Finite resources vs infinite resources

HP Delron · #1 February 25th, 2002, 11:16 PM

I prefer finite resource games. They just seem more realstic and over-all better. anyone else agree?

geoschmo · #2 February 25th, 2002, 11:42 PM

I like all sorts of games, so I wouldn't say they are better or worse. But I would encourage everyone to try a finite resource game one at least once. They are quite different.

Geo

Suicide Junkie · #3 February 26th, 2002, 12:02 AM

I played a finite resources game once, but what happened was:
a) I took care of my colonies' ecosystems, and ended up with infinite resources again.
b) By NOT stripmining resources, I ended up with more research as a side effect.
c) The eventual AI confrontation became a low-volume, high-tech defense against the resource-strangled Last gasp of medium-volume, medium-tech ships. Me having piles of maintenance-free sats & fighters just made it worse.

geoschmo · #4 February 26th, 2002, 12:31 AM

Yeah, I dont' recomend it against the AI. I don't think the AI acts any differently in a finite resources game. This is doable if you can expand rapidly enough to counter act the depletion of your core planets. But if you don't expand very well, which the AI doesn't, its a matter of time before your empire collapses on itself.

Geo

Suicide Junkie · #5 February 26th, 2002, 12:41 AM

Actually, I only controlled 3 systems. Taking care of what I did have was the key.

My homeworld, in fact was well on its way to unstoppable resource growth.

HP Delron · #6 February 26th, 2002, 02:04 AM

some good points but i think the key to a good finite resource game is to DISABLE all resource improvement plants.

Suicide Junkie · #7 February 26th, 2002, 05:38 AM

If you do that, you end up with a heat death for the universe.

Perhaps better would be a one-per-planet value improvement facility. Then you still get to balance conservation & productivity.

Teach the kiddies responsible use of resources!

HP Delron · #8 February 26th, 2002, 06:12 AM

Eventually everything dies... even the universe, sad but true

Suicide Junkie · #9 February 26th, 2002, 06:19 PM

Sure, but it takes longer than a decade to happen

If you disable Stellar manipulation, you'll get a better heat-death scenario, as the stars go nova one-by-one.

1FSTCAT · #10 February 26th, 2002, 10:16 PM

I like them. I've never learned to grow my resources though. In every game I've played, we all just strip-mine, and pummel until everything is gone, then we wither-up and die.

There's probably a more graceful way, but I haven't learned it yet..

I feel like it gives another reason to fight over planets, too..