Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Just wanted to know if anyone still plays this game or not. I kinda have grown out of playing it but still find that I am constantly thinking about it.

It has been nearly seven years now since I first started playing, (the demo) and believe it or not, that is longer than I held my last three jobs.

I don't play SE V at all any more either. Just doesn't appeal to my interest any more. I find that I would rather play SE IV over SE V any day of the week. Probably because I like what SE IV offers over SE V.

The difference between playing GalCiv or SE IV, SE IV wins out each time. Same thing with SE V. SE IV is just a better fit for me when I elect to play.

It wasn't too long ago that I had considered removing SE IV from my computer, all of the support stuff, and all of the DOGA files. But thankfully I opted to just move the extra files to a back up disk and keep the game. I did however drop almost all of the mods. Sorry guys, I just don't play the game enough to warrant the wasted space on a limited sized hard drive. I did save them to disk though.

I have found that SE IV is a lot easier to play than most other 4x games, including SE V, and I think that is why it might still appeal to many.

So do you still play or not?

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Well I am in a few games on PBW but none of them have any activity. One hasn't done a thing for a year (I'm secretly waiting for the 3 other players to quit so I can announce myself winner by default http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif). I can't say the players in them have lost interest just that some people went away and the games sort of wound down. Some time ago I stopped joining new SEIV games so I could devote myself to SEV when it came out. I don't seem to have much of a nostalgic personality so it was all, great a new version of SE with better graphics, forget the old version. Mind you there doesn't seem to be all that many available games of SEV on PBW, although that is mostly as I only look for balance mod games. I simply don't like needing 10 levels of ship yard to build orbital space yards.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I still play it.
But I am surprised that I have not found anything to replace it. GalCiv is wonderful but just doesnt have replay value for me. SEV still cant seem to grab my attention but if it ever gets up to huge galaxies with hundreds of races then it might. I still play Stars! sometimes.

VGA Planets 4 has such great hopes. Especially for anyone who likes their game to have more features than they will ever be able to get a good grasp on. But the beta keeps going in the direction of the already-expert multiplayer users. I pre-purchased a copy in 2001 which Im still waiting for. He needs to get a good publisher to make him finish the AI and do some decent documentation so it can finally release.

I still check out every space game that promises huge galaxies and decent AI. I even freely give them my ideas for unlimited galactic space with small database.

Gandalf Parker

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I still play SEiv, but not as often as I once did. I have SEv, but I don't play it (just not fun.)

If I had time, I would sit down and develop my own space 4X game, cause it doesn't look like anyone else is doing it.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Oh yeah! Right now, I am working on a huge galaxy map which incorporates my planets mod...

GB

P.S. Glad to hear from you, AT.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I'm playing - most to least:

Dominions 3
FAangband
SE IV
AoWSM
SacredUW, D2, Patrizier II gold, Port Royale, WinSPWW/SPWAW/WinSPMBT

.. this may change as soon as I find that crate full of CDs again .. might add e.g. Transport Tycoon Deluxe [Fan-Patched], Railroad Tycoon ...

EDIT:
OS: It's a shame that Stars! Supernova died due to publisher ... issues ...

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Just look at the game list on PBW to see that yes, people are still playing this game...

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I may need a replacement player for the Minbari in the "Carrier Battles - B5ism" game on PBW.

The game utilizes my FTL map for hyperspace fun, and there are four players including EA, Narn, Centauri and Minbari.
Its going nicely, but for ZeroAdunn dissappearing.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I still play almost religiously. In fact, I've even managed to get several friends involved and get them into it heavily. All it cost was a couple of custom-made ship sets (LOL). I wish I could release them, but they want to be the "exclusive" (?-LOL) users of them. Go Figure.

I love SEIV, and I may well be releasing a new shipset for it soon, if anyone is intersted in one still.

I've tried SEV, and given it several chances. I just cannot get into it the same way for some reason. I guess SEIV is as far as I'm going on this road...

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

BK,

Will it be the Krenim Imperium?

GB

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Of course i still play!

I occasionally play some other games, but 90% of the time i either play SEIV or Baldur´s Gate 2, two classics that simply don´t age for me...

