Learn to play - Managing expectations

from Stardock Forums

Hi, 

I am late to the party, I tried OTC over the free weekend and bought it, cause I really like the premise of the game. Unfortunately it looks like I am so bad at the game that I can't win even the tutorial missions.

 

I am stuck at Managing expectations. I believe it is winnable with any faction, so I am attempting to play as the scientists (let's call it a flavor limitation on my part).

 

I lost countless times, I can't manage to make any money. I looked up some guides and videos online, but they are prehistoric, from a time with dual resources (side note, I never found the patch that actually removed dual resources, what gives? ), so they are pretty much worthless today...

 

I am attempting to go by the wiki tips, founding near iron and silicon, since iron+aluminium is not doable. But after the start I get into ridiculous debts regardless of what I do and get bought out. I had the most success with earning money via selling power, but that's just a temporary money income, since the prices drop like a rock.

 

Could you please provide some hints as to how to tackle the scenario? 

34,811 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

What is driving your debt?    are you buying too much energy?    Needing water?  etc

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

The Managing Expectations map is harder than most RNG maps. Especially because the challenge is in scanning mode instead of reveal map mode.

I wouldn't worry too much about finishing the challenge, as a normal skirmish game should be easier. But if you want to, I would probably found north of the colony near the water, iron, and silicon as Expansive. Which will help with the shipping costs that you will accrue on the mission. Make sure you use the adjacency bonus for production buildings.

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Taslios, reply 1

What is driving your debt?    are you buying too much energy?    Needing water?  etc

Well, till T3 it's mostly electricity, since I think scientists have too few claims to build electricity earlier than t3. After that it is food and water.

 

Quoting philothanic, reply 2

The Managing Expectations map is harder than most RNG maps. Especially because the challenge is in scanning mode instead of reveal map mode.

I wouldn't worry too much about finishing the challenge, as a normal skirmish game should be easier. But if you want to, I would probably found north of the colony near the water, iron, and silicon as Expansive. Which will help with the shipping costs that you will accrue on the mission. Make sure you use the adjacency bonus for production buildings.

 

I am founding between iron and silicon north of the colony so that I can make steel and glass without transports and I transport aluminium. Just as a personal preference I try to run with the scientists (personal preference). I always try to use adjacency bonuses.

So far I try to fine tune this build order:

T1: 2 steel mills next to base, 1 high aluminium south. Wait for resources, upgrade to T2

T2: 1 steel mill in triangle, 1 silicon mine, 1 glass kiln. Last claim I tried to vary. I tried windmill, water pump, another glass kiln, electrolysis reactor, electronics factory. None of those seemed better than the others to me.

T3: here I tried really various stuff. Usually I try to rush patents and some production. Like ramping up food, fuel, glass, even electronics. But at this stage I am already in deep debts and buyout warnings start popping up. I don't see that much space for the optimization center, cause chems are expensive already at this stage.

T4: just a continuation of T3, but usually I get bought out at this stage.

 

Am I wrong in assuming that diversification of production is a bad idea and you should specialize in 1, max 2 products really heavily and pray their price goes up?

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Nevermind, I managed to beat the scenario, thanks to a lot of pausing, thinking and buying claims from the black market :)