SEIV Gold - new player

[sparhawk45]

I played SE3 for years, loved it. Just got SE4Gold. I was hoping for a couple of tips. 1) I have played several games using the Cluster Quadrant and had the option checked for all warp points to be connected & large map. Twice now I have gone exploring, and found myself isolated in a cluster segment with no way to move to another without having warp point technology. Has anyone encounted this. Is is a bug, glitch, or what? 2) In a few of the post I have read before registering to this board I have seeen the comment that the manual to SE4Gold is less than adaquate. I agreee. I am unable to figure out the benefit of selecting a "colony type" when colonizing a new planet. Any help here? 3) As I remember in SE3 you could select a specific number of computer players to be in a game. It appears in this Version that is pretty much up to the program based on your selection of "low, med., high". True or False? If you can manipulate that, How?
Overall, I love the game. But I am finding it more difficult to win one. Seems I am not the only one with that opinion.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
Sparhawk45

[TerranC]

1. If you click No warp points (even with all warp points connected) It will not create any warp points.

1a. Clusters are connected to each other clusters only through one warp point; maybe it got cut off by natural reasons?

2. There is absolutely NO benefit really. It only gives your facility construction minister guidelines planet to planet on what type of facilities to construct on this planet so you wouldnt have to do it. (really helpful)

I.E. Mining planets will build Mining facilities, Mineral Scanners, Monolith Facilities, Maybe some research compound, mineral storage compound and anything else that deals with production and Minerals.

3. You can add them manually by selecting "add existing" button near the players setup.

[ 28 March 2002: Message edited by: TerranC ]

[Suicide Junkie]

Settings.txt contains the range for each amount.

You can set "low" to mean exactly four AIs if you like.

[Skulky]

beg to differ on the colony type thing... just click onwhatever is the best for that planet then and then when you have your 100+ planet empire rolling and want ot see whereyour reaserach planets are just organize it by type in the planets window (dont' bother changing them when you change the planet it is just a pain in the ***)

[Dracus]

The ministers do use the planet type to determine what to build, if you use ministers. They will not use any user added types unless you mod the proper AI data in the AI build files

[mac5732]

#3 like TerranC stated, you can add them by picking add existing races, plus, you can add some and still have the AI pick others as to low med and high and thus you could have more races some of which you know/picked, and others the computer picked.

enjoy

just some ideas mac