Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

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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Blabsawaw22
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Blabsawaw22 »

That would be the only possible reasoning I could see being a downside to "graphics" but that would actually be memory at fault right? as IN hardware.. which Hardware improved, and so does Graphics with it..

I won't get into the discussion about limitations of the Graphic Engines but here..

Please watch both videos.. and watch game companies and people that care and don't ruin games..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2YPs0AkzvU


https://youtu.be/ekx3JmMyu6E
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Bingeling
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Bingeling »

I am not in a position to watch videos right now. Having giant levels with sweet graphics is in a way hardware related, but not only memory related. You may need to be very clever in graphics logic to perform in that case. Better hardware do of course help, but you do not want to require "top of the line hardware" to play a strategy game.

But it is largely irrelevant in this case, there is quite a bit of middle ground to pick between the current DWU and the best looking games out there.

Another issue may be that there could be game designers that are extremely good in making games where graphics is so simple they can do a "one man show" (with some minor help in certain areas). The same brilliant game designer may no longer be so brilliant if the game requires a 15 man team to get netcode and graphics "right".

I do not know Elliot, but DWU is very close to a "one man game". The above is one reason I am very scared of adding multiplayer to DW, but not so much of doing some upgrade in graphics.
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Blabsawaw22 »

Bingeling,

I am definitely not going to argue with you as I respect you and you are very informative and a very important Distant Worlds Celebrity believe it or not. You have a wealth of knowledge and tests with this game.

But I leave with this.
but you do not want to require "top of the line hardware" to play a strategy game.

But it is largely irrelevant in this case, there is quite a bit of middle ground to pick between the current DWU and the best looking games out there.

I find that funny because such a "strategy game" as Distant Worlds does require quite a processor - I7 quad core, and more than 4 gigs Ram etc.. to handle the "large" not filled with Graphics" maps 10x10, 1400stars, 500,000 ships ... late game etc.. you know what I mean.. hehe
Bingeling
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Bingeling »

Yes, late game got its share of issues, but I don't get that far when playing a game.

So, I can't play a 300 year game on a 1400 star galaxy with respawning pirates? I don't really care, I have had my share of fun playing games in the default 700 star galaxy, and without ever playing "far enough" to actually fight the Shakturi. The main reason why I never fought them is however that I never had much interest in that storyline.

I know, though, that this game is a lot more fun on my gaming computer compared to my laptop. And apart from load times, the screen is the reason for that. It is much more "fun" to play on 1920x1200 (with no issues with small text) compared to on a 1366x768 cheap laptop. There is more "real estate" between the UI boxes.

The real killer in a mature, large galaxy is save times, and my requested "AutoPause after saving" has never been implemented. It would also help if the "autosave clock" did not run if paused when the save starts, and until the game is unpaused. Or until the cursor is moved after saving. And beyond maybe the most creative ram-disk setups, I don't think there is a good escape from save time issues (no respawning pirates is supposed to help, though).
Blabsawaw22
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Blabsawaw22 »

I never tried my Primo Ramdisk with my 16gigs of Ram.. and test the save time...

But yeah, I"ll wait till distant worlds 2 comes out.. (and they better have figured out save time by then. (one man team or not..) ha
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Bingeling »

But can they "fix save times" without breaking the game in the process? There have been so many great games with a disappointing successor, I am excited and slightly nervous about DW2.
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BlueTemplar
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by BlueTemplar »

ORIGINAL: Chris H

ORIGINAL: Sithuk

What is your favourite civilization and favourite railroad tycoon?
ORIGINAL: Chris H




I concur with everything you said.

As an example I played all versions of Railway Tycoon up until the version where the game concentrated on the graphics as opposed to game play. The Civ generation of games also has exactly the same problem.

CIV IV, I've still got it on my computer, five I hated and wish I'd never bought it. The earlier versions are good except for the one where you could not stack but I can't remember it exactly.

I've not played any Railway Tycoon for a long time, the games not being directly compatible with Windows. Yeah I know I could use a DOS box and all that but I can't get into it.

