New player struggling

PsychoTechFreak · #1 March 20th, 2002, 03:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRMcCartney:
BTW Psycho, on point #9, as an Audi A4 owner, I agree.

Hey, meown one also, Audi A4 kicks ***. What a coincidence ? I do not think so.

adder_inf · #2 March 20th, 2002, 04:44 PM

The waypoints can be set in the empire screen(I think). Then you can use them to move ships to them without clicking on the system. I find them useful on resupply bases so you can send ships along a warp chain.

PsychoTechFreak · #3 March 20th, 2002, 05:27 PM

The waypoints can be set by hotkeys directly in the systems view.

To set one, hit Alt+Number of waypoint, e.g. Alt-1 and then click the sector.
To move a ship to a waypoint, select the ship and hit Ctrl-1 (through 0).

Edit: You can find the (other) Hotkeys under the "?" - window, "hotkeys".

[ 20 March 2002: Message edited by: PsychoTechFreak ]

Dracus · #4 March 20th, 2002, 05:52 PM

Since no one really answered your questions, I will try, you asked quite a few in somewhat a huge post so bear with me.

quote:
Originally posted by Andy Watkins:

I am VERY early in the game so don't appear to have any fighters or any ground troops at all.

You have to research constrution and then fighters/troops before you get them.

I can build up to Destroyer sized ships, or small satellites or space stations or weapons platforms that's about it.

Once again, you have to research each upgrade.
ships ---- ship construction
sats ----there is a sat research tree
same thing for platforms, drones, and space stations.

I recently noticed an ally of mine has been planting satellites on all his warp points. Ah that's a good idea I thought I'll copy them. Built some satellites, loaded them onto a transport, went to warp point and could not dump the cargo. Looks like I need to be able to "Launch" the satellites, how do I do that?

First make sure you are loading them into a ship that contains sat launchers (not cargo holders)
Then there is a button on the top that shows a ship with and arrow going out, that is the remote launch button. you can preset the orders by clicking the ship, the button and the wp, it will ask what you want to launch, pick sats.

I wanted to mine asteroids, only ship that seemed to be able to do so was an attack destroyer with no guns and a pair of mining add on's. Took ship to asteroids and it started mining straight away.
Yippee I got something right.....
Then it ran out of fuel and I had to send it back to a planet to reful in the next system and then all the way back again. BORING! How can I stop this??

for mining ships you can add panels once you research them.
Or you can build large sats and launch them to do the mining, Once again you need to research them.

If I want to move a ship a couple of systems I appear to have to go WARP to the nearest point. Then go to the next system and put WARP to the next point etc etc. Can I get a ship across several systems with just one command?

Yes, if the first system has been explored, then all you do is click the ship, click the system and click the far wp, you want to use.
You can go across as many systems as you want as long as all the systems you are crossing, can be viewed by you.

What do waypoints do and how do you use them?

Waypoints can be used for a number of things. I use them to create central locations for all my newly built ships to move to before I send them out on missions. some people use them to create move chains for moving fleets or ships to the front lines. They are very useful.

Not very clear about combat. if you have ion cannons they seem to fire straight at whatever you target. I had a mk I capital missile and think I fired it, very difficult to tell, I think it was reponsible for a purple splat on my ship, I never seemed to get a purple splat on my target so don't know if it ever hit, or was the purple splat their missiles hitting me??

I don't quite understand this question. I think you are asking if you fired a missle or if you were being hit? well, if you fire a missle, it appears in the same spot as your ship and then moves out toward the target. if you are being hit, then the missle moves into you ship spot and you see an explosion.

PS are there any "Difficulty" setting in the game?

yes, when you first set up a new game, there are settings to pick if you want neutral races, if you want low, medium, or high number of reg races, if they should be easy, medium or hard, if they should recieve, a low, medium or high bonus.

There are other settings that make the gamje harder or easy, such as how many starting planets you start with, what type of events you want, and an number of other settings, too many for me to remeber without pulling up the game.
Don't play hard settings until you fully understand the game, or you will be taken out to early to enjoy it.

PPS My favourite sci fi series of all time is Babylon 5, do I get the impression I can "Mod" the game in some way to reflect B5?? I don't understand anything at all about modding.

you can in a way and there are mods that add B5 sets to the game.
It is best not to try modding, until you understand the game a little more, then come post your modding questions and we will try and help you. Never mod the orginal game itself, create a mod folder and do all modding there or set up a second game load on your system and mod it.

Andy Watkins · #5 March 20th, 2002, 06:57 PM

Dracus,

Thanks for the reply, I've made a few observations, will make more when I have the chance to try them out.

<<You have to research constrution and then fighters/troops before you get them.>>

I will research construction next

<<First make sure you are loading them into a ship that contains sat launchers (not cargo holders)>>

Thanks you are the second person to say this, hadn't realised what Sat launchers were, will give it a try

<<for mining ships you can add panels once you research them.
Or you can build large sats and launch them to do the mining, Once again you need to research them.>>

Would a satelite with panels ever run out of supplies, if not this would seem ideal???

<<Yes, if the first system has been explored, then all you do is click the ship, click the system and click the far wp, you want to use.
You can go across as many systems as you want as long as all the systems you are crossing, can be viewed by you.>>

I think this is the mistake I made, tried that right at the beginning and it didn't work, probably because I hadn't been to the systems before, so I gave up never thought to try again, silly me!

<<you can in a way and there are mods that add B5 sets to the game.
It is best not to try modding, until you understand the game a little more, >>

Agreed I'll figure out the basic game before buggering around with it!

Andy
PS Thanks to everyone who is helping
PPS What was the relationship between this post and Audi cars?

Suicide Junkie · #6 March 20th, 2002, 07:11 PM

quote:
<<for mining ships you can add panels once you research them.
Or you can build large sats and launch them to do the mining, Once again you need to research them.>>

Would a satelite with panels ever run out of supplies, if not this would seem ideal???

Two things:
- Sats have infinite supplies and/or do not use or keep track of supplies. You never have to worry about ammo on a sat.
- Running out of supplies does not affect the minig capability of your ship. Let it sit there forever.
- Ships cost maintenace! be sure that you are still getting more resources OUT of the planet than you are putting into the ship!

quote:
<<you can in a way and there are mods that add B5 sets to the game.
It is best not to try modding, until you understand the game a little more, >>

Agreed I'll figure out the basic game before buggering around with it!

Feel free to download and play with the B5 Mod that is being written!

Growltigga · #7 March 20th, 2002, 07:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Dracus:
Since no one really answered your questions, I will try, you asked quite a few in somewhat a huge post so bear with me.

cheeky swine, I did try and answer Andy's questions, I just dont know how to split up the quotes in bold and normal text as neatly as you do!

PS I once got into an accident with an Audi A4 - my 7 year old clio lost quite badly but it was almost worth it to see a grown man burst out crying at the state of the audi