Planetfall Beginner's Guide

[slugwalk]

I think this will be easier to deal with as a separate thread.
So here's a rough draft of my guide. What do you all think? Experienced players, please let me know what other key concepts and strategies I should add, and any corrections I need to make.
I don't want to explain everything, but I'd like to make it so most players can win the first time they play on Chieftain difficulty.

View attachment Planetfall Beginner Guide V2.doc

 

[Lord Tirian]

Reads pretty well already - and once it's "finished", I'd like to make it a bit more pretty (insert the icons used in the game and put it into a PDF, so reading becomes more convenient).

However, there are some little things... I think you could add a bit about material supplies - using them to get the Unity projects early is not only helpful, but often pretty important - and not entirely intuitive for a Civ4/SMAC player that you can "find" wonders in pods.

Also: A bit about religion would be nice - while it's pretty similar to Civ4, the bit that they add different things to the base (planetvalue for VoP, food for Ascetic, influence for Edenism) can make adopting a religion more useful than just for diplomacy - would be nice to have it spelled out (or put into the hints, though almost everything could and should find its way into the hints/concepts later on).

Cheers, LT.

 

[slugwalk]

Sounds good. I think it should also go in the Datalinks, as the Civilopedia's the first place I'd go when trying to learn about a new mod.
Good ideas about the Unity projects and religions.
I also need to add some description of the Tech tree since its much more complicated than that of Civ4 and SMAC.

 

[slugwalk]

Here's the next version of the Beginner's Guide. Please let me know any suggestions you have for additional topics to add, or key concepts I haven't included. Also, any corrections to my writing or hints would be appreciated.
View attachment Planetfall Beginner Guide V3.doc

 

[Maniac]

Thanks, a really good reading!

I've corrected a few typos in the attached doc.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Here is a collection of tips for running a Hybrid economy I posted over at the gamesvault forum, improved with some more details:

- stay away from mines, mining plattfroms, boreholes and farms; build many Centauri preserves later (also don't forget to replace other improvements on ressource tiles with them if possible)
- avoid both the Enclosed Biospheres and Terraformed Civic, take Hybrid
- get or better found the Voice of Planet (if the latter, build the White Pines Wonder by using a Transcendend)
- if you have White Pines, spread VoP also to other factions as much as possible
- settle any excess Transcend in the bases which have greatest trouble with getting "green hearts"
- build a Bio Lab early in each Base, later Empath Guilds, Temple of Planet and PSI gates
- use the specialist slots the last three mentioned buildings gave actively - force Empaths in each Base (by using the '+' button beside the Empath Icon)
- acquire the Monolith ressource or trade for it. Same for the Pholus Rigde, the Ruines and the Manifold Nexus landmarks - take them if possible.
- don't clean fungus round your bases
- research later the Pholus Mutagen tech

Feel free to add them to the guide, if you like.

 

[slugwalk]

Hmmm... I don't know what my problem is with spelling Headquarters .

Pfeffersack's post brings up the question: how much should I add advanced hints? I probably should at least add a small section on Economic models, as it may be difficult for new players to understand how it all goes together.

 

[Lord Tirian]

Pfeffersack's post brings up the question: how much should I add advanced hints? I probably should at least add a small section on Economic models, as it may be difficult for new players to understand how it all goes together.

I think a short paragraph for each model (hybrid, enclosed, terraformed) would be pretty useful with some general guidelines and hints - much like Pfeffersack's tips, though I'd try to keep it a little more general, discovering the things is a bit part of the fun of playing a new mod!

Cheers, LT.

 

[V3N0M]

Got any tips for playing the game with a positive planet score? I use the environmental civics when available but I don't know how to play well without building mines and whatnot.

 

[Keeper_GFA]

Got any tips for playing the game with a positive planet score? I use the environmental civics when available but I don't know how to play well without building mines and whatnot.

1. Many small bases is better than fewer larger bases.
2. Build Biolabs and Empathy Guilds and use your free citizen as an Empath.
3. Follow the Voice of Planet religion.

That's +7 PA for each city that follows VoP without counting difficulty, resource, fungus bonuses. That should give you enough of a boost to allow a few mines/farms where needed.

If you have the holy city and shrine for VoP, then you can turn that city into borehole central. The shrine gives the VoP holy city a +1 PA for each city that follows the VoP religion.

 

[V3N0M]

nice. I never though of having lots of cities instead of specializing cities. Whats the max population you recommend?

 

[Lord Tirian]

nice. I never though of having lots of cities instead of specializing cities. Whats the max population you recommend?

There isn't any to recommend, because it depends - generally don't let your bases grow to sizes where the positive planet value of the base gets below +2 or +1 (since you need a bit of constant output to maintain your worm hordes ).

This will change from game to game and depending on the stage of the game of course.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

It depends on how good the surrounding terrain is. Every population point costs 1 Planet, so you wouldn't want to work mediocre plots.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I plan to translate this very informative guide and post it on the German Forum, because there is desire for a more detailed explanation of the game features in German - I assume thats ok?

 

[Maniac]

Sure. (or did you ask slugwalk?)

 

[Pfeffersack]

Sure. (or did you ask slugwalk?)

Yes, since he is the creator. I don't assume that he has a problem with this, but asking can't hurt.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I have now completed the German translation of the guide. Perhaps it would be good idea, if someone speaking German (Lord Tirian?) could read through, if I have made serious errors (especially content-related, as the last version provide by Slugwalk is outdated in some aspects - I have tried to correct them, but there is always the danger of something slipping through)

 

[Lord Tirian]

Perhaps it would be good idea, if someone speaking German (Lord Tirian?) could read through, if I have made serious errors...

Looks fine to me. I attached a slightly edited version, where I matched the names with the German translation, but otherwise it's ok.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I missed out that Writing Bull from the German Webring forum suggested already a while ago to include this guide in the Datalinks. If that is technically feasible and nothing else is standing against it, it could have its place in the "Planetfall Concepts" section.

 

[Maniac]

The text would need to be modified according to Civ's XML requirements. Adding [PARAGRAPH:2] and stuff like that.