Some good strategy questions (experts welcome)

from Sins Forums

So I havent bought the game yet, but am looking forward to it

But I have been doing some research and wanted to see if I could learn some strategies, and a little about the game

1. First question, if you could manage to get the AI to follow or "sneak" up on a small decoy fleet you put around a gas planet, and the destroyed the planet from a distance, would it cause a bigger explosion? If it does, would it be able to destroy or badly damage those wee ships ;)

2. Ive heard some complaints like the ships just sit there, so is it a pain to make them move or dont the already move?

3. Does this game actually give you the real feel of exploring, for example star trek, all about exploring, and that feeling you got of what they were going to find next? So have you ever just followed your scout to see what you would find

4. And just some really awesome strategys/tactics would be fun to hear

4,726 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
1) As far as I know you cannot destroy Gas Giant, or any other type of planet, only the colonies on them.

2) Your ships immediately move anywhere you tell them to, and will auto-target enemy ships and get into combat with them, but only AFTER they have completed your orders. So if you order them to go to a planet, they may enter the system, bypass all the enemies and go close to the planet, then once they get there, turn around and auto-target the enemy. The best way to avoid this is to give your fleet the attack order while it is in another star system. THen it will jump in guns blazing.

3) No, you don't have the feeling of exploring, there is a pretty simplistic map and scouting reveals it. There are only a few similar-looking planet types so the excitement level of finding a new one is not really there after the first game or two.

4) Read the strategy forum, there is great stuff there!
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
2 - what people here are referring to is that during combat, once ships get into "optimal" position for attacking their current target, they'll stay there completely stationary and shoot until target is destroyed or another order is given. So they don't "fly around" during combat - they don't strafe, or engage in evading maneuvers, or try to switch positions to attack from the side, etc. This was done to keep the game from requiring powerful computers. Personally I don't find that very bothersome - though I admit, it'd be cool to have the option to turn on something like that.

Btw, fighters (strike craft) still do that, those guys fly all over the map while engaging the enemy, but the others don't.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
thanks, well this does sound like a fun game, and i understand the making it a game MANY people can play takes away from "extras", so stuff like moving ships during combat would be a little much, and its sad that the exploring excitment goes away after a few games, but those are just bonuses

well any intresting news would be great to hear

so if it isnt the exploring or the combat visuals, is the stratagy realy the thing that is pulling people in?
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
so if it isnt the exploring or the combat visuals, is the stratagy realy the thing that is pulling people in?


Considering it's a strategy game, I would hope people play it for the strategy, yeah.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
so if it isnt the exploring or the combat visuals, is the stratagy realy the thing that is pulling people in?

The combat visuals are, in my opinion, great - the sheer scale of big battles makes them awesome to look at (depending, of course, on what graphical settings your PC can handle). Hell, I even love watching a huge fleet form up and perform a phase jump. ;)

Also, while there are a limited number of planet types, exploring is absolutely critical, especially in the early game. The layout of planets and phase lanes has a big impact on strategy, so unless you're playing on a fixed map that you know well, you need to find out what's out there.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I think exploring is really good fun. You'll wind up playing lots of random maps and the first 20 min are pretty exciting as you scout planets. Your early strategy is formed by the position of planets and the bottlenecks you can create. Later on scouting the enemy can be a bit of a micro managing chore but any other way and you'd have constant info on the enemy. But the buzz you get from the first 10 min is great as you find yourself in your new home. It's not that it's all that detailed but it can have a big effect on your strategy.

as for 4) Try playing the 'next door neighbor' map and winning with culture. It's not too hard on easy and will help develop your understanding of that aspect. I won that map barely without firing a shot. Good way to win whilst drinking cups of tea :)
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

The combat visuals are, in my opinion, great - the sheer scale of big battles makes them awesome to look at (depending, of course, on what graphical settings your PC can handle). Hell, I even love watching a huge fleet form up and perform a phase jump.


I agree 100%

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
my favorite strategy is to use a massive fleet of carriers and send them on a path in circels around the gravity well.

this way they stay on the move and out of harms way while pumping bombers in to the battle in the middle where im fightin with a few cap ships.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
well of course its a strategy game sooo the people are going to buy it for strategy, i meant are the stratigies in this game alone able to keep people to come back over and over, ..or play for days ;) rather than supreme commander or any other game

now refering to my first question about the gas planets, so explosions are bigger around a gas planet, so how much? and would it be enough to possibly turn a battle if you made some "unexpected blasts" cough cough* near the planet and an enemy ship?
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
well u can move over 3 axis and using good formations can really make a difference