FAQ...First 50 turns

[evan42]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sessile:
I've delved into some more game modes and have decided on an alternate early strategy as a game-winner. Applied research is cool, but cooler still is to bomb another civ back to the stone age, who uses a different planet type (picking Gas for your race almost ensures this) and thus being able to colonize twice as many planets for free, after they surrender. Repeat for the third type of planet, and you're almost a lock to win the game, since the AI just doesn't have a game plan, really. Frigates with 1 CSM and supply maxed allow you to do this within the first twenty turns, if a civ is within 2 systems. I'm turning into a hella bloodthirsty player, it just works better.

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Ah... been there, done that.
A better approach IMO is to wait a few turns longer until you have researched Troops. You get the population and everything intact. After you have captured all their worlds except HW, try to attack their HW, but do not bomb the planet. Just try to blockade. As soon as you have done that, ask them to surrender. And they will. Now you have just doubled the size of your empire!

When they surrendered, they will give you all of their techs, including colonization of a different type of planets (if they are different).

Oh, try not to destroy too many of their ships (armed or unarmed), if you think you need them after they surrender. But if their ships tried to attack you, then disable them, but not destroy them.

[Tomgs]

As an addition to this if they are indifferent to you or better if you blockade their homeworld and have a high enough score (less than is needed for surrender) you can get them to give you the planet as tribute. This doesn't work for many planets because they get angry with you for asking them to do this but you can get one or two this way. This can help you and hurt them and allow you to have a better chance to get them to surrender.

Note don't do this too often if ever if you want a more challenging game because very soon you will be very far in the lead with this strategy.

[Wardad]

1. Rock planet type (more to colonize). Gas planets fewer but larger and take more skill. Ice bad... Ice cold.... fewer Ice planets. Beginners don't choose None Atmosphere type, choose any other atmosphere type.

2. Set up race to build a colonizer on Homeworld in 2 turns. This may mean stripping out half the engines and the cargo hold (good for a local colony ship). You have to boost your races construction rate by ? (5 %to 10%?) oops.

3. Experienced players build 3 space stations with shipyards first, but I think 2 is easier to manage. When you do run short on resources you can mothball these stations for a while.

4. Colonize your system fast. The extra research, resource, and shipyards early on are an advantage. Green star planets are your atmoshpere type . Red star have different atmosphere and are domed, so the build space is limited.

5. I generally do not waste resources on escorts. I build small transports instead. Arm them with a missle and add 3 SAT launchers, 3 cargo, 1 supply, 5 engines etc... they are good for exploring, transport and SAT laying.

6. Ships are fragile early on. A few SATs for Worm Hole defense can kill or cause them to limp home. It's better than letting them concentrate forces.

7. Weapon platforms. Better some than none, don't be a easy target. Try mixing missles with direct fire weapons, and use the largest weapon mount you can.

8. Early research. Opinions differ but most would suggest: More than one project in que, rotate projects and do not spread points evenly.
Larger ships (friget on first turn, destroyer, light cruiser).
Depleted Uranium Cannon (DUC) to level 3.
Point Defense (PD) at least level 3, I prefer 4
I might start PD inbetween destroyer and LC. As you have to study Military Science before PD opens up.

9. Diplomacy: Avoid early wars, treaties are good bonuses. Hit back if attacked. Some AI races have different attitudes, so be cautious about colonizing their systems.

10. Bonuses:
Trade for ships and analyze them, its great for gaining expensive colonizing tech. Just might get some population in the bargin.
Trade for population that breaths a different atmosphere. Put them on their planet type, remove your pop from it, and that red star will turn green giving many more build spaces.

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Rock, Paper, Scissors.

[Gryphin]

Early Ships:
I design the following:
Colony ship for:
A: Short range / High Population for those nearby planets
3 Engines
2 Cargo
B: Short Range / Low Pop for when I need a Higher rate of build
3 engines
Nothing Else
C: Long Range / Faster Build
5 Engines
Nothing Else
D: Long Range / Higher Pop
5 Engines
1 Cargo Bay
For the most part I will add the cargo bay if it does not slow down the build time.
Designing so man different ships gives me a chance to compare cost and build times.
To Name so many differant sytles I use the Type, Speed, and number of Cargo Bays:
"Col Rock 3 CC" Rock Colony with 3 engines and 2 cargo bays. Makes it easy.

Transports
5 Engines
7 Sat Bays
These are given the “Capture Planet” Strategy so they can be used as Troop Ships.
They are used to:
Move population
Lay Satellites
Fill with population and Follow / lead colony ships to the target planet. Along the way they might check peripheral warp points if convenient.
Two turns before the planet is colonized it will fleet up with the colony ship to “re supply” as much as possible. Depending on the other strategic concerns it will
Explore the local warp points
Wait for the new colony to build a Supply Depot
Head back “home” to pick up more population / troops / sats or pick up population and join another out bound colony ship.
*I don’t put guns on mine because I feel it is unlikely it could win with one weapon so why waist space / cost. If I get caught in the open **I will try to run or duck into a storm / nebula.
I don’t use a Supply Bay because if it is that far out it is with a colony ship and can re supply when the new colony builds a Depot, (this is risky).

[ June 14, 2002, 20:44: Message edited by: The High Gryphin ]

[Skulky]

First off, if you're boasting about how you tricked the AI into giving up that is really pathetic. Sure they arn't great but exploiting them isn't anything to brag about. Its your game though so enjoy that if you like it.

Back on topic. I really love organics, second is religious, both of these have really great bonus' of which the organics are very immeaditate and long term to an extent while the religious can kick fat *** later on as well as some sweet facilites early on. I put a premium on finding out what other players usually do with their .emp and tailor mine carefully.

Once your out in the game though it is really important to expand like crazy. however, dont' get so caught up in your drive to expand that you take on a fish bigger than you can concieveably land. ONLY fight wars that have a straight forward goal that can be accomplished in under one year or less. Anything longer (as i learned in MSG2 whiel going from 1 to 4) just wastes money and stifles your own growth.

Finally, and this is a hard question. What do you do with 200 top of the line ships and a ton of loyal allies? If everyone wants peace how do you go about using your ships?

If you ever fall behind in technology (which you should be working hard to stay abreast of) make a partnership with someone you have something in common with and get them to give you their tech, or research boarding parties and jump ahead that way, o and a 16% increase in your research pts can't hurt, neither can something similar in other areas. Research higher level facilites ifyou ever get stuck and can't expand, just increase your facilites. Hope i haven't bored anyone excessivly.

OT- this board has become much more active in the past few months no? at least since feb-mar times

[Fyron]

as i learned in MSG2 whiel going from 1 to 4

Two questions...
1) Who are you on PBW?
2) When were you in 1st in MSG2?

I think your biggest problem is that the 1st place player makes excessive use of Monoliths. That, and the 1st and 2nd place players expand too quickly for their own good.

[Skulky]

while i don't think i was ever 1 maybe 2 but im chocolatefro, and i am Zedron. I had a ton of ships, still do, and whiel the rest is confidential. Hope to meet you in the game again soon. Despite bad handling, and the regretable incident wiht me as game admin in diversify, your empire is doing well and now the whole galaxy is ganging up on me. We'll have to see what goes down now. Liga (doubt you ever met him) has a ton of org ships and is mopping up my poorly defended (and recently acquired from Ai surrenders) frontier and im getting ready to kill from all sides (he's italian and i hope he isn't reading this) but yeah...

[Fyron]

Well... be nice to the Vorlons, and they might send a picket fleet into the heart of your enemies.