DW2 FAQ/QnA megathread - Ask your question here!

[bbenham]

One of the main missing pieces from the game is a simple FOB design (Forward Operating Base). While you can take a Monitoring station and 'minimally' buff it up, it's usually far too weak to withstand any reasonable assault and short of assigning a fleet to it, you can't make it any better. I should have the ability to create a normal space station (in any size) in any location that I wish, or even a bastion. This artificial limitation on game play should at the very least have some option to turn it on/off.

I'm also continually frustrated with the fleet Automation where fuel is concerned. If I add a ship to an existing fleet that is far away, that ship will run out of fuel and is too stupid to fuel up even if it's right next to a fuel source. There's no intelligence there. I'm also having a lot of trouble just with standard fleets composed of differing ships, where I order the fleet to go from one place to another and some of the ships run out of fuel, making the whole process fall apart. Again, no intelligence in it, no indicators or warnings or anything that would be the simplest form of feedback for the player showing that the fleet can't make the trip together. If I have a fleet on Manual control, even if I include tankers in the fleet, it never seems to use them. I am forced to individually take a tanker and tell it to refuel each ship, one at a time. At the very least, there should be some ability to stop the fleet and tell it to distribute / Top-up fuel on the fleet members. Again, I don't get it. I'm constantly finding fleet ships separated from the main body's because they ignore fueling opportunities, or their own fleet fuel tankers don't do anything. If I leave a fleet on full Auto, it does a much better job with fuel, but then it also makes terrible strategic decisions on what it should be doing, forcing me to again manually tell it where to go and what to do. It's an endless cycle of compensating for the AI on basic fuel management.

Rant over. You may shoot me now.

[bbenham]

Is anyone out there from Matrix answering questions?

[peter0724]

I think it wouldn't hurt to have a space station that can be deployed around uninhabitable planets (gas planets) and could take over the role of pirate bases or event bases, such as the human ghost base. With a new hangar module of size 100 which could extend the mining effect around the base/planet. + colony module (with a multiplier like the cargo module gets) would give the population which would increase the production/repair speed of the base. Would better represent those who survived the war in space.

let's say recently, I would be happy if the bases were not built on top of each other, if I give instructions to build research/mining/resort stations at the same time. The best thing would be if I could move the space station, or at least rotate it, sometimes it's very irritating when the cargo ships, runs into the planet (with very low speed), to get into the space station because it's too close and the dock is facing to the planet.

The tanker could really be set to go mining if the empire's fuel supply is low. It's currently completely incomprehensible why there's a mining module if it only uses it when I send it there in manual.

Anyway, I'm glad that I don't start in a nebula lately, but the ai player still happens to start in the middle of one. If this is not feasible, the solution to this is a few hidden technologies that counteract the effects of the given type of nebula. Colonize in the nebula, or if the capital is in it at the beginning, it could really unlock this technology, the latter could also get it.

Sorry my bad english (not my native language).

[boolybooly]

I think it wouldn't hurt to have a space station that can be deployed around uninhabitable planets (gas planets) and could take over the role of pirate bases or event bases, such as the human ghost base. With a new hangar module of size 100 which could extend the mining effect around the base/planet. + colony module (with a multiplier like the cargo module gets) would give the population which would increase the production/repair speed of the base. Would better represent those who survived the war in space.

let's say recently, I would be happy if the bases were not built on top of each other, if I give instructions to build research/mining/resort stations at the same time. The best thing would be if I could move the space station, or at least rotate it, sometimes it's very irritating when the cargo ships, runs into the planet (with very low speed), to get into the space station because it's too close and the dock is facing to the planet.

The tanker could really be set to go mining if the empire's fuel supply is low. It's currently completely incomprehensible why there's a mining module if it only uses it when I send it there in manual.

Anyway, I'm glad that I don't start in a nebula lately, but the ai player still happens to start in the middle of one. If this is not feasible, the solution to this is a few hidden technologies that counteract the effects of the given type of nebula. Colonize in the nebula, or if the capital is in it at the beginning, it could really unlock this technology, the latter could also get it.

Sorry my bad english (not my native language).

I agree with rotating and placing planned stations where you want them. If you have weapon ranges, firing arcs and loadout geometry you want to use them effectively. I tend to prefer grouping stations close together e.g. resort and mining base and research outpost at an uninhabited planet are better close together because long range seeker weapons can defend each other. One exception to this is an inhabited world where one is trying to prevent raids and need defences all around the planet (which I have since given up trying to do because pirates are ridiculously imba).

