Thread 2097162

>>2097162 (OP)
It's better than the first one was at 1-2 years in its life, but yeah at the moment, I think the first is still a bit better. Not by much though.

AI art was a big mistake
unit barks and voice direction noticeably worse

>>2097162 (OP)
first one made for decent games before titans and superweapons. are there superweapons and titans in this game yet? if not, it might still be fun

>>2097162 (OP)
Disagree. The runs infinitely better, pathfinding is better in most cases.

>>2097162 (OP)
Agreed. Its not doing that much to really stand as a true sequel game other than changing a lot of under the hood elements. Sure, ship hardpoints and shot blocking are cool mechanics, but they haven’t added depth. There is a strange lack of new units, buildings, or other content to really make it feel like a true sequel.

At best maybe a quality remake or at least a good foundation to build on. It sold well, and given how long the previous game had a development 'tail', I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re thinking more long-term.


>>2097340
I thought they said they would replace the art eventually?
Unit voices are passable but a step back in a few spots for sure.

>>2097340
>>2097473
The art director claims no AI was used and everything was drawn himself, which is laughable because he previously drew like this.

>>2097509
>he previously drew like this.
are you insinuating artists never "draw" differently or something?

>>2097162 (OP)
Its amazingly soulless looking compared to the original whether its AI art or what

>>2097162 (OP)
I don't know why they have to use art that has that same look that all AI slop does. AI can generate lots of different images based on lots of different styles and yet were stuck with the sloppiest AI images imaginable. They should re do them and stylize them a bit so they don't look so bad. Make them look like actual art.

>>2097686
It is literally and unequivocally AI art. The portraits are all riddled with errors characteristic of the AI models of 2-3 years ago. It would be one thing if the art director was genning AI portraits and then cleaning them up manually--soulless but at least they're doing more than just prompting. But there is no cleanup. They just used an old, free internet image generator to churn out a wall of sloppa to fill out their tech trees and as a result the game's entire art direction looks like an ad for AI porn you'd find on a red board.

And they lie through their teeth about it. Because they thought they found the golden goose and when they received backlash for being lazy and soulless they panicked and tried to cover their asses.

I'm starting to get bored with TEC and dabbling with other factions, mostly for the sake of achievements. How is the Advent supposed to work, economically? With TEC it's fairly straightforward, you expand to get more tradeposts so you can snowball harder. What's the incentive for Advent to expand? How do I turn more clay into more fleet? Am I really stuck with using orbital extractors for my econ expanding? I feel like an American experiencing hunger for the first time and being utterly confused by the sensation. wym there's no trade how do i print money if theres no trade

>>2099773
As advent your main resource are crystals. Most of your ships primarily cost crystals and crystals also gate your teching. Your main source of income are planets and asteroids rich in crystals (ice worlds in particular) and advancing the mining tracks on those worlds. You also get some fairly affordable earlygame techs that multiply crystal income.

You have secondary ships that don't cost crystals which you can use to dump metal/credits. Your eco will never match the TEC's, that's their gimmick. But generally your fleets are stronger in evenly matched fleet cap, so you want to avoid a war of attrition and leverage your tech advantage to win decisive battles. Expanding and taking non-crystal planets can still be valuable because you can use them to generate your unique faction resource or generate exotics.

Also while there are lots of ways to play them, fleet composition wise, the easiest way to do well is to just spam carriers. Once you have a critical mass of strike craft backed by a couple support ships you're basically unbeatable. Their carrier capital ship is also the best one.

Unironically agree with OP, to the point that it actually makes me mad. Sins 1 is one of my favorite games, even with all its flaws. When the second game was first announced, I looked like a fucking wojak out of sheer excitement.

Even disregarding the whole AI argument, the game's presentation looks messier. Not the models, which mostly look clean and high quality (Outside of some random changes to ships that didn't need to be changed), but the UI and especially the research screen are much worse. Everything was clean and concise in 1, but you get ugly chaotic images for half the dozens of research icons and it all just blurs together. Music is okay, but when the first game had some excellent tracks that I still listen to today it just doesn't hold up.

