Speed up research

[cduke]

I wonder how I can speed up research? Do multiple labs of the same type help? My advance in research seems kind of slow to me, but maybe I'm far too impatient

[Martian base commander]

I would expect the only way to speed up research is by building more of the same type of lab,and also make sure you have the actual resources in your pool to support your projects.No resources basically means redundancy in this game.As research generally gets more advanced as the game goes on I expect the alien resource to become more important for research,and this is the rarest resource of the 3,so conserve it.Research IS pretty cheap though compared to the damn track upkeep.

 

As far as research goes I would generally evaluate your current position and figure out what you REALLY need the most.In my case it was some form of protection at LEAST,so basic armour was imperative.Psionics and all the other stuff can come later as far as im concerned,the ability to inflict lots of damage while resisting lots of damage is more important.Then again,everyone has different needs and ways of doing things.

 

I would also try and have your bases specialize in areas too,it helps to keep things organized a bit,and make sure you always write down what you need most as the game advances.In my game Stuttgart specializes in advanced weapons research,I have 3 labs there and the research time is pretty good,same for Russia who carries out all my implant research,and then I have my dedicated manufacturing plants in the East.The UK houses my only Psionics lab too,together with a Secret Service office.

[Dog Soldier]

skip the secret services! Invest the space for yet another lab/fact/college. I control entire america(north and south) Africa, Europe (with siberia as border province with the cult). They own the entire south east Asia. I also have a foothold in australie with another one under exploration. I never ever have build one of the security buildings at one of my bases. And If you are attacked by the cult or by others, deal with them!

[cduke]

Ripley, do you have three weapon labs of the same kind in Stuttgart? Or is it one of each kind? In fact splitting bases to "topics" like Stuttgart=Weapons, Russia=Implants and so on sounds like a very good idea - I'll give it a try. I have no whatsoever shortage of any material so this is not the problem. I just wondered because I have to do about three missions a day and research takes about a day in average.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Best regards,

cduke

[Martian base commander]

Dont forget DS,we all have our own strategies,and a secret service just helps to take the pressure off them frontier provinces,while I deal more directly elsewhere.I only have SS facilities in the UK and Malaga at the moment as the Cult are still strong in N.Africa and the US.I have no Barracks or HQ,didnt see the need as I can repel the invaders manually ANYHOW.

 

And Cduke,no problem.As I said I do try to make my bases specialize at it sort of helps to organize things a bit.Stuttgart at the moment has 2 Advanced weapons and 1 basic weapons lab,Moscow has 2 implant labs and a jet propulsion,Riga is dealing with my Energy weapons research.And I have made the Eastern areas into a type of major manufacturing site.Europe deals mainly with the research.

[Paranoid Jack]

I have as many knowledge buildings as everything else combined. I have two or three of every type of lab or factory. At this point I have more than a dozen bases but a third are empty and unneeded since they don't benefit my resources enough to start building there yet. If they are a seaport they are cheap to connect but mainly I go by resources provided. Of all the provinces I control a little more than half are linked the rest sit idle because the track cost to link them is more than they produce. So let them sit it won't hurt your income if you have enough knowledge buildings to raise the income rate.

 

I control all of Europe, part of Asia, most of Africa, most of South America, half of the USA and the count down is more than eight days yet. I somehow lost my Basic Weapons Labs and caused the research to stop until I figured out my labs where gone.

 

I found it best to have at the least a school at every base though some bases have two colleges. I even had a few bases that were nothing but knowledge buildings and the resources are pouring in. I have between 30 and 40 troops now and I have to keep telling myself not to buy anymore no-matter how good their stats may be. :mad:

 

I spend most of my time in missions usually taking two or three on back to back before trading out the team and starting more training if available. And although most of my troops are under level seven I still have no trouble taking on the Cult since most have good speed. I can run them into a building locate cultists let the lead fly and pick up all the weapons and ammo.

 

Finally got my first M82A1 during a capture mission the cultist dropped it when she was knocked unconscious. I ran over picked it up and then revived her. Not sure why I didn't figure that out on any of the earlier missions when one of their snipers had a M82A1.

 

Ah, well. Like you said, Riley... we all have our own strategies. Not to mention the game has a lot of variable mixed in. So when you replay it a lot will change.

[Martian base commander]

You are right about the school part PJ,putting one in every base,so as to educate the children which is imperative,in a real world scenario that is,plus you get a little resource increase too.However I dont fill entire bases with just knowledge structures,this is just my preference .

