Your WP defence: Mines, satellites or bases?

[Artaud]

Hmmm...I've been playing SEIV for a long time and I've NEVER built a warp-closing or warp-opening component. I've also never built a Wave Motion Gun.

That's just another example of how deep SEIV is. As many games as I've played, there are so many strategies and so many components I have never used.

[capnq]

I usually don't use "all systems connected" for solo games, so I've had a couple where I started off trapped in an isolated pocket of systems, and had to go after warp openers early on. I've designed closers, but don't think I've ever built one.

[Artaud]

capnq said:
I usually don't use "all systems connected" for solo games, so I've had a couple where I started off trapped in an isolated pocket of systems, and had to go after warp openers early on. I've designed closers, but don't think I've ever built one.

I always use "all systems connected." How do warp openers work? Can you pick the system where you want the other end to appear?

In my current STM game EVERYBODY except the Ferengi is at war with me, even though I'm ranked only 9th in a 20-empire game. Strangely enough, none of the other empires is at war with any other.

My biggest threat comes from the Kazon. I have been trying to keep them out of one particular system that they have been trying to take for at least a couple game-years. Hence my above question about defending warp points.

They've destroyed 3 of my 4 colonies in the system, but at last I've gone to a 50+ satellites/several light cruisers defense at my 2 vulnerable warp points. One warp point is backed up by a group of 140 shuttles (fighters) stationed over a nearby planet. So far I have been able to stop the Kazon multiple times. They have been sending forces as small as 1-2 ships and as large as 7 cruisers.

They are way ahead of me in weapon technology. I have spent a lot of effort developing atmosphere converters and gas colony technologies in an effort to make the best of the few usable systems I have.

The Bynar occupy a system on a choke point between the 2 halves of Federation territory. They have now declared war, so I am preparing a fleet of minesweepers to eliminate THEIR warp point defense so I can deal with them.

Some SEIV players have issues with the AI, but I've never had complaints about it. The AI is much more efficient than I am.

In my rush to get on to the next turn I often forget to give orders to planets or fleets. I spend lots of research points on things the AI never bothers with, so the AI usually has a big advantage in weaponry and ship design.

It all evens out. As long as the AI mimics a reasonable imitation of a sentient being, I'm happy. I think it does just fine.

To avoid starting another thread I'll ask another question:

Who out there uses resource bases? Resource satellites?

[StarShadow]

One tip for sat/WP defense, drop a shield killing storm over the WP and, depending on the size of the sats you have, stick ionic dispersers on (some/all of) your defense sats. Although unless your ships are armored it'd be best to keep them away. This works even better if your enemy uses cloaking devices, as he'll run out of supples fairly quickly. At that point, I'd recommend boarding and capturing as many as possible, send over a repair ship or three, load them into a pre-existing fleet (to give them some supplies), take them to a planet and either retrofit, or analyze them.

[capnq]

Artaud said: How do warp openers work? Can you pick the system where you want the other end to appear?

Yes, you can pick any system within the component's range. The only thing you can't control is where in the target system the warp point opens, but even that is predictable depending on the relative positions of the two systems.

At most ten warp points can be opened to or from the same system, and a System Gravitational Shield Facility will prevent them from opening in its system (requires Shields 10).

Who out there uses resource bases? Resource satellites?

I use both so rarely that I'll occaisionally forget that I have the option to use them.