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Twilight Imperium 4e - Game 2 - Round 7: Game Over!

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Posts

  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    No sabotage

    @Lykouragh

    I can't guess which action cards you have because I haven't been able to find a good list of which ones exist, actually. I'm sure it exists and I'm just being dumb though.

    Anyway, getting your Ceasefire as part of a hypothetical peace deal would be nice as an assurance you are not going to retaliate (unfortunately my own is taken atm). I'm not sure though that it is worth it alone though. Especially since you also want me to give up a planet I honestly and peacefully colonized, so far without any justification other than 'or else!'.

  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    But also, I guess it's my go?

    Activate the primary of Politics. It is most likely I'll just take the speaker token myself, but I guess I'll leave a small window for anyone to try and convince me to sell it to them instead. yeah I'll just give the token to myself

    jakobagger on
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    This is actions cards right?
    3/4/1 T/F/S

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Pass on Politics secondary.

    @Lykouragh @Phyphor @MrBody to pass or play on Politics secondary.

  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    Pass

  • LykouraghLykouragh Registered User regular
    pass politics secondary

  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    PASS politics

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Round 3: Action Phase Update 2

    The L1z1x Mindnet: Play the primary ability of the (7) Technology strategy card, exhausting [0.0.0] (5R), Arnor (2R), Lor (1R), and racial technology "Inheritance Systems" to gain Cruiser II and Fleet Logistics.
    Winnu plays on the secondary (SP 3 --> 2), exhausting Abyz (3R) and 1 Trade Good (TG 1 --> 0) to gain Plasma Scoring.
    Hacan plays on the secondary (SP 2 --> 1), exhausting Resculon (2R) and Vefut II (2R) to gain Dacxive Animators.
    Naalu plays on the secondary (SP 1 --> 0), exhausting Starpoint (3R) and 1 Trade Good (TG 5 --> 4) to gain Dacxive Animators.
    N'orr plays on the secondary (SP 2 --> 1), exhausting Lodor (3R) and Tren'lak (1R) to gain Graviton Laser System.
    Muaat plays on the secondary (SP 3 --> 2), exhausting Muaat (4R) and Tar'mann's tech bonus (G) to gain Cruiser II.
    The L1z1x Mindnet: Use "Fleet Logistics" to take a second action.
    Activate the Muaat Home System. (TP 2 --> 1)
    Move in 2 Cruisers, 1 Fighter, and 1 Infantry from the L1z1x Home System.
    Land 1 Infantry on Muaat.
    Use racial ability "Assimilate" to replace the Muaat Space Dock with a L1z1x Space Dock.
    Exhaust Sakulag (2R), +1R from Sarween Tools to gain 6 Infantry (3R) at Muaat.
    Sardakk N'orr: Perform transaction, giving 2 Commodities to Hacan in exchange for 2 Trade Goods. (N'orr C 2 --> 0, TG 2 --> 4; Hacan TG 2 --> 2)
    Activate the Mellon-Zohbat system. (TP 3 --> 2)
    Exhaust Quinarra (3R), Zohbat (3R), Tequ'ran (2R), and 4 Trade Goods (TG 4 --> 0) to build 3 Dreadnoughts at Zohbat.
    The Naalu Collective: Perform transaction, giving 2 Commodities to Winnu in exchange for 2 Commodities. (Naalu C 3 --> 1, TG 4 --> 6; Winnu C 2 --> 0, TG 0 --> 2)
    Play Action Card "Focused Research", exhausting 4 Trade Goods (TG 6 --> 2) to gain Gravity Drive technology. (AC 3 --> 2)
    The Winnu: Activate the Winnu Home System. (SP 3 --> 2)
    Move in 1 Carrier from Arinam-Meer.
    Exhaust Fria (2R) +1R from Sarween Tools to build 1 Destroyer and 4 Fighters at Winnu.
    The Emirates of Hacan: Play the primary ability of the (3) Politics strategy card, claiming the Speaker token and drawing 2 Action Cards. (AC 2 --> 4)
    Draw the top two cards of the Agenda deck, returning one to the top and one to the bottom.
    Muaat plays on the secondary (SP 2 --> 1), drawing two Action Cards. (AC 3 --> 5)

