OSG7a Always War Hard -- Once more, with feeling!

[vmxa]

Regarding Hyper X: My thought was threefold.
1) We don't have access to Merc's or Scatter's, and Stinger's are unknown. I really HATE not having good missiles.
2) From my own experience, Hyper-V bases just don't cut the mustard for long, whereas Hyper-X's seem to hold their own for awhile. Plus, with our weak economy, we can build less bases and more ships
3) Hyper X boats will be very useful for harrassment and bombing, and again, Hyper-V's just never seem adequate enough in that regard.

No need to defend it, I think everyone saw it about the same way you did. Not want you wanted, but a safer play.

 

[vmxa]

2378: Still no fleet incoming from the Klacks, though they are forming a really nasty one at Kholdan. Lots of techs coming due soonish. We will soon have our hands full re-maxing worlds when RC III comes in. I figure when RC III comes in we should stop fighter production and concentrate on building up our core worlds while still maintaining a decent tech pace. I also think that when RC III comes in we should forget building facs on our Tundra worlds until they each have at least 1 base. Xudax will need a base too, but I figure that can wait a bit there until Xudax remaxes.

This is an interesting situation, that I have never really tried to nail down. When is it better to get the factories up first and then the bases. I guess it depends on how many bases you think you need and how soon you need them.

If planetary shields were on the horizon, the bases would have to go first as the shields would get in the way.

 

[Zed-F]

Logic here: In this case, to stop the Klacks or Alkari cold at this time we really only need one (at most 2) bases with class III shields. Xudax can build a base in 3 years without reserve pumping, whereas we have range 5 scanners, so we don't need a base immediately here; we'll see them in time to crash-build one, and they don't have the range yet anyway. Rana on the other hand is vulnerable to assault now, should the Klacks decide to send a fleet. The possibility that they might decide to make a move at any point, plus the fact that one base will hopefully be sufficient counter if they do, motivates my desire to secure the colony ASAP. Arietis is a border case. Probably it doesn't need the base yet. However, it would have a bit more trouble standing one up in a hurry if circumstances changed, than does Xudax. So I chose to err on the side of giving us a fallback position in case the worst does happen at Rana. Again, since it only needs 1 base at this time, it won't delay Arietis's development that much (and it is in fact continuing to devote some of its production to industry while it builds the base.) If the next player wanted to put base construction at Arietis on hold and keep working on facs, I wouldn't say he was wrong to do so.

 

[vmxa]

I am all for erring on the side of having a few bases in place.

 

[dathon78]

When is it better to get the factories up first and then the bases.

I usually try to look at whether the bases are there just to provide shielding or whether they actually need to shoot something down. I usually like to get at least 1 base up on my border worlds as early as I can to deflect the beam attacks and reduce the missile damage. The AI usually doesn't build too many missile ships early in my experience, and even a couple bases is often enough to weather an attack or two. Then again, I'm also paranoid, and having the early bases helps to ease my nerves as well.

Now if the AI has prioritized bombers, death spores, or Hyper X missiles, I'll usually go for the factories, as the bases will have to shoot down the invaders to be effective. Of course, being a good strategy game, there's no cookie-cutter response, and your thought about the planetary shields and assessing needs are dead on.

dathon

 

[Zed-F]

So guys, if the Klack fleet continues being paralyzed... do we want to make a play for the southernmost Klack colony and hope to stand up a base before they counterattack in force? We just might do it with some reserve pumping...

...this assumes Klacks continue to be stupid of course. If all we need is one base it might be possible.

 

[ToddMarshall]

@ - dathon

In almost every case where mercs/scatter-v isn't in the tree I'd go back for Hyper-X. Maybe not in a large/huge galaxy or in a few other instances, but in general, that's the move to make.

Hyper-V I rarely research (because its vaporware), but this situation called for it as well.

Agree with the when to build bases first in general.

@ - Zed. Sounds like a plan to me, depending on what the Klackons do of course.

 

[dathon78]

I don't see why not Zed, we're going to have to make a play for their territory at some point anyway, and I smell blood in the water from all of their wars. If nothing else, even just capturing the planet will inflict some damage and hurt their growth.

dathon

 

[Zed-F]

I have to confess I'm hoping to snag some juicy tech from them too. Fusion Bombs and Nuclear Engines sound nice about now, the former to save us from needing to research a 3rd tier weapons tech ourselves and the latter as we could really use some engines. Since we have already pre-scouted the planet, we can time our invasion fleet to arrive at the same time as our fighters.

BTW, I believe vmxa is up.

 

[vmxa]

Zed-F (last player
vmxa (up
Maniac (on deck
catwalk
dathon

Roster as best as I can tell. I could not get the save to appear in my load screen. I am going to try it on my Win98 and see what happens.

I ran all my spyware and virus check. None of my other games are behaving this way. I just wonder if DosBox has anything to do with it.

Let you know what happens.

