View Full Version : Opening Strategies
baetis
March 23rd, 2002, 07:40 PM
Hey Folks,
I've been lurking here for a while, finally got my copy of SEIV and had a question. In a game lke this, what usually happens, is that you can do the tutorial, play a game, read the manual but still not know what exactly what you should be doing. So in the Super Fleet thread someone said experienced players usually build 3 space stations around their homeplanet to produce more. I never thought of doing that. So i was wondering if there are any other things that you *always* do at the start of a game that might not be so obvious to a less experienced player.
Thanks for all the great Posts guys...
Deathstalker
March 23rd, 2002, 08:14 PM
Don't know if this counts but I always take the 'Advanced Storage' racial ability. That extra 20% (IIRC) of facilities etc on your worlds is a wonderful edge. (esp on a 3 homeworld or more start). I also always make my research point toward point defense and stealth armor real quick. This way I can defend against the missile races/escort missile fleets and watch on my neighbors unawares.
MHSJROTCCADET
March 23rd, 2002, 08:55 PM
well this might be kind of obvious but..
I don't bother with escort class ships, I prefer to build colony ships for scouting, you can get frigate with so little research that IMO escorts are worthless.
Gryphin
March 23rd, 2002, 10:50 PM
Build your colony ships with only 3 engines and 2 cargo bays.
Reasons:
Build in 2 turns instead of 3
Moves more population to start your new colony
The home planet will replace the population fairly quickly
The 2 squares lost in speed is negligable compared to the 2/3 build speed. I'm not the math type but I'm sure someone here can post it for me.
capnq
March 23rd, 2002, 10:52 PM
Different people use different strategies, depending on their playing style. I don't think I've ever built more than two base shipyards at one world, frex. (OTOH, I've never finished better than third against human opponents, either.)
One thing I usually do is use whatever starting bonus I'm playing with to get one expensive tech right away rather than several cheaper ones.
Fyron
March 23rd, 2002, 11:02 PM
Make sure to build storage facilities to store any and all excess resources produced in the early game. It's much better to have, say, 210000 minerals stored than it is to have only 50000 when you start to build more than you can support. Store a lot more minerals than rads or organics. If you're and organic race, store about 1/3 to 1/2 as many organics as you do minerals. You don't need to store very many rads, because they aren't used very much.
Get Solar Panel IIIs quickly and place a few supply ships outfitted with them in each fleet. This extends their range significantly.
And about the 3 spaceyards per homeworld, make sure to get them built ASAP. Unless there are huge (or maybe large) planets of your atmosphere in your home system, get these space yards built in the first 6 turns. If their are huge worlds, build a colony ship or two and get them colonized ASAP. They are the first priority. And don't limit yourself to 3 space yards at each homeworld. When you reach a point where you consistently have a large surplus in your income, build more space yards. Try to minimize the budget surplus.
Suicide Junkie
March 23rd, 2002, 11:26 PM
Re: resource storage.
I'd rather have more resource Production rather than storage. On poor value planets I'd much rather have research/intel production than resource storage.
A full tank (level 1) of storage is only worth 13 turns of Monolith (level 1) output, and you have to fill it up before you can use it anyways.
If you've got budget surplusses, you can always turn up the factory output and build up your fleets.
Fyron
March 24th, 2002, 12:22 AM
I didn't say to make resource storage facilities at the expense of resource production facilities. Just make a few on each huge planet to catch the excess resources that you can't use yet.
Edit:
And you should take my post in its entirety. I did say:
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>When you reach a point where you consistently have a large surplus in your income, build more space yards. Try to minimize the budget surplus.<hr></blockquote> So, your Last statement is just repeating what I already said. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
[ 23 March 2002: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]</p>
Suicide Junkie
March 24th, 2002, 03:39 AM
My point was just that resource storage comes at the expense of something. Whether that be resource production on high value worlds, or research on low value worlds.
I knew you'd said the bit about factories already, but I guess I missed adding a comment such as "as Fyron said" to it. Sorry.
