanks
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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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32
Suggestions / Brawler AI does not account for extended shields?
« on: July 07, 2023, 12:05:46 PM »
Alex, not sure if you consider this a bug, so feel free to move wherever it's best.
I recently S-Modded Extended Shields on a SO Brawler TT with dual Ion Pulsers to give it 360 shield coverage, specifically to enable it to ignore Salamanders. In the very next fight, it was dueling a Vanguard 1v1, with every single weapons system disabled by EMP, but it had managed to fire off a single Salamander.
I thought the Brawler would raise shields to absorb the single missile and then continue to rain destruction on the Vanguard, but instead, it retreated out of the Vanguard's weapon range and then turned to face the Salamander to absorb the hit frontally.
Does this mean that if you give a ship that previously had no 360 degree shield coverage extended shields that cover it fully, the AI will still not account for this new feature?
I recently S-Modded Extended Shields on a SO Brawler TT with dual Ion Pulsers to give it 360 shield coverage, specifically to enable it to ignore Salamanders. In the very next fight, it was dueling a Vanguard 1v1, with every single weapons system disabled by EMP, but it had managed to fire off a single Salamander.
I thought the Brawler would raise shields to absorb the single missile and then continue to rain destruction on the Vanguard, but instead, it retreated out of the Vanguard's weapon range and then turned to face the Salamander to absorb the hit frontally.
Does this mean that if you give a ship that previously had no 360 degree shield coverage extended shields that cover it fully, the AI will still not account for this new feature?
33
Bug Reports & Support / Weird autofire bug that I cannot reproduce
« on: July 05, 2023, 08:53:52 AM »
I'll just add this here, in case someone else has encountered this before and can add info to help Alex debug.
So I was piloting my Paragon, flanked by a few other AI ships, against a fleet of 3 Guardians and some smaller ships. I remember at one point in the fight, my Paragon was completely surrounded, and my hard flux was almost maxed out. My Fortress Shield was on, and then I vented, taking about 66% of hull damage in the process, and taking a decent amount of EMP damage as well.
The rest of my fleet was able to fend off the rest of the ships, allowing me to recover, but then I noticed that all the weapons set to Autofire no longer shot at anything, regardless of me changing target, or anything. My two front-mounted Tach Lances, which I control manually, were completely fine. I also made sure that all the other weapons were not under repair or anything like that. I also tried toggling Autofire on and off, but to no avail.
So I basically had a Paragon with only 2 functioning Tach Lances. I regret not having tried to reset the weapon groups to see if manual firing all the weapons at the same time would fix the problem.
So I was piloting my Paragon, flanked by a few other AI ships, against a fleet of 3 Guardians and some smaller ships. I remember at one point in the fight, my Paragon was completely surrounded, and my hard flux was almost maxed out. My Fortress Shield was on, and then I vented, taking about 66% of hull damage in the process, and taking a decent amount of EMP damage as well.
The rest of my fleet was able to fend off the rest of the ships, allowing me to recover, but then I noticed that all the weapons set to Autofire no longer shot at anything, regardless of me changing target, or anything. My two front-mounted Tach Lances, which I control manually, were completely fine. I also made sure that all the other weapons were not under repair or anything like that. I also tried toggling Autofire on and off, but to no avail.
So I basically had a Paragon with only 2 functioning Tach Lances. I regret not having tried to reset the weapon groups to see if manual firing all the weapons at the same time would fix the problem.
34
General Discussion / Armored Weapon Mounts S-Mod Effect Clarification
« on: July 05, 2023, 08:10:31 AM »
When you S-Mod Armored Weapon Mounts, it increases the rate of fire of all non-missile weapons by 10%.
