What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

What's the most important thing to research?

I keep getting creamed by the computer and am finally asking for help. I know my problem is the researching I do early-on... well because I never get past early on!!

Help please!

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

Planets utilization IMHO.

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

One surefire defensive measure against the AI is to research Construction, Mines and Warheads up to level III. If you block your wormholes with 50 or so small mines with warhead III's, you'll be quite safe until you can research Stellar Manipulation and completely close your wormholes altogether.

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

I always try to max out the DUC tree first. Then shields to level 5.
I also try to make sure my current hull size is no more than on level behind the AI.

On a side note, I turn off "divide points evenly" in the research menu, and let a colonization tech be my second project so it can soak up any excess points on the turn my primary project completes.

------------------
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: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

jp,
I really don't know if there is any 'one' best thing. Probably depends somewhat on what you are playing, low tech or high tech and what Mods or changes you have made to your files.

I always play low tech start, 5k racial points, 30k resources, high computer difficulty, large number of computer player, large quad. I usually pick a few of the special computer empires, EA and sergrtti always, except for the darloks{they drive me nuts!, if I get them as a random, I weep and hope I don't meet them too soon, when I do meet them, I spend all my efforts focused on wiping the little buggers out. God, I hate them!

At the start I usually research in the following order. It seems to provide a solid base for a build up and sufficent defensive technology to survive and expand.
missles>2, duc>2, ships>2, propulsion>2, duc>3, ships>3, {if no pd at start, then milsci>1 and pd>1}, propulsion>3, physics>1, shields>1, shields>2, construction>1, fighters>1, smaller weaps>1, smaller weaps>2, ships>4.

I vary some depending on what is going on, how soon I am getting whomped on, instead of fighters, sometimes i go for mines and the warheads. This seems to get me going ok. 1.27 was way nastier then previous Versions. I expect the cloaking changes to make the darlocks an even a more hated pest. Only additional races I use are sergetti, narn, darlock, toron and ea. I may add some others though, but was really hoping the AI main modders,{tampa, meph, GE, sinapus}would eventually find the time to jazz-up the existing ones a bit more.

And just so you don't feel like you're the only one, I got my butt chewed up in a squeeze play over the weekend by the ea, sergetti, and xichung. I wiped out the Xi, but the others got me. Bastards!

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

i usually go for physics and then phased energy weapons, ship construction and shields

The phased energy weapons are one of the more expensive weapons but they are still powerfull later on in the game, i haven't researched anything stronger yet ( (damage/size)/fire rate, that's what i use to define strong ), troops are also good, that you can capture there planets and if they breath a different atmosphere you can also colonize more planets,
military science/ship capture is also very useful, especially if you capture a different colony ship type, or a larger ship and analyze them at your shipyards.

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

My style:

1. Any racial technologies (including weapons).
2. Shields
3. ShipYards
4. PPB's (I used to ignore them - now they're the best!)
5. PD's
6. Stellar Harnessing
7. Intel
8. Ship Construction
9. Stellar manip
10. Weapons Platforms
11. Missles (WP with missles are great planet defenders).

Those are my early projects. I generally repeat build those untill I get many of them max'ed out. Later projects depend on the game situations and my mood at the time...

I generally DO NOT research colony tech, propulsion, resupply, storage, beam weapons, mines, fighters or troops. I tend to steal many of those thru Intel ops.

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

First of all I research propulsion, in order to get the contra terrene engine - 1 mov point plus can be deceisive in battles!(in the early stage of a game)
Missiles is a must....very good range - good damage and PD up to level III or IV....
after that, well, different situations need different solutions!

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The phased energy weapons are one of the more expensive weapons<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Take a look at these numbers [UNDER 1.27]:

Here are the numbers for the Anti-Proton Beam:

Physics 1: 50000
Energy Stream Weapons 1: 5000
Energy Stream Weapons 2: 10000
Energy Stream Weapons 3: 22500
Energy Stream Weapons 4: 40000
Energy Stream Weapons 5: 62500
Energy Stream Weapons 6: 90000
Energy Stream Weapons 7: 122500
Energy Stream Weapons 8: 160000
Energy Stream Weapons 9: 202500
Energy Stream Weapons 10: 250000
Energy Stream Weapons 11: 302500
Energy Stream Weapons 12: 360000

Here are the numbers for the Phased Energy Beam:

Physics 1: 50000
Physics 2: 100000
Phased-Energy Weapons 1: 5000
Phased-Energy Weapons 2: 10000
Phased-Energy Weapons 3: 22500
Phased-Energy Weapons 4: 40000
Phased-Energy Weapons 5: 62500

After spending 155,000 points you have the PPB I which does this much damage:
30 25 25 25 20 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

After spending around 180,00 points on the APB, you have the APB V which does this much damage: 35 30 30 25 25 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

So, the APB does a little more damage up close. But already the PPB has longer range *AND* it punches through normal shields.

