Escorting and using AA's

[lbores]

1) Do you escort them or do you let them take their chances?

2) Are you a dyed in the wool 'only use for techs' kind of player or will you dump them into the material pool to push an SP?
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by lbores (edited February 18, 2001).]</font>

[Slaghead]

I rarely escort them. If they don't have to travel through fungus to get to the nearest base, I let 'em go on their own. If there is fungus in the way, I'll either escort them, or have them hold where they are until I get a colony pod to build a base close to them, or am able to send a transport to pick them up.

Also, I only use them for techs. I used to use them as soon as I got them (or had a network node available to use them on), but now I wait until the end and rush through the final techs to transcend.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

AA's almost always get used to build one of first round SP's. Techs can be gotten/stolen etc, but SP's are a one time shot. For that reason I'll try to cash in AA's Ogre's (specially onc damaged) all to get the all important SP's. Plus in the early game I'm looking to beeline to specific techs. Getting a tech I don't want meand delaying my objective to IA or restriction lifting or clean reactors etc. Since many of those AA's are captured early on I figure put them to best advantage ASAP (read turn advantage).

Later finds of AA's go to techs once industrial might has been established and beelines aren't as critical.

Since most of my games are directed research This seems to make good sense. USing blind tho' one might have other priorities, alto' early SP builds seem to me still to make best sense.

Og
[This message has been edited by Ogie Oglethorpe (edited February 18, 2001).]

[cbn]

I agree with Ogie on his points. The only thing I also do sometimes is to hang on to the AA s for an "artificial" tech lead. The strategy is to research/probe yourself to tech parity. Once you have EVERY tech that that any of the AI factions have, you "tech boom" by cashing a whole bunch of AAs. I once had 8 carefully saved AAs to pop. Among the 8 techs, I got MMI, Fusion and orbital spaceflight. I had ensured that I had excellent probe defence before "tech booming" so as not to have the advantage stolen away. In the case of the 8 tech lead, I promptly abandoned research and went military rushbuilding all kinds of fusion choppers and drop units. AI factions never had a chance.

More generally, before crawlers are available, I will cash AAs to get Secret Projects if I can. I play blind research so the AA won't foul up a beeline but I take the view that the SP is a one time thing. Whatever tech the AI might provide is likely oneyou would have stolen sooner or later anyway

[Skanderbeg]

1) I alway escort them. They are to valuable to loose them.
In my first games I have lost a lot through mindworms, and I have learned from that. As soon as an unit finds an AA, it has the duty to excort it home.

2) In early game I use them mainly for SP's, in mid and late game for techs.

"Steelborn, Starborn"

[DilithiumDad]

I usually follow cbn's strategy of waiting for tech parity before cashing AA's usually getting fusion or MMi as a result and entering the mid game phase early. (Mid-game starts with fusion)

I also use AA's for SP's, especially in multiplayer where the compeition for SP's is more intense. But it depends on the project. Of the early ones, only the Weather Paradigm really merits an AA, or Virtual World if playing University.