Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Search
 

I prefer to use fast missile ships in the early game http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif An Escort with max engines and a CSM I is worth its weight in minerals. I have had one single CSM I scout vessel take out over 600kT of enemy scout/combat vessels, 'cause they were armed with short-range DUC's..... I always set my missile scouts to a "Sniper" strategy; Maximum range/Don't get hurt. Works like a charm http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Alternatively, if your "Guardians" are meant for WP defence, give them really powerful short-range weaponry (i.e. Ripper Beams), lots of it. Multiplex Tracking is also handy, if you can spare the room; same goed for Combat Sensors. Don't bother with ECM; unless the enemy sends in an overwhelming force large enough for it to be reasonably battle-worthy after the first round, you won't be bothered with (much) return fire. With any luck, if the enemy fleet is small enough, you can cripple or completely destroy them in a single round.

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Search
 

I have never understood the bias against "Divide Points Evenly". I find it very useful for socking away points toward a large project while still getting small projects fairly quickly. It takes a bit of micromanagement to avoid wasting points when a project is about to complete, but it's not much more work than I'd be doing anyway.

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Sea
 

With it off, you can just add a bunch of projects to the queue and not look at it again for several turns, confident that no research will be wasted. With it on, you have to do more juggling of projects to keep the points from being wasted. Of course, you have to go back to the queue anyways to repeat a tech area right away (assuming you have a spillover tech area after it so you don't lose points the turn you finish it, thus making "repeat projects" not viable for immediate continuation).

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Search
 

Divide points Evenly setting can burn you if fail to keep tabs on it. The points do not spill over so anything over what you need to finish a project is lost. No no divide otion spills points over, and you can always tack on a big ticket item on the end to catch the spill over, if you forget to check research status. though you can still waste alot of points, if asleep at the screen.
As for sliders in SE3 and SEV they both spill over, but with in the tech area beening researched (assuminf SEV works as SE3 in that reguard) it gives more control and you can set a side a small portion to big long term projects.
as for AI ministers, I don't use them.

gee i type to slow

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Search
 

OK.
1. How the heck do I retrofit obsolete units such as satellites, troops, etc.?

2. The empires communication\ propose trade\technologies area is obscure. The lists seem to show all possible areas but not what they don't have. Does this require intelligence projects? I notice though for choosing what I want from them there is a choice of "Any Tech Area". The rest of their list also is like my list...stuff I may already have. Am I missing some thing? Is there a better way. I'm thinking it's because of known intelligence. How can I propose a decent trade of technology?

-Wade

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Search
 

Divide points evenly is less efficient that concentrated research (ie one project at a time).

Suppose you are earning 50k points per turn. You have four projects, each requiring 100k points.

With divide points evenly, you spend 12500 points per project per turn. After eight turns all four projects will complete.

With concentrated research, you pour 100k into project 1, then 100k into project 2 and so on until after eight turns you have completed all four projects.

On the surface of it, the two methods appear to be equal: four projects complete after eight turns. However, if you look more closely, you'll see that after turn two, on divide points equally I have exactly zero projects complete. I have four partially complete projects, which are pretty much useless if I want to use that technology NOW. What's more, as long as those projects are incomplete they are vulnerable to intel attacks. Best to get them out of the labs and into production asap.

On concentrated research, however, one of my projects completes on turn two. I can be using that new technology while the other 3 projects are cooking. On turn four I get tech 2, on turn 6 I get tech 3.

For this reason it is far better to have divide points switched off.

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Search
 

I understand this and tend to agree. What about having "divide points evenly" on to include several smaller projects and one large project to be working towards? This way you can be cooking the large project while finishing smaller projects. Someone stated this ealier.

For all equal techs I tend to agree with your annalysis.

Also, how about other games and SE5 where we can set percentages? Will we want to mostly have one project at 100%?

-Wade

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Sea
 

"1. How the heck do I retrofit obsolete units such as satellites, troops, etc.?"

You can't upgrade units, only scrap/jettison them.

"2. The lists seem to show all possible areas but not what they don't have. Does this require intelligence projects?"

More or less. It would be very cheesy if you got buckets of free intel just by going into the trade screen. It's easier in a PBW game where you can actually talk to the other side. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

=0=

"What's more, as long as those projects are incomplete they are vulnerable to intel attacks. Best to get them out of the labs and into production asap."

What about after turn one, where you have 50k in one project? The divide evenly method would only have 12.5k lost in one project.

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Sea
 

1. Concerning the cycle *Fleets* swicth.
Pressing sentry for a Fleet sets the individual ships within it to sentry but the Fleet still cycles.

Is there a way to set Fleets to sentry so that they do not cycle?

I'm using version 1.95 (unmodded/stock). It seems that this should have been addressed officially by now; in one of the many upgrades.



2. Can "Robo Resource Collector" ships collect from an asteroid or planet in a system where I don't have a Space Port; or any colony at all for that matter? I'm assuming that they need a Space Port but wanted to ask for quikness.

-Wade

2. OK. I found someone's entry in the SEWiki. The answer is yes they can. They do not need a Space Port.

-Wade

3. I'v messed around with the settings in "My Home". How do I have the latest page show on a thread when I first enter it? Currently it always statrs on page 1.

4. What is the step\by\step process for placing an avatar picture. Can I use some thing from my 'Paint' program? I have a banner on Paint that I made.

-Wade

Re: SEIV: Problems and Questions: Not Found in Sea
 

Does Aaron Hall ever post here? If so, then what nickname does he use?