In fact, i´m in the middle of a medium game with slow research (10 times slower research production) and small AI bonus using TDM, where i´m at war against 3 AIs and allied with 1 other, and i still need to meet the other 15 AIs in the game (well, 14, as 1 appear to have been eliminated before i even meet it)

My copy of SEV finally arrived last week, but i played a few turns and got tired of the long processing times, so i stored it for when i have a better computer (at least 2 more years since i need to finish the payments of my new house first).

BTW: i´m with a 1.73Ghz processor (forgot the brand now), with 512MB Ram and a 256mb video card and a 7200rpm HD running WinXP Pro, what i should do to reduce turn processing times (both in SEIV and SEV)? Buy more ram or a better videocard?

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I do still play SE IV although at the moment less than I thought I would.
I like very much the new combat emgine of SE V, but when the still numerous bugs or limitations frustrate me I return to SE IV. In the end the quality of the AI will decide if I play more SE IV or SE V.
SE IV is a game I modded to my likings and I am not sure that I will learn to do this for SE V, especially if it involves the AI.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

To be fair, if you compare SEIV to SEV then you need to do it using the vanilla clean-install version of SEIV. I actually did play a fresh install recently and personally I do think I enjoyed it more (I definetly played it longer) than my copy of SEV.

I suspect that I will not be thrilled with SEV anyway but I withhold my final judgement until I can play it as the same game I have in SEIV.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Video cards have nothing to do with processing times, since there is no rendering going on. RAM will only help if you notice it begin maxed out in the task manager, with excessive page file usage (enable the virtual memory column to see the total memory the app is using). The surest way is a new CPU.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

LOL - I didn't know there was any interest in that set still. If so, I can finish it.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

BK,

Oh yeah, I've 'lurked' through many posts before signing up. Problem is that, there is limited Krenim material out there... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

GB

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

It wouldn't be too hard to extroplate something, or even just "Keep within a theme"

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Its cruel to post previews and never finish the set. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Its cruel to want to make mod for a game that is rapidly becoming a toaster disc. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Well if SEIV isnt handed to someone else, then surely there is a replacement out there someplace

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Maybe a little OT, but here goes...

I for one love gameplay over graphics. I was dismayed when video cards introduced '3d' graphics, as they would chew up more CPU. Developers dedicated more code to graphics and gameplay was sacrificed on the mass-market altar 'eye-candy'. Don't get me wrong, beautiful graphics are great, but the games I play over and over again tend to have (by today's bleeding edge) dated graphics...SE IV, (Sid Meier's) Gettysburg, MOO, Civ 3, HoI II, Space Horse, etc...

A BIG thanks to Shrapnel which values gameplay!

GB

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Which isn't SE4.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I note that games such as Stars!, Master of Magic, Dominions, SEIV are still on my machine after years of play. For me I think its...
A) extensive setup choices in start position
B) extensive exploration (large map)
C) able to play against many AI's at once
D) moddability using easily avaiable and easy to use formats (such as ascii text, bmp, wav)
Probably about in that order. Besides being a decent game to play of course.

I note that SEIV didnt have most of that when it came out. But it does now because of players. Im hoping SEV will someday have them also but I think the format changes did more harm than good in that area.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Oh yes, SEIV is still going strong!

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I was able to get through three screens of the SEV tutorial. I just can't take the 1 FPS refresh rate.

I am in one SEIV game having slowed down a lot for RL. But am about to get more into it. Still the best game I know out there.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Yes. Still playing.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Well those of you still playing, and need something new to try we are only on turn one of the PBCIV game.

Info at the links below:

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...;Number=518812

http://www.spaceempires.net/home/ftopict-2532.html

http://www.spaceempires.net/home/forum-c13.html

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Definately still playing!

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Was recently "still playing", but got to turn 165 and the 'puter crashed briefly. No big deal there, but I found out I hadn't saved the game since 132.

Doh!
TT

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Still playing, and ALWAYS will be....

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

The only time I don't turn on "autosave every turn" is if I'm playing multiple solo games from the same Savegame folder. When I start a second game, I set it to autosave every second turn, and so on down the list of options.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Well I must admit that I let SpaceEmpires.info expire. I just never quite got interested, and no one I offered a hosting-home to seemed to do anything. Not that there was ever a real need for it with other domains doing such a good job. The domains for Dominions (2 qnd 3), and Shadowdale MUD, and Shazzys Shard (ultima online free server), are still keeping my games server active.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Crueler still to have a lying, cheating ex' trash and delete all your hard work, too!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

ouch

This is a Bachelor Moment. One of those times when I'm glad I've never been married.

