Daily Feedback Roundup -- Beta 3 Edition

A new roundup for a new beta....

from Sins Forums
Note: The purpose of this thread is to round up posts of note from the past day so the developers can easily find and track feedback in the chaos of the beta forum, and concentrate their time on the game. It will not be able to be replied to by non-moderators.
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Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
September 21

Gameplay

+ Feedback -- Initial impressions of Beta 3 (IC) (Link)

+ Feedback -- First Beta 3 impressions (IC) (Link)

+ Discussion -- The new zoom system... (IC) (Link)

+ ICO Lobby -- Comments and issues (IC) (Link)
The font is very small and difficult to read on my 1280 screen. The Text box is to small. Align the names of the chatters and the things they say in columns.

Maybe it gets better with bigger fonts / textbox but now it is not easy to follow a discussion. The current chatbox is just not a 'friendly' way to communicate.

I agree on having names and text set apart a bit so it's easier to pick them out in chat. Maybe have your own words in a different color as well? There are also some issues with kerning (letters too close together causing them to overlap, 't' is a big offender here), and if a single message is more than a line long, the second line overlaps onto the next person's message!


+ Pacing -- General agreement is that multiplayer games are too slow  (Link)
we need, NEED! a speed increase-thingy so that games dont take 2 hours to solidify (let alone actually start)




Ongoing Discussions

+ Simultaneous Research (Link)
+ Gas giant mystery... (Link)
+ Learn from past space game mistakes!!! (Link)
+ Graphics (Link)
+ Pirates a bit too strong? (Link)
+ AI - Autoretreat option (Link)

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
September 22-24

Technical

+ Graphics? -- Mouse cursor disappears (old issue, back in beta 3) (Link)
its quite hard to play the game without really seeing what you are doing, so ... if there is a fix, plz let me/ us know. (or the few other people in the forum who had this bug before, how you solved it.)


+ ICO -- Can use special characters in names via copy/paste (Link)
When creating a charecter, you normally can't use the manual alt+numpad (unless the 5 combos I tried don't work at all)

When you have completed the word you want your name to be, select it and press ctrl+c
Now, go into Sins and make a charecter. When naming it, press ctrl+v and your custom-letter name will appear.


+ Camera -- 'X' zoom preset doesn't show full gravity well for stars (Link)
I have noticed in the Beta 3 that when you have the sun selected then the "z" key to zoom in close and the "x" key to middle zoom is reversed.
i.e. "x" zooms in close and "z" is the middle zoom.


+ Graphics -- Cinematic view doesn't remove quite everything it should (Link)
When ships move, or attack it still shows those pulsing red, or blue travel lines. Is there a need for that in a cinematic view?

Can we turn off all the planet icons as well as the other icons? Nothing ruins a perfectly good screenshot like a wall of half faded planet icons in the background.

I notice that when you press ctrl+shift+z to make the UI go away, the little red orbs from the Akkan's targeting ability remain which can really mess up screen shots as well. Haven't checked to see if those are still there in cinematic mode or not.




Gameplay

+ Discussion -- MACRO STRATEGY: FLEET ALLOCATION (Link)

+ Discussion -- Loyalty penalties: should extra capitals be brought back? (Link)
First off , I know we have the move capital option, but what if it isn't an option due to losing the benefits of the Capital where it is. (Move capital should be really only used once your capital is under attack, as an option to restart elsewhere...IMHO)

As most of us know, once a planet/asteroid is 7 jumps away from the capital, its loyalty is at 15% making the planet/asteroid pretty much useless. At least until culture comes to play, and even that doesn't help as much as I'd like...


+ Feedback -- Pirate base should be immune to culture-flip (Link)
I was playing a small map earlier today and after I conquered about 1/2 the solar system and my Broadcast stations had spread almost everywhere. I realized that I took over the Pirate Hideout with my society influence. This is stupid and should not be able to happen.


+ Feedback -- Game needs more (4X) depth (IC) (Link)
My greatest concern with sins is its lack of true depth. Depth is by far the most important factor (IMO) when playing a 4x game. Its not about pretty graphics, but about options. It's about making the player feel like they are truly the one in charge. After an hour or so of sins it seems like all im doing is system hopping. Yeah I'm working up the tech tree slowly but surely, but besides that it gets a bit uninspiring.


