The Silicoids And Sakra Are Laughing At Me

[Widget4]

Just out of curiosity, against the AI does anybody else play Pre-Warp, Average, Impossible, 8 player, Huge games? That's what I've been trying to beat (best I've ever done was win a 5 player game). For me personally, that setup seems like the most challenging. I also think Average resources are the fairest to the AI. That's just my own take on it. However, in spite of the guides, I'm finding the "Impossible" tag to be right on the money. From the tips I've read, it seems like most players pick a resource with a certain customized race in mind. So I have a question for the people who do play the setup I described and beat it regularly. What is your customized race? Thanks.

[vmxa1]

That is my normal game, where I change the Avg from time to time to organic or mineral.

Here is one I played recently from the race someone was talking about. I do not like this race a lot as it is a bit slow.

Settings: Rep -GC -SD Uni (6) Aqua (5) LHW (1) RHW(2) +P (3) +50 PoP (3)
Huge PreWarp Avg Age 8 players
Impossible Anties OFF Tactic Combat Random Off.


T000 Sell barracks, start CB, 2/6/0 8G/9F/31I/0R
T007 found III, set to housing 0/1/0, move 5 to research to get freighters
T012 R-EC, switch HW to freighter
T013 start CB 30/5/1
T016 Hired Kimbuzzi farm leader
T019 found IV
T026 found II
T028 R-RL
T029 found V, move ind to research, start freighter, set all others to SB prebuilds for RL
T033 start spy for RL
T038 R-hulls, switch all to RL
T039 start SB on all but HW (not done)
T041 R-AF, start spy
T045 R-std cells, switch all to AF
T046 start Sb as they finish AF's
T047 R-pods
T048 start scout on HW Reserve 849 +14BC Pop 29 RP 85

[Tiemler]

Evaluating a race with HW upgrades in a huge galaxy is a bit like using Aquatic in a mineral rich setting.

One that I use now and then for huge maps is...

Unification
Aquatic
Subterranean
+50% Pop
Repulsive
-20 SD
-10 GC

Pretty much weighs down planets under so much population the stars start orbiting them.

[Zoetrope]

"... so much population the stars start orbiting them" I'll have to remember that line.

Still: a good homeworld helps when getting ahead is most advantageous: in the beginning of a Prewarp or Average Tech start. An Artefacts Homeworld can help get the Auto Factory quicker, which means a quicker blitz, or earlier colonization, or an accelerated research schedule, which - singly or (better) together - means being better prepared sooner.

Remember also: the Aqua/Sub/+50%Pop race may multiply like Rabbits, but there are Foxes out there. Races with good attributes make good slaves. Indeed, they round out their captors' strengths.

Picks can be partitioned into 3 categories:

(1) Homeworld (AHW, RHW, LHW).

(2) Racial (including Aquatic, Subterranean, Tolerant, Gravity,Population Growth, Taxability, Industry, Science, and Food requirements).

(3) Imperial (e.g. Government, Ship Attack, Ship Defence, Ground Combat, Telepathic, Transdimensional, Warlord, Charismatic, Spying, Omniscient, Creative, Repulsive).

Many picks are conceptually compounds: eg, Telepathic combines Diplomatic, Spying, Planetary Mind Control, and Immediate Use of Captured Ships. I mention that because it has just occurred to me that Cybernetic combines the Imperial property of Regenerative Ships with the Racial characteristic of eating half a unit of food and half a unit of industry (post-pollution). However, I think Cyber may be the only case that crosses category boundaries.

The thing is, Homeworld picks must be exploited early, to overwhelm the opposition. Race picks apply no matter how many worlds your people have settled. Empire picks affect every world and every race you conquer.

The values of the picks vary according to the map and the situation; but no matter the map, a turn wasted is a turn ceded to one's enemies. Often a single turn makes the difference between a decisive victory and an ignominious defeat.

So i say make every turn count to the utmost. Thus, if you're a researcher or a quiet builder AND if EITHER it's PreWarp start OR the map is Small OR it's going to take your race many turns to get its colonies up and running, then Homeworld picks are well worth it.