But to max out to PPB V you only need to spend another 135,000 points whereas you have to spend over 200,000 just to go up 2 more levels in Beam Weapons to get the APB VII. BTW, here are the damage numbers at this level:

PPB: 60 55 55 55 50 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
APB: 40 40 35 35 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

At this point, the PPB is clearly superior in every way. It does 50% more damage up close, has the same range and also punches through normal shields.

By the time you fully research the APB XII, you have spent fully TEN times as much on the APB XII than on the PPB and have these numbers:

PPB: 60 55 55 55 50 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
APB: 60 55 55 50 50 45 45 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

So, for spending ten times as much, all you are getting is a weapon that gets two extra spaces of range. Otherwise, the PPB is still a better weapons just comparing damage to damage. Oh, and by the way, it punches through normal shields. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Oh, and by the way, ALL the stronger weapons found later in the game fire every two or three turns instead of every turn like the PPB. If you can survive the first hit of a weapon like the Wave Motion Gun or the Graviton Hellbore, then you can close and utterly destroy many ships with these higher tech weapons while they wait to fire again.

In an earlier discussion on this, Baron Munchausen set me straight on the value of the Null Space Projector. Piercing shields and armor, even at a fire rate of once every three turns, this weapon is uttely destructive against a baseship or starbase loaded up with tons of shields and armor. The first hit typically wipes out most of their weapons. Still though, the AI never has either of these types of ships when I'm mopping up the galaxy. So I've never needed them.

[This message has been edited by raynor (edited 08 March 2001).]

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

Well, APB's in 1.30 are:

20 15 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 20 15 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 25 20 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
30 25 25 20 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
35 30 30 25 25 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
40 35 35 30 25 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
40 40 35 35 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
45 40 40 35 35 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
50 45 45 40 40 35 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
55 50 50 45 45 40 40 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
60 55 55 50 50 45 45 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
65 60 60 55 55 50 50 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

For a brief, brief moment the APB XII had a range of 9. It was just a blink of an eye. But it was there. How I miss it. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

I promise...In my mod, I'll put in an APB XIII with range 9 http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

That's one of the things that are really screwy.

Antiproton beams have the same range as WMGs.

WMGs are slow, bigass guns and should have huge range. Try setting them to 3 more than other weapons, or its just not worth it.

I've already fixed that. A WMG is definitely a siege weapon in my mind. Low damage efficiency, but great range, like a medieval catapult.

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by raynor:
For a brief, brief moment the APB XII had a range of 9. It was just a blink of an eye. But it was there. How I miss it. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was in 1.27a Version before it was reduced to range 8. In my original file APB XII had range 9, but I belive MM reduced its range because all other beam weapons go as far as range 8. You can increase it yourself now for APB XII just by adding another 45 damage value.

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

I find construction the most useful to research quick, it gives you access to a lot of other options, like troops which the computer is an utter moron in countering, and fighters which are one of your best defense against enemy fleets, plus a good defense for the ship your landing your troops in. lol

Re: What\'s the most important thing to research?
 

There is definately no perfect research order. The key to the game is colonies so anything that helps you get more or better colonies is the way to go.
I always get Shields/PPB/PD first, even if I have to put them on an Escort. After that my order depends on the type of game I am playing.
If I'm in a large quadrant or have few opponents and I think I have a lot of time before I meet new races I go for the infrastructure, Atmospheric Converter being the goal. I personally do not capture other races and use them to colonize. I only use my own race and planet type and never research another colony type. If you plan to use all types of colonies I think a second colony type would be good early if you have the time.
If I think it is likely I'll meet some unfriendly neighbors soon then weapons, mines, ship size, etc become important.
I like to get to 100,000 research point as fast as possible so I build a lot of research facilities early on. 100,000 points lets me research almost anything in a few turns. This helps when you meet somehing unexpected.
There are so many way to play the game that I think you will never run out of styles of play. Almost any research path can win or provide a good challange.