Re: Galaxy-shipping materials

From: cebra@ids2.idsonline.com (Jonathan Cebra)

Date: Sun, 06 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000

In article <244987929wnr@spelbind.demon.co.uk> Steve Pritchard <Steve@spelbind.demon.co.uk> writes:
>From: Steve Pritchard <Steve@spelbind.demon.co.uk>
>Subject: Re: Galaxy-shipping materials
>Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 18:21:14 GMT

>Galaxy can be played for the most part with negligable attention being
>paid to Materials anyway. Can't think of the last time I built MAT
>anywhere but on my homeworld when I really desperately wanted to
>produce 100 Mass ships rather than 99 Mass
>ones.

>Steve Pritchard

Galaxy can also be played with negligible attention to researching technology
or building orbital defenses, but that doesn't mean I would recommend
neglecting any of those areas.   Opinions may differ and particular situations
will dictate different strategies (at the moment I'm playing a tiny test game
with only four players and eleven planets and have built neither MAT nor CAP
on my homeworld), but MAT (and freighters to ship it) is crucial to any long
term strategy of economic development.  Building MAT once on the homeworld
might suffice for much of the game.

Shipping MAT to resource poor colonies allows you to use the colonies
production to build CAP instead of dedicating too much homeworld production to
CAP, or dooming them to extremely slow industrialization.   Shipping MAT to
resource poor industrialized colonies permits you to dramatically increase the
total ship mass which you can produce each turn, which is a big advantage in
wars.

Note that a strategy of long term economic growth requires a lot of early
investment in MAT, CAP, freighters, and perhaps even cargo technology that may
leave you at a disadvantage if you get attacked early.

Note also that the galaxy variant which Frans Slouthouber and others are using
(permitting the capture of planets from other players) decreases the relative
value of resources dedicated to MAT, CAP, freighters, and Cargo tech and of an
overall economic growth strategy in favor of in agressive military strategy.
Those of us who find the requirement to balance short and long term tactical
and strategical objectives one of the more interesting aspects of Galaxy
dislike these variants for this reason.  Others who are more interested in the
tactical (and strategical) military challenges than in boring logistical
concerns will like the variants for this reason.

References

Re: Galaxy player: Any new games starting out there?
tgeiger@treble.elee.calpoly.edu (Thomas K. Geiger)
Sun, 22 Sep 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Galaxy-shipping materials
Sam Craig <samcraig@io.com>
Wed, 02 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Galaxy player: Any new games starting out there?
welostr2@concentric.net
Sat, 21 Sep 1996 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: Galaxy player: Any new games starting out there?
tgeiger@treble.elee.calpoly.edu (Thomas K. Geiger)
Sun, 22 Sep 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Galaxy-shipping materials
Sam Craig <samcraig@io.com>
Wed, 02 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Galaxy player: Any new games starting out there?
welostr2@concentric.net
Sat, 21 Sep 1996 00:00:00 +0000