Beginners strategy?

[Tokmok]

Hello

 

From looking at the old ezboard it looks like the strategy is to colonize as

much as possible!

 

Is there any big mistakes to avoid?

 

Is the research tree logical? I mean if you research Industrial science can i then expect it to increase my production capabillities?

 

what are your experience based on your own set-ups?

 

 

thanks

 

tokmok

[Bovine Hegemony]

I don't believe it is necessary to colonize personally. Colonization has a horrible return on investment.

[Laserwolf]

Hmm, sounds like cow logic to me. How much iron does one pop unit on your homeworld produce right now Mr. Cow? If you put one pop on a colony with the same iron rating, how much iron would it produce?

 

At least 100 to 1 production increase on the colony... how much more ROI do you require for the investment of 1 colony beacon, one engine, one cargo bay and 1 pop unit?

 

sheesh! greedy cattle....

[EternusIV]

Some quick thoughts:

 

What to aim for?

===========

This is a long term game. This is not Victory! in space by any stretch.

 

In the beginning, you start out at least 5 or more systems away from the nearest empire (more often more than 5 it seems thus far)

 

Therefore, you have plenty of time and room to expand without fear of getting blasted to bits for at least a year of real time (no joke.)

 

I would advise you survey your neighborhood warp points at least 5-8 systems out and explore other worlds for neutrals, suitable colony worlds with high yields and for exploration.

 

There are many ways to start out -- you can:

 

1) colonize

2) explore (using the EXPL order for item finds and research bonuses)

3) hunt for neutrals

4) set up "forward bases" to help SURV warp points and develop a supply line to the outer systems

5) build one big bad ass low-tech fleet and start hunting right away

6) WHATEVER ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF

 

I don't think there is a "right" way to do things early on. It really depends on your set-up and position relative to your neighbors.

 

With all of that said, I think it vital that you scan warp points faster than your neighbors....when you find them further out than they find you, you gain a tremendous strategic advantage in nailing down their exact locations.

 

What to research?

============

Personally, I think Mk II-IV Jump Survey Sensors are a must....they will accelerate your ability to map out your neighborhood tremendously -- saving you tons of orders and hassle in those first 20-30 turns.

 

Beyond that, research wyour dreams. Try to hook up with a decent tech tree from a non-paranoid elder race and imagine which road you want to choose. Its most efficient to use 1 research center per tech researched at the beginning. If you have SRPs, the "first slot" will get a breakthrough for the first bundle of turns (more than 25+ turns and counting for some empires!)

 

Most people seem to shoot for stronger industrial complexes: (1st Gen Psychology, 1st Gen Civil Administration, 2nd Gen Industrial Sciences -- in that order)

 

Or heading for stronger engines/jump drives/computers while advancing Space Sciences.

 

Others went the mutation route for long term gains to their species (Med/Life Sciences/ Advanced Bionics and Genetic Engineering)

 

Others hammered out ground tech, weapons tech, fighter tech and drones tech.

 

Others (my alt position) researched all the improved items and moved on to advanced items to entice trade down the line.....

 

Others simply researched all of the base sciences with a hodge podge of everything....

 

The combinations are endless. You can't go wrong! Research is a good thing.

 

What to build?

===========

Technology advancement happens faster in the beginning than it does after 20-30 turns.

 

In that time - you have four types of "long term" investments you can make that won't become obsolete over time.

 

1) Troops

2) Colonial Berthings

3) Drone Racks/Fighter Bays* (keep an eye on rules changes)

4) Exploration Ships (which will become outdated in terms of effectiveness but still provide enough "upside" to build early on)

 

Everything else you build will become outdated (fast.)

 

Plan your build strategy according to your main strategy.

 

Why people colonize

===============

There IS a tremendous downside in terms of resources when colonizing as the Bovines suggests....however, many people don't see the value in building anything else in the early stages of the game.

 

Using industries like "iron mines" and "crystal refineries" are far more efficient than SM/IC use...so high "iron" or "crystal" yield worlds can really boost your economy if you are able to colonize them and build lots of industries.

 

For "spawn" races like me: I need to colonize. Ever see nthat VISA commercial with all the rabbits? Exactly. I have far too many idle citizens to ignore. I chose to have a high population to give me a production advantage over the long run.

 

I'll save the time and effort of doing the calculations:

 

Once I colonize and employ my new citizens on high yield worlds (just one or two -- I try not to colonize in too many places because the costs can skyrocket in terms of orders and those initial resources to build power plants etc) I will be far more productive per turn than the empire that chooses not to colonize.