+ Request -- Give some hint that there's something to be found on planets with artifacts (Link)
Incidentally, I think the system would be better if you could still see if a planet has an artifact - but you had to survey it to get the benefit of the artifact. That way, you don't get instant-boost from capturing the planet, but you also get the rush of competing with other people for control of an artifact.


+ Idea -- Option to tell the pirates where you'd like them to attack when you place a bounty? (Link)
what if once you put a bounty on an enemy player, you also had the option to mark certain planets/asteroids where you'd like the pirates to go? Or specify that you want them to disrupt enemy trade routes?


+ Idea -- Pirates should build factories to replenish lost defense ships (Link)
They at least need to construct a Light Factory because once the ships at the base have all been destroyed from raids, the pirate base is EXTREMELY easy to take....The pirates have LEVs, so why don't they use them?


+ Idea -- Various terrain-related requests and ideas (Link)
2. Nebulas/Anomalies: Make them thicker visually.

3. Asteroid Fields: Have resource asteroids here, and see outpost. Also their gravity well should be irregular.




Ongoing Discussions

+ AI - Autoretreat option (Link)
+ Simultaneous Research (Link)
+ GAME SPEED (Link)
+ Initial impressions of Beta 3 (Link)
+ Beta 3 global chat remarks (Link)
+ Culture Destruction? (rushing discussion) (Link)
+ The new zoom system... (Link)
+ Learn from past space game mistakes!!! (Link)
+ First Beta 3 impressions (Link)

TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
September 25

Technical

+ Crash -- nVidia driver crashes on Vista x64 (Link)
After updating the drivers etc I installed sins and it seemed to play okay for about an hour then I got the same error back with the gameplay pausing, going black, then a 50/50 chance of the game continuing or it crashing leaving me with a blank screen which I have to alt-tab out of. (I think its vista recovering the drivers??)




Gameplay

+ Request -- Vary numbers of resource asteroids around planets (Link)
Anyone but me find it far too predictable and silly that every planetary system has a predictably number and type of resource asteroids?

it would be better if sometimes that Ice planet only had 2 crystal, or sometimes it had 4... or perhaps sometimes a lava planet had crystal... or asteroids having less or more resource asteroids of varying types.


+ Request -- Indication as to which ship the repair yard is repairing (Link)
I see the repair facility repairing, BUT , what is it repairing?... Maybe there could be little repair bots that fly from the yard to the structure under repair.

I'll second the very hard to tell thing, but taking into account that most of the animations (or lack thereof) are placeholders, I expect that eventually we'll see what it's repairing.. even if nothing flashy, a targeting line to the ship/structure it's fixing (like the targeting line when ships attack) would do okay


+ Idea -- Free research option (Link)
Techs would still take time to research, and the tiers higher up would take longer to research as they do now. You would still have to build research stations to build up the tiers and improve research times. Only without research costs you could have more money to spend on building your fleet and increasing components. In other words, you get into the battles quicker, it wouldn't take you over an hour to get a few kodiak cruisers, and overall the game goes quicker how you want it.


+ Idea -- Another space-base suggestion (Link)
A know star bases have been talked before. But I was wondering about a different take on them...

What about a star base you are continually upgrading... it starts off as a small station. (On an asteroid etc) and then you purchase upgrades to it, with this the station continually grows and becomes bigger. Fighter bays etc... additional defences.




Ongoing Discussions

+ Regional Governors - we need them! (Link)
+ Culture Destruction? (Link)
+ Predictable layouts = no exploration fun (Link)
+ The new zoom system... (Link)
+ Star system effects (Link)
+ First Beta 3 impressions (Link)



Unsorted

+ UI Feedback and some gameplay (Link)
+ Random Heavenly bodies, and camera issues (Link)

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
September 26

Technical

+ Crash -- Save corruption persists in beta 3? (Link)
My saved game is crashing just after it finishes loading. I tried making a new game, that worked fine, so it seems like a corrupt saved game file. Just posting the bug here, but I've emailed the dump file, my dxdiag.txt and the saved game file itself to [email protected].


+ Culture -- Instaflipping still possible? (Link)
I am playing the Beta 3, is there a new verion of that? The planet goes back to enemy instantly.


