alpha centauri

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-06-18 01:15am

They also make a nice crater.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-18 02:15am

And, if the UN Charter isn't currently been revoked, give you -10 clean minerals at every one of your bases every time you throw one, sending your eco damage sky high.

Best I've done is 9 bases, but it's rare that you'd get to throw such a high level reactor PB into the middle of bases packed so tightly.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2003-06-18 03:14am

I play University, kiss up to everyone as much as possible until I have Singularity Planetbusters and Orbital Defense Pods, and then blow up the whole world except myself.

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2003-06-18 01:07pm

SHODAN wrote:SirNitram, that horrendous abusive strategy of yours should make your Netherese ancestors proud.

I am probably only AC player in the world who does not enjoy casting planet busters everywhere.

Bah, I hate planet busters! When I use them, I occasionally find that my advances end up being stalled by the sudden appearance of pissed-off Planetlife all over my territory. I prefer the use of diplomacy backed by judicious application of force and technology. (Or was it force backed by the judicious application of diplomacy . . . I can never get it straight.)

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-06-18 01:12pm

This thread started me playing the game again lasty night as University (that and Gaians are my fav faction) I Entered a long protracted war with the Hive but finally brought them to their knees, have the UN eating out of hands and the Spartans begging me to leave them alone and giving me what I want to placate me. My only real rival are the Gaians.

Anyway my question is WHY cluster your citites so close? I'm from the Civ, II, III school of thought that you set your cities up so that one is not stealing resources sqaures from the other so my cities are spread out fanlike from the capital while the hive built theirs nearly on top of one another. What's teh deal with that?

Also, its been YEARS since I played this game, planet IIRC is alive right? I think there's an ending where you essentiallty communicate with planet and bond with it or soemthing and that is one possible ending.

Sorry its been awhile and I forgot how damn good this game is

SHODAN · Post by **SHODAN** » 2003-06-18 01:47pm

Stravo wrote:Anyway my question is WHY cluster your citites so close? I'm from the Civ, II, III school of thought that you set your cities up so that one is not stealing resources sqaures from the other so my cities are spread out fanlike from the capital while the hive built theirs nearly on top of one another. What's teh deal with that?

More efficient use of space at the beginning when cities are small and cant utilize all squares.

Also, its been YEARS since I played this game, planet IIRC is alive right? I think there's an ending where you essentiallty communicate with planet and bond with it or soemthing and that is one possible ending.

The Ascent to Transcendence is waiting you at the end of research tree. Rather lame ending, actually. You become god by constructing one building, and thats it.

Warspite · Post by **Warspite** » 2003-06-18 04:53pm

SHODAN wrote:The Ascent to Transcendence is waiting you at the end of research tree. Rather lame ending, actually. You become god by constructing one building, and thats it.

I agree on the lame ending, the last video should be more grandiouse, but you have to take into account all the previous discoveries.
When a race controls singularites, quantum editing, time mechanics, and a bunch of other names I can't remember, it's only a small step towards transcendence.
But the final video should be better IMO.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-06-18 05:09pm

What's the ending if you eradicate everyone else?

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-18 07:25pm

Stravo wrote:Anyway my question is WHY cluster your citites so close? I'm from the Civ, II, III school of thought that you set your cities up so that one is not stealing resources sqaures from the other so my cities are spread out fanlike from the capital while the hive built theirs nearly on top of one another. What's teh deal with that?

Partly what SHODAN said above, however there's also the fact that it ends up being far more efficient to get more of your factors of production from Sats and a few specialized squares (Boreholes, crawled Farm/Condensor/[Soil Enricher]s. Usually a base would only end up using maybe 5 tiles total, plus the base, 2 BH's and 3FC[SE]'s respectivly.), and turn most of your population into specialists (Usually Engineers for most of the game, with as few Empaths as you need to curb any Drone worries) for the massive upswing in labs and energy.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-06-18 08:48pm

HemlockGrey wrote:What's the ending if you eradicate everyone else?

Just a little dialogue that says you conquered the planet and can face the Planetmind united.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-18 09:40pm

There's a little movie of you going up to your planetary control sattelite or whatever as I recall too.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-06-18 09:58pm

Really, I never actually conquered the world

.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2003-06-19 12:11am

The political one is fun to try.

