If you do poke the developermonkeys into adding auto-updates, please make sure there's a corresponding option in the Preferences to disable it if people want, or do as SDC has always done and pop up a window on load, tell us X, Y and Z have updates, do you want them? I'd probably leave the autoupdating on, to be honest, but it's very frustrating to have the choice taken out of your hands.
Played the demo earlier. Won via a wonder victory, accidentally, in a little over an hour. Seemed to be an awful lot of researching to be done in the library and elsewhere, and the only challenge seemed to be in clicking to upgrade to the next tech up the tree? :notsure: Maybe I just had it on too easy a level, but all I did to keep the AI at bay was use a General unit to make my crossbowmen/musketeers/whatever-they-evolve-into entrench themselves in the path of the AI and slaughter thei
I'm going to go download it after I've tried the Planetside beta. :) RoN looks to be a good game... I just hope the easiest AI is a bit better balanced towards being 'fun' than Empire Earth's was. 4+ hour games against the easiest AI on the smallest map is not my idea of fun! :notsure: ~SDC~
The uproar over C&C Generals being "indexed" in Germany is utterly pathetic. The game can still be sold over there, without any "modifications". To have various websites on the warpath over this has been the most appalling display of idiocy I've ever seen when it comes to 'censorship'. The game was released, the government said "hey, maybe only 18+ people should play this", big deal. If a game is deemed to contain content suitable only for people 18+ in Australia it is BANNED. Not indexe
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Later versions have altered the time at which certain events can pop up. What might be happening is that the Zoo event that creates the escaped monsters isn't occuring as early anymore, so there's a longer period between starting a game and the space monsters even having a chance to pop out? ~SDC~
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"Maybe it should be considered an act of war to build a SB in an enemy sector?" No, no, a most emphatic NO! :) An SB in a sector not owned by you is not necessarily for aggressive purposes - the most obvious of which is to build Trade enhancing modules to increase revenue. There's also a UP resolution that makes all starbase modules be effective for allies as well as the owning civilization. Whilst an ally isn't an enemy, if you built the starbase prior to an Alliance request, y
To get more influence, be sure to settle as many systems as you can. Then build influence/culture enhancing social projects. And cultural modules on starbases. Lots and lots of both. :) As for stopping them going to war with you, get ahead of them in the military strength rating if possible, or at least try and stay close behind them. The greater their superiority in military matters, the greater the chance they'll choose to exert that superiority and take your planets away. :) <BR
That's a "long-standing" suggestion, Marcus. When the game was released and the Metaverse was being flakey, myself and others pointed out that a simple success/failure popup would be incredibly useful. I think it's one of the few (good) suggestions that has been utterly ignored with no explanation... :notsure: ~SDC~
It's Ctrl-N not R, Polaris, and yes, it basically generates a brand new galaxy layout based on your existing settings. Just a shortcut to save you quitting the game, starting a new game, getting a bad start, quitting again, etc. :) Resources that you mine with a starbase are Civ-wide. So if you get a 5% morale ability boosting resource, your entire empire gets the benefit... Which is why some resources appear in otherwise 'empty' sectors, but the AI will still grab them. :) ~S
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"Hey, lets ask the UK to attack the USA, shall we?" I think it'd take a bit more than Aphrodisiacs and a couple of Battleships to break up that little partnership! LOL ~SDC~
"Hmm, why do so many people assume the interface change is a bug or a crash?" I don't know about others, but the first time it happened for me, I did wonder what was going on, since it paused completely for no apparent reason, then up popped the evil interface. I think that sudden pause is what is throwing people off. I have an AMD 2200+ so the pause isn't very long for me, but others may be finding it's pausing for quite a while? I've finally seen the Good interface.....
