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Posted by: smoelf
« on: June 07, 2025, 07:00:21 AM »

In what seems to be a cosmic coincidence, a little over midnight on what the old world considered "Independence Day", a small vessel was launched from the Pituffik Space Base towards Luna.





It had been rumored for a while, but few had considered the threat it might pose to the utilization of outer resources. Most had been purely focused on studying the newly discovered particles that seemed to break the laws of physics. The potential could be unimaginable, but of little use if the earthen alliances didn't posses the resources to exploit them. This would certainly push the space race to a new dimension.

Posted by: paolot
« on: June 06, 2025, 05:37:10 PM »

Quote from: EclipsedStar on June 04, 2025, 12:05:24 AM
(Edit: Meant to click reply but giving thanks works too I guess)

Out of curiosity, how far did you set the NPR(s) to spawn out from you in the start menu?

I can't find the numbers (in which table of the DB are the settings stored? in FCT_Game I can't find the minimum distance of NPR) and don't remember them (I started this game one year ago or so), but usually I don't change them very much from default.
I met Rakhas at 11.6 LY in real space (3 jumps from Sol).
The nearest system of Precursos is at 16.4 LY (5 jumps).
And the first meeting with the NPR was at 42.7 LY (9 jumps), but the system is not their home, as it is empty.
Posted by: EclipsedStar
« on: June 04, 2025, 12:05:24 AM »

(Edit: Meant to click reply but giving thanks works too I guess)

Out of curiosity, how far did you set the NPR(s) to spawn out from you in the start menu?
Posted by: paolot
« on: June 02, 2025, 01:22:48 PM »

After 96 years in the game, 222 systems discovered and 135 grav surveied, one Rakhas planet, and Precursors spread over 5 systems, I met the first NPR race, identifying 13 different commercial classes travelling through one system in two months only... what will happen?
At the moment, they are not moving towards my systems. So, I think I can build up the survey of the system, to discover the JP(s) they are using, and I'm sending some DSTSs to track their presence and paths.
Posted by: Viridia
« on: April 07, 2025, 11:21:19 AM »

Been playing my current Honorverse-influenced campaign. JP's have been fairly restricted unfortunately, leading to the current Starmap shown below. I've finally encountered aliens in the 119 Piscium starsystem. At first contact with the 3000+ ton Bee, the SCSS Explorer retreated into 124 Virginis to await for arrival of the SWS Wolsey, as the crew's experience in the recent REDLAND 06 exercise put their gunnery skills above other fleet units. Explorer followed the Wolsey to the third world of the system, where a number of small sub-1000 (3x 700 ton Beetles and 1x sub-600 ton Ant) ton ships were found on sensors. Initially the ships fled the arrival of League vessels, but returned within eight hours, with the Beetles puncturing through the Explorer's hull and damaging some of its internal engineering systems and killing three of the crew with their own lasers.

Reprisal was swift, and Wolsey bracketed two Beetles with its laser batteries, destroying them instantly. A salvo of Kukri's put paid to the final Beetle, while the destroyers lasers fired on the Ant, destroying it instantly. So far there are no signs of the Bee, so Wolsey is currently escorting Explorer back to the JP before it carries out its own scouting mission of the system. A second destroyer will be detached from Terra Command to sit on the JP to prevent leakers.
Posted by: GodEmperor
« on: March 25, 2025, 08:35:26 PM »

Quote from: Bezz on January 05, 2025, 01:12:49 PM
Three years in and I find a system 2 jumps from Sol. In the system are two NPRs on the same planet. Each population seems to be huge and each race has around 100 ships each in the system, thats 200 plus ships in system. Quite a few of those ships have been observed travelling at more than 10,000km/s. They appear to be peacefully cohabiting the same system and planet and no sign of any aggression towards me either. Anyone else come across what appears to be two alien home worlds on the same planet or is this unusual? Hoping they remain peaceful as it will be interesting to see how it develops.
Happened to me once in vb6 - three races on the same planet. Stuff got weird because only one of them were hostile...
Posted by: Kashada
« on: February 05, 2025, 04:49:27 PM »

I'm very early into a game where I get to be the raiders, with a little bit of database magic and a lot of SM I have a system disconnected from the rest while knowing where the home system of an NPR is. I'm still mostly playtesting this gameplay style and might have gone way overboard on tech, I gave myself every tech below 50k while not expecting the NPR to be so low tech.

