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[Updated on: Fri, 23 February 2007 04:03]

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Question wrote on Fri, 23 February 2007 06:43

Even if i start with 100 KT of colonists they just cant get the resource production on the planet starting fast enough, consequently it takes decades for the planet to start producing anything of value. What am i doing wrong?

This may depend on a host of factors, the 1st of them your race design.

We'll need some more data for more analyses.

But 1st things 1st:

Welcome to the madhouse!
Have you played the widely acclaimed Tutorial?
Are you getting the same dismal results with the vanilla race The Humanoids?
Have you read the Stars Strategy Guide or any articles on "25k by 2450"?
Are you willing to master one of the best strategy games of all time?

[Updated on: Fri, 23 February 2007 04:07]

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[Updated on: Sat, 24 February 2007 04:06]

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I'd say get the hang of the plain vanilla predefined reace The Humanoids 1st, in a solo testbed w/out AIs at all. And compare your doings with some "25k by 2450" articles. Spot the differences, both in playstyle and race design. Peruse the Forums (here) and the Articles at www.starsfaq.com. Try to incorporate new tricks and techniques into your playstyle and keep an eye out for improvements in your results. What works for you? What doesn't (yet)? In no time you'll be walking over the AIs like they weren't there.

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[Updated on: Sun, 25 February 2007 23:17]

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[Updated on: Mon, 26 February 2007 01:19]

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Question wrote on Mon, 26 February 2007 05:10

For some reason if i play against 3 standard AI, one will be extremely strong, mass colonizing nearly EVERYTHING, while the other 2...well...they mostly sit there and do jack...last game it was an AR race.

Yep, the AR and HE AIs are mass-colonizers and rely on sheer economy to defeat their opponents.

Quote:

What if i want to stop the AI from re-colonizing a planet i just bombed to pieces, but isnt habitable for my race? Ive tried minefields, but the AI seems to know to travel at warp 4 to avoid them(although SOMETIMES they end up losing fleets anywhere, not sure why), and sometimes even when i stick some cheap ships there to shoot down colony pods they dont do so in time.

The AIs will never realize that a colony is hopeless, so they'll continue to send in their colonizers until you shut down their starbases of origin.

Meanwhile, only minefields (preferably overlapping) can slow them down, as early ships you can build are too slow. But if you allow the AIs enough time, they'll send up powerful escorts and significant pop, thereby establishing a real colony, which will be harder to destroy.

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Oh i have the stars help file already, its with the game. Thanks though.

Im having a lot more success now, thanks a lot. Shooting down colony ships is still hit and miss though. It seems sometimes they can colonize before theres a battle phase...ive had colony ships skip past destroyers armed with high level torps...minefields only slow the AI down as they stick to warp 4 or 5. Its very annoying having to stick like, 1 cruiser and 1 bomber on -every- planet you dont intend to colonize just to stop the crazy AI from spamming colony ships at it.

Also the AI never seems to fight each other . But im always fair game lol.

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Quote:

Its very annoying having to stick like, 1 cruiser and 1 bomber on -every- planet you dont intend to colonize

Annoying, and expensive. Instead, just try a destroyer at every planet. You should have a destroyer skirmisher anyway, something like a Daddy Long Legs 7, 1 or 2 Manuveuring Jets, 2 or 3 ranged beams (Gatling Guns, Phaser Bazookas or Colloidal Phasers), maybe some light armor (like Organic), and a shield might be a good idea for the General Purpose slot. That's certainly going to be a lot less expensive than any cruiser As long as the battle speed on such a ship is 1 and 1/4, you'll take down any regular colonizer.

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Question wrote on Mon, 26 February 2007 21:37

Its very annoying having to stick like, 1 cruiser and 1 bomber on -every- planet you dont intend to colonize just to stop the crazy AI from spamming colony ships at it.

If you have that kind of ships, forget about the tiny AI colonies and go kill its bases.

Quote:

Also the AI never seems to fight each other . But im always fair game lol.

Oh yeah they fight each other, sometimes to incredible extent, even in a "AI alliances allowed" game. It's only that often you don't see it and often they gang against you instead (even in a "no AI alliances allowed" game)

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Iconian wrote on Mon, 26 February 2007 16:01

Quote: Its very annoying having to stick like, 1 cruiser and 1 bomber on -every- planet you dont intend to colonize Annoying, and expensive. Instead, just try a destroyer at every planet. You should have a destroyer skirmisher anyway, something like a Daddy Long Legs 7, 1 or 2 Manuveuring Jets, 2 or 3 ranged beams (Gatling Guns, Phaser Bazookas or Colloidal Phasers), maybe some light armor (like Organic), and a shield might be a good idea for the General Purpose slot. That's certainly going to be a lot less expensive than any cruiser As long as the battle speed on such a ship is 1 and 1/4, you'll take down any regular colonizer.

Ive tried that, but sometimes the AI seems to be able to avoid the battle before colonizing, so i need a bomber to kill off the starting pop the colonizer drops, and late game the AI seems to mass spam decent destroyers at the worlds im blockading.

I just find it annoying i can wipe out multiple AI planets in a row and they are immediately re-colonized a few turns later -.-.

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AI is just pathetic...
Here are 4 techniques that i have found will toast AI-s (so dont read if you dont want the fun spoiled):

...

real front
Keep some space what you think is your. Do not let AI colonize or enter there. Remove any colonies, keep destroyers on orbits that AI-s target ... Its your space and gradually make it bigger and bigger.

angering chickens
Send galleons with 2.5 battle movement and "chicken" battle plan away from your space into space of AI.
"Angering Chicken": galleon, AD8 engines, 4 shields, 5 jets, 2 computers, 3 jihads, a scanner.

AI will collect quite huge damaged fleets there that just are unable to catch it ... if you move it slowly to other AI space then multiple AI-s will fight each other there.

At lower tech you do not need 2.5 movement for such a technique so i have found that frigate DLL7, 2 shields, 3 jets and scanner are enough to keep AI warships away from your space for long time.

time-stopping chickens
AI flies at warp 4 in minefields. Just build and build minefields it will take forever for AI fleets to get somewhere.

"Time-Stop Chicken": galleon, AD8 engines, 4 shields, 5 jets, 5 minelayers, a scanner.
Keep them closer to your space than Angering chicken line is and lay 2 years step out of field and lay 2 years. If it gets attacked then go home and take care of its "escorts".

At low tech use of course usual, frigate based minelayers just lay with them into your own open space (where thanks to angerings) the AI fleets are rarely met.

real fleets
AI attacks with rather small fleets. Build 1-4 fleets that can kill the typical AI fleets (and/or colonies) one after other.

Real fleet works even if you play very crippled race and have to use cruisers against nubians. If you are mostly in defense then make your fleets gateable, use chaff, retreat and heal and reinforce ... do never lose a battle with them.

Using them gradually increase your space until AI-s are dead.

...

Thats it. Using such tactics i found it boringly easy to kill 5 allied expert AI-s with 5% growth AR in medium dense. I dont think that primitive races are any harder since with them you can pop-drop for tech unlike with AR.

[Updated on: Wed, 28 February 2007 14:08]

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Kotk wrote on Wed, 28 February 2007 19:49

... Thats it. Using such tactics i found it boringly easy to kill 5 allied expert AI-s with 5% growth AR in medium dense. I dont think that primitive races are any harder since with them you can pop-drop for tech unlike with AR.

I disagree.
WE expensive realy hurts, as does 6% growth with lousy 1 in 3 habs. A 5% AR will have WE cheap and is 3 immune, that matters a lot.

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