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211

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

« on: October 26, 2014, 10:45:02 AM »

I admit that I'm not good with the wolf, especially when I am much better with the graviton beam (effective vs shields despite being a beam). Heavy blasters feel... cumbersome, especially when I use a laptop that have a trackpad and mousepad to do the cursor duties. As a result, I move the cursor for the sake of seeing enemy positions, and bind the firing keys near my movement keys or let autofire do its duties.

My piloting style is better suited to the Afflictor, a Phase Frigate with an efficient cloaking system. I learn when and where to strike, and usually find the gap between defenses to make them explode at one shot. Thus, I may use all 4 AM Blasters at once or have 2 AMs and 2 Reapers if I am expecting opportunistic engagements.

A Hyperion may be frail, but shines well as a pursuit/harasser frigate due to its unique teleporter system. It's a matter of having enough ordinance to fit it into a lethal force in the hands of the right player styles.

I find myself piloting the Afflictor personally as a ship assassin while the rest of the forces either take the brunt of the enemies, hold them off, or eradicate the thinned out. That requires tactics, and I emphasize defending sensor posts in engagements or navigation posts in pursuits.

Maintaining a combat-effective fleet has its difficulty increased with the economy systems and faction restrictions.

212

General Discussion / Re: Overall Market Page?

« on: October 26, 2014, 10:33:51 AM »

If only there's a food-providing port that is also a free port, where the black market does not have as much adverse effects... and not aligned to pirates.

I'm assuming this is meant to mock him? But he brings up a valid point. Trading right now is just running around, trying to find out if people are in need of food and then unloading it on them. It's really not trading at all. In the blog post about the economy update I remember reading something about striking a balance in the amount of information the player is provided. Not too overwhelming but not to leave them in the dark. But right now trading really isn't trading. It's stocking up random goods that are cheap, and hoping there will at some point be an event that lets you sell them.
I personally think there is no such thing as too much information when it comes to trading. I get that this way you trading doesn't turn into a grind. But what's the point of having an economy when you can get rich instantly by buying and selling a bunch of food? And trade route grinding isn't a bad thing per se. It could at least be a valid alternative. Optimizing traderoutes is fun to me, call me crazy. But right now it's not even a possibility.

No mockery intended, but yes, that is what trading feels like to me... but it's not exactly trading per se. Food shortage events is more of a paid relief effort than a merchant's supply-demand work. I let that issue slide since we are seeing economy gameplay at its infancy. Still, the tariffs imposed often imply that factions want a lot of trust, but doesn't give much opportunities to do so, aside from being the one taking down its foes. There is not much on gaining trust in trades, disruption/shortage or not.

213

General Discussion / Re: I appreciate and enjoy the effort that went into ship/planet/weapon lore.

« on: October 25, 2014, 08:01:52 AM »

I liked the blurb about the pragmatic Luddic church tacitly accepting trade in heretical technology within permitted areas on their planets. Profit: it ain't just for heathens!

The levels of hypocrisy is ridiculous, but the later versions might have that faction carry a broader range of illegal goods (tech-specific), yet has no qualms buying high-tech ships at a higher prices than what other factions offer for.

214

General Discussion / Re: Is there an independent military market?

« on: October 25, 2014, 07:52:05 AM »

I think ye be laying it on a bit thick, mate.

You never know when patrols and tariffs decide to play you like a fiddle. 

215

General Discussion / Re: Economics glitch (and tariffs are OP)

« on: October 25, 2014, 07:46:49 AM »

yeah, if you guys want a deep and dynamic economy simulator....try X3, it's a good game and it has that, or X:Rebirth if you're a glutton for punishment a chores. The dynamic economy in SS will eventually grow and have more events, so there will always be something for you to focus on. I can see where you're coming from, but I just don't think  an economy that you want would be that fun after a while. I really don't want to have to grind.

X3... I find myself building a ridiculous self-sufficient station complex to fulfill the most basic need of having energy cells for cheap. Then scouting the nearby sectors for potential demand before making an extension. I sell my products for cheap on purpose for steady profit, but once I have freighters on command, distribute to factories in need for higher profits.

Don't get me started in Terran Conflict, since I had numerous capitals defending complexes from any and all threats.

Now that I get that out of my system, you've had me wondering if this game might be able to have stations and factories to build, planet or no planet. I don't have to be the one trading and instead lead a faction with its own logistics strategies. Well, outside of mods, anyway.

216

General Discussion / Re: Overall Market Page?

« on: October 25, 2014, 07:35:38 AM »

If only there's a food-providing port that is also a free port, where the black market does not have as much adverse effects... and not aligned to pirates.

217

General Discussion / Re: Economics glitch (and tariffs are OP)

« on: October 25, 2014, 07:32:23 AM »

This is design intent of the game to avoid you having to grind the same trade route all the time.

It's less against you HAVING to grind, and more against you WANTING to grind.  It's certainly very effective at dissuading continual route trading in anything other than food (unfortunately, food has what amounts to trade routes given the regular shortages).

Makes sense that food is the only thing people always need, and shielded cargo holds might be able to influence goods tolls.

Still... if trade grinds are that difficult (besides faction-to-faction conflicts that made tariffs high), the merchant convoys are bolder than pirates considering the kind of threat they're facing; namely turnpike patrols, pirates, and tariffs/smuggling.

