i'm curious,

if you guys play against the AI in BOTF what settings do you play?

i usually play:

ROM
impossible
everyone level 1
many minor races
no timers
random events off
manual combat
domination
large irregular galaxy

it gets pretty tough sometimes, a lot depends on your starting point
as a ROM i find the best place on the side of the map and pretty isolated for at least a 100 turns

i usually play:

Klingons
impossible
everyone level 1
many minor races
no timers
random events off
manual combat
domination
large Eliptic galaxy

I've played so much at this point that it really is not a challenge anymore. Random events make it more difficult however, i find them to be annoying which takes away from the gameplay; at least for me.

random evnts are fine, but what gets me is that if the borg apear too early in the game , for instance turn 100, you're screwed (pardon my french )

if you play ROM, I find it's best not to be a neighbour to the feds, you won't get many minors to join you ( the money involved is just too much in comparison to what the feds have to pay)

i usually win 3 out 4 games on my settings

i still enjoy playing the game, sometimes i don't play it anymore for a few months, but then i always start it again

I found Romulan cloaking device to be game-breaking and overpowered. It trivialized combat. Just run around with 9 battle cruiser or warbirds, and I'd never lose an engagement. I'd be surprised to even lose a ship - regardless of what the enemy initially had. And even IF you are outmatched, you get a free turn to run away with only a very slight moral hit to your systems. Add amazing intelligence, good research (second only to the Feds), plus the ability to pretty much do anything you feel like, and playing the Roms makes you unstopable.

I realized I was playing Romulans very often, so I started playing the Feds more (I've actually never beaten the game with them.) Taking over worlds is... interesting. Plus, putting 9 heavy escorts on intercept mode means you never have to worry about enemy ships approaching your systems ever again. Only a large taskforce of Romulan ships would cause me to worry.

I find that if you play tech1 and ring system, if you wind up in the middle, it provides great cushion from the other empires. In order to get near your systems, they need an outpost. If they can use the outpost to get to your systems, then that means the outpost is in range of your ships to frag it. Just keep watch for any outposts that might appear and pummel them and you have a VERY effective barrier from invasions, allowing you to research techs, perform intel ops, and build your fleet to truley massive porportions.

really? i found the feds not hard to play, especially with many minors, they practically trow themselves at you

minors are a great source of money, you just wait until turn 100 to let them join you, and they are always way ahead in tech level, and you let them build as many ships as they can, and scrap them as they get made, with the money you get you just go bribe the minors of the others

with the roms it's true that if you get to a certain level, i tend to press the auto button a lot in combat situations
if you can reach a certain level , the rest is just mopping up

Yeah, starting at tech1 and getting the Vulcans to join up with type 7 construction buildings is crazy.

I don't find the Feds hard to play, it just takes more turns then I'd prefer. You can't exactly blitz an empire with invasions (done it before as the Feds, I quickly found myself with just Sol left to my name, and with 50-75 ships, I had a credit balance that was just slightly negitive.)

Has anyone beaten the game by forging alliances? I can't throw enough money at empires to create them.

Now when I get home, I'll have to play BoTF. Thanks a lot guys.

Don't worry about your French, daveangel, just just make sure you don't become more fluent!

...

I usually play:

Romulans
Difficulty varies (Depends on my mood)
Everyone a tech level higher than me
Many minor races
No timers
Random events on (I save often - if a bad event happens, I go back to the save and turn them off! Obviously I keep the good ones... )
Manual Combat
Domination
Large Irregular Galaxy (It's different every time)

I always set my Intel to Sabotage - I don't bother with Espionage at all. That way, i'm putting everything into stealing enemy ships and can hurt my enemies hard even if i'm not at war with them.

I often sign alliances with the other Empires as well - but once I do, I turn totally evil and make loads of demands on them. The morale of my systems increases equally regarless of who declares war, so it doesn't matter - but this way I might make some money or get some territory for free.

Cardassians or Federation
Varying Difficulty
Tech Level 2
Many Minor Races
No Timers
Random Events On
Tactical Combat
Vendetta (sometimes Domination)
Large Ring Galaxy

I actually had fun playing Ferengi once. Minor races were as easy as the Feds, just costs a tad more money.

I'd be interested in organizing a multiplayer game sometime - assuming that internet games are still possible. I haven't tried in ages because I pretty much thought I was one of maybe 3 people who still play the game.

Can't use the msn gaming zone anymore, but Kali is ok and using ingame method works.

i have random on, impossible, large irregular with the ai 2 tech levels ahead with me on tech 1, and have finsihed the game by turn 180-280 usually with around 600-1000 end tech ships, which i place 50 on each enermy system and bombard to end game.

Why do you guys always play on tech 1? I think that's extremely boring as it goes too slow and nothing realy happens for ages. I always start at tech 3 or 4. That way it's a bit balanced out and the feds and Fergs dont have that major advantage over the other players.

@ matress: i don't bother with espionage either

@ azhdeen: i haven't played the ferengi much, ....

