question

[Lazerus]

After I played a few turns, morgan stole cyberethics with their probe team. I thought the AI didn't use probe teams? And I was his pact brother.

They do even if they're your pact brother which is really annoying because you either have to keep overlooking the loss of a technology you might have wanted to keep to yourself or lose the trade.

Why are echlon mirrors bad?

There are times when they are useful, in energy parks, but you don't want to really think about that until you've got other aspects of the game mastered. For now terraforming should consist of only forests, boreholes and farm+condensors.

And is ecological engineering that important since I already have the weather paradigm?

Yes, it raises mineral restrictions, boreholes from 2 minerals to 6. All mines from 2 to 4. Also an important tech on other routes.

Reason that I placed a solar collector on a mineral square is because I wanted a more balanced income. I didn't want to cause eco damage.

Specialise though, if the mineral was on a rocky you can get 7 minerals from that square, otherwise a forest gives you 1,4,1. Eco damage doesn't need to be feared.

Cyberethics gives you knowledge.

In most cases Wealth is better.

And lastly, how come you are building so many colony pods? I was going to start building them but I would build only 2 at a time and watch those bases grow up a bit then use those 2 bases to build another 2 (one each).

Think of it as rolling a small snowball down a mountain, the sooner you start it rolling the bigger it becomes and faster. By the time your 3rd wave is done and you've got an extra 6 bases, he could have an extra 20 or so.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by d=me


How is 3 rovers useful if she had like 30? And you spent 150 dollars. I can't see the benefit. Isn't it better to use the energy to build your own superior rovers instead of capturing her obsclete ones?

The difference is that you have a controlled environment for your probe units. You start with infiltrating datalinks, stealing all tech she has and when you have her map, you take the base. You might even try to steal her money if she has anyone (wich your acquiring of datalinks will tell you) before taking the base. You might even steal enough money to pay both the taking of the base and upgrading those three units.

Then again, you NEED to PLAN for such an action. Defensive units must be in place to rush in and protect the base; easy accesroads for your probes; enough probe teams etc. Yuo should also destroy roads on her side of the base forcing her units to slow down; destroy sensor arrays (you don't want her to take over those); having formers ready to build them again after recapturing the base (you want them).

Don't ask for a recipe for such an operation - it all depends on terrain, her attack capacity; your defence capacity in a controlled retreat and keeping a line behind the base.

[Lazerus]

How is 3 rovers useful if she had like 30?

Because the AI is extremely disorganised and you will only face a tiny fraction of that each turn. Create a "dead patch" of ground where the AI is forced to stop, eg, a cut in roads, forest, rocky etc and your rovers can move forward, shoot hers, then retreat back to you base safely awaiting what comes next turn.

[PJayTycy]

Originally posted by d=me
For that save, how come the drones didn't riot in the bases?

a) You're playing on easy level and had only 5 bases
b) All your bases had recreation commons (= 2 less drones)
c) You had the human genome project (=1 extra talent)
d) You had the planetary transit system (= 1 less drone in bases of size 3 or less)
e) You had the virtual world and all your bases had network nodes (= 2 less drones)

After I played a few turns, morgan stole cyberethics with their probe team. I thought the AI didn't use probe teams? And I was his pact brother.

bummer. I guess the same would have happened to me. Not much you can do about it. I would remember it, but don't declare vendetta on Morgan now, forgive him and try to keep him pacted for now.

The other stuff I'm building like the virtual world is also important.

Yes, ofcourse it is. But at this time you should have had more cities already.

Why are echlon mirrors bad?

They are much more expensive to build than solar collectors, cause a lot of eco-dammage and don't provide any more energy.

And is ecological engineering that important since I already have the weather paradigm?

In the beginning of the game all tiles can output at most 2 nutrients, 2 minerals and 2 energy. (Except if there is a bonus on that tile). Genesplicing removes the nutrient limit, Ecol. Eng. removes the mineral limit and Envir. Econ. removes the energy limit. So, before you have these limits lifted, it's no use to put farms on rainy tiles (because 2 nuts remains 2 nuts).

Reason that I placed a solar collector on a mineral square is because I wanted a more balanced income. I didn't want to cause eco damage.

Well, that solar collector there provides 1 extra energy. If you put a mine there, it will provide 4 extra minerals. A rocky square with a mineral bonus = 7 minerals from 1 tile (even before restriction lifting, due to the bonus) !!! That's like a godsend in the early game and still very usefull in the later game.

And lastly, how come you are building so many colony pods? I was going to start building them but I would build only 2 at a time and watch those bases grow up a bit then use those 2 bases to build another 2 (one each).

Because you have way too few bases. When you have about 20 (and you DO have space enough for so many), start thinking about attacking someone.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by d=me

And how can you earn energy credits fast? Like each conversion is 60 dollars. If you make 20 dollars a turn that's 3 turns per conversion. won't she over run you like that?

