Do starting resources always determine your affinity?

[Risch]

I'm just curious if people have any stories of choosing affinities and play styles that differed from the resources they started near. Out of the last six games I've played, four have started with a lot of firaxite... I don't mind playing Supremacy, but I don't necessarily want to play it every time.

Do you feel that your starting resources 'lock you in', or do you have freedom to pursue the affinity you want?

 

[aguliondew]

I decide what I want to be fore the game starts. Then as I explore it gives me an area to expand to. The extra fixate, xenomass, titanium from building quest and affinity helpsd if their is a limited amount in the area you settle around. Forward expanding creates an interesting game.

 

[Dellan]

Not for me. I always go Harmony, even if there's only Firaxite or Titanium around me. I don't care.

 

[Jacozilla]

That's what I do too. I pre-decide (with rare exception changing my mind based on what I see around start loc - one game I decided harmony but landed right next to secluded peninsula with 23 firaxite all reachable by settling just one new colony)

It keeps things fresher if I rotate the affinities so generally I play every third game with each affinity. And forward settle to find the affinity resource I need.

 

[Kaigen]

My first few games I had a preset affinity I was going to use and a strategy I was going to go for. Now that I've gotten that out of the way (and made a cheat sheet of the resource-dependent buildings for the different affinities) I've started deciding based on my surrounding terrain, although it's so easy to get Xenonurseries even without focusing on Harmony that a lot of Xenomass alone might not make me go Harmony.

 

[GAGA Extrem]

Not for me. I always go Harmony, even if there's only Firaxite or Titanium around me. I don't care.

Same here. By far the least annoying of the Affinity victories to get, even if you don't have any Xenomass nearby.

 

[Gort]

At first I chose my affinity based on nearby resources, but now that I've played a bit I've discovered the strategic resources really aren't that big a deal.

 

[sprang]

I'll have a general idea of which affinity I want to play when I start the game, but I'll change if (a) the resources are just too one-sided and (b) somebody nearby needs to get rushed.

 

[bruntfca]

I just settle a base within 4 tiles, no matter the terrain; it's more important to get unmolested trade routes fast. Once you have 4 cities and 12 TR, the resources and tech come pouring in no matter what.

The affinity bonuses are so lame in comparison and hidden behind long ass techs. I mean who cares if you get +1 energy after researching Ecology, Geothermal *and* a long Supremacy tech! The game is superficially a lot of fun, but I can't get any more out of it really until it's patched.

 

[s0nny80y]

I'm always getting floatstone near my landing site. I've only played one game where xenomass was predominant, and I have to admit Harmony is pretty fun although I wish I've had starts with firaxite nearby, especially with it's science bonus. RNG Gods must think I'm a purist at heart :/

-----
120 hours so far, apollo mostly

 

[OranHarken]

I always go into Purity first to get aliens don't attack my explorers and to get up a Gene Vault. Then I go Supremacy for magrails everywhere in my territory. Not to mention the benefit of giving a city surrounded by 18 hexes worth of magrail to an AI to bankrupt them.

 

[stealth_nsk]

Starting resources yes, but not only ones in near proximity from the start. You need both affinity-specific buildings and unit and that's tonns of resources. And without the affinity units, war is much more difficult.

 

[janboruta]

I tend to disregard xenomass all the time - I replace it with Terrascapes whenever possible. I'm mostly a Purity player, love the design of the units. I sometimes go Supremacy if I have the resources; becoming a cyborg is always fun.

 

[Soffacet]

The terrain matters quite a bit for Supremacy. It's very painful to try and pull it off without a good amount of Firaxite. Purity is more forgiving because of the Titanium/Floatstone split in their unit requirements. Harmony too, since Xenomass is so much more common.

 

[KingDynamo]

• My favourite unit upgrades are all on the Purity side. It's so annoying having to put off upgrading units when you don't have the levels, especially with the increased unit cost without any benefits until you do end up upgrading.
• The earliest Purity tech you can get comes off the earliest health building tech, which I value greatly with my expansionist playstyle.
• Speaking of expansionist playstyle, I usually end up with a tonne of land so I hardly ever have a shortage of any resource.
• I agree most with the Purity victory. I don't agree with it completely, but the reason the Seeding set out in the first place was to save the people of Earth. (I don't consider Emancipation as "saving".) I do realise that it is the most annoying victory to do though, so I tend to switch to Harmony by the end.

So well, all in all, I just go Purity. I'm not against going multiple affinities at the same time though, so by endgame I would have pretty high levels in multiple affinities. (Might have something to do with my putting off going for victory actually )

 

[Halbbruder]

I seem to choose affinity according to nearby resources. The strategic resources can be a big deal if you want to launch an early war and in MP they would be more crucial if your neighbour is gaining affinities very quickly. I don't ever mix affinities until late game.

Harmony does seem to be the least strategic resource intensive while purity is dependent on 2 strategic resources titanium and floatstone.

If I end up in a case where I have no strategic resources nearby, I'll probably pick purity and harmony by default because of their level 1 bonuses.

 

[Freedom Geek]

I am ideologically biased in favor of Supremacy.

 

[Lord Katana]

yes, i let myself be guided by the terrain.. current game i have a ton of firaxite (like a 10, a 9, and a score of 2s and 3s) so i'm going sup this time.... It is one of the things i enjoy about the game.. that the terrain gives you a decision and influences playstyle.. it's not chess after all!

 

[Roxlimn]

I decide based on the basic resources. Fungus makes me think Harmony. Lots of flatland makes me think Purity. Geothermal and mine resources make me think Supremacy.