+ Math -- Values kept as floating-point need to always be rounded *down* for display (Link)
also, why cant i buy with the exact number of credits/metal/crystal? you always have to have 26 instead of 25 or some such, the same is true with ship levels, if you have 1500/1500 experience, you still dont level up


+ Modding -- Starting ship counts not being used correctly? (Link)
I've made a small map (4 players, 5 suns, 43 planets, some hundred ships and buildings).

The problem is, that when starting it, the game doesn't place the amount of ships and structures I've set, it looks like it just places an arbitrary large number.




Gameplay

+ Discussion -- Game length poll (Link)
+ Feedback -- Economic Balance and scaling costs in MP vs SP (Link)



Ongoing Discussions

+ Capital Ships: Should they be researched? (Link)
+ Wish : Upgradeable super bases (Link)
+ The new zoom system... (Link)
+ Star system effects (Link)
+ What if research didn't cost? (Link)
+ UI Feedback and some gameplay (Link)

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
September 27

Technical

+ Unit AI -- Fighter targeting priorities still problematic? (Link)
the enemy fleet comes into the system, my fighters decide to attack a ship (all good and well for now), but when the enemy launches their fighters and bombers, my fighters will blithely ignore them as the enemy fighters eviscerate my bombers, instead of reacting and shooting down the enemy fighters and letting my bombers do their job. Because of this, all my fighters and bombers will get shot down if I don't drop any strategic tasks and immediately manage my fighters.




Gameplay

+ Idea -- Board-game style scenario? (Link)
Host loads a random map, and it shows the star lanes... each player in the game then gets a random shuffle of planets, evenly divided, so 4 players, and 12 stars, each player gets 4 planets... players then get 4 randomly assigned points on the map... they can place any of their 4 planets in any spot...




Ongoing Discussions

+ Game speed thought and stock market issues (Link)
+ UI Feedback and some gameplay (Link)
+ Economic Balance and scaling costs in MP vs SP (Link)
+ What if research didn't cost? (Link)
+ Preposal - Super-class Capitol Ships (Link)



Unsorted

+ My BETA 3 playing feedback journal (Link)
+ My Beta 3 technical feedback journal (Link)

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
September 28

Ongoing Discussions

+ Economic Balance and scaling costs in MP vs SP (Link)
+ What if research didn't cost? (Link)
+ The difficulties of offensive (Link)
+ Game speed thought and stock market issues (Link)
+ Fighter ai (Link)
+ MACRO STRATEGY: FLEET ALLOCATION (Link)



Unsorted

+ Beta 3 Review - My 2 cents (IC) (Link)

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
September 29 - October 1

Technical

+ Crashes (Link 1) (Link 2)

+ Pirates -- Raids continue to spawn after base is captured (IC) (Link)
Even if you currently have control of the base (with everything wiped out), it will seemingly still spawn raid fleets from that area (even though they're not visible). Me and a friend had wiped out the pirate base and cleared all ships from the area, but I still got the message that a raid fleet was incoming and had to fight it off.




Gameplay

+ Feedback -- Fleet balance and tactics (IC) (Link)
The ships, oh the ships so many and so worthless. I have to say I was more than a little disappointed with the fleets and combat. Ships are too weak and too easy to build. A single ship should have much more strategic value than it does presently.
Fleets - are - ugly. Never did I expect, as I downloaded this game, that your ships would simply make a wall of themselves.


+ Discussion -- The role of Krosovs: Do they need to do more? (Link)
Alot of people were online yesterday and alot of people had fast paced games on 2v2 online. We were all discussing the role and function of the Krosov in an online game.


+ Request -- ICO needs login remembering and ping display (Link)
1. Logging into ironclad online, any way we can get it to remember the last user-name entered? or have a save user-name and password check box?

2. Ping rates tab, can we have pings to players from some sort of multi player server console. The popups are great, but with ping-rates on screen all players could see who was lagging or not, instead of just guessing?


+ Request -- Manual attack priority settings? (Link)
I have not participated in any of the Betas but I was wondering if Sins does/will have a system to allow the player to prioritize targets for the AI.


+ Idea -- Option to lock standing orders so they can't be overridden (Link)
my big complaint is the way fleet management is done. yes we have the numbers, but i like to asign ships to guard other ships (ex. my flagship). it can take a very long time to get my fleet set up the way i want it, then with one accidental drag select rather then only using my numbers... all those guard orders are gone. its very annoying. id like to see a "lock" feature when assigning a ship to another ship.


