Starlanes vs Free Travel? Which one do you prefer :)

neare

Newcomer

3 000g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 4, 2012, 2:37:16 AM

i'm prefer star lanes.

free travel maybe finished in unbalanced.

Igncom1

Craver

Infantry win firefights. Tanks win battles. Artillery win wars.

Igncom1

Craver

11 400g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 28, 2012, 2:30:44 AM

JediPearce wrote:
I love the teleport gates found with the Hiver race in Sword of the Stars.

As do I, fortunately wormholes do give that kind of instant travel, especially once you get the technology that allows travel between any 2 wormhole exits you control.

Wormhole empires could become a thing.

JediPearce

Yellow Necrophage

JediPearce

Yellow Necrophage

16 300g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 28, 2012, 2:15:33 AM

I love the teleport gates found with the Hiver race in Sword of the Stars.

nightstorm56

Newcomer

nightstorm56

Newcomer

100g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 28, 2012, 12:59:53 AM

EvilTactician wrote:
If I have to be perfectly honest, I quite enjoy a combination of both. (Like Endless Space)

But if I really was forced to make a choice, it would be free travel, with star lanes being something that can be constructed later as a means of faster travel between colonies. (Jump gates / Hyperspace)

This. I like how it starts out, and then you can freely move after enough research.

n18991c

Old

n18991c

Old

13 100g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 25, 2012, 12:36:47 AM

I like starlanes because I like bottlenecks and pitched battles

Waylander1982

Newcomer

Waylander1982

Newcomer

100g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 20, 2012, 9:34:12 PM

Cosmic strings or what have you are more indicative of strategy than free-travel.

Igncom1

Craver

Infantry win firefights. Tanks win battles. Artillery win wars.

Igncom1

Craver

11 400g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 20, 2012, 5:39:16 PM

Star lanes also help focus a players attention.

HaxtonFale

Mercy

HaxtonFale

Mercy

27 400g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 20, 2012, 3:29:53 PM

I think star lanes/phase lanes/whatever-you-want-to-name-lines-between-planets-or-stars are a good choice, since they force commanders (players) to consider their tactics a bit more, add chokepoints to space combat (which can be very helpful and/or devastating, depending on both sides' skill), with option to override them, but not without effort (research, plus sometimes a specific construction - like in Sins of a Solar Empire).

Long story short, lanes are a nice tactical addition that can help both new and experienced players.

duronrulez

Newcomer

duronrulez

Newcomer

12 years ago

Dec 14, 2012, 11:52:56 AM

Mr.Spartan126 wrote:
Star Lanes. I'm old fashoned

Sorry to disappointing you friend but star lanes are the new thing

The old fashioned way was with free travel

Non the less i am beginning to think that both options should be available in a game via some sort of options, which will either enable star lanes and the research relevant or will enable free travel and the research relevant (as we mentioned in some of the previous posts).

Mr.Spartan126

Old Survivor

Mr.Spartan126

Old Survivor

12 400g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 6, 2012, 6:34:57 PM

Star Lanes. I'm old fashoned

duronrulez

Newcomer

duronrulez

Newcomer

12 years ago

Nov 26, 2012, 3:09:28 PM

So, basically i was wondering what type of 4x games are more popular. The ones like Endless Space where the travel from system to system is done by star lanes (for the most part) or games like Master of Orion 2 where you have total freedom of travel (limited by engine research for X parsecs)?

Mansen

Enthusiast

Mansen

Enthusiast

19 200g2g pts

12 years ago

Nov 28, 2012, 3:11:28 PM

Depends on the game I suppose.

In SOTS 2 I almost exclusively play Hivers because I can't wrap my head around the way the other races travel (they travel freely, I teleport instantly). Only other race I can manage are the humans, which use ultra fast "node networks" (like Endless Space without free travel ever). The trick is however that not all systems link to all others - It's a random maze.

Tredecim

Newcomer

Tredecim

Newcomer

200g2g pts

12 years ago

Nov 27, 2012, 6:39:24 PM

Both is cool, starlanes limit the ways where from I can attack and be attacked from, but free gives me more movement

Igncom1

Craver

Infantry win firefights. Tanks win battles. Artillery win wars.

Igncom1

Craver

11 400g2g pts

12 years ago

Nov 27, 2012, 4:50:33 PM

I like the SOTS FTL travel.......as in all the methods of FTL travel in one.

Tiggy

Newcomer

Tiggy

Newcomer

14 800g2g pts

12 years ago

Nov 27, 2012, 12:34:55 PM

i dont mind a bit of both but i find late game the NPC is just rushing fleets out in every random direction and it does start to become a pain in the ass to actually try and defend your space when you have fleets darting of in every which way and that, i think i prefer the space lanes as it does give strategic importance to some systems like access points or sometimes systems near the middle that gives wide avenues to attack many systems from your one , maybe an option to disable free travel for a game and maybe replace the techs that would useualy give free travel bonuese some smaller bonuses to string drive travel.

just a thought on an optional.

Nomas

Yussho

Nomas

Yussho

28 300g2g pts

12 years ago

Nov 27, 2012, 12:19:03 PM

While in MOO2 free travel made your systems "vulnerable" you could oppose some very effective defences with Space Stations and planet defences (missiles, beams and fighters). Would love to see those in ES too.

duronrulez

Newcomer

duronrulez

Newcomer

12 years ago

Nov 27, 2012, 11:01:33 AM

Yeah i know, I've mentioned it in my first post :P

But still the range limit was a pretty soft limit that lifts up in like the first 20-ish turns

There is another difference, in MOO you had defenses (missiles) that usually do the job of defending when someone bypasses your frontline, while in ES (while the warp drives lift the starlane limitation as well) someone had to pass through all your systems and probably fleets that protect them, to actually get to a well developed system.

Both systems have pros and cons to be honest ... I am starting to think that maybe both options should be available on galaxy generation, and some research nodes added or removed based on the selected options ... hmmmm

Nomas

Yussho

Nomas

Yussho

28 300g2g pts

12 years ago

Nov 27, 2012, 10:00:44 AM

EvilTactician wrote:
If I have to be perfectly honest, I quite enjoy a combination of both. (Like Endless Space)

But if I really was forced to make a choice, it would be free travel, with star lanes being something that can be constructed later as a means of faster travel between colonies. (Jump gates / Hyperspace)

duronrulez keep in mind that in MOO2 you had to keep an eye from all sides but at least on lower tech lvls you couldnt reach all systems due to range. Something we dont have in ES.

duronrulez

Newcomer

duronrulez

Newcomer

12 years ago

Nov 27, 2012, 8:24:37 AM

I have to say that i was a huge fan of free travel (since i mostly played MOO and MOO2) back in the days, but with MOO 3 (yeah i know its terrible) and ES i find myself liking the restrictions more and more. Maybe its because of old age

I just find it easier to protect a system from X sides than to protect it from everywhere

VIPEvilTactician

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The clearest sign of intelligent life in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.

VIPEvilTactician

Senior VIP

20 000g2g pts

12 years ago

Nov 26, 2012, 5:03:53 PM

If I have to be perfectly honest, I quite enjoy a combination of both. (Like Endless Space)

But if I really was forced to make a choice, it would be free travel, with star lanes being something that can be constructed later as a means of faster travel between colonies. (Jump gates / Hyperspace)