09-06-2005 07:54									#1
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What sets the Morganites apart from other factions, for better or for worse? I'll try to examine this mathematically, and derive some strategies.


Very early game (until Industrial Economics):
Morgan has +1 econ, which amounts to +1 energy/base relative to a baseline faction. He has synthmetal prototyped, which allows for easier defense against a hostile neighbor. He gets 100 ECs, though has nothing appealing to buy until he researches a tech or two. Though he suffers -1 support, this won't matter unless he tries to support police, which is a bad idea since FM is coming up. In fact, FM can be had with just one tech, though it may be a worse choice than Biogenetics or Centauri Ecology, depending on terrain. Population limits are completely irrelevant, as is commerce.

Benefits: +1 energy/base, about half of which goes to research and half of which goes to econ. Each base should be size 1, and there should be 2-6 bases. Each worker will probably be harvesting 1 energy on average, given sparse forest coverage but the presence of rivers. Bases naturally produce 1 energy each at 0 econ, so +1 energy/base amounts to about a 33-50% increase, depending on the prevalence of rivers. Little if any should be lost to inefficiency.

100 extra ECs. Count this as 40-50 minerals. As soon as Morgan has something worthwhile to rush, he needs to rush it, or this advantage is squandered. Biogenetics is popular for Rec Tanks, but is off the IA beeline. Formers are always a possibility. 100 ECs will buy 5/8 of two Rec Tanks or 1/2 of four formers. A rec tank is worth a nutrient (difficult to quantify), a mineral, and an energy point (together worth 3 energy), each turn. Two extra formers mean that many more roads and forests to work and crawl in the near future.

Drawbacks: -1 support may cause some minerals to be lost, if any base is supporting both a former and a colony pod, or happens to be supporting a scout and another unit. Each lost mineral counts as about -2 energy, so +1 economy balances -1 support if half of Morgan's bases are supporting two units. Balancing out an advantage is bad, of course.


Early game (Industrial Economics through Centauri Empathy):
Why run Free Market? Planned is not an option, and Green requires several techs not on the way to IA, and so comes later. Police units each cost a mineral and Planet is still meek (until 2150, wild native life suffers large penalties when attacking bases). Even if you're at war already, you probably aren't in a position to attack. Why not claim the benefits of FM when the penalties hurt so little?

Relative to a baseline faction, Morgan still has +1 econ, but with Free Market and perhaps Wealth, the incremental gain of +1 econ is now +2 energy/base, some of which may be lost to inefficiency as bases spread out. Formers could now be produced en masse, if not for support problems. Crawlers can be manufactured to compensate, but trying to avoid paying support doesn't work as well anymore. Therefore, most bases will be paying at least a mineral of support, or faction-wide terraforming efficiency will be very low. Democracy will become an option eventually, but is a bad option unless your efficiency losses are substantial. Losing an additional mineral at every base hurts, and effectively having colony pods cost an extra 10 minerals hurts when you should be expanding most aggressively.

Benefits: +2 energy/base, one of which goes to research and the other of which goes to econ, though with slight efficiency losses.

Whatever you bought with your extra starting 100 ECs.

Commerce might start to bring in a few energy, depending on the friendliness of neighbors. They likely won't be getting anything at all from treaties or even pacts, so that might make them reluctant to engage in commerce.

Drawbacks: -1 mineral/base, relative to baseline factions. Unfortunately, this is worth about -2 ECs/base, leaving Morgan with +1 research/base and -1 EC/base. This trade is worthwhile, but much less potent than +1 research/base and +1 EC/base.

Difficulty dealing with mind worms in the open. If you can lure them to bases, even formers can defend against them just fine, but if an early scout patrol finds one in the field, it probably has 50-50 odds of winning an attack.

Drones. Coping with drones requires either a hefty investment of Psych, which would at the least negate the +2 energy/base advantage; doctors, which consume about a forest's worth of production (worth 6 energy); keeping your bases small and their number below the bureaucracy limit; or Rec Commons. Keeping your bases at size 1 and their count below the bureaucracy limit is only possible for a short time, unless your landmass is small or the map is particularly large. Eventually, either your bases will grow or your base count will grow, and drones will pop up even at size 1 bases. Rec Commons allow your bases to grow to size 2, regardless of bureaucracy. They only cost 1 EC/turn each, and are by far the cheapest way of dealing with drones early on. Alternatively, building the HGP may also be an option for drone control. It won't be cheap, but will provide lasting benefits, including the possibility of pop booms later.


