posted 05-06-99 01:48 AM ET        

Nothing complex here, but I start by researching Industrial Economics for Free Market, and switch to it soon after for the early bonus to energy (and thus research). After that I guess biogenetics is best but in general I just research all of: biogenetics, centauri ecology, info networks, plan. networks, social psych, ethical calc (switch to democracy), doc mobility, doc loyalty, applied physics, nonlin math.

Once I have these, I of course build creches, formers on speeder chassis, defenders with hypno trance and probe abilities (for no support and probe), build the weather paradigm and command nexus.

Note that this is a strategy for playing an offensive Morgan for a short while early in the game. Next I race to gene splicing and industrial auto, and switch to police state/wealth. I can then build as many impact speeders as I desire, and hab complexes in between to continue growth. If I need those hab complexes earlier, I can just add it into my research before weaponry and the doctrine techs.

In all likelihood I can crush a few factions here, and leave myself as much room to expand as I desire. Once my enemies are either on their knees before me or being flayed in my torture chambers, I'll then switch back to demo/free market/(wealth, which I was already using). The end result is that I can expand without any problems at all, and by this point I'm close to punishment spheres and clean reactors, so I'll be able to fight a war with an army built by that one base with a punishment sphere.

In all likelihood I'll have most secret projects, too, and if I missed any early they can easily be captured in the early conquering phase I just described. And if things don't go well in that phase, then 100 years of sanctions isn't the biggest deal and I'll nerve gas them to death.