ICS Kind Of Part 2

[fender]

I have changed my ICS type game from four tiles between bases to two. So far I’ve had great success with this. What used to be very hard, winning on Transcend, is now a bit to easy.

Maybe what I do to win is a sell out. You tell me if what I’m doing is considered to be somewhat less than proficient.

Early in the game I give in to all demands whether it be credits or tech. I run default SE, as to not get anyone upset, until I have an impact rover in all bases. When I reach this point, I’ll run whatever I want SE wise and no longer give in to anything. I find that you either go war and win, or everyone leaves you alone. Sometimes I can just hold them off until I get air power, in which case they can rarely get even one unit across my borders.

I still like to concentrate on building and do as much of this as possible.

I’m also finding that one faction is very dominant in the Transcend level. It’s either the Hive, or Sparta. Sometimes Miriam. They usually take out everyone else but me, and factions that I have a pact with if any.

By the time they get around to me, which they always do, I can wipe them out in a turn or two. In the screen shot below I was doing just that with Clean Drop Hovertanks.

Anyway, your input is welcome.

[Skanky Burns]

A very pretty version of ICS. Nice.

[Chaunk]

The "problem" with that spacing is that it's impossible (I think!) to get maximum borehole desity. Sure looks pretty though

Can I recommend you work your boreholes instead of crawling them? The extra mins or energy will be most useful.

[Natalinasmpf]

Why would you need to crawl your boreholes with 16 population?!

[Illuminatus]

Crawling boreholes either nets 6 mins or 6 energy, so half of the produced resources is wasted with crawling. Working them is another story.

[Whoha]

Its not a sellout.

Heres another tip, don't build "clean drop quantum tanks" or any higher up units. Build a tank shell(no armor no weapons trained as only ability with the cheapest reactor) and then upgrade it to a better configuration. Upgrades a fairly cheap, especially as late as you are and if you got the nano factory.

[Chaos Theory]

Don't let the AI intimidate you into not running good SE, unless:
They have dangerous units near you
They are giving you something for not running an opposing SE, such as commerce or tech

The AI just isn't dangerous enough to let control you.

On the other hand, giving up tech is fine, since the AI can't use it anyway. Giving up energy is a little worse, since you could have used it, but peace might still be worth it.

[Skanky Burns]

With your crawlers, you would be much better having them crawl nuts from the farm. It really only gives one significant resource from those squares, so crawling them doesn't waste much. As others mentioned, work the boreholes.

[Nabvrimn]

If you consider your bases as a checkerboard with corners at the cardinal directions and build boreholes northeast and southwest in the "red squares" and northwest and southeast in the "black squares" you fit 32 boreholes in a 12 by 12 region as opposed to the 36 max you can fit in that region.

Each base recieves two boreholes and occupies a nine square footprint instead of recieving one borehole and occupying an eight square footprint. Base size maxes at 16.5* if all non borehole squares are farmed, enriched, and condensed, but unbonused, as opposed to 6.5 for tight packed bases. This gives 14.5 specialists per base as opposed to the 5.5 you can get out of tight packed bases. This ratio favors the larger base size for max specialists per unit area. Of course, things like nutrient specials, hydroponics labs, the monsoon jungle, and pop limits will favor the smaller tight packed bases.


* food production will support 16 or 6, but will have one nut left over causing unsupportable growth

[Mead]

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf
Why would you need to crawl your boreholes with 16 population?!

It does look more scenic with the crawlers covering the ugly looking boreholes. Nice forest.


Mead

PS
I suppose he could just park the crawlers (or some other more attractive looking unit) there but let the base workers work the square for the 6Energy, 6Mineral.

[fender]

Thanks for all the comments. I'm going to look into a more borehole type plan and work them.

This square type ICS really does work for me. It's so easy to defend and doesn't take up much space. I'm embarrassed that I never thought of such a thing myself.

[Skanky Burns]

It does lack the hideous industrius crushing of the human spirit that ICS is famous for, though. Still, you can't have everything.

[logic_error]

I'm not sure what Nabvrimn meant, but anyway, here is my version of city-tile-tile-city ICS.

Blue circle represents a city while B is a borehole. City's working area is outlined with darker grey. Feel free to add any condensers as needed.

Actually, it resembles very much knight movement in chess! If a knight starts in any borehole square, it can move to any B square using only B squares.

[Chaos Theory]

Actually, I like to place my bases the way you have your boreholes arranged, though not so rigidly. It gives bases a bit more room to work with, and allows for errors in the pattern, due to incorrigible terrain or other reasons.

[fender]

Thanks for the map. I knew playing chess would come in handy.