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Theodidactus
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Introduction and time limits
« on: December 31, 2012, 03:17:45 am »

hey folks,

My name is Theodidactus.

Believe it or not, I JUST discovered this game...I didn't know it existed. I've been looking for a game like this FOR YEARS. Great way to unwind after a long day at work.


I believe this is a near-perfect game...I've scrupulously tried to avoid spoiling anythinga bout the game for myself, however, in the course of reading spoiler-free guides, I've discovered the game includes a "hard" time limit.

This makes me really sad, especially since I've already played through 2 and a half years of my game.
I've gathered that the time limit is especially atmospheric. I can see lots of good reasons to endure it, however, I strongly disagree with folks on this forum who say that the time limit is "generous" or "Long". Four years is not nearly enough time to explore the galaxy. I was just getting started! I was gonna churn out fan fiction about expedition to the coreward side of the galaxy...I was gonna rigorously document how hyper-hyperspace worked...now I learn that in less than a year, I gotta shape up and save the galaxy, and after the great epic battle...I won't be able to do anything.

I have seen several mods for delaying the "clensing" at the end of the game. However, they are all fraught with problems (200 years? Really? now we have the opposite problem) The biggest one being that they are made for windows players, and I am playing on a mac.

I am considering cracking open the program itself and manually changing the number of years it takes to end the galaxy, making a more reasonable number, like buying an extra decade of time.

So i guess my questions can be neatly summarized as:

#0: Is it possible to mod a game that's already in progress?
#1: Is there a mod that advances the date to a more reasonable one, like 2165 or 2170?
#2: is this mod available for Mac players?
#3: Is it fairly easy to modify this aspect of the game, IE, changing a single integer? My understanding is that the answer to this question is "yes" but that's merely speculation from looking at how the game operates.
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Elestan
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2012, 06:06:15 am »

0)  Theoretically, sure, but...
1)  Don't know.
2)  Don't know.
3)  It could be a bit tricky, because I believe the game compresses its save files, so you might have to decompress the file, edit it, and recompress it.

Most people run afoul of the time limit the first time they play, and either don't finish in time, or have to really rush to make it.  The second time, they usually finish easily, and it's possible to finish in less than one year; there are ways to optimize the order you do things in, short-cut travel time, and acquire large amounts of resources quickly once you know what you're doing.

I'd encourage you to just play out your first game, and then try to play more optimally the second time through.
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Theodidactus
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2012, 07:24:33 am »

I just REALLY doubt I'll have as much fun with my second playthrough.
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onpon4
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2012, 07:57:33 am »

I lost the first time I played because I ran out of time. It wasn't a problem, though, because I had missed many things. Actually, seeing everything took dozens of playthroughs in my case.

I don't know if you've discovered it, but one particular device severely cuts travel time when you get it.
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dczanik
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2012, 08:38:36 am »

I lost the first time I played because I ran out of time. It wasn't a problem, though, because I had missed many things. Actually, seeing everything took dozens of playthroughs in my case.

I don't know if you've discovered it, but one particular device severely cuts travel time when you get it.

I lost my first time too!  Almost didn't want to try the second time because I went through so much of the game taking my time.  But the game was just too much fun. Then I accidentally found out about the lander bug. Woohoo! Beat the game!
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2012, 11:10:14 pm »

Unfortunately I can't offer any help with modding, but I can say I lost my first time too. Well I watched my brother play and he lost, but close enough.
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Theodidactus
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2013, 12:58:46 am »

the game was just too much fun.


No, YOU are too much fun
will you join us later for *time* parties?

Jumping peppers!
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Kaiser
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2013, 10:14:50 am »

It might suck, but as has been said:  Many lose their first time through.  You'll do better the next time, and even better the time after that.  To truly get a grasp on everything, it'll take either using a "spoiler guide" or multiple tries.  It's a great game even after 20 years, so at least it's not a horrible experience!

As for fanfic and psuedo journals?  Could still do them.  Actually with knowing how things work, you could potentially add a lot more detail into the journal.

Also, love the Orz. Tongue
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Slylendro
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2013, 02:29:48 pm »

everyone loses the game the first time (well most people) Smiley
just wait and see what happens (avoid it if you have heart problems)
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2013, 07:36:11 pm »

Welcome!
I'm one of the guys which NEVER finished the game Tongue

And... yes, it's a really hard game until you know exactly what to do (not my case...)

Don't hesitate to come visit the #uqm-arena IRC channel!
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TiLT
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2013, 10:22:26 pm »

I actually won the game on my first try despite not having access to any walkthroughs, spoilers or online discussions at the time. All it takes is a bit of an economic approach. Don't try to mine the galaxy. Harvest only what you need, when you need it. Always have a mission when leaving Sol, even if it's just gaining a few more minerals for your next big upgrade. Try to combine mineral hunting with visiting alien species or investigating rumors or signals. You can afford to waste a bit time, but don't approach the game as a leisurely cruise through space. You're fighting a war! The galaxy depends on you. Are you going to let it down by becoming a glorified tourist?
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Steve-O
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Re: Introduction and time limits
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2013, 02:17:33 am »

I just REALLY doubt I'll have as much fun with my second playthrough.

I play this game through about once every 3-5 years, and I always have a blast, despite having learned everything to know about the game several times over.  The game is just so BIG that even if you've seen it before, you never remember exactly where that one doohickey is.

I won the first game I played (due to a friend showing me the lander bug), and in my most recent play through I ran out of time because I got caught up mining too much and lost track of time.  And I knew the end was coming!  Actually, I discovered some new things about the game for allowing the end to come on (which I never had done before), so I don't think you'll lose as much as you think of the experience by letting the game play it's course.

The beauty of this game is it's sandbox approach to game play.  You can go wherever you want, do whatever you want.  If you fear the second play through will be too repetitive, just make a decision to try a different tack!
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