Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!gs From: gs@mit-eddie.UUCP (Gordon Strong) Newsgroups: net.games.emp Subject: Re: survey of worlds Message-ID: <876@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: Mon, 31-Oct-83 14:59:11 EST Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.876 Posted: Mon Oct 31 14:59:11 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 3-Nov-83 06:29:08 EST References: <2281@alice.UUCP> Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 46 There e is NO need to go into debt at the beginning of the game! That only happens when you try to expand too quickly without adequate preparation. The plan I normally use is (at the very start) to move all my iron and all but 20-30 civilians into one sector and designate it an urban area. You don't need BTU's in the beginning of the game, so don't worry about them. Expand out from your capitol putting one civilian in each sector to define a country (in case you're placed next to someone else). Let the civilians build up in the urban area. Resist the temptation to move them out until there is more than 2000 of them. Pick a minimum level and keep to it (only move out the excess civilians). Designate all the sectors with one civilian in them to be ROADS. This is just temporary and cuts mobility costs by 60% over plain wilderness (this is for 0% efficient road). Doing all this shouldn't cost you much money at all and should take about 3-5 days. When you have sufficient civilians in your urban area, move what the fertility will support into a sector and designate it an agribusiness. By exploring beforehand, you can choose a suitable sector (actually get about 10 good ones). Keep trying to contract the food from those sectors until you get the max of $3.72. One the sectors are above 60% they will produce food like crazy. Stuff them full of people and watch the bucks roll in. When you have reached financial stability (another 3 days or so), then you can expand out into other sector types. This also gives you about a week to looook over your map and census reports and plan out how you want to set up your country. The most important thing is to set up a winning road network so that you can move stuff all over the country easily. You should get an education level (since it helps you produce food faster => more $$). A three sector loop of a m, j, and l will do it. Deliver iron from m to j, light products from j to l, and voila, education. Wait until your education is above 800 or so before you start on technology (education helps produce tech more efficiently). Why tech? To get nukes of course! It is also very important to set up a LOT of manufacturing centers. LCM and HCM are extremely important. A wise idea is to not make gold bars, but to deliver the dust out. Dust is the scarcest commodity (and making nukes uses it up very fast). Make a few PT boats to go scout for choice places to nuke (use them as spotters). It is important to get nukes first. If anyone tries to take you out, you have the best retaliation. Well, sorry this is so long. It developed from rason why you don't need to go into debt into a method for winning the game. Use the information wisely. Oh, by the way, people don't usually like the buildup associated with this method and tend to gang up on you (another reason to get nukes first). Good luck with your countries. -- Gordon Strong genrad!mit-eddie!gs GS%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC