Early Expansion

from Sins Forums

An issue I keep running into is early expansion. So far I mostly play every so often against an AI opponent, either in Trinity or Rebellion beta. I'll write this from the perspective of TEC since I've been playing Rebellion. Normally when I start a new game the first thing I put down is a Capitol Ship Factory and usually build a Akkan Battlecruiser. I'll send it to the closest colonizable gravity wells that have the least enemy resistance. 

I'll build 2-3 scouts and send them out to search.  I'll build a few Cobalts to assist the Akkan.

I put down two Civ labs first to get Ice and Volcano Colonization. Often I go without upgrading fleet logistics for the sake of preserving income, which caps me at 29 after the Akkan. I keep attacking the closest planets moving outward, but because of the increased defense on many of these planets I get stuck trying to defeat the local defense ships. I feel like even on a 30+ Planet map I start getting attacked by the AI after only colonizing 4-5 planets tops which end up taking so much resources to defend that my expansion drops. I find myself also getting military upgrades to improve my ships rather then increasing my fleet logistics capacity to levels 1 or 2 so my ships do better against pirates and whoever else.

Sometimes I wonder if i should trying going for a further away planets so that when I get the trade station I can take advantage of a further trade post.

 

 

Any general advice in these areas would be appreciated.

 

 

P.S. I'm well aware of my n00b ways, so direct feedback won't hurt my pride. I have none in Sins. :)

strategy
6,438 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

generally, you want to expand towards your enemy in a single straight line (for tradeports), while sending out out lone colony ships to ninja colonize roids and neutrals. (use the lone colonizer trick, where you build a gauss touching the roid/moon in front of the seige frig).

 

Often times you will want to skip ice and volc colonization untill later... and heavilly defended deserts/terrans. I am finding myself establishing my front with my enemy, and then back fill my empire with those tougher planets when my titan comes out or so.

Tradeports are more expensive now, and take longer to pay off. going for them is still very viable, but is now punishable.

 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Pbhead, reply 1
(use the lone colonizer trick, where you build a gauss touching the roid/moon in front of the seige frig)
End of Pbhead's quote

 

Is this to say I can build a Gauss turret before colonizing the roid/moon?

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

no? you colonize, then you build the gauss turret. the building turret will scare away the siege frig for long enough for when its finished for it to kill the siege frig before the seige frig kills your colony. then it will go to work on the light frig.  Your colony ship just needs to touch the roid, colonize, and run off to the next place.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Oh gotcha, thanks. Bit of a silly question, I had misunderstood the context.

 

One thing I'm also considering is if I'm choosing the right early techs. From your response Pbhead I'll start holding off on Ice/Volcano research. I suppose Modular Architecture would be good for the 40% reduction in costs that seemingly I'll accrue in the early stages.

One thing that I always tend to forget about til later is pop cap increases either in the research tree or the additional planetary development beyond the first one or two stages that eliminate the drain on resources. I'm not sure what degree of tax benefit there would be and when I should look at that for increased income.

As for early military, it seems LRMs are a good first step after a repair station.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Modular architecture is nice. THe best way to use it is when you want to move your factories to the front line.  Scuttle your factories on your hw, then research modular architecture, then rebuild.

It would take 9 extractors alone to break even on the credit cost research, so, you might want to research it right before you build a bunch of extractors... so if you can combine your factory moving with colonizing ~2 planets, then you prolly got out ahead.

 

One of the best things to do would be to see if you can procure a replay.  I dont remember seeing any replays posted yet of .61, but watching a pro's early game is a great way to get an idea of what you should do as well.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Ooh good call. Does someone have a replay available for download?

 

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting LeoBrok3n, reply 6
Ooh good call. Does someone have a replay available for download?

 
End of LeoBrok3n's quote

for which version

 

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

.61 I'd imagine if that's most recent. My game is up to date with steam.

 

*edit*

But I'd love a Trinity replay just the same, i have the latest version from steam.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

There is some vids. on the forums,i don't remember where but i remember that there were some! :grin:

 

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

I dub thee hence forth to be known as "Jeff the Vague." You may now rise. :P

 

I'll poke around and see what I can find.

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

Think about Modular architecture is that if you go akkans first, you kinda negate some of the bonus of it since you get free extractors.  Still I do try to get it in early in any situation where I will go civil.