SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I never thought I would be the first to post this... i may not have been posting here for a while, but I check every so often for news on the release date and demo status.

anyway, I was browsing http://www.3dgamers.com and to my shock, it says SEV demo on the right... and I came here, but there is no news!

I waited a couple of hours, still nothing so I am posting it!

also, if you go to the strategy first website, browse to the bottom, look for space empires, and then somehow you find a link to SEV (it took me ages), something like http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/games/SpaceEmpiresV/ anyway, under downloads, the demo is there, so it is official, there just isnt a lot of news!

I was going to post here to ask if anyone knows if it is DRM/crappy protection free... I am going through a technophobe (?) session at the moment and am a bit carful about installing apps on my main machines. Anyway, I will be installing on a spare machine and have a go!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Downloading it now..but SF's SE5 section seems to have disappeared!

EDIT: here we go. Its not linked from the main page for some reason. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/games/SpaceEmpiresV/
http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/game...esV/downloads/

demo download area

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I know, it took me ages to locate it!

anyway, dug it out, and it is here...

http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/games/SpaceEmpiresV/

correcting link in first post as well

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

OOOOooooooooooooh, thanks for the headsup!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

The download is very sloooooow. So perhaps there are a lot of people interested in the game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Thanks for the heads up. Curious to see what's new.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Yeah for you guys. Be sure to bug Aaron about any bugs etc. you might come across... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Well said.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

There've been more than a few people complaining about the speed of it, so I've set up a little torrent. Don't know if it's working properly, so someone should really test it out...
Click here for torrent

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

OMFG, slooooow download is right

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

what do we do with it, zero?

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Woot, neat torrent!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I have looked on many other sites for the demo, no joy.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

LOL, ok, how do you use the torrent file?

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

3d gamers is probably the best, get a free account or try one of there public servers but it may take longer than there free login servers (the ftp one works but only at 20KB/s), anyway, the other ones have a 20-30 min wait, look around, however when its done, it downloads at around 900KB/s here

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

You need a bittorrent client like utorrent or azureus, then you just download the torrent file, open it with the client of your choice, and you're off!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Go here: www.bittorrent.com

Download and install the program. Then download the torrent file and open it. It will ask you to pick a directory, where it will place the file(s) downloaded by the Torrent. Once the download is complete, just go to directory you picked and run the file.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

What he said

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Now, some help from the beta people, I am a bit confused and not sure if this is a bug or a feature...

I created my empire, I am getting used to things, created a few designs and done the sim to test it out, and now I am trying research.

I know in the empire, you had to choose diffrent tech areas to start with, but now I am in the game and doing research, all the ones that say current level 1, if I hover the mouse over, it says expected results : and shows the ones I already have. does this mean I have to re research them, or will it go to next level and the expected results show what you already know from the area?

im confusing myself here, its 2:50AM, I need to go to bed!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Expected results show you what happens if you reach the next level of that area (i.e. new level of component or new tech area opened up).

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I was being stupid and not looking properlly, because the next level items have the same name, just diffrent levels, I thought that nothing was happening... I got a bit confused but I think I understand it now!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I'd recommend uTorrent over the basic BT client. It's tiny (less than 200 kB), needs no install, and has pretty much all the best BT client features built-in.

wilhil said:
3d gamers is probably the best...

Relatively speaking, of course. It still blows chunks. Maybe less so than file planet, but not by a very wide margin. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

since the takeover, I think the files are served from the same place as fileplanet.

talking about that, I guess sfirst released it to the fileplanet network of sites (is it IGN?). and not really relative, at the moment it is all I can find, this torrent option may be good but I have no clue how fast it is being uploaded. I choose to wait, it took about 20-30 mins for a queue position, then it downloaded in less than 5 mins.


... think i may found a bug, but probably me just not understanding the game. whilst researching energy stream weapons, right clicking shows it will produce anti-proton beam and point defence beam, however there is only picture at the top for the proton beam, it does however show both at level 1 when going to research level 2.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

So much to learn - Too much, what with the painkillers. Still, I got a basic grasp on it, but where does it show built facilities?

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I was looking foward to that as well, I was hoping that it was something along the lines of you can build as many facilitys as you can arrange/fit on the planet, but it looks like that you have a limit like on SEIV, and it will just auto generate them when there is a ground battle... I never usually build ground units, looks like I am going to have to start!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Now's a good time to remind everyone that the Space Empires Wiki at wiki.spaceempires.net is looking for volunteers to develop and expand its Space Empires V section. If you'd like to contribute, feel free to look us up. With the demo out, I believe the Space Empires Wiki will be the best place to collect what we learn and update the Space Empires V manual as it grows:

Space Empires V Manual (SE Wiki Live Manual)
http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Manual_%28SEV%29

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

is something wrong with strategys?

I have been doing everything manually because I want to mess around and stuff, but all my ships, even war ones, flee... I looked in strategys in the ship designer, but none are listed and in empire options, the menu ends at strategys and you cant see anything below the header.


edit - I remember seeing a error when I first started, so I restarted the game and got a default stratefies data file errors.... unable to load data file:.....

I created a empire, did new game rather than quick start, I will take a look at new empire again because maybe I was meant to select one... sorry, speaking my mind as I am doing it to try and fix it!


edit 2 - ok, fixed it, when creating a empire, the last option, I think it is styles or something, the one you have to set agreesive/defensive/neutral? (cant remember them all, but I know there is 3 and one is agressive!). anyway, choosing one fixes it. I think there should be a warning as this can ruin the game if you do not select one.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

BTW, if you are about to download, definitely go for the torrent!

