Been away but now don't know how to play.

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    I have been away for quite some time, maybe 6 months plus.

    I updated last night, and i have no idea how most things work anymore.

    kinda confused as to how most things are working now, there is a LOT of new stuff and i have no clue what has changed, i don't really want to sift through over 6 months of change logs.

    i was hoping someone might know of a good knowledge base that's up to date so i can read up on how things work again.

    thanks.
     
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    i have checked the wiki but am unsure how up to date it all is.
     
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    the tutorial is updated it can help you to learn the new crafting system and other things. the shields are separated into two blocks shield regenerators and shield capacitor. power blocks work best in straight lines. there are new pirates. dumb missiles are the only missile weapon now but you can make it lock on and other things if you slave a weapon computer to the dumb missiles computer. C on main and V on slave.
     
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    I'd suggest starting a single player game and learning by your own pace.

    Some things that might be important:

    1) New crafting system. New minerals and crafting system.
    2) New pirate ships (they are still small).
    3) Lighting system changed. Dark areas are now DARK.
    4) Many new decorative systems in place, as well as a redstone-like circuit system.
     
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    When you notice your AMC Cannons are slow and weak, create another AMC Cannon array (same size) and have one support the other by dragging and dropping in the weapons area of Inventory (making a single system), one on top of the other. Then you'll have some basic firepower. Try your AMC with Beam or missiles for different weapon effects connected (and using Effects and even colored block to change the weapon color).
     
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    When you notice your AMC Cannons are slow and weak, create another AMC Cannon array (same size) and have one support the other by dragging and dropping in the weapons area of Inventory (making a single system), one on top of the other.
    I was wondering where that support box in the weapons overview was for, now I know. ;-)
    It also becomes clear now how people manage to get their cannons fire at a reasonable rate.

    Thanks for the info.

    Greets,

    Jan
     
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    Are there updated video tutorials explaining the new weapon and shield systems?
    they sound rather complicated now, and it would really help to see them being build in real time.
     
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    Are there updated video tutorials explaining the new weapon and shield systems?
    they sound rather complicated now, and it would really help to see them being build in real time.
    This is something what I, as a new user of this game, was wondering about too. I know that making video tutorials can be a lot of work, so I would already be happy with some written, up to date, documentation, since that's more simple and quicker to do.
    I can understand that a full blown user guide is a bit silly for a game in alpha state were changes are more the norm then an exception. In regard however of the notion reflected by another thread here "Is this game dead", I think a lot of new enthusiasts could and would be found if there's an easier entry into the game.
    Not everybody likes to hunt down tidbits of information spattered around forum threads like me to finally find out how some things are supposed to work. ;-)

    EDIT: Meanwhile I found a video about the updated weapon system, so if you haven't found it yourself, here's the link. :)

    Greets,

    Jan
     
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    that should help to some degree,
    hopefully some better documentation comes about of ALL the changes.
    have they changed how shields and power is generated? last i played the shields where to the number of blocks on the ship didn't need to be linked at all just attached, also the power was a bit strange, the best ones where those that where long 3d lines with empty space they pretended there was a solid block in the empty space and generated for the lot so you could have complex interweaving shapes to maximize power in a smaller space.

    dunno whats changed the in game tutorial is also now wrong and out of date.
     
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    Your available shields are one thing, how fast they recharge is controlled by another block (you need both types to be effective).
    Not sure about the power, I've ignored it and stuck with the 'old' way.
     
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    check out mushroom fleet on youtube. ton of tutorials and a lot of great examples of what can be done in starmade
     
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    check out mushroom fleet on youtube. ton of tutorials and a lot of great examples of what can be done in starmade
    Mushroom Fleet is kind of helpful, interesting, creative, and very often VERY funny... but the technical aspects are lacking in his videos. I've been watching his youtube for the last 4 days pretty much nonstop and seen some awesome things but showing the general layout of various ships (or mass spawning then teleporting away while your spawns fight) is far different from learning that energy regen blocks work best in lines (and don't care about overall dimension now), weapons systems layout no longer care if they are longer, wider, taller (is that true? I haven't been able to test yet. too many pirates in my game) but still need to be connected on a side, or that shield blocks still don't care where you put them or how and can be used as filler.

    While I'm on this little rant, It'd be nice to get some info on the expected energy consumption vs various things (shields, shields being hit apparently drain energy, weapons systems take FAR more energy now, just moving can apparently completely drain a heavy fighter class ship). I couldn't find any information on that and when I attempted testing (again with the blasted pirates, i'm about to turn them off in my offline world) with 500 blocks of capacity and regen while using 15 non-overdrive (I haven't figured that out yet) thrusters on a ~2k mass fighter couldn't move once it started taking pirate damage to shields. The shields held, but the power drained so fast I couldn't fight back or use thrusters. I know this is a design flaw on my part somewhere but there's no information as to what I'm doing wrong.

