What did you do before your first game?

[Rexxx]

Not so long ago (I'm new to the SE multiverse) in my first SEIII games I got hammered by the AI due to my lacking knowledge about tech trees, hidden techs, components etc.. Wasted points to dead ends, got the wrong invention at the wrong time facing the wrong opponent. Painful experiences, lots of empires crumbled until I found adequate research strategies. But I like it that way, the learning-by-doing-thingie.

Now I got SEIVG. Well, after skimming over this board, the manual and different txt.files I got overwhelmed. And I thought the tech/component/facility ...-stuff in SEIII was complicated....
At Last, my questions:
1. Did you dig deeply into the TechArea, components, facility etc. txt-files before your first play?
2. If no, did you get hammered (in games using high difficulty setting but no AI-bonuses (my preferences))?
3. If yes, how many days did you spend working through these piles of papers?
4. Do the different txt-files in the AI or specific races folders contain "critical" information about my AI-opponents, their strategies (research, politics, combat)? Would these files tell me what I'm up against? (If yes, that would be too close to cheating IMO.)
5. Did you start your first games using the "original" races or those from the TDM-Modpack? (As I understad it from my "inquiries" the TDM races are a greater challenge.)
6. Still assuming that there is no AI-bonus. Do you win every game?

Regards
R.

[pathfinder]

Welp, I just dove in...and hit a rock. Got mah fat hiney handed to me...these days ah just get mah haid handed to me

I started playing when there wasn't a TDM mod pack...but the AI in it IS much better than vanilla AI...

[Taz-in-Space]

I still sometimes lose to the AI.
Just recently, I downloaded the Devnell Mod W/Space Monsters Ver. 1.60 Well those darn monsters ATE my empire - despite my best efforts.
Thankfully a later Version slowed down the spawning of those beasts. Now I can hold my own but it still isn't easy!

[Batman]

Rexx, When you start a new game there is an option to make the entire tech tree visible from the start. That might help you out.

Or, start a 5000 point game, give your race every unique tech (you might have to lower some stats) then set starting tech level to high. You will see every tech in the game, although you won't be able to tell how to research them. In some cases, however, it isn't too hard to figure out what tech tree they're in

[Atrocities]

I started my first real game about 2 hours after getting my disk. I did my file modification, 255 systems, added vehical types, emperor names, and the such first.

I then started the game. Odd how I still remember my first *** whoopin so clearly.

The AI hammered me. I soon learned the value of Mines and Satellites. Weapon Platforms and Point Defense Cannons.

I have been playing SEIV since August 2000, and can honestly say that I am still learning how to play. The game is awsome, and has a very high replay ability.

As I said, my first full game was with the full Version of the game. I played the Xiati. They are my favorite SEIV race.

About two weeks after I received my copy, I hooked up with a friend from another site and he introduced me to Warp Nines site, and star trek races. He help me to develop my first set, the Federation. Soon afterward, I started work on the Dominion set. One thing led to another and I converted BOTF images for use with SEIV, and from there, well, just visit my site.

I hope that answers your question??????

[ June 12, 2002, 14:35: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

[Tenryu]

Got my butt whomped, and that was when the AIs were really sucky too. The TDM ModPack AIs available now are pretty good. Use them. They are especially nasty when they gang up on you.

Here's some things you can do to even the score:

1. Cheat all the time. Effective but boring.
2. Cheat the first turn only. Use the cntr- money to jack up your research points enough to get an extra colonization tech,( Two is a bit overboard, but up to you.)or a 'bonus' level in some other tech/s you want. Gives you an excellent edge, but you can still get whomped 'good'.
3. Create a 'SUPERMAN' culture and use it. This is a more subtle and Lasting edge.

If you select HARD AIs, give them 5k race points, select Bloodthirsty for your happiness type and attack anyone in sight, never agree to anything better then non-intercourse treaty, the AIs will hate you. It is still very interesting and a challenge.

Of course some of the resident geniuses here will say I suck for suggesting these things( and I only suggest this when playing single player, if you do this in multiplayer you are a piece of ....), but losing all the time is no more fun than winning all the time.

I like to scale my games to see the AIs at their best, HARD, feel I have some edge on wiping them all out, but still have to work hard at it.