Strategy guide?
 

Ok, I've seen the tips compiled over at Hyperion, however, I'm wondering if there is a newbies strategy guide somewhere? The manual, CD html docs, and tutorial are sorely lacking. I have very little experience in these types of games recently so I need a bit more do this first and this next and this next and so on then others.

Why did I get this game if I have so little experience? Well, years ago I was so completely addicted to Stars! that I flunked out of college.... But that was a long time ago... I'm all better now...

By the way, is this game far and away better than Stars!??

Thanks,

Ken

Re: Strategy guide?
 

I would suggest that you play a few games with somebody who is ok but not great, somebody like.......ME. Also I suggest that you join the SE Battle Arena(which can be found at http://pub48.ezboard.com/seba78591 ) where you can play SE4 to your hearts content without having any egos flung around or territory lost or any other Barbara Streisand. You can just PLAY for the fun of it there, I am in SEBA and enjoy it immensly. If you want to do a more RP-based SE4 game go join Galactic Enmpires which can be found at http://se4galaxy.cjb.net under the Galactic Empires Section.


------------------
Telek R'tal

Re: Strategy guide?
 

The SEBA link you posted doesn't work.

------------------
Assume you have a 1kg squirrel
E=mc^2
E=1kg(3x10^8m/s)^2=9x10^16J
which, if I'm not mistaken, is equivilent to roughly a 50 megaton nuclear bomb.
Fear the squirrel.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Well, I guess no one has really written any kind of strategy guide. I considered but the scale of such an undertaking is vast. Plus as the patches come out the guide would have to be edited.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Hey Spoo:
The formula you use in your sig is Einstein's famous formula. However, you're using it for two different things:
Nuclear Energy released by a mass
Kinetic Energy by a moving mass
I think thats two different things. It is energy, but it might not work the way you have it. (Unless I am forgetting some theorem from physics)

Re: Strategy guide?
 

http://pub48.ezboard.com/bseba78591

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Instar & Spoo

Well the kinetic energy imparted by impact of a projectile is a fairly common formula for those of us interested in terminal ballistics.

KE = MV^2

or

Kinetic energy is equal to Mass times (Velocity squared)

Einsteins famous formula (E=MC^2) is for the total conVersion of a mass to energy, as in nuclear warheads.

[This message has been edited by Possum (edited 25 February 2001).]

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Oh, yes, and as far as empirical data...

Having shot a fair number of ground squirrels, I can tell you they always come off second-best in a collision with an 80-grain projectile moving at roughly 3000fps http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif

Re: Strategy guide?
 

thats what I thought

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Instar and Possum possibly have limited imaginations. Myself, I have no trouble at all picturing Possum and Instar near the squirrel in question during the 50 Megaton BLast.

Awesome signature, Spoo!

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

[This message has been edited by raynor (edited 25 February 2001).]

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Now, you realize that the squirrel isn't going to explode like that unless it tries to mate with an anti-squirrel.

Then you turn 2Kg of squirrel + almost 0 energy
into
0Kg of mass + 1.8 * 10^17 J of energy

Velocity has nothing to do with it. Nuclear reactions have nothing to do with it either.

The simple fact is that for every Joule of energy that is released, the mass of the system goes down by:
1/C^2

What the 50 megaton thing indicates, is that if you weighed your nuke, set it off, collected all of the remains, you would find that it weighs less than before, and that it weighs about one squirrel-mass less.

The sun loses a couple of kilograms each day, from all the energy it spews into space.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Nuclear weapons (and all explosives) are rated in megatons by their explosive force. A 50 megaton bomb would explode with the same force and destructive power of 50 million tons of TNT. I doesn't have any thing to do with weighing the bomb.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Yeah, but, that squirrel needs an ignition device and some sort of chain-reaction accelerator (usually provided by Tritium)....he then becomes a Voting member of the UN http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Spyder, Chairman of the Arachnid Consortium

[This message has been edited by Spyder (edited 26 February 2001).]

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Arggh! Don't you see?

The 50 Million Tons of TNT you pile up and explode turns into:

(50 Million Tons - 1 KG) of ash.

A 500KG Nuke rated at 50Megatons would turn into

(500KG - 1KG)= 499KG of ash.

The 1KG squirrel that releases a 50Megaton BLast turns into

(1KG - 1KG) = 0Kg of ash


A 50Megaton bLast is 9x10^16 J of energy
THEREFORE, a 50Megaton bLast is 1KG of Mass going byebye as energy.

This is not a nuclear squirrel, but an antimatter squirrel. That's the only way to get a 50Megatons bLast out of 1Kg of material.

E=MC^2 means that for your 50MT bLast, your mass goes down by 1KG. if you started with 1KG, you have ZERO mass left. The only way for that to happen is matter-antimatter annihilation.

Now, by measuring the energy released, you also happen to be measuring the mass lost by the device. (Since M=E/C^2)

Even for nukes, the mass lost is a tiny fraction of what you started with. All that means is that nukes are horribly inefficient at generating energy.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Wow. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/shock.gif

tic

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Well, I TRIED to lighten this, but.....<shakes his head>

Suicide Junkie....Unless I dramatically failed Physics and didn't know it...E=MC^2 is the formula with which you convert matter to energy. It has nothing to do with loss of mass during a nuclear reaction (there's a whole nother, page-long, equation for that http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif ).

