Too Many Alerts in Space Age? poll

[Assassin Rex]

Originally Posted by EAUK_Aurora

Wow, many people who would like to see less alerts! Thank you for your feedback on this area of the game. I am passing on the information in this thread in my report this weekend.

Thanks so much. Its just soo good to know people listen. Thanks again.

[Dayve]

After today, my vote is definitely yes. I hadn't had too much of a problem with them in my last game, but the recent one i'm playing is ridiculous. I had 2 alerts and died 3 or 4 times dealing with a bigger and more powerful empire who attacked me for absolutely no reason, finally defeated them and decided to go buying/selling spices to raise my bank balance.

I got literally 3 planets away and had 3 alerts at the same time. Bigger empire attacked my homeworld, eco-disaster and pirates stealing spices. I got done dealing with the eco-disaster, dealt with my home planet being attacked which lost two cities during the attack, and had to just let the pirates steal my spices because the other two things took too long.

I could understand this if i had a huge empire, but my empire consists of 4 stars. I have 4 planets colonized, all in a square-formation. It's tiny.

[GodBen]

Originally Posted by EAUK_Aurora

Wow, many people who would like to see less alerts! Thank you for your feedback on this area of the game. I am passing on the information in this thread in my report this weekend.

The system works? This is a revelation!

Well, I suppose passing on information is a long way away from patching an incredibly annoying problem, but it's a step. Thank you.

[booly]

Originally Posted by EAUK_Aurora

Wow, many people who would like to see less alerts! Thank you for your feedback on this area of the game. I am passing on the information in this thread in my report this weekend.

Thats great Aurora, I think it will make a difference for people to know that their opnions are being heard.

FYI perhaps you have seen the mod thread? Point being this thread refers to two other threads on different forums (leading to the mod) where people were saying the same kind of thing so I think it is a fairly widely held opinon and not just a quirk of the EA.co.uk forums.

[EAUK_Aurora]

I did have a look at the Mod thread and have referenced it in my report so I know that there are a fair few people who feel this way.

GodBen~ I can't make patches myself but I can pass info on so I shall stick with that

[Kivech69]

Yep, I'm officially fed up with the countless alerts. Can't do a single sensible thing in space but running stupid little errands for everyone.

I'm shelving this game until they make it fun with a patch, but so far I'm rather disappointed with it altogether.

Basically the only fun and original part of the whole game is the cell stage.

It really is beyond me why I would be able to get different arms or legs for a creature if they have no difference in functionality whatsoever. And why weapons on my vehicle/boat/plane/space ship if they are just cosmetic. What on earth is the point of these things?

I thought this would be a mighty complex and deep game, but so far even my 4 year old daughter manages to play it with success (aside from space age that is, that one is a royal pain). That's right, you don't even need to read the messages in order to be successful in the game.

Shame of the money on this one. Next time I'll wait half a year to see if a hyped game lives up to what they promised. Happens way too often that they don't these days. Seems that quality obviously is not a very high standard at EA.

[Dohman]

While you're at it, add rightclick purchasing for spacestage.

[booly]

Thanks Aurora, much appreciated, they won't know if you dont tell 'em!

Fingers crossed they decide to do something about it, I feel optimistic about it and really do think it would be worth their while and that would be a happy day for all concerned IMHO.

Personally I want to see the game succeed, apart from its fun, its also pretty cosmic, makes you think (in a good way), tells you something about yourself, puts things in perspective, teaches us the value of space ships that kind of thing. Just my cuppa tea

[Wishbone77]

Originally Posted by Kivech69

Seems that quality obviously is not a very high standard at EA.

The problem is more likely that they would prefer that you buy 8 expansion packs before you get the quality you should have had the first time around.

[gremlinitus]

It's something that annoyed me to start with. If you have good defences in your colonies, you don't need to keep running around, they will resolve themselves. As for badges, you will get them all eventually maybe not as quickly as you would if you respond to everything.

I noticed that you get attacked by 2 or more spaceships of enemies as you approach the system. Why have the players not got any spaceships to attack those who approach their systems? Why don't the aircraft attack? If you attack another system, you get several ships attacking you. Why is your ship the only one in the whole galaxy that can defend your colonies? If your enemy can have several ships to defend their systems, you should be able to build several ships to defend yours.

Like I said before, they spent so much time with the detail and making the creatures appear lifelike that they forgot the gameplay.

[booly]

Those are related issues, because in a traditional Galactic 4X you would solve the problems by building more fleets. IMHO Spore space age is more like UrQuan masters where the Grox take the place of the UrQuan, point being you can't build another ship but you can enhance the ship you have. That is exactly how UM works only UM you dont have alerts, you have encounters you fly into so you control them.

