Newb questions

[smitty]

Two questions about the game.

1. To create a empire for use with PBW, is it true I have to pretend to start a new game, define my empire, save it and then I can quit the new game process and go find my EMP file?

2. Once you are playing a game I see a 'Save Empire' option there near the 'Save Game' option. It may seem obvious but what is the purpose of that? Is what saved different depending on when you save it?

Thanks,
Smitty

[Gandalph]

Originally posted by smitty:
Two questions about the game.

1. To create a empire for use with PBW, is it true I have to pretend to start a new game, define my empire, save it and then I can quit the new game process and go find my EMP file?

Yes, you can also actually start the game, make some changes under empire options, then save the empire. You will find it in the empires folder under SE4 or whatever mod you might be using.

2. Once you are playing a game I see a 'Save Empire' option there near the 'Save Game' option. It may seem obvious but what is the purpose of that? Is what saved different depending on when you save it?

The only real advantage, that I know of, is you can get into the research tree far enough to have several ships designed, then you can save your designs with your empire. This also allows you to save your empire with it's accumulated empire points, though I have seen no real advantage there.

[ April 04, 2003, 14:57: Message edited by: Gandalph ]

[oleg]

Originally posted by smitty:
Two questions about the game.

2. Once you are playing a game I see a 'Save Empire' option there near the 'Save Game' option. It may seem obvious but what is the purpose of that? Is what saved different depending on when you save it?

Thanks,
Smitty

For example, you want to change AI files for some race and want that particular AI player in your next game. The best way is to save empire file of a randomly generated AI !

[Grandpa Kim]

from Gandalph

...you can also actually start the game, make some changes under empire options, then save the empire.

If you have changed some files, like colony types or strategies, this is the thing to do. Let one turn roll by and all your personalized files will be initialized with your empire. I use this technique all the time.

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Grandpa Kim:
If you have changed some files, like colony types or strategies, this is the thing to do. Let one turn roll by and all your personalized files will be initialized with your empire. I use this technique all the time.

That's the best way to use the Ultimate Strategies Mod (linked in sig), as there seems to be little interest in using it for PBW games. You can get an empire file with a lot of custom strategies to start with, and then work from there customizing them to your heart's content.

[ April 06, 2003, 05:19: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Atrocities]

You know something, I have created an empire that is maxed out on production, setting the settings to the max and using the available racial traits.

What I have noticed is that this race does not build any faster than my race that is set up for normal PBW games. IE not maxed out on production.

Why is that? Why does the game not use the bonues?

[Cyrien]

Not sure about with you. But I had a similiar experience and it turned out to be one of two things for me.

A> The construction bonuses are all specific to spaceyards and planetary spaceyards so construction on unspace yarded planets does not increase at all.

B> It is still possible to have the same amount of construction per turn on a design with high rate as with low in the following way.

Normal rate of construction - 2000 per turn each resource

Ship costs 3999 of some resource

3999 at 2000 per turn = 2 turns to build

You have 50% increase in construction +25% planet ship yard rate.
2000 at 50% = 1000
2000 at 25% = 500
2000 + 1000 + 500 = 3500

Or change the formula
50+25 = 75
2000 at 75% = 3500

Or
2000 at 50% = 1000
2000 + 1000 = 3000
3000 at 25% = 750
3000 + 750 = 3750

3999 at 3500 per turn = two turns to build
3999 at 3750 per turn = two turns to build

So your people are building faster but the cost of what you are building is such that it still takes them the same number of turns to build it.

Population and happiness bonuses don't really alleviate this as they apply to everything and just change at what costs this happens.

I alleviate this problem by carefully monitoring the costs of my ships and checking to see how fast my planets can build things.

__
Also you might be talking about resource production which has no effect on build rates at all but only on the amount of resources harvested.

[ April 07, 2003, 15:39: Message edited by: Cyrien ]