ShneekeyTheLost
2009-09-11, 09:46 PM
Since the last Sid Meiers Alpha Centauri thread is long since dead, I thought I'd go make a new one
So, general early-game tactics. They're important, because you'll never get to mid and late game if you get curb-stomped early on.
Me? I rush for Wealth as Morganites. That gives me +1 energy/square. Then I rush for uncapping energy per square. During the process, I tend to end up with some pretty decent units, although I don't build many unless I end up at war.
Unit Types: Early game, I have a couple of basic unit types
1/max/1 - my basic defenders. When I get the technology, they also get ECM and when I build the wonder, they get Trance. I keep 1 in each base, unless I'm in a war with someone who is being obnoxious, in which case I keep 2 in every base they are likely to get to.
1/1/2 - My scouts. I try to have three or four of them running around so I don't get landlocked.
max/1/2 - my basic assault units. Unless I need to take the offensive, I let them hang around in bases, attacking them before they can attack me, or at least weakening their units so they can't punch through my defenders. I generally don't have many of these.
Goal: I want to get out of the early game relatively intact, with roads to all my colonies, and a steady flow of Supply to my capital for building Projects. Hopefully, I won't have lost many projects, and hopefully none which I really care about. I also want my forests starting to go already so that when I get my first fungus appearing, I can build a bunch of Tree Farms. My defenders are generally 1/3^/1 ECM and my highest attack is likely 6-8.
Mid-Game Tactics:
Here's where it gets interesting. Odds are, I'm at war by now, which generally sucks. Tactics are to maintain ground and hold position until I can get Choppers. Rushing to get Hunter-Seeker Probe so I can negate the annoyance factor of their probe teams. Once I get Choppers and Clean Reactors, things shift over to my favor. Clean Choppers + Clean Drop Troops = lot of bases that become mine rapidly. It's an air-launched blitzkrieg, taking as many bases per turn as I can, knocking them on their heels, and not giving them time to regroup.
Unit Types:
1/4^/1*2 ECM/Trance - my defenders. I don't use a 2/4^/1*2 unit, even though they are the same price, due to upgrading issues.
max/1/2*2 Clean - Yes, I'm still using these, although I'm trying to phase them out at this point.
Max/1/12*2 Clean - My Choppers. Take me out before I can mass produce them or I win. Simple as that.
1/4/1^*2 CLEAN/DROP - My drop troops. Since they never need to attack, my choppers do that for them, they max out defense to hold the bases they invade.
Late Game:
I've pretty much won if I make it this far, because once I get my choppers going, there really isn't anyone who has a chance in hell of stopping me. So take out people who attack me until they submit to me or are wiped out, make as many friends as possible, maintain your Governor status, try to get Trade Treaties doubled, and tech up until I win. There aren't any new unit types, just upgraded versions of the old ones. I almost never use Hovercraft, because by the time it is available, it is obsolete.
So, general early-game tactics. They're important, because you'll never get to mid and late game if you get curb-stomped early on.
Me? I rush for Wealth as Morganites. That gives me +1 energy/square. Then I rush for uncapping energy per square. During the process, I tend to end up with some pretty decent units, although I don't build many unless I end up at war.
Unit Types: Early game, I have a couple of basic unit types
1/max/1 - my basic defenders. When I get the technology, they also get ECM and when I build the wonder, they get Trance. I keep 1 in each base, unless I'm in a war with someone who is being obnoxious, in which case I keep 2 in every base they are likely to get to.
1/1/2 - My scouts. I try to have three or four of them running around so I don't get landlocked.
max/1/2 - my basic assault units. Unless I need to take the offensive, I let them hang around in bases, attacking them before they can attack me, or at least weakening their units so they can't punch through my defenders. I generally don't have many of these.
Goal: I want to get out of the early game relatively intact, with roads to all my colonies, and a steady flow of Supply to my capital for building Projects. Hopefully, I won't have lost many projects, and hopefully none which I really care about. I also want my forests starting to go already so that when I get my first fungus appearing, I can build a bunch of Tree Farms. My defenders are generally 1/3^/1 ECM and my highest attack is likely 6-8.
Mid-Game Tactics:
Here's where it gets interesting. Odds are, I'm at war by now, which generally sucks. Tactics are to maintain ground and hold position until I can get Choppers. Rushing to get Hunter-Seeker Probe so I can negate the annoyance factor of their probe teams. Once I get Choppers and Clean Reactors, things shift over to my favor. Clean Choppers + Clean Drop Troops = lot of bases that become mine rapidly. It's an air-launched blitzkrieg, taking as many bases per turn as I can, knocking them on their heels, and not giving them time to regroup.
Unit Types:
1/4^/1*2 ECM/Trance - my defenders. I don't use a 2/4^/1*2 unit, even though they are the same price, due to upgrading issues.
max/1/2*2 Clean - Yes, I'm still using these, although I'm trying to phase them out at this point.
Max/1/12*2 Clean - My Choppers. Take me out before I can mass produce them or I win. Simple as that.
1/4/1^*2 CLEAN/DROP - My drop troops. Since they never need to attack, my choppers do that for them, they max out defense to hold the bases they invade.
Late Game:
I've pretty much won if I make it this far, because once I get my choppers going, there really isn't anyone who has a chance in hell of stopping me. So take out people who attack me until they submit to me or are wiped out, make as many friends as possible, maintain your Governor status, try to get Trade Treaties doubled, and tech up until I win. There aren't any new unit types, just upgraded versions of the old ones. I almost never use Hovercraft, because by the time it is available, it is obsolete.