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Author Topic: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 28/05/20  (Read 125466 times)

vesparco

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 08/02/20
« Reply #60 on: February 12, 2020, 11:53:02 AM »

Hi there.

As I was looking for this list I stumbled into the heated discussion of the subjectivity of the content. As a recent player (20h of gaming) looking to expand the experience with mods, I think I could provide the a little of perspective from "outside the box".

For me the guide provided by Captain Trek's is helpful, because it provides some insight in each mode in a compact format, considering a mod list environment, which is easy to read and does not involve jumping in each one of the pages. Most mods "presentation post" require a detailed navigation and exploration of spoilers that may not be easy for users using a mobile phone or in a dynamic environment (i.e. public transport, making micropauses at work, etc.).

The content in his list is clearly biased, just by the application of the criteria of what is "lore-friendly" and not (which I appreciate) and the organisation of mods, independently of what is the topic.  The thing is that it is clearly an opinion of someone and asking him to be objective is unfair, mostly because he is doing something that the actual modding section is missing: A synthesis of the mods listed in the mod index and its impact in the ecosystem, presented by each author..

The mod index is a nice place to see quick what mods are present in the community but lacks any sensibility of how the ecosystem behaves and what the mods brings to the table (specially in the faction section). From the list of Captain Trek I have seen quickly that many faction mods also provide additional functionalities to the game that are not present in the mod index (i.e. being commissioned by neutral faction, having blueprint hunt missions, etc). Considering the limit of modded factions in a game to avoid breaking it, it is natural that people seek a mod list or some synthesis of information to consider what to add and what to remove (and discrimination is unavoidable under such conditions).
Due to the lack of an organised section for this, it is normal they take Captain Trek's list as reference.

I consider that the issue here is not his guide but the lack of an equivalent element complementing the index list, providing the view of mods as an ecosystem, instead of single pieces. And to avoid any subjectivity, this should not be written in collaboration, not by a single person.




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Thaago

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 08/02/20
« Reply #61 on: February 12, 2020, 02:52:23 PM »

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the perspective!

Quote
...he is doing something that the actual modding section is missing: A synthesis of the mods listed in the mod index and its impact in the ecosystem, presented by each author..

This is interesting. We could ask mod authors for a short sentence description of their own mod (how well it fits in lorewise, power creep level, and integration concerns) and collect it in a thread. I don't think it should be in the mod index itself, as that should be kept as clean as possible, but it could be a valuable resource. On the other hand, with the sheer number of mods even short descriptions would make it a truly gigantic post and it might be hard to actually get useful data from it.
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Tackywheat1

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 08/02/20
« Reply #62 on: February 16, 2020, 09:51:18 AM »

Commenting back on the Luddic Church Cathedral spam 3? pages earlier

Spoiler
[close]

Image from a few months ago (based on the posts, this was solved)
No appearance of luddic church onslaughts
I also messed with the fleet size and doctrine fleet size multiplier which resulted in some very inflated capital heavy fleets.
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Sagitta

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 08/02/20
« Reply #63 on: February 17, 2020, 05:25:31 AM »


Spoiler
[close]


More cathedrals than medieval europe!

I wonder if it wouldn´t be better to make it a unique ship that you have to get through Ship/Weapon Packs own bounty system.
Or make it appear only in special fleets as a single flagship (I have no idea if something like this can be implemented, I´m no modder).
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strich

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 08/02/20
« Reply #64 on: February 17, 2020, 11:58:25 AM »

I signed up just to say this: As a new player, this guide has been utterly indispensible!
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Captain Trek

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #65 on: February 21, 2020, 05:19:51 AM »

22/02/20:

Added detailed write-up for Anvil Industries.
Added entry and detailed write-up for Torchships and Deadly Armaments.

---

I consider that the issue here is not his guide but the lack of an equivalent element complementing the index list

Like I've said before, there was a demand for it. I endeavoured to satisfy that demand. I thank you for that and your other kind words.

I wonder if it wouldn´t be better to make it a unique ship that you have to get through Ship/Weapon Packs own bounty system.

I'd be all for that, honestly.

I signed up just to say this: As a new player, this guide has been utterly indispensible!

