Scientists

[Virmilyn]

I have a question about putting scientists off your home world.

 

Is there a recognized benefit to putting one of your scientists on a planet owned by another emipre?

 

Lets say another players home world with all the installations. Eventhough you do not have a colony there.

[General Miles Avatar]

I have a question about putting scientists off your home world.

 

Is there a recognized benefit to putting one of your scientists on a planet owned by another emipre?

 

Lets say another players home world with all the installations. Eventhough you do not have a colony there.

Probably not most likely but a spy would work! Drop off Jimmy Bond on his HW and watch the fun.

[Locklyn]

No,

Despite what the rules and the proclamation on the turns some years ago it would seem Agents and espionage is broken and doesn't do squat nor are you told that it does squat. I've asked Pete about agents and when it will be repaired several times over the past months considering it was two years since it was stated to be fully working but have received no answer to this.

 

On Scientists:

 

You only benefit from your own installations that are present. The installations can be anywhere in the system while your scientist should be situated on the world most unlike your homeworld for maximum effect.

 

 

Cheers

/Locklyn

[rotor911]

your scientist should be situated on the world most unlike your homeworld for maximum effect.

Is it noticeable? Do you benefit of scattering your scientists in different systems? I was under the impression that my best results were with all my scientists concentrated on the homeword but maybe I just didn't try enough...

[Locklyn]

Yes it is noticeable and should work correctly at least according to what Pete has said. The further away from your HW system also helps. I have 20 systems in which I have built science colonies with scientists situated on odd worlds. Then it helps if you have more than the basic installations available , really odd worlds (like frozen ones that are in close orbit of a yellow sun) are rumored to be able to give extraordinary hits as well as be good for EXPL in that you'd find special special stuff. I've never seen that happen since the gamestart though so it may just be wishful fluff

 

Cheers

/Locklyn

[tigeriith]

Since Locklyn brought up EXPL I had a result this time that i would like to make sure I understand. This turn an EXPL resulted in:

 

Exploration teams from Fleet #301 search XXXXX-4 for anything of interest, and discover a smashed alien Shipyard here!

They examine their discovery quite closely, and much is learned concerning FFS-6 Fleet Formation Scanner technology!

 

According to the Order Entry Program, I am not yet able to research or ANZ the FFS-6 Scanner -- does this mean that when I am able to research it, I will need to expend less research points in order to discover it?

[General Miles Avatar]

Since Locklyn brought up EXPL I had a result this time that i would like to make sure I understand. This turn an EXPL resulted in:

 

Exploration teams from Fleet #301 search XXXXX-4 for anything of interest, and discover a smashed alien Shipyard here!

They examine their discovery quite closely, and much is learned concerning FFS-6 Fleet Formation Scanner technology!

 

According to the Order Entry Program, I am not yet able to research or ANZ the FFS-6 Scanner -- does this mean that when I am able to research it, I will need to expend less research points in order to discover it?

 

thats exactly what it means... and repeated hits on that item can be very very useful. a long time ago

we found one of those orbting crystal refineries (all banged up of course) but repeated hits on this

find yielded RC's on advanced refined crystals. Only 1 turns worth of advanced refined crystals research

when I could research it resulted in our obtaining this tech.

[Locklyn]

Precisely, EXPL hits on technology will result in an amount of RPs being gained on that tech from freakishly small to somewhat larger dependant on equipment and characters present on the EXPL ship. You can gain 99.9% of the RPs needed for a tech this way BUT can NEVER gain the tech through EXPL, you must be able to research it but will be able to get it quickly. Thus you must always follow the disjointed paths of the techtree and cannot gain a branch where you have no acess.

 

Cheers

/Locklyn

[rotor911]

dependant on equipment

 

Does it make sense to stack equipment like, say, fire control devices, ie do 2000 type x science lab give better results than 1? If it is the case, maybe the ANZ should give an indicatio like it does for weapons (adequate, good)....

[Calamaran]

dependant on equipment

 

Does it make sense to stack equipment like, say, fire control devices, ie do 2000 type x science lab give better results than 1? If it is the case, maybe the ANZ should give an indicatio like it does for weapons (adequate, good)....

 

Yes, it does. However, the more devices you add, the less they will contribute to a better result. Basically the same as with mining results or putting multiple research centers on a single tech.

The benefit of adding more of the same type of devices is that you have a better chance of a succesful EXPL order (does it also increase the chance of finding higher level items or is that tech level related?). But you should ask yourself if you are better of with 1 ship with 2000 science labs or 2000 ships with 1 science lab?

 

Calamaran.

[Prospective]

Locklyn,

 

1) Early on, you said "The installations can be anywhere in the system while your scientist should be situated on the world most unlike your homeworld for maximum effect."

 

A- Would a Gas Giant be a good place? I cannot think of a world that would be more unlike my HW... or anyone's HW for that matter. All GG's I've found have extremely high temp and gravity. Or is it a waste of time to EXPL a GG? Restated, what do you mean when you say "world most unlike your HW"? Atm, temp, grav, tilt, etc? Or % glacier,mountain,etc?

