MOO2 Tricks

[siron]

"My problem was that I had to put taxes ~40% to support my ships."

Pop is the key. if u generate enuff pop 10%-20% solves most problems on your way to subspacecomm. And there is also the option trade goods.

"if you encounter someone else soon"

About what turn do u talk here? If it is really early both are dead in a 4way (or more players). So it doesnt really matter (mebbe in a 1vs1 a little bit. but 1vs1 are mostly without whs. Sure, an uni tol prod gains strength due to this mod in a 1v1.)

"Maybe my problem is that I really haven't played online."

Why dont u play online?

"I guess the people there don't use as many ships, and attack sooner, such that a cruiser is an attack force."

So u should test it. Sometimes i have slightly more than a cruiser.

"This means about +10-20 to hit and defense. Considering that +25 def cost 3 and +20 to hit cost 2, this seems like it is nearly a good deal with just these bonuses."

With respect to ship initiative the sa+20 pick is much better. As I told u uni aqua with war picks (fe ship attack +20) works very well in org rich galaxy with whs because it has the wartechs earlier than a tol race. But maybe in min rich galaxy where aqua doesnt find decent planets ur strategy could work....and uni tol prod could have big trouble there....IF there is a nice wh.

"then later use af ap mass drivers, then to neutron blasters."

U really need the supercomp pretty early if u want to research these techs. Otherwise u r surely outteched at this stage. But if u go for early supercomp....u dont have the early wartechs....

[Dry]

It's hard to tell what is a 'trick' and what is just normal thing every average gamer do.

On things I do that might be seem strange for a noob, is (as vxma1 for barracks) to sell my SB on turn 0 (I play only Solo pre-warp, so this may be a bad 'trick' for multi or average start...). This brings me money for first improvement rush build and it lowers my maintenance.

Atherwise, something that seems just 'normal' to me, but may be it's not, is that I buy buildings when they are almost finished. Thanks to the production points accumulation, it speeds up the building of next item at the cheapest price.

cheat: It is possible to purchase a smaller item, switch to a bigger to make some kind of incremental (or partial) purchase.
It's a little bit tricky to achieve, but it's possible.
I use it only in desperate situations.
This is a cheat/bug I haven't read much about until yet, so may be it's not known by many people...

[vmxa1]

I think those are quite common in SP play. Well selling the starbase is not common, but is not unknown.

I don't see it as a cheat to be building say weather station and see an attack coming and switch to some defensive item. This is called short rushing and is used in many TBS games.

[siron]

scrapping starbase is quite common in nowh games. but in 4way with whs thats almost suicide. i often raped such players where i played uni aqua omni.
------------------------------------

bug-part removed.

[Dry]

Originally posted by vmxa1
I don't see it as a cheat to be building say weather station and see an attack coming and switch to some defensive item. This is called short rushing and is used in many TBS games.

No, that's not what I mean.

What I mean is that normally, when you have rush build an item, you are not allowed to switch to another before next turn.
There is a bug that allow it.

On a 0 prod planet (very poor LG), an AF would cost you 240. It is possible in 3 turns to build one for 160.

[Dry]

Originally posted by siron
Or do u mean that u can change your first item in the queue after u have bought it? (if this is possible under some circumstances -if so...u should not publish these circumstances-....that would be a very important bug which should be fixed....i never heard of it.....is this possible in 1.31?)

That's exactly what I mean. That is in 1.31.
I don't think it is *THAT* important, because it works only 1 per turn (per colony of course). It is not like civ2 incremental build.

EDIT: details deleted

[vmxa1]

I am no sure I am on th same page here, because AFAIK once you purchase and item, you cannot switch it.

This is why I do not just buy any item. I wait until I have gone around all queues and then see if any threats are coming.

I do not want to rush a domestic item and then see an attack coming and not be able to switch to a defensive item.

So I am not aware that this works in 131. Maybe it has been too long since I tried it.

[Dry]

Originally posted by vmxa1
I am no sure I am on th same page here, because AFAIK once you purchase and item, you cannot switch it.

cheat sent to you and siron.

[vmxa1]

I tested the switch build after using buy and it is not allowed:

[vmxa1]

The method you sent me would be a cheat, if it indeed does work.

I cannot say if it is allowed or not. I accept it does work as you laided it out.

It would be an out and out expoilt and I would never use it.


Edit per request from siron

[siron]

Ok. I edited my post too. IMHO its not a good idea to explain here how this bug can be abused....(because it is difficult to control this abuse in a MP-Game.)

I contacted Lord Brazen. And i hope he'll fix that.

[Straybow]

I only play SP, but I never allow myself uni, tol, lith, or rep. Makes it too easy.

[Dry]

... or tele or creative (advance start).

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Straybow
I only play SP, but I never allow myself uni, tol, lith, or rep. Makes it too easy.

I am not sure which is easier, having used Rep or not having used it.

I tend to think it is easy to not use rep, in that you can demand the crap out of the AI without it. You also get much better leades without it.

Of course if you do not use, you have to take other minus picks, but most are not a big deal.

In the the end I use it, because I do not want to be getting msgs from the races about this deal or that.

As to races, if I eliminate so many choices, I am down to playing the same game to frequently.

[Croesus]

Here is a tip I just found. I am sorry if it has already been done before.

If your race is lithovore and you get the +4 picks from evol gene, then you can select cybernetic, and you get the +10 from lithovore back. Ofcourse this late in the game, you should be well on your way to victory, so what it can be used for is banking +14 picks into your score by then unselecting cybernetic.

When I did this (by accident), I couldn't chose certain things that I could afford. I could get +0.5 BC income, but not +1. I could only get +research, +prod, +food, but not +2. I could get aquatic, but that might be because I had +1 pick left over from the start. I also couldn't change my government type, nor could I remove low-G. I could get +50 to hit, even though I had -20, for 6 points. Same with defense.