Just thought I'd mention it, how do you get an economic victory?

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-06-19 12:12am

Well, started up the game...and promptly got my ass handed to me by a guy named 'Prokvor'.

...

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-19 01:12am

Gandalf wrote:Just thought I'd mention it, how do you get an economic victory?

With great difficulty. Build up your economy as much as possible as you approach the middle game, and try to make sure that you're the governor if possible so you'll have the extra commerce, throw all your bases into Stockpile Energy for a few turns until you have enough credits, and then defend your HQ at all costs. If you still hold it at the end of 20 turns, you win.

Obviously, this rarely happens in PBEM's, because too many people can see you prepare for it, and human players are smart enough to PB or Gas your HQ right out of existance.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-06-19 01:35am

HemlockGrey wrote:Well, started up the game...and promptly got my ass handed to me by a guy named 'Prokvor'.

...

Ahh, Zak! Prokhor (I think) Zakharov is the leader of the University and he probably had better tech than you. The Spartans, with high morale, and the Gaians, with early psi units (which fight with morale) would wreak havoc on his high-tech trinkets.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-06-19 03:16am

I honestly dont understand any victory aside from conquest. apparently the planet starts talking to you, but Ive never seen past the third intermission of that.

I restarted my game at 3rd easiest, starting on the lower continent of the planet (just load planet, no randomization, and youll see where I am), and spread out extremely quickly. I had around 15 cities all population under 3, with maybe 2 improvements between them. I spawned some 30 4-2-1 walkers, and smashed through the u.n, to become sole leader of my continent. morgan is the north of me, with one square of sea between us. he has five cities, and above him is the university, with 6 cities. their cities are population 8 or so, mine are still 3. I am currently trying to figure out how to break the little guy, but he produces faster and brings them in faster - less territory. I need some 20 turns to gather my forces in a massive horde that I prefer. its basically my 15 4-2-1 landings with 4 colony pods, verses 5 cities that have no garrison, but an irritatingly fast produce rate.

bit of a stalemate, I think. and sparta, to the far east, is expanding. gaia and fundies have fallen to them already, so Im rushed for time.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-19 10:55am

How is it that you can have such tiny populations in all these games?

Aren't you terraforming? (I assume by "improvements" you meant base facilities?)

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-06-19 06:12pm

my bases are unit producers, only. when they get population 3-5, they spawn colony pods. if they are population 1-2, they make formers. the formers do things when Im not looking, but what I really only care about is roads. when I have a war, all my cities switch to one cheap battle unit that can be produced in under 10 turns. with 30 cities, it makes a good horde of cannon fodder.

you'll note there is no time in this equation for recreation facilities or any of the rest - but Im aware it will cause me trouble on the higher levels.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-19 06:26pm

Ahh, I see......so you're Automating your formers too? *Cringes*

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-06-19 06:54pm

Ahh, Zak! Prokhor (I think) Zakharov is the leader of the University and he probably had better tech than you. The Spartans, with high morale, and the Gaians, with early psi units (which fight with morale) would wreak havoc on his high-tech trinkets

Er, I *was* playing the Spartans, but only had 2 cities when he had 3, and the Morganites had 5...

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-06-19 07:09pm

Archaic` wrote:Ahh, I see......so you're Automating your formers too? *Cringes*

yep. Im told thats bad for civ 2 and smac, but I dont want to be bothered with 40 little spawnings asking what to grow next.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-06-20 12:50am

Well, let's just say that there's a reason whole expert level challenges are based around forcing you to Automate all your formers.

And seriously, 40 isn't all that much. 400 now....(3 Rover/Clean/Super, 1 Rover/Super/Fungicidal)...well....let's just say that turns took an hour each. When I wasn't at war. Worth it though.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-06-20 03:06am

I never get that high. 200 units, all military, and Im in the last stage of world conquest.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2003-06-20 03:52am

Archaic` wrote:Ahh, I see......so you're Automating your formers too? *Cringes*

Everyone should, it's great when you have a map with 70-90% water. You can terraform your neat little island. Great for defense.