Ancient race, waste?
 

I am still learning. I still only play the TDM AI. I also like to start with 5000 racial points. One of my favorite tactics is to choose Aincient Race and scoop up all the special planets I can as fast as I can. This also gives me the "lay of the land".

Does anyone else use this against AI games or human games? I know it becomes a useless trait towards the end-game.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

A lot of people I know really hate Ancient Race and some even go so far as to call it "cheating" http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif Personally I think it is a 1000 point trait that is worth 1000 points.

I don't usually take it anymore as I think the points are better spent elsewhere. Were it is really usefull is in a game where you can only colonize breathabe planets. Then your colony ships can make a beeline for the good planets

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

I don't use it because I like to roleplay a race that have just discovered space travel.
I guess that players that use the Ancient Race Trait use a justification like "our race was exterminated and we survived underground" to explain knowing the Quadrant but not having any ships or colonies.....

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

I used in the Phun Match because it is my first "real" battle against a human.

I don't take it against the AI anymore
1) Because it is too easy
2) What dogscoff said, I like the surprises and such. It does force you to decide between building scouts or using your colony ships as scouts. I tend to send my hapless colony ships as scouts. This is probably a waste.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

Thank you for the feedback.
I don't take it against the AI anymore1) Because it is too easy
2) What dogscoff said, I like the surprises and such. It does force you to decide between building scouts or using your colony ships as scouts. I tend to send my hapless colony ships as scouts. This is probably a waste.


It would take away the scout aspect completely.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

It also saves you movement; your initial progress will not be held up at warp points, as you already "know" the systems. So you don't have to spend a turn discovering a system and sitting at the exit of the warp point. Your ship movement will be more efficient, as you can apply all movement potential.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That is why he said he doesn't take it... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That is no problem.

From FAQ:
5.10.8 In simultaneous games, when entering an unknown system you don't have to just press "Warp" through that unknown worm hole and let the ship stop on the other side.
After giving the "warp" order open the unknown system and give the ship a "move to" order and press somewhere in that unknown system where you want the ship to go.
Next turn it will warp through and then execute the next order which is to move where you pointed.
You are flying blind but usually in the right direction and it will speed up exploration as the ship doesn't have to stop after each worm-hole. (Ruatha)

[ May 19, 2003, 19:48: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Personally when I use it I justify it (if that is even necessary ??) As saying MM just named the trait poorly. Even our prmitive Earth tech can detect planets around other stars. We certainly would not send a colony ship into a black hole system. A race that knows what planets are around them does not take a great strech of the imagination.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is possible?

That's amazing...

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is possible?

That's amazing...</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yep, and I discovered it all by myself! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is possible?

That's amazing...</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yep, and I discovered it all by myself! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is the most useful bit of advice I have read in a while!!

I never take ancient race btw but it's disconcerting to know that the ancient race player knows where to go to box me in.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh no, in SE4 when you can see a system is because you have been there at sometime in the past.
Otherwise you couldn't possible know the mineral yield of the planets, or their exact location, or the existance of asteroid fields, let alone other warp points and those pesky ruins.

From Earth today we see the stars, and those are market in the small quadrant map on the right of the UI.

.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

From Ruatha:
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Holy smoke! This never even occurred to me! Ruatha, I think we'll keep you! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There is a danger here:
If the unknown system is a black hole or similar the ship will still follow your orders.

Then again, who am I to talk. I do all the time. Ask the ghosts of the dead colonist.

[ May 19, 2003, 20:46: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

Son of a gun. Even your King can learn something from the FAQ.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

we're finding planets today. so, with 100 years and a giant telescope array orbiting the sun, we could find a lot.

Re: Ancient race, waste?
 

Plenty of people do, although others (like me) prefer to explore the old-fashioned way.

Ancient is also useful for spotting prime colonisation sites (large+huge breathables) and identifying enemy homeworlds (ie a medium world with ~100,100,100 resource values is probably someone's homeworld.).