[Fyron]

Arakiel said:
I don't fully agree with everything in the article, I tend to think that the adv supply usage is handy for extra range until you finally get quantum reactors...

The advanced supply usage trait is not worth the same as a trait such as advanced storage techniques or hardy industrialists. I would never take it over one of those traits. It can certainly be handy, but there are more powerful ways to spend your points. Just research Astrophysics, then Stellar Harnessing. You get solar collectors, which are even better at extending your range. A few solar collector ships in each fleet go a very long way (make sure to have more supply storage on the ship in question than the collectors can generate in a turn so that they may function to maximum potential). Before you get solar collectors, build supply ships that are filled with supply bays. A few of those in a fleet can easily boost the range significantly. Sticking a repair bay on supply ships makes them even more useful. Also, sticking 1 supply bay on all ships LC and larger increases their range by 17% right there, and will eliminate the huge vulnerability of one or two ionic disperser shots disabling your warships with impunity.

and the racial traits can be neat if your playing a race where it makes some sense but overall the article was great.

Assuming you refer to the tech traits (organic, temporal, etc.), note that the article does not say they are useless or bad, just that they do not fit into the min-maxing scheme. They are more of an art than a science/math exercise. Take them if you like, and the rest of your points can be min-maxed.

brianeyci said:

Sure it is, it saves you three turns to build the space port. That's three turns times 500 research, you're 1500 research ahead! lol now that I think of it, maybe not. And from what I have read, one extra move point can mean the difference between moving first and moving Last -- or not moving at all lol. Guess its advance storage, hardy industralists and propulsion experts all the way. And perhaps organics, although you'll take a hit in your overall stats... but the organic armor is too good to pass up lol.

Brian

Organic armor is only strong in the early game. As the game progresses and fleet sizes get larger, it is uncommon for more than a ship or two to survive an entire round once it comes under fire and be able to regenerate. Well, it has to survive even more rounds since no pool of regenerative points is built up before any organic armor components are lost anymore... Certainly, some will be able to regenerate, but most will not. Shields provide a much better defense, as they give you many more raw hit points. There is something to be said about using organic armor and weaponry to balance out the resource costs of your ships to get fast build rates, but your ships will be a lot weaker individually. It is a fine balancing act...