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Space Voyager

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While I am waiting for 7GB patch, here are some first pictures:

 

This is how it looks on steam

 

Clipboard01.jpg

 

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I see that steam adds all the DLC's or probably the limited edition is pre-order dlcs + human dlc - strangely I didn't have to enter human DLC code.

 

And now the poster

 

Box cover side:

 

100_0405.JPG

 

And the other side

 

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Also not caught on the picture - on the bottom right side there is text - "No, we're not kidding"....

 

For me System Killer from Sots 1 is a wuss comparing to this.

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I've started a game - pretty long first run to load...

 

Before I start I want you to know on what specs I am running this game:

 

CPU - i5-760 @4.0GHz

GPU - GF460 Gigabyte OC ( core - 715MHz, Shader - 1430 MHz, Memory - 1800MHz)

RAM - 8GB

Screen - Samsung series 7 32" TV

 

So as you can see I have very decent rig - not top of the line for todays standard but I can run almost any game on very high details excluding the use of AA.

 

Let's get to the point...

 

Main Menu - It is a show case of fire works (will include short movie later). I have here average of 45-50 FPS which is not to good because menu isn't that intensive and I am already scared what it will be if I will have full scale battle with beamers firing everywhere.

 

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In options there is not much as in previous version - there was another options at game luncher though.

 

There is no random map generator (I've read that Kerberos don't know how do make one?) although there is a map generator as a mod tool.

 

So below I will give you all current maps that are available from start - there are no scenarios yet - the button is disabled. The maps are divided into max numbers of players so if map is huge and says it is for 6 players only max 6 players can play. On the middle side you can see all standard options - you can't only change number of planets but you have 2 new options - number of Grand Menaces from 0 to 5!!!!!! and victory condition from last man standing to Land Grab (a slider appears at top ranging from 20% to 80%) also there are conditions for 10 Leviathans (new kind of ships) Gem Worlds (don't know what it is), Star Chambers (also don't know) and so on - total 7 different victory conditions.

 

Races are standard only Zuul are combined with Liir - didn't read the story so I don't know why - and we have Suulka Horde. So on to the maps

 

Also you start with minimum 3 systems.

 

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Passing to next screen we choose now who we will be playing, naming our Empire, choosing color and avatar and other stuff known from previous version. Strangely there is no random option for AI

 

mars%202012-01-24%2018-40-01-96.jpg

 

This avatars are all for both SolForce and SolForce Immersion - there are few more on the left and right

 

mars%202012-01-24%2018-40-21-60.jpg

 

For my personal taste - nothing fancy. The guy on the middle strangely reminds me HIM

 

Following two screens shows the difference between SolForce Immersion and standard SolForce.

 

Immersion:

 

mars%202012-01-24%2018-42-52-67.jpg

 

Vanila:

 

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Ok having chosen the map and all other stuff - the game AI I put on easy to familiarize myself with the game.

 

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We start with naming of our Homeworld

 

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From now things are pretty hard... to comprehend at first glance - lucky I have read some stuff over the forums and have some small knowledge but I will probably end up reading more.

 

Here is the glance of our small empire. The system in our homeworld has only one planet, but the system above has 2 - but only 1 colonized so I guess I will build some colonizers, but that later.

 

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Here is our empire management screen. When you first look at it head starts to hurt... In sots 1 everything was easy - planets make profit, your profit is deducted to research, fleet maintenance, colony maintenance - but here - well so many options and NO CANCEL BUTTON.... you move just one slider to check something and you will have trouble resetting this change... WHY ?

 

 

I will not tell you what every option do - some or intuitive to comprehend others - you will just have to read on the wiki / manual

 

mars%202012-01-24%2018-52-33-27.jpg

 

Here we have research screen - very similar to previous version but yet different. Navigation is horrible - you can't right click and move to left and right just up and down... I hope they will change that. Research advanced from previous game a bit. We are starting with fusion power, UV lasers, plasma cannons, some emitters, Cruisers are smallest ships, etc etc. You can now see more detailed information on weapon behaviour - pretty neat I say. There is only one thing that bothers me is what is this 99% on some techs.

 

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Also each screen have its own help screen so you will not be lost in navigation.

 

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Creating new ships is bit different - you make an invoice and you can't cancel back this order.

 

The reaction from exiting the screen is slow - I have to wait 2-3s to jump from this screen to main screen for example.

Also some actions make take longer but I will not dwell on that since it is the change of mechanics and every one can read on the official site about this system.

 

Also I have found my first 'irritating' bug - after switching to system view my sound vanished completely. Only option to restart the game - oh well.

 

The game constantly averages between 40-50FPS and no more than 50 was sighted (engine limit?)

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I have played more - this game is far more longer comparing to sots1 due to you have to first do survery missions to scout new system, then colonizers aren't wasted on the planet but can help support the colony to fasten the process, but the downside is that every each mission the fleet will have to return its starting base. Pretty much everything was changed and improved either to good or bad. That is left to decide by player himself
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The battle itself is very very akward - I got no combat music - and the weapon firing sounds are only heard at very big zoom... Control over ships are very strange. There is no close combat option only pursuit, stand off, netural and retreat in addition to all to spins and rolls... You can't access game menu during battle so If you fuck up you have to play through whole battle and if you have 5 of them for example then you are screwed. You can speed up the battle the same way although there is no indication of the speed increase
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I believe the 99% bit you noticed on the techs are the percentage chance the tech is actually possible to research - there's a chance it is a dead end you can pour money into forever without results.
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There is no random map generator (I've read that Kerberos don't know how do make one?) although there is a map generator as a mod tool.