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And the Metaverse scores to back up your whining are.... where? :) In addition to Vorlin's explanation of why there wasn't an option to ask another race to attack a third party, did you check the "treaties" screen beforehand? Every time I've gone to ask an AI to attack someone and the option hasn't been there, the AI has already been at war with the third party. You can't declare a double war, one is enough. ;) Try a Gigantic galaxy. It gives the AI a decent chance to gear up a
Oh, I know it's possible, it just seemed to be more difficult and I was wondering if it was just my frustration or if other people had noticed it. I know it's possible, because one of my planet's kept defecting to the I-League, then about 3 turns later I'd gain it back via cultural domination... Then about 5 turns later, it'd defect again.. And so on. ;) ~SDC~
It does *seem* to be more difficult to culturally dominate the minor races... Or is it my imagination? I had (somehow) 400,000 influence in a sector at one point and a minor race planet didn't even have the skull and crossbones. :notsure: Anyone noticed minor races being more resistant? ~SDC~
One trillion is really very easy to reach in a gigantic/abundant galaxy. You'd end up tripping over it (or having an AI get there) on the way to any of the other victory conditions. :) ~SDC~
"MOM as in Masters of Magic? ... They are making a sequal?" I'm not Pontius, but yeah, MOM = Master of Magic. Quicksilver were apparently promised the right to create MOM2 if MOO3 went well. Some idiot over at QS actually asked 'the fans' if they want QS to do MOM2 now that MOO3 is finished. Uhhh, fix/finish MOO3 first, fellas. :) ~SDC~
I had well over 2 trillion people in my latest game, many on planets with 100% morale, at a tax rate of 45% (pretty consistent at 45% throughout the game). And I wasn't trying to get a huge population or anything, that's just how it panned out. :) If you "have" to lower your tax rate, you need to look into whether you're building enough Social buildings that increase morale. You could also look into adding modules to a starbase that's on a morale resource. If you don't *have* a morale resour
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Perhaps you could add a little note to all the places we can get the updates from, Brad, and say that each update incorporates NEW FEATURES as well as squashing various bugs? Not sure if that would help much, but it might disperse some of the people worried it's a "buggy game". :) ~SDC~
And again, if there's something specific... :) One tip I can offer from personal experience - when you're starting to think you should start building some defensive ships "soon", start building them THEN. You may have already left it too late. I know I have. :D Another tip would be to make good use of starbases. Not just to expand your cultural influence or add defensive strength to your ships but also to increase the military and social production of your colonies in the syste
"If you think you really CAN'T live without something in the current update, don't update yet." That should read, "If you think you really CAN'T live without something *changed/removed* in the current update, don't update yet." *cougheditbuttoncough* :) ~SDC~
Do some parts of some of the updates 'suck'? Well, yes. But I'd rather have 400 updates, each with some bits I don't like and some bits I do than 1 update and never anything more! Example: Restricting the cumulative bonus obtained from multiple starbases in a single sector meant there was less point in me building 6 starbases in my 'main' sector, to the exclusion of building any anywhere else, except for culture whackers. :) But on the other side of it, it encouraged me
Mine came up with a CTD just in time for Frasier the other night. Good thing, too, because I'd clean forgotten and got dropped back out to IRC in time to see a friend dashing off to watch it! :D A timer would be useful methinks. :) ~SDC~
Games on harder difficulties will tend to last longer, so if you want a long game... That is, of course, assuming the AI doesn't stomp you flat! LOL ~SDC~
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I build everything I can get the blueprints for. :CONGRAT: All you really have to do is ensure that if you DO go under -500BC that when all military/social/research spending is cut off, you can turn a profit. Otherwise you will be stuck without being able to build anything until you can get a positive cashflow again. :) I'm probably not playing "optimally" or in the most efficient or "uber" manner, but it works just fine for me, leaving me free to concentrate on.. you know.. having
The Yor got wiped out VERY early in my current game on Bright settings. I was very surprised, since at the time I think I only had contact with a minor race and the Altarians and Arceans! I usually find the Drengin to be the bane of my civilization. I tend to leave it until too late to start fortifying my planets with ships and end up falling too far behind so the Drengin come knocking on the door for money until they get tired of that and attack. :) This game, though, I've had the