But gameplay, fucking gameplay, is where I get mad. Instead of building capital ships as a complement to your fleet, the entire fucking game revolves around them. Make sure you research and buy the right items for your ships like its a RPG! Make sure you use special limited resources to get your capitals in the first place, and if RNG screws you before you can get the 'rare resources factory' then tough luck! Oh, and don't forget to bow down like a poor peasant to the minor factions that CAN'T BE REMOVED because some smart guy at Ironclad decided that the markets and half the other systems all are run through the minor factions!

But hey, it gets balance patches cause some multiplayer tryhards discovered that the flak frigate is only knocking out 73% of the missiles that are fired within 200 hundred units of it, so we should definitely spend several patch cycles figuring out how the physics system handles every single missile and flak turret bullet. It doesn't matter than random system maps still aren't a thing, that half the new faction systems are just bland 'number goes slightly up' variables, and the promised single player campaign probably won't get here until December 2026, but oh well! I'll always be mad.

>>2099788
>Instead of building capital ships as a complement to your fleet, the entire fucking game revolves around them.
that's how star ruler 2 does it and it's better than having to manage hundreds of individual ships like you do in every other 4x

>>2098748
maybe they should just generate better AI art now that AI is better at making art than it was a couple of years ago

>>2100005
>and it's better than having to manage hundreds of individual ships
But you still have to manage individual ships. Unless I've missed it, you can't create a fleet template, of, for example, 5 heavy cruisers, 20 missile frigates and 2 repair ships and get them auto constructed/replenished, unlike in SR2
What's with recent Stardock titles taking elements from SR2, without fully committing. Leaving mechanics 1/2 baked. Here it's shifting focus to capital ships. In Gal Civ 4 it's having shit colonies supplying core area.

>>2097509
>The art director claims no AI was used and everything was drawn himself
Man that's just a lie.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1575940/discussions/1/7026264603292081193/
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1575940/discussions/2/4427688158477601522/
Sins had an AI warning on steam before the game even released.
There's plenty of things wrong with the game that you can talk about without making shit up.
>>2097473
>I thought they said they would replace the art eventually?
They did but they still haven't done it yet. How many devs are even working on the game? Anyone know?

>>2097509
They did admit they used AI for UI elements, character art being one of them. Rather than tapping on other people's stuff, they only trained the AI on their own art.

>>2103090
Sins 2 seems to be Stardock's main focus rn.

>>2103101
This isn't about the morality of AI, it's the fact the art looks like shit.

behold, heathens

>>2103101
Lmao it's obviously not trained on their own art. This shit looks like some 2023 stablediffusion slop.

>>2100005
>maybe they should just generate better AI art now that AI is better at making art than it was a couple of years ago
AI prompters ruin their sense of taste because they get so addicted to how easy it is to generate stuff they accept the slop because "well i couldn't do better myself". After enough time they think that the AI sloppa style actually looks good. Unfortunately this illness is terminal and irreversible

>>2099786
Eh, there's many stuff that can defeat strikecraft in the game, and there's some abilities where you just destroy all missiles and strikecraft in the vicinity. Once all their strikecraft are gone, the carrier capitals are losing lots of their damage, and can only piddle at enemies with their weak guns and point defense turrets. Plus, if the carrier is destroyed, then all the strikecraft it had also are quickly removed, unlike in Sins 1, where they still longered on for a while.
A more balanced fleet that has everything is more viable, and the Advent and Vasari have the advantage that all their capital ships can carry strikecraft.
With the Advent, using their unity powers is crucial. The reborn's ability to resurrect destroyed non-capital ships helps very quickly with regaining battle strength, so using a fleet composed of more than just capital ships and the titan is immensily helpful there.

>>2097415
superweapons were pure cancer.

>>2099773
Unless you're playing the test version, for Advent, make sure to grab the tithe sanctum to gain lots of credits early on.
With the surplus of credits, you can also buy missing minerals and crystals if you found their respective minor factions that sell that stuff on the market (the pranasts and the jiskuns).

