FAQ...First 50 turns

Daynarr · #1 December 19th, 2000, 11:18 PM

Here are some military research tips for starting empire:
1. Go as fast as you can to the DUC level 5 (DUC - Depleted Uranium Cannon). That thing is cheap to research and gives you some fair firepower while you research better things.
2. Research Chemistry and then Armor to level 3. This is much cheaper to research then the shields, and only Shield IV and Shield V have better protection per tonnage.

This will give you very comfortable start and leave you enough time to research for some other things (most of them covered by James).
Hope this is of some help.

Daynarr · #2 December 19th, 2000, 11:27 PM

Here is another quick tip:
- When you decide on research NEVER divide points evenly. When you don't use it, all the research points are used on 1st tech in queue. If number of research points exceeds the required amount for that tech, then all the extra points are used on following tech. This is a point where dividing research fails (extra points are lost there). Also make sure that you have enough techs in queue to use all your research points.

Grumbling Grognard · #3 December 19th, 2000, 11:48 PM

Something not mentioned yet (AFAIK) is that if your race has a special technology (organic, crystal, etc.) then I would strongly suggest you invest in researching that early and often.

Your race paid a lot of points for that tech. and these techs (all of them) can be pretty powerful (esp. in the early game).

------------------
The Grumbling Grognard

Psitticine · #4 December 20th, 2000, 01:15 AM

Propulsion can make an excellent early research area. I like to take it up to level 4 and get the move advantage over my opponents. Combine faster ships with long-range weaponry, and you've got a killer combo!

Also, remember that those 1 facility "dot worlds" in your starting system can be used for space yards. I tend to go ahead and settle one or two and use them to build up a military while my homeworld creates colony ships. I do it that way because the new colony won't have the population capacity to successfully "seed" new colonies and it is a needless delay to route them from another yard into the homeworld. Also, colonies will be more useful early on than large fleets.

Those small worlds'll also be breeding more population, which you can always skim off to build up those juicier worlds as you find them.

rdouglass · #5 December 20th, 2000, 06:06 PM

I agree with most things, but in addition I spend early research points on Stellar Harnessing. It gives you extra range by getting Solar Collectors and later extra move points by getting Solar Sails.

However, I personally DO divide research points evenly. My reason: I do a lot of upgrading of my ships and don't want to upgrade just 1 or 2 components. This way, I can upgrade 3,4, or 5 components at a time. I also want to be researching many areas at once. I do not experience the "lost research points" discussed earlier in the thread - I think that has to do with the fact that I "repeat" the research areas.

Sessile · #6 December 29th, 2000, 04:04 AM

I generally pump research points into the applied research field, until I get the second level of research facilities. Tech is such an important advantage in the middlegame that it's worth the initial loss of advantage. The first tech you choose to rsearch receives whatever bonus you picked initially, and choosing AR first makes a big difference in your research curve. The question is, can you hold out against the rest of the creepies till then? Well, CSM escorts can be cranked out pretty quickly, and you should also colonize like mad-- whoever has the biggest facility base in the middlegame will have the overwhleming advantage, since that player will be able to out-produce and research the others. If you have the initial jump in research, you can skew more of the facilities to production, which in turn allows you bigger fleets.

------------------
If it floats and it don't say quack, sink it.

Resident Alien · #7 December 29th, 2000, 04:17 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Sessile:
I generally pump research points into the applied research field, until I get the second level of research facilities. Tech is such an important advantage in the middlegame that it's worth the initial loss of advantage. The first tech you choose to rsearch receives whatever bonus you picked initially, and choosing AR first makes a big difference in your research curve. The question is, can you hold out against the rest of the creepies till then? Well, CSM escorts can be cranked out pretty quickly, and you should also colonize like mad-- whoever has the biggest facility base in the middlegame will have the overwhleming advantage, since that player will be able to out-produce and research the others. If you have the initial jump in research, you can skew more of the facilities to production, which in turn allows you bigger fleets.

I like the idea of getting Research II early, will try next time.

Here's an example of a research sequence for discussion. This was in a Large Map (175 system) Low Tech start, one planet, Psychic Technology.

Ship (Frigate), Proj Wep, Physics, Psychic Studies, Industry, Proj Wep, Ship (Destroyer), Psychic Study, Proj Wep, computers, psychic weapons, Ship (Light Cruiser), Construction, Mines, Mill Sci, Psychic Tech, Psychic Wep, Astophysics, Stellar Harn, Shields, Point Defense, Sensor, combat support [2405.4]

Also picked up stuff from ruins that helped including one of the other colonization techs.

Had lots of fun with Psychic weapons later on in this game. With Alliance Subverter you can steal the enemy fleets as you attack them. Your fleet gets bigger, they get smaller and you use their ships against them. Nice. And you can send the interesting ones back to get analyzed to steal the tech as well.