AI War "Tip of the Day" -- What do you wish you'd known?

[Entrenched Homperson]

I'm not sure, I've only been using the mobile science stations. I'll experiment with what a cloaker and mobile builder can achieve.

[BobTheJanitor]

Mobile science labs shouldn't be able to gather on AI worlds, only friendly worlds. If they are doing so, that's either a bug or a tooltip that needs to be updated!

[Entrenched Homperson]

You misunderstand me. I'm talking about neutral worlds. A mobile science stations can gather on neutral worlds, but not AI worlds.

And I just tested, the Immobile advanced Science Stations does indeed trigger the zombies, and additionally can't be cloaked, at least while it's building.

And you should experiment with cloakers Bob! There so cheap for what you get!

[Ramsar]

One of the things I learned the hard way: Always carefully check what you're up against when attacking a planet.

E.g. one overlooked zombie guardian can easily turn the tide of battle against you. Or a counter-attack fleet which seems harmless at first and then completely destroys your planet because they are accompanied by an EMP guardian.

[BobTheJanitor]

You misunderstand me. I'm talking about neutral worlds. A mobile science stations can gather on neutral worlds, but not AI worlds.

Doh! Second time I've made that mistake. I'm sorry, but I get confused as to why you'd need to use cloaking or any tactics at all to gather knowledge on neutral worlds. Just plop down a command station and build your science labs, done.

[Entrenched Homperson]

Oh, for me it's about my play style. I spend considerable time planning my invasion strategies. I spend hours looking for a good, interesting map. Usually one with a choke point of enclosed system that I can make my stable base from. Then I rename all the points in the galaxy I'm going to take to form my borders, and heavily fortify those. When there is a planet, I think very carefully how many planets I'm defending, I like being somewhere around 1 or 2.  I don't normally think it's worth all the extra resources to have one extra planet if it's gonna extend my front from 2 to 3 planets or what not, so I take down planets and then capitalize on them.

Thats really why I like this game, you can get awesome front battles with some very cool logistics. I spend 80% of my time in the Galaxy Map.

[Lexer]

When there is a planet, I think very carefully how many planets I'm defending, I like being somewhere around 1 or 2.  I don't normally think it's worth all the extra resources to have one extra planet if it's gonna extend my front from 2 to 3 planets or what not, so I take down planets and then capitalize on them.

Why turn the planet to neutral if you're only doing it for the knowledge? As far as I see, the benefit is only that you'll lose less ships this way compared to defending a knowledge raid. But you'll incur the increased AIP, which in my opinion is usually the thing that's harder to replace.

[Echo35]

When there is a planet, I think very carefully how many planets I'm defending, I like being somewhere around 1 or 2.  I don't normally think it's worth all the extra resources to have one extra planet if it's gonna extend my front from 2 to 3 planets or what not, so I take down planets and then capitalize on them.

Why turn the planet to neutral if you're only doing it for the knowledge? As far as I see, the benefit is only that you'll lose less ships this way compared to defending a knowledge raid. But you'll incur the increased AIP, which in my opinion is usually the thing that's harder to replace.

Never do ANYTHING to bump up the AIP unless it's really worth it. The only time taking a planet just for the Knowledge is worth it is when you're 3,000 or less away from getting a Mk. III ship and you have a Mk. IV factory or something, and even then, it's usually not worth it. Heck, even blowing up a distribution node (Which only gives +1 AIP) isn't worth it too often.

[BobTheJanitor]

I tend to play kind of fast and loose with my AIP. If I skip over planets to try and be conservative, I find that I get aggravated by the impaired troop movement. Usually I leave a command station up on intervening planets for a few hours and then finally just get tired of transporting back and forth across it and just blow up the stupid thing. I try to scout out a superterminal early and then save it for when the waves are really starting to hurt. The later you take that thing, the further you can ride its AIP reduction. But almost every distribution node and zenith cache I see ends up getting blown up eventually. Although maybe that means it's just time to go to 7.x AI instead of flat 7 difficulties.

[Red Spot]

Might want to make a mental note that the S-terminal wont be seeded on to every map, I have never had the chance to use it in a full out game ...

[BobTheJanitor]

Might want to make a mental note that the S-terminal wont be seeded on to every map, I have never had the chance to use it in a full out game ...

Hmm that could complicate things. I thought it always went in as long as you had TZR turned on. How does the seeding work on that then?

[Orelius]

That armored warheads are seemingly unaffected by warhead interceptors.  You can go for an easy checkmate if you just rush nine armored warheads into an AI Homeworld and just blow up everything (Of course, after weakening it a bit first).

Also, mantis issue here: http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=2973

[Iselia]

Never do ANYTHING to bump up the AIP unless it's really worth it. The only time taking a planet just for the Knowledge is worth it is when you're 3,000 or less away from getting a Mk. III ship and you have a Mk. IV factory or something, and even then, it's usually not worth it. Heck, even blowing up a distribution node (Which only gives +1 AIP) isn't worth it too often.

Oh hey, don't I know you?

I wish I had known to build more ships than you'll think you'll need, then build some more. My first game, I was way too conservative with my ships and ended up meeting a 250 ship attack, to which I couldn't build enough forces in time and ended up losing my home planet. >_>

[MysteryOne]

Nice to see a new femme join the ranks. 

Me? I'm not that new, but it's been too long and way out of practice. 

[Echo35]

Nice to see a new femme join the ranks. 

Me? I'm not that new, but it's been too long and way out of practice. 

Not sure how to respond to that

Oh hey, don't I know you?

I wish I had known to build more ships than you'll think you'll need, then build some more. My first game, I was way too conservative with my ships and ended up meeting a 250 ship attack, to which I couldn't build enough forces in time and ended up losing my home planet. >_>

Only 250? Come on, that's not THAT many Loop build ALWAYS.