Opening Strategies

[Trajan]

Gentlemen,

I am a short-time lurker, and first time caller, and am very new to this particular game, though I have plenty of experience in the genre.

My question regarding this game, and the opening moves is simple.

When playing SEIV Gold, do you find it more advantageous to rapidly expand to any planet that will support life? Or is it better not waisting precious initial colony ships on small planets with a very small ROI, and instead target your initial colony ships on breathable atmostphere planets -- that is assuming there are any within a reasonable distance.

Thanks!
Trajan

[Suicide Junkie]

As a general observation, as I expand, I usually colonize breathables one warp point jump ahead of the unbreathable-but-valuable worlds (size or resources). I take the tiny stinkholes with core-produced colony ships when rim system spaceyards start producing their own colony ships.

[Gryphin]

Of Storage Facilities and Avoiding Surplus
My method is to
Skip building the storage
Spend myself to the edge
By then I have always found an AI I can trade with
I will give 21,000 Organics for 20,000 Minerals
Works every time
Later in the game I might add some storage for big projects.

[Wardad]

quote:

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Originally posted by baetis:
[QB]Hey Folks,

...So i was wondering if there are any other things that you *always* do at the start of a game that might not be so obvious to a less experienced player.[QB]

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I haven't tested myself against human players, but I kick AI butt a dozen different ways.

I generally don't build escorts. I build small pop transports with a two-three sat launchers. Sometimes the transports are armed and sometimes they carry extra fuel.

I adapt my opening game strategy to my surroundings. Make the best use of what you have got.

Do I have colonizeable planets in system? Colonizer speed, build cost, and payload is adjusted for need.
Remember, I can ship population in my transports.

I play to the planet Bonuses (mining or research). Every domed colony could be great site for an early extra ship yard.

I have found a orbital ship yard is great for the little jobs. Producing SATs, Weapon platforms and Mines.

Research? Larger ships, DUC 3, PD, are all good choices. It will all depend on what your hostile neighbor is doing.

Defense? A little goes a long way in the early game. Better some than none. SATs placed in worm holes are trouble for missle using races (remember that small transport). Weapon Platforms can prevent an colony death from a passing scout.

EXPAND!!! My son never gets it. You have got to think long term and make investments in new colonies and infrastucture. You have got to take some short term risk and hope no one hits you too hard where and when you are weak.

Early War revenge! Bio weapons. Only need one bomb on a ship, leaving lots of room for armor, shields, and point defense. Use at least a level 3 bomb. The ship only has to bomb the planet once.


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So many ugly women, so much time. Got Beer?

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[Fyron]

Regarding Resource Storage Facilities:
No one has advocated building tons of them to store 2,000,000 resources. Just a few of these at huge planets of your atmosphere are all that is necessary. The small amount of resource production or research lost due to building them is insignificant. If your empire fails becuase of 1800 fewer resources, then you have not done a very good job at building it. And about retrofitting and stored resources: you should be retrofitting constantly, using a retro-series of ship designs to expedite the construction process.

Orbital Space Yards:
If you don't build these, then you will most likely lose to an experienced player that does build them. All else being equal, the player with the ability to produce more ships in a given time period will win. In one game I am in, a player started attacking me with around 18 ships (several of which are minesweepers, and there are a few carriers (which is really funny)). My main fleet of ships was on the other side of the galaxy. The 6 space yards at each of my homeworlds had just completed building a set of light cruisers, and with the planetary space yards, the total was 21 in that turn. Then, I set the stations to emergency build. They took 3 turns to complete the ships. So now, I have quickly built 39 light cruisers, and I will get at least 18 more in 3 turns. I am building new space yards to replace the ones I have now when the emergency build period ends. Sure, I lost a few under-developed fringe colonies, but my enemy will lose a lot more. I suspect that he has a poorly developed infrastructure. And btw, this game has only been going on for less than 40 turns.

Colony Ships:
Yes, it is good to build one or two before you get the space yards up, esp. for those large and huge planets near you. And so what if there are a few turns in which you aren't building any colony ships? After the space stations are done, you can build a lot more colony ships than someone without them. The best approach would be to combine the 2 strategies.

[Sinapus]

I don't build tons of them to store 2,000,000 resources... but sometimes I just get carried away.

(And it becomes very useful, especially when I start massive construction projects on all my planets. Then I watch the reserve resource levels plummet like crazy.)

[Skulky]

I am a moderate plr IMHO. i am going to start branching out from organic tech as it is kinda one track and can hurt you once you hit a crys plr.

I usually have 3+ yards at each of my homeworlds, and the first one is always set to build extra yards in at least one of the 3 cases, once that gets goign i can be making a 30+ ship fleet in abpout 3-4 turns or less.

the key is the ONE TURN SHIP it is so great (and that means one turn on a large planet, full pop bonus', lvl 1 yard)

also design variants for emerg build for special situations when you need max defense for a certain situation NOW. i also sometimes do special designs for the limitations of my space bourne yards.

Remember without the ability to be flexible and respond to developments you are nothign. you need to be able to respodn to new threats and then dictate the action with your new fleets, SE4 is just a game of economic expansion. If you can get 50-20 odds then the military strategy part is secondary, possibly obsolete.

Edit: more comments,
First off, listent o whatever Imperator Fyron has to say, he was handly kicking everyones butt until an admin(me) caused glitch and his general annoyance caused himt o quit and a less adept person took over. If you dont' build at least 3 yards you will die, i think i already said that.

Resource yards are for when all that is left is one neutral and your having fun with your "New System Maker" fleets and toying wiht ringworlds and sphereworlds. Mainly aesthetics if you ask me. max i would ever build is like 5-7mineral and maybe 4 org (when im organic) and 2 rad

Also, never fight more htan one person at once, me and the newly controlled vorlon made peace b/c he had started a war with another guy and a comp and was getting killed so he did a little dance (no just gave me ships and stopped ATTACKING) so we could go about our own buisness.

Only problem with imperator fyron is he seems to not expand as fast, now im dominating that game (thx to the other guy being not so good) but also to having a large resource and planet adn research advantage.

anyway major props to fyron for showing me how to actually play PBW.
and btw if you only play comps and think you're hella good time to reevaluate. comps are nothign compared tohumans., don't even think your at least moderate until you have played a PBW or PBEM or now TCP/IP game.

[ 28 March 2002: Message edited by: Skulky ]