Early-mid game (Centauri Empathy through Environmental Economics):
Now that Green is an option, it's worth careful consideration.
Benefits of FM relative to Green: +4 energy/base, 17% faster population growth
Benefits of Green relative to FM: reduced efficiency losses, chance of native life capture, ability to use police, ability to field offensive units, with Democracy ability to move Labs/Econ sliders with impunity

As described in the Early game, Morgan doesn't have much going for him if he just runs FM/Wealth. It's when he runs Green/Wealth that he stands to benefit from his +1 Econ. Instead of merely adding +2/base, it now adds +1/worker, subject to energy restrictions. No other faction can capture native life and have +2 total Econ this early (or at all, short of Golden Ages or Eudaimonia). Of those that can't reach +2 Econ anyway, Deirdre and Cha Dawn can already capture native life and Yang benefits much more from Planned. Thus, Morgan stands to uniquely benefit from Green.

Although police units are costly to support, some independent units may be left over from early pod popping, and captured worms or spore launchers can be used as well. Eventually, with Bio-Engineering, police will become free to support. Remember that even non-independent worms are considered clean when in fungus.

Morgan will probably be near or at the forefront of technology, but even so, worms are useful skirmishers in either an offensive or defensive land war, and are excellent explorers. Opponents will probably have uncleared fungus in their lands, possibly with paths leading directly to key cities. Exploration will yield additional commlinks, with potential technology trade and commerce.

If expansion has stalled, under Green it can resume, since bureacracy limits are about 50% higher under +2 effic, compared to +0 effic. Far-flung bases will lose less energy to inefficiency, and even the random native life will tend to ignore your cities. Worm hunting will also make up some of the lost energy, as ECs, and pod popping can resume on land and begin at sea, with little fear of the results of each pod.

If you built the Weather Paradigm and lots of condensor-farms, the lowered population limit may be a problem, but probably is irrelevant.

	09-06-2005 08:50									#2
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Interesting analysis. How would you evaluate, using the same technique. the strategy of not buiding any garrison units early in the game. Then build armored probes to garrison bases when Planetary Networks comes along. This saves one mineral of support. Since the garrisons don't help with drone control after you go FM, you don't incur any extra drones using this technique.

Just for reference, a synthmetal infantry probe costs 30 mins.

	09-06-2005 13:56									#3
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Good overview. I always liked Morgan, but funny thing is, I love to play him for his _not_ using FM and still reaping +2 ECON bonuses.

The only problem with playing him as a builder faction is this horrible support rendering hordes of formers painful to build. Paradoxically, this penalty hurts less if you play warmonger style...

	09-06-2005 15:10									#4
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I look forward to more such reviews for other factions!

	09-06-2005 16:31									#5
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quote: Originally posted by Petek Interesting analysis. How would you evaluate, using the same technique. the strategy of not buiding any garrison units early in the game. Then build armored probes to garrison bases when Planetary Networks comes along. This saves one mineral of support. Since the garrisons don't help with drone control after you go FM, you don't incur any extra drones using this technique. Just for reference, a synthmetal infantry probe costs 30 mins.

Note that I made no comment on the defensibility of Morgan's bases under Simple, Free Market, or Green. I assumed that under Simple, a few scouts or synthmetal garrisons would suffice. Under Free Market, a handful of scouts or maybe synthmetal garrisons would be supplemented by either probe garrisons, active probe patrols, good defensive terrain, no near neighbors, or other factors. In my own experience, though synthmetal probe teams are decent defenders, even they aren't worthwhile unless you know you have a hostile neighbor. If you *do* have a hostile neighbor, they're great since they defend against normal troops and probe teams, but you still need some skirmishers to disrupt incoming troops.

By the time you could have reasonably garrisoned all your cities with synthmetal probe teams, without delaying other important builds, you should be well on the way to Green, which allows police and native life.

	09-06-2005 19:19									#6
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your article

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ive never had good experiances using armoured probes myself, unless very near an enemy.

quote: By the time you could have reasonably garrisoned all your cities with synthmetal probe teams, without delaying other important builds, you should be well on the way to Green, which allows police and native life.

	09-06-2005 21:40									#7
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Since weapons are already twice as good as armor, at almost any given point in the game, any garrison is undoubtly screwed unless either you have perimeter defenses, or the enemy is technologically backwards...

While I'm not sure if Probe teams get -50% for non-combat, if they do, that roughly puts them at a fourth of the attacker's strength...even one of Miriam's 4-2-2 speeders could easily take out a probe team with stasis generator if non-combat is in effect...

