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WIZZARD´s Power Words for Pax Imperia II
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After "Dungeon Keeper" - the second Power Words are about the strategy
game
"Pax Imperia II" (These PWs are released 4.1.1998, after playing this
game for several
days. Thanx to Andreas for hardware). This game is ... let`s say very
similar to "Master
of Orion II". If you´ve played that before it is not too difficult to
start your
own Empire. The realtime-mode is not too bad, slow it down at the
beginning
or in important phases. For those who never saw Orion: you can create
your own
galactic empire with colonizing planets, doing research, conquering
worlds
and managing your empire. It is a complex strategic and economic
simulation
where you often have to think about all aspects at once, in short- and
longterm-
plans. I played only the German version, so I am not shure about some
original
names. By the way, the German translation of this game has many funny or
just stupid mistakes. (ever seen "Schlitze" in a spaceship? ;-).
Here is one strategy (there are many ways to win) and some common tips:
- I don`t play custom races. My created race are the Elarians. They are
a
proud race of scientists (science +5 in the attributes) and constructors
(construction +5) of mighty spacefleets. Doing Spionage or sabotage is
against
their honor (spionage -5). They don`t need that because of their
superior
technologigal knowledge (weapons, shield, ship & colonial research
"high+1").
Alcyone, the home planet of the Quantum Empire is well kown for its
great cities
and impressive buildings, for the Elarians are a rich race (finace +1).
- Staring your empire: better test your staring position. If you have
many
opponents, check out that no one is directly nearby. Start on the edge
of the map.
Important is to find several green planets (very fast population growth)
in
range of the start-position. Build at once another transporter and send
the
other off at once (Speed = 0). The research should go 100% on research
buildings (750 points, 3750 points) & then on construction. Build these
buildings very fast on your planet & start all yur new planets with
research.
This is a very important phase. After some time (hope to have no
encounter yet)
you can start researching some weapons & shields & basic spaceship
equipment
like fast tactical engines. But do most research on weapons & shields at
the beginning for they are the most important at that time. When you
have some
destroyers (don´t resesarch or use rockets -> trash) you should research
very
fast for better colonizing units (Class C). Never build a ship with old
weapons when you found new technology, e.g. the waveshield.
- The Elarians don`t like spionage, so don`t pay any money for it (0%).
- Planets: at the beginning is finding & chosing the right planets very
important. Green is top, best with high wealth, orange is OK when having
more than 10 population with at least 3 wealth. Don´t build colonies on
red planets in the beginning, they have no population growth. This
and efficient research are the keys for your superiority in the
virtual galaxy.
- When you found in the beginning of your game a green planet with a
high
wealth & population then start with building buildings and later with a
wharf in
the orbit to build fast transporters for more colonisation.
- Research in mid-game: try to skip useless things like the tactical
drives
with defense bonus (takes too long to research). I don´t research any
warpdrives
for more than 2 jump range, because I never needed them. But: to get the
biggest ship fast you need to research the neutronium (in the field of
shields) and some other warp-engines & fundamental research. Try fast to
develop the biggest ships. While waiting for research (Speed = 5) don´t
forget to
look from time to time after your colonies that they always buld what
you want.
- Computer-research: very stupid. Never stressed on a special field like
("How do I
get the best shield in the galaxy?"), it just goes through all topics
with 750 points, then
all with 3750 and so on. The Elarians are much more effective.
- Computer-constructing: again stupid. You should be more clever &
specialize
planets for research, finance-centers (many of them in the mid-game to
finance
your future fleets!) or planets with fast contructing. Don´t build some
constructing
buildings at the beginning, time is too short, just start directly with
science or
finace. Don´t ever build a spionage-building (in this partuculary
strategy).
- Weapons-research: don´t waste any time on rockets and do not research
at the
beginning too much in planetary bombs (firestorm is quite enough). But
get fast
some good long-range weapons (Durg-Cannon) and then some nice mid-range
weapons.
- Research in Space: don´t waste many points here at the beginning. A
c-class
colonizer is important and a level-3 wharf is good, but here are not too
many
important things. But in the mid-game you will encounter intelligent
mines.
