Military Strategies

[Archaic]

Originally posted by Scorpi40000
If we get The Virtual World and get a network node in every base wouldn't we be able to have at least one needlejet in each base? Or is those drone suppressors going to help with city growth?

Possible yes, but not worth it. It'd kill Golden Ages. At least as far as the Home Guard, where we don't need to build up forces on a massive scale and need them for use straight away (unless attacked of course), it's certainly easier to have them all supported from a central location.

[arginine]

If we are concerned about unhappiness drones from overseas military units, get the HGP (which we plan to) make a few size 1 bases, home some crawlers to that base then stick them on mines, then home the offending military units, then let them go wild. I have determined that this works experimentally. Give the base a children's creche to take care of the - morale penalties. Beware that all positive effects of morale are still halved (that sucks)

My military skills are limited, so I'll stay short and simple:

"War is a continuation of policy through other means" - Karl von Clausewitz

Our early game wars should be for 2 reasons: 1) Compell AIs to pact with us for relatively low costs, thus bringing in trade. 2) Try to reduce the spoils of conquest by our fellow humans (Spartans come to mind). I guess the best way to achieve this would be to wage proxy wars through our AI allies. We could provide critical techs, and have some of our units on their front lines, doing things to assist our intellectually challenged silicon based business partners.

[Scorpi40000]

Originally posted by Mead


I was hoping for a lot more than 1 jet per base, although we should concentrate our construction at those bases, high in minerals, that have a AC and bio enhancment center.

If we go on the offensive, then I would like a LOT of aircraft, plus the necessary drop probes, drop rovers, and drop garrisons.

Mead

But since 'copters can't attack bases we wont get a terribly big offensive advantage by getting MMI before everyone else. If we go on offensive with D:AP before the others get it we might get a little of that advantage right?

[jtsisyoda]

Good point. The sooner we attack after getting DAP, the longer it will be before they can counterattack with planes.

[Mead]

Originally posted by Scorpi40000


But since 'copters can't attack bases we wont get a terribly big offensive advantage by getting MMI before everyone else. If we go on offensive with D:AP before the others get it we might get a little of that advantage right?

I think MMI gives you drop units as well as choppers.

You can go on an air based offensive before MMI but would have to use other fast moving units to occupy the emptied cities (Rovers and elite units).

There may be a small window of oppurtunity of a few years where we have a monoploy on DAP.

We will know more as the game developes.


Mead

[Scorpi40000]

Why not start making alot of really expensive units some turns before D:AP and then switching the production to needlejets? Or is it better to just wait and rush buy?

[Chaunk]

It's best to do the following:

Build a load of crawlers ready to cash in at D:AP or MMI or whatever.

Use the crawlers to produce a prototype in one base. A 6-1-10 is 6 rows I think, so 2 crawlers? Could be very wrong on that.

Use other crawlers to complete the other units to normal cost. Make sure the completed unit is in the first base built (Morgan Industries in this case)

The other units (As well as the prototype) are then all completed in one turn, using the power of crawlers.

The advantage of this is that the crawlers can be build before the tech is aquired. It really comes into it's own when building 14 PB's or somesuch in one turn.

[jtsisyoda]

The key is that crawlers are worth their full mineral value when cashing in for prototypes.

A general point... the sooner we have the right information, such as map data and infiltration, the sooner we can make a decision on what kind of battle(s) we want to fight.

[Rubin]

Fellow members of the board, as Chief Security Officer of the Security Department it is my duty to present at least a brief outline of my evaluation of our military strategies.

I believe we should take full advantage of our superior economy throughout the initial phases of military deployment. This suggests that covert operations should found the backbone of our initial defensive measures. Combined with emphasis on exploring our territorial perimeter and scouting for foreign forces and settlements we should be able to acquire sufficient intelligence to provide for less hypothetical defensive and offensive military speculations while being able to seize control of most unexpected enemy troops advancing toward our settlements--or at least stall these advancements--allowing us to initiate additional defensive measures.

