Quote:
Wade said:
Normally I'm only interested in "official" patches and expansions but more systems would be nice. I don't want a mod that alters the game AI/rules/mechanics.
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Well, mate, then you're missing out on at least half the fun. Stock is not terrible per sé, but there are some issues, mainly to do with balance, that most people find annoying. In most (widely-used) mods, you will find no Quantum Reactor-type component, or if you do, it's a lot harder to get both research- and construction-wise. Stock AIs don't really fare very well against human players, seekers and fighters are next to useless in the late (often even late-middle) game, population is much too easy to scoot around (up to several dozen million in a medium-sized transport ship), et cetera et cetera. There are plenty mods that adress this, as well as many mods which change gameplay entirely - and for the better. In Fyron's masterpiece the Adamant Mod, you get to select whether your race is a "normal" technology-based race, an "organic" race using biological ships and such, or a medieval-age magic using one, and last I've heard, Fyron was working on adding Machine and Energy races. PvK's Proportions Mod radically improves the importance of homeworlds with their massive established infrastructure and makes population management highly important as even large transports can carry only a few M pop, and so on. Suicide Junkie's Carrier Battles Mod makes fighters a lot more important and forces you to build combined-arms fleets with a good mix of all available weapons, ships and fighters. And these are just the most well-known examples; there are many other fine mods out there. So, if you only use stock, you're
really missing out