Back on the main topic, my PBW game (thanks capnq & geo!) with capnq, kaspar, kotau, and glyn is roaring along. We are currently on turn 96.

Nivek, who originally owned this game, did the setup with some very unusual (for PBW) parameters.

All player planets are NOT the same size, WP's can appear anywhere in the system, there were neutrals, and I think random events are on!

So, the neuts, except the Eee, have all been crushed. The alliances are shaking out - Roman/Federation alliance versus the Space Monkey/Space Dolphin/Mi-Go Triumvirate.

Things are very exciting at the moment.

The Romans have a fleet of 9 Dreadnoughts tearing up my border worlds right now, (I'm the Space Monkeys) and I don't have anything to stop them with.

On the other hand, I have a fleet of 7 Battlecruisers and 9 Battleships preparing to attack what looks like one of the Federation homeworlds.

So, yeah, we're still playing SEIV, and having a very good time with it, thank you very much http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Simultaneous turn hotseat games work great for that. No need to worry about saving at all.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I still play. Unfortunately, I never got past the 70 turn mark because of my comp http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

What does your computer have to do with turn 70 mark? SE4 has mind-bogglingly low system requirements; sure it might start taking a while to process turns, but they will process.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I'm actually playing my AAR game on my 166mhz laptop (with 48 megs of ram!)

Gives me time to write part of the report while the turn processes http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Dude.... 11,000 posts for SJ.

*/me hands SJ a cookie

TT

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

More like an Ace bandage, for the carpal tunnel he got from all that typing http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Playing UFO-ET (X-Com based game) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Ohhh! Did they ever get that thing working? Last I saw, about a year ago, it wasn't even in beta yet.

Give us an url!

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Possum, You can buy the game at Matrix Games (or other software sales): http://www.matrixgames.com/games/game.asp?gid=342
The first and only patch (so far):
http://www.ufo-extraterrestrials.com/
The game is very tough with the original units. There is a great mod for it here (Ver. 3.12):
http://ufo-scene.com/plugins/forum/f...topic.php?1576
It's some good work and he's still working on it. Bman is the AT of the UFO-ET crowd.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I am still playing SE4. I bought SE5 but I just can't get into it. Between the fact that combat is real time, and the fact that it didn't live up to my expectations, I find it hard to motivate myself to learn to play it. I love SE4. I love the community. I love starting, but never finishing, shipsets. I don't think I will ever stop loving this game. Really, I wish that there was some way we could get access to the code so that some of the things which are hard-wired could be changed. Oh, well. Still love the game.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

JA, I also agree with you. I tried the SEV demo and never finished playing it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I was disappointed with the game and I too enjoy SEIV. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif The work that people like AT, Fyron, SJ and many more, have done on this game is what makes it so good. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif This board has also been very supportive of anyone who ever came here looking for answers to any problem. Not just with the game but also other computer problems and even some personnel projects that have come up over the years. I don’t post much, but I still come here to see who’s still around. It is sort of an extended family here.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I firmly believe that more people still play SE IV than there are playing SE V.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

I doubt that.

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

i don´t know about others, but i have both games now and i play SEIV more than SEV (i hardly play SEV, just bought it, played a half a dozen times with the balance mod, and decided SEIV is more my style).

Maybe with the most recent balance mod SEV is more fun (the last one i played was 4 or 5 versions before the one available now).... ill try it this weekend again...

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Maybe if you ignore the large number of people on the official spaceempires5.com forums, you could come to that conclusion.. Sure there are a lot of old-time fans that prefer se4 to se5, but that doesn't apply to everyone, and certainly not for all the new people...

Re: Any One Still Playing This Game?
 

Ok so SE IV is dead because no one on the SE V official site plays it. Hell that is a great indicator. Has it occurred to any one that perhaps most people who play SE IV that don't play SE V have no use for the SE V site thusly they are not registered there or simply choose not to post if they are? (IE Me.)

SE V is a fine game, and I would recommend it to any 4x gamer, after I have recommended SE IV to them.