Distant Worlds: Shadows

Distant Worlds is a vast, pausable real-time, 4X space strategy game which models a "living galaxy" with incredible options for replayability and customizability. Experience the full depth and detail of large turn-based strategy games, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game. Now greatly enhanced with the new Universe release, which includes all four previous releases as well as the new Universe expansion!

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Mansen
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Mansen »

I like the concept - As "Fishers" mention, 4X games tend to end up with a slow and tedious cleanup phase. This way the AI stays relevant even when you can field massive planet cleansing dreadnoughts.

Would be even more fun if the opposing empires could join up and merge into singular bigger empires - they give up automation in order to survive against this "great evil" that is a threat to them all.
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Kobracan
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Kobracan »

Mine was a question about which way it will be. So do you know that it will be just progressively more cheats when that box is checked? Do you know that the game was getting progressively harder by other empires banding together before?
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Kayoz
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Kayoz »

ORIGINAL: Kobracan

Mine was a question about which way it will be. So do you know that it will be just progressively more cheats when that box is checked? Do you know that the game was getting progressively harder by other empires banding together before?
I assume you mean, that if you load an old game, is there any way you can determine whether or not the box was ticked?

No idea. Hopefully Erik will address your question.
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Erik Rutins
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Erik Rutins »

A couple more quick preview shots for you all...


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Erik Rutins
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Erik Rutins »

The new Achievements/Medals screen. We're still working on this one, along with making sure we are happy with final balance and that any potential issues in the last build or two are investigated and addressed, but overall we're wrapping things up and iterating new builds and testing to make sure we have a stable release ready build to go gold with later this week.

Anyway, the way this screen works is that you see the current game on the top two rows. You can select any of the factions to look at the achievements in detail, those that are not selected are summarized below.

The bottom two rows are your collection of all medals/achievements from all games completed to date and a ranked comparison list of your performance in previous games. For the current test build on this system I've only completed one game (as the Kiadian Federation) which you see listed below, with the current game info on top. There are a lot of possible achievements and medals, some easy to earn and some much harder.

Regards,

- Erik


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shunwick
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by shunwick »

Galaxy in Flames! Nice.

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unclean
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by unclean »

The only other game I've played that had scaling difficulty like this is Civ 4, very cool to see something similar in Shadows. I always liked being able to effectively play at Immortal or Diety minus the brutal early rushes.

btw, has a way to filter fleet ships out of the military sidepanel been added in Shadows? It's pretty much the only thing I've been hoping for in Shadows that hasn't shown up in a screenshot so far.
Heliot
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Heliot »

I just played a game Legens. I was on a happy tour with two troop fleets with additional protection against any inconveniences ;D

I just decide to solidify my position with the new planets who happened to fall into my possession and the 3 of them revolted [:@]

And there where troops still on ground of my original race, I could understand if the knew troops would revolt or at least some of them but all?

Is there some sort of mechanic in shadows that gives me the possibility to garrison troops, to prevent this?
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jpwrunyan
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by jpwrunyan »

ORIGINAL: shunwick
Galaxy in Flames! Nice.

That is probably going to be the easiest medal to get.

So happy we are rewarded with some kind of end screen and score calculation. Will there be fanfare as well? That would be nice.*

*I can record some on kazoo for you if there's no room in your budget. I'll have to get a kazoo first.
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Hawawaa
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Hawawaa »

Awesome! Thanks for the updates.

Also to hold people over before Shadows EPISODE 3- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSR3BdBTAmA
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Webbco
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Webbco »

Hehe. That would be beautiful. A victory song on a kazoo may even bring a tear to my eye.
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dazoline II
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by dazoline II »

So a pre warp empire with no ability to get to other stars still has other stars in its sphere of influence? That seems a bit odd doesn't it?

Saw this in the 3rd preview.
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Erik Rutins
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Erik Rutins »

In the Distant Worlds: Shadows that I'm playing empires only get a sphere of influence once they discover faster than light travel. I'll take a look at the third video to see if I can see what you were asking about.

Regards,

- Erik
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dazoline II
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by dazoline II »

Its the Boskara Empire, where he can sell hyperdrive to them, and no observable craft with a hyperdrive installed. So I'm assuming their still pre warp and confined to their own solar system. Its about the 25 minute mark of the video.
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Erik Rutins
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Erik Rutins »

Ah, I think I understand what you saw now, still catching up on the video. Note that there's a new lower level to the tech tree now, with tech that exists before the first level of tech in Legends. So the first level of hyperspace is actually called Warp Field Precursors. That gives you the Warp Bubble Generator, the first early Hyperdrive. The second level is called Hyperdrive Technology and gives you the trusty Gerax Hyperdrive.

They probably just finished research on the Warp Bubble Generator and hadn't yet built or retrofit many hyperspace capable ships, but once they become hyperspace capable that sphere of influence would appear. I'll double-check the video to make sure that's what was in there, but that's how it works in 100% of the Shadows tests for months now.

Regards,

- Erik
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Erik Rutins
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Erik Rutins »

Yep, just watched it and that's what it is. They've discovered the Warp Bubble Generator, but not the Gerax Hyperdrive. They only need the first basic Warp Bubble generator to travel to other systems and extend a sphere of influence. I'm guessing their hyperspace ships are either still being built or are out of the system on missions. Given that not much time has passed in the game so far, I'd lean towards they just discovered it and are about to start spreading out.

Taking their 85k in exchange for better thrusters should actually slow them down a bit as far as building those expensive first hyperspace ships, though it will make their sublight ships a bit more dangerous.

Regards,

- Erik
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dazoline II
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by dazoline II »

Thanks for taking the time to explain it Eric!
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Tanaka
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Tanaka »

ORIGINAL: Kobracan

This is really great. The video and the screen look superb. I can't wait to play this. However, I can't help but agreeing with Ashbery76. He brought up some great points.

Especially:

* War weariness: This is low hanging fruit. The game already ticks up war weariness when in war. You just need to implement a ticking down war weariness when not in war (and teach the AI about it). As it is this is a useless mechanic as you can immediately get rid of all war weariness in an instant and re-declare war.
* Subjugation: This should also be fixed very easily. It's just a rule change.
* Reputation: To easy to game (raise by destroying pirates etc.) and not enough penalties/discouragement for bad reputation in my opinion.

I know Erik said diplomacy wasn't the focus for this expansion but we are not talking about a complete overhaul of the diplomatic system here. Just a few fixes / improvements. These are really some glaring long-standing problems that should be addressed (hopefully in a patch after the Shadows release).

That being said, Shadows looks great. Looking forward to it!

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76
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Sweet.

Is war wariness relevant? The old get peace and DOW exploit kills the mechanic.

Is subjugation relevant? Putting the work into destroying an empire to get this treaty only to have the other empires get it too makes it not.It should be a treaty only one race should get with subjugated empire in question.Mopping up the whole empire is the only sensible option atm.

Are alliances and bribing empires to attack relevant? Bride100,000 to get an empire to DOW and 5 mins later they are at peace again.Wut.

I cannot ask the military access or miing rights.Silly,silly,silly.

Spies and A.I.Not relevant in legends.

I hope some long term issues are fixed along with the new awesome.

Ditto. Could not agree more with this!
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Cauldyth
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by Cauldyth »

Thanks for the weekend update, Erik.

P.S. You need to update the copyright year on the bottom of that title screen!
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dazoline II
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RE: Distant Worlds: Shadows

Post by dazoline II »

Moscow by winter? Only if you send Fast Heinz to Kiev.
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