@raiden_rse: WOW trailing 2 tech levels and still winning so soonn ; i'm a slow player myself, I usually wait too long i guess before starting to take over enemies systems; i'm gonna try 1 level down on the others

@ centurian: i know but the minors are a big part of the fun i guess; and if you start at a higher tech level, the minors don't count for much anymore

i'm glad a started a topic it has given me some new ideas; i usually just come check out the forums on a daily basis without acually loging in
i'm more a reader then a writer

If you start at max Tech, the minor race systems suck. Their only useful purpose are for their special structures.

If you have type 8's of everything, the minors are still teraforming their systems. I've even teraformed systems FOR the minors, and they don't grow until they're good and ready to. And when they do join up, I'm stuck spending dozens and dozens of turns just trying to improve their infastructure to something that resemebles usefulness.

Meanwhile, all of your opponents have crazy range with their science ships and are zooming around meeting the minors near your systems.

On the flip-side, if you start at Tech 1, minor races are HUGELY AWESOME.

Personally, I've been starting at Tech 1 because I find it (ironically) faster to research up to tech 10. The higher techs take so much friggin time to research and while you may have a few systems with Type 8 research structures... in the end you only have a few systems with them (repetitive, I know) :p And now you have to spend tons of turns building fabricators, farms, energy (oh look, the Roms are pwning me with sabotoge, need intel centers) and then LASTLY research structures. Oh, and now you need to upgrade all the buildings to Type 8.

Starting at Tech 1 might seem inefficient or crazy, but trust me... you'll be researching technologies left and right. You colonize systems at tech 1 and only have to build Type 1 buildings. This allows me the ability to build the research structures before I HAVE to upgrade to keep up with building times. That way, my system's ENTIRE infastructure is established, and then I can just simply upgrade the buildings when I get a new technology (I focus research into only one field at any time) and then let the system do whatever it was doing before. Plus, since it is Tech 1, you've got several turns of research production before you even have to consider internal security or system defense. But that's not even the REAL reason why Tech 1 researching is so much better (but it does help.)

Those minor races that are so badass? I throw as much money as I need to at the races that provide structures that bump up research. The Vulcans, Trill, Sheliak, and all the other races that I can't accurate spell.... Oh yeah, baby. Being able to increase your research capabilities by MORE THAN THREE TIMES what you normally could is crazy fast. And you get to start it early. By the time I start seeing Tech level 9's in a game started at 8, I'm almost there in a game that started at Tech 1. Plus, my ENTIRE empire is already established with research structures everywhere that are just waiting to get started on the finishing touches of the Federation's latest and greatest fighter of pure ownage.

I'll hit Tech 10 from starting a Tech 1 game well before you'll get to it from a Tech 8. Just make sure you keep your priorities.

I often find the war aspect of BotF borring. I just want to build my empire and screw the politics and embattlement of it. (This is why I sometimes prefer SW:Rebellion over BotF.) Therefor, I'll start myself at tech 3 or 4 and tech 1 for everyone else. The other empires are quickly destroyed or relegated to a single planet and I can perfect my empire un-impeded. I know most will think this an icky way to play. I don't mind. I'm always going outside the norms. I don't expect anyone to approve of my methods or joys.

When I want to play war, I go highest tech for everyone. Steal, conquor or bribe the minors and slowly strangle the economy of the majors. (The AI is too stupid for a proper battle.) For this, I usually use the Ferengi.

Of course, this means my actual fighting abilities are rather rusty. I wouldn't last long against any of y'all.

PS. Some of my most entertaining games have been against myself, playing two or three empires using as many computers over my LAN. Very fun!

The Planet mod helps avoid <some> of the problems that you mention, Azhdeen.

It increases the number of buildings that you start off with to an almost rediculous amount - but since the max system size is 2.72 times larger, you NEED those extra structures.

I have noticed exactly what you say though - IF you play as the Federation. They can absolutely blaze through research, and by the time you get to tech 8, you're laughing.

I don't often play tech 1 games though, I prefer to start at tech 3 or 4, to speed things up just a tiny bit. The ranges at tech 1 are just too pathetic to enable you to do anything.

I have! I had the Klingons and romulans ally me! Hit turn and won. Only did it once though in all the years i have played.

Also anyone ever try this? it is very hard!

Feds
impossible
everyone level 2
NO minor races
NO timers
random events off
manual combat
domination
large irregular galaxy

I actually somehow managed to get ALL other Major Races to ally with me once! It was a very long time ago, like maybe a year, and I was playing as the Ferengi. I can't remember anything else about it, but I know that I saved the game with all four of the others as allies because I'd never done it before. I've never been able to do it since, either...

I usually always play as the Ferengi or Cardassians, but I've played as all of the Major Races a few times. Lately, I've been discovering Vendetta mode and that can be crazy go nuts. How many of you guys have actually played Vendetta instead of Domination?

I've played Vendetta mode once (fedz vs Roms), and it was over very quickly. Botf1 holds no new challenges anymore, and not bragging at all I find it impossible to lose.

General settings

I play as Da Fedz! (who else?)

