SotS2 - The All Clear?

[Heliocentric]

Subject: SotS2 - The All Clear
The following is an e-mail sent to me by an administrator of "Kerberos
Productions" forums.

Hey folks!

Sorry for the long wait but I am extremely happy and proud to give the all
clear signal and invite you all back to a bright and shiny SotS2. While
“all clear” in no way means support for the game has ended or that we have
no plans for additions, it does mean that the game is in the shape we would
have wished it to be upon release. From here we will be going on to a
regularly scheduled set of updates that continue to fill out and flesh out
the SotS2 universe as well as adding new maps, scenarios and plenty of
quality of life suggestions.

We would like to thank Paradox for continuing to distribute Sword of the
Stars/ Sword of the stars 2 and look forward to working with them on any
future expansions. We also want to issue a heartfelt thanks to the players
who stood by us in those dark early months and who believed us when we said
this game would be fixed. We owe a great deal to the players who stuck it
out through all the dozens of updates and fixes and kept reporting the bugs
and posting their saves. Their input has made for a bigger and better SotS2
than could have been achieved at release even under the best of conditions.
Everyone who enjoys playing this game from this date on, owes those
impromptu testers a great deal of thanks. And finally for those of you who
are reading this now and booting up the game, we would like to thank you
for your patience and welcome you back. There is a great game waiting for
you now and a big universe waiting to be explored.

The Future:
As said, this announcement does not mean the end of SotS2 support. In fact,
should any of you be curious, feel free to come by our boards and see our
plans to support SotS2 indefinitely. For now, you can look forward to your
next SotS2 update in approximately 3 weeks and it should include such tasty
treats as:
--Selectable Teams at startup
--Revised Empire economics screen
--Even more AI tuning
--SotSpedia tuning and more entries
--And a pack of new maps.

While too far down the line for particulars, I can tell you that the
following update after that should see the return of scenarios and a treat
or two for the holidays!


So once again, I would like to thank you all for your patience and
understanding during the road back and hope you all enjoy this game as it
was meant to be!

Martin E. Cirulis
CEO/Creative Director
Kerberos Productions


--
Thanks, The Management

So? Does anyone know if thus reflects the reality?

[Hanban]

I tried it out and it was still oddly slow in between turns. 'round turn 20 it crashed and I figured I'd keep waiting.

[rsherhod]

Oh how I hope this gets truly sorted. What's the help/encyclopaedia stuff like these days? I heard it was missing a lot of content before.

[archonsod]

It's been perfectly playable for months. Haven't checked the encyclopaedia though.

[vinraith]

It's been perfectly playable for months. Haven't checked the encyclopaedia though.

Have you tried any multiplayer, arch? I know when a friend and I were trying to give it a go back at the beginning of the summer we couldn't play more than a dozen turns without a crash. Fingers crossed that it's solid now, but I'd love to hear that from someone else before investing the time to find out myself!

[Vicious]

It's been perfectly playable for months. Haven't checked the encyclopaedia though.

Playable doesn't mean it's finished, fun, or enjoyable.

[Wrongshui]

I don't find it fun at all, it's a very tedious game to play and I doubt I'll ever find it fun.

The only positive thing about it I can think of is the fact it's stable.

[Fanbuoy]

I don't find it fun at all, it's a very tedious game to play and I doubt I'll ever find it fun.

The only positive thing about it I can think of is the fact it's stable.

Well, I kind of think that's what's being discussed. If you don't think the game is fun it's unlikely that you'll think differently after a few patches. The more probable scenario is that you simply don't like the game. However, there are quite a few people out there that like the idea of the game but haven't been able to enjoy it due to the bugginess.

Anyway, I don't mean to rant. I've been holding off playing this altogether, but look forward to giving it a go if it's better now.

[Vicious]

Well, I kind of think that's what's being discussed. If you don't think the game is fun it's unlikely that you'll think differently after a few patches. The more probable scenario is that you simply don't like the game. However, there are quite a few people out there that like the idea of the game but haven't been able to enjoy it due to the bugginess.

Anyway, I don't mean to rant. I've been holding off playing this altogether, but look forward to giving it a go if it's better now.

I love the idea of the game and thoroughly enjoyed the previous SotS (and have been enjoying 4X games since the mid 90's). I still think SotS sounds like a puddle of poo compared to the previous and am unlikely to pick it up unless I find a significant positive reception to it.