Thank you, also!
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Unnamed_Shadow

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #66 on: April 21, 2020, 11:21:45 AM »

will you continue this guide? This is what got me into mods TBH.

And i wanna read your opinion on the other mods yet to be reviewed.
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Copperwire

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #67 on: April 22, 2020, 12:34:11 AM »

Returning player.  Thank you for the ambition of curating this .... huge pile of magical and terrible potential. 

I am sure it has been said before; the biggest barrier to entry to this mod world is the fact that I just downloaded and extracted 30 files.  Version checker helps.  A full blown mod management app would really be nice - and lacking that, full "pack" downloads for your mod lists (canon and non-canon) would be even better.  It's not like someone getting into mods will bother to second guess your suggestions much - if we don't like it, enabling or adding one here or there is much less crazy then what I just did to add them all at once.

All of this is better then last time I was playing and I appreciate that.  Thanks.  Now I am gonna go dive in :)
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furl

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #68 on: April 22, 2020, 08:56:56 AM »

Thanks for the guide, Captain. It's certainly one of the more interesting reads on the forum. It is biased alright, but this shouldn't be labeled as a downside, as there are people (like me) looking specifically for someone else's opinion to get a quick impression without having to install everything and spend tens of hours getting hands-on experience. Will certainly look forward to updates!
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00lewnor

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #69 on: May 11, 2020, 02:07:28 PM »

Not quite "I disagree with something so strongly that I NEED you to change it" but some opinions:
  • This was probably a good idea, thank you for doing it!
  • I think that Interesting portrait pack by Interestio is a better fit with the vanilla art style than HELMUT’s portrait pack
  • The Mayorate is updated! Since when! One second please.
  • boggled’s mods have all been condensed into one now. (terraforming, gate construction, station construction, A.I. core industry)
  • Version checker seems like it should be on all the mod lists QoL, not just the worth considering list.
  • Transponder reminders is in vanilla now? And breaks a vanilla feature? Another second please.
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Draconian Starburst

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #70 on: May 15, 2020, 02:18:15 AM »

I just want to say thank you Captain Trek. I was looking for a succinct, well informed list of mods to use after my first 100 or so hours playing vanilla Starsector, and you have provided this and more. This was exactly what I was looking for, fully aware (as you state yourself right at the start) that it is an opinion piece and that other schools of thought are available.

Complete neutrality is impossible, especially when advising on which mods to use as it is completely subjective. Keep doing what you’re doing in the way that you’re doing it. I for one appreciate your monumental efforts.

OK, I’m done with the sycophantic platitudes now, I’m off to kill some pirates :D
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eidolad

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #71 on: May 26, 2020, 04:54:15 PM »

I think that there is definitely room in this forum for "fan guides" or such, and this one deserves a place there.  Similar to how steam has a whole section in its discussion forum for guides of all types.

I read this over and was able to create a new mod combo for a new game.  Which I think is one of the main purposes of me for this type of guide.
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Captain Trek

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 22/02/20
« Reply #72 on: May 28, 2020, 06:17:16 AM »

Sorry I've been away so long, folks!

28/05/20:
- Minor updates to the write-ups of Anvil Industries, Diable Avionics, Galaxy Tigers, Mayasuran Navy, and Vayra's Ship Pack to account for their most recent updates.
- Major update to the write-up of Sanguinary Anarchistic Defectors. Added Vesperon Combine to the sub-factions section of the non-adjacent modlist as Sanguinary's blueprint-farming aspect has been substantially nerfed.
- Major update to the write-up of Hazard Mining Incorporated. Mod is no longer vanilla-adjacent and is presently in a bit of a state of upheaval, so has for the moment been moved to the optional factions section of the non-adjacent modlist.
- Added entry and detailed write-up for Xhan Empire.
- Removed entry for Kipling Radiative, as the mod is defunct.
- Done some additional work on cleaning up FAQ wording.

---

will you continue this guide?
Will certainly look forward to updates!

Wish granted!


I just want to say thank you Captain Trek. I was looking for a succinct, well informed list of mods to use after my first 100 or so hours playing vanilla Starsector, and you have provided this and more. This was exactly what I was looking for, fully aware (as you state yourself right at the start) that it is an opinion piece and that other schools of thought are available.