Currently you try to place a station where you want it on an uninhabited planet and the constructor places it at some RND location in an RND orientation 90° away from the place where you clicked and if you click a little further over the other way it places it 90° in the other direction. Building from a planet or at an asteroid is a bit more responsive re: location but does not let you choose orientation and sometimes the placements are still surprising and unexpected (which can affect asteroid mining which is another reason for fine control of location by the player).

I find the current system baffling because it does not make sense to have weapon placement locations on stations where range and placement do seem to matter in the battlefield and then not be able to use that when placing them and designing loadouts e.g. put you weapons on the outside not close to the planet.The problem is you have to make one design fit all of the possible orientations.

With special stations like the starting spaceport and perhaps first research station I find myself working out its orientation in the playfield by putting a proximity sensor on one of the outlying points and then looking at the model where it is built in game to work out which end is which and make a custom design because otherwise you cannot tell, as many race designs are symmetrical about two axes and there is no way to specify placement orientation, as we are discussing, so the geometry of the layout has to be custom designed for each randomly oriented instance of the base type in the playfield. Eventually this gets a bit frustrating.

Since the game has a weapon layout system for designs one would hope player controls for orientation and location are on the to do list. I certainly hope so having started a new game (without any pirates ...) ditto the job queue for constructors, I hope these will be added in the future. Which is why I won't make a gripey review on steam, I want the project to succeed but I have to speak my mind somewhere. The intent is to give constructive feedback and ideas to help the game improve.

[Colwolf77]

Are there any plans to fix the 'show me' function so it doesn't zoom to blank space? also it would be very helpful if when zooming to a ship in hyperspace it stayed at system zoom level so you can still see the ship.

[zgrssd]

Are there any plans to fix the 'show me' function so it doesn't zoom to blank space? also it would be very helpful if when zooming to a ship in hyperspace it stayed at system zoom level so you can still see the ship.

This "Show me" issue is usually that the location has not been propery loaded.
Unpausing the game for even one gametick fixes that in many cases.

[Colwolf77]

Are there any plans to fix the 'show me' function so it doesn't zoom to blank space? also it would be very helpful if when zooming to a ship in hyperspace it stayed at system zoom level so you can still see the ship.

This "Show me" issue is usually that the location has not been propery loaded.
Unpausing the game for even one gametick fixes that in many cases.

It seems to happen regardless of whether the game is paused or not for me. I've mentioned it to one of the devs though and he assured me its on their radar. Hoping it'll get fixed soon.

[scotten_usa]

I've seen this across all versions of DW2 and assume it's not a bug:

How do you get your generals to land (with the troops) during an invasion? I've got 2 generals in my 1st Fleet and they won't join in the attack on the 3-4 independent colonies that I have 'liberated' (IE they stay on the ship).

Thanks.

[btd64]

I've seen this across all versions of DW2 and assume it's not a bug:

How do you get your generals to land (with the troops) during an invasion? I've got 2 generals in my 1st Fleet and they won't join in the attack on the 3-4 independent colonies that I have 'liberated' (IE they stay on the ship).

Thanks.

It's WAD. The generals stay on the ship. You can transfer him to the surface after you take the planet....GP

[scotten_usa]

I've seen this across all versions of DW2 and assume it's not a bug:

How do you get your generals to land (with the troops) during an invasion? I've got 2 generals in my 1st Fleet and they won't join in the attack on the 3-4 independent colonies that I have 'liberated' (IE they stay on the ship).

Thanks.

It's WAD. The generals stay on the ship. You can transfer him to the surface after you take the planet....GP

This is different than original DW, right? I am sure I remember my generals with boots on the ground, adding their bonuses to the combat.

[arvcran2]

Here is what happens with Generals, based on my observations, when Generals are on Manual Automation:

- Generals assigned to fleets will reside on the Lead Fleet Ship
- If the Lead Fleet Ship is not a Troop Transport, the General does not participate in any of the ground battles
- If the ground battle lasts long enough the General from a Troop Transport will Join the ground battle and contribute his bonuses
(am not sure if the General is treated as a Unit wrt assault pods or not)
- If you forget to transfer the general back to the fleet you may not notice he is no longer in it because the game does not remove the fleet reference of him being in the fleet
- Loading troops does not pick up Manually automated Generals

[btd64]

Here is what happens with Generals, based on my observations, when Generals are on Manual Automation:

- Generals assigned to fleets will reside on the Lead Fleet Ship
- If the Lead Fleet Ship is not a Troop Transport, the General does not participate in any of the ground battles
- If the ground battle lasts long enough the General from a Troop Transport will Join the ground battle and contribute his bonuses
(am not sure if the General is treated as a Unit wrt assault pods or not)
- If you forget to transfer the general back to the fleet you may not notice he is no longer in it because the game does not remove the fleet reference of him being in the fleet
- Loading troops does not pick up Manually automated Generals

Yeah, Now that I think about it, Your observations are correct....GP

[scotten_usa]

Thank you!

