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NewSC2
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Frustrated Newbie needs help
« on: January 05, 2003, 01:17:10 am »

Alright I've been playing SC2 for the past few days and I'm starting to get frustrated to the point where it is no longer fun. I missed out of the SC2 craze back in the day not having a computer and all and was overjoyed to hear it was being redone to work on our modern PC's.  Thank you to the ppl who have worked hard on making one persons dream come true   Smiley  Now I get to experience firsthand what most of you did back then save I basically know how it turns out. But want to experience first hand much of what the game has to offer plotwise (loved meeting Fwiffo on pluto btw who knew they could be so hilarious?)  Grin

Anyways I'm having a hard time with the early game and followed some of the advice given on this forum.  Unfortunately I don't enjoy looking for minerals or biolife as my crew keeps getting zapped, scorched or shaken to death which in turn leads to alot of reloading and eventual boredom  :-/

I very much want to experience what the game has to offer plotwise and combatwise but damn this resource gathering!  It was fun exploring the nearby solarsytems the first few times but other then the dangerous Alpha Centuri system(source of much zapping, scorching, shaking and frustration  Angry). I can't seem to get enough minerals and it gets repetitive trying to find enough to outfit my ship for longer space exploration when I'm spending so many RU's on fuel looking for more.

Does anyone know any nearby systems where you can gather enough resources with a minimum effort(less hazardous to the crew then the Alpha Centuri system at least) so you can get on with the storyline?  I've found the one Tauri system which is loaded with the best type of mineral found but to get there takes a hell of alot of fuel (like 30 or so).  So I need some kind of jumpstart in minerals to be able to reach that area of the universe.  Any help or clues is highly appreciated
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Evil_Sheep
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2003, 01:54:58 am »

Besides Alpha Centauri, most of the nearby star systems suck. Basically you'll just have to tough it out and mine the nearby stars. Or you can exploit a bug in the game and get infinite RU's, but I'm sure you don't want to do that do you? But if for some reason you did, go to the Melnorme and ask them to fill up your fuel tanks. They will do it for free...in fact they give you a credit. Then you can go back to Earth, sell the fuel, rinse and repeat. Personally, I found resourcing to be fun.
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2003, 02:03:30 am »

Just make sure to have at least 1 credit with the Melnorme first. And I found resourcing fun too.... for awhile. Then I accidentially, believe it or not, stumbled across the fuel bug. Exploit, yes, but I find it a bit more enjoyable not having to spend hours mining minerals, all the while pounding my head into my desk, wishing to win the grand prize in some interstellar game show.
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2003, 02:45:40 am »

Cheers fellows I managed to gather enough resources to make the fateful trip to Delta Tauri and rake in the resources.  I have a few questions though I hope you vets could answer.  

1)  What is the best way to equip your main ship?  I've maxed out on thrusters and turning jets.  Also I have 6 storage units, 2 crew quarters and 2 fuel tanks. Is there anything else I should put in it?

2) About the Melnorme technology. Do you have to buy the previous tech in order to get the next?  If so I've got the better guns, land speeder upgrade and point def.  Are they worth it?  I wish I could have gotten something to make the lander immune to natural disasters if there is even such an upgrade
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2003, 03:36:25 am »

Quote


2) About the Melnorme technology. Do you have to buy the previous tech in order to get the next?  If so I've got the better guns, land speeder upgrade and point def.  Are they worth it?  I wish I could have gotten something to make the lander immune to natural disasters if there is even such an upgrade


Yes, you have to get them in order.  You will get lander capacity increase, doubler fuel tanks, lander biological defense,  then lander earthquake defense. (someone please change the order if necessary.)
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2003, 03:57:54 am »

Let's see if I can remember everything you get from the Melnorme:

Not necessarily in any order:

1) Lander cargo bays get doubled.
2) Lander fire rate is doubled.
3) Lander is resistant to lightning.
4) Lander is resistant to hot spots.
5) Lander is resistant to earthquakes.
6) Lander is resistant to malevolant bio-forms.
7) Double capacity fuel tanks.
Cool Double power guns (upgrade #1).
9) Double power guns (upgrade #2).
10) Point Defense Systems.
11) Guidance Systems.

That should be the whole list, but I'm sure someone will correct me if my memory is wrong.  Grin  By resistant I mean not completely invulnerable but mostly invulnerable.

My biggest tip to all the newbies: Get the Melnorme credits and buy their tech!  Once you get the ability to go (Alpha Centauri, Pkunk, Arilou, and the warp spawner), then find as many rainbow planets as you can - they are in an arrowhead shaped pattern).  Don't forget you can scrap ships that are gifted to you to get RU too.  

As far as rainbow planets go, you can get to 5 of them VERY easily without much trouble, and 8 of them w/o incredible trouble....the 2 others are kinda in the middle of nowhere (in relation to the places you need to go).  Then too, the Umgah will hand you 500 bio units if you play your cards right with them.

And don't forget you can give fuel back for RU as well - there are other sources for that than your station (Melnorme, Druuge) which may or may not be cheaper depending on how you play things - let's just say sometimes it pays to outfit your flagship like a fuel tanker.  You can set yourself up to not have to ever mine again pretty quickly if you play your cards right (think flagship tricked out with 50000RU to spare).

Good luck happy gaming!  Grin  If the mining part gets boring, you just aren't playing the game to maximum effectiveness :-)  You will learn.
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Captain Smith
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2003, 04:07:00 am »

To answer the ship config question...

While I'm mining, I usually like enough tanks for 110 fuel units (fully stocked), one or two crew pods (depends on your fighting ability - remember too your ships can act like a crew pod since you can transfer crew around), one straight gun, one or two cargo bays.

Once I get all the Melnorme tech, I go to the hi-cap fuel tank and work towards my final config.  In that time frame, I might go to a fuel tanker config - 10 or more hi-cap fuel tanks to take up that hint above.

My final config before I meet the Chmmr: Two guns (front and front of center)(Hellbore - upgrade #2), one point defense module, two guidance modules, 1 crew pod, 1 hi-cap fuel tank, 3 dynamos, and as many furnaces as there are spots left.

Maybe I'm saying too much...but maybe this will help too...
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Captain Smith
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2003, 08:17:59 am »

Did forget a few things:

You also get 12) shiva furnaces from the Melnorme.  Upgrade #2 for the guns is triple power (from the original) guns.   Easy to forget sometimes  Grin
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Nic.
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Re: Frustrated Newbie needs help
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2003, 09:47:58 am »

Also, if you've got access to the CVS versions, try running the game with the -a switch, it enables the old PC-style planet scan screens, which make the information on the planet scans actually intelligible by  people who do not read heiroglyphics.  Wink

Temperature, Weather, Tectonics and Gravity should all be taken into account when considering whether or not to mine a planet.  If it's too hot, you'll get burned, if it's too inclimate, you'll get struck by lightning, if it's too unstable, you'll get hit by quakes, and if the gravity is too high it may cost so much fuel to land on that mining isn't even worth it..  But I'll not repeat my former rant, I'll just link to it Smiley


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