POLL : race picks (next one)

[Harry Seldon]

I've never played repulsive before but I'd like to try it. Low gravity isn't that bad either imho but that could be the psilon in me. I'm a little leary of taking a negative bonus on defense on impossible.

[bakalov]

The bad side of Repulsive is that it is -6 and the only reasonable option to fll up to -10 is -Att and -Def and this is not good enough either. Repulsive is better if we play a 19 picks race with Repulsive and -Spying for example.

[bakalov]

And, hehe, I NEVER lost on impossible with the above race - even from the worst possible position :-)

[Harry Seldon]

Well then I bow to your expertise. I guess we'll give everyone else a chance to respond. This is it, right? After this we should be ready to start the game? I fear if we take too much longer people will start bailing out, if they haven't already.

[vmxa1]

It makes no real difference to me, I have played about every combo possible. Just for the record, LowG is a 25% hit. This is painful as most planets are not LowG.
Take a look at a Ultra Rich with most of the 2000RP tech structures in place, but production of ships is still slow.
Get the grave gen built and now it can do a much better job of building things.
My only point is that Lowg does have an impact. Replusive has a low impact and none for players that do not trade or demand. I use -SD and -GC with it. You don't need the defense and weaker troops can be offset by better tech or more troops or bombing.

[bakalov]

Oops I forgot the -Ground Combat. Repulsive goes ok with it for 20 picks races.

But anyway VMXA, you think like a settler :P "I do not want low gravity because I wont be able to settle many planets".
The low gravity matches the proper opinion of a conquerror - "I don't care about low gravity because I will live on only a few worlds and everyone else will be my slave".

The tech that removes the gravity penalty is not too high in the tech tree, but from my experience I am never eager to research it even if I am playing with a low gravity race. Everything depends on the style of play.

[bakalov]

With repulsive you rarely are getting a good leader, and if you happen to get, his price will be so high that it will be almost no cost efficient to hire him/her.
There is another good aspect of not being repulsive - the AI agrees with the "Stop spying" option most of the time and you can make some profit from trading with the races you are not currently at war.

Repulsive is best for MP, and if we decide to pick it we'll have to fire the foreign affairs minister because there will be no work for him :P

[Old n Slow]

I think that repulsive also works for our first Demo game in that it simplifies a whole arena of potential decisions.

The -6 works easily with the -2 GC and -2SD, where the SD is less critical in that we always fire first.

I thought we were settled on Subby as well as creative (?).

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by bakalov

But anyway VMXA, you think like a settler :P "I do not want low gravity because I wont be able to settle many planets".
The low gravity matches the proper opinion of a conquerror - "I don't care about low gravity because I will live on only a few worlds and everyone else will be my slave".

Yup and your point is what? Both are valid ways to play the game. If you are playing an SP game there is no need to be a conquer as there is no hurry to win the game.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by bakalov
With repulsive you rarely are getting a good leader, and if you happen to get, his price will be so high that it will be almost no cost efficient to hire him/her.
There is another good aspect of not being repulsive - the AI agrees with the "Stop spying" option most of the time and you can make some profit from trading with the races you are not currently at war.

Repulsive is best for MP, and if we decide to pick it we'll have to fire the foreign affairs minister because there will be no work for him :P

I agree and that is why I often use it. I do not want to extort the AI and I don't want to bother trading. I am not saying there is anything wrong with those things, I just do not care for that aspect, so I leave it out. I get a bonus in that the AI wil not be contacting me all the time.
Well ok, I do think there is something wrong with the ease of demanding things from the AI, it is just too easy.
This could have been fun and satisfying if it was a rare event. As it is now the AI will give you anything you want most of the time.

[Harry Seldon]

It's shocking how easy it is to get systems from the AI, especially the more powerful you get. I've never tried repulsive and would like to give it a shot.

[bakalov]

ok, I agree with repulsive. The other negatives obviously should be -ground combat (no doubt!) and one of (-attack, -defence). We only have to decide which one of the both.

[Harry Seldon]

The best defence is a good offence, in my opinion.

[Old n Slow]

Ditto -- especially when one gets to fire first.

[Whoha]

we are using -ship defense. Ship attack matters to initiative.