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Author Topic:   Tech Stagnation

Beta1 posted 05-08-99 10:04 AM ET
Anyone play many games using the tech stagnation option. I have just started one playing as Morgan for a change thinking that it would slow things down and give me more time to concentrate on getting every last possible energy credit out of the landscape.
It seems thought that tech stag. actually works against Builder type factions. Within the first 150 years UOP & PKS were gone and I was left sharing the planet with a rather angry looking mob consisting of hive (large), Sparta (v. large) and Believers (small but very annoying). As I'm just reaching the tech that enables you to get more than two energy per square I (hopefully) will leave them all standing and be cruising around in my hovertanks and gravships before they get much past choppers.
Al Gore Rythm posted 05-08-99 11:02 AM ET
I don't play with tech-stag but I do play with tech research going at 60% slower, which is the equivelant of three tech-stags at once.
First of all, builder factions tend to do just as well if not better under slow-tech grounds. The UoP under the said circumstances usually researches like a normal faction would, which is very fast compared to the rest. UoP will tend to get first dibs on secret projects and will have time to prototype their new technology. Similar things go for the Morganites and the PKs.
I like it myself, quite a bit, infact. In the normal settings you can, eventually, get technology every 4 or 5 turns. With these settings the very lowest is atleast 15, but usually will go up to 20, 25 or 30+ turns. Which leaves alot more room to have good old war before all your units on the field are obsolete.
jimmytrick posted 05-08-99 11:26 AM ET
Al, could you post the exact Alpha.txt edit that you use? Please!
Smeagol posted 05-08-99 12:09 PM ET
Al-- That sounds like an interesting way to play. I know you don't use it, but what exactly does the option 'Tech Stag' do? Does it slow down research more or less than the setting you use?
Beta1 posted 05-08-99 01:04 PM ET
Tech stagnation is an option under custom rules. It slows tech advance by about 25% I think.
Al I found that the builder type factions were wiped out early by the factions that start with a military advantage - presumably before the lack of tech really hits them. I havnt really played enough under these rules though to say that with any authority. I suppose they could have just got unlucky start points.
I have got tech advances every 4 turns with tech stagnation on. This is playing as morgan and running at 60% labs and making a loss of ten-twenty credits per turn.
Al Gore Rythm posted 05-08-99 01:35 PM ET
Beta -
I also play on custom built (i.e. big) maps to make sure that all the factions have up to 100 turns of solitude before encounters.
You don't want to make the maps TOO big (256x256, for example) because then it can be up to 300 years before actual combat occurs.
Smeagol -
I think it's around 20-25% as Beta said. My settings do slow technology more than tech stag.
jimmytrick -
Sure. (These are under FUNDMENTAL RULES, #RULES, I believe.)
40, ; Technology discovery rate as a percentage of standard
150, ; Extra percentage cost of prototype AIR unit
3000 ; Normal ending year for lowest 3 difficulty levels
3000 ; Normal ending year for highest 3 difficulty levels
10, ; Population limit w/o hab complex
20, ; Population limit w/o hab dome

Most of these things are to help offset slow technology (since sometimes I'll set it down to 20 or 30%) And some things are personal preferances.
The Air Prototype is to make the leap from land/sea to air darn big. Almost like making a minor secret project, sometimes the game can get boring once airpower is discovered because it's easy to just pump Needlejets and 'Copters and take over. This slows things down and gives the Sparta AI a bit more oompf and make Skunkworks a useful structure.
The ending year is to compensate for slow technology. I've never actually made it to 3000 but just in case things drag out because of some Yang-induced WWIII it's there.
The Hab stuff is just personal preferance. Morgan (as the AI) always plays better like this, and since it can, occasionally, take over 100 years before Industrial Automation comes out of the assembly line it keeps the game going along for builders. Then after Complexes that enormous leap to Hab Domes is less important because at 20 population all squares that can be used are being used.
That's it.
jimmytrick posted 05-08-99 04:25 PM ET
Thanks Al, I'll try these settings.
RandomAction posted 05-13-99 08:21 AM ET
I always use tech stag. I play Hive at librarian level and find tech stag allows
me to get ever secrect project in most games.
And I simply must have them all!
Urban Ranger posted 05-13-99 01:01 PM ET
When I play a builder game, I really build. Most of the time I end up discovering a new tech every 2 turns. One game I played I got 2 TT's every turn near the end, when I was just dragging things out.
Al Gore Rythm posted 05-13-99 06:58 PM ET
Urban:
You highlight my point exactly, I hate it when you get to the point where technology comes out every 5, 4, or 2 turns. Things go by too fast and before you know it, the game is over.