 

Granted, they may have more Mk I tech ships floating around at first -- but in the long run, I'll have the industrial machine large enough to crank out the Mk II/Mk IV stuff faster than they will at turns 30+.

 

The other advantage of colonizing is that you have a world ready to explore and assist with supply, warp surveying and a forward base that can help defend and establish forward shipyards and territory.

 

Lastly, if you have a suitable world within your starter system you have hit the jackpot....don't hesitate.....the costs of colonizing an in-system planet are next to nil....the only difference is the cost of CBs and the one nuclear engine at that point.

 

If you dont colonize

=============

I would suggest building troops, drone racks or fighter bays instead because they won't become obsolete. To build a bunch of low tech ships at the outset seems far more of a waste than colonizing.

 

But then again, I'm assuming that you can't successfully overwhelm an opponent with 10cm Autocannons, Reflective Armor, no Force Shields, no point defense, crappy maneuvering, poor sensors and a shoddy bridge control system.

 

I could be wrong in my assumptions -- but I highly doubt it

 

Further - you have nowhere to reliably send a large wandering Mk I fleet -- ask all of those commanders who are trapped in systems with class G warp point exits

 

Bottom line

==========

Try to make a long term plan and stick to it. Survey your neighboring systems and reassess your plans after 20 turns of tech research. Colonize in-system suitable worlds at a minimum. Good luck!

[Bovine Hegemony]

Like I would take advice from a wolf.

 

It also requires a colonial bay, construction material, cargo bays, etc. The ROI on a colony investment is something like 30 turns. That is assuming you have a colonizable world in your home system or one system out. The ROI on two or three systems out is even worse.

 

Besides, who wants to be out there by themselves away from the herd?

[octagon999]

If I were to start over, knowing what I know now, I would memorize everything Eternus had to say.

 

And I would spend the first x number of turns building nothing but colonial berthings, and sending out my pathfinders as far as they could go.

 

I'd explore every planet I came across.

 

I'd read the d**n rulebook. Then I would read every posting on this board.

 

I'd get me the best spreadsheet I could con someone out of (there are many versions out there) to help me run my economy.

 

I'd research all the basics. Horizon tech, materials, stuff like that, and one of each critical item path. (engines, weapons, jump drive, etc)

 

I'd have left over saved setup points to put critical technology in slot one for awhile. For me, those would go to buying my way to Mk IV JSS. Your mileage may vary.

 

Good luck,

Tom

[hobknob]

Tokmok and any other new player -

 

I play multiple positions and some have colonies and some don't. Here is the criteria that I have used and tha I would suggest.

 

1) If you have any planet in your homesystem that has very low or ideal conditions then you should colonize it/them every one. Every planet out there has some potential yields for something. Sometimes the are big sometimes they aren't. You will likely find a lot stuff in the 200-300 ranges with the occasional big yield of 500+ and the very rare yield of 1000+. The idea here is not to find the iron rich world, although it is very nice if you do find one. The idea is to replace your Raw conversion on the homeworld with colony mined resources and start build up stockpiles. This frees up your industries to make more iron and crystals, which seem to be the most required items so far.

 

2) If you don't have a good colony in your homeworld then I would advise building up your homeworld and waiting until you get better tech before venturing out to other systems. (Of course if you have the good iron planet one away with a pot of 1000 then go for it.) It is never a bad investment to build up the homeworld so don't hesitate to keep all of yu population employed.

 

3) If your lifeform is really good for colonization then I would make sure some points are spent towards getting better industries and homeworld infrastructure. You will likely find colonizing to be very frustrating and expensive if you try and force yourself onto a planet with mod or higher attrition. I have done this and am now letting the colony die a slow death rather than feed the attrition gods.

 

 

Colonies can be very beneficial, but they do take resources and they suck up a lot of orders. My main colonizer position routinely requires twice the orders of a non colonizer position, so if $$'s are a concern I wouldn't build too many colonies and instead explore more. I also agree with EternusIV for the most part and would highly recommend using startup points to buy at least Mk II JSS's if not Mk III's. After that it all depends on what you want to do.

 

I have spreads sheets for most occasions that I will gladly send to distribute if you want one. Just drop me an email with an idea of what you want. A good spreadsheet is invaluable if you don't want to be changing production every turn.