But as for patching, the easiest thing for EA to do is a balance tweak. Adjusting the style of the game is a lot more work and realistically I cant see them remodelling the gameplay, best reward per effort has to come from tweaking the balance of existing play. I think the single ship only becomes an issue because you are called on to handle every single event like International Rescue. Lowering the frequency of events seems to be the place to start IMHO.

[2ndself]

Yeah I'd say this poll is pretty conclusive. They're too much...every time I go to attack an enemy as retaliatio nand an attempt to disable their own attacks: YOUR HOMEWORLD IS UNDER ATTACK!...and tbh I'm quite fond of the few cities left on it...

[Ryuujin]

There's no such thing as "the right moment" for getting an alert, but the alert frequency is so high you have no chance to just enjoy the moment.

Observing animals hunting as a hologram scout: Your colony is under attack!

Terraforming a planet: There is a plague on your allies planet, cull some animals!

Exploring for artifacts: You ally is under attack! - Help him!

Halfway across the galaxy: The snodgrass empire is feeling lonely, go pay them a visit!

In middle of a massive war with the Grox: The Hekatt empire would like you to wash their UFO!

I have a box of terraforming tools I'm just itching to use, but I have never ever had a chance; there's always something demanding my attention (even discounting attacks on my own colonies since they can fend for themself)

[Maldayne]

Originally Posted by Kivech69

Yep, I'm officially fed up with the countless alerts. Can't do a single sensible thing in space but running stupid little errands for everyone.

I'm shelving this game until they make it fun with a patch, but so far I'm rather disappointed with it altogether.

Basically the only fun and original part of the whole game is the cell stage.

It really is beyond me why I would be able to get different arms or legs for a creature if they have no difference in functionality whatsoever. And why weapons on my vehicle/boat/plane/space ship if they are just cosmetic. What on earth is the point of these things?

I thought this would be a mighty complex and deep game, but so far even my 4 year old daughter manages to play it with success (aside from space age that is, that one is a royal pain). That's right, you don't even need to read the messages in order to be successful in the game.

Shame of the money on this one. Next time I'll wait half a year to see if a hyped game lives up to what they promised. Happens way too often that they don't these days. Seems that quality obviously is not a very high standard at EA.

Hey dude obviously you shouldnt be playing this game. seriously. this is a game for players who have a mind for CREATIVITY. thats why i bought the game because i love the idea of designing my own original items and playing with them it gives you a sense of attatchment to them. so if your not creative then B***** OFF haha

Seriously thanks EA although you probably released the most bugged game in the history of the world your Creators are Brilliant.

O and i had constant attack and decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and set my self down the warpath destroying all the red(enemy) empires (just bomb/lazer the town hall, ignour the other fighters unless they really posing a problem) and after i cleared it ut now the alerts are only a TINY BIT too high. i can play a decent game now and when a war breaks out i start off again and guess what... it feels like a real war! i sigh when i see it but relised.. Hey im actually enjoying the wars now. JUST GRIND IT OUT PPL THERE IS A DIAMOND UNDER DEM HILLS ahem i mean spice under those planets

[Watashiii]

Originally Posted by booly

Those are related issues, because in a traditional Galactic 4X you would solve the problems by building more fleets. IMHO Spore space age is more like UrQuan masters where the Grox take the place of the UrQuan, point being you can't build another ship but you can enhance the ship you have. That is exactly how UM works only UM you dont have alerts, you have encounters you fly into so you control them.

xcept, in UQM, you have 1 vs. 1 battles, not 1 vs. 3x(5+1) battles on two systems at once

[JohnConnor101]

Who doesn't hate all those alerts, the spice collection, etc?

Bioprotectors and uberturrets have been mentioned but I'll add that pirate attacks rise dramatically if you're at war with someone else - consistent with their Warrior pirate portal trait. You'll get a lot less pirates and no enemy attacks if you wipe out hostile empires as soon as they make their first protection demand. I mean, hop from system to system bombing colonies until they'e gone. Typically, this takes less than ten minutes.

I totally agree, though, that size of empire, number of handy allies, quality of defences and distance from enemy fleet should all be built into AI attack preference algorhyths - although the big sticking point is that some isolated, defenceless, one-colony empire is therefore going to get singled out for attack *more* and that means you at the start of the game.

There should also be more self-sufficiency for allies, though you can pick and choose more what you repond to with them. Nature-loving cultures selling bioprotectors half price never seem to use them themselves! Frequency of ally disaster should be linked to their cultural trats.

