Looking to Improve

So! I just attempted to fight a Heroic AI after deciding Normal AIs were way too easily. I got demolished. I just could not keep up with Covenant ship production...as the UNSC. I think part of the problem is that I have an awful early game- can anyone give me advice on how to start up and expand? I always seem to end up with less planets than the other side even on Normal, and my tactics seem to get me slaughtered. I sort of understand fleet composition but I just can't seem to wrap my head around directing my fleet the right way...I guess I'm hoping for advice on that too. Please and thank you!

economy is your best friend early game. ALWAYS get the civic labs as your first few, as it improves income via research. Military, while important, if you are on a rather roomy map, dont worry too much about rushes, just expand. Thats what i do, adn refineries can be your best friend, and put them on ice and volcanic worlds for the best results. And trade ports are necessary very early. Also when fortyfiying, identify a choke point world(s) fortify them quickly, even if its just sabers, early game it does not take much to detour aggressors.

 

I hope this helps.

Hm. I usually build one of each lab first, so I'll try focusing on civic more at the start like you said. I do watch for choke points already, though.

Hm. I usually build one of each lab first, so I'll try focusing on civic more at the start like you said. I do watch for choke points already, though.

Well that's good, as Covenant though, that really does not apply quite as much, since they seem to shove aside anything in there way. But Civic labs are still important, start with two, expand a little, find a suitable factory world, (usually somewhere with a lot of logistics slots) and scuttle your factory's at your home, then add more labs of either type depending on the situation. Then, add more worlds too your empire and get labs. But not necessarily in that order.

 

again this is what i do.

I'll try that. I tend to focus on where I can put labs and build both kinds at the same rate, and I'm fairly reluctant to use a good logistics world for something else. That's obviously not working, so we'll see where your style takes me. Probably further than my own does.

I'll try that. I tend to focus on where I can put labs and build both kinds at the same rate, and I'm fairly reluctant to use a good logistics world for something else. That's obviously not working, so we'll see where your style takes me. Probably further than my own does.

until recently, i sucked at soase and sotp, then i tried this out at the advice of some other people in the community and my own augmentation of it. It if i do say so my self, has turned me into a rather adept player. So im glad i can help people out to return the favor, and augment it how you wish! it is by no means a full proof strategy. After all, it can be rather reliant on the map, so try for a good balance between labs and trade/refiners and you will be in great shape.

I have a question or two myself. Please bear in mind that I am COMPLETELY new to Sins of the Prophets and Sins of a Solar Empire. I'm well aware that I am asking about the bare basics.

 

--Out of nowhere, it said that I was at fleet capacity. At this point, I had only been playing the game for about 5 minutes and had built about 9 Paris Frigates in all, as well as a capital ship. Constantly keeping an eye on my planetary upgrades (all maxed out) and my research trees yielded nothing. What am I doing wrong?

 

--I want to build more mining facilities, but it says I have no more places to build them. Alright, I figure I need to build on some asteroids which necessitates going to other planets, but it seems like I have no more Logistical Structure slots to build anything, regardless of whether it needs an asteroid or not! Tactical Structures doesn't have that problem. Again, what is this newbie doing wrong?

 

I'd have traveled to other planets, but the Covenant occupy both of them and apparently decided they don't like me poking around. It seems the Covenant is dead set on wiping out humanity. Who'd have thought?

I have a question or two myself. Please bear in mind that I am COMPLETELY new to Sins of the Prophets and Sins of a Solar Empire. I'm well aware that I am asking about the bare basics.

 

--Out of nowhere, it said that I was at fleet capacity. At this point, I had only been playing the game for about 5 minutes and had built about 9 Paris Frigates in all, as well as a capital ship. Constantly keeping an eye on my planetary upgrades (all maxed out) and my research trees yielded nothing. What am I doing wrong?

 

--I want to build more mining facilities, but it says I have no more places to build them. Alright, I figure I need to build on some asteroids which necessitates going to other planets, but it seems like I have no more Logistical Structure slots to build anything, regardless of whether it needs an asteroid or not! Tactical Structures doesn't have that problem. Again, what is this newbie doing wrong?

 

I'd have traveled to other planets, but the Covenant occupy both of them and apparently decided they don't like me poking around. It seems the Covenant is dead set on wiping out humanity. Who'd have thought?

First, fleet compacity research, 2nd from the bottom. That increases maximum ships. Second, you may not have the asteroids to build them on.

 

And if the covies are no more than one world away and you have two planets, id say call it quits. unless the map is designed like that.

