Hard settings really enhance the game in my view. I always play hard and used to modify things to make it harder with more Drone spawns, Troopship reinforcements at every POI as well as a steady stream of replacement drones. It meant taking and holding a POI took a heavy HV at least. Fun times. Of late however I've been playing totally vanilla and, since doing so, my 6.3.1 game start on Masperon has likely been the most challenging. Early-game challenges were of course the PV "finding" me before it's supposed to, but I basically created a new, underground base to counter it. The thing that really got me though was the shear number of hostile critter spawns on Masperon now, easily three times the prior amount. Early-game mining became near impossible on foot, as every resource deposit would have at the very least three hostiles close by. While flying along on the bike I was ok, but the moment I stopped anywhere critters rushed me. The moment I made my first HV was a game-changer, I could for the most part mine using the Drone while stood on top of my hovering HV. Had to be aware of any spitting spiders though. Once I had the ability to make T1 AMiD's, I deployed them via the drone, however, we can no longer access the inventories with the drone of course, which made visiting them dangerous. I'd be rushed within seconds of getting out of my HV. So, I built mini coreless "forts" around each AMiD, eventually adding a raised landing pad for my basic SV. This protected me from critters finally. So, Masperon has been a great challenge this time, without any modding required. Next game I might turn things up a bit like I used too Scoob.
Its fun using a the little survival SVs .I had one I used in another game that rarely ever repaired unless something major happen. I also had a cheap HV I used just to ride around the area and I still use it now from time to time.
Awesome! I love ship designs that deviate from the basic in-line form factor, and strive to display the builder's sense of merging artistry with functionality. I also find the asymmetry interesting. It's a bold statement in design that I haven't dared try yet. Perhaps some day...
As one who nearly always starts with medium setting on Omicron, I think I'm moving towards a Masperon start soon. The experience you and others have compiled and shared here will be of great benefit to me. I also seem to have fallen into a rut. I always rely on the factory in every game. I've been thinking that perhaps I've been reducing the challenge by doing that. I think I'm just going to have to put my perfectionism aside for a change, build on the fly with an eye towards function over form, and play the game in a truer sense of survival. What are you're guys views and preferences when it comes to the factory in survival mode?
I'm playing a no-factory game and it's been one of my best EGS experiences. There is an added layer of satisfaction and engagement to piloting a vessel or surviving and thriving in something that you put together block-by-block. The build system is very forgiving in terms of what will work and your multi-tool can reclaim the materials in anything you change or reclaim so there's no crippling penalty if you don't get it right the first time. So far, playing this way has improved my building skills and that's always a gift.
I didn't personally use the factory for ages. However, with the frequent restarts due to regular updates, I find myself wanting to continue prior builds I never quite completed. There are two main vessels I spawn in, both quite late-game, one is my Mining Turret equipped HV, requires level 15 - which takes a while with slow levelling - and my Work-In-Progress CV. Possibly I should take the latter into Creative to finish, but where's the challenge in that? lol. Other than those two vessels I pretty much always spawn eventually, there is a both a very light SV and a very light HV. I find my first build often being the same very basic design, so I see no difference in just spawning it. I always make sure I have all items in the Blueprint researched as I consider it a bit of an exploit that we can spawn in vessels we could not currently build. All that said, other than a custom version of one of the Starter SV's from ages back, I only spawn things that are 100% my design. This current game, up until I spawned in that HV, I'd been 100% scratch-built as usual. I did technically spawn in that CV, but that was in part working around a bug, as well as bypassing what I see as an artificial limit, i.e. not being able to keep what I'd cpatured So, I'm not pure-scratch build in gameplay style by any means, but early-game I think it can add to the challenge. Scoob.
I instinctually understand what you mean when you point out the satisfaction and engagement you experience when building in-game block by block. Not that there's anything wrong with the factory system (love it actually) but I've been feeling a little um... cheap lately by employing it ALL the time - especially when all you have to do is reach the lvl, and NOT have to spend the exp points. They should change that.
I work around the guilt of factory building by kidding myself that my avitar is just using a cad program in his base when I go design in creative. Your reply got me thinking that early on, building in-game your basic micro sv and cheap drilling hv, and even a functional cv, is the way to go. But when you achieve a lvl of comfort and stability, it's perhaps ok to go into the factory to build your beloved vessels that you spent so much time and effort making perfect... in our own eyes, at least I think that's the way I'll go with a Masperon start. Now I'm getting scared just thinking about it
One of the factory's greatest virtues is that it's the only reasonably easy way to make use of mass quantities of looted bits - things like steel plates, metal components, electronics, motors, etc. Otherwise, what are you going to do with 184 electronics or several dozen capacitors? I'd take a 20% loss on materials if the constructor could convert parts, blocks and ammunition back into ingots.
So true! I've got components coming out my ears. And I fully agree about needing to be able to convert parts to ingots. Hope that's been suggested to the devs a gagillion times.
Umm well it depends on what you're looking for. IN my opinion there is no real way to play this type of game. It's not your normal survival game being that is based in the future and once you get to a certain level technology has to advanced and you won't be doing a lot stuff by hand. It's kind of the same thought process that goes into the auto miners . Plus in the real world you're not going to be building a giant CV or even SV by hand because if we were going for realism to build even a SV by hand would take you years. lol Plus even in today's world everything is built in a factory and also by machines . There are few multiplayer servers that do not use the factory for different reasons but as for me. I love it because after I build something once I want to be able to respawn it at some point and not have to start all over again. Also I'm not a hard survival game fan, Empyrion is as far as I will go when it comes to survival games. It all goes back to what is entertaining to you. If you think the game is more entertaining to you without the factory then why not play that way? As a person who loves to build the factory is one part of the game that is a must for me even in survival. Planet Nomads do not have a system a factory system or a way to share blueprints which was a deal breaker for me and why I didn't waste my money on it.
I fully appreciate your view, and in the end, it really is all about what the player likes and wants and what he/she deems fit for their enjoyment. I for one could give the devs a big, fat kiss on the cheek for implementing the factory the way they have, and giving us these wonderful, workshop related options. It really is brilliant! As I mentioned, I have used the factory in just about every game start, and happily so. I think for me now, deciding to act on the options the devs have granted - and completely in line with your thinking here - is simply a departure from the norm for me... something that will broaden my horizons on the next play through. I will not use the factory in early game, then I will use it to build my favorite workshop items (both mine and others) to reward myself for surviving, and then thriving. Masperon start. Surviving and thriving.... ...who am I kidding
LOL I agree. Having people play this game using multiple styles is what make this game better than all the others out there in my opinion. . What I think would be cool is if the Devs made the blueprint factory a base that you had to build in order to use it. Have one factory for SVs and HVs that you build on planet and one for CVs that you build in space. I think a lot of players who want to use factory but feel the way you do about it would feel a lot better if it was a Base you had to build. In Starmade you have to build a ShipYard in order to build your blueprints.
Continued work on my CV project. Still working on the basic hull shape (I'll carve out spots for maneuvering engines and guns later.) Almost done with the basic shape and layout (I think it ended up with 10 decks?)
I got a civilian POI added to the game recently - here's a version of it with player core and no NPC's so its spawnable in-game. Note, it doesn't contain all the basic base facilities (Medical Chamber, Armor Locker, Growing Plots etc.) - so you might want to add those if you are using this as a base. >> Steam Workshop
Looks great!! It would be cool if the devs added some different forms of energy in this game like maybe adding rechargeable batteries for SVs and HVs then you could turn bases like this one into a charging station. This base reminds me of some type of refueling station but it does give you a mining warehouse vibe.