It's a little balanced by the fact that I only have 1 ship currently and they have hundreds, limited myself to around 40k of each mineral and anything else I use has to be looted. My first raid went really well, attacked 2 unarmed scouts. The first surrendered but was quickly destroyed by the enemy while I hid in the dark waiting to see what their response would be. I was unable to sneak back in later to salvage it.

The 2nd is where I ran into an interesting problem, it surrendered and I managed to tow it back to my portal (DSP then SM move fleet) only to realize I couldn't do anything with it because my shipyard is way too small. I'm rocking 6k ton stealth corvettes while their "scout" was around 33k ton ended up abandoning it so I could salvage the wreck. Everything I have seen so far makes me thing this is going to be an ongoing issue for a while as all their ships seem massive.

Once my 3 new corvettes come off the line I think I will attempt to find an asteroid mining outpost to raid. Although I'm already regretting building them as the enemy seems to be going missiles while I went Particle Lance and no point defense on this current design.

Considering writing a proper AAR once I have tuned the start a bit more
Posted by: Froggiest1982
« on: February 04, 2025, 03:52:45 AM »

Quote from: nuclearslurpee on February 03, 2025, 10:10:56 PM
Quote from: Froggiest1982 on February 03, 2025, 04:40:45 PM
Hi Steve, silly question really, but since the limited research was introduced as everybody was changing the research speed along with special rules for lab assignments, wouldn't be possible to have a limited survey flag as well?

This could reduce survey without necessarily touching the settings, or, in my case, give a bit more options as I (and I believe many) am already at 5% by default.

How would this be different than the survey speed setting we already have?

Limited Research Admin works by limiting how many labs a scientist can control (though it's not a hard cap), and many players will use both the checkbox option and the research speed setting in tandem. For survey, there is no parallel to Research Admin - the closest I can think of would be limiting how many survey sensors you put on a survey ship or limiting how many survey ships you build, and neither of those options requires a setting to control as the player can easily abide by such limits (whereas for Limited Research Admin, it automates what was previously a tedious house rule to implement manually).

By the way, the reason for Limited Research Admin was not to slow down research, per se, but rather to limit tech rushing and promote a larger roster of scientists, which is why it works well in tandem with the research speed setting as those control two different aspects of research. Again, I can't think of a parallel for surveying.

I know and agree, that's why was a silly question. The answer to you is that once you hit 5% the only way to have a more granular approach once I hit the treshold. Since I am seeing Steve as well keep reducing more znd more survey rate, I was wondering if a time for a refresh was finally coming. No sweat though.
Posted by: nuclearslurpee
« on: February 03, 2025, 10:10:56 PM »

Quote from: Froggiest1982 on February 03, 2025, 04:40:45 PM
Hi Steve, silly question really, but since the limited research was introduced as everybody was changing the research speed along with special rules for lab assignments, wouldn't be possible to have a limited survey flag as well?

This could reduce survey without necessarily touching the settings, or, in my case, give a bit more options as I (and I believe many) am already at 5% by default.

How would this be different than the survey speed setting we already have?

Limited Research Admin works by limiting how many labs a scientist can control (though it's not a hard cap), and many players will use both the checkbox option and the research speed setting in tandem. For survey, there is no parallel to Research Admin - the closest I can think of would be limiting how many survey sensors you put on a survey ship or limiting how many survey ships you build, and neither of those options requires a setting to control as the player can easily abide by such limits (whereas for Limited Research Admin, it automates what was previously a tedious house rule to implement manually).

