Okay, I still don't understand how Corp HQs are supposed to work...

[vindicar]

So basically, you need boatloads of Influence to support one. Especially early on.

But the moment you build an HQ (not a trivial thing, too!), you're on a timer, because once the rival corp gets sufficiently pissy, they will FUBAR your colony. And if I'm reading the rates correctly, you need quite a colony to simply maintain such a flow of influence (read: research points) that it'd offset the daily reputation loss. 1 Influence per 2 rep points = at least 1 research doc a day, generated and processed into influence. That's not counting research docs you need for other stuff. That kind of flow is tricky to produce even if you disassemble the HQ when you don't need it. And what's worse, getting influence for the rival corp is expensive.

Sure, you can reduce the daily loss, but that research requires even more influence!

So basically, you are left with two options:
1. Grind influence packs by intentionally staying level 1 and selling everything you produce.
2. Grind electrum to build monuments, then grind daily reputation bonus to reduce penalty so it balances out.

Neither looks doable or fun at the start of the game, which is exactly when you need a good heap of influence to unlock/buy stuff.

So... how is that supposed to work? What am I missing?
Quests? Well that would be nice, if I saw a corp quest. I only get demands from my colonists. Quests must be too rare, then?

Wouldn't be so bad if not the fact so much tech is behind Core wall. And Core research requires HQ.

[vindicar]

I kidna wonder if it'd be possible to build two HQs of neutral Corps, with the idea being that the other two corps will be friendly to one of the corps you have. So you will be able to get influence at mere double cost instead of five times...

[tabla_redonda]

This may help:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/305940/discussions/0/3211505894113820102/

[vindicar]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από tabla_redonda:

This may help:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/305940/discussions/0/3211505894113820102/

Duh, I found that post already, but it doesn't even touch the issues I'm facing.

Also, there is a completely counter-intuitive bit of game design going on: you are only hurt by diplomacy penalty if you have diplomacy with that corp?
WTF?!
On one hand, sure, it might solve the degradation problem... on the other, you are being outright punished for developing technology! And since you can't undevelop it...

[tabla_redonda]

I see it this way: It is supposed to be many thousands of colonies in this new world. With diplomacy you get to know a corp and they get to know you. So your relations start to improve or get worse depending on your actions.

[tabla_redonda]

If I recall right you even get a warning message before developing diplomacy telling you about this. So your relations will start to improve or decay.

[vindicar]

I don't remember any messages. The tech itself has this warning in the description, though...
But damn, that's a way to screw your colony.

[Gurgeh]

Influence is the one thing that is driving me crazy in this game so far. About to scrap my colony because I wasted neutral influence on levelling it up for a quest early on... when I didn't need to.. and influence is just too precious.

[vindicar]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Gurgeh:

Influence is the one thing that is driving me crazy in this game so far. About to scrap my colony because I wasted neutral influence on levelling it up for a quest early on... when I didn't need to.. and influence is just too precious.

Well, you kinda have to level after hitting 50%-75% of population limit, just because of comfort/maintenance caps. The only problem is morale - but since now you get a modifier for being above/below norm, you won't dip too low unless there are multiple persistent problems.
So you can still recover from early morale loss, if you manage to get enough to start food.

I'm screwed, however. Opened diplomacy channels with all Corps without realizing what it does. >_<

[Nexcentric Games]

Hello, we understand some systems can be too complex on start and can easily lead to disaster if you don't have a previous good knowledge of them.

We are migrating PA to Unreal Engine and, based on feedback and reviews, our goal is to bring the best of PA plus interesting additional content in the form of a PA2.

So, all your feedback is well considered and have to thank you for it :)

[Black Jesus]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από PixelQuality Games:

Hello, we understand some systems can be too complex on start and can easily lead to disaster if you don't have a previous good knowledge of them.

We are migrating PA to Unreal Engine and, based on feedback and reviews, our goal is to bring the best of PA plus interesting additional content in the form of a PA2.

So, all your feedback is well considered and have to thank you for it :)

Unreal 3 or 4? Unreal 4 is brutal on older PCs...

[Gurgeh]

ok-ok-ok-ok... I get it now! (Unless there is some other point I'm not getting.)

A corporate building and diplomacy doesn't unlock the ability to fashion only it's own influence and vital/neutral .

The key is levelling up that corporations diplomacy to level 5. Take any Corp, and each Diplomacy level 3,4,5 unlocks the ability to convert that corp's influence into some other corp's influence. By the time you get to level 5 you can fashion diplomacy for any/all.

They have differing expenses in the corps own influence, but those conversion rates are in turn different for each corp building. So you can mitigate those costs to a degree by having diplomacy of some other corp where the conversion rate for the desired influence is cheaper. You just have to accept that your limited to two corp diplomacies, chosen carefully to avoid the affinity penalties. That is unless your up to the challenge of carefully balancing the timing of monuments and building numbers, and I see no reason why the model shoudn't make that extremely challenging. (possibly .. maybe the gain of monuments won't be enough to offset their own adverse effect ... but I'm not aiming for that challenge) . If your a research completeis, perhaps this is just not the game for you.

Loving it so far!

[Nexcentric Games]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Black Jesus:

Unreal 3 or 4? Unreal 4 is brutal on older PCs...

Unreal 4.
But have in mind that if you can get games done in Unreal 4 (like Fortnite) running on mobile it would be a matter of optimizing and trying to adapt to the system specs.

[Nexcentric Games]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Gurgeh:

They have differing expenses in the corps own influence, but those conversion rates are in turn different for each corp building.

Yes, with the proper tech level you can craft any influence from any Corp building. Crafting influence from a rival Corp will cost you much more than if they are friends, neutral, etc.
You can see it clearly in next scheme (that you can check also ingame by hovering mouse on the diplomacy panel):
http://en-wiki.projectaura.com/Colony_Diplomacy#Relationships_Among_Corps

[vindicar]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από PixelQuality Games:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Gurgeh:

They have differing expenses in the corps own influence, but those conversion rates are in turn different for each corp building.

Yes, with the proper tech level you can craft any influence from any Corp building. Crafting influence from a rival Corp will cost you much more than if they are friends, neutral, etc.
You can see it clearly in next scheme (that you can check also ingame by hovering mouse on the diplomacy panel):
http://en-wiki.projectaura.com/Colony_Diplomacy#Relationships_Among_Corps

I guess it's a case of "dammit, muscle memory!"
I'm so used to HQs always giving relationship malus, that I didn't realize this property has a specific trigger now that can easily be avoided.

[Nexcentric Games]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από vindicar:

I'm so used to HQs always giving relationship malus, that I didn't realize this property has a specific trigger now that can easily be avoided.

We take note as well to make things more intuitive.