+ Idea -- Flagship 'aura' effect to make them stand out from regular capships more (Link)
So my idea is this, the flagship give adjustments to all ships in your fleet in the same gravity well, like giving them all the finist hour ability, they do more damage and they have faster movment and better sheilds.


+ Idea -- Discover/unlock new phase lanes during a game? (Link)
I don't know if there is still discussions about that, but I thought of something. I personaly love the phase-lane method. My idea is to be able to discover new phase-lane as the game goes.




Ongoing Discussions

+ Beta 3 Review - My 2 cents (Link)
+ Wish : Upgradeable super bases (Link)



Unsorted

+ Beta (3) roundup (Link)
+ Beta 3 Feedback based on 1st AI game (Link)

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
October 2

Technical

+ Ability AI -- Akkan disregards threats and uses autocolonize with high priority (Link)
In an engagement of a few light frigates, my battleship would take one down with ease, then immediately start steaming forwards for the colonizable planet regardless of the wash of firey-hot-death spitting from the remaining frigates.




Gameplay

+ Discussion -- Should pirates have more specific objectives than simple plunder? (Link)
Pirates should go on OBJECTIVE raids...not what they do now which basically just throws a mass of ships to try and wreck up a joint, which seems more like a rebel army than pirates..Pirates should pick a target, a resource ship trade convoy, research station. Rush there. Then board it to steal what they want or need.


+ Discussion -- Defensive strategies (Link)
I just want to launch a thread on "How do you defend your planets" and/or "How do you defend your capital". Like what's your typical defensive forces (structures and/or starships) you place at key worlds? Don't write your multiplayer strategies though


+ Idea -- Option to pre-set names for homeworld and other planets (Link)
ts not that big of a deal in a turn based game, you have more time than you know what to do with. But in Sins it could prove fatal to be looking at a ship or planet thinking of a meaningful name at the wrong time... so here is my idea.

In-Depth profiles that not only allow you to choose your faction symbol and color but also set up a naming queue for as many planets as you can think of and for as many cap ships as you ultimately are allowed to have.




Ongoing Discussions

+ UI Feedback and some gameplay (Link)
+ IDEA: Flagships giving bonuses (Link)
+ Wish : Upgradeable super bases (Link)
+ Beta 3 Feedback based on 1st AI game (Link)
+ The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (tactics) (Link)
+ A couple of Ideas (customization within races) (Link)

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
October 3

Technical

+ Audio -- WMP in background causes staticy sound (Link)
If I listen to windows media player while playing the game i get corrupted (static) sound. I only mention this as it is the first game that I have had issues with this in years.




Gameplay

+ Feedback -- 'Fast' pacing is spot-on (Link)
So I have played a couple games on fast mode now, and I have to say its a good setting and it really helps the early game; also it really helps that the MP stuttering seems to be gone; overall great work, I personally no longer care about the speed issue, I think they have it just right now.


+ Request -- Adjustments to audio event alerts (Link)
I was thinking maybe there could be two diffrent announcements for scouts and real enemies, ie, "Enemy scout inbound". And as for the "impending pirate raid" notices, It would be nice if I only heard them when they were coming for me and not every other empire in the galaxy. I normaly have to leave a scout at the star so I can see which way they are going.




Ongoing Discussions

+ UI Feedback and some gameplay (Link)
+ Idea about open-space/phase lane discussion (Link)
+ Defending your worlds (Link)
+ A couple of Ideas (Link)
+ Thoughts on Sins tactics and ways to improve them. (Link)

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
October 4

Technical

+ Lag -- Displaying arctic planet causes lag? (Link)
Could I get that artic planet removed as an option. Its causing me alot of chat lag in the lobby ( probably cpu related ). Once i finished playing a game it goes to a black space background and I dont lag . I prefer it like that.

Also I was giving commands in a game and they only registered 4 seconds later even tho the game was quite smmooth , I wonder if its connected to having to render the Artic planet in ICO.




Gameplay

+ Idea -- Galactic wonders? (Link)
how about classic TBS style only per game wonders?

well, I think the point is clear, it could be almost any cool ability so long as its not completely overpowered. possible problem is of course that different races would hardly share the same wonders, so its a bit strange.




