Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE5 ?
 

Hi

Me and one or two friends of mine want to play SE5 in a Local Network in the next months, so i have some questions about it :

1. What are the Main-Bugs in SE5? Is there anywhere a up-to-date Buglist with those of v1.44 ?

2. Is there any info out there about the rate of release of the next patch?

3. Does it make sense to play SE5 many ours and days in the present with version 1.44, or is it better to wait 'til the next patch? Sparetime is rare http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

4. What do you think is the most cruel bug in SE5 in the present time?

We maybe want to start one and another game with up to 3 players and a bundle of KI's.

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE5 ?
 

I can't really say what bugs there are. The various bugs I hear of are generally fixed by the time I hear they existed. Bugs I've found I only tell the programmer.

The patches seem to come out when they come out. I don't keep much of an eye on that, though Kwok or Fyron probably keeps an eye on progress. Fyron recently gave a link to the list of changes for the latest patch.

As for the cruelest bug, now I'm not one to complain or worry about things being perfect, but common opinion seems to be that the Balance mod fixes the problems the stock game has. It makes the game more like the previous version, which people preferr. I for one only play BM. The problem with stock is stuff like you can't make base space yards until you have 10 levels of shipyard, and the increase in technology is slower. In stock for each new level you get you maybe add 1% to the ability while with BM is goes up maybe 5% a level making it worth researching a new level. I noticed soemone ask about racial abilities recently and Fyron (who is a big wig in the community) said stock racial abilities makes him sad.

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

Ah, thank you, Randallw

Like we say here in germany : i will throw an eye on the BM (means : i will have a look http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif ).
Though, two of us three have little experience with SE5 (and SE4), we may start up with BM from the beginning, following your recommendation.

Another question to Damage-Location:
The ships in SE5 have 3 decks containing their devices.
How does the damage-location work in SE5? The ship-battles are 2-demensional, and the ship-models are 3D.
Does the incoming damage count against 1 deck chosen randomly, and the depth of the shot (in example in the case of a depleted uranium cannon) damaging step by step the components ? (mmh.. i think, its more complicated...)

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

Damage is first applied non-directional to shields, then armor, then directionally to outer and inner slots. Decks are only present to provide more slots and don't have any effect on damage distribution.

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

They must give at least some damage distribution. If you place 3 components on the same slot on all 3 decks, which one will be damaged first? Will the damage be spread out between all 3 components with each subsequent shot?

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

I'd guess it would be in the order of placement...

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

Basically, SE5 seems barely usuable for "pure" MP gaming to me.

The AI is seriously crippled as several ministers do not work at all (not brain-dead as in SE4, mind you, they're doing absolutely nothing !!) - I heard of the Pop Transport Minister and had no luck getting Satellite or Minelayers to work.

This not only makes the game a walkover concerning SP and MP gaming with AI players, it adds to (unnecessary) micromanagement as well ...

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

SEV only truly shines in MP, where strategy can really change the outcome of the game. In SP an inefficient economy supporting brute force is enough.
IMHO it's better to play less complex games like Sword of the Stars if you want to play singleplayer... not that the occassional short skirmish against the AI in SEV couldn't be fun.

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

Does the Balance Mod even fix the problems of the AI's, so i may play games with 1 or 2 Player-Empires and 4 or 5 Computer controlled ones, which makes sense?

Otherwise..
I have a problem. On one side, i can't play against AI-Empires to get some practice, 'cause of the non-existant AI-brain. On the other side if i play a multiplayer game with x Players, then it may be that I have to trash my little Empire for sure after 100 or 150 rounds of play, because someone tramples me down, and my little practice of playing SE5 isn't enough.

With the current status with SE5 today, the only thing i can do (from my point of view) is to put the game into the box and on the shelf, and wait for the next 2 patches, before i may have my next look on it.

I hope, i may play a game in SE5 this year, in which it makes sense to play against some AI's and 1-2 human players.

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

The Balance Mod AI is fairly well developed. Game settings that encourage a decent game are at least 2000 racial points, 500,000 tech points, and a low bonus for computer players.

The next version of the mod, v1.10, will be released in conjunction with the next SE:V patch. It'll have a significantly better AI than v1.09, but will not be save game compatible. It should be available within the next couple of weeks.

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

Question : Where can I find a table about the amount of bonus of certain population-levels (i.e. for production)? At which levels do i get which bonusses?

@Kwok : Thank you for your recommendation. In this very moment, i play SE5 with you BM for my own, against the computer. I don't think, i may beat the AI's, because of they know all the rules, and me not.
If I survive this game, i'll take those settings you told about above.
My current settings are 2000 Racial Points, 50000 Starting Recouces and no Tech-Points at Start.

Re: Question about Bugstatus and playability of SE
 

The population modifiers are contained in Data\Settings.txt.