Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

To further this tip, if you click on the planets column it orders the planets from smallest to largest, then click on the mins, orgs, rads colomn and you will have the planets sorted by value AND size. This way you can scroll down to the Huge planets with high resources.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

There is one sensor that can "see" through Red Nebulas. A Mine can. Placing one or two mines from a ship with a single minelayer can be used for tracking and warning for when ships are going through nebula sectors. Even if they are swept, you still know the sector and possibly timing and direction of the enemy ships. Imagine a system with one mine in every sector. The entering ship or fleet will show the path taken and stop point. This may let you predict his timing and exit points.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Hush Parasite! You are giving away one of my little tricks. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif More specifically, you should lay as many mines as possible on the wormholes, to take down sneaky vessels without enough minesweeping support (I will usually send a minesweeper if I am attempting to sneak in a hostile nebulae).

Of course, it will only work if you lack any treaty with the crafty Empire, and is of no use when one of your allies is busy planting a fleet in that annoying nebulae right in the middle of your Empire.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Here's another one I use. Say I am in dire of need more minerals, and who isn't? I just colonized a planet and the resource percentages are 107%M, 123%O, 160%R and my empire has a Resource Converter III (30% loss on conVersion). I'll make Rad Extractor II's on that planet until it's full then upgrade to level III's. (I believe that monoliths take too long to pay back, so let's leave that discussion for another time.) I can get more minerals after converting Rads, even accounting for the conVersion loss than I can get with Mineral Miners. 160 * 0.7 = 112% which is higher than 107%.

Slick.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

But if your Mining aptitude is greatly tweaked (up to 120% or higher, which is standard for pbw) you get 107% * 1,2 = 128% minerals from such planet, and this number is higher than 112%.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

very true. There were two points to make there and I didn't factor in all the various variables on purpose. That was assuming all other variables being equal. First, the quickest way to fill up a planet is to fill it with level II facilities (for min, org, rad, research, intel) assuming unmodified construction rates and no spaceyard, then upgrade to level III after the planet is full. This is because a level II is the most productive facility that can be built in 1 turn. Secondly, that you can pre-calculate your resource income after accounting for resource conVersion. There are several things that I calculate during the game and I normally have the Windohs calculator open during the game for a quick number crunch.

Slick.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

I am just nitpicking, but that might be helpful to someone else, so. Your construction characteristic does not alter your planetary construction rate if you do not have a spaceyard on this planet. No matter how low your construction characteristic is, a planet without a spaceyard will have a standard construction rate.

So if you happen to have a lower than 100% construction aptitude, building a Spaceyard I will actually decrease your construction rate, even for facilities/units, which do not require a spaceyard. Population modifiers should work fine without a spaceyard though; the should is here because of an odd bug, but that's another story.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Just for clarification, when I said "unmodified construction rates" I meant that the base construction rates are unmodified from the default values in the data file "settings.txt". Those default values are to be able to construct with no spaceyard up to 2000 Min, 2000 Org, 2000 Rad per turn.

Slick.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

To build upon this technique also use Freighters as your early combat ships. The Satellite launchers have a high probability of absorbing missile hits.

Consider building warships on Freighter hulls the first turn or two. You should with good constructon be able to build such ships in one turn at a homeworld. Then you can switch to Emergency building SY Bases and/or Freighter with Colonly modules.

On your initial Freighter warships, stick a few population on them. This population will be immediately replaced, but this population can be used to exchange breathers with another race as you explore.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Carriers that fight in combat should be classfied as Offensive Ships or Troop Carriers so they will not get the Don't Get Hurt order by default from the Carrier class. This avoids the pitfall of forgetting to change their orders, especially when you upgrade designs.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

While someone mentioned that Small Fighter stacks are less vulnerable, they can get in the way of your warships and block them from getting into battle. Large stacks keep your movement lanes open.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Putting all (or most) of a systems warp-points into a cluster makes defense more efficient (one fleet will do). However, there is a pitfall to this strategy. If there is a way to attack them without going through one of the warp-points, several warp-points in a battle can bottle up your fleet so you do not have room to move. I've lost a fleet of Talisman dreadnaughts in such a situation. I was shocked when I lost the battle, but the replay showed my ships fighting piece mail as they wiggled their way out of a 9 warp-point cluster. Besides the 9 warp-points, a bunch of CSM V drones did not help (they just sat there blocking things up even worse).

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

When building Ringworlds, use the slow build turns of your Mobile shipyards when you are done building the RW parts to build weapon platforms, satellites, troops, and mines to place on your new ringworld. Never waste ringworld construction time buildng units - you build those buggers for the high facility limit so don't waste time building units or ships.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Warp Weapons on Heavy mounts are a nice way to break up an enemies fleet so they fight piecemail. However, such a strategy makes your unarmed ships that run to the corner much harder to defend. I suggest you spread out your mine sweeping capabilty if you use these. You also need to spread out minesweepers if they target weakest in case you put one weapon with max range on your minesweepers.