Ongoing Discussions

+ A couple of Ideas (Link)
+ (Event text) Announcements (Link)
+ Minefields (Link)
+ Regional Governors - we need them! (Link)
+ IDEA: Pirates (Link)
+ Defending your worlds (Link)
+ Proposal: Missle Batteries (Link)

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
October 5

Technical

+ Targeting -- Ships should select targets with more weight on whether they're already in the optimum firing arc (Link)
All support ships were destroyed and that left my two Marza capital ships.
I watched the battle and they would hit one target, then slowly spin to attack another target behind them, then slowly spin back again to hit someone who had been in front of them until they spun the first time.
During all of this they aren't maximizing their firing arcs, wasting valuable time turning when there were plenty of targets already in front of them they could hit without spinning.


+ Lag/Freezing (Link)
Both games we had random horrible freeze ups. The first game I think someone completely lagged out and everything locked up. The second game was much larger and we would have random lock ups. Not sure if that was related to people's internet connection or not. After about a half hour of playing we lagged out of that game as well because it completely froze up.




Gameplay

+ Idea -- Shield generators boost allegiance (Link)
Shouldn´t planetary shield gens positively influence the colonies allegiance behind it?
Another 10% would be nice if you invest in this expensive technology.
This is only logical in my eyes since the people now feel much more protected by your empire and are thus more loyal to it.




Ongoing Discussions

+ AI Ideas (Link)
+ Research - forcing diversification (Link)
+ Mobile jump phase inhibitors i.e. Interdictor Crusiors (Link)
+ Civilian Traffic: The Cruise Liner (Link)
+ Proposal: Missle Batteries (Link)
+ Remote sensor drones (Link)

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
October 6-8

Technical

+ Event Voices -- Allied ship loss warning is misleading (Link)
Ok, when an allied capital ship is destroyed the little announcer guy says "An allied flagship has been destroyed!"

Just wanted to say that he should say capital ship for the capital ships and should only say flagship if their flagship actually is destroyed.


+ Player Placement -- Players not being spread as they should (two teams per system)? (Link)
Alright I started a new game after I updated. It was on a random-huge map with 4 A.I. players and myself. I chose a small number a players because I wanted them to be spread out and have a better start for everyone, so they don't have to compete with other players. When I got into the game I started exploring, and to my overwhelming anger found that all 4 other players were in the same system as myself.


+ Fleet Supply -- Queued ships count against total supply but won't build if the total goes negative (Link)
I was playing a game and had about 40 ships que'd up being built. during that time a planet of mine was lost and put my fleet limit at a negative -15 ish. Then I noticed several minutes later when I went to manage my fleet being built that.. it wasnt being built. it was stuck at about 30ish ships in que and wasnt producing them untill I unloaded some from the que so it was a posative number again.


+ Unit AI -- Poor target choice exposes ships to greater harm (Link)
1-2-3 are ALL attacking the far-right Gauss Cannon. That's right, my LRM frigates move in the middle of the Gauss cannon to attack the far-right first, which totally ruins the purpose. Same thing with my frigates and Capital. At least, they could have the intelligence to methodicly (and efficiently) destroy the Cannon by exposing themselves as least as possible.




Gameplay

+ Request -- Support for Alt-F4 exit shortcut (Link)
It would be really cool to have this key combination working to quickly terminate the game if wanted, or at least put up a quit prompt at any state of the game.
Always ending every window and returning to the main menu to quit is a bit tedious!




Ongoing Discussions

+ Mobile jump phase inhibitors i.e. Interdictor Crusiors (Link)
+ Dream Ship: Destroyer (Link)
+ Research - forcing diversification (Link)
+ Proposal: Missle Batteries (Link)
+ IDEA: Pirates (Link)
+ Minefields (Link)
+ A couple of Ideas (Link)



Unsorted

+ somethings i have noticed in beta3b (IC) (Link)

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top
October 9

Gameplay

+ Request -- Hotkey to lock camera to third-person view of focused ship (Link)
However, what would you all think of a hot key, that when you are clicked on a specific ship, would jump you to the screen-view of that ship as it faces forward? When there is only one battle without much micromanagement, I like to zoom in on specific ships and watch some of the action up close. In addition to the other view-enabled hot keys, it would be nice to shift to the prospective of a given ship and watch some of the action first-hand.