Right now I think I'm going to try experimenting with 10% tech setting. 70 years to Centauri Ecology
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Author	Topic: Tech Stagnation
Beta1	posted 05-08-99 10:04 AM ET Anyone play many games using the tech stagnation option. I have just started one playing as Morgan for a change thinking that it would slow things down and give me more time to concentrate on getting every last possible energy credit out of the landscape. It seems thought that tech stag. actually works against Builder type factions. Within the first 150 years UOP & PKS were gone and I was left sharing the planet with a rather angry looking mob consisting of hive (large), Sparta (v. large) and Believers (small but very annoying). As I'm just reaching the tech that enables you to get more than two energy per square I (hopefully) will leave them all standing and be cruising around in my hovertanks and gravships before they get much past choppers.
Al Gore Rythm	posted 05-08-99 11:02 AM ET I don't play with tech-stag but I do play with tech research going at 60% slower, which is the equivelant of three tech-stags at once. First of all, builder factions tend to do just as well if not better under slow-tech grounds. The UoP under the said circumstances usually researches like a normal faction would, which is very fast compared to the rest. UoP will tend to get first dibs on secret projects and will have time to prototype their new technology. Similar things go for the Morganites and the PKs. I like it myself, quite a bit, infact. In the normal settings you can, eventually, get technology every 4 or 5 turns. With these settings the very lowest is atleast 15, but usually will go up to 20, 25 or 30+ turns. Which leaves alot more room to have good old war before all your units on the field are obsolete.
jimmytrick	posted 05-08-99 11:26 AM ET Al, could you post the exact Alpha.txt edit that you use? Please!
Smeagol	posted 05-08-99 12:09 PM ET Al-- That sounds like an interesting way to play. I know you don't use it, but what exactly does the option 'Tech Stag' do? Does it slow down research more or less than the setting you use?
Beta1	posted 05-08-99 01:04 PM ET Tech stagnation is an option under custom rules. It slows tech advance by about 25% I think. Al I found that the builder type factions were wiped out early by the factions that start with a military advantage - presumably before the lack of tech really hits them. I havnt really played enough under these rules though to say that with any authority. I suppose they could have just got unlucky start points. I have got tech advances every 4 turns with tech stagnation on. This is playing as morgan and running at 60% labs and making a loss of ten-twenty credits per turn.
Al Gore Rythm	posted 05-08-99 01:35 PM ET Beta - I also play on custom built (i.e. big) maps to make sure that all the factions have up to 100 turns of solitude before encounters. You don't want to make the maps TOO big (256x256, for example) because then it can be up to 300 years before actual combat occurs. Smeagol - I think it's around 20-25% as Beta said. My settings do slow technology more than tech stag. jimmytrick - Sure. (These are under FUNDMENTAL RULES, #RULES, I believe.) 40, ; Technology discovery rate as a percentage of standard 150, ; Extra percentage cost of prototype AIR unit 3000 ; Normal ending year for lowest 3 difficulty levels 3000 ; Normal ending year for highest 3 difficulty levels 10, ; Population limit w/o hab complex 20, ; Population limit w/o hab dome Most of these things are to help offset slow technology (since sometimes I'll set it down to 20 or 30%) And some things are personal preferances. The Air Prototype is to make the leap from land/sea to air darn big. Almost like making a minor secret project, sometimes the game can get boring once airpower is discovered because it's easy to just pump Needlejets and 'Copters and take over. This slows things down and gives the Sparta AI a bit more oompf and make Skunkworks a useful structure. The ending year is to compensate for slow technology. I've never actually made it to 3000 but just in case things drag out because of some Yang-induced WWIII it's there. The Hab stuff is just personal preferance. Morgan (as the AI) always plays better like this, and since it can, occasionally, take over 100 years before Industrial Automation comes out of the assembly line it keeps the game going along for builders. Then after Complexes that enormous leap to Hab Domes is less important because at 20 population all squares that can be used are being used. That's it.
jimmytrick	posted 05-08-99 04:25 PM ET Thanks Al, I'll try these settings.
RandomAction	posted 05-13-99 08:21 AM ET I always use tech stag. I play Hive at librarian level and find tech stag allows me to get ever secrect project in most games. And I simply must have them all!
Urban Ranger	posted 05-13-99 01:01 PM ET When I play a builder game, I really build. Most of the time I end up discovering a new tech every 2 turns. One game I played I got 2 TT's every turn near the end, when I was just dragging things out.
Al Gore Rythm	posted 05-13-99 06:58 PM ET Urban: You highlight my point exactly, I hate it when you get to the point where technology comes out every 5, 4, or 2 turns. Things go by too fast and before you know it, the game is over. Right now I think I'm going to try experimenting with 10% tech setting. 70 years to Centauri Ecology