    Weapon wise, I have no problems understanding the master-slave-effect system. It's rather awesome... I just can't play with it until i figure out the proper energy ratio required to have them regularly available. Even my old harvesting battery (you know, checkerboard lines of salvage lasers and shields in front about 35 deep with an old 11x11 reactor generator setup - looked kind of like a rectangular duracell) once updated (split up shield blocks so that they are half and half) could only fire all beams for about 2 seconds. Reducing the number of attached beams to about 6 gives permabeams... but that's just not useful in large mining operations. Again, this has to be something wrong in my power setup.

    When I get off work in 7 hours I intend to do some more testing. Got the front half of my cruiser (currently ~130x50x20, plans call for angled backside wings taking the overall size to about 200x100x75) completed enough to throw some turrets on. So I can use the flat areas as a site for !science!. If I think I've figured out anything neat I'll try to post it in here... hell I'll probably stream the thing, maybe you'll get a youtube link instead.
     
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    As promised, names may be off but it should be generally common sense on that part:

    I say "coupling" to avoid confusing saying "link" (which often refers to things such as missile tubes linked to missile computer). If it's placed with sides (not just edge(s)) touching I consider the blocks to be coupled.

    Energy Storage: ignores dimensions, coupling get a boost (1 time) - place in lines and otherwise connected, giant blocks are fine but don't get any extra bonus... just make sure they are connected.
    Energy Generators: ignores dimensions, PENALTY for coupling. Do not connect them in any way, checkerboards are great, lines as misinformed by every post and video I've seen are the worst way to use them. 2 separated blocks generate more power than 2 connected blocks. 3 separated generate far more than 3 blocks together (in any arrangement)... the engines of old are worse than useless now.

    Thrusters: ignores dimensions, ignores coupling -- place anywhere; costs you energy to be used, so (total amount) does matter.
    Shield capacitors: ignores dimensions, ignores coupling -- place anywhere
    Shield Generators: ignores dimensions, ignores coupling -- place anywhere costs a bunch of energy per block whether you're actually getting anything from it or not...

    Weapons computers (personal choice on which): you will want 1 for each master grouping, and 1 for each slave system. (slave system not required, and even if used does not need to be coupled - these may be placed anywhere, preferably somewhere easy to get to)
    Weapon barrels etc.: enough to be used each weapons computer (both master and slave, more info below)... based on personal preference. To create a fully slave system build a block of the weapon barrels anywhere (or just scatter them about, but remember your count) and every block counts whether they are placed together or not.


    Hulls: No real changes far as I can tell... they make things pretty, but in most cases shields are still enough.

    Master - Slave - Effect (quick breakdown)
    "System" refers to the combination of computer and firing blocks

    Master: this system is the weapon type you're actually firing, or at least the "primary" portion be it a beam, missile, etc.
    Slave: this system "supports" the primary by lending it's stats to the Master system, see diagram below. Even salvaging beams accept slaves.
    Effect: this creates an additional effect on the weapon of the effect type such as larger explosion radius, greater shield damage, penetration... These can't go on salvaging beams but do work on damage beams


    My overall concept ATM:
    The entire linked system is supposed to count for damage, so I like to place a bunch of weapons as I normally would, at about half of the overall block count, then place and link the slave system anywhere... if it's an alternate weapons type I like to pretend I'm making another master system (for firing purposes) then throw a preferred effect block somewhere. press [t] regularly to check your block counts on your systems, and once they match up to the % you want (normally 100% - same block count across all) link them together.
    My current loadout (first working ship since the changover thanks to misinformation and lack of time for !science!) is running 108 salvaging, 220 (110x2) missiles. I haven't bothered to add effects yet as the ship is only about 30% complete ATM... I can swap from shotgun salvaging (really awesome even with only 8 firing points) to swarm seeking missiles (110 missiles across 6 bays both of which are supported by 110 more missiles in a block at the back of the ship) in about 5 seconds... the ability to go from harvesting (ate a station in about 15 minutes) to destroying 3 pirate ships at the same time in 5 seconds can make a world of difference. It's a reasonably high power requirement.... but now that I've figured out the new power layout that'll not be a problem.

    The quick and fancy:
    I'd say design the indoor area (if you'll have one), then design the overall look of the hull, sprinkle energy regen from here on while completing the rest: fill the rest with weapons/shield cap/shield regen (not too much), finish off with energy cap blocks/layers/lines, finally thrusters and stick some more energy regen wherever you need.

    The quick and ugly:
    I suppose if you're going for an ugly block of efficiency: throw a layer of energy storage, checkerboard the next layer with energy regen/energy storage, repeat last 2 as necessary then branch off somewhere with the weapons so you aren't building a noobcube, follow the branch (molding it) using either shields/thrusters/checkered energy regen or a line of energy capacity, finish by topping the thrusters and detailing (including hull) as desired.


    I'm heading over to a friends house later.... I'll have to see if I can pry him away from his new minecraft fortress to re-learn the starmade setups... should provide some decent entertainment for twitch viewers.

    Questions?

    Recommended links:
    General discussion by MushroomFleet members on the shield changes in .15 - Youtube

    More to be added to this post by request / as I see further changes... we need a singular link for this stuff.