Captured Bases?

[Sprayber]

I have two questions about captured bases that I hope some of you can help me on.

1) What is the best way to manage the drone problem that arises after a base is captured? I usually just reduce the number of tiles worked increasing talents. This leads to starvation and reduction of population. But gets the job done. This is of course a short term solution just to get past the initial few years. What can you do if you don't have a lot of credits?

2) When you capture an enemy base what happens to the units that it supports that are out in the field and not inside the base? I know that they can set a new base as their home base but what happens to them if they do not make it in time. I assume that they are destroyed but some things that I have seen make me think otherwise.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Spayber,

Things to do with captured bases

a) Set all to meaningful specialists and starve the base down in the meanwhile gain useful energy

b) Expedite a 1-1-1 police unit garison its cheaper then a rec commons in most cases

c) Nerve staple if charter revoked or if trade is not a concern i.e. at war with everyone.

d) Gift to a submissive (preferably not at war with the enemy faction) this allows you to keep you submissive pact bros/sisters a number of bases that approaches yours thereby increasing the number of bases you have getting trade energy increases.

I generally prefer not to raze captured bases to the ground.

What happens to units supported by a captured base. They automatically rehome/resupport themselves to the nearest base. If this means their are too many units supported from that base then some go poof.

Og

[big_canuk]

I agree with Ogie.

Additionally:

Sometimes, if I want to keep the population of a captured base, and all it is missing is drone facilities, I will switch the pop to workers one turn and specialists the next, and back again. This gives me drone riots every other turn, but preserves the bases population, and allowes me (at 1/2 speed) to build a rec commons.

I try to bring along crawlers if the problem will be especially bad, to harvest nuts. In rare situations, I may even use the above switching back and forth to make crawlers in the base. Planning ahead works better though.

[Wiglaf]

quote: 1) What is the best way to manage the drone problem that arises after a base is captured?

Don't nerve staple, charter or not. The victim will forever hate you and wreck any future diplomacy - just stay away from it. Personally, I always have that 1-1-1 non-lethal methods police unit on call right behind an attacking army. Shuts 'em up, fast.

quote: 2) When you capture an enemy base what happens to the units that it supports that are out in the field and not inside the base? I know that they can set a new base as their home base but what happens to them if they do not make it in time. I assume that they are destroyed but some things that I have seen make me think otherwise.

What do you mean, "if they do not make it in time"?

[Jasonian]

He means that since units are supported by the closest base, that base may not have enough minerals to support them all. You have until the end of the turn to figure out how to increase the mineral production of the base (farms to forests works well) until you can relocate the units and set their home base in another city.

[karu-san]

As in everything in the game, my cost/benefit anaylsis varies with many things. Primarily, if the captured base is close and/or connected by land I almost always follow the last of my troops with a couple crawlers or rover crawlers. As mentioned above, this usually takes care of the nutrient problem when you start specializing your citizens.

However, in the case the base is overseas (and even sometimes not) I fix the riots, wait one turn for a couple minerals (the rush-energy vs. accumulated mineral curve is pretty steep at first) and then rush build a punishment sphere. This is not much of an impact on labs, since the conquered base is usually either inefficient or low on energy resources. I do this because in almost all of my games I have the CN and so each new base is well equipped to build high-morale troops. Having the conquered bases crank out either finished troops or upgradable scouts is far more time-efficient if they are across an ocean or far from home than having them built and transported (adding to Vel's precious "turn-advantage"). It is also useful if you have to crank out probes to avoid getting the new bases bought out from under you from an army of determined enemy probes (for some reason probe onslaughts have ALWAYS been a problem for me!)

The PS really becomes useful if the base is large (past ten) since there is no way a couple of police scouts could make a significant dent, and with the punishment sphere such a large base is a serious war-factory for pounding the opponent (esp. when you add the Genejack Fact.) Rush building more than one PS can get expensive, but it is well worth the cost in any completely committed military campaign (the only kind I carry out! )

Finally, another way the PS generates turn advantage is that the robust production from a PS makes the integration of the base into your empire with Net nodes and Hologram Th's and the like much more rapid than if you tried to specialize and gradually control the drones with these facilities. When the new city looks comfortable and militarily secure, scrap the PS and start cranking out econ and research.

I happen to be long-winded on the topic because it was one of the issues that took the longest for me to figure out (or form my opinion about =) ) what the optimal strategy in various situations would be.

[Sprayber]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Since I usually play as the Pirates or a faction based on them, all my conquests are made overseas. I usually try to set up seabases near the coast to support my invasions. So sometimes I can build garrison troops and transport them to take care of coastal cities. Sometimes I just turn over bases to smaller factions that I am pacted with so not to have to deal with them. On occasions I give them to third parties in trade for other bases. Knowing that they may be taken back but not caring, if it is small enough not to be of importance.

[Skanderbeg]

I always build at least a couple of hydroponic satellites as soon as possible. With these, You can turn the big part of a population to anti-drone specialists withouth starving the city.

This will decrease the mineral and energy production of this base, but a freshly conquered base should not produce (that's the businiess of the hinterland bases), they have to hold the frontline. The low mineral production is unimportant, because the first turns after the capture are rushbuilding.

I never rush anti-dron-facilities like recreation commons or holotheaters. My short term aim is to hold the base, not to make the people happy. If necessery, I accept a partial starvation.

I always rush a scout patrol (or probe team if needed) and upgrade it to best defender the next turn. This is relativly cheap and gives Your base fast protection.

I nearly never give bases to AI faction. Mine is mine, and You can trust nobody. I don't want to conquer a base a second time from my former pactmate.

[Sprayber]

quote: Originally posted by Skanderbeg on 01-31-2001 04:24 AM I nearly never give bases to AI faction. Mine is mine, and You can trust nobody. I don't want to conquer a base a second time from my former pactmate.

Sometimes in the early stages of a conflict with an enemy that is on a different continent, I will capture a base on their coast and give it in trade to another faction. I do this to secure usually sea bases that I think are in good positions around the map to provide bases for naval units. And sometimes it even draws that faction into a war with my enemy. This is good when I have to face that enemy in a council vote. I would never give a base away if they were on the same continent. Sometimes the AI won't trade and I just keep it. If the base is small I like to destory the enhancements and get it down to a population 1 base and just wipe it out compleatly.

[Sarxis]

Just kill the infidels!

''''B''''

:¬P Well, as a last resort, but I usually won't do this unless I just really do not want my enemies getting the base back, or if I have the Planetary Transit System- then I will raze the base and plant a new one in its place; but again, only for bases that are small, annoying, and I really don't want my enemy to get them back.

Not the most economical way to go, though.

[Xerxes2]

But if you destroy a base isn't that an atrocity?

I've never been able to do that without consequences.