Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[E. Albright]

...on the one hand, my current game has been going pretty well despite me starting right near a hostile major theocracy. On the other hand, I'm really starting to get sick of how all the hostile wildlife on the planet seems to be gradually converging on my capital. On the third hand, I suppose this is my fault for choosing to play on a planet inhabited by 13m carnivorous shrimps...

[A Thing]

...on the one hand, my current game has been going pretty well despite me starting right near a hostile major theocracy. On the other hand, I'm really starting to get sick of how all the hostile wildlife on the planet seems to be gradually converging on my capital. On the third hand, I suppose this is my fault for choosing to play on a planet inhabited by 13m carnivorous shrimps...

Come join us on the Seth class we've got: rocks, sand, and no life of any sort. You just have to deal with the mass of slavers and raiders, since that is the only way people can survive on this awful planet it seems.

Has anyone else noticed that whenever a planet has no resources really in generation it becomes a service industries planet during colonization? Did the Galactic Republic really love having malls and IT companies on garbage rock planets or something? Was working retail and IT some sort of penal colony thing?

[Yoink]

Speaking of hellish planets, I think I picked a pretty harsh one for my stumbling introduction into this confusing game, haha.   
Next to no rainfall, it's mostly desert and craggy mountains with snow and ice further south, and I seem to remember seeing something about residual toxicity making it near impossible to grow crops. Then again, I didn't exactly pick it, I just went with fully random.   

[Karlito]

On the other hand, I'm really starting to get sick of how all the hostile wildlife on the planet seems to be gradually converging on my capital.

Blame The Shadow.

[E. Albright]

Ugh. You know, that's actually a mostly-reasonable explanation.

[nautilu]

Does the AI cheat?
I started two hexes away from another major. Friendly minors north, south and east of me. Slavers on the other side of the major. Major was able to one hex snake his way into a minor and started a war there. I took advantage and attacked with everything I had at 1:1 odds. He had artillery. I was wiped out by 2 units of 500 men.

Tried a different approach and waited. The minor started winning the war and we both got it down to a single hex city but no matter how many we killed, they doubled their numbers. From 2 units to 107 many turns later. The odds kept going down for me all the way to 1:660.
My economy was booming but my happiness and morale were single digits because of all the death and danger nearby.

Its ridiculous. This is my first time fighting a major and I dont want to continue if they get endless buffs on regular diff.

[Karlito]

There's a section at the back of the manual which explains all the rules differences between the player and the AI.

[Il Palazzo]

Jesus, don't attack an entrenched city at 1:1. Or anything for that matter. Defender always has an advantage. 4:1 is minimum for me, 6:1 is almost safe - if recon is good, that is. And that's while keeping in mind that the odds are more of a general suggestion than actual helpful gauge of victory chance. If you know the enemy is fresh, entrenched, and has high-quality units, better wait for higher odds.

Surround the city. Then bring enough artillery to reliably lower entrenchment and readiness (if you don't care for collateral damage), and a dedicated assault unit to do the actual job (like an infantry corps with some aggressive stance or a better model). Take your time - breaking out of the siege is hard, since all the defender bonuses are on your side.

According to the manual the AI doesn't cheat on supply or production. It should still mean they can raise troops while supplies last. What they will do, unlike the minors, is improve their models (like you should remember to do). So what looks like 'just infantry' might have double the stats of your starting units.

[Knave]

Wonder if the AI starts with all councils unlocked, or if they have to open them like the player (on default mode that is).
I often see the AI with upgraded models before me, wonder if that's just because they have all the councils unlocked, or if they place a higher precedence on the model design council when I'm usually opening economic and the basic military council first 

[nautilu]

I surrounded them on turn 1. By Turn 2 they are at war with the minor faction. I waited until turn 3 to where they only had 2 units at home and backup was far away. Completely surrounded they didnt even lose 1 man. So I tried a different tactic and waited. The minor surprisingly started winning the war and brough it to the majors doorstep. I surrounded 4 hexes of the city and the minor 2.
The major went from 2 units at home on turn 3 to 107 units by turn 14ish. All with just one city hex. They had arties and advanced soldiers.
It was a militia only start.
I dont know what to do. Restart and let it fight the minor battle while I deal with the slavers for more territory and time? The danger on my doorstep is wrecking havoc on my happiness.
How are we supposed to beat majors in a normal game? Cheese tactics or wait until we are as advanced as they quickly get?

[nautilu]

Oh and the major kept losing about 500 men or more a turn by attacking me each round.

[George_Chickens]

I surrounded them on turn 1. By Turn 2 they are at war with the minor faction. I waited until turn 3 to where they only had 2 units at home and backup was far away. Completely surrounded they didnt even lose 1 man. So I tried a different tactic and waited. The minor surprisingly started winning the war and brough it to the majors doorstep. I surrounded 4 hexes of the city and the minor 2.
The major went from 2 units at home on turn 3 to 107 units by turn 14ish. All with just one city hex. They had arties and advanced soldiers.
It was a militia only start.

I would normally immediately assume it was cheating, but I have had a start like this myself. I got sentinels, plasma troopers and all sorts of stuff from random events, and also had the recruitment manpower to shit out thousands upon thousands of troops.

[Il Palazzo]

Wonder if the AI starts with all councils unlocked, or if they have to open them like the player (on default mode that is).
I often see the AI with upgraded models before me, wonder if that's just because they have all the councils unlocked, or if they place a higher precedence on the model design council when I'm usually opening economic and the basic military council first 

Page 346. They don't have councils at all. They spend BP on models, techs etc. directly.

[Knave]

Wonder if the AI starts with all councils unlocked, or if they have to open them like the player (on default mode that is).
I often see the AI with upgraded models before me, wonder if that's just because they have all the councils unlocked, or if they place a higher precedence on the model design council when I'm usually opening economic and the basic military council first 

Page 346. They don't have councils at all. They spend BP on models, techs etc. directly.

Ah right, thanks! I remember reading that now. I should have just re-read that section.
I guess it makes sense from a coding perspective, but can't help but think it would be more fair if it only mirrored available options from things you've unlocked. That way they grow more in step with your own abilities.
But I guess it's not meant to be fair!

[nautilu]

I surrounded them on turn 1. By Turn 2 they are at war with the minor faction. I waited until turn 3 to where they only had 2 units at home and backup was far away. Completely surrounded they didnt even lose 1 man. So I tried a different tactic and waited. The minor surprisingly started winning the war and brough it to the majors doorstep. I surrounded 4 hexes of the city and the minor 2.
The major went from 2 units at home on turn 3 to 107 units by turn 14ish. All with just one city hex. They had arties and advanced soldiers.
It was a militia only start.

I would normally immediately assume it was cheating, but I have had a start like this myself. I got sentinels, plasma troopers and all sorts of stuff from random events, and also had the recruitment manpower to shit out thousands upon thousands of troops.

The other amazing thing was that when the major did get a hold of some territory next to it, a town would appear and it would build a farm in 3 turns while fighting this two sided war.