Newb an kinda confused

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Newb an kinda confused

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Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 3:50:33 PM

jpinks

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Joined: 8/26/2012
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Ok I got the whole package this weekend and I am kinda lost. I feel more like a spectator than I am in control. Now I am using everything on Auto as I am a newb but even turning some things off I still feel more like a spectator. Should I just start turning off some of the auto controls? What are good things to start controling for myself to start getting a feeling for the game. Can someone point me to a good newb faq? Seems like a game I will like but like I said I dont feel like I am in any control lol. I feel like a firefighter rushing around sending my fleet to beat off pirates or monsters and thats about all I do other than rubber stamp AI suggestions. It also feels like all the normal rts phases are mushed into one, Expand Exterminate etc. Going to try a new game now and shut down some AI controls. Please throw a guy a bone before my kids catch me and I have to back to being Dad til O dark thirty tonite :)

Post #: 1

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 3:59:41 PM

WoodMan

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From: Ol' Blighty
Status: offline

Hey jpinks!

I play with everything on manual except ship design and population policy which I leave automated

In my first game I had most things automated and I set them to manual one at a time as I went through the game. By the start of my second game I was using the same settings I still use today

Just some little tips regarding money: If you set taxes to manual remember +16 is the magic happiness number on your colonies. Raise taxes and happiness will come down, for the best non-emergency balance you want a happiness of +16, whichever tax level causes that! Only reason to go lower taxes than that is if you have victory conditions for being happiest population

But... Don't start taxing a colony until it has 2 billion people! (others probabl have their own rule of thumb for when to start, mine is 2 billion). The higher the tax, the lower population growth, that is the reason why, and less thasn 2 billion is pointless taxing, not enough money to make it worth while!

Also, remember access to luxury resources = better development = +happiness = higher taxes = more money to smite your enemies

Edit: On another note, remember just because you are playing on manual doesn't mean you can't automate certain shisp! To do that select it and press "a". You can also choose in the empire settings or game options (can't remember which) if newly built ships start automated or unautomated and just sit to wait for an order after completion, even if the order is go automated

< Message edited by WoodMan -- 8/26/2012 4:05:05 PM >

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"My body may be confined to this chair, but my mind is free to explore the universe" - Stephen Hawking

(in reply to jpinks)

Post #: 2

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 4:04:08 PM

endoric

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Joined: 6/14/2012
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it gets better as you understand why you don't want to control the private sector. I had the same feelings at first but find this game to be very enjoyable.

(in reply to WoodMan)

Post #: 3

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 4:22:53 PM

Panpiper

Posts: 44
Joined: 7/9/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: WoodMan
Also, remember access to luxury resources = better development = +happiness = higher taxes = more money to smite your enemies

I still don't quite get luxury resources. How much is enough? Does one perhaps not start loosing on the upkeep cost of extra mine facilities if mining 'too many' goods, such as luxuries? I have at least one source of most luxuries, there is no cost inflation caused by excess demand evident, and my resource listings do not indicate anywhere that I have any unfulfilled demand. Should I be doubling or tripling up my sources anyway?

I wish there was some indicator somewhere on the earnings made by a mining facility, so we would have at least some clue as to whether or not a new one would be paying for itself. As it is now, I have 'absolutely' no clue.

(in reply to WoodMan)

Post #: 4

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 4:43:14 PM

jpinks

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Joined: 8/26/2012
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Yeah thats another thing i am having trouble with. Trying to figure out when i have enough of anything. In most games its always best to have to much but doesnt seem like that here. Is it really that detrimental.

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Post #: 5

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 4:58:55 PM

szabferi

Posts: 43
Joined: 8/26/2012
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Dont worry what u face and feel at beginning is quite normal. I had exactly the same first and i did what the game suggested : first time just watched, second time i took over the controlling of the ships only, then i picked up controlling the designs for the military ship, then took over the research etc... It takes time, just go step by step and take over areas slowly from the ai.

The best in this game that u can let the ai to do the tedious things (eg the private sector will care about shipping and generating all the resources) so u can chose the areas whatecer u like the most (for me it is exploration, ship designs, research, waaaaar :) )

Luckily the ai seems to be quite competent, so u can let it drive. Also, u can finetune the settings: for example, i just took over the designs for the military ships and bases, i let the ai controll all the other civ ship design. Who want to care about passenger ships, cargo ships and constructors... So u can not just turn the ai on/off on an aspect of the game, but u can partially take over what u want...

