Best EMP Set Up.

Alneyan · #1 November 22nd, 2004, 11:39 AM

You do not get the Merchant culture for free, as it means foregoing the Berserker culture. Merchant gives the rough equivalent of 1,000 points (if you have 110 maintenance or more), while Berserker gives +10 in both offence and defence, a virtual bonus of 2,000 points if you were already at 120 or above (and you should not be anywhere lower than 120).

The reductions are more or less the same for both cultures (mainly minerals and research for Berserkers, space combat for Merchants), but while going above 120% Maintenance is useless, Berserker is the only way to have Aggressiveness/Defensiveness above 125, making this culture the most appealing of the lot. Merchant is, of course, a strong second, along with Warrior.

TurinTurambar · #2 November 22nd, 2004, 12:24 PM

Dr. Alneyan, if you weren't in France I'd invite you over for the Christmas holidays for a week and pick your brain about SE:IV mechanics the whole time!

Is there anything you don't know?

Turin

Alneyan · #3 November 22nd, 2004, 12:46 PM

Well, feel free to send the plane ticket, along with the booking for the closest suite in the vicinity. My fees are quite abordable incidentally.

I couldn't set up a working military if my life depended on it, my strategies are *Coughs* less than optimal *Coughs* (read, Don't Get Hurt for warships is a common strategy), and I can manage to lose even with overwhelming odds on my side, due to a small mistake in tactics. In fact, I would be very worried if I didn't actually lose key battles, while quietly glassing enemy planets.

That, and I am still busy figuring out how to beat certain players. (Asmala, Joachim and Primitive, at the very least, are quite my nemeses, and do not have this annoying military incompetency) And some of my opinions are not exactly shared by most players, so you might want to ask someone else, and, above all, to try out the nice theories in actual practice. (For example, I seldom use Heavy Mounts on Light Carrier, and would not consider Advanced Storage to be mandatory for short games, but I am digressing once more)

And I have forgotten mentioning my inability to handle the late game (where you have baseships by the thousand, full tech, and scores with eight figures), among other things.

Atrocities · #4 November 22nd, 2004, 05:22 PM

Oh come on guys, there has to be a combination that is better than most and is your personal Favorites. Stop being evasive and post what you would do if you were setting up a 2k, 3k, and 5k empire with no rules, and all is fair.

Fyron · #5 November 22nd, 2004, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Atrocities said:
Oh come on guys, there has to be a combination that is better than most and is your personal Favorites. Stop being evasive and post what you would do if you were setting up a 2k, 3k, and 5k empire with no rules, and all is fair.

I wasn't evasive. Follow the link I posted.

Atrocities · #6 November 22nd, 2004, 06:24 PM

I did not mean it in a bad way and was not directed at any one.

Just trying to challenge people into giving up their secrets, thats all.

bearclaw · #7 November 22nd, 2004, 07:17 PM

I personally enjoy Temporal race. 4x dmg to shields really does an impressive number. Especially on large ships which may have huge shields.

And I also can't get enough of the Temporal Shipyards. But I almost never pick Temporal with a 2k game. 3k mostly and always with 5k. Jack up mineral mining and shipyard rates, add Hardy Industrialists and I end up with a homeworld that can crank out a construction rate of 16k/16k/16k towards the end of the game.