Hi,
I'm fairly new to the game, and I thought I had the thing beat on "normal" and "challenging" after a few days. Heh. Then I tried the campaign. Then I realized that I didn't understand the economy at all. Now I'm starting to understand it, but not so well that I see a solution to the second campaign mission. The first was doable for me. The second one, I just can't seem to get past. I'm playing it on "challenging," and I get creamed every time. I'm starting to get a little frustrated; would someone offer me some tips?
Here are some of the approaches I've taken to this level, I mean, this is what I've done wrong. First, I quickly grabbed all the unoccupied planets on the map and three or four resources, raced for some research techs, then a few ship construction related techs and logistics techs, then got creamed before I could go further. No money, ha ha.
Next, I tried grabbing only about 2/3 the unoccupied planets, three or four resources again, built several markets on a couple planets, and got a little further in the tech tree (researching planetary invasion related techs after those mentioned above), but sent too little firepower too late out into space. At one point I got three basic troop transports and a couple pea shooters right up to the Drengin planet, having sent a speedy scout to lure its three patroling fleets away from the planet first. When my troops finally came up to the planet, the Drengin just had a good laugh. My pea shooters were taken out with one of their ships, and some colony ship in orbit wouldn't politely move aside to let my transports down.
I partly blamed my team-mates for my defeats, because they didn't seem to do anything or build much. The Dread Lords and the Drengin each did quite a bit. (How did the Drengin get such huge guns on small ships, lots of them, when I was just reaching the point where I could research plasma weapon techs in less than 15 weeks each? Do the Dread Lords give them techs?) So on my latest try at this mission, I sent a colony ship early on to the planet closest to the Dread Lords' planet, rushed a starport and factory on it, and gave it to the Alterians to have and defend, with a not too sporty maxed-out sensor ship parked over it as a bonus. Then I did see some military from them, not spectacular, but enough to slow the Dread Lords down a bit. Well, slow is not quite the word, you nkow. I also built an entertainment improvement on every planet early on, so as to be able to tax more.
Each time, before the level begins, I allocate my bonus points to research, to diplomacy (for selling my techs to my team-mates), to economy, military, and population growth. I do grab the economy resource right away, with one or two mining modules. I don't fiddle around with farming improvements or influence enhancements or the like on this level, because I think there's no time. By the time I get creamed, my planets are still at no more than 1-2.5 billion each. I micromanage the sliders every few turns to get very fast research without (usually) maximum credit loss, keeping my planets' approval levels between 40 and 85 percent at all times. I would go lower, but I want some population growth, it seems the only way to get a sustainable economy on this level, almost every ship and improvement having to be rush-bought.
Thanks for any tips, you guys. Please don't give me a completely detailed solution to this level, just point me in the right direction, ok?
Great game, by the way, my compliments to the developers! Thanks.
Have a great day.