Complete neutrality is impossible, especially when advising on which mods to use as it is completely subjective. Keep doing what you’re doing in the way that you’re doing it. I for one appreciate your monumental efforts.

OK, I’m done with the sycophantic platitudes now, I’m off to kill some pirates :D
I think that there is definitely room in this forum for "fan guides" or such, and this one deserves a place there.  Similar to how steam has a whole section in its discussion forum for guides of all types.

I read this over and was able to create a new mod combo for a new game.  Which I think is one of the main purposes of me for this type of guide.

I told everyone there was a demand for this. Many didn't believe me. Thankyou all so much for your support! ^^


and lacking that, full "pack" downloads for your mod lists (canon and non-canon) would be even better. 

It has been suggested to me... in the strongest possible terms, I might add... that this would be a very, very bad idea, as mods are continually being updated.


Not quite "I disagree with something so strongly that I NEED you to change it" but some opinions:
  • This was probably a good idea, thank you for doing it!
  • I think that Interesting portrait pack by Interestio is a better fit with the vanilla art style than HELMUT’s portrait pack
  • The Mayorate is updated! Since when! One second please.
  • boggled’s mods have all been condensed into one now. (terraforming, gate construction, station construction, A.I. core industry)
  • Version checker seems like it should be on all the mod lists QoL, not just the worth considering list.
  • Transponder reminders is in vanilla now? And breaks a vanilla feature? Another second please.

One good list deserves another, soooo:

  • You flatter me, sir.
  • I'm definitely behind on portrait packs. I got some useful information about how CPU-intensive different packs are a while back, so I'll have to get on that at some point.
  • Sure is!
  • Fixed as of this update to the guide.
  • Still in two minds about this. I don't want to encourage people stumbling into breaking their saves.
  • Yup. The mod version I think was a little more extensive than the currently extant vanilla feature, but sadly the two clash.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2020, 06:25:45 AM by Captain Trek »
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Mondaymonkey

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 28/05/20
« Reply #73 on: May 28, 2020, 08:19:09 AM »

Quote
Gates: Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to unlock this mod's gate construction mechanic, so I cannot comment as to its quality with sureity. If you have experience with this system, please let me know.

That is for Terraforming and station construction mod. Just in case.

As you probably already feel, gate construction are not have-from-a-beginning thing. You have to earn it. There are quest to complete. It is starts, IIRC after level 40 if you travel far enough from a core. And, yeah, you can fail it, which mean no gates, sorry. On the other hand, I won't say it is a hard quest. And yes, those are not a domain gates, quest will explain you, domain gates reviving is impossible. Those are an "astral gates" made by enlarging and re-purposing astral's ability to return back it's fighters. And that makes this technology very resource consuming. I mean it. Up to 1m for each gate per month. Off course, you can decrease it in many different ways summary almost to 100k, but the general idea - if you can construct and feed a pair of gates - you probably already "won" a game, so it won't make your life much easier. Endgame money sinkhole. As most of the mod's content.

Is it lore-heresy? Probably it is, but not as much you described.

Is it overpower empire construction kit? Certainly it is. Is it a bad thing? Also, simple activation of "cramped quarters" makes stations far less attractive. It should be "by default" option. IMO.

Quote
making already broken things even more broken... did I mention you should only use this mod if you're okay with broken things being even more broken...?

I wouldn't say you have no basis to say so, but... Come on, dude! You can adjust almost anything in setting (I mean it, not just "on" and "off", you can choose prices, terraforming speed and etc. Default settings are made to be not-as-hard) to fit what you think is acceptable. And you can not use most of the features in early and mid-game. And in a late game, you probably already a sector overpower, changing a one planet texture into another won't change anything.

P.S. You are doing a hard and very useful work here. God bless you.


« Last Edit: May 28, 2020, 08:21:28 AM by Mondaymonkey »
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MrFluffster

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Re: [0.9.1a] Captain Trek's Guide to the Modiverse - Updated 28/05/20
« Reply #74 on: May 28, 2020, 02:37:51 PM »

Glad to see the project still alive! Hopefully Fluff's Ship Pack can find its way onto the list someday
« Last Edit: May 28, 2020, 03:37:59 PM by MrFluffster »
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