Spyder, Chairman of the Arachnid Consortium (A Nuke-free Society)

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Please sir,... mercy mercy,... my he'd 'urts
no more science explanations pleazzzzzzzzz

(nice squirell by the way)

Re: Strategy guide?
 

From what I understand the loss of mass in a nuclear reaction is converted directly to energy at E=mc^2. That is party what makes a nuclear explosion so powerful. When the nucleous is split (where talking fission) here the resulting smaller nucleii don't add up to the same mass. The rest is pure energy. Of course this is usually a small fraction of the original critical mass. (btw this is usually on the order of fractions of grams if I remember correctly).

That is why anti-matter bombs are potentially so powerful (atleast 100's to 1000's times more powerful than nuclear fission devices). Because instead of losing a small amount of matter in the explosion you get 100% conVersion or the orignal mass (not less than 1%).

Re: Strategy guide?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Lastseer:
From what I understand the loss of mass in a nuclear reaction is converted directly to energy at E=mc^2. That is party what makes a nuclear explosion so powerful. When the nucleous is split (where talking fission) here the resulting smaller nucleii don't add up to the same mass. The rest is pure energy. Of course this is usually a small fraction of the original critical mass. (btw this is usually on the order of fractions of grams if I remember correctly).

That is why anti-matter bombs are potentially so powerful (atleast 100's to 1000's times more powerful than nuclear fission devices). Because instead of losing a small amount of matter in the explosion you get 100% conVersion or the orignal mass (not less than 1%).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep, I'll buy that...its figuring exactly how much mass is lost (as energy) that is the long formula of which I spoke. Of course, I'm old & gray and don't remember much....

Spyder, Chairman of the Arachnid Consortium

Re: Strategy guide?
 

So this squirrel has to hit something (to transfer the kinetic energy, which however would be inefficient) and be made of antimatter. Wow thats one rare squirrel. Plus the velocity you used would probably make the squirrel into mush as it is.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

If the squirrel is made of anti-matter then all it would have to do is grab a normal everyday squirrel for a little tussle and *baboom*, instant conVersion of mass to energy. Matter/anti-matter reactions are very good at making the conVersion. Of course, it would react with the atmosphere's positive particles first but that just ruins a good story.

That squirrel would not perish alone. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif

Re: Strategy guide?
 

You know... you have really ruined for me what I thought was a really cute signature. Thank goodness for the guy with the cool B5 quote about Mr. Morden. It doesn't have any science for y'all to pick on.

Now, why don't y'all go do something productive like solving unified field theory. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

BTW, what really is the full form of the equation E = M * C^2? I remember memorizing it for my third semester of college physics of the atom. But that has been so long ago. I'd really like for someone to post the full equation with explanation.

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

[This message has been edited by raynor (edited 27 February 2001).]

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Sorry to bring this back on topic. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

I can't take any credit for the attached. It's just a compilation of threads I found here on the subject of Strategy. I'm sure I've missed many, but it should provided other newbies a starting point. I've edited it to read top to bottom, stripped out signatures and board lines, and mixed several threads together in what seemed to me to be a readable fashion. Apologies to anyone whose "deathless prose" has been mangled.

-Dubious-

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Thank you! Geesh, someone actually decided to post on topic!!

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Uh, Okay. So, even my SEIV Posts weren't on topic. Here is my ultimate piece of advice.

Colonize, colonize, colonize. An empire that doesn't have at least a couple or ten colony ships on their way to colonize new planets with another ten in production is like a Zerg player without hydralisks. Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to bring up StarCraft again. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Be at peace with everyone. In tough games, 20% from the #2 player in trade may be more than your GNP.

Mines are great defense. Almost as good as almost as good as just closing the stupid wormholes!

Try to conquer a race that breathes a different atmosphere than you. Great to transplant their colonists and turn huge domed colonies with 5 facilities into undomed colonies with 25 facilities.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

If MM and SG published a stratigy guide, would you buy it? I know that I would, as long as the pictures were in color. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

------------------
"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patric Stewart as Captain Picard
UCP/TCO Ship Yards

Re: Strategy guide?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ColdSteel:
If the squirrel is made of anti-matter then all it would have to do is grab a normal everyday squirrel for a little tussle and *baboom*, instant conVersion of mass to energy. Matter/anti-matter reactions are very good at making the conVersion. Of course, it would react with the atmosphere's positive particles first but that just ruins a good story.

That squirrel would not perish alone. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


AND both the matter and the antimatter squirrel would be converted into energy, so we'll have an explosion twice the size.

That's a lot of energy, we need an anti-matter squirrel device mod for se4... you'll be quite invincible with one of those...

Re: Strategy guide?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by raynor:
{snip}

BTW, what really is the full form of the equation E = M * C^2? I remember memorizing it for my third semester of college physics of the atom. But that has been so long ago. I'd really like for someone to post the full equation with explanation.

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Total energy = m*c^2/(1-v^2/c^2)^.5

This equals the energy in the rest mass along with the (relatavistic) kinetic energy.

