Is Emergency Build useless?

[geoschmo]

When I first started playing SEIV I used Emergency build a lot. But it's been weakened so much in subsequent patches that I almost never do anymore. Does anyone else uses it anymore? If not, does that mean it's too weak now?

I just don't think the extra 50% you get during emergency build is worth the 75% hit you take during the slow period afterwards.

Opinions?

[ October 06, 2002, 14:27: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Rollo]

I still use it a lot. Depending on the game, I can use emergency build and churn out one colony ship or one base space yard per turn at the game start. It gives you a good base to build an empire on.
It is well balanced IMO.

Rollo

[Gimboid]

I agree, fast early expansion can be a decisive advantage in any game.

It can backfire for 2 reasons though. The first is what you have already mentioned with the 75% production penalty. the second is that if you expand rapidly and cant find enough mineral rich planets to support you then you are a sitting duck

[geoschmo]

What is the differance if you build ten ships in the first 10 turns and none in the next ten, or if you build 10 ships over the first two years? I could see if it was the differeance in 10 or 20 colnies. Do you really see a decisive differance in getting the same ten colonies a few turns faster?

Plus isn't the risk you run pretty substantial? What happens if an enemy race shows up about the time your homeworld heads into a 10 turn phase of slow build? You have no capacity then to throw up any sort of defenses. The enemy could attack with a couple of escorts and at the least blockade your homeworld. Wouldn't that about finish you off?

Geoschmo

[Gimboid]

If i have colonised planets earlier then you who developed slower then i will also have built up the infrastructure on those worlds to

My economy and research potential is bigger then yours by turn 20, and i can have my planets fully outfitted (with max facilities on each planet allowed) and producing WP, ships, whatever but also since those planets are fully outfitted they dont cost me minerals to develop anymore and i can divert those minerals to other uses like further expansion or ship production.

Therefore my entire empire is bigger then yours and has a lead in several areas faster by expanding this way.

The risk u mentioned is only slight, people using this strategy usually have space base yards built before emergency build wears off so they still have great potential to build ships to defend themselves. They can also retrofit the bases to have weapons to defend the homeworld...

Overall i'd say the risk is minimal because my production capacity far exceeds a player who doesnt do that, their one frigate is only an annoyance not the end of my civilisation

[Gimboid]

It is still a gamble though, i grant you that.

The emergency strategy can definately hurt you given the right set of circumstances