CI? Task Forces? Overwhelming!

[The Shadow]

Zero, since Steve has not yet programmed the AI to handle them.  Every NPR you encounter will be Trans-Newtonian.

Huh?  So this thread, along with one I can't seem to find right now about preindustrial NPR's, is obsolete?

[Father Tim]

Not at all, since it's talking about your empire - or more accurately, player-run empires.  If you want to add a conventional (ie low-tech) NPR (which can be done with SM mode), you'll have to run it since the AI can't handle it yet.  The bad news is the AI also can't handle switching from player-run to AI-run, so you'll have to run it as long as the game lasts.

Which isn't difficult, and is the way every empire worked back before Steve wrote the AI software a couple of versions ago.  But if you checked the 'computer-controlled NPRs' box on the game settings page, you will never 'discover' a low-tech race.

[The Shadow]

Ooooh.  I get it now.

Yet in the Ad Astra campaign, Steve did find a preindustrial race.  I guess he was playing both (all) sides in that game?

[AndonSage]

Ooooh.  I get it now.

Yet in the Ad Astra campaign, Steve did find a preindustrial race.  I guess he was playing both (all) sides in that game?

I think a lot of what goes on in Steve's fiction is done with him playing all of the important NPRs, as well as judicious use of the SpaceMaster mode

[AndonSage]

And how do I assign tech points manually?

Are you sure you read the Tutorials? This is covered in Part 4: Basic Ship Design.

What kind of sensors will I need to detect jump points in my system...

Also covered in Part 4.

[Judicator (OP)]

Thanks for the help so far guys, I won't be able to play again 'til the weekend but I'm learning alot thanks to you guys and the tried and true method of 'MASH BUTTONS HURR HURR'. This leads me to my next few questions...

I'm getting to the point where I'm almost experienced enough to make new colonies but I'd like to know the specifics on how to make them.

I understand that terraforming is obviously needed to take out the bad gasses, stabilize the good, etc but I'd also like to learn what is needed in terms of initial supplies. Do I need to plop down infrastructure before bringing colonists or will the civilian shipping lines begin transporting colonists on their own? What is exactly needed to form a permanent living colony on a new planet is basically what I am asking.

On the topic of uninhabitale planets that have millions of minerals, can I simply plop down infrastructure and automated mines in order to mine them out and transport them to my home planet via a mass driver? Or if that isn't the case, what is?

And a few more questions about the home planet, what is a good beginning strategy in terms of industry, research labs, etc. Someone posted that they like to spend 10% of industry at all times making factories while spending the other 90 on something else. How frequently should I add new labs? What is a good 'military academy level' to be at? These are just some more questions that I am currently pondering on at the moment. Thanks for your time and help!

Edit: I just thought of something else. Cargo Space. I noticed that one mass driver took up 25000(!?) units of cargo space. How many automated mines is a good number for mining planets/asteroids and how much cargo space does an automine take up?

[The Shadow]

I understand that terraforming is obviously needed to take out the bad gasses, stabilize the good, etc but I'd also like to learn what is needed in terms of initial supplies. Do I need to plop down infrastructure before bringing colonists or will the civilian shipping lines begin transporting colonists on their own? What is exactly needed to form a permanent living colony on a new planet is basically what I am asking.

You'll definitely want to put infrastructure down first.  I wouldn't rely on the shipping lines until it's clear they've got the colony on their radar, so to speak.

On the topic of uninhabitale planets that have millions of minerals, can I simply plop down infrastructure and automated mines in order to mine them out and transport them to my home planet via a mass driver? Or if that isn't the case, what is?

No infrastructure necessary, as nobody's going to be living there.  Automated mines and a mass driver are all you need, if there's a colony that can make use of the stuff in-system.  If you want to take the minerals to another system, you'll have to ship it.

And a few more questions about the home planet, what is a good beginning strategy in terms of industry, research labs, etc. Someone posted that they like to spend 10% of industry at all times making factories while spending the other 90 on something else. How frequently should I add new labs? What is a good 'military academy level' to be at? These are just some more questions that I am currently pondering on at the moment. Thanks for your time and help!

Well, it depends what strategy you want to pursue, really.  Myself, I like to put at least 20% of production into research labs.  Mess around and see what you like.

Edit: I just thought of something else. Cargo Space. I noticed that one mass driver took up 25000(!?) units of cargo space. How many automated mines is a good number for mining planets/asteroids and how much cargo space does an automine take up?

Most installations take up 5 cargo holds.  (Which is what 25000 "cargo space" amounts to.)  Some, like research labs, take up 25.

