Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Well, I just got SE4, and I've been fiddling around with it for two days... surprisingly enough, out of those two days, about 30 hours or so were play time. Heh ^_^

Anyways, I was wallowing in the game (yes, wallowing, more like completely lost) and mainly the technology tree is tripping me up. Is there any access Online or in-game to see what I am going with the tree? There's things I can research, but I don't really know where I'm going, just randomly picking things that sound neat (Temporal Weaponary? Yay!!)

Also, how can you expand at the beginning? This is my first game in the SE series, but I am not new to 4X genre. But once again, I find it's very surprisingly difficult - even on low difficulty setting, I can't expand to a sufficient size before my enemy comes and smashes all my planets with force. And even they refuse to agree to my treaties, or will break it one or two turns later!

Finally, how come the planet will die in like one or two shots from the enemy ship (even without planet bomb type weapon) - however, when I attack with my ships, I am unable to even attack the planet unless I am having a bomber?

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

When in game setup, go to game settings and click on Players can see complete tech tree.

After the game starts, click on your research manager and click the tech tree button on the bottom left part.

Even if you are in low tech, you will be able to see all the tech tree branches.

You won't be able to view the components as if it did, it would be the size of Manhattan Island.

On the treaty thing, the basic treaty in the game is Gunboat diplomacy. Colonize your home system, build a few attacks ships then try making treatiess http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ 09 April 2002: Message edited by: TerranC ]</p>

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Most experienced players build additional space yard space stations around their home worlds. These extra shipyards can crank out some extra ships, but at about half the speed of the home world. When you do run low on resources you can mothball the extra shipyards and use them later on.

They also design colonizers that take 2 turns to build on the home planet ship yard. This can require design your race with a boosted shipyard rate. These slower colonizers are great for the home system. Small planets are good for extra research, radioactives, units, and planet shipyards.

SATs placed in worm holes can be a good early defense, especially against a missle using race.

Try building armed small transports instead of escorts. Include 3 sat layers and 3 cargo for required 150 cargo space. Then add Cap Missle (CSM) or Depleted Uranium Cannon(DUC).
For an explorer Version drop the weapons and add fuel. Carry SATs to recon neighbor systems. If an enemy kills your SAT, so what, at least you know their weapon loadout.

generally good early game research:
Larger ships, DUC3, Point Defense,

Also try this strategy site:

http://home.earthlink.net/~petemmer/

I'll email the Dubious strategy guide. I can not remember where I down loaded it from

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Try this link http://home.earthlink.net/~petemmer/research.html .
I copied a tech tree from a zipped .txt file from Andrés Lescano. the tech. tree is near the bottom, and is very complete. I know that Andrés spent more than a few hours on this.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Here's a link to my tech tree (now it includes drones)
Tree

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Excuse me for being totally naive, but how do you capture ships? I just keep destroying them.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

1. Build a ship with at least one boarding party component.

*you might want to include Sheild draining weapons if you can*

2a. Set the ship strategy to capture enemy ships, send it to the nearest enemy ship and engage Strategic Combat.

2b. send your ship to the nearest enemy ship and engage tactical combat.

*If your boarding ship has no weapons whatsoever, it's best to send in an escort ship that can drain sheilds fast*

3b. after the shields on the enemy ships are at 0 *or no more blue bars left on the enemy ship* move your boarding ship as close as you can to the enemy ship.

4b. if you have at least one point of movement left, click ship orders and click Capture ship.

5. enjoy your newly captured ship by analysing it, scrapping it, retrofitting it, or repair it and use it against your enemy by sending it to the nearest space yards.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Edit to 4b: You do not need movement remaining. You just need to be beside the ship, and have intact boarding parties.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Andrés do you mind if I add your latest to my site? for that matter is it OK that I added your previous work? It is not my intention to take credit from other peoples work, just to help out with new players.
I will of course remove with no hard feelings. I just hope I did not cause you any discomfort by posting without asking!

By copy this goes to the rest of the forum as well!

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Wow, after all that playing, I have finally finished a game. Unfortunately, it was finished by the Eee as their heavily shielding dreadnaughts crushed me to goo.

Is there any easy way to deal with the shields? I couldn't find any shield piercing weapons, and I could never do enough damage (even with my entire fleet amassed at my homeworld) to stop their dreadnaughts, or even to kill one.

Most of the ships I use were outfitted with that living armor thing.. I forget the name, and some seeker parasite thing, as well as some acid attack.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Dealing with shields:
1. Be Temporal. They have weapons that bypass shields.
2. Be Psychic. They have powerful weapons that can punch through shields. Even better, use Mind Control which takes over the enemy ship, then bLast him with his own ship. If the enemy counters with Master Computers, you can counter with Computer Virus.
3. You do know about weapon mounts in the design area, don't you? Larger ships can mount larger weapons that give you "more bang for the buck."
4. One word: Wave Motion Gun.
5. There are shield depleting weapons. If you get lucky and find the special tech called Massive Shield Depleter, use that.
6. Shields don't work in minefields. (Apparently ships can't travel with their shields up.) So mine your warp points and planets.
7. There are special weapons that attack only engines or only weapons. I think these ignore shields and armor (but you'd better check that, I never use them).
8. When Organic, use lots of armor, not just one or two pieces. Your ships become virtually indestructible, except by Crystalline which has armor-skipping weapons. Even if the enemy destroys your ship, he will use up all of his supplies in the process. Organic missiles are great, but, as with all missiles, you can't do it half-heartedly. You have to have enough to overwhelm the enemy's point defense, or else they are a waste.
9. Maxxed-out planets should build defenses: mines, sats, fighters, platforms. This is especially good strategy for Organic, which has better-balanced resource use. Every one of your planets should be a killing field, requiring a concerted invasion.
10. In the final analysis, though, much of the game boils down to your economy. You can have great tactics, but without resources you will eventually be ground down. And economy is determined by grand strategy. Enjoy!

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Mudshark,
Ok post it, I recently added it in my site (not just in the temp folder), so if you want to can copy the link.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

11. Research Phased-Energy Weapons. The Phased Polaron Beam skips normal shields, and is one of the best weapons in the game.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Strange...

Why nobody mentioned null-space weapons yet ?
Shields ? What Shields ?

p.s. Even more efficient null-space weapon:
Shield depletor + shard cannon

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

I still feel temporal is the best for dealing with shields. Probably because it is. Early on skip shields and armor or do quad damage to shields... later shield burnout. Also for boarding enemies make sure they don't have self destruct device onboard.

Re: Technology Tree Overwhelming
 

Hmm, I'm trying Temporal at the moment, I am finding it kind of weak compared to Organic. Or probably I just don't know how to use them effectively.

I read in that strategy guide that I got in my mail that the combat bonuses arn't working?

Is this true? I don't want to waste alot of research and points into Events Predictor if it doesn't do anything T_T

[ 11 April 2002: Message edited by: Kin-Chan ]</p>