25-05-2002 01:29									#1
	Tech trading Enter the AD-FREE zone

As far as trading goes, I find it most useful to be a monopolist if I'm the only one who has that tech. But I always DO trade it for something good I missed or will miss bec of the exclusionary tech tree. Pollution processor for auto factory or heavy armor is always a good trade if u pick or will pick the missle base.

And remember once the 2nd civ gets that hi tech (by trade or stealing fr. u), think of the law of supply and demand - it becomes cheaper once more ppl have access to it. So go ahead and trade it to the 3rd or 4th guy for something far less in cost - shield I, etc. You know your hi tech will spread around anyway
So you might as well get something extra out of it.

Another good reason to trade is to prevent someone else from outright stealing it from u in the first place. You'll notice that in the beginning some civs start stealing your tech early on esp if u choose -10 spying for custom race....

	26-05-2002 00:40									#2
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When I play as Ceative, I do not trade tech. I do not want to let them get something they would not otherwise have. Since I will have everything, I do no need to trade for anything. I also do no want to makethem get stuff faster, once I get even in tech.

	26-05-2002 03:14									#3
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But of course you never play Creative, right vmxa?

	26-05-2002 04:29									#4
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Depends. If I just want to play a quick game at hard level and not test anything, I do. Otherwise not.
That is what is so cool, you can use any tatics you want.

	28-05-2002 19:31									#5
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I would have always played creative until I started reading at Poly. Now ya'll tell me that playing creative is no challenge. I sure do miss getting everything.

What is the balance anyway?

I always find myself split amongst tech, planetary development, and expansion. Before I know it I have no ships and a pissed off AI wanting stuff.

What is your balance?

R:PM

PS I am learning that some ships early on are a plus.

	28-05-2002 21:14									#6
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It depends on what you want to do. War monger or not. I go for research boost, planetary enhancers. Some choices are very tough:
Chemisrty 1150 rp
Atmospheric Renewer Iridium Fuel Cells Pulson Missiles
what to do? I may need the fuel cells to get farther, I may need missles if at war, I always need Renewer.
Some choicesnot so bad:
Construction 1150 rp
Battletoids Ground Batteries Titan Construction
choose Ground Batteries as I do not need Battletoids and it will be awhile before I can make titans and I can get by without titans, but they will surely be available to steal.
Ships are a must to keep the AI from demanding stuff or attacking. The AI does not know a good ship from a bad one so you need numbers.
BTW, I won an auction on Ebay for Moo2 with manual and strat guide, so I will have them again soon.

	29-05-2002 02:49									#7
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I think the computers are the worst choises to make, as in the most dificult? Planetary supercomp/Holosimulator/+75 ship comp is scary... So is Autolab/+100 ship comp.

	29-05-2002 03:02									#8
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Those are tough, also some in construction

Heavy Armor/Auto factories/missile base

I always take auto factories, because I can usually trade for the others.

Chemistry, almost all in the early tree, but I especially hate

Nanodissassemblers/mircolite/Zortrium armor

	29-05-2002 03:04									#9
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Yeah, all tough choises... except for the Autofactories. I can't imagine playing without them. (Well, actually I can. I never seem
to get them playing uncreative. Feh.)

	29-05-2002 03:13									#10
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Also if you elected to take a minus for spying, then all of the early boost for spying are tough to skip. That is why if I want a quick game, without a big strain, I used Creative. Now, I do not have to think real hard about every reasearch path.

	29-05-2002 03:19									#11
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I dunno. I feel I cut to much out of the game if I go creative. For easy, happy and quick games I go subterranean.

	29-05-2002 03:23									#12
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I generally pick the same techs each time. Since I am bored I will list what I research for an average tech start.

Reinforced hull
Auto Factories
Hydroponic Farm
Research Lab
Soil Enrichment
Neural Scanner
Planetary Supercomputer
Fusion Rifle
Battle Scanner
Class 1 shields
Battle pods

Then comes the decisions in the chemistry tree and this depends on who I have met and what I have been able to trade for.

	29-05-2002 03:38									#13
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No need for subterranean, just grap a Sakkra and bingo, you have it whenever you sent one to a planet.

	29-05-2002 03:42									#14
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Yeah, but if you play a tiny U with only a few races chances are good the Sakkra won't be in at all...

	29-05-2002 03:43									#15
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So if the Sakkara aren't in the game, or aren't near you you are screwed eh

	29-05-2002 03:47									#16
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My early-game research-path:

Research lab
Reinforced hull
Auto Factories
Hydroponic Farm
Soil Enrichment
Deuterium Fuel Cells
Neural Scanner
Pollution Processor
Battle Pods
Supercomputer
Spaceport
Robomining Plant
Fusion Drive
Telephatic Training

and then, unless something weird happens
or I got some tech free, I'm off fot the Physics
ladder

	29-05-2002 23:06									#17
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Moom,

That is very nearly my path as well. Sometimes if there is nothing but barrens to settle on, I bump the farms up under research labs.

I also have a tendence to bump up robomining plant and supercomputer.

Do you guys play with the Antareans on? They keep F'in me over!