However, if your aim is to get as many worlds as possible ASAP - e.g. by conquering Klackons, Sakkra, Silicoids and Trilarians so early that there isn't time to build or research anything; OR by putting so many points into Science and Industry that AHW and RHW scarcely make a difference even at the start - then forget about HW picks.

If there is a long-run (which presupposes a Huge, or at least a Large, map), then eventually it's only the Imperial picks that will matter (of all those you chose), as most of the many worlds of your empire will be dominated by captive races.

[Aabraxan]

I can't honestly say that I beat the AI frequently on impossible . . . yet. My typical game is hard or impossible, huge, 8 players, average galaxy age, average tech. I have a strange aversion to changing the age of the galaxy, even though that might improve my win ratio against an impossible AI. I feel like the average age puts all races on something like an even playing field. Anyway, my current game, with 6 players and (I think) pre-warp, is:
Dictatorship
Aquatic
Subterranean
+100% pop
LHW
-SD
-SA
-GC

(I think that adds up, but I'm not sure.) As others have noted, the relative value of that large homeworld that I took decreases (a) as the size of the galaxy increases; and (b) as the game progresses. In short, the more colonized planets there are, the less relative value any one world will have. Early in the game, though, this race simply outbreeds everyone -- more farmers, more scientists, more workers . . . and more mouths to feed. If you've got several habitable planets in your home system, plop down some colony bases, set them to housing, and you'll find that you can develop new worlds very quickly by simply shipping in colonists. Frankly, there are probably customized races better suited to a huge galaxy. It would probably be wise to substitute some other advantage for the large homeworld. Nonetheless, this one's fun.

Look around the forums for threads on custom races. Good information & discussions there.

[Widget4]

I forgot to add that I also play with Antarans attack, random events, tactical combat. I think that's what they're called. If I'm playing correctly the Antarans always attack me, the random events will knock out something like a ship I just built or try to slow my development down, and I'll end up with a two or three front war. I think one of my big problems is that when I get to the midgame I get sloppy and start clicking the turn button over and over without micromanaging like I should. I've played this game on and off since it came out and have to relearn every time. Right now I'm trying with a creative, omniscient, poor homeworld, repulsive, unification, -20 ground combat race, +20 ship attack. I give myself the cheat of starting a game with at least one planet in my home system that is abundant and normal gravity.

[Widget4]

Here's a couple of other things I've been wondering about. I'm not good at blitzing; I never seem to be able to reach the enemy. So I end up usually trying to build a better fleet. However, I used to always lose my advantage in tech due to spying. So I start off making spies from pretty early on. I looked at my statistics though in one of my games and 20% of my maintenance costs were going to spies. That's a huge amount of capital. Any ideas on the optimum number of spies in the beginning, middle, and end game (if you get there)? Or what's the best way to use spies?

[Widget4]

You're right about the homeworld picks, Zoetrope. I figured Omniscient might make up for the slow start because you gain colonizing efficiency by being able to soak up the best quality planets in your area. The trouble is on Average there isn't a lot of quality out there.

[vmxa1]

I would just pay the cost for the spies, if I was creative. Most creative races are best off to turtle. Fill up the HW and then all colony planets in the system.

Maybe grab one or two systems, if they are good and you can get defenses up soon enough.

Concentrate on getting up the tech tree to HEF and Deep Core. Then you can get 6 or so BB's and bust Orion. Maybe refit the ships and start eliminating your neighbors.

At this point you are steady making ships and maybe some transports. You want to grab a planet here and there to be able to reach others.

After getting Adv City, I tend to rush to Star Gates with this race so I can defend any system I grab at any time.

[Widget4]

Thanks VXMA, that's good advice. I think I need to figure out how to turtle better. I have a feeling I might be getting too big too soon and I get slapped around for it. If I stay small, though, I generally tend to get crushed at some point.

[Tiemler]

Great summary, Zoetrope.