	09-06-2005 21:49									#8
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Any unit with armor greater than 1, or a weapon is considered a combat unit. Synthmetal probe teams combined with sensors and inherent +25% base defense are good defense against lasers (which are the same tech level), and marginal defense against impact weapons (which are the same tech level as plasma steel). Furthermore, they're probe teams and can thus potentially subvert enemy units, or defend against incoming probe teams.

Furthermore, probe team morale does not depend on the SE category "Morale". Rather, it depends on your Probe rating and a variety of techs. If you are running Wealth, your probe teams will probably be higher morale than garrisons would be.

	09-06-2005 23:27									#9
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Sythmetal probe teams are good only for defending a base against native fauna.

The point is, they cannot be "designated as a defender", which means that even if you stack 15 probe teams in a base, they all die to just one attacker. Plus if you'll ever add, say, a scout patrol in that base, it will always succumb first, dragging all those probes in shiny armours along with it.

Not letting a mind worm rape your base is really all you can expect from Probe-2-1.

	09-06-2005 23:51									#10
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quote: Originally posted by Kirov Sythmetal probe teams are good only for defending a base against native fauna. The point is, they cannot be "designated as a defender", which means that even if you stack 15 probe teams in a base, they all die to just one attacker. Plus if you'll ever add, say, a scout patrol in that base, it will always succumb first, dragging all those probes in shiny armours along with it. Not letting a mind worm rape your base is really all you can expect from Probe-2-1.

Well yes and no. Everything you say is correct but the idea is that if you use an armoured probe, it is the ONLY defender.

The idea is that most of your bases will have a probe defender so you don't face support issues but I think people would still recommend multiple regular garrisons and probes in a base that is facing repeated attack.

I confess that I would only rarely have more than one defender in a base anyway in the early game. My defensive strategy has always been based on early detection of opposing forces so that an offensive force can take them out before they get to my bases

	10-06-2005 00:05									#11
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in that case a scout can hold the base against natives and your offensives can kill the enemy,except in bases expected to get hit harder.

	10-06-2005 00:12									#12
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It's true that armored probe teams are unsuitable defenders against a strong attack. So are most units. If your opponent controls the area right around your city, it doesn't do a whole lot of good to control the city. You need to put defensive units at strategic locations and harass or destroy incoming units with offensive units. Armored probe teams are great for this since they do serve as defensive units, and can mind control your opponent's incoming units, which then kill other opposing units. If you're being seriously attacked, you need to produce combat units, but probe garrisons are useful for manning strategic bases before a threat is clear, since they cost no support.

	10-06-2005 00:53									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Cataphract887 in that case a scout can hold the base against natives and your offensives can kill the enemy,except in bases expected to get hit harder.

The problem is the scout costs support. The probe does not. In addition you might need a prob in a coastal base anyway to prevent probeships stealing tech so why not have one unit do double duty??

	10-06-2005 02:04									#14
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quote: in that case

quote: My defensive strategy has always been based on early detection of opposing forces so that an offensive force can take them out before they get to my bases

dosnt that last statement basicly say ''armoured probes are not needed at my bases because no units can approach

	10-06-2005 02:31									#15
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If all you want to do is defend against natives, a sensor network and a horde of formers is plenty. If you see a mind worm coming, move a former into any vulnerable base to defend. This works wonderfully until 2150.

	10-06-2005 03:50									#16
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Confirm/deny: I thought mind worms didn't attack bases at full strength until 2180?

Is it difficulty level dependant?

	10-06-2005 04:09									#17
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On transcend, mind worms start attacking bases at full strength on 2150. It might be dependent on the difficulty, but I wouldn't know.

	10-06-2005 05:42									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Chaos Theory Any unit with armor greater than 1, or a weapon is considered a combat unit. Synthmetal probe teams combined with sensors and inherent +25% base defense are good defense against lasers (which are the same tech level), and marginal defense against impact weapons (which are the same tech level as plasma steel).

So then, does that mean formers with armor are considered combat units? Then why can't they use monoliths?

	10-06-2005 05:46									#19
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Well, they defend as combat units. They still can't attack or do other things units with weapons can, such as take bases or (except for formers) destroy terrain improvements.

	10-06-2005 07:18									#20
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The message below was posted in a different thread, I think Vel made a mistake of which thread, and I think Velocyrix intended it to be put here...so this was written by Vel, as I don't have such wisdom...


"Claims that an armoured probe gets an upper hand in a probe duel can sometimes turn up false in a very painful way...