    Current Map: Round 3, Action Phase Update 2

    Current Technologies

    Victory Points and Objectives
    The Naalu Collective - 3 VP
    The Winnu - 1 VP
    The Embers of Muaat - 1 VP
    Sardakk N'orr - 1 VP
    The L1z1x Mindnet - 0 VP
    The Emirates of Hacan - 0 VP

    Public Objectives
    Lead from the Front (1 VP): Spend a total of 3 tokens from your Tactic and/or Strategy pools.: Naalu
    Negotiate Trade Routes (1 VP): Spend 5 Trade Goods.: Naalu, Muaat, N'orr
    Sway the Council (1 VP): Spend 8 influence.
    Diversify Research (1 VP): Own 2 technologies in each of 2 colors.
    1 Stage I Objective and 5 Stage II Objectives have not yet been revealed.

    Secret Objectives
    The Embers of Muaat: 2 Secret Objectives in hand.
    The L1z1x Mindnet: 1 Secret Objective in hand.
    The Winnu: 1 Secret Objective in hand.
    The Emirates of Hacan: 1 Secret Objective in hand.
    The Naalu Collective: Threaten Enemies (Status Phase, 1 VP): Have one or more ships in a system that is adjacent to another player's home system.
    1 Secret Objective in hand.
    Sardakk N'orr: 1 Secret Objective in hand.

    Special Objectives
    Custodians of Mecatol Rex: Claimed by Winnu

    The Embers of Muaat (discrider)
    Commodities: 4 / 4
    Trade Goods: 6
    Action Cards: 5

    Tactic Pool: 3
    Fleet Pool: 4
    Strategy Pool: 1

    Promissory Notes: (Ceasefire, Trade Agreement, Political Secret, Support for the Throne, Fires of the Gashlai)
    Technology: Plasma Scoring, Sarween Tools, Cruiser II

    Worlds:
    R - Bereg (Hazardous, 3R, 1I)
    X - Dal Bootha (Cultural, 0R, 2I)
    X - Lirta IV (Hazardous, 2R, 3I)
    R - Saudor (Industrial, 2R, 2I)
    X - Tar'mann (Industrial, 1R, 1I, G)
    X - Xxehan (Cultural, 1R, 1I)

    Other Racial Data:
    - Racial Unit: Prototype War Sun (War Sun): As War Sun, but Movement 1.
    - Flagship: The Inferno: Combat Value 5 (x2), Movement 1, Carry Capacity 3. Sustain Damage. Action: Spend 1 token from your Strategy pool to place 1 Cruiser in this unit's system.
    - Racial Promissory Note: Fires of the Gashlai: Action: Remove 1 token from the Muaat player's Fleet pool and return it to his reinforcements. Then, gain your War Sun upgrade technology card. Then, return this card to the Muaat player.
    - Racial Technology: Magmus Reactor (Red, requires 2 Red): Your ships may move into supernovas. After 1 or more of your units use Production in a system that either contains a War Sun or is adjacent to a supernova, gain 1 Trade Good.
    - Racial Technology: Prototype War Sun II (unit upgrade, requires 3 Red and 1 Yellow): As War Sun, but Cost 10, Movement 3.
    - Star Forge: Action: Spend 1 token from your Strategy pool to place either 2 Fighters or 1 Destroyer from your reinforcements in a system that contains 1 or more of your War Suns.
    - Gashlai Physiology: Your ships can move through Supernovas.

