Darvin3

Reply to Does the AI ever build starbases at stars? in Strategy Sins Forums

None of the AI's know how to counter starbases. They'll all run their armies into range of its weapons and leave their Ogrovs or starfish to get minced by a few fighter squads.

Reply to Neutral Balance in Strategy Sins Forums

Just the luck of the draw with random maps. I very recently had a 1v1 where I began without an asteroid and all the planets surrounding my homeworld had maximum sized militia forces, and all the neutrals were on my enemy's side of the map (I still had uncolonizables on my side, but they were empty and only served to break up all potential trade port chains), and my enemy started with THREE asteroids plus he had a planet with massive pure glaciers and was TEC and was 8 jumps away from me

Reply to Need a strat to take out a starbase.. in Strategy Sins Forums

Ogrovs make an excellent addition to your fleet when we you need to tear up some structures quickly (makes mince meat of repair platform/frigate factory comboes), so if you're on the offensive they're a good choice. Plus they're nowhere near as weak as siege frigates, doing their job [i]properly[/i] without blowing up whenever something sneezes at them. I'd agree that if you want bulk you should go with the bomber, but Ogrovs work just fine if you don't need too many. If y

Reply to Quirks, Irks, and Things that Bother Me TAKE FOUR in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote]I think my main problem with quick start is that it fully endorses rushing.[/quote] Honestly, I don't think rushes are bad, it's when games are decided on the rush that they're bad. I think one of the underlying issues is that a swing of a single planet can be absolutely HUGE in the early game. If econ were more potent, then the LRF rusher would similarly have more to worry about. I think that's the better way to look at this. Having more to worry abou

Reply to Quirks, Irks, and Things that Bother Me TAKE FOUR in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote] Therefore a person using SBs can remain "strong" militarily, with a small fleet, and build a stronger economy that isn't crippled by high Fleet maintenance costs. This is a good thing, and a great improvement over vanilla Sins IMO. I personally think the Economic tech tree should be more important! <span style="font-fa

Reply to Quirks, Irks, and Things that Bother Me TAKE FOUR in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote]Why not simply upgrade the Ruiner to have this plasma wave attack?[/quote] Same reason it's irrelevant that the destructor has a wave attack: you don't use that unit type for its basic attack, so it's not a consideration for picking its attack upgrade. [quote]Meteor Storm is awesome to use, so I went a bit far to say it's OP, when in fact, each starbase needs something that can kick ass.[/quote] Meteor control and the big red button are both uncapped area-of-eff

Reply to logistics/tact. structures in Sins of a Solar Empire Sins Forums

You can upgrade the number of tactical and logistical slots in the planet upgrade menu. You can only buy so many of these upgrades, however, so plan ahead and pay attention to what your last logistical space is. The TEC has an civic upgrade that reduces the cost of logistical upgrades, as well as an upgrade that adds 1 free logistical slot to every planet. The Advent has a civic upgrade that adds free tactical slots to every planet. You can always scuttle old struc

Reply to Does the AI ever build starbases at stars? in Strategy Sins Forums

If the starbase doesn't have too many upgrades, the trusty standby of assailants and nanos will work. Once it has enough upgrades (or you suspect the "big red button" may be in play) you'll have to go with bombers. Vasari bombers are arguably the best against starbases anyways thanks to phase missiles. Bombers really are the best starbase counter anyways.

Reply to Patch Stat Changes Forum [NEW TOPIC: Adjudicators 8/25/09]!! in Sins of a Solar Empire Sins Forums

Enforcer: nay nay yay yay yay yay Overseer: yay to jump degredation dealing damage, nay to 360 degree heals. I don't know why we're talking about the Overseer when the subverter hasn't yet been discussed. Definitely the weaker of Vasari's two support cruisers.

Reply to Poll: Novalith vs Kostura vs Deliverance Engine in Sins of a Solar Empire Sins Forums

IMO: Deliverance > Kostura > Novalith Also notice the bumpage where the year changes from 2008 to 2009; this is a VERY old thread, so the first page is all Vanilla.

Reply to Quirks, Irks, and Things that Bother Me TAKE FOUR in Strategy Sins Forums

[Quote]The Uselessness of Light Frigates[/quote] Couldn't agree more. These units need serious help, although I don't think buffing their damage multipliers sky high is the right way to do it. If there's one thing the carrier-masser proved a couple versions back, it's that if there aren't enough LRF on the field, then LF actually [i]can[/i] do their job properly. I think the problem is just that LRF are killing them too quickly. I see two solutions to this.

Reply to Does the AI ever build starbases at stars? in Strategy Sins Forums

I've never seen the AI build starbases on uncolonizable gravity wells, star or otherwise. Similarly, it doesn't organize its own offensives against these starbases very well, and usually ends up getting its fleet toasted.

