How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

When in the development of your infrastructure?

How far up the tree at first - all the way?

Do you leave room on your planets for an Intel Facility or do you just put them on 'useless' planets? How many facilities/planet do you install typically?

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

Information requested is classified.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Oh just kidding, I try to get shields, or armor, or energy weapons or racial techs first. You really need something good to defend your ships, that is a more likely early threat. But I try to get intelligence soon after. Some who starts earlier may have an advantage, but level 1 intelligence projects aren't so vicious. Lost movement, lost supplies on ships that are in orbit around a resupply base are actually funny when it happens.

I really feel that Applied Intelligence 1 should be a starting tech. Just so you can start building facilities on planets at the beginning like research facilities.

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sounds like a plan - thanks! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[ August 10, 2002, 17:04: Message edited by: Elowan ]

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sounds like a plan - thanks! How many facilities/planet? Or is it only so many/system? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[ August 10, 2002, 17:13: Message edited by: Elowan ]

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Someone else has begun to quote SunTzu, I feel compelled to make make a feeble attempt myself:

To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength;to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight;to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.

Discover for yourself what works, and treasure that information, it is a more valuable weapon than Wave Motion Gun III http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thank you, oh wise one! But Last time I checked - I wasn't a grasshopper. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

I would tell you but then I would have to have you terminated.
Other than that, Against the AI, I wait till they strike first. By the time they start to do damage I can build up sufficent counter intell.

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

I start to research/build them almost immediately. Intelligence is a very potent weapon against the AI. Right now, I am 235 turns into a game and generating and generating 672,000 intelligence points. The next closest player is about 110,000 points. Using Puppet Political parties, I am taking over a planet from the AI every turn or so.

Granted, this is against all AI players, and probably wouldn't work agaist a human player if you set the game to "view all players scores."

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

It depends what race I'm roleplaying. A pacifistic race or one that values honor won't research it until they start getting attacked; a more aggressive or xenophobic race will start researching at first contact.

I try to build enough intel centers to produce enough points to do an offensive project in one turn; beyond that, I try to balance my research and intel output.

Re: How soon do you research Intelligence?
 

Against the AI it's not a big deal to wait a while for Intel level 1. The AI is usually terrible at building up either research or intel points. Against humans you'd better have at least level 1 so you can defend yourself very soon after first contact. Before is better.

[ August 10, 2002, 20:44: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]