    The L1z1x Mindnet (Ketar)
    Commodities: 2 / 2
    Trade Goods: 7
    Action Cards: 6

    Tactic Pool: 1
    Fleet Pool: 3
    Strategy Pool: 1

    Promissory Notes: (Ceasefire, Trade Agreement, Political Secret, Support for the Throne, Cybernetic Enhancements)
    Technology: Neural Motivator, Plasma Scoring, Sarween Tools, Inheritance Systems, Fleet Logistics, Cruiser II

    Worlds:
    X - [0.0.0] (5R, 0I)
    X - Muaat (4R, 1I)
    X - Arnor (Industrial, 2R, 1I)
    R - Lazar (Industrial, 1R, 0I, Y)
    X - Lor (Industrial, 1R, 2I)
    X - Sakulag (Hazardous, 2R, 1I)

    Other Racial Data:
    - Racial Unit: Super-Dreadnought (Dreadnought): As Dreadnought, but Carry Capacity 2.
    - Flagship: [0.0.1]: Combat Value 5 (x2), Movement 1, Carry Capacity 5. Sustain Damage. During a Space Combat, hist produced by this ship and by your Dreadnoughts in this system must be assigned to non-Fighter ships if able.
    - Racial Promissory Note: Cybernetic Enhancements: At the start of your turn: Remove 1 token from the L1x1x player's Strategy pool and return it to his reinforcements. Then, place 1 command token from your reinforcements in your Strategy pool. Then, return this card to the L1z1x player.
    - Racial Tehcnology: Inheritance Systems (Yellow, requires 2 Yellow): You may exhaust this card and spend 2 resources when you research a technology; ignore all of that technology's prerequisites.
    - Racial Technology: Super-Dreadnought II (unit upgrade, requires 2 Blue and 1 Yellow): As Dreadnought, but Combat Value 4, Movement 2, Carry Capacity 2. Sustain Damage, Bombardment 4. This unit cannot be destroyed by "Direct Hit" Action Cards.
    - Assimilate: When you gain control of a planet, replace each PDS and Space Dock that is on that planet with a matching unit from your reinforcements.
    - Harrow: After each round of Ground Combat, your ships in the active system may use their Bombardment abilities against your opponent's ground forces on the planet.

    The Winnu (Phyphor)
    Commodities: 0 / 3
    Trade Goods: 2
    Action Cards: 3

    Tactic Pool: 2
    Fleet Pool: 4
    Strategy Pool: 2

    Promissory Notes: Naalu's Gift of Prescience, Hacan's Ceasefire (Trade Agreement, Political Secret, Support for the Throne, Acquiescence)
    Technology: Sarween Tools, Hegemonic Trade Policy, Plasma Scoring

    Worlds:
    R - Winnu (3R, 4I)
    R - Mecatol Rex (1R, 6I)
    X - Abyz (Hazardous, 3R, 0I)
    R - Arinam (Industrial, 1R, 2I)
    X - Fria (Hazardous, 2R, 0I)
    X - Meer (Hazardous, 0R, 4I, R, Research Team: Warfare)
    X - Wellon (Industrial, 1R, 2I, Y)

    Other Racial Data:
    - Flagship: Salai Sai Corian: Combat Value 7 (x?), Movement 1, Carry Capacity 3. Sustain Damage. When this unit makes a combat roll, it rolls a number of dice equal to the number of your opponent's non-Fighter ships in this system.
    - Racial Promissory Note: Acquiescence: At the end of the Strategy Phase: Exchange 1 of your Strategy Cards with a Strategy Card that was chosen by the Winnu player. Then, return this card to the Winnu player.
    - Racial Technology: Lazax Gate Folding (Blue, requires 2 Blue): During your Tactical Actions, if you do not control Mecatol Rex, treat its system as if it contains both an Alpha and Beta wormhole. Action: If you control Mecatol Rex, exhaust this card to place 1 Infantry from your reinforcements on Mecatol Rex.
    - Racial Technology: Hegemonic Trade Policy (Yellow, requires 2 Yellow): Exhaust this card when 1 or more of your units use Production; swap the resource and influence value of 1 planet you control until the end of your turn.
    - Blood Ties: You do not have to spend influence to remove the Custodians token from Mecatol Rex.
    - Reclamation: After you resolve a Tactical Action during which you gained control of Mecatol Rex, you may place 1 PDS and 1 Space Dock from your reinforcements on Mecatol Rex.

