Early Research Paths

from GalCiv2 Forums

Obviously we're talking about the more normal research paths and not the weird ones like the Thalans. 

I consider ion drives and planetary improvements to be super-important.  Ion drives means all your engines costs 10 bcs less, which is fabulous for the early colony ships, and planetary improvements provide those huge bonuses to everything.  

After that if there's tech trading you probably want xeno communications and universal translator.  

But then what? Let's say you're using super-breeder so you don't need recruitment centers.  What is the next good tech path? Is it still worth it to get space militarization for the military bonus? 

I normally just go down the planetary governments route afterwards for the diplo and econ bonuses, which will kick in when I run out of money.  I might add a small detour for a morale tech or two to help the population grow.  But is there a better route? 

EDIT: Central mines.  Wow.  They provide the production of two early factories and cost only 3 bcs in maintenance.  Cheap to build too.  

strategies
10,202 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

In DA, I do about as you said.  However, after planetary improvements (and maybe ion engines) i do the first diplomacy tech and then Trade.  Trade has the benefit of the Eco Capitol and gives me something to trade to AIs that will get them to send me freighters that eco boost me and ease any early hostilities.

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Think of the game in three stages:  

Stage One: Expand, expand, expand.  Research will be slow here, grab the quick techs that'll help "right now" (like Ion Engines) but go more with Diplomacy.  Other races are pretty easy to trade with early on before any one has a military.  Once military strength gets put into play, it becomes a a matter of "Who has the bigger X" game to get techs traded.

Stage Two: It's the Economy, stupid!   Ok, you have your colonies. Now you need money.  Focus on Morale and economic structures.  Morale has two-fold benefits, happier people breed more and you can have a higher tax rate.  Economics (and Trade, trade is really really really good- esp at keeping you out of war) will help you build up a treasury to prepare for the last stage.

Stage Three: Ships and Computers.   Now that you have an economic engine running, it's all about being the biggest badass on the block, and that means that most powerful warships money can buy.  Which means research and military production.  Watch your enemies and see what weapons they are using, and focus your techs to counter that.

 

Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Even being superbreeder I'll still build recruitment centers or fertility clinics... This allows me to grow pop even faster as well as maxing out planets population.

Further, it will delay the early bancrupty. In order to prevent this you should leave your planets empty with the exception of a starport, and maybe make usage of bonus tiles etc pp, taking research/production simply from the colony building. (I'm talking about the stage of colonization)

Now these aforementioned buildings do have next to no maintenance and are fairly cheap to build and help with that which is most important in the game - population. (population is in essence the basic driver of the whole game)

The social production that is used for them is not lost - because you can overbuild them with other buildings and most of the time their cost is taken into the equation (sometimes not, always check that out by lokking at the "instant buy" option - but generally speaking, the new building should be more expensive than the inital one [otherwise you'd get a negative value)

You also want to research farms early (as superbreeder).

Generally everything that yields racial innate bonuses - and don't trade them to the AIs. As well as don't trade diplo techs or weapons.

About freighter I have some mixed feelings. The cash income fromt hem is only recognizable in the very beginning or if a route does last over the whole map for quite some time, but this doesusually not happen. And in early stages of the game I'd rather build a new colony ship instead of a freighter. What is ok is trade for AI scouts and upgrade thme into longrange freighters, will save some time too cause their usually already far away.

Focus alot on research and economy. Without these two military production is worthless. Build military according to what the AIs are doing. Don't fall back, try to be at 60%-100% of MMR, if races try to bribe you this is very bad.

Let the AIs attack themselves, select enemys carefully and if doing so, conquer them fastly.

Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

With super-breeder, I tend to micro the tax rate so that the newest planets will always have 100% approval.  And a lot of times that means Xeno-Ehtics and neutrality and things like Entertainment Centers and Healing Pools.  Now that I'm playing more I'm finding those very useful.  

But keeping at 60-100% of MMR.  That's interesting.  Why is building too many units bad (if you have the econ for it)? Does it make all the AIs want to attack you? 

Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

This is not about the Torians but the regular races I'm saying that because I got the impression that some of U thought that. Every time I play I don't worry about population untill I fill up my planets. That would work unless your the Yor or Thalabs. I  still would utilize my super breeder if I was Thalans by keeping my morale at %100. For the most part don't spend more than 13 turns on a tech. Unless your Torians or a nonstandardn tech I would recommend not worrying about morale untill your running out of money. If your the Torians though the entertainment network is easily buildable but for the other morake building it takes to long to build in the early part of the game. So research Healing pools. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about morale untill I run out of money. The most inportant efect of flat rate bonuses R seen at the beginning of the game. I wouldn't worry about the Ion engine Untill after other civilizations R stealing planet s U want or untill after the planets R to far apart and it takes the colony ships to long time to reach them. or Untill U find resources. A lo of colony ships will work in the beginning of the game instead of worry about cheap fast ships I wouldn't worry about Xeno communications untill I meet someone I wouldn't worry about terraforming techs untill I use my planet tiles I wouldn't worry about weapons untill the Ai starts threatening me I would trade with weapons techs though these R easy to replace and the computer r not as good at building ships as u Planetary inprovements is a real good start the next important tech is military production more colony ships the better and you may have to get constructors built I like to go for Sensors when I get the first chance The more survey ships u have the more stuff u get before the Ai gets them after military productionion economics moral factories research and then diplomacy U may consider a different approach making diplomacy a higher importance if U don't have the techs U don't have anything to trade include what I said about farming terraforming weapons and morale in the equation when U have your fill of planets then worry about freighters lets talk about sensors when my range needs to be extended is when I WORRY About life support sensors engines and miniturization u may have to worry about life support sensors engines except when the Ai has minuterization and hull techs if U don't have enough planets after U run out of room theres always extreme planets after the colonization rush is when U want to consider your soecial planets like production technology and population this is the only time U have to worry about a technological capital now its time to research advanced computing and depending on the tech tree other techs too

 

Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting marigoldran, reply 4
But keeping at 60-100% of MMR. That's interesting. Why is building too many units bad (if you have the econ for it)? Does it make all the AIs want to attack you?

Well if you can do it then I'd say do it, having a high MMR is pretty much the safest thing to victory. But you sacrifice some production for it, and that production could maybe be used elsewere. Now that really depends on the map. The point is that after some time your Military Ships are old and you won't win battles with them anymore. Thus, you have to upgrade them which can cost a boatload of bcs. However, having a large military fleet always around will cost you a lot of maintenance and that might be a reason why you lack these funds.

So, I do it like this. Get a MMR so the AI doesn't try to threaten me (which carries diplomatic hits with it and also I want the + your military strength bonus). If a war arises I'll usually go to 100/0/0 and build just the very best ships with which I can beat the enemy. Once this is done or let's say, it is clear that I have enough force I'll stop and focus on social or tech again.

It's just a thing to do things efficiently. That's why I like the spin Control Center so much, it let's you outtech others while having as good as no funds into MP.

However, it's also risky. Esp. the so-called "good-alignment" races like Torians or Altarians can conspire against you and from one turn to another throw the whole galaxy into a full-blown war and you might not have the time ti build up enough force.

Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting Maiden666, reply 6


 having a high MMR is pretty much the safest thing to victory. But you sacrifice some production for it, and that production could maybe be used elsewere. Now that really depends on the map. 

Something a lot of people have forgotten is that if u build infastructure on your planets that may actually cost u in production right now and probably cause an economic wall sooner, but they r forgetting later when your productiion is back up because of population and morale or economics u will overall have more production.

So, I do it like this. Get a MMR so the AI doesn't try to threaten me (which carries diplomatic hits with it and also I want the + your military strength bonus).

Something U want to take into account is this will take some time before the Ai will usually start threatening u I've only seen the Ai declare war on the first threat once. And usually the Ai doesn't attack right away after they declare war and u can usually easily recover unless they have planetary invasion The reason I mention this is because infustucture and colonization is really important in the game the worst case u can trade for military techs later planetary improvements economics morale i would worry about for a long time.

It's just a thing to do things efficiently. That's why I like the spin Control Center so much, it let's you outtech others while having as good as no funds into MP.

Who has the spin control center and what does it do

However, it's also risky. Esp. the so-called "good-alignment" races like Torians or Altarians can conspire against you and from one turn to another throw the whole galaxy into a full-blown war and you might not have the time ti build up enough force.

again planets and infustructure there is not a such thing as not enough time even though I said that remember if U attack the a;tarians or the drath they can get allies easier I am going to say that this is the second time I did this and it didn't turn out right so u should probably read Maidens post first