Horrible game as it is.

[seagrub40]

To say the learning curve is steep is to say floating off Niagara falls is just a short drop. Playing on beginner mode you are attacked on all sides as you try to get build your city. The enemy has tanks and planes, and all you can build is light infantry and MG units, not much of a match. So this game for me is about building weak units until you run out of money. Maybe it needs a pre beginner mode.

[Thomas]

Its possible to get punishing start - even on begginer - (if you are writing about tanks - then it was probably Slaver Minor Regime - they are swarming like a bee hive once prodded). Try getting planet with more 'farmers' % in population or start with +1 / +2 armies in settings.

[Jorg Hammond]

Originally posted by seagrub40:

planes

That's just plain false. There are no planes in game as of now.

As Thomas said, be careful of raiders and slavers' presence while generating a planet.
Should you start near them, expect extra challenge.

MG units are quite good at defending and slaughtering attacking infantry. Tanks are tougher, though, even slavers' makeshift tanks, I must admit.

You could try again on a planet inhabited by mostly farmers and chose to start with one or two brigades (not militia only), as Thomas suggested, for an easier early game to learn the ropes.

[jwarrenw13]

Agree with Rashtek Frites. First, THERE ARE NO PLANES IN THE GAME. Things like that make your post suspect, but assuming you were just mistaken...
Second, you are not guaranteed an easy start. You can get overwhelmed. If things go bad fast, start over fast. Again, nothing is guaranteed, and that is a good thing, not bad. I've now started about 8 games, and I have yet to have one of the disastrous starts others have experienced, though I have read about them enough to know they happen. But they are not the norm.
Finally, you might follow DasTactics and his game setup for first time players. This I think will usually yield a survivable start, though nothing is guaranteed. https://youtu.be/3MdylYE4Ees

[FireShark]

I don't know what game you are playing, but it's not this one because:
1. This game does not have planes.
2. This game is excellent.

[smidlee]

Originally posted by Rashtek Frites:

Originally posted by seagrub40:

planes

That's just plain false. There are no planes in game as of now.

There maybe no planes but I did see a man in a cape. Superman perhaps? :)

[Jorg Hammond]

I very much like playing Shadow Empire, but to be fair balance is not its strong point. That's part of why I like it though.

If one does not like RNG unfairness, they probably won't enjoy it much, in my opinion. There are ways to mitigate this randomness, but they require some effort to learn about first.

Smidlee: Capes seem to be all the rage in the After the Apocalypse era. :p I can see them everywhere.

[jwarrenw13]

They're not capes. They're dusters. ; )

[pavig]

If you spawn next to slavers, arachnids or A.I. it can be tough, but that may just be bad luck. If someone else pokes them before you do they may weaken your competition and make things super easy.

Either way, you won’t know much how to survive until you have a few planets worth experience to discover how to defend and grow. Took me 5 before things started to smooth out.

[Herr Mainyu]

in my first game i was sourrounded by slavers, raiders and AI. At full war vom the beginning. Well i messed up, but learned how to play.

The Second try with the same turn 1 Savegame was gone far better, because i knew what was awaiting me. Turn 130 now and my troops steamrolling the second major regime, just limited by the borders of my logistics^^

Yes, the learning courve is steep and the AI aggression surprisingly high for an 4X game, but it is a feature... i think that makes the game just better ;-)

[BATTLEMODE]

You'll get better at it, keep trying. Some of the starts currently can be quite difficult, bordering on unfair. Just re-roll the planet, you'll usually know if it's gonna kill you after five turns or so.

[Wolf Warlord]

lol slavers are relatively easy to deal with ( as long you have metal and water next to your city hex ) also turns out that tanks arent that great without infantry supporting them ( i like to imagine that they are like the bob semple tank only slightly faster ) :3

[Diva Vivy(She/They/OpinionsMine)]

Strange I get into the game well without reading the manual, and not being a regular 4X genre player by just watching others play it and others have a real hard time on their first playthrough which happens but instead to invest some time to learn it, they start pointing fingers and instantly create threads with crybaby attention-seek titles like "horrible game as it is".

I would be ashamed of myself if I would see myself going into this behaviour because there was a second something didn´t play out for me. But others don´t seem to be bothered that they´re overtaxed by basically everything that requires activating what is left of their brain cells and only see shortcomings in everything except themselves. Typical for the victim mentality and always-offended generation type.

Btw the game is great.

[Terra162]

This is my first wargame, and I haven't finished my first game.

There were a lot of little moments where I was having more losses then they had fielded manpower due to me not understanding the model system and Order of Battle, OOB. This game has a learning curve but I find it to be very much worth it with the pracedural generation.

The reason why I didn't get in to other wargames is due to the lack of replayability. It's the same historical battles in WW2. Where as this is a different world each generation. I find this much better and cannot wait to see the improvements and additions to the game Vic brings over the next year.

hopefully, we can give him enough support and he might actually make a game like this but on a galactic scale or maybe something like Field of Glory: Empires, and Field of Glory 2.

[dov5x]

Originally posted by seagrub40:

To say the learning curve is steep is to say floating off Niagara falls is just a short drop. Playing on beginner mode you are attacked on all sides as you try to get build your city. The enemy has tanks and planes, and all you can build is light infantry and MG units, not much of a match. So this game for me is about building weak units until you run out of money. Maybe it needs a pre beginner mode.

The game is designed to make you think, That is part of its appeal . This is not a beer and pretzel game. It is a strategy. I agreed with some of the other post. Do go to youtube. and watch DANTASTIC. There are not planes in this game! Tanks yes but you must of start in a later period. hence tanks around, most likely from a Mayor.

[Swisspike]

Wait until you discover that the AI gets AUTOMATIC promotions. Yep..they can sit around and drink beer, and get fully promoted over time.

I don't like an AI that cheats.