ob1_shinobi

Nice find, Draginol. As a fellow coder (unfortunately, not video games) I know what an unexplainable relief it can be to find a solution to a nagging problem. Congrats!

Heck, $90 is approaching a fill-up on my old Jeep Wrangler (18 gallons plus 1.8 reserve tank) :SURPRISED:

I play both and I spend time in both forums. I think Shamgar really nailed the answer to your question. You will spend years playing GalCivII. Sins will be played for a change of pace. There are five games that are on my various computer that will never be uninstalled: Masters of Orion 2, Escape Velocity: Nova, Warlords IV, GalCiv II, and Sins of a Solar Empire. I put more time into GC2 than any others. It's just a fantastic game! However, while I'm waiting for Twilight I

Both Sins and Starcraft are great games. But comparing them just can't be done. One is a tactical clickfest. The other is an epic space battle with more 4X flavor. Apples to oranges.

[quote]Good. Bad. Makes no difference. They are MEGA. They shake things up and keep a player on their toes. If the player is good he or she can always turn them into his or her favor. A bad player on the other hand...How would you turn the 5pc/wk galactic speed limit (enforced by the game, not by the UP) to your advantage? The AI rarely if ever builds ships faster than ~10pc/wk with all of the engine tech bonuses applied, so the idea of it crippling your opponent as well just doesn't appl

@Sole Soul, Mumblefratz, and Mistralok I stand corrected and apologize. Twas the end of my workday and I was in a rush to send out my praise before heading home.

Good. Bad. Makes no difference. They are MEGA. They shake things up and keep a player on their toes. If the player is good he or she can always turn them into his or her favor. A bad player on the other hand...

Don't sweat it, Sethpenguin. Aside from the fact that you are at the age when you feel like you don't fit in anyway (I have a 14-year old daughter who is going through that phase), you've got nothing to worry about regarding your tastes in gaming. To each their own, you know? My kids rock at Guitar Hero and I completely suck at it. But I pony up and play it with them, even if they make fun of my style and suck-ass ability. Besides, sometimes I feel like I don't fit in with o

Besides throwing money at Stardock for no good reason (which, for some, may be enough reason in itself), I will be happy to not have to go through Stardock Central anymore than I have to. I registered DL at one email address and then DA at another. I've since moved jobs so TA will be under yet another email address. I'll just get my bundle, and any manuals that (hopefully) come with it, and be happy knowing that I'm helping stuff the stockings of all the Brads, Frogboys, Kyros, and Elfs over

Bravo Mumblefratz! Well done indeed, sir.

I tend to get more Mega Events on larger maps too. And yes, turtling almost always seems to bring on the Jagged Knife. I've actually never had the Peacekeepers show up but they sound horrible.

I'm not made of money, but I'll probably pay $60 for the ultimate bundle and I already own DL and DA. Take my money, Stardock. Just keep making/publishing the games that you do and I'll keep throwing you everything I can scrap together.

I've DM'ed countless people through countless campaigns for many years. And although my playing stopped, my love for the game that Gary made never has. I have all of my original books, many of the modules, and picked up the 2nd edition just to check it out many years ago. I have my dice stowed away - along with plenty of memories. I don't know how many hours I spent in middle school, high school, college, and after college playing Dungeons & Dragons. The adventures and places in m

I can win most of the time playing like this on Painful (DA). The only difference is that I have to declare war from time to time. You know, in the name of galactic peace :LOL: Make sure your diplomacy is top notch. The defensive bonuses your ships receive can really counter the evil toys you'll be missing out on.

Although I haven't played in absolute ages I was very saddened to hear this. I am working on some pieces (I paint and shoot photos) for the upcoming Conglomeration, a pretty popular convention held here in Louisville, KY. I certainly feel compelled to add an additional piece devoted to the legend himself.

Haha! That's awesome. Suckers.

Jythier, yep - that's it. Jade Empire. Ravenstrike, I thought that the KOTOR3 rumor and Bioware's involvement with the title are both rumors. Do you have a source on that? Even though I'm bashing KOTOR2 I am at the core a Star Wars fanboy and will surely pick up a third installment :)

Oh, and as far as starting buildings, in the initial stage of the game, I put down: Factory (maybe two for my first world or two) If there are any research or manufacturing bonus tiles put a lab or factory Two or three economy buildings And then I'll fill it up with labs As your worlds expand convert those extra labs into farms and morale buildings. Oh, and oftentimes I don't even bother with a starport on most of my initial colonies. And my PQ4 planet wil

Yeah, as much as increased manufacturing sounds great (so you can crank those warships out that much faster) those fancy factories are expensive. Pace yourself with your manufacturing upgrades. In the beginning I tend to specialize some worlds but they are all pretty balanced. Once I get some planets under my belt and have established the core worlds of my empire, I will begin to specialize. I'll convert outer planets into ship producing worlds and inner planets into research and eco

I would tweak the above strat by setting your taxes to as low as they can go to get 100% morale. Having your morale at that level doubles the rate of population growth. And the more people you have the more money you have. Do that for many, many weeks and then flip it back only when you really need the cash. That one trick alone changed my entire game for the better.

Well hell, I'm all confused now. These all sound like viable outcomes of a Lucky race. I pick it for the minimum damage during combat. Anything else is a bonus.

I think that Iztok did an analysis (very, very detailed) a while back and determined that missiles were ultimately the top choice. Beam weapons are cheap in the beginning but cap off towards the end. Missiles, by games end, delivered the most bang for the buck. I can't find that post. Anybody remember that one?

Jagged Knife is a good thing. Yes, a portion of your planets belong to Jagged Knife and you have to fight to get them back. But a portion of your opponents planets belong to Jagged Knife too. And you don't have to engage in wars to get them with each of your opponents... just the Jagged Knife. Spam the universe with transports and take back more than what was yours to begin with. Personally, I love the Jagged Knife. And yes, I think that I see it happen more to me when I'm playing

Yeah, luck just increases the minimum amount of damage your ships do with each "hit" during combat. It has nothing to do with ethical choice situations... although it would be nice if there were an attribute to regulate such a thing.

Yes, barring loading up an Autosave, the best way to get out of this mess is to start dropping Transports and reclaiming your worlds. Once you get the key worlds back branch out and take some planets that were previously owned by other races. Then go back to your own and take everything back. The key to success is speed. Strike swiftly and take back your planets (and more) before the Jagged Knife builds up and/or the other civs start taking back worlds. Just dig in and you'll come o