Santiago, the Builder

[Littiz]

I'm in the middle of a very interesting Transcend game. I've picked Santiago for a change, and ended up in a very large continent all by myself (well, it's a Huge map).
So I ended up playing as a Builder, again.

Now, it's been calm (until now) and fun!
I'm using support and police to build my infrastructure without troubles, I've made just a couple of Two-Turns-Long PopBooms... now I'm relying on MASSIVE food resources to grow.
I'm running Police State+Green+Knowledge (my reaserch was truly slow, before that), and it works amazingly!
(well, right now everyone is sending planes and even copters against me, seems I'll have to arrange some treaties in order to survive...)

Now, a question: I haven't played for a while, and I've been surprised by the fact that I CAN build Jets even in a base WITHOUT aerospace complex... I was sure they were required... I don't have the Cloudbase Academy or anything.
Is this a bug, or was my memory severely hurt?

[Leon Trotsky]

It's not a bug, I wouldn't advise it - you get two less morale points, and sooner or later you would build those anyway.

[Lazerus]

If you're being attacked i'd say start cranking out those aircraft, the fact you're running police lets you support them, green means no pacifism and knowledge lets you use the Spartans +2morale for instant veteran noodles. Getting the CBA quickly will make your choppers great but don't hold off building noodles until you get MMI.

ps, aerospace complexes are required to build orbital improvements (nut sats etc) which maybe what you remember.

[Kirov]

IIR Aero complexes have the most numerous features, i.e.:

1) They give +2 Morale bonus to air units

2) They heal air units in one turn

3) They confer +100% bonus when defending against air unit

4) They render the base and its vicinity immune to air drop

5) They allow to build orbital improvements

6) They allow to get the full benefit from orbital improvements

Quite an impressive list, which is why CBA is so a powerful SP, and it gets banned in many PBEMs.

[Lazerus]

Also +2 range to air units

[Maniac]

Nope, the Cloudbase Academy gives that.

[Lazerus]

Yeah, abit vague but i was referring to that when he mentioned why CBA is so powerful

[Littiz]

Yeah, thanx, now I remember how it works!
It's a shame many features of the game are undocumented.

About the game, I have an issue playing as a builder. It ALWAYS comes to a point where everyone sends jets against me, sometimes in a STORM that destroys my entire infrastructure (I mean Crawlers and formers, mostly).
The first times it was scary, now I know that with some patience I can overcome such a situation and rebuild my robo-workers later (since I'm probably starting the fight with a superior economy)

But... it IS annoying! It takes me a lot of turns to come out of this situation, and it always plays the same way.
I would like to experience something different now and then.
Should I try NOT to climb the powergraph?
Is it the only way to get a different interaction with the AI Factions?

[Kirov]

Try playing on a huge map...

Seriously, if your enemies are close enough to reach you with air units, you're simply forced to get some interceptors in place. Remember, they don't produce any pacifist drones under FM, as long as they don't leave your borders.

It's also very important to learn how to fight wars under FM (a true builder simply must run FM as long as possible). The easier way is to build a pop 1 base, rehome several crawlers there (one is enough if you use clean units, but I don't recommend that), crawl some mins and make the worker a doctor. Then you can rehome a number of jets there and use them freely for preemptive strikes against enemy bases containing noodles.

The more difficult way is to get AMA and build Punishment Spheres in bases you want to rehome your attack units to. More suitable for bigger wars.

You can also get a probe team and buy an enemy base with air units. Works best with small bases distant from HQ, but containing large forces.

I remember also some people using SAM rovers, but personally I haven't ever been forced to do that.

Finally, you can manually discourage AIs to build air power, via scenario editor.

[Littiz]

Try playing on a huge map...

Seriously, if your enemies are close enough to reach you with air units, you're simply forced to get some interceptors in place. Remember, they don't produce any pacifist drones under FM, as long as they don't leave your borders.

I am on a huge map, but populated continents are close...
I would like to avoid that kind of attack, or at least reduce the number of planes that manage to pass the borders, since it is VERY annoying having to rebuild robo-workers all the time.
Maybe using extensive ship-patrolling, with SAM units?
What are the common strategies (if any?)

It's also very important to learn how to fight wars under FM (a true builder simply must run FM as long as possible). The easier way is to build a pop 1 base, rehome several crawlers there (one is enough if you use clean units, but I don't recommend that), crawl some mins and make the worker a doctor. Then you can rehome a number of jets there and use them freely for preemptive strikes against enemy bases containing noodles.

Well, I actually don't use FM, usually. Tried once as Morgan. I know everyone talks about how powerful it is, but as you say, to overcome its flaws you need almost cheesy tactics (or beat up your own population..) and this doesn't suit me well.
Probably it's just lack of experience, yet...

I remember also some people using SAM rovers, but personally I haven't ever been forced to do that.

They are very effective if you have a decent roads-net... especially because they can attack more than once, something Interceptors can't do.
BUT, you still hit after having your infrastructure damaged, and this is not good...

[Lazerus]

If you're not running FM then the simplest defense is a good offense. Capture any AI bases within range of your core bases that are using crawlers.

[BlackCat]

Yep, that is annoying - my recipe is to have a fleet of choppers to take them out when they are back at their bases.

If they have areospace complexes, destroy them with probe teams.

Tougher AA units I usually take out with a missile. guess there soon will be others saying that this is a waste, too costly, inefficient etc - well, if you reserve them for the tough nuts, it's not so bad.

Done right, each chopper can destroy several planes every second turn

[BlackCat]

A minor addendum. Same tools are very effective combined with drop units (rovers, heavy defense and probes) to get rid of nearby colonies - especially if the faction is building PB's - maybe I'm just weired, but I'm not that glad to have such in firing range of my core

[Littiz]

If they have areospace complexes, destroy them with probe teams.

Hei, I didn't think about that!
I'll try next time.

Choppers also are good of course, but by the time I get them, I usually have had to rebuild my infrastructure once or twice...

[Kirov]

Originally posted by Littiz

Hei, I didn't think about that!
I'll try next time.

Choppers also are good of course, but by the time I get them, I usually have had to rebuild my infrastructure once or twice...

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.