How does this RoF increase interact with the following:
1. Beam Weapons - Tac Laser, Grav Beams, etc - is DPS just increased by 10%?
2. Weapons with burst fire like Needlers - is the burst delivered faster, or is the delay between bursts shorter?
3. Tachyon Lance - is the full damage 2249 damage delivered 10% faster, or can I fire the lance 10% more frequently?
4. Weapons with charges like Autopulse Laser - are charges expended 10% faster, or is my recharge rate increased by 10%?
How does this RoF increase interact with the following:
1. Beam Weapons - Tac Laser, Grav Beams, etc - is DPS just increased by 10%?
2. Weapons with burst fire like Needlers - is the burst delivered faster, or is the delay between bursts shorter?
3. Tachyon Lance - is the full damage 2249 damage delivered 10% faster, or can I fire the lance 10% more frequently?
4. Weapons with charges like Autopulse Laser - are charges expended 10% faster, or is my recharge rate increased by 10%?
35
General Discussion / How not to get kicked out of a narrow slipstream?
« on: July 05, 2023, 06:38:09 AM »
Is anyone else having trouble staying inside the narrowest slipstreams? I find that at full speed, my fleet often gets kicked out of the slipstream before I can ride it to the end, especially when the slipstream is turning and extremely narrow.
Tips on how to stay inside much appreciated!
Tips on how to stay inside much appreciated!
36
General Discussion / High Scatter Amplifier - Worth the cost?
« on: June 29, 2023, 08:53:07 AM »
Curious to know if anyone has found a ship build (any ship) using High Scatter Amplifier which isn't surpassed by another build on the same ship that doesn't use HSA.
Also, do you make use of its S-Mod upgrade feature?
Also, do you make use of its S-Mod upgrade feature?
37
Suggestions / Odyssey tweak
« on: June 29, 2023, 08:17:00 AM »
I think the new Odyssey should have Plasma Jets instead of Plasma Burn. It would make more sense for its role as a mobile capital ship (Battlecruiser) and make it less of a one way in (to die) type of ship. Given that it also has fighter bays, it really makes more sense to have the ability to kite rather than the ability to go in like a Shrike or a Fury.
38
General Discussion / How to edit AI Core skills?
« on: June 28, 2023, 09:17:28 AM »
Has anyone tried to modify the number of skillpoints available to each tier of AI core? And the gain in level if fully integrated?
If you know how it's done, I would greatly appreciate any info you can share!
If you know how it's done, I would greatly appreciate any info you can share!
39
General Discussion / Seeking Ziggurat Advice
« on: June 26, 2023, 05:24:19 PM »
For all you elite pilots out there, I have a few questions which will help me improve my Ziggurat build. Assume I will take the ship a combination of solo and accompanied by other ships.
1. Are 6 Burst PDs (36 OP) worth it? I notice that one of the weaknesses of phase ships is their ability to get overwhelmed by fighters. 6 PDs solves this problem, along with the fact that most missile barrages and some torpedo barrages become laughable. This translates into more "uptime" where you're not forced to stay phased.
2. I've noticed that if I take dual Plasma Cannon + Heavy Needler, I can basically fire continuously with zero risk, phasing between shots. To achieve a similar effect with Tachyon Lance + HVD, I'd have to invest 50 OP into Phase Anchor, but I get more range, and I'm better against small ships. Is the 50 OP in Phase Anchor worth the extra range and the versatility against smaller vessels?
3. For S-Mods, I'm thinking Efficiency Overhaul, Flux Coil Adjunct and Resistant Flux Conduits provide the most advantage. Are there any others worth considering?
Thanks in advance for your respective expert opinions!
1. Are 6 Burst PDs (36 OP) worth it? I notice that one of the weaknesses of phase ships is their ability to get overwhelmed by fighters. 6 PDs solves this problem, along with the fact that most missile barrages and some torpedo barrages become laughable. This translates into more "uptime" where you're not forced to stay phased.
2. I've noticed that if I take dual Plasma Cannon + Heavy Needler, I can basically fire continuously with zero risk, phasing between shots. To achieve a similar effect with Tachyon Lance + HVD, I'd have to invest 50 OP into Phase Anchor, but I get more range, and I'm better against small ships. Is the 50 OP in Phase Anchor worth the extra range and the versatility against smaller vessels?
3. For S-Mods, I'm thinking Efficiency Overhaul, Flux Coil Adjunct and Resistant Flux Conduits provide the most advantage. Are there any others worth considering?
Thanks in advance for your respective expert opinions!
