Empire of the Stars - Comments Thread

[paolot]

Steve, please, can you share the design of the Gekkō recon drone? as I can't find it in the scenario thread.
Thanks!!

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Steve, please, can you share the design of the Gekkō recon drone? as I can't find it in the scenario thread.
Thanks!!

[paolot]

Thank you, Steve!
I see an active sensor.
Instead, I thought you installed only passive ones, for a more sthealthy approach.

[shatterstar]

Thanks for this excellent work! It convinced me to try the game, which I haven't been able to put down.

I was wondering, how did you manage to get the Fighter's crew down to 1? Crew is the main problem I have with small craft. Were there some other changes to crew besides fuel tanks not adding more crew?

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Thanks for this excellent work! It convinced me to try the game, which I haven't been able to put down.

I was wondering, how did you manage to get the Fighter's crew down to 1? Crew is the main problem I have with small craft. Were there some other changes to crew besides fuel tanks not adding more crew?

Just very short deployment time, such as 0.007 for the Hayabusa for example.

[randakar]

Absolutely crazy updates. Damn.

Especially the Mauritius situation.

You want to conquer a planet that has an almost hostile empire that's technologically more advanced sitting right in your logistics chain.
That's beyond ballsy - it's incredibly risky, especially with the other threats out there.

But damn, if you manage to pull it off..

[Garfunkel]

This is fast becoming a truly epic campaign!

[Kurt]

Steve, I apologize if you've already explained this, but I'm curious about something.  I've seen in a couple of your update posts that you've deployed sensor drone/buoys at jump points throughout your territory.

While an interesting and useful strategy, I've been thinking about the underlying assumptions.  Are you assuming FTL comms between systems, allowing the buoys to communicate detection alerts immediately to capital or fleet locations?  Or are they only able to communicate within their own system, which would limit their usefulness and perhaps necessitate regular patrols to download their logs? 

Thanks

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Steve, I apologize if you've already explained this, but I'm curious about something.  I've seen in a couple of your update posts that you've deployed sensor drone/buoys at jump points throughout your territory.

While an interesting and useful strategy, I've been thinking about the underlying assumptions.  Are you assuming FTL comms between systems, allowing the buoys to communicate detection alerts immediately to capital or fleet locations?  Or are they only able to communicate within their own system, which would limit their usefulness and perhaps necessitate regular patrols to download their logs? 

Thanks

For this campaign, I am assuming instant FTL comms everywhere. Normally I role-play that only stable jump points can allow messages to pass and only act on information that my race would have, given that constraint. With a large game and so many different races, I thought deploying buoys everywhere and monitoring what was happening would be more interesting.

[nakorkren]

What an epic update!

[Garfunkel]

What an epic update!

Agreed!

[randakar]

Not just that, but with a cliffhanger too!

[nuclearslurpee]

Steve, I apologize if you've already explained this, but I'm curious about something.  I've seen in a couple of your update posts that you've deployed sensor drone/buoys at jump points throughout your territory.

While an interesting and useful strategy, I've been thinking about the underlying assumptions.  Are you assuming FTL comms between systems, allowing the buoys to communicate detection alerts immediately to capital or fleet locations?  Or are they only able to communicate within their own system, which would limit their usefulness and perhaps necessitate regular patrols to download their logs? 

Thanks

For this campaign, I am assuming instant FTL comms everywhere. Normally I role-play that only stable jump points can allow messages to pass and only act on information that my race would have, given that constraint. With a large game and so many different races, I thought deploying buoys everywhere and monitoring what was happening would be more interesting.

I usually roleplay with buoys that they are comms buoys (which happen to have sensors of course) and the only way to communicate across jump points. Makes for an interesting situation when a hostile NPR cuts your communications network in half that you don't quite get with jump gates (or at least it is hazier).

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Steve, I apologize if you've already explained this, but I'm curious about something.  I've seen in a couple of your update posts that you've deployed sensor drone/buoys at jump points throughout your territory.

While an interesting and useful strategy, I've been thinking about the underlying assumptions.  Are you assuming FTL comms between systems, allowing the buoys to communicate detection alerts immediately to capital or fleet locations?  Or are they only able to communicate within their own system, which would limit their usefulness and perhaps necessitate regular patrols to download their logs? 

Thanks

For this campaign, I am assuming instant FTL comms everywhere. Normally I role-play that only stable jump points can allow messages to pass and only act on information that my race would have, given that constraint. With a large game and so many different races, I thought deploying buoys everywhere and monitoring what was happening would be more interesting.

I usually roleplay with buoys that they are comms buoys (which happen to have sensors of course) and the only way to communicate across jump points. Makes for an interesting situation when a hostile NPR cuts your communications network in half that you don't quite get with jump gates (or at least it is hazier).

I have considered adding an optional 'communications layer', with pop installations, ship components, comm buoys, etc. and a way of highlighting which ships or populations are on the 'comm net'. This could just be for role-playing, or there is some actual penalty for orders, etc. An extreme version of that is having your own ships and populations unavailable to view if they are 'off the net' with them operating using AI only. If you get back in contact, you will see their ship history, any new systems they discovered, etc. If they are destroyed while out of contact, you might only find their wreck, or maybe some form of black box. A lot of complexity involved, but maybe one day

[Garfunkel]

That would be really cool as an optional system, like maintenance.