Help! Paranoid Iconians on the Dread Lords campaign

from GalCiv2 Forums

I've gone back and started the Dread Lords campaign again, this time trying all of the "alternate" missions that you get when you lose one of the normal missions. In the first of these ("Desperate Ally"), you have to get the Iconians to ally with you. Unfortunately, I've run into a bit of a problem.

The other object is to destroy the Yor, who start in the north of the map. After an unexpectedly difficult struggle, the Iconians and I gained the edge. Except... the most direct route to the Yor is by the system in the middle of map (Thindor) which the Iconians control. And whenever I tried to run my transports by it, they declared war on me.

I've set the game to autosave after every turn, so my immediate problem is that I'll have to go back quite a way to my last named save in order to avoid this happening. The larger question, though, is this: is there any way to avoid triggering the Iconians' paranoia other then sending my transports a very long way around?

strategies
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

 

You can send your troops with mining modules through the iconian space.  Once they are through, upgrade them to transports.  You will have less invading troops so if you have spies, use them to both reduce the morale of the Yor and their population by placing the spies on the spark improvement.

When invading with a low number of troops either use the propaganda option which will cause some to defect or use the mass drivers.

Another option is to create a custom made troop transport using adv. troop modules and a lot of engines.  If your speed is around 8 or 9 you may zip right through iconian space without them declaring war on you.

You can also try purchasing the troop modules from the Iconian themselves.

 

 

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I actually just wound up sending my ships the long way around because I wanted to get the mission over with (my economy was a mess), but to address your points:

You can send your troops with mining modules through the iconian space. Once they are through, upgrade them to transports.

I assume you mean colony modules here, as they're the only other kind that allows you to carry population.

You will have less invading troops so if you have spies, use them to both reduce the morale of the Yor and their population by placing the spies on the spark improvement.

Because of various bugs and other difficulties (Dread Lords are much harder to fight under the new combat system, which means missions like Apocalypse where it's an all-out war against them are nightmarish) I am playing the game on the original Dread Lords, not an expansion, so this is out.

Another option is to create a custom made troop transport using adv. troop modules and a lot of engines. If your speed is around 8 or 9 you may zip right through iconian space without them declaring war on you.

Unfortunately, when I tried the Iconians declared war anyway. It seems like they don't want transports anywhere near their planets.

You can also try purchasing the troop modules from the Iconian themselves.

I tried; they refused. I didn't have a lot to offer as they out-teched me badly. The entire mission was basically sitting on the sidelines as the Iconians and Yor slugged it out.

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Hi!

is there any way to avoid triggering the Iconians' paranoia other then sending my transports a very long way around?

IIRC with your troop transports you need to stay out of iconian's influence area and also stay outside their sensor range at the end of transports' movement. So I'd suggest you building a Starbase at the edge of their space, and send your troop transports to that SB first, and then to the Yor. In DL you also should have quite an advantage with engines: I remember having there "normal" warships with the speed of ~15, and "quick-response" ones with the speed of 30.

I also really don't get this "long way around". :-?  The game is played on a square grid, so the number of moves to the opposite corner the same, as to the opposite side. Is iconians' empire so large, you need to move along the edges of the map in order to get around them? 

BR,  Iztok

 

Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Is iconians' empire so large, you need to move along the edges of the map in order to get around them?

Yes, actually. It was basically a long ribbon running almost from one edge to the other. I had to send the transports along the very edge of the map to avoid entering their influence.

Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

>I assume you mean colony modules here, as they're the only other kind that allows you to carry population.

Colonies are the better choice as it will give you 250 population but I've taken over planets with converted miners.  Miner modules carry a mining population so you will have some troops in it.  I've also taken over planets with only 1 troop by using information warfare.  When the population's morale is low and your soldering is high, you can get a percentage of their population as your troop.