+ Request -- Option to change the max fleet supply cap (Link)
When I finished the game, and had a look at the after game statistics, I noticed that there seems to be a hard cap on 2000 fleet points. Isn't this a bit low? I reached this limit while I had less then halve the planets in this galaxy colonized (around planet 29 - 30 I think). If I have the resources and the planets, why shouldn't I be able to build more ships?




Ongoing Discussion

+ Proposal: Missle Batteries (Link)
+ Research - forcing diversification (Link)
+ Good game, poor Fleet AI (Link)
+ IDEA: Pirates (Link)



Unsorted

+ Beta 3 issues and suggestions (Link)

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top
October 10

Gameplay

+ Discussion -- Coping with flagship loss, and ideas to make it less of a disavantage (Link)
Fleet battles are an afterthought, something to worry about late game. You're either collecting experience for your capital ship, or assassinating the enemy capital ship if you can drop it fast. There's no turn around from a flagship loss, very little chance of defeating even a one or two planet advantage. The game just does not like the underdog, you screw up once and you're done.


+ Ideas -- Additional exploration rewards (Link)
I really like the Boni you can get by exploring a planet, but as of currently there is either none or the jackpot (a huge permanent planetary bonus)
Why can´t we expand the search function to the whole system and give some more different stuff and also some consolation prizes.
Lets collect our ideas for additional things to be found here




Ongoing Discussions

+ Small Complaint (player distribution) (Link)
+ Hard cap on fleet points... (Link)
+ IDEA: Pirates (Link)
+ Research - forcing diversification (Link)
+ Beta 3 issues and suggestions (Link)

Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top
October 11

Gameplay

+ Feedback -- Allies shouldn't be immune to your culture (Link)
Why are your allies immune to your culture spread? I could understand if you were teamed with them or if you had at a cease-fire agreement with a trade or an intelligence agreement but it turns out that they are immune with only a cease-fire agreement. Just b/c I dont want to bother building the ships to attack him doesn't mean I dont want to own his planets.


+ Idea -- Futher limit capital ships (Link)
As it stands, I don't like the way the number of capitol ships is restricted. Bear with me, I don't want to make capitol ships more common, I ant to make them more rare. I propose that instead of starting with a capacity of one, and then researching technology to give you a specific number more, that it be based off of the number of colonies you have.





Ongoing Discussions

+ IDEA: Pirates (Link)
+ Boni from Exploration (Link)
+ Phase Jump Inhibitors (Link)
+ Scavenger Ships (Link)
+ Beta 3 issues and suggestions (Link)
+ Losing a cap in a small game is too punishing. (Link)


Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top
October 12

Gameplay

+ Idea -- Allied culture boosts your allegiance (Link)
In case of an alliance the cultures of allied partners should also have an additive effect on each other, not simply being canceled out.
So for example an allied player goes for culture and with that boosts your planets with it. (alliance as in permanent pact)


+ Idea -- Change magnetize hull to a temp 'plasma storm' effect (Link)
I was thinking that the dunovs magnetize hull seems to have the same effect as a flak in that it kills fighters , but I think it should have a different special ability.

Something like Magnetic Flux - basically it creates a flux within the system that causes all fighters and bombers to dock and cannot be launched because it will have a similar effect to the nebulas. It should only last awhile and have a cooldown period.


+ Idea -- Let losing players become vassals (Link)
Now id be happy with just a concede. but perhaps maybe could take it a step further? if I Concede defeat in a multi FFA match, maybe it wouldnt totaly take me out of the game perhaps it would just remove all function to research combat techs, to produce ships or limit fleet size down to a small margin. Automaticly make you locked in as an Ally with the person you conceded too.


+ Idea -- Predefined orbital build queues (Link)
Anyway, after upgrading first ten planets as I see fit I'd like to be able to turn the new colonies to automanagement. I'd like them to be (usually) economy-wise upgraded in always the same order (extractors, trade port or refinery etc.).




Ongoing Discussions

+ Temporary Fix for glowing asteroid problems (Link)
+ What I really like in single player only games (Link)
+ Capitol Ship Limits (Link)
+ Regional Governors - we need them! (Link)
+ Losing a cap in a small game is too punishing. (Link)


Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top
October 13-15

Technical

+ Graphics -- Missing mouse cursor on mobile chipsets (Link 1) (Link 2)
On the laptop, once I start it up, it runs reasonably smoothly -- however, the mouse cursor is entirely invisible. Which is to say, I can click on things, but the cursor isn't actually drawn.