 

[vmxa]

Ok now I can say I have it. It was fine on my Win98? I DL it again straight to floopy.

I sure hope someone has an idea on why this is occuring all of a sudden.

 

[Zed-F]

Umm... no?

Can't say I know anything about DosBox.

Glad that you got it though!

 

[vmxa]

See if this save is ok. I am paranoid now. So here it is, save3 zip.

 

[vmxa]

Wow I am really lost here. I copied all the saves from my Win98 to my current XP system. I start the game and it only shows save1 from 2385?

I am at a loss as to what is going on. I see all the saves in the directory. I deleted the save1 and started the game up again. It then had no load choices, but would let me continue. That turned out to be 2385 as well.

As an aside, I notice that the installer was written by Brain Reynolds, back when Sid and he were at MicroProse.

 

[vmxa]

So I can only offer a screenie from 2385.

Planets:

 

[vmxa]

Here is the map, as much as I can dispaly in one shot:

 

[vmxa]

The grand fleet, such as it is:

 

[vmxa]

Here is the log and I sure hope the save is not hozed.

Klac have BCII ECMII Duralloy Nuc Engine Fusion Bomb that we do not have.

Our tech looks like this Duralloy bulb 80-90%
Class (can't see if it is II or III) shield at 80-90% for bulb.
Planetology 1%
Comp is empty
Propulsion Range 6 90% full
Weapon 75%

Spending 4.2% on ships and .8 on spies.
Ships 16 unarmed scouts, 2 LR unarmed, 52 NPG and 69 NPG 1.1

Send ships to Phyco that were in Rana.

2381:
Enhanced Eco comes in and of course I am unsure of what planets are around us. Choices are:
Spores, +30 (6860), Toxic (7870), Radiated, +40.

I go with Toxic as I know we have an inferno with a scout on it and a toxic in our backyard. Well I think that is what we had. I know there is a Radiated around, but that is too much for me.

I like +30 as I don't think we had a +10, but OTOH we are at war and builing all those people and factories would be hard to squeeze in.

2382: zip
2383:
Altair has 4 types of large ships, 8 in total. 1 MB, pop 100 Ind 200.
Hyades pop 80 Ind 121, 1MB. Missile Def 2, Beam 1, attack 2, hits 50, shields 2. Large (5) 3 types.

Fierias Ind done, start 20 NPG 1.1 relocation to Rana. Send 22 troops to Phyco (arbitrary number, just what I got when I clicked), set ECO to +2.

Phyco bombed down to 43/50 and Ind 29. Lost 13 NPG's.

Dunatis sends 20, up Eco +3.

 

[vmxa]

2384:
Kholden has 17MB Beam 1 Missile 3 Atack 3 shields 2 hits 75 pop 110 Ind 220.
Bomb 5 million and 18 factories. No more bombing now as they are down to 12 factories.

Adjust Rana after MB comes in to all Ind/Eco.

Adjust Artemis MB spending as it comes in next turn.

Large fleet still at Endoria (326 dagger, 1 avenger 1 laser 1 lancer)

6bc to Rana.

2385:
cancel bombing from now on.
Klac ask for peace, offer nothing.
Looks like they sent the fleet towards the west, so it will be out of the action for awhile.
Our slow speed is hurting u.

Adjust Artemis increase Ind.

2386:
A lone avenger shows up at Phyco, we have no scanner. We had 39 NPG and 54 NPG 1.1. Lost 7 NPG's.
Send 17 more pop from Fierias, increase its Eco +5. It would be 11 turns from Dunatis.

 

[vmxa]

2387:
Sabetoge at Fierias, lost 1 factory, so I surrendered game. Alright, I guess we can bear up under such pressure.

Hyper X comes in and we have:
Gatling (520)
Fusion Bomb (1700)
Ion Rifle (3020)
Neutron Blaster (4720)

I go with the bombs in case we do not either steal them or find them in the ruins of Phyco.

Dunatis back to 104/105. I wish I could send some to RAna. Not sure if it is worth it to wait 9 turns. I go ahead and send 5 as a compromize. They will be used in at that late date.

Artemis now 45/45 and will start on RCIII factories next turn, now at 84 with 6/6y.

First round of fighters 2 turns from Rana, fast huh?

Const full Force 2% PROP 1%, no adjustments yet.

2388: nothing

2389:
Route 18 NPG 1.1 from Rana to Phyco.
Adjust Rana to barely terraform to get more factories.

2390:
Fierias maxed again. First wave of pop next turn at Phyco (22). Second (20) and third (17) wave 4 turns out.
6BC to Rana

Prop and Force at 4%

Pretty quite actually. I was pumping up the ships when I was concerned that the big fleet would come to rescue Phyco. Not sure if we need to make more now or wait for Duralloy and design a new one.

I do not like to get large numbers of one style as that forces me to keep them. I was putting off the choice to see if we will be able to get an engine from Phyco or at least one comes up in Prop.