Fyron
March 24th, 2002, 05:59 AM
No worries SJ! That's what the http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif was for. And besides, I don't really want to quoted anyhow. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
And basically the point that I was trying to make was that early in the game you have to make a decision. You can make another Mineral Miner and then have 6800 surplus instead of 6000 surplus, or you can make a storage facility and store some of that 6000 surplus you are alreay getting. Usually, I just make one of each storage facility on every huge and large world of my atmosphere type, which tends to solve the early surplus problem. Entire storage planets are not really a good idea. And with Advanced Storage Techniques, I don't really miss having a few less miners or researchers. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
Lisif Deoral
March 24th, 2002, 08:41 PM
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by baetis:
Hey Folks,
So i was wondering if there are any other things that you *always* do at the start of a game that might not be so obvious to a less experienced player.
<hr></blockquote>
I'm noy exactly an experienced player, or maybe I was... I disinstalled the game Last summer and reinstalled it only about 10 days ago.
Anyway, I usually build an escort explorer ship in the first turn (making sure I can complete it in 1 turn), then build at least a colony ship (even if there's no colonizable planet in your home system). What follows depends on the specific situation.
I usually don't use many space yard bases - anyway, I tipically play with low starting resources and other nuisances (like "players may start in the same system") that encourage improvisation, and I have played only a single of multiplayer game (where I didn't fare well at all...).
capnq
March 24th, 2002, 09:36 PM
I usually and add storage facilities as needed, if I have the space. One trick is to put the storage facility on a planet that can produce a decent yield of that resource; when you start running a large deficit instead of a surplus, and drain off enough of your stockpile, you can scrap the storage facility and build a resource producer in it's place.
[ 24 March 2002: Message edited by: capnq ]</p>
rextorres
March 24th, 2002, 09:50 PM
This all may sound obvious, but I'll give my 2 cents anyways.
SEIV is like any 4X game it's just a huge land grab. The key to winning is to expand, expand, expand. The best tactics won't beat an empire that has a larger economic base that can outspend and outresearch an opponent.
Build colony ships with your home planets almost exclusively. Switch to defensive ships when you have first contact - but continue to grow especially if your opponent is friendly - in a game with humans this almost always the case. The computer will invariably attack you until you get a treaty.
Start your new planets with a weapons platform so the enemy doesn't destroy your colony with the lone explorer ship then build as many research facilities in your home system as possible until you start going into negative - keeping up with the joneses on techology is a key to winning.
When you colonize the next system first thing you should build is your platform for protection then your next shipyard and start the whole aforementioned colonizing process over. Send a cargo ship with colonists so that the new colony doesn't run out.
Once you go into negative on minerals then you start building mineral facilities to catch up on resources.
Build the storage facility mentioned previously, but one should be enough if your expanding at the proper pace. If you have lots of excess resources then your not growing fast enough.
There lots of ways to optimize this growth, but I'll let others give ideas.
Fyron
March 24th, 2002, 10:05 PM
If you don't make some space yard stations to utilize your extra resources, then it will be a while before you start to reach negative income levels.
PvK
March 24th, 2002, 11:03 PM
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by augustinetorres:
...SEIV is like any 4X game it's just a huge land grab. The key to winning is to expand, expand, expand. The best tactics won't beat an empire that has a larger economic base that can outspend and outresearch an opponent.<hr></blockquote>
Unless you're playing with the Proportions mod. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
PvK
tesco samoa
March 25th, 2002, 01:57 AM
IF it is a 3 planet low tech start.
I scrap 1 mineral factory and build a mineral storage ( on each planet).
Then I build 3 space yards.
Then I scrap 2 mineral factories and build another mineral storage and an organic or rad storage ( on each planet)
Then I should have computers level 1 done so I will scrap 2 more mineral factories and build the computer and robotic factories.
Mean while the space yards have been producing 1 colony ship 1 scout ( 2 times through ) and 1 defence or attack ship ( I just put the colony and attack ship on repeat ). Then I set the scout builder to build 2 more space yards.
On new colony planets I build space yard first ( if greater than 2 slots )
If 1 to 2 slots then I put a research on it ( this is for later when I have atmosphere converters so they can take that research slot)
If 3 slots on a planet then a ship yard, (if one of the minerals is above 100 % then that factory and a reseach fac. if not then just research )
If 4 slots then same as 3 slots .
If 6 slots then space yard and ( follow the 100% rule ) either 4 research and 1 computer or 3 of the factories and 2 research
If 12 or greater then lots of research and a few more storage facilities
But if the planet has one of the minerals above 100% then I will build that factory 24 times with a robotic factory , ship yard and some research slots .
