Galactic Leadership Style

Phoenix-D · #1 January 15th, 2003, 04:52 AM

"Mineral Miners can only make 100 more minerals than Monolith IIIs can."

Ah, but isn't that 100 times the empire bonus, times the bonus of the planet they are on?

Phoenix-D

Slick · #2 January 15th, 2003, 05:33 AM

Assuming no racial construction bonuses, Emergency Build, or population bonuses to construction (which would apply somewhat equally to either situation):

A Mineral Miner III costs 2500/0/0 and produces 1000/0/0, assuming 100%/100%/100%. Assuming a construction rate of 2000/2000/2000, it can be built in 2 turns. Assuming 100%/100%/100%, it will break even after the 3rd turn after it was built for a total of 5 turns to break even.

A Monolith III costs 10000/5000/5000 and produces 900/900/900 assuming 100%/100%/100%. Assuming a construction rate of 2000/2000/2000, it can be built in 5 turns. Assuming 100%/100%/100%, it will break even after the 12th turn after it was built for a total of 17 turns to break even.

Another negative to Monoliths is that in the time it takes to build 2, 5 Mineral Miners can be built, which pushes back the break even point much further when comparing.

A Resource Converter is more helpful to a Monolith, but will benefit the empire no matter what your facility structure is like.

Bottom line: If you need resources NOW, do not use Monoliths. However, if built on planets that have high resource percentages in 2 or 3 of the resources (when you have the time & resources) , in the long run they will outproduce individual resource facilities after a long break even time.

Slick.

Instar · #3 January 15th, 2003, 05:55 AM

For me I usually get a set of home sectors, get decent defense and get into the race for max tech really quickly (I usually get everything researched in a relatively short time) and then use max techs and massive fleets to attack and conquer the galaxy
Im usually weaker in the beginning, due to the excessive research planets. I usually build all mineral miners on a good planet, and I start building Monoliths on crappier planets, or when it doesnt matter anyhow (Im getting over 1million of each a turn sometimes, so I dont care, just as long they keep coming)

Fyron · #4 January 15th, 2003, 11:29 AM

17 turns is the short run. Think ahead. Monoliths, while taking a little longer to build, make 2700 resources! At 50% conVersion (level 1 converter), that translates to 900 + 1800/2 = 1800 minerals, as opposed to just 1000 from a Mineral Miner. And so what if it takes longer to build them? You should have tons of planets before even beginning to convert to a Monolithic economy, so you should have enough full planets to build ships on. As long as you are at peace, you can build Monoliths with no worries!

couslee · #5 January 15th, 2003, 11:48 AM

granted, i have not even got that far in my game yet, but isn't storage also going to be a factor? It don't matter if I am producing 1m organics a turn if my organics storage is maxed out. You can only keep what you can hold.

Fyron · #6 January 15th, 2003, 11:50 AM

If you produce more than you can use, you need more space yards.

Converters eliminate surplus in one or 2 areas problems.

dogscoff · #7 January 15th, 2003, 11:56 AM

Against the AI:
I like to play Proportions from a one planet, low tech start. I'll get as interesting a quadrant as I can, with NOT all warp points connected, empires allowed to start in the same system, NOT all player planets equal and warp points anywhere in the system.

I'll concentrate on a few key breathables (you sort of have to in proportions), and in my latest game I've taken the 80% planetary capacity trait which really adds challenge: It makes tiny non-breathables practically (but not quite) useless. My goal in this game is to build a ringworld.

I expand quietly, slowly and peacefully, concentrating on infrastructure in order to give the AIs plenty of time to develop the kind of economy/ weaponry that will provide me with a challenge later in the game.

If I find myself trapped in an isolated part of the galaxy with no AIs and no choice but to develop WP openers then so much the better:-) By the time I "break out" there will (hopefully) be a wonderfully advanced alien warmonger on the other side just waiting to give me a decent run for my money.

In these games I don't develop weapons tech at all until first contact or even first combat, and I try not to start wars (but usually finish them=-)