Play by web guide
 

Having been a long time listener, almost first time caller. Oh! wait a minute this is a message board!
I am currently in about 3 Play-By-Web Games.

I have found that most player will research PDC very early in the game, making missiles obsolete in the early stages.
Mines are also useless, due to the fact that minesweepers will be Online at about the same time.

Looking at the current best AI races, it seems that engine destroing weapons are the best to research. I think I am looking at what has worked for PBW, and almost as important what has not. I have found that sticking a research plan, and finding allies is very important, What have you found out? What is your research tree? What makes us newbies so much worse than the more seasoned players?

Re: Play by web guide
 

Tip 1: do NOT send all your fleet to the retrofit yards at the same time. I did this, then the fleet was attacked. Ow..

Mines can be useful, if only because they get any AI opponents off your back and force your human oppponents to build sweepers.

Phoenix-D

Re: Play by web guide
 

Hi Phoenix, still traumatised by that fleet-in-retrofit I wiped out with luck ? :-)

Mines are very useful. I use them on wormholes and over planets. Minelayers can lay at twice the speed that a sweeper can clean... and it forces opponents to send enough sweepers with every fleet...causing them to spend resources and maintenance on sweepers while your mines are cheap and maintenance-free.

In one PBW game I had one annoying opponent who put one minelaying component on a transport ship, loaded it up with mines, then started creating little 2-mine minefields *everywhere*. Makes you really paranoid, even after defeating his military I couldn't safely send any colonisers or such into his former systems without sweeper escort...

Re: Play by web guide
 

Always remember the Tholian first principle of war as a dipolmatic suggest to all other races: "Let's you and him fight."

[This message has been edited by [K126]Mephisto (edited 13 October 2001).]

Re: Play by web guide
 

quote by Phoenix-D; posted 13 October 2001 06:30

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(Tip 1: do NOT send all your fleet to the retrofit yards at the same time. I did this, then the fleet was attacked. Ow..) There goes my plan of giving you a good "gift" right before I attack! LOL. Sounds like a game I'm in right now, built a light cruiser(big ship at that time, no one else had that size), very weapon heavy. In the upgrade, I did remember to include engines, the really sad part, did a copy of the design for minesweepers! Duh.....

Re: Play by web guide
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dragonlord:
In one PBW game I had one annoying opponent who put one minelaying component on a transport ship, loaded it up with mines, then started creating little 2-mine minefields *everywhere*. Makes you really paranoid, even after defeating his military I couldn't safely send any colonisers or such into his former systems without sweeper escort...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I love that trick.

Re: Play by web guide
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dragonlord:
Hi Phoenix, still traumatised by that fleet-in-retrofit I wiped out with luck ? :-)

Mines are very useful. I use them on wormholes and over planets. Minelayers can lay at twice the speed that a sweeper can clean... and it forces opponents to send enough sweepers with every fleet...causing them to spend resources and maintenance on sweepers while your mines are cheap and maintenance-free.

In one PBW game I had one annoying opponent who put one minelaying component on a transport ship, loaded it up with mines, then started creating little 2-mine minefields *everywhere*. Makes you really paranoid, even after defeating his military I couldn't safely send any colonisers or such into his former systems without sweeper escort...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That guy that layed the 2 mine minefields didn't happen to be me did it? That is the only thing I could do that worked.

EDIT: Mining warp points doesn't work so well because everyone knows where they are, but when you start mining open space and someone hits it, they start to be really paraniod.



[This message has been edited by Baal (edited 13 October 2001).]

Re: Play by web guide
 

Baal,
No, the player I was referring to was much worse than you when it came to minefields. About 8 minefields per system in some 7 or more systems...this is in the Dark Wars game.

Re: Play by web guide
 

Wow, 7 systems, that is pretty impressive.

Re: Play by web guide
 

PBW rocks!, I love playing this game! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

The things I have noticed for pbw:

1. Never underestimate mines!!! (or DUC's!)
2. Go for Armor 4 (stealth armor) FAST!
3. Go for Military Science FAST, especially the ship fleet/ship training facilities, MAX out the levels too. Ship/fleet experience is everything, esp since battle order occurrs in order of player number.(I am currently 8th of 8 players in a game, gonna be a tough one to climb to the top of the Heap! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif)
4. Engine Destroying weapons rule!
5. Beware, EVERYONE has PPB early!, stock up on armor!
6. Most players lower their racial strength to 50%, same for repair and trade, and perhaps organics if not an organic race. So be unique/different, take 120 str and conquer those planets with troops fast!!
7. Don't forget sensors to see those stealth ships, best placed on 1 satellite per system around a heavily defended planet.
8. Hidden repair/Base Yards in Nebula can be a real advantage, as can mining satellites in asteroids for minerals.
9. Emotionless, REALLY consider taking it. When at war you can be toast real quick when 5-8 planets in a system start rioting after 1 or 2 planets are glassed.
10. Psychic/Religious, Talisman/Subverter, need I say more?? (for long range, Mental Singularity/Talisman, rocks!)
11. EVERYONE has PDC to the max, fighters and missiles are pretty much obsolete but they can make a good surprise when a complete weapon change is made, use all beam fleets and then suddenly switch to missiles, catch the enemy with pants down! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif
12. Never retro-fit everything at once.... http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif
13. Beware Askan, he will KICK your butt!!! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif
14. sEEE thirtEEEn! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif (seriously, there are some incredible players out there, as well as some really good roleplayers! Also are the rare ones that do both quite well, they make the game enjoyable even if you are losing!).

Well, enough babbling for now....time to check pbw and see if their are any new turns for the 6 games I am in! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

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"We are all...the sum of our scars"....(paraphrased) Matt. R. Stover-'Blade of Tyshalle'.

"Human existance is all imagination...Reality is no more than a simple agreement among its participants that this is where we shall meet, and these are the rules that we shall abide by."- Kevin McCarthy/David Silva "The Family:Special Effects"..