So i say make every turn count to the utmost. Thus, if you're a researcher or a quiet builder AND if EITHER it's PreWarp start OR the map is Small OR it's going to take your race many turns to get its colonies up and running, then Homeworld picks are well worth it.

This is why I sometimes take AHW in a large galaxy, if I'm not planning to colonize heavily early on. In a huge galaxy, it just seems insignificant.

As others have noted, the relative value of that large homeworld that I took decreases (a) as the size of the galaxy increases; and (b) as the game progresses.

For 1 point, it's hard to see LHW as a waste. It'll probably still give you a good return on that investment, unless you passed up a great pick because you were 1 point short.

Originally posted by Widget4
Here's a couple of other things I've been wondering about. I'm not good at blitzing; I never seem to be able to reach the enemy.

Do you mean you're unable to find them, or that you lack the fuel cell tech to reach them? Because a blitz fleet accompanied by outpost ships can go raid opponents well outside your normal range.

I looked at my statistics though in one of my games and 20% of my maintenance costs were going to spies.

I usually build about 8 spies and then even the Darloks are usually only getting older tech. Of course, I also research Neural Scanner, Stealth Suit, and Cyber-Link Security.

In the endgame, they're never gonna steal enough of the useful techs to field them effectively, with my fleet ravaging their worlds.

Originally posted by Widget4
You're right about the homeworld picks, Zoetrope. I figured Omniscient might make up for the slow start because you gain colonizing efficiency by being able to soak up the best quality planets in your area.

A bit of scouting with cheap frigates that you'll put to good use later as a defense line, will make Omni irrelevant.

[Whoha]

playing on impossible is all about the super races. Yours and the ones you conquer. In the demo game that all effort seems to have drifted away from we had a research race, and we started next to sub/lith/tol silicoids which soon became our guys. hmm I may play the next turn since I just saw postings in the old threads.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Widget4
You're right about the homeworld picks, Zoetrope. I figured Omniscient might make up for the slow start because you gain colonizing efficiency by being able to soak up the best quality planets in your area. The trouble is on Average there isn't a lot of quality out there.

IMO Omni is only useful to a true tele blitz race/game. IOW if I go with say tele feudal warlord, I want to know where everything is as I will not research anything and I must take the fewest turns possible to finish off everyone.

So being able to see the map is critical. I need to figure out how many OP's I need and exactly when and where from the start.

Otherwise I woudl rather use the 3 picks for production or research. Anyway I will have Loknar in a while and will get Omni for free in a normal game.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Tiemler
For 1 point, it's hard to see LHW as a waste. It'll probably still give you a good return on that investment, unless you passed up a great pick because you were 1 point short.

I have to agree, a LHW is almost always the way to go.

[Widget4]

I've always played MOOII on and off over the years, but never really sought help on it. I was surprised to find there were still message boards on it. Consequently, I never really thought about using outpost ships as combat engineers to allow me to rush the other races. I have a bad habit of not reading the rules carefully so when I first started playing I actually thought outpost ships were a cheap way to get a barracks built, but not really useful beyond that. I'm going to try a blitzkrieg game though. Schlieffen plan all the way to the Sakra homeworld.

Anyway, I agree that Omniscience is only really useful if you combine it with other rush strategy race characteristics. Nevertheless, right now I actually enjoy having it because I know exactly what's going on in the universe. It helps me figure out how the game plays. No more "you have 7 votes; the Sakra have 17 votes" surprises. I hate to say it, though, but I'm kind of a stellar converter fan. After dealing with all the back and forth attrition, there's nothing better than finally getting some cloaked stellar converter ships and going on a rampage. It's a cheap thrill, I know. You can rush with a missile boat early on or you can make a late game tech rush. I suspect I prefer the late game tech rush.

I have noticed something, though. When I go on an all out tech rush, just set everything to Trade Goods and start researching like mad, the other races (at least two) seem to be programmed to come by and say hello in large numbers. Is this my imagination? Is there a research level you should not go beyond if you're not ready for massive invasion? Thanks for the all great answers, by the way.