SitReps - Empires and Intrigues

Everything I write here is intended to be a suggestion/idea – please don’t read this as if it’s a list of demands. My aim is to provide feedback in a constructive tone, which can be difficult via text.

Settings Info:

•         build: 1.19.7
•         10 player random map
•         all AI left at Medium
•         AI set to assortment of mostly defensive, with a couple research & economic
•         no mods (mine or from mod.io)

 1) Gameplay
1.1) Research

• The new system really slows things down. I need more time with it, but based on the games I’ve played so far it gives a feel of trying to break the game down into 5 stages
• I’m glad items like the Frontier Adaptation Lab as well as the other labs still grant research levels, even if getting them is somewhat RNG. The changes to research seem intended to shut down tall play in favor of forcing everyone to go wide? As someone who loves to turtle until I have a tech advantage I’m not especially thrilled with this change. Part of this is from asteroids not offering much in way of research options (was playing Vasari-Alliance); from the handful of AI planet items it looks like TEC gave some options. I haven’t had a chance to play as the Exodus yet.
• Thoughts on having the orbital research labs use components that grant military or civilian research? The idea is enable tall play for those who enjoy it while letting wide players have a means to disrupt it.

 1.2) Minor Factions

• At a high level, they seem to allow players limited usage of other faction’s tools – which is really nice. The rework lets the minor factions show some personality too
• The Influence Points have a good feel and the abilities granted by them are fun. I look forward to seeing what other interactions get added.
• Near the end of development, could you give each of the non-pirate minor factions a unique set of player colors/icons for their factions/ships?
• In general, it would be a major plus for the minor factions to feature their items on their own planets/units (flavor mostly). It looks like the minor faction UI is set to hide components
• Pranast United
  • Would it make more sense for their homeworld to be terran, desert or volcanic?
  • Their flavor text indicates they’re the ones behind the Argonov Starbase; I was surprised to see that they don’t build any.
  • Would you be willing to let them have 2 at game start and then being able to build up to 4 total, as the game continues? (Wouldn’t using their own product boost confidence in its capabilities?)
  • Would you be willing to give them a planet garrison of 400 that is set to hold position? (so that they can replace lost defenses)
• Jiskun Expeditionary Force
  • Would you be willing to let them research [Jump Inhibition Immunity] some point later in the game?
  • Would you be willing to let them build Jarrasul Evacuators?
• Aluxian Resurgence
  • Would you be willing to let them build Akkan Battlecruisers?
  • Would you be willing to let them build Orbital Research Labs & research Psidar levels?
  • Would you be willing to let them build Trade Ports? (As a member of the trade order, wouldn’t they want to maximize trade within their own borders?)
  • Would you be willing to let them research “Garda Mark II Prototype”?
  • Would you be willing to let them build planet garrisons, but limit them to 200 supply?
• Pirates
  • Should “Looting Crew” be a passive ability for all pirate ships (Corsair/Rogue/Pillager)?
  • Thoughts on giving pirate defense platforms a boarding crew ability? (letting them capture the odd ship that reaches their base)
• Viturak Transport Cabal
  • Would you be willing to let them build Antorak Marauders?
  • Would you be willing to let them build Lirtestra Research Labs?

1.3) Playable Factions

• Vasari Alliance
  • They have a much better identity with the influence & minor faction interactions
• TEC (both)
  • I was surprised to see that both Gauss research upgrades gauss weapons in addition to the defense platform. Is there a possibility of the beam damage research getting applied to the Kol’s experimental beam ability too?

 1.4) UI

• It took me a second to figure out why my ships weren’t jumping in formation – I like the new toggle! I was just used to the move-in-formation being the default is all. Once I checked the fleet settings it was intuitive for me. I guess that it defaults to “Fast” for the AI currently?
• Planet components now showing their upgrade level is a nice timesaver (no longer have to hover over the icons to check manually)

 1.5) End-Game Statistics

• Thoughts on adding a new section for Minor Factions?
  • Influence received
  • Ships killed
  • Ships built
  • Structures built
  • Planets Owned

 1.6) Replays

• If it’s trivial to do, would you add minor factions to the list of players possible to view-as while watching a replay? (mostly so I can poke under the hood while I experiment with them; I typically watch replays to see what the AI was up to in my games currently). 

 1b) Gameplay - AI

1b.1) AI players

• [Minor Faction] Jiskun Expeditionary Force attacked the pirates base on its own accord once pirates were adjacent. When I peeked at its player file it looked like it was set up similar to the Aluxian Resurgence (attack adjacent worlds, but not colonize) Although, since their fleet lacks planet bombers they spent their time blockading the pirate world after wiping its static defenders. Note that I like this behavior. The Jiskun never settled any adjacent planets in the 5hrs I ran the game.
• From watching a replay, two AI were dispatching Pranast United protection fleets to fight each other over Pranast’s homeworld. The supply of each fleet was slowly increasing for a while (15ish min) – but the ships will leave if no enemy ships appear. I live for these kinds of shenanigans, as I didn’t realize how sadist the AI could get (forcing a minor faction “units” to engage in a battle royal over its homeworld). I actually hope this behavior doesn’t get removed