>>2097415
The TEC Supremacy do retain the Novalith cannon, and the Advent Wrath still have the incredibly annoying abiliy to steal your non-capital ships if their Deliverance engine hits the gravity well if your fleet in it (which the AI is very good at targeting quickly). The Advent Reborn can only resurrect their dead ships, which is not really that useful.
The TEC Enclave "only" have the ability to build two starbases (can be really powerful to stop any mere 1000 supply fleet) , and of course their garrison fleets, which overwhelms the enemy in blood, metal and ships.
The Vasari do not have the Kostura cannon anymore, but considering that they have a higher fleet supply than the TEC and Advent and have better ships, they don't need them anyway.
The Vasari Exodus blowing up all planets permanently is going to be extremely annoying for you, as you will lack the planets to build a forward base, and the Vasari Alliance has the toughest ships overall.

One good thing is that the AI is bad at using dark fleets when playing the Vasari. But man, does it love to blow up all the planets it owns far away from its main capital world when being the Exodus.

Anyway, yes, expect superweapons by the fourth hour of gameplay.

I'm still miffled that the TEC Akkan colony capital ship can't hold strikecraft.
It would improve their worth so much more if they had access to those. And could of course than also use the enhanced strikecraft ship item.

Having played in the test version, some more icons in the research tree have been replaced again, specifically the ones for upgrading the armor of the TEC starbase.

>>2103748
You can make a lora (a mini model that works on top of others) with a small amount of examples of an art style.

Why is the Coronata so bad? How can it be fixed?

>>2110347
Seems that the coronata is more meant to be a planet-conqueror titan that can take over a world, and a few ships. It might perhaps be intentionally weaker than the eradica, who can keep fighting even at crippled status, because the wrath advents have their superannoying ship-steal abilities. The coronata should be behind your fleet, not in front of it.

And of course, this is assuming that you are using the advent unity abilities of their respective faction.

>>2110347
Change its lvl 6 ability to snatching capital ships instead of planets

>>2110909
Too weak. Make it steal enemy titans.

With the new update, the TEC has gained some buffs. Now their consumable ship items like the radiation bombs or patching kits and flak bursts have gained additional uses by a research option. Also, the radiation bomb has been upgraded to contaminate the battlefield longer. Turn space into radioactive nebula and drive the enemy fleet before you.

>AIslop
can I pay them with AI-generated money?

>>2110953
only if you use funds from your stock portfolio

>>2097162 (OP)
buy an ad

>>2110347
The coronata doesn't get any ship item that increases its offensive powers.
It only gets one additional shield and one additional armor.
The eradica on the other hand has a missile attack ship item, and that alone gives it an advantage over the coronata.

>be TEC Primacy
>5v5 on new twin neutron stars map
>civic university, akkan, trade posts etc.
>get a 2nd terran planet early, make economy strong
>get ragnarov titan around ~45min mark
>use it to push into enemy star
>gain a foothold on irradiated shitrock
>turn it into a factory-fortress
>spend next 3hrs ingame time pushing ragnarov around the map
>delete enemy capital ships by the cluster, sometimes without targeting them
>get into fight with Ankylon
>win
>get into fight with 2nd Ankylon
>win
>get into fight with wide vasari titan
>win
>game finally ends around ~4hr mark
>Ragnarov is Lv7 by the end of the game
>Akkan, Kol, Sova, 2x Marza, all lv 8-10 from leeching off the Ragnarov killing everything
>leveled ragnarov has more armor and hull than a base ankylon
>it blew through enclave twin starbases without breaking a sweat
>nothing can stand before it, nothing can stop it
>only the twin Marzas came close in killyness, and only then because of Barrage eating 100x kanrak assailants and a couple other stackwipes

>>2111963
>after game
>achievement unlocked: admiral
>100+ hrs ingame
>6% of players have this achieve
>my face when
>happy with what i've done with the game
>little desire to explore it further
>my face when
i think this is it for me lads. times of war are no longer upon me.

>>2111963
Ragnarov and vorastra are the only fun titans, none of the others come close.

>>2112385
However, the ankylon and the kultorask are ultra-mega tanky and hard to kill, and it is satisfying to see the opponent desperately trying to kill those titans and their fleets, but failing to do so because of the shield and the nanoswarm.
But yeah, I agree that those two offense-oriented titans are more fun. Especially the vorastra's micro jumping.

Oh man, fighting a high-level vasari fleet with level 6+ antorak marauders is really a serious pain in the butt.
Their ability to phase-heal capital ships makes trying to take out skiranta carriers nigh impossible, as they always get saved in the last second, nullifying your attacks.

