Spacemaster Questions

[jiduthie (OP)]

So I started a new game with the new version: spoilers on except for the nastiest variety, 1 starting NPR, conventional start in a generated real stars system. I get about 8 hours in and I'm finally starting to explore the surrounding systems only to find there's an npr one system away, their population detected by EM. I'm really not ready for combat yet so I figure I'll just slink out the way I came and ignore that system for a bit. About a year later I notice a jump gate being built on that JP, and sure enough its my new neighbors constructing it. Now, this is about 20 years into the game. In that time I haven't generated a single missile/kinetics scientist and my only sensors/fire control guy is at only 5%. (backed up by 8 biology/genetics and 3 defensive system guys, go figure.)

I generally don't mind going with the flow in Aurora, but going up against an NPR through a jump gate with virtually no sensor or missile techs even researched, let alone designed, isn't really what I had imagined so I try to see if something is possible in spacemaster but my attempts to reroute the jump point somehow only seem to cause errors on the galactic map (Because I still have knowledge of the system but the waypoints don't match up possibly?) So I give up, call the game a wash and just start over.

So for my next game I use all the same options but decide to speed things up a little bit by boosting my research centers and giving myself the transnewtonian tech (but not the full start.) This time, I get a few hours and 8 years in, and I've spotted a thermal contact in my system! I don't even have jump drives researched yet! My first commercial shipyard is only about half way done!

A few questions, because I'd really rather not start over again: Since invaders are turned off, the only thing it can be is the starting NPR right? I haven't explored any other systems yet and I have NPR generation set to 0. Is there any way to use spacemaster to find where he came from and move jump points around so I have a little breathing room before we get to the fighting? I see buttons for adding/deleting/breaking JP's but I'm not sure how to use them without breaking things. I'd really rather not delete the starting NPR if possible because I'd like to run into him at some point, I'm fine with being out-teched to some degree, but at the moment I'm years, at least, from even the most basic warship.

Any help would be appreciated.

[MarcAFK]

If you look at the system summary you'll see a list of all discovered systems, your NPR's will be in one of the systems which just has a number and no name.
You can alter the destination of warp points using spacemaster. Simply change the destination number, you can also change the distance and bearing.
Note that you are given a list of existing jump points, some of which are hidden, so this is a spoiler.
But anyway you can change one of your jumppoints to exit into one of the NPR systems in order to explore it to find the NPR, alternatively you can change the jump point leading the NPR into sol so that it heads elsewhere.
Be careful though you might get errors if you don't link the points properly, backup your database first.

[jiduthie (OP)]

Yup that was it! I actually had a backup of the database from before I had generated my system which had only two systems generated, the one by the starting NPR and that generated by me in order to create my first system. I used the "System Summary" screen to determine the ID of their homeworld. Exploring the jump points in my home system with spacemaster showed that sure enough I was, once again, one jump point away from the starting NPR, verified by system id's. I don't know all the particulars of system generation, but I believe the odds on that have to be pretty low...

Anyway, I think I can fix it from here. I also want to apologise to whomever moved this from Mechanics to the Academy. I figured that asking questions about space master might be a bit spoilery for the Academy. I'm still a little unclear on how opaque the space master functions are intended to be.

Thanks for the help Marc.

[sloanjh]

Anyway, I think I can fix it from here. I also want to apologise to whomever moved this from Mechanics to the Academy. I figured that asking questions about space master might be a bit spoilery for the Academy. I'm still a little unclear on how opaque the space master functions are intended to be.

That was me.  Not a problem - lots of new posters do it.  We try to keep the thread churn down in Mechanics, since that's where Steve talks about rules changes.  There's a "where should I post" thread in FAQ that you might want to read.

As to your question, Space Master mode allows you to put the equivalent of "Dungeon Master" hat in a D&D game - it lets you set up the game and fix anything that goes wrong/doesn't make sense/conflicts with your house rules.  When we talk about spoilers, those are mainly special kinds of alien races that have special properties - we try not to talk about those properties in public so that new players can enjoy trying to figure the puzzle out.

Have fun!!
John

[boggo2300]

for many Spacemaster mode is the default play method (me for example) it's really a carryover from when Starfire Assistant was Steve's project (and a God send for us all!) and when SA became the core for Aurora after the equivalent of the Horus Heresy in the Starfire ranks.  As Starfire assistant was more setup for multiple player empires with a Spacemaster 9as that's the default way of playing Starfire)

er ok, I'm babbling and haven't really added anything relevant,  I just wanted to say Spacemaster really shouldn't be considered am opaque or even a cheat mode,  don't forget Aurora is more of a Fiction Generator program than a Game,  that's why it doesn't force balance of different systems like Beam Weapons and Missiles for instance.

[jiduthie (OP)]

So I ended up just deleting the jump points in both systems earlier, and now I've played a bit further and seemed to have stumbled upon the aliens again. I get a message that informs me that a population has been detected with a 225 thermal and em signal on a planet that's over 60c, but with a decent atmosphere including methane. As far as I can tell, there isn't any other alien presence in the system. I've managed to survey the planet with a survey ship and it turns out there's (also?) an "Anomaly: Alien Installation" there. I had thought that the anomalies were something other than NPR related? Or have I stumbled upon a recovery team and that's responsible for the relatively small signature? In general, is there anyway to determine whats actually on an alien planet after I've surveyed/discovered it?

[Mor]

Is there any way to use spacemaster to find where he came from and move jump points around so I have a little breathing room before we get to the fighting?

Exterminating the xeno scum sound like a lot of fun, but until that can happen have you considered using subterfuge?

So for my next game I use all the same options but decide to speed things up a little bit by boosting my research centers and giving myself the transnewtonian tech (but not the full start.)

In strategy games, focusing on building up your industry and research before you go poking the hornet nest is generally a sound strategy. Aurora is no different, unless you want to have some fun!

Or have I stumbled upon a recovery team and that's responsible for the relatively small signature? In general, is there anyway to determine whats actually on an alien planet after I've surveyed/discovered it?

or maybe you neighbors got there before unexpected collapse of the jumpoints contenting your systems. I think that 'not knowing' is part of the fun, no?