Generic SEV Thread

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-11-22 10:44pm

So I've been playing SEV, and it's pretty neat. I fair suck at it, but when the next SEV PBEM starts up I guess I'll be in.

I wanted to ask some questions about it though. I'm looking at it as a regular gamer not a returning SEIV player, so I'm not sure how things are 'supposed' to work.

Tactical speed seems too fast/tactical maps seem too small. It's trivial to run ships at planets in attacks, and unless you're supposed to have dozens of defence platforms it seems taking out planets would be pretty easy.

The tech tree seems 'shallow'. I'm not sure if I'm looking at it the right way, and I'm not saying it's bad, but you seem to spend more time refining capabilities instead of developing new ones. The game starts out at a low-middling scifi level, gets middling... then you're super-uber and blowing up stars.

The treaty system is neat, but understanding the diplomatic system is not. I guess it's a result of it supposed to be primarily multi, so most of the other groups are humans, but I'm used to GC2-level diplomatic feedback instead of 'indifferent' and that's it. Otherwise the dip system kicks ass, and it's about time I played a game with actual treaty negotiations (although I've got about a bajillion ideas for new 'clauses'.

Cao Cao · Post by **Cao Cao** » 2006-11-22 11:08pm

Man, the tech tree gives me a royal headache. So many layers and layers of complicated tech.
I'm used to Master of Orion 2 style "You have researched Phasors!" style simplicity. I don't think I'll ever get around to playing against people since I'm made of suck.

On a side note.. when someone gets around to making an nBSG shipset for SEV.. I will be very happy.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-11-22 11:10pm

Sorry, shit like that misses the point for me. nBSG has like six types of ship in the whole game and four scifi techs. WOW, I'm fucking awed, SEV has you building dyson spheres and blowing up suns.

I want a 'start really shit' mod, where you start in the 1960s or the 2050s or something and can't just spam out colonies at the start.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-11-22 11:14pm

Judging by SE IV, a lot of mods will take that slow start direction, although I don't much care for it myself. The B5 mod is like that.

Cao Cao · Post by **Cao Cao** » 2006-11-22 11:15pm

Ah well I'm just a Battlestar fanboy. Always liked that design.
Plus the neutral empire shipset in SEV has ships that vaguely resemble Battlestars.. and they look darn good.

Trogdor · Post by **Trogdor** » 2006-11-22 11:20pm

I personally think they went overboard with the tech tree, too, and hope that some of the mods that come out will prune it down to a more manageable level. Hell, SEIV only had three levels for the basic resource gathering facilities. I prefered that, as well as only having one different type of each ship class. I don't need ten different kinds of escorts, thanks.

As for the uber-star destroying shit, I wouldn't let it bother you. It tends to be a flaw of the vanilla versions of the space empires games only. A lot of mods tend to remove them (like the B5 mod) or make them really, really expensive (trek mod). Also, you can make treaties to prohibit using them.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-11-22 11:22pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Judging by SE IV, a lot of mods will take that slow start direction, although I don't much care for it myself. The B5 mod is like that.

It'd suck if that was the 'stock' or 'proper' way to play, but for me it'd be a change from things like GC2 etc.

The tech tree confuses me because you spend so long dicking around getting level 12 laser or whatever, and then you turn around and super-tech weapons. My first game I didn't even know there were all these other weapons because I just refined the starting ones.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-11-22 11:33pm

The tech tree is actually really simple. Because there's lots of techs you just plain ignore. I'm no expert at all but I picked it up just by playing a few turns. My SE:IV experience actually made me a worse SE:V player. It doesn't really matter if you suck, you get it fast. If you want whenever Tuxedo posts aturn in the SE:V thread, download the turn and open it up. The Nagmaroon Empire's password is sealtest and the Ventran Alliance doesn't have a password at all (I think it's the Ventran Alliance, if not just try all the players with a blank password until you get it) it's Trogdor's turn and he's got about the most experience in SE:V.

Taking planets is a lot different than in SE:IV. In SE:IV combats were brutal, short, and decisive. One massive fleet battle a whole game and that was it, game over, and it took a month or two to get there with e-mail turns. It was a spreadsheet in space and if not for the RP the games would've tanked. You didn't miss much at all.

Apparently to deal with ships running off, you either have fighters of your own, or you fortify your planets. I don't know--I'm a total newbie in it too.

For e-mail you really need a fast tech bell curve. You're looking at 15 turns max a month, and more realistically ten. Once the automated system comes on for SE:V you could play anonymous players and a few games at once so you could play a turn a day, but right now it's just 10-15 turns a whole month. It might be too slow for some people's tastes, and it gets obsessive, since you think about it between turns for a whole two days until the next.

For example, I believe Tuxedo is right about the Meson Blasters being the only good weapon. And Blaster Turrets in the same tech tree, it makes sense to dump all your research points into Meson Blasters. Also the usual Construction to start out with, and fighters and mines, and ship mounts. But we'll see how things turn out in the SE:V game.

Trogdor · Post by **Trogdor** » 2006-11-22 11:39pm

It should probably be noted that I don't have very much experience with it, either. I played a single player game for a crap load of turns, but I had it set on easy so my AI opponents pretty much just sat around doing nothing while I investigated the overgrown tech tree.

In other words, should you open up my turn, Stark, don't be surprised at how crappy I'm doing. I'm still quite the noob as well, plus I had a shitty starting position.