08-03-2003 09:10									#1
	SDI (SAM) I Am Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

The question has been raised about building SDIs. When we get laser, are we going to be proactive and build them all round before the AI can be a threat, possibly spending quite a lot of extra resources and time protecting against a threat that may never materialize? Or are we going to be reactive, building them only once the AI gets nuclear fission and starts building the Manhattan Project? Or perhaps something in between - build a few of them right away and then others if the threat becomes real. Right now the AI are 9 researched techs, or 1 stolen tech away from nuclear fission. Tech theft has been mainly a one way road this game so far, hense our atrocious reputation. My instict is to protect CAPITOL - build a SDI there right away, and then in some of the other high production cities surrounding it - Cordoba is key, as it is supporting a large portion of the navy. Other cities have decreasing importance, although would definitely be worth considering.

and for those who are completely confused by my Ode to Dr Seuss, here is what i was originally going to use

a) Only CAPITOL - only city that matters
b) Most of CAPITOL's continent - protect the main core cities
c) Most cities with strategic value - wonders, border cities etc
d) All - we didn't play all this time to get nuked out of victory
e) Other - please specify
f) None - wait till there is a need
g) Banana - fried bananas are good when nuked

	08-03-2003 12:03									#2
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I'd rush build them if one of the AI civs completes the Manhattan Project, but otherwise I wouldn't build any until we launch. Up till then keep the caravans rolling.

RJM at Sleepers

	08-03-2003 19:14									#3
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Very nice ode SCG

	08-03-2003 20:58									#4
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I want the last survivor of a nuked city to say about building SDI "If I coulda, I woulda". Our mission is to send our colonists to AC, but after that, we can look to our own defense in a still-hostile world where most of us will continue to live.

"D"

	08-03-2003 21:02									#5
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BTW - Adapting "Sam I Am" to "surface-to-air missiles" is just about the cleverest theme I've seen on the polls (and there have been lots of really good ones). One might even say "Superb Coding Guy".

	08-03-2003 21:52									#6
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build one in capitol once we get laser, but no where else until the AI gets at least a little closer.

	08-03-2003 22:08									#7
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quote: Originally posted by H Tower build one in capitol once we get laser, but no where else until the AI gets at least a little closer.

Why not build them in many cities? Is there something else really important to do after the SS is launched. Besides, when we launch a good ship, it should land in a single playing session... Why drag it out?

	08-03-2003 22:24									#8
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i was talking about right now, after we launch the SS we should be pumping out SDI and armor. But right now we need to be working on SS parts

	08-03-2003 22:52									#9
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Agreed. I assumed the poll was for after the SS launch.

	09-03-2003 02:23									#10
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Give the Mongols a nuke trap on Kazan continent.

Give the Chinese and Japanese likewise.

That way they will waste the vast majority of their nuclear missiles.

Otherwise, build them everywhere.

I assume this means 'build them where they show.

	09-03-2003 02:38									#11
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quote: Originally posted by obiwan18 Otherwise, build them everywhere. I assume this means 'build them where they show.

Build them where they'd show implies the border and wonder cities - idea being, where would the foreign tourists most likely visit - thereby being on show for the world to see

I included the key in my first post, and actually, "Would you build them everywhere?" was the build them everywhere option

	09-03-2003 04:15									#12
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"Nuke Trap"? You mean deliberately not shielding a few sacrificial cities to attract nuke attacks?

	09-03-2003 04:23									#13
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quote: Originally posted by cavebear "Nuke Trap"? You mean deliberately not shielding a few sacrificial cities to attract nuke attacks?

what he means is building a city within 3 spaces of another city and putting an SDI in only one of the 2 cities. Since the SDI has a protective range of 3, neither city would be damaged, but the AI will continually try and nuke the "unprotected" city, only to be shot down.

	09-03-2003 05:25									#14
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That's a great technique in certain scenarios. The AI uses up all their nukes on one city that doesn't have SDI but they get shot down anyway.

	09-03-2003 07:03									#15
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Interesting. But how many cities do we have that are 3 spaces away from another city?

	09-03-2003 07:42									#16
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quote: Originally posted by cavebear Interesting. But how many cities do we have that are 3 spaces away from another city?

None (heck, we have only 3 city squares that overlaps at all ) so it would mean building several cities if we decide to do that. That would probably be the job of the Imperial Expansion Advisor? Probably would warrant some discussion if we consider that.

	09-03-2003 09:22									#17
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quote: None (heck, we have only 3 city squares that overlaps at all ) so it would mean building several cities if we decide to do that. That would probably be the job of the Imperial Expansion Advisor? Probably would warrant some discussion if we consider that.

SCG:

We'd just need to build two or three cities, and stuff them with an SDI, so that the small city protects one much larger.

The computer will not nuke a city less than size 3.

	09-03-2003 09:55									#18
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ah, its been a long time since i played a game where a Nuke actually was launched - was wondering what the conditions were where the AI actually uses them. Are there other conditions as well? like does it look to the nearest city to any AI civ's city? or the nearest just to that city? That could make a difference in how many are needed to set traps as well

	09-03-2003 11:00									#19
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Assuming no subs,
I do believe they can only nuke in range.

This drastically limits the number of SDI's required.

If there are no cities in range, I think they get a bonus to nuke the nearest unprotected city, in this case, the nuke trap.

	09-03-2003 12:39									#20
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quote: Originally posted by cavebear Agreed. I assumed the poll was for after the SS launch.

I voted for not building on the assumption the poll meant now. After launch and if the AI civs are building Manhatan, I usualy build them everywhere. However the arguments in this thread for selective building are pretty convincing.

RJM at Sleepers

	11-03-2003 00:24									#21
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Protect CAPITOL at all costs.

At 9 techs short of nukes, it's clear that the only viable AI threat will be tech theft. With our large number of cities, that could easily happen. Protection through Spies would be way cheaper. So why bother building all those SDIs?

With our atrocious reputation, it makes much more sense (and would be much more in character) to just pound away at the AI civs during our colonists' leisurely AC flight.

Remember -- as mentioned above -- Only CAPITOL has to survive.

	11-03-2003 02:45									#22
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i agree with -jrabbit, why sit back and cower on fear of the AI when we could take the offensive after launch?