What are the characteristics of your favorite race?

[Fyron]

Advanced Storage Techniques gives you a 20% increase in all production values, from research to resources.

[solops]

It would appear to me that race characteristics would be heavily dependent on game-setup parameters. Things like expensive research, victory goals, colonisable planet restrictions, etc. would all seem to weigh heavily in race design. Although I have not reviewed the entire thread, what I have seen does not mention this aspect of race design. Does this mean that you all play with the same conditions most of the time? If so, there may be whole new frontiers of gameplay to explore.

[Chronon]

Fyron - is that so? No wonder I've seen so many Advanced Storage Techniques races over on PBW. I may have to join you and rdouglas and use that one more frequently.

Thanks Dogscoff, for the info on construction rates.

Solops - I was just assuming a standard start with 2,000 points. But you are right that game setup should make a big difference in determining racial characteristics. Why spend points on intel, for example, in a game where intel is turned off?

The main point of my question, though, is to ascertain which of the traits and characteristics are most useful in the game in general (especially for games on PBW against those wily human players - where a small disadvantage against a good opponent can mean defeat).

[capnq]

Another consideration is whether you're playing to be competitive, or roleplaying the race.

One of the reasons why I've never won a PBW game is that I tend to pick traits to match my concept of the race more than for in-game benefits. I'm often the only person in the game who has increased Physical Strength rather than decreased it, for one example. I usually don't bother to write down the exact values I put into Characteristics; I prefer to make a fresh empire to suit each new game's settings.

I've got at least two races that I've made up for solo games that I'd never put in a competitive game.

If I had to pick one race as my favorite, it would be my Mi-Go, whom I give increased Cunning and the Schemers culture. I obviously won't play them in a game with intel turned off.

[ December 23, 2002, 23:06: Message edited by: capnq ]

[Slick]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Advanced Storage Techniques gives you a 20% increase in all production values, from research to resources.

I assume you mean that you can build 20% more facilities, which gives you a 20% increase in production. Or am I missing the big flick? Does AST increase the output of 1 facility?

[Dralasite]

I read it as building 20% more facilities. I don't think it adds to any individual facility. However, it also allows you to have more population, which can increase production as well...

[rdouglass]

Thats it exactly. AST doesn't increase the output of each facility, just the number of facilities.

If you think about it, it's like getting 6 planets for the price of 5...

[Fyron]

Yeah... what I meant was that you can build 20% more facilities, so you can make 20% more stuff. But, the increased population Doesn't equate to increased production rates except on Huge breatheable planets, becase only there does the increase actually take the max population to a new pop modifier. But, it does allow you to load population off of your HW without lowering it below 2000, 3000 or 4000 (depending on size), and so lets you more quickly build up new colonies, while maintaining the high bonus on the HW.

[Taera]

hrm, people, are 50% statistics are fun?
i dont play pbw much but in my single game i just cut down the trade (i try to play aggressive) and farming (dont realy need it) down to 80% or 85%.
Repair goes down sometimes, too, but only to 85%.

I think 50% are not fair, not fun, whatever.

[Pax]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
But, the increased population Doesn't equate to increased production rates except on Huge breatheable planets, becase only there does the increase actually take the max population to a new pop modifier.

Except in some Mods, where population modifiers have a higher degree of "resolution" .. 8)

[ December 24, 2002, 19:37: Message edited by: Pax ]