From: soh@tmp_ip_003.trl.OZ.AU (Soh Kam Hung)
Subject: Re: Reach For The Stars
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 23:46:44 GMT

dac@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au (Andrew Clayton) writes:

>In article <1992Jul23.223427.7489@trl.oz.au>, Soh Kam Hung writes:

>Yes, well, by the time you have enough resources to have >50Mk
>IV's, you're pretty well invincible! :-)

With three computer players, 200 Mark IV ships are sufficient to keep
two at bay while fighting one.

>> What is your general strategy?  I haven't yet beat the Enhanced
>> Veterans, though I've managed to outdo them on production at the
>> start.  To do this, I usually spend as much as possible on Technology,
>> Ship and Navigation research in that order.

>My general strategy is to pour money into Ind Tech, and set up
>base on a nearby system with multiple planets, and develop them
>all at once, generating funds from my primary system.  Except
>that the inbuilt computer-player hate-factor works hugely against
>me, and the damned computer opponents turn up on my doorstep,
>with non-stop battle fleets.  It's very annoying :-). I tried to
>cripple the computer players by limiting transport ships and mk I
>and II ships to one and two hex movements, but they still come
>and get me!

The first 20 turns are very important in RFTS.  You either have a
chance or get stomped in that time.  Judging from the victory points
generated, the best way of increasing production is to concentrate on
developing one planet at a time.  Also, don't colonise any new planets
until you have:

1. Investigated all neighbouring systems with a transport or Mark I.
2. Fully populated and developed your home planet(s).
3. Made a reasonable number of transports.
3. Saved enough global resource points to kickstart the new colonies
into full production and full social development.  It is important to
increase the social development as much as possible to ensure that the
population of the colony can multiply and increase industrial potential
of a planet.
4. Have a couple of warships to protect a new colony and to explore new
star systems.

Investing in any technology is a long term plan, which is best done
when you have a lot of production points.  I don't invest in Industrial
technology until the 9th or 11th turn when I have enough resource
points to continue developing my home planet.  Personally, Navigation
technology is only useful when you have Mark IIIs and IVs that can zoom
to any hex in one move.

>Worst thing is that when I feel I'm getting somewhere, either the
>program crashes, or I get trounced AND THE SAVE GAME FUNCTION
>doesn't work! :-(

>I'm going to call them today. Right now! 

>{Their answer: "We have heard some people have problems, but not
>		all people running 2.04 have these problems. If you send us a
>		note with details of what hardware cofiguration you are running,
>		then when we find out what the problem is, we'll send you out a
>		new version of the program"}

Good-oh!

>Finding where the enemy *IS* is a problem, since without nav tech
>you can't go more than one planet from an established base.  It's
>all new to me, this advanced scenario, and I'm not a suitable
>person to glean clues from.

Depending on your Navigation technology, you can move a certain number
of hexes from a colony.  Send Mark Is as scouts; transports are
cheaper, but cannot survive an encounter with any defending fleet or
other Mark Is.

>I was rarely able to beat normal veterans on my Apple ][+, I
>don't like my chances of beating Enhanced veterans, since they
>get so much more resources than human players.

>Playing with other humans is a pain, because of the time factor -
>waiting for your turn, single player input, having to hide your
>production/plans from the other players. 

Human players make an interesting game, because the element of
negotiation comes into the game.  We used to make a day of it (having
lunch and dinner in front of the computer), taking turns to make our
moves.  SSG should come out with an option to connect a dumb terminal
or have a modem connection to RFTS to allow more players to enter their
moves simulataneously.

Regards,

---
Soh, Kam Hung, Network Management Research,     |  h.soh@trl.oz.au  
TRL, POB 249 Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia  |  +61 3 253 6638
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games