Play by web guide

[Baal]

Wow, 7 systems, that is pretty impressive.

[Deathstalker]

PBW rocks!, I love playing this game!

The things I have noticed for pbw:

1. Never underestimate mines!!! (or DUC's!)
2. Go for Armor 4 (stealth armor) FAST!
3. Go for Military Science FAST, especially the ship fleet/ship training facilities, MAX out the levels too. Ship/fleet experience is everything, esp since battle order occurrs in order of player number.(I am currently 8th of 8 players in a game, gonna be a tough one to climb to the top of the Heap! )
4. Engine Destroying weapons rule!
5. Beware, EVERYONE has PPB early!, stock up on armor!
6. Most players lower their racial strength to 50%, same for repair and trade, and perhaps organics if not an organic race. So be unique/different, take 120 str and conquer those planets with troops fast!!
7. Don't forget sensors to see those stealth ships, best placed on 1 satellite per system around a heavily defended planet.
8. Hidden repair/Base Yards in Nebula can be a real advantage, as can mining satellites in asteroids for minerals.
9. Emotionless, REALLY consider taking it. When at war you can be toast real quick when 5-8 planets in a system start rioting after 1 or 2 planets are glassed.
10. Psychic/Religious, Talisman/Subverter, need I say more?? (for long range, Mental Singularity/Talisman, rocks!)
11. EVERYONE has PDC to the max, fighters and missiles are pretty much obsolete but they can make a good surprise when a complete weapon change is made, use all beam fleets and then suddenly switch to missiles, catch the enemy with pants down!
12. Never retro-fit everything at once....
13. Beware Askan, he will KICK your butt!!!
14. sEEE thirtEEEn! (seriously, there are some incredible players out there, as well as some really good roleplayers! Also are the rare ones that do both quite well, they make the game enjoyable even if you are losing!).

Well, enough babbling for now....time to check pbw and see if their are any new turns for the 6 games I am in!

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"We are all...the sum of our scars"....(paraphrased) Matt. R. Stover-'Blade of Tyshalle'.

"Human existance is all imagination...Reality is no more than a simple agreement among its participants that this is where we shall meet, and these are the rules that we shall abide by."- Kevin McCarthy/David Silva "The Family:Special Effects"..

[Dragonlord]

Deathstalker,

Awww...you gave all our secrets away !
Is gonna be tough winning a game where everybody knows all this...(Diplowar II probably). Time to polish up my diplomacy skills :-)

[Deathstalker]

"Awww...you gave all our secrets away ! "


Nah, I kept the ultra-hyper-supersecret winning strategy to myself!

[ZeroAdunn]

Your forgetting some very important ones:

1. Fighters are worhtless for attacking.
2. Don't confuse your games!!!
3. Trust no-one, everyone and anyone will stab you in the back for no reason other than to do it! Partnerships mean nothing!

[Puke]

i dont know about Zero's number 3. I tend to disagree with that.

here's one that I like:

use things that other people think are obsolete and/or useless. they will probably not be prepaired to defend against you effectively.

heres another:
find a way around building things that other people think are necessary, thus you can devote research to avenues that others do not have time to explore since they are stuck to researching what they think they always need, thus you can catch them with their pants down.

one more:
never give up, never surrender. it may seem easier to do so, but makes the experience much more rewarding if you dont. and you never know, things might turn arround.

finally:
abuse alliances. dont abuse your allies, but abuse the alliance. trade tech. trade ships. trade colonization rights. trade population. trade everything. get in bed with a partner, and dont let racial differences get in the way. then unite the galaxy under your combined rule, drive your enemies before you, and exercise your imperial might.

one more, just because:
roleplay. if your race is a mass of vomit, act like it. tell people not to step in the puddle of your space lest their feet be coated in the sticky ick of your vengance. tell other people that you wish that your two peoples could ooze toghther in prosperity. even if you are playing a purely tactical game, give your diplomatic message some color. give reasons for stuff too: hippies are protesting the former administrations actions in your space, we wish to end hostilities with your empire. Or lie: this is not a war, it is a police action. Or bend the truth: Empire X's actions in violation of the Kronos Rift peace accords has forced our hand. we ask that you cease diplomatic and trade relations with the treacherous Empire X immediatly, and remain clear of the conflict zone if you do not wish to lend forces to the unified effort against this hatefull bully.

well, thats about all ive got.

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"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)

[geoschmo]

The key to sucess at PBW is experience. And I don't mean ship experience, although that is important too. I mean your experience at playing other humans.

Play LOTS of games. Join as many games as you think you can handle, and then find one more and join that too.

The more you play against other humans, (even other newbies) and see what they do, the better you will get. Playing solo games against the AI is almost worthless when it comes to gaining experience for playing other humans in PBW.

The best AI isn't going to be as challanging as the worst PBW player.

Join games that are already in progress and in need of replacments. This way you can pick up in a game and skip all the boring empire building stuff and get right to the combat. Sure you might get pasted quick, but you can always blame it on the former owner, even if it was your fault.

Be flexible. There is no formula for winning on PBW. The tips given in this thread are things people did in the past to win games that worked well. They might not win in the future, especially if your opponent knows them too.

Protect your homeworld.

Know where your enemies are.

Know what your allies are doing.

Geoschmo