Breaking the IA Bee-line

[livid imp]

What are the techs (if any) you will detour off the IA Bee-line for, and why?

[Jamski]

Bioengineering for rectanks if playing as Morgan (you can rush them in the first 2 bases with starting cash reserves)

Otherwise MAYBE run to SotHB with Uni to often hit IA quicker (with good diplo)

Or if the start terrain contains no 'liths then I might pick up Centauri Eco for those formers.

Otherwise its ALWAYS race to IA.

-Jam

[Skanky Burns]

So you don't have formers for the first x turns of the game, long enough to get the several techs for IA?

[RX2000]

Forgive my stupidity, but is IA Industrial Automation? If so, why is it so important to get that? Hab complexes to get above 7 pop quickly?

Sorry for being so uneducated, but I just started playing SMAX again, and dont have the tree in front of me.....

[Jamski]

Yes. If I have a couple of 'liths, or a rolling/moist/river tile or two, then its not a problem. If you know what you're doing with the Uni or Morgan you can get IA before you plant the 5th base.

-Jam

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by RX2000
Forgive my stupidity, but is IA Industrial Automation? If so, why is it so important to get that? Hab complexes to get above 7 pop quickly?

Sorry for being so uneducated, but I just started playing SMAX again, and dont have the tree in front of me.....

Crawlers.

[livid imp]

Originally posted by Jamski
Yes. If I have a couple of 'liths, or a rolling/moist/river tile or two, then its not a problem. If you know what you're doing with the Uni or Morgan you can get IA before you plant the 5th base.

-Jam

So you ICS without roads then?

[Jamski]

No. I just wait until IA (2118-20) or so before the roads come. At that point I have 5 bases, all with rectanks, and I'm running FM. Then each base pops a crawler (on a river for 2ecs), while I rush through Cent Eco, then each base builds a former, the crawlers go on the forests made, and then the ICS goes wild.

BUT!

Very often the start area doesn't have enough 'liths or specials or rivers, so I'm forced to take formers early.

With a poor-research faction (which I rarely play) I'll take formers FIRST though, as IA is a LONG way to go, and I may as well speed my ICS first.

-Jam

[RX2000]

Arent crawlers pretty defenseless? Seems like crawlers are just begging for some mind worms to come along and tear em up. Do you have to escort every one?

[Jamski]

If you're worried, you can put armour on them, and trance capablities. Then they eat up worms.

Normally you'd place crawlers inside your borders though to boost production, and protect them with 1 or two units that patrol any nearby fungus looking for worms.

-Jam

[Skanky Burns]

With a poor-research faction (which I rarely play) I'll take formers FIRST though, as IA is a LONG way to go, and I may as well speed my ICS first

I normally play with tech stagnation, so get formers very early. First or second (after rectanks).

[Dis]

I never beeline anything- except maybe the first secrets. I never even look at the tech tree anymore. I just go on a whim- or use blind research.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Jamski
Bioengineering for rectanks if playing as Morgan (you can rush them in the first 2 bases with starting cash reserves)

Biogenetics perhaps? Bioengineering is Clean Reactors, isn't it?

[Jamski]

Indeed it is.

-Jam

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Jamski
Indeed it is.

*Trithemius gains +1 Pedantry Point*

I've been looking hard at the tech charts lately, working out what techs people should have for an "accelerated start" scenario I'm fiddling with.