The IA Beeline

[#endgame]

I cal already get to game-breaking crawlers in the early 20's

How can anyone get to crawlers that fast?

Please help.

TIA.

[Velociryx]

The fastest IA beeline is with Zak (for obvious reason)

Grab Cent. Ecology as your free tech (terraform for energy outputs early on), don't pod pop early on (cos freebie techs will slow you down if they're off-beeline), and race up the early tree for the tech you want (in this case, IA)



-=Vel=-

EDIT: On average, you'll get your first tech advance in ~4 years, and your next several techs will come at that same speed or better with no pod popping.

Of course, you can shave still more time off IF you get lucky popping pods and grab 1-2 techs that are ON beeline, but don't hold your breath....50/50 at best.

[#endgame]

Makes sense, but still:

O_O

Thanks.

[Velociryx]

Well, keep in mind too that that's at the extreme end of the possibilities....yes, possible, doable, no doubt...but don't expect THAT kind of result in every game. Still, if you start near/on a river (and even better, a river with an energy bonus), absolutely....

factor in luck with pods, and you could prolly get there even faster.


-=Vel=-

[Velociryx]

Standard planet, average everything, and a fairly mundane start (tho I did land on a river)

-=Vel=-

[Velociryx]

Timeline:
2101 Unibase established (begin former)

2102 Climactic research est (begin former) - rush former at uni base (taking advantage of the min res last turn)

2104 - Industrial base researched

2106 - Climactic's former done, Uni Base former has completed the first forest (on the river)

2107 Ind. Ec. Researched

2108 both formers double team to complete the second forest (also on the river)

2109 Planet Nets researched

2112 Unibase makes a second former

2113 Ind. Auto Researched



-=Vel=-

[Dis]

[Skanky Burns]

I don't think it can be said any other way.

[binTravkin]

In 3x2 games it can be done even faster:
Take Morgan & angels

No matter what do Angels research, but->

Research IE with morgan, when you see It will be ready next turn, bring up the diplomacy & gift PlaNets from Angels to Morgan, press accept

When its morgan turn you have diplo-screen popping up-> just press "end transmission", see new tech, choose ANY tech, bring up the screen, accept deal, press Shift-R & change to IA!

My personal best with that is IA in 2109 (with techspeed 4-5/turn)

[binTravkin]

I was just thinking that you can do the same (2113 yr thing) with Morgan->

If youre on river + work river square, your energy output is 5 per base initially, & 7 after 4 turns (IE->FM)

So labs output is 3-4 with average of >3.5

Uni on river + 1 workable riv square has (4/2)*1.5 = 3(labs)
After forest (4turns at best)->5 labs
after FM-> 5 labs

A bit less still..

[binTravkin]

Bu I dont think that IA could be get any faster than 2108 even with that 3x2 thing
And 2108 only if youre damn lucky to land near enbonus!

maybe 2107 with 2 enbonuses, but its ~1:1000

[Jamski]

You could pop PlanNets from a pod or something... Or IndBase is more likely.

-Jam

[binTravkin]

IB I do have already, but Ive never seen popped L2 tech!

Only maybe pop 2 AAs they give you-> PlaNets, IE, your freebie->IB & you have only to res IA (3-5turns)!

[Blake]

The Angels can get Ind.Auto fast by themselves.. even faster if they use the starting probe to steal ind.Econ from Morgan, but thats a stretch.

[Jamski]

Ind Auto too early is worthless though. You want to pump the first pods before you start on crawlers, right? Or do you want to plonk tow bases, go crawler crazy, get the HGP and PTS and THEN build all your bases - if there's any land left...

-Jam