Please help a newbie

[Ograhn]

I have several questions. I have only played a couple of maps.

1) Secret Projects - I have noticed that if another faction gets a SP first, my research on that project STOPS. Are secret projects strictly early bird gets the worm? Can I get that SP later by researching it again?

2) Neddlejets - I noticed that some of them were able to attack enemy base units and some weren't "unit lacks that ability". Why? Is it the wrong weapon or what?

3) Attack - Why are some attack rating numbers in parentheses, ie "(4)/1/1" and why do some have a "~" next to them?

4) Diplomacy - How do I give a unit to another faction that I have a pact with?

5) Weapon Effectiveness - I have noticed that some attacks that bomb the target rather than "shoot" the target, don't do much damage even though they have a higher attack rating than other units. Why? How can I use this type of attack (bombs) effectively?

6) Game setup - Any advice on how to set up a good game for a newbie? (Faction, scenario or random map, etc)

I really appreciate the help, and THANK YOU for this board. :-)

[WhiteElephants]

Just a note on airpower and artillery:

You can use both to target terrain improvements such as sensors or boreholes or bunkers (or whatever farms, forests, etc) as long as no other unit is in the square you target. There is a chance that an improvement in the targeted square will be destroyed, but I don't know how this is determined. Airpower can target specific improvements, artillery cannot.

[Kirnwaffen]

I use artillery a lot as the pirates both to weaken defending units in a base I want, and to aid my own defenders when I'm outnumbered. I once had a base that survived because of artillery. Artillery in conjunction with air power is an awesome combination offensively or defensively. As for game set up, I'm also all for the Peacekeepers on a huge map in classic, and the Pirates on a huge map for crossfire.

[Fitz]

1) Secret Projects - I have noticed that if another faction gets a SP first, my research on that project STOPS. Are secret projects strictly early bird gets the worm? Can I get that SP later by researching it again?

No. First come first serve. However, you can ignore the message and keep pumping minerals into the obselete research. This is only useful if you don't have any SP to research at the moment, but expect to get the tech for one later. When you can, switch to the new one. The reason to do this is that you lose minerals if you switch a SP to anything other than another SP.

2) Needlejets - I noticed that some of them were able to attack enemy base units and some weren't "unit lacks that ability". Why? Is it the wrong weapon or what?

If there are no units left in the base (as designated by a clear population #, as oppossed to solid) your problem was that jets cannot conquer an empty base, only ground forces can do that. Just move a ground unit into the empty base.

3) Attack - Why are some attack rating numbers in parentheses, ie "(4)/1/1" and why do some have a "~" next to them?
Those designate special abilities. (#) means artillery, ~ means marine (can attack bases from transports, <#> means SAM or air superiority. Some defenders have similar things for their defense numbers ( <#> Anti-air, t = trance, r = res armor, etc.)

4) Diplomacy - How do I give a unit to another faction that I have a pact with?
Right click on the unit if it is within the Pact factions territory, select action, select turn over unit.

5) Weapon Effectiveness - I have noticed that some attacks that bomb the target rather than "shoot" the target, don't do much damage even though they have a higher attack rating than other units. Why? How can I use this type of attack (bombs) effectively?
These are artillery units: (#). You can right click on the enemy if you are within two squares of him and select 'long range fire here'. Try not to let them get adjacent to enemy units. If you bombard an enemy, he cannot heal (great for attacking bases), but artillery isn't very effective unsopported by other units.

6) Game setup - Any advice on how to set up a good game for a newbie? (Faction, scenario or random map, etc) Play a huge world so conflict is late in the game. Take the peacekeepers if you don't really like the look of a specific faction (they were probably the baseline faction.


Note: If a needle jet has the air superiority ability (the attack power looks like <6> instead of just 6) then it gets a -50% attack against ground forces. Only SAM ground units can attack needlejets, and only airsuperiority needlejets can attack other needlejets. You can design ground units with SAM in the design workshop (u on the keyboard). Just add air superiority to a ground unit IIRC.

Edit: Misunderstood the needlejet question, so I rearranged my post a little.
[This message has been edited by Fitz (edited October 27, 2000).]

[Kirnwaffen]

BTW, you can also turn over units by pressing Ctrl+Shift+U. You can also release mind worms into the wild, which provides some interesting possibilities for covert warfare...

[mark13]

Yep, release mind worms near a newly-founded base, and chuckle to your heart's content when you realise they no longer exist....

I *think* a sea unit has a 50% chance of destroying a random enhancement, as do land artillery units, and air units have a 75% chance of destroying a specific enhancement. Land units in a square can destroy any enhancement at will....but at the cost of movement/attack....

[weird god]

why not keeping the worms? unless they have to be supported.....they may attack you as well! or don´t they, i never did it..

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mankind made alcohol, god made weed.....whom do you trust?

weird god, chief of EUROPA

[WhiteElephants]

Weird God -- By releasing the worms you can select which city they attack by moving them close to that city, but one of the biggest advantages is that you don't have to be at war with the faction that you realease the mindworm near and if you have their datalinks infiltrated you can suprise them at an undefended city. They are also a real pain for factions running free market. And, most likely, your opponent won't know who did it.

[weird god]

oohhhh.....this is of course a strong argument, thx

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mankind made alcohol, god made weed.....whom do you trust?

weird god, chief of EUROPA

[mark13]

Does anyone know how you do this if there is a forest in the way? Mind worms don't like forests, and if a base is nearest, but requires trundling through forest, what happens to it?