By the way, the reason for Limited Research Admin was not to slow down research, per se, but rather to limit tech rushing and promote a larger roster of scientists, which is why it works well in tandem with the research speed setting as those control two different aspects of research. Again, I can't think of a parallel for surveying.
Posted by: Froggiest1982
« on: February 03, 2025, 04:40:45 PM »

Quote from: Steve Walmsley on January 31, 2025, 12:39:44 PM
I've just started a WH40K test campaign for v2.6. This is the setup:

•   Starting population is two billion with standard installations for that population size, except for 800 Maintenance Facilities instead of 600.
•   Research Points are double normal to allow for the variety of starting weapons.
•   Starting Build Points are double normal, on the assumption the Imperium has been building up the largest army and fleet it can support before venturing into the galaxy.
•   Ruin chance is increased from 20% to 25%.
•   Enhanced Invaders, Enhanced Precursors, Enhanced Swarm and Raiders are active
•   System Count is 30 for Raiders, 60 for Swarm and 100 for Invaders.
•   NPRs can activate Precursors and Raiders
•   Ten multi-system NPRs using 2 + 4 empire radius. 60-120 LY
•   NPRs generate other NPRs with a 10% chance.
•   NPRs generate Precursors and Raiders
•   Minor Races set to 100%
•   Limited Research Admin
•   Research speed 50% after game start
•   Hostility Modifier +20
•   Survey Speed 25%

So this will be a challenging campaign. However, I think this is the best start to a campaign ever! Firstly, I found a Deserted Intact Colony on Mars, then four jump points, at 0.5b, 1.5b, 2b and 2.5b. One led to Alpha Centauri.

On Alpha Centauri IV, which only needs 0.09 atm of oxygen to be an ideal habitable world, there is a Ruined City and a dormant construct.

On Alpha Centauri V, which has a thin nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 0.18 atm and temp of -43C, I found Deserted Intact Cities!!

I only have 2 XEN and 2 CON formation, so constructing ground forces is going to be a major priority. The only downside is that one of the four jump points led to a system 70 LY from Earth, which I suspect is within the empire of a multi-system NPR. So I need to exploit my ruin riches before a much more powerful NPR finds Sol. Fun times ahead!

Hi Steve, silly question really, but since the limited research was introduced as everybody was changing the research speed along with special rules for lab assignments, wouldn't be possible to have a limited survey flag as well?

This could reduce survey without necessarily touching the settings, or, in my case, give a bit more options as I (and I believe many) am already at 5% by default.
Posted by: Kaiser
« on: January 31, 2025, 12:49:31 PM »

Quote from: Steve Walmsley on January 31, 2025, 12:39:44 PM
I've just started a WH40K test campaign for v2.6. This is the setup:

•   Starting population is two billion with standard installations for that population size, except for 800 Maintenance Facilities instead of 600.
•   Research Points are double normal to allow for the variety of starting weapons.
•   Starting Build Points are double normal, on the assumption the Imperium has been building up the largest army and fleet it can support before venturing into the galaxy.
•   Ruin chance is increased from 20% to 25%.
•   Enhanced Invaders, Enhanced Precursors, Enhanced Swarm and Raiders are active
•   System Count is 30 for Raiders, 60 for Swarm and 100 for Invaders.
•   NPRs can activate Precursors and Raiders
•   Ten multi-system NPRs using 2 + 4 empire radius. 60-120 LY
•   NPRs generate other NPRs with a 10% chance.
•   NPRs generate Precursors and Raiders
•   Minor Races set to 100%
•   Limited Research Admin
•   Research speed 50% after game start
•   Hostility Modifier +20
•   Survey Speed 25%

So this will be a challenging campaign. However, I think this is the best start to a campaign ever! Firstly, I found a Deserted Intact Colony on Mars, then four jump points, at 0.5b, 1.5b, 2b and 2.5b. One led to Alpha Centauri.

On Alpha Centauri IV, which only needs 0.09 atm of oxygen to be an ideal habitable world, there is a Ruined City and a dormant construct.

