Sword of the Stars 2: Electric Boogaloo

[Dirk Diggler]

Turns are handled simultaneously and I personally don't play with computer players in a multiplayer game at all.

Tactical battle length is adjustable from 120 seconds to 600 seconds. This not only works to keep time short but allows battles to transpire over several turns, allowing for a meaningful use of reinforcements, skirmishing, and distraction.

 

[Raapys]

Well, your example paints a pretty picture, one I didn't see much of since my experience is limited to rather straight-forward AI fights. But while I won't argue with your assessment, is it really unique as far as 4x games go? Look at the options in SpaceEmpires4&5's combat; you can use mines, missiles, torpedoes, beams, projectiles, fighters, drones, satellites, boarding-parties, engine-slowing, shield-depleting, etc. You can have different kinds of shielding and armor, improved engines, sensors, AI, etc. Much of that goes for the MoO games too.

It just seems to me that the things you like about it are things that some other 4x games do at least as well, while still having a significantly better strategic/diplomatic/empire management part.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

I haven't played Space Empires so I'll have to reserve judgment there.

As I said earlier, if you are comparing stuff to MoO 2, you'll often end up disappointed. That said, SotS isn't a bad game because MoO is a really good one.

 

[Syril]

So does this work on windows xp?

 

[tindrli]

So does this work on windows xp?

Sadly it does not work on mine xp. It says something like missing. Some shity dx10 dll or similar..

 

[Harpsichord]

The game is now playable and I must say, vastly different from SotS 1.

 

[JarlFrank]

Why do they have directX10 as a fucking REQUIREMENT for a fucking 4X STRATEGY GAME

 

[tindrli]

Why do they have directX10 as a fucking REQUIREMENT for a fucking 4X STRATEGY GAME

a million dollar question Mr. Jarl....

 

[Raghar]

Why do they have directX10 as a fucking REQUIREMENT for a fucking 4X STRATEGY GAME

Because they are not using OpenGL.

 

[Grunker]

There isn't even a stack anymore is there?

The stack is the very basis for a game of Magic. The whole game would have to be re-invented without it - like giving every abiliy Split Second or something. So nah, it's still there. What you're referring to is probably when they changed the rules so that combat damage no longer uses the stack.

 

[Harpsichord]

What you're referring to is probably when they changed the rules so that combat damage no longer uses the stack.

Okay, yeah, that's what I was thinking of.

 

[Chef_Hathaway]

The game is now playable and I must say, vastly different from SotS 1.

I want to like it, but there is so much time bloat in giving orders and other small things that it really turns me off from playing it for too long, and that you can't do things between turns like in SotS1, like check on research and design new ships is also really annoying. I'm talking about multiplayer, btw, I guess in singleplayer those don't matter that much. It still feels like the game progresses far more slowly compared to the first.

 

[Syril]

bros how is swos 2 now ? still bugged?

 

[Humppaleka]

Anyone played this recently? Bought the Paradox pack from Amazon and this is something I really looked forward to, but it was a buggy mess as usual for a long time. I liked SotS 1 a lot, I hope this lives up to it at all.

 

[Malakal]

I read its not finished yet. Not as buggy as it used to be but still hardly playable.

 

[commie]

Still 736 patches to go...

 

[Malakal]

The general consensus seems to be its almost as good as 1 right now. Almost.

 

[Chef_Hathaway]

How?

I can't see it being as good as 1 until they unfuck the time bloat from going through menus, assigning movement orders, assigning research, etc., etc.

Seriously, why did they have to change the movement system from number one? It has mission types and stuff as well, but I didn't have go through an asinine and slow menu to move my boats.

 

[Chef_Hathaway]

So, it's getting closer to being completely playable. Bloat is still there, as the menus still sometime stick for an unreasonable amount of time, but the crashes and bugs have mostly been worked out.

Maybe at the one year mark it will truly be ready.