It's been a LONG time since I ran any experiments along those lines, BUT....the line of thinking is still with me and goes like this:

Armored units, if they survive combat, get morale upgrades. All other factors being equal (ie., two probes duking it out), the one with the higher morale will typically carry the day, thus: An armored probe who has a few victories under his belt will be of higher morale, and thus, more capable in a probe v probe duel than an un-armored, and thus, un-morale-upgraded version.

Take it with a grain of salt....like I said, it's been so long that I couldn't swear to it, but the above, or something very like it, was almost surely my line of thought.

-=Vel=-
(now back to your regularly scheduled programming)"

	10-06-2005 07:35									#21
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quote: Originally posted by Cataphract887 dosnt that last statement basicly say ''armoured probes are not needed at my bases because no units can approach

No need to be confused. I don't assume that my detection will be perfect and I would hate for a rover to get offloaded from a ship or something, move up a river and take my empty base with only 1/3 of a movement point. So I tend to put stuff in my bases.

The question is what. Since I like to defend against probe attacks and nothing else can do that, you almost need a probe in many bases anyway. Now if I am ICSing with Morgan, I probably won't put a probe in every base but most need something.

The question then is what do you have for "defense". My answer is a few attack rovers. If you can get their morale up, they can do a pretty good job of killing worms even under FM and there is the energy benefit of winning as an attacker rather than a defender.

The other thing I do is upgrade SOME of my probes with armour when a base is threatened. Note that these are likely 2 row infantry probes to start. I never saw the sense of putting a sentinal in there. The armoured probe will defend just as well and cost less support. I only upgrade where I see the need since why build or upgrade when it makes no sense .The main units I want to be supporting are attack rovers and maybe a ship or two. The probes might even steal a key unit from the enemy and use it against them

the exception is a key base undergoing heavy attack. The "one dies and the whole stack dies" effect means you NEED adequate conventional units and the probes are there for probe defense only and armouring them has no benefit

	10-06-2005 07:55									#22
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Which brings me to ask a question...do damaged units cost less when mind-controlled?

I don't think they do...but if they do, perhaps you could do a self-destruct, then cheapily mind-control units...

Also remember, there is one advantage to unit stacks...no mind-controlling...

	10-06-2005 08:47									#23
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Nice! Are you planning to do this with the other factions and then decide which one of the factions is most powerful (I expect it will be one of the smacx factions...)?

	10-06-2005 12:11									#24
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quote: I expect it will be one of the smacx factions

Actually I've always thought that Uni is definitely the most powerful and since I first played SMACX I've never had an event which would change my thoughts.
And Im not so stubborn as you think..

	10-06-2005 12:18									#25
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quote: Originally posted by Commy So then, does that mean formers with armor are considered combat units? Then why can't they use monoliths?

Armored units do not suffer the "non-combat penalty". Only units which have a weapon can upgrade at monoliths, and only those which have certain chassis types.

	10-06-2005 13:31									#26
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Really? I've found that played by people of equal skill the hive always wins out against the university, and the consciousness as a souped up university has always seemed way more powerful to me, and who ever said you were stubborn?

	10-06-2005 14:35									#27
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quote: I've found that played by people of equal skill the hive always wins out against the university

Well, probably the Uni player was not at that "equal skill"..

And consciouness is actually one of the worst factions IMO.
They are unable to both popboom and ICS, their only viable strategy is +4 EFFIC and pouring everything in Econ (which makes their RES bonus irrelevant) and stealing things away by probes or conquering bases (TECHSTEAL).

And I admitted stubbornity because I said I've never changed my thoughts about Uni.

Hive is powerful, yes I know some people who'd beat the heck out of Uni or any other faction while running Hive, but that's because of their superior knowledge of Hive strengths/weaknesses and strategies not because Uni is weaker.

If Uni manages to get the early VW+PTS combo, it's almost unstoppable on equal skill levels.
It also requires ICSing.

IMHO if Uni player is unable to grab them both he's either weak in Uni himself or there's someone out there who's significantly better in skill with his faction.
And IMHO if the Uni player after getting that huge combo does not go away ICSing, he has wasted some 600 minerals and doomed himself (if there's equal skill Hive player around).

It's simply too easy to win if you can double your base count each 3-5turns (which is the case when you have 2-3 citizens at each base) and each base has 3 pop and never has any drones (unless pacifism).

You can easily cath up with Hive's numerous bases that way with the "little" difference that your bases have 3 times more pop, 2 times faster production, 5-8times better research output and econ is also incomparable.