aliens attacking

[saintsfan36]

How do you guys/gals get prepared for when the aliens start attacking? I can't seem to get my troops strong enough to withstand the onslaught.

[Ail]

Well, it's not a problem of just preparing for that event.
You are kind of required to have played the whole game well enough to develop quickly enough to be able to withstand them.

Also you don't really need to match their individual units in strengths. Neither do you need to be able to beat them into the ground outright.

They usually attack the strongest faction more and leave the weakest ones alone. I had games, where the AI handled all the Aliens and I didn't have to do anything. I also had games where 2 motherships headed towards me and killed 2 of my cities. In the end I could beat them.

[saintsfan36]

So far, in 4 games, the most cities I have is 2, and the most units 4, when the aliens start attacking. They swarm my cities and units. I'll have to do better with my research and building.

[Ail]

Oh, you mean the regular aliens, not the Messari! :o
Note that units within your cities get a defensive bonus. Especially if you have the building with the icon that looks like a shield.
Use Flame-Thrower-Infantry and/or machine-gun-tanks against the aliens.
Having the building that gives +3 levels of experience to your units also is quite helpfull.

What alien-aggression are you using? You might want to play with a lower aggression unless you learned more about how to play.

[saintsfan36]

LOL The lowest setting, and I build the thing that lowers it another 25 percent. Looks like I have a lot to change in my initial strategy.

[Ail]

It's hard to say what you might be doing wrong without watching you play.
Are you using a former to improve the terrain? Are you reallocating your workers to get more minerals and production?
You normally should easily be able to churn out enough units to handle the aliens.

[saintsfan36]

I'm doing better this time around. Only one city and five units (one I found in some ruins), but I'm keeping them at bay.

I am using my former, but I'm learning what to do with it. I haven't reallocated workers yet.

Thanks for the input. :)

[Ail]

Let me put it this way: Reallocating workers is very, very, very important in this game.
Try using all +3 Mineral-sources and use up all the minerals.
For the +2 mineral-sources it really depends how many of them you have. You must balance it with research to not fall behind in it but still have enough production to get units and buildings going.

[saintsfan36]

Thanks.

[Purple Library Guy]

I find a couple snipers mixed in with my normal infantry can really help. Softens up the bugs before they fight my main units, so then my main units survive the fight in decent enough shape to heal before the next attackers arrive.
It can be worth hoarding some money and then when a city guard's about to get bushwhacked, upgrade it.
This is so obvious other people haven't bothered mentioning it, but those defensive buildings can make a big difference. Not only do they make your defenders survive better, but sometimes the aliens will just hesitate to attack a well-defended position and that buys you some time to rustle up some offence.
Remember that the little aliens get hostile a while before the big aliens. Don't pick fights with the big aliens until you have to.
If they're coming after you hard, just forget about formers for a while IMO. If you have some, bring them to shelter, and don't bother building more. They'll just get killed; save them for after you've crushed some local hives.

[Rizzly Bear]

what race are you useing?