[Fanbuoy]

I love the idea of the game and thoroughly enjoyed the previous SotS (and have been enjoying 4X games since the mid 90's). I still think SotS sounds like a puddle of poo compared to the previous and am unlikely to pick it up unless I find a significant positive reception to it.

May I ask what you don't like about it? Have there been major changes to the gameplay? I haven't investigated the issue much. I own both of them, but haven't played either yet.

[Wrongshui]

Well, I kind of think that's what's being discussed. If you don't think the game is fun it's unlikely that you'll think differently after a few patches. The more probable scenario is that you simply don't like the game. However, there are quite a few people out there that like the idea of the game but haven't been able to enjoy it due to the bugginess.

Anyway, I don't mean to rant. I've been holding off playing this altogether, but look forward to giving it a go if it's better now.

I'm all bout 4X games, I pre-ordered this because I loved the first, but regardless of how many bugs they fix the core of the game is tedious.

As an example any AI vs AI combat that takes place in a neighbouring system isn't auto resolved, its simulated, the combat is just played out at a fast speed. Which means you stare at a vs screen for about 50 seconds, which is annoying in the early game when it happens every now and again but later on it means there's five or six simulations every turn.

The game seems to go out of it's way to sap any enjoyment it can. If they bother to do expansions, which seems unlikely with their new indigogo project, I'd wait for the third or fourth one, chances are by then enjoyment might have been added.

[Fanbuoy]

Yikes. It seems like it would be a good idea to provide the possibility for the player to choose how much AI movement he/she wants to watch. That does sound like a buzz kill.

[Wrongshui]

If you have the original and haven't played it I suggest you do, it's a refreshing change of pace for a 4X game and one of my favourites.

I can't suggest this one to anyone though, even people who squeezed enjoyment out of MoO3 should avoid this.

[archonsod]

Have you tried any multiplayer, arch? I know when a friend and I were trying to give it a go back at the beginning of the summer we couldn't play more than a dozen turns without a crash. Fingers crossed that it's solid now, but I'd love to hear that from someone else before investing the time to find out myself!

Haven't tried it myself, but reports are that it's working fine.

As an example any AI vs AI combat that takes place in a neighbouring system isn't auto resolved, its simulated, the combat is just played out at a fast speed. Which means you stare at a vs screen for about 50 seconds, which is annoying in the early game when it happens every now and again but later on it means there's five or six simulations every turn.

That was patched out before Christmas last year o.O

[Batolemaeus]

I'm playing it right now. I've been playing it on and off for quite a while.

On the subject of Sots1 vs. its predecessor..well. Sots1 is a complete game, it is working fine, and some elements are better. However, Sots2 has a few subtle enhancements that make me prefer it at this time. The battleriders replacing destroyers, the armor dynamics..it's a refinement.

The serious bugs have been removed and there are quite a few interesting mechanics to play with. The sequel plays more like a slightly different take on the initial idea however. A few things are more refined, a few things questionable, but there's an abyss of strategic depth.

That aside, kiting an enemy fleet with my squids, letting them chase me, then ordering a 360° turn and sending a devastating barrage of agonizinigly slow antimatter torpedoes their way, watching as the projectiles grow stronger and stronger as they crawl towards the enemy until their line disintegrates into glowing explosions, shrapnel flying all over the place, ships breaking apart, life support systems failing, engines burning out...it's beautiful. Very, very few games do what Sots does.

[vinraith]

Haven't tried it myself, but reports are that it's working fine.

Thanks, I'll have to give it a try when I have a moment.

[Bobtree]

AFAIK, the original SotS wasn't great right away either, but with all 3 expansions (the Complete version) it's now a minor classic. I didn't buy 2, but if it gets as much work and polish I may check it out someday.

[rsherhod]

I played vanilla SotS. In some ways I preferred it. The trade route and convoy raiding that was introduced in one or other of the add-ons was a pain.

[Wrongshui]

Haven't tried it myself, but reports are that it's working fine.


That was patched out before Christmas last year o.O

Interesting, why do I get so many screens of Chump vs Paul Newman and a progress bar that takes 50 seconds to complete?

Is there an option or something? I can lower the battle timer to speed things up but I like to have it at max.

[archonsod]

No idea, only simulated battles I ever see are those I opt to autoresolve.