How long does it take a newbie to get the hang of the game?

from Stardock Forums
I finally got the game today :) but im in the learning stage where im barely playing, and just trying things out and doing things without much thought. How many games will I need to play before I get the hang of it, understand it, and start making moves where ive thought them out and stuff?
282 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I think I was getting it on my third game when things started clicking. I've played lots of similar games, so it was just a bit of a culture adjustment...no pun intended.

:D

~SDC~
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
My second game was alot more coherent than the first. I did much better, on a bigger map, played longer, got a resounding victory, and scored less than my first game.

My third game is going well as well, but since increasing mapsize and difficulty level causes me to score less ;) I will get a pathetic score.

M
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I've had it for a week and I still don't have the hang of it. Either I keep up in tech and fall behind in military and constructors, or I fall behind in tech. I ca't seem to find a medium


~SDC~
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I find one of the best strategies is to trade tech for income, and then ramp up your spending whenever possible to out-produce your opponents. This strategy takes time to develop, so don't get frustrated if you don't see yourself making a lot of money at first. I also find that Corvettes are a good way to inflate my military rating, as they are cheap to build and maintain, and you can build a lot of them very quickly (they won't do much in terms of attack or defense, but by keeping your military rating high, other races are less likely to pick on you). Once you have a strong economy and a "real" military (i.e. battelships or better) start finding ways to culturally assimilate neighboring races who are too weak to put up much of a protest. From there, it's up to you to decide if you want a cultural, technological, or military victory. It takes time to really get the hang of it -- but stick with it, because this is an incredible game.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
If you've been playing Civ/Moo type games then I'd say within a few games you should have a good grasp on it.

If yer new to this genre of games, I'd give it 4-6 games before having a good grasp of the concepts. But to have a great understanding of strategy and being able to adapt well takes a lot of practice.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
In each of my first 5 games I figured out major strategic improvements. By the 3rd game (if you are a quick learner and read the boards), you can begin to understand the basic rules and how to best them.

I just finished my 6th game and never had my spending below 100% with no economic problems or production problems (hint: learning how to control your production abilities allows you to control your economy - it's a fine balance between the two). This is a night-and-day improvement for me from my first 2 games, where I struggled to understand the economy and morale/population growth. The game is far more gratifying than most when it all starts to click (since it is such a brilliantly-designed game).

Time to up the stakes. :)

Have a fun time playing and learning - I know I will.

Gord

~SDC~