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Author Topic: Stardrive 2  (Read 9769 times)

Martok

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Reply #15 on: January 25, 2021, 09:47:22 PM
Dan just released another update, a fairly significant one.  I could get used to this. 


https://steamcommunity.com/games/252450/announcements/detail/3062978883703604546


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Patch Release Notes - 1.5b
This is a beefy update making the game look, sound, and run better than ever.


It is my goal in 2021 to release a total remaster of StarDrive 2, and this is a juicy update on the Road to Remaster (tm).

If you find that I broke something in your saved games, please upload it somewhere so I can grab it and see what went wrong. I've got a long way to go yet before this game is in a remastered state, but I think this gives you a great taste of what's to come.

    Added an Auto Combat toggle to the battle screen to let the AI handle combat for you
    Continued optimizations of strategy map performance
    Swapped out a few building graphics courtesy of wolfy301
    Asteroid fields on the battlemap are now more asteroidy
    Enhanced weapon sound fx system to allow for more variation.
    Upgraded and rebalanced weapon sound fx for:
    PD lasers
    Medium lasers
    Vulcan Cannons
    Disruptor Cannons
    Anti Matter Cannon
    Artillery
    Mass Driver
    General improvements to Muzzle Flash FX across the board
    Modified weapons:
    Disruptor max cannon range reduction
    Anti Matter Cannon increased projectile speed
    Cluster cannon range decreased
    Removed the old ground combat system entirely, and all associated quests. An upgraded quest system will bring these back in a new form soon.
    Solar Systems that are out of sensor range will now have the display of their names dulled slightly as an indicator
    Hex tiles that are not in sensor range now have a slightly faded coloring as an indicator
    Hex tiles that are unexplored have an even further reduced coloring
    Softened the color of the huge empire name plates on the strategy map to increase map readability
    Fixed an issue where antimatter cannon fx trails would disappear immediately upon impacting with a ship
    Updated Microsingularity FX to be cooler
    Fixed inoperable cluster cannon weapon






If he keeps this up, I might just be able to forgive him for all the crap he's pulled.  (Still holding my breath for now, though.) 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Anguille

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Reply #16 on: January 26, 2021, 03:23:28 AM
I am just glad he's improving the game.



Martok

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Reply #17 on: January 26, 2021, 04:48:31 AM
I am just glad he's improving the game.

That's pretty much the way I'm looking at this as well.  I've determined that -- whatever his motivations -- I'll simply enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.  8) 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Anguille

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Reply #18 on: January 26, 2021, 05:12:31 AM
I am just glad he's improving the game.

That's pretty much the way I'm looking at this as well.  I've determined that -- whatever his motivations -- I'll simply enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.  8)
Indeed. It's a good game and was still a little buggy. If patched enough, it's really a game i could come back to on a more regular basis.



bbmike

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Reply #19 on: January 26, 2021, 08:34:02 AM
Interesting. No way I'd play this right now, it seems like it's back in alpha testing. I hope he finishes what he's starting with his return to Stardrive 2 but this is Zero, so...

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
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Martok

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Reply #20 on: January 30, 2021, 11:26:05 AM
Another patch dropped last night.  A lot of little fixes, and a few nice QoL improvements. 



https://steamcommunity.com/games/252450/announcements/detail/3058475918424273140


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1/29 Update - Upgrades and Fixes!
A fun pack of upgrades and fixes


I put a lot of effort into this one. I really like the new look of the battle screen, and along with the new time time controls it should really enhance your experience. Let me know what you think! I will continue to upgrade and refine the battle screen so that every battle is beautiful and unique, and I will continue to focus on QoL upgrades and bug fixes.

As always, if you see a gamestopping bug, please try to get me a saved game for diagnosis. Thanks, and have fun.

1.5c change log:

