brycej

Yes, usually Ctrl-N doesn't seem to mess up the settings. I couldn't find anything in the debug file about the settings for the ais but maybe I am missing it. Stardock should include this info in the stats area of the main game. What the settings are for the ai's. Perhaps part of the problem is that I grabbed the good colonies around the ai's right at the beginning. I like to expand toward the enemy if possible and grab the open space later. But still two colonies

Is there a way to check the difficulty after you start the game?

When you use Ctrl-N to generate a new map, does it keep all of the previous settings--say, for your opponents? I started in a large galaxy playing against Korx and the Drengin. I set the game at one higher than normal. This should mean that everyone is producing at the same level. Both were set at "bright." I did use CTRL-N to generate a new map. Well into the game I have 47 colonies and each of them has 2. Granted that I had a b

For some reason, my earlier post didn't make it here. With the button on in the mini-map that shows control by different races. Second row, first button on the left. As soon as you start the game, it will show basically where you and the others are. If you don't like the set-up, hit Ctrl-N immediately, and it will generate a new map set-up. Keep doing it until you find one that is fair or unfair (depending on what you want). I generally like the

Have the icon on that shows where the races are in the mini-map. If you don't like the set-up, immediately hit Ctrl-N as soon as the mini-map shows and it will generate a new map with the same set-up. I generally like to play just a couple of opponents on a large map and I don't like everyone squeezed together. Yeah, it's cheating of sorts but there should be an option in the map creation about whether you want the civs apart or randomly set.

When you send in the troops to take over a planet, it lists for each side several factors that presumably affect the likely outcome: soldiering and tech. How roughly are these determined? Does soldiering relate to techs researched?

I believe the AIs have reduced production at normal and below. When is the production equal? I think the book says challenging but the instructions may be out of date.

Is there a way to bring up the list of rally points without setting one? Also when you do set one, it brings up a mini-map but I can't see the rally points. Maybe because I am partially color blind. The rally points have coordinates. I would like to see coordinates available for more things--like planets, anomalies, and nearby Taco Bells.

At what level do they get half nasty? Obviously it is not "normal" or really the one beyond normal.

He said that after the North Koreans build a nuclear bomb, they would move on to indoor plumbing. Maybe indoor plumbing out to be one of the first techs! No long range flights without it.

Agreed. I've posted several times too.

Apparently one of the new features is that races will only be able to colonize more specialized planets. This may further cut back on the colony rush (maybe not). And this may help the ai a lot. I know lots of experts may despise the colony rush. But I like the choice. I do like lots of colonizable planets and set up my game that way. I hope the new expansion pack makes this "feature" an option rather than a mandatory part of the game.

I should start out by saying that I am only playing for a military win. Yes, scout ships are lame. Build colony ships to explore and colonize. I focus on building the economy and making faster and more powerful ships. My pre-built colony ship (in my opinion) has too few colonists. I reland it on earth and fill it to 500 and then send it out. This helps jump start your first colony. I buy the first factory on earth and buy the second a few teams later.<br/

I want the planet list from the planet button sticky. Sticky! I am sick of scrolling. How hard can it be? They made the planet list in the stat area sticky. Sticky!

Looking to see if there is a hot key for the planet colony list under stats. I notice this list is now "sticky." You can go to the list click on a planet. Exit and you are back at the list and you don't have to scroll from the top. One of my biggest wishes is that the planet list from the planet button on the main screen was sticky. I like using that list the most--checking things at the end of every term. But everytime I go to a planet, I have to hit the planet button again and

I've seen an old list and suspect a few might have been added. For example, is there a hot key for the colony list under stats?

I guess I found the answer in an old post. You use the mouse tip to attach it to a red arrow.

To customize the look of your ship, you can add "extras" to make the look of your ship different. I went through the tutorial, and I can add extras sometimes but not others. I know you need to add the extra to the red arrows on the ship. Is there a similar place on the "extra" that shows where you can link to the red arrow. Or is it hit or miss?

What is it? Found in random maps?

It seems like I always am asking this question and it should be made clear from the download page. I suspect the answer is yes. I've actually done it but I don't know if something weird might happen later.

I will admit that there are times when you don't want the focus of the ship's last move to change to the next ship. You might want to see what it has discovered on the last move (e.g., planet, ship, etc.). However, even though the focus doesn't change, if you hit the cursor key you may move the next ship in the wrong direction. I'll have to see if there is a way to change this in the options menu. I looked for it but didn't see it.

I am using the new patch (not a beta) Maybe I am missing something in the options. But with the new patch, when you are done with one ship, it doesn't center on the next ship that can move. If you don't watch the number of moves left, you end up moving the next ship in the wrong direction.

Empire by Interstel. Though I played the text version earlier. The newest version (about a year old) is worth checking out: Empire Deluxe Enhanced Edition (highly moddable--lots of new units) http://killerbeesoftware.com/ Try the demo Bryce

If you research xeno ethics and are neutral, your pq's go up. There is another tech (name escapes me), that allows you to use yellow tiles.

Often the attacker has a technology and soldiering advantage. Not sure how that works.