 

[Rahdulan]

How is the base game nowadays after all those patches? I ask because it seems there's an expansion coming and it's free for previous owners of SotS2.
http://www.paradoxplaza.com/games/sword-of-the-stars-ii-enhanced-edition

Play as the Loa, with over 120 new ship sections and their own unique drive system – the Neutrino Pulse Gate
Over 25 additional technologies, including a new Cybernetic Tech Tree
10 new weapons and attacks to use in battle
New ship sections for the original six Factions, including 2 new Leviathan class vessels
2 new Independent Races to encounter, study and incorporate into your empire
New Random Encounters, a new Grand Menace, and new Star Maps
New Evacuation Mission, and Supplemental Mission system allowing players to focus on the Target or the Fleet
All Race DLCs: Suul’ka, Liir, Morrigi, Hiver, SolForce, Zuul and Tarka

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I've heard from non-Codexian sources that the game is supposedly patched up to a pretty good state now. Nothing's horribly broken and the AI works and such. Plus of course that free expansion they just added to make it an "Enhanced edition" and relaunch the game for more potatoes. No idea how reliable these non-Codexian sources are though.

Been trying to trade for a copy and having no luck. Thinking about just picking up the Paradox bundle from Amazon that includes it since I did really like the first SotS so I'm curious to see what the sequel is like now that it isn't broken.

 

[KoolNoodles]

Let me know if it's not shit, I liked the original. Played the seven seas version of number two, was too buggy to continue.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Only played a couple hours of this thus far and I can say it's functional at least. Haven't had any obvious glaring bugs or crashes yet. Can't say if it's better than 1 with any certainty but my gut feeling is it isn't. That said, I thought the first game was maybe the best space 4X game of all, so "Not as good as SotS1" isn't much of a slam against this.

Biggest difference I'd say is the new "Missions" system for fleets. I like the idea in theory since it's supposed to reduce micromanagement (Give a fleet a vague order to do something, the AI admiral does it and handles the details) but the execution is lacking. Say for example you want to survey a system along your border, using a fleet based at your homeworld. You might find the missions system will say that fleet is unable to survey that system, but if you first re-base that fleet at one of your colonies nearer the border, the fleet becomes available to survey that system. Apparently AI admirals aren't smart enough to re-fuel at the last colony en route to their destination and can only make it if they're based at a nearer colony.

As you can see that's not really a HUGE issue, but compared to SotS1 where you could obviously see what you had fuel to reach and what you couldn't, and IIRC ships refueled at colonies they passed through, it seems like the missions system in SotS2 is a bit of a step back. Still, there are other neat things like admirals (Which sound a bit half-baked at the moment, but are like simplified Total War generals with stats, one special trait each, and homeworlds (If an admiral's homeworld rebels there's a chance the admiral and his fleet will turn and join them, depending on his loyalty)) and the change to the patented SotS randomized tech tree. Now instead of not seeing technology in your tree you didn't get access to, you have to do a mini-research to have your scientists check the feasibility of a piece of tech which gives you an educated guess on if/can they research a piece of tech.

So yeah. (Probably) Not as good as SotS1 but I'd still put it way higher than galciv2, and probably higher than Endless Space though I haven't played enough of either of the games to solidly judge them. Still has cool randomized SotS tech, still has the glorious voiceovers for every race, still has each race with a different FTL style so they play differently, still has flavor events and random things that will fuck you up, still has turn based strategic layer and real time combat layer, and because of all that it's still more entertaining to play than most other space 4X to me. Only problem is that's all stuff SotS1 has and seems to do a bit better.

 

[KoolNoodles]

Cool, thanks. I played enough to see that the new mission system/leaders might bug me, but it wasn't a deal breaker by any means, just felt unfinished. Might have to pick it up over the holidays if I find a good deal(can't bring myself to do the Pdox bundles, as I have everything else in them).

GalCiv to me had no soul(without getting too into a long rant), and Endless Space just ended up being boring(combat sucks too). Always liked the vision of SotS if not the implementation at times.

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

Any tricks/tweaks to alleviate the crashes, abysmal performance and sounds being cut off during firefights (it's like the game can only reproduce 4-8 sounds simultaneously and the rest get the axe)?
The game itself seems promising and one I might very much enjoy, but it's kind of a mess as far as coding goes.