Reply to The power of ruthlessness in Sins of a Solar Empire Sins Forums

Basically it didn't have a maximum number of targets, so it affected the entire enemy army, not just 24 units or so. Needless to say, with the right ability comboes, it made missile barrage look tame.

Reply to The power of ruthlessness in Sins of a Solar Empire Sins Forums

Malice was very popular before it got nerfed, and the ruthlessness/malice combo was well known. Since its nerf, malice is rarely use, and accordingly the ruthlessness combo has fallen out of favour.

Reply to How many of those turrets would you like? in Strategy Sins Forums

In the fleet behavior menu (you don't need use fleets to do this) there is a button that lets you toggle the targeting AI of your units. One open is "hold ground" (the unit won't move unless ordered to), the second is "local area" (the unit will only move to attack units within a short range of its current position), and the default is "gravity well" (move and attack anything in the gravity well). I typically use local area most of the time, so that units like guardians don't go

Reply to Thread Closed in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote]True, except when they are fully upgraded, especially with frontal shield. Gotta get bombers then, or another starbase, or both.[/quote] That is a true rarity. Fully upgraded starbases are monsters, but typically when someone spends the phenomenal amount of cash necessary to create them their fleet will suffer and you can just raze the rest of their empire and save that super-base for last. [quote]So I don't quite agree with making it harder for ot

Reply to Thread Closed in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote]Remember though, the Vasari SB is their assault ship. It can't jump between wells and moves much slower than the other assault ships, the trade off is thats its a starbase, and a nasty one. But that aside think about it this way-[/quote] I never said it's wrong that Vasari have the strongest starbase. The Vasari starbase is a very dangerous offensive tool, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. [quote]Vasari vs Vasari- When a Vasari player attacks anothers

Reply to Thread Closed in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote]The reason Vasari starbases are "more powerful" is because their ability to move is "free". You dont have to do any research to get it. Thats a BIG plus for them. For TEC/Advent, you have to spent time/ressources to make them "more" useful.[/quote] I'd definitely agree with that. If we had to actually sink 1800 credits (plus crystal and metal costs) to get the ability to move, the Vasari starbase would be [i]a lot[/i] more comparable to the TEC and Advent ones.<

Reply to How many of those turrets would you like? in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote]How often do you place planetary defensive structures for your colonies? Do you think they are necessary?[/quote] Depends on my situation and what I'm defending against. The best defensive structure is, hands down, the repair bay. Not only does it improve every other defensive structure by making them harder to kill, but it also provides a place where you can retreat a damaged fleet or capital ship to be repaired. I usually don't use turrets. The reaso

Reply to Thread Closed in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote] TEC starbases can make ships, and faster than frigate factories can.[/quote] I was more speaking towards their military roles. Their economic and support role is another matter. But anyways: It still costs less to put up a few frigate factories (especially if you have their cost reduction researched) in a nearby planet. Yes, one frigate factory is slower than TEC starbase producing units, but how about two or three? The [i]real[/i] savings here

Reply to Thread Closed in Strategy Sins Forums

[quote]Personally, I see the Vasari SB as the most powerful of the lot.[/quote] Oh yeah, Vasari Starbase is the most powerful by a longshot. Only the big red button and meteor control make the TEC/Advent starbases worth mentioning, but the Vasari one is a nightmare. The thing is, the TEC and Advent starbases are really just glorified turrets. Because they can't move, you just need to sit outside their attack range and bombard them with long-range att

Reply to CIV IV , is it worth it? in PC Gaming Sins Forums

As far as expansions go, you should be looking for a compilation at this point. BTS is definitely the better of the two expansions, but Warlords isn't bad or something to avoid. Frankly I [i]hated[/i] the medieval age until trebuchets were introduced in that expansion. I've heard a couple people remark about how they didn't like Civilization 4. There's no question that it's not a clone of the earlier civilizations, and is its own game. Everything

Reply to First Time Playing Online in Sins Multiplayer Sins Forums

[quote]I've only played but a few games in singleplayer, what are the chances that I'll get owned the first time so badly that I'll be back in single player in a few minutes?[/quote] Close to 100% Given your attitude, I think you expected that answer. However, don't lose heart. Almost everyone started out in the same position as you. It's not that they're somehow superhuman RTS players, but rather that people learn from each other and become better players.</

Reply to Entrenchment - is it also one liscence good for two players via lan? in Sins of a Solar Empire Sins Forums

So long as your buddies don't take the game home with them, using one copy to set up a LAN game is fine.

Reply to online strategy in Strategy Sins Forums

The basics still apply: Progenitor first as Advent, scout voraciously, and spend your money prudently. Beyond that, here are some mistakes I notice of newbies often: 1) Run your capital ships away early! Players are much better about focus firing a capital ship than an AI is, so it will die sooner than you're used to. Chances are if you haven't already started retreating a capital before you hear "our capital ship has sustained critical damage" it's