Tips for initial research points.

MegaTrain · #1 April 2nd, 2003, 12:45 AM

Well, AI's (even hostile ones) will gladly trade you colonization techs, although sometimes you have to "sweeten the deal" by throwing in 50000 resources or something piddly like that.

You can even offer a SHIP trade for one of his colonization ships, and trade him an empty cargo vessel or something. Then you analyze the ship for the tech, spread his population around on the appropriate atmosphere worlds, and you're set to go.

I don't think I've EVER actually gained colonization techs through research. (Although unchecking "allow tech trades" hampers this greatly--you have to steal or trade ships, then)

Ruatha · #2 April 2nd, 2003, 01:15 AM

You can trade "systems" that you don't have any presence in against colony tech and they might agree to it!
The AI isn't very bright!

Narrew · #3 April 2nd, 2003, 01:25 AM

excuse me for jumping the thread, I wonder how people deal with the population in Proportions? The slow growth rate, and high weight takes alot of transports/starliners to move them around. And what is so special with the Starliners, I used regular transport.

Thank you in advance

Fyron · #4 April 2nd, 2003, 01:49 AM

Starliners tend to be able to carry more population for fewer tech levels.

narf poit chez BOOM · #5 April 2nd, 2003, 11:28 AM

i generally don't take advantage of the ai, so it affects my playing style; i know that if i don't have a challenge i'll get bored-one reason why i have trouble finishing games once i know i can win. and if it's to hard i'll get bored. the squirells will definitly bury my head.

oleg · #6 April 2nd, 2003, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Narrew:
excuse me for jumping the thread, I wonder how people deal with the population in Proportions? The slow growth rate, and high weight takes alot of transports/starliners to move them around. And what is so special with the Starliners, I used regular transport.

Thank you in advance

The only advantage of straliners is they come earlier than medium/large transports. Otherwise, tarnsports are cheaper in maintanence and faster.

You really must have a whole fleet of population transports ! I usually have move transports than military ships

Repeat orders (load, drop polulation, repeat) reduce micromanagement dramaticaly.

[ April 02, 2003, 10:06: Message edited by: oleg ]

dogscoff · #7 April 2nd, 2003, 12:13 PM

A breathable world near to your homeworld is a huge bonus in proportions- pop transposrts are slow in proportions and reducing the distance they have to travel on each trip makes a huge difference to population growth. Therfore it might well be worth researching that extra tech if there is such a planet nearby.

That said I think it might be worth increasing the tech cost of the extra colonisation types if it can be done in just 5 turns.

Another slightly cheesy trading tactic against the AI is to send out loads of scouts and make first contact with as many races as possible, then sell your comm channels for ships (which may contain valuable tech, or just be useful for defence).

The AI seems to value comm channels highly and as long as they haven't made the contact themselves you can sell (for example) Phong comms to the Xi while selling Xi contact to the Phong at the same time. I find that even your worst enemies will usually accept a comm channel trade.

[ April 02, 2003, 10:34: Message edited by: dogscoff ]