Author Topic: Space Master Points -- Are they intended to be used?  (Read 1440 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DoubleShuang (OP)

  • Able Ordinary Rate
  • D
  • Posts: 3
Space Master Points -- Are they intended to be used?
« on: March 04, 2013, 11:48:45 PM »
Having just learned the game, I've seen Space Master mode as a form of cheating. . .  but sometimes necessary if you want to create some kind of very specific scenario.

But generally speaking, is the game balanced so that it expects you to spend your SM points?

Do you usually use them, and why/how?
 

Offline Conscript Gary

  • Lt. Commander
  • ********
  • Posts: 292
  • Thanked: 27 times
Re: Space Master Points -- Are they intended to be used?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2013, 12:13:34 AM »
Considering you can set the number of research points when you create the game, it's more like a self-set guideline. SM mode is akin to grabbing things on a game board. If you're righting a piece that fell over because the table shook, it's certainly not cheating. If you're adding pieces willy-nilly, that is.  Unless you're just playing to test some scenarios and not as a campaign.
So think of it as a tool that can be used for cheating, but is useful for setup and fixes.
Also I think NPRs start off with all of their starting points spent but I'm not sure
 

Offline Nathan_

  • Pulsar 4x Dev
  • Commodore
  • *
  • N
  • Posts: 701
Re: Space Master Points -- Are they intended to be used?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2013, 12:17:17 AM »
The game is not horribly imbalanced if you spend your starting fast oob/research points on various techs. The ai/any other player race will be able to do the same. I do usually use them now, because the alternative is to start a conventional game and wait for about 30 years for something interesting to happen. Using SM to grant myself additional techs or stuff is generally not something I'll do, barring a minor ship design flaw fix, unlocking a design that I locked myself, or getting rid of infrastructure to prevent civilan colony ships from landing people on dig sites.
 

Offline TheDeadlyShoe

  • Vice Admiral
  • **********
  • Posts: 1264
  • Thanked: 58 times
  • Dance Commander
Re: Space Master Points -- Are they intended to be used?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2013, 12:26:09 AM »
Aurora is very freeform, you can do basically whatever you want. Think of it as a narrative aid rather than a game per se.

If you don't like a result, change it.  If you'd rather fight a heroic defense instead of the doomed extermination of your race, give yourself some extra forces.  Or SM yourself some huge colony ships as you lead your race in a desperate exodus from your ruined homeworld. 

The points are a guideline for keeping things 'fair' with other races you may generate, or with NPRs.  But you can always jack up the difficulty percentage, or not even fight NPRs at all.  It's completely up to you. 
 

Offline Paul M

  • Vice Admiral
  • **********
  • P
  • Posts: 1432
  • Thanked: 50 times
Re: Space Master Points -- Are they intended to be used?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2013, 02:12:55 AM »
Due to the fact you can't refit PDCs but have to do the refit in industry, then delete the PDC and then SM in the new base you pretty much will end up with a huge negative number of those points over the life of the game.
 

Offline Nightstar

  • Lt. Commander
  • ********
  • N
  • Posts: 263
Re: Space Master Points -- Are they intended to be used?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2013, 02:22:04 AM »
It's difficult to talk about balance -- the AI is quite bad, at least compared to a good player. But yes, you're expected to use your starting research and fast ob points. NPRs are generated mostly the same way, and they use their points.

In general, I consider using SM mode after the game turns have started moving to be cheating. Prior to that, it's just setup. It can still be cheating in a good way though. Almost any effect of a bug short of repeated crashes can be fixed. SM mode also grants powerful tools for handling lag, like disabling sensors system-wide. If you want something unusual, like enemy ships in every system, you can use SM mode to create that. You can use it to correct stuff, or go outside the mechanics aurora can otherwise handle. Of course, you CAN make yourself invincible. Use it wisely.

In your first games, I suggest leaving SM off after setup, except maybe to correct your most boneheaded errors.

^^That guy^^ provides an example of a bug people are successfully working around right now.