Depending on our terratorial planning future base sites and harvesting areas should ideally be constantly monitored by Sensor Arrays giving us a highly efficient early warning system. However, such endeavors are to be closely coordinated with the Manufacturing Department.

I would like to stress the importance of gathering as much intelligence as possible--as soon as possible.

Future military considerations largely depend on our overall strategy with regards to all departments.

Director Rubin
Chief Security Officer

[arginine]

The darked out map says we are on a peninsula, which leads into Hive territory. Until we get a transport, which can come from a lucky pod, or the more likely building of ships once we get doc: mob and doc: flex, we will be stuck here. Building any units will require resources which will be needed for pods and former, and then crawlers when we go for the SPs... I figured once we got the SPs, we would turn outwards. If this turning outward can be done now, and cheaply, I am for it.

We could try to sneak a probe team (or another fast unit) through hive territory in hopes of meeting (and then probing) the other human factions, but that runs a high chance of meeting Yang, and his demands.

[Mead]

Originally posted by Rubin
Fellow members of the board, as Chief Security Officer of the Security Department it is my duty to present at least a brief outline of my evaluation of our military strategies.

I believe we should take full advantage of our superior economy throughout the initial phases of military deployment. This suggests that covert operations should found the backbone of our initial defensive measures. Combined with emphasis on exploring our territorial perimeter and scouting for foreign forces and settlements we should be able to acquire sufficient intelligence to provide for less hypothetical defensive and offensive military speculations while being able to seize control of most unexpected enemy troops advancing toward our settlements--or at least stall these advancements--allowing us to initiate additional defensive measures.

***

I would like to stress the importance of gathering as much intelligence as possible--as soon as possible.

***

Director Rubin
Chief Security Officer

It is good to hear Rubin's presence.


I agree with him that we need good intel.

Although I have only a very limited experiance at playing Morgan (I only really started playing him in SP after I joined this faction), I have learned that creating a large number of probes and ship probes are cheap to maintain and allow a lot of exploration. They also allow you to catch up to your opponents in research in any one turn.


Mead

[Mead]

Originally posted by arginine
***
We could try to sneak a probe team (or another fast unit) through hive territory in hopes of meeting (and then probing) the other human factions, but that runs a high chance of meeting Yang, and his demands.

It is almost certain that our probe would encounter Yang.

Let's consider positioning a couple in good places for the passage (one in each directionto the other human players), but hold off until we actully meet Yang.

I have got a feeling that it will not be that long.


Mead

Hopefully we'll have probes by then.

[jtsisyoda]

Here is some handy info on Morale:

SE Morale and it's effect on unit morale:

-2 : -1 Morale, and positive modifiers halved
-1 : -1 Morale
0 : N/A
1 : +1 Morale
2 : +1 Morale, +2 Morale on defense
3 : +2 Morale

Unit Morale:

-1 Very Green -12.5%
0 Green +0%
+1 Disciplined +12.5%
+2 Hardened +25%
+3 Veteran +37.5%
+4 Commando +50%
+5 Elite +62.5% and an extra movement point

Many things affect morale:

Wealth: -2 SE Morale
Fundy: +1 SE Morale
Monolith: +1 unit Morale
Trained: +1 unit Morale (available with Intellectual Integrity)
Command Center: +2 ground unit Morale (available with Mobility, or Loyalty w/Command Nexus)
Children's Creche: +1 Morale inside the base and no negative modifiers
Bioenhancement Center: +2 any unit Morale (available with Neural Grafting, or MMI w/Cyborg Factory)
Aerospace Complex: +2 air unit Morale (available with DAP, or MMI w/Cloudbase Academy)

Check this out:

Fundy/Green/Wealth (-1)
Command Nexus (net +1)
Cyborg Factory (net +3)
Trained (net +4)
Monolith (net +5) = Elite Infantry

Elite Plasma Missile Infantry would have 11.25 weapon strength against a base and 6.375 defense strength defending a base.