    Added the ability to click the “Empty Slot” button in the Colony Management interface to open the shipyard and assign a ship design
    Added a Load All / Land All buttons to the troop land/load interface
    Overhauled the basic combat screen background to be more readable
    Added some new assets and configurations to the space battle screen
    Added new engine thruster fx to all ships
    Added more time controls to the battle screen (2x / 4x speed), updated user interface for same
    Changed AI behavior so that they will declare war when they enter your territory for a sneak attack. Earlier there were edge cases where they would only declare after the attack, but now you will typically get a warning unless they are very fast
    Fixed an issue where existing game installs weren’t necessarily getting the updated weapon characteristics
    Fixed a number of issues that had shield hit effects not working as I would prefer them to work
    Changed shield fx to adjust size depending on shot damage
    Fixed an issue with ships rolling incorrectly during turns in combat
    Fixed a bug that would sometimes have fleet icons rendering out of place
    Fixed issue where random space sounds in the background not respect the volume slider
    Fixed issue where the volume of weapons fire was not being affected by the volume slider
    Fixed issue where explosions on the strategy map would not respect volume slider
    Fixed issue where the subspace rifts would make noise and not respect the volume slider
    Fixed music volume on diplomacy screen
    Fixed issue where the Unlock Technology jingle was not respecting audio sliders
    Fixed BrainPal tech not working
    Fixed an issue where sectors graphics would not immediately update after coming under your control
    Fixed a bug where you couldn’t launch a leader from a planet if you didn’t have available freighter capacity
    Fixed an issue where controls would some times lock up upon starting a new game





He's talked about a "roadmap" for getting the Remastered version done, but hasn't really mentioned anything in the way of details.  He's also making more noise about developing Stardrive 3.  My sense of skepticism has increased. 

If the Remaster does still happen, I have a feeling it won't actually be announced.  Rather, it will occur gradually over the course of updates like this one (where he improves visuals, fx, etc. a little at a time), and then one way he'll suddenly declare it's "done". 


But hey:  At least he's still patching the game in the meantime.  :waiting: 


"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


bbmike

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Reply #21 on: January 30, 2021, 02:05:18 PM
Martok, are you playing it now or just following the updates?

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
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Martok

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Reply #22 on: January 31, 2021, 12:36:44 AM
I've been playing it, yes.  I've run into a handful of bugs, but nothing game-breaking. 

And Dan has actually been diligent in fixing any issues reported to him so far.  He's released a fairly substantive patch at least once a week (with follow-up hot-fixes as necessary) since he started working on the game again. 


I'll be honest, it's been a pretty fun ride these past couple weeks.  Being able to play SD2 as an increasingly bug-free experience, and seeing Dan engaged and enthusiastic again, has been a joy.  I have no idea what brought about his change in attitude, or what brought him back to the game, but it's nice to see either way. 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Anguille

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Reply #23 on: February 01, 2021, 03:43:27 AM
I think he needed a big break to rediscover why he was doing it in the first place.



bbmike

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Reply #24 on: February 01, 2021, 08:09:54 AM
Or he was visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve.

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
-Sherlock Holmes

My Own Worst Enemy


Yskonyn

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Reply #25 on: February 02, 2021, 03:50:37 PM
Hey chaps, hope everyone is doing well!

StarDrive 2 is very cheap on Eneba at the moment. So if you want to take a gamble and get the game super cheap hoping for some dedicated support from the dev this time it might be a low risk way to do it.

Does this game support PBEM?


bayonetbrant

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Reply #26 on: February 02, 2021, 04:00:32 PM
Welcome back Yskonyn!

I don't know if the game supports PBEM; I just wanted to say 'hi' b/c it's been a while :)

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bob48

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Reply #27 on: February 02, 2021, 04:02:06 PM
Good to see you back, hope you're weathering the storm.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

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Martok

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Reply #28 on: February 02, 2021, 04:27:10 PM
Yskonyn!  Long time, no see!  Glad you're still alive and kicking.  :) 


Unfortunately, Stardrive 2 doesn't support any sort of MP that I'm aware of, including PBEM.  :(  Perhaps for Stardrive 3 (if it actually happens)... 



"I like big maps and I cannot lie." - Barthheart

"I drastically overpaid for this existence." - bbmike


Yskonyn

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Reply #29 on: February 02, 2021, 04:38:53 PM
Thanks guys!
Hanging in there. We're currently in lockdown here and a curfew is active from 21:00 till 04:30 to combat spreading of COVID. We're also definitely going to get a third wave in the coming weeks. Spread rate of the British strain is increasing. Two thirds of current infections are with that strain.
So while we currently have the weird paradox that infection numbers are falling, the docs believe this is only temporary and will start to rapidly rise again in the coming weeks.

My wife has had her first shot a few days ago. No real effects, so thats great. And as you remember I got infected in October. I still feel like my internal battery is about 80% of what it used to be, but I cleared my medical checkup for work last week without issues. Not that there's any flying going on yet, but hey, at least that one's in the pocket for another year.

Back on topic;
Its great to see the dev coming out of hiding. The game has lots of potential to become a classic, even though no multiplayer is a tough one.
I'd love me some good 4X PBEM.