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Strategy Advice? - 2/28/2003 6:24:43 AM

wingus

Posts: 1
Joined: 2/28/2003
Status: offline

So, I am able to trounce the AI on "Beginner." But who isn't? What's giving me trouble is the mid-game on Intermediate.

I'm generally ahead of the AI in research and number of colonies by early Fusion age but despite my best efforts, they're out-producing me ("they" being the largest AI or two, who are often allied by this point). My general strategy is to explore and ramp up my economy early, looking for a second colony to parallelize research and production. It seems to serve me well at first, as it puts me far ahead of any one of my competitors. Things start to go badly in the middle of the fusion age (which I generally reach first). At some point, I have to choose more ships or more colonies, and no matter what I do, I get smacked around shortly thereafter.

Despite tweaking the rate at which I colonize in an attempt to bolster my finances, I am getting swamped by large (sometimes federated) AIs on the cusp of the Antimatter age. Often they're behind me technologically, but when 8+ ships show up armed to the teeth, it's hard to deal with. What should I do to change this, and give them the smackdown they so richly deserve?

I guess what would be most useful to me would be a general sense of how many ships/colonies I should have in the late Fusion era, and what they should be armed with.

Let me know what details of my (mis)management would be most relevant, and I'll post them... Thanks!

Post #: 1

- 2/28/2003 7:17:38 AM

startrekdork

Posts: 41
Joined: 11/2/2002
Status: offline

well for the weapons it depends. if you have super powerful generators and no shields but armor than youll want laser based weapons or anything that runs off the generator because youll be able to use all your energy to power your guns. but if youve got weak generators and shields that suck a lot of power than your going to want something ammo wise like standoffs or missiles but the downside is that eventually you have to go reload those.

the best strategy that you could try is to send spies constantlly into their bases to steal information blow stuff up and just mess things up for them. also constantly raid their colonies for money and build a jump gate to get your forces around quickly but keep the majority of your ships on your main planet or around your colonies because if theyre off patrolling they wont make it back in time to defend your planet when it needs it.

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 2

How to beat the aliens - 2/28/2003 10:54:27 PM

EricLarsen

Posts: 458
Joined: 7/9/2002
From: Salinas, CA Raider Nation
Status: offline

wingus,
The key to the intermediate and advanced levels is knowing what to produce and when and when to research and what and most importantly artifacts. You first 5 researches should be computer, drive, shields (any one will do but I like laser screens), defensive lightning beam, and then lightning beam. Once you got these 5 researches down you can have really good scouts that can sustain long artifact hunts. After researching labs and freighters it's usually good to get your standoffs going. There's nothing like standoffs to wipe out enemy ships easy without losing many ships yourself. They usually get in the first and last shot before the alien ever gets close enough to shoot at you. Beware if an alien gets them before you do though as then it will be your ships blowing up before they can shoot.

Getting as many artifacts, and denying them to the aliens, really is a huge factor in winning at the tougher levels. There's nothing like getting an instant colony or 100% population artifact for jump starting a colony and making it worthwhile. Also early on be selective in picking your freighter routes. Anything under $10 a year I leave for later. I like to go 50-50 on my scientists and engineers on my homeworld so that I produce fairly quickly and research pretty well. I can always pump up the research factor with wisdom artifacts, hence the importance of the early game easter egg hunt. I always build two computers on one of my first two ships, usually the first one I equip with an extra pack rocket and computer and then immediately build a second scout that gets the rocket pack and an extra drive. Those two computers early on will expand your horizons greatly and ensure a steady supply of stars to explore as well as increase the fighting ability of that one ship. After it explores once I then reconfigure to two drives.

Don't build up your homeworld early on. I never build shields or weapons or anything except labs, nano factories, research facilities, surface mining, or replicator facility or deep mining facility. I only build one of each and remove any obsolete ones to keep my upkeep down. Don't go silly and try to make large changes in your population as far as scientists/engineers goes as it's really just a waste of money. Sometimes I'll swing 5% one way or another but never large shifts.

