Moo2 newbie here, need help

MORON · August 15, 2004, 15:05

Okay, just a few questions

1. Do you lose tech if you switch tech mid way
2. Whats a good tech/build order early on? I usually go automated factory -> research lab -> colony base/scout/colonyship -> biosphere (if not LHW or subterranian) -> pollution processor/supercomp/colonybase -> climb chemistry tree to molecular construction/climb eng to robo miner
3. How does on win on impossible without unification plus some pop bounse (sub/lith/aqua?). I tried demo and it is just too weak early on and not worth +7. Fedual is okay for telepathic omni warlord rush on small maps, but not much else.

And why is it that the AI expands so fast early on. (I heard they don't have a build cost cheat, or do they?) Most of the time the Ai has three systems before I even expanded to two. Sakkra always grows huge early even though I dont know where they got the production for colony ships.

4. Do you trade your good tech (tech a few generation ahead of the comp, like sci androids when comp don't even have autolab) and grab lots of lesser teachs (eg. dautless/missile base/heavy armor) from everyone or jealously hoard them when not playing creative?

vmxa1 · August 16, 2004, 00:28

Originally posted by MORON
Okay, just a few questions

1. Do you lose tech if you switch tech mid way
2. Whats a good tech/build order early on? I usually go automated factory -> research lab -> colony base/scout/colonyship -> biosphere (if not LHW or subterranian) -> pollution processor/supercomp/colonybase -> climb chemistry tree to molecular construction/climb eng to robo miner
3. How does on win on impossible without unification plus some pop bounse (sub/lith/aqua?). I tried demo and it is just too weak early on and not worth +7. Fedual is okay for telepathic omni warlord rush on small maps, but not much else.

And why is it that the AI expands so fast early on. (I heard they don't have a build cost cheat, or do they?) Most of the time the Ai has three systems before I even expanded to two. Sakkra always grows huge early even though I dont know where they got the production for colony ships.

4. Do you trade your good tech (tech a few generation ahead of the comp, like sci androids when comp don't even have autolab) and grab lots of lesser teachs (eg. dautless/missile base/heavy armor) from everyone or jealously hoard them when not playing creative?

#1 is no.
#2 is very tricky. So many things can alter your path, mainly what is my race and what is my map size. Is it prewarp or normal or advance.

If prewarp, I probably want the fly techs soon, but not always.
So basically I want RL soonest and then AF. Where to squeeze in the fly techs.

#3 how about Telepathic, Warlord, Trans Dimensional, Omniscient, RHW, Feudal, Repulsive just to name one on a impossible, large galaxy, normal tech, normal galaxy age, random events on.

vmxa1 · August 16, 2004, 00:46

Originally posted by MORON
Okay, just a few questions

And why is it that the AI expands so fast early on. (I heard they don't have a build cost cheat, or do they?) Most of the time the Ai has three systems before I even expanded to two. Sakkra always grows huge early even though I dont know where they got the production for colony ships.

4. Do you trade your good tech (tech a few generation ahead of the comp, like sci androids when comp don't even have autolab) and grab lots of lesser teachs (eg. dautless/missile base/heavy armor) from everyone or jealously hoard them when not playing creative?

#4 I normally play as a repulsive to disallow any trading with the AI. I feel it is to easy to use demand and trades to exploit the AI.

They do no have a cost boost, you have a research burden. They also can have extra racial traits above the norm. IOW you can have 10 plus the 10 for you negative picks. So 20 pick and 10 minus. The AI can have 28 or more picks.

Sakkra will have Feudal Aqua Sub LHW +100 growth +1 food.

They will get pop like crazy and cheap ships so they will be one of the fastest expanders in the game.

Brutalisk · August 22, 2004, 18:20

quote]"1. Do you lose tech if you switch tech mid way"[/quote]

No, you don't, BUT research points do not overflow. If for example you needed 50 more research points to get the tech and you used 100rp, the 50 excess WILL be lost.

"2. Whats a good tech/build order early on? I usually go automated factory -> research lab -> colony base/scout/colonyship -> biosphere (if not LHW or subterranian) -> pollution processor / supercomp/colonybase -> climb chemistry tree to molecular construction/climb eng to robo miner"

Go for research lab first, then automated factories.

"3. How does on win on impossible without unification plus some pop bounse (sub/lith/aqua?). I tried demo and it is just too weak early on and not worth +7. Fedual is okay for telepathic omni warlord rush on small maps, but not much else."

Tech races can also win, experiment a bit, learn the game a bit better. Get some quick basic-war techs and you'll see you can handle the AI very easily.

"And why is it that the AI expands so fast early on. (I heard they don't have a build cost cheat, or do they?) Most of the time the Ai has three systems before I even expanded to two. Sakkra always grows huge early even though I dont know where they got the production for colony ships."

They don't cheat, but in impossible and ahrd setting they have "extra picks". SOmetimes that translates to more positive ones, sometimes it translates to less negative ones. For example, the Sakkra might have extra production bonus or growth or something else added to their existing standard picks. The opposite occurs in the two easier settings. The only setting that picks ar elevel is the medium/average setting.

"4. Do you trade your good tech (tech a few generation ahead of the comp, like sci androids when comp don't even have autolab) and grab lots of lesser teachs (eg. dautless/missile base/heavy armor) from everyone or jealously hoard them when not playing creative?"

Well, you are reffering to ResearchPoint Value. Depending on your strategy, tech swaps usually help if youa re getting the techs you want by the AI. Afterall the AI is not as intelligent as you and won't put some of the techs you give it, esp ship-techs to THAT much of a good use. In general though it's best to try and give only useless techs... hmm such as bioterminators or security labs etc if you happen to have them.

Croesus · September 1, 2004, 12:26

I think I beat the AI on a large pre warp impossible with a dem-lith race. what I did was sit and reasearch until I had neutrons (I think), then I expanded. It was a harder game. Yes it is easier with uni-tol + something (I recommend warlord and build tons of ships, or do +p LHW and use taxes to support your ships).

Also for tech, I have the same question, what is good? I do RL first if I am unitol because then I can get free research for 1 gold. I get AF's instead of heavy armor, and all my ships have reinforced hulls.

What is recommended, deutrium fuel cells or tritanium armor? I have noticed that transport ships can't get extended fuel, so even equiping most of your battle ships with exfuel still makes it impossible to invade(yes I invade, is that 'cheating' because I love the extra bonus the comp gets), unless you use an outpost ship.

My experience has been that armor is better in the early game if you are uni-tol and are remotely close to anyone, because it will make your ships last longer.