There is no way to manually specify that a specific ship is the Lead Ship, right?

[arvcran2]

Thank you!

There is no way to manually specify that a specific ship is the Lead Ship, right?

Select a ship from the fleet and right click for the menu, if the fleet ship is not already the lead ship you should see a 'set ship as lead ship' choice. Some times you have to zoom in to the ship to get the option on the menu.

[scotten_usa]

Why does an unsettled planet and a settled planet show differing suitability? I am trying to determine the money drain in my empire and I have a few planet bleeding $$ but it looks like it's all due to support costs.

Screen shots below of Savanna Moon suitability for 2 planets: Shandar shows +24 but also -6. Is this a bug or something I don't understand?

[TimeAndTactics]

For components that have a 'Penetration Chance" consider changing that to "Penetration Risk" or possibly just "Penetration". "Chance" implies a positive/neutral outcome, whereas "Risk" implies a negative outcome. In this case, it refers to a negative outcome (in terms of the component itself at least).

[Jorgen_CAB]

Why does an unsettled planet and a settled planet show differing suitability? I am trying to determine the money drain in my empire and I have a few planet bleeding $$ but it looks like it's all due to support costs.

Screen shots below of Savanna Moon suitability for 2 planets: Shandar shows +24 but also -6. Is this a bug or something I don't understand?

Every species have different ability to live on different types of worlds. This is also influence by the quality of the world. The Shandar don't really like Savanna Worlds.

When you have small populations on worlds they will usually have rather high support costs, this will reduce over time and then income eventually will become higher than the cost to support the planet. This is why you should not settle too many planet at the same time. In general more planets with low population also means they grow slower as migration will be split between more worlds, thus increasing the overall cost of planets before they generate positive income.

In general you want to settle worlds that are big with a high quality and make sure they grow a large population, this is more effective on the luxury consumption.

[Pipboy2010]

Hi everyone I'm new to the game and have a couple of questions.

- Some Weapons have "Weapon Targeting" and/or "Weapon Countermeasures".
What does this do and how does it work with countermeasures in the sensor slot?

-How much hp do components have?

-Do damaged components still work or do I have to destroy them?

-When I have specific ships in my fleet templates they don't update when new versions of the design are available and they still build the obsolete design.
Is there a way to circumvent this and if the fleet is on Auto-Upgrade will the ships be retrofitted to the new versions?

-When I build a ship it cost me more than the actual price. How come? Do i buy the resources or something?

-How does Ion damage and Ion damage defense actually work? Is it like reactive rating and how much Ion damage can component take?

-How do the stats from Troops work?

-How is upkeep and price of ships calculated? I guess it is somehow based on the price of resources and upkeep seems to be always somewhere around 1/22 of the build cost.

-Where can I see how far the colony development has advanced so far in a colony? Is it the 50 development from population?
During Ground battles the development from population plummets so is Infrastructure destroyed due to the fighting?

-How is colony revenue calculated? All I know that bigger population and development is good and corruption is bad.

-Is to get messages when major engagements start. I don't care that an enemy tradeship stumbled upon my Spaceport but would appreciate to know when two fleets meet.



I don't know where to put these three points so I post them here as well:

-The T7 Phase Cannon [L] do have a lower different range than the M and S variants.
I believe this is an oversight because all other blaster types weapons and the T8 and T9 variants have the same range.

-The Impact Assault Blaster [M] V2, [M] V3 and [L] V3 have a damage falloff of 30% while all other versions have 25%.
Also the [L] Variant uses 20 energy per shot and the others 18.

-The Heavy Railgun [M] has a shield bypass of 50% while the Heavy Railgun [L] V3 has 40.
I don't know if this is intentional or an oversight but I find it odd as they are in the same tier and technology.

-Resonant Graviton Beam [S] (v2) only have 60% armor bypass while the other versions have 75%.

-It would be great if you could mark planets that you don't own as important somehow. I give my own colonies numbers in front of their names when they are somehow important to me and I would like to do that with other things as well.

-It would be useful to be able to say what kind of automation new built ships should be. For example make new ships of my raider ships automatically auto-raid.