>>2112385
*chastic bursts you*

What was the lore again why the advent were so assmad about being exiled for doing degenerate body mods?

Why does every Stardock game now have this dogshit AI art? It's so fucking obvious and low-effort. It looks like a actual garbage.

>>2114169
Degenerates don't like when you point out their degeneracy

>>2114169
They wanted to be degenerates staying on their own planet, not degenerates who have to leave their own planet.
The ancient Trade Order wanted the market of the degenerates, but when they were found out to be degenerates, they wanted their planet instead.
Now, a thousand years later, the degenerates have developed magic psychic superpowers to convince everyone that their degeneracy is awesome and cool.
Funnily enough, the degenerates who think that they've gone too far prefer to kill themselves all the time, but because they have space magic psychic powers, they come back to life again.

>>2114111
*Teleports behind u*

Have you ever used the eradica's purification ability? It looks way too micro-intensive to be used during battle.
As is the reborn advent's unity ability to sacrifice one target ship.
Also, their ability to sacrifice allegiance population on a planet is far too weak. It only is relevant on a desert, terran or city planet, and perhaps ocean worlds, but any other world has too few population numbers even with 85% pop allegiance to be of any relevant use.
The reborn need some ability that is stronger and doesn't require targetting single ships during combat.
But at least their other abilities like sanctify, recall and ressurection are good.

>>2115508
I like to combine the eradica with lots of Raptures so the eradica eats the mind controlled units I don't need.

>>2115997
that might technically be a good idea.

For me, it's the Erotica Titan.

>>2116079
It has the only feminine shape indeed.

what is the most fun way to play this game or what is the most fun you've had while playing?

>>2118232
Playing with random selection after you've mastered all races and factions.
And of course, playing with a friend.

The Stargate mod was updated for Sins 2. It now has the Ancients, Wraith, and Asgard. Still no Goa'uld or Tau'ri. It's also still boring.

>>2119230
spess combat was always really weak in stargate

>>2119230
Did ancients even have spaceships to fight with?

>>2121780
Didn't the one in Stargate universe have weapons? (I honestly can't remember I haven't seen that show in donkeys years)

>>2121752
That's very true! Still, I can't wait to see Ha'Taks fight each other.
>>2121780
Yes.
>>2121796
Yeah, the aurora had drone weapons in Stargate Atlantis pretty sure. Of course there's also the beam weapon sattelite in SGA which I think might be what some of the ships' weapons in this mod are based on. A lot of the ancient ships in the mod have beam or pulse weapons I forget, and of course drones. Some of them have puddle jumpers as fighters, I know the cityship definitely does. I guess if you want to count SGU there's also whatever weapons that Destiny had.
This screenshot is months old so I have no idea if he changed anything for the ancients but I remember there being a decent amount of blocky ships.

Did they remove the AI slop yet?

>>2128844
yea, they replaced a lot of them with goonerslop though.

>>2128926
>big tits meditation
I will now join your cult

>>2128926
i wish i could believe this was real

>>2129282
There's not 6 fingers per hand in frame like the official "art" so of course it's not real.

>>2128926
>big booby Advent
Just like my fanfics.

>>2134708
when i read this i'm reminded of how people react to reading the art of war
>but this is just common sense obvious stuff, its existence is totally pointless
and YET apparently the people who needed to know it, didn't, kek

>>2134719
A lot of the stuff in Art of War was for moron courtiers who weren't generals.
And in this case game devs really should know better.

>>2134719
If it isn't broken, don't fix it. Game devs always do the opposite for every sequel of every strategy game I've enjoyed. Especially if it's a space game, they go full retard. Sometimes I think it's because they get caught up in trying to be "different" not realizing that isn't always a good thing.
>art of war
That reminded me of the stories about the American Civil War where a Union general was behind the enemy and thought he was supposed to be head-on so he circled his whole army back to the front instead of attacking from behind them. Although to be fair a lot of the Union generals didn't go to a war school unlike the Confederates.
>>2134720
That makes an incredible amount of sense.

genuinely the only thing wher sins 2 is worse than sins 1 (with all its add-ons like rebellion) is the diplomacy system.

>>2135571
and mod support, a lot of shit is hardcoded due to stardock taking over while ironclad is on break

>>2135644
Like what's hardcoded?