Conventional Start in 6.21

[RottenBanana (OP)]

I've finally decided to make the jump from 5. 54 to 6. 21, but I've still only been playing for several months and this is my first time starting out as a conventional empire so I have a few questions. 

1.  What's the general procedure (starting techs, things to plan for) to starting off as a conventional empire?

2.  Is there a thread with a good explanation on the new engines? (I'm still new so I wasn't too good at making the most efficient designs)

3.  How useful are the starting missile bases? (I noticed that the range was only . 1m km and I can't imagine when they would be useful)

[Paul M]

*grumbles about deleting my reply*

1.  You first need to develop TN technology.  After that I can only suggest (shameless plug that it is) you have a look at my AAR for some idea what pitfalls lie ahead.  As I think I made every mistake imaginable. 

You need lots of minearls, it is a slow slog.  Also develop a conventional engine, and geosurvey sensors and build your first ship to survey your inner system.  You can later refit it to TN tech engines but by then your inner system will be available for exploitation.

2.  The new engines are fairly easy to understand but because of a conventional start you will have not that many options available to you.  This will give you lots of chances to explore the engines and learn about them.  Otherwise you could ask specific questions.  Just recall that you will have limited research facilities and must develop EVERYTHING so you aren't going to have many types of "applied techs" in general.

3.  The intially bases are only useful to keep your officers busy and out of trouble.  They can be refit to more advanced models (remeber to delete not destroy the base) when your technology improves.  It took me 3 tries to get something I liked for a base.

[RottenBanana (OP)]

Thanks for the tips.  I was playing while checking out your AAR, but unfortunately, I ran into the bug where the PDC crew dies due to lack of life support and I get spammed with the 3021 (not exactly sure) error.  I might just do a conventional start on v5. 54 for learning purposes.  What should I convert the conventional industries to when I am at the early TN stage?

[Conscript Gary]

To overcome that pdc life support bug, just remove the starting missile bases in SM mode, double check their designs, then SM them back in.

[o_O]

My engine strategy is:

-Design maximum sized engine with a 25% or so power increase
-Slow ships have one big engine stuck on the back, fast ships are an engine with some ship on the front

As for a conventional start, first step is look at your homeworld and figure out what mineral you will use up first.  Go and mine a planet that has this mineral, plus duranium, as soon as possible. 

The starting missile bases are mainly so that multiple nations starting on earth all have the ability to nuke each other.  Also, to keep the population happy until you can build some actual defenses. 

[Paul M]

I converted the conventional industry (500): 100 construction facilities, 100 mines, 100 construction facilities, 100 mines, and remaining 100 between fuel refineries, missile factories and fighter factories (65, 25, 10 I think).

The AAR will be continuing I'm just a bit overwhelmed and lacking time right now.

[Charlie Beeler]

Unless you really have a strong understanding of Aurora's mechanics, I usually discourage newer players from conventional starts.  That being said...

The best thread for details on the new engines is the v6.00 change log.  You have to drill through a lot of other posts, but the details are there. 

[RottenBanana (OP)]

As of right now, I'm working on getting a geo survey vessel up and running while I research the base TN tech.  Also, I'm setting my only shipyard to continually expand until it's needed for production because I'm foreseeing problems with ship production later in the game.  Is there anything else I should be doing?

@Charlie: I have a decent understanding of the mechanics, but, for myself, I think it would be beneficial to learn the game from the conventional start so I can better anticipate problems that might occur from some oversight early on.

[MagusXIX]

Mind your mineral supply.  It'd suck to run out of, say, Duranium, before you have the ability to colonize somewhere with an ample supply.

[Paul M]

With your geosurvey ship running I would make sure to check out any comets you have in perhellion just so you know what is on them.

I would watch the expansion of the shipyard.  It gets expensive to retool and you will sooner or later hit a mineral crunch (depending on the relative mineral wealth of the system).

The sooner you can get CMCs to help you out the better but I'm not 100% sure what triggers them...you may need to have civillian shipping lines first.  Money is the last of your worries in a conventially start...Steve really should turn it down as you can't spend it and it accumulates during the 50 years of low level activity to a pretty serious chunk of change.

[RottenBanana (OP)]

My mineral supply is starting to be of some concern, but Luna and Mars actually have enough resources to keep me alive for now.   I'm fairly certain that the CMCs appear whenever there is an opportunity for them.   For example, whenever I set up a colony and start moving infrastructure, colony ships appears shortly after, and whenever I create contracts, cargo ships appear.   What techs should I focus on? I've been doing construction rate, missile tech, and engines.

EDIT: I just added more contracts for shipping and heavily subsidized the two shipping lines and I observed 3 freighters appear to claim the jobs.

[James Patten]

Before I start I will double or triple my Earth mineral amounts.  That should give you a realistic amount of minerals to burn through before you get out of the solar system.

I have found this time around that the civilian shipping companies are hugely helpful, allowing me to save on fuel by not making the trips myself many times.   You can't ask them to haul minerals, so when you leave the system you'll have to send your ships out to bring minerals back; nor does it appear that they will build jump-capable freighters, so you have to build jump gates.

[RottenBanana (OP)]

There are nearly 20 civilian ships helping me out which is quite nice because I only have 2 freighters and 1 colony ship.  I still haven't gotten out of system yet.

[Paul M]

on the question of tech focus.  Realistically I don't see how you can focus on anything.  You have nothing so everything needs a bit of effort.  What you prioritize I would say depends a lot on your scientists and needs are.  About the only thing you have to focus on is weapon systems since you can't chase too many of them.
 
Civillian lines are wonderful.  Basically you only need a few small ships to start you colonies and they take over...unfortunately they tend to do dumps.  But once you have civillian in system transport available pretty much everything but mineral pick up is better left to them.

[RottenBanana (OP)]

So far I've been able to get a decent economy running with tons of mining complexes (both mine and civ) and I've made friendly contact with an NPR in the next system over.  I'm just having issues with several ships breaking down way too often.