To get rid of them research the mines & then the anti-mine-ship and
build it in
your bigger ships. Later, you might encounter mines this ship can`t see
& so
you must research better mines & the better anti-mine-ship.
- The Elarians conquer other worlds & protect these with their fleets
which
guard their systems (the guarding-symbol). They don´t ever need a
planetary
defense system, because parts their fleets (two ships) always protect
their
systems at the border to other territory. They are smart enough not to
fight
at too many places of the galaxy at once, they first finish a branch off
&
then go to another. Because of their superior technology theyr ships
win nearly every battle.
- And the computer can play very stupid, he has only three little
spaceships,
notices my big fleet & declares war. Talking about stupidity: the
computer is not bad
at automatic fighting, but has difficulties with good moving big fleets.
Sometimes
you have to move your ships to the right position & click again on
automatic
fight.
- Cracking the planetary defense system: can be difficult with even very
modern
ships, so take at least four big ones (4000) and some medium ships
(2000) to
attack a system with mines, rockets and battlestation.
- In the later mid-game you should start to research good fighters. The
Elarians
don`t have any problems fighting their opponent fleets, but have to be
careful
about fighter pods & battlestations on other planets. Now you should
fast research
all fighters & develop a carrier-ship with some weapons, but mostly
eagles & co.
- Talking about weapons: the Elarians never use weapons on the left or
right side
on their ships, they attack always from the front, for they never flee.
Weapons for
the front are: long-range like gauss cannon and mid-range weapons like
the quantum
torpedoes. Important especially for attacking mined systems are the
point-weapons
for the around-defense of the ship. Here you should place mostly
mid-range or
short-range heavy weapons, but many different ones. Don´t let the
computer automatically
equip your ship!
- The computer places two fighting fleets in far-weapon-range. But it is
better
to move your ships very near to the enemy fleet & then switch back to
automatic
fight. Then the heavy short-range weapon can be used. With this tactics,
the Elarians
destroy ever four times bigger fleets.
- Attacking heavily guarded systems: the others launch their fighters
and
they come near, your fleet starts. Then press the stop-automatic-button
and
wait for your fleet destroying the fighters. Then start to attack the
mines
and the battlestation. With this easy tactics you save a lot of ships.
- In the mid-game you`ve got many nice planets (I hope for you), so you
should
look from time to time to find the best administrator for the fields
like ship
construction or research. This brings much more points, often 10%,
- Damage: in Pax Imperia II, the ships don`t just have hitpoints going
to zero
when being attacked, the enemy attacks can damage important systems as
tactical engines (no moving), weapons or warp-engines. If your fleet
doesn`t
move or go through the wormhole, try to find out which ship is damaged
and
scrap it.
- Moving your damaged ships back to a construction bay repairs them
faster. You
should research fast the repairing-drone. For fast Hit Recovery (reminds
me on
Diablo...), put two reairing drones in one ship.
- You will see that having a good fleet will be expensive: after the
first research
& colonizing phase start with building specialized finance worlds. When
having
the class-C colonizer, you should also colonize on red worlds if they
are rich
(at least x4). This is a good trick to get many money, because you have
five
million colonists at once on this planet.
- In the end-game (I think you came so far ;-) your empire should attack
the
strongest opponent & build many tranceporters and move the front of your
systems
through the galaxy. With the InfiniShield(tm) and the Corona (great
weapon)
you can easily destroy any planetary defense system. But in the rush of
building
a big fleet look from time to time if you have enough money to finace
it.
If not, scrap the oldest and most damaged ships in the fleet menu.
During the
end-game, the Elarians have enough research points, so they only build
finance worlds (change switch to "finance").
- When playing against 15 computer opponents, you will see they mostly
work
all together against you, even do research together! But no problem -
the superior
Quantum Empire of the Elarians win all battles.
Now start your empire and colonize the galaxy. Good luck.
Christian Wizzard == chrish@uni-muenster.de
Look out on http://home.t-online.de/home/zimmert/
