Post by johndramey on Jun 4, 2014 17:00:27 GMT -5
Ok folks, so I'm going to try to put together a bit of a start up guide for when this game gets released. Since we are at the final section of phase 3, I think it's a safe point to start collecting general gameplay tips and strategies that generally work. What I'd like is for the alpha crew to kind of pitch in. If you have some ideas or something that you feel has been a very helpful realization to your game, post it up!
I'm largely looking for more general things that can help newer players get a handle on the basics. Stuff like "How do I keep my population in check?" or "How can I get a healthy economy going?"
To that end, I'd like to post some general things I've learned over my games.
1)
I've found that it is generally a good idea to build factories before they are actually needed, at least when a colony is young. When you first colonize a planet with anyone except Cadar, you are going to be building at a snail's pace. I've prioritized building factories with the idea that building quickly is better in the long run. Sure, you take a maintenance hit in the short term, but one factory will triple your CP output, cutting down on build times and allowing you to get mines up much more quickly.
2)
Don't neglect spice! Your first three colonies have a built in spice hall, but after that you really should try to get a spice hall as a priority on developed colonies. Morale has a huge effect on your maintenance rates, and if you get an unlucky pop boom on a colony or two it can crash your economy if you aren't able to offset that morale loss. Any morale level above 7 actually affords you a discount on your maintenance, so while it may seem you are losing money with a spice hall it will actually save you money.
3)
Economy is king, meaning it should be the first priority on any colony. Sure, DeValtos has the best bonus for money making, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't let Cadarian or Rychart...ian? planets make their fair share. Mines are wonderful and provide a good steady source of income, but you really want to consider building up trade in concert as it will provide huge wads of cash when circumstances are right (e.g. trade treaty/alliance). I usually try to get exchanges up on all advanced worlds.
4)
Try to keep a good mix of faction planets. It can be very, very tempting to just blast Cadarian colony ships all over the galaxy because of their +2 CP. Yes, that extra CP is a god send in the early game, but mid/late game it is pretty small beans. I usually focus on Cadar colonies in the early game, strategically placing them where I think the enemy will be coming from, and then shift to DeValtos and Rychart once I get my borders set up.
5)
Try to colonize the proper planet with the proper faction. This is not a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking Cadar works well on high quality planets, DeValtos on high mineral planets, and Rychart can backfill the balanced planets. Cadar wants to build up a decent level of economy and then focus on factories and habitation while DeValtos wants to focus on trade and mines. Rychart is in a funny middle ground because it can do either.
6)
As a general rule, for most colonies I follow this basic set of priorities:
Set up a manufacturing base -> Establish economic foundation -> Spice hall! -> Specialization
This means, in practice, that my first upgrade is general a hab unit. Trying to keep the morale up is more important then extra minerals in the beginning. After the Hab unit is done, I'll build a factory. If I've had my population grow, I'll build another hab unit but if not I'll go straight for a mine. I usually consider 3-5 mines as my economic foundation, and then get myself a spice hall. Post spice hall you can tailor the colony to what you want, but I'll typically stick an exchange on each planet to get sweet TP. Military garrisons are also to be considered for front line planets.
So, what have you guys learned from all of your floundering around in the Alpha?
I'm largely looking for more general things that can help newer players get a handle on the basics. Stuff like "How do I keep my population in check?" or "How can I get a healthy economy going?"
To that end, I'd like to post some general things I've learned over my games.
1)
I've found that it is generally a good idea to build factories before they are actually needed, at least when a colony is young. When you first colonize a planet with anyone except Cadar, you are going to be building at a snail's pace. I've prioritized building factories with the idea that building quickly is better in the long run. Sure, you take a maintenance hit in the short term, but one factory will triple your CP output, cutting down on build times and allowing you to get mines up much more quickly.
2)
Don't neglect spice! Your first three colonies have a built in spice hall, but after that you really should try to get a spice hall as a priority on developed colonies. Morale has a huge effect on your maintenance rates, and if you get an unlucky pop boom on a colony or two it can crash your economy if you aren't able to offset that morale loss. Any morale level above 7 actually affords you a discount on your maintenance, so while it may seem you are losing money with a spice hall it will actually save you money.
3)
Economy is king, meaning it should be the first priority on any colony. Sure, DeValtos has the best bonus for money making, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't let Cadarian or Rychart...ian? planets make their fair share. Mines are wonderful and provide a good steady source of income, but you really want to consider building up trade in concert as it will provide huge wads of cash when circumstances are right (e.g. trade treaty/alliance). I usually try to get exchanges up on all advanced worlds.
4)
Try to keep a good mix of faction planets. It can be very, very tempting to just blast Cadarian colony ships all over the galaxy because of their +2 CP. Yes, that extra CP is a god send in the early game, but mid/late game it is pretty small beans. I usually focus on Cadar colonies in the early game, strategically placing them where I think the enemy will be coming from, and then shift to DeValtos and Rychart once I get my borders set up.
5)
Try to colonize the proper planet with the proper faction. This is not a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking Cadar works well on high quality planets, DeValtos on high mineral planets, and Rychart can backfill the balanced planets. Cadar wants to build up a decent level of economy and then focus on factories and habitation while DeValtos wants to focus on trade and mines. Rychart is in a funny middle ground because it can do either.
6)
As a general rule, for most colonies I follow this basic set of priorities:
Set up a manufacturing base -> Establish economic foundation -> Spice hall! -> Specialization
This means, in practice, that my first upgrade is general a hab unit. Trying to keep the morale up is more important then extra minerals in the beginning. After the Hab unit is done, I'll build a factory. If I've had my population grow, I'll build another hab unit but if not I'll go straight for a mine. I usually consider 3-5 mines as my economic foundation, and then get myself a spice hall. Post spice hall you can tailor the colony to what you want, but I'll typically stick an exchange on each planet to get sweet TP. Military garrisons are also to be considered for front line planets.
So, what have you guys learned from all of your floundering around in the Alpha?
