Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Is it possible that an enemy ship appeared and caused the colony ship to stop? And were the ship's orders cleared?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I don't think there was an enemy around, but it was so long ago that I don't recall. I think the orders did clear, because ISTR that I only noticed it was out of supplies while I was trying to figure out why giving it another Colonize order wouldn't "take".

I've started a game to test this, but it hasn't progressed far enough to get any results yet.


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Cap'n Q
My first mod! Hypermaze quadrant
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

Completely new player here. I'm glad you started this post. Thanks! BTW, sorry if I make comments or suggestions that have already been made. I started playing SE4 one week ago (after downloading the demo about a month ago), and have been rather disappointed in the documentation. I like the idea of an HTML based doc, but the one supplied is not very helpful IMHO. A couple of things I would like to see are: 1) a tech tree, 2)what facilities to build or not to build in the beginning (and why), 3) what to expect from a new race (both friendly and not). Does anyone have a program that lays out the tech levels/facilities/units/ships/etc in a usable manner. I've started an Access database for this, but it will take a while to finish. Thanks for your time, and this is a great forum.

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

Early game defense: research war/mineheads III, construction and then small mines. Just build the small mines with 2 warhead IIIs, they are deadly enough for the first ships. In the build queue use the "one turn production" instead of 5/10/15... pieces, and hit repeat building. This automatically gives you the number of mines that can be produced in one turn, and you can react on different situations every turn, w/o loosing material. Later on when the AI builds minesweepers: create cheap mines in addition (small hull, one warhead I), these can be produced in a larger amount and they do for a better minesweep to destroy relation. Build transporters with about 5 to 10 minelayers, the rest cargo, they can be used to move population and to mine the WPs at the beginning.

Best weapon against fighters: religious talisman + phased polaron beam V, bLasts 5 to 10 fighters per shot, the fighters shields are bypassed by PPBs.

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

On facility production, here's one important note: While there are three resources, they are not equally important.

Pretty much everybody needs loads of minerals. Organic Manipulation experts need some organics, as well, but most components and facilities aren't too organics-heavy (exceptions include the planetary improvement facilities, and the ship-borne quantum reactors, master computers, and stellar-manipulation foo). Radioactives are also important for most, but not nearly as much as minerals are.

Incidentally, an Organic race has a build-rate advantage if it has more balanced ship designs, because ship build rates are balanced per component. e.g. one costing 20k/5k/5k takes twice as long to build as a 10k/10k/10k given same shipyard, productivity and resources despite same total resources required because the rate is n/n/n, not 3n.

More detail would need to take into account your neighbors, and how much other space you have.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MikeRMcCartney:
A couple of things I would like to see are: 1) a tech tree
&lt;snip&gt;
Does anyone have a program that lays out the tech levels/facilities/units/ships/etc in a usable manner. I've started an Access database for this, but it will take a while to finish. Thanks for your time, and this is a great forum.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

First, there's an option at game setup called "Player can see entire Tech Tree". If you're playing with that option turned on, there's a button on the Research screen that will show you the tech tree in a couple different formats. ISTR that you can export that tree as a file, but I've never tried it.

I also think there are a couple of files around this site that have either gathered the tech tree data into Excel files or allow you to view the raw tech & component data files in HTML format.

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L++ GdY $ Fr&gt;Fr++ C++ SdS T-- Sf Tcp? A%% M- Mp! RTH!P Pw Fq--&gt;Fq+ Nd&gt;Nd+++++ Rp++ G+

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

A link to another good newbie question answered by SJ. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

LINK

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

Everyone knows the documentation that comes with the game leaves something to be desired, if so, the documentation that pertains to stellar manipulation is non-existant. I only found this site because I couldn't figure out how to build a sphere/ring world so I figured I would check the web. I think a little explanation in this area would be helpful.

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Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

well the new computer is up and running. In a couple of days I am off to soak it up in the sun and then when I return I will start on the beginners guide. Any particular style of document ??

I was thinking along the lines of a web based document with hyper links etc... Screen captures.

Chapters. Ie. Units, facilities, ship building, research, intel, combat,mods, how to set up the directory structure, etc....
Lots of step by step how toos.

No stragety. Just instructions. ( as the first part of the manual ) Then the extra's can come later if people like it and want to help out creating it.

I will get a chapter or two done when I come back. If it is liked then I will continue along with the production of the SEIV beginners guide.

The question of permissions.

I will be using Posts from this web site.

Is this allowed.

How about screen captures?

I think I will send what I create to the moderator of this forum and see what geoschmo does with it http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

So if your adding any more Posts to this thread think about how you want the manual to look like etc....

And start new threads like

BG - Mods
BG - Mines
BG - Fighters
etc....
and pool your info their.

Also for those who are new to the forum.

Their is a great manual out their that explains the game in great detail. it is a text based document that is located on the following thread...........( sorry don't have the thread right now, so you will have to find it) OR some one else can post it.

P.S.

If anyone is already doing this or has any ideas let me know.

Thanks.

My only goal here is to pay back SEIV and the community with a good manual.

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Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!

[This message has been edited by tesco samoa (edited 22 November 2001).]

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

It's late, so I only have one peice of advise for newbies:

Do not piss off the big empires living next door to you. If a neighboring empire is stronger than you, then you must learn the secret and delicate diplomatic art of 'sucking up'. Give them gifts, treaties, ships, whatever it takes. AIs are not very likely to be your friends again once they get angry at you. If they are weaker than you. then strike fast and hard, even if they're friendly. Don't let up, for once you've attacked, they'll never want peace again. Make sure every war you fight is one where you know what you want and know how to get it. Never hold back, or you will lose.

Well, that was more than one, but, like I said, it's late, and I'm tired.

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This is it. That moment they told us about in high school, where one day, algebra would save our lives.

'Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?'
Grand Moff Tarkin, just before the Death Star blew.

Brain fart, you win again!

Re: Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)
 

Discovering I was wrong about something in another thread reminded me that I was wrong in this old one, too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

A Colony Ship which has run out of supplies can, in fact, still plant a colony. (I only proved this to myself within the past week or so.)

I still have no idea why the ship that gave me this impression wouldn't colonize that world.