New player - a few questions and comments

from Sins Forums

Hello all.  I picked vanilla about a month ago - then Trinity 2 days ago and have been playing online a fair bit.  I love the additions that Entrenchment & Diplomacy add.  I've met some very helpful folks (especially you Ancere) - as well as a few that I'd rather forget - but that's another post.  So, a few questions for things I've not yet been able to find through searches.

1)  Chat:  Once in a multi-player game, I know how to do general chat - but how do I chat with just my team?

2)  Diplomacy:  Does this come into play in a 1 V 1 game - or a 5 V 5 game for that matter?  I've played some AI games to mess around with it - and I'm just not getting it.  I was asked to get "feed" in a game yesterday.  What does that do?  What do I need to know about this tree?

3)  First 10 minutes:  From what I've read - this is the critical time.  I've researched everything I can about getting those first 4-5 planets (in a 20 planet game) and still regularly am getting smoked 1 V 1.  My Cap ship has colinize, then for my asteroids, I take them with a Colony ship (and one other frigate).  I tried to do it with just a colony ship and then immediately build a gun (forget what they are called) - but it doesn't seem to be quite enough.  Anyway - by the time I'm on my 4th planet - I'm usually 2-3 minutes behind the other player.  Granted, I've played a lot of REALLY good players based on their records and play style - but I'm at a loss on how to improve this.  For what it's worth - I've been playing TEC - so I'd expect to be able to get out of the gate better.  A snapshot of what I do is focus on planet devlopment, trade ports (2-3 on big planets), 2 civilian satalites & then 5 military satilites so I can get my flak's, healing ships & kodiaks out.  About the time I start building my kodiaks, I get hit and I'm dead.  Usually am on my 5th planet by then.  Thoughts?

4)  Can I be booted from a game by the leader once it's started?  I was playing a 5 V 5 yesterday and went link dead about 20 minutes in (although I think I was doing pretty good).  I have a very stable connection and was wondering if I happened to piss anyone off.

A few comments to the community:  If you see me online, please be patient.  I've been kicked out of a few games becouse I've been told I suck or I'm a smurf (whatever the hell that is).  I find myself pretty good at games and am certain I'll get to the level of the majority of the community.  There's a lot to learn, but I'm really enjoying this game.

 

FYI - I'm playing under the name "mando".  For what it's worth, I'm a mandolin player irl.

 

Thanks for your time and I look forward to your replies.

 

6,005 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top


2)  Diplomacy:  Does this come into play in a 1 V 1 game - or a 5 V 5 game for that matter?  I've played some AI games to mess around with it - and I'm just not getting it.  I was asked to get "feed" in a game yesterday.  What does that do?  What do I need to know about this tree?

3)  First 10 minutes:  From what I've read - this is the critical time.  I've researched everything I can about getting those first 4-5 planets (in a 20 planet game) and still regularly am getting smoked 1 V 1.  My Cap ship has colinize, then for my asteroids, I take them with a Colony ship (and one other frigate).  I tried to do it with just a colony ship and then immediately build a gun (forget what they are called) - but it doesn't seem to be quite enough.  Anyway - by the time I'm on my 4th planet - I'm usually 2-3 minutes behind the other player.  Granted, I've played a lot of REALLY good players based on their records and play style - but I'm at a loss on how to improve this.  For what it's worth - I've been playing TEC - so I'd expect to be able to get out of the gate better.  A snapshot of what I do is focus on planet devlopment, trade ports (2-3 on big planets), 2 civilian satalites & then 5 military satilites so I can get my flak's, healing ships & kodiaks out.  About the time I start building my kodiaks, I get hit and I'm dead.  Usually am on my 5th planet by then.  Thoughts?

4)  Can I be booted from a game by the leader once it's started?  I was playing a 5 V 5 yesterday and went link dead about 20 minutes in (although I think I was doing pretty good).  I have a very stable connection and was wondering if I happened to piss anyone off.