218

General Discussion / Re: So, what do people think of the difficulty?

« on: October 25, 2014, 07:21:22 AM »

Once again through all patches the AI still seems to be the one thing that makes me alt F4 and go play something with human beings on my team.

The new "be more careful" thing going on with the AI has resulted in it dancing around like a fairy against targets that are not even moving. (Even dead ones at times!) Its painful watching a wolf with no flux dance about miss 2/4 missiles because it feels the need to dance about.

Hyperions actually seem to have taken this new AI the worst. beforehand they abused the AI's fast thinking ability to get in and get dirty, dodging missiles and playing with shield directions in a stunning display, Now it just pokes from afar and panics at the slightest bit of flux like something is wrong with it.

Let's face it, even the AI crew realizes that the Hyperion is a frail and expensive teleporting frigate. You don't get a lot of money only to let it pop from a lucky hit. It's better to be in the hands of professional captains who were fighter pilots.

219

General Discussion / Re: Your .65 failures and successes?

« on: October 24, 2014, 07:28:55 PM »

Failure was on my recorded run, playing in Normal+Full. Even with a Wolf+Heavy Blaster, playing on a laptop left me handicapped. After I made my save, I lost it to a frigate and destroyer, then lost a newly obtained Lasher to a pair of frigates. When I got a Vigilance, I know it won't end well, so I quit and marked the recorded run as botched and uploaded it anyway to review my mistakes. I prefer not to play in Iron because I am still adjusting to the version, but the gameplay is intimidating to those new to the game, with faction restrictions and all. Good thing I saved prior to the disaster, or it will take weeks for me to get playing again because I have a prior commitment with Ace Combat Infinity.

What was on my spending wishlist is a standard Afflictor frigate and a pair of antimatter blasters and reaper torpedoes.

220

General Discussion / Re: My 0.65 RC-1 Fleet

« on: October 24, 2014, 07:17:20 PM »

*realizes being still stuck in the early game at Normal+Full, and facepalms in the realization* I'll come back once the needed ships are available to me. 

221

General Discussion / Re: 0.65a Missile Balance

« on: October 24, 2014, 07:12:09 PM »

I tried Missile Specialization 10, and it makes missiles gloriously overpowered for the flagship.  (It was borderline overpowered before 0.65's improvements.)  Annihilators are like a super assault gun, and Reapers are simply evil!  With Missile Specialization 10, it is easy for a Wolf flagship with two Reaper mounts (for four shots) to destroy almost any single ship in a blink.  I am very tempted to get Missile Specialization 5, though Navigation 10 and Flux Dynamics 10 sorely compete with precious skill points.  The flagship with Missile Specialization 10 and torpedoes will kill something very quickly.

...assuming that the player makes out of the early game first, and that the player is a rocket/torpedo crack-shot. My familiarity lies in the AM blaster-armed Afflictor with guardian escorts, but I call that style as "sinking ships like a bomber boss".

222

General Discussion / Re: crazy idea!

« on: October 24, 2014, 07:06:32 PM »

Yeah, there's a max radius (about planet-sized).

Here's a fleet of 9999 paragons as proof:

Spoiler

[close]

The t(r)olling patrols would have a day job with contact ranges that large. 

223

General Discussion / Re: Is there an independent military market?

« on: October 24, 2014, 07:04:00 PM »

That actually not a bad idea. A Independant station home to mostly mercenaries. Would be kind of cool- especially if we can at some point hire mercenaries.

Or perhaps a mercenary faction recognized as separate from the Independent factions... one whose services are of the highest bidder, no matter who the bidder is... and has the military might and member support to withstand any force from those who decide to cross them. A faction whose neutral relations make others consider to remain on good terms and keep conflicts business-related.

A faction composed of veterans who realize that the foes they face are not absolute enemies, but those marked as such under ideologies and "-ism"s, yet all they know throughout life is to fight and survive in such a dark patch of the universe. A faction that develops its own branch of technology based from a mix of feedback and reverse-engineering.

224

General Discussion / Re: So, what do people think of the difficulty?

« on: October 24, 2014, 06:53:43 PM »

well, that was easy, i couldnt find any ships i wanted to form a solid fleet composition in the time it took to make a few million so i ended up just buying a paragon and now im "winning" whatever that means.

Even then, a lone Paragon roaming the void may be able to survive pirates by beaming them to death, yet it would starve from its own sluggishness unless supported by tugs and suppliers, which both eat up logistics anyway.

225

General Discussion / Re: So, what do people think of the difficulty?

« on: October 24, 2014, 06:50:28 PM »

Don't search for the exact same ship to replace it, make do with something else of a similar ship class, the game forces you to adapt and change your fleet configuration and tactics that you employ to win.

A better idea for non-Ironman players:  Rage-quit and reload.

As for Ironman players, they chose the pain and will have to suck it up and make do.

And yet I face-palmed when I definitely goofed my recorded run. My Wolf w/ Heavy Blaster was lost, then the newly attained Lasher was also lost. I cannot afford going Iron blindly, since I don't learn my mistakes well when having to start over. It's going to take a lot of time until that botched run is uploaded to my channel for anyone to discuss with me what went terribly wrong.

...I miss the Afflictor frigates.  I found my groove as a Phase Strike.