 

Good luck

 

[woolfe99]

I agree with previous comments, and would add a couple things not mentioned or emphasized enough. Pursue engine technologies as a high priority. Whether you go the fusion route or standard engines (which seem to give the same return in terms of research cost vs. thrust but top out sooner), you need higher thrust engines for geometric advancement in colonization, trade, exploration, and military. Engine techs are the most important techs in the game. Those with SRP's who do not use them to buy the best engine possible are making a large error.

 

Second, you start with 10 million construction materials. There is no reason not to use some of those (after setting up mines on your HW) to set up a colony, preferrably in your home system. These materials cannot be used for anything else. Hence there is no opportunity cost and they are "free" for purposes of that first colony. If you factor out the cost of construction materials, the return on investment for colonies is actually quite favorable - less than 10 turns. After that, I could go either way on setting up additional colonies or not. I would probably do it just to amortize your investment in berthings and holds that you spent for the first colony. Keep in mind that there are tech advancements - engines and improved IC's specifically - that will reduce the cost of setting up colonies. Once those advancements are achieved, setting up colonies once again proves profitable.

 

Good luck.

 

- Dave

[MadMartinB]

A side comment...As you progress up the tech tree more and more installations require Advanced/Improved CM. As you build these facilities it frees up HUGE amounts of regular CM. This makes the colony option a quick payback.

[hobknob]

You have to have somethng to do with all of those construction materials. After a while you will be swimming in the stuff as even colonies will want improved materials for mines and such.

[Tokmok]

Ok. thanks for the tips

 

what do you think of the following production tooled pr turn

 

For colony ships (I scrap the Pathfinders for engines)

50 Colonial bertings

25000 Cargo holds

25000 CM´s

 

Basic Electronics

50000 Electronins

10000 Synthetic Materials

 

Basic CM´s and extra Cargo holds

50000 CM

50000 Cargo holds

 

I also keep my start-up tooled production of

25000 Steel

5000 Processed Radioactives

 

I also need Colony beacons

Ps I have some potential planets in system + SRP so therefore no engines in the production line.

 

How many rare elements are needed?

How much transaluminium?

 

2)

 

It seems like I can build several different "religious installations" of a CM cost of

500,1000,2000 and 500.

The Cathedral seems to cost 500 CM but I read somewhere that the cost should be 4000 CM´s.

 

My question is: I have for instance 5.000.000 CM´s

How do I best apply the CM´s to these "religious Installations" ?

Should I build the most expensive first? or whats the deal?

 

 

thanks Tokmok

[Azuth]

Greetings Tokmok,

 

I'll let one of the "experts" out there go over the production part, since I'm still trying to get mine straightened out.

 

Regarding religious installations. As of right now, they're not worth it because their function hasn't been turned on (so I have heard). So I'd hold off on building them for now, IMOH.

 

Btw, Cathedral are worth 4000 CM's. I should know, I just DISM 500 Cathedral to build 4000 Industrial Complexes

 

Welcome to the game.

[Emanon]

Tokmok,

 

don't forget unless your planning a 250K Cargo ship to build a Geo or Hydro plant your will need some room for coal to make power. It is worth giving a colonizer a little extra cargo space for extra CM's due to natural colony growth or things live coal or processed radioactives, etc... You could do a slow build up to other power plants with your extra cargo space. The solar power plant is nice as it needs no maintenance (no materials to make power) should the planet not have geo or hydro potential (the power for those is 20*potential+1000 so a 200 potential is as good as fission plant and above 200 is even more efficient)

 

Also, you will want a ship that can plant colony beacons for you. On turn one you build beacons, cargo bay and whatever your feel like. On turn two you build the beacon ship. On turn three you sent out your beacon ships and COLB and build your colony ships, don't forget to build some colonists for turn four. On turn four you set up your colony route, you could even include in the convoy a train colonists before loading them, sorta cool

 

Voila on turn four your first colony(s) are goings. You could have more as it takes three turns to set up a pop group to enable your colony to start.

 

You might want to clear your que as it is not to efficient.

 

Colony Beacon 2000 Steel; 3000 Electronics

 

Shrine 1 population and 500 Construction Materials

Mission 1 population and 1000 Construction Materials

Temple 1 population and 2000 Construction Materialz

Cathedral 1 population and 5000 Construction Materials

 

I think you need religious leaders to get full benefit out of these, but Pete is not answering that question.

 

Long

Live Emanon

[Azuth]

Cathedral 1 population and 5000 Construction Materials

 

They're worth 4000 CM's not 5000.

[Clan Elder 'Keen]

"The solar power plant is nice..."

 

How advanced is that tech?