A few comments to the community:  If you see me online, please be patient.  I've been kicked out of a few games becouse I've been told I suck or I'm a smurf (whatever the hell that is).  I find myself pretty good at games and am certain I'll get to the level of the majority of the community.  There's a lot to learn, but I'm really enjoying this game.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to your replies.
End of quote

Welcome (back?) to the community. :thumbsup:

2. In game the diplomacy tree doesn't really have much for 1v1 (besides a few miscellaneous bonuses like a boost to TEC production rates), but in 5v5 its very important. The support abilities of envoy cruisers and especially pacts can be substantial if you get them, and "feed" (giving your teammates resources) is vital in certain situations.

3. Well you got the basics down. Try to use your colony cap to take vital ice/desert/terran planets early, while use your colony frigate for asteroids that aren't as important. The fastest expansion possible is to only have your ships target siege frigates, then send them to the next planet while your colony frigate comes in and colonizes the planet. Then build a defense turret and send everything out of the gravity well until the turret destroys the enemy ships (you should practice this technique in single player a bit until you are comfortable with it. I saw an awesome video of an expert players "rapid expansion" techniques but I can't seem to find it).

Trade ports might be what you are doing wrong. Taking unclaimed planets are the best form of economic growth because they pay for themselves very quickly if you develop extractors and basic infrastructure quickly. Trade ports are also very profitable but they are expensive and it takes a while for them to pay back the cost of building them. If you opponent spends those resources on a better fleet and then destroys your trade ports before they can pay themselves off, you just made a bad investment. Thus, only build trade ports and other big economic investments once you are sure you can protect them (which is why its important to always scout your opponent so you can check if he is going to rush you).

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Totally makes sense - I'll putz around with this and get it down.  Creative way to do it for sure.  Gives me some other ideas on other things now that I see how to think.

That was question that was killing me - how about team chat?  I see ppl doing it in multi player games and i don't know how to reply.  It's got to be right in front of my face and I'm not seeing it.  Thanks again!

mando

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

1) Type "\a" before typing your message.

2) In a 1v1, Diplomacy is largely irrelevant.  In a larger team game, it depends on your situation.  Generally speaking at close proximity you're going to be in a fight for your life and it's a big mistake to invest significant resources in anything other than military assets.  Otherwise, this can be an extremely effective way to bolster your team.

'Feed' is the general term for sending money to allies.  In team games, you usually have one guy on the front-lines specializing in military technology, and other players on the back-lines specializing in civic tech, and they contribute by sending money to the front-line people.

First 10 minutes:  From what I've read - this is the critical time ... Granted, I've played a lot of REALLY good players based on their records and play style
End of quote

Absolutely; a good early-game advantage can easily be built into an overwhelming late-game advantage.  I'm sure you're feeling this first-hand.  Generally speaking, the average opponent you'll face in a 1v1 is more challenging than the average opponent in a 5v5.  Not to say that you won't find beginners in 1v1 or you won't find experts in 5v5.  You can get a lot of experience by playing 5v5's and watching your allies.

Watching your replays could also be very helpful.  There is a mountain of tricks you can pull to squeek out 15 seconds here and there, which at the end of the day can add up to a 3 or 4 planet advantage.

4)  Can I be booted from a game by the leader once it's started?  I was playing a 5 V 5 yesterday and went link dead about 20 minutes in (although I think I was doing pretty good).  I have a very stable connection and was wondering if I happened to piss anyone off.
End of quote

If the host was using Alloy to manage the connections, then you can't be booted, but you're dependent on IC's servers, which are a little flakey at times.  If the host wasn't using Alloy, then he can indeed boot you.

 

Welcome to the community, Mando

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Smurf is a person that people do not want to play with so they need to make a new identity. Also used to stack teams. Seems they try awful hard to make a small community even smaller. Also sometimes just wanting to try a new strategy without messing up there record.  There are many posts and complaints about this but sadly only the devs can fix this issue. Way to many I would not want to play with or against so I stick to private games with friends over IP or lan.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

I have been called a smurf before and booted from lobby's for being a smurf. It took a while before someone actually told me what a 'smurf' was as myfist0 has just done. Unfortuanately, there are the bad as well as the good of individuals on the internet and that applies here as well. Most people in my experience will either trash talk and just want to raise their scores in the game, OR, they are willing to help and are by far the more enjoyable people to play with. Due to time constraints I have not been on ICO in quite some time. With work quieting down a little I hope to get back into it.

 

boshimi336 is my online tag.