FAQ...First 50 turns

rdouglass · #1 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 · #2 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.

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

Resident Alien · #3 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.

Nyx · #4 December 29th, 2000, 07:17 PM

I have never yet built an exploration ship. I build exclusively colony ships and I explore with them. I don't build anythign else until I get destroyer hulls. The AI loves to attack my worlds, which I enjoy because the first thing I build on each is a Small Weapon Platform with capital ship missiles. That ends up costing the AI a ton of early production. I tend to get a massive early lead on even other humans with this technique. I vary this, depending on how many colonizable worlds are in my starting system, by sometimes building a base shipyard or two early on. If I've got several good worlds I can get three shipyards (one on my homeworld, and two in space) cranking out colony ships. I like to put my homeworld on emergency build and that gets me a colony ship per turn for the first year. It's an insurmountable lead against the AI and slow humans. It's risky against humans who are aggressive early on. Especially if they know I'm going to do it.

In research, I go for Point Defense Weapons, armor (unless I'm playing with Crystal or Organic Tech), and boarding parties. If I have a special technology, I'll pick it up early on, often in the first couple turns.

[This message has been edited by Nyx (edited 29 December 2000).]

Tomgs · #5 December 29th, 2000, 10:53 PM

Well for me exploration ships are a must to find the best colonizable worlds. The colony ships are slow and have a much shorter range so they can't find good planets as easily expecially if you are worried that they will run out of supplies after the first 2 or 3 moves. I also build many colonizer ships but by the time they are built they can go directly to a colonizable world because I already know where they are. I usually build the colonizer ships at my homeworld and build exploration ships after the first couple of ships on those first few non-breathable worlds that you need to colonize at the begining of the game. In the early game there are not many turns that I am not building colonization ships on my homeworlds but I usually end up with many exploration ships anyway. Especially if I meet another race early.

Psitticine · #6 December 30th, 2000, 12:23 AM

I also rely heavily on exploration ships in the early game. If there is a plum world in my starting system, then I'll build a colony ship for it, but otherwise, my first building project is usually an explorer. Then I'll start cranking out colony ships to fill the homesystem and to be ready to take advantage of any breathable or special-tech worlds my explorers find.

Nyx · #7 December 30th, 2000, 12:44 AM

quote:
Well for me exploration ships are a must to find the best colonizable worlds. The colony ships are slow and have a much shorter range so they can't find good planets as easily expecially if you are worried that they will run out of supplies after the first 2 or 3 moves.

That's not even remotely true. Colony ships move only one square per turn slower than a warship: 5 instead of 6. That's barely noticeable. And since they don't need to turn around and refuel (they're on a 1-way trip) they can go just under twice as far as a warship on an exploration mission (That extra engine holds 500 more supplies). Escorts/frigates can go through two warp points before they need to turn around (three if you give them extra supply pods instead of weapons or your refueling station is very close to a warp point). Colony ships get three or four before they are reduced to moving one space per turn. Except in an ancient galaxy, I'd always rather explore with colonies over escorts.