Ship yards decrease build time.
Storage will save you later in the game ( actually at the turn 25 to 50 range when a lack of one of the minerals will really slow you down.)
For reseach....
Computers, PPB's, ships, planet util, and cargo.
Get cargo done early. It will help.
By turn 60 you want atmosphere converter 1 done and mineral converters ....
Gozra
March 25th, 2002, 02:52 AM
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Make sure to build storage facilities to store any and all excess resources produced in the early game. It's much better to have, say, 210000 minerals stored than it is to have only 50000 when you start to build more than you can support. Store a lot more minerals than rads or organics. If you're and organic race, store about 1/3 to 1/2 as many organics as you do minerals. You don't need to store very many rads, because they aren't used very much
Get Solar Panel IIIs quickly and place a few supply ships outfitted with them in each fleet. This extends their range significantly.
And about the 3 spaceyards per homeworld, make sure to get them built ASAP. Unless there are huge (or maybe large) planets of your atmosphere in your home system, get these space yards built in the first 6 turns. If their are huge worlds, build a colony ship or two and get them colonized ASAP. They are the first priority. And don't limit yourself to 3 space yards at each homeworld. When you reach a point where you consistently have a large surplus in your income, build more space yards. Try to minimize the budget surplus.<hr></blockquote>
I must point out that warp point ships openers and closers cost a lot to make and run in rad points. So if you have a game in which these type of ships are important then radioactives become important. "gozguy"
Gozra
March 25th, 2002, 03:24 AM
I have come across some truisms in SEIV that fit any type of game. Keep in mind the 2 basic type of games you can have In SEIV 1)Stars all connected 2) Stars not connected by warp points.
1st Truism. If it has an orbit Colonize it.
2nd T. Fill the colony worlds fast with population.
3rd T. Research applied research as the first big project.
4th T. Fighters + Mines = AI's Can't get you.
Industry -> Computers + Robotics = Greater production and research capablities
Population+ happiness= Greater production of everything.
I am not sure slow big Colony ships are THE answer. But it might be.
Fyron
March 25th, 2002, 03:51 AM
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>I must point out that warp point ships openers and closers cost a lot to make and run in rad points. So if you have a game in which these type of ships are important then radioactives become important. "gozguy" <hr></blockquote>
True, stellar manipulation is very Rad expensive, but so what? By the time you get around to using it, you should be making enough Rads to cover the costs, or you should be able to convert Organics or Minerals to Rads to cover the costs. And games where not all warp points are connected are the exception, not the rule.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>4th T. Fighters + Mines = AI's Can't get you.<hr></blockquote>
True, unless you play against good modded AIs, like the TDM ones. If you play against humans, then they won't help you much past the early game.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>I am not sure slow big Colony ships are THE answer. But it might be. <hr></blockquote>
IMO, the answer is Light Cruiser hull colony ships. They are large enough to have stealth armor, a colony module, 6 engines, and leave you with 80 spaces for cargo bays and/or supply storage/solar panels. When you get solar sails, you lose out on one of those cargo bays, but that's not a problem. Med./Large Transports are nice if you want a high starting population, but they get to be expensive.
Bman
March 25th, 2002, 04:51 PM
Everyone is talking about building cargo storage early on. I say fooey on that. If you have surplus minerals after about 10 turns in a 1-planet start then you are doing something wrong and not expanding fast enough. And during the first 10 turns your planet should be busy building space station yards and colony ships. If you waste 3 slots on cargo storage, that's 1500 research points per turn or 1800+ resources per turn you could be getting instead. That pays the mineral cost required by a working space-yard each turn! With those extra points you can expand that much faster.
In a recent MP game I conquered another empire that only had about 6 planets to my 30 when we met and I was his only neighbor. I didn't understand it, but as I landed troops on all of his planets I kept finding resource storage units.
My strategy in the early game is to operate in the red and constantly increase my resource PRODUCTION so I can produce more faster. Send out colony ships like crazy and research some combat technologies early (either ship size or weapons or shields or armor or sensors or something) so that when you make first contact you will be able to build a ship capable of holding its own.
geoschmo
March 25th, 2002, 05:02 PM
Bman,
I agree totally. I have played entire 100+ turn multi-player turn games never building a single resource storage facility. The only time it's ever been an issue is while retrofitting ships, and if you plan it right it's not a huge problem. It's really not a good idea to retrofit tons of ships at the same time anyway because the enemy could pick that moment to attack.