Versions 2 was the best, 1 and 3 where good but the last version, Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon, was an appalling game seemingly aimed at one years olds. I only tried the demo and hated the thing with a passion.
This is kind of funny considering that a lot of Civ fans didn't like how Civ 4 was going to be 3D :
http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisp ... &prefixid=
And with good reason too at the time, considering how badly some of the games fared going from 2D to 3D in the years before that
(Dungeon Keeper 2 as an example, SE5 was released pretty late compared to that)...
and even worse, strategy fans often didn't have 3D graphic cards, so had to buy one too, or even a whole new computer! (due to size, power and heat requirements)
(And forget about playing on an inexpensive notebook.)

The main reason for Civ5 popularity is probably the simplified gameplay (and marketing).
I sense a drift on this thread : first there's talk about (space) 4X game fans, then Empire games fans, then Civ5 fans, then general PC gamers...
but why would PC gamers in general would even want to play a complex game like Distant Worlds?

It's similar for pirates and Matrix pricing : a lot of pirates do it because they just don't have the money to buy the game (or a credit card / bank account) regardless of whether the game costs $60, $30, or even $5!

As for the move to 3D, SE5 also was a one (probably two, including the graphic artist) man development team. I'm certain that if the DW developers don't make a 3D game between DW1 and DW2 (as a training of sorts) that there WILL be 3D related issues. Heck, even StarDrive2 has 3D-related issues, even though the developer has a lot of work that has been cut out for him by using the Unity engine...

Also, there's a good example of a real-time empire game in space that was very popular (as these games go) : Sins of a Solar Empire
(Which has a common thing with Civ5 compared to other empire games : (relatively) simplified gameplay.)
HerpInYourDerp
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by HerpInYourDerp »

It's similar for pirates and Matrix pricing : a lot of pirates do it because they just don't have the money to buy the game (or a credit card / bank account) regardless of whether the game costs $60, $30, or even $5!

The thing about Matrix's pricing policy is nothing to do piracy though - see the Rock Paper Shotgun article on it.
Blabsawaw22
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Blabsawaw22 »

BlueTemplar,

I found your posting to be intriguing but I'm kind of at a loss of what the goal you had in mind is to say??

Am I the only one? Maybe, but what did you actually want to say?

I'm just being honest here, as I see you started off with
This is kind of funny considering that a lot of Civ fans didn't like...

And ended with:
Also, there's a good example of a real-time empire game in space that was very popular
\


So to clarify for me, can you say what you wanted to say one more time? haha.


But I might just be thinking about Distant Worlds.. and you were referencing to the Civ and Railroad game post- as you quoted before your statement yes? is that why I'm at a loss with what to get out of this?

this post isn't meant to be harsh, just direct..

And something funny about Dungeon Keeper II, is, that I started off playing the second game, and when I look at the first Dungeon Keeper, I don't want to retrograde, or downgrade, or go backwards to DK1.. I thought DK2 was unbelievably addicting, awesome, and extremely fun!

and Dungeon keeper 3 was cancelled, but Other fans decided they were going to do something about it!!

and here is my point! :

this is for some help for Distant Worlds 2... hint hint..







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Hattori Hanzo
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Hattori Hanzo »

ORIGINAL: HerpInYourDerp
It's similar for pirates and Matrix pricing : a lot of pirates do it because they just don't have the money to buy the game (or a credit card / bank account) regardless of whether the game costs $60, $30, or even $5!

The thing about Matrix's pricing policy is nothing to do piracy though - see the Rock Paper Shotgun article on it.

where we can find this article ?
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BlueTemplar
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by BlueTemplar »

It's funny because a similar reproach to "concentrating on graphics" was also aimed at Civ4 at the time.
But in the end, it's the gameplay that matters the most.

Dungeon Keeper 2 has a lot of issues (a lot of them due to it being one of the first 3D games), and is generally considered to be (slightly) worse than DK1.

I'm not sure what you're meaning to say with War for the Overworld (which was... disappointing), I don't think that Codeforce is planning to abandon / being forced out of the Distant Worlds franchise? Or you just want DW2 to be crowdfunded?

The comment about SoaSE was more in response to this :
ORIGINAL: Raap
Real 4x games(i.e. in space) has always had a small'ish following though, both compared to other games and compared to civilization-type 4x games. Real time puts off even more people, since most expect turn-based in this genre.
Blabsawaw22
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Blabsawaw22 »

ORIGINAL: BlueTemplar

It's funny because a similar reproach to "concentrating on graphics" was also aimed at Civ4 at the time. But in the end, it's the gameplay that matters the most.

