Economic victory, I need some info ...

[Misotu]

OK, so the basis for an economic victory is reportedly equivalent to the cost of mind-controlling every base on Planet with the exception of your own. I know that much

Now ... more information please.

If I decide to go for an economic victory, how do I find out how much it will cost me? Before I go for it, I need to have some idea of whether it's feasible. How can I tell? Can I tell?

If someone else (AI or MP) decides to go for it, do I know? Does the game notify me? And if so, can I find out more info (like how much they need, and so on) ?

Any information much appreciated ...

[Black Sunrise]

Easy. After you have the required tech, hit the comma key. ","
It'll tell you how much you need.

Black Sunrise
after you corner, you still play 20 more turns, and get to stay alive during that time. plan accordingly!

[Misotu]

Hmm. Well I tried it out on one of my games, and I swear it behaved differently to the last time but honestly this isn't something I've done at all in the past.

So I hit ',' and it says: Insufficient energy. xxx energy credits required to corner the global market. We currently have only x credits.

It sounds like an error message - just as when I try to rush-build a facility and I don't have the energy to do it.

There's no indication that I have initiated the 20-year countdown - have I done so? If so, can I cancel it?

[Black Sunrise]

You need more money. Thats the message you get when you dont have enough cash. When you do, and hit , you'll get a different message.

[Deimos]

The amount can and does change from turn to turn. I had one game recently where I was chasing a rapidly rising number for quite a number of turns, then it began to varry in a range of +/- 10% until I started the countdown.

Essentially, that's what happens when you corner the market, it lets everyone know that the game will be over in 20 years, unless someone else wins by another method or wipes the market cornering faction out.

[Misotu]

Right, now I see where I'm getting confused. I thought it gave you 20 years to *get* the cash ... but you're saying that you can't start the 20-year countdown until you have enough cash?

And that everyone else is notified that you've cornered the market and will win the game in 20 years.

OK. It's clear now - thanks

[mark13]

quote: And that everyone else is notified that you've cornered the market and will win the game in 20 years.

.....so everyone frantically declares vendetta and tries to destroy your HQ, thereby foiling your scheme.

Hope it's clear(er) now

[Misotu]

Oh it is, it is

One thing I can tell you Mark - I won't be trying this in ACT021.

(Rolls around the floor helplessly laughing. Or crying. Or something )

[Deimos]

Misotu,

Your welcome I'm glad I was able to help.

[mark13]

Thanks, Mis,

Funnily enough, I hadn't banked on it anyways.

The reason it changes, I think, is because by that time, plenty of factions are generally at war with each other, and so are busy sabotaging facilities etc. to decrease the cost of economic victory and play right into your hands (as ever).

Morgan, by the way, did try to do it in one of my SP games, however, considering I had about 10 shard rovers parked on his doorstep, it probably wasn't one of his wisest decisions to date.

*sigh*

[Misotu]

Yes, I had someone look at trying for an early economic victory in one of my MP games. He was Morgan, of course. As luck would have it, I started my pop boom just a couple of turns after he'd switched to 100% economy to try to make the cash required ... so of course, the cost rose exponentially each turn, and he gave up.

None of this made sense to me at the time, but it does now ... very lucky, the timing of that boom. I'd love to pretend it was skill, but it wasn't, heh. So early in the game, taking him down would have been tricky, to say the least.

[Misotu]

And Mark, I'm only resisting the temptation in ACT021 as a personal favour to you and WE.

[Black Sunrise]

It also changes because all the bases are growing, adding facilities, adding units. So every city is becoming more expensive as time goes on.
If you had the techs, you could go for economic victory on about turn 30, on acount of all the cities being size 1 or 2.

[mark13]

Oh, Mis, I didn't know you cared......

I'm playing a game now in the middle of an economic victory attempt by Morgan. The Hive and I are sandwiching him, but his bases are extremely well defended - it's going to be touch and go as to whether we can stop him.....

[Gregurabi]

Also bear in mind that cities cost half as much to bribe when they're rioting.

If you're trying to lower the price of some enemy cities, either wait until they switch to Free Market and therefore face a lot of drone riots (assuming they're not prescient enough to take precautions), or incite drone riots yourself. (Destroying psych facilities works pretty well....)

I just did an economic victory last week (my first one). By the time I had enough money to do it, the game was basically over, and I was bored to tears waiting out that 20 turns. I picked up the techs for transcendence during that time, and I certainly had the military muscle to have conquered the world during that time... but since I wanted to see the economic victory, I had to sit there... and sit there... and sit there....

(I imagine it's a bit more exciting in multiplayer.)