posted 05-02-99 08:44 AM ET        

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Hello all!

I finished the game on Talent level about 2,000,000 times, and once on Librarian level with the morganits, using an economic victory. The problem is that if I play on Standard planet, I start on an island with usually two other factions which limit my space and then kick my ass, when I play on a larger planet I start with 1 faction, kick his ass and then don't find any other factions (I almost never expand to the sea) and then I get realy good on technologies until the belivers come, steal my tech and kill me.
Any tips I might miss???

posted 05-02-99 02:04 PM ET            

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You've already pointed out your primary mistake, not expanding into the sea. Sea bases are a great source of energy and make a great front line against incoming vessels.

Also, don't wait for the Believers come to you, go kick them first. That 25% bonus of theirs only applies when they're on the offensive, they don't get it for being shot *at* so load up a few transport ships and go shoot some god-botherer. Apply the same to the Hive, the Spartans and anyone else who thinks they're a bit tasty. If you'd rather play a less conquer/more builder game, adopt the 'black hole defense' where you keep your military within your own borders, carfully positioned so that any force belonging to another faction landing on your turf can be swiftly and thoroughly sent on their way to a well deserved cold grave. As you get higher in the difficulty levels a well maintained army becomes more and more important, and no matter what your social engineering, there's a way to make one work. If you've got low support that usually means you're pulling in a lot of creds, so slap a probe on all your defensive units, it makes them cost nothing to support, they cause no unrest when away from home, and the 'attack to defend' strategy takes on a whole new angle when you can mind-control the enemy and then keep the interesting ones for your own use and dismantle the boring ones in your own base to help boost production.
Of course, you can't mind-control the believers, so you're back to shooting some god-botherer, but I've never had a problem with that.
Also, don't be afraid to commit the odd atrocity if it'll give you an edge. Use those foil probe teams to commit genetic warfare, sabotage 'anti-drone' facilities like the rec commons and incite drone riots. If your army is small, fit 'em with nerve gas, and if all else fails, remember nothing says "I will crush you like a bug" better than a planet-buster aimed at a tightly packed knot of bases. And the explosion is pretty, too.
Don't forget that Secret Projects are your friends too. ErikSigra has already mentioned one of the ones on my 'must get' list. If you're planning on playing a Builder strategy, get the Weather Paradigm early on, and the Virtual World will be handy too. Good SPs in the early game for Conquerors are the Command Nexus and the Citizen's Defence Force. Also, go for Needlejets early in the game. Nothing gives you an edge like attaining and holding air supriority. Just ask Chairman Yang, he keeps getting the cr*p bombed outta him by the Kardian Air Corps. A couple of interceptors should prevent your opponent from doing anything about your bombers, provided you have them built and in position in time, so get 'em in early and keep 'em near the front lines.
It's a rough planet out there, so remember, Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto You.
(It's hard to believe I actually prefer a Builder strategy, isn't it?)

posted 05-02-99 02:24 PM ET            

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Yeah, of course get that hunter-seeker. That probe ability for defensive units that WyldKarde mentioned is an idea that nobody should pass up-- I just heard of it yesterday and can't believe I never thought of it.

Also, you may have heard of the oft-mentioned "Army Laundering" strategy-- since you can't send out a large army or support an offensive air force at all while using Free Market, just build a punishment sphere in one base and make your entire army there with clean reactors. Boreholes are not a necessity but they will facilitate the army buildup.

But it seems to me that your problem is early in the game before you really can make an army, and this is just an inherent problem of peaceful factions focusing on building and not fighting. I usually can survive through this period by having a solid defense in my cities, but mostly from paying off my enemies. And if you happen to start on the same small island as 2 factions that you know will be hostile towards you then consider starting over, because this is really more of an exception than anything else.

Regarding the believers-- My last game the oddest thing happened. I began on the same continent as them (I was the PKs), and I found 2 scout rovers. When I moved into believer territory with them, I was shocked to find 2 believer's bases completely undefended, and I went on to take them in 2 turns (they were eliminated by about 2115 or so).