Repulser beams are better at pushing enemies in a consistent directon, but they do not work against bigger ships like Warp weapons do.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Ringworlds remove the star from a system, so solar collectors on drones will no longer collect supply, so they will quickly run out of supply. I would assume that would apply to Crystalline faclity that produces resources per star as well (they would no longer produce).

My next post will be some reason why you should not use drones.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

You can deploy drones in space with two solar collectors III so they do not run out of supply. However, they are managed as single units so they quickly make your empire hard to manage. If you use the space bar to move to the next ship without orders, it will stop on drones. Since drones cannot be grouped in a fleet, you will keep coming back to the drone stack as you cycle looking for ships to give orders too.

If you hit the ship limit and feel you must build units, build fighters instead of drones. They are easier to manage and can be recovered and can be grouped in fleets.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Why would you use a Transport Hull as a warship when " <font color="red"> · </font> At least 50% of spaces must be used for Cargo Containers."

?
Turin

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

A cargo ship is 300Kt, half of which must be cargo spaces. So basically you have a the same amount of room as an escort (150kt) for weapons etc PLUS you have 150Kt worth of cargo components that help to absorb a few extra shots in combat. All else being equal such an armed cargo ship should win a large majority of 1 on 1 fights against escorts, and will hold it's own against frigates. The longer you can Last in a fight the better off you'll be. The main drawback is the 5 engine limit on cargo ships. Sometimes speed can be a decisive factor.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

I love this place!

Turin

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Wait.... what number are we on? Ummm:

n) If you're in a PBW game with anyone who posted useful information in this thread, withdraw.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

The same reasoning goes for Light Carriers, which are cheaper to research than Light Cruisers, have 420 more hitpoints, the same speed, a slightly improved weapon mount (though you might wish not to use it actually), and an adequate cargo capacity. They do lack the +10% defence bonus of the Light Cruisers however, and are somewhat more expensive.

And of course, being able to add or remove fighters to your fleet at will is always nice; drop the fighters if they are fond of PDC, and put them back once they become lax with PDC. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Incidentally, would a little something about Stellar Manipulation be helpful to anyone reading this thread?

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

I am into your tips Alneyan, always something useful in them.

Plus, I need all the advice I can get in order to killllllllllll you in jjpear.

mumbles something about stupid star destroyers eating his pretty little fleets...

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Not all players use the same name in PBW and this forum, myself included.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Do not forget that escorts do have a 40% defense with a 0% defense for Freighters. However, until Point Defense Cannon II is reached, ships with Missile 1 and Max Range/Don't Get Hurt orders win over Depleted Uranium Cannons (Except at Warp-points where it can go either way). Defense has no effect on Missles, so the defense does not matter. A ship with 5 engines (Freighter) moves 3 in combat, the same speed as a ship with 6 engines (Escorts), unless you have the Propulsion primary trait.

I have seen many novices fall in the early game to myself or others that did not research Mil Sci 1 as their first technology and PDC 1 and 2 after that.

In the early game you will not have many Com Channels to acquire the technology in trade, so going for something else is extremely risky. If you disagree, speak up, I'll come looking for you sometime in the early game.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Mineral planets are the best.
Beware of strange warppoints.

Thats all I know http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

I've tried research patterns in so many different ways, I don't even know if I have a decisive method. I think I kind of base it on how stable the Quadrant is and who my neighbors are early in the game (turns 1-20). If all the treaties, borders, and trade are courteous; I'll try to get the jump on Construction/Mines and Physics 2/Phased-Weapons&amp;Shields as fast as I can. If there are tenuous treaties and arguments over colonization, I'll follow a more conservative course.

Turin

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

OK, well that's cheap. I would never play against you, Alneyan, Slick, Fyron, George, or Aiken.

Makes me wonder who "King Bio" was in the Celestial Spheres game.

&lt;sings&gt; "Honnnnnnnnn-es-tyyyyyyyyy. Is SUCH a lonely worrrrrd....." &lt;quick fade&gt;

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Not sure if that was your point, but only a small minority (if any player at all) uses different aliases on PBW and this forum, without making the connection between the two obvious. Imperator Fyron, Geoschmo, Aiken, Slick and myself all have the same nickname here and on PBW.

And of course, some players are more ruthless than the ones you named, but should I give names if that will only encourage you not to play with them?

And yet another edit: I now recall that LGM posted about a few games at PBW, so he is not what I would call anonymous, since you can figure out the link if you want to.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Slick.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif Indeed... damned experience. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif
oh...
...but you're right. Playing against me might lead you to conclusion that stock se4 AI is far superior than human brain http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

If anyone took offense at my "Wouldn't play against you" comment I sincerely apologize. It was just my way of saying "Why would I heap burning coals on my own head willingly?" Y'know what I mean? I would never go out on a basketball court and ask Michael Jordan for a 1 on 1 match. I would never step into a boxing ring with De La Hoya and tell him I could kick his @$$.