On Alpha Centauri V, which has a thin nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 0.18 atm and temp of -43C, I found Deserted Intact Cities!!

I only have 2 XEN and 2 CON formation, so constructing ground forces is going to be a major priority. The only downside is that one of the four jump points led to a system 70 LY from Earth, which I suspect is within the empire of a multi-system NPR. So I need to exploit my ruin riches before a much more powerful NPR finds Sol. Fun times ahead!

Can't wait to read your AAR, also I hope this test will be the last one and everything will be well so you can release the 2.6  :D
Posted by: Steve Walmsley
« on: January 31, 2025, 12:39:44 PM »

I've just started a WH40K test campaign for v2.6. This is the setup:

•   Starting population is two billion with standard installations for that population size, except for 800 Maintenance Facilities instead of 600.
•   Research Points are double normal to allow for the variety of starting weapons.
•   Starting Build Points are double normal, on the assumption the Imperium has been building up the largest army and fleet it can support before venturing into the galaxy.
•   Ruin chance is increased from 20% to 25%.
•   Enhanced Invaders, Enhanced Precursors, Enhanced Swarm and Raiders are active
•   System Count is 30 for Raiders, 60 for Swarm and 100 for Invaders.
•   NPRs can activate Precursors and Raiders
•   Ten multi-system NPRs using 2 + 4 empire radius. 60-120 LY
•   NPRs generate other NPRs with a 10% chance.
•   NPRs generate Precursors and Raiders
•   Minor Races set to 100%
•   Limited Research Admin
•   Research speed 50% after game start
•   Hostility Modifier +20
•   Survey Speed 25%

So this will be a challenging campaign. However, I think this is the best start to a campaign ever! Firstly, I found a Deserted Intact Colony on Mars, then four jump points, at 0.5b, 1.5b, 2b and 2.5b. One led to Alpha Centauri.

On Alpha Centauri IV, which only needs 0.09 atm of oxygen to be an ideal habitable world, there is a Ruined City and a dormant construct.

On Alpha Centauri V, which has a thin nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 0.18 atm and temp of -43C, I found Deserted Intact Cities!!

I only have 2 XEN and 2 CON formation, so constructing ground forces is going to be a major priority. The only downside is that one of the four jump points led to a system 70 LY from Earth, which I suspect is within the empire of a multi-system NPR. So I need to exploit my ruin riches before a much more powerful NPR finds Sol. Fun times ahead!
Posted by: GrandNord
« on: January 09, 2025, 03:44:23 PM »

I just discovered a 6th star swarm 60 years into my current game ...
Three of them are between 3 and 5 systems from sol. I've had to beat quite a few FAC fleets already, though right now they're more or less staying put.

I've been able to defend against their fighters for some time but I still haven't managed to kill a single broodmother (I did manage to hurt a 130 000t one pretty good though). Recently destroyed two cruisers from one of them also, so this is nice at least.

I'm rolling out my next generation of carriers though so hopefully things should change, but I've been pretty limited in my expansion. I've been able to get only 4 systems away from Sol in one direction out of four. I shouldn't run out of minerals for 100-200 years at least so there is that.
Posted by: Garfunkel
« on: January 06, 2025, 12:51:52 PM »

It is unusual but not possible. I have never encountered a shared planet in my games, for example, but several people have posted about such a thing over the years. In any case, you are correct that it is best to watch from a safe distance.
Posted by: Bezz
« on: January 05, 2025, 03:41:12 PM »

Interesting, thanks Ragnarsson, so not unusual to share a planet, slightly surprising though.
As it happens, 1 race established communications - and told me to get out. As I saw  they now had over 400 ships I did or rather tried. The other race, also with in excess of 300 ships opened fire. They have speed 65,000 missiles and lots of rail guns. They took out my grav and geo survey ships and my sensor mine on the jump point but not (yet) the sensors on the lagrange point and the unexplored jump point which are near the home world. A system to watch from a safe distance I think.