Suggestions for winning w/Believers on Transcend

[spartanpez]

Suggestions for winning w/Believers on Transcend

Any and all suggestions on winning with the believers on transcend would be appreciated. I currently play w/ blind research.

How often can I probe w/out starting a war?
What percentage of Energy allocation versus facilities blowing up?

[Flubber]

I'm not the best with the believers but I do win on transcend with them with no problem. (non-blind though)

I'll talk blind though so beelines are out and its tough to speak with as much certainty if subject to the tech lotto.

But generally you have a war and probing maching so I say use it. Explore as quickly as possible to find your victims err I mean neighbors and then set about on the path of world conquest. As a human you can out-research the AI even as the believers so you could do that, but my tendency is to play the believers more in character.

Once you get a few base techs like planetary networks you can de-emphasize research for a while, trade for everything you can and then then proberape your intended victim. Against the AI you can just kill kill kill. Use cash to probesteal units and bases. Good moral units with an attack bonus chew up AI units.

In summary, research is what you do worst so for a fun in-character win, go cash heavy to rush military and probes and enjoy a momentum style game. Loads of fun and almost pathetically easy since the AI is so inept at military tactics

[Flubber]

Re: Suggestions for winning w/Believers on Transcend

Originally posted by spartanpez
Suggestions for winning w/Believers on Transcend



How often can I probe w/out starting a war?
What percentage of Energy allocation versus facilities blowing up?

Your chance of a successful probe action without detection against an AI is dependent on the morale of your probe team. I believe an elite probeteam might have chances along the lines of 100/84% for a first techsteal from a base meaning you have a certainty of getting the tech and an 84% chance that your probe team will escape unscathed. If the probe team is caught though there is a good chance of a relationship downgrade/war. Second techsteals from the same base have a greatly reduced success rate.

The good thing though is that if opponents declare war from your probing, you don't seem to suffer a reputation hit so a strategy is to select a victim and probe them until they get so peeved that THEY declare war.

The % allocation question makes no sense. Check your income screens to see if you have enough money. With the believers, if you de-emphasize research, you should always have more money coming in than expenses.

[spartanpez]

Re: Re: Suggestions for winning w/Believers on Transcend

Originally posted by Flubber




The % allocation question makes no sense. Check your income screens to see if you have enough money.

On a couple of previous believer games, facilities would blow up and the note would say change energy allocation. Is there an optimum allocation for the believers? (Maybe it is zero % research)

[Lazerus]

Are you referring to network node overload / energy bank (cant remember if this happens) ?
Also the popup about your money is most likely due to you having say 10ec and the first base that is being run through on the update makes -12ec and so the help is informing you

[Flubber]

Re: Re: Re: Suggestions for winning w/Believers on Transcend

Originally posted by spartanpez


On a couple of previous believer games, facilities would blow up and the note would say change energy allocation. Is there an optimum allocation for the believers? (Maybe it is zero % research)

This can happen with ANY faction. If you run out of money the game will sell one of your your facilities for its sell cost to finance the remaining costs of the turn. This should not happen if you have more coming in than out if you leave an adequate buffer but I believe(not tested) the game goes through the bases sequentially and a few high cost bases might lead to the loss of a facility even if your energy reserves would be positive by the end of the turn

AS well -- if you play with random events on, there are any number of negative things and my memory is that some of them resulty in lost facilities

[Chaunk]

I love playing as the believers

There's a thread on the first page here about playing them as a builder. Personally, I use a different emphasis, one on growth, when playing them as a builder faction, but it is quite possible to play with an energy focus.

The key thing about the believers is +2 support. Everything else is secondary and can be overcome. Make sure you have enough formers to terraform everything. Make sure colony pods don't have to leave roads.

Make sure you don't build more facilities than you can afford to support (It sounds as if that's what happened to you).

I guess it's easier to play the believers as war mongerers, but then, who wants easy with this game?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Chaunk
I
I guess it's easier to play the believers as war mongerers, but then, who wants easy with this game?

IN SP I don't play them as warlike because its easier, I just do it because its different. The research openalty is nothing against the AI and you quickly can outbuild the AI with all those formers, take a tech lead and never look back. BUt for me, thats too much like how I win as a bunch of other factions.

I find it fun and different to not research much and to just go to war war war

[Commy]

Yes, using paratroopers and marine units can be very fun...usually, if I am playing as Spartans, Pirates, or Believers, I just build units with each and every Special Ability just for the heck of it...

[wgabrie]

I suggest playing for an early population boom. All of my believer games focus on getting Creches, Democracy, Planned, and puting farms everywhere. Doing the pop-boom even while I'm still expanding. Big bases = more research.

Once I've maxed my bases I'm usually far ahead of any AIs and this is the time to pick several faction partners. I usually give all my techs to the AIs so that they are ahead, which helps tech rates, and I have a chance to get a new tech when they finish researching theirs.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by wgabrie
I suggest playing for an early population boom. All of my believer games focus on getting Creches, Democracy, Planned, and puting farms everywhere. Doing the pop-boom even while I'm still expanding. Big bases = more research.

IN a PBEM I'm in a Believer player is using that very tactic. I don't believe he is in PLanned yet but it appears that Democracy was his initial beeline. It will be interesting how it works out since my university is on the more traditional IA beeline.

A very early pop boom can be very strong but it will be tough for it to be maintained for long since it is doubtful that enough food would be available for continued growth and you can only pop out the pods as fast as minerals and energy allows. But even one carwled farmed nutrient special could mean an early monster base

[Kataphraktoi]

IN a PBEM I'm in a Believer player is using that very tactic. I don't believe he is in PLanned yet but it appears that Democracy was his initial beeline. It will be interesting how it works out since my university is on the more traditional IA beeline.

he choose beleivers with univ\et all present? is he nutz? or is he buster.

can you send me a sav of the game? i would be interested to see that. [although from your post i would guess your intel on him is limited]

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Kataphraktoi


he choose beleivers with univ\et all present? is he nutz? or is he buster.

can you send me a sav of the game? i would be interested to see that. [although from your post i would guess your intel on him is limited]

yes it is 2110 in a game with a modified start ( 4 colonies instead of 2)-- I just saw the believers make an SE switch to Democracy while I am in FM/wealth

A save would be useless right now since all I know is his SE settings, population etc and of course the powergraph

[Flubber]

Oh and Kata-- The game is one I took over from you -- "LOve and war"-- When we realized that the difficulty levels were screwed up, we had to restart. Chaunk ( replacing sentry) stated he didn't like the consciousness and ASKED to switch to the Believers. Maybe he just wants a challenge or just to play a different style game.

People do that . .. IIRC I am undefeated with the cult in PBEM games ( but the games were not against top opposition)

[Darsnan]

I am playtesting my next SP Challenge "Echoes of Jihad" right now in which the human plays as Believers. "Tech Stag" and "Steal tech when conqering base" are on. Quite interesting results to date....


D