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[Updated on: Wed, 26 November 2008 18:05]

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But you build potato bugs? Don't they take like 8 years to pay back their minerals? Let alone actually make a profit? Also, isn't that like cost 12 mines? Compared to cost 6 mines with Robo-Maxis... What am I missing?

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Hi!

magic9mushroom wrote on Fri, 28 November 2008 06:34

I had the basic idea to go for the Robo-Maxi, but I'm not sure when's the best time to go for them, you see?

The problem with remotes is they cost a lot, and need to be run for quite some time to pay back the investment. The less efficient they are, the longer one needs to run them.

With the tech-mongering AR that makes quite a decision: all remotes before the Maxi robot obsolete VERY fast. Since most ARs nowadays also take the ISb, and make the tech rush to Ultra Stations done somewhere around turn 33, the AR player only needs to research Elec-7 and he has Super-robots available, almost as a by-product. That speed makes Maxi-robots obsolete in about 15 turns. Subtract from that the pay-off turns and "maxis" come out even worse. At the time a player can build them en-mass (from Ultra Stations) and really needs them (Ultras grow A LOT of pop), are they already obsolete.

Knowing that fact I usually wait for Super-robot before building ANY remote miner. I let my breeders crowd a bit more, and/or export excess pop to iron-rich close reds (both actions also increasing my mineral production costing no minerals), while waiting those 5 or so turns to get that Super-robot.

However I had yet to test that approach into the real game. The only one game I've been in as an AR ended prematurely.

BR, Iztok

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Hi!

magic9mushroom wrote on Fri, 28 November 2008 13:37

Don't Supers obsolete nearly as fast with Death Star tech giving Ultras?

IMO not. It's VERY rare that AR can grow up to Death Stars without being challenged. Somewhere between turn 30 and 40 players usually start seriously looking after their victims, but the AR player just starts building his remotes. That makes him a perfect iron-less target for early jihad BBs, esp. because his enemies don't need bombers to remove him.

Quote:

So go for maxis around 2420?

Much depends on the situation. If there's a non-cooperative neighbour around, then some maxis on iron-rich planets built at "regular" Space Stations could help. He always can sell them lately to a player without remotes. But building them en-mass means he's losing research speed and scarce minerals to medium-efficiency miners, obsolete 5 full research turns after he stops building them.

Anyway an AR player needs to be extremely diplomatic to get over those rough years, when he needs minerals to get minerals, while neighbours build jihad BBs. No other strategy can save him in this period, sorry. (BTW that's the reason why I don't play AR. Hate to depend on the mercy of others.) Only after he gets average 500 mines on his every planet, can he breathe a bit more freely. My opinion anyway, YMMV .

BR, Iztok

[Updated on: Mon, 01 December 2008 03:33]

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