[Judicator (OP)]

Alright. So now that I have a good grasp of that, this leads to my next question.. How many automated mines on a planet should I put down minimum to ensure a steady supply of minerals to my main planet?

[sloanjh]

Zero, since Steve has not yet programmed the AI to handle them.  Every NPR you encounter will be Trans-Newtonian.

I thought he put pre-industrial into 5.1 - didn't he encounter one in the Roman story?  The AI isn't hard, 'cuz they can't do anything except build ground troops

John

[Father Tim]

All of them.

That is, regular mines are easier and cheaper to build, so don't waste any of your automines on an inhabited colony.  As for how much of the TNE your economy needs must come from offworld, that depends entirely on how much your economy is using versus how much your homeworld is producing.

I think most people will agree that every single microgram of TNE in the known universe is best off mined and sitting in stockpile(s) on your world(s) - the only decisions to be made are ones of efficiency (ie where to get the most TNE per unit time).

Most games of Aurora go like this:

Setup --> time advance --> EMERGENCY!  Not enough mineral X --> frantic research of mining tech / build mines / cutback on use of mineral X --> time advance --> EMERGENCY!  Not enough mineral Y --> frantic research of mining tech / build mines / cutback on use of mineral Y --> time advance --> EMERGENCY!  Not enough money --> frantic research of wealth / build financial centres -->  time advance --> EMERGENCY!  Not enough shipyards --> frantic research of shipbuilding & shipyard mod rate / shipyards & slipways / 'generalist' or 'multiple-classes-from-one-yard' designs --> time advance --> EMERGENCY!  Not enough workers to man installations --> etc.

In short, every game - no matter how well you think you've planned, based on previous games - seems to be rushing from one crisis to another, based on not having enough something.

[Father Tim]

Zero, since Steve has not yet programmed the AI to handle them.  Every NPR you encounter will be Trans-Newtonian.

I thought he put pre-industrial into 5.1 - didn't he encounter one in the Roman story?  The AI isn't hard, 'cuz they can't do anything except build ground troops :-)

John

He did, but Steve has God-like powers in addition to Designer mode and SM mode and so forth, though I believe he still 'ran' that particular NPR rather than having written the AI to do it.

If you turn off 'computer-controlled NPRs' (ie the AI functions) you can certainly encounter low-tech NPRs.  With that checkbox ticked, I don't believe you can.

It's not that low-tech AI is 'hard', it's that it's different and high-tech AI is far more important (every NPR needs it) so it was done first.  Steve will eventually get around to pre-TN AI when he has the time.

[StratPlayer]

In short, every game - no matter how well you think you've planned, based on previous games - seems to be rushing from one crisis to another, based on not having enough something.

And that, in a nutshell, is one of the reasons that Aurora is such a good game and fun to play, at least in this newbie's opinion.  Add in the drama of aliens to fight/avoid/hide from/negotiate with/conquer, and no game ever plays the same way twice.  

There's no railroaded story that you have to follow, there's no only-one-way-to-win 'best' strategy, there's no having to self-nerf your own strategy/economy/tactics/etc. to keep it interesting, there's just a wide-open sandbox with new things to uncover every time you play.  AND there's an active and involved designer adding new toys all the time!  

What more could you want?!?!

Well unless you eliminated all the complexity, dumbed down the game, and turned it into a First-Person Shooter, then that would be awesome.  NOT!!!  

[UnLimiTeD]

I honestly think most questions asked here are covered in the step by step tutorial on the wiki, including ship design, task group organization, etc.
I used that when I started.

To the other discussion, in my current 5.02 game, one jump from Sol, I discovered an Alien race with just one planet, that either has a population of around 50 million top, or no real industry.
During the last 10 years, they didn't build a single space ship, nor did their emissions rise by any noticeable amount.
they are obviously either a bug (I had a one billion start), with extremely low pop, or pre-TN.

[Judicator (OP)]

Alright, now this brings me to my next few questions.. What is 'conventional industry'? How does it differ from normal industry? What does it mean in the industry tab when I have the choices of 'convert CI to automated mines/mines/etc'?

And I have to say that Hyfrydle's newbie journal of his first long term game has me captivated and inspired. I just may very well try my own! I have just about enough experience and knowhow to try one thanks to everyone's help mixed with my own blundering through the menus, decyphering what means what, etc.

[UnLimiTeD]

As said, most of your questions are indeed completely covered in the step by step tutorial.

But back to your most recent question:

Conventional Industry is todays Industry.
You start with it if you do a conventional start, without TN tech, and they are basically a combination of Mine, Fuel refinery and Construction Factory, though way weaker, adding up to less than 50%, I think.
You can't build them afterwards, if I'm not mistaken, but you can convert them to TN mines or Construction factories or the like.