I know this is about alerts rather than the annoyance of spice collection, but traderoutes are not only automated in Civ but actually make a lot of money for you. Why can't this be applied in Space too - and I mean between your own worlds and not just as a buy-out tactic on othr cultures? There's nothing more galling than seeing the mechanism actually exists and would be more realistic, but that they just couldn't care less about applying it - except being poked in the eye, maybe.

EDIT: Re. allies, the bottom line should be that if you install colony improvements on their planets, then these should have the same effect for them as they do on your planets. This is kind of lala, as they should install them themselves based on their own cultural traits, but the Space phase is not even up to this.....

[Theonegod1]

Does the uber turret not protect your planet while your away? Thats what I put on all my planets. And the eco stabiliser if you want less eco disasters? And to be honest I dont even bother with the spice theives, I get back what they stole In under a minute usually.

In other words, I just don't bother with the warnings, unless in an important planet (like my purple spice ones or an outpost near the grox). And if it is important, I take precautions to protect it.

Oh, and personally I just ignore when my freinds are in trouble unless im desperate for some badge or somthing.

[booly]

I have found that after playing with the mod and getting used to it then going back to the original game that I am much more able to cope with the alerts. But there are still too many and the biggest culprit is pirate alerts which are basically pointless filler.

Pirate alerts are most frequent and are time consuming relative to reward and without any cause over which you have control. Destroying the pirate thieves does not reduce their incidence and there is nothing you can do to prevent them coming in the pre uber-turret age and get anything else done. Picking up spice sends them packing but the balance is such there isnt time to continually visit every planet. This is partly because entering a system is too laborious, should be a one touch hotkey.

Some attacks are pirate attacks and these are again pointless and have no strategic meaning but stopping them is obviously advantageous. I dont have the time to collect the loot which drops from these or enemy war raids and play the rest of the game, but it is a small loss as these are in any case a paltry sum.

Pirate raids and pirate attacks are completely superfluous and detract from the game and IMHO we should be able to turn them off.

This also proves to me that the testers were experienced players and the lower difficulty level was not set with genuine noobs in mind.

[Firelok]

Another solution would be to add anti-pirate missions, seek out pirate base to reduce the occurrence of pirates teleporting to your worlds. Also what about paying up a few million Spucks for some other Space defence assets.
It's also worth mentioning that if you start ignoring pirate attacks the alert messages become more vague hinting that it's another alien empire attacking rather than a few Spice Junkies.

[Xyquas]

Maybe a second poll should be opened for those who have applied patch 1.01 but still feel the alerts appearing too often ...

[Xyquas]

Another thing about those pirate raids:

When I played as warrior I noticed that I can initiate a pirate raid on a foreign planet. I don't mean the spice stealing ones but the ones destroying your cities. I have a warrior next to my empire but as I'm <insert correct English adjective for "don't want to waste may although I could afford it" here>, I won't extinguish them because of their good weapon prices
But maybe this is the reason?

[Nicon]

Originally Posted by Draycen

Yes I think there are too many. I'm less than 2 hours in and have spent at least 1/3 of the time rushing back and forth to planets to save them.

There REALLY should be an option to turn this stuff off. When you consider the market they're aiming it at, as in casual gamers, it's going to put off a high percentage. It would be far better if:

a) these alerts could be turned off
b) the grox could be turned off
c) an option for no race to attack you UNLESS you agressed them (for those that just wanna fly around the galaxy enjoying themselves)

that's my two pence anyway

Draycen

Agree!!!! Agree!!!!

[Kj26lfc]

I would rather be able to call a ship from a near by colony to launch and assist them there, rather than fly half way round the Milyway to help people who cant help them selves.

[technoninja]

i think it would be better if they just took care of themselve if you get further than 100 parsecs away or something like that, they should only use you if your nearby just to make life easier for themselves not to drag you from 10,000 parsecs away through 6 wormhoels and taking out a grox planet just to kill five creatures or else the entire universewill hate me!!!!!!!!gaaarrrhhh!!!
(this paragragh may contain slight exagarations)


any whooooo yeah 100 parsecs then it's none of your business after all we've seen in the trade routes we are not their only ship.
or atleast make it so we get a nice little reward for example.....50,000 sporebucks

[ValuJet2564]

I voted theres not too many, but I think the following should be available:

An ultra-uber turret that makes the planet its on undefeatable
An ultra-bio stabilizer that completely rules out bio disasters on the planet

This would cut down alerts, but only when they are unlocked and affordable