Some questions about the accelerated start

[Fromage]

I thought about using accelerated start in some MC game, but I don't really know how it works.

1. Can I choose which techs I will get? I didn't get to choose in single player, but I heard someone had the option in MC game.

2. In single player there was on secret project ready in my city. Is there anyway to choose which one you get or is it some random SP?

3. Does anyone usually have accelerated start in MC game and is it wise?

Thanks.

[Method]

i don't know what you mean by MC, and i havn't used accelerated start in a long time, as far as i know, you can't pick your techs, and IIRC, the game chooses what SP you get based on your faction. i did it one time as morgan, i got the merchant exchange, gaians got the weather paradigm, university got human genome, etc. i don't ever use it though because i don't like the way the AI terraforms or its base spacing. as a matter of fact i don't like the way the AI does anything.

[Fromage]

Ups. Sorry. I meant multi player, so MC = MP

Well, perhaps it's better to forget the accelerated start and just add extra colony pod for everyone.

[big_canuk]

We did an accelerated MP start in Oktoberfist III.

It worked real well. With directed research, you do get to pick your techs.

It seemed to me, that the first one to discover a SP tech, was more likely to get that SP. As the Hive, I got the PTS. I started with loyalty, and did not get the CN.
I discovered Plan networks on the way, but the PKs got the VW, probably because they beat me to Plan nets.

Googlie got the HGP as 'borgs, possibly because he chose Biogen as his first, or one of his first techs. Is that right Googlie.

Redfred got the ME, as Morgan. Hmmm... He started with that and got it. I started with loyalty, and did not get the CN. Seems there is some variability. Also, Xwaste(then WE) started with centari ecology as gaians, and got the WP.

I can't remember what SPs Tau as Drones, or Jschwab as UoP got to start. UoP maybe none(he ended up with the CDF, but I don't know if he got that on the start).

I'll leave a note in the thread, and maybe the others can fill in the gaps, and correct me. Heh.

bc

[Tau Ceti]

Actually, RedFred got the Command Nexus and I got the Merchant Exchange. Jschwab did indeed start with the CDF.

It is always the same seven projects that are distributed, one in each player's capital:

Weather Paradigm
Merchant Exchange
Human Genome Project
Command Nexus
Virtual World
Planetary Transit System
Citizens' Defense Force

As far as I know these are distributed randomly - you do not even need to have the tech for yours (as is quite often the case with the CDF).

Accelerated start begins between 30 and 80 years after Planetfall. The medium-to-late starts seem to work best; 2130 starts will easily be heavily unbalanced in favour of whomever gets the PTS. In all cases, you end up with a horribly mismanaged empire with widespread starvation, little terraforming to speak of apart from roads connecting your cities and the odd farm on a flat arid square, and massive drone riots on the first turn. It is interesting, though. I would have liked to try a couple more accelerated start games.

[big_canuk]

Originally posted by big_canuk
and correct me. Heh.

[spartak]

Its not worth the effort - sur eit saves som,e time but all you do is waste the time you saved fixing the AIs mistakes.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

It normally is considred another way to make the game a bit harder for Single Play. SInce humans can easily aquire most if not all or at least the SP's in the early game the accelerated start evens the score a bit. On the other hand it helps out those factions with a normally slower start IMHO. So say beleivers/Miriam with research penalty aren't fast out of the blocks normally, with a accelerated start they are kept on par with every one else.