40
Suggestions / Stacked salvage interaction
« on: June 21, 2023, 06:30:30 AM »
I only found this interaction because I wanted to save time salvaging multiple debris fields. I was in a system with multiple pirate fleets, and I just stayed in one location and took the fights as they came.
At the end of the battles, I sat amid a large, dense debris field. And then I activated my salvage ability, only to discover that my salvage opportunity was high risk, low reward, completely opposite my expectations. After taking crew and machinery losses, I was shocked to discover that my salvage got progressively BETTER with each successive attempt.
What probably happened: I fought the strongest fleets first, and then killed off the weaker stragglers at the end. The newest salvage got stacked on "top" and so the small fleet salvage got stuck at the top of the stack, while the lucrative salvage at the bottom was hidden below.
What I expected to happen as a player: All debris fields would combine into one, leading to a mega salvage opportunity.
What I did not like about this interaction: I had to suffer losses to get to the good salvage, with no way to "ignore" the top stack.
If the debris fields combining is impossible, my minimum expectation would be for salvage stacks to reorder from best to worst, not vice versa.
At the end of the battles, I sat amid a large, dense debris field. And then I activated my salvage ability, only to discover that my salvage opportunity was high risk, low reward, completely opposite my expectations. After taking crew and machinery losses, I was shocked to discover that my salvage got progressively BETTER with each successive attempt.
What probably happened: I fought the strongest fleets first, and then killed off the weaker stragglers at the end. The newest salvage got stacked on "top" and so the small fleet salvage got stuck at the top of the stack, while the lucrative salvage at the bottom was hidden below.
What I expected to happen as a player: All debris fields would combine into one, leading to a mega salvage opportunity.
What I did not like about this interaction: I had to suffer losses to get to the good salvage, with no way to "ignore" the top stack.
If the debris fields combining is impossible, my minimum expectation would be for salvage stacks to reorder from best to worst, not vice versa.
41
Suggestions / Faction Ship Variants - A gold mine of low-hanging gameplay variation
« on: June 20, 2023, 06:32:23 PM »
Having followed this game since the Starfarer days, I look forward to new hulls as much as the next person. (So please don't stop adding new hulls before release, Alex!)
That being said, I've always thought that ship variants are a completely wasted treasure trove of new gameplay possibilities. (With relatively low dev effort). We already seem to be going in that direction now, what with the differences between Pegasus/Executor making it feel like a completely different ship.
I sincerely hope that you will do a review of ship variants that can be customized towards a specific faction's characteristics/playstyle, with a focus on adding variability through:
1. Different permutations of hardpoints: Universal, Hybrid, Composite, Synergy, Energy, Ballistic, Missile (Look how much the changes between the Falcon and the Falcon (P) impact gameplay)
2. Different built-in mods: the less sought-after hulls have a higher "budget" for built-in mods. For instance, a Luddic Path Buffalo MkII might come with built-in SO. That's the kind of detail this community is bound to find creative ways to make use of. Instead of now, where that ship is pretty much just junk all the time.
3. Different devices: Best example being, the Orion Drive Venture feels like a completely different ship to the normal one. Would love to see more of these variants in the future for all sorts of different fleet workhorses.
4. Different stats: As an example, imagine a Sunder with more OP but slower speed and even worse shield efficiency. Is it good? Is it balanced? An easy addition to make, but suddenly the community will be theory crafting that new Sunder vs. the old one for a long time. And all it needed was a few tweaks in the variants folder.
That being said, I've always thought that ship variants are a completely wasted treasure trove of new gameplay possibilities. (With relatively low dev effort). We already seem to be going in that direction now, what with the differences between Pegasus/Executor making it feel like a completely different ship.
I sincerely hope that you will do a review of ship variants that can be customized towards a specific faction's characteristics/playstyle, with a focus on adding variability through:
1. Different permutations of hardpoints: Universal, Hybrid, Composite, Synergy, Energy, Ballistic, Missile (Look how much the changes between the Falcon and the Falcon (P) impact gameplay)
2. Different built-in mods: the less sought-after hulls have a higher "budget" for built-in mods. For instance, a Luddic Path Buffalo MkII might come with built-in SO. That's the kind of detail this community is bound to find creative ways to make use of. Instead of now, where that ship is pretty much just junk all the time.
