am i on the right track
 

hi

as a newbie i'm trying to learn the game...i keep all ministers off and build and colonize . .....

i explore a lot and research ships and propulsion and that's what i usually do, i don't know weather to build research facilities on say mining colonies i usually build just mining and storage or the same with organic colonies ....and so forth.

i i wondered if you have any other newbie hints including what ministers i should leave on if any.

tom

Re: am i on the right track
 

Hi Tom!

I usually avoid using ministers at all. Well actually, I never use ministers, I just don't trust their decissions.

Exploring early on is a good idea, though I usually only explore two systems away in each direction at first. I then go into hyper-colonization mode with some offensive ship building peppered in. Why? Because if I bump into other races right away, they are likely to declare war, but if I wait for contact, it is likely that the aliens will all be tied up in war, and will befriend me... well that's what I think happens http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Colonies are life. These are your resources for everything you want to do in this game, so grab up as many planets as you can and build up those colonies! Try trading with alien races for the other colony technologies (befriend anyone that colonizes a different planet type. this may cost a few resources, but it is definitely worth it)

As to technologies, I think that ship size and ship movement are the two most important areas to research, followed by general weapons (just missiles and DUCs (depleted uranium cannons) for the first 20 turns. Then exotic weapons can become more meaningful.

If you don't have shields, the enemy will likely take out a component every shot. If you have shields, you can probably buy yourself a few damage-free combat turns.

Hope that helps a bit for the start of your SE:IV career.

Re: am i on the right track
 

Oh, and as to what to build on colonies...

For planets with more than 100% minerals, organics, or radioactives, I tend to build a number of the respective "harvesting device". Of course in the un-modded Version of the game minerals are more heavily used vs. organics and radioactives. As such I build more mineral facilities than the other two. If the planet is crummy for resources, but is large, I usually build a series of research facilities - heck, what else were you going to do with the planet?

I prefer to build my ship yards, repair, and resupply stations at planets with multiple moons. This allows for very rapid repair when ships return to base (this is a particularily large problem in P&N mod where the # of components repaired by ship yards (per turn) is quite low)

Re: am i on the right track
 

Tom, if you have surplass of resources and must build resource storage facilities, consider to build star bases with space yards around your homeworld. Also, reseacrh fighters ASAP and start build them on planets without space yards. Fighters are good defence against AI, you will need them in LARGE quatities. They do not pay maintenance and if later on you will be short on minerals, you can scrap them on planet with space yard and get some refund.

Also, build a lot of research centers from very start. Later, if you will need some resources, scrap them and build miners, farms, etc. on planets with reasonable resource values.

Re: am i on the right track
 

hi

thanks guys. the game can be confusing but it's the one game i'm really hooked on.

Tom

Re: am i on the right track
 

Also read the The Dubious Strategy Guide of Space Empires IV it is great for specific info and general strategy, there is also a site out there that this guy started recently with short treaties on subjects taht is less daunting hte aforementioned guide. I can't think of it but im sure other ppl remember the name.

As for my $.02 go after planets as fast as you can. Your own atmosphere first and foremost as they are infinitly better but planets that don't have your atmosphere are still useful. And the other thing, this can't be stressed enough, is to build massive amounts of spaceyards (shipyard on a space station). I have 55 in one game that is on turn 35 (10 planet start) and 29 in another (3 planet start, turn 58).

They will allow you to respond very quickly and eLasticly to any enemy attack and you will be able to repair super fast at those planets where you have these in orbit (like a planet that has 10 in orbit would repair at like 35 components per turn on level 1 spaceyard tech).

Overall just play a ton of games against humans, computers get too easy and predictable too fast, and you will get great.