Calculations

[Slick]

What things do you calculate in a game. I mean actually calculate, not just estimate?

Some things that I calculate:

- 150% cost for optimum retrofitting

- I figure out what my allies are producing based on the trade amount for a TA or higher, using my political savvy

- I'll figure out what is the best resource facility to put on a planet. For example: If the planet has 107% minerals and 130% organics and I need minerals, I'll calculate the losses for reduced farming characteristic and resource conversion to see if I'll still make more minerals in the end by building farms.

- I'll figure out the break-even point on when the best time to build Mineral Scanners, Eco-Farms, Colliders, or Robotoids while filling a planet with facilities. Now that Robotoids give smaller bonuses than the individual bonus facilities, it makes a big difference. Same for figuring the right time to build a spaceyard.

- I'll occasionally calculate the range for a ship. Either 1-way suicide mission or return to nearest Resupply Depot; factoring in any solar collectors, etc. Before quantum reactors are available, of course.

- I'll calculate the break even point for building a monolith over a standard resource facility. The planet really needs to have very high percentages in all 3 resources for the break even point to be worth it.

There are probably other things that don't come to mind right now. I'm interested in what other people do.

[Slynky]

I don't calculate much.

I always calculate movement (turn on option) to destinations (but who doesn't?)

I always calculate retrofitting so a ship (NOT specialty ships like stellar, etc.) can be built in ONE turn less with the least amount of retrofitted price.

If I have ancient and am playing against a single opponent and "borders" have been expablished, I go through each of his systems calculating how many facs he can build against how many I have available "on my side".

In KOTH games with a medium starting planet, I calculate (in the early turns) the minimum number of engines a ship needs to colonize a planet in the same number of turns as if it had all engines mounted. (in other words, if it is 2 away, I put on 3 engines; if the planet is 7 away, I put on 4 engines).

[CovertJaguar]

I mostly just calculation how long before my ships will run out of supplies, VERY important with a QNP system like Adamant. The results are surprising sometimes. Every so often I'll build a nice fancy 10 speed ship only to find out that it will run dry in only 3 turns. What's really bad is when I DON'T catch it and I send the design to production. Occasionally I'll figure out how many resource facilities I need before I build a resource booster, but most of the time I just take a guess.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

I never calculate things, but if a ship runs out of supply I simply have it limp back home for 72 turns or so. If I send out an explorer and it has just under 50% of its supplies, I sometimes send it back as well, but only sometimes. I also never put supply tanks on my ships (big mistake, I know). I DO however put QRs on them if available.

My late game deepscouts are usually as follows:
-MC Lvl III 20kT
-QR 20kT
-Max-level cloak 40kT
=80kT
-+70kT QEIII
=150kT
=1 Escort. Very handy spy ship if the enemy has no sensors.

[TurinTurambar]

If I calculate anything at all, I do it subconsciously (sp?). I just play.

Turin

[El_Phil]

About the only calcs I do are checking that I don't have silly priced ships, say costing 3000 minerals when most shipyards can only build at 2900 a year.

Ohh and I also occasionaly do a quick and dirty calc if mineral scanners and suchlike are worth it.

[Emperor's Child]

I will often work warship designs down in increments of 150% in the late game to facilitate conversions, and find I'll do lots of fiddling with units when I've a good idea where the enemy will strike and I've only one or two turn of construction (at least if I've a chance to save the planet).

[Caduceus]

Slick, we must be on the same wavelength, because I was going to ask folks how much they calculate stuff. I guess I am more on Turin's side of things... But I need to be doing more number crunching I think.

[Frederick_d_Ohlmann]

I calculate nearby everything, like the max pop I cant get from a planet (in order to havce max pop next turn), I calculate in Tactical the effect of advancing one square, I calculate my space yard rate at the beginning to fit into the construction of monolithe or ripper beam WP, etc...

I don't think it's really worth the effort, but I like...

[El_Phil]

How much detail are we talking about 'calculating' in tactial here? I mean I'd imagine most people think about it rather than doing an AI and charging straight it. Are we talking working out changes in % to hit or something even more in depth?