Posted November 11, 2010
Yes it is, or at least very nearly.
You most certainly CAN research everything. The only problem I have (even in 800x600) is that all the technologies don't fit on the page under planet tech/spy tech. Having 3 weapon types in a single fleet is absolutely devastating. Ion knocks out shields, quantum has area effect and proton mops up. I would normally have 3-4 proton, 2 ion and 2 quantum in a death fleet. Maybe 1-2 of those are turret type, but mainly blasters.
I don't particularly bother with missiles, as I don't find them the least bit useful. Sure, they have better kill off - but really a spy on a propaganda mission will do a far better job. Average tech missile ships are handy in early levels though, so a few RP can go there but I don't even bother with advanced tech until late in the game when I don't have anything else to spend it on.
How? Unless I really have to, I never spend RP on something unless it's very cheap (<300 or so RP) or I've stolen a protoype. You can stockpile a tonne of RP in the missions leading up to mission 5, where you get your first spies. I built up about 8-10 thousand before having to spend a few RP on techs that were necessary (such as improved colonisation). Nothing else is spent unless it's stolen, cheap or absolutely necessary.
For instance, on my current playthrough I only got advanced ship tech in the 3rd last mission (once it could be stolen). Mind you, at no point did I even need it, as my ships are so devastating that the missions have been quite simple. My biggest difficulty thus far has been compatibility issues, crashes and occasionally losing a valuable unit to a random event (Load->Autosave). Oh, and those annoying time limits.
There are 3 upgrades to research that reduce the cost by 5%. Obviously, for every project you research AFTER getting these upgrades, you save a fraction of the RP. Therefore, if you're frugal about it - you can save thousands of RP later on from the larger projects. (Eg if you have a 1300 RP project (Eg advanced ship equipment, half price of course due to it being stolen). With 5% AND further 5% with both early upgrades it's 1300*0.95*0.95 (1173) and usually you'll have Gaia Entity by then too, so it'll be 1115 - saving 185 RP on just that one project.
Also - turn random events frequency up to Often (the highest setting). Every now and then, you'll get free RP from a random event. This is important, just recently on a playthrough I got 1200 free RP from an event. You'll typically get about 3-4 RP boosts if you play slowly and meticulously like I do. Once you get free RP, immediately save.
All tech, bar proton tech can be had for half-price. For that you have to pony up. Also, I hardly bother with Missile tech, although I'm fairly sure I got it to nearly full levels last time I played through.
STEAL EVERYTHING.
Even on missions where you're not supposed to be stealing, dammit I'm stealing tech. Eg. The mission where you choose to side with either Mohr'Tep OR the Khariaks - I make no move until I have all their technology on both sides.
Some missions have you return to the a system that you've previously developed. No planet should be left uncolonised, and generally maxed out with buildings as much as you can before the mission finishes. This is important because you can park Military bases at known enemy entry points, and they'll still be there when you return later. (eg. The southmost wormhole in Eden system - where the Darzok first appear. I parked a base there and it nailed almost the entire fleet before my mobile ships got there (it was blown up, but not before taking out most of the enemy).
Also, the mission where you can either directly assault Raki or go for Panola/Yarbo first - the choice is obvious. One path gives you two missions, the other one. So that's two missions of starting RP (about 3000-4000), clearly better. That mission isn't even remotely difficult when you have uberships of doom cruising around. The Darzoks and Mohr'Tep both continually throw streams of battleships at your fleets, but they get chewed to pieces easily.
Because you're stealing technology, you get ALL 3 races' shield/engine/armour upgrades as well. So that means your ships become FAR more powerful than if you were to research things the honest way. At present I have Ion, Proton and Quantum all maxed (but not chaotic stuff, increased accuracy is actually better than increased damage, less accuracy).
When you're choosing your starting units, it is possible to have more spies than there are spy slots - meaning that you can have more than the usual 3 or 4 spies (I've had 8 at one point) by choosing spies as your starter units. Subsequent missions will then also have more than 3 or 4 available to choose for the next mission.
Here are some save games for you to play with: This time around I was a smidgen more liberal with spending, getting a few upgrades a tad earlier, for overkill purposes. The Darzok armada was humiliated in an embarrasinly one-sided wormhole blockade. They did manage to destroy two battleships with their Entire Humanity Destroying Armada Fleet of DOOM. (I only sabotaged 1 ship for the sake of game scripting, and the human/khariak reinforcements didn't even get to the first wormhole before the job was done. After singlehandedly erasing the Darzok armada, Jack's dialogue is far more appropriate. "it was a tough batte (lie), but our superior fleet one the day".