    The Emirates of Hacan SPEAKER (jakobagger)
    Commodities: 0 / 6
    Trade Goods: 2
    Action Cards: 4

    Tactic Pool: 1
    Fleet Pool: 3
    Strategy Pool: 1

    Promissory Notes: Winnu's Ceasefire, N'orr's Tekklar Legion, (Trade Agreement, Political Secret, Support for the Throne, Trade Convoys)
    Technology: Antimass Deflectors, Sarween Tools, Neural Motivator, Dacxive Animators, War Sun

    Worlds:
    R - Arretze (2R, 0I)
    R - Hercant (1R, 1I)
    R - Kamdorn (0R, 1I)
    R - Centauri (Cultural, 1R, 3I)
    X - Coorneeq (Cultural, 1R, 2I)
    X - Gral (Industrial, 1R, 1I, B)
    R - Quann (Cultural, 2R, 1I)
    R - Qucen'n (Industrial, 1R, 2I)
    R - Rarron (Cultural, 0R, 3I)
    X - Resculon (Cultural, 2R, 0I)
    X - Vefut II (Hazardous, 2R, 0I)

    Other Racial Data:
    - Flagship: Wrath of Kenara: Combat Value 7 (x2), Movement 1, Carry Capacity 3. Sustain Damage. After you roll a die during a Space Combat in this system, you may spend 1 Trade Good to apply +1 to the result.
    - Racial Promissory Note: Trade Convoys: Action: Place this card faceup in your play area. While this card is in your play area, you may negotiate transactions with players who are not your neighbor. If you activate a system that contains 1 or more of the Hacan player's units, return this card to the Hacan player.
    - Racial Technology: Production Biomes (Green, requires 2 Green): Action: Exhaust this card and spend 1 token from your Strategy pool to gain 4 Trade Goods and choose 1 other player; that player gains 2 Trade Goods.
    - Racial Technology: Quantum Datahub Node (Yellow, requires 3 Yellow): At the end of the Strategy Phase, you may spend 1 token from your Strategy pool and give another player 3 of your Trade Goods. If you do, give 1 of your Strategy cards to that player and take 1 of his Strategy cards.
    - Masters of Trade: You do not have to spend a Command token to resolve the secondary ability of the Trade Strategy card.
    - Guild Ships: You can negotiate transactions with players who are not your neighbor.
    - Arbiters: When negotiating a transaction, Action Cards can be exchanged as part of that transaction.

    The Naalu Collective (Lykouragh)
    Commodities: 1 / 3
    Trade Goods: 2
    Action Cards: 2

    Tactic Pool: 1
    Fleet Pool: 3
    Strategy Pool: 0

    Promissory Notes: (Ceasefire, Trade Agreement, Political Secret, Support for the Throne)
    Technology: Neural Motivator, Dacxive Animators, Sarween Tools, Antimass Deflectors, Gravity Drive

    Worlds:
    X - Maaluuk (0R, 2I)
    R - Druaa (3R, 1I)
    X - Mehar Xull (Hazardous, 1R, 3I, R)
    X - New Albion (Industrial, 1R, 1I, G)
    X - Starpoint (Hazardous, 3R, 1I)

