| Early Ship Design |
Tue, 13 September 2011 15:33  |
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 realitybend |
 | Crewman 1st Class |
Messages: 21
Registered: August 2011
Location: OR, United States | |
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As I'm looking in the next few weeks to hopefully get into a human PBEM game, I thought I'd ask all you experienced players about early-game ship design - the destroyer or cruiser phases. I know much of the game is about counter-design, but are there any things I should know beforehand? What designs am I likely to see from other players?
Thanks.
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| Re: Early Ship Design |
Tue, 13 September 2011 18:07  |
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| magic9mushroom |
 | Commander |
Messages: 1361
Registered: May 2008 | |
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One thing that might puzzle you - some players will use Jihad DDs during the cruiser era.
This is because Jihad cruisers are too heavy to construct at Space Docks, and some races have a lot more Docks than they have full starbases.
[Updated on: Tue, 13 September 2011 18:07] Report message to a moderator
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| Re: Early Ship Design |
Wed, 14 September 2011 16:07 |
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| neilhoward | 
| Commander |
Messages: 1112
Registered: April 2008
Location: SW3 & 10023 | |
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| realitybend wrote on Wed, 14 September 2011 10:45 |
Thanks!
Another question - how much time will I likely need to put aside for each game size, in the medium/later portions of the game? In your experience, how much time is purely spent on diplomacy?
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Count on 2 hours.
The amount of time your game requires will be dependent on several factors including the MM intensity of your playstyle, and requirements of your race design (e.g. booster, remote mining, minelaying, sweeping, and scanning fleets ala NAS).
Time required for diplomacy can vary quite a bit. One factor to consider when joining an alliance is time zone/schedule difference. One of the best tools for diplomacy beyond an alliance is a large fleet of dreadnoughts.
I would strongly advise selecting a whole game strategy before joining a game. This would include how you intend to win, be it a diplomatic, economic, force, acclaim, or pyric victory. My favourite is victory through MM; "punish the lazy". Understand that few plans survive 2400.
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| Re: Early Ship Design |
Wed, 14 September 2011 21:22 |
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| m.a@stars |
| Commander |
Messages: 2765
Registered: October 2004
Location: Third star to the left | |
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| realitybend wrote on Wed, 14 September 2011 19:45 |
how much time will I likely need to put aside for each game size,
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It really depends. Play style, race style, empire size, amount of wars fought at once, craftiness of enemies, teammates able to double-check or polish your turns, tools or techniques that help reduce or streamline MM... 
If you're doing well and managing a decent-sized empire, I'd suggest a whole extra hour per universe size, starting with 1 hour at Tiny. If you're doing really well, you could perhaps trim that down to half an hour per universe size. 
That said, I've seem and played monster races with 100+ planets at endgame in a Huge galaxy with strong enemies which took all of 10 minutes to play, while in the same game and team another race with half the planets and fleets took 6 solid hours per turn. 
Not that I care that much, really. As far as wasting free time goes, Stars! ranks easily among the best options. 
| Quote: |
how much time is purely spent on diplomacy?
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Diplomacy will easily eat any amount of time you can devote to it. Any, as in "any/any" gates. OTOH, Diplomacy can win you the game, so it's not all a waste. 
So many Stars, so few Missiles!
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| Re: Early Ship Design |
Fri, 23 September 2011 10:20 |
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| Void |
 | Ensign |
Messages: 369
Registered: January 2011
Location: California, GMT -7 | |
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| realitybend wrote on Thu, 15 September 2011 07:48 |
Wow - lots of good advice!
I realize that all players get crushed in their first multiplayer games. I don't think I'll mind, as long as I put up a good fight and learn A LOT. On the other hand, duels seem like a good idea too...
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I have found duels to be a fantastic way to master game mechanics, improve economy building, and learn battle tactics. That said, it's a very special setup, and won't teach you one whit about diplomacy. That's an obvious thing to say, of course, but so long as you're aware of that, then duels can be a great learning experience!
Cheers,
Void
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| Re: Early Ship Design |
Sat, 24 September 2011 20:28 |
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| realitybend wrote on Thu, 15 September 2011 10:48 |
Wow - lots of good advice!
I realize that all players get crushed in their first multiplayer games. I don't think I'll mind, as long as I put up a good fight and learn A LOT. On the other hand, duels seem like a good idea too...
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You won't necessarily be crushed if you:
1. Study the Strategy Guide, FAQs, etc.
2. Select the right PRT. The PRT I suggest for your first game, in order of easiest to hardest, is CA (if permitted by the rules)/JOAT (especially if NAS is permitted by the rules), IT, IS, SD. Other PRTs are harder to master including WM & SS.
3. Try to find an experienced player to ally with. He/she will usually give you considerable mentoring that will help you in the game & into future games.
4. Ask an expert player (who will not be playing in the game) to critique your race design before sending it to the host.
5. Do not design a -f. Do design a HG race.
6. Do not overdo early ship building. You need to develop your econ & techs.
7. Take Weapons & Con cheap unless it is a team game where your teammate will be handling some of that. Other tech settings should suit the selected PRT.
These are just off the top of my head & there are other things can help (eg. I would take RS). No doubt other players would have advice too.
I know one player who finished at #2 in their first PBEM game & won the 2nd game.
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| Re: Early Ship Design |
Sat, 24 September 2011 23:26 |
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| Void |
| Ensign |
Messages: 369
Registered: January 2011
Location: California, GMT -7 | |
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| AlexTheGreat wrote on Sat, 24 September 2011 17:28 |
2. Select the right PRT. The PRT I suggest for your first game, in order of easiest to hardest, is CA (if permitted by the rules)/JOAT (especially if NAS is permitted by the rules), IT, IS, SD. Other PRTs are harder to master including WM & SS.
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Had to chuckle at this. My first game I chose a CA (but didn't know your advice about -f races) and in my second game I'm playing a JOAT to much better effect.
If I was to do it all over again, I would have chosen the Feds right off the bat and see what happened, then started tweaking from there.
Cheers,
Void
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