Santiago, the Builder

[BlackCat]

As Kirov says, don't get behind in tech. Use the energy slider aggresively (no, don't hit it - just check it often).

Oh, a little notice - not all factions has a linear connection between optimum research and energy allocation - IIRC, f.ex. the drones sometimes get better research by reducing allocation - no, no magic just truncation when spreading allocation in the individual cities.

[Littiz]

Don't let AIs outtech you to it. If need be, you can always skip the EnvEco part and rush to MMI. For Spartans with CBA and CF any war with AIs should be a cakewalk.

Hm, Zak IS outteching me... but so far I could well handle him (I even lost CBA to him, damn it)
The usual annoyance really is related to jets.
Even if I have them already, I always incur in that "storm" type of attack which ends after some turns with the result that I have to rebuild dozens of crawlers and formers !

Anyway, I've got +2 support through the Living Refinery (IIRC), and... my!!!
I was stunned!
I never reached +4 support on the SE table before...
And now I see the benefits of playing Santiago as a builder... with 15 sized cities, I can assign 15 free units each!
I'm for some conquest now, it seems

[CEO Aaron]

There's a number of tricks you can use against the AI to prevent air harrassment of your infrastructure units.

First, interceptors. Scrambling interceptors don't enjoy huge advantages in combat with incoming needles, but they can cover a large area, and with your native bonus to morale, you'll likely win more than you lose, and the loss of an interceptor is much easier to stomach than the loss of a crawler or former (from a turn-advantage point of view).

Second, create an armored crawler/former unit with AAA, and upgrade one unit in each stack to that design. That, coupled with a sensor beacon will render your units more or less immune to air harrassment. It's somewhat expensive, but a fairly permanent solution.

Third, locate and decimate the offending sortie bases that support the aircraft hitting you.

PS: Firefly RULES. Browncoats forever.

[Sikander]

He won't be able to build a AAA crawler / former if he is playing with unmodified rules.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Sikander
He won't be able to build a AAA crawler / former if he is playing with unmodified rules.

Then the option is to add an AA troop over some vulnerable crawlers. Sometimes I do this if I can create a perimeter but more usual for me is to just fo kill the bases that are sending the darn things

I tend to like to deal with this issue in the first place by building the bulk of my crawler infrastructre in my interior but sometime you don't have that option. Against the AI I HATE having hostile bases anywhere nearby, so kill,kill, kill is my best option

[CEO Aaron]

Yes, yes, I should point out that my recommendations do not appear in any particular order. Crushing the offending bases is by far the most preferrable solution.

[bluetemplar]

Some Spartan-only related remarks:

1) Santiago can run Police State / FM and she will not get Pacifism drones! And Knowledge is very helpful with it's +1 Efficiency.
It's a faction particularity that should be pointed out IMHO!

2) Any faction with Police State / Living Refinery except Morgan will get +4 support... this has nothing to do with Santiago...

[CEO Aaron]

Ugh. I hate running FM with the Spartans. Your efficiency penalties eat too much of your profits, and you lose the drone-quelling joy of your high police rating. The proper way to gain money as Spartan is to saw the rings off the fingers of your dead enemies.

The huge advantage of Police + Sparta isn't the support, though that is certainly nice, it's the double police effect. Once you get non-lethal methods, 3 1-1-1 police can quell NINE drones (iirc, this is all from memory).

[Senethro]

Yeah, the inefficiency hit is quite nasty. You either need creches everywhere or to be running knowledge.

[bluetemplar]

What else would you be running anyway with Spartans?
Otherwise, without knowledge, of course that PS + FM doesn't really worth it!

[Net Warrior]

Using police just ties down units to bases needlessly. You lose all your flexibility and you use up all your support as well. There's always another stragedy to quell drones and I always seek it no matter the faction I'm playing. I believe that any faction that can run FM ought to do so, at least till Green becomes a better choice later in the game. (this is off the top of my head without much specific thought but I think it's mostly valid)

[Chaos Theory]

Once nonlethal methods becomes available, using police is considerably more attractive, especially with the clean ability as well.

[CEO Aaron]

Indeed! Consider that at +3 police, 3 1/1/1 clean police will quell 9 drones, for the same initial investment that a Hologram Theatre would cost. That's certainly a considerable benefit, worth avoiding Free Market to retain. Granted, you need population to capitalize on that advantage fully, but at 2 rows each, your police can scale with your current population needs.

In addition, it's worth mentioning that while it takes 4 psych to mollify a super-drone, these hyper-dissidents are no different from ordinary drones to your police units. This, combined with your ability to pop boom without Golden Ages means that you can safely ignore the bureaucracy limits, and found bases EVERYWHERE. Efficiency problems? Pshaw. Specialists ignore corruption.

My point here is this: Sparta can be a great builder, but you can't approach them with the normal builder paradigm of high economy, luxuries and plentiful facilities. Instead, I recommend leveraging your disciplined followers to allow you to get by with the minimalist approach that gives the Spartans their name.

[Littiz]

Yes, yes, I should point out that my recommendations do not appear in any particular order. Crushing the offending bases is by far the most preferrable solution.

I came to the same conclusion, after all... unfortunately, it leads to constant war, since you ALWAYS have enemy bases nearby, to some extent.

My point here is this: Sparta can be a great builder, but you can't approach them with the normal builder paradigm of high economy, luxuries and plentiful facilities. Instead, I recommend leveraging your disciplined followers to allow you to get by with the minimalist approach that gives the Spartans their name.

It was my feeling even without mastering the tactical details... I mean, you should always emphatize your strenghts.

My, I wish I had more time for this game.
It has the habit of sucking hours and hours at the beginning, but then at the end it gets slower, a bit less captivating, and it takes me ages to finish a single game...

PS: Firefly RULES. Browncoats forever.

Ehehe, how could this place NOT harbour some Firefly fans

[CEO Aaron]

My, I wish I had more time for this game.
It has the habit of sucking hours and hours at the beginning, but then at the end it gets slower, a bit less captivating, and it takes me ages to finish a single game...

My advice for finishing is to get and stay on the offensive. I know you're playing Sparta like a builder, but I find that it's conquest that keeps me in the mid-late game. If all you find yourself doing is directing terraforming and assigning specialists, you will get bored. Sending your troops out to hammer your enemies nicely breaks up that monotony.