Hi.

I wanted to try this game so downloaded it and patched it correctly, I think, (I'm able to tab around the game windows,) but have no idea what I'm doing.

Does this game have sounds? There's no tutorial or anything.

Can someone help?

Hi Dan_C,

I am on the forum, my username is Caplin.

There are very few tutorials out since the C# version is so new. In general, the recommendation is to join the DIscord server, and read tutorials about the previous version, which are still current enough to teach the basics. The main things to figure out are how ship design, research, and fleet orders work. I'm able to answer specific questions and might try to continue my Aurora article series, though obviously that could take a while. The forum, of course, is also a source of expert advice.

I meant to say in my first post that there is one requirement which has not gone away, the screen resolution. The game requires at least 1360x900, though I honestly don't know if NVDA can handle the screens even if they aren't completely visible. I think that much larger screens are a lot more common than they used to be, so hopefully this won't be a huge concern.

Hi.

@zkline, ah; in that case, I'll delete it.

Dan_C, yeah. If you join Discord my username there is also Caplin, and there are plenty of people who can help. Of course I"m also happy to answer questions in this thread.

Right after you start the game, as in launch the .exe file, you are dumped into a default game Steve ships with each new version, as a combination test game and quick start. It has a survey ship traveling around Sol, some research running, etc.

The main screen you're working with for all practical purposes is the "main map." Visually it has a depiction of all the stars and other things in your current system, but it also has all the buttons for everything from research to construction.

To start your own new game, you can hit the "Game menu," button, and then "New game." But the quickstart Federated Nations is also very fun to play around with.

@11 Thank you very much, I'll take a look at it.

So, for those who'd like to play but have no idea how the game is actually played.
This game is turned based. what you do is, you do a few things, for example, turn on auto assignment in the commanders window, assign someone as the governer of earth, set research projects, use 100% of your industry to build more factories and mines, and then, when you feel like you've done enough for now. you tab onto a button called auto turn. this button is a checkbox, but to us it appears as a button. press this once.
Now that auto turn is on. open a window called events log. this is the main window that will tell you what's going on in your empire.
Now go back to the main game window, and go find a button called 5 days.
Note that there are two 5 days button. you want the first one. the second time controls are not to be messed with for now.
After pressing 5 days, the game starts going forward in time. your research will go on the way, your buildings are built, ETC.
Check the events log now. by the time you're there, the game has paused, because it reached a point where it needs your attention.
So again, you go back. you build more, research more, design  components, make ships. order ships around, do  more  things, and then again, go to the 5 days button or 30 days, and press it, and wait till something happens.

This game is complex, You need hours and hours of time to learn it and there are also some issues that we'll try to make the developer aware of, but because he is busy with major bug fixes, we'll have to live with them for now, for example the auto turn checkbox.
tip: If you want to create a new game, open game window, then, you actually have to press the new game button!

What the hell is the actual purpose of Aurora?
I'd like to start by saying that aurora started as a tool to assist people with a board game called starfire under a different game and then it started becoming its own game.
Even then, It is still used as a tool to roleplay. You create your empire the way you want, You research on the things you care, You design the ships the exact way you want and begin  developing a story and you can then write that story down for yourself or others to enjoy.
Regardless to say, Aurora requires a little bit of math when designing ships and also when deciding on what to build.
On the question of what you are supposed to do in this game.
You build up your starting planet, You make survey ships. (that includes designing engines and your actual ship). you send your survey ships out to survey more planets. You begin colonizing other planets or mine their resources with remote mines, stations or mining ships. you expand, terraform, begin building combat fleets. and start finding other species. you form allies or  begin skirmishing. you micromanage fuel for your fleet, begin creating outposts and forward bases. you bombard other planets or begin deploying ground forces, (that you actually have to design from scratch).
All of these things that i mentioned however are not simple things to do. You don't colonize a planet by just pressing a few buttons. You have to see what the  colonization cost is, e.g. if your species can handle living on that planet, then you need to send your cargo ships to unload infrastructure on the planet, then you need to design colony ships and begin transporting people there.
There are more fun things in the game as well, for example civilian ships who will trade  within your empire, take contracts for you to do your work.

Hi.

before I hop onto this thing and get myself involved, is the accessibility again something like OCR every screen every few seconds or how doable is it just with normal controls like arrows, tab and obj nav. I have no problems with OCring, but wanted to ask beforehand.

Greetings Moritz.

Hi, I will surely be following this development. But I just want to know, is this simply 4x where you expand, explore, exploit, and exterminate, that is, do you only colonise new places, then destroy any life you come across? Or are there also things like diplomatic actions, e.G. alliances, trading etc that you can do?

WE're forming a Skype group for aurora
Add me on skype and let me know if you wanted to be added