BTW, the initial calculation on the energy equivalent of a 1 KG squirrel (pretty fat squirrel..) is a bit off. 1 megaton = 4.2 x 10^15 Joules, thus the energy equivalent of 1 KG squirrel (two .5 KG squirrels for you purists) is about 21 megatons. (9 x 10^16 J/4.2 x 10^15 J/MT = 21.42 MT).

--A Philistine

Re: Strategy guide?
 

If you could use a linear accelerator to fire a normal matter squirrel into an anti-matter squirrel at .99C, would you get an additional kinetic energy component to the explosion? What are the relativistic effects of a near-light-speed squirrel, anyway?

Re: Strategy guide?
 

All you'd get is the Energy from their mass (1.9x 10^17 J) plus their kinetic energy (quite a bit in this case).

Re: Strategy guide?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Alpha Kodiak:
If you could use a linear accelerator to fire a normal matter squirrel into an anti-matter squirrel at .99C, would you get an additional kinetic energy component to the explosion? What are the relativistic effects of a near-light-speed squirrel, anyway?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, (from the reference frame of the shooter) he'd be about 7 times as heavy, about 7 times shorter (in the axis of his travel) and he'd impact a stationary object with a kinetic energy equal to 130 megatons (assuming the rather well-fed, 1 KG squirrel)--about six times the energy that would be gained by converting the squirrel's mass to energy.

Just as an aside, the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the "conVersion" energy of the mass of an object at about .87c.

Load up your squirrels...

--A Philistine

(EDIT--fixed a math error in the KE=ConVersion calc. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/blush.gif)

[This message has been edited by a philistine (edited 01 March 2001).]

Re: Strategy guide?
 

So, you DON'T need an antimatter squirrel to get a huge bLast. Just get it going at a good fraction of the speed of light. Try 0.999c for starters. (Kids, don't try this at home. You might blow up the Earth.)

Also, I am shocked, SHOCKED, that no one has pointed out the inhumane nature of these experiments in regard to the effects on the squirrel.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

On topic:
Use overwhelming force. Concentrate your fire.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

I always thought that Mr. E was stating that to get energy(ie: the mushroom cloud) out of any mass you would have to accelerate it to the speed of light squared. How would you get a squirrl to move that fast? A REALLY big nut? (Hey... What are all those squirrels
doing at my window?)

Re: Strategy guide?
 

"Use overwhelming force. Concentrate your fire."

Does this mean a large number of small squirrels, or a small number of large squirrels.

What would be the preferred launching platform? A Duc or APB or?

Re: Strategy guide?
 

No, you need some outside way to change the entire mass of the object in question (squirrel) into pure energy to use that equation. The equation simply tells you exactly how much energy would be produced if you could change a squirrel into energy (as others have stated you would need 1kg of antimatter to do this.)

You can't accelarate a squirrel to the speed of light squared becuase matter cannot reach the speed of light and nothing can exhead it. In this case the speed of light is just being used as a number not as a speed. Why it works out to exactly the speed of light squared is one of those quantum physic things that I don't know.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Darwin:
You can't accelarate a squirrel to the speed of light squared becuase matter cannot reach the speed of light and nothing can exhead it. In this case the speed of light is just being used as a number not as a speed. Why it works out to exactly the speed of light squared is one of those quantum physic things that I don't know.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, we can't do this with current technology; there's some dissent on this matter in the physics community. I found an article not too long ago that mentioned an experiment where a particle was accelerated beyond the speed of light. HOWEVER (and this is a tricky point), scientists still believe INFORMATION cannot travel faster than light. So the particle can be accelerated and do damage, but it can't be used to provide FTL communication.

As for the speed of light being an important constant, it happens to be the speed of all electromagnetic waves; and, scientists believe, the speed of all forces in general. In other words, when a particle exerts a force on another particle, that force travels at 3x10^8 meters per second between the particles.

BTW - I'm posting this in a new thread, so we can stop cluttering up "Strategy" with "Theoretical Physics"...

Re: Strategy guide?
 

I don't think so. If a particle could move faster than light, you could just write information on it, and info would be going the same speed.

Besides, the information 'I hate you and you're gonna die now' would reach the guy who got hit by that particle faster than light.

Re: Strategy guide?
 

You are all forgetting the ultimate squirrel launcher... Bulwinkle!

Re: Strategy guide?
 

E=MC^2 is for total matter-&gt;energy conVersion, but that is not what happens in a thermonuclear explosion. You only get E=MC^2 in something like a matter-antimatter reaction.

PvK

Re: Strategy guide?
 

Which happens to be the case originally being considered in this rather old post. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ June 28, 2002, 05:11: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

Re: Strategy guide?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">..because there isn't anything attached. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

The strategy guide which Dubious is so modest about compiling is still available here (link). (scroll down to 10 Apr 2001)

Re: Strategy guide?
 

On topic
Don't neglect your defenses!

Off
Total conVersion is a little more than I can manage, but being a carpenter I do have chisels, so I CAN split the atom. Here I go.... everybody duck....

NOW!!!!

On topic
Also, don't neglect your defenses!