Some more questions please

[Thrud]

1. Have you any tips for tactical combat? I really mean combat winning strategies. I've got the default on which is 'Maximum Optimal Range' or some thing like that. What are the benefits/snags of the other options?

2. I played the race with the Psychic ability and, with that Allegiance Subverter thingy, captured 3 ships. Do you have to pay maintenance on these like your own ships? I'm uncertain after looking at my maintenance costs.

3. Finally, how can you defend against computer players with the Crystalline and Organic traits? I always have trouble with these two in particular.

Sorry I've started asking all these questions but I've only paid the demo half a dozen times and never played SE3. I've ordered the game but, as I'm in England, will have to grit my teeth and wait and continue playing demo games.

Thanks.

Thrud

[LintMan]

Well, I'm no expert myself, but I'll give it a shot...

1. Are you doing tactical or strategic combat? You say tactical, but it's a bit confusing, because isn't tactical the mode where you control moving/firing the ships yourself? Do you have it set on auto?

If you're doing single player, control your ships directly yourself. Overall, you can do a lot better this way. The AI isn't very smart tactically, so you do things like wait for the enemy ships to move into range, then fire on them and move out of their range, etc.

2. Don't know - I haven't tried the subverter yet, but I suspect that you would have to pay maintenance. I think the big Fleet list screen that shows all the ships, mines, fleets, etc has a button to make it show the maintenance costs for the ships, so you should be able to check this out directly.

3. Against a crystalline race, I would emphasize shields tech (armor isn't worth much against shard cannons) and armor-bypassing weapons (to get past the heavy crystal armor) to counteract their strong points. Against an organic race, I'd also go for armor-bypassing weapons to get around the strong organic armor.

If you play Psychic, the subverter tactic might be the way to go. Another tactic would be to go for boarding parties, coupled with engine and shield damager weapons, and steal their ships that way.

[Taqwus]

[0.99. I don't have the full yet.]

1. The default is optimal weapons range; another is maximum weapons range, which you might consider if you have long-range foo like missiles and WMGs. In general, 'tho, tactical is the way to go, and in manual combat, don't forget that you can move-fire-move.

2. I believe you do. They're your ships now, after all. If you don't like 'em, scrap (for resources), analyze (for tech -- but you CANNOT access the 'special' tech trees this way if your race doesn't understand them), mothball or refit. Or use 'em as kamikazes, but this probably counts as battle losses against your happiness rating.

FWIW, you should probably build your own race to fit your playing style. If you're in a bad-*** "There can be only one!" xenophobic conquering mood, taking -50% trade income doesn't hurt; if you don't intend to invade planets, only obliterate colonies, -50% ground combat is also a good pick. In a max-tech game, -50% research is a no-brainer. These points can then be applied elsewhere...

3. Against crystalline? CSMs would probably be a good bet. If memory serves, the Phong as defined in the demo rarely use CSMs, if ever, and Crystalline doesn't give a missile weapon. The very first CSM (which you start with) has the same range as the best Shard Cannon in the demo, and you should be able to reach level 2 or 3 pretty quickly for a range advantage. Then stay out of his range, lobbing missiles from a distance. Armor-piercing weapons are good -- but I don't think you get any as a Psychic.

Your Allegiance Shifters and Mental Flailers are very cool, but a) fire rarely -- once every battle and once every 10 turn sor so, respectively -- and b) have inferior range, if memory serves. To use them, you may need to be heavily shielded (against Phong, anyway, w/ AP weapons). Late-game, the telepathic projectors should probably take a back-seat to WMGs, which have longer range and a +30% hit bonus.

Orgo may be trickier if they use their Seeker Parasites (I don't recall if they do). SPs are faster firing than CSMs (1/2 vs 1/3), have identical range IIRC, and are cheaper to fire -- although they do less damage per hit, and at the max level (in demo) don't get the +1 speed bonus that CSM Vs get. So if they go SPs, you'll need to load up on PDs, or go for numbers (missiles never change targets, so the targeted ship retreats while others advance).

Don't forget sneaky things like capturing ships/planets via intel ops.

------------------
-- The thing that goes bump in the night