Game is playable. Its not anywhere living up to the quality that it could be. Design is fantastic by and large. The idea of what the game is, fantastic. The late game is a let down as it sits.
AI is .. terribly miss guided. the layout and buildup of the planets needs work.
Game grinds to a total halt on my 3900x. No joke.
Here is how I managed to get it to get it to be playable.
- Starnet AI. (Mandatory if you expect to have a challenge - it masks the problems quite well to be honest ).
- Reduced planet count to 1.5x max
- 400 stars. (600 on single player does ok also).
- Disable gateways and wormholes out the gate (can still build them).
I complained about this in a post a long time ago in the calmest way possible and the posts were deleted on this forum. It is what it is.
There is a major disconnect between management, developers, forum administrators and the people that play the game. The people that play the game, would love to donate more and more money to keep the gravy train of what the game is and could be going.
Management wants to sell expansion.
People that play the game want a playable game.
Developers want clean code, a project that works, and to please both sides.
I do not blame the developers. I dont blame management directly. The problem exists between all three however.
Management, no joke, if you just said.. ok the next expansion we will do only minor fix ups but we will release a powerhouse AI instead and charge as if it was an expansion... I would buy it, and i think others would also. beats the hell out of this 6 month spaces between eye candy patches that end up disappointing... and yet still i say shut up and take my money.. every time without question.