    Other Racial Data:
    - Racial Unit: Hybrid Crystal Fighter (Fighter): As Fighter, but Combat Value 8.
    - Flagship: Matriarch: Combat Value 9 (x2), Movement 1, Carry Capacity 6. Sustain Damage. During an invasion in this system, you may commit Fighters to planets as if they were ground forces. After combat, return those units to the space area.
    - Racial Promissory Note: Gift of Prescience: At the end of the Strategy Phase: place this card face up in your play area and place the Naalu "0" token on your Strategy Card; you are first in initiative order. The Naalu player cannot use his "Telepathic" faction ability during this game round. Return this card to the Naalu player at the end of the Status Phase.
    - Racial Technology: Hybrid Crystal Fighter II (unit upgrade, requires 1 Green and 1 Blue): As Fighter, but Combat Value 7, Movement 2. Does not need to be Carried; each Fighter in excess of your ships' Capacity counts as 1/2 of a ship against your Fleet pool.
    - Racial Technology: Hybrid Crystal Fighter II (unit upgrade, requires 1 Green and 1 Blue): As Fighter, but Combat Value 7, Movement 2. Does not need to be Carried; each Fighter in excess of your ships' Capacity counts as 1/2 of a ship against your Fleet pool.
    - Racial Technology: Neuroglaive (Green, requires 3 Green): After another player activates a system that contains 1 or more of your ships, that player removes 1 token from his Fleet pool and returns it to his reinforcements.
    - Telepathic: At the end of the Strategy Phase, place the Naalu "0" token on the Strategy Card; you are first in initiative order.
    - Foresight: After another player moves ships into a system that contains 1 or more of your ships, you may place 1 token from your Strategy pool in an adjacent system that does not contain another player's ships; move your ships from the active system into that system.

    Sardakk N'orr (MrBody)
    Commodities: 0 / 3
    Trade Goods: 0
    Action Cards: 3

    Tactic Pool: 2
    Fleet Pool: 3
    Strategy Pool: 1

    Promissory Notes: (Ceasefire, Trade Agreement, Political Secret, Support for the Throne)
    Technology: Sarween Tools, Graviton Laser System, Antimass Deflectors, Gravity Drive

    Worlds:
    X - Tren'lak (1R, 0I)
    X - Quinarra (3R, 1I)
    X - Lodor (Cultural, 3R, 1I)
    X - Mellon (Cultural, 0R, 2I)
    X - Tequ'ran (Hazardous, 2R, 0I)
    X - Thibah (Industrial, 1R, 1I, B)
    X - Torkan (Cultural, 0R, 3I)
    X - Zohbat (Hazardous, 3R, 1I)

    Other Racial Data:
    - Racial Unit: Exotrireme (Dreadnought): As Dreadought, but Bombardment 4 (x2).
    - Flagship: C'morran N'orr: Combat Value 6 (x2), Movement 1, Carry Capacity 3. Sustain Damage. Apply +1 to the result of each of your other ships' combat rolls in this system.
    - Racial Promissory Note: Tekklar Legion: At the start of an Invasion Combat: Apply +1 to the result of each of your units' combat rolls during this combat. If your opponent is the N'orr player, apply -1 to the result of each of his unit's combat rolls during this combat. Then, return this card to the N'orr player.
    - Racial Technology: Valkyrie Particle Weave (Red, requires 2 Red): After making combat rolls during a round of Ground Combat, if your opponent produced 1 or more hits, you produce 1 additional hit.
    - Racial Technology: Exotrireme II (unit upgrade, requires 2 Blue and 1 Yellow): As Dreadnought, but Movement 2, Bombardment 4 (x2). This unit cannot be destroyed by "Direct Hit" action cards. After a round of Space Combat, you may destroy this unit to destroy up to 2 ships in this system.
    - Unrelenting: Apply +1 to the result of each of your units' combat rolls.

    Neutral Worlds and Laws
    Research Team: Warfare: Attached to Meer. When the owner of this planet researches technology, he may exhaust this card to ignore 1 red prerequisite.

