Post by rorymac on Dec 7, 2019 9:01:45 GMT -5
Just a couple of thoughts.
I got the game about 10 days ago and have played on average probably 12+ hours a day (yeah, I know, lol). I did not try to find any resource information on how to play in the beginning and it showed in how the game progressed. Not a lot of total hours, I know, and I haven't progressed to the upper level of difficulties (playing on "Challenging" right now) but as far as crew and ship sizes go, I think I can comment. A lot of the advice on initial ship selection says to go with a Frontier Liner/Paladin Cruiser. I usually go one step down with the Juror-class and place the ship high enough in the build to have starting credits as a cushion for the early game. I have started one game with the Frontier Liner and it did seem like I got to the level of more viable trader with more fuel capacity at an earlier point in the game but the Juror can really kick ass as an early game combat vessel when it is maxed out. When you make enough money to upgrade the cargo and fuel options it is a decent trader, too.
Still playing on the default map for now because I really want to get to know the systems and story line in detail before moving on to different options, and there are a couple of systems that are difficult to maneuver through, depending on your starting faction for the Faen storyline. My game starting with the Frontier Liner, I started out as De Valtos and on the default map this helps with the arbiter missions because her home planet of Ryeline is in a De valtos controlled system, and the Faens are De Valtos. I am assuming that whatever faction you pick, that the Faens are that faction, too? At least that seems to be the case in the 5-6 starts I have made since getting the game. My other preference is to start as Thulen, but taking the Juror as a starting ship can make this a little more challenging when Javat (due to the Faen story line) and De Valtos (due to an opening game trade war I believe) are your early game enemies.
With the Juror-class ship 4/24 officer/crew limit seems just right. Once you get these folks built up through the early game and each of your ship's systems are above 200%, you have enough talents to get you through challenging ship and crew combats (or you have the ability to run or escape when the Xeno show up). When forced to fight, the Juror can withdraw in most cases and take little or no damage in the process. The Frontier Liner-class is more problematic in the early game. If you get forced into ship combat early on, you can take quite a bit of damage before getting away. If I had been playing on the upper levels of difficulty with this ship there were a couple of times I couldn't get away and it would have been game over because my hull was shot to pieces. With the Juror in my current, longer term game, I was able to get into the middle game in good shape, buy a Raptor-class ship in a central location, use the money I had built up with trading and missions and then do the initial upgrade in the Queue while I went and made more money on trading and missions.
Once I was able to come back around the circuit to the central location where I had the Raptor dry docked (Sive Memoria Pass), I had a reserve of cash to make more upgrades and dry docked my Juror. I kept the Juror around initially as a form of savings account, but I knew eventually I would sell it, because as others have commented it is hard to downsize once you have gone to a bigger ship and your crew have become like an in game family. I now have a Raptor-class (6 officers/36 crew), and I would say it is a step beyond the Frontier Liner/Paladin Cruiser for how I am playing right now (and my preferred style) of trading and mission completion. Not sure exactly how far into the story line I am but I would guess approaching late game, and I am eyeing one more $1.0 million ship purchase before the end. I know it will be slow in combat and cost a ton in fuel to move and jump, but I do want to see how craft work in ship combat, so why not? It also would allow me to add another officer (Elsa) for a side story to complete.
I have a ton of questions in my mind I would like to ask but they have to do with various story lines and potential story lines, so in order not to spoil things for myself, I will refrain from asking those questions. I will ask the Trese brothers if the story lines are complete at this point or will there continue to be additions with new updates? I know any additions at this point would probably mean starting new games/builds for other more experienced players but it would definitely be cool if there were planned additions.
I got the game about 10 days ago and have played on average probably 12+ hours a day (yeah, I know, lol). I did not try to find any resource information on how to play in the beginning and it showed in how the game progressed. Not a lot of total hours, I know, and I haven't progressed to the upper level of difficulties (playing on "Challenging" right now) but as far as crew and ship sizes go, I think I can comment. A lot of the advice on initial ship selection says to go with a Frontier Liner/Paladin Cruiser. I usually go one step down with the Juror-class and place the ship high enough in the build to have starting credits as a cushion for the early game. I have started one game with the Frontier Liner and it did seem like I got to the level of more viable trader with more fuel capacity at an earlier point in the game but the Juror can really kick ass as an early game combat vessel when it is maxed out. When you make enough money to upgrade the cargo and fuel options it is a decent trader, too.
Still playing on the default map for now because I really want to get to know the systems and story line in detail before moving on to different options, and there are a couple of systems that are difficult to maneuver through, depending on your starting faction for the Faen storyline. My game starting with the Frontier Liner, I started out as De Valtos and on the default map this helps with the arbiter missions because her home planet of Ryeline is in a De valtos controlled system, and the Faens are De Valtos. I am assuming that whatever faction you pick, that the Faens are that faction, too? At least that seems to be the case in the 5-6 starts I have made since getting the game. My other preference is to start as Thulen, but taking the Juror as a starting ship can make this a little more challenging when Javat (due to the Faen story line) and De Valtos (due to an opening game trade war I believe) are your early game enemies.
With the Juror-class ship 4/24 officer/crew limit seems just right. Once you get these folks built up through the early game and each of your ship's systems are above 200%, you have enough talents to get you through challenging ship and crew combats (or you have the ability to run or escape when the Xeno show up). When forced to fight, the Juror can withdraw in most cases and take little or no damage in the process. The Frontier Liner-class is more problematic in the early game. If you get forced into ship combat early on, you can take quite a bit of damage before getting away. If I had been playing on the upper levels of difficulty with this ship there were a couple of times I couldn't get away and it would have been game over because my hull was shot to pieces. With the Juror in my current, longer term game, I was able to get into the middle game in good shape, buy a Raptor-class ship in a central location, use the money I had built up with trading and missions and then do the initial upgrade in the Queue while I went and made more money on trading and missions.
Once I was able to come back around the circuit to the central location where I had the Raptor dry docked (Sive Memoria Pass), I had a reserve of cash to make more upgrades and dry docked my Juror. I kept the Juror around initially as a form of savings account, but I knew eventually I would sell it, because as others have commented it is hard to downsize once you have gone to a bigger ship and your crew have become like an in game family. I now have a Raptor-class (6 officers/36 crew), and I would say it is a step beyond the Frontier Liner/Paladin Cruiser for how I am playing right now (and my preferred style) of trading and mission completion. Not sure exactly how far into the story line I am but I would guess approaching late game, and I am eyeing one more $1.0 million ship purchase before the end. I know it will be slow in combat and cost a ton in fuel to move and jump, but I do want to see how craft work in ship combat, so why not? It also would allow me to add another officer (Elsa) for a side story to complete.
I have a ton of questions in my mind I would like to ask but they have to do with various story lines and potential story lines, so in order not to spoil things for myself, I will refrain from asking those questions. I will ask the Trese brothers if the story lines are complete at this point or will there continue to be additions with new updates? I know any additions at this point would probably mean starting new games/builds for other more experienced players but it would definitely be cool if there were planned additions.
