Some thoughts on 1.5.3

I finally had a chance over the last few weeks to try out this version, I have to tell you, I’m thrilled with the results.

But first some context.

A while ago I decided to delve into Python, just so I could get a better understanding of certain things. Mind you, I’m nothing more than a novice, but this exercise left me with a greater respect of ISG and what was done here, particularly all the thought and attention to detail that went into programming the AI, (not to mention the tremendous volume of meticulous script).

Very impressive.

Now as regards this version, I absolutely love the new galaxy forms, particularly spiral. In playing a number of sessions, it quickly became apparent that the strategic aspect of the game, (especially if you do not start in the center), has changed and become even more nuanced. Let me explain.

I set the distance at x2, with a spiral galaxy. What happens here is that the avenues for expansion as well as the points to be defended become altered, constrained, and more defined. In addition remote exploration gains more importance as I often myself desperately looking for some real estate without picking fights I’m not ready to fight. (Hint, if you’re playing spiral, discoveries via remote exploration will usually conform to the shape of the galaxy).

Yes the rest of the game has been tightened up here and there, and I with each release I get a little less cocky when it comes to taking on the AI, but I can’t overstate how much immersion has been magnified by offering more realistic looking galaxies. Add to that the nuances and strategic variations that have been introduced by the same, and the replay value of this little gem just went into overdrive.

Now I have one final test run to make, and I intend to make it my final AAR after the next expansion is released. There I will be looking at whatever goodies Adam surprises us with, but just as importantly, testing the accessibility of this game.

Right now, my older machine has reached its limits, and playing on the largest map with it is not possible. Well, sitting in a box for the last few months is another machine I picked up, it’s not “high end” by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be very valuable to understand how it holds up with ISG. The specs on that machine are below, and if it can handle the game on the largest map, (even with reduced graphics settings), it would be a big plus for ISG

Intel® Core i5-6200U up to 2.80GHz
Intel® HD graphics 520(up to 4169MB)
16 GB RAM
512 GB SSD
Windows 11 pro

Until next time, thanks for the fun game.

 

In somewhat of a surprise situation, I found myself with extra time this weekend to just goof off. Naturally I took advantage of this opportunity to tackle some outstanding issues, but I also had enough time to start setting up my latest machine, (which has been collecting dust for months now). This isn’t a gaming machine, but rather a decent laptop for business needs, namely a Dell Latitude 5580. Well you know what happened right? At some point I decided to install ISG on it and see how it runs.

ISG has become more than just a favorite game to play for me, it’s also now a barometer for gauging performance. For example, my previous machine, (an older series latitude), could play titles such as Stelaris or Pillars of Eternity easier than ISG. I found this surprising at first, as both of those two games have demanding requirements, but we mustn’t forget that ISG is newer and points us to the direction where games are heading these days, at least as regards requirements.

The specs of the machine are in the post above.

After installing the game and its two expansions I launched It, and it took a few seconds to boot up. I checked the options and noticed it had defaulted to medium setting on the graphics, I left that in place. After a few minor tweaks I created a custom race, and started a new game. It was here that I saw the first marked improvement in performance, within a few seconds, the new game initialized.

I then began to tinker, I switched screens to exploration, then to ship-building, the response was fast. I also checked ships, and accessed my Solar System map, once again the response was almost instant. Finally I decided to bring up the colony view as this was one area that gave me problems with my older machine, the colony screen loaded within a second or two.

Each turn processed fast as well, I only got to around 170 before I stopped, but there was no slow-down whatsoever. Oh yes, I almost forgot, the Galaxy size was set to maximum with nine total players, (myself versus the eight stock races). Considering what I had experienced using these settings on the older lap-top, I was pleased. In addition, at no time did my fan go into overdrive.

In conclusion then, while a high end machine will no doubt give you the best performance and satisfaction that ISG can offer, a modern, mid-range machine, can handle the game quite well. (I even suspect I can increase the graphics settings as the newer integrated graphics are pretty capable these days).

This is great not just for me personally, but Praxis in general.

 

Hey that's some good information, thanks for the heads up. My older "antique" features Windows 7 though, so I'm not sure this would help. The new machine with Windows 11 I'll need to check as I think the default setting is game-mode "off".

Either way the Latitude 5580 has no real issues, I've taken that session past 300 turns and it still performs very well.