 

2) Another post further on:

"The further away from your HW system also helps. I have 20 systems in which I have built science colonies with scientists situated on odd worlds. Then it helps if you have more than the basic installations available , really odd worlds (like frozen ones that are in close orbit of a yellow sun) are rumored to be able to give extraordinary hits as well as be good for EXPL in that you'd find special special stuff"

 

A- Regarding "further away", since we have no idea physically where each system is in relation to another, I think you mean how many jumps from the HW, is that true? Is there a minimum range (say like 3 or 4 jumps away) that you would never waste time on putting up science colonies?

 

B- Also, you say "scientists situated on odd worlds", then gave the example of frozen ones in close orbit of a yellow sun. I reviewed my scanning data, paying special attention to orbit 1. I found Terrestrial, Hot Terrestrial, Asteroid Fields and an occasional Gas Giant in the first orbit but nothing with anything cold or icy. Am I just unlucky? Do I need to get more data to find these type of odd worlds? Can you give any other examples of "odd worlds"? What about worlds in orbit around a Black Hole, White Hole or Neutron Star... might those be good places to look?

 

3) Later you say "You can gain 99.9% of the RPs needed for a tech this way BUT can NEVER gain the tech through EXPL, you must be able to research it but will be able to get it quickly".

 

A- So, let's say you find a world where you get EXPL hits on the mysterious "Energy Sapper Creature". Are you saying that even if you are exceedingly lucky and get multiple hits, you will never ever get a breakthru?

 

B- If that is what you are saying, then it would appear that there would be no way to ever get a breakthru since the pre-req of the lowest ESAP device is "Energy Sapper Creature Knowledge".

 

C- Pete, can you comment on this? Seems that this might be one of those "broken" areas that needs looking into. Here is the ANZ for Energy Sapper Torpedo, note the pre-requisite:

 

ANZ: Energy Sapper Torpedo

Energy Sapper Torpedo: Torpedo tubes are shipboard-mounted weapons that deploy torpedos into space

for use against enemy targets. The torpedos themselves vary in effectiveness depending on their size and level of technological advancement, mounting everything from explosive to tactical nuclear warheads. They are easier to knock down than missiles and can be avoided, but pack a significant punch if they score a hit. Energy Sapper Torpedos drain energy from the target on a hit, often causing massive computer or other catastrophic system failures.

(400 tons) 400 Ghuran Demonblood - 1,200 Steel - 400 Electronics

Classification: Weapon

Prerequisite Technologies: <Energy Sapper Creature Knowledge>

Energy Absorber Strength: Poor

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

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

 

If Locklyn is right, then this whole tech line is permanently shut out to all of us, except for the occasional EXPL find that gives out a few actual components to use...

[RTGPete]

The Energy Sapper Creature is indeed elusive, but it is not impossible to gain. Same for Neutronium and several other rare technologies.

[Prospective]

Thanks Pete, from that statement it appears that it is possible to get the elusive "Energy Sapper Creature Knowldeg" through EXPL, and apparently in enough quantities to be able to get Energy Sapper Torpedo's. Sounds similar to Neutronium and "other rare technologies".

 

Can you speak to Locklyn's statement that you can gain 99.9% of the research points needed for a breakthrough by EXPL's, but will need to have at least one RC to actually get the tech? Is this true in most but not all cases (see above exceptions)? Or is it theoretically possible to get enough EXPL hits in order to acquire a technology?

[Locklyn]

Prospective,

 

As I said in my earlier post, special finds like the elusive energy sapper creature and other such stuff can be gained through EXPLs on special worlds but to my knowledge not ONE of the vast amount of players I am connected through to through alliance, emails, etc have had such a thing happen so if anyone has suceeded in getting special tech branches to open through EXPL they are keeping tight lipped about it and are a minority.

 

Normal techs cannot be gained through EXPL as per Petes earlier postings on this.

 

1) Since there is no way to ingame measure the efficiency of a scientist, there is no real way to gauge what worlds are better than others. Pete have posted in the past that one should try to go for a world as different from your HW in all things, atmosphere, temp etc etc. What I have seen is that I generally get less EXPL results from GGs. I prefer to place my scientists on odd terrestrials or if I find something really odd.,

 

2) No idea, but since I have naval military installations, fuel producing stations it seemed prudent to have science installations in all systems with planetary orbits. Remember that you can only EXPL over planetary bodies and not in Nexii thus it would mean you'd have to find a neutron star with planetary bodies etc etc

I have generally seen that my scientists on worlds further away from my HW tends to have more hits, if this is sheer luck or not I have no idea since it is not measurable within the game.

 

3) Yes. When it comes to standard tech, you must commit an RC to get the tech, this Pete has posted.

 

A,B,C those are reputed special techs that I've not personally seen in gameplay and should work differently

 

Better equipment and characters and installations will all help as usual, how much and if they really work, is not measurable.

 

Cheers

/Locklyn

[Laserwolf]

As I said in my earlier post, special finds like the elusive energy sapper creature and other such stuff can be gained through EXPLs on special worlds but to my knowledge not ONE of the vast amount of players I am connected through to through alliance, emails, etc have had such a thing happen so if anyone has suceeded in getting special tech branches to open through EXPL they are keeping tight lipped about it and are a minority.

 

I have.