When playing as the unsc I normally build 2 phoenix class carriers and send them on there ways. They can normally handle the local militia. I then go straight to work on building my economy. I build anywhere from 3 to 5 trade facilities per planet. The I get the 2nd fleet research and frigate spam. This is just to have a big enough fleet to defend my boarder's. Even the unsc frigate spammed during the human covenant war. However as soon as I've done sufficient econ research I begin diversifying my fleets. Now I'm no where near an expert at this game. Its taking some getting used to loosing ships at a fast rate, but this setup usually gets my foot in the door to a good game. Hope this helps.

Alright, that actually helped quite a bit. Now another question.

 

I drove off some Covenant ships from an asteroid belt that has some mining facilities on them. Are those mine now or something? It says they can be captured; is there a special ship to do it?

 

Sorry for the inane questions. Like I said, I'm new to this game. And I'm also relatively inexperienced to RTS games themselves, actually. My RTS experience is made up entirely of Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Halo Wars.

Alright, that actually helped quite a bit. Now another question.

 

I drove off some Covenant ships from an asteroid belt that has some mining facilities on them. Are those mine now or something? It says they can be captured; is there a special ship to do it?

 

Sorry for the inane questions. Like I said, I'm new to this game. And I'm also relatively inexperienced to RTS games themselves, actually. My RTS experience is made up entirely of Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Halo Wars.

Use a Phoenix COLONY ship to caputre the belt mines.

I tried the suggestions. Thought I was doing really well, because for the entire game I was on top in everything...and then I found out why.

 

The AI had spawned next to a planet with the MoI and, being the aggressive Heroic AI it was, it threw all of its resources into killing it. Two hours in it still hadn't. It had two planets, and its side of the system was actually kind of hilarious- to leave the home planet it had two options, two of which were MoI and a wormhole, and its only three avenues of assault had it managed to expand took it through the star, a heavily fortified planet of mine, or a Flood World.

 

Then I captured the MoI and burned their home planet to the ground. Woopwoop Autumn-class. In short, I have no idea if I was playing well but that match ended up being hilarious.

Apologies for the double post! 

 

I tried the suggestions again and the AI got a much better spawn this time. I steamrolled them anyway, so I guess that approach is much better! Thanks muchly.

Here a few basic tips for expanding that I follow as a general rule, and have served me well for a long time. Some of this might have been covered before by Sci Fi Dude.

 

1. Always start with a bit of civic research. Usually two or three, depending on whether you're playing the UNSC or Cov. I usually go Civic until I get trade ports, at which point the cash starts coming in like mad. It's also good to get refineries, because then you increased special resources (crystal and metal), which you can sell for more cash to balance out your income.

 

2. To complement that point above, it's important to remember a couple of things when expanding. Firstly, every new planet you colonise won't start giving you money immediately. They will actually initially cost you money, until you get the first social upgrade, top left one. Also remember that a refinery works for the adjacent planets only, not for your entire empire.

 

3. It's important to scout. The first three ships you should build, while building a capship factory, are two or three scouts. You can set them to auto-explore by right-clicking their explore ability, and this way you have some advance knowledge of which planets are around you, and which are the best to colonise.

 

4. When expanding, and this is more relevant on a small map, be careful where you position your fleet. If you colonise only towards the left of your capital planet, then you leave the rest of your base open to flanking from the right while your fleet is off in the middle of nowhere.

 

5. This is a general rule that I follow, and will depend very much on the size of the map you're on, but I don't build any defenses until I have at least four planets.

 

Just some general tips that I follow that usually lead me to victory. As one final word, always remember that strategies need to be elastic, and this is only proven even more against harder AIs. Don't be afraid to break up fleets that have worked really well, if it's a good idea. Don't be afraid to use one fleet to draw the AI's attention while another fleet parades through their flank. And remember to have fun, most importantly!

I generally don't build defenses until I have a solid chokepoint determined. Then I bolster that point while I feel around for other points, take them, and begin to solidify them as well. Once I've fortified each chokepoint I poke around for the enemy empire and build up my defenses and fleet until they attack- in my experience, the AI pretty much always attacks along a single flank, so I smash their cohesive assault and counterattack while they're rebuilding their forces, rolling them up and picking off the disorganized reinforcements as I go. The AI tends not to be smart enough to build up a solid fleet before trying to stop me, so I just hit them with a fast moving, maxed out fleet that devours their attempts to stop it and I never stop moving. It works.

That sounds like a smart strategy. However, I would advise you to remember that as you start upping the difficulty of the AI, their strategy will change and their fleets will become better. So it becomes more important to be adaptive. Also, as you advance into the multiplayer of this game, which I hope you do, the players themselves won't be as stupid or as standard as the AI. 

 

In any event, good luck and have fun!