Starting Parameters |

Lets hear how you make your games!
Here is how I've been playing lately:
Lately I have been playing w/ options like this (for stock game):
Large Universe, Mid-Life, All warp points connected
Medium tech cost
Medium starting bonus
Low racial points
Low tech points
1 good homeworld
Medium # of computer players w/ Medium bonus, no Neutrals
Team mode (all computers against me), no intel
(I don't build any units, including fighters, when playing against puters to up the diff level for me. strictly bust'em up and move on)
I never loose with those settings...should probably try some harder options. I've read some crazy stuff on these boards so I'd like to hear how others play!
Some other questions I have are:
Do combat sensors work? I swear the computer ships hit me more than I hit them, and they almost never have combat sensors.
My buddy keeps asking if the cultural techs are working. Anyone use them?
Happy Thanksgiving!




Combat Sensors
thedude,
As far as I can tell the combat sensors work, none of my warships ever leave home without one. If your ships are getting hit a lot then maybe the problem is your weaponry. With the proper weapons, high energy discharge types, phased polaron beams and null space weapons I find that my ships trash the AI's with ease and regularity with little or no damage. I started a game just before 1.17 with all the techs to start, both me and the AI's. I found one AI early and dusted it's planets before it could build a single warship. The other AI lasted longer because it was much farther away. After trashing a few homeworlds (started with 10 each) it finally puked out some Dreadnaughts. All I had were Cruisers. In one system two of my Cruisers were hanging with two AI Dreadnaughts. Just for grins I attacked each Dreadnaught with one Cruiser in strategic combat and in both combats my Cruisers wiped out the Dreadnaughts with no damage whatsoever.
Do you build ECM pods? I like them as they help reduce enemy hit probabilities. I also use one each of scattering and stealth armor as they too increase defensive strength and reduce the enemy's ability to see my ship's to attack. The other thing is shields. Get them cranked up and they'll take a lot more damage before letting shots through to your armor and internal vitals. Crank up the armor levels too.
I think with time and some experimentation you'll find the winning combination of items to place on your ships that will make them more deadly and tougher to kill.
Omnius