Warmonger,hybrid builder,or peacemaker?

[Stormhound]

The question makes sense, and the answer is "it depends".

Firstly, there IS non-jump lane movement. It's slower than jump lanes, but it's there, it can be improved with research (and doesn't require any expensive jump lane improvements), AND it bypasses enemy defenses at the jump lane out-point.

I think the supply system is based on transit time, but I don't have it sitting in front of me (just the notes on what I've been told about it by the guy doing it). So yes, your cut-off fleet would have a possibility of holding; it'd just be difficult, just like holding up a defense in a pocket is difficult.

The galaxy is in a flattened 3D...think a shape like the disk of our own galaxy, with definite thickness but much thinner than it is wide or long. There won't be any stars "stacked" on each other (each will have a unique XY component), but there will also be a definite Z which has an effect on the length of jump lanes. Also, jump lanes won't cross each other on the map (when in standard "straight down" orientation), though wormhole routes will certainly cross jump lanes. (No, I don't have details on the representation beyond anything you can infer from the screenshots.)

[Don K Hotay]

ok, so a jump lanes don't just exist at the start of the game, but they have to be created as an empire expands. Will they allow for all ships no matter what drive/fuelcells to get from one system to another at the same speed? I ask because for non-jump lane movement, I assume the techs required to improve it are drive and fuel cell technology...so a do a jump lanes bypass this all together, or would a high tech drive compliment the already speedy movement between jump points?

Will it be possible to do space combat while in either jump or non-jump lane movement? That is, can there be combat outside of star systems?


Quxote

[Stormhound]

Ok, looks like I have some 'splainin to do here...

There is no longer such a thing as "fuel cells". Keep that in mind as I go through the rest of this.

Some jump lanes exist in usable form at the start of the game, particularly in the vicinity of the seat of the Orion Senate. Others are only potential ones, and must be improved via technology to be usable. There are several different technologies which can improve them, and if you want details you'd best go after the data dump on our main site. Ships that have jump engines can use jump lanes; their engine rating determines their speed. Ships without jump engines cannot use jump lanes (but see the data dump).

All ships (as opposed to orbitals, which have NO drives) also have the standard drives used both for movement in combat and for non-jump lane movement, which we refer to as hyperspace movement (this is the old style of movement from the prior MOOs; jump engines are a newer Antaran tech). Drive rating determines speed in hyperspace, and there is additional tech one can discover to make hyperspace travel more efficient thus further increasing speeds.

There is no combat outside of star systems, regardless of movement mode.

[Deathray]

Twisted amalgamation opportunist/puppetmaster/hybrid

Firstly, I would like to thank Stormhound for taking the time to come onto these forums. Not a lot of developers do that. It is appreciated, and it is a good idea. Gives the impression that you care about your fan base.

Ok, I have a quite strange playing style on most strategy games, and I expect it will continue with MoO3. Basically, I will be a peaceful turtling builder for most of the game, and I will do my best to get all of my enemies into two big super-alliances and have them slog it out while I sit back and make money off of it. While this is going on, I will look at the map and decide which parts of it I want to control. I will then use a combination of opportunism, large, fast, advanced attack fleets and surprise to blitz through my chosen enemy, push them out of the area I want and start turtling again. I try not to go for prolonged wars of attrition, as they hurt the economy. Should an enemy attack me, I will mostly just set up a strong defence to hold them back. Should they persist, I will do some hit and run raids or destroy a few colonies and force them to surrender and give me loads of free stuff. Hmm, I think I'm a hybrid. I'm also a very annoying, sneaky, underhand, backstabbing SoB.