The complexity of the systems with everything it brings with it due to the various ways of travel and is (so I read) the reason, yes. Kerberos will be adding new maps though.

 

Races are standard only Zuul are combined with Liir - didn't read the story so I don't know why - and we have Suulka Horde.

Tsk tsk. Story is a third of SotS. :clapping: Zuul race is split into those that didn't want the carnage to continue and those that blindly follow the Suul'ka.

 

Those following the Suul'ka are acting more or less the same way as they did in SotS1.

 

Other Zuul rebelled from Suul'ka and joined the Liir (not much difference really since Suul'ka are Liir reaching for immortality :P ) and help them with the dirty jobs Liir are less capable of doing. Like, quartering the bad guys and such.

 

Thank you for the screens! Love the Suul'ka on the cover.

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I wish the trade was done a bit differently.

 

Right now - you will have to build civilian station - by default it gives you 1 frigate slot for this planet. Now Cruisers are divided into 3 - normal , mega and Q.

 

Normal frigate takes 1 slot and mega takes 2 slots - the upkeep is same for both. But here things are bit more difficult - there are no sections in construction / trade slider. Increasing the slider more to trade adds more cargo to be used in frigates - I wish there was a better trade tutorial on trade.

 

In finance section (check screen I posted) there is a part for trade - this gives money to civilians and they will build frigates by their own. Don't know is it working well - but I guess if you want to have something work perfect it is better to do it yourself.

 

Because the trade thing was made different I think that the trade / construction slider should be dropped.

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  • 4 months later...

So its been a few months. I've noticed on Steam the updates are still coming, but the last few seemed to have been slightly less than the others.

 

SO NOW IS A GOOD TIME FOR YOU PUNKS TO GIVE ME A STATUS UPDATE. Ya know, to tempt me into buying another game that I haven't got the money or time for? grin.gif?

 

(AKA how does it work now? Playable? Horrible still? Ohmygodisthatacookiewhyisiteatingthatstar levels of pain?)

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Silencer may tell you more, but as far as I read it is playable. That does not say much, as it is still not feature complete and far from balanced. My non-educated advice would be take your time, there are enough finished games out there.
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I would have to play it again. But reading the latest updates of so many crashes I fear of it.

 

My main gripe is that AI doesn't have to obey to the rules that human players are and in contrary to SotS1 it doesn't need money.

 

Why I am saying that. Well in my latest playthroughs AI was throwing waves of ships against me and If I was to do it I would be bankrupt very fast. Also in SotS2 in single player mode you can swap places at any load you want and doing so I saw AI having ammount of cash like 100k, 500k, 1500k. So this whole numbers got me thinking. In no way a human player can have such round sum.

 

But when you turn to multiplayer there are issues too as I read.

 

Of course the game is playable - but is it enjoyable ? No. I've had 5 or so starts on medium sized maps. Each forced me to do same pattern - go for X-ray lasers and deep scan. Make few defensive fleets. Have them enough speed to counter assault in the nearest systems. Expand. Got pretty boring when every 2-3 turns I had to battle 1-2 AI's. And Auto Resolve is CRAP!!! NEVER USE IT, unless you are fighting against 1 ship and your own ships have superior firepower.

 

There is also one thing that bothers me like hell. In combat system is divided into control sectors. When enemy fleet arrives it takes away that sectors unless you send a ship there to reclaim it. After the battle mostly one of that sector will be in enemy hands and when next battle occurs they will come from this spot. If this spot is in the vicinity of planets well you have a problem. Sectors should be all yours after all enemy fleets are destroyed or fled from your system. Of course this works both ways but humans versus AI's will generally will have planetary assault capable fleets and the battle will last 1 turn.

 

I feel sorry for Kerberos. Great game, great ideas, but they went so high with the difficulty bar that Inferno Level in Diablo 3 is like a playground. And I don't think they have such skilled coders like Epic or Crytek have.

 

 

So my advice - unless you feel for some BDSM go for it. If not then either go for SotS1, MoO, Endless Space or other space strategies. Whatever you fancy.

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  • 1 month later...

With today patch I've testes SotS2 once more. They have added plenty of stuff - you can see the game is evolving - slowly but if there is progress there is hope. As far as go playability I think it is safe to save it is playable though if you read forums there are still things not implemented or broken but majority of the game is working. So if you wanted to play this game I think this is the time you might try.

 

Maybe I will try AAR but SotS2 is very different from SotS1.

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I've played whole weekend. It is going in right direction but after a while I hit a performance slow down. Every action I want to do takes 10-15 seconds of delay and you do plenty of actions later in game so I got bored really of this. AI is still not able to be good like in SotS2. Sure it can sometimes lunch surprise attack but you would still think it should do better. For example I took 6 players map. 2 AIs were doing good and those 2 AI were my nuisance. They are still obsessed with sending fleets at same system.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Ol' sparky encounter. A little anticlimactic ending. I have weakened him by sacrificing 3 old tech fleets. He appeared to quickly and right inside of my borders so I had to act quickly.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C8OYYe6MY0

 

In SotS2 he moves from system to system not in straight line like it was in SotS1. He eats only planets - every turn 1 planet.

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