I have run into the problem of my mouse icon freezing on the screen while playing the game. I can still play the game but my cursor no longer tracks, I am forced to use my stylus to play. Does anyone else have this problem? It's a really annoying problem, has anyone else seen this? I'm using an Acer Travelmate tablet PC.


+ Fleets -- Auto-group issues when rallied to a fleet (not any specific ship in it) (Link)
If you set the rally point of a shipbuilder to a ctrl+n'ed fleet, and one/some of those ships are also in another fleet any ships that gets built gets assigned to both fleets for some reason.




Gameplay

+ Feedback -- Background music thoughts (Link)
Where'd the drums go in battle 8 I like how it starts out now but theres no drums any more towards the end.

For battles tracks I think it would be cool every once in a while to beat the hell out of the drums.

Battle 3 probably needed to stay like it was kind of sounded like a Doom song, needs a bit of work thought .

Like battle 14 but it needs somthing to keep it sounding like a battle song and needs to be longer.

Battle 1 needs to be longer at the end but it is one of my favorite tracks.


+ Feedback -- Using capship abilities shouldn't clear previous orders (Link)
The Kol's gauss cannon incorporates a move command (why, I have no idea) which overwrites all current commands. Thus after the Kol has fired it's gauss cannon it has no other orders left, thus defaulting back to it's AI target finding, thus choosing a target on it's own which isn't necessary the target you specified before.


+ Request -- More feedback needed when host drops and game tries to find a new one (Link)
I can't tell if it hung up or was just taking forever. Everyone showed as disconnected, not even sure if there was anyone migrating with it. It's a rather uninformative process.


+ Request -- Repair ETAs on infocards (Link)
It would be cool if it showed us the status of the hull as it does currently whey you mouseover a ressource for example:

Hull 3455/4567 +1,2HP/sec
Fully repaired in X Seconds

So we can actually see how fast a ship is repairing and compare.


+ Idea -- Category-based empire tree mode (Link)
My idea is a toggle so you can switch between a gameplay orientated "Focussed mode" and the default overview "left-bar mode".

The Focussed mode ,creates separate mini-lists that runs down the left.

They consist of the following...




Ongoing Discussion

+ How to lose a game of SINS (Link)
+ A ship with a view (Link)
+ What I really like in single player only games (Link)
+ Capitol Ship Limits (Link)
+ Phase Jump Inhibitors (Link)
+ Regional Governors - we need them! (Link)
+ Dunov's anti-fighter support (Link)
+ Losing a cap in a small game is too punishing. (Link)

Reply #18 from Sins Forums Top
October 16

Gameplay

+ Request -- Indicate on empire tree when ships are phasing (Link)
When ships are heavily damaged and are disappearing, i noticed sometimes instead of being destroyed they are jumping away. I think it would be good to have the icon in the empire tree change for a second or two to a different icon that would display if the ship got destroyed or jumped out, before disappearing completely.
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Ongoing Discussions

+ Encounter with the First Great AI Smack Down Fleet (Link)
+ lol just discovered the selection based empire bar (Link)

Reply #19 from Sins Forums Top
October 17

Ongoing Discussions

+ lol just discovered the selection based empire bar (Link)
+ Is Sins a rock scissors paper game or can you use tactics? (Link)
+ Morale - has it got a place in Sins? (Link)
+ Issue about how caps gain expierence (Link)


Reply #20 from Sins Forums Top
October 18

Technical

+ Crash -- Brush error on startup (Link)
Hmm, this is very strange. I played a game earlier today, finished it and quit with no problem. Now, a few hours later I try running the game and I get a box right before the intro video would normally play. It says:

Brush State (Disabled) TexturePixelBox is not within the Texture's Dimensions.

