Basic questions to understand the game

[yndy]

You probably know the my drill: Long time lurker, been following MOO3 from Dec 2000, just got the game, somewhat disappointed of the result but willing to take time to master it [pun intended].

I’ll start my first post with a list of questions that I see as most important to understand /play the game. Please excuse me if the answers are in the manual, though I doubt that. I have read bits and pieces of the manual but most of that is crap.

1. Can I get by without using dev plans at least for the first games until I see the big picture?
2. How long does it take to have a developed empire (in turns)? As in build at least a couple of ships every turn, and have most of things built in less than 10 turns?
3. How many turns to end the game (just to have a feeling) is it more like 500 or more like 1000?
4. Do you have many ‘mixed’ systems (that you share with other races) or you just stop expanding when other empires claim neighboring systems?

[Jamski]

Firstly, welcome
and some answers in brief:

1.) Yes
2.) At least 50 turns
3.) 200-300 turns for Senate win, 300+ for "X"'s win, sole survivor longer, but depending on Galaxy size.
4.) Depends how friendly the neighbours are

-Jam

[yndy]

Thanks for the welcome and quick response. I was afraid of the answer to question 2. I’m on turn 80 and I’m not there yet. Additional question:

5. Do you go to Diplo screen and chat with the ambassadors every turn?

I started as Senate member and know 7 races. There is always something to trade with them (techs or trade, research relations). Which raises another question:

6. Does the ‘Improve trade treaty’ thing do what its supposed to? Should I improve my treaties every 10 turns or so?

[Fosse]

I've been on turn 150 before without being able to build good ships in under 25 turns in my core planets. Some people are good at this game already... the rest may never be. Don't let that get you down.

I only check the diplo screen if it comes up on the SitRep, or I have something specific I want from another empire. I have no idea about the treaties being improved.

[Yolky]

Originally posted by yndy
Thanks for the welcome and quick response. I was afraid of the answer to question 2. I’m on turn 80 and I’m not there yet. Additional question:

how big ships are you building? scouts could be built around one or two turns, same as colony ships. Are you trying to build dreadnaughts or something like that? That will take a while to build. Those are just huge honking ships, will take time to build.

Remeber this is no Moo2 or Moo1 and ships don't get built in a day anymore.

Think of it this way. Look how long the International Space Station. Its taking years to build and the Space Shuttles take years to build also and they are about Scout size vessels.

Davor

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by yndy

6. Does the ‘Improve trade treaty’ thing do what its supposed to? Should I improve my treaties every 10 turns or so?

Yes, it does.

Playing the Psilons I have very often encountered the "Improve Trade reaties" - Thing.
In the End I earned more money through Trade with other Civilizations than through my Tax - Income (Psilons are very good Diplomats who get very good along with their Neighbours, so there were a lot of friendly Empires to trade with (because I was also in the Senate and had through it since the Berginning opf the game Contact to a lot of Empires)

[Grumbold]

I go through phases of hitting the diplomacy screen every 2-3 turns. The only time its been vital has been in the early 'meet the neighbours' phase. Thats when you need to establish fast whether you can ally with someone and move through their space or switch to a war economy to releive them of their worlds instead. Upgrading the treaties whenever they become available is efficient but good neighbours will often suggest it themselves if you keep in their good books.

A huge planet should always be able to crank out even a big ship in a few turns provided you specialise. Once the mining techs arrive its easy to have a planet or six with:

1x gov, mil, rec, farm
2x mine
16x industry

That can build anything pretty fast as long as it doesn't get blocaded. After a while I'll switch some to 5x ship production just to save having to monitor them every turn.

[Crostoneman]

A good industrial planet will create a large ship in a few turns provided that you created a cheap but effective ship. A cruiser stocked with light missile chassis is a lot cheaper to build than a destroyer built with multipl racks of point defence missiles.

[Serb]

Can anyone explain to me this:
In the Finances screeen, in tax levels section, there are two types of taxes- system and empire, I figured out what for the Empire tax is needed for, but what about "system tax". What the hell is this 'system tax'?

Sorry for silly question. I really like this game and I want to understand the game mechanics better.

[Grumbold]

I can't say I can give you a definite answer. I assumed it was like the Empire tax, except the pool was only available to split among planets in that system. So for 1 planet systems its just like local taxes. For those with more than one world it can make the richer established worlds help develop the poorer ones faster. I could easily be mistaken but that makes sense to me.

[Proteus_MST]

I assume the same thing as Grumbold
and aside from helping the poorer Worlds in the System I think the System Taxes could probably also be used by the Viceroy to improve the Starlanes.

[zorbop]

question on trade

is it in the game?
for planets with extra minerals/recources, is it automaticaly traded to other planets, or do i have to do it. how?
and what are the features for trading with other empires?
can someone please explain this to me

[Proteus_MST]

It is traded automatically.

Tom Hughes one of the Designers has an interesting Thread which expalins a lot of the workings of certain DEAs and the economic System in a Thread on INA.

Look here:
Economics 101

For the Second detailed Posting of Tom Hughes so far, which eplains in every Detail how the Mining DEAs work look at the Bottom of the second Page of the Thread.

Especially the Second Posting is very useful and is one of those things I hope to find in the revised manual of the game.

[yndy]

Thanks Proteus. There is 'gold' in the IGMOO forums but one needs to dig a lot there to find it.

Did anyone figured why the planets tend to accumulate such a big treasury? My first planet has a 10K treasury while my empire has only 4K. My deficit guidance is 'spending'.

[Proteus_MST]

There is a Difference between Imperial Treasury and Planetary treasury.

The Planetary Government collects Taxes from the Money the Population of the Planet earns.

This Money ist spend for Economic and Scientific Development, and for Military and Civilian Building Queue.

Either from the earned Planetary Taxes or also from the Money the planetary Population earns are the Imperial and System taxes deducted.

The Money from the System Taxes go probably as Grants to poorer Planets within the System and possibly to Buildings which affect the whole System (maybe also to the Improvement of Starlanes)

The Imperial Taxes on the other Hand pay for those things listed in the Imperial Budget, such as Upkeep for the Fleets, Unrest Reduction, Planetary/Military/Scientific Grants, Spies and the like.

Especially later in the game it is advisable to lower the Imperial taxes, because there is always a certain percentage of the Imperial Taxes which is lost. The Percentage is either determined by the HFoG or has a fixed value at maybe 5%.
Also lowering Imperial Taxes is a good means to keep your Population content (own Observations).