What are the characteristics of your favorite race?

[Chronon]

This may be like asking Scrooge where he hides his money, or like Chekov asking the San Francisco policeman where to find the nuclear vessels, but I'll try anyway. I was wondering what race designs everyone likes, and why?

From the "gamey tactics" thread I see that aggressive-defensive-bezerker is a favorite combination, but I'm sure there are others. I am new to SE4 and PBW, so I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give in this extremely important area. Thanks!

[Suicide Junkie]

All five (or six in P&N) major racial traits, plus Living Ships if possible. Then whatever negatives are required to achieve this.

[tesco samoa]

51% on repair
50% on Ground Combat
51% on Tolerance...

[Chronon]

SJ - An organic, crystalline, temporal, religious, and psychic race? They would indeed be great pirates. I imagine the crossover components make them even more fun.

Tesco - I think I understand why tolerance and ground combat aren't worth spending money on, but why cut repair down so much?

[Suicide Junkie]

Yep. And in P&N, gravitic manipulation too.

Repair can be reduced greatly because ships rarely survive damage in unmodded SE4.

In fleet-on-fleet combat, you either do not get shot at, or you die.
Also, with the preponderance of shields, your enemy has to do between 80% and 99% damage to hurt you without killing you. That is pretty rare.

So, for the most part, you get X dead ships, Y undamaged ships, and a 20% chance of a single crippled ship.

Even for retrofitting ships, all you need is a second dedicated repair base. The extra cost in bases and repair ships is minimal.

[SamuraiProgrammer]

Here is what I have been using the most, although, I can already see that this will have to change... I never dreamt of running something all the way down to 50!!!!

Culture
Artisans

Physical Characteristics
Physical Strength 100
Intelligence 100
Cunning 100
Environmental 80
Reproduction 100
Happiness 100
Aggressiveness 90
Defensiveness 90
Political Savvy 80

Vocational Aptitude
Mining 95
Farming 95
Refining 95
Construction 120
Repair 95
Maintenance 120


Advanced Traits
Propulsion
Storage
Industrialists
Organic

[Pax]

Here's one option:

Culture: Engineers, Artisans, whatever fits the race RP-wise

Physical Characteristics
Physical Strength 50
Intelligence 150
Cunning 50
Environmental 96
Reproduction 100
Happiness 100
Aggressiveness 75
Defensiveness 125
Political Savvy 50

Vocational Aptitude
Mining 120
Farming 60
Refining 90
Construction ***
Repair 50
Maintenance 120

*** = "whatever I can afford"

Advanced Traits : Advanced Storage
: Religious

And another:

Culture: Engineers, Artisans, whatever fits the race RP-wise

Physical Characteristics
Physical Strength 50
Intelligence 150
Cunning 50
Environmental 96
Reproduction 100
Happiness 100
Aggressiveness 100
Defensiveness 100
Political Savvy 50

Vocational Aptitude
Mining 100
Farming 100
Refining 100
Construction ***
Repair 50
Maintenance 120

*** = "whatever I can afford"

Advanced Traits : Advanced Storage
: Organic

For P&N, I usually try to get either Living Ships (especially with organic races), or Advanced Automation. "Big Thinkers" is also a fun one.

In general -- I don't bother with covert action, except to defend, so Cunning is irrelevant. Trade income, well, I'd rather pump those points into my own economy than rely on the friendliness of others. Physical strength, numbers can overcome that. With religious races, plan on the talisman and drop your aggression through the floor. I then like to pay as little in maintenance as possible, and build as fasta s possible; if I need stuff repaired, I'll pile on repair components. And so on.

[Chronon]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone, keep them coming!

SJ - Thanks for the explanation of why repair is unnecessary. I usually do a lot of retrofitting, so I mistakenly assumed that I would need a good repair rate.

I am curious about hardy industrialists. Does the advanced trait supercede the construction rate, or do they add together (or multiply)? In other words, if I pick hardy industrialists and a 125% construction rate, is my actual construction rate 125%, 150%, or 156%?

[dogscoff]

Chronon: 150%

[rdouglass]

I don't usually pick racial traits anymore, but I am quite fond of Advanced Storage Techniques. 5 extra fac's on every huge world does add up after a while....