Cultivating your strategy

[DarkHorse]

Originally posted by Echo Mirage:

quote:

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Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
...can easily be a show-stopper if combined with a powerful economy.

So what are a few good tips for building a strong economy? Mineral/Organic/Radioactive miners vs. Research facilities?

Never build Resource miners if the value of the resources is below 100%?

It's this stuff I need tips on more than the "Talismans rock!" tip.

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Against the AI, I usually work like this:
Expand quickly, and go for the green planets first; the larger the better, and especially high percentage resource planets. Build a cheap space station with a space yard around your larger planets, so the station can pump out weapon platforms for early defense while the planet itself develops it's infrastructure.
Once you've expanded to the practical limit, then start filling in the litte greens and red planets, and build up resource storage on the more useless planets (low % resource). On the green planets with low resources, go nuts building research centers.
As long as you don't get attacked early, this will build up your economy so by turn 80-100 or so, you should easily be in the lead. Then it's just a matter of imposing your enlightened rule on the rest of the noble savages in the galaxy (mwahaha)

Against humans, I do pretty much the same thing, but of course hummies are far less predictable than the AI, so there really isn't any uber strategy (that I know of, at least )

Good luck!

EDIT: Oh, and don't forget: lay mines everywhere! Cheap defense against AI races.

Another EDIT: About the resources vs research (guns vs butter?) my philosphy is let the planet do what it does best. If it has a high mineral percentage, then mine away, if the radioactives % is high, then I build a few mining facilities and the rest research, if the %'s are low all around, just research facilities. It will all balance itself out in the end, in fact I usually end up with far more resources than I need to crush, er, enlighten the AI races.

I also try to put at least one cargo facility on each planet, to hold more weapon platforms.

[ January 02, 2003, 19:37: Message edited by: DarkHorse ]

[mottlee]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Replicant Centers!

Actually, the Religious Talismans can easily be a show-stopper if combined with a powerful economy.

Or IF you place it on a ship with LONG range weapons beat em up before they can you

[Gozra]

I have been playing people that are better than me and from the school of crumbling empires I have found a few nuggets of wisdom for SEIV.

1 Have the ablity to make a colony ship every turn.
2 If it has an orbit colonize it.
3 Fighters/carriers in the early stages of the game are indespensible.
4 He who cloaks first can have a big advantage.
5 cheap mines early in the game drastically ensures survival.
6 never stop expanding.
7 Get your population levels up and sent out to your colonies as quickly as possible. (production bonuses for population level is a big factor)
8 2 dozen 'Just as good ships' are better than 6 High quality well designed well trained ships.
9 no Idea is too dumb to try. (usally)
10 tech that increases production is a good choice in every situation. (notice I did not say best choice)
11 Have fun