Why doesn't the Planetary Datalinks work?

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Author Topic:   Why doesn't the Planetary Datalinks work?

HolyWarrior posted 05-13-99 09:08 PM ET
The situation: My first game in Librarian. Playing Iron Man, all victory conditions, survey off, spoils on, blind research off. I am the Believers.
I quickly eliminated the Gaians, while the Spartans took out the Peacekeepers and the Hive. Now it has settled down to a 4-faction game of equal power.
Morgan is my Pact brother, while I have infiltrated Zak and Santiago. I had naval probes hit Zak constantly, until he built Hunter-Seeker in an inland city I couldn't reach.
By checking the other factions, there are about 5 technologies they have that I do not. I have built the Planetary Datalinks, SO WHY DON'T I HAVE THEM?
Evk posted 05-13-99 09:09 PM ET
THREE FACTIONS have to have it before you get it. Since it's a four-faction game, everybody but you would have the tech before you got it.
IMHO, Planetary Datalinks is the crappiest SC in the whole game. Neat movie, tho.
HolyWarrior posted 05-13-99 09:30 PM ET
They all have those 5 techs I mentioned. They are things like A.M.A., Polymorph Software, Pre-Sentient, Industrial Econ, and Centauri Empath.
I saw another thread in the strategy section that implied that it only works if a 3rd faction gets the tech after the Datalinks are built. Can anyone confirm this?
Perhaps the Datalinks aren't that great, but if any faction needs them, it's the Believers, right?
MoSe posted 05-14-99 05:54 AM ET
Well, that's the way Great Library worked in CivII, and makes sense here too, HW.
Singularity posted 05-14-99 04:36 PM ET
What a useless project. There has only been one time when someone was ahead of me in tech.
Darkstar posted 05-14-99 04:44 PM ET
I have to weigh in with the Planetary Datalinks sucks as well. First off, 3 other factions have to get have it. Seeing as Morgan and Lal tend to fall off of Planet early, that only leaves 5. And since odds are favorable that you start with one to three immediate neighbors (depending on map size and land size), you are liable to have to have knocked someone out yourself, leaving only 3 or 4 factions, including you. If its 3, well... the Links would give it to you when you already figured it out... pointless. Its easier to build a bunch of probes and steal the tech for the resources spent on Planetary Datalinks. If you had built military units with those minerals, you probably could have seized the HS city.
If it was only 2 other Factions, then Planetary Datalinks might be useful, but at 3, it requires much too much...
-Darkstar
eNo posted 05-14-99 08:40 PM ET
"A.M.A."?
Alexnm posted 05-15-99 10:30 AM ET
eNo: "Advanced Military Algorithms", I guess.
Alexnm
HolyWarrior posted 05-16-99 01:34 AM ET
Alexnm got it. OK, so I started stealing tech from Santiago--she was seething anyway, so I figured war was inevitable. She got the Monsoon Jungle, so she's the largest faction. But I've been able to pull ahead in tech.
So much for the Datalinks, then >
Evk posted 05-16-99 02:04 AM ET
If three computer factions are ahead of you in tech, you might as well either just go home or build a crapload of low-tech military units. All the rescources that go in the PD would be better served as a Chaos Rover for conquering bases. Assuming, of course, you have Steal Tech when you conquer a base on.
HughTheHand posted 05-16-99 04:55 AM ET
All projects don't have to be useful to human players to be useful.
Think about it.
--Hugh
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Author	Topic: Why doesn't the Planetary Datalinks work?
HolyWarrior	posted 05-13-99 09:08 PM ET The situation: My first game in Librarian. Playing Iron Man, all victory conditions, survey off, spoils on, blind research off. I am the Believers. I quickly eliminated the Gaians, while the Spartans took out the Peacekeepers and the Hive. Now it has settled down to a 4-faction game of equal power. Morgan is my Pact brother, while I have infiltrated Zak and Santiago. I had naval probes hit Zak constantly, until he built Hunter-Seeker in an inland city I couldn't reach. By checking the other factions, there are about 5 technologies they have that I do not. I have built the Planetary Datalinks, SO WHY DON'T I HAVE THEM?
Evk	posted 05-13-99 09:09 PM ET THREE FACTIONS have to have it before you get it. Since it's a four-faction game, everybody but you would have the tech before you got it. IMHO, Planetary Datalinks is the crappiest SC in the whole game. Neat movie, tho.
HolyWarrior	posted 05-13-99 09:30 PM ET They all have those 5 techs I mentioned. They are things like A.M.A., Polymorph Software, Pre-Sentient, Industrial Econ, and Centauri Empath. I saw another thread in the strategy section that implied that it only works if a 3rd faction gets the tech after the Datalinks are built. Can anyone confirm this? Perhaps the Datalinks aren't that great, but if any faction needs them, it's the Believers, right?
MoSe	posted 05-14-99 05:54 AM ET Well, that's the way Great Library worked in CivII, and makes sense here too, HW.
Singularity	posted 05-14-99 04:36 PM ET What a useless project. There has only been one time when someone was ahead of me in tech.
Darkstar	posted 05-14-99 04:44 PM ET I have to weigh in with the Planetary Datalinks sucks as well. First off, 3 other factions have to get have it. Seeing as Morgan and Lal tend to fall off of Planet early, that only leaves 5. And since odds are favorable that you start with one to three immediate neighbors (depending on map size and land size), you are liable to have to have knocked someone out yourself, leaving only 3 or 4 factions, including you. If its 3, well... the Links would give it to you when you already figured it out... pointless. Its easier to build a bunch of probes and steal the tech for the resources spent on Planetary Datalinks. If you had built military units with those minerals, you probably could have seized the HS city. If it was only 2 other Factions, then Planetary Datalinks might be useful, but at 3, it requires much too much... -Darkstar
eNo	posted 05-14-99 08:40 PM ET "A.M.A."?
Alexnm	posted 05-15-99 10:30 AM ET eNo: "Advanced Military Algorithms", I guess. Alexnm
HolyWarrior	posted 05-16-99 01:34 AM ET Alexnm got it. OK, so I started stealing tech from Santiago--she was seething anyway, so I figured war was inevitable. She got the Monsoon Jungle, so she's the largest faction. But I've been able to pull ahead in tech. So much for the Datalinks, then >
Evk	posted 05-16-99 02:04 AM ET If three computer factions are ahead of you in tech, you might as well either just go home or build a crapload of low-tech military units. All the rescources that go in the PD would be better served as a Chaos Rover for conquering bases. Assuming, of course, you have Steal Tech when you conquer a base on.
HughTheHand	posted 05-16-99 04:55 AM ET All projects don't have to be useful to human players to be useful. Think about it. --Hugh