    Order of Play
    The Naalu Collective: (0) Trade
    The Winnu: (1) Leadership
    The Emirates of Hacan: (3) Politics
    The Embers of Muaat: (6) Warfare Current Player
    The L1z1x Mindnet: (7) Technology
    Sardakk N'orr: (8) Imperial

    MrBlarney on
    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Activate [0.0.0].
    Move in my 3 cruisers and 2 fighters 1 infantry from Saudor.

    2/4/1 T/F/S

    @Ketar @MrBlarney

    discrider on
  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Please fire the space cannon, MrBlarney. With the extra die for Plasma Scoring.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    We should probably read our own tech.

  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    What space cannon? There aren't any PDS there.

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Yes there is. L1z1x starts with one there and it is on the map.

  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    Oooooooo I thought he was retaking his homeworld.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Actually, this is a bad plan. Let me rethink this.

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    :?

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    MrBody wrote: »
    Oooooooo I thought he was retaking his homeworld.

    I don't think the entire deck of action cards could make 1 infantry beat 7 :P

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    I think I just activate Dal Bootha Xxehan and move one cruiser there.
    Rather than sinking the lot in a futile attempt to blockade.

    2/4/1 T/F/S
    @Ketar

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Activate Arnor-Lor. Exhaust Lazar. Spend 3 TG. Use Sarween Tools. Build 1 dreadnought and 2 fighters.

    @MrBody

  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    Imperial Strategy
    Claim Diversify Research (1 VP): Own 2 technologies in each of 2 colors.
    Receive another secret objective


    everyone else to play or pass secondary to get another secret objective

  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    Pass

  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Someone mentioned tech specialty planets not being used much to bypass prereqs.

    I think it's because it seems like a couple of the colors, the tiers aren't in line with how good the techs are. The Animators green tech is definitely the least useful but it's tier 2. Graviton Laser System is the least useful yellow but it's also tier 2. Duranium Armor is all the way up in tier 3 but it seems really crappy (you can only repair hits at the end of the 2nd round, and then again at the end of the 4th round but 99% of battles are going to be over by then, and 90% of them are decided by the end of the 2nd round). Anti-mass deflectors would often be skipped but everyone who gets a blue specialty planet also has asteroids blocking them. I did debate skipping gravity drive to get fleet logistics but in the end GD seemed more clutch.

    MrBody on
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    As a bit of fill-in for the previous Status Update, Hacan has decided to place one of the drawn Agenda cards on the bottom of the deck, and the other on top.
    MrBody wrote: »
    Duranium Armor is all the way up in tier 3 but it seems really crappy (you can only repair hits at the end of the 2nd round, and then again at the end of the 4th round but 99% of battles are going to be over by then, and 90% of them are decided by the end of the 2nd round).

    If you have multiple units with Sustain Damage, they can make use of Duranium Armor on consecutive rounds through alternation, e.g. Ship A on turn 2 and 4 and Ship B on turn 3 and 5. In addition, if a damaged ship comes into battle, it can be repaired after hits are assigned on the first round of combat (since it wouldn't be using Sustain Damage). A downgrade from TI3e, certainly, but not as bad as you think it is. (That reminds me, I still have to get around to saving and uploading those battle simulation figures from our earlier discussion about combat win probabilities.)

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Pass

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Pass.

    We would also like to express our sincerest apologies to the L1Z1X, and would continue to offer a straight exchange of Ceasefires, that is once we have burnt all offending units from Muaat.

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    We are touched.

    But if that is the best you have to offer we are inclined to open discussions at the end of this round with the Winnu, who had already expressed interest in our Ceasefire. We think a mutually beneficial arrangement could be reached on that front.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    I believe the Winnu were trying to trade to you for our Ceasefire originally..
    I don't recall where they've expressed interest in your own.
    Maybe I misread it?

    discrider on
  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Phyphor wrote: »
    Also, liz1x we would be interested in obtaining your ceasefire promissory note, what would you want for it?

    Just quoting for the Muaat. Who knows what the Winnu actually desire at this time, but we stand by our previous statements.