Geoschmo
Phoenix-D
March 25th, 2002, 06:33 PM
*winces* yup. Trust me on that one. DON'T refit a lot of ships at once.
On resource storage- it's saved my butt more than once, especially when a loose a resource-producing world or two. Human oppponents like hitting those first. At the moment in Dimension X, I'd be broke in 2 turns without my storage facilites.
And therein lies another bit of advice: watch your flanks!
Phoenix-D
baetis
March 25th, 2002, 06:35 PM
Thanks for the tips guys. I did build a few Mineral storage facilities and I'm glad I did. There are times when I'm building very few ships and I get massive surpluses in Minerals. Storing them makes me feel a little better http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
Baetis
Bman
March 25th, 2002, 06:52 PM
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by geoschmo:
Bman,
I agree totally. I have played entire 100+ turn multi-player turn games never building a single resource storage facility. The only time it's ever been an issue is while retrofitting ships, and if you plan it right it's not a huge problem. It's really not a good idea to retrofit tons of ships at the same time anyway because the enemy could pick that moment to attack.
Geoschmo<hr></blockquote>
Speaking of refitting in simultaneous games, has anyone else besides me noticed some bugs in the process? I've found that it is luck of the draw if you are refitting to a prototype design on whether it works successfully or not.
Sometimes the game comes back next turn and tells you the refit failed because you can only refit to the same size hull. Well duh. Given that the GUI only lets you pick the same-size hull in the refit list I could not possibly have gotten that wrong. Sometimes it comes back and says the designs are not similar enough in cost when I *know* they are. One time (in v1.41 game) it successfully refitted my ship. The catch was the new ship I had was not one of my designs! It was an organic ram-ship design by another empire and I was not even organic! That made for a useless ship since I could not repair it!
I have never had problems refitting ships to a design that was not a prototype (ie I had already constructed one beforehand). And in the first turn or two I tend not to have problems refitting ships to prototypes.
My current theory is that when you design a prototype it does not get put on the "main list of designs that exist in the game". Then when you choose to refit to a new design, the game stores the "design number" of the design in the orders. Since this prototype design is not in the main list of designs, the refit command gets a bogus design number. When the game is processed all the new designs are added to the "main list". The the refit order is processed and the bogus design number is used to lookup the design. More often than not, the design it finds is *not* the design you specified.
I have not tested this theory, but I suspect that if I design a prototype but do not try to refit to it until the next turn, that might allow time for the design to be put in the "main list" and thus might allow my refits to succeed.
Has any one else any experince with this?
LGM
March 25th, 2002, 09:39 PM
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by augustinetorres:
This all may sound obvious, but I'll give my 2 cents anyways.
SEIV is like any 4X game it's just a huge land grab. The key to winning is to expand, expand, expand. The best tactics won't beat an empire that has a larger economic base that can outspend and outresearch an opponent.
Build colony ships with your home planets almost exclusively. Switch to defensive ships when you have first contact - but continue to grow especially if your opponent is friendly - in a game with humans this almost always the case. The computer will invariably attack you until you get a treaty.
...<hr></blockquote>
I agree. Expand. I often build 10 colonizers the first 10 turns using emergency build. After that, I scrap my shipyard and build a Mineral mining facility with my homeworld at slow build.
Someone mentioned build defense first thing on a new colony. That would depended on number of players and galaxy size and if I can guard the planet with warships or not. My typical first builds are often Weapon Platform with Missles and a Shipyard.
You want to build shipyards so you can spend resources and build more colonizers. If you feel defenseless, set your colonizers to Ram. Colonizers usually win ramming with Escorts, especially scout types with only one weapon. If you see a Frigate or better, you are probably dead, might as well cripple them before you get shot down.
Once you get shipyards at your second tier worlds, start building colonizers at normal build (two turns). Depending on your production rate, you might only be able to build one colonizer a turn at your homeworld since you have population bonus there. If you cannot build a colonizer in two turns, redesign your race.
With your third tier of planets out from your homeworld you are probably getting close to someone. After you build shipyards, start building some armed ships at those.
When you start need more resource, use one of your shiphards to build a space port, if you can do it in two turns. Otherwise, any world will do.