3. Different devices: Best example being, the Orion Drive Venture feels like a completely different ship to the normal one. Would love to see more of these variants in the future for all sorts of different fleet workhorses.
4. Different stats: As an example, imagine a Sunder with more OP but slower speed and even worse shield efficiency. Is it good? Is it balanced? An easy addition to make, but suddenly the community will be theory crafting that new Sunder vs. the old one for a long time. And all it needed was a few tweaks in the variants folder.
42
Suggestions / Harbinger AI Bug
« on: June 20, 2023, 12:27:32 PM »
After extensive testing in the sim, I am now confident that the AI pilot for the Harbinger is bugged. Against shielded opponents, despite having enough flux capacity and maneuverability (I added Phase Anchor, SO, Unstable Injector, S-Mod Flux Coil Adjunct on a Pilot with Elite Ordnance Expertise), the AI pilot will not combo the Quantum Disruptor with the AM Blaster shot...after the first salvo.
I think it does so on the first salvo because everything is ready to go, but as soon as there is a time lag between the cooldown of the QD and the AM Blasters, it would require a fortuitous re-sync of the cooldowns to cause the AI pilot to combo QD with the weapons of the Harbinger.
In fleet combat, I notice phase vessels piloted by AI also have a tendency to go into phase, get near the enemy, then get cold feet and back out. For a ship that is a CR timebomb, this kind of behaviour by the AI makes it completely unusable except in the hands of a human pilot.
I think it does so on the first salvo because everything is ready to go, but as soon as there is a time lag between the cooldown of the QD and the AM Blasters, it would require a fortuitous re-sync of the cooldowns to cause the AI pilot to combo QD with the weapons of the Harbinger.
In fleet combat, I notice phase vessels piloted by AI also have a tendency to go into phase, get near the enemy, then get cold feet and back out. For a ship that is a CR timebomb, this kind of behaviour by the AI makes it completely unusable except in the hands of a human pilot.
43
Bug Reports & Support / Coilgun salesman sells nothing?
« on: June 19, 2023, 03:50:54 PM »
After the conversation with the coilgun fanatic, he offers me production slots, but then the screen is completely blank. Can't change categories either.
44
Bug Reports & Support / Hostile Activity Luddic Path Bug
« on: June 05, 2023, 01:43:33 PM »
I just got a Luddic Path Hostile Activity +9 factor for "Technology and AI Core Use", except my colonies are level 4 and have absolutely nothing tech associated in them. Administrator is the player character. No AI cores at all, not even on industries. No special items (Nanoforge, etc) installed ANYWHERE.
So where does this come from?
If the intent is to have the Luddic Path give you Hostile Activity no matter what, then it should be attributed to something else. Right now, it just feels like I'm penalized for doing something I didn't actually do.
So where does this come from?
If the intent is to have the Luddic Path give you Hostile Activity no matter what, then it should be attributed to something else. Right now, it just feels like I'm penalized for doing something I didn't actually do.
45
General Discussion / I got Splattercat (835K Subscribers) to showcase Starsector again!
« on: June 04, 2023, 01:02:17 PM »
Two weeks ago, on one of Splattercat's videos, he mentioned things were quiet in terms of upcoming games. So I went into his Discord, plugged Starsector and mentioned the huge new update.
When I checked my Youtube feed today, I was pleasantly surprised to see his video of Starsector: .
He is a big fan of the game, and has showcased it twice before on his channel, but this would be the first time he's uploaded a playthrough since his channel exploded.
--
Alex, if you read this, your game has entertained me all through the years, and I've loved every update. Thank you. I hope this helps you promote Starsector in some minor way!
When I checked my Youtube feed today, I was pleasantly surprised to see his video of Starsector: .
He is a big fan of the game, and has showcased it twice before on his channel, but this would be the first time he's uploaded a playthrough since his channel exploded.
--
Alex, if you read this, your game has entertained me all through the years, and I've loved every update. Thank you. I hope this helps you promote Starsector in some minor way!