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[lordcooper]

I really enjoy the trifecta of weapon types with their specific defenses. You can choose to use kinetic, laser or missile weapons and each has a specific defense technology. You can match up your defense and weapon research to whatever your opponent uses, but that leaves you possibly open to another empire who uses different technologies.

Does the game reward specialization, or is it possible to do well with jack-of-all-trades ships?

Upgrades of a specific weapon/defence type really are quite a big deal.  I tend to specialise heavily and shoot down one path (generally lasers as they seem to 'fit' Sophon best) while only gradually researching the others.  There are definitely the expected pros and cons to both approaches.

[forsaken1111]

I really enjoy the trifecta of weapon types with their specific defenses. You can choose to use kinetic, laser or missile weapons and each has a specific defense technology. You can match up your defense and weapon research to whatever your opponent uses, but that leaves you possibly open to another empire who uses different technologies.

Does the game reward specialization, or is it possible to do well with jack-of-all-trades ships?

Specialization is rewarded, but not excessively so. If you specialize in laser weapons I can just as well specialize in energy defenses while boosting kinetic weapons as my own specialty which ignore energy defenses and are only deflected by kinetic defenses.

You can do a jack of all trades, but as in anything a jack of all trades will be master of none. A loadout of mixed weapon types and mixed defenses is inferior to a correctly configured specialized attack/defense setup but superior to a badly configured one. If you have balanced defenses (kinetic, energy, missile) and your opponent only has lasers, the tonnage devoted to the other defense types are useless.

But!

You have to also take into account the fact that different weapon types are boosted by different effect cards and different phases of combat. Missiles are very powerful in the long range portion, kinetic weapons in the middle stage and lasers in the close combat stage I believe.

[lordcooper]

I think you got lasers and kinetic the wrong way around there.

[forsaken1111]

I think you got lasers and kinetic the wrong way around there.

yeah just going from memory, can't check in the game right now.

But that is important because if your heaviest weapons hit hard at close range you have to survive to get there first.

[Aklyon]

I've done perfectly fine with my attempt at Cravers with mixed ships, but thats probably more because I've outnumbered (slightly) every other fleet I've met so far. 19 corvettes with (at least) 6 weapons each and the same defenses isn't anything to sneeze at, though they could really do with some more speed, or space to put in an engine module.

[Dariush]

I really enjoy the trifecta of weapon types with their specific defenses. You can choose to use kinetic, laser or missile weapons and each has a specific defense technology. You can match up your defense and weapon research to whatever your opponent uses, but that leaves you possibly open to another empire who uses different technologies.

If my memory isn't giving, Galactic Civilizations 2 had this exact mechanic.

[forsaken1111]

I really enjoy the trifecta of weapon types with their specific defenses. You can choose to use kinetic, laser or missile weapons and each has a specific defense technology. You can match up your defense and weapon research to whatever your opponent uses, but that leaves you possibly open to another empire who uses different technologies.

If my memory isn't giving, Galactic Civilizations 2 had this exact mechanic.

Except with a terrible interface and dull gameplay piled on top, and without the combat phases/actions?

[Rabek Jeris]

I have to say, when I saw this game on Steam... I thought it was a horrific idea hidden under good intentions. Game players are not game designers, and they tend to make horrible game design decisions. I'd have to see what sort of decisions are left up to the buyers. How is this playing out, for those who bought it? Are you voting on minor things, or on everything?

I really enjoy the trifecta of weapon types with their specific defenses. You can choose to use kinetic, laser or missile weapons and each has a specific defense technology. You can match up your defense and weapon research to whatever your opponent uses, but that leaves you possibly open to another empire who uses different technologies.

If my memory isn't giving, Galactic Civilizations 2 had this exact mechanic.

Except with a terrible interface and dull gameplay piled on top, and without the combat phases/actions?

GalCiv2 was an amazing game with AI you could actually plot against rather than just throw units at. The only 4X space game I've had more fun with is Sword of the Stars (original, haven't tried 2 yet).

[lordcooper]

I have to say, when I saw this game on Steam... I thought it was a horrific idea hidden under good intentions. Game players are not game designers, and they tend to make horrible game design decisions. I'd have to see what sort of decisions are left up to the buyers. How is this playing out, for those who bought it? Are you voting on minor things, or on everything?

There are currently two open.  One is a choice between multiple logos for a faction, another is for which of three features we would like to see added first.

[Sirus]

I encountered something weird in my first game. I have some nice systems colonized and the rough beginnings of a warfleet, but I ran into some weird "jet streams" that are blocking expansion. They're like one-way warp lanes (both going against me). I can't send any ships down those lanes, but is there a tech that allows you to move against them?

[Aklyon]

Do you can 'Can Travel through wormholes' tech yet? That sounds somewhat like you're talking about.

[lordcooper]

I encountered something weird in my first game. I have some nice systems colonized and the rough beginnings of a warfleet, but I ran into some weird "jet streams" that are blocking expansion. They're like one-way warp lanes (both going against me). I can't send any ships down those lanes, but is there a tech that allows you to move against them?

Yup!  I can't remember the tech name, but I'm pretty sure it's towards the left in the bottom branch.

FYI, they're not directional.  You need the tech to travel either way.

[Sirus]

Didn't know they worked both ways O_o
Well, I guess I'll just turtle for awhile and build up my fleet. Not much else I can do unless the other civ decides to visit me.

What are some tips for improving planets/systems? So far, the only real improvements I've been able to build is some sort of refinery which boosts industry at the cost of some dust, and that applies to the whole system. I haven't been able to improve individual planets at all, other than specializations.

[lordcooper]

Improvements affect entire systems, not individual planets.  AFAIK only specializations, anomaly reduction and moon exploration are applied to individual celestial bodies.  I kinda like this way of doing it, it makes me really weigh up the pros and cons of specific improvements, depending on the variety of planets in a given system.

There are quite a lot of improvements to be researched and built.  Take a good look through the tech tree and figure out what you want to aim for.  This is generally a good idea in any game with research.

[Oliolli]

"Applied Casimir Effect"

After 36 hours of playing this I can actually remember some of these tech names.

Lets you travel through wormholes. I think it requires the "Efficient Sheilding" -tech. Good idea to get it quickly.