Once you get one colony in a system, leap frog it with the next colonizer, Let the shipyard there seed those planets. It can build cheaper 3 or 4 engine colonizers to get to those planets quick enough.
Subsequent colonies in a system can build resources or research facilities. Extra shipyards if you are near someone.
Once a shipyard is no longer on a frontier, it can start building other facilities or orbital shipyards.
Around turn 20 or 30, you need to start building more warships and escorting them as there will be lots of dangeours ships out there by then.
As for research, I have found that Point Defense are an early must, in case you meet an agressive race early on. Missles + point defenses allow you to build Weapon Platforms that make planets costly to take out. ECM I is good to have early on too. Prop 3 will make your ships cheaper. Escort and Destroyer tech are good. DUC III+ are cheap to get weapons worth going for, unless you are going for missle attack ships. You can skip the weapons/arms stuff if you think players are passive and go for Research II, Solar Panels. Construction|Mines can be achieved rather quickly, which will defend your planets even better than weapon platforms. However, that will not give you warships capable of escorting colonizers once you meet a competing race.
Something new I have been toying with, but I am not sure if it is worth it yet. A colonizer with a Cargo II component can carry a Weapon Platform with it. That saves building one the first turn of a new colony.
Trade Colonization Techs with the first race you meet. This will give you more worlds to colonize.
If the first facility you build in a system is going to be a shipyard to seed the others, consider colonizing the lowest facility world first as that colony will be too busy to build other facilities.
One final note. Cargo Specialists can maintain the population bonus while skimming off colonists for each new colonizer. You can play with a smaller construction bonsus to build 10 colonizers in 10 turns with these races. Better be sure what your starting homeworld size will be before optimizing for these.
Some advocate building orbital shipyards at your homeworld instead of colonizers. Here is the problem: It will take 2 or 3 turns to build one of these. Then it will take 3 to 5 turns to build a colonizer at one of these. That means your first colonizer leaves your world at turn 6 to 9. By turn 9, I expect my second tier to be producing colonizers already.
Trajan
March 25th, 2002, 09:53 PM
Gentlemen,
I am a short-time lurker, and first time caller, and am very new to this particular game, though I have plenty of experience in the genre.
My question regarding this game, and the opening moves is simple.
When playing SEIV Gold, do you find it more advantageous to rapidly expand to any planet that will support life? Or is it better not waisting precious initial colony ships on small planets with a very small ROI, and instead target your initial colony ships on breathable atmostphere planets -- that is assuming there are any within a reasonable distance.
Thanks!
Trajan
Suicide Junkie
March 25th, 2002, 10:07 PM
As a general observation, as I expand, I usually colonize breathables one warp point jump ahead of the unbreathable-but-valuable worlds (size or resources). I take the tiny stinkholes with core-produced colony ships when rim system spaceyards start producing their own colony ships.
Gryphin
March 25th, 2002, 10:44 PM
Of Storage Facilities and Avoiding Surplus
My method is to
Skip building the storage
Spend myself to the edge
By then I have always found an AI I can trade with
I will give 21,000 Organics for 20,000 Minerals
Works every time
Later in the game I might add some storage for big projects.
Wardad
March 26th, 2002, 12:51 AM
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by baetis:
[QB]Hey Folks,
...So i was wondering if there are any other things that you *always* do at the start of a game that might not be so obvious to a less experienced player.[QB]<hr></blockquote>
I haven't tested myself against human players, but I kick AI butt a dozen different ways.
I generally don't build escorts. I build small pop transports with a two-three sat launchers. Sometimes the transports are armed and sometimes they carry extra fuel.
I adapt my opening game strategy to my surroundings. Make the best use of what you have got.
Do I have colonizeable planets in system? Colonizer speed, build cost, and payload is adjusted for need.
Remember, I can ship population in my transports.
I play to the planet Bonuses (mining or research). Every domed colony could be great site for an early extra ship yard.
I have found a orbital ship yard is great for the little jobs. Producing SATs, Weapon platforms and Mines.
Research? Larger ships, DUC 3, PD, are all good choices. It will all depend on what your hostile neighbor is doing.
Defense? A little goes a long way in the early game. Better some than none. SATs placed in worm holes are trouble for missle using races (remember that small transport). Weapon Platforms can prevent an colony death from a passing scout.