One beauty of the "Trained" special ability is that you can build a cheap Trained Scout, hit the monolith, head to the front lines, and then upgrade to Drop AAA, Drop ECM, or Drop Trance, and keep the Trained morale upgrade, even though you dumped the ability.

Another beauty of the Trained shell is that you don't need Cmd Nexus or Cyborg Fac, you just need a couple bases with the facilities to churn out massive numbers of Trained Scouts. We can do this for Garrisons as well as Shock Troops.

[Chaunk]

Great post jt, but I'd like to make a few corrections... The Morale SE settings are slightly different -3 or lower : MoraleSE+1 Morale (so -3 gives -2 Morale) and positive modifiers halved -2 : -1 Morale, and positive modifiers halved -1 : -1 Morale 0 : N/A 1 : +1 Morale 2 : +1 Morale, +2 Morale on defense 3 : +2 Morale, +3 Morale on defense 4 : +3 Morale Unit Morale: -1 Very Green -25% 0 Green -12.5% +1 Disciplined +0% +2 Hardened +12.5% +3 Veteran +25% +4 Commando +37.5% +5 Elite +50% and an extra movement point The lowest Morale a unit can have is -1, so a prototype is always green or better. However, you can have SE that makes Morale lower, and that does make a difference later. Many things affect morale: Wealth: -2 SE Morale Fundy: +1 SE Morale Power: +2 SE Morale Eudaimic: -2 SE Morale Monolith: +1 unit Morale Trained: +1 unit Morale (available with Intellectual Integrity) Command Center: +2 ground unit Morale (available with Mobility, or Loyalty w/Command Nexus) Children's Creche: +1 Morale inside the base and no negative modifiers Bioenhancement Center: +2 any unit Morale (available with Neural Grafting, or MMI w/Cyborg Factory) Aerospace Complex: +2 air unit Morale (available with DAP, or MMI w/Cloudbase Academy although not in this game) Check this out: Fundy/Green/Wealth (-1) Command Nexus (net +1) Cyborg Factory (net +3) Any two of the following three: Trained (net +4) Monolith (net +5) Children's Creche = Elite Infantry Elite Plasma Missile Infantry would have 11.25 weapon strength against a base and 5.625 defense strength defending a base assuming no sensor net. One beauty of the "Trained" special ability is that you can build a cheap Trained Scout, hit the monolith, head to the front lines, and then upgrade to Drop AAA, Drop ECM, or Drop Trance, and keep the Trained morale upgrade, even though you dumped the ability. Another beauty of the Trained shell is that you don't need Cmd Nexus or Cyborg Fac, you just need a couple bases with the facilities to churn out massive numbers of Trained Scouts. We can do this for Garrisons as well as Shock Troops. The Children's Creche (CC) in particullar is interesting as it's bonuses are many and varied. It gives +2 effic when working out energy loss due to inefficiency. It gives +2 growth. It's presence can trigger a population boom special event at a base (+small number of pop in one turn. I'm not 100% of the effect of this event.) It's most interesting effect is on Morale. Any defender in a base with a CC gets a positvie modifier equal to the negetive modifier usually given under that SE. For example, under -3 Morale, a unit will defend a base with a CC as Very Green (++) +12.5%. Green in the same situation is Green (++) +25%. It effectivly moves the unit up the morale scale fo that combat, and has the best effect with a massive negetive Morale. A CC will also give a unit +1 Morale. This is an extremely nice benefit and almost alone makes CCs essential. For a measly 1 e.c. upkeep the CC is probably the single best improvement in the game, allowing pop booming, and easy elites even when running bad Morale settings.

[jtsisyoda]

The red doesn't show up very well on my MOO3 blue background.

Infantry get +25% vs. a base. So, 10..25, not 9.

A Children's Creche doesn't help when you're invading a base.