R:PM

	30-05-2002 00:17									#18
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Normally I do not play with them on. I turn them on when I want to up my score. They just get boring after a few battles and the ending battle is anticlimatic. They seem to follow a pattern. First 2-4 appearences they go after others. The rest of the time it is me. This tends to coincide with my moving to the top of the latter. Once in a while I miss them, so I turn them on, but normally not.
BTW, I never use random events. I just hate random events in any game, control freak I guess.Often they happen anyway?

	30-05-2002 00:26									#19
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I always have the Anties on. The quick way to end the game when it gets boring.

I have events on too. They're fairly harmless in Moo2, and the add some little spice. I've even seen that rarest of Moo2 events - the comet - twice!

	30-05-2002 02:33									#20
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

I have Anties and random events on too, they add some spice to the game

	30-05-2002 03:16									#21
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Problem is, when they start comin round, I do not have anything that will stop them, so they trash my colonies, starbases etc. Am I doing something wrong here?

R:PM

	30-05-2002 08:40									#22
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Just be placed 2 or lower on the ladder. They always go after the biggest power in the galaxy, and if it isn't you, then their appearance is a good thing

I once captured one of their ships early in the game, then used it against the other races. It was rather nifty

	30-05-2002 09:03									#23
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Playing accelerated start almost always seems to give you battlestations to start with instead of starbases, and around all of your colonies too. Those can deal with one or two Antarans by themselves even with your few starting techs.

	30-05-2002 09:39									#24
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I never have any trouble with them. It does not matter if I use advance tech or pre-warp. By the time I am their target, they are no sweat. I have few star systems before I get warp interdictors. Once you have them in place you have plenty of time to defend. New planets have a standing fleet so they are protected. Of course with adv tech, you have battle stations, so it is no sweat. When I first started playing they gave me fits as I was not doing things the best/better way. This is how it was with Moo, I used to lose planets and run into huge fleets, but now I don't and wish I did. I whack them before they can get that strong.

	30-05-2002 13:04									#25
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quote: Originally posted by RPMisCOOL Problem is, when they start comin round, I do not have anything that will stop them, so they trash my colonies, starbases etc. Am I doing something wrong here?

You are too successful. Adjust accordingly!

Really, this is a rather good reason to go for tech expansion and planetary improvements more than all out colonizing and conquest in the very early game. At least in 1.31. In earlier versions it didn't matter as the Anties were too feeble anyway.

	30-05-2002 18:51									#26
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Am I reading you folks right?

Do not Expand, Expand, Expand.

Instead concentrate on Tech and really developing the planets that I have??...That is, until I'm strong enought to KA on them?

Trouble is I do not even seem to make a dent in them with my ships. What is the tech that takes them out when you are one for one on ships and size?

R:PM

	30-05-2002 19:56									#27
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Unless you have high tech my ships are always useless against them. Missile base is good though (if I have it).

	30-05-2002 22:54									#28
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I usually play with max races and seem to always have Saks in the game. They may not be real close at first, but when I start expanding they are soon in range.
I am not saying do not expand, so much as I tend to colonize my home systems first. I tend to retool my ships and then grap a new system. Now I am in position to come to the attention of Antarians. I will try to demand a system from someone, or attack once my systems are up. The Ants may come for me at this point. If they come to a planet with planetary defenses, I do not sent ships. If the planet is without any defense, it will have ships there, usually all of my ships. I will buy missiles and fighter bays if time permits, once the Ants attack. In small U they send two small shis at this stage of the game, so I can handle them as I have at least 4 battleships and will have at least missiles. When I first played Moo2, I would be hammered by the Ans, now they are nothing to me. I kind of miss the tough battles. It is the same in Moo. Talk about the large fleets of small ship made me want to see it again so I played last night, but no luck. The fleets are only in the hundreds, even though the Psilons were much larger than me. A few good fights and they even bombed a planet, but now it is over, I have High Energy Foucus and Auto Blasters with Pulse Phasors up next. This means, no contest. I am taking planet after planet and can not even find the time to colonize the many empty ones. I could have won th vote, but I hate that. This is the main reason I do not play maps larger than small, too many planets and the game is over before I know it. The research comes flooding in ith all those planets working. I remeber hving so many tough battles and being proud of pulling the game out of the fire. Maybe I will have to find a map where I am in a real bad spot nd see how that goes.

	31-05-2002 02:34									#29
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So describe your typical set up

mine is:
hard
huge
5 players
ave tech start
and all three boxes checked

My race attributes are:
subterranean 6
research +1 3
ground combat -10 -2
large homeworld 2
rich homeworld 1

total 10 @ 100%

rm

	31-05-2002 03:41									#30
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Lately I have used a difference race for each game, but my favorite is:
Hard
Small
5 or more races
Adv Tech Organic rich
Tactical Combat
Creative 8
LHW 2
Ground Combat -10 -2
Low G -5
Add in either research/production

This my play a fast game mode. I have played with no positive picks a few times for the 340% score bonus. That is nice handicap at hard level, especially trying to eliminate all of the races yourself and have Antarians on.