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Author Topic:   Energy Inefficiency, Preventable?

Morfaroth posted 05-05-99 10:31 AM ET
What are the best ways to prevent and correct energy inefficiency? I noticed in the game that it seems easier to have inefficiencies in energy than other resources. Ofcourse it could have just been the faction I played. What are the short term and long term ways to fix this.
And, I noticed when I add energy by moving workers to different squares that I have more energy inefficiency. This doesn't make much sense unless the idea is that I am getting alot of energy and not enough of the other resources??????? Any clue on that?
Smeagol posted 05-05-99 10:34 AM ET
You will always lose energy to inefficiency, and only energy, especially as your bases get further away from your headquarters. The only thing you can do is minimize it with your Efficiency rating, or move your HQ to a more centralized location. It has nothing to do with your other resources.
OncFellow posted 05-05-99 01:36 PM ET
I am new. The book sucks. Therefore, some concepts are unclear to me.
I am not sure as to what the "+" and "-" ratings to to your faction in the S.E. settings. For instance, how does a +2 Growth translate into game terms? What does a +1 Planet do? I realize that + is good, minus is bad, but how much worse/better is each point???
Smeagol posted 05-05-99 01:40 PM ET
The instruction manual isn't perfect, but it does have what you are looking for. Pages 158-162 describe how all of that works.
OncFellow posted 05-05-99 01:47 PM ET
Thanks.
Since I have your attention this instant, I will ask a totally unrelated question, with apologies.
Recently, as PK (Librarian), I tried to place Interceptors on the East side of my continent On Alert to intercept air attacks from the West from Hive Needlejets, Missiles. I got nailed on the OPPOSITE side of my continent by conventional missile attack, despite the fact that my cities are about 4-5 tiles apart with the air units stationed inside. They seem to "scramble" and fly aimlessly about after NOTHING as well, wasting their usefulness when real attacks occur later.
Am I doing something wrong?
Smeagol posted 05-05-99 02:00 PM ET
Well, I honestly can't answer that question, because I don't allow my units any sort of automatic control. Even though it requires more time and management, I prefer to do everything myself.
But I'm not sure what you mean exactly anyway-- what do you mean about those cities that are only 4 or 5 tiles apart-- why would you not expect them to be hit? Have you fallen victim to the infinite range missile bug or do you mean something else?
OncFellow posted 05-05-99 02:04 PM ET
What I mean, is that I have a cordon of cities in the East, which should screen out attacks over them to the cities beyond. The missile did not have infinite range, it clearly flew over my cities with the interceptors and hit a city deep in my continent.
Smeagol posted 05-05-99 02:10 PM ET
For all my knowledge of the factions and different aspects of the game, I haven't actually had enough time to play the game enough to see another faction use missiles on me (I usually either win before then, or run out of time to continue the game). I'm sure someone will be around soon to answer that one, though.
sandals posted 05-05-99 06:01 PM ET
Hey, I'm someone! A couple of pertinent things.
Interceptors do not intercept missiles. The only way to defend against a missile is to make the base have wicked strong air defense. Use a AAA silksteel (or better) unit behind a Tachyon Field & Aerospace Complex, and you might stop the missile. I'm comforted in the fact that stopping missiles is very hard, so scrambling interceptors wouldn't be realistic.
Interceptors do not need to be on alert to intercept the units they do intercept - needlejets, tacticals, & helicopters. As long as they are in a city, interceptors will launch to attack any non-missile air unit that attempts to attack a unit in the "air defense range." I don't know how large that range is defined to be. Base radius maybe? It's cool when it works.
Attack vs. attack ratings apply on interceptions. It's also cool when you've got shard needlejets & Miriam scrambles her missile interceptors and they get shot down anyway. If you are behind in tech, keep your tacticals out of intercept range and 'take revenge' on the incoming needlejets on your turn.
I have found the 'alert' feature to be useless. When I tried putting planes on alert they flew around aimlessly & weren't available when I wanted them.
Your idea of a defensive cordon sounds really cool, but it won't work in SMAC.
The infinite range missile bug is possibly what allowed those missiles to reach the other side of your continent. They should only be able to fly 18 (depends on reactor?) squares. Try and figure out what base they came from. Was that more than 18 squares away from the target? Then you got hit by AI infinite range missiles.
jimmytrick posted 05-05-99 09:45 PM ET
There certainly are infinite range missles and this also includes Planet Busters. The v3 patch did not fix this.
I am playing a custom game designed to extend the tech tree and using agressive AI. I am being pounded almost every turn by 4-8 conventional warheads and have lost 3 size 14 cities to PBs over about twenty turns. I have gone from first to third place during this period.
All of these missles are being lauched from beyond legal range. I verified this with the SE.
If you are having this problem please SCREAM about it so that Firaxis will fix it.
I hate to say this, but, I wonder if this is not a bug. I play on transcend and have heard rumors that the AI has multiple cheats on this level. If Firaxis has done this on purpose...........well if so they would never admit it.
Does anyone have any info on this. If so please e-mail me.