 

All of my 10 bases are fairly efficient at the moment,they are all doing something.Resources are like money to me,not to be greedily hoarded and to be spent on important commodities.I have some surplusses,just enough to keep the eggheads (scientists) happy.All my bases are linked up too.

 

I have withheld a major invasion of the Cultist territories right from the start save for taking over Malaga to secure the route into N.Africa,the reason being I want to have a complete advantage in the field in both weaponry and protection.

I can also proudly proclaim that I have lost only one man in the entire game so far,and he perished on the Wargot invasion of the ship.The Wargot attacks are a pain in the rectum though now,suffering some pretty bad injuries,but luckily no deaths.

I HAVE just got hold of some nice plasma grenade launchers for my laser rilfes though,so I think war is on the horizon for the Cult now,big time!im gonna make em eat their stinking leaflets!

 

I think prudence may have paid off for me.

 

Hope you are enjoying your game PJ.

[Paranoid Jack]

Hope you are enjoying your game PJ.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You bet I am. Best game I have played in a long time. Though S2 & S3 were also very good I never got far in S3. But with Aftershock nothing else has even come close to drawing my attention away. I must admit I have had a X-Box 360 on reserve since early this year and just went down today to pay it off in full. So there may be a slight distraction in the coming week. But since Oblivion has slipped into next year I'm not sure any of the current 360 launch titles will have enough of a draw to pull me away from Aftershock. I guess time will tell.

 

I don't think I have had this much fun with a game since replaying most of Fallout and then Planescape Torment earlier this year.

[Martian base commander]

Yes best game ive played in a long time too,still,I am anxious for this patch though,as it HAS crashed a few times since the Wargots came on the scene

 

I was looking forward to Oblivion too,didnt know it slipped.I enjoyed playing Morrowind,hope this will capitulate on the great RPG traditions.

This week though ive been in a sort of nostalgic mood too,and decided to install one of my favourite games and a bloody classic,Return to Castle Wolfenstein ...I love that game.

 

Well,im gonna go and train my squads up some more.

 

See ya PJ.

[Acth]

Yes best game ive played in a long time too,still,I am anxious for this patch though,as it HAS crashed a few times since the Wargots came on the scene 

 

I was looking forward to Oblivion too,didnt know it slipped.I enjoyed playing Morrowind,hope this will capitulate on the great RPG traditions.

This week though ive been in a sort of nostalgic mood too,and decided to install one of my favourite games and a bloody classic,Return to Castle Wolfenstein  ...I love that game.

 

Well,im gonna go and train my squads up some more.

 

See ya PJ.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Was that one of the originals? Wolfenstein and Beyond Wolfenstien? Or one of those FPS doom clones? The originals are great classic games, but now you need an emulator to play them.

[Martian base commander]

RTCW was not one of the originals,in my opinion it was original in itself.RTCW was set during WWII and the plot was aimed at stopping the 3rd Reich from creating a 'super army' ,using DNA from ancient German warriors fused together into a sort of armoured cybernetic chassis (think of the formidable Panzer tank then put some legs on it ).It was a great game.

 

Even though I totally loved Doom back in the day I wouldnt call RTCW a doom clone at all,it was totally original,even though it used what you may call "the Doom engine".

 

Doom was indeed the mighty forefather of all FPS games.

 

*sniff* such memories.

[cduke]

The alien spaceship is finally setting it's course torwards earth (13.5 days to go) and I wonder if I have researched zealously enough. I don't even have researched assault rifles (still researching on this one). So I just built a second basic weapon lab to speed things up a bit. Hope that helps. Any idea on your technology status in this phase before the arrival? I really wonder if I am advanced enough.

 

I also have'nt "met up" with the cultists yet - but their red territorry is spreading so I guess I soon have to. Is it a wise decision to bother with the cult at this stage?

 

Regards and thanks for your effort,

cduke

[Dog Soldier]

I you can attack some of their provinces prior to the arrival of the mothership, you'll probably have a lot of better equipment too fight with! but it won't be easy, assaulting the cult without assault rifles. it is however worth a try 'cause they drop a lot off goodies!

[cduke]

you'll probably have a lot of better equipment too fight with!

 

Ah - so they are worth a visit I'll give it a try - will have assault rifles soon, so the problem's not too tough. At least I hope so

thanks,

cduke