Can't build a mining station

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!

Moderators: elliotg, Icemania

Post Reply
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

Hi guys, I am just getting into my first game of DW. I have the Shadows expansion pack. I started the game, built some construction ships, and they just sit idle because I can't build a single mining station. It has to do with influence from a nearby empire, known as a confederacy. Despite gas giants and volcanic planets in orbit directly next to me, somehow their influence is preventing me from doing anything!

I have tried going to war with them, but it still refuses to let me build anything anywhere. [&:]

It's quite annoying and I'm thinking of just starting the game over, but would like your advice as to how to proceed.

Thanks! [:)]
User avatar
pycco
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:36 pm
Location: United States of America
Contact:

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by pycco »

sounds like you had another empire in your system. try a different game and see.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

Yes, that's correct. Is there really no way to move forward in this game?? [&:]
User avatar
pycco
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:36 pm
Location: United States of America
Contact:

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by pycco »

no there is but it being your first game, i would not suggest it.

To continue the game retire all ships, make sure your science is a max, by editing the space port design to have appropriate research stations, go as low on tax as you can to increase pop growth. don't fight pirates pay off, pay them to destroy your enemy's space port. research, energy collectors,transport systems, nuclear devastation, bigger ships. if you are playing on pre-warp go for warp field precursors. once you have a form of hyper drive. build a Nuclear devastation fleet you will need about 30ish Nuclear weapons not ships the weapons to be effective. train about 20ish troops this takes time plan ahead. build troop transport ships. invade there world after your Nuclear fleet has diminished there troop strength to lower than your by a considerable amount.

success can vary depending on settings and experience, difficulty ect.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

Wow, holy cow, why can't I just build a mine! [:'(]
HTG
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2014 3:14 pm
Location: Region of Karlsruhe, Germany

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by HTG »

First, you can only build mines in systems you own or neutral systems.
Second, only one mine per planet is possible. If one of your opponents already build a mine on a planet, you cannot build a second one on the same planet.
Third, the private sector is paying for the mine and if they are out of money, than you have some trouble building mines. (I think it only works, when you directly order a construction ship to build a mine on a planet)
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

The problem is I started right in a buffer zone. Both empires stalled out, with negative cashflow, because we couldn't build anything. I was stuck just sitting there, and when I looked at my neighboring empire, he was doing the same. It seems like something should be done about it - I mean as soon as I hit start game, I was already dead in the water.
User avatar
Spidey
Posts: 455
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 11:39 am

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by Spidey »

Unlucky starts happen, though I've never heard about being unable to build mines in your starting system before.
User avatar
pycco
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:36 pm
Location: United States of America
Contact:

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by pycco »

your not dead in the water if anything it gives you a huge advantage. what happened was your mistake. i explained how to deal with it already.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

I guess in terms of story and gameplay it felt that way - imagine being a brand new spacefaring empire and because of a random sentient race on the other side of a giant solar system you couldn't send a ship to your own moon.
User avatar
Spidey
Posts: 455
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 11:39 am

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by Spidey »

ORIGINAL: pycco

your not dead in the water if anything it gives you a huge advantage. what happened was your mistake. i explained how to deal with it already.
I'm not sure how it's a "huge advantage" to have to start out not doing anything for a few years until you've researched enough tech to overwhelm an AI that isn't really holding back that much. You're going way behind on scouting, you're collecting no resources, and while it's a big plus to get a second homeworld early on, it's an even bigger plus if that homeworld isn't in your own home system.

Oh, and "what happened was your mistake" is a bit hostile, isn't it? It's not really Lion's mistake that he started in a system that he didn't formally own and I can see why that would be a right pain for any reasonably new DW player.
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

It was literally my first game, lol... I was sitting there for several hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Ahh well, my own fault, I guess! [8|]
User avatar
pycco
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:36 pm
Location: United States of America
Contact:

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by pycco »

@spidey that's a HW, capable of supporting enough people to fiance you into the mid to late game. Try it you will see what happens after you conquer it. which is easy

@ fire lion, i told you it would probably be best to start a new game. due to it being your first game. you were given an opportunity you did not possess the knowledge or skills to maximize its potential the game handed you a easy later game with a harder start.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain
User avatar
Spidey
Posts: 455
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 11:39 am

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by Spidey »

I'm aware that an early second homeworld is a nice cashcow, assuming you can actually take it over, though that in itself can drag out some depending on the player race and the tech costs. Atuuks trying to take over a Boskara or Ikkuro homeworld? That's potentially a long wait, isn't it? And meanwhile there's no significant resource generation happening.

It's doable, certainly, but it would also be doable if he actually owned his starting system. In fact, if that homeworld had been in a neighbor system then he'd likely be able to secure two systems worth of resources to mine and then we'd be taking about a really awesome starting situation. All the same rewards and none of the problems.
User avatar
pycco
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:36 pm
Location: United States of America
Contact:

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by pycco »

generally when this happens its the same species as you, with nothing to build you can set taxes 5% allowing for a huge population boom. if you pay the pirates you are already paying to not kill you to supply resources they bring in whatever you want them to, they can also keep the enemy without a space port. if there HW was in a different system you would not see it before you had FTL travel. influence only goes to the system edge before FTL travel.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

To prevent this kind of silliness in the future, I was thinking about playing a game with colony influence range set to minimum (10%) and to turn off enforcing colonization range limits. Does this seem like a good idea, or will I just create even further problems? I'm new to the game, so I'm not sure what it was like without these options.
User avatar
pycco
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:36 pm
Location: United States of America
Contact:

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by pycco »

this rarely happens imo its a scripted event.
i play with colonization limits on 1 sector, influence i leave at 100%, it helps stop crazy empires spirals.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

What is an empire spiral?
User avatar
pycco
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:36 pm
Location: United States of America
Contact:

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by pycco »

before all the expansion there was not influence range. it equals some crazy empire spirals where 5 empires could have mining stations and such in the same systems, the colonies where interwoven.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain
FireLion1983
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:56 pm

RE: Can't build a mining station

Post by FireLion1983 »

Is that bad? To me it seems like reality and could really make diplomacy and the art of war pretty interesting. I have no idea of the implication to gameplay tho, so it could end up horrible.
Post Reply

Return to “Distant Worlds 1 Series”