As far as them getting to an opposite corner...isn't it possible they used a wormhole with their colony ship? This would be a fantastic "seeding" idea since it frees up a huge range to explore/colonize. The way to combat that, of course is to run your tech up to get transports and end their lil fun. LOL

I can see both sides though, cause it -is- frustrating when you are expanding as fast as possible and the AI seems totally clairvoyant. When that happens, adjust your strategy to compensate and make sure you are always learning new ways to better your game. Chances are (and I know this may be painful to hear) the AI is being more clever than you. However, Brad, it does not hurt to double-check to make sure it's not a bug. I have seen the AI ally with each other even though I could still sell them the tech "Alliances."

Well, I must be in the minority, but I didn't think the OP was all that hostile (although the "silence is deafening" remark maybe wasn't the wisest thing to add). The original poster asked for -- and got -- confirmation that the AI doesn't cheat, and that -- as my wife would say -- is a happy thing. It's hard to blame Brad for being a bit defensive, though, considering the wringer he and the staff have been through the last several days.

Brad, you're doing a fine job here, and I hope you don't start ignoring the forums. For me, one of the reasons I bought GC was the obvious passion the developers had for the game. I still re-read the play experiences in the library just for kicks (and also for the strategy tips, I must confess).

At any rate, keep up the good work, and I hope you're getting some sleep between working hours. Heaven knows GC has cost me enough sleep due to the playing hours.

RR

> How about this:
>
> New technology: Stellar Vision.
> When researched, players can see ships and starbases > on the mini map.
> It would be expensive to get but at least then you
> can see everything. But the AI would be able to use
> it too which means it really would see where things
> are if it got it.

That would be an interesting, if quite powerful tech to fix the issue. I would have to agree with MojoJojoUK about this, though. The bigger problem/bug here is that you cannot see starbases or resources once you've already scouted them out. As it stands, if a resource is on the other side of the map and someone puts a starbase on it, it disappears from the minimap. At the very least, resources should always show up after they're scouted, regardless of whether they have a starbase on top of them or not.

Starbases should probably be separate from ships when it comes to viewing them as well. Standard starbases don't move, so they should probably stay visible on the mini-map once you find them, although this is less of an actual bug.

Brad,

Thought I'd throw my two cents worth in. As far as I'm concerned you're doing an exceptional job. It is obvious that you care about the game and more importantly the gamer. You listen to the comments, both good and bad, and as far as I can tell you deal with the valid issues. In this day that is something unique. There are many programs out there that once it's on the shelf it's forgotten about or the only time anything is done is after massive complaints from the gamers.

I've been buying/playing 4X space games for lots of years (anybody remember or owned a TRS-80 level 1 besides me?) and this is definitely one of the better ones. It shows me that a lot of thought and care went into the development and not only that, the support since it's release has been nothing short of amazing. By my count there have been three (4?) updates/fixes released and the game has only been out for what - two weeks? That's unheard of. So keep up the good work and for what it's worth - anytime I know you that you'll be involved in the development of a game program I'm buying it.



~SDC~

Gordeleth, can't happen for two reasons:

1) Only ships capable of exploring anomolies can use wormholes. I'm not sure about the entire list (Survey ship, Starhawk, Ranger), but the Colony ship isn't on it.

2) Even if they were able to use it, once they wound up outside their range, the only valid destinations are someplace within their range.

Brad,

Don't sweat the whiners. Most of the forum is full of glowing, 'We love you! You are a god!' comments. But as we add more people to the forums, there will be more whining. Heck, even you die hards from the start will whine once in a while. Don't take it for ingratitude. Users are users, after all.

I have got to say, I love you and your team's support! And it's a great game, thanks! Let your team know there's lots of people that are appreciative of their effort! I think this game is going to become a permantent addition on my HD.