There are so many seeders that people are getting rates of 250kB/s!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Yes, the torrent file only took me about 10 minutes to download. Very fast.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I was hoping for some uniqueness in the deck templates for the various classes, rather than just the same layout for upper deck middle deck and lower deck.

Shouldn't there be variations, like the middle deck having the most space (depending on ship design); along with small ships having virtually no space at all, and only one deck?

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

The main idea is that the layouts be shaped like the ships, but also that your designs not be limited by a lack of slots.

(SE concerns itself with tonnage ratings)

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Happy Birthday Atrocities!!!
I found a bug. Shift+Enter is suppose to toggle the system view, but it instead tries to start a combat simulator and then gives an Access Violation.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Yeah, I'm getting Access Violations left and right...when designing ships and when trying to use the simulators.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I haven't had time to do more than D-load the demo and quick start a game but oooh it's pretty! I really like the way systems look and are mouse spin/navigable.

Off to go really fiddle around!

Rathar

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Jeepers. I was was about to give up on the torrent and suddenly whoosh I'm up and running at 150kB/s.


Please don't suck!

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

So, I gather Aaron has a large brown dog that apparently made half the game (judging by how much screen time it gets in the credits) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I'm just getting a black screen when I try to run it.

EDIT: problem with neaudio.ax which is a Nero file. Took the recommendation off a google search to just rename the file (in Program Files under Ahead - your mileage may vary.) and I've at least got the menu now so everything looks like it's going to work. I like the intro music. Dark.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Haven't encountered any bugs so far, everything's smooth. However, for some reason, at turn 4 or so the end turn process went from taking about 4 seconds to over 15 seconds.

I've not gotten used to the new system view yet, it feels a bit awkward. Space combat looks and feels very nice, though.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Tried top-down view yet?

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

I am not having a real problem here, it looks like you betas did a good job, but there is a few weird problems.... one of the things I like is that in some games pressing alt tab ruins the game and going back you get weird colors. Here, alt tab seems to fix a few things! I have seen a few problems at diffrent times where the colors on dialogs and menus go weird, but alt tabbing out and in fixes it all! I do not know what causes it, but at least it is fixable, and the biggest problem was the strategy error but I fixed it.

Anyway, I LOVE THIS GAME.

edit - raapys, like SEIV, the game gets complicated quickly as there is a lot more descions for the AI to make.

Also, another question. I love the way that you can stack builds of everything, right now I am stacking ships and choosing to build of 100 of whatever I want, so that the resources go over to the next one but they each come off when complete (I wish units did this in SEIV!). I was wondering with buildings and ships, even if they are not stacked, do they auto go to the next, and carry over resources?

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

There was a bug I noticed as soon as I started but I can't remember what it was. Sorry. I do note at the end of the tutorial it says there are 2 warppoints that have not been explored. This should be, there are 2 warppoints that have been explored.

I tried out a battle. Impressive. However I would like to know how to rotate the screen in combat because the ships all went behind a planet and I couldn't see them. I did noticed it is slightly 3d as a ship was disabled and hung well above the plane.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Bug: I started a new turn and then changed my mind so I cancelled. The screen went white and unresponsive.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Anyone figure out if there is a way to play simultaneus turns with the demo?

And, if there was a way to stop the darn thing from warning me at the end of each turn that I haven't allocated any of my zero intel points, that would be nice...

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

(and so the griping begins!)

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Are we going to create a thread just for bugs?

This isn't exactly a bug I suppose but there is something wrong when my rock world has a surface temperature of
-400 °C http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif.Absolute zero is -273.15 °C

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

"This isn't exactly a bug I suppose but there is something wrong when my rock world has a surface temperature of
-400 °C "

Just think how efficient your computers will be.

How do you go fullscreen? I initially played windowed and decided I'd rather go fullscreen but no matter which option I pick in Setup I'm stuck with windowed. Is there a setup batch file somewhere I can hand change? I had a quick look but didn't spot anything.

I don't like the 3D planet display and the 2D version is a bit hard to read once you've panned out to view the whole system (ie the construction yard icons - I'm playing with the un-resized flag icons though I may switch back for the aforementioned reason.)


Guess it'll just take a while to get used to.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

@randallw, any graphics related bugs, I have encountered a few, if you alt tab or press the windows key on the keyboard, and switch to windows then alt tab back to game, it seems to fix most things.

if you dont have any other programs open, press the windows key then run, and type calc or notepad (something small and fast,) then alt tab or click on the game to get it back.

@AMF, it is best to just put 100% of intel to defence.

my wishlist so far, on planet view, I wish there was a way to see both build queue and how many buildings are there. I liked SEIV where I could see what planets are idle/producing nothing and the x/x list of how much room and how many factorys are there.

lastly, dont know if it is possible already, the end turn dialog is either on or off and gives warnings. I would like it so that it is off by default, and if there are any warnings, it would display it.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

And to put Intelligence defense to 100% you have to click on a button 100 times. That's wrong.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

hold shift, and use both mouse buttons to click!

at the moment, I cant figure out how to set waypoints, anyone know?

I have looked at almost every button, but I just cant figure it out.

Re: SEV DEMO IS OUT!
 

Tried top-down view yet?

Ah, just found out about the top-down view. Still getting used to the GUI, alot of sub-menus hidden in there.

I found a bug/exploit as well; I sent a couple of ships to join my fleet a few hexes away, and when I put them in the fleet they regained all their movement points( or rather, their lack of momvement points wasn't taken into the account when moving the fleet).