Right ok, That was very specific and explained that.

Dungeon Keeper 2 has a lot of issues (a lot of them due to it being one of the first 3D games), and is generally considered to be (slightly) worse than DK1.

Well that's amazing, as I still would play DK2 today over DK1 but perhaps during it's patching stages it was atrocious.. I didn't get to experience that.
I'm not sure what you're meaning to say with War for the Overworld (which was... disappointing), I don't think that Codeforce is planning to abandon / being forced out of the Distant Worlds franchise?

haha, I'm not sure how you got that conclusion at all, as I have been hinting about taking advantage of the apparently generous gaming community that oddly enough, opens up their bank accounts to when a game is being developed through crowdfunding! And DW2 would catch attention and people would be willing to fund it.

But anyway, War of the Overworld didn't have as an excited campaign as DK2 but it certainly followed suit in the style and you can have fun with it, as well as its sandbox mode.


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BlueTemplar
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by BlueTemplar »

DK2 is one of the rare games where the later versions of the game are worse than the previous ones :
https://keeperklan.com/threads/2957-Hav ... #post42014
P.S.: IIRC this was because the game was pretty much abandoned after Bullfrog was bought by EA and Moulyneux left, but my memory is fuzzy about what exactly happened...
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by HerpInYourDerp »

ORIGINAL: Hattori Hanzo

ORIGINAL: HerpInYourDerp
It's similar for pirates and Matrix pricing : a lot of pirates do it because they just don't have the money to buy the game (or a credit card / bank account) regardless of whether the game costs $60, $30, or even $5!

The thing about Matrix's pricing policy is nothing to do piracy though - see the Rock Paper Shotgun article on it.

where we can find this article ?
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/0 ... ore-150192
Blabsawaw22
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Blabsawaw22 »

ORIGINAL: BlueTemplar

DK2 is one of the rare games where the later versions of the game are worse than the previous ones :
https://keeperklan.com/threads/2957-Hav ... #post42014
P.S.: IIRC this was because the game was pretty much abandoned after Bullfrog was bought by EA and Moulyneux left, but my memory is fuzzy about what exactly happened...


I have to be honest here, that 2-3 post thread of this guy's biased opinions of the patches isn't what I experienced with DKII.. In fact all I remember was a couple of level issues like too many heroes getting stuck in a a door, that was the worst I remember experiencing.. I played through the entire campaign a few times.. so I guess ... I got lucky??


- especially his "1.7 destroys the game because it ruins multiplayer" statement.

He doesn't go into great lengths and detail about what each patch does truly "destroy" except multiplayer.. and then doesn't explain why or what to the AI being terrible..


Its main feature was that you build your own rooms and can place things anywhere and have your "automatic" minions and workers do everything in your dungeon.. It was an amazing idea to make dungeons fun and brought comedy to it as well.. It had it's own "Private Sector" when you think about it...

Now I'll tell you what's funny, It brings odd reminders to Distant worlds!.. Automation? minions supposed to be doing things.. ha.


but it's a fricken game from 1999, and one of the only kind like it.. Other games tried as well with the concept and were unique and fun but didn't appear to do well - like Evil Genius..



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BlueTemplar
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by BlueTemplar »

ORIGINAL: Blabsawaw22
In fact all I remember was a couple of level issues like too many heroes getting stuck in a a door, that was the worst I remember experiencing.. I played through the entire campaign a few times.. so I guess ... I got lucky??
[...]
and then doesn't explain why or what to the AI being terrible..
ORIGINAL: Hapuga
1.6 this version introduces the elite creatures.... and breaks the AI to the level beyond retarded. AI no longer attacks or defends. It builds a better and bigger kingdom than 1.3/1.5 AI, however dont ever expect it to send armies at you. Sometimes, when the stars align perfectly and its Thursday, it will drop 1 goblin to shoo away your imp that claimed his tile. But that's it. Has relatively similar requirements as the previous version.
I'm willing to bet you haven't noticed the AI issues because the campaign is mostly scripted. And you don't get to fight Keepers that often in it.
See also this and the comments about the AI:
https://keeperklan.com/threads/3123-The ... -Episode-1
Or most likely you never patched the game past 1.51 - do you remember playing with elite creatures?
I have to be honest here, that 2-3 post thread of this guy's biased opinions of the patches isn't what I experienced with DKII..
Well, you don't seem to have played DK2 recently... while that is a forum full of people that kept playing and modding DK1 and DK2 all these years... who do you think is likely to be more biased?
Also, how much have you played DK1?
There's always the nostalgia of a game being one of the first played (and it certainly plays a part for me who played DK1 first, but I also returned playing DK1 and DK2 over the years...)

