Early FM - a question

[Kirov]

Watching the whole discussion on ICS, there's one thing that came back to my mind...

The thing is, although I feel quite comfortable with using Free Market in the midgame, I completely suck at it in the earlier times. I saw and heard many people introducing FM in like 20's, before they get crawlers , Rec Commons, HGP, and so on, but for me, especially when I ICS, it looks almost impossible.

The first thing that kills me is that the first citizen is a drone and I have _nothing_ to tackle it, be it cops, rec commons or anything else. Of course I can make him a doctor, but then my production soars at best, or I face hunger at worst. Such a base is nearly useless while it should quickly pop another Colony Pods. That's why I usually stick to Planned until I get lots of crawlers or cash to rushbuild facs. But I can't get rid of the impression I do for too long...

Any help? Or maybe some saves?

[binTravkin]

The answer is to:
1.never have first citizen a drone in the first place.
2.have rec comms rushed in 1st turn (you don't even need to pick the woker up then).

The solution for 1st is:
1.Expand up to the point you can without 1st citizen = drone
2.Build SP to allow more expansion (HGP fits, VW for Uni, LV, PTS can help too for -1 drone when pop < 4)
3.continue spreading normally

For 2nd
1.same as above
2.Build SP or in other ways ensure that you will have money to rush rec comms once new base settled.
3.continue spreading and rushing rec comms.

Practice it!

[smacksim]

It does also depend on the faction and game speed.

Believers: No no, as you won't have FM generally before the 20s.
Yang: (and Believers). -1econ suggests no. Both can use police very effectively, so this should be obvious: No early FM (if ever).

The other factions depend too on how quickly they can get FM. Morgan is the best for very early FM obviously, especially as you won't want a garrison if you can help it, other than a probe team, covering rover for several bases, and later clean garrisons. (support).

The University can get to FM as fast as Morgan, etc....

The one thing binT left out was the utility of bringing crawlers along for disbanding/re-homing. However this generally doesn't come into play until you have secured your early SPs. But once it does, its quite worth it to send a crawler or 2 with every CP. Disband the first foro rec commons and rehome the second, which if you are expanding really fast, can then be used for the next layer of bases outward.

[Kirov]

This SP part is what brings me headaches. Although I've seen people doing SPs before 1120, it's completely beyond me and I've no idea how to mimick it.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Kirov
This SP part is what brings me headaches. Although I've seen people doing SPs before 1120, it's completely beyond me and I've no idea how to mimick it.

That sounds like pod-popping trickery, getting AAs to advance your SP or Ogres to disband in the base building it, or the old ridiculously expensive unit which you put in the production queue of the nearest base right before you pop it etc.

Of course a roaded and mined rocky tile with a mineral never hurts either.

[binTravkin]

Yeah, my latest tests show possible to build at least 1 SP by 2115 as pirates just from pods.
I started with 2 Colony Pods.
Which means if I was in PBEM which usually start with 3-4 CPs, it could even be 2 SPs by 2120.
(credit to Shawnmmcc who is expert of this one)

Some people also manage to build SPs because of named 7mineral squares.
Mostly it's hi-industry factions, Hive and Drones.

Also, in latest game I built an HGP by 2123 with crawlers + 2 AAs as Angels.
Guess, not a big deal tho.