This Is The Thread In Which I Complete Things

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:05 pm

Flack wrote:I beat the bonus level after watching someone else do it on Youtube. I was trying a completely different method, and in doing so ended up beating the panthers with a glitch.

The BONUS level, not the final boss.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:23 pm

Do you mean you didn't get all the letters to the password?

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:13 pm

I did not.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:51 pm

Oh, the club level -- gotcha. I spent a long time running to the right in the beginning and eventually figured out to go left and circle around, made it easier.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 4:13 pm

pinback wrote:
RetroRomper wrote:Anyway... I learned the basics and many of the ins and outs of SotS II because 1) I was playing with a developer and 2) the game seemed to be blunt, obvious. Straight forward with a learning curve tossed at the player like a jumping is in a Legend of Zelda game.
So basically you're calling me a retard.

Adam Solo at SpaceSector just got done ripping the game a big gaping bloody ass:

Unfortunately, the UI has not evolved much since SotS2′s initial release. Even if you excuse the lack of polish and occasional glitches, like non-fitting strings or erroneous numbers – that show up from time to time – it’s still extremely hard to grasp what things mean and what you can and can’t do. So, there’s no way you will learn how to play this game just by playing it. It’s imperative to read the manual (since there’s no in-game tutorial) to search for clues and to learn what things are for. However, a top to bottom read approach is probably not the best strategy, at least at first. The best is probably to play the game, and when you have doubts – and you will have many – switch to the manual and read the particular chapter about what you don’t understand. But, a full top to bottom read is imperative at some point in time.

But, even with the improved manual – I know because I read it top to bottom at first release and now – it’s still hard to understand some of the game’s concepts. For example, the game’s support concept requires that your systems have enough of these “CEs” or Cruiser Equivalents. So, if you have a fleet with 5 cruisers, you will need at least 5 CEs support capacity to allow that fleet to be stationed on a particular system. Ok, simple enough. The problem is that this, and other concepts, are poorly described in the manual, and many times you end up discovering what things are for only after playing hundreds and hundreds of turns across several games.

As an example, I discovered only very recently how to calculate distances between systems in light years. Or, what about those small numbers “26/100″ that are shown below the system name? These numbers mean, in this example, that you have 26 CEs (cruisers) stationed in that particular system at the moment, and 100 is the cap. But, why is it 100? No clue at first. You need to dig up the manual again, or even search in the sots2′s online wiki (and sometimes the game forums), to understand how certain things are calculated. The problem is that these are basic concepts that should be presented by the UI in some way, being it via tooltips or in a simple tutorial. But no, everything is still very hard to figure out in SotS2. So, be prepared for probably the steepest learning curve of space 4X gaming history.

So you're calling Adam Solo a retard, too. And everyone else who has struggled to understand even the most basic mechanics of the game. Are you comfortable with that, sir?

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:59 pm

I'll not live on a BBS where people say mean things like that to Adam Solo. My slot in the database is now for SALE, you miserable jackanapes!!

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:23 pm

You only die once, but you live everyday.

At least that's what the picture my friend's mom just posted on my Facebook wall said.

Tdarcos · Post by **Tdarcos** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:09 am

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I'll not live on a BBS where people say mean things like that to Adam Solo. My slot in the database is now for SALE, you miserable jackanapes!!

I'll go along, and I'll throw my... I mean, I'll open the bidding at 2c.

AArdvark · Post by **AArdvark** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:56 pm

Is this that uppity, self absorbed comic strip you hate so bad?

THE
HEAD SCRATCH
AARDVARK[/url]

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:16 pm

Yes. That is a perfect example of why that comic is so Christingly shitty.

"Here's something I read on Wikipedia!"
"Here are two heads talking, there is literally no reason this is a comic strip since a visual element is totally missing!"
"Oh... isn't it obvious what it's for??"
"Oh! Yes, it is! For you see I am in xkcd, therefore a really smart person!"

"The Voynich Manuscript could have been the Dungeons and Dragons Manual for the year 1400." That's a shitty tweet, not a comic. It's also completely unfunny.

Also, BOY I SURE REMEMBER ALL THE PAGES ABOUT PLANTS IN D&D.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 1:58 pm

Let's get back to this, Pinback.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:00 pm

Okay, this was a colossal failure, as I'm sure we all knew it would be. I have GAME ICON OVERLOAD. Ten million games and I can't bring myself to click on any of them.

Fuck it, we're going to try again, but we're going to keep this list SHORT, so that there's only a couple ICONS I can click on, and then it'll be easier.

Here are the games I would like to COMPLETE.

1. ALPHA CENTAURI (with completeness described as above, two full playthroughs.)

2. BANISHED (with completeness described as, build a town with over 100 people.)

3. WARLOCK 2 (with completeness described as completing at least one game in campaign mode, and one in sandbox mode.)

Okay? That's IT. Let's just focus on these, and get this shit done. Christ.

AH SHIT, I forgot one:

4. XCOM: Enemy Within (with completeness described as completing it.)

Now the list is getting too long again!!!!

RetroRomper · Post by **RetroRomper** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:51 am

Guess I can jump in here and give Pinback a bit of external focus: if you want me to buy you a copy of Herald of the Stars, by 2015 you must have done the following -

1. Revamp your list to 1 GAME.
2. You must play this game and ENJOY doing so.
3. Play this game a little further than is fun (because you'll give up in 2 turns / 20 minutes otherwise).
4. Rinse and repeat twice.

So to get Herald of the Stars, Pinback must:

1. Play two games by 2015.
2. Play them slightly longer than his patience would normally allow.
3. NOT purchase any games until he completes this challenge.

Christ, when did playing games become work?

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 9:27 am

1. Revamp your list to 1 GAME.
2. You must play this game and ENJOY doing so.
3. Play this game a little further than is fun (because you'll give up in 2 turns / 20 minutes otherwise).
4. Rinse and repeat twice.

Yes, Retro is right. The reason we get overwhelmed is because we have too many games and we stop playing them at the slightest moment.

PLEASE, Pinback. For once, let's listen to Retro. He's on a 56-game hitting streak with that hot sauce.

One game. Play it and enjoy it and report back.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:26 pm

Okay, which one?

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:37 pm

I dunno, I am not really a "details" guy?