Ion, proton and quantum military bases camping at a wormhole. Carnage galore.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ddbaia2auh5cy7e/33%20Mil%20base%20ownage.dat
Latest mission start - you can very easily wipe out the Darzok
http://www.mediafire.com/file/14l5vh81n4ax0s6/01%20Episode5%20mission5%20-%20Level%20start.dat
You most certainly CAN research everything. The only problem I have (even in 800x600) is that all the technologies don't fit on the page under planet tech/spy tech. Having 3 weapon types in a single fleet is absolutely devastating. Ion knocks out shields, quantum has area effect and proton mops up. I would normally have 3-4 proton, 2 ion and 2 quantum in a death fleet. Maybe 1-2 of those are turret type, but mainly blasters.
I don't particularly bother with missiles, as I don't find them the least bit useful. Sure, they have better kill off - but really a spy on a propaganda mission will do a far better job. Average tech missile ships are handy in early levels though, so a few RP can go there but I don't even bother with advanced tech until late in the game when I don't have anything else to spend it on.
How? Unless I really have to, I never spend RP on something unless it's very cheap (<300 or so RP) or I've stolen a protoype. You can stockpile a tonne of RP in the missions leading up to mission 5, where you get your first spies. I built up about 8-10 thousand before having to spend a few RP on techs that were necessary (such as improved colonisation). Nothing else is spent unless it's stolen, cheap or absolutely necessary.
For instance, on my current playthrough I only got advanced ship tech in the 3rd last mission (once it could be stolen). Mind you, at no point did I even need it, as my ships are so devastating that the missions have been quite simple. My biggest difficulty thus far has been compatibility issues, crashes and occasionally losing a valuable unit to a random event (Load->Autosave). Oh, and those annoying time limits.
There are 3 upgrades to research that reduce the cost by 5%. Obviously, for every project you research AFTER getting these upgrades, you save a fraction of the RP. Therefore, if you're frugal about it - you can save thousands of RP later on from the larger projects. (Eg if you have a 1300 RP project (Eg advanced ship equipment, half price of course due to it being stolen). With 5% AND further 5% with both early upgrades it's 1300*0.95*0.95 (1173) and usually you'll have Gaia Entity by then too, so it'll be 1115 - saving 185 RP on just that one project.
Also - turn random events frequency up to Often (the highest setting). Every now and then, you'll get free RP from a random event. This is important, just recently on a playthrough I got 1200 free RP from an event. You'll typically get about 3-4 RP boosts if you play slowly and meticulously like I do. Once you get free RP, immediately save.
All tech, bar proton tech can be had for half-price. For that you have to pony up. Also, I hardly bother with Missile tech, although I'm fairly sure I got it to nearly full levels last time I played through.
STEAL EVERYTHING.
Even on missions where you're not supposed to be stealing, dammit I'm stealing tech. Eg. The mission where you choose to side with either Mohr'Tep OR the Khariaks - I make no move until I have all their technology on both sides.
Some missions have you return to the a system that you've previously developed. No planet should be left uncolonised, and generally maxed out with buildings as much as you can before the mission finishes. This is important because you can park Military bases at known enemy entry points, and they'll still be there when you return later. (eg. The southmost wormhole in Eden system - where the Darzok first appear. I parked a base there and it nailed almost the entire fleet before my mobile ships got there (it was blown up, but not before taking out most of the enemy).
Also, the mission where you can either directly assault Raki or go for Panola/Yarbo first - the choice is obvious. One path gives you two missions, the other one. So that's two missions of starting RP (about 3000-4000), clearly better. That mission isn't even remotely difficult when you have uberships of doom cruising around. The Darzoks and Mohr'Tep both continually throw streams of battleships at your fleets, but they get chewed to pieces easily.
Because you're stealing technology, you get ALL 3 races' shield/engine/armour upgrades as well. So that means your ships become FAR more powerful than if you were to research things the honest way. At present I have Ion, Proton and Quantum all maxed (but not chaotic stuff, increased accuracy is actually better than increased damage, less accuracy).
When you're choosing your starting units, it is possible to have more spies than there are spy slots - meaning that you can have more than the usual 3 or 4 spies (I've had 8 at one point) by choosing spies as your starter units. Subsequent missions will then also have more than 3 or 4 available to choose for the next mission.
Here are some save games for you to play with: This time around I was a smidgen more liberal with spending, getting a few upgrades a tad earlier, for overkill purposes. The Darzok armada was humiliated in an embarrasinly one-sided wormhole blockade. They did manage to destroy two battleships with their Entire Humanity Destroying Armada Fleet of DOOM. (I only sabotaged 1 ship for the sake of game scripting, and the human/khariak reinforcements didn't even get to the first wormhole before the job was done. After singlehandedly erasing the Darzok armada, Jack's dialogue is far more appropriate. "it was a tough batte (lie), but our superior fleet one the day".
Ion, proton and quantum military bases camping at a wormhole. Carnage galore.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ddbaia2auh5cy7e/33%20Mil%20base%20ownage.dat
Latest mission start - you can very easily wipe out the Darzok
http://www.mediafire.com/file/14l5vh81n4ax0s6/01%20Episode5%20mission5%20-%20Level%20start.dat
Post edited November 11, 2010 by Enlargee79