Changing Empire in mid game, is it possible?

[Ruatha]

I just started my first SE4 game as a pbm game with two of my friends, now we have got a part into the game and are reluctant to restart (The others are... not me).
The problem is that I chose Gasgiant with methane as homeplanet, thinking that the planet types were randomly and evenly dispersed, that is not the case.
There are few Gas giants with methane and when I try to uild a colony on one of them (with a green star at the corner) they become domed colonies.
The only colony that isn't domed is my original home planet. It will take 50 turns to discover Rock colony and then i can build colonies on rock planets with methane atmosphere.

My question is:
Is it possible to swap empire with a computer player in midgame, and if so, how?

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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There are few Gas giants with methane and when I try to uild a colony on one of them (with a green star at the corner) they become domed colonies.

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This is a classic error. You probably forgot to put people on your colony ships before sending them out.

With no people, all you've got is a series of empty buildings.
Since nobody on the planet breathes methane (nobody there ), it shows the domed planet icon.

What you need to do now to fix the problem is to design and build a transport. Carry some people over to your colonies, and you'll be back in business.


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As for switching empires, you will need to get the game master to turn off the AI on one of the AI players, and turn the AI on for your race. You then should be able to take control of it.
If this is via PBW, it'll be harder.

Also, even if you do switch to another race, you'll have the exact same problem with your colony ships.

Learn to pick up people as soon as the ship is built, and you won't have any problem.

[Ruatha]

Thanx!

[Cylapse]

Ruatha - I have the habit (Im sure most here do) of colonizing one of two ways....

1) Direct sight colonization. You see a nice planet in your system, click the colony ship, hit the 'C' key (which will auto load population once complete) and click the planet to colonize.

2) Hit F4 and select one of the pretty views (like Colonize/Breathable) and a list of planets is at your fingertips. All of them using your atmosphere type, etc. Move your mouse over them to see where they are on the galaxy map, or right click them to view the planet in detail (I think that works on this screen anyway)... then click the 'Send Colony Ship' button near the bottom, and it will ask which planet you wanna send one to. I use this option once the open areas of the galaxy get HUGE and there are many planets available.

[ 06 May 2002: Message edited by: Cynapse ]