When the dreaded big bad alien targets one of your worlds for an attack, don't dismay be happy for the alien is about to deliver his fleet to you for destruction. Always keep your ships updated with your latest tech and make sure to have enough generators. When your world gets targetted you'll have ample time to get your ships into place to greet the attackers. If your world gets targetted then build shields and weapons and shift heavy to engineers so it doesn't take long. Chances are you'll have enough of a welcome committee around to trash the aliens and save your world and then you're basically on easy street the rest of the game. :eek:
Eric Larsen

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 3

- 3/1/2003 9:29:58 AM

Zaxsubaru

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/28/2003
From: USA
Status: offline

Personally, I don't think that there is any point to build research facilities until after you are thru with your initial planet infrastructure. The way I understand it, there is no research done when you are producing anything. I guess I'm an efficiency freak. I always build 4 nano factories, then 4 surfacemines and then, if I haven't discovered replicators or deep mines, I will start to build research facilities. What's the point of building them first when they won't even be used until you are thru producing all of your other facilities. Perhaps if I could ever get the AI (yes, I'm on the advanced level) to attack a homeworld, I wouldn't use all of my slots for facilities and I would save more of them for planetary defense. But this strategy has allowed me to dominate each game so far. The problem now is that each game is played exactly the same for me and it is already starting to get old.

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 4

- 3/2/2003 5:36:15 AM

SideshowBob

Posts: 24
Joined: 3/27/2002
Status: offline

I posted my detailed strategy under the topic "Ship Design Questions", about 10 topics down. Basically I sacrifice ships in favor of colonies and research early, until about the early Antimatter age, when I have at least 3 major worlds up to full population, then I start building multiple frigates, then a 4th and 5th world, then cruisers. Up till then if attacked I engage in diplomacy, bribing them off till I can get them to agree to call off the war - give them tech's they never use, like Nano Tech, Nano Factory, Laboratory, Mines, etc., if that doesn't work, then money, then systems I own near them that I'd lose anyway. Oh, I keep up with the latest mines and always mine my worlds, colonies, and valuable systems to the max. By the time I let the aliens attack me, I am well ahead technologically and it's a turkey shoot. Yes, they may have 8 ships, but they are all scouts and gunboats, usually still with less than Single Phase Deflectors.

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 5

- 3/3/2003 2:19:10 AM

SideshowBob

Posts: 24
Joined: 3/27/2002
Status: offline

Just played through a game last night/this morning, Advanced Level, 150 stars, 8 Civ's, and this time my adversaries colonized A LOT, as opposed to the last game (same settings) where hardly anyone but me colonized.

I had a really interesting ongoing battle over a cluster of stars which were not occupied by a starting civ. This cluster was split beteen myself and 2 other civ's. We all started colonies there, and the aliens kept threatening me for stars in that cluster. Eventually the weakest civ. lost their colony to another civ. and I picked up the out of turmoil systems. Now I only had 1 opponent, which I attacked later in the game and knocked out his colony but lost a frigate and cruiser in doing so.

Then I had a battle over another sector of the galaxy with an important wormhole. I started a colony next to another civ's colony, but he federated and knocked out my colony, in the process losing most of his fleet. I then attacked his colony with 6 cruisers loaded with teleporting assult pods (with shield-ignoring assult pods), and managed to capture his colony, which was at the end of a wormhole and was a valuable system!

I was also very spread out in this game, my territory was long and narrow, cutting diagonally across the galaxy - I had started in the middle and all the Huge Type 1 planets I needed to colonize were at the opposite edges of my territory. Since Jump Gates are now very expensive, I had some nervous moments trying to steal money from my opponents (put spies on their new colonies first) as I built a jump gate at each of 4 spread out worlds. Then it was on to building cruisers!

So, I guess each game is different, well, that's good I guess. I will say the 2 or 3 games I've played with V 2.0 the aliens seem easier to bribe with diplomacy, but then declare war again sooner, so I have to keep bribing until I'm strong enough to repel an attack. I've been adjusting my strategy and building a few more gunboats earlier (3 or 4 after my first scout). I can always use them to colonize Type 5 or 6 planets later in the game . . . So, with 2.0, the aliens have been better at research and colonization (at least once), but their ships are still way out of date (an Anti-Matter Civ sends ships into battle with Particle Screens and Adv. Nuclear Fighters).

