question

[d=me]

Is there a path already discovered to get all of the discover techs as soon as possible?

[d=me]

Why does everyone want to get to industrial automatation so quickly? On small islands with 5 squares outside of the base isn't it the best for a size 5 base to harvest everything?

[Kirov]

Originally posted by d=me
Few questions about the game's mechanics.

In the beginning, people always get the Best armour and weapon available. Like if you have the partical impactor you won't build any more laser. Is that still true for the very high teched weapons? Like when the weapons becomes increasingly strong, are the best ones still economically efficient? Like do people actually build units with that string distruptor? I never had one because The game always ended earlier than that. Same with armour, do people actually build the stasis field? And with chassis, do people actually build the gravship?

The best thing to do is always to make a unit in question meet your needs. Which basically means, there are no rules concerning implementing various kinds of weaponry. You say you won't build any laser once you get impact weapon... Well, I for one will use laser or even scout rovers (tho their cost is the same IIRC) long in the game - to scout, harass formers/crawlers, destroy improvements and last but not least conquer bases emptied by choppers. Likewise, usually you don't need your best weapon for interceptors, sometimes marine infantry and navy. You can also leave a couple of your jets at 4 and get them Radar - to scout, bombard and use air ZOC.

And how come when you use nukes funguns grows back everywhere?

I don't have the relevant link at hand (someone?), but anyway, each time you use a PB your clean minerals limit (i.e. threshold at which your industry starts to pollute, set at 16 by default) is decreased by 5. Quite a lot, I must say.

[Kirov]

Originally posted by d=me
Is there a path already discovered to get all of the discover techs as soon as possible?

Why on earth would you like to do that?

[Kirov]

Originally posted by d=me
Why does everyone want to get to industrial automatation so quickly? On small islands with 5 squares outside of the base isn't it the best for a size 5 base to harvest everything?

No, even then it's better to let crawlers do the job and switch workers to specialists.

Meanwhile, your formers _raise_ terrain.

Trust us, crawlers are the best units in this game. The only problem is, it takes a couple of games to handle them well, plus such micromanagment can be quite tiring. But regardless if you like them or not, crawlers are your key to success.

Answering your question about secrets of the human brain - No, it's not desirable to b-line for SotB, it can only slow you down. The free tech is completely not worth delaying IA.

[d=me]

Is there a way to edit the text files to cancel the random tech thing? It's very hard to use that program to figure out because I don't know what techs will be traded on the path to achieving a certain goal. If I planned a path then one tech got traded then it will mess up the whole process.

[d=me]

Originally posted by Kataphraktoi

discussion thread aka more math than is needed for a silly game

You mean this right?

t = position of tech in alphax.txt (0-88)
n = total number of technologies for the faction
b = number of technologies at the beginning of the game for the faction
s= slot number of the faction (1-7)

The condition is

(n + t + s - b) mod 3 != 0

Worth noting here is "b", which for normal factions (Gaians) is 1, for some others (University, Pirates) 2 and for the Progenitors 5.

And mod 3! is that mod 6?

And when you traded a tech does it just remove the b?

[Petek]

Originally posted by d=me

And mod 3! is that mod 6?

In this context, the ! symbol means "not" (instead of "factoral"). The equation probably should be rewritten as

(n + t + s - b) != 0 (mod 3)

which means that the expression in parentheses is not congruent to 0 modulo 3.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Kataphraktoi


Ill have some in BE2 assuming hercules can hang on for even 4 turns.probably i wont get it protoyped even mostly weapons are allocated as they are effective, impact jets are a common unit for much of the game for example. just use whatever works. ussualy if im attacking at all, i have built so much advantage it dosnt matter how cost effective it is anyway. which is what you should be trying to do! with focus on the ECON part of the game.

Good answer-- I might have my good bases producing monster expensive units while meanwhile all my frontier bases are building "trained 1-1-1s" . These get upgraded to best weapon or best armour as needed (very rarely do I give ground units both good armour and good weapons.

meanwhile even though I have strength 13 weapons, that impact radar plane may still be doing the same patrolling that it has done for years and years or I might use a cheapy chopper for a suicide run-- Why spend 100 minerals on an expensive unit if the plan is simply to kill 4-5 unarmored units and end up sitting vulnerable in enemy territory??

[binTravkin]

(n + t + s - b) != 0 (mod 3)

is not

(n + t + s - b) mod 3 != 0

'mod 3' means reminder from the variable after dividing by 3, e.g.:

3 mod 3 = 0
4 mod 3 = 1
5 mod 3 = 2

[d=me]

Originally posted by binTravkin

is not


'mod 3' means reminder from the variable after dividing by 3, e.g.:

3 mod 3 = 0
4 mod 3 = 1
5 mod 3 = 2

So once those numbers are added if the sum can't be divided by 6 or else it can't be researched right? Is there some way to just change the text file so now this equation applies:

(t+s+n+b)mod 1!=1

the every tech that can be researched will be available.

Or
(t+s+n+b)mod 1000!=0

[Flubber]

D=me

Just to get back to basics.

When you get to year 100, about how many bases do you typically have and how big are they? How many of your bases have perimeter defenses? Command centres? How many formers and crawlers?

I know that some of this is situational but my belief is that your play misses many important early elements

[binTravkin]

No there is not any way to do it.

So once those numbers are added if the sum can't be divided by 6

->

So once those numbers are added if the sum can't be divided by 3

..it can be researched.

The condition sounds:

if((n + t + s - b) mod 3 != 0)

which translates
'if' as itself
'(n + t + s - b)' as sum of n,t,s minus b
'mod 3' as the remainder part of dividing by 3
'!=' as the programmatic of 'not equal'
'0' as zero (0), nil, nothing

there is no factorial and no 6 in this condition.

You can percieve the condition as a statistical chance to have 66% of the maximum tech choices (maximum = all techs available for research) presented to you upon each tech switch.

Is it now clear?

[d=me]

Originally posted by binTravkin
No there is not any way to do it.

->

..it can be researched.

The condition sounds:

if((n + t + s - b) mod 3 != 0)

which translates
'if' as itself
'(n + t + s - b)' as sum of n,t,s minus b
'mod 3' as the remainder part of dividing by 3
'!=' as the programmatic of 'not equal'
'0' as zero (0), nil, nothing

there is no factorial and no 6 in this condition.

You can percieve the condition as a statistical chance to have 66% of the maximum tech choices (maximum = all techs available for research) presented to you upon each tech switch.

Is it now clear?

That's what I meant. So if the equation can be changed to

(t+s+n+b)mod 1!=1
Or
(t+s+n+b)mod 1000!=0
then every tech can be researched.

[Petek]

Originally posted by binTravkin

(n + t + s - b) != 0 (mod 3)

is not

(n + t + s - b) mod 3 != 0

'mod 3' means reminder from the variable after dividing by 3, e.g.:

3 mod 3 = 0
4 mod 3 = 1
5 mod 3 = 2

Sorry to have to disagree with you, but

x mod 3 != 0

and

x != 0 (mod 3)

both mean exactly the same (that x is not divisible by 3). The second expression is the more standard way to write modular equations.

EDIT: Correct typo