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Author	Topic: Energy Inefficiency, Preventable?
Morfaroth	posted 05-05-99 10:31 AM ET What are the best ways to prevent and correct energy inefficiency? I noticed in the game that it seems easier to have inefficiencies in energy than other resources. Ofcourse it could have just been the faction I played. What are the short term and long term ways to fix this. And, I noticed when I add energy by moving workers to different squares that I have more energy inefficiency. This doesn't make much sense unless the idea is that I am getting alot of energy and not enough of the other resources??????? Any clue on that?
Smeagol	posted 05-05-99 10:34 AM ET You will always lose energy to inefficiency, and only energy, especially as your bases get further away from your headquarters. The only thing you can do is minimize it with your Efficiency rating, or move your HQ to a more centralized location. It has nothing to do with your other resources.
OncFellow	posted 05-05-99 01:36 PM ET I am new. The book sucks. Therefore, some concepts are unclear to me. I am not sure as to what the "+" and "-" ratings to to your faction in the S.E. settings. For instance, how does a +2 Growth translate into game terms? What does a +1 Planet do? I realize that + is good, minus is bad, but how much worse/better is each point???
Smeagol	posted 05-05-99 01:40 PM ET The instruction manual isn't perfect, but it does have what you are looking for. Pages 158-162 describe how all of that works.
OncFellow	posted 05-05-99 01:47 PM ET Thanks. Since I have your attention this instant, I will ask a totally unrelated question, with apologies. Recently, as PK (Librarian), I tried to place Interceptors on the East side of my continent On Alert to intercept air attacks from the West from Hive Needlejets, Missiles. I got nailed on the OPPOSITE side of my continent by conventional missile attack, despite the fact that my cities are about 4-5 tiles apart with the air units stationed inside. They seem to "scramble" and fly aimlessly about after NOTHING as well, wasting their usefulness when real attacks occur later. Am I doing something wrong?
Smeagol	posted 05-05-99 02:00 PM ET Well, I honestly can't answer that question, because I don't allow my units any sort of automatic control. Even though it requires more time and management, I prefer to do everything myself. But I'm not sure what you mean exactly anyway-- what do you mean about those cities that are only 4 or 5 tiles apart-- why would you not expect them to be hit? Have you fallen victim to the infinite range missile bug or do you mean something else?
OncFellow	posted 05-05-99 02:04 PM ET What I mean, is that I have a cordon of cities in the East, which should screen out attacks over them to the cities beyond. The missile did not have infinite range, it clearly flew over my cities with the interceptors and hit a city deep in my continent.
Smeagol	posted 05-05-99 02:10 PM ET For all my knowledge of the factions and different aspects of the game, I haven't actually had enough time to play the game enough to see another faction use missiles on me (I usually either win before then, or run out of time to continue the game). I'm sure someone will be around soon to answer that one, though.
sandals	posted 05-05-99 06:01 PM ET Hey, I'm someone! A couple of pertinent things. Interceptors do not intercept missiles. The only way to defend against a missile is to make the base have wicked strong air defense. Use a AAA silksteel (or better) unit behind a Tachyon Field & Aerospace Complex, and you might stop the missile. I'm comforted in the fact that stopping missiles is very hard, so scrambling interceptors wouldn't be realistic. Interceptors do not need to be on alert to intercept the units they do intercept - needlejets, tacticals, & helicopters. As long as they are in a city, interceptors will launch to attack any non-missile air unit that attempts to attack a unit in the "air defense range." I don't know how large that range is defined to be. Base radius maybe? It's cool when it works. Attack vs. attack ratings apply on interceptions. It's also cool when you've got shard needlejets & Miriam scrambles her missile interceptors and they get shot down anyway. If you are behind in tech, keep your tacticals out of intercept range and 'take revenge' on the incoming needlejets on your turn. I have found the 'alert' feature to be useless. When I tried putting planes on alert they flew around aimlessly & weren't available when I wanted them. Your idea of a defensive cordon sounds really cool, but it won't work in SMAC. The infinite range missile bug is possibly what allowed those missiles to reach the other side of your continent. They should only be able to fly 18 (depends on reactor?) squares. Try and figure out what base they came from. Was that more than 18 squares away from the target? Then you got hit by AI infinite range missiles.
jimmytrick	posted 05-05-99 09:45 PM ET There certainly are infinite range missles and this also includes Planet Busters. The v3 patch did not fix this. I am playing a custom game designed to extend the tech tree and using agressive AI. I am being pounded almost every turn by 4-8 conventional warheads and have lost 3 size 14 cities to PBs over about twenty turns. I have gone from first to third place during this period. All of these missles are being lauched from beyond legal range. I verified this with the SE. If you are having this problem please SCREAM about it so that Firaxis will fix it. I hate to say this, but, I wonder if this is not a bug. I play on transcend and have heard rumors that the AI has multiple cheats on this level. If Firaxis has done this on purpose...........well if so they would never admit it. Does anyone have any info on this. If so please e-mail me.