DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Arcea campaign advice?

or, "The Return"

Playing the second scenario where one has to team with the Thalans to beat back the Drengin and clear the route to Earth. Apparently the overall goal is to make nice to enlist the Thalans against the bad guys (they're suspicious because they think we're going to destroy the universe doing it) and that part is going well. We're dominating the space lanes, killing random ships, starbases, and shipyards.) Have taken a minor planet.

The problem is, how do we clean out the local Drengin big planets? I can pump out Transports but I don't have the firepower to clear orbits. Thalans have lots of firepower, but no Transports (I recently gave them Planetary Invasion but they're not building any). The bugs don't seem willing to attack starbases, shipyards, or planets, instead killing anything that leaves orbit.

Is the solution maybe to research Alliance and make them allies?

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I beat them on godlike without Thalan assistance. Not a very memorable map. I think I parked a military starbase outside his home and researched Territorial Reinforcement. Lost maybe two ships. I figured the point of the campaign is to highlight their strength with starbases. Arceans are an awesome race.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Yeah, except we haven't seen any Arceans. I got a DLC with hopes that I'd get the race - one of my favorites - but no.

I have been fortifying a bunch of starbases expecting some sort of an assault, but we have theater superiority. Hmm. Flip it around. Nice idea. Thanks.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

WTF is going on with Administrators?? I max out my starbases so have zero Administrators. Suddenly the dashboard tells me that I have -3 Administrators and I've done nothing! I had to take down all but two of my starbases to get 3 Administrators to build three f*g WORTHLESS Military starbases. +3 ?? Big whooptee deal!

Maybe the universe was different when you were a grasshopper.

BTW. an alliance was not the answer. The f*g bug is just sitting there now that I've moved to the front line, and won't trade a ship to save his life. Maybe the solution is to kick his ass... now that all my starbases are gone...

BBTW, there is NOTHING in the Wiki about Administrators. In the entire Starbase section they aren't even mentioned.

Brad, et al, THIS is where the manual needs to step up.

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Does decommissioning starbases give you an administrator back now? In any event, in my last ludicrous game, I had 93 starbases. Picking citizens to be administrators is on top of my list. And you can promote them for more admin points, if you have an Epinetheus pollen. In a pinch, you can put a Leader on an Admin spot.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Yes it does.

I'm playing the base game so there are no Citizens. I have no idea how Admins are produced, save through increasing Admin ability through research. I started with 8 and that never increased with population, new colonies, or production. Yes I have Pollen (and have had previously) but it appears to have no effect on anything.

Now, it that all that a Military Starbase does? +1 to each attribute? The things are totally useless unless you go with a drone swarm, which is a defensive (i.e. non-winning) strategy.

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Pollen only helps for promoting administrator citizens.

No, military starbases have lots of upgrades, especially for Arceans. Territorial Reinforcement tech gives +5 to all three defenses. If you have large fleet battles, those bonuses multiply a lot.

Sounds like military SB's are far more expensive in base game, due to serious shortage in admin points. But if you're just trying to finish off his home base, you shouldn't have to really care that much.

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admiralWillyWilber

Join Date 05/2009

+99

Its been awhile i beat that campaign, by researching enough militarirary to build adrquate ships. Attacked with my custom ships first, then with the starting ships dont lose to many of those you need them to win. It required a loss of a lot of ships for me.

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The campaign seems somewhat buggy with administrators and resources and such, as it uses the non-expansion mechanics. While they've been cleaning up the main game, they seem to be neglecting the campaign.

It would be better and maybe even easier if they just converted the campaign to the latest version rather than having to worry about bugs cropping up in multiple versions.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

There are still people playing the older versions.

If I have a save game old enough, I'm going to change strategy. Instead of going after the Drengin infrastructure, I'll leave it intact with will have them producing more ships and keeping the ^%#@ Thalan engaged, meanwhile, largely shielded in the back (I had to take a planet just to be able to get to the Drengin) I will build enough to produce attack ships and transports. That means that the scenario is going to take a LOT longer than it should.

If it goes on too long and the Thalan starts to lose, maybe I'll get frustrated and take it out too.

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If a scenario takes a lot longer than it should, I call that challenging.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Me too. The first one was good. This one is frustrating because you can't even see the strategic situation until you're nearly two years into it.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Backed up a half year to try the new strategy. Without me on the front line the Big Bug finally delivered and took out the main Drengin planet without AFAICT breaking a sweat. Of course, the Planetary Invasion tech I gave it helped... So victory is in the offing.

Now as for bugs (the s/w kind) not only is the -3 Admins still there, but the game seems to forget tech. I had to negotiate Open Borders** and Research Treaty twice each. There's no Exploration Treaty visible yet, but the Bug seems to see everything that I see.

Anyway...

** Three times before the end.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Finally! I lost a 14 ship fleet denting the last stronghold planet, and that seems to have motivated the Thalan to clean out orbit so I could invade.

Total time: 170 turns (3.5 years at wk/turn). Score: 18. Whoopee.

Now I have to carve my way through the right arm of the Drengin Empire to get to Earth. I think I'll take a break.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Working on Scenario 3 I've manage to take the first two Drengin colonies, though the loss in ships has been a concern.

I'm corresponding now with Altarians, Iridians, and Krynn. All are 'Close'. I traded for Interstellar Alliances and want to ally in the hopes of getting some help. The problem is, the Alliance option remains greyed out. Is it dependent on something besides relationship and tech?

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Publius of NV

Join Date 08/2002

+231

I know it's dependent on relationship level, but as you stated you're already at 'Close' and that should be good enough. It might require a few turns after getting the tech, but I can't think of anything else it requires. Of course, being a campaign, it might be disabled.

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Boy, I just finished the second scenario, contingency, and it's a bit soul crushing having your ally just expand influence across the entire map. I expanded to all, I believe 8, available planets pretty quick, but it wasn't too long before my ally's influence was eating at a couple colonies. One I barely kept by rushing out 3 influence buildings; the other got annexed away from me with 2 influence buildings. After that, I basically put all my ships in starbases so they wouldn't delay my turn and hit end turn until I had a fleet barely able to win on turn 107 I think. I felt like I was reasonably efficient in the early game and it was still pretty annoying. Nearly the entire map was a green blob, even with me taking almost all the reasonable starbase locations asap. I had 8 I think.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Well, this is screwy. Ramboing's post is marked as in the Ashes forum, but this thread is in the GCIII forum. Also, I don't recognize the scenario he describes.

Quoting Ramboing,

reply 16

Boy, I just finished #2 contingency, and it's a bit soul crushing having your ally just expand influence across the entire map.

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dunno, it comes right after the Arcea mission for me. Second campaign in the list with all DLC installed Next on the list is Return.

The post was created just by hitting quick reply.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Publius, the Alliance option finally showed up.

The Iridian was so happy that I offered him a Research Treaty that he traded me all this techs and the cream of his fleet - two huge Capitals and five large Escorts. That should help a LOT.

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DMF

Join Date 09/2002

+13

Earth has been freed!! for good or ill. I should get a medal for it.

The key to this victory was the Iridian ships, and I got them totally by accident. I accidentally clicked the first (huge) ship and noticed that it didn't queer the pending deal. I kept asking for ships until I got all the fast ones. Those two powerful fleets made the end game much easier. Without them and with 1st Fleet down to only three ships, I'm not sure I could have pulled off the planetary assaults required to get there. And it's a real question whether the Yor would have been willing to talk peace.

Anyway, what's next?

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