New strategies=fun!

Talk about strategy games like MoO series, Civilization, Europa Universalis, etc.

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Bigjoe5
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New strategies=fun!

#1 Post by Bigjoe5 »

I was just thinking that the main reason that people get tired of 4X games is that they run out of new strategies to try that will offer them a reasonable chance of success and in that light, how important it is that the makers of a 4X game do their best to predict possible player strategies and balance them properly. In fact, the main reason I stopped playing MoO2 was that I grew tired of using the same strategies over and over again...

So, recently I came up with a great new strategy!

Racial picks (custom Elerian [they were closest to the race I had in mind]):

Feudal - So that I could build ships faster.
Telepathic - So that the planets I capture assimilate instantly.
Ground Combat -10 - A convenient way to get more points for a telepathic race. ;)
Creative - So that I can use my Robo-miner plants to build my Battlestations.
Rich Home World / Artifacts Home World - So that I could get off to a quick start despite the research penalty of feudal.
Population Growth -50% - Because I don't need my population to grow fast...
Omniscient - So I know exactly how to plan my early game assault!

My strategy: To become an ultra race by quickly abducting citizens from empires with bonuses in the early game!

I started relatively close to the center of the galaxy; Orion was the closest system to my homeworld. I examined the other races' traits and chose my target. Using outpost ships, I quickly expanded downward and to the left where the Klackons, with +2 to both farming and industry started. I overtook them swiftly and replaced all my Elerian citizens with Klackons, and since then, my uber-race has been owning the heck out of everyone else in the galaxy!

So, what do you think of my strategy? Does anyone else have interesting and fun new strategies to try for MoO2?
Warning: Antarans in dimensional portal are closer than they appear.

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Josh
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Re: New strategies=fun!

#2 Post by Josh »

Nope. I don't play games that much anymore, so I couldn't really say.

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Yeeha
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Re: New strategies=fun!

#3 Post by Yeeha »

Interesting... I usually played Ultra warmonger with feudal, uncreative, transdimensional, +1 production, warlord + some warpicks sometimes ground combat sometimes defense. Goal is to get contact with lots of races early and try to demand automated factoryes and research lab, if that fails ill try to acquire it with ground combat. After that most challenging part is over and ill try to get tractor beam or some other ship capture tech to gain techs from space combat. I dont know if its possible with impossible difficulty i played with hard difficulty mostly because i disliked AI spamming ships so that i must have major battle every turn.

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Bigjoe5
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Re: New strategies=fun!

#4 Post by Bigjoe5 »

I've pretty much tried that one before, though not with the uncreative penalty! And I always research research lab and automated factories myself, regardless of what strategy I'm using. Perhaps I'll try taking them for once...
Warning: Antarans in dimensional portal are closer than they appear.

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Yeeha
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Re: New strategies=fun!

#5 Post by Yeeha »

Some technologyes are very easy to demand unleast in hard difficulty - automated factoryes, class I shield, autolab. I dont know why AI cares so less about autolab since warmonger with autolab is THE END. So i never bother researching in beginning at all when i play like that. 2-3 outposts to make contact 2 destroyers and scouts refitted to frigates and then i demand automated factoryes.research lab and shield 1, if they refuse... Well war it is >:).

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Krikkitone
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Re: New strategies=fun!

#6 Post by Krikkitone »

Actually a race I like to play with MOO2 (although I haven't in a while)

can only be made with Coorion... but it is point balanced

1. pick all possible negatives except Poor HW
2. Pick all remaining possible Positives except Rich HW

You have a race that is Very inefficient (Feudal -Research, -Prod+Cybernetic, -food, Low G), but has a massive population (Tolerant Subterranean Aquatic)
They are Repulsive Uncreative, so their survival is really only possible if they have some economy boosting early tech, and some ok mid-late weapons in their normal arsenal... (Psilons are Really annoying for them)

But... They never need to do ground combat (which is terrible anyways -Combat, Low G) because of Telepathic
and Warlord+Transdimensional balances out the Ship Combat Penalties

So they rely on massive numbers of ships..
early use of HW (artifact and Aquatic Ocean world makes it OK)
early colonization of available Rich and Fertile worlds (omniscient+Transdimensional)
early "stealing" of unguarded slave workers with an empty cruiser (omniscient+Transdimensional for speed)

Getting techs mostly from military conquest
using their own population to "fill in" worlds to massive populations.. that are mind controlled Slaves

Cybernetic starbases can hold off early assaults well

The fun thing is the variety needed with the limited tech tree. (sometimes it makes it impossible I only give it a shot if there is some early econ bonus... I tend to hope for a late game bonus by stealing)

I've also done the Pure Droid strategy.... get a strong Tech (Democracy, Artifact, Lith/+Food/Aq/Large/Sub, LoG,-growth race) and rush to Androids... the only place living races are is on your HW.. repeat build them until you can't fit any more, shift them around to get new worlds started...stick with taxes for money

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Zanzibar
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Re: New strategies=fun!

#7 Post by Zanzibar »

Bigjoe5 wrote:I was just thinking that the main reason that people get tired of 4X games is that they run out of new strategies to try that will offer them a reasonable chance of success and in that light, how important it is that the makers of a 4X game do their best to predict possible player strategies and balance them properly.
So, I take it you have not played sword of the stars recently with both expansions?? I have over 1000 hours logged on that game, and still haven't tried every single strategy out!! :shock:
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