Stellar Manipulation Qs

Alneyan · #1 January 28th, 2004, 07:57 PM

Thank you for reminding me that you don't always have all the systems as explored.

I must be spoiled by two team games where the Ancient trait is in and a few other games where I did know the whole galaxy.

Incidentally, I would have another query about Stellar Manipulation: is it possible to give Stellar Manipulation orders to a ship, then put it in a fleet and order it to move away? Would the order to, say, Close a Warp Point, be kept after this? It should work, but I would rather be sure about this as... Well, I have wasted enough turns and resources on these Stellar Manipulation ships to afford yet another delay with another fleet going on against my worlds.

gregebowman · #2 January 28th, 2004, 08:13 PM

You can do what I did in one game. I got a star destroyer, went into my enemy's system, and nova'd the star. Wiped out the whole system. Then you come in with your planet creators and make new planets. Just make sure that if you do that trick, that the star destroyer is the only one of your ships in there, or they'll be destroyed, as I found out to my dismay.

jim · #3 January 29th, 2004, 12:41 AM

Thanks all!

As I noted in my original post, I am familiar with how to do the same turn open-and-through if I have been to the target system or am Ancient. It was the chance that there had been found a work-around that I was hoping for.

I am not interested in making new planets, just killing the ones the AI has. Thus, I have not put any creator ships into the queues. Those are full of Star Destroyers and a few open/close ships.

I cannot use mines or satellites. Sadly, I had to go up to and over the limit and slightly beyond (I know that work around) earlier in defensive strategies.

Now, a new Q! I seem to recall that if a part of one's empire is not warp-connected to the rest, then there is a penalty of some sort. Is that a mis-recollection? One that has been patched out? Or was it only if it separated one from one's profitable allies (lose contact)? If only the latter, that would be of no help, as the enemy has no allies.

I ask because one dirty trick would be for me to avoid all the fortress worlds and simply lock the doors behind me as I make an excursion through his systems!

That is, as long as I beat the revenge fleets through a warp point, I could close it behind me and hurt the empire as I progressed. The value here is that I would not have to risk a Star Destroyer being killed or captured in the middle of the turn as I leave it to do the deed. Or, conversely, sacrifice its escort cover force in each heavily defended system.

Instead, I could keep the fleet together, and drop off Star Destroyers only if there was no poised fleet, threatening to pounce on it.

[ January 28, 2004, 22:42: Message edited by: jim ]

Paul1980au · #4 January 29th, 2004, 02:58 AM

Cutting him off as you go with open / close warp points is a good idea. Planet creation will only work if you are able to get 1000s of populations in to quickly populate those planets and raise the productivity %s with the 1000+ bonuses. I would use the escorts as cover and keep the star destroyer as the background ship. Might throw in a few well shileded slower moving cruisers with lots of anit ship long range weapons to pick off the enemy in fleet combat situiations.

Grandpa Kim · #5 January 29th, 2004, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul1980au:
Cutting him off as you go with open / close warp points is a good idea. Planet creation will only work if you are able to get 1000s of populations in to quickly populate those planets and raise the productivity %s with the 1000+ bonuses. I would use the escorts as cover and keep the star destroyer as the background ship. Might throw in a few well shileded slower moving cruisers with lots of anit ship long range weapons to pick off the enemy in fleet combat situiations.

Closing warp points can be a good tactic but I don't think it will effect his productivity, just his mobility.

The rest of your post has me totally confused. It seems you are talking about a different but similar game. Could you explain further, please?

Paul1980au · #6 January 29th, 2004, 07:15 AM

Im guessing that by closing off warp points you can attack 1 system at a time. In terms of affecting productivity well an intel project to attack his economic lines is a good idea. Planet buster attacks with well shielded cruisers with rapid engines to attack planets with planet buster and plague bombs to destroy population and facilities. What you want to do when you attack is to capture planets (troops if possible) that have ship building and mineral extraction facilities to cut off his lifelines.

jim · #7 January 30th, 2004, 12:00 AM

"Do you expect me to talk?" Bond asked, as the laser etched its way up the table between his shackled legs.

"No, Mr. Bond," laughed Goldfinger. "I expect you to die."

I do not want to bother to capture his planets, I want to kill them! ;-)

Both the AI and moi have gazillions of resources. It does not need most of it, and I certainly need no more. Shielded ships are of no good, when his trained to the max ships, and even its WPs mount virus and subverters. For all I know, troops might count against the unit limit if I try to use them, and I am over the game limit already! All I'd need was to be unable to offload them and have the defenses virus+subvert my fleet!

Far better to attack a star, where there will be no nasty WPs and maybe not even ships.