Drox beta patch 0.920

[DarkTraveler]

Once you complete a colonize planet quest, there's a high chance you get a protect the planet quest at the new planet. Good chance the race gets bankrupted right there. After all, you've got a new shop right there. Might as well clear out the inventory if you're going to be waiting for a while. Probably the first thought that most people think. It's probably not the whole problem, but a contributor to it.

If it's possible to remove credits from the equation just for protect planet quests, then it might be practical to do so. After all, questing for a race means the player is supporting that race, anyway. Protect planet quests become fewer in number as the sector progresses to the point where you don't see them anymore, anyway.

[kizune]

I think the problem is solved if the races dont can cancel their produktions but it's "funny" is, they can't do it in some situations. I think the races build more combatships in wartimes. But ... i think that's not korrect i have seen it often that the races building more and more colonization ships without the worry that a little bad droxthingy fly's around the planet and shoot the ship in a second.

[DarkTraveler]

One more little thing I noticed. I did a quest for the Drakk. Upon completing it I get a message from the Lothos "Why give Drakk food we want?" Basically, they didn't like me doing quests for the Drakk.

Only problem is that they haven't met the Drakk yet. If they're not aware of a race, they shouldn't be aware of me doing quests for that race.

Also, diplomatic relations between races shouldn't continuously decline if they haven't met each other yet. That would probably solve the above mentioned item.

[Roswitha]

I've been having trouble with artifacts this patch, like the pink circle to the left of the ship in the screenshot, and three orange dots when there are unique monsters flying around. It lasts if I go on and off the screen, but not through a save and reload.

On another note, I like to go for Legend wins. In a Tiny system, I can get to 50 points about half the time. I decided to try a Small system. I've been playing for about 6 hours, and I'm up to 85 points. The last ten points have been an absolute grind. Can you please reduce the Legend victory requirement for systems larger than Tiny?

[Crisses]

This weekends comments

A) Bug?: Item Fetch-Deliver Quests & * (You're in this sector)

All types of "fetch-quests" are marked incorrectly for "you're in this sector" -- at least as far as retrieving said items is concerned. Diplomat quest (ancient artifact, colonize quests, gift to other race, etc.) tells you the sector of the destination planet -- the one you need to drop off at AFTER you pick up the item.

This also goes for "We have a problem, please fetch X item" quests -- although what to do about these quests is a little more ambiguous, since the item you need to fetch CAN be at multiple locations. However, the * does NOT show up for the suggested location...but the destination/benefitting planet.

Ideally, the fetch-quests would be *'d for the sector where you need to pick up the quest item and switch to * the destination sector(s) once you've picked up the item needed...at least for the diplomatic quests (which you can't see whether you picked up said item except the quest is in your log...).

B) Request: There's no fine-print or description on most items hence an item called "Excellent Ballistic Control System" implies that it may only work on ballistic weapons, but does that mean kinetic? or what? Or does it work on all weapons anyway? I'm often confused when trying to pick up items or weapons as to what they are or what they do, which effects they have (radiation, kinetic, em), etc. I can tell "this hurts things" and sometimes items tell me what type of damage they do (but not always). If consistency & clarity is possible, rather than trial-and-error, it would be nice. Choosing items is too important to be screwing around with your armaments at higher levels.

A good example is some EM weapons in the mid-game (lvl 40ish) that are "wave-types" rather than area-of-effect centered on the character. I have no idea really if I'm aiming them correctly, I can't really tell if they're working. The area-of-effect EM weapons were so much more effective and easy to use - the nerf on needing to aim the new weapon should be balanced by them doing more damage, I'd think -- I should be able to really TELL they hurt someone. Plus these weapons say there's a duration (20 seconds if I remember correctly!), but I don't see an effect marker on my targets.... :/ I should be able to tell that this is working, right? (20 second duration) Or is the effect on my ship?

C) Request: Is there a place to view your race's bonuses during game play? I don't see it on the character screen, or the Journal... I know I can view each individual stat to see the results of the bonuses, but at least once I've gone out to the new character screen to see them all in once place again. I suggest that it be a mouse-over when viewing character stats --- when you highlight your race at the top of the panel.

D) Request: Similar to C -- where can we see the current sector settings after we've started a game? i.e. "Level 20 small sector, Random # races, Home Planet Only." or "36th Level Challenge - War". Could that be somewhere? Maybe the Journal Screen? See, I have a character for every race, and I don't remember what game I'm in the middle of if I go back to a character I picked up a bit ago... or after a week of work. It would be nice to be able to peek at what your settings are for the current sector.

E) Message clarity: "There is a __(giant pod)__ heading towards Planet (race)!" type quests -- sector would again be helpful.

F) an FYI: I reported unidentified items in stores (emailed with save game) -- anyone else seen that?

G) an FYI: I reported (emailed with save game) a map issue where you fail a challenge level and try again -- and the map isn't reset.

H) Game Balance Issue?: Anti-missile weapons need to be aimed, but general weapons don't -- so why bother? If they could "target nearest missiles" or similar -- that would be very helpful.

I) Request: I love the + on the relations screen -- beyond helpful! Can we also get a little green * next to the ? when the race has quests in our current sector?

[Roswitha]

Originally Posted by Crisses

D) Request: Similar to C -- where can we see the current sector settings after we've started a game? i.e. "Level 20 small sector, Random # races, Home Planet Only." or "36th Level Challenge - War". Could that be somewhere? Maybe the Journal Screen? See, I have a character for every race, and I don't remember what game I'm in the middle of if I go back to a character I picked up a bit ago... or after a week of work. It would be nice to be able to peek at what your settings are for the current sector.

Good idea. I'd vote for the Map screen.

[Crisses]

More...

A) Starlane names (during actual game travel/play) are not always colored by inhabitants of destination system... (intermittent bug). The map, etc. show the colors, but not the starlane name (sometimes).

B) Minions/fighters are occasionally popping into & out of nearby starlanes? Saw this over my partner's shoulder.

C) Shouldn't MOST race's relations degrade to 50 or 40 or something.... why does everyone degrade to "War!"? Even relatively peace-loving Dryads? Or am I wrong on this one? I would think that only the most stubborn grudge-ful long-memoried races would remain "at war" with a race they've never had combat with indefinitely....

D) Suggestion: Achievement - Environmentalist --> You cleaned up all the Space Junk in the sector

E) When races have a peace treaty they keep the quests to kill X ships or destroy planets of other race?

[Roswitha]

A planet has an empty Solve Quest list. See the save game.

[DarkTraveler]

Originally Posted by Roswitha

A planet has an empty Solve Quest list. See the save game.

I've run into those.

Sometimes, when I accept a quest, I hear the quest solved sound and see the quest solved indicator. But, when I look at the quest list, there's no solved quests. Then, when I run into those blank Solve Quests, I remember the odd thing earlier. I wonder if it's related?

[Zillion]

With the potentially fast changing dynamics of the game, I ended up remapping the pause button adjacent to my steer buttons, i.e., WASD config with "E" for quick pause. Perhaps while accessing planet options, item, and character stat screens, have the game auto-pause? Although I still like having the pause button within easy reach in case I need to pick off some missiles or smaller drones buzzing around.