PART 3
I'm sticking with my two systems for now, I don't want to spread out and provoke attacks on exposed systems.
I've made contact with several races, and save for the Trilarian (who is repulsive) the combination of Charismatic and a leader with Diplomacy is enough to ensure good relations. I'm sure it would not have gone as well in MP!
Anyway, I keep teching up:
After AFacs and BPods I pick Robofacs, since I have no use for battleoids or missile racks. Finally Robo Miners; no hard choices at ALL so far. Next I pick Battlestation - GBs aren't that good IMO, but Powered Armor is; but I've decided to blow things apart rather than board them, so that settles it. Core Wast Dump is next, and solves my pollution (its too far down - makes other econ tech useless).
Power is uninteresting me thinks; why would I need Ion Drive when I have Fusion drive and A-M drive is a single next TF? I'm not using Ion Pulse Cannon, so that leaves Torpedoes - equally unappealing IMO (but then I'm a beam man!).
For Chemistry I went Tritanium, Merculite and Iridium. If I really need pollution techs I'll trade for them or steal them. Oh wait, I ended up with Core Wast Dumps, so problem solved.
Next is Sociology - Academy followed by Spaceport (even though I already have TONS of money it doesn't hurt to have more); why would anyone want Alien Control C. rather than Spaceport??? Stock Exchange is a single. My Money income is through the roof, even with 0% tax...I'm buying half-built things at an alarming rate.
Computers is next; and here there IS a slightly difficult choice. I'm being spied upon, so Telepathy sounds vaguely appealing, but the +5% bonus is too small even when I'm demo, so I go for Holos. Next is Supercomputer - extra morale COULD have been nice, but I have to keep both producing and teching, so I need the Supercomp as much as I do the Robo-Miners.
Biology was a bit more tricky, but I went Biospheres (no-brainer?), Neural Scanner (worth it at +10%) and Subt Farm (housing works well enough). Since I got Farms early on, even my small non-terraformed planets are producing 6 food each. Then I take Soil, which reduced my farmers to 3-4 pop on my homeworld and the non-terran swamp.
Next TF is more interesting, both Weather C (but my food situation si already good, and soon I'll conquer those Trilarians and have THEM farm for me) and Recyclotron (but I'm already producing things at an alarming rate) are good, but I'm demo and need more spying - I pick Psionics. Last is Terraforming; I have a lot of desert, barren and tundra worlds and production capacity to upgrade them; will let me continue developing my two systems even further.
In physics I go with Fusion BOMB. Fusion Rifle is weak compared to laser and I'm not going to use Fusion Beam at all. This turns out to be a good choice during the Trilarian war - Fusion bombs can WIPE an unshielded planet clean in no time. Next is Tachyon Comm (even if I'm Warlord); why would I want the other two??? Finally I pick A-M bomb; it looks like I need it to defeat Flux Shields. Ok, so maybe I could have skipped Fusion Bomb and taken the rifle...I would not gamble on a human player NOT taking the Flux Shield, since it seems a simple choice! A-Grav Harness adds some much-needed marine power; I'm using my trusty mass drivers, so I don't want gravitions and I have only 1 Hi-G world so that rules out Grav Generators. The next TF is just plain boring; I have enough command points for now...don't want to tractor anything...if my enemies have been using lots of missiles/fighters I might have picked compressor, but as it is I'm going for Jump gates, since my empire is getting stretched out (lots of Trilarian worlds under my rule by now!).
Fields was quite easy; I love the Mass Driver. Can't live without it! AF, built-in no rang dissipation AND Armor Piercing (and with Heavy Armor WAAAY up there in this mod, then AP is a KILLER!!!). next is Stabilizer, no question. Then Class IV shield (Trit armor and Reinf Hull served me well up until that). The next TF is among the most interesting; I go for Stealth Suit (because I'm spy paranoid), but had I been involved in a lot of ground combat or boarding I would have picked the +20% personal shield. Lighting field is also an option if facing lots missiles, but I'll manage without.
That concludes every TF up to 1500. A few semi-hard choices, but not a lot. A few choice were INTERESTING though, based as they were upon my choice of race (demo, need more spies), starting position (lots a small planets, go for hydro, subt farms and housing) and nearby enemy empires (Trilarian is pretty big, but HOPELESS in ground combat). In fact, the entire ting was HIGHLY enjoyable, it felt fresh and new, and I think that was thanks to the mod
Oh, and by now my Empire has five more ex-Trilarian systems, with fish population largely intact. I swap around some pop to maximise max pop and find myself with a grand food surplus; I could have disbanded my hydros/subt farms now, but the fact is I make so much money its not worth it.
One note about combat: Mass Drivers are too good. With Elec Comp and battles scanners (I got them at the same time), as well as warlord + charismatic (have a +6 instructor leader) + academies and fighting...my crews all have at least 3 stars...that means we're hitting EVERY time (and with Aug Engine we DO move first - EVERY time). And even class IV shield only halves that damage, and Heavy Armor is unavailable at this stage - meaning I rip apart my enemies much too easily. Those than don't have class IV shield are just dead meat...you can't board me or kill me with missiles if my Hv AF AP Mass Drivers have done max damage directly to structure and blown you to bits...
More later