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 6

- 3/4/2003 4:13:33 AM

Andrew Ewanchyna

Posts: 229
Joined: 8/24/2001
Status: offline

The good news is that patch 2.1 should fix this bug where the AI ships were not updating properly in the latter part of the game. Makes them more competitive longer. They should also be marginally smarter at picking research.

_____________________________

Developer of Starships Unlimited

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 7

- 3/4/2003 5:39:20 AM

KaiMaster_pressl

Posts: 7
Joined: 12/19/2002
From: Minneapolis, MN
Status: offline

Ok then what is the bad news? :)

Probably something like this:

"The BAD news is that patch 2.1 should fix this bug where the AI ships were not updating properly in the latter part of the game. Makes them more competitive longer. They should also be marginally smarter at picking research."

haha

_____________________________

-- Kai

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 8

- 3/4/2003 9:01:30 PM

Flyingcursor

Posts: 11
Joined: 1/21/2003
From: Michigan, US
Status: offline

One thing I've discovered that makes the game a lot easier is to pick my enemies. Whenever I find a race of the same philosophy I immedietely start working on building toward a federation. I recently finished a game with a 150 star galaxy and 5 opponents. Two of them were my philosophy so I ultimately federated with both of them. By that time one of the other races was gone and the remaining two had federated against us so the big showdown was a piece of cake.

I never worry about being nice to opposing philosophys. I will demand technologies and often get them. Then I declare war and keep raiding their systems. As soon as one comes out of turmoil I attempt to grab it. If it's near one of my allies I'll give it away so I don't have to worry about it.

I never try to attack their homeworld until I've thrown most of their systems into turmoil.

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 9

- 3/4/2003 9:35:20 PM

Andrew Ewanchyna

Posts: 229
Joined: 8/24/2001
Status: offline

[Joking]
The bad news is that I don't intend on actually releasing patch 2.1 (pssst).
[/Joking]
:)

_____________________________

Developer of Starships Unlimited

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 10

- 3/5/2003 4:06:02 AM

Zaxsubaru

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/28/2003
From: USA
Status: offline

I could believe that after all the nitty-picky things I keep sending to you. he he

Zax

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 11

- 3/5/2003 7:31:39 AM

SideshowBob

Posts: 24
Joined: 3/27/2002
Status: offline

The latest game I'm playing is with 7 Civ's, of which 2 are my philosophy and 4 are not. The 4 that are not are now in 2 sets of alliances, 1 is strong (2 Fusion age civ's with 3 worlds each controlling almost half the galaxy), the other 1 is weak (2 atomic age civ's). I have allied with my closest same-philo civ and have achieved Anti-Matter age, have given them AM computers, generators, shields, helped defend their 2nd world from an attack by the strong alliance (that was fun - my 2 frigates made the difference in the battle!). The other civ that is my philo is across the galaxy, has declared war on everyone in the galaxy, including me, despite generous tech gifts, is atomic-age, and has not yet been wiped out. Strange. Now I've just attacked the 2nd worlds of each of the weak alliance and totally kicked their butts. I have 6 frigates, a gunboat and scout. When I go back to the game tonight, I plan on attacking a world of the strong alliance, as it is deep within what should be "my" territory. When I attack, I make sure all my ships are updated and 100%, move them to my closest star system to the enemy target planet, then launch the attack. The alien has no idea he is being set upon, as the attack was launched from a star system and not a planet, so there's no spy to report it, plus I have warp drive and am only 3-4 parsecs away, so I'm there before they can send any ships to defend. If the AI's were doing this to me, I'd never stand a chance, as I need time to replace research and deep mining facil's with weapons and have ships there to defend. I've also used mines very effectively in this game, as I have 4 enemies and have instantly mined every system they try to attack - so far haven't lost a system or had to send a ship to defend. Usually their ship has to leave due to damage and I lose a few mines. Of course I have AM mines and they are fusion age.

(in reply to wingus)

Post #: 12