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    MrBody wrote: »
    Someone mentioned tech specialty planets not being used much to bypass prereqs.

    I think it's because it seems like a couple of the colors, the tiers aren't in line with how good the techs are. The Animators green tech is definitely the least useful but it's tier 2. Graviton Laser System is the least useful yellow but it's also tier 2. Duranium Armor is all the way up in tier 3 but it seems really crappy (you can only repair hits at the end of the 2nd round, and then again at the end of the 4th round but 99% of battles are going to be over by then, and 90% of them are decided by the end of the 2nd round). Anti-mass deflectors would often be skipped but everyone who gets a blue specialty planet also has asteroids blocking them. I did debate skipping gravity drive to get fleet logistics but in the end GD seemed more clutch.

    I think the Graviton Laser System is actually pretty effective.

    A carrier loaded with troops and fighters is super versatile for being able to take out a lightly defended system . Especially when you consider their upgrade basically has gravity drive as a prereq if you can't skip tech. So you can move a single carrier three spaces. Four with flank speed. A few fighters mean that unless you've got a super dense PDS network then you need to keep enough either lots of men on your planets or enough ships to fend off a fighter loaded carrier. Once you climb to lightwave deflectors this becomes even more serious.

    Graviton Lasers let you just blow up the carrier directly meaning the fighters and troops die before combat starts.

    Maybe it's a bit of an edge case but I think it keeps the power of carriers usefully depressed

    Mojo_Jojo on
    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    Mojo_Jojo wrote: »
    MrBody wrote: »
    Someone mentioned tech specialty planets not being used much to bypass prereqs.

    I think it's because it seems like a couple of the colors, the tiers aren't in line with how good the techs are. The Animators green tech is definitely the least useful but it's tier 2. Graviton Laser System is the least useful yellow but it's also tier 2. Duranium Armor is all the way up in tier 3 but it seems really crappy (you can only repair hits at the end of the 2nd round, and then again at the end of the 4th round but 99% of battles are going to be over by then, and 90% of them are decided by the end of the 2nd round). Anti-mass deflectors would often be skipped but everyone who gets a blue specialty planet also has asteroids blocking them. I did debate skipping gravity drive to get fleet logistics but in the end GD seemed more clutch.

    I think the Graviton Laser System is actually pretty effective.

    A carrier loaded with troops and fighters is super versatile for being able to take out a lightly defended system . Especially when you consider their upgrade basically has gravity drive as a prereq I'd you can't skip tech. So you can move a single carrier three spaces. Four with flank speed. A few fighters mean that unless you've got a super dense PDS network then you need to keep enough either lots of men on your planets or enough ships to fend off a fighter loaded carrier.

    Graviton Lasers let you just blow up the carrier directly meaning the fighters and troops die before combat starts.

    Maybe it's a bit of an edge case but I think it keeps the power of carriers usefully depressed

    That's a very situational example it would be useful in vs the constant usefulness of all the other yellow techs.

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    MrBody wrote: »
    Mojo_Jojo wrote: »
    MrBody wrote: »
    Someone mentioned tech specialty planets not being used much to bypass prereqs.

    I think it's because it seems like a couple of the colors, the tiers aren't in line with how good the techs are. The Animators green tech is definitely the least useful but it's tier 2. Graviton Laser System is the least useful yellow but it's also tier 2. Duranium Armor is all the way up in tier 3 but it seems really crappy (you can only repair hits at the end of the 2nd round, and then again at the end of the 4th round but 99% of battles are going to be over by then, and 90% of them are decided by the end of the 2nd round). Anti-mass deflectors would often be skipped but everyone who gets a blue specialty planet also has asteroids blocking them. I did debate skipping gravity drive to get fleet logistics but in the end GD seemed more clutch.

    I think the Graviton Laser System is actually pretty effective.