Imagine if you could slap ships in Distant Worlds to make them go faster! [:D]

I should try Evil Genius some time... as well as Startopia :
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/1 ... startopia/
(EDIT: Another early 3D strategy game that a lot of people couldn't run due to the steep hardware requirements, cf the comments on that article.)

To go closer to the main subject, DK1 and DK2 are a good example how popularity is different from player acclaim :
DK2 is more popular than DK1 (according to the number of GoG and metacritic user reviews), but is also slightly less liked by the players (according to metacritic user reviews, GoG ones seem to be both around 4.5/5).
EDIT : That can be partially explained by PC gaming being a less obscure hobby when DK2 was released compared to DK1.
But then I hear that DK2 was a commercial failure back in the day (because it cost too much? those awesome in-game videos must have cost a lot!), more research would be needed, but I don't have time now...
Blabsawaw22
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Blabsawaw22 »

I did really play the campaign a lot.. and it was darn fun! Whatever version I played, (I think I do remember elite creatures..)

of-course back in 1999 those guys didn't make the greatest AI to attack you.. but the game delivered massive amounts of fun to .. well ... some people apparently!

And what's interesting, is the DK3 (war overworld) the game AI attacks the crap out of you.. so I guess maybe that was something the fans hated!.

And about those statistics.. the interesting thing is usually people that are happy about a product more than often don't go online and post up about how happy they are with a product.. (and those that do sometimes get accused of being hired/sponsored by the company etc..) I'm talking in general here.. Have you ever seen somebody just go online to say the latest computer they just bought is sooo awesome and great! no, they go online to post about what problem they have with it! ha.

now, not necessarily with games in 1999 would you probably be accused with being paid by the company.. but the point is, I never went online to say How much fun I had with DK2..

I tell you when I would go online though! is if I had a problem and then all the sudden I would be posting about how crappy some game is.. ha.. think about that!

anyway, I have played Startopia and Evil Genius.. and may have them if you can't find them today so let me know if you want to try them.

They are fun for the first 20-30 hours.. but you will get totally bored with them after that and want to play something "newer" with more up to date Automation/AI!..

but they are absolutely worth trying..











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BlueTemplar
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by BlueTemplar »

I didn't say I didn't have a lot of fun with DK2... but less than with DK1.

It's not that the keeper AI (I don't think there's a hero AI?) was that bad to start with, it's that one of the patches broke it.

Yeah, I remember that one of the complaints about WftO was that the fans that made it focused too much on skirmish and multiplayer, and not enough on a fun campaign.

These statistics with more people going to complain about a game than praise it should work equally for all games, shouldn't they? (Then how many people will just stop playing a game they won't like, (shred the disk,) and never complain on a statistic-gathering website?)

Yeah, that's what I heard about Startopia and Evil Genius too. Thank you, but they're both on GOG.com. In fact I might already own them... (Yep, I do own Startopia.)
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Hattori Hanzo
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by Hattori Hanzo »

[/quote]
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/0 ... ore-150192
[/quote]

thank you, a very interesting reading
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LordMM
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RE: Why isn't every 4x fan playing Distant Worlds?

Post by LordMM »

The problem with 3D is that, my computer will burst into flames if it ever tried to 3D render 1400 systems, with 50,000 revolving planets and moons along with literally 1000nds of ships and possibly dozens of battles in different locations. What i do want is Distant Worlds 2 to be cross platform and 64bit. Stellaris alone creates problems on large battles involving dozens of ships...
It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly, than to live somebody else's life with perfection.
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