In the first save you posted I totally cancelled research for a couple of rounds - that gave me the 600 EC's nessecary to upgrade those impact rovers there was to the more powerfull units - even designed a non trained unit that I could upgrade to - saved 20 EC's per unit for a thigie that you don't get when upgrading. Use the energy slider in SE actively - in the early game and deep into the middle I check it every turn. The e button is your friend.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by PJayTycy

Because you have way too few bases. When you have about 20 (and you DO have space enough for so many), start thinking about attacking someone.

QFT

Until you can do a One City Challenge on trancend (don't ask - you have a little way to go yet), bases is your friend - it raises your research capacity, production capacity and reduces possible enemy expansion. Tactical placenemt of colonies can prevent a possible opponent to spread leaving you with wast amounts of land to settle, but then again, that you don't know if you don't do early scouting

[d=me]

Originally posted by BlackCat


In the first save you posted I totally cancelled research for a couple of rounds - that gave me the 600 EC's nessecary to upgrade those impact rovers there was to the more powerfull units - even designed a non trained unit that I could upgrade to - saved 20 EC's per unit for a thigie that you don't get when upgrading. Use the energy slider in SE actively - in the early game and deep into the middle I check it every turn. The e button is your friend.

I never touch the energy slider. I didn't want to fall back on research.

[d=me]

Originally posted by PJayTycy


a) You're playing on easy level and had only 5 bases

Then isn't that a good thing? If you expand won't the drones become a problem?

bummer. I guess the same would have happened to me. Not much you can do about it. I would remember it, but don't declare vendetta on Morgan now, forgive him and try to keep him pacted for now.

The options of the menu were break pact and go down to treaty or not do anything.

They are much more expensive to build than solar collectors, cause a lot of eco-dammage and don't provide any more energy.

So when do they produce more energy?

Because the AI is extremely disorganised and you will only face a tiny fraction of that each turn. Create a "dead patch" of ground where the AI is forced to stop, eg, a cut in roads, forest, rocky etc and your rovers can move forward, shoot hers, then retreat back to you base safely awaiting what comes next turn.

ON that save I uploaded with santiago she had TONS of units stacked on multiple squares around my base. she didn't mover in a linear path every turn. She moves 2D all around you so there didn't exist a dead patch.

In most cases Wealth is better.

But wealth has that morale hit. How can you fight yang or santiago with very green units?

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by d=me
I never touch the energy slider. I didn't want to fall back on research.

If you don't touch the energy slider you for CERTAIN will fall back on research. Most of the time you don't need more than is needed for upkeeping your infrastructure - that is the cost to kep what yyou have build running. In the early years 10 EC's is plenty but as you grow, 100 will be enough.

Put the slider such as you have max research without going into negative income and you maximize your research. Though, beware, not all factions have a linear research/income ratio - sometimes more spending on income gives higher research (especially the drones are troublesome - test it each round and go for max reseach unless you in the current situation want to stockpile energy)

This paired with faster expansion will vastly improve your research.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by d=me
Then isn't that a good thing? If you expand won't the drones become a problem?

You don't have to speculate on extra drone problems - if I recall right, then you need at least 16 bases before they become a possible problem. Though, if you get HGP and VW You are at free for at lest next level of droneproblem. At easy level the number of bases is even higher.

Another thing - in the early years you can builid your way out of it if nessecary. RC + NN(VW) do wonders. Yet, it isn't a problem you need to think about - it has never spoiled any game I ever has played and I gladly expand beyond second and third warning about extra drrones.(could be that I have Eudamonia at that point )

[Senethro]

BUILD 20 BASES NOW



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[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Senethro
BUILD 20 BASES NOW



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Senetrho may exress it a little rude, but I tend to agree.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by d=me
I never touch the energy slider. I didn't want to fall back on research.

Thats silly-- Think about it -- Going heavily into energy instead of research for say 2 turns may allow you to build that research hospital at a key base 5 or 10 turns earlier. The added research from a 50% increase in your best base for for the 5 turns earlier you get the thing may be more than the research you had foregone


It is silly to work your ass of to get a tech lead if you never have the cash to build the infrastructure to take advantage of that tech lead

[d=me]

Originally posted by Flubber


Thats silly-- Think about it -- Going heavily into energy instead of research for say 2 turns may allow you to build that research hospital at a key base 5 or 10 turns earlier. The added research from a 50% increase in your best base for for the 5 turns earlier you get the thing may be more than the research you had foregone


It is silly to work your ass of to get a tech lead if you never have the cash to build the infrastructure to take advantage of that tech lead

So what would be a smart way to manage the sliders?

[d=me]

Expansion Paradigm #4: A Focus on factors of Efficiency. This focuses on the specific points in the game when extra drones are created by the growth of your empire. Here are the threshold points you need to remember:

Huge Planet: 11 Bases
Large Planet: 9 Bases
Standard Planet: 6 Bases
Small Planet: 5 Bases
Tiny Planet: 3 Bases

So I should have 11 bases right?