    A carrier loaded with troops and fighters is super versatile for being able to take out a lightly defended system . Especially when you consider their upgrade basically has gravity drive as a prereq I'd you can't skip tech. So you can move a single carrier three spaces. Four with flank speed. A few fighters mean that unless you've got a super dense PDS network then you need to keep enough either lots of men on your planets or enough ships to fend off a fighter loaded carrier.

    Graviton Lasers let you just blow up the carrier directly meaning the fighters and troops die before combat starts.

    Maybe it's a bit of an edge case but I think it keeps the power of carriers usefully depressed

    That's a very situational example it would be useful in vs the constant usefulness of all the other yellow techs.

    It really depends on what you want to do with your territory. If you combine Graviton Lasers with PDS II (and almost assuredly Plasma Scoring as well) and set up a number of PDS units along a choke point of entry to your space you can damn near annihilate an attack fleet and get away with fielding much smaller defensive fleets than you would have needed otherwise. PDS units are overall less subject to action card fuckery as well, I think.

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    I don't know. Saween tools is obviously great but Transit Diodes and Integrated Economy are both also very situational. Actually on the latter, I assume you do still need to pay the resource value of the units?

    Generally the tech tree is just more better than TI3. Both in not having the messy prerequisite conditions and generally just all being sufficiently useful that selecting the next one to take is genuinely tricky

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    If something like that actually happens I'll take it all back, but these situations where Graviton is great are sounding like theorycrafting that would rarely happen in an actual game (also remember how much harder it is to build a lot of PDS units and position them now).

    Nothing situational or rare about the benefits of sarween tools, transit diodes, and integrated economy.

    (the exception to this would be the Xxcha flagship. Thing would be an absolute beast with graviton)

    MrBody on
  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    You do still need to pay the resource value of the units for Integrated Economy, yes. You don't even get the benefit of Sarween Tools when doing so, since there is no unit using Production for the producing that you are doing.

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    MrBody wrote: »
    If something like that actually happens I'll take it all back, but these situations where Graviton is great are sounding like theorycrafting that would rarely happen in an actual game (also remember how much harder it is to build a lot of PDS units and position them now).

    Nothing situational or rare about the benefits of sarween tools, transit diodes, and integrated economy.

    It's not theorycrafting, I've seen players use Deep Space Cannon + Graviton Laser System effectively in TI3 games, and Graviton Laser System is arguably significantly more potent now. Granted, PDS units were far easier to build and position then, but I think if one wanted to do it in TI4 they very much could. Take Muaat, for example. They could have put together an absurd network of PDS units along Tar'mann, Beeeer and Lirta IV that would make it virtually impossible for you to ever enter Muaat space when using Graviton Lasers, PDS II and Plasma Scoring. Which would then make prosecuting a war with us, or an attack on Mecatol Rex, even safer.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Bleh.
    PDS units attract 'destroy PDS' action cards.
    No idea how often they'll show up but.
    They at least got wiped for minimal investment in my previous game of 3e.

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    discrider wrote: »
    Bleh.
    PDS units attract 'destroy PDS' action cards.
    No idea how often they'll show up but.
    They at least got wiped for minimal investment in my previous game of 3e.

    To be fair, I don't think you should have done that. Given the map layout chosen for this game it was the most applicable example similar to actual games of TI3 that I have played in though.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Ketar wrote: »
    discrider wrote: »
    Bleh.
    PDS units attract 'destroy PDS' action cards.
    No idea how often they'll show up but.
    They at least got wiped for minimal investment in my previous game of 3e.

    To be fair, I don't think you should have done that. Given the map layout chosen for this game it was the most applicable example similar to actual games of TI3 that I have played in though.

    I don't think I've had the opportunity nor the werewithall to do it yet either.
    I would've needed to either spend another strat counter, or take Construction this round with still few fleets protecting anything.
    I don't know why Muaat doesn't start with a PDS to be honest; Muaat only having a warsun makes protecting or grabbing planets difficult enough anyway.

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