Where\'s an enemy when I need one?
 

I have been trying various settings and the setup for my current TDM game is low tech start, highest tech cost, simultaneous, large galaxy, medium # AIs, no Neutrals, high difficulty and low bonus. I am trying a beserker race and got the first race I met to surrender and with that surrender, another colonization tech.

So, what's the problem?

Simple! No enemies to fight!

The very high tech cost got me to defer troops, especially after a ruins world gave me the ability to build pacification facilities. Once one gets the tech, getting to Level III is cheap.

However, I cannot find anyone to declare war on! Let alone beat up in space battles!

With the large galaxy size, despite expanding like crazy, the lack of solar resupplies in my leading edge of scouts and colonizers is slowing my quest for an enemy.

Just about every world is peacefully ultra-PO'ed at me. Indifferent is about as happy as the best of my colonies. The rest are angry and I'm getting some riots, even with Pacif IIIs and ships in orbit!

And they are STAYING rioting.

Help! I need an enemy!

Hmmm. ?!

Maybe if one of my rioting worlds breaks away, I could declare war on it and make the rest happy ....

So, my Q is:

Do Pacification facilities even work with beserkers? Or do they actually make them angry instead?

[ June 09, 2004, 00:39: Message edited by: jim ]

Re: Where\'s an enemy when I need one?
 

Oh man.... that sucks. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: Where\'s an enemy when I need one?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, they do work. Unfortunately, their effect is very small. Much smaller than how angry the people get from constantly colonizing new worlds, in fact. Troops are the way to go for getting the planets happy. Or lots of ships... but troops are far cheaper and easier to amass in sufficient numbers. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ June 09, 2004, 05:10: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Where\'s an enemy when I need one?
 

Technology wise id invest in getting some troops on all planets - but also build up youre propulsion abilities and go for supply upgrades and stellar harnessing - that way you can spread quicker deeper and find new enemies - that you can attack.

Even on the higher difficulty (hardest AIs) in a 255 game galaxy i have spread so quick (research tech and mining tech and stellar hanessing (solar collectors) that they put up no more than a token fight - also having troop transports to capture smaller frigne planets of the AI is so easy.

Re: Where\'s an enemy when I need one?
 

Jim;
You don’t mean “Bloodthirsty” ? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Playing with bloodthirsty is a ***** due to the happiness penalty for colonization (-10). IIRC, UPC 3 only gives you +6 in addition to your standard happiness increase.
You need to build troops, loads of troops. Stop colonizing for a while and use 2-3 turns for building policetroops (+2 for each trooper) on every planet. Pretty soon your guys will be like happy puppies again.

Re: Where\'s an enemy when I need one?
 

The bonus for UPC III is +3 (facility.txt), but I believe it is in percentage rather than in tenths of percentage, which would make +30 in the happiness file. At least, it should be something along these lines as you wouldn't otherwise be able to offset the natural decrease of 20 per turn.

A lot of troops would work here to solve the matter, but the hit to colonizing planets does hurt. However, it seems like you do not suffer if your planets are being glassed, so that would help a *lot* if you are under attack. You will take the regular happiness hit if your planets are being captured though.