(in reply to jpinks)

Post #: 6

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 5:05:51 PM

szabferi

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Joined: 8/26/2012
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Regarding resources (im also newbie in the game, so i might be wrong, but then folks will override me)

On the expansion planner screen, whatever resource is on the top, that seems to be the most important need of your empire (eg, u have shortage on that one which hinders ur expansion). So i used to take a look on that frequently, then trying to find thst resource somewhere and build a mining station/colonize that one.

The minig stations are in hand of the private sector, that means its them who pay the maintenance cost, not the government (you). So it will not hurt your wallet if there is a redundancy here.

(in reply to Panpiper)

Post #: 7

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 5:29:55 PM

Theluin

Posts: 181
Joined: 5/13/2011
From: Europe, Terra
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You are correct szabferi, the expansion planner's resource list is sorted by your demand by default

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RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 5:34:36 PM

jpinks

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Any chance that someone has made a campaign style mod to help learning curve lol

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RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 5:38:26 PM

Theluin

Posts: 181
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From: Europe, Terra
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AFAIK it's not possible to do that, the only thing one might try to do is modifying the tutorial but I do not know how much that might help.

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RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 6:55:17 PM

szabferi

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Joined: 8/26/2012
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Is it also true that building and maintenance of gas/mining stations are paid by the private sector not by me (government)?

It is an interesting question for me, since I had the idea to design mining/gas stations which can defend themselves (armed and shielded to teeth to fend of those pesky pirates), and it would be good to know if the cost of this won't hurt my wallet....
The AI spams them everywhere, and I dont want to station ships in every gas cloud and in systems with just amining outpost.

I see the minig stations are tagged as PRIVATE, so thats why I assumed it :)

< Message edited by szabferi -- 8/26/2012 6:57:04 PM >

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RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 7:26:03 PM

Theluin

Posts: 181
Joined: 5/13/2011
From: Europe, Terra
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Yes, mining bases' upkeep is paid by the private sector. However their construction cost is deduced from the state funds when the construction starts but is then repayed to you by the private sector upon finish as far as I an tell.
I's also worth to bear in mind that if the upkeep on the bases drives the private sector into to the red they will star retiring freighters

(in reply to szabferi)

Post #: 12

RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/26/2012 11:36:26 PM

jpinks

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On mlnlng bases should i mine all my homeworld system?? Not alot there but i have a small moon thats 88% gold. No. Caslon in home system butat least i have some defenses. How early should i look at increasing ship sizes ie upgrading to cruisers? I have 7 explorer shipsbut not found anything to colonize yet. If i build a new space station right away when i find a colonizable world will private freighters haul fuel there for new ship construction?

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RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/28/2012 1:59:14 AM

Algon

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I'm new as well, but it makes sense to keep your mines as close to hubs like spaceports as possible so freighters make the trip in shorter times.

As for new spaceports, my experience is that the resources will eventually get there, but for fuel in particular you want gas mines on fuel sources as close to the spaceport as possible.

< Message edited by Algon -- 8/28/2012 2:01:50 AM >

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RE: Newb an kinda confused - 8/28/2012 3:25:43 AM

Panpiper

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Joined: 7/9/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Theluin
...the expansion planner's resource list is sorted by your demand by default.

I find the expansion planner's default sorting to be worse than useless. It will put at the top of the list whatever is being demanded the most at that exact instant in time, never mind that you already have a large stockpile of it and that the price of the material is at minimum due to an ample supply. In that same sorting, I will often as not have an even higher demand for steel, which is both at maximum possible price due to a shortage of demand relative to supply, as well as being already at a higher price than what is listed at the top of that screen, and steel will be somewhere half way down the page, scroll down to find it.

A far better indicator of what is truly needed I feel must be price inflation, build more mines to cover whatever resource is experiencing a price inflation due to a supply shortage relative to demand, with the greatest priority being of course, that which is experiencing the greatest price inflation. I have rarely seen a price inflation for luxury good that already have two or three supply points. On the other hand, I've had steel still pushing maximum price despite me having 72 decently producing steel mines.

Unrelated to precisely 'what' mines to build; It is useful to have a colony with a spaceport roughly every 700 space units or so, which will keep the travel time for your private sector ships very reasonable, they'll have the choice of which direction to go to drop off their goods. These do not have to be big spaceports. More than one such spaceport per 700 space units is largely a waste of maintenance costs, feel free to leave some colony worlds without spaceports if there is more than one within the same 700 units of space. You only need however many big space ports as are necessary to support your shipbuilding and refitting.

(in reply to Theluin)

Post #: 15