Beginners Guide, HELP!!! (Please Read And Post)

capnq · #1 November 2nd, 2001, 01:03 AM

quote:
Is it possible that an enemy ship appeared and caused the colony ship to stop? And were the ship's orders cleared?

I don't think there was an enemy around, but it was so long ago that I don't recall. I think the orders did clear, because ISTR that I only noticed it was out of supplies while I was trying to figure out why giving it another Colonize order wouldn't "take".

I've started a game to test this, but it hasn't progressed far enough to get any results yet.

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Cap'n Q
My first mod! Hypermaze quadrant
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

MikeRMcCartney · #2 November 2nd, 2001, 03:20 AM

Completely new player here. I'm glad you started this post. Thanks! BTW, sorry if I make comments or suggestions that have already been made. I started playing SE4 one week ago (after downloading the demo about a month ago), and have been rather disappointed in the documentation. I like the idea of an HTML based doc, but the one supplied is not very helpful IMHO. A couple of things I would like to see are: 1) a tech tree, 2)what facilities to build or not to build in the beginning (and why), 3) what to expect from a new race (both friendly and not). Does anyone have a program that lays out the tech levels/facilities/units/ships/etc in a usable manner. I've started an Access database for this, but it will take a while to finish. Thanks for your time, and this is a great forum.

PsychoTechFreak · #3 November 2nd, 2001, 12:42 PM

Early game defense: research war/mineheads III, construction and then small mines. Just build the small mines with 2 warhead IIIs, they are deadly enough for the first ships. In the build queue use the "one turn production" instead of 5/10/15... pieces, and hit repeat building. This automatically gives you the number of mines that can be produced in one turn, and you can react on different situations every turn, w/o loosing material. Later on when the AI builds minesweepers: create cheap mines in addition (small hull, one warhead I), these can be produced in a larger amount and they do for a better minesweep to destroy relation. Build transporters with about 5 to 10 minelayers, the rest cargo, they can be used to move population and to mine the WPs at the beginning.

Best weapon against fighters: religious talisman + phased polaron beam V, bLasts 5 to 10 fighters per shot, the fighters shields are bypassed by PPBs.

Taqwus · #4 November 2nd, 2001, 05:16 PM

On facility production, here's one important note: While there are three resources, they are not equally important.

Pretty much everybody needs loads of minerals. Organic Manipulation experts need some organics, as well, but most components and facilities aren't too organics-heavy (exceptions include the planetary improvement facilities, and the ship-borne quantum reactors, master computers, and stellar-manipulation foo). Radioactives are also important for most, but not nearly as much as minerals are.

Incidentally, an Organic race has a build-rate advantage if it has more balanced ship designs, because ship build rates are balanced per component. e.g. one costing 20k/5k/5k takes twice as long to build as a 10k/10k/10k given same shipyard, productivity and resources despite same total resources required because the rate is n/n/n, not 3n.

More detail would need to take into account your neighbors, and how much other space you have.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

DirectorTsaarx · #5 November 5th, 2001, 05:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRMcCartney:
A couple of things I would like to see are: 1) a tech tree
<snip>
Does anyone have a program that lays out the tech levels/facilities/units/ships/etc in a usable manner. I've started an Access database for this, but it will take a while to finish. Thanks for your time, and this is a great forum.

First, there's an option at game setup called "Player can see entire Tech Tree". If you're playing with that option turned on, there's a button on the Research screen that will show you the tech tree in a couple different formats. ISTR that you can export that tree as a file, but I've never tried it.

I also think there are a couple of files around this site that have either gathered the tech tree data into Excel files or allow you to view the raw tech & component data files in HTML format.

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L++ GdY $ Fr>Fr++ C++ SdS T-- Sf Tcp? A%% M- Mp! RTH!P Pw Fq-->Fq+ Nd>Nd+++++ Rp++ G+

Atrocities · #6 November 11th, 2001, 11:42 AM

A link to another good newbie question answered by SJ.

LINK

Orion · #7 November 21st, 2001, 06:09 AM

Everyone knows the documentation that comes with the game leaves something to be desired, if so, the documentation that pertains to stellar manipulation is non-existant. I only found this site because I couldn't figure out how to build a sphere/ring world so I figured I would check the web. I think a little explanation in this area would be helpful.

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