EXPAND!!! My son never gets it. You have got to think long term and make investments in new colonies and infrastucture. You have got to take some short term risk and hope no one hits you too hard where and when you are weak.
Early War revenge! Bio weapons. Only need one bomb on a ship, leaving lots of room for armor, shields, and point defense. Use at least a level 3 bomb. The ship only has to bomb the planet once.
------------------------
So many ugly women, so much time. Got Beer?
------------------------
Fyron
March 26th, 2002, 07:14 AM
Regarding Resource Storage Facilities:
No one has advocated building tons of them to store 2,000,000 resources. Just a few of these at huge planets of your atmosphere are all that is necessary. The small amount of resource production or research lost due to building them is insignificant. If your empire fails becuase of 1800 fewer resources, then you have not done a very good job at building it. And about retrofitting and stored resources: you should be retrofitting constantly, using a retro-series of ship designs to expedite the construction process.
Orbital Space Yards:
If you don't build these, then you will most likely lose to an experienced player that does build them. All else being equal, the player with the ability to produce more ships in a given time period will win. In one game I am in, a player started attacking me with around 18 ships (several of which are minesweepers, and there are a few carriers (which is really funny)). My main fleet of ships was on the other side of the galaxy. The 6 space yards at each of my homeworlds had just completed building a set of light cruisers, and with the planetary space yards, the total was 21 in that turn. Then, I set the stations to emergency build. They took 3 turns to complete the ships. So now, I have quickly built 39 light cruisers, and I will get at least 18 more in 3 turns. I am building new space yards to replace the ones I have now when the emergency build period ends. Sure, I lost a few under-developed fringe colonies, but my enemy will lose a lot more. I suspect that he has a poorly developed infrastructure. And btw, this game has only been going on for less than 40 turns.
Colony Ships:
Yes, it is good to build one or two before you get the space yards up, esp. for those large and huge planets near you. And so what if there are a few turns in which you aren't building any colony ships? After the space stations are done, you can build a lot more colony ships than someone without them. The best approach would be to combine the 2 strategies.
Sinapus
March 27th, 2002, 07:47 PM
I don't build tons of them to store 2,000,000 resources... but sometimes I just get carried away. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
(And it becomes very useful, especially when I start massive construction projects on all my planets. Then I watch the reserve resource levels plummet like crazy.)
Skulky
March 28th, 2002, 03:59 AM
I am a moderate plr IMHO. i am going to start branching out from organic tech as it is kinda one track and can hurt you once you hit a crys plr.
I usually have 3+ yards at each of my homeworlds, and the first one is always set to build extra yards in at least one of the 3 cases, once that gets goign i can be making a 30+ ship fleet in abpout 3-4 turns or less.
the key is the ONE TURN SHIP it is so great (and that means one turn on a large planet, full pop bonus', lvl 1 yard)
also design variants for emerg build for special situations when you need max defense for a certain situation NOW. i also sometimes do special designs for the limitations of my space bourne yards.
Remember without the ability to be flexible and respond to developments you are nothign. you need to be able to respodn to new threats and then dictate the action with your new fleets, SE4 is just a game of economic expansion. If you can get 50-20 odds then the military strategy part is secondary, possibly obsolete.
Edit: more comments,
First off, listent o whatever Imperator Fyron has to say, he was handly kicking everyones butt until an admin(me) caused glitch and his general annoyance caused himt o quit and a less adept person took over. If you dont' build at least 3 yards you will die, i think i already said that.
Resource yards are for when all that is left is one neutral and your having fun with your "New System Maker" fleets and toying wiht ringworlds and sphereworlds. Mainly aesthetics if you ask me. max i would ever build is like 5-7mineral and maybe 4 org (when im organic) and 2 rad
Also, never fight more htan one person at once, me and the newly controlled vorlon made peace b/c he had started a war with another guy and a comp and was getting killed so he did a little dance (no just gave me ships and stopped ATTACKING) so we could go about our own buisness.
Only problem with imperator fyron is he seems to not expand as fast, now im dominating that game (thx to the other guy being not so good) but also to having a large resource and planet adn research advantage.
anyway major props to fyron for showing me how to actually play PBW.
and btw if you only play comps and think you're hella good time to reevaluate. comps are nothign compared tohumans., don't even think your at least moderate until you have played a PBW or PBEM or now TCP/IP game.
[ 28 March 2002: Message edited by: Skulky ]</p>
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