A long, long time ago circa 1998/1999 (if memory serves, its been a long time!) i bought PCZONE UK and on the front was a CD of assorted demos. On that CD was a demo for IGII, short of a 4x Space Game as i was i loaded the game and loved it. It had so many parts to it that i thought was great, it was immersive and more importantly, the game was responsive to your decisions. For the first few planetary invasions i did the tanks were dropped and then steamrolled thru the AIs defenses, and then all of a sudden my tanks were getting creamed - short of a manual i had no idea what had gone wrong, after a few clicks i realised the AI had upgraded its tanks beyond mine! Then started a research war as the AI and I attempted to get the best tanks to clear planets of defenders..... it was a great time........... Then Shogun came out and i forgot all about it, such is the way of a PC Gamer!
Now as the mists of time roll back, and my rose tinted spectacles are put on, im going to have another go...............
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg824%2F3716%2Fig2nt2012101123581079.jpg&hash=19f46d6e9c91c1cb5ca4def3e2c2370503cd5f3d) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/824/ig2nt2012101123581079.jpg/)
Here's our budding Empire. One fleet consisting of a few Destroyers and Fighters and a Colonisation ship, and our home planet Exterior 13 (Catchy and romantic!)
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Already within the radar coverage of our home planet are two more planets (the glowing stars at 8 and 4 o'clock from the home planet), we send satellites to get more information.
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Of the 2, Exterior 10 offers more to our new system. At the top of the planet info icon in the bottom left hand corner there is a value of 210% for production which means its a super planet for outputting ships, tanks etc., and the value at the bottom of 100% means i get no bonus or negative effects on how quick the population will grow.
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Back to home, we can see that i get no +/- effects on production, but because im Human and this planet is ideally suited to me (grassy) i get a bonus for population. There are 3 negative effects on the population at the moment - they want a hospital, lower taxes and more housing.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg15%2F6353%2Fig2nt2012101200005142.jpg&hash=9d65ab0f313ccecfc921b0523dae68b0ab7c5434) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/ig2nt2012101200005142.jpg/)
............and build them a hospital and some small houses
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Fifteen years later, im still smarting from the AI tank research war, and a little paranoid it will happen again. Our first project will be to upgrade the guns on our tanks - to the left of the screen you can see i need 2 research centres to carry out the project, and to the right of the screen you'll see ive got sod all!
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I decide to colonise Exterior 10 by splitting off the Colonisation ship, and sending the combat fleet around the Home system to set an outer border and check for any other nearby planets
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg441%2F5309%2Fig2nt2012101200110779.jpg&hash=f5805569103c57ad4b88d9aeacc6860b3623bc83) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/ig2nt2012101200110779.jpg/)
...........this reveals 2 more planets nearby - we send out the satellites
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg211%2F5383%2Fig2nt2012101200115678.jpg&hash=3457ba9c70be7f4b3767b987c7e4fd5bd8d3e49e) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/211/ig2nt2012101200115678.jpg/)
A pirate planet has been located nearby, and we're tasked with taking it from them. If not taken the planet will be used as a forward launching point for pirate attacks on our home system
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There's the pirate planet out to the West, Aurora 12
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg266%2F3636%2Fig2nt2012101200132903.jpg&hash=6dee6d5a75bee38fa1816a92a113e68b8826c7c4) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/266/ig2nt2012101200132903.jpg/)
I build the tank research facilities to get the ground forces up to speed, however, there is a flashing icon above one of the facilities to show that it is under manned. There arent enough colonists to man both research plants...............
I really enjoyed this game back in the day but could never beat it, even on easy level. I look forward to seeing how you make out with this playthrough!
Hi W8, this is on normal, so we'll see how it goes
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg404%2F5502%2Fig2nt2012101200134600.jpg&hash=a2a5043bb9ae730ec441b338dafa2f3390d1e9a5) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/404/ig2nt2012101200134600.jpg/)
I switch off the ship research facility - im not doing any of that for a while, this frees up my research minions to run down the road and start work in the tank research facility. By keeping the colonists happy the population will grow and therell be enough soon to start up the ship facility again
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Research on the cannon for the tank is complete, we head to the design workshop to upgrade the tank hulls to carry the new cannons
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Uh-oh, since the pirate home base was highlighted theyve been seen more and more in the area - here a Pirate fleet enters our system before i can incease our fleet and take his home planet. At first he seems to be heading for the fleet but then diverts and heads for the undefended Exterior 13
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg222%2F5733%2Fig2nt2012101200280622.jpg&hash=c2eef55af197e2925dd05f683c4a11a110158665) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/222/ig2nt2012101200280622.jpg/)
And low and behold before i can get there, the home planet is taken - not the best start
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg96%2F3766%2Fig2nt2012101200282220.jpg&hash=7fae843b2d8fe507b46ba37517f8c186aea6d27e) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/96/ig2nt2012101200282220.jpg/)
Tits, Exterior 10 goes next and i have no planets left - the countdown starts
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg502%2F3930%2Fig2nt2012101200340824.jpg&hash=2370a544f0a3c2d0f966e601502336f91983aa31) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/502/ig2nt2012101200340824.jpg/)
We destroy the Pirate fleet with ease (2 destroyers) and take back our undefended planets. The 'damage' by the pirates is undone - they had reset the tax level, and switched the ship research back on, to the detriment of the tank research facility.
On Exterior 10 we build a Tank Factory to start building our new line of Cannon Tanks
Nice recovery!
Excellent! It's a very difficult game...hope it will come to gog one day so i won't need those cd-roms anymore.
Good luck....
ha, very prophetic Anguille, ive got to a point where i cant progress in the game anymore, theres a scratch on the CD and i think its trying to access some video from there and it wont go past - investigations continue
Nice AAR! And with one of my favorite 4x games of all time too. (I second Anguille in hoping it shows up on GOG one day.) :)
still cant get passed the fatal disc error - still looking at options, until then AAR is waiting!
Sorry to hear that mate. :( Good luck with figuring out the problem!
Quote from: Martok on November 04, 2012, 10:19:38 AM
Sorry to hear that mate. :( Good luck with figuring out the problem!
me too, thanks Martok, if i fix it its back on