-Utlimate Mod 2 (of course, lol)
-Impossible
-Tech 1 or 3
-Roms one tech higher
-Many minors
-Random off
-Domination
-Large Irregular Galaxy


The best games I've had involved grudge matches against them damn Romulans - scourge of the galaxy. I generally play either tech 1 and them at tech 2, or Fedz tech 3, Roms tech 4, and all the other flotsam empires tech 2. This way I can concentrate on a one on one battle against the green-bloods.

The battles can be fascinating, with them a tech higher, and I've developed a strategic battle tactic which turns their cloaking devices against them. The Roms are really not that great Azhdeen!

Recently I tested the theory with a regular 'Assault' tactic of 9 Light Cruiser II's and 2 Commands versus 15 Cloaked Romulan Cruiser IIs, 5 Strikes, and two Warbirds, all cloaked, (oh and one Outpost II). The Feds were naturally crushed, however, adapt the tactics a little to a different and very simple approach replayed the entire scenario with the Romulans being totally anihilated, with only 3 losses for the feds. And sorry, no I shall not reveal the secret - I do not give potential enemies such valuable intelligence. I still MP.

Virtually all games I play now are over by turn 250 - you get that pop-up message saying 'You are the dominant force in the galaxy, accept victory or crush all your enemies?'

I usually start again. The most enjoyable thing about each game? The opening 50 turns or so - scouting the surrounding area finding out what goodies there are, minors, M-class sytems, good strategic system locations, etc...

God I hope Botf2 will reach fruition....

Err... I'm lost. I find it impossible to hit any of the cloaked ships, even they have non-cloaked units in the area. If there's an outpost or troop/colony ships, all I can do is frag the non-cloaked - assuming I live through the Rom's alpha-strike.

No you can't hit the cloaked ships, but there's a sequence you can employ that makes them completely waste their free turn and hit almost nothing, at least in my experience, and it isn't Evade.

Hmm. Charge/Assult is weak to strafe, right? I'm going to assume the Roms would charge when cloaked, so doing the combat tactic that assult/charge is weak against would probably be the best.

Only works when there's a Romulan ship/base that isn't cloaked involved in the battle, though.

I always play with these settings:

-Impossible
-tech 3 or 4
-roms or cardies
-many minors
random events depends on it.....some times I like it but sometimes it realy pisses me of....because it sometimes isn't going well

-Domination
-large Irregular Galaxy

but sometimes I play with the feds...just because I love there ship designs

In the opening sequence you can't "do" anything. If the Roms are cloaked and you enter battle the only thing you get to see is "Cloaked ships get a free turn" and you are completely at their mercy afterwards. Unless it's something you altered with your Mod in which case it doesn't count :p

About the minors being useless at tech 3 or 4, I couldn't disagree more. With the alternative being colonisation yourself, I can assure you the minors (well, most of them anyway) grow quicker than the planets you colonise yourself.

Starting at tech 1 with the Feds or Fergs feels like cheating while in the same time I don't think I beat a single game on tech 1 or 2 with the other races. Their research and economies are simply too weak to compete.

Furthermore, I agree with Dafedz about the 250 turns. If a game lasts that long it generally is a very good game. Mostly I finished them before that. (and no, I can't reacall my last game in which I saw Souvereigns or Defiants. I never reach that stadium..)

I started a game with the Klingons (never actually played them very far at all) and the game keeps crashing whenever an enemy fleet is retreating from battle.

I've noticed this crash a few times, but it was hit or miss. I started two games with the Klingon's and it's crashed *every* time they retreat. Very upsetting.

The first game, the Ferengi declared war and moved to a system that I had an Outpost II and a Destroyer at. They showed up with 4-5 fast attacks and 3 command ships. I pwned them into retreating without losing either of my units. *crash*

So I'd reload, but the computer was stuck on moving to that system... so it was either lose the battle or restart the game. No way am I going to lose a battle :p

Second game, my nearest neighbor were the Feds... and you're dead on about the research advantage - it's crazy. I'm still putting around at tech 3, and they're flying around with Galaxy's and Science Vessels II's. I couldn't even kill the Science Vessel they sent with Command ships (which means it was able to retreat which crashed the game.)

So yeah... this crashing thing is starting to get really annoying.

You can download an update from the mods -> patches section of Armadafleetcommand that fixes a random crash that occurs during tactical combat.

However, you'll need to sign into the site before you can download it. Additionally, it doesn't work for everyone, and it's entirely possible that your problem is completely different, Azhdeen. Still, it's worth a try.

Backup your Stbof.res file before you install it, and you should be fine if it doesn't work.

I had found a BoTF patch somewhere already. I was thinking of reinstalling the game and trying it without. I'll download the patch and install it if it happens again.

I don't remember the game crashing so much when I first got it - and I've always had XP. Sounds like something else to blame SP2 on.

Probably. Are you using the American or the European version of the game? Remember to install the BOTF sandard for modders if you have the American version.

Then install the 1.02 update.

Then install the XP updates. (If you need them)

Then install the tactical combat patch. (If you still need it)

Then install your mods.

Above all though, remember to save often.