Ship Hit Points

from Stardock Forums
I'm terribly new to GalCiv.
I find many components of it irritating like I think it should have done the Moo2 idea of fleets transferring between systems instead of a more arcade style view ala GalCiv.
But none the less the game is pretty sweet anyways and i'm getting used to it.
One thing I don't as yet get, is why does an enemy who has the same class of ship as me always seem to have HIDEOUSLY more Hit Points than I do?
3,086 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
There are a number of factors that can affect ships military stats (including hit points). These are starting selection, both party (choosing war party gives +50%) and picks (+HP, +ATT, +DEF), resources (military resource starbases are very useful), and ship improvement social projects (starbases, etc). I would assume your enemies are using a number of these to achieve higher hit points.

Some basic guidlines.
- If you plan to play by military conquest then seriously consider choosing military based starting picks. They can make a huge difference.
- Upgrade military starbases as much as possible before you attack enemies.
- Choose a few strategic ship building colonies and build ALL ship improvement buildings only on those colonies (they are expensive to maintain).
- Destroy enemy military starbases before attacking ships if possible.

Paul.

~SDC~
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
What version are you playing? In the earlier versions I think the AI always played with the war-party which gives +50% HP to their ships. Now it's somewhat random which party they start with.

Note that you can increase the HP's of your ships by other ways too... There are certain techs that grant you more HP's, there are Shipyards and such that can be combined to increase your ships HPs and there's an Event, that can, if you take the evil choice, also increase your ships HP's.
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Yeah i don't really want to play military conquest all the time primarily cos in other games thats all it boils down to in the end.

But it just seems that in GalCiv if you've got a weak military and somebody should declare war on you no matter how cool you are economically and politically you'll get wiped away in a matter of 50turns.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Angelus512,
if you're not playing a military style game then you still have to ACTIVELY stop other players from playing a military style game against you.
You achieve this by either bribing other races to keep the balance of power in your favour, keeping ahead tech wise so that your ships are always more powerful, having a good defense (even if you have no offensive).
Unlike many other games AI races do not attack you for no reason. You can normally see wars approaching and need to prepare for them or avert them. You do not need the most powerful ships to win, but you do need to use your playing style to your advantage to overcome any AI races which are persuing a military victory.
Some useful advice

- trade extensively with other races. Races which are dependend on trade with you are less likely to attack and will often come to your aid in wars.
- always maintain a basic defensive level. At least 1 defensive ship at all systems.
- if a major war is likely then PLAN for it. Decide how you are going to force the aggressor to peace. Choose targets before the war starts and send ships close to them. Attack the enemy freighters. This can cripple their economy. Destroy any starbases you can. Maximise your short term gains (cause most amount of damage) and then sue for peace.

Paul.

~SDC~
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
The worst part about AI declaring war on you is he destabilizes you. That really sucks. And then there's the time the Drengin opened up 4 trade routes with me and then declared war. What a moron....
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I personally like the war party the best. The +50 hit points is something you can't get on the starting picks any more with the new 1.04. When you could get it, it was 6 points and thus the most pick-valuable party.

+15 attack is very cheap at 1 point although it takes a bigger ship to really see the benefit

My current fav start is Warparty, PQ+5, Morale +20, Luck +25, Influence +20.




~SDC~
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I haven't won yet using military conquest :)
As Solitair said, the strategy is to actively stop those who would wage war upon you from doing it. Trade is good, bribes is good, alliances is even better.
My favorite least expensive strategy is to build up defense in all my systems and sit tight. I build some battleaxes that are maxed out on defense thanks to starbases and planetary improvements, and I just wait for the enemy to come in and attack. After I've broken up his first 2 attack waves of 10 ships or so, I call him up and offer peace, and he'll take it, many times giving me money for it as well (assuming you're good diplomatically).
That's on lower levels though (intelligent and below)
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
I can't stand defensive ships. All that maintenance going to ships you're not using. Get Grav Accelerators and go offensive. Get some experience. Cause trouble. :)
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
Defensive ships.

As a non-agressive player, I am still stuck on defensive ships but you are probably right. When I started playin SMAC I built armored units but the better I got at the game the less I cared for armor. The attack bonus is so strong, the armor just isn't worth the credits and a passive defense usually lost the game anyway.

~SDC~
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
I have to disagree on the war party picks. I used to play a race with war party,+10 hps, +15 weapons, +40 repair, and +30 economy. But my ships lost many battles to lesser ships because of the randomness of the rolls.

I have done much better with the capitalists(federalists, +20 economy, +20 diplomacy, 5pq, +25 lucky, +20 research. I ALWAYS get diplomatic translators and tristronium steel(plus 20 hps).

With the capitalists I have a great economy and can trade/sell techs easily. My research is good too.
I find my ships are just as successful as my war party ships because they are usually fighting in zones in which I have 1-3 starbases and I am usually right up there in tech. I have won with the Caps on Maso difficulty on a large map. Getting techs early is the key because there are some trade goods you do not want to be without:
Diplomatic Translators;
Tristronium-Steel;
Galatic Stock Exchange;
Gravity Accelerators;
Aphrodisiac.

I usually watch the computers research closely and buy the tech to purchase the trade good if I do not have it. I do not mind doing a few leases early in the game
because after trade routes are flowing the price of the trade goods seems trivial compared to the benefit.

The best defensive ships are anti-matter missiles. These cheap
ships can take out a ranger and cripple an Overlord.
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
I agree with those Trade Goods, but I'm also really liking Eyes of the Universe. Once I've got Frigates on his home turf, it's a turkey shoot. :)