Brush: EscapeMenuWindowOptionButtonSaveGame
TexturePixelBox: 238, 334, 355, 416
Texture: 0, 0, 0, 0
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Ongoing Discussions

+ Issue about how caps gain expierence (Link)
+ Morale - has it got a place in Sins? (Link)

Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top
October 19

Technical

+ Crash -- Error and crash (no dump) when loading a multiplayer save (Link)
When we try and load a game these 2 errors appears (pictures)
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Ongoing Discussions

+ Morale - has it got a place in Sins? (Link)
+ Stuff I'd like to see (Link)

Reply #22 from Sins Forums Top
October 20-22

Technical

+ Targeting -- Queued buildings at 0% can still be targeted (but are not autoattacked) (Link)
Ships will not autoattack structures with 0 HP (placed but not built) even if there are no other targets. As even enemy structures take up tactical or civil buildpoints it can prevent you from building in a newly aquired gravwell. You have to destroy these structures manually to get rid of them.
Logic, flaw, not design flaw. Which is to say, the ability to manually attack 0% structures isn't even supposed to be in -- its the equivilant of attacking a "coming soon!" sign, and shouldn't be happening.
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+ Targeting -- Gauss cannons select new targets before finishing off curent ones (Link)
2: Due to the "dagage optimisation" gauss cannons sometimes switch targets if a ship is very badly damaged (20-50 hp) but not destroyed. They then witch to a new fresh target an leave the ship that would take only one more hit fighting on.
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Gameplay

+ Discussion -- Replay value? (Link)

+ Feedback -- Not feasible to play zoomed in on battles? (Link)
Watching the epic space battles in a Sims game zoomed up close is fun, but I can't enjoy it as much mid game, when the battles are biggest, best, and mean the most because I'm afraid something bad will happen while I micro-observe the action. End game, when its safe, it leaves me with sort of an empty, Ming-the-Merciless-Like feeling
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+ Idea -- "Phantom" game mode ala Supreme Commander (Link)
so, one of the gameplay styles I think would translate extremely well would be phantom from supcom.

heres how it goes: there is one or two people (depending on the number of people participating) who is the "phantom", the "phantom" has double resource production (and other such advantages) that cause him/er to be quite powerful, as a drawback the game is practically a 1vall, thing is that nobody knows who the phantom is...

so essentially its a massive espionage game where you win by fooling everyone (if your the "phantom") or by sniffing out the phantom
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Ongoing Discussions

+ Stuff I'd like to see (Link)
+ Regional Governors - we need them! (Link)
+ MACRO STRATEGY: FLEET ALLOCATION (Link)

Reply #23 from Sins Forums Top
October 23

Technical

+ Saves -- Crash upon attempting to load multiplayer save (Link)
Friend and I have just done a complete re-install of Sins thru Stardock Central. We wiped out the Iron Clad dir under Documents and Settings/Application data and we still get these errors when trying to restore a Saved game:
Failed to find file '' in either primary path or secondary path. subDir(Galaxy)
Failed to Open File: '..\..\DataSource\Galaxy\'
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Gameplay

+ Feedback -- Insurgents too strong?  (Link)
This has happened in two games so far. When the AI researches the Insurgency tech the rebels only attack my planets. Even in a 5v5 game with 7 stars and 100 planets. The rebels only attacked me, didn't go near my allies once. This wouln't be to bad, except the rebel fleets kept getting progresivly larger as the game went on and would attack a new planet every 6 min. on the dot. Their fleet size went from 3 kodiaks' and 2 seiges' to 15 kodiaks' 8 seiges' and 6 flacks' attacking a single planet.
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Ongoing Discussions

+ Pirates a bit too strong? (Link)
+ Idea: Gradually paying for stuff (Link)
+ Co-op? (Link)
+ Mining Technology (Link)

Reply #24 from Sins Forums Top
October 24

Technical

+ Pathing -- Ships getting stuck in/against other objects (Link)
Ships should really look a bit beforehand where they are going!
First i had a construction frig stuck in an asteorid after finishing the construction.
Didn´t notice until about 5 minutes later why nothing was getting done.
Had to scrap it and wait for it to rebuild to free it.
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+ Graphics -- Ships disappearing while travelling between stars (Link)
I didnt see this in the feedback roundup, and I need to make sure this gets fixed
SHIPS DISSAPEAR IN BETWEEN SOLAR SYSTEMS
poof, gone as soon as they hit the edge of the zone (NOT once leaving the star) it needs to be fixed, seriously. its a glaring bug.
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Ongoing Discussions

+ Pirates a bit too strong? (Link)
+ rebels way over powered (Link)
+ WHat are the fleet limits? LArgest fleet VS fleet engagement? (Link)

Reply #25 from Sins Forums Top
October 25

Ongoing Discussions

+ experience and cap ships. (Link)
+ WHat are the fleet limits? LArgest fleet VS fleet engagement? (Link)
+ So what will the new race be? (Link)