Troop Module Tech?

[Kir]

So, I started right next to somebody. I'd like to attack their planets, but I can't make troop modules. Yes, I know where they are in design.

I went to go research the tech .... but I can't find it. There are exactly two hits on the tech tree for troops, and both are late game tech. Did one of the Hisso specific techs overwrite it?

[madgamer2]

Depending on the type of galixy you are playing in you should not be able to attack a race next to you . If playing a huge 8 arm galixcy the distance is still to great. This is not a game where you build up uour starting system and then go to war with whoever is nearest you. Techs in this game DO NOT OVERRITE but they can become better . They are connected to one of the four FIDS statts. I would need to know a bit more about your starting setup to be of any help. Yes there is not much chance of developing techs used to attack other systems till later in the game. Also need to know if you are playing the standard or the Disharmony version.

[mergele]

Should be "local stasis" or something like that in english. It's the tech with the second armour tier. If you always take the leftmost option in military tech its the 6th.
Oh and there should be 3 techs for lategame troops. One for each plane and then cyborgs, again the leftmost at the top
And for a really early war siege modules are probably better than troops.

[Kir]

So the first troop is on a mid=game tech costing 3k?

Siege Artillery it is.

[Kir]

Huh. Taking planets is stupid hard. I've got 18 siege artillery ships sieging this one system and it's going to take me 50 turns. He's got 3 systems in total.

I finally got the first troops, but apparently 4 ships with 2 troops each isn't enough for even 1% chance.

This is kinda dumb.

[mergele]

Ok, that does sound wierd. What empire is the enemy? Your siege ships are ships with only artillery modules maxed? What galaxy size are you playing? Sounds like it is a really big system, but if the enemy only has 3 systems total it should still be pretty early.

[MTB-Fritz]

check out my invasion guide for more info.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=187803049

Yes, troop modules are mid to late-game technology as they give you a great advantage which is instant-invasion so the availability is their drawback. Some factions have a different technology order from the rest and can access these techs earlier then others (check the more warlike factions)

[Ruldra]

So how many elite troops are usually required to take a system? I like to go overboard and make specialized fleets but a full 16 CP troop fleet would cost me 16 population, that's too much for me. And I need even more pop to replenish those numbers. Especially bad when you're playing as growth-handicapped Sowers.

[Kir]

18 Hawk ships (corvette I think) with 720 invasion power each. 7 opponents, 1 rank under endless difficulty, only siege modules. 12 ships started the countdown at 60 turns, I'm at 34 with 18 ships. It's a 4 planet system, and I think was their homeworld.

Galaxy size was ... medium? I don't really remember and i don't know how to check. I started 4 systems away from the Automatons, and all ways out of our little section required wormhole tech. It's only my second game, so I forgot that you need a tech and not speed increases like in SotS.

Maybe bombs & bombers to hope to blow up the fortification improvements? THis is really dumb. My siege fleets outnumber my combat fleets right now, and I literally can't afford to build many more.

[Kir]

Huh, it takes 8 troops to get a 50% chance at th 14 pop system, his smallest. Of course I was dumb and didn't build elite troops, but I should be able to refit that.

And I crashed my economy building troopships. Time to load a save.

I've been at war since something like turn 20-30. It's turn 112, and I've captured 1 system, and I haven't had a space combat in at least 30 turns. I can understand why you want to stop rushing, but trying to conquer the galaxy like this is horrifying. I'd rather have the chance to just obliterate the enemy and resettle the damn planet, it would be faster.

Judging from score the Horatio was the faction that found Auriga on furn 4, too.

Ah, the trick is always Elite troops. 8 elite troops had an 80% chance to win on a 14 pop system, and did.

[Ruldra]

Are you seriously playing on impossible difficulty on your second game ever? That sounds like suicide. My first game was on normal and I got wrecked.

[Kir]

Eh, I tried a hard (serious? one under impossible) 1v1 game for my first try and that was insultingly easy. I'm likely to lose this, but that's because I forgot how wormholes work and got screwed by auto-upgrade, etc.

If I could get to another weak civ I could do better, but I'm hemmed in by the galaxy's two strongest and the Ameoba is constantly breaking peace treaties and open borders so I can't scout.

[madgamer2]

OP: I am wondering at what point are you in the game? How many turns had gone by when you started you invasion?

[Kir]

Somewhere betwen 20 and 40. I and the Autos were hemmed in by wormholes and I had forgotten that wormholes take a specific tech and not a minimum engine speed.

[Ruldra]

I don't think a 1v1 game is enough to gauge AI difficulty, it's too easy to just rush him before he gets too strong. Let multiple empires develop themselves on a big map and you can see how strong they can become.

At least during my game on normal, I was dead last on score and was falling further behind with every turn. I eventually abandoned the match and started over at an easier setting to learn the game mechanics.

[madgamer2]

The reason ES get some bad reviews is that this game has a long learnhing curve. It a lot more than building a few ships and hamering on the AI. I was somewhere around 200 hrs. when I fdinally learned enough ri wun a science victory with a custom Saphon race.
The totoprial is not very good. It justs shows you the different screens but says nothing about HOW to play the game. You can play against the AI or have a free for all with a group of players or even play with another player or three as a team against the AI.
I never play in a online game with other players because it is just a all out kill or parish kind of game. The game apears to look like the average 4X space game but it doesn't play that way.
one of the best features is the custom race creation. Each race has an "Affinity which gives them a special kind of advantage. You can mix the traits as you like as long as the total is 65 pts. However you must learn how the game is played which takes some time, but is worth the effort.
Learning how to research and develop systems are difficult but if ytou put in the time it is worth it unless you are one of thoes players who want to beat a game rather than play it. There are several good guides on the community page to help you.