It was simply a comment on my experience level. I consider the players I listed as "the heavyweights."

Oh yeah, and I hate losing.

Turin

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Then you should play against me! I'm still giggling/kicking myself because not five minutes ago, I set off a star destroyer in my own home system. And three of my other most developed systems! Don't know why. Musta forgotten who I was playing...

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

If you attack a planet from a bottom or right side (on the combat map), planet has 30% less chance to hit you. This is apparently a bug (either Planet Combat Offense Modifier is ignored or it's something about planet occuping 3x3 squares), but you can exploit it if you wish.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Now this is a tip that I can use. Thanks Aiken. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

But how would you use it in a simul-game? Can you send your fleet or troopship to the square below the planet in sys-map, and then give it the attack order from there? (..or orders given in a string of course..)

?

Turin

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Yes, you can.
Just follow this scheme
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
B B B
B O A
B A A
</pre><hr />
If you start attacking from the "A" squares (on the system map) you'll start on the right or bottom of combat map for sure. Else you ships will start on the top or left of combat map, or drift there.
"O" is a planet.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Sweet! Thanks!

Turin[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon42.gif[/img]

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

The ancient race trait has a small exploit that can be used. As soon as you meet an alien race you will know all the systems they occupy through the borders map in the politics window. Not too big a help but will help send you send ships towards his empire and have colony ships avoid enemy space.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Ancient Race also allows you to know where every homeworld is from the start, and allows the only certain counter to the previously mentioned trick. The combination of the right size planet and all three values being within 5% of 80/100/120% for bad/average/good starting planets almost never happens by chance, so every such planet is almost guaranteed to be a homeworld. To prevent any other ancient race from learning exactly where your borders are on first contact, claim the entire galaxy on the first turn.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

How do you do that?
If it sounds dumb its because I am still new.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Or, and this works for everybody...
UNclaim your homesystem(s)

Better yet, if you're an ancient race, claim somebody else's homesystem to throw the other ancient race off http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Alternatively, claim only some systems, resulting in bogus borders. To alter your borders, go to the Score screen =&gt; Borders. If you want to claim the whole galaxy, click on every systems you are not already claiming (you will miss some if you are not an Ancient player, unless you are very patient).

The Ancient race can also see how many colonies the enemy has in total, by looking at the appropriate figure in the Planets screen. This does not always work, however, and is mostly useful if there are only a couple of Empires in the game. Regular Empires can usually get the same information, but only about the enemy colonies present in systems they have seen. I am not sure what may prevent that figure from working though.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

It's not dumb. It's just that you can claim any system you can see, at a guess. With ancient race, you can see all systems. Never messed much with the claim system myself, so I don't know.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

claiming a system does have any diplomatic (AI) impact?
As if you contest with another race a system the diplomatic instance with that race degrades?

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Yes, once you meet a race you'd be wise to UNclaim all systems that appear on your map of their territory if you use this method of concealing your own territory. Hopefully the diplomacy system of SE V won't be so simplistic and we won't have to resort to 'tricks' to avoid revealing too much information.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

If you want to use such gamey exploits, just unclaim your home system(s) and disable the "automatically claim all colonized systems" option in the Empire Options screen (under Empire Status - crown). Now no systems will ever be claimed on the map.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Hey, I just realized this tonight:

You can protect your colonizers by fleeting them with warships. Simple, yes, I know, but I never did that before tonight. Then you can give the (C)olonize order to your fleet. Here's the neat part: if you have multiple colonizers in your fleet, even for different colony types, the fleet will move to the right place and one of the correct colonizers will unfleet itself to colonize the planet while the fleet guards in orbit. Leave the fleet there until it's safe or protected with units, then move on. I bet everyone knew this one except me, but just in case, I posted it here.

edit: Additionally, you can use your colonizing fleet with attack ships to attack and colonize an enemy planet in a single turn. The colonizers will stay out of combat with "don't get hurt" orders while your attack ships glass the planet then a colonizer in the fleet will colonize the planet on the next "movement day" during that turn, assuming it still has movement points left.


--------------------------

That also reminds me of a little trick I use to colonize moons/planets in the same sector. A colonizer needs to have at least one movement point in order to colonize so you can build a bare-bones colonizer with just the cheapest engine (ion engine III) and use it to colonize moons/planets in the same sector as the spaceyard. Once this is done, you can move any number of population between planets in the same sector using the Transfer Cargo order.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

I had that idea, but failed to realise it needed not only engines but enough engines for 1 movement. Took me a few turns to get it working.

Re: Gameplay tips & tricks
 

Sounds like you are using a QNP mod. I was speaking of unmodded propulsion. But yes, it requires at least 1 movement point to colonize, not necessarily 1 engine. Just to be precise.