The neutral challenge

[WhiteHojo]

quote:

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Originally posted by ealbright:
This may be an unnecessary point, but what if you fully exploit your system, go next door, and find a neutral? I'd be inclined to stay isolated, but that's me.

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This is another good reason not to use Nuetrals in the game. Just make sure in the game setup you turn off the Random selection of computer nuetral empires.

Played some more Last nite on my experimental game. It should be noted that my game had tech cost set to Med. By turn 175 I had researched all colony techs and had colonized and converted all the atmospheres to my natural preference. I believe I had 4 GG huge, 1 GG large, 1 Rock Huge, 1 rock large, 1 Ice med & 1 rock tiny in my system.

At this point I decided to do Bills limited exploration idea. sent 1 ship to the S WP - empty but for asteroids. Sent 1 to the NE WP - empy. Sent 1 to the NW WP - BOOM - Mines. Sent another (home never knew what happened to the 1st ship, never transmitted anything I guess) - Boom. repeat - finally ran out of mines and had 1st contact w/Terrans. They had been sitting next door for who knows how long and for some reason mined the WP leading into my system - all w/o ever contacting me - makes me wonder how they knew to mine that point?

Anyway, another observation I found is that with my 11 planets and 7 Cruisers (must keep the population in line) I was in 3rd place out of 13. go figure.

I think I'll try again w/another scenerio. A helpful idea I found - use Gas Giant as your starting race and hope for another colonizable world in your home system - then build nothing but research facilities.

It is definately a fun way to play.



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Character is best defined as that which you do when you believe nobody is watching.

[Alpha Kodiak]

This sounded so cool that I thought I'd try it. I didn't have the "rules" at home, so I just played it by ear. I set up a rock/oxygen race and started the game in a large quadrant with a high density of computer generated races but no neutrals. I was dropped into a system that had precisely one other rock planet and one rock moon in it. Everything else was gas giant or ice. I colonized the available planet and moon, and spent almost all of my initial research on planet utilisation (sp.?) and gas giant colonization, figuring that I'd have plenty of time before first contact to get things going. Lo and behold, turn 26 comes along and I get a visit from a race (one of the ones I downloaded, can't remember which, right now) that turned out to be three systems removed from mine. I hadn't researched any ship or weapon technology to that point. I threw together a basic missile escort design and a missile weapon platform design and did a little bit of emergency build. I was able to get a trade alliance with them, but then they decided to get mad and go to war with me (not sure why). Fortunately, I had found a couple of decent systems in another direction from them, once I had been "activated", and I had some new colonies going to support a little more production. I have had to use the "missile dance" alot, since his ships are quite a bit advanced over mine, but I am starting to get the upper hand now.

All in all, I find this a very interesting way to start a game. It gives you a little sense of desperation when you suddenly find yourself confronted by superior technology. Some of the weaknesses in the AI actually fit into the roleplaying in this case, since you are outwitting the technologically superior aliens to defeat them.

[WhiteHojo]

Alpha nails the joy of this style (for me anyway) - the uncertainty.

You think contact might come at anytime but you can never be sure. My 175 turns were filled w/more tension and a sense of urgency than I could recall feeling in any other game of SE4.

My next recommendation would be to max out the number of Computer Active Empires in a game (I have seen, I believe, 20 total empires at one time) - this would increase the likelyhood of 1st contact at a reasonable time but it does tend to make turns take a rather long amount of time - lots of empires, w/lots of stuff to do.



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Character is best defined as that which you do when you believe nobody is watching.

[pathfinder]

ack, I just ran into the Amokirie and a Sw race the Trade Federation (who is number 1 BTW)...and right off I po'd my race (my custom one, Brachyura) as I get trade with them instead of war. I had no intel until Last turn. gawd, this is gonan get nasty. they are both 3 systems away but are waay beyond me in tech (both in sips/weapons and everything else) not to mention I ran into the XiChung who DID declare war, but no battles to satisfy the Brachyura blood-lust.

guess I'll see how long I Last tonight..

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 01 February 2001).]

[Alpha Kodiak]

Well, I managed to force the Romii (the first race I encountered) to surrender. Now I have a little better tech situation (including Ice Colonization ) so the game will probably settle into a more normal pattern. I think that the earlier first contact made it a lot easier for me than if it had come after 100 turns or so, since the technology gap wasn't too bad. Although, even missile dancing was tough when I had escorts and frigates with CSM Is and he had destroyers and light cruisers with CSM IIIs. Fortunately for me, I was always able to bring more forces to a single point than he was. I still have a long way to go to conquer the quadrant, so who knows what will happen next.

I definitely think that I will start the next game I play the same way. It makes things really interesting up front.

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Ursoids of the galaxy, unite!

[WhiteHojo]

Well, I started another game w/the Nuetral Challenge rules. To my amazement and delight, I actually started in a system w/2 other fully colonizable planets - 1 GG Huge & 1 GG large both w/Carbon Dioxide atmosheres (which my current race breathes)... this should make for a rather advantageous start for my little isolated empire. This setup will give me 3 fully colonizable worlds on which to start my empire.

I noticed ColdSteels earlier post and did happen to mave a savegame at turn 25 and wouldl be happy to post it if anyone is interested. My starting stats were Gas Giant native, Carbon Dioxide breathers. 5000 pt race startup. 13 total races - EA, Sergeti, Darlock & 2 others I downloaded from USY are included in the mix. Tech level start is low. Tech level cost is Med. 1 planet start w/Good quality homeworld - all players start w/same size planet. 1000 unit limit and 500 ship limit (not that they actually work). no victory conditions (I don't like limits).

I can't guarantee anything but it is in a pretty good starting setup (best I've ever come across) and is located in a fairly central system on the big map (home system has 3 WPs)...

I'll wait till Monday and then post my experiences if nobody indicates they wish to try the file. (its kinda neat to tell other people how my little fantasy empire does - my wife never seems to find the fascination in it that I do - oh well)

Take care and good playin...

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Character is best defined as that which you do when you believe nobody is watching.

[This message has been edited by WhiteHojo (edited 03 February 2001).]

[